Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I believe that the character of this discussion is very much a bipartisan one, and I would hope we can continue in that manner.

The member for McEwen has rightly asked these questions. As we have sought to do since February of this year, we will continue to work with her on a bipartisan basis on the two specific proposals that she has put forward.

Finally, I inform the House and the community which is here represented that, under the recovery plan, projects for Marysville and surrounds, as I am advised, that have been identified for funding support are as follows: $5.2 million for the Marysville community learning, health and recreation hub; $9.2 million for the restoration of Lake Mountain Alpine Resort as a major summer and winter tourist destination; redeveloping and upgrading Stevenson Falls, $2.6 million; reconstruction of Marysville police station, $2.4 million; construction of the Marysville Rebuilding Advisory Centre; development of the Marysville and Triangle urban design framework, $500,000; restoration of the Marysville caravan park, $500,000; construction of a Marysville skate park, $150,000; and construction of a Triangle walking and cycling trail connecting communities in the Marysville area. There are also other projects which I will not list.

This, for the community at Marysville, is still very much the beginning. I have spoken about physical reconstruction. As the parliamentary secretary, the minister and the member indicated to me earlier today, as did members of the community themselves, with the emotional and psychological scars of what occurred back in February, the deep and difficult process of healing has barely begun. Our responsibility as a parliament, as both the Leader of the Opposition and I said at the time when this natural disaster occurred, is to maintain our solidarity with these communities brick by brick, house by house, school by school, community by community, until these communities are restored. That remains the commitment of the Australian government.

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