Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby) [7.22 p.m.]: Today I pause and pay my respects to the hundreds of bushfire victims in New South Wales who are doing it tough. This year's summer bushfire season has arrived earlier than expected and left a trail of destruction across many of our local communities.
The need to remain vigilant and prepare households properly for bushfires is paramount as the warmer weather intensifies in coming months. New South Wales has previously experienced deadly bushfire seasons and one month into this year's danger period it is looking particularly ominous. In Hornsby preparations are underway, with large sections of bushland recently burnt off by several hazard reduction burns. This practice is an essential safeguard for our community as it provides a necessary buffer zone for firefighters to better control severe fires.
My part of the world has been devastated by bushfires in the past. The shire is known as the "Bushland Shire", which carries with it the ever-present threat of bushfires. I commend the Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai District Rural Fire Service and the New South Wales Fire Brigade for their ongoing, tireless efforts in my electorate to protect our beautiful bushland shire. In particular, I commend the wonderful work of Inspector Mark Sugden, Talone Higgins and Pete Marshall, who runs the Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai District Rural Fire Service. I further commend the captains and crews of the 15 Rural Fire Service brigades in the Hornsby shire. As members will know, Hornsby shire and the neighbouring electorates of Ku-ring-gai, Hawkesbury and Gosford adjoin large expanses of national park, which is both a blessing and a significant safety risk for residents who call this bushland area home.
I remind residents to be wary of the potential bushfire risks this summer. Each resident must make sure that their property is prepared properly and have a bushfire survival plan in place in case of emergency. Planning ahead will make all the difference—for residents and fire crews alike—when staying to defend a household or evacuating to avert danger. Proactive fire prevention steps may include removing dry leaves from gutters, ensuring that wood piles are stored well away from the house and keeping surrounding grassy areas mowed short. Another essential fire prevention step is to make sure that your backyard hose is long enough to reach all parts of the household. Last week more than 100 fires were burning across the State, including 36 uncontained blazes at Winmalee, in the Blue Mountains and on the Central Coast. Initial reports suggest that well over 300 homes have been lost and fatalities have been reported.
As a community representative, it saddens me to hear those tragic stories and to see those caught up in the disaster-hit areas. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected at this difficult time. I assure residents that the State Government is behind the community completely; we will support you during your hour of need. The Rural Fire Service crews have done a remarkable job in trying conditions, working around the clock to protect our communities and giving vital updates to residents in fire-affected areas about when to evacuate their homes. At this point I again acknowledge the 15 Rural Fire Service crews from the Hornsby district who have travelled to the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast to assist in the firefighting effort. They are an example to us all.
I reiterate the calls of NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons to listen to fire safety updates and obey fire crew instructions in disaster-hit areas. My electorate of Hornsby recently experienced two bushfires in the Mount Colah and Dural areas. They were much smaller than the fires recently seen in the Blue Mountains but it is a timely reminder to remain vigilant. On 10 September it is believed a carelessly discarded cigarette butt caused a grassfire at Mount Colah. This careless act by one selfish individual threatened the homes of a number of local residents. The grassfire, coupled with high winds and extreme temperatures, fanned several other fires across Mount Colah and for more than an hour closed both the Pacific Highway and the M1. Luckily nobody was injured in the blaze and only a small number of properties were affected.
It is a reminder, however, that even the smallest fire can have disastrous consequences. I commend the local Rural Fire Service crews for the superb job they are doing. I ask residents to be mindful of changing weather conditions, which can often alter bushfire conditions quickly and to call 000 if they spot an unsupervised fire. Let us hope that firefighters are able to contain the fires that have gripped New South Wales over the past week and prevent other fires from occurring during the coming summer months.
Read full transcript in Hansard here.
