Thursday, 16 November 2023

Daylesford road accident

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (09:48): I rise on behalf of the people of my electorate to grieve and honour the lives of those lost in Daylesford on 5 November. In this devastating incident in the heart of Daylesford, five lives were lost. They were Pratibha Sharma, her daughter Anvi and her partner Jatin Chugh. They were Vivek Bhatia and his son Vihaan. We mourn their passing and send love and support to their families and their communities. Many others were injured or significantly impacted, and we hope for their continuing recovery.

I pay heartfelt tribute to first responders, to our CFA and SES volunteers, to our local police and paramedics and to the many locals who were on the scene and did what they could. Thank you also to paramedics and police from further afield, including Air Ambulance Victoria. As always, thank you to clinicians at Ballarat, the Alfred, Royal Melbourne and the Royal Children’s for your extraordinary efforts. The days following 5 November have been so sad for our community, but moving vigils and remembrances have brought comfort amidst the devastation. Hepburn shire and Central Highlands Rural Health have played a critical support role in our community, and I thank them so much for their work. Across our community so many have come together to support all of those impacted. The community of Daylesford is a special one, and I know that this community will rally and support each other in the time ahead.