Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 25 November last year, my electorate suffered through some of the worst fires in South Australia in living memory: more than 80,000 hectares burnt; a fire front of around 200 kilometres long; and two people, sadly, died in the blaze. In its aftermath there were dust storms and many devastated communities and farms; there were burning hay bales and hay sheds. A big clean-up and a big recovery effort was needed. Of course I want to extend my condolences to both the Hughes and Tiller families, who suffered the worst loss as a result of these fires.

The towns affected—which included Pinery, Mallala, Pinkerton Plains, Wasleys, Owen, Hamley Bridge, Stockport, Roseworthy, Templers, Freeling, Daveyston, Greenock, Kapunda, Tarlee, Marrabel, Allendale North and Eudunda—tell you about the extent of this fire. It tells you the communities affected are part of South Australia's great farming communities—very productive farmland, very beautiful farmland. The fire burnt right up to the edge of the Barossa Valley. It was really only the wind that stopped it going into the valley or going into Gawler or Lyndoch. It was a truly terrible event.

I know many people, some I went to school with, who did not see this as an anniversary to be remembered, and who politely said on Facebook that they were very happy that everybody had contacted them, but they were going offline for a little while to digest the year just gone, the one we are remembering.

I do want to thank the Plains Producer for doing such a wonderful spread in their paper. Of all the community events and the things that have gone on since that time, to mark the anniversary of what was a devastating fire—it is important that we remember it; it is important that we prepare for a new bushfire season. We have had a very wet winter in South Australia, so the fuel loads will be quite large. There is already an explosion of snakes in the Barossa Valley. I had one in my front yard the other day. We are seeing that increased fuel load, and we will need to be very cautious about the fire season ahead. I encourage everybody to prepare and to have their fire evacuation plans in place.