DV West has been supporting women and children in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Nepean and Western Sydney for decades. Recently I took the newly appointed assistant minister for the prevention of family violence, Ged Kearney, to sit down, listen and learn from DV West. The frontline workers shared with us examples of the activities that have helped reconnect children with their mums or carers after domestic and family violence. These might be anything from family outings, starting a new sport, cultural camp—all of which can bring happiness but also new ways of bonding.
We were updated on the new crisis and transitional accommodation in the Blue Mountains that DV West has secured with funding from the Albanese government's Housing Australia Future Fund, one of my 2022 election commitments. The Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program supports the building, remodelling and purchase of new or expanded crisis and transitional accommodation. Thanks to funding through this program, DV West has been able to purchase two transitional units in the Blue Mountains, which will accommodate women and children who are no longer in crisis but still have support needs. This Commonwealth funding will help thousands of women and children across Australia, and it's another part of the Albanese government's ambitious housing reform agenda.
Since coming to government, we've invested nearly 20 times more in crisis and transitional accommodation and programs than the previous Liberal government did in 10 years. We've worked closely with the New South Wales government, and there are now nine additional DV workers across the Nepean Blue Mountains region as a result of our increased funding. I want to commend the state member for Penrith, Karen McKeown, who has provided more than $70,000 from the Community Building Partnership program for the Haven. The funding for this service will provide essential upgrades to support more women and children fleeing domestic and family violence. All of this is good progress, but, of course, there is more to do.
I joined my community this weekend at the Hawkesbury Walk Ride Run Against Domestic Violence at the Hawkesbury Showground, and it demonstrated how far attitudes have changed in our community when it comes to domestic and family violence. The event was organised by Rotarians from the three Hawkesbury Rotary clubs—Windsor, Richmond and Kurrajong-North Richmond. I've been closely involved with Rotary since the 1970s, and even a decade or so ago I didn't hear Rotarians talking about domestic and family violence, let alone spending months planning a fundraiser to support our local frontline organisations like the Women's Cottage, San Miguel, hope4u and the Haven. People signed up to bike ride, run and walk—some with their dogs—and there was plenty of food to help people refuel, including the Jeremiah Project's food truck, ice creams and, of course, a Rotary sausage sizzle. It was a terrific first event to raise awareness and funds for this cause, and I really want to congratulate Rotarians, sponsors and all the participants.
A 60th anniversary is pretty special, even more so when it marks six decades of operation as a rural fire brigade. The Katoomba/Leura Rural Fire Brigade have celebrated their 60th. It was a mixture of laughter and tears, which remarkably included some of the founding members. This brigade is a leader in the Blue Mountains district, with a third of its members being women. Many stories were shared, and this one from Charlie Brown, who started his firefighting career at 15 years old, describes the North Springwood fire in 1968 when three firefighters lost their lives right next to where his crew was operating. He said: 'We escaped in the old Blitz truck with no windows. Everyone rode on the back; I was driving. We got to Hawkesbury Road and thought, "Phew, that was close." Then we took off our hats. No hair—it had burnt the hair off all of us. How the guys on the back of our truck didn't die, I'll never know.' That is the calibre and the bravery of the men and women who serve my community in the RFS brigades across the electorate of Macquarie.
The dedication of 31 New South Wales volunteers from the Blue Mountains district was recognised earlier in August with a presentation of national medals. These volunteers had more than 900 years of combined service, ranging from 15 to 57 years of service. Many of these volunteers had dedicated significant portions of their life to serving and protecting others.
The National Medal is presented to individuals who go above and beyond what's expected of active members within the brigade. Mount Riverview Brigade life member Dennis 'Wayne' Hancock, who's dedicated more than 50 years to the RFS and local community, was recognised. He was a founding member of the Mount Riverview Brigade. The professionalism of these people does not go unnoticed. None of them work for the praise, but it was so good to be able to be there to recognise their service. Another special mention is Linden Brigade member Colin Anlezark, who's given more than 50 years of service to the RFS and who, like many of the volunteers, serves the Blue Mountains district in various roles.
My local Winmalee brigade National Medal recipients included Steven Manning, Catrina Jordan, Bec Southwell and Adrian Schovers, with Peter Church, Col Church, Alison Davis and Tony Moore receiving their second clasp. Yes, there's a bunch of relatives in there because that's what happens in the brigade—it's families. Fifteen Hazelbrook members were recognised, with Allan Catt and Cris Hofland being recognised for more than 40 years of service. I also want to record the passing of Hazelbrook RFS member Group Captain Mat Hunter, a former captain with the brigade with more than two decades of service. My thoughts are with his family, and I know that Mat is being mourned by brigades right across the Blue Mountains and by the many volunteers he trained and supported.
When you live on a floodplain like the Hawkesbury-Nepean, forecasts of heavy rain can inspire real fear and anxiety—not least because, for many people, flood insurance has become out of reach. For most of us, our home is our most valuable asset, and I know that recovering from a natural disaster is easier—still awful, but easier—when there is insurance to repair, replace and rebuild. I know that from personal experience.
But imagine what it's like to know you simply can't afford the $20,000 or $30,000 that insurers quote for a standard home insurance policy to be covered for flood in these flood-prone areas. People have few options: they pay a rate that really stretches their means, they try to get a policy for everything except flood, or they have no policy at all. That means they're not insured for any unexpected event—not for fire, hail damage or serious accidental damage. This cannot go on.
It's an urgent issue, and I know we in Australia are not alone in facing it. My visit to the US last year and discussions with people in the UK and NZ in insurance and government roles tell me this is a global issue. But I'm joining with the Insurance Council of Australia to continue the discussion locally with my community and key stakeholders, to unpack what is and isn't an option for my community. Residents, businesses and other stakeholders are invited to a special insurance forum I'm hosting in Windsor in September. We'll hear individual experiences, but, more than anything, this is an opportunity to focus on solutions—because we already know the problem.
We'll discuss everything from whether there are innovative insurance products for homes and small businesses, including where homeowners have ways to minimise the repair or clean-up costs. We'll discuss what individuals can do so they can build back better from a flood and how that is recognised by insurers. We'll discuss the appetite for government buy-back options for homes with very high flood risk where alternative mitigation measures are unlikely to manage the risk—because if you're in a home where you can't get insurance, it's likely a future buyer won't be able to get insurance either. I want to see individuals get the support they need so they can build back better from a flood or get on with their lives, and the time to start is when the sun is shining.
Our program to buy a home with only a five per cent deposit is great news for first homebuyers. It's available to every single first homebuyer from October. It has no income limits, no limit on the number of places in the program, and the house price caps actually reflect the cost of houses. In Macquarie, a $900,000 cap applies to the property. If you're a single parent with a dependent child, you can use this program and only pay a two per cent deposit. Since we came to government, 855 Macquarie locals have already been assisted into their own homes with the five per cent guarantee scheme. But these changes that we're making open the program to every first homebuyer. Where we see a need and a way to provide more support, that is exactly what the Albanese government is going to do.
