House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Grievance Debate Chernobyl Anniversary CHERNOBYL ANNIVERSARY Mr PISONI House of Assembly Unley Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:17): On 26 April I had the pleasure of attending at the Ukraine church in Wayville the commemoration of the 25^th anniversary of the tragedy that was the Chernobyl disaster. As we are all aware, the magnitude of the Chernobyl disaster was overwhelming. The effects are still felt today and will undoubtedly be felt for many years to come. It is recorded that the fallout from the explosion and the resulting fires was approximately 100 times greater than the fallout caused by the dropping of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. The radiation affected not only neighbouring countries but also other countries in Europe and in north-east Africa. I recall that a couple of months later I visited my Italian uncle in Milan, and he apologised for the fact that we would not be eating salad because of the fallout from Chernobyl. So, you can see just what sort of impact it had right across Europe. In the Ukraine, in economic terms the cost of the disaster was well above US$200 billion, with the Ukraine alone spending between 5 to 7 per cent of its gross domestic product on issues relating to the Chernobyl disaster. Of course, those most affected were the inhabitants of the nearby towns, villages and cities. The personal stories of the survivors are heartbreaking. Reading some of the stories, I could not help but think that it was from a time long past, but it was a mere 25 years ago. While it continues to remain a no-go zone for humans, apart from a few who have illegally returned to their homes, the exclusion zone has gradually come back to life, with birds, small animals and even larger animals such as elk and moose returning and even prospering in the zone. Of course, that is not to say that the residual radiation has disappeared; rather it shows that the area is slowly restoring some of the destruction and getting back some of the life that the disaster took so cruelly away. For those affected by the disaster, even for someone who was not directly affected like me, the pain and sadness caused can never be forgotten. A former Chernobyl operator stated on the 20^th anniversary of the disaster: I cannot erase it from my life. It is in me forever, and nothing will wash it out. It is not impressions and memories, it is more, it is deeper, it is deep in the soul. Another young mother, whose baby had died not long after it was born, felt guilt and shame because she had believed that the baby had absorbed all of the radiation at the expense of the mother. Therefore, she blamed herself for the death of her newborn child. A newly-married wife was also distressed and distraught because her husband was one of the men who got rushed in at short notice to deal with the disaster with no protective clothing, of course. She was not able to visit him in hospital because she was told that he was no longer a person but a nuclear reactor. So, I think it is important that we remember, on this 25^th anniversary of that tragedy, those who suffered at the time and those who are still suffering because of the Chernobyl disaster. Hopefully, we can learn from it in the future in managing such projects. With my last minute, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to say that we did miss you at the Mitcham Girls High School hall opening this morning. I noticed you were on the function sheet briefing as being in attendance but we did not see you there. The Deputy Speaker House of Assembly The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you for noticing I wasn't there, member for Unley. Mr PISONI House of Assembly Mr PISONI: It was good to be visiting Mitcham Girls High School. They are a great school for the development of young girls. I was very pleased to see how well attended the assembly was and how well behaved, well dressed and well educated those girls are becoming under the leadership of Antoinette Jones, the principal at Mitcham Girls High. The Deputy Speaker House of Assembly The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Unley. I have to say I really never predicted that one day you would say to me that you missed me. It is indeed heart-warming. Thank you.