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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 1 Hansard (30 January) . . Page.. 29 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

Coming home, I was listening to both the ABC and 2CC. The constant coverage by our radio stations and the Canberra Times updates during the crisis were excellent. I hope the personal anecdotes and thanks will continue for some time to come. So many people in the suburbs were affected. It is great to see what ordinary Canberra citizens did to help one another in this our greatest trial. Average Canberra citizens have come through this dreadful crisis with flying colours. Often it takes a crisis to bring out the best in people.

We have been overwhelmed with stories of courage, selflessness, sacrifice and extreme generosity to total strangers. I heard of four young blokes who turned up to help people they did not know. I heard stories of police men and women and emergency services personnel fighting the best they could to save people's lives and properties, despite the fact that their own homes and properties had gone up in flames and their loved ones had been threatened.

It annoys me but does not surprise me that outsiders like that lunatic Paddy McGuinness, should write totally ill-informed, stupid articles about Canberra. I wonder whether these people will ever learn. I have always found Paddy McGuinness's articles incredibly convoluted, but tripe like his recent article, whilst it does not surprise me, disturbs me. Such people clearly do not understand this community. Canberra is very much a community.

Mr Speaker, some stories are worth telling. When the fires hit the corner of Eucumbene Drive and the Cotter Road at the far north-western corner of Duffy, Superintendent Chris Lyons was there with Sergeant Peter Fittler. As the fire was about to roar over them, they made a command decision to ensure that people got out of their homes in Duffy. They reversed their vehicle about 700 metres, going at 80 kilometres and hour, to avoid the flames. If they had hit anything, they would have been incinerated. As a result of their prompt action, police managed to get a number of people out of Duffy who I believe may have died otherwise.

On Sunday, the 19th, I spoke to Bob at ACT Gymnastics. Bob's actions saved a large part of the gymnastics centre at Holder from the fire. It was inspiring to hear what he had to say. He is very modest but a hero. Fire crews and police soldiered on, despite many of them losing homes and cars themselves.

Some of us went to an ecumenical service at Duffy the other night. There we heard how Clinton White, formerly of Canberra Milk, and his family escaped with their lives. They gathered up crucial possessions, photographs and family pets, and got out as best they could.

Another gentleman there whose name escapes me did his best to save his house and got out at the last possible moment. His car was burning, and he went the wrong way. His story is typical of the amazing events occurring in Duffy at the time. He offered a lift to a bloke walking his dog. The fellow said, "No thanks, mate. I am waiting for my wife."They are some of the incredible stories of this crisis.

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