NSW bushfires: PM’s plane shuttled volunteers to firefight
A plane from the Prime Minister’s fleet of aircraft was used to shuttle volunteer firefighters from Canberra to Port Macquarie as bushfires raged in northern NSW.
NSW
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A plane from the Prime Minister’s fleet of aircraft was used to shuttle volunteer firefighters from Canberra to Port Macquarie as bushfires raged in northern NSW.
The Canberra-based RAAF aircraft was one of two planes called on to help fight the devastating bushfires with a second plane used to transport South Australian volunteers from the Edinburgh air base to Port Macquarie.
Mr Morrison tweeted that the bravery of the volunteers was “unspeakable”.
“Thank you to all those who are out there right now, to their families and all those supporting them and backing them in,” he wrote on social media.
The bravery is unspeakable. Thank you to all those who are out there right now, to their families and all those supporting them and backing them in. pic.twitter.com/N3fxmtHnuE
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) November 8, 2019
In a statement, Labor leader Anthony Albanese said he extended his sympathies to Australians who had lost loved ones and property in the bushfires.
“News of lives lost is heartbreaking for the families and communities affected,” Mr Albanese said.
“Our thoughts are with the affected communities and all those still in harm’s way.”
He said the ferocity of the bushfires was “unimaginable”.
In addition to volunteers from South Australia and the ACT, a spokeswoman for Emergency Management Victoria said discussions were being held today about whether Victoria would send additional firefighting and other resources to New South Wales and Queensland to battle the devastating bushfires.