Rural Fire Service Volunteers

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-103946

Hansard session: Fifty-Sixth Parliament, First Session (56-1)

Rural Fire Service Volunteers

Ms MELANIE GIBBONS (Holsworthy) (17:16:24):

Once again I express gratitude to all emergency service workers and volunteers across the State. As this House knows, in April this year the people of the Holsworthy electorate—and also the people in the electorate of Temporary Speaker Evans—came together to combat bushfires that engulfed almost 4,000 hectares of land. When this crisis hit we were extremely lucky to see the many Rural Fire Service [RFS] teams and volunteers come together to defeat the fires which came right up to the back fences of people's homes. The fires were incredibly scary but those heroes came out to defend our homes and our environment, and we were so lucky to have them.

When I was asked to officially open the Sandy Point Rural Fire Brigade station on Saturday 15 September on behalf of the Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon. Troy Grant, I was delighted. The event once again highlighted a massive sense of community and dedication. It felt like one big family coming together, particularly as we have such a small community. I congratulate all the dedicated members of the brigade on making the wonderful facility a reality. The new station is worth $1.55 million but to the members of this brigade it is a priceless resource. We are so lucky to have it. The station now features vehicle bays, a kitchen and amenities, a storeroom and a workshop, a training room, an operations and administration office, and an outdoor terrace area. That outdoor terrace area will be a big membership driver as it is in a beautiful spot overlooking the lovely Georges River.

As the brigade was formed in 1953 it has a history of 65 years. It has continued to grow since opening and now hosts 62 members, with nine added just last year. As I said, I believe the membership will be boosted now that they have a fabulous new station. An even greater achievement is that between these members they have a combined service length of 571 years. This remarkable number shows the dedication of the members of the Sandy Point RFS and their diligence and love for our community. I make a special mention of Mr Mark Cassidy, captain of the Sandy Point Brigade and also Mr Stuart Townsend, captain of the Menai Bushfire Brigade, who both received awards on the day. These two men are extremely dedicated to their brigades and are always at the front line when there are any fires to ensure that their local community is safe and protected. I acknowledge all the recipients of awards on that day and I commend every one of the volunteers of the RFS. Their jobs are often difficult and they demonstrate an incredible level of dedication.

I am so happy that we were able to deliver such a great facility for all the selfless, brave and generous people of the Sandy Point RFS brigade. I was able to thank not only the volunteers of the RFS but also the family members who support the RFS members to volunteer so generously. Delivering this station is extremely close to my heart, as many of the members of the Sandy Point RFS were the ones who helped save the 888 homes that were under threat from fire in April. It was such a pleasure to open the fantastic new station, and I congratulate all the members for their dedication and the hard work they do for the community.

The bushfire season is approaching yet again, and I would like to promote an exceedingly important event that took place just last weekend. The event was Get Ready Weekend, an initiative of the NSW Rural Fire Service to help to prepare for the upcoming summer. Over the weekend of 22 and 23 September the NSW Rural Fire Service hosted more than 600 events across the State featuring firefighting vehicle displays, information stands, kids activities and workshops. In the Holsworthy electorate we are lucky enough to have three amazing RFS stations, made up of Menai RFS, Casula RFS and Sandy Point RFS. Over the weekend all three of these stations put on their own events, which provided essential information and details to get our community ready for fire season.

I was fortunate enough to attend one of these events at Barden Ridge with Stuart Townsend and the other members of the Menai Bushfire Brigade. It was a wonderful day on which members of the community came together to learn what they can do to prepare for the fire season and also to thank members of the brigade for their contribution in protecting their lives and homes during the recent bushfires. It was also great to see that they have installed the new community notice board, which I was able to help fund through the Community Building Partnership grants. This noticeboard also gives fire indicators so that we know when there is a higher risk of fire, which will be a great asset for our community.

I cannot even begin to explain how important it is to have a bushfire survival plan in place in bushfire season. Now is the time to do the work needed to get prepared for the bushfire season. The top five actions that the NSW Rural Fire Service recommends in preparation for the bushfire season include trimming overhanging trees and shrubs, mowing the lawn and removing all cut grass, removing material that can burn around your home, clearing debris out of gutters surrounding your home and preparing a hose that can stretch around the house. These five simple steps can make a huge difference in a time of bushfire. Once again I thank our RFS volunteers across the State.

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (17:21:35):

I thank the member for Holsworthy for her outstanding effort in her electorate. I also thank the RFS, the Menai Bushfire Brigade and those who protect communities in time of crisis. Our emergency services do an outstanding job in our local communities. They go out of their way to protect the communities. They do a wonderful job in the Holsworthy electorate, in my electorate and across Australia. I thank those who went out of their way to protect the community of Holsworthy during the fires in April, which is not a time when we normally experience bushfires. I thank all in our emergency services, not just in the Holsworthy electorate but across New South Wales, who go out of their way to protect our communities.