Pinery Bushfires

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:28): Today, I would like to bring to the house's attention an event which took place in the electorate last Friday, which was the first anniversary of the horrific Pinery fires which ripped through a lot of the Adelaide Plains and Mid North areas. The event which was held was arranged by the Wasleys Community Group. It was a thanksgiving service and a family barbecue to mark the occasion and to give people in the community an opportunity to come together and provide support for each other.

The service started at 6.30pm, led by the Reverend Dr Philip Marshall of the Uniting Church in those communities. Dr Marshall provided a very appropriate sermon for the occasion. Also, there was also music played by James Cruz. There was a talk given by Mr Russell Marker, one of the residents of Wasleys, who spoke about his experience of the fire, his personal experience and that of his family. He made it very clear that that was only his experience and not the experience of others, but I am sure those people who went through those fires could relate to it.

I was also fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to speak briefly at the service. I indicated that it was very hard to actually understand what people were going through when you have not gone through it yourself. I made it very clear that, while I could not say that I felt what they felt through the event, through my own observations I could see the impact it was having on some people.

Two things that have come to mind through the last 12 months are that there are a number of farmers in that community whom I have known since I was a boy who had always stood very proud, and the fire had actually affected them quite deeply. Even to this day, they get quite emotional when they talk about the fire, and these are quite strong rural men, and they still need support from the community.

I would like to take a moment or two to thank some people who made the event possible before I quote from Dr Philip Marshall's sermon, because I think it is quite appropriate and captured not only the sentiment of the event itself but also the sentiment of the occasion. I would like to acknowledge the contribution made by Willo's Men's Shed, who did the barbecue on behalf of the community; the regional youth bus; the Wasleys Community Group, who put it all together; and the Plains Community Church, who assisted.

I would also like to thank the Wanilla Progress Association, who experienced their own turmoil just over 10 years ago. They donated money to provide the food and other refreshments for the occasion, and two representatives from the progress association attended on the night. The Australian Red Cross was another organisation that made the event possible. I would like to very quickly take a couple of quotes out of Dr Philip Marshall's speech on Friday night:

The first anniversary of the Pinery fire Friday 25 November. It will stir strong thoughts and feelings. Even those thoughts and feelings we thought we had put behind us may resurface and surprise us.

It was a fire that burnt 10,000 hectares an hour. It will go down in South Australian. It is a marker in our own local history. It will be a marker in your personal history.

That is very true. Dr Marshall also said:

The commemorative events are where we remember the day. Remember the past year. Thankful for everyone who keeps us safe. Gratitude for the generosity of others.

Certainly, the fire did bring out the generosity of other people in the community. He continued:

There will be a time to express gratitude for the courage of many people through actions, large and small, people who work to keep our community safe and those who care for those impacted by the disaster. Stories of generosity will emerge involving family, friends, businesses and even strangers.

The fire may have cut through the areas of the Mid North and Adelaide Plains, but it certainly strengthened that community.