Politics was put aside for a moment this week, as Victorian MPs paid tribute to heroes and victims on the 10th anniversary of Black Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Benambra MP Bill Tilley said he would never forget the show of resilience, compassion and strength of character.
“These were extraordinary times, and these were ordinary people who were called upon to do extraordinary things,” he told Parliament.
“We need to be ever-diligent and ensure that our preparedness continues, and not only because of those tragic events almost a decade ago.”
The tragedy resulted in changes including better fire warning systems and improvements to powerlines.
Both Mr Tilley and Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy remembered Sue and John Wilson, who died at their home in Mudgegonga.
“If you drive down that road today, you can still see the remaining cubbyhouse – that land has not yet been rebuilt on, so it serves as a poignant reminder,” Mr Tilley said.
“I also pay my respects to those who still carry the emotional scars from that night: the survivors, the firefighters and the emergency service crews who battled the fire front hurtling towards them at around 100km/h.”
Euroa MP Steph Ryan said she had not realised in 2009 that bush could burn like it did on Black Saturday because she was too young to remember Ash Wednesday, but wanted to ensure the new generation growing up is aware of the lessons learnt on that day.
“Progress has been made in strengthening our warning systems and our emergency services response, in bolstering a fleet of aircraft, in the closer monitoring of arsonists and the work that has been done to improve the maintenance of our state’s electricity assets,” she said.
“But there is still more to be done and it must be an ongoing effort.
“We must do far more to act on climate change, which is undoubtedly the driver of more extreme weather and increasing fire danger, and we must also guard against complacency.”
Wodonga’s Liberal Democrat MP Tim Quilty spoke for the first time since being elected to the upper house, saying he would strive to avoid a repeat of the disaster.
“There have always been bushfires in Australia, and there always will be, and people who live in the bush will be impacted,” he said.
“Country people have been dealing with the destruction and the loss, rebuilding and getting on with their lives for all of our history, and they will continue to.”
RELATED:
Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here
