Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to contribute to today's discussion in relation to the impact that the terrible fires have had on parts of rural and regional Australia. Only on the weekend, I was in East Gippsland visiting my family's property, which was ravaged by fire over the New Year's Eve period. I was walking through that region, looking at the absolute destruction that these intense fires have caused in areas that had never burnt before—rainforest areas and deep, wet gullies, where the fires ripped through and have destroyed everything in their path. The rivers, the streams and the creeks are now suffering as a result. Of course, while rain is welcome, the heavy rain has done much damage to the areas that were left naked after the fires destroyed everything on top of the soil. Ash is running into the streams and creeks, polluting those creeks and rivers and creating even more damage. It is just a travesty.

I must say that, as my five-year-old niece and I were walking through my parents' backyard and saw the charred forest and hillside, there were some ferns that had started to sprout back, and she said, 'Sarah, isn't it so good to see nature growing back again?' She's absolutely right, and I think that emphasises the desire for rural and regional Australia to get back on its feet. These towns and communities, who have been so devastated, want to rebuild, to have signs of hope and to invest again in what they do. Often, that is showcasing Australia's beautiful environment and land, not just to us as Australians but to our overseas visitors as well.

Of course, in the midst of these fires, where was the Prime Minister? He'd buggered off on holidays to Hawaii. While Australians battled the flames, the destruction and the horror, the Prime Minister was up drinking some cocktails and having his feet up on the beach. Australians felt abandoned by the Prime Minister in that moment. They felt ashamed that our leadership was missing in action and they felt angry that the Prime Minister had turned his back on them.

Of course, what we've seen since is a game of catch-up from this government, with announcements of money but very little real support getting on the ground. I was in the Blue Mountains the weekend before parliament resumed, last fortnight, to talk to locals there. They are furious that the money is just not getting to the areas where it is needed. The local council in that area's been given only $1 million, despite having the horror fires and the destruction since September. Local businesses are crying out for support, and they don't want to go into more debt to battle through this next six-month period. They don't want to have to face paying double BAS come May. They want the support they need to get back up on their feet. While those ferns are sprouting, and the children and the communities can see that there is hope in these areas, what is the Prime Minister doing? All he's doing at the moment is paying lip service, making it harder and offering false hope.