I rise to speak on behalf of my community from Melbourne's western suburbs regarding the recent natural disaster that we've seen in Nepal and Tibet. Last week I met with a number of community leaders in my electorate to express my deep sorrow and condolences for the thousands of people who have been affected by this natural disaster. And today I'd like to pay my respects in the Australian parliament and to stand in solidarity with our Nepalese community, which is thriving and so wonderful in Melbourne's western suburbs. It was wonderful to meet with community leaders and to encourage them to get in touch with my office for any consular assistance if members of our community require it. It was fabulous to meet with them and hear exactly what they needed.

I'd like to pay my respects to everyone who is affected by these terrible flood disasters, which we're seeing, unfortunately, even more prominently with the reality of climate change. Unfortunately, we're seeing more of these disasters occurring across the world. The fact that the Australian government has committed $11 million in foreign aid to this natural disaster is a welcome thing. It was very welcomed by a number of members from my Nepalese community that I met with last week. So on behalf of my community in Melbourne's western suburbs, I stand in solidarity with the Nepalese community and pay my respects.

I rise today to talk about the shocking events that we've seen recently in Nepal and Tibet. Many of us have watched with heartbreak and horror as Nepal and Tibet face one of the most devastating disasters in their history. The catastrophic floods and landslides that struck communities on the Nepal-Tibet border have claimed more than 1,000 lives. Many more are missing. There are homes that have been destroyed as well as roads, businesses, bridges. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced. Entire communities across Nepal and Tibet have been changed forever.

We remain deeply worried about the 35 Australians who are still unaccounted for. Our government is doing what we can to help find these Australians while we support their families through this most difficult time. Of course, it's a time that just becomes more difficult with each day that passes. For Australians of Nepali heritage, it is deeply personal. Behind every news report is a family waiting for a phone call; a student worried about their parents or grandparents in an affected city; a community carrying the emotional weight of uncertainty, grief and loss.

Sydney is home to a vibrant Nepali community. It's a community that enriches our city every day through hard work, entrepreneurship, education, culture and service. Nepali Australians are our neighbours, our colleagues, our classmates and our friends. We know that many members of our Tibetan and broader Hindu communities are also experiencing immense grief at what has happened. Our government extends our deepest sympathies to all of those who are affected.

The scale of the disaster is immense. Rescue and recovery efforts continue across the region, while damaged infrastructure and ongoing risk from flooding and further landslides have made recovery very difficult. Humanitarian organisations have warned that many communities remain in urgent need of food, clean water, shelter and medical support.

Our government is helping to meet this need, committing $11 million to humanitarian efforts and deploying close to 50 specialist response personnel, who are assisting with on-the-ground recovery efforts. I think often about these people who go to disasters like this, taking skills that they've learnt in previous disasters, risking their lives. These specialist personnel include drone operators in a 15-person disaster assistance response team who are supporting rescue efforts through the use of advanced technology in deeply challenging terrain. We thank all of the Australians who've left home to go and support the recovery efforts.

In the face of this tragedy, we continue to see remarkable courage. We've seen first responders risking their lives to save others. We've seen volunteers delivering aid to isolated communities. Here in Australia, everyday Australians have shown their generosity and empathy, donating over $4 million so far to the Emergency Action Alliance. Our government is matching these donations with a further $5 million contribution to Emergency Action Alliance.

It is really important that people are careful, when they donate, that they are donating to organisations that will see the money get through to those who need it. Unfortunately, whenever there is a disaster like this, we see false organisations and people who are prepared to deliberately scam people who, from the very best motivations, want to support the disaster overseas. So please make sure you're using a verified way of donating money. I recommend Emergency Action Alliance because that is a group of charities and not-for-profit organisations that have come together and will work together to make sure that the aid gets where it's needed.

As the recovery continues, of course, rebuilding will be the next giant task. Homes can be rebuilt, roads can be repaired and infrastructure can be restored, but healing communities requires more than bricks and concrete. So many people will have lost loved ones. It will require our continued compassion, connection and sustained support.

Our government stands ready to provide further assistance and will be closely monitoring the support needs of our community here in Australia. We stand together with the people of Nepal, Tibet and the Nepali community here in Sydney as they navigate this extraordinarily difficult time. Together we can ensure that hope endures, that recovery is possible and that no-one faces this tragedy alone. I commend the motion to the House.

For the hundreds of thousands of Australians of Nepali background, this disaster in Nepal is not something happening far away. It is indeed deeply personal. These are family members, friends and communities they know and love. For some, they are the villages that they grew up in, the streets they walked and the places where their memories were made. Yesterday, Australian officials confirmed the welfare of one previously unaccounted-for Australian, and this will be an enormous relief for their friends and family. The number of unaccounted-for Australians is now at 35, and, for the families and friends of those remaining Australians, every hour without news is absolutely excruciating. The Australian government continues to work closely with authorities and support Australians affected by the disaster. More than 1,300 people have lost their lives; thousands remain missing, and tens of thousands have been affected by this disaster. Our thoughts remain firmly with those families.

Nepali Australians have given so much to this country. They work in our hospitals and our aged-care homes. They teach in our schools and early education centres. They run businesses and employ Australians. They contribute to communities right across our nation. They are Australians. They've brought a rich cultural heritage to Australia whilst also embracing and helping shape the country that we are today. Right now, many members of that community are hurting. Some are grieving, some are waiting for news and some are trying desperately to contact family and friends. Many are watching from Australia as places they know in Nepal and hold fondly in their hearts have been devastated.

At a time like this, political leaders have a responsibility to bring people together, to make people feel safe and to make it absolutely clear that they belong. That's why I was disappointed that some political leaders took so long to unequivocally condemn the vile and offensive commentary directed at Nepali Australians online. That kind of commentary is disgraceful at any time, but it is particularly disgraceful when a community is hurting and dealing with the trauma of losing loved ones, families and friends. There should never be hesitation when Australians are targeted because of who they are or where they are from. We should call it out clearly. We should stand with the people being targeted and we should make it clear that hatred and racism have no place in this country.

From the outset of this crisis, Australia moved quickly to support Nepal. We've committed $11 million in humanitarian assistance. We're currently the second largest partner government donor to this response. When Australians are caught up in crises overseas, we rely on the trust and the relationships we have built over time to help us respond quickly and effectively. That's why Australia's partnerships matter. It means Australia can be there for citizens when they are in trouble overseas. It means we can be there for our neighbours when disaster strikes. And it means we're doing our part as a responsible partner to build a safer, more resilient and more stable region. The resilience of our nation and our region is not separate from Australia's own interests. When countries around us are better able to withstand disasters, recover from crises and protect their communities, our entire region is stronger. Our partners in the region know that they can count on Australia to show up not only in the good times but also during their most difficult moments.

Australia's support is making a tangible difference on the ground in Nepal right now. Disaster response experts deployed through our Australia Assists program are on the front line in Nepal and are supporting humanitarian efforts and recovery planning as we speak. The team helped establish a forward humanitarian coordination hub, bringing together district authorities, the Nepal Red Cross Society and United Nations agencies. Coordination matters, because, after a disaster of this scale, the challenge is not simply about getting assistance to the country; it's about making sure it reaches where it needs to go.

One Australian specialist has been visiting temporary holding centres with the Nepal Red Cross, supporting health assessments and identifying emergency needs. Another is supporting coordination between local authorities and humanitarian partners. One of our logistics specialists is helping relief teams reach some of the most remote and inaccessible communities, and another specialist is helping coordinate protection services for women and girls. In the chaos of disaster, vulnerability does not disappear; it increases. This is what Australia's humanitarian assistance looks like. It's not just a dollar figure. It's about extending a lifeline to people in urgent need of help. It's also about making sure that vulnerable people do not fall through the cracks when systems around them have been overwhelmed.

On Wednesday last week, a Royal Australian Air Force plane landed in Kathmandu carrying 23.9 tonnes of essential humanitarian supplies. That includes hygiene kits, solar lights, shelter materials and community lighting towers. This is more than simply a list of equipment. A solar light means that a family living in temporary accommodation can move safely after dark. It means someone can charge a phone and keep in contact with their friends and loved ones. A hygiene kit means dignity for someone who has lost almost everything. Shelter materials mean a family has somewhere dry and secure to sleep during the monsoon season while they begin to work out what comes next. That's what Australian humanitarian assistance does.

Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, Australian NGOs are working with local community organisations in Nepal to help families access safe shelter, clean water and essential services. They're ensuring families have access to clean drinking water so that sickness does not run rampant following the loss of infrastructure. They're supporting children to return to learning so that they can feel some sense of normality. They are strengthening protections for women and girls who have lost all the support networks around them. They're helping communities begin the long process of recovery.

What's also been remarkable throughout this crisis is the resilience of local communities. Volunteers have been clearing mud and salvaging materials from damaged buildings so that essential services can reopen. Elsewhere, the Nepal Red Cross and Nepal Police built a manual ropeway across a destroyed river crossing, and volunteers have been helping stranded residents cross by hand so they can return home. These are extraordinary acts—people seeing somebody who needs help and doing what they can.

That same spirit has been reflected right here in Australia. Australians have so far donated $14 million to various humanitarian appeals on top of the assistance provided by the Australian government. That generosity says something important about our country. When people are hurting, Australians want to help, and when a friend in our region faces catastrophe, Australians don't look away. There's a long path ahead for Nepal. There'll be homes to rebuild, schools to reopen, roads and bridges to repair and livelihoods to restore, and there'll be families who live with the grief of this disaster long after the immediate emergency has passed.

To the people of Nepal: Australia stands with you. To Nepali Australians coming to terms with the devastation across Nepal: your country stands with you. To the families and friends still waiting for news of the 35 missing Australians: you're in our hearts. And to the humanitarian workers, emergency responders, volunteers and communities working day and night on the ground: Australia recognises the extraordinary work you are doing, and we thank you. The road to recovery will be long and challenging, but Nepal will not undertake that journey alone. Australia will continue to stand alongside Nepal, even after the news has faded from the headlines. We will be a trusted partner that you can count on, now and always.

I, too, rise to convey my deepest condolences to the people of Nepal and Tibet, China, following the catastrophic flood disaster on their shared border. The loss of life and destruction of local towns and villages that we've all seen on our mobile phones and television screens has been utterly devastating. I know that there are so many people dealing with this devastating loss of friends, family, loved ones, homes, villages and livelihoods. It's been heartbreaking to witness from afar, and I know that hundreds of thousands of Australians are sharing this terrible, agonising heartbreak.

It's heartbreaking to know that thousands of people remain missing. Among those thousands, 35 of them are our fellow Australians. To all of the families and friends anxiously, agonisingly awaiting news of your loved ones: our thoughts are with you. I acknowledge that it's an uncertain and distressing time for my community in Melbourne's west and for Nepali Australian communities across Australia. Australia's Nepali, Tibetan and Hindu communities in particular are grieving for their family and friends.

Amidst the tragedy, there have been glimmers of hope. So far, extraordinarily, nine Australians have been located safe, and Australian officials are working hard to find Australians who remain unaccounted for and to support their loved ones as they wait, agonised, for news. They're continuing to gather as much information as possible to provide to the families of missing Australians. I want to thank these consular officials and the search and rescue teams working in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. The consular work of officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade—working with people in the most extreme circumstances, far away from home, at the highest stakes—is about the hardest thing you can do in diplomacy. Our thoughts are with all of these teams too.

There's been an overwhelming response from Australians, who have donated more than $5 million to the Emergency Action Alliance appeal in response to this disaster. Additionally, individual alliance members have raised another $4 million in direct donations. This display of generosity, compassion and, yes, mateship shows values that are typical of Australians. In response to this generosity, the Australian government has pledged $5 million to the Emergency Action Alliance to match these public donations, bringing Australia's total ongoing humanitarian support package in response to this disaster to $11 million. This funding supports the provision of emergency shelter, food, clean water, sanitation, health care and other essential supplies.

In addition to this funding support, the Australian government is doing all that we can to assist in the disaster response through search, rescue and recovery efforts. A total of 49 Australians have been deployed to Nepal to support the crisis response and to bolster humanitarian capabilities. This includes specialist drone operators, who are supporting Nepali authorities with search operations and with mapping and imaging, and disaster victim identification specialists from the Australian Federal Police. It's a grim job, but one that provides much-needed resolution to those agonised family and friends waiting.

Australian officials are engaging daily with Nepali authorities to seek information on search, rescue, recovery and identification efforts. They're also contacting hospitals, tour operators and other organisations that might hold relevant information. DFAT and AFP case officers are a consistent point of contact for next of kin, and two social workers from Services Australia are also assisting to set up a family support hub. I want to thank the Australians who are working around the clock against crucial time pressures to locate unaccounted for Australians, support their loved ones and support the Nepali authorities through this disaster. I reaffirm the foreign minister's message that Australians requiring emergency consular assistance or those concerned about family or friends should contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 24-hour consular emergency centre on 1300555135 from within Australia or +61262613305 from overseas.

Australia and Nepal share a strong and enduring partnership underpinned by deep personal relationships. It's part of the reason why this tragedy is being felt so deeply here in Australia. I've seen firsthand the depth of these ties between the Australian and Nepali people. When I travelled to Nepal in 2023 as the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, I met with dozens of Nepali people with longstanding relationships to Australia. Many had family members here, many had lived here, many had studied here, many had worked here, and many, if not most, were themselves Australian alumni who had returned to Nepal to contribute to their countries with the knowledge and experience that they'd gained from Australian education institutions.

There are now over 200,000 Nepali people working and studying in Australia. The Nepali community is a valued part of modern Australia. I see this in my community in Melbourne's west. I see it in our schools, our hospitals, our businesses and our community service centres. I particularly see it in MOMO Fest every year. Australians love Nepal and the Nepali people. For years, Australians have been an enormous source of tourists in Nepal. Many Australians have spent formative days there. They feel a deep personal connection to the country and its people.

It's a difficult time, and we acknowledge the scale of what Nepal faces to recover from this devastation. Australia stands ready to support Nepal along the long road of recovery and to provide further assistance where needed.

I'm proud to represent one of the largest and fastest-growing Nepali communities in Australia. There are almost 10,000 people of Nepali heritage in suburbs like Auburn and Granville in my electorate. They're business owners, educators, healthcare workers, students. They contribute so much to our local community. Today, I rise to acknowledge their immense sorrow.

The grief felt in Nepal is also felt here, in Australia, by the many people who maintain strong ties to their homeland, and it's shared by our whole community. The flooding and landslides that have struck Nepal have been devastating. So many lives have been lost and so many families torn apart—homes, businesses and livelihoods shattered.

For many members of my local community, this is not a distant tragedy. This has affected relatives, friends, neighbours and loved ones. On behalf of the people of my electorate, I extend our deepest condolences to all of those who've lost family members and friends and to everyone affected by this disaster. We stand with the people of Nepal in mourning and we stand with the Nepali Australian community as they support family and friends through this unfathomable tragedy.

Even in the face of this suffering, we see the qualities that define the Nepali people: resilience, compassion and an unwavering commitment to family and community. Across Australia, members of the Nepali community have come together to provide support, to raise money and to help those affected. That spirit of solidarity is truly inspiring, and that is certainly true in my electorate of Blaxland. Blaxland is one of the most multicultural electorates in the nation. People come from every corner of the world. They've built their lives here, bringing with them their cultures and traditions and their aspirations. The Nepali community is an important part of that story and an important part of the success of our local community.

I want to share the words from the President of the Auburn Nepalese Community, Arun Shrestha:

At this difficult time, our community stands united. The Auburn Nepalese Community is working together with members, local businesses and supporters to raise funds and provide meaningful assistance to those affected. We are committed to ensuring that our support reaches the people who need it the most. And we encourage to come together and contribute in whatever way we can. Nepal needs our support now more than ever. Let us stand together as one community, support Nepal and help our brothers and sisters rebuild their lives.

Today, let us remember those whose lives have been lost. Let us keep their families and their loved ones in our thoughts and our prayers, and let us honour their memory by strengthening the bonds that unite our two countries. Dhanyabad. Thank you.

I was deeply saddened by the devastating flood disaster that has impacted communities across Nepal and Tibet, China, causing loss of life, displacement and widespread hardship. I want to acknowledge the uncertainty and the distress that communities continue to endure following this and extend my deepest sympathy to all those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods during this difficult time. I want to acknowledge the courage of emergency responders, our volunteers and community members who have worked tirelessly to support those affected.

The number of Australians unaccounted for is now 35, down from 36, with the good news overnight that an Australian citizen who was in Nepal and uncontactable confirmed yesterday that they are safe and well. Our focus remains in establishing the whereabouts and welfare of those unaccounted for and supporting families through this very difficult time. The hearts of all Australians are with their families and their friends.

Any Australians requiring emergency consular assistance, or those concerned about family or friends, can contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre. Our Australian officials are working around the clock to locate unaccounted for Australians and support their loved ones, and for this, we thank them. We've been liaising with local authorities as well as tour operators, and we thank the Nepali and Chinese authorities for their work on the ground and their assistance. Australia has now deployed 49 extra personnel to Nepal to support the crisis response. This includes drone operators and a 15-person disaster assistance response, as well as an AFP Disaster Victim Identification team as well as those with specialist skills in humanitarian assistance, assessment, logistics, communications and planning. I'm very proud that the Royal Australian Air Force, based at RAAF Amberley in my electorate, has been involved in this process and response. A plane that flew out of Amberley last week delivered 23.9 tonnes of Australian humanitarian disaster relief to Kathmandu. Australia stands ready to provide additional support and acknowledges the scale of what Nepal faces.

Sadly, we have some experience with floods in Blair, but nothing that compares with this. The extraordinary scale of this disaster, the conditions on the ground and the remoteness of the affected area means that there's an immense challenge for rescue and recovery efforts. To that end, Australian government's committed $11 million to the humanitarian response. The Australian public has also shown extraordinary generosity, with more than $4 million having been donated to the Emergency Action appeal.

I have a significant Nepalese community in my electorate and the wider Ipswich area. Indeed, Ipswich has one of the largest Nepalese communities in Queensland, particularly around the Ripley area, and I've engaged with them on numerous occasions. I was very pleased to get to know them over the years and attend a number of Nepalese Association of Queensland and Ripley Nepalese community events in recent years, including sporting carnivals. Earlier this year I was delighted to attend the opening of the Ipswich Nepalese Language School at Ripley Central State School, where I presented the Nepalese Association of Queensland members with the certificate of recognition and met some of the students and even more members of the local community. Just today, I was pleased to inform Sobit Adhikari, the President of the Ripley Nepalese Community Group, that they'd been successful in their volunteer grant to assist with the costs of IT, first aid, safety and hygiene equipment, sport and recreational equipment, training, storage equipment, venue costs and insurance.

I was pleased to attend a candlelight vigil in Brisbane on 30 August, together with the Speaker—the member for Oxley—the Treasurer and many other federal and state parliamentarians and community leaders. There were well over 100 people there that night. This was at the invitation from the Nepalese Association of Queensland. It was an opportunity to express our solidarity and to share our grief and wrap our arms around the people of Nepal and Tibet, who have been so devastated by this disaster which has taken just so many lives. This is such a heartbreaking time, and it was a very moving ceremony. Clearly, for the Nepalese diaspora here in Australia, particularly in Queensland, their grief is very deeply felt. Following the vigil, I spoke of the tragedy at the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland's, the FICQ, Multicultural Unity dinner and shared a message that our humanity is what really unites us all.

I want to thank the Nepalese Association of Queensland President, Tikaram Sarma, for organising the vigil and for the incredible work he's doing to support the Nepalese community of Queensland and Australia. Tika has been on the phone with distressed members of the Nepali diaspora and the wider Australian community around the clock since the disaster unfolded. In an incredible act of graciousness, the Speaker and I have received messages from Tika thanking us and all MPs in attendance for our continued support and solidarity with the Nepalese community in Queensland during this difficult time. He said that the Nepalese community deeply appreciates the Australian government's generous assistance, including specialist rescue personnel and technology. In return, we as a parliament, across the political divide, want Tika and the Nepalese Association of Queensland and the Nepalese Australian community to know they are not alone. We stand in solidarity with them and the people of Nepal as they face the challenges of recovery and rebuilding. We share in their grief and hope and extend our heartfelt support to all those affected by this tragedy. We hope and pray that the affected families find strength, comfort and resilience in the days and weeks ahead. May relief efforts continue to reach those most in need as quickly as possible.

I want to particularly offer my prayers for those in the local community, particularly in the Ripley area, who have told me that they know of people who are currently missing and have an association with them. Let us come together as a nation—and, in my home state of Queensland, as a city in Ipswich—at this time to support our Nepalese community and all Australians experiencing loss through this devastating tragedy.

Our Nepalese community, at that candlelight vigil, prayed for shanti, for peace. They prayed and chanted. We hope and pray their spirituality, their material support, their love for each other and their physical bonding will continue to grow and will continue to make sure that they know that we stand with them and that every form of spiritual material and physical support we can give them will be there for the Nepalese community, our brothers and sisters in humanity.

I seek leave to continue my statement.

Leave granted.

I'd like to update this chamber and provide some more detail about the community meeting I had last week with the wonderful Nepali community from Victoria and across Melbourne's west. We have a wonderful community leader, Ram Kumar Shrestha, who was kind enough to organise this incredibly important meeting at a meaningful and important time for Nepali Victorians and Nepali Australians across the country, given the devastating floods we're seeing in Nepal and Tibet, China. I met with a number of people, including Mahadev Dhanuk, who's very involved in the Non-Resident Nepali Association; Sudeep Shrestha, the president of the Nepalese Association of Victoria; Dr Raju Adhikari, a CSIRO senior scientist and the founder president of NAV; Anchi Sherpa, the president of the Sherpa Association of Victoria—an incredibly important association we have down in Victoria representing the Sherpa community; and Siraj Shuhyta Kali, a local from the Melton Nepalese community.

We have an Australian Nepalese multicultural centre in Diggers Rest, in the north-west of Melbourne. It was wonderful to convene this community meeting at my office to hear straight from them about the impact that these devastating floods are having on their community across Victoria and across Australia. We are home to one of the most wonderful thriving communities of Nepali Australians, which is a wonderful thing. But a lot of our community members have families that are impacted by the devastating floods we've seen in Nepal and Tibet, China.

This is a long road to recovery. It will take weeks, months and years for this community across the seas to recover from this devastation. Thousands of people remain unaccounted for and missing, which is truly unimaginable—as is the sense of grief and loss that this community is feeling at the moment. I make it clear to my community in Melbourne's western suburbs as well as the community in Victoria and the community in Australia more broadly—I note the member for Nicholls is in the chamber; I'm not sure of the size of his Nepali community, but I'm sure it is there and it is thriving, and I'm sure he feels the same about his community there, too—that this is a long road to recovery. The wonderful thing about being federal representatives of this Australian parliament is that our offices can provide consular assistance for these communities that are experiencing this unimaginable loss and devastation; I made it clear in the meeting that I had with community leaders that that was something we were happy to do. A lot of them have family members there. No-one in that meeting had anyone that was unaccounted for, thankfully, which is a huge relief, but they had many people in their network that were very much feeling the loss and the grief of what their community is going through.

As I said previously, I, as the federal member for Gorton, and everyone in this chamber stand with our Nepali Australian community. I note that, while this is a long road to recovery, the Australian government is behind them to support them.

Like so many people across the world, I want to share my deepest sorrow and condolences for everyone who has been impacted by the devastating flash flood in Nepal and Tibet-China. As the Prime Minister said, what we saw was breathtaking in its horror. A sudden glacial collapse unleashed a wall of water and mud that wiped out villages, livelihoods and loved ones of so many people. The devastation it has wrought is barely imaginable, and the images we are still seeing every day are distressing and confronting.

Amongst the wreckage, we have found small blessings in the stories of people being pulled from the mud after a harrowing 10 days. The condition of the human spirit is that we will always hope for miracles, and I think some of those stories provide the comfort we so desperately need in times like this. The conditions being experienced are beyond difficult, and I extend my sincerest gratitude to all the rescue personnel and the volunteers who are working tirelessly to sift through the wreckage. I'd also like to thank the team of Australian fire and rescue personnel and specialist drone operators who have gone to the disaster zone to help as part of our government's $11 million humanitarian support package.

Australians themselves have donated an incredible $4.5 million of their own money to the Emergency Action Alliance, because we will always be there to lend a hand to our global neighbours in times of need. It is always in the darkest of times that I am reminded of the absolutely remarkable community spirit that defines the people of the Illawarra. Wollongong is a town shaped by generations of migrants, and we are proudly multicultural. So when events happen across the globe, there are inevitably local people who are personally and very deeply impacted. And because of the close-knit nature of our community, even those without a personal connection to tragedy feel compelled to band together in solidarity and mourning.

The Wollongong Illawarra Nepali Community led by President Narayan Prasad Chapagain is well known for their vibrant celebrations full of dance, music and laughter. Now our community is rallying behind them through a time of deep pain. I want to read a bit of their statement:

We, the Wollongong Illawarra Nepali Community, express our deep sorrow over the massive loss of life and property caused by the sudden and devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River on 23 August 2026.

We are saddened to learn that, along with Nepali citizens, foreign tourists and travellers visiting Nepal have also been affected and remain out of contact due to this disaster.

At this time of crisis, the government, rescue workers and relevant authorities are carrying out their responsibilities.

However, the affected families and communities equally need our human compassion, support and solidarity.

And I would say our community has delivered on that call.

Special prayers were held for the disaster victims at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Helensburgh last Sunday, with people of all faiths and backgrounds coming together in solidarity with those affected. United in their grief, hundreds of people gathered to take part in a Mahamrityunjaya mantra ritual. This is a sacred Hindu ritual dedicated to Lord Shiva to seek protection and healing, eliminate misfortune and overcome karmic blockage. As Narayan said, it was a prayer for the recovery of all injured people and then healing for the whole trauma in people as well as for the departed souls. Always a strong pillar holding our many multicultural communities together, MCCI will also hold a candlelight vigil this coming Thursday at its headquarters in Coniston in support of survivors and in memory of the victims.

The Illawarra community will always stand up and say to those impacted by tragedy that you are not alone. We stand with you, we stand next to you, and we give you all of our love. I'll finish on another quote from the Wollongong Illawarra Nepali Community, because I think it best sums up our sentiments:

May everyone affected find strength, safety and hope.

I rise to express my deepest condolences to everyone affected by the catastrophic flooding in Nepal and across the border in Tibet. More than 1,300 people have died, and thousands remain missing following the disaster on 26 August. Behind those numbers are families waiting for news and communities whose homes and livelihoods have been swept away. My thoughts are with the Nepalese and Tibetan communities here in Australia and with the families of Australians still unaccounted for. The uncertainty they are enduring is heartbreaking. I want to thank the rescuers, humanitarian workers and consular officials supporting them. I certainly welcome the Australian government's $11 million in humanitarian assistance package and the deployment of specialist personnel to assist in the response.

What we've also seen is the best of Australian values in the generous response by so many in our communities and through NGOs. We know NGOs play such a critical role during times like this. Collectively, Australians and NGOs have raised more than $9 million. It's a reminder of the important role they play, and so I call on the government to maintain investment in NGOs to ensure they can keep building capabilities on the ground in so many communities. We often have that issue when we talk about foreign aid—that it is about building capacity in vulnerable nations.

We know that immediate assistance is essential and that immediate capabilities on the ground and that network is incredibly important because we know, unfortunately, we are likely to keep seeing escalating and more and more disasters of this nature. The responsibility is on governments to prevent further harm. The warning is stark. Compassion and thoughts must be matched by action in terms of adapting, preparing and trying to better anticipate where such disasters could occur. We know in many situations climate risks are exacerbating the likelihood of these events.

Early scientific analysis points to a huge collapse of glacier ice and rock near the Langtang Lirung. Material surged down the mountainside into the river system, setting off a devastating sequence of debris flows and flooding. Of course, I acknowledge the investigation is ongoing and that much is not known yet as to the early causes of this tragedy and this massive disaster, but the wider evidence around climate driven risk is telling, compelling and indisputable. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change finds that human influence is very likely the main driver of global glacier retreat since the 1990s. I've seen all too often where glaciers are just melting at record rates.

In 2023, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development reported that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya lost ice 65 per cent faster in 2011 to 2020 than in the preceding decade. That is the impact of warming. Warming also thaws the frozen ground that helps hold mountain slopes together. Retreating ice can remove support from steep slopes, while increased meltwater can make glaciers slide more easily. These changes can create the conditions for catastrophic collapse. I have found myself in valleys when there has been that kind of breakaway ice and massive movements from glaciers, particularly in Chamonix in the French Alps. It is staggering when it happens. The noise, the volume and impact is just really hard to describe.

So I think we really have to have this conversation around monitoring, measuring and acknowledging how much our warming climate is going to put so many communities at risk that may find themselves in valleys such as this. We can't yet quantify how much climate change contributed to this particular tragedy, but we can say with absolute certainty that continued warming increases dangerous instability in high mountain environments and that communities need much stronger protection. The growing danger is a consequence of decades of inadequate action. Every delay in cutting pollution allows more warming to continue and makes the task of keeping people safe harder. The ultimate tragedy of this, in particular, is that those who have contributed the least to warming through emissions are the ones paying the highest price. By continually downplaying risks, governments are failing to invest in adaptation and preparedness and leaving communities exposed.

In Warringah, we know climate risk reaches into people's homes and household budgets. Flood exposure and unaffordable insurance already affect our community. I've repeatedly called for greater investment in prevention and resilience and for polluters to contribute to the cost. That responsibility extends beyond our borders. Communities such as in Nepal and Tibet and our Pacific island neighbours, communities with the fewest resources to prepare for climate impacts and risks, should not be left to deal with the tragic consequences when disasters strike. Nepal's foreign minister, Shisir Khanal, has called for climate compensation. As he said, 'We have contributed so little to climate change.' He called on those benefiting from larger, more polluting economies to accept a shared responsibility. I agree. Australia should support that call, and we should apply the same principle to coal, oil and gas corporations who make obscene profits at the same time their products contribute to the warming that puts vulnerable communities at risk. It's time to make polluters pay and hold them responsible for the damage they are causing.

First, Australia should make a new climate finance pledge in line with our global fair share. We are heading into COP, and so there is a responsibility on Minister Bowen as president of the COP and on Australia as a major contributor through fossil fuel exports to global warming. That climate finance pledge should reflect our capacity to contribute and our responsibility for pollution with a clear timetable and transparent reporting on delivery, particularly as Australia is the 15th highest fossil fuel contributor per capita. That funding should be additional to existing development assistance. Helping people recover from climate damage must not come at the expense of their access to health care, education or food security.

Second, we should prioritise international funds supporting low-income and climate-vulnerable countries like Nepal, including the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage and the Adaptation Fund. We need support for recovery alongside investment that helps prevent the next tragedy. That means grants accessible to affected communities supporting early warning systems, safer infrastructure and locally led recovery. Countries already carrying the costs of climate change should not be pushed further into debt to rebuild after disaster.

Third, Australia should establish a climate pollution levy on coal, oil and gas corporations operating here, with revenue paid into a dedicated climate compensation fund. The fund should provide a reliable contribution to climate recovery, including international loss and damage support for vulnerable countries. It should have independent oversight, public reporting and meaningful involvement from the communities it serves.

Fourth, Australia should advocate internationally for other countries to introduce equivalent levies. It is time to step up and lean into leadership. It's not enough to show up and say you care if your actions don't match that stated care. We should use our diplomacy, including at climate negotiations and the G20, to build support for making fossil fuel producers contribute to climate compensations for countries like Nepal who are paying the price. Compensation, of course, can't replace the people who have been lost, but it can help survivors rebuild their lives and help communities prepare for the risks ahead. They're prepared to make sure that the rebuilding is adapted and aware of the ongoing risks. It must be accompanied by faster emissions reductions, of course. A levy can't become a licence to keep expanding the pollution that drives all these harms and risks.

The families affected by this disaster deserve sustained support. They also deserve governments willing to act on the science, confront the cost of inaction and delay and hold major polluters accountable. As much more is going to be discovered around this tragedy—and, of course, there is so much more—whilst it is great to see the government step up around aid and the $11 million committed, what is so frustrating is that we don't see that same willingness to invest in capacity building, adaptation and resilience before disaster strikes. It is the same story time and time again. Money is found after disasters have occurred. The government needs to start finding money before disasters occur to invest in adaptation and resilience.

This is difficult. There are really no words that can describe or alleviate the devastation that we've seen in Nepal, Tibet and China. Thousands of people have lost their lives across Nepal, Tibet and China, and tens of thousands of people in the surrounding communities have been severely impacted by these disasters. Of course, thousands of people remain missing, and tens of thousands of family members are waiting to hear from loved ones that they've lost contact with. I understand there are some 36 Australians that remain unaccounted for, although we remain hopeful that efforts underway will eventually locate them.

As we all have, I want to pay my deep respects to each and every person who has been impacted by these floods in Nepal but also here amongst what is a marvellous, wonderful diaspora community that lives in Australia, because this devastating event has touched communities right around the world, who are grieving for those who've been lost, who are worried for those who have been injured and for those orphaned, for those people who are bereft at the loss of so many loved ones.

And this of course includes members of my Nepalese Australian community in my electorate of Wills who have been so impacted by this devastation. In fact, my electorate, part of my electorate is known as Little Nepal, there are so many Nepalese who have decided to settle in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Two and a half per cent of my electorate was born in Nepal. That community and the Tibetan and Chinese communities along with the Nepalese community have been such wonderful contributors to our nation and to the wider Australian community, and I think it's incumbent upon us to provide all the support to them in whatever way we can as local MPs, as their representatives here in Canberra.

The Australian government, of course, is doing all it can to find the Australians who remain unaccounted for but also to support those tens of thousands of people who have been impacted and to assist in the disaster response. We've heard, of course, that the Australian government has committed $11 million to the humanitarian response. This includes $2 million in emergency supplies, $2 million to NGOs specifically around water and hygiene measures, $5 million for the Emergency Action Alliance, $2 million to the World Food Program and also other contributions around logistics that are so necessary in this period. More than $4 million has been donated by the remarkable generosity of the Australian public. For those who also wish to donate or continue to donate, they can do so at emergencyaction.org.au.

We have Australian officials now who are urgently working to confirm the welfare of Australians believed to have been in the affected areas. They are liaising closely with local authorities and tour operators. We have some 49 additional personnel that have been deployed to Nepal to support this crisis response. Now, the deployments include drone operators in a 15-person disaster assistance response team as well as an AFP disaster victim identification team. All these personnel are people who have specialist skills in humanitarian work, assessments, logistics, communications and planning—very much needed in the response and the recovery period that is occurring right now. And of course Australia stands ready to provide consular assistance those to who need it as well. Australians in the affected area should follow the advice of the local authorities, and those Australians who need emergency consular assistance should contact the Department of Foreign Affairs. There's a 24-hour consular emergency centre. The number is 1300555135—or +61262613305 if you're calling from overseas.

The extraordinary scale of this disaster is somewhat incomprehensible to many of us. The conditions on the ground and the remoteness of the affected areas in the regions that have been impacted mean there's an immense challenge for the rescue and recovery efforts. We've seen the pictures and the footage of some of these efforts and of the bravery and heroism of many people who are trying to save lives even today.

I mentioned the fact that Nepalese Australians particularly had made this contribution to Australian society. I say this because I had the privilege of being the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Nepal. I got to know the community in my electorate and across Australia in a very fortunate way because their contribution to business, to education, to health care, to many of the skilled professions and to community leadership has really been one that I can only describe as the grace and the kindness of that community. The way they think about others and support others, whether it's in response to disasters like this in many of their own community or more broadly, is truly remarkable. There is a kindness and a grace to the Nepalese people. Those who've travelled there would have experienced it, but certainly those who have had contact and engagement with Nepalese Australians would also have experienced the wonderful kindness of this community.

Last year, Australia and Nepal celebrated 65 years of diplomatic relations. It was a truly important milestone, and I was able to be part of those celebrations. The relationship between our countries runs deep. It extends to mutual democratic values, to a commitment to an international rules based order, to trade and to economic cooperation. But, by far, the deepest and the most profound element in this relationship is the human-to-human connections. We're seeing that very much front and centre today with this terrible disaster and in the response to this terrible disaster. We're seeing the human connections we have as Australians with our Nepalese brothers and sisters and the generosity of Australians who are donating. We're seeing that in the response of the Australian government and in the response of many MPs here and on both sides of the aisle who have Nepalese community members in their electorate. We understand what a wonderful community they are and what a wonderful contribution they've made to our multicultural Australia.

It's not that hard to understand why there has been such an outpouring of grief but also empathy and sympathy for what is happening. More importantly, the action that has been taken to support those communities in their time of need is something that I'm so truly grateful for across this parliament and across the Australian community. We stand with the Nepalese Australian community and the Tibetan and Chinese Australian community who are suffering and who have lost loved ones. All of us could say that we are doing everything we can to support the community in their time of need, and we will continue to do everything we can. Even when the pictures are no longer on the front pages or in the news cycle, that human-to-human connection will mean that we'll continue to do the work necessary to support our wonderful community members here who are going through such a difficult time.

I join with the other members of the parliament and many people across the aisle and throughout our communities in sending my condolences and thoughts to the people affected by the Chinese, Tibetan and Nepalese floods. It's a significant tragedy. Over 1300 people have lost their lives, and there are many more missing. Current news reports indicate there are as many as 30 Australians unaccounted for, and obviously their families must be very concerned.

The floods have had a significant effect on a number of communities throughout China, Tibet and Nepal. We all saw the flow of water. It was harrowing to see the footage and to see how fast that water was moving and the destruction that it left in its wake. Often when we think about that part of the world, the Himalayas, Nepal and Tibet, we think of inspiration. We think of the kindness of the Tibetan people and the grace with which they carry themselves. We think of Nepal as such a significant and great country. We think of acts of incredible human endeavour such as Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reaching the summit of Mount Everest. Now, when we think of that part of the world, we will too think about this tragedy and the loss of life that has happened there and the loss of property. Many of us have experienced natural disasters in Australia. Back in 2022, shortly after I was elected to this place, I experienced floods in my own community. But this was something completely different. The speed and power of the water and the way that it just washed away buildings and communities and lives in such an instant was truly horrific.

In Shepparton, which is in my electorate, there is a significant Nepalese community. They held a candlelight vigil at Victoria Park Lake to mourn the people who have been lost, to pray for those who are missing and to pray for the miracle that people will be found okay. As the member for Wills just said, many of us around Australia have a Nepalese community or Nepalese communities in our electorates, and, in the way they carry themselves with such grace and humility, they are amazing additions to our communities and to the Australian community as a whole. I know and am very good friends with many Nepalese people and people of Nepalese descent who now make Shepparton or Nicholls their home, including Meena and Hem Kc in Shepparton and Milan in Seymour. My heart goes out to them. To see what's happened in your own country while being such a long way away must be very difficult experience.

I commend the government for the way that it has mobilised the Australian resources and the Australian aid that has gone there. I hope that they can contribute to the immediate needs of the Nepalese people but also that the effort is a combined global one to assist those communities to rebuild their townships and rebuild their lives. I'll finish my remarks by saying that, along with many other members of parliament, my thoughts go to the people of Nepal and Tibet and China, all who've been affected by this terrible tragedy. I commend the government on its quick support and pray for the people of Nepal. I hope that many people can be found safe and that that wonderful and beautiful country—a country that we look to for inspiration—can continue to rebuild their lives and their communities.

On behalf of Bennelong, I'd like to express our community's deep sorrow and extend our profound condolences following the catastrophic flooding and landslides that have devastated regions across Nepal, Tibet and China. I offer Bennelong's heartfelt sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones, to the communities that have seen their homes and livelihoods completely upended and to all those who are enduring the harrowing agony and waiting for news of the missing.

The scale of this disaster is just breathtaking. In remote, mountainous terrain and valley communities, torrential waters and massive earthflows have cut off entire villages. Rescue workers on the ground face immense challenges navigating impassable roads, completely obliterated and collapsed infrastructure and volatile and dangerous conditions as they search through the mud and debris. While complex geological factors contributed to this disaster, we can't ignore that human-induced climate change is accelerating the instability of these high-altitude regions, making natural disasters more fierce and more likely.

Nepal contributes less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it has once again faced the most tragic and disproportionate share of the consequences. This crisis underscores a profound climate injustice. Nations on the front lines are paying the ultimate price for a global emergency they did not create, highlighting the urgent need for international solidarity, support for adaptation and ongoing climate action. I wish the world well to be able to reach meaningful conclusions at the upcoming COP.

The grief caused by this disaster is felt right across the world but also here in Australia. Across our country, hundreds of thousands of people call Nepal their ancestral home or have a connection. In my own electorate, around 1,000 Nepalese Australians are watching the news with heavy hearts, desperately trying to contact family, friends and loved ones in the affected regions.

We stand with our vibrant Nepalese Australian community during this extraordinarily painful time. Yet, in the face of such profound grief, we are witnessing an inspiring display of strength and solidarity. Local community members, cultural organisations and neighbours across the country are uniting to offer comfort, share support and raise aid for Nepal, China and Tibet, demonstrating the profound compassion and resilience that define communities and Australians in times of crisis.

We also hold in our thoughts the Australian families whose loved ones were travelling or working in this region when disaster struck. At this stage, over 30 Australians remain unaccounted for. To those families waiting anxiously by the phone for updates, please know that you're not alone. The thoughts and prayers of this entire parliament and the nation are with you.

The Australian government, rightly, is working to locate every unaccounted for Australian and provide support to their families. Consular officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are working around the clock. They are in close contact with local authorities and tour operators on the ground. I remind anyone seeking emergency consular assistance or trying to trace missing relatives to contact DFAT's 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300555135.

Of course, our commitment to our friends in Nepal, China and Tibet goes beyond words. We're demonstrating our support through direct action and practical assistance on the ground. The Australian government has committed an initial $11 million in humanitarian assistance to support this response and recovery operation. This funding is delivering essential life-saving supplies—including food, emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation—to affected families.

Furthermore, Australia has deployed 49 personnel to Nepal to support crisis operations. This includes a 15-person Disaster Assistance Response Team equipped with specialist drone operators from Fire and Rescue NSW and the Queensland Fire Department to assist in search and rescue efforts across challenging terrain. We've also deployed an Australian Federal Police disaster victim identification team alongside specialists in humanitarian assessment, logistics, communication and planning.

I also want to acknowledge the extraordinary generosity of the Australian public. Even as people face their own pressures at home, Australians have already donated over $4 million to the emergency action appeal. This compassion reflects the very best of our national character, extending a helping hand to neighbours in their hour of greatest need.

Disasters of this magnitude test the endurance of nations, but they also highlight the strength of human solidarity. Australia and Nepal share a warm and enduring friendship built on deep community ties, mutual respect and a shared history. In this difficult time, Australia stands shoulder to shoulder with the people and government of Nepal, as well as all of those affected across the region in Tibet and China. We honour the memory of those who have lost their lives. We salute the bravery of those who responded first, and of the rescue teams working in perilous conditions. We reaffirm our support for the long road of recovery ahead.

Anyone who watched the vision of furious walls of water sweep through Nepal, knowing the consequence, knowing what would happen as a result of that, could not fail to be moved by that, could not fail to be horrified by that. We knew exactly what the impact of that would be, that an intolerable human cost would emanate from that, and that is absolutely what has occurred. At least 1,300 lives have been determined, calculated, as having been lost as a result. We've had an estimate of about 36 Australians impacted and 5½ thousand people remain missing. These numbers speak to a human toll, a human tragedy, as a result of those walls of water that swept through—whole villages completely swept away and now buried under an avalanche of mud.

Among those caught in the disaster were pilgrims pursuing, sustaining and honouring their faith and travelling to the base of Mount Kailash, a sacred mountain that has been revered by Hindus, by Buddhists, by Jains and by followers of indigenous Tibetan faiths. The people across Nepal, Tibet and China are all impacted, but, for many, the pilgrimage itself is a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey about faith, devotion and hope. There were people from the electorate that I'm proud to represent who, I understand, were part of that pilgrimage as well and who have loved ones here desperately concerned to know—anxious to know—what has happened to them. That loss of life and widespread devastation on such a journey makes the tragedy even more heartbreaking. As I said, it's hitting close to home for my community. Families here in Australia are spending days waiting for a phone call that has yet to come.

When people are grieving, when lives are turned upside down and when families are facing that unimaginable loss, Australians don't look away. We reach out, we dig deep and we stand alongside those who are hurting and hurting deeply. I was touched to witness this last Friday with the Blacktown Nepalese Community and the Association of Bhutanese in Australia. They had a candlelight vigil with a number of my parliamentary colleagues. In fact, federal, state and local representatives were all present to extend their deepest support to the Nepalese and Bhutanese community in our area. We remembered and we prayed for those who, tragically, had lost their lives in the disaster. In moments like these, most of us cannot join a search and rescue team, and we can't fly humanitarian supplies into a disaster zone, but we certainly can come together, offer support and help carry that burden. Nepalese in our part of Western Sydney are deeply admired. They have been tremendous members of our community who have built great bonds with people in our community with great respect. As I said to the vigil, 'When you hurt, we hurt as well,' because of the depth of the connection between the Nepalese in our Nepalese Australian community in our area. We want to be able to support them.

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy, in his role as the member for McMahon, was present. He also reflected—and I think it's worthy, and it's been reflected a number of times in the contributions made here today—on the generosity of Australians who have dug deep into their own pockets. They have already provided $4 million of their own to back in not only the government resources that a number of speakers have pointed to—the support that we provided in monetary terms—but also Australians going over to help, which has been significant. It's a reminder that, in the face of immense tragedy, compassion will cross borders. It's a reminder of a shared humanity, that it's stronger than distance and that no community should have to face a disaster like this alone. We want to be able to be there. Every dollar matters, obviously. It means food for families who've lost everything, temporary shelter for those forced to flee homes, medical care for the injured and support for communities beginning the long task of rebuilding.

I just want to commend all the Australians that have gone over to help our Nepalese brothers and sisters. I want to commend every one of those Australians that are serving with courage, professionalism and compassion in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. For the 36 Australians who remain unaccounted for and their families, we hold onto every hope for every single one of them and for the thousands of Nepalese families waiting for word.

I think it's also important to acknowledge that, while Nepal has gone through many disasters of this nature in times past, we have to confront the fact that global warming will now place on countries like Nepal an intolerable burden of more extreme, more frequent events, potentially. As the member for Bennelong rightly observed—and I want to endorse his contribution. He's talked about the low level of contribution that Nepal makes to global emissions and yet how it carries the burden and the impact of such events.

Now, I understand that there will be families and those that are very much focused on providing comfort and support, and there will be people that won't necessarily engage in this. But we have to understand, since the eighties, when we were first alerted to the impact of global warming, this was one of the things that was highlighted—that communities would have to contend with the impact of more extreme weather events.

When you look at the 190 countries, and you look at who's prepared to be able to sustain themselves in the face of changes that are triggered by global warming, a lot of advanced economies are at the top of the list and able to sustain themselves. At the bottom end of the 190 countries, there are a number of countries, including our Pacific brothers and sisters, who have to deal with the impact of global warming. Of the 190 countries, Nepal is at 140, and their Foreign minister has demanded that they will want to see more out of advanced economies to contribute compensation for the devastating floods. Their Foreign minister has called on the world's most polluting countries to 'wake up' and accept shared responsibility for a disaster that has led to death and disappearance.

Scientists believe the climate crisis had a role to play in the floods because they were triggered when a melting glacier partially collapsed and set off that deadly landslide. Speaking to the media, Nepal's Foreign minister, Shisir Khanal, was very forthright in his call for climate justice, saying that it was imperative for the world's biggest economies to step up.

This is the reality. This is what's happening. It's not just about us preparing for adaptation. We've got to be able to cut emissions further. We're already set to exceed the 1.5 degree increase in global temperatures that was central to the Paris Agreement. It looks like we're going to overshoot that. We are going to be impacted this summer by one of the worst El Nino events. It's already been suggested that Australia will have to contend with freak droughts that are instantly imposed upon us as a result of it.

It should not be that the world's poorest, least capable nations are left to face the burden of global warming without us cutting emissions further and being prepared to assist. That demand will come upon us, but I think, in an event like this, where even people in Nepal are saying that this is having a big impact on them, it must be acknowledged—and not just acknowledged; we must be prepared to work on it and to do what it takes to make our contribution, as global citizen, to reduce emissions and to try and pare back that growth in global temperatures. We owe it to countries like Nepal to do just that.

I rise to speak about the disaster in Nepal and Tibet and to add the voice of the people of Bean to the words of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. At 8.37 on the morning of Wednesday 26 August, a mountainside gave way, and rock and ice fell about 1,200 metres into the river below. What came out the bottom was a wall of mud, water and debris that reached 80 metres high in the gorges. The first warning texts went out at 9.15 am—38 minutes after the collapse. By then the flood was through the upper valley, taking villages, bridges and hydropower stations with it.

As of yesterday, there were 1,399 confirmed deaths and 5,400 still unaccounted for. About 800 foreign nationals are still missing, including 35 Australians. Those numbers move every day. In every one of them is a family.

At a hydropower project, two workers were found alive 40 metres inside a flooded tunnel on 4 September—nine days after the flood—by a Nepalese army team who heard them calling out in the dark. Around 900 hydropower workers are still missing, several hundred of them in tunnels. Their families are holding onto that rescue on 4 September.

At a temple in Kathmandu, families who cannot find their loved ones have been cremating effigies woven from kusha grass so that the rites can at least be done. The Foreign minister put it plainly: every hour without news is another hour of waiting, of hoping and of fearing. Our consular staff, the case workers assigned to every family and the social workers now in Kathmandu are working to bring those families answers. I thank them.

Here in Canberra, this tragedy landed in our own community within hours. I have stood with this community in happier times: at Albert Hall for a Dashain night, a celebration of the triumph of good over evil; celebrating Teej, here at Parliament House; celebrating the Australia Nepal Friendship Society's 30th birthday at the Multicultural Festival in February; eating momos with Nepalese and Tibetan friends; in April, at Lennox Gardens, as Sanatan Samaj Australia welcomed in the Nepalese New Year 2083 with fireworks over the lake; and on 11 August, in this building, when I hosted the annual general meeting of the Federation of Nepalese Community Associations of Australia, with more than 50 community leaders from right around the country. None of us in that room knew what the next fortnight would bring.

So when the community called people to the lawns outside, on the evening of Friday 28 August, I was with friends. There were candles. There were prayers. There was a lot of silence. Some of the people near me had family in the Trishuli Valley that they had not heard from. Prakriti Shrestha grew up in Trishuli Bazar and lives in Canberra now. She told the Canberra Times that all her cousins, all her people were there, and many were simply missing. She is not the only one. The Australia Nepal Friendship Society cancelled its Teej festival and sent the ticket money to Nepal's disaster relief fund instead. Talking to Krishna Hamal, one of the community leaders here in the ACT, he said that the support from the wider Canberra community had been overwhelming.

In our region, there are over 10,000 residents who were born in Nepal. In 2011, it was less than a thousand. They form the backbone of our care economy, especially across residential aged care. They are our students, our small-business owners and our neighbours in Tuggeranong, the Molonglo Valley and right across the region.

Australia has stepped up as well. Australians have given over $4 million of their own money to the Emergency Action Alliance appeal. The government has matched it with a further $3 million, bringing the total humanitarian support package to $11 million. An Air Force C-17 has flown almost 24 tonnes of hygiene kits, solar lighting and shelter into Kathmandu. The 15-person Disaster Assistance Response Team, with drone operators from the New South Wales and Queensland fire services, is now in Nepal mapping the disaster zone for the search teams. In all, 49 Australians are deployed on this response, and I thank every one of them. Nepal itself has more than 21,000 soldiers and police in the search.

Nepal rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake, which killed close to 9,000 people, and it will rebuild after this. But it will take years, and it will take friends. To the people of Nepal, and to the Nepalese Canberrans who are grieving and waiting, my door is always open. As the Prime Minister told the House, you do not carry this burden alone. Bean stands with you. Canberra stands with you, and this parliament stands with you.

It's a pleasure to follow my friend, the member for Bean, who has been such a friend to the people of Nepal and the Nepalese community here in Canberra. On behalf of the electorate that I represent, the electorate of Canberra, I want to offer our condolences and our deepest thoughts and prayers for everyone affected by this horrible tragedy that we continue to see unfolding in Nepal, Tibet and China, which is heartbreaking and incredibly sad.

The extraordinary torrent of water, mud and debris that swept through valleys and villages has left a terrible trail of destruction and loss in its wake. Currently, 1,399 people have been killed, and a further 5,400 remain missing. Our thoughts are with all of their families and loved ones and those who we hope and pray may still be found alive. Homes, roads and bridges that communities had relied on for generations were swept away in a matter of minutes, leaving behind a landscape that is almost unrecognisable to those who once called it home. I offer my deep condolences to everyone affected by this horrible event.

At this time, I'm particularly thinking of the Nepalese and Tibetan communities here in Canberra, who are in the awful position of not knowing whether relatives, family and loved ones have been lost. That uncertainty is an agonising thing to carry, and I know it weighs heavily on so many families in our own community. We stand with you, we share your distress, and our government is doing everything that we can to help at this time. This includes assisting in the search for the 35 Australians who remain missing, with officials in Kathmandu, Beijing, New Delhi and Canberra working around the clock to find them. This includes seeking answers from local authorities, tour operators, hospitals and other organisations, pursuing every possible avenue for information, however small, in the hope that it brings families closer to answers. Support is being provided to the next of kin of those missing, and officials are meeting directly with family members who have travelled to Nepal to search for their loved ones, offering them practical assistance and support through an extraordinarily difficult time.

The Australian government has from the outset provided support to Nepal, including on search and rescue efforts, and we continue to offer assistance to China, recognising that communities in Tibet have also suffered greatly from this disaster. Australia has committed $11 million in humanitarian assistance, supporting emergency shelter, food, clean water, sanitation, health care and other essential supplies to communities who have lost so much. A Royal Australian Air Force C-17 has delivered almost 24 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Nepal, and I want to thank the Defence Force personnel who worked to get that aid where it needed to be quickly and safely.

Australians themselves have responded with characteristic generosity, donating over $4.5 million of their own money to the Emergency Action Alliance, which the government has matched with a $5 million contribution from the government. I know that, here in Canberra, Nepalese businesses like Bittersweet Café in Kingston have launched appeals to raise funds for affected communities in Nepal and that those are being well supported. It's an example of our local community rallying to help those a world away. I was really pleased to hear Nabin from Bittersweet in Kingston say that his family were safe. But, of course, so many are not, and, as I've said, our whole community stands with those who have loved ones in the region that remain unaccounted for or that they have lost. We just offer any way that we can help to help you through this horrible time.

Specialist Australian drone operators have now travelled to Nepal as part of a 15-person disaster assistance response team, bringing advanced technology capable of rapid mapping, imaging and supporting searches in extraordinarily challenging terrain, where traditional search methods are especially difficult. AFP disaster victim identification specialists are also deploying to Nepal, undertaking work that is sombre but essential, and we have provided telecommunication data to Nepalese authorities with the hope that this may narrow the last known location of missing Australians. Nepalese search and rescue teams are on the ground in the areas where we believe most of those Australians were last known to be, and we are working directly with the authorities to gather any information we can, following every lead in the hope of finding those still missing.

26 August was an absolutely terrible day for the people of Nepal and Tibet, and I, along with all members and senators of this place, offer our very deepest condolences to everyone affected. Its consequences will be felt for a long time to come in the rebuilding of homes and communities and in the far longer process of recovery for those who have lost loved ones. Again, I thank all responders involved in rescue and recovery operations in Nepal, in Tibet, China and from Australia who are undertaking their work in very difficult circumstances, often at great personal cost and with real courage and compassion.

While there are complex reasons that have led to this disaster, we cannot ignore that man-made climate change is part of this—and I know that, in the briefings I've been involved in with leaders from the Nepalese community, this is something the community are talking about. It is an incredible injustice that some of the regions that play the least part in that man-made impact, like Nepal, are bearing the brunt of these disasters. It is important that, as a global community, we stand with them and address this incredible challenge, and play our part in doing that, to ensure that we can help those who are most exposed because of the geographic characteristics of their regions and that those most exposed to this changing climate, weather conditions and extreme weather do not face this alone.

In closing, I continue to hold out hope that the missing will be found safe and well. My thoughts remain with all those affected by this disaster here and abroad.

Our community in southern and south-western Sydney has been heartbroken by the effects of the tragic flash flooding in Nepal and Tibet, China, and I express that heartbreak to this parliament. On 26 August, a powerful flash flood struck Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Tanahun, preceded by the collapse of a large mass of ice and rock from a glacier high in the Himalayas. These devastating floods wrought destruction to homes, communities and lives.

The scale of the disaster has been breathtaking. We have seen infrastructure obliterated on scales that we would usually only see in a Hollywood film or in artificial intelligence generated content. This disaster has been all too real for so many. Hundreds of adults and children have been reported as deceased. Thousands more are still missing. At least 84,270 people, including 32,000 children, have been affected. The physical and emotional costs that these floods have inflicted upon Nepal have been immense—families digging through mud; mothers, fathers, sons and daughters in tears; and solemn commemorations. Many in this place and across Australia have been just as saddened to see these scenes as our community in recent weeks.

My community in southern Sydney is home to around 1,900 residents of Nepalese heritage. In recent weeks they have shown the world resilience and strength in the face of unimaginable grief and anxiety. A few weeks ago, I attended a vigil of hope and healing which brought together southern Sydney to honour those affected and gather in solidarity with Nepalese residents and family members. The community came together in Rockdale, circled around a Nepali flag made of candles, to share the grief, remember those lost and pray for those still missing. I thank Karuna Rawat, who led us in reflection after coming straight from her nursing shift, along with Rishi Acharya, from the Sutherland shire Nepalese community and the Nepalese Australian Association, who helped bring together the community that night.

I also had the opportunity to join the Nepalese community of south-western Sydney to mark Teej, in an acknowledgement held by the Macarthur region Nepalese community and its president, Sony Tuladhar. Last year's Teej was a joyous celebration of the Nepalese community's contribution to the Sydney community, with music, dancing and colour. I enjoyed learning some of their traditional dance moves, and I thanked them for their patience in dealing with my lack of coordination! This year's Teej was more sombre—in the same place with the same people, but feeling the weight of what was happening in the Himalayas. So many were still missing in Nepal and so many in the community were still feeling such anxiety as the wait for more news continued. The community showed incredible resilience in continuing on and reformatting the event to fundraise for those in Nepal who needed disaster relief. I thank all those who have contributed to relief—not just the Nepalese community but Australians of all backgrounds, facing their own pressures, who have stepped up to support our regional neighbours. Australians wishing to donate should visit the Emergency Action Alliance webpage.

The Australian government is also stepping up to provide relief. In the days following the disaster, $5 million in humanitarian assistance was announced by the Australian government to support urgent disaster response and recovery efforts. Funding will be delivered through established partners to provide support such as food, emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation. These floods have devastated communities along both sides of the border, sweeping away villages, damaging critical infrastructure and leaving thousands displaced. With roads and bridges destroyed, many communities remain isolated and difficult to reach, underscoring the need for rapid humanitarian assistance.

Australia's assistance includes $2 million to the World Food Programme, which has already dispatched food rations and provided logistics support for Nepal's emergency response, $2 million to Australian NGOs through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership to provide support such as emergency shelter, hygiene kits, blankets, medical support and psychosocial support, and $1 million to the Emergency Action Alliance to support locally led recovery and rehabilitation efforts in affected areas. I know many are still feeling acutely the pain of loss as well as the anxiety of not knowing the whereabouts of their loved ones, but I want them to know that Australians are with them and that the government is with them. Our hearts ache for Nepal.

I acknowledge the loss that many in my community have felt, and I express solidarity with all those who have been affected. The Nepalese community plays so many different roles across all sectors of our Australian society and our Australian economy, but one that the Nepalese Australians are particularly well known for is the care sector. I hope that Nepalese Australians can feel the care that the broader Australian community is extending back to them in their hour of need. We are with you.

I also want to acknowledge the importance of the government's action on climate change in acknowledging the role of anthropogenic climate change in the changes that we are seeing in Nepal. While this specific event can't be directly attributed to climate change, we know that events like this are going to continue to occur with higher frequency as climate change continues to have an effect in the Himalayas. But for now we stand with the Nepalese community. We are with them in their hour of grief and sadness, and we stand with them, willing to do whatever it takes to provide whatever assistance we are able to provide in their hour of need.

I join with my colleagues in this place, MPs and senators from all sides, to extend on behalf of the people of Dickson my deepest condolences to all those who have lost loved ones and have been impacted by the devastation in Nepal, Tibet and China. Thousands have been lost and thousands are still missing, including 35 Australians. The scenes that we've seen online and on TV have been devastating to watch.

Our consular officials are working around the clock to find missing Australians. Australia has deployed 49 officers to the region to support the search, rescue and recovery efforts, and I thank those people for their efforts. I want to acknowledge the contribution of Queensland Fire Department officers Dale McVeigh and Matt Herbert, who have deployed to Nepal as part of Australia's disaster assistance response team. Using specialist drone technology to assist search, rescue and recovery operations, they embody the very, very best of the Queensland spirit, stepping forward to help others in their time of greatest need.

We have also committed a total of $11 million in humanitarian assistance, supporting emergency shelter, food, clean water, sanitation, health care and other essential supplies, and that includes the Australian government matching the generosity of everyday Australians, who have dug deep, donating $4.5 million to the Emergency Action Alliance, demonstrating the strength of the friendship between Aussies and the people of Nepal. We look after our friends and neighbours in times of hardship. In the face of disaster, ordinary people step forward to help complete strangers, offering whatever support they can to those in need.

Dickson is home to a growing Nepalese community, and many local families have close ties to those affected. In this difficult time, our thoughts are with them as they worry for loved ones and support family and friends from afar. Rajan, a long-time Dickson resident, is preparing to travel to Nepal this week. While he was relieved to learn that his loved ones are safe, he spoke of the many, many people who remain missing and the deep grief being felt across affected communities. He reflected on the absolute heartbreak of witnessing such devastation from afar. His wife, Samchita, is currently in Nepal, and, while she is a considerable distance from the affected area, their story is a reminder that tragedies like these are felt not only overseas but here in our local communities as well.

Australians—in particular, Queenslanders—understand all too well the devastation that natural disasters can bring, whether it be floods, cyclones or bushfires. We know the heartbreak of lives being lost, homes being destroyed and communities being changed forever. We also know that recovery does not end when the headlines fade. For many families, rebuilding takes years, and the mental anguish and grief endures.

In times like these, Australia will always stand ready to assist our neighbours and friends. On behalf of the people of Dickson, I thank all Australians and defence personnel involved in this humanitarian effort for their courage, professionalism and service. While the scenes of destruction are heartbreaking, we have also seen countless acts of courage, kindness and solidarity. Neighbours helping neighbours, families opening their homes to those displaced and volunteers dedicating their time to assist recovery efforts remind us that, even in humanity's darkest moments, there are rays of light.

At times like these, it is important that we recognise not only those who have lost their lives but also the emergency workers, volunteers, healthcare professionals and community leaders who continue to assist those affected for their courage and selflessness. To all those mourning loved ones, rebuilding homes and communities and working tirelessly to support those affected, we stand with you. The people of Australia send our friendship, solidarity and heartfelt condolences.

I rise to join this parliament in expressing my deepest condolences following the devastating floods and landslides that have struck Nepal and Tibet. The scale of this disaster is almost impossible to comprehend. Lives have been lost. Homes, roads and bridges have just been swept away. Communities have been devastated, and thousands of people remain missing—35 of those are from Australia.

I am devastated to say that this disaster has impacted on my community in Newcastle. Three people with connections to Newcastle are among the Australians who remain missing. They are my constituents from Rankin Park—a woman, Reshma Patel, and brothers Rishab and Rudhra Iyer. Reshma travelled to the region on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. Rishab and Rudhra are joint medical program students at the University of Newcastle and were travelling with their parents. These are not just names on a list. They are members of families. They are friends, students and members of our community. There are people in Newcastle who knew them, loved them and are desperately hoping for their safe return. For their families, every passing hour without news brings another wave of fear, uncertainty and anguish. Behind every missing person is a family living through an unimaginable kind of uncertainty.

I want to particularly acknowledge Reshma's husband, Bhavin, who has travelled to Nepal himself in the desperate hope of finding his beloved wife. He has visited authorities day after day. He has followed every possible lead. He has tracked information from Reshma's phone and, in an extraordinary act of determination, chartered a helicopter to fly over the area where she was last known to be. He saw the earth where buildings had once stood. He saw the landscape where he believes his wife's last location was. Still, he has kept searching because, for Bhavin, this is not an abstract disaster. This is his wife. This is the mother of his two children. This is the person he loves. He has said, simply and heartbreakingly:

She is my life … I am not going without her.

I think it's important that we pause on these words, because they tell us what families are enduring that statistics never can. When we hear that thousands of people are missing, it's easy for the enormity of that number to become overwhelming, but every single person represents a lifetime of memories, relationships, hopes and plans.

For Reshma's family, their mother and wife are missing. For their family, there is no certainty about what tomorrow will bring, and that is an extraordinary burden to carry, and yet Bhavin continues to search. He has travelled thousands of kilometres because he simply cannot accept walking away. He's done what any of us would hope we could do for the person we love the most—he has kept going. His determination is a testament to the depth of his love for Reshma, and the anguish being felt by the families of Rishabh and Rudhra is just as profound. Both are studying medicine and both are talented young men with their whole lives ahead of them.

Rishabh's partner, Sarada, has spoken about the unbearable uncertainty of not knowing where he is. She and friends have been conducting their own search from Australia, monitoring location tracking apps, following every fragment of information they can find, trying to piece together where they might be. She has said:

My search will never end. I will keep looking for him until anything is confirmed. I will not give up on them.

That is what families do when someone they love is missing. They do not give up. They search. They hope. They hold on to every possibility that their loved one might still be out there waiting to be found. These stories are just a reminder to all of us that behind the headlines, behind the numbers and behind the briefings are ordinary Australian families experiencing extraordinary pain.

We have very large and proud Nepalese and Tibetan communities in Newcastle. I know how deeply this uncertainty is affecting them. Recently, I joined members of the Nepalese community of Newcastle and the Tibetan community of Newcastle at vigils held for those affected by this terrible disaster. Those gatherings have been incredibly moving. They have been places of prayer and solidarity but also places of profound grief and anxiety as people wait for news of loved ones and worry about the fate of their communities and homelands.

To the Nepalese and Tibetan communities in Newcastle and to everyone in our city with family and friends in the affected region, I want to say that you are not facing this alone. Our community is here for you. We are hoping for the safety of your loved ones, and we will support you through this awful, uncertain time. And anyone wishing to donate should do so through the official channels, the Emergency Action Alliance and the Nepal Flood Disaster Appeal.

I also want to acknowledge the concerns that have been raised with me by members of my community about the lack of information coming out of the Tibetan side of the border. The families here in Australia having accurate and timely information about what is happening to their loved ones is absolutely vital. Unfortunately, obtaining information from the Tibet region has been extremely difficult. There has been very limited detail made publicly available about the people affected there beyond broad reports of hundreds of people now missing. There has also been little specific information about the settlements and villages that have been impacted by those catastrophic floods and landslides.

I understand that accessing information from this region presents significant challenges, but Tibetans are living with extreme uncertainty about the safety of family and friends impacted by this disaster. At a time of such enormous human suffering, transparency matters. For Tibetans living here in Australia and for families who are desperately trying to establish the safety of loved ones, information is not a political issue; it is a humanitarian one. People are desperate to know what has happened to their communities and the people they love.

I know the Australian government is continuing to seek updates and to advocate for information that can assist families in the broader search and recovery effort. Australia has committed $11 million in humanitarian assistance, supporting emergency shelter, food, clean water, sanitation, health care and other essential supplies, and the Australian government is doing all it can to find Australians who remain unaccounted for, to support loved ones and to assist in the disaster response.

I acknowledge the Australian officials, emergency responders and specialists working to locate Australians who remain unaccounted for, to support their families and to contribute to the search, rescue and recovery effort. The conditions facing those teams are extraordinarily difficult, but their work is vital. And while our immediate focus must remain on finding those who are missing and supporting those affected, we must also recognise that the road to recovery will be long. Communities will need homes rebuilt, roads and bridges will need to be restored, essential services will need to return and families will need support to recover from the trauma and grief this disaster has caused.

Today, this parliament mourns those who have lost their lives. We hold close those who are still waiting for news, and, particularly for the people of Newcastle, we hold Reshma, Rishab and Rudhra and their families in our thoughts and our hopes. We stand with the Nepalese and Tibetan communities here in Newcastle and across Australia. We extend our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy. But you are not alone. We stand in solidarity with you in your time of need, and you will be in our thoughts.

Just over two weeks ago, we all woke up to the horrifying images and videos of a wall of water and mud, capable of bringing down buildings in an instant, surging through the valley close to the border of Nepal and Tibet, China. The floodwater destroyed towns and villages over a 72-kilometre stretch of land and buried the infrastructure and transport links that kept this part of the world connected. On behalf of my community in the electorate of Banks, I send deep and sincere condolences to the loved ones of the more than 1,400 people that have passed and the more than 5,000 who are still missing, including the many Nepali Australians who are still waiting for news of family and friends in the region, including 35 Australians still unaccounted for.

My electorate of Banks is home to a substantial Nepali Australian community. The St George area as a whole, which the member for Barton and I represent, is home to nearly 10 per cent of the 130,000 people with Nepali ancestry at the 2021 census, particularly in the suburbs of Penshurst, Hurstville and Rockdale. In my community, Nepali Australians run small businesses, work in our care sectors and contribute to local causes and organisations. Most importantly, they embody the humble, generous and hardworking spirit that so many Australians have come to associate with Nepal and its people.

On 26 August I was able to join a community vigil in Rockdale, as well as many others that followed in Sydney and Hurstville since. The grief has been palpable, and everyone knows someone who has been affected by this tragedy. Our Nepali Australian community is in pain, but, in their pain, the rest of my community stands with them. The clear theme in the messages I've received from members of my community that I intend to pass on to the Nepali embassy here in Canberra is one of sadness, one of solidarity and one of support for the people of Nepal as well as many stories of people who've experienced the welcoming and generous nature of Nepali people firsthand as visitors in their country.

Australians and Nepalis share a decades-long bond. Nepali Gurkhas arrived in Gallipoli only six days after Australian forces landed, and we have served together in almost every significant conflict since. Today, nearly 40,000 Australians a year travel to Nepal as tourists, and Nepali students contribute nearly $2 billion a year to our economy through the university sector.

In the aftermath of what has occurred, Australia and Nepal again stand side-by-side, with the government doing everything we can to support search, rescue and recovery efforts, with a significant amount of funding committed to the Emergency Action Alliance alongside the generosity of the Australian people, who've reached into their own pockets to contribute $4.5 million. An Australian Disaster Assistance Response Team have also travelled to Nepal to assist in rescue efforts, using specialist drone technology to support Nepali authorities, along with providing data that may assist in locating some of those that are still unaccounted for.

I know that the Minister for Foreign Affairs attended the Embassy of Nepal to give her message of condolence yesterday, and I look forward to doing the same tomorrow morning in my capacity as an MP and the Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Nepal. Being Chair of the parliamentary friendship group has given me the opportunity to meet with so many members of the Nepali Australian community. Just a few weeks ago, FeNCAA, one of their national organisations, held their AGM here in Canberra, which I was able to visit with the Prime Minister. It is incredibly saddening to think about how many of the people I've met have been affected by this deeply sad tragedy.

To those Nepali Australians who are feeling the devastation of this incredible tragedy on a deeply personal level, know you have the support of your communities in this incredibly difficult time, and may the strength to persevere in this difficult time be found by all those affected and involved.

Last Sunday, I attended a vigil in Geelong with my local Nepalese community, following the wall of water and ice that surged down through a valley, close to the border of Nepal and Tibet in China, that destroyed towns and communities. Many of the communities in Nepal have relatives in my region.

We gathered at that vigil in the fading light to acknowledge those who have died, those who have lost their loved ones and those who are waiting for news of their loved ones, acknowledging also the emergency service personnel from across the globe who are working hard to find and rescue those who are missing. I just want to acknowledge my community. It was an exceptionally moving vigil. It was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, the member for Corio and me, alongside state MPs, including Christine Couzens, member for Geelong, Ella George, the member for Lara, and Eddy Kontelj, who represented the City of Greater Geelong. Candles burned as the darkness fell, a simple gesture not only of remembrance but of the uncertainty facing so many families within my region. As we stood together, tears were shed. It was an exceptionally emotional evening at a time of profound sadness following this tragic event that occurred on 26 August.

I do want the Nepalese community, not only in my community but also those in Nepal and Tibet, to know that we, in Australia, are thinking of you. We care deeply, and that was acknowledged by our Foreign minister when she spoke on this issue. This is about people. This is about families. This is about community. And it's difficult to endure this when I speak with my community because it is profoundly tragic.

The scale of the disaster that we have seen is so difficult to comprehend. Behind the numbers are people with families. We know that around 1,342 people were reported missing on that day. Since then, many have been confirmed dead and 4,996 people are now confirmed missing, including 589 foreign nationals. And we know now that we still have 36 Australians that are not yet found. So I also really wish to pass on my deep thoughts and wishes that those people can be found, but, as each day goes by, that hope fades. But we continue to do our very best.

For thousands of families, this devastation isn't just about the loss of a loved one; it's about the loss of a home, the loss of a business or the loss of a livelihood. And for those loved ones who remain missing, it is the uncertainty of not knowing what has happened to them. There have been extraordinary stories of people being rescued alive many days after the disaster. These rescues have given families and communities reason to keep looking and to keep hoping, but the search is becoming a race against time. We hope and pray the 36 Australians who are unaccounted for will be found.

The Australian government is doing its best to assist, and I think every parliamentarian here is very proud of the fact that our government is stepping up and contributing to what is a disaster on a global scale. We have committed $11 million to assist with disaster recovery and for search and rescue. Specialist Australian drone teams are providing rapid mapping and imaging to support Nepalese authorities with their search operations. Seven Australian Federal Police disaster victim identification specialists are on the ground in Kathmandu providing technical assistance to local authorities. Two Services Australia social workers have also arrived and a dedicated family support hub is being established by our embassy.

In total, 49 Australians have been deployed to support the disaster response, and I want to acknowledge the work of each of them as well as the work of the Nepalese authorities and emergency services alongside whom they are operating. This is dangerous work. It is exceptionally difficult work. I can't imagine what they are going through, but it is important work and it is good for Australia to be there and to show our support for Nepal. It also reflects back on our growing community in my region. They acknowledge it; they appreciate it. But it is a time of real anxiety for many of them.

We are also providing assistance with essential supplies, including hygiene kits, solar light towers and shelters, as well as specialist personnel. And while governments do have an important role to play, the community response to a disaster like this also has a role to play. It's something that I do acknowledge. It's important we do it.

On Sunday, I spoke with a close-knit community led by Niraj, whose who is a beautiful Nepalese fellow. A few years ago I actually went on a delegation to Nepal. What I found was people who are very warm and generous, gentle and compassionate. They love their environment, and they live in an amazing part of the world. But, because it is so mountainous and ice-capped, it is a place that is being impacted in ways that have never happened previously. I think we all need to work together to ensure that these types of disasters do not happen in the future.

I would like to say to the people in my community that we stand with you, that we are there to help and that, on a personal note, as I said that night, I want to wrap my arms around you and do all the best I can. There are a number of fundraisers going on in my region, and I will do my best to support them. Let us hope that we can rebuild. It is going to take a long time, but Australia is a friend of Nepal, and we will work together.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 18:26