Motions

Greece, Wildfires

The Hon. C. BONAROS (16:28): I move:

That this council—

1. Expresses its deep regret at the loss of life of almost 100 people in Mati, east of Athens, from devastating forest fires;

2. Acknowledges that at least 187 people were injured in the blaze, including 23 children, and many more people remain missing;

3. Recognises the efforts of firefighters, the coastguard and volunteers to save lives;

4. Praises the efforts of the Greek Orthodox community in South Australia to raise funds to contribute to the relief effort in Mati; and

5. Offers its deepest sympathies to Greek-Australians who have lost loved ones in Mati.

Like all South Australians, including my colleagues in this chamber and the other place, I have been moved by the graphic images of the utter devastation caused by fierce forest fires that have ravaged the small beachside town of Mati, east of Athens, and nearby areas. The unfolding tragedy has hit very close to home not only because of my proud Greek heritage, which I detailed in my maiden speech yesterday, but also because, in South Australia and across the nation, we are all too familiar with the complete destruction that bushfires can cause to the landscape and, most devastatingly, the heartbreaking loss of life.

The images emanating from Greece of burnt forests turned to ash, torched vehicles lining once picture-postcard streets and homes destroyed and still smouldering from the remnants of one of the most catastrophic forest fires that country has ever experienced have shaken the Greek-Australian community to its core and left us all aghast at the post-apocalyptic scenes. Rescuers rushed to evacuate residents and tourists stranded on beaches as Greece battled blazes on the scale of those that hit large tracts of the western Peloponnese in 2007 and tragically left a death toll of 77 people.

The wildfires in and around Mati now represent Greece's worst natural disaster since that tragedy 11 years ago, claiming nearly 100 lives and rising, leaving thousands homeless and many still missing. The human cost of what has happened in Mati is incalculable, and it will take many years for the Greek people to recover. At least two-thirds of the houses in the Marathon district, which includes Mati, have been razed—that is two-thirds of the 1,900 houses in Mati, while a further 1,100 homes in Neos Voutzas are no longer habitable. These numbers are hard to comprehend.

My heart goes out to the people of Mati and the entire country, the birthplace of my parents and their siblings, as they begin the sorrowful task of burying the dead, caring for the sick and injured, rebuilding and learning invaluable lessons about preventing loss of life in the future. It is in such dark times that there has been a groundswell of support across the nation and the globe to help the people of Mati. I have been heartened by the solidarity of the Greek-Australian community throughout Australia and the broader migrant and local community in South Australia, who have united to assist the relief efforts in Greece.

On Monday night, leaders of various ethnic groups joined to help victims of the Greek wildfires disaster. More than 100 people from the Greek community, as well as business and political leaders—including our Greek Consul General, Andreas Gouras, who is here today—together with a number of other Greek community leaders and representatives, were present. I thank them all for their ongoing efforts in relation to this issue. Also present were Premier Steven Marshall; opposition leader Peter Malinauskas; my colleagues from this place, the Hon. Frank Pangallo and the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos; and a number of others from this chamber and from another place.

They met at Olympic Hall in the city for a forum organised by the Greek Orthodox Community of SA. In addition, there were representatives from the Cypriot, Italian, Jewish, Islamic, African and Indian communities. The president of the Greek Orthodox Community of SA, Mr Bill Gonis, who is here today, said:

We are getting phone calls not just from the Greek community but from the public asking how we can help and where do we contribute funds.

This public outpouring has led to the Greek Orthodox Community of SA banding together with local Greek associations to form a partnership with the Bank of Sydney and Delphi Bank to establish a community relief fund. Mr Gonis has said that, by establishing a coordinated committee, the public could have confidence that their money would go to the people and groups most in need of help. He also told the meeting that it was hoped that the committee could evaluate where money was needed most and formulate a plan for distributing it within the next eight weeks or so.

Many social and sporting clubs, including Adelaide's Greek soccer clubs, have already started fundraising at grassroots level. In addition to this wonderful outpouring of community support, world-renowned Adelaide plastic surgeon, Dr John Greenwood, has flown to Greece to treat burns victims with a skin repair technology that he developed right here in Australia. Dr Greenwood is director of the Adult Burns Service at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and was South Australia's 2016 Australian of the Year for his world-leading work in burns treatment.

Dr Greenwood will assist Greek surgeons to treat the 10 most severely burned patients from the Mati forest fires. He begins his work on Sunday at the Attica General Hospital KAT in Athens, using a biodegradable skin graft substitution that he pioneered with CSIRO following the Bali bombings in 2002.

Dr Greenwood's extraordinary willingness to help follows soon after the remarkable efforts of Dr Richard Harris, who we had the pleasure of meeting just last week and who was instrumental in an international and highly dangerous rescue of 12 young boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave system in Thailand only a few weeks ago. Dr Greenwood's assistance is yet another example of South Australian selflessness, bravery and excellence in specific medical areas of expertise.

I also welcome news from the Premier that he will announce an official South Australian aid package in coming days, which SA-Best will support wholeheartedly. The tragic events unfolding in Mati are a salient and stark reminder that Australia's bushfire season is only a few months away, and that we must brace ourselves for a potentially dangerous fire season due to the current drought and dry conditions impacting many parts of regional South Australia. I certainly hope that this motion receives bipartisan support, and I commend it to this place.

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (16:36): Today, I rise to speak in support of the motion moved by the Hon. Connie Bonaros MLC regarding the Greek wildfires disaster. The fire that sped flames through the seaside village of Mati is completely heartbreaking. Locals in the region have lost their friends, their family and everything they had to their name. The community has been completely demoralised. To learn that there are victims from the fire itself, but also from drowning in the sea whilst fleeing from the flames, is heart wrenching, as the numbers continue to expand, drawn from the list of those thought to be missing.

Termed the deadliest Europe has experienced in over a century, the wildfire ripped through five kilometres in 90 minutes, where 20,000 people were present. Acknowledging those figures alone shows how difficult any evacuation effort would have been. Over 3,500 homes have been damaged in the blaze, with more than 1,000 of the affected structures considered uninhabitable and scheduled for demolition.

We here in South Australia know too well the devastation that fires can inflict on our lives and our community, and the arduous task that lies ahead to rebuild from the ashes. Greeks are hardworking, passionate people. The brave work currently being undertaken by the firefighters, coast guard, Navy SEALs, health officials and all the volunteers has been unbelievable. Without their commendable efforts, there is no doubt more lives would have been lost.

South Australia has a rich affinity with Greece. Time and again we have experienced the generosity of our Greek community to help build our state and to assist other communities who have experienced natural disaster, so much so that we here in South Australia will not only mourn for those who have been lost and provide condolences to those who are left to rebuild but will provide help and support.

I was proud to join leaders of various ethnic groups to attend Olympic Hall to discuss how we as a multicultural community can unite to provide support to Greece. Organised by the Greek Orthodox community of South Australia, representatives from the South Australian Greek communities, SAMEAC and the Greek Consulate joined representatives from the Indian, Sikh, Islamic, Italian, Cypriot and African communities and members from sporting associations across the board.

We met this past Monday to constructively discuss how we as a state can work collaboratively to provide support for the victims in Greece. I applaud the contributions made that night, as it was a clear indicator of the strength of our multicultural communities in South Australia. The discussion on the night was primarily centred on fundraising efforts, and how we as a South Australian community could best direct and manage funds so that maximum resources reach the people most in need. I raised that there should be a multicultural coordinating committee to oversee those fundraising efforts.

I have every confidence that the volunteers on the committee will be very successful with their endeavours and look forward to their initiatives as they transpire. Not only do I stand here to offer my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to those who have lost due to this tragedy, I stand in solidarity with the Greek communities within South Australia whose drive and efforts to contribute to provide relief aid in Mati has been astounding.

I would like to also acknowledge people who are here today: Mr Andreas Gouras, Greek Consul General; Mr Bill Gonis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia; Mr Peter Gardiakos, member of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia; Mr Peter Piros, Chairman of the Justice for Cyprus Committee; Mr Andreas Evdokiou, President of the Cyprus Community; Ms Martha Ioannidis, President of the Executive Committee for Messinian Association of South Australia; and Mr George Kontopoulos, businessman, Omega Foods. I would just like to end with a few words in my first language.

Ta silipitiria mou ston Elliniko llao kai kourayio sto Elliniko kratos stis thiskoles meres pou pernai.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (16:40): Further to my honourable colleagues, Connie Bonaros and Irene Pnevmatikos, I had the pleasure to attend the forum on Monday evening, organised by the Greek Orthodox community, along with other MPs, including the Premier, Steven Marshall; Leader of the Opposition, Peter Malinauskas; the Hon. Jing Lee; the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos; the Hon. Tom Koutsantonis; the Hon. Russell Wortley; a former member of this chamber, the Hon. Julian Stefani; and, of course, the Consul General of Greece, Mr Andreas Konstantinos Gouras, who is in the chamber today—welcome.

Mr Marshall has offered state government assistance and I hope it is as generous and giving as the Greek community has been to this great state, city and nation. There were about 100 in attendance, representing the rich fabric of our wonderful multicultural society, described by Mr Gouras as the best in the world—and who can argue with him. In times of adversity, it is heartening and uplifting to see our communities rise as one to help those in need, whether at home or in overseas countries which have strong bonds to Australia and South Australia, and there are bonds as strong as Hercules that link South Australia and Greece. In fact, former Premier, the late Don Dunstan, once conferred the title to Adelaide as being the Athens of the South.

While we are not quite in the same league as Melbourne—the third largest city outside of Greece with people of Greek heritage—we are the third biggest in Australia with some 50,000 people aligned in some way to the country, myself included. Despite my Italian background, I am married into a proud Greek family, and, as Greeks often remind and rib me, 'Una facia, una racia,' which basically means 'one face, one race'.

The destruction of Mati was shocking and the huge loss of life was heartbreaking. It was reminiscent of the bushfire destruction we see here in our own state and country. The consensus from the Monday meeting was that South Australians from all walks are ready, willing and able to help, whether in financial terms or by the provision of services and equipment. As has already been pointed out, Dr John Greenwood from Adelaide, a specialist in burns, immediately travelled to Greece to offer his skills.

An organising committee has been established to coordinate the fundraising efforts and determine what is required that can assist the community to recover. The offers of support have come from a wide sector of our ethnic communities, including the Cypriot Greeks, the Italians, Sikhs, Africans, Hindus, Islamic and Jewish. Can I pay tribute to the President of the Greek Orthodox Community, Mr Bill Gonis, who has been unwavering in his efforts to bring together people for a common cause. The goodwill to the people of Greece I have seen in the past few days has been quite special and moving. It makes me proud to be a South Australian. Thank you, and I support the honourable member's motion.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (16:44): I rise on behalf of government members and on behalf of the Premier to speak in support of the motion. In doing so, I cannot claim, as some of these speakers already, Greek heritage, or indeed marrying into Greek heritage. My only claim, for the members of the Greek community present, is that I am occasionally mistaken as a member of the Greek community. I am told that the name Lucas, spelled differently with a 'k', is not uncommon. In my youth, when I had dark hair, I was sometimes thought to be a member of the Greek community. It is flimsy, I know, but it is the best that I can offer to the members of the Greek community who are with us today.

I rise to support the Hon. Ms Bonaros's motion on behalf of the government, in particular on behalf of the Premier. I think members have acknowledged that the Premier attended the gathering a few days ago and indicated a willingness, on behalf of the new government, to provide not only compassion and support but also a support package, which I think he indicated will be announced in the coming days. As someone who has some responsibility for the budget, the Hon. Mr Pangallo indicated that he hoped the government would be generous. If there is any cause which would deserve generosity of spirit, I am sure this particular one would be the case. If the Premier indicates a willingness to support it, there will certainly be support from me as the Treasurer.

I share all members' comments and the community's comments thus far, that we share the tragedy and sadness of the Greek community, in particular those who have suffered and will continue to suffer. We in South Australia, and in Australia generally, know the heartache and heartbreak of bushfires, as we call them. We and our communities have suffered the tragedy over the decades of massive bushfires in my own part of the world, and indeed a part of the world shared by other members, of the South-East of South Australia and through the Adelaide Hills, in particular, but also many other parts of South Australia. It is small comfort, but we understand what the Greek community is going through, not only in Greece but also their friends and wider family in Australia and around the world.

As I explained to the Hon. Ms Bonaros, the Liberal party room normally, on these occasions when there are private members' motions and bills, have a process where we take a private members' motion or bill to the party room and everyone has the opportunity to speak, and we then form a position. However, I think this particular motion is of such significance that I have taken the executive decision, with the agreement of my Premier, to indicate that, whilst we have not formally discussed this as a party room and formed a position, I speak on behalf of the government and the Liberal party room in unequivocally supporting the motion that the Hon. Ms Bonaros has moved.

Certainly, more importantly, there is a willingness on behalf of the Premier and the government to work with the Greek community in South Australia to provide whatever level of assistance we might be able to provide and whatever level of comfort we might be able to assist with, in terms of managing the process over the days, weeks and months ahead. With that brief contribution, I indicate, on behalf of the Premier, the government and Liberal members, our wholehearted support for the motion moved by the honourable member.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.J. Stephens.