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

I rise today to pay tribute to the dedicated State Emergency Service volunteers and personnel who provided and are still providing valuable support to communities battling the unprecedented flood emergency in northern New South Wales and in other areas closer to home. The men and women in Orange selflessly answered the call for help in late February. They've worked for days on end, and, in some cases, the entire month, to save people, pets, livestock and the possessions of complete strangers in need.

Today, the flood emergency is still evolving up north. Western Zone commander Chief Superintendent David Monk is currently helping efforts from the Newcastle incident control centre. Orange SES volunteers Tyler Johnson, Callum Cope and Ryan Bruin spent a week in Ballina wading through rising waters to rescue flood victims. Bathurst volunteer Joshua Besterwitch was deployed to Lismore, while Central West Deputy Zone Commander Brigid Rice led the flood planning team there. Western zone's Josh Clark provided vital media assistance during that initial flood emergency. Sofala's Rebecca Cole and Bathurst's Zeak Smith have completed two deployments to Lismore and to Newcastle. Dave Rankine has clocked up a month's work supporting flight operations and communicating vital evacuation warnings across New South Wales. Thank you, Dave.

Bathurst Deputy Unit Commander Andrew McDonough spent a week in Lismore and spent last week in Walgett, where he was joined by Bathurst volunteer Nathan Stevens. Mudgee SES volunteer Feroz Wani supported teams in Walgett and Collarenebri. Intelligence officer Craig Ronan worked from Bathurst to provide vital intel about predicted river heights, while Marina Gray and Hywel Blake worked their way through thousands of calls from homeowners in the state's north in desperate need of help.

Locally, our volunteers sprang into action when record rainfall hit closer to home in Lithgow, Hartley, Wallerawang, Glen Davis, Olinda and Rylstone in mid-March. I would like to formally recognise the Portland SES members Commander Kim Phillips, Ebony Partridge and Kenneth McDonagh, who coordinated the food supply in some of those local flood emergencies in our area. Bathurst SES members Chris Abbott and Heath Christian used SES boats to make vital food drops. Mudgee's Adam Newton, Lachlan Vivers and Sharon Zawiolkowski, along with John Yates from Rylstone SES, undertook important welfare checks and carried out numerous jobs for homeowners. I was there at Glen Davis and saw how it was cut off, but there was flooding all through our region around Lithgow, Hartley, Wallerawang, Olinda and also Rylstone.

I will be acknowledging and thanking individually all of our local RFS volunteers in a separate address. Today, on behalf of this parliament, I formally recognise and offer a heartfelt thankyou to our SES and RFS volunteers who selflessly answered the call for help. It's the true Aussie spirit and we couldn't be prouder of them.