Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to join with colleagues in the Senate in expressing our sincerest condolences to those families and friends that have lost loved ones during this horrifying bushfire season. To date, 33 people have lost their lives and tens of millions of hectares have been burnt. The fires are still burning, but it is fitting that this parliament takes the first opportunity available to pay tribute to those whose lives have already perished. It is also important we place on record our thanks and admiration for those that have put themselves in harm's way every day, day after day, for weeks, if not months, to help and to rescue individuals and communities in extreme danger. The thousands of CFA, RFS and South Australian Country Fire Service firefighters have been truly remarkable. Their bravery and commitment have helped save many lives, thousands of homes and important infrastructure. But properties have been lost. Businesses have been lost. Tourism and accommodation venues have been lost. Native animals have been lost. Of course, people have been lost. Livelihoods have been lost.

In Tasmania, we've had fires in or near Scamander, St Marys, Elderslie, Lachlan and Swansea, along with multiple fires in the south-west of Tasmania. Over 41,000 hectares have burnt since October last year. Property has been destroyed and habitat has been lost. But my home state has largely been spared so far this fire season from the devastating experience that has occurred on the mainland. I would like to place on record my respect and admiration for my colleagues the member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, the member for Eden-Monaro, the Hon. Mike Kelly, and the member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, who have been tremendous advocates, organisers and representatives for their communities in these terribly tough times, as has the member for Gippsland, the Hon. Darren Chester.

There is a saying that goes: in extraordinary times we see ordinary people do extraordinary things. So it is with these fires. Many of these ordinary people can be found working at our ports or on our ships. Tugs and a pilot boat from Eden provided safe harbour for those threatened by fierce bushfires last month. More than 80 residents from Eden, aged between six months and 92, along with 12 dogs, sheltered on the tugs Wistari and Cooma. Crews of the tugs ensured there was enough food and organised games and colouring-in competitions to keep morale up whilst also helping out with other emergency tasks. The pilot boat and her crew assisted with many emergency call-outs and provided support and assistance throughout the emergency. Crews of tugs also helped with the transport of firefighters across Twofold Bay. Local tugs and their crews provided invaluable assistance with the uplift of evacuees from Mallacoota beach to HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore.

The supply boat Far Saracen and her crew were tasked by the Victorian government to deliver much-needed supplies of food, water and diesel to those 4,000 people stranded in Mallacoota. These invaluable supplies were delivered by Australian seafarers while the ADF ships and personnel were on their way down the coast to assist with the emergency relief and rescue effort. The diesel supplied by the Far Saracen was used to power local generators and fuel the CFA fire trucks so they could resume their vital firefighting task. The crew on the Far Saracen looked after a seven-month-old baby during the evacuation and made a swing on the deck for the little kids that were on board the vessel. I'm told the civilian crew of the MV Sycamore were so taken with the people and area around Mallacoota that they took up their own collection and made a substantial donation to the Mallacoota wildlife rescue organisation. The crew on the MV Sycamore took their role of helping the evacuees very seriously. Mick Kennedy, the MUA delegate on the Sycamore, had the job of minding an evacuee's dog. Kangaroo Island ferries and their crews undertook an extraordinary amount of work to transport relief supplies to the island, assist with the evacuation, and ferry ADF equipment and personnel assisting with fighting the fires.

These Australian crews and their vessels provided many, many instances of essential emergency relief and support during a time of significant crisis. Maritime workers are used to putting themselves in harm's way every time they go to work, but to learn of their extraordinary commitment in coming to the aid of others in a time of catastrophic emergency is indeed admirable. That is why I wrote to the Prime Minister last week, requesting that he ensure that these hardworking, dedicated and brave seafarers who helped out during the bushfire crisis are eligible for the proposed National Emergency Medal.

While today gives us time to reflect on sacrifices made by so many who have lost their lives, put themselves in harm's way to defend their communities and battle this emergency for weeks and months, it's also important to place on record that the opposition supports and values the role undertaken by all personnel, volunteers, professionals and civilians in this emergency fire operation. It is our belief we need to develop a more formal and coordinated civilian capacity to assist our communities in times of emergency.

The experiences of those crews in Eden, Mallacoota and Kangaroo Island, to name a few, have prompted the beginning of a broader debate that will no doubt canvass options to develop a permanent civilian capacity to undertake large-scale relief and rescue operations. We are keen to ensure that the government and opposition work together to develop a non-partisan position on the development of such a response capability.

I also would like to join other contributions in supporting the call to Australians to visit these areas, to go down and spend time, spend a night, in the areas affected by bushfire—not only those that have had suffered fire but also those surrounding communities that are experiencing extreme downturn and are struggling to be able to survive through this season and perhaps even into the next. So I join those senators that have asked Australians to visit these communities.