Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to acknowledge the losses and ongoing suffering being experienced by many in the south-west of Western Australia in the wake of the devastating bushfires last month that virtually destroyed the township of Yarloop and wrought such havoc on communities across the region, including Waroona, Lake Clifton, Harvey, Herron, Cookernup and surrounding areas. These fires were among the most catastrophic that WA has seen in decades, resulting in the loss of two lives and the loss of 181 properties and of course inflicting trauma and economic damage on the region, the full cost of which can still not be measured. Indeed, the tragedy was further compounded just this weekend, when a Western Power employee who was working to restore power to the region also lost his own life. Given the intensity and severity of the fires, in some respects it is a miracle that the loss of life was not even more severe. Though we can be thankful in that respect, it does not alleviate the ongoing suffering and disruption to daily life that many local residents are continuing to experience.

Just days after the fires, the WA Liberal Party held one of its regularly scheduled state council meetings. A committed and widely respected WA Liberal, Sue Warren, a member of the Canning division, moved the following urgent motion:

That this State Council release a statement expressing its condolences and deep sympathy to all those affected by the recent fires. Furthermore, this State Council commends the State and Federal Governments for the assistance already provided to those affected by the fires and calls upon the State Government to consider what additional assistance may be provided from the Royalties for Regions funds to assist with the restoration of infrastructure such as bridges in the affected areas.

I am pleased to say that this motion was strongly supported.

As Sue noted in moving her motion, the scale of these events and their intensity is beyond comprehension for many of us. It is human nature, in those circumstances, for us to look for someone or something to blame. That is just part of our emotional response mechanism. And, understandably, we did see some frustrated members of the community lashing out and blaming officials for what they perceived as an inadequate response. That is a totally normal and expected response from people who have lost their livelihoods.

Naturally, the WA state government has committed to reviewing the situation, as a responsible government should, and no doubt there will be ways to improve future responses. We can always learn from past experience. However, I think it is very important to place on record our appreciation of the truly heroic efforts of WA firefighters in preventing the situation from spiralling into something far, far worse; included in that are the many volunteer firefighters who travelled to the south-west at the height of the crisis to buttress the efforts of WA's professional firefighters. Also included are the firefighters, paramedics and firefighting helicopters which were generously provided by the New South Wales government to lend further support to the efforts of Western Australian authorities to fight the blaze.

It sounds like a cliche, but it is in these times of trial that we often see the best of humanity. And, just a couple of weeks after the fires, we can see that the response from the WA community, and indeed, from those around Australia, has been touching and reassuring. The Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund raised in excess of $4 million, in the immediate aftermath of the fires, to support local communities as they go about the difficult task of rebuilding their homes and their lives. Likewise, the Nine News Bushfire Appeal Concert, which was held at the Harvey Amphitheatre and televised live in Western Australia, raised in excess of $627,000, which will also help to support local communities.

In the few moments remaining to me, I do want to pay particular tribute to two other community leaders who were absolutely tireless in rendering support to these devastated communities, and will continue to do so over the months to come. My colleague Nola Marino, the member for Forrest, herself lives on a farm at Harvey and was right in the path of the blaze. Nola was inspirational during what was a difficult time for her and her family in the way she selflessly put her community first. She was tireless in keeping the Prime Minister up to date with critical developments. I have no doubt that the financial assistance to affected locals which has come from the federal government is in part a direct result of Nola's effective advocacy as a hardworking local federal member.

Likewise, I pay tribute to the efforts of Mr Murray Cowper, the state MP for Murray-Wellington, who was on the ground, day and night, rendering support and practical assistance right through the crisis. His ongoing efforts are a mark of his commitment to being an extremely effective local member.