Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Prime Minister) (14:31): on indulgence—I note the natural disasters that have caused damage, disruption and heartache to our fellow citizens since this House last met. As we know, fire, flood and storms are a regular feature of life in Australia, but we have had some exceptional events over the last couple of months. In April there was what has been described as a once-in-a-decade storm in New South Wales. Severe winds and flooding rains caused widespread damage, including in your electorate, Madam Speaker, and in mine. Our electorates were among 17 local government areas declared as natural disaster areas following this particular storm, which was absolutely ferocious and indiscriminate. At least two members of this House—the member for Paterson and the member for Robertson—experienced damage to their own homes in that storm. I am pleased to say that the Commonwealth state natural disaster relief and recovery arrangements were activated in this storm and for subsequent floods, and I acknowledge the fine work done by Minister Keenan and in this instance by Premier Baird in getting those arrangements in place so that support could be rapidly provided to affected areas. In the April storm, tragically, lives were lost. Three people perished in Dungog when their homes were submerged. Another died when her car was swept away in floodwaters near Maitland. We mourn with their families and continue to work with those communities as they recover from this terrible devastation. And then, less than a month later in Queensland and in northern New South Wales, there was further widespread flooding. About 9,000 residents in New South Wales communities on the upper North Coast were isolated for some time. Tragically, there were five fatalities this time, including a young child, when vehicles were washed away by floodwaters. On behalf of the government and, I am sure, the parliament, I thank the State Emergency Service, who in New South Wales alone responded to over 20,000 calls as a result of these two events. The SES and all of our emergency services save lives and they save livelihoods. Not only is Australia a land of flooding rain; it is also a land of drought, and the cruelty of nature has meant that, while some parts of our country were flooded, other parts—particularly western Queensland and western New South Wales, as the member for Maranoa and the member for Parkes so well know—have been in the grip of a severe drought that has now lasted for three seasons. Drought is the crisis that creeps up on people. After a flood, a fire or a storm, there are emergency services personnel on your doorstep. Help comes rushing in. But drought is the crisis to which no-one comes. People just stop coming to the areas hit by drought. I was in Longreach last weekend with the member for Maranoa, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Agriculture and Senator Barry O'Sullivan to see for myself the devastation that three long years of unprecedented low rainfall have wrought. I acknowledge those who are doing it tough for whatever cause and I say that our country will stand with you now as it always does.