Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Fawcett for that question. Since September last year, the ADF has been making a significant contribution to the bushfire crisis response. The outstanding skills, the dedication and the compassion of our ADF members has shone through during this extraordinarily challenging time for our nation. Operation Bushfire Assist has been the largest mobilisation of the ADF in our nation's history for a domestic crisis. Over 6½ thousand ADF personnel during this time have been deployed. That includes 3,000 reservists. The statistics themselves are absolutely extraordinary: three naval ships; 24 Army and Navy helicopters; 900 Defence vehicles; 75 engineering vehicles; three water purification units; 7,900 personnel and over 2½ thousand tonnes of cargo were moved; 1,500 people, many with their beloved pets, were evacuated by ship and also by air; 500 people were accommodated on Defence bases and 380 have now been transferred back to Mallacoota; there was clearance of 3,000 kilometres of roads, 240 kilometres of fire breaks and also 430 kilometres of fences; delivery of 4.5 million litres of water, 70,000 litres of fuel and 730,000 kilograms of fodder; and 48,000 meals were served to evacuees and emergency services personnel in Defence messes and another 6,000 out in the field for emergency services. These statistics demonstrate the magnitude of the effort, but they do not describe the thousands of acts of compassion and care by our ADF members around the clock every day to communities across the nation.