Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Recent warm and windy weather was a reminder for all of us that bushfire season is here. Hawkesbury RFS members showed they are ready when they displayed their skills at the weekend district championships held on the sixth anniversary of the start of the 2019-20 Gospers Mountain fire. Crews were challenged in things like pumps and pumping, tank inspections, problem-solving and fireground fundamentals. The Yarramundi crew took out first place in the station-readiness category, with their improved station looking beautiful. The overall championship winner was Oakville RFS, followed by Wilberforce and Blaxlands Ridge. There was a proud mum moment when Councillor Danielle Wheeler, herself a brigade member, presented the outstanding crew leader award to her son Patrick.

Two new heavy bush firefighting tankers and the first firefighting boat for the Hawkesbury RFS were handed over by the New South Wales government, which we always love to see. Brigades are ready. The national aerial firefighting fleet based at the Richmond RAAF base is also there to back them up. It was great to visit last week with the emergency management minister.

I want to finish with a special shout-out to cadets who graduated at Hawkesbury, Windsor, Colo, Armidale and Richmond high schools. I was honoured to attended many of those ceremonies. Thanks to Deputy Group Officer Phil Hurst who conducts that program.

See this speech in context