Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland—Minister for Regional Transport and Roads) (17:49): I was recently honoured to represent the Minister for Emergency Services at the NSW SES Central Hunter Cluster awards. That is appropriate as Maitland is the home of the SES, which was established in 1955 following our floods. It was an opportunity to congratulate volunteers and thank them for their outstanding service. On the night a total of 22 recipients, with a combined total of 360 years of service, were presented with 33 awards, medals and clasps. My region is no stranger to wild weather and severe storms. In fact, in the past three years there have been 3,700 incidents in Cessnock, Maitland and Dungog involving the Hunter capability brigades. That is over three incidents a day. In recent years the SES has been there for the community through countless floods—some that made the record books—and it continues to serve us day in and day out, and often in the middle of the night.
In 2022 the SES took care of our community when a state of natural disaster was declared, ensuring our safety. It has not only taken care of our communities; many members have been deployed around the State. They supported our brothers and sisters in Orange when they faced their own major weather events. National Medal winners from the Maitland unit were Jamie Edmonds, Ben Gersbach and Christopher Wardle. National Medal clasps were awarded to Jodie Sherlock, Stephen Hart and John Martin. The NSW SES Commissioner's Certificate of Recognition for support during the March 2021 floods went to the Hunter Capability Unit. Its efforts at that time were, quite frankly, life saving for the Maitland community. I am so thankful to the unit. SES members' long service was also acknowledged on the night. To put the length of their service into perspective, I reflect on what was happening in our world in the year each member joined.
In 2014 Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared and a hailstorm in Brisbane caused $1.1 billion worth of damage and injured 40 people. Robert Geering, Tracey Martin and Kathleen Shean joined the SES that year. This year they received the NSW SES 10-year long service award. In 2009 bitcoin was launched and the Black Saturday bushfires destroyed over 2,000 homes and, tragically, saw the loss of 173 lives. That year Jamie Edmonds and Christopher Wardle joined the SES. They were both acknowledged with the 15-year long service award. In 2004 Facebook was launched and, thankfully, Australia did not record a large natural disaster. But what did happen was Julie Briggs and Wessley Paton joined the SES. They were acknowledged with a 20-year long service award.
In 1999 Australia voted to remain a constitutional monarchy and a hailstorm in Sydney caused $2.3 billion worth of damage and led to the loss of one life. It was also the year that Jodie Sherlock joined the SES. She received the 25-year long service award. In 1994 Nelson Mandela became Prime Minister of South Africa and bushfires over Christmas destroyed 225 homes and resulted in the loss of four lives. Graham Craig and Mark Elsley joined the SES that year, and this year they received the 30-year long service award. Few people will not think immediately of 1974 as the year when Cyclone Tracy destroyed Darwin, with the loss of 71 lives. It was also the year when William Drain joined the SES. He was awarded the 50-year long service medal. In 1969 man first walked on the moon. Bushfires in Victoria destroyed 230 homes and killed 23 people, and John Martin joined the SES. He was acknowledged with a 55-year long service award. What an outstanding contribution!
I am so impressed with this service to our community. When I think of those long years of service, at great risk to members' own lives, and the Christmas meals and times with family missed, I am so proud of all the members of the Cessnock, Dungog, Maitland City and Hunter Capability units of the SES. I thank them particularly for the amazing and incredible work they have done in our community just in the nine or so years that I have been the member for Maitland. Many members of the House will know that, some 10 days after I was elected to this place, we had major floods and Gillieston Heights became "Gillieston Island"—or "Gilligan's Island", as the locals called it. It happened again in 2022, and on both occasions the community came together with the help of the SES. The SES provided support in Oakhampton, Mount Dee, Millers Forest and Berry Park—all the low-lying areas in the Hunter region. Maitland is the home of the SES, and I thank every one of its members for the effort and hours they put in to save lives in our community.
