Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Bushfires don't discriminate. They wreak havoc in regional and rural communities, taking livestock and razing homes, and in tragic circumstances they can even take people's lives. These heartbreaking issues are what locals in the Western Downs, the Southern Downs, Central Queensland and north-west Queensland have been dealing with over the past few weeks. Our horizons have been a constant haze. Firefighters have worked for days on end to try and get ahead of these fires and prevent them from endangering life. To help assist tiring firefighters from local brigades, personnel from around the country have travelled to western Queensland to support efforts to fight these raging bushfires. Most notably, around 70 personnel from Victoria have been sent up to assist with the ongoing situation, and I want to take this opportunity to thank them and all the firefighters currently deployed around the country for their service.

On Saturday afternoon, tragically, three people died in a plane crash whilst surveilling fire sites around 70 kilometres from Cloncurry, in Queensland's north-west. The crew had been heavily involved in efforts to map the terrible fires around Toowoomba, and I understand from reports that the plane was redeploying to Mount Isa to conduct line scan infrared mapping when it crashed. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau team will investigate the crash site. This incident is profoundly sad, and I would like to send my deep condolences to the family and friends of those who tragically lost their lives. I also want to take this opportunity to remind Queenslanders that the current fire bans have been extended today until 13 November. They have been extended in parts of the north coast and Far North Queensland. Stay safe and take care of each other.