Dr BURNS - 2002-10-15
Could the Chief Minister please brief the House on the response of community groups and individuals to assist the relief effort following the Bali bombings?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, another important question because I am proud, and I am sure everyone here is proud, of the community spirit that is shown by Territorians. Over the last 48 hours, we have had a typical Territorian response to what has happened.
I take the opportunity in the House to thank those who have made substantial offers of assistance over the last 48 hours. Talking to a whole range of people, from those at the hospital to those with non-government organisations, the offers of support have been truly Territorian. Almost immediately, members of the public began phoning many non-government organisations and the hospital, and the health system generally, offering their homes for survivors and their friends and their families.
We had a hotline number at the hospital if anyone would like to ring and find out whether one of their family or friends was injured and at the hospital. We found pretty quickly that that number was swamped by people ringing it to say: ‘Can we help?’. They simply had to be told in the end: ‘We cannot cope with this kind of offer of help through this line, so just wait and we will deal with it another way’, which has been done through the Red Cross. Territorians are enormously generous and, certainly, offering homes to support family and friends of victims was something that we take for granted in the Territory.
The Red Cross blood transfusion service has been overwhelmed with offers. Yesterday, they logged 1000 calls and by 10.30 this morning they had logged another 400. Red Cross advise that supplies of blood are holding at the moment, but the demand will be ongoing. So they ask for Territorians to be patient when calling them; the offers will be taken up if they are needed. I join Red Cross in thanking Territorians for their response. There are three ways of contacting Red Cross, and we will be making those numbers available.
The business community has been equally quick to offer practical assistance. For example, NEC who provide telephone and switchboard equipment for both Telstra and Optus has programmed extensions for international and interstate calls at no charge. ITS, a local Darwin company, Integrated Technical Services, have provided 10 prepaid mobile phones for patients to use so that they can phone their family and friends to assure them that they are getting well and to tell them that they are now back on Australian soil. There have been families and individuals offering fruit, and sending things like peaches and that kind of thing to hospital staff. One of the stories that the hospital staff treasure over the last 24 hours, is hot, locally made pizzas that turned up at the hospital and they had been sent by a woman in South Australia who said: ‘I just wanted to help, so I have ordered you some pizzas locally’. Numbers of different staff were so touched by someone from interstate saying: ‘Can I help? Some food might’, and with the combination of pizzas and chocolates, our medical staff got through. A Darwin businessman, based in Bali, has offered to make his staff available to search for missing Australians, which is a terrific offer.
While the immediate disaster is now over - the medical and logistical response really was of the first order - we are now looking at the need for longer term responses, and that need will be ongoing. We can anticipate that this will be felt in the welfare sector in terms of counselling and trauma management. The welfare sector is already mobilising its resources so that they can respond to the needs that they are predicting. In the interim, we have been advised that people could be experiencing a range of emotions following the Bali bombing. They can be physical like an upset stomach or sleep disturbance; they can be problems with thinking; for example, in not being able to make decisions like they used to or reliving those events over and over again; they can be emotional - feeling numb and worrying about others. There is a whole range of impacts that the trauma of these events do have on people.
As part of the recovery process, it is important that people do seek professional help. However, in the interim, talking to people, being listened to by people, and finding a good counsellor can also help. Government is working with the community and welfare groups in the Territory to set up a support system for people who are having problems as a result of what has happened in Bali. We will be announcing the details of that shortly.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, another important question because I am proud, and I am sure everyone here is proud, of the community spirit that is shown by Territorians. Over the last 48 hours, we have had a typical Territorian response to what has happened.
I take the opportunity in the House to thank those who have made substantial offers of assistance over the last 48 hours. Talking to a whole range of people, from those at the hospital to those with non-government organisations, the offers of support have been truly Territorian. Almost immediately, members of the public began phoning many non-government organisations and the hospital, and the health system generally, offering their homes for survivors and their friends and their families.
We had a hotline number at the hospital if anyone would like to ring and find out whether one of their family or friends was injured and at the hospital. We found pretty quickly that that number was swamped by people ringing it to say: ‘Can we help?’. They simply had to be told in the end: ‘We cannot cope with this kind of offer of help through this line, so just wait and we will deal with it another way’, which has been done through the Red Cross. Territorians are enormously generous and, certainly, offering homes to support family and friends of victims was something that we take for granted in the Territory.
The Red Cross blood transfusion service has been overwhelmed with offers. Yesterday, they logged 1000 calls and by 10.30 this morning they had logged another 400. Red Cross advise that supplies of blood are holding at the moment, but the demand will be ongoing. So they ask for Territorians to be patient when calling them; the offers will be taken up if they are needed. I join Red Cross in thanking Territorians for their response. There are three ways of contacting Red Cross, and we will be making those numbers available.
The business community has been equally quick to offer practical assistance. For example, NEC who provide telephone and switchboard equipment for both Telstra and Optus has programmed extensions for international and interstate calls at no charge. ITS, a local Darwin company, Integrated Technical Services, have provided 10 prepaid mobile phones for patients to use so that they can phone their family and friends to assure them that they are getting well and to tell them that they are now back on Australian soil. There have been families and individuals offering fruit, and sending things like peaches and that kind of thing to hospital staff. One of the stories that the hospital staff treasure over the last 24 hours, is hot, locally made pizzas that turned up at the hospital and they had been sent by a woman in South Australia who said: ‘I just wanted to help, so I have ordered you some pizzas locally’. Numbers of different staff were so touched by someone from interstate saying: ‘Can I help? Some food might’, and with the combination of pizzas and chocolates, our medical staff got through. A Darwin businessman, based in Bali, has offered to make his staff available to search for missing Australians, which is a terrific offer.
While the immediate disaster is now over - the medical and logistical response really was of the first order - we are now looking at the need for longer term responses, and that need will be ongoing. We can anticipate that this will be felt in the welfare sector in terms of counselling and trauma management. The welfare sector is already mobilising its resources so that they can respond to the needs that they are predicting. In the interim, we have been advised that people could be experiencing a range of emotions following the Bali bombing. They can be physical like an upset stomach or sleep disturbance; they can be problems with thinking; for example, in not being able to make decisions like they used to or reliving those events over and over again; they can be emotional - feeling numb and worrying about others. There is a whole range of impacts that the trauma of these events do have on people.
As part of the recovery process, it is important that people do seek professional help. However, in the interim, talking to people, being listened to by people, and finding a good counsellor can also help. Government is working with the community and welfare groups in the Territory to set up a support system for people who are having problems as a result of what has happened in Bali. We will be announcing the details of that shortly.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016