Thursday, 18 April 2024

Address to Parliament

Tara Atley

The PRESIDENT (09:38): I am really pleased that I can now call Tara Atley to address the house.

Tara Atley escorted into chamber by Usher of the Black Rod.

Tara ATLEY: Honourable President, honourable members, my name is Tara Atley. I am a year ‍12 student and school captain of Rochester Secondary College. Today I am here representing students and young people of the Campaspe shire.

I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet, and I pay my respect to all Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander peoples and carry that respect to any Indigenous people here today.

The presence of the members of Parliament today holds a significant value for me. I would like to express my gratitude towards them, as it demonstrates a genuine interest in our community and their willingness to listen.

In January 2011 Rochester and the surrounding areas were hit with the worst floods that the town had seen in over 100 years. With houses, sheds and livestock lost, the community created mappings and quickly learned what was considered to be the proper way to prepare for the future. However, 11 years later was the beginning of yet another change for most Rochester residents, like me. In October 2022 we experienced a one-in-1000-year flood. Eight houses in the whole town of Rochester were not inundated – eight. Living in a small town such as Rochester with a population of roughly 3000, word travels quickly. The weather had been unusually severe all week, so the residents were understandably concerned. I remember the day before the floods, a normal school day, before the warnings came: the rain pelted on our classroom roof and the grass overflowed with water. I was in denial of the inevitable: Rochester would flood again, essentially just a decade from the last.

On 13 October 2022 school buses were unable to run due to excessive water on the roads, consequently cancelling a day of school for all students. Rumours around town suggested that, yes, we were going to flood; however, it would not be as catastrophic as the previous one. Our town was hopeful, but that optimism would soon be sunk. My brother and I received a phone call from our dad, who was a police officer in Rochester at the time. We were given instructions to sandbag as much of our property as possible, pack light, leave our pets behind and leave. The roads were shutting swiftly with water pouring over them, and the rain was becoming so intense that we could barely look through the front windscreen.

With a few detours my mum, my brother and I safely evacuated to a relative’s home in Koroop. Dad found himself staying in Rochester to work as a constant service to our community. However, as we made our way up our relative’s driveway that feeling of the unknown struck me immediately. A few days later, as the water reached its peak in Rochester, the population had diminished. We held out hope as we returned that everything and everyone would have endured the storm to some extent. Walking through knee-deep water to access our house, the emotions of confusion, grief and sadness hit as we looked at the muddy floorboards and the watermarks on our walls.

Like countless others we stayed in emergency housing, first in Bendigo and then at multiple places across Echuca and Moama. The school became an unfamiliar environment reached after commuting 25 minutes from Echuca to Rochester and a journey by bus 45 minutes from Rochester to Bendigo, repeated back and forth for weeks. However, makeshift buildings were finally constructed at the school, and I lived in a caravan outside my Pa’s house from late January through to Christmas in 2023. Studying VCE topics and combining schooling, part-time work and sports whilst living in a caravan was a difficult learning curve.

I am now fortunate to have been able to return to my home with my family, with builders and insurance agents still visiting regularly. With that, many people in Rochester have yet to begin renovating their homes or, similarly to my family, are still in the process of completion. Whether you live in a house, a caravan or a shed, whether enduring losses of pets, livestock or property, Rochester collectively continues its recovery process. In various natural disasters such as the October floods and the bushfires across Australia the media typically highlights the initial crisis. We understand that the reconstruction process is not always as newsworthy, but we live it every day. Although the floods occurred less than two years ago, Rochester and our residents are often overlooked. Young people’s mental health is a challenge in our community, and we are looking for a restoration back into our normal lives. Through countless discussions it is evident that we must integrate a sense of belonging and accomplishment for the recuperation of young individuals in our society. This is attainable by increased utilisation of mental health services and establishing communal spaces beyond the home and school that serve as places for academic and emotional support.

Encouraging open communication and collaboration among all individuals is imperative for building overall wellbeing within our population. Our community, particularly the young people, demonstrate resilience. Nonetheless, we cannot face another crisis of this severity without the necessary support. Time is limited for addressing this issue. The impact of natural disasters, such as the loss of homes, belongings or loved ones, swiftly alters the lives of families and communities.

In the future of the Rochester community I am optimistic, and today I encourage you to share that hope. I cherish where I live and appreciate how it fosters a sense of unity. I would like Rochester and its residents to remain one in the hope that everyone can still enjoy the thrills and opportunities Rochester has to offer despite facing hardships. Thank you.

Members applauded.