Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

It does not seem so long ago that many of us who represent the state of Victoria rose in this place to try to articulate the unspeakable loss that Victorians experienced during the Black Saturday bushfires. And now, barely two years later, we find ourselves here again, reflecting on the devastation wrought by bushfire’s terrible twin—floods.

We are all relieved and grateful that the flooding we have experienced in Victoria over the past couple of weeks has not come close to causing the loss of life caused by the bushfires or reaching the horror witnessed during Black Saturday. However, for many Victorians these floods have destroyed homes, crops, businesses and livelihoods, and they are now left with the task of rebuilding. The Victorian floods claimed one young soul as their victim, seven-year-old Lachlan Collins, who was swept away by flood waters in Shepparton. I know that I speak for all Victorian senators when I convey my heartfelt condolences to Lachlan’s family.

It is quite astonishing to think that at one point almost one-third of Victoria was affected by the floods. From the vibrant regional centres of Horsham, Swan Hill and Shepparton to the picturesque towns of Carisbrook, Charlton, Echuca and Kerang, nearly 2,000 homes were flooded and a further 17,000 lost power. Hundreds of Victorians had to evacuate and spend the night or several nights in emergency relief centres and then return to their flooded homes and properties. I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must feel to return to the family home to find it inundated or destroyed, often unrecognisably so.

Some Victorians were dealt a double blow as not only was their home flooded but their crops were destroyed or their business inundated as well. Thousands of hectares of crops were wiped out by the floodwaters across Victoria and hundreds, and possibly thousands, of livestock were unable to escape the ‘inland sea’ and perished. And closer to Melbourne, the outer suburbs of Pakenham and Narre Warren were hit hard by flash flooding just last weekend, as were the inner suburbs of Elwood, South Yarra and Windsor.

Yet the common experience is that at times like these we see the best brought out of Australians. Stories of resilience, of strength, of compassion, of bravery and of selflessness have accompanied the images that we have seen of inundated towns and flooded cities. It is important to thank those who have worked tirelessly and those who have put their lives at risk to help others, particularly those who work or volunteer for the emergency services and those who serve in the defence forces and came to the aid of the flood affected communities. And I should also acknowledge the strong and compassionate leadership of Premier Ted Baillieu and the Deputy Premier and police and emergency services minister, Peter Ryan.

We are indeed very fortunate to live in a country where people band together in voluntary organisations like the SES to help others in their time of need. These dedicated SES volunteers have responded to hundreds, if not thousands, of emergency calls during the Victorian floods. They have helped many people whose homes and businesses have been affected by the floods to get back on their feet. Yet for many flood victims the hardest times are still ahead. The long road to recovery is yet to be fully trod. Getting the home dried out, reopening the business or trying to salvage what is left of the crops are tasks that are still being faced.

In comparison to the devastation wrought by the Black Saturday bushfires, the Victorian floods have left the regions they ravaged with fewer outwardly visible scars. Much of the water has now receded and to the naked eye many buildings are still relatively intact. Yet homes that look unscathed from the outside can still be a sodden, muddy mess on the inside. Businesses that look fine at first glance may have severe internal damage that could prevent them reopening for weeks or months and they might find themselves in the position where their customers, because of their own troubles, are not frequenting them. Yet I have no doubt that the resilient spirit of Victorians will see those affected bounce back quickly. Many of the affected communities are already on the rebound, with schools and businesses reopening as homes begin to dry out.

We must, as a community, band together to help each other recover and rebuild, even though the immediate threat in Victoria has passed. I am keenly aware that a speech like this can do little more than demonstrate that the national parliament, in which Victorians and other Australians are represented, is acutely conscious of the difficulty and hardship currently being faced. All we can do in contributions like this is acknowledge the magnitude of these events and commit ourselves to the recovery effort.