Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We in this chamber have already spoken about the bushfire response, but tonight I want to focus on an institution that has worked across my state and deserves recognition. Charles Sturt University is an institution of regional New South Wales. It has six campuses: in Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie, Bathurst, Orange, Albury and Dubbo.

In September last year, when Port Macquarie was swamped by fire, the university threw open its doors to provide accommodation, food and toiletry to almost 200 firefighters battling the blazes across the Mid North Coast. Over 40 staff, 40 students and their families donated their time around the clock for more than eight weeks to ensure there was a friendly face in the morning after briefings, and a cold drink and a warm meal for firefighters in the evenings when they came back, battered and bruised after a day on shift. When fire broke out in the Blue Mountains, the Bathurst campus was activated and ready to receive evacuees in case of a full evacuation—thankfully, not required. I am grateful for the effort that went into making sure they were ready. And the Albury Wodonga campus was also on standby when the fires hit the south-east of the state. I particularly want to acknowledge the university staff whose property was impacted by fires yet put their own personal issues aside to support their communities. This commitment and dedication in the face of personal adversity is testament to the values of the institution.

I make special mention of the university's Wagga Wagga campus. As well as providing accommodation for evacuees, the Charles Sturt Equine Centre in Wagga rolled into action to house, feed and care for more than 30 horses for the duration of the evacuation. I personally visited the Charles Sturt Veterinary Clinical Centre and saw the care they provided and continue to provide for burned horses. Seeing those injuries on these beautiful and majestic creatures was very confronting. To those who worked day and night in hot conditions doing physical and traumatic work, thank you. Credit also goes to the community and suppliers who donated much needed veterinary supplies and money for the cause.

Charles Sturt also provided clinical coordination and volunteer support at the animal evacuation centre at the Wagga showground in conjunction with the Department of Primary Industries, including 80 volunteers on the ground on a rolling basis. The campus also housed show poultry and pets in its air conditioned preclinical centre. The staff and students loved looking after family pets as if they were their own, including Maggie, an old labrador that slept in her bed next to the desks of working staff members while she was evacuated from her home. And credit goes to the New South Wales government, which recognised the university's animal expertise and put Associate Professor Dale Nimmo on the government's expert panel on wildlife and threatened species.

Twenty-one per cent of Charles Sturt University students are from fire-affected regions and the university has recognised the effect this could have on their studies. That is why late last year the university established the Charles Sturt Bushfire Scholarship fund, which provides scholarships of up to $5,000 each to help continuing and prospective students who have been impacted by the bushfires.

These bushfires have resulted in so much pain for so many people. Indeed, Charles Sturt University graduate Sam McPaul was tragically killed while fighting fires. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. I know the university has supported fundraising efforts for Sam's wife, who is also a Charles Sturt graduate. In fact, so many Charles Sturt graduates who train in the regions stay in the regions. On average, 80 per cent of Charles Sturt graduates work in a regional community, so I want to thank all those graduates who have provided and who continue to provide support on the ground across a range of areas, including paramedics, police, vets, media presenters and psychologists. Our regional universities play such a huge role in our communities in so many ways, so I want to thank Charles Sturt University and the vice-chancellor, Professor Andrew Vann, and his team and all the staff for the part they played.