Ash Wednesday commemoration
Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:52): Last week many of us paused to mark the 40-year anniversary of the Ash Wednesday fires. I had both the pleasure and the sadness of attending the statewide commemorative event in Cockatoo, one of the epicentres of the fires. Graham Simpson, then captain of the local brigade, reflected that the wind was incredible but only lasted for about 20 minutes. It had pushed the fire so hard that by the following morning most of the town had been lost. I also attended a local service in Upper Beaconsfield, a town where 21 people lost their lives, including 12 firefighters from the Narre Warren and Panton Hill fire brigades. The local CFA unveiled an exhibition called Firestorm, a collection of original images and artefacts collated from residents, firefighters and other survivors. I congratulate captain Ian Pinney and the rest of the brigade for creating such a beautiful reflection. In total, Ash Wednesday resulted in the loss of 47 lives, including 14 firefighters. It destroyed more than 2000 homes and killed more than 32,000 livestock. From this and from other bushfire events we have learned a lot about fire management and better practices in this state. Above all, though, we have learned that the power of community standing together when times are the darkest cannot be defeated.