Grievance Debate

Italian Earthquakes

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (15:25): I rise on behalf of my community in Morialta in particular, but I am sure on behalf of the house and all South Australians, to extend my deep sorrow to all the people who have been impacted by the recent earthquakes in central Italy. Of course, the house would be aware that many thousands of people in my community are first, second or third generation migrants from Italy, and the Marche region in particular is one of the main areas my residents have come from, many of them after the Second World War.

The devastation that has been wrought upon these communities in recent days, weeks and months has been nothing short of extraordinary. The earthquake that hit in recent days has been noted as indeed Italy's most powerful earthquake in 36 years. In an extraordinary set of good fortune, my understanding is that nobody died as a result of this most recent earthquake, although tens of thousands of people have been rendered homeless and hundreds have been injured. Irreplaceable historic buildings have been destroyed—buildings that people in my community and people in South Australia grew up loving and knowing very well.

One of the factors that led to the lack of lives being lost was that a series of tremors and after-shocks in recent weeks happened when many of the social gatherings in this region were being held outside and that people were sleeping in tents, rather than in their houses, and that church services were not being held in many of the historic buildings that are now in ruins.

We were not so fortunate several months ago when 300 people died and hundreds more were injured and, again, thousands more were left homeless after the initial earthquakes particularly, which devastated the towns of Amatrice, Accumoli, Arquata del Tronto and Pescara del Tronto. It was an extraordinary natural disaster, leaving 300 people dead, and it had a big impact on South Australia's Italian community.

I was pleased to participate in a mass at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, where the Premier was also in attendance. It was important that the South Australian community contribute, given the thousands and in fact probably tens of thousands of people living in South Australia who were citizens of Italy and from that area. The taxpayers' contribution was $100,000. The Italian community has been conducting further fundraising. I know that the Carabinieri Association held a fundraiser which the member for Unley attended, and Radio Italiana is having ongoing fundraisers. In particular, I want to draw the house's attention to the work being done by a committee that is doing significant fundraising.

Committee members include its chair, Cavaliere Cathy Papandrea; the secretary, Victoria Placentino; the treasurer, Mario Romaldi; the vice treasurer, Anna Farrugia and also Alessandro Vecchiarelli, Dr Angelo Fantasia, Cavaliere Frank Salzano, and Professor Nicola Sasanelli; Oliver Totani of Colliers, who ran an extraordinary auction at the fundraiser; Robert Ciufoli, the president of the Marche Club; Rosa Vorrasi; Sebastian Galipo, who donated an extraordinary amount of food to the fundraiser; Cavaliere Ufficiale Steve Maglieri who donated an extraordinary amount of wine to the fundraiser; Magistrate Cavaliere Ted Iuliano; Cavaliere Vincenzo Papandrea and Anthony Fioravanti.

The Premier was good enough to drop in on the fundraiser and give a speech, and the member for Torrens and the President of the Legislative Council were there for the Labor Party. The Liberal Party was represented not only by me but also by our leader; our deputy leader; the member for Hartley; the member for Unley; the Hon. Stephen Wade, the shadow minister for health; and Clementina Maione, the Liberal Legislative Council candidate. We also reached further into our pockets to donate a further $1,000 to the cause.

That night raised $70,000 in one event for the victims of the earthquake. It was an extraordinary success as a fundraiser and a tribute to the power and the strength of the Italian community in South Australia that they, in their new home, feel such affinity with their homeland, and they are supported in doing so by all members of this house, I am certain.