Tuesday, 17 February 2026

 Jacinta ERMACORA (Western Victoria) (14:42): Last week I made a return visit to Natimuk to check on recovery progress. At Natimuk gymnastics club, president Lynette Morrow is working very hard to keep more than 300 students and members engaged while the damaged equipment is being replaced. Natimuk CFA brigade shared their expert climbers and experienced farmers, who worked together to keep locals and visitors safe. An element of the conversation included a bit of a debrief as well of what happened on the day. I also called in on the BlazeAid base camp at Natimuk to say hello to the incredible volunteers there who are working six days a week to replace burnt fencing and provide an ear to farmers. I had the chance to drop into the Natimuk pub and have a chat with Bill Lovell, who has some real insights into the strengths and the challenges that are faced locally, and he does make a rather lovely steak sandwich. I want to thank everyone who I spoke with, particularly for sharing their experiences in such an open and constructive way, and I look forward to keeping those communication lines open.