Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby) [12.09 p.m.]: I draw to the attention of the House a matter of which the people of my electorate and I are very proud—the work of the Rural Fire Service over the summer months. While many of us were able to enjoy a relaxing and festive season with family and friends, many others throughout New South Wales did not enjoy such a privilege. January was a month when we sweltered and it was defined by hardship and challenge as a result of bushfires that devastated communities throughout the State.
From the Warrumbungle shire to the Shoalhaven, countless residents were evacuated and suffered significant property damage.
The photographs and news clips that we saw every night provided only a glimpse of the bushfires' consequences. The image of the weather map of Australia being absolutely red was frightening for all of us. Land and homes were destroyed, local economies were impacted, and the emotional stamina of those affected was put to the ultimate test. Fortunately, New South Wales residents are resilient and will overcome this sad chapter in our State's history. But we are also fortunate to have approximately 70,000 volunteer firefighters serving in the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Without the support and work of the volunteer firefighters throughout the State, the consequences would have been far worse than occurred. Our State's emergency volunteers put their own personal safety at risk to assist and protect others, and for this we are all forever grateful. By its very nature, much of the work of firefighters is inherently dangerous and is conducted in the most inclement weather and stressful conditions. My electorate of Hornsby is known as the bushland shire. Despite being at high risk of bushfires, we were blessed not to have to face bushfires this season. Our community was spared the devastation that we saw nightly on the news, but a considerable number of volunteer firefighters from the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Rural Fire Service dedicated their time and energy to help other New South Wales communities that were damaged by bushfires.
It gives me great honour to recognise the heroes in our community—the men and women who served our State and protected so many from the devastation of bushfires. I acknowledge Grahame Horne, Ron Raffaelli and Chris Hunter of the remote area fire team that was deployed to Tasmania; my friend Bill Lea, Ray Mychalewycz, Warwick Thomson, Chris McIntosh, Gus Gulicher, Tim Lyle, Russell Steen, Leon Smith, Stefan Kadareanu, Stuart Davidson, Jeremy Hugman, Peter Bowlker, April Meredith, Paul Morris, Phil Dunn, Robert Clarke, Anthony Macvean, Angela Simpson, Ed Barton, Murray Campbell, Steve Hayes, Warren Willis and Jon Carlo Messina, who assisted at the Dean Gap fire in the Shoalhaven; Grant Wargren, who served in the Coonamble area; and Dave McMonnies, Theo Klich, Jack Stoner, Ken Lyle, Paul Norman, Andrew Webster, Adam Streichler, Daniel Sokolnikoff and Chris Koedam, who served at the Wambelong fire in Coonabarabran.
Gordon Morgan assisted in both the Dean Gap fire in the Shoalhaven and the Wambelong fire in Coonabarabran, while Robert Warzyniak assisted in both the remote area fire team that was deployed to Tasmania and the Wambelong fire in Coonabarabran. I wish to recognise also Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Rural Fire Service staff members who assisted with fighting various fires in New South Wales. They include Mark Sugden of incident control; Peter Marshal of fire investigation; Jon Gaibor of air operations; Kate Carter of logistics; Kane Lambkin of media liaison; and Brett Storey of operations. It should also be noted that Mark Sugden, who is the district manager, and Brett Storey, who is the learning and development officer, are currently assisting their Tasmanian counterparts. In addition to their firefighting duties, both volunteers and staff from the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Rural Fire Service spent many days being on stand-by, predominantly at the station ready to respond to fires, and filling roles of pre-emptive incident management teams when a total fire ban had been declared due to the extreme fire danger in the Hornsby area.
Volunteer firefighters are unique people. They go above and beyond the call of duty when asked, and represent the values that all citizens should aspire to embody—service, leadership, honesty and teamwork. Volunteer firefighters do not serve for personal gain or commendation; rather, they serve to protect their communities for the betterment of present and future generations. And they serve, knowing they are risking their lives for our livelihoods. Although each firefighter has a different story to share and comes from a different background, they are bound by their belief in unity and community service, for which they should all be commended. I am humbled to represent a community that demonstrates both compassion and empathy towards those experiencing difficulty. I look forward to working with the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Rural Fire Service in the future to ensure that the local community remains safe and protected.
Read the full transcript in Hansard here.
