Ballina Electorate Media Releases
Ballina MP Praises Lennox Head Community And Emergency Services (09/06/2010)
Member for Ballina, Don Page, has spoken in Parliament praising the efforts of the Lennox Head community and the emergency services who rallied after a freak tornado hit the coastal town last Thursday morning.
Mr Page said the State Emergency Service, Ambulance, NSW Police, Ballina Shire Council, the Rural Fire Service and the NSW Fire Brigades were all wonderful in the way they coordinated with each other to achieve the best outcome.
Department of Community Services workers were also on site helping those who needed immediate support. I also thank the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, the St Vincent de Paul Society and Anglicare.
Mr Page also praised Country Energy who did a good job of restoring power as quickly as practicable, given that in some cases there was no house to connect the power to.
“In the general community, neighbours were helping each other. Strangers who had not suffered damage were helping those who had. The Aussie tradition of helping out your mates in a crisis was evident for all to see,” Mr Page said.
“I arrived on site in Lennox Head with the Minister for Emergency Services and Commissioner for the State Emergency Service mid afternoon on the Thursday. The Minister, the Premier, the Commissioner, The Mayor and I were again on site at 6.30 the following morning.
“Both the Mayor and I lobbied the Minister for the Natural Disaster declaration,” Mr Page said.
“I was relieved when the Government declared the event a natural disaster because it meant that more resources could be contracted to effect a speedy clean-up.
“That declaration was important because damage to property had exposed asbestos across the whole disaster area,” he said.
In Parliament the Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon. Steve Whan MP thanked the Member for Ballina for his representation of the residents.
“It was very good working constructively with the member for Ballina throughout the process,” the Minister said.
“Again I commend all who helped following the recent natural disaster and the Lennox Head community for the way in which they responded to the disaster,” Mr Page said.
(See Hansard attached)
