Wednesday, 21 September 2022

 Mr BATTIN (Gembrook) (19:22): (6546) I rise with my adjournment matter for the Minister for Emergency Services. It is in relation to Jon Hillis, who is a local Cockatoo resident in the bush search and rescue volunteer sector. He was at training exercise that was a joint operation with Victoria Police in the Alpine National Park when he sustained an injury to his foot and was airlifted by Ambulance Victoria to Essendon Airport and then transferred by AV to the hospital. As a result of the injury, Jon has not been able to work and has had to have surgery on his foot, leaving him out of pocket in excess of $9000. Jon submitted an insurance claim through workers compensation, which was denied on the basis that he is a volunteer and not a worker. Jon has contacted the minster on multiple occasions only to be ignored, the minister not even having the decency to write a reply or acknowledge the emails were received. After much follow-up and debate, Jon is still told that he is not covered by the current insurance. Bush Search and Rescue Victoria and the Emergency Management Act 2013 clearly state that he is covered by the insurance as a volunteer. To quote Jon directly, ‘At this point the Minister for Emergency Services has still not yet provided me with a response beyond the fact they received my email. This, including the poor/non-existence Government response to the June storms, and the two weeks worth … of power outages’ that they have had to suffer as well, him and his family.

And finally, just on the thankyous, can I just quickly add a thankyou to Paul McConville as well in the catering department, who not only did the extra work of supporting people in the community who needed it the most but at the same time lost a very close friend in Michael, who was a chef here for a long period of time and an amazing person. I think it is really important that we do note in Hansard the work that Michael did and the support that he gave us. I actually say Michael was a friend to many in this place, not just because of his culinary skills but as a magnificent person and a person for the Victorian Parliament.