Mr HAYES (Fowler—Chief Opposition Whip) (16:34): Over the Christmas break, our nation was ravaged by a bushfire crisis the scale of which we haven't seen before. The loss of life, property, fauna and flora and the sheer devastation are almost inconceivable and, once again, demonstrate our vulnerability to the elements. The toll of loss and destruction could have been much higher had it not been for the incredible efforts of our emergency services workers, our RFS volunteers, our career firefighters, the SES, the police and many others who put their lives on the line for weeks on end. Tragically, in these fires we saw the loss of life of two of our local heroes in Western Sydney while fighting the Green Wattle Creek fire at Buxton. I extend my deepest sympathy to the young families of Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O'Dwyer of the Horsley Park Rural Fire Brigade. Both were very proud fathers of 19-month-old children. To Geoff's partner, Jess, and her son, Harvey, and to Andrew's wife, Melissa, and daughter, Charlotte: our community mourns with you. We honour their service and we deeply regret the situation that has occurred. When I spoke to the Rural Fire Brigade at Horsley Park, we acknowledged their service was incredible. They are our community heroes. My condolences also go to the families of the seven other brave firefighters who tragically lost their lives as a result of these fires, including the American crew of the C-130 that crashed in the Snowy Mountains. These men all lost their lives selflessly defending life and property in some of the most challenging of circumstances. Clearly it takes a special type of person with a special type of courage to be part of the Rural Fire Service. They have made the ultimate sacrifice defending our communities. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of what transpired to be one of the most tragic fire seasons in Australia's history. It was in Manyana that Bernadette and I, together with our children, our families and my elderly mother, experienced the devastation that has engulfed the South Coast of New South Wales. What was supposed to be an enjoyable Christmas and new year holiday took a turn for the worse when fires threatened the communities of Cunjurong Point, Manyana and Bendalong. I acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of Gary Barton and the local RFS crew working around the clock fighting these fires with little or no sleep. The speed of the devastation that the fire wreaked on our communities in the South Coast was incredible, requiring intense water bombing for hours on end. Our local community response was led by Adam Richards and Andy McNamara. Both these men are senior officers of Fire and Rescue NSW and, like many, were simply holidaying on the South Coast over the Christmas period. On New Year's Eve, the bushfire raced on a north-westerly front from Narrawallee Creek towards Lake Conjola. It was clear that the fire was moving fast and would be a threat to the houses in Cunjurong Point, Manyana and Bendalong. In fact, it was that fire that devastated nearby Conjola with the loss of 89 houses and two deaths. Given that it was Christmas holidays, there were hundreds of people in the immediate vicinity as well as the permanent residents, and this significantly compounded the level of risk. It was not long before power poles were burnt like matchsticks, the electricity was cut and the only road in and out of our location was blocked. This effectively changed the situation from a major bushfire crisis to addressing the needs of an isolated community. In effect, it became a humanitarian response. Given the heightened level of uncertainty within the community, a community meeting was arranged for the morning of New Year's Day, with over 500 people attending. At the meeting, Adam and Andy took charge. They effectively became the liaison between the RFS, various state authorities and the community. They provided clear and effective communication on the risks, enabling a considered and coordinated response within the community generally. The Manyana community centre was established as a hub and evacuation point. A coordination committee was set up, largely through the efforts of Simone Carolle-Germech, assisted by Georgina MacSmith and Michael Germech. A call was made for community members with expertise in health, emergency management and community services to lend their skills for the various tasks that would be required over the coming days. A medical team was established, led by Dr Scott Fortey, Richard Van De Veerdork, Cameron Southley, Alana Howell, Annie Fanning and paramedic Peter Burden, who also coordinated for the Bendalong community. They set up a first-aid clinic, conducted medical assessments, organised prescriptions and, where necessary, arranged emergency evacuations. The team was assisted by trauma counsellors Lou and Therese. Speaking of great community initiatives over this period, a pop-up coffee shop was set up by Robyn Crawford, which provided a degree of normalisation for residents during what was a most anxious time. The committee coordinated with police to arrange escorts for those able to leave the area during temporary road openings. I take this opportunity to thank Assistant Commissioner Mick Corboy for his assistance during this period and for sending police to our district. This included members of Strike Force Raptor, who volunteered their assistance, as well as officers from the highway patrol, who played an important role in regulating access and, probably more importantly for us, patrolling the area. The mere presence of the police had a significant impact in lifting community morale. Over this period I was also in regular contact with the member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, who was directly liaising with the authorities in Nowra on our behalf. Trent Hunter, a local landscaper, requires special mention. Trent played a vital role for our community in ensuring that food, water, ice and medications were brought to Manyana by boat, making several trips to and from Ulladulla. An industrial generator was acquired to power the community hall so it could run as a 24-hour community hub. This provided lighting and refrigeration and allowed people to charge their mobile phones, which were the only form of communication available. This proved crucial, with Facebook pages such as Manyana Matters and ABC South Coast relaying vital messages throughout our community. Special thanks go to Joel Ping-nam and Bailey Desreaux of Custom Electric for installing the generator at the Manyana community centre. They did so under extreme circumstances. I must thank Mark Scarce from Camden Hire for his generosity in allowing his generator, which was en route to Mollymook Golf Club, to be temporarily installed at the Manyana community hall. I likewise thank the golf club for their understanding over this very difficult period. The committee also identified those residents with special needs, particularly the elderly and infirm, and arranged for volunteers to visit them and keep them informed as well as check on their welfare over this period. On that note, I'd like to acknowledge the efforts of a young fellow, Owen Chopping, who spent days on his motorcycle driving from house to house delivering ice to those elderly people because that was the only form of refrigeration available over that seven-day period. Whilst this was one of the worst environmental disasters, it nevertheless displayed some of the best qualities in people and the community. What I saw was the embodiment of the Australian spirit. One of the most powerful stories that came out of this ordeal was relayed to me by Trent Hunter, who was tearful when he told me of the moment when his 11-year-old daughter, Ava, told him how proud she was of her father's efforts to help people. I think Ava spoke for all of us, not just about her father but about the efforts of many people who worked so tirelessly to help our local community. Likewise, in the wider Australian community we've seen various charities, businesses, religious groups and cultural groups unite to fundraise and organise food drives for bushfire affected communities. Out of this crisis we have seen so many positive stories of communities banding together to show their support for one another. While this ideal shows our community at our best, it also reaffirms that a commitment is needed to address the issue of climate change. There is no doubt that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and natural disasters. The scientists have been telling us that for years. Strong action is needed to protect our prosperity for future generations of Australians. If we are to learn from environmental disasters such as this year's bushfire crisis, we must be willing to work in a bipartisan manner to tackle the threat of climate change. If our local communities can work together in the face of adversity, shouldn't we as their elected representatives be able to work together to address the most existential threat facing our nation and indeed our world?