Bushfire Response

Ms LUETHEN (King) (17:34): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Minister, can you outline to the house how the Department for Child Protection has responded to the bushfire threats faced by those communities in the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island who are most involved with our vulnerable children and young people?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (17:34): I thank the member for King for the opportunity to speak about this very significant issue for South Australia, and I also note her longstanding interest in the wellbeing of all children and young people in our state. In December, when many young people and children in care and their families should have been counting down the days to Christmas, they were impacted instead by the devastating fires that struck our state. The fires in the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island have had a truly devastating effect on many South Australian families, communities, their animals and our environment, who are now facing some of the greatest challenges in living memory.

I wish to take this opportunity to specifically mention how proud I am of my department, the Department for Child Protection. Since December, the Department for Child Protection has been working hard to ensure that, when action was required, emergency plans were engaged swiftly and with minimal disruption to ensure our most vulnerable children and young people remained safe. My department has worked alongside our families to ensure that they were aware of the risks presented and that they had access to the necessary supports in real time.

I wish to recognise and thank my department for its tireless commitment to ensuring the safety of the affected children and young people and those who care for them. In particular, I would like to recognise staff at the Mount Barker office, who have demonstrated extraordinary professionalism and compassion in their work supporting carers and children affected by these fires. This support will be available for as long as it is needed.

DCP staff also rallied together to donate more than 40 backpacks for children and young people affected by the bushfire, which included personal messages of hope. Lara Facto and Jessica Atterton from my department's human resources division have also volunteered in their own time with BlazeAid to assist a farmer affected by the Cudlee Creek bushfire.

I spent my time on Kangaroo Island with two dedicated carers who are local business owners and have heard firsthand the impact of these fires on them and their community. Staff within my department were also impacted by fires, and I extend my sympathies to these workers and their families and thank them for their continuing commitment to the department in such difficult times. The recent events have highlighted the importance of having action plans in place to ensure the safety of children and young people.

Lastly, I would like to thank every person who has dedicated time and resources to fighting the fires as well as those who have provided vital support or contributed to the rebuilding efforts in the affected communities. During these difficult times, the generosity, strength and resilience of the South Australian community has really shone through. I would encourage everyone to get out into the communities directly impacted by these events and #BookThemOut.