Dr WOODRUFF (Franklin – Leader of the Greens) – Honourable Speaker, on behalf of the Greens, I acknowledge the pain and sadness of the more than 6000 Nepali Tasmanians who are still in shock, grieving the disaster that’s unfolding from the glacier collapse in Nepal. At the moment at least 900 people are feared dead, but well over 4000 remain missing. We were all horrified to see those images of the enormous wave of water and mud that spewed a couple of hundred kilometres down the Bhote Koshi River from Tibet into Nepal. People were overtaken by the speed of the disaster. It was like a tsunami. The districts most affected along the Trishuli River were Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading in the Bagmati Province, and downstream, the communities in Gorkha, Tanahun, Nawalparasi and Chitwan. Whole villages have been buried in mud, dozens of bridges have been washed away and huge sections of roads obliterated. The communication and rescue operations in this rugged Himalayan valley are incredibly difficult. Right now, there’s a still a massive search effort underway and, at the same time, there’s a high risk of secondary flooding. Everyone involved in the rescue effort is bravely risking their life to save the lives of others.
I acknowledge the agonising wait for Nepalis who are trying to make contact with people they love in the disaster zones. They are facing immense communication difficulties, which is incredibly harrowing. I recognise the Nepali Society of Tasmania, the Nepalese Business Association of Tasmania, the Nepalese Cricket and Sports Association, Pathasala Hobart and the many smaller community groups who have formed to represent the interests of community people, and their work and contributions to Tasmanian society. And, of course, here in this parliament, our dear friends Anil and Prajita. Many of these people have spoken to us personally and in public about how helpless they feel not knowing what’s happening and being so far away. Our hearts are with them.
Nepal is a very special place in the world, and for many Australians. Many thousands of us have been drawn to visit the Himalayas with their majestic snow-capped peaks every year. Like other people, I went there myself to experience not just the beauty and awe of the highest peaks on the planet, but the laughter and incredible kindness of the Nepali people. We are indeed blessed with the Nepali people in our Tasmanian community. We stand in solidarity and compassion with them as they process the shock of what’s still happening. We also honour the lives of the people who’ve died and those who may never be recovered.
Tasmanians know well that the destruction caused by disaster doesn’t end when the hazard passes. The rebuilding of Nepal will take billions of dollars and many years. There’s been scores of schools and health facilities, as well as power infrastructure, swept away and destroyed. Tens of thousands of people are now without homes, clothes or family. There are enormous numbers of children who are orphans. These survivors have nothing but the generosity of others to continue to live.
I was moved to hear the words of Nepal’s prime minister, Balen Shah, and his Cabinet. He reflected their views on social media when he said that the flood in the Bhote Koshi River was not an ordinary flood. He said:
This is the biggest disaster in the Himalayan region caused by an avalanche of snow and rocks. This incident indicates that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing with climate change. It is time for us to strongly raise the issue of the disasters we are facing due to climate change before the international community.
The country of Nepal contributes less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gases. The people of Nepal are blameless victims of the rapidly changing climate. The Himalayan glaciers provide critical water to nearly two billion people but are melting fast as the planet heats. Communities downstream are highly vulnerable to unpredictable and deadly disasters. We in Tasmania must take responsibility for what we’re contributing to the atmospheric conditions that are upstream drivers of devastating floods like this in Nepal. We can and must redouble our efforts in our state to cut carbon emissions in every sector, to do what we can to reduce the frequency and severity of events like this happening to the people of Nepal, and the flow-on effects to people of India in the years to come.
But right now, we’re acutely aware of the family and friends very dear to our Nepali friends in Tasmania who are desperately in need of support for food and shelter. I encourage everyone in this Chamber and everyone who is watching to dig deep and donate to the Nepal Flood Disaster Appeal through a reputable organisation that is focused on money going directly to relief. There would be, for an example, the Emergency Action Alliance website to look at. Let us give generously and do everything we can to be part of the community effort to support the people of Nepal.
