Page 910 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 24 February 2009
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is a credit to the volunteers that they wanted to go. It is to the credit of all the volunteers that went down and those that wanted to go. It is dangerous. We accept that and we look out for each other. The camaraderie in the field is just extraordinary. People do look out for each other and you can see the teams grow closer together.
I pay tribute to all of you, whether you are from Gungahlin or Hall or Molonglo or Jerrabomberra or Southern or Geyser’s Creek; whether you went down with the parks and conservation light units or whether you are from the headquarters of the RFS or the fire brigade. We had an ambo attached to each shift. The ambos were out in the field with us continually doing a great job checking on hydration and sprains and bruises and headaches and all sorts of things. The SES crew were just sensational in making sure that there was extra drip torch fill and a place for the refuel and hot tea going.
The maintenance staff from the fire brigade and the RFS were just great. The tankers would pull up. Young Gary would jump out of his vehicle, the hoods would come off the units and the capens would be lifted. The air guns would be blowing because, as you can imagine, there is an enormous amount of smoke and dust. On shift change one crew would come off and laugh at the next crew but the next crew would get straight on. You checked your water; you checked your fuel and your drip torch. It was just smooth; it was seamless. We should be very proud of the way they behaved. They covered themselves in great glory.
To the police who are down there now, particularly the forensic guys, it is a job I certainly could not do, and we wish you well.
The minister mentioned the ARC units, the animal recovery and disease control trailers. They are a fabulous invention. The head of domestic animal services, an ACT public servant, designed them. They were an answer to the problems that we had with pets and horses and all sorts of things that turned up after 2003. We have two of those units and they are now helping down there.
I want to mention Larry the bus driver. Every expedition has its local hero and ours was Larry the bus driver. Larry is a guy from Kambah who is on hire. He shuttled buses from where we were sleeping to where we were fighting the fires. He did a great job. He was the light and joy of the trip. He had a joke for everybody and he picked on us all incessantly, but if Larry did not know what was going on, then nobody knew what was going on.
In the local community, to the churches that have organised services; to the arts groups that are putting on concerts and to members of the multicultural community who are going to put on functions, thank you for what you do. It is great that we as a community have the opportunity to repay all the assistance that we were given. To the charities that collected material and got it down as quickly as they could, you cannot understand what joy it brings if you have nothing to receive a small parcel, even if it is just toothpaste and soap and hand towels, as the start of the rest of your life. The people who receive those parcels really do appreciate them.
I acknowledge that the minister thanked all the bosses. The volunteers could not go unless the boss said they could. It is hard for some businesses, particularly in this time,
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