Tuesday, 3 February 2026

 Jacinta ERMACORA (Western Victoria) (20:44): (2247) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Agriculture, Ros Spence. I am going to break my 15-second rule this evening and complete a couple of comments that I want to make about the bushfires and their effect on Natimuk. In particular, when the Premier and I met up with community members in Natimuk, we met with the gymnastics club members – three women whose club facility had been affected by smoke from the fire and from the burning down of the building next to it. There were also some significant historic buildings that were burnt down. A local community historian had just completed a summary of one of those buildings. I also met David Sudholz, who is the captain of the CFA brigade in Natimuk. He and his crews have been doing some fantastic work and have been doing so for a very long time. I want to put on record my congratulations and thanks to him and his team and also to Mayor Brian Klowss, who is the mayor of the Rural City of Horsham but is also a Natimuk farmer. The only thing he did not lose was his house. He got his crop off the night before, which was lucky or well planned, but his pastures, fences and shedding are all gone. He is an example of a farmer in Natimuk who was significantly affected. He has also had wind damage to the soil subsequent to the fires. The bushfire recovery grants and concessional loans are now open for fire-affected farmers like Brian Klowss. The action I seek is an update on these programs and any other available supports to help our farmers recover and rebuild.