Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to pay tribute to the selfless members of four Central West NSW SES units who went above and beyond the call of duty after a freak tornado ripped through rural properties three weeks ago today. The twister formed north-east of Bathurst, before decimating everything in its path in Peel, Clear Creek and Meadow Flat. A 450-kilogram trailer vanished. The brute force shifted a 40-foot shipping container. Hundreds of trees were uprooted. Cattle and silos were sucked into the vortex. Scott McKinnon was almost dragged out of his kitchen window and his small Pomeranian, Pom Pom, was pulled up in the twister and dropped 400 metres away. Miraculously, no-one was killed or seriously injured, and I'm pleased to report that, after a week at the vet's, Pom Pom is also in great spirits and great health. I visited many of those affected the following day, and I was struck by the heartbreaking scenes no homeowner should ever have to face. At each property, tarps were secured where roofs had been only hours before, valuable possessions had been removed for safekeeping, and the back-breaking clean-up had started. The work of our generous SES volunteers shone through.

Today I'd like to acknowledge those members of the NSW SES Portland Unit who rushed to the worst-hit property, the Meadow Flat home of Scott McKinnon and Anne Beecroft, and also Pom Pom. I'd like to thank Commander Kim Phillips, Deputy Commander Anthony Menchin, Team Leader Kenneth McDonagh and members Ebony Partridge, Wilma Frank, and brothers Rylan and Connor Gennari. These volunteers spent 23 hours tarping and securing Scott and Anne's home, salvaging valuable possessions and removing debris. The unit called in help from the Lithgow unit, and I'd like to thank and acknowledge Duty Officer Linda Garland, her 17-year-old son Samuel, Phillip Turner and Augustine Thien.

In nearby Peel and Clear Creek, the Bathurst and Sofala units worked their magic on 11 properties. I'd like to recognise, from Bathurst: Callum Carson, Hannah Madden, John Petrich, Lochlain Kelly, Heulwen Spencer-Goodsir, Joshua Clark, Joshua Besterwitch, Krystal Jauja, Jason Schnepf, Zeak Smith, Andrew McDonough, Matthew Molyneux, Rochelle Dawes, Carmen Beard, Carol Deans, Dave Rankin, Caroline Forest and Dr Meredith Brainwood. I'd like to also recognise, from the Sofala unit: the Cole family, Michael, Natalie and Rebecca; Rob Hancock; and Kathy Chapman. These outstanding individuals from Portland, Lithgow, Bathurst and Sofala NSW SES units exemplify the community spirit that makes Australia such a wonderful country. On behalf of this parliament, I formally recognise them today and I thank these volunteers for their dedication and service.