Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Originally born out of the tough demands of employment in the region’s steel, mining and agricultural industries, the toughness, determination and resilience of the Hunter Valley’s people are legendary. That resilience has been tested many times during the Bellbird mine disaster and other mine disasters, the Rothbury riot, the 1955 flood, the 1989 earthquake, regular droughts and bushfires and many other devastating events. Over the course of the Queen’s birthday weekend that resilience was tested yet again. Five days ago the Hunter was in the grip of the worst drought in our history. By week’s end, thousands of Hunter residents were watching years of emotional and financial investment in their homes and properties taken by the ferocity of a storm the likes of which I have never previously seen. Of course, their pain was shared by thousands more living on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

The events of the last few days have also reminded us of another aspect of the character of the Hunter’s population—that is, their sense of community, camaraderie and compassion. While thousands of residents were affected by the storm and the subsequent floods, thousands more came to the help of others, many of them as members of emergency agencies, others just helping a friend, family member, neighbour or even a complete stranger. It is one of the good things we consistently see in this country when people find themselves in trouble. I pay tribute to all those who provided assistance, but particularly the men and women—volunteer or otherwise—of the various emergency services organisations: the SES, the New South Wales Police Force, the New South Wales fire brigade, the rural fire services, the New South Wales Ambulance Service and no doubt others. I also want to acknowledge the work of the Army and our local councils, which did a magnificent job, and the members of various service clubs who helped with catering.

I want to pay a special tribute to Newcastle ABC radio 2NC for the around-the-clock coverage they provided as the disaster unfolded, dispersing critical information to both the residents and the emergency services. Their coverage also put the spotlight on the many smaller communities which suffered considerably but were not the focus of television coverage—towns like Neath, Abermain, Weston, Branxton, Greta, Paxton, Ellalong, Millfield, Wollombi, Broke, Laguna, Jerry’s Plains, Denman, Elderslie, Largs, Bolwarra, Mulbring, Kitchener, Abernathy, Mount Vincent and, of course, many more. I extend sympathy to the families of those who tragically lost their lives and all those who had their properties affected in some way. Finally, I want to thank the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and the New South Wales Premier for visiting the region and showing support and sympathy. The Mayor of Maitland, Peter Blackmore, and I toured with the Governor-General. He did a wonderful job of extending on behalf of the nation our thanks to all those who made a contribution either by rescuing people from their homes or in the subsequent clean-up.