I join the Premier and the House in sharing our profound sorrow and expressing our condolences to those suffering from the devastation caused by the recent floods in Nepal.
On 26 August a large Himalayan glacier collapsed, creating a domino effect of landslides and other seismic events, which triggered a series of flooding and mudslides at speeds as high as 193 kilometres per hour. Over the next several hours the flooding swept through multiple districts, leaving total devastation in its wake. It is currently estimated that over 1,300 people have died, with thousands more still missing. Unfortunately, that figure included 43 Australians. Mercifully, eight Australians have since been found alive, offering hope that more will soon return home.
In addition to the horrific human devastation impact on families across the world, the financial and infrastructure repairs would exceed $7 billion to fix roads, bridges, housing, community infrastructure, farmlands and Nepal's hydroelectric generation.
The Australian and New South Wales governments have reached out to the Nepalese Government to provide what it needs as it needs it. The Minns Government has sent 13 personnel from Fire and Rescue and ambulance services to assist with the recovery. Our State has an unfortunate history of our own with flooding and disaster recovery, so we are always ready to lend our expertise to those countries who need our support, including Nepal. Amongst the team currently in Nepal is Chief Superintendent Jeremy Stubbs of Fire and Rescue NSW, who is using his expertise and our state-of-the-art drone equipment to assist Nepalese authorities with the search, rescue and recovery process.
At times like this, when there is so much grief and indiscriminate destruction, it can be hard to see a way forward. Yet the incredibly gentle, generous and determined spirit of Nepalese Australians has brought that community to action, not paralysis. In my electorate, the Blacktown Nepalese Community, with support from the Association of Bhutanese in Australia, organised a candlelight vigil at the Village Green in Blacktown. I attended with my wife, Anne, and was touched to see such a large gathering of the Nepalese community joined by the broader community and civic leadership, including my colleague the member for Riverstone; Federal MPs Ed Husic, the member for Chifley, and Chris Bowen, the member for McMahon; along with many councillors. I know that other members in this place have attended similar vigils in their communities and felt the deep sorrow but also optimism from our Nepalese Australian community.
Over the past 21 years of public office life, I have had the pleasure of meeting many people from the local Nepalese community. The Blacktown Nepalese Community, now in its tenth year, is a vibrant organisation that holds many cultural and community events promoting and celebrating Nepalese culture around Blacktown. A few days before the disaster, Anne and I had the honour of attending its Teej night and anniversary celebrations at Bowman Hall. Under the current leadership of my friends President Pakiriti Shrestha and Secretary Roshan Lamichhane, the Blacktown Nepalese Community continues to grow and thrive. It is currently supporting the Nepalese Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, which consolidates donations from around the world to support disaster rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations.
Our Nepalese community are hurting. We have heard devastating stories of loved ones who have died. It is tragically more despairing for those whose loved ones are still missing. The hope that they may be found alive with the gut-wrenching feeling that they may never be found is taking a psychological toll on our local Nepalese community. I have heard of children and young people whose parents went on holidays to Nepal and are still missing. They are grieving and hoping, yet they must deal with immediate issues of home loans, legal issues and day-to-day living in Australia. The Parliament and the electorate of Blacktown send our full support to Nepal and the Nepalese community during this time. Whilst their hurt and pain is unimaginable, we are here to listen and offer a shoulder to cry on. Where possible, we will provide support and connection to help them meet their challenges.
God bless the Nepalese community in their hour of need.
