Earlier this week NSW Labor Opposition Leader Jodi McKay visited Drake to thank Rural Fire Service volunteer firefighters and all other emergency service personnel who have spent the past seven weeks fighting to contain the Long Gully Road bushfire in the North of our State.



Joined by NSW Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Trish Doyle and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin, JodiMcKay said she wanted to personally thank volunteers for displaying the true Aussie spirit of helping mates during natural disasters:



It has been a harrowing early bushfire season for hundreds of residents in the Tenterfield and Richmond Valley shires and the Clarence Valley Local Government Area. The Long Gully Road fire claimed two lives, destroyed 44 homes, damaged another 22, and burnt more than 74 thousand hectares of bush and farmland.



With this major fire declared out on Sunday (October 27), its timely that we are coming to the village of Drake to recognise the fantastic work of many who have been involved in the disaster response and recovery effort.



My colleague, Labor Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, Trish Doyle said:

We know that the recovery of a regional community that has faced a bushfire disaster doesnt just happen overnight. It takes months and years as families rebuild their homes and restore their lives. The resilience and strength of tight-knit communities must be supported by our state and federal governments with financial and in-kind assistance.



Jodi and Trish, on behalf of the whole Labor Team, havesupported Janelle's recent call for a Community Recovery Fund to help bushfire-affected communities to rebuild, which would be led by Tenterfield Shire, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley councils.



A beefed-up recovery effort would be overseen by a designated and publicly known Recovery Leader who would have the chain of command across all government agencies.



I support this call, and I add my voice to thanks being offered to Rural Fire Service volunteers and other emergency service personnel battling fires across our State.