Trish Cook (Bullwinkel, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to share a story from my electorate of Bullwinkel. It's a story about community, resilience and the remarkable spirit of the people who live in the Perth Hills. This past weekend, the suburb of Darlington held its annual community bonfire. While I was unfortunately unable to attend this year, it's an event that holds a special place in my heart. For many years, my sister Dr Diane Parker, a teacher at Helena College, and I were part of the volunteers who organised the bonfire, and I have seen first hand how it brings out best in our community.

To an outsider it might look like a simple bonfire, a fun night out and a sausage sizzle and soup from the local CWA, but it's so much more than that. Its primary purpose is the bushfire hazard reduction of the eastern states wattles, which are unable to be composted due to their resilient seed pods, so they need to be burnt. The tradition began over a decade ago, when a resident concerned about the fuel load in the local reserve suggested the community come together to clear it themselves, and they did.

It's a collaboration between the Darlington Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade, the Bushfire Ready group, the CWA and, most importantly, the students from Helena College high school, who helped gather the wood and make the bonfire the day before. It's a community proactively taking responsibility for its own safety.

I'm proud to say that I've also committed $300,000 to provide female change facilities to the Darlington Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade. (Time expired)