Thursday, 14 August 2025

 Sheena WATT (Northern Metropolitan) (09:54): A few weeks ago I had the privilege of representing the Minister for Emergency Services at the 25th annual emergency management conference. This event brought together emergency management professionals, experts and volunteers from across Victoria to reflect on lessons learned and prepare for the challenges ahead. This year’s theme, ‘Reflections and realities: where will the next 25 years take us?’ encouraged us to look to the future of emergency management, embracing innovation, strengthening resilience and building on the collaboration that is the hallmark of emergency services. A highlight of the conference was the launch of Supportal, a new online hub developed by the Emergency Services Foundation to provide mental health information, practical resources and connections for the families of emergency services workers. Families are the quiet backbone of our emergency response capability, and Supportal will ensure that they have trusted, accessible tools to support their loved ones. I thank the Emergency Services Foundation for hosting this outstanding conference, and I acknowledge our frontline emergency services workers, who are some of the most hardworking and dedicated people you will ever find. Their service makes Victoria stronger, safer and more resilient, and I can confidently say that Victoria is in safe hands.