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6 Year Anniversary Of The Black Saturday Bushfires • 6 Year Black Saturday Anniversary Recognised In Parliament • Remembering Those Who Tragically Lost Their Lives • Tribute To Those Who Fought The Fires And Assisted In Recovery Efforts By Russell Northe - 20th February 2015 - Back to News Member for Morwell Russell Northe today in Parliament paid tribute to those impacted by the Black Saturday and January bushfires which impacted the Gippsland region in 2009. Mr Northe said "Last Saturday marked the 6th anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires that devastated many parts of Victoria.
"To think that 173 lost their lives on that fateful day is so difficult to comprehend and in many communities the emotion and grief is still very raw," Mr Northe said. "Within the Morwell electorate the impact of the Black Saturday bushfires and indeed the preceding Delburn complex of fires in January of 2009 were profound. Hundreds of homes were razed, assets lost, stock destroyed and wildlife devastated." Mr Northe said tragically 11 people were killed locally and last Saturday was an opportunity to remember, reflect and mourn those loved ones.
"On the day I was pleased to join with many local bereaved families in the opening of a memorial space in Victory Park Traralgon. The memorial is located in a beautiful setting and it was wonderful to witness many families in attendance providing love and support for each other. "Whilst it is difficult to know precisely what to say to those families still grieving, what I can say is that our community will continue to offer their support and prayers and best wishes ongoing," Mr Northe said.
Mr Northe said the 9th February was also the 1st anniversary of the Morwell mine fire which caused significant distress amongst our local community and in particular Morwell residents.
"I wish to again commend our emergency service personnel for their extraordinary dedication and courage during the period of the mine fire event," Mr Northe said. "In addition one can only admire the resilience of our community and the efforts of community leaders in times of adversity. Whether it is in Boolarra, Yinnar, Traralgon South, Jeeralang, Morwell or other towns who have endured traumatic events, our local leaders have really shone through when needed."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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