Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Between 2 January and 8 January this year, there were devastating bushfires in the Adelaide region in an area surrounding Sampson Flat. When the fires were eventually brought under control, 27 homes had been destroyed, 134 people had been injured, 13,000 hectares of land had been burnt and there were millions and millions of dollars of losses.

Within hours of the fires commencing, a state of emergency was declared and residents of Greenwith and Golden Grove in the Makin electorate were being evacuated from their homes. Many of them sought refuge in the local shopping centres, Civic Park at Modbury and at the Golden Grove Recreation Centre, where an emergency evacuation and relief centre was quickly established. Indeed, many of the families left their homes not knowing whether they would return to them. They did not know if their homes would still be standing.

On the morning of Saturday, 3 January, hundreds of people attended an emergency briefing on the fire situation, provided by the police and fire authorities, outlining what assistance measures were in place, what roads had been closed, and what preparation people at risk should make. Whenever an emergency or disaster arises we see the best in people, and such was the case with these bushfires. People from across the state were offering food, housing, clothing, animal shelter, personal services and any other assistance that they thought might help.

The goodwill continued well after the fires. On Sunday, 8 February, the Salvation Army at Modbury hosted a thank-you service for front-line crews. On Wednesday, 11 March, the Modbury Bowling Club hosted a social bowls evening for the Tea Tree Gully and Paracombe CFS crews. It is simply not possible to acknowledge or even know every person that assisted during the fires; however, the role of the front-line services—the firefighters, the police, ambulance crews and SES crews—was invaluable. It was largely because of their efforts that no lives were lost, that more homes were not burnt down and that more injuries were not sustained.

I also acknowledge the Housing SA staff who oversaw operations at the emergency relief centre, the many community volunteers who assisted at the centre and the Commonwealth Human Services staff, who also set up a mobile office at the centre. I thank the media—in particular, ABC 891, which in the first days of the fire devoted all of their broadcasting time to the fires, providing regular updates and important information to the community. I also thank both the Minister for Justice and the South Australian Premier's Office who, on Saturday, 3 January, contacted me to offer their assistance should issues arise where their intervention would be helpful.

For families caught up in the fires, when the smoke cleared reality set it. Homes were lost, treasured possessions were lost; sheds, fencing, farm equipment and so many other assets were all burned. Even more distressing was that so many pets and farm animals were either burnt to death or dying. For those families the fires have been truly devastating and perhaps even life-changing. I extend to them my best wishes as they rebuild their properties and their lives.