VICTORIAN BUSHFIRES

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (14:59): Will the Minister for Education inform the house of the support that has been provided by South Australian schools to assist communities that have been affected by the recent tragic bushfires in Victoria?

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:00): I thank the member for Ashford for her question, because she would perhaps know that some of the schools in her electorate were those that raised funds for the victims of the bushfires. This was a terrible experience for those involved in the fires and a deadly one for far too many. But, certainly, across South Australia we were overwhelmed by the emotion, generosity and the way that there was a response throughout our entire community involving, of course, children, some of whom lived in foothills and hills areas and who would have been exposed to fires themselves and known of the devastation that such an event can cause.

Within our schools and preschools there is often a sense of being at one with the community (being involved in sporting and church activities and community involvement), so that for very many schools there is a sense that their relationship with the broader community is wider than just the one that occurs within the school walls. I understand that the fires in Victoria destroyed six schools and preschools. Those schools were totally flattened, losing not just the building but also the contents—the books, the toys, the play equipment, all the physical education equipment and all the stationery, as well as records, memorabilia and archival stuffs.

The South Australian school community rallied together to support their Victorian friends, and they did this by having uniform-free days, gold coin casual days, pyjama days, discos and staff lunches. Children in one kindergarten sold ice-cream to each other and raised funds. Overall, $128,000 was collected from our school and preschool communities. I was honoured on behalf of those communities in South Australia to give a cheque to the Victorian Minister for Education to contribute to the fund, with a commitment on her part that those funds would be used only for schools and preschools, particularly taking into account that the children who had collected the money especially wanted those funds to go to refurbishment and replacement of books and play equipment.

Both my colleague the Minister for Early Childhood Development (Hon. Jay Weatherill) and I applaud their community spirit, and I take the opportunity to thank staff, families and communities involved in this absolutely extraordinary fundraising effort by our children. Thank you.