Page 55 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 11 February 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Throughout it all, the Canberra community have gathered and supported each other. When the hailstorm blew through west Belconnen, leaving a stunning path of destruction, neighbours moved from house to house, supporting each other in the minutes and hours afterwards, helping remove broken skylights and broken glass from where they had fallen inside people’s homes.
When people were caught outside in the hailstorm, strangers put themselves at risk of injury to help protect others. When the relief centre was opened for people threatened or impacted by fires, Canberrans dropped in to help. When our ESA leadership team worked enormous hours at Fairbairn, there were flowers, there were cards, and I understand there were even donuts that were dropped off in thanks.
We are a strong, resilient community. We gather and we support each other with a generosity of compassion and a generosity of concern. I am very proud of and very thankful for how Canberra has responded and how Canberrans continue to respond. I commend the motion.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for City Services, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Recycling and Waste Reduction, Minister for Roads and Active Travel and Minister for Transport) (3.03): I would like to join my colleagues in extending my gratitude to the volunteers and staff of the Emergency Services Agency, the RFS, the SES, fire and rescue services, ambulance services, ACT parks and the ADF, as well as many other agencies that have been involved—as well as community sector partners—in supporting the response to and recovery process around the bushfire crisis and other issues that have come up, including the recent hailstorm event.
We are indebted to all of those who have volunteered their time to keep our community safe and to help our community recover. Minister Gentleman and the Chief Minister have already outlined the exemplary work of our emergency services agencies extensively. I would like to take the time to acknowledge the work of the Community Services Directorate staff in particular, and Transport Canberra and City Services, in response to fires, the devastating hailstorm and the current rain event over eastern Australia.
The Community Services Directorate were prepared, coming into the bushfire season. They had been through extensive preparation in a trial run of setting up a recovery centre, which I had attended to have a look at. That proved very useful when the Orroral Valley fire started, and the Beard fire, and before that the recovery centre that was set up to support those fleeing from southern New South Wales.
Many Community Services Directorate staff volunteered their time, often very late in the evening, if not overnight, to support those in our community to recover, to get respite, to have a cup of tea and a bickie, to get information that they needed and to connect with our community services organisations that worked with them at the centres.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video