Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

It's always a joy to follow Senator Polley, who made another great contribution.

On 7 November 2023, I rose in this place to call for a public health inquiry into the impact of odours from waste facilities on the people of Ipswich. My Senate office is based in the Greater Ipswich region, and Ipswich has a number of waste facilities that were generating odours that have been causing misery to the people of Ipswich for years. In that speech I quoted the experiences of two great Ipswich residents Michelle Filippi and Tracey Butler, who have been personally and devastatingly impacted by these odours.

The Labor state government refused to convene a public health inquiry. Despite the people of Ipswich wanting a public health inquiry, the Labor Party abandoned the people of Ipswich. I commend Teresa Harding, the mayor of Ipswich, and other members of council for calling for a public health inquiry. I also commend Georgia Toft, who was the LNP candidate for Ipswich West, and Mr Carl Mutzelburg, who was the candidate for Bundamba, for also calling for a public health inquiry before the last state election. I especially commend the Crisafulli Liberal National Party government for actually convening the public health inquiry.

What did the public health inquiry find? The inquiry's final report said:

The findings presented … concluded that odour from the Swanbank and New Chum industrial areas … are impacting the community's health.

That's what the inquiry found. There were eight findings. Finding 1 was that thousands of Ipswich residents experience symptoms they attribute to odour from industrial areas. Finding 2 was that the most common symptoms include respiratory, ear-nose-throat, neurological, gastrointestinal, skin and mental health symptoms. The report went on. Finding 3 was that the symptoms experienced are consistent with those described in the medical literature. Finding 4 was that the odour is highly offensive and impacting the wellbeing of residents. Finding 5 covered issues with respect to exposure of these odours to the people of Ipswich. Finding 6 was that odorous chemicals in the air do not need to be at toxic levels for them to impact human health. Finding 7 was that there are certain types of waste which are highly odorous and play a significant role in causing the health effects being experienced by those living in close proximity to the industrial areas. It goes on and on and on. It talks about the mental health of the people of Ipswich.

The Crisafulli LNP government has now implemented all eight recommendations of that public health inquiry. It is a great result for the people of Ipswich—no thanks to the Labor Party in Ipswich.

On 19 November 2025, I attended a commemoration for the victims of election-related violence in Tanzania, and I rise today to stand in solidarity with the Tanzanian Australian community. There were horrendous actions undertaken by the security forces in Tanzania against those who were protesting against unfair elections in Tanzania. At the commemoration, I received a letter from the Tanzanian Association of Queensland. It called for a number of things. First, it asked that we raise our voices to address the ongoing issues, to ensure that people can demonstrate safely in Tanzania, and called upon the Australian government to access all multinational forums to advocate in that regard. Secondly, it called upon the Australian government to exercise heightened caution when providing financial assistance to Tanzanian state institutions, especially given the actions of their security forces. I've written in those terms to Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, our minister for foreign affairs, and I trust that Senator Wong, as she always does, will carefully consider the request from our Tanzanian community. I stand in solidarity with our wonderful Tanzanian Australian community.

Last Saturday, I was extremely pleased to meet with the wonderful Kurdish Australian community in Adelaide. This is a wonderful community. They fled persecution, particularly in Iran, found safety here in Australia and have built wonderful lives in South Australia and, indeed, across Australia. I was so impressed by the businesses they've started, including painting businesses, carpentry businesses and hospitality businesses. I was so impressed by their entrepreneurial endeavour. I was so impressed by their community engagement and the quality of the activities being undertaken by our wonderful Kurdish Australian community in Adelaide. They are making outstanding Australians, representing the very, very best of Australian values, and it's an absolute blessing that our Kurdish Australian community found safety here in Australia.

One point which they asked me to raise and which I raise now is the issue with respect to our humanitarian program finding places for those members of the Kurdish community, especially those who have fled Iran and are in Iraq, and accommodating people of Kurdish background living in those very difficult circumstances—people who have close family connections in Australia—and I call for the Australian government to consider their representations in this regard.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of visiting Dandenong, and I was so impressed by the positive impact the Hazara community has had on Dandenong. I met so many members of the Hazara community who came to Australia as refugees and have built their lives here in Australia. I had lunch at one restaurant. I was talking to the owner. I asked him about his restaurant, and he advised me that not only did he own the restaurant but he owned four or five additional small businesses in Dandenong. I met a fantastic gentleman who came to this country as a refugee in the late nineties and who had nothing, absolutely nothing, and he's effectively started a supermarket chain. That is absolutely incredible—the entrepreneurial spirit and the contribution to our beautiful country and the community values of the Hazara community in Dandenong. I would like to place on record my great respect for the Hazara community across Australia, but, in particular, in Dandenong.

In that context, it is tragic that I need to rise today to speak and give my commiserations to the Hazara community in Dandenong with respect to the passing of Fariba Hussainzada and her 6-year-old son Farzad who tragically lost their lives in Dandenong Creek, and this is an absolute tragedy. Fariba was a devoted mother of three. Her little boy slipped into the swollen creek, and Fariba did what any loving parent would do—she went in after him. And, in that moment, her courage and love were absolute, but the waters were unforgiving, and both Fariba and Farzad were swept away and both lost their lives—a family shattered, children left without their mother and a community grieving. I wanted to place on the Senate Hansard my sympathies—I'm sure they are shared by all senators in this place—for Fariba and Farzad's family and also for the Hazara community in Dandenong, and say that we are with them at this time and our thoughts and prayers are with you.