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Condolence books available for signing

Condolence books will be made available for Latrobe citizens to sign at State Parliamentary Offices and Council’s three Citizen Service Centres, from this Thursday, 20 September, until Thursday 27 October.

By Latrobe City Council - 21st September 2001 - Back to News

Condolence books will be made available for Latrobe citizens to sign at State Parliamentary Offices and Council’s three Citizen Service Centres, from this Thursday, 20 September, until Thursday 27 October.

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Brendan Jenkins, said that many of Latrobe’s people had expressed their desire to be able to communicate their own feelings of grief and sympathy with families affected by the tragedy in America, while also wanting to demonstrate their solidarity with the American people.

"The terrorist action that saw the destruction of more than five-thousand lives, including a number of Australians, will affect all of us for years to come. The impact of such a callous act on those who have lost loved ones and those who experienced the terror, will never be forgotten," Cr Jenkins said.

"As if to mock humanity, hundreds of emergency services people who went to the World Trade Centre to assist the injured, were themselves caught up in the resulting horror, losing their own lives while trying to save others. In our own community there are thousands who would not hesitate to do the same," Cr Jenkins added.

Member for Morwell, Keith Hamilton, said there had been an enormous outpouring of sympathy from the Victorian community to the shocking and senseless act of terrorism which occurred in the USA on Tuesday 11 September.

"None of us can remain untouched by the horrific scenes from New York and Washington relayed through our television screens. They are images that will remain emblazoned in our minds forever. While we here in Latrobe were half a world away, it was as though it was happening in our own neighbourhood, and it was our own brothers and sisters who were the victims of terrorism," Mr Hamilton said.

"The Parliament of Victoria and Council invites the citizens of Latrobe to express their own feelings over this tragedy, by adding their condolences to the books which are being made available at State Parliamentary Offices and Latrobe City’s Moe, Morwell and Traralgon Citizen Service Centres.

"After the week that the condolence books are available for the public to sign, they will be forwarded to the Premier’s office to be collated with condolences from throughout Victoria, and then forwarded on behalf of the people of Victoria to the President of the United States of America," Mr Hamilton said.

The condolence books will be available for signing during normal office hours Monday to Friday. Further information is available by contacting State Parliamentary offices, or Latrobe City, telephone 1300 367 700.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: latrobecity@gippslander.com

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