Wednesday, 21 February 2024

Western Victoria fires

Jacinta ERMACORA (Western Victoria) (09:46): I want to thank emergency services workers and volunteers who responded to the needs of our community on Tuesday 13 February and indeed are still responding across our state. I refer to the Grampians fires in my electorate at Pomonal and Halls Gap as well as in the northern part of the Grampians National Park near Dadswells Bridge and Ledcourt. On Wednesday I visited an incident control centre as well as the Ararat and Stawell emergency relief centres. I want to thank local CFA members, Forest Fire Management Victoria staff, Fire Rescue Victoria, SES groups, police and local councils.

I met with representatives of the Northern Grampians shire at the Stawell emergency relief centre, where Pomonal residents had gathered to stay safe and receive support during the fire. There is only one thing worse than not knowing if your home has burnt down, and that must be to find out that it has. My thoughts are with those who have lost so much, and I know that in small communities these experiences can be traumatic for the whole community. As we move into the recovery phase, I want to express my pride in the care and resilience of the Halls Gap, Pomonal and Stawell communities.