Page 58 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 11 February 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
I would like to thank all of the organisations that are continuing to work tirelessly to ensure the safety both of ACT residents and of all Australians affected by these fires: the emergency services agencies, including ACT Fire & Rescue, the ACT Rural Fire Service, the ACT State Emergency Service and the ACT Ambulance Service. I would also like to thank the parks and conservation service, as well as those who have volunteered with one of these organisations, who have demonstrated incredible courage and selflessness. Thank you also to the ACT police and ACT public servants, many of whom have cut short holidays or otherwise gone above and beyond all expectations in working to keep the territory and its residents safe.
I would also like to acknowledge the support provided by both the Australian and New Zealand defence forces to the territory and give my thanks to their personnel for their work in helping to protect the ACT and surrounding areas. New Zealand has shown great friendship to us in this difficult time. I thank them for their continuing support to the Australian people. I want to thank the other state and territory governments for their work in helping us to respond to the bushfires and storms that have occurred so far. They are facing severe fires of their own, and I am glad we have been able to provide them with support, as they provide it to us in turn. I hope that we can continue to work together effectively to combat this ongoing threat.
Between fires and smoke haze, the ACT and surrounding regions have suffered greatly on the social and economic front. Many small towns in our region have been hit hard by the significant drop in tourism. I urge Canberrans to continue to support local communities, both within Canberra and in its surrounds, and to give your money to local businesses, particularly those that are suffering as a result of reduced tourism.
The crisis is ongoing and shows no sign of being over soon. So many Australians have lost their homes and businesses that the damage is impossible to measure and will take months or years to repair. These fires are still burning, with our southern suburbs still under threat from the Orroral fire and tens of thousands of hectares of Namadgi National Park already lost. Thank you to all the workers and volunteers who are out fighting this fire as we speak and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
As well as these fires, Australia has another challenge on the way. Cyclone Uesi is currently approaching from New Caledonia and is expected to hit the coast of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales on Friday, bringing more heavy rains to already flooded areas, as well as dangerous sea conditions. We may also see a second cyclone form in its wake, likely to be more severe than Uesi. I thank the emergency services workers and others currently dealing with the flooding in New South Wales and wish them luck in dealing with more rain in coming weeks.
When this fire season does finally end, and I note that that may not be for four months, the ACT government will ensure that all those who have worked to combat this ongoing threat to the ACT and its surrounds will be appropriately recognised.
I would also like to extend my thanks to the local Sikh community, who have been conducting ongoing fundraising efforts to support the New South Wales fire services
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video