Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House:

(1)

notes:

(a)

the immense contribution to Australia, particularly through wildlife conservation, made by the late Steve Irwin;

(b)

its appreciation to the late Steve Irwin for his dedication, energy and inspiration in helping to educate and inspire millions of Australians about our native wildlife and that of other nations through almost 50 documentaries and countless TV appearances;

(c)

its appreciation to the late Steve Irwin for his positive impact on raising the appreciation levels among Australians for our native wildlife and for wildlife conservation;

(d)

its appreciation to the late Steve Irwin for his public dedication to his family and the promotion of family values; and

(e)

its appreciation for the late Steve Irwin’s positive impact on international tourism in Australia and subsequent economic benefits; and

(2)

expresses sincere condolences to Steve’s widow Terri Irwin and their children, Bindi and Bob, and Steve’s father, on the sudden and shocking loss of her husband, their father and his son.

I rise in the House today to move a motion regarding the loss of Steve Irwin, who was undoubtedly one of the greatest contemporary Australians ever. I knew Steve Irwin very well. I think it is important, given his sad passing on 4 September, to record in the Australian parliament our gratitude for the role that he has played. I draw the attention of honourable members to items (1)(a) to (e) and (2) of the motion moved by me.

Regardless of whether or not people knew Steve Irwin, no-one could deny that Australia is very much poorer for his passing. In many cases, Steve Irwin had become the face of Australia throughout the world. It is now a little over four weeks since we lost one of our most loved and determined conservationists—a man who wore his passion for wildlife well and truly on his sleeve. We all knew the public face of Steve Irwin—ironically, I suspect, the American public did before the Australian public did. The man was seen in his many documentaries and TV performances as energetic, excited and enthusiastic, and maybe some would have said, in the nicest way, perhaps a little crazy.

His death has been felt around the world. One of my former staff members, Dan Adams, who is now living and working in Japan, noticed that the news dominated the front pages of the newspapers in that country, relegating other significant items to the inside pages. Steve Irwin’s unique antics were the foundation of a very successful method of spreading his conservation message. For that, earlier this year I had the privilege of announcing the Fisher community Australia Day accolades for Steve and Terri: the Environment Award and Outstanding Services to Tourism. The announcement was accompanied by the following:

The zoo has experienced incredible growth in recent years, both in the physical size of the zoo and the number of animals and attractions, but also in the numbers of tourists through the gates. As a result, the zoo has been a magnet for tourists from around the globe, which has helped to further highlight the Sunshine Coast region as an international visitor destination. The Irwins have used their success to establish animal hospital and rescue services as well as wildlife research and conservation initiatives.

Steve’s achievement in touching the hearts of all Australians and others around the world has been demonstrated by the massive public outpouring of grief by the thousands of visitors who have made the effort to visit Australia Zoo to pay their respects. I heard the story of one admirer who actually drove for four hours to simply stand at the front gate of the zoo and show his respect.

Steve Irwin, through his unique persona, has taught all of us the value of wildlife conservation. He has left a lasting legacy in his field. I knew Steve and Terri well; I have known them for many years. I knew them when their business was small, I have watched the business grow and I have watched the contribution that Steve and Terri made to Australia’s international reputation.

We were all saddened on 4 September, but it was in the days after his death that stories began to trickle out about a private side of Steve Irwin, and that trickle became a flood—stories that made some people realise that he was an even finer man than they had appreciated. Steve and his wife Terri funnelled much of their earnings into conservation causes. The documentaries, movies and TV appearances generated millions of dollars, but what went mostly untold was that Steve and Terri used significant portions of that money to buy massive tracts of land around the world—land in Tasmania, Vanuatu, Fiji and the United States—purchased with the express purpose of preventing development and giving the local wildlife a safe place to live. They had also purchased almost 34,000 hectares near St George in Western Queensland and 200 hectares around their zoo at Beerwah on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. I was hosted at the zoo just a few months ago and was surprised to hear that only some 50 acres of the very substantial area they have has so far been developed.

Steve Irwin’s death is obviously an enormous loss to his family—and our condolences reach out to his wife, his children and his father—but, in addition to their personal sense of loss, there is a sense of grieving as a community. The Sunshine Coast has lost one of its favourite sons and Australia has lost one of its most famous ambassadors—a person who was prepared, quite selflessly, to put his name forward with a view to improving outcomes for our nation. I salute Steve Irwin and his family and express my condolences for his passing.

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