| HELPING COMMUNITIES REBUILD |
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February 5, 2010 Federal Parliament has been urged to recognise the need for long-term support as communities affected by the Black Saturday bushfires continue the recovery process. The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester told Parliament that families affected by the bushfires were thankful for the support that they had received but he warned the road to recovery was not complete. Mr Chester was one of several speakers, including the Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent who paid tribute to emergency services workers and volunteers in a series of emotional speeches on the anniversary of Black Saturday. “On behalf of my community, I want to put on the record how very thankful they are for the support they have received,” Mr Chester told Parliament. “But if there is one other message it is that we cannot forget that there is still a long way to go with the recovery process. “The bush will recover, the regrowth is there now and homes are being built but people will recover at very different speeds. “Long after the scars on the landscape have recovered, the scars will still be there for them both physically and mentally. “Fire affected communities will need our support for many years ahead. We must never forget them and we must learn from the experience they have been through in these past 12 months.” |
