Ms GAMBARO (12:25 PM) —The Petrie electorate has a very proud history in the defence of our nation, and one of my favourite duties as the federal member for Petrie is the presentation of medals to people in the electorate who have demonstrated their outstanding courage and fortitude at various times in their lives. On Monday, 25 November I hosted a local presentation ceremony for over 60 recipients of the Anniversary of National Service 1951-1972 Medal. This was a wonderful occasion which was marked by the inclusion of so many families and friends. Members of the Redcliffe branch of the National Servicemen's Association were also in attendance. In all, approximately 160 people attended.

I would like to acknowledge the very fine work that the Redcliffe branch of the National Servicemen's Association does in the area, and to particularly acknowledge a number of people, including Leo Kalinowski, Trevor Fitzgerald, Barry Scarborough and George Thomas. They do an absolutely fabulous job of organising these awards and ensuring that awareness of the association and of the role of national servicemen is increased.

This was the second time that I have held such a ceremony in the Redcliffe area and I must again commend the national servicemen for their wonderful work and also acknowledge the work of so many people in serving this country. At the commencement of the ceremony, Sarah Walsh, a year 11 student of Grace Lutheran College on the Redcliffe Peninsula, gave a beautiful and moving rendition of the national anthem, which she followed with her own composition: a tribute to the people who lost their lives in the recent Bali tragedy. It was very moving and the whole room was struck with great empathy. It was a very touching moment in the ceremony. Her presence, along with that of family and friends of the association, and members and grandchildren, ensured that we will never forget what we owe so many people who have served this country and the gratitude we should show to them. They fought to maintain those principles and everything that we hold so very dear in our country. In addition to the ceremony on 25 November, I had great pleasure in personally presenting Mr Geoffrey Collins of Margate with his service medal on 28 November, at my office. He served at Singleton, in New South Wales, and was a member of the 3rd Light Regiment and one of the very first intakes in 1951.

I was delighted to present those commemorative medals to all of those people on behalf of the Petrie electorate. The medals serve as a physical reminder of the role of national servicemen in serving and protecting Australia. They also demonstrate to those people the appreciation of this government and of the nation. The federal government established the Anniversary of National Service 1951-1972 Medal to acknowledge the men and women who served in the two national service schemes from 1951 to 1959 and from 1964 to 1972. During the operation of the national service scheme, national servicemen acquitted themselves admirably serving in places such as Korea, Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam, as well as back home in Australia.

In acknowledging the service of so many people in this country, I also want to thank the Rural Fire Service and all of those involved in protecting homes, flora and fauna for their work against the often destructive forces of fire. We are all aware that we are in the grip of a drought and each year bushfires cost the Australian public approximately $77 million. Of all the natural disasters that impact on the Australian community, bushfires are probably the most hazardous in terms of deaths and injuries. They also threaten communities and damage our environment, property and community assets. The Petrie electorate includes a very large proportion of outer metropolitan Brisbane, which faces a serious threat of bushfires because it backs onto nature reserves. Not long ago, parts of Chermside in my electorate were threatened by a bushfire. Chermside, which is an inner suburb, is only about 10 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD.

I recently launched a fire survival check list with the assistance of the Assistant Fire Commissioner, Iain Mackenzie, and members of the Redcliffe Fire Station: Bernard Nunn, Allan Verrall, Dean Terrett and Geoff Verrall. I thank them very much. The launch of the check list was attended by a number of people in the community. I acknowledge the very valuable work of the Rural Fire Service and I thank them for their wonderful participation in the launch. Lastly, I thank the Country Women's Association of Redcliffe, who supplied their wonderful hall and catered for the launch. They did an exceptional job and I am grateful for their assistance and for their ongoing commitment to the local people of Redcliffe and to the community generally.