Parliament praised generosity

VICTORIANS have been praised in State Parliament for their generosity and support during the state’s bushfires, while the State Government has been called to identify issues to prevent similar tragedies.
Liberal MLC for South-Eastern Metropolitan Inga Peulich commended Victorians for the kindness and generosity of their contributions, donations of material and financial aid, volunteer and fire-fighter support and the outpouring of sympathy.
“This was Victoria’s biggest natural disaster where we have seen the loss of whole communities and significant devastation, but the stories of heroism and community spirit is nothing short of awe-inspiring,” she said.
“The response has been overwhelming and I commend all Victorians for their efforts.”
Ms Peulich also called for the government to identify and correct problems associated with the fires to make sure they were not repeated.
Ms Peulich said she was concerned that the government did not implement the recommendations made by the all-party committee for the Environment and Natural Resources. She also questioned why only one third of the back burning recommended by the committee was undertaken and asked why fire refuges were closed by the government between 2004 and 2005.
“The tragedy would not have been of the magnitude that it was if the government had undertaken its responsibilities, which it had failed to do,” Ms Peulich said.
“We need to look at fire safety preparation by individual, emergency services and other relevant agencies, local government as well as at the state and federal levels.”