Thursday, 6 February 2025

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (09:47): This morning I wanted to talk about the resilience and community spirit of Western Victoria, something that I am particularly incredibly proud of. Communities right across Western Victoria, unfortunately, have been affected by bushfires, from the South Australian–Victorian border right through to the Little Desert, obviously the Grampians, and of course we have also seen fires in the Otways and Apollo Bay. Their remarkable strength has been amazing to witness and to experience, and of course I do not leave out those communities that have also been forced to evacuate but have been able to go back into their communities unharmed. I would also take this opportunity to thank the firefighters and volunteers for their swift actions, along with the vigilance of residents, who have heeded early fire weather warnings. Property and livestock losses have been kept to a minimum so far. We are still in the thick of the fire season, and the community’s vigilance has been absolutely fantastic. Tools like VicEmergency, VicTraffic and fire planner apps are invaluable, helping people make informed decisions that protect lives and property, supporting the efforts of emergency services. Can I also pay tribute to those in Dimboola who had to pack up very quickly only a week or two ago, and in particular can I give a shout-out to the Victoria Hotel in Dimboola, Meran and Stoph Pilmore, who are the publicans there, who have kept my family fed and sheltered many times over the past.