Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise also to take note of the answer given by Senator Cormann to Senator Wong's question in relation to the fires across the country, in particular in New South Wales and Queensland. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service deputy, Rob Rogers, said earlier today that the situation was unprecedented and worse than he could have imagined. More than 3,000 firefighters are currently deployed in New South Wales and are supported by 60 aircraft. The response of the state government in New South Wales is at a scale that has not been seen before. More than 600 schools will be closed across New South Wales today, and I'm advised additional schools are being closed throughout the course of the day as fires threaten them. There are 55 fires burning through New South Wales. Thirty of those are uncontained, seven are at emergency level and eight are at watch and act.

While there are fires from the Queensland border through to the Bega Valley, the most significant fires in New South Wales at this stage are in New England and on the Mid North Coast and Far North Coast. In that country—particularly in northern New South Wales—there are many townships and many farms. In the coastal hinterland there are retirees and families living on small bush blocks who are all at enormous risk today and over the course of last week. I know that the thoughts of everybody in this place are with those people.

I spoke to Paul Sekfy, whose property was destroyed over the course of Friday. I should say all of the adjoining properties in his area were destroyed. His shed was destroyed. He returned home to a house that will be uninhabitable and found a note from the Rural Fire Service that said: 'We're really glad we could save your house. I'm sorry about your shed.'

I spoke to the Mayor of Glen Innes, Carol Sparks, yesterday. I rang her for two reasons. Firstly, I think right now it is the job of people in this place to listen and learn. The mayor of Glen Innes was certainly forthright in her views about what Canberra and politicians should be doing. Secondly, it is the country that I grew up in. I know it very well. The countryside, particularly the state forest and national park, are densely wooded. They are dry; they have never been drier. It is very difficult to defend properties and defend those small townships in that circumstance. We mourn the deaths of the three people who were killed last week: George Nole and Vivian Chaplain at the fire in Wytaliba and Julie Fletcher in Johns River. I think it is also important to put on record what the mayor of Glen Innes said to me about the people in Wytaliba who fought so hard to save not just property but the lives of their fellow residents, who were ultimately killed.

I was astonished to hear what the member for New England had to say earlier today on Sky. It was vulgar, it was crass and it seems that there is no low that the former Deputy Prime Minister has not sunk to or will not sink to. What difference does it make who Australians affected by fire vote for? I do not think anyone should have any regard to that. I do not actually think that anybody in this place should. It is beneath contempt. It is a source of enormous disappointment to his constituents in New England. Australians should be working together in these crises.

For Labor's part, we are thinking of the people here. We want to support the emergency services, volunteer and professional. I know that people in that region, in relation to one fire, had been fighting that fire for 70 days in a row. They are exhausted. We want to see the full resources of government committed to making sure that they are safe and sound and that we keep Australians safe. (Time expired)