Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described the Devonport jumping castle tragedy, which left five children dead, as a "terribly, terribly awful time for Tasmanians".
Key points:
- Mr Morrison announced funding for counselling support for those affected by the jumping castle tragedy
- The PM said he was speaking with Tasmania's Premier at the time when news of the incident broke
- The Tasmanian Premier thanked "the other premiers around the country who have reached out and offered support"
The children died after the jumping castle they were playing in became airborne during end-of-year celebrations at Hillcrest Primary School on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference in Hobart before travelling to the school in the state's north-west to pay his respects, Mr Morrison said there were "no words, only prayers, for our fellow Australians in Tasmania, and for the community that will carry this burden".
"It will be a heavy burden. It will weigh them down. But I want to say to them, whether they're the first responders, the teachers, the friends, the family, the P&C at Hillcrest, the whole community, that Australia is one with them," he said.
"We grieve with them and we mourn with them, and we want to do everything we possibly can to help them through this terrible, terrible, unthinkable, unimaginable tragedy.
Mr Morrison announced the federal government would contribute $800,000 for counselling and mental health support for those affected by the tragedy.
First responders would receive $250,000 worth of support, with the remaining $550,000 going to help the broader community.
Mr Morrison said he was speaking with the Tasmanian Premier on the day of the incident.
"We were speaking, by chance, just that morning, we had arranged, and these events overtook those conversations," he said.
"And we've stayed in touch about trying to understand what we can do as a Commonwealth to help the community in Devonport, and particularly the families and others directly impacted."
Mr Morrison later travelled to Hillcrest Primary School in the state's north-west to pay his respects to the victims.
The mood was sombre as the Prime Minister and his wife Jenny read through the messages left as part of the growing floral tribute to the children.
Outpouring of sympathy
Mr Gutwein said Mr Morrison "immediately offered whatever support was necessary".
"Once again, to all of those that have been impacted by this terrible, terrible tragedy — to the families of the five children who passed away — words can't express the sympathy that I feel, that Tasmanians feel, the outpouring of sympathy right across this country.
"Tasmania will get through this and we will stand with those families, and with that school community, as they work through this very challenging time."
As a result of the tragedy, the Tasmanian Department of Education has banned the use of inflatables on school grounds.
Community digging deep
A GoFundMe fundraising page has, as of Saturday morning, raised $1,137,640 in donations, with one anonymous donor tipping in $45,000.
Today, Devonport City Council announced it was partnering with MyState bank and the Tasmanian government, to launch the Hillcrest Community Public Fund to "support the school, families and local community".
"People are looking for practical ways to support the Hillcrest Primary School community into the future, they just want to do something, and this fund gives them the opportunity to do that," Devonport Mayor Annette Rockliff said.
Zoe Smith, the creator of the GoFundMe campaign, had "confirmed she will direct the funds from her campaign into the public fund", Ms Rockliff said.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIxLTEyLTE4L3Njb3R0LW1vcnJpc29uLWZ1bmRpbmctb3ItanVtcGluZy1jYXN0bGUtdHJhZ2VkeS1oaXQtY29tbXVuaXR5LzEwMDcxMTEyMtIBAA?oc=5
2021-12-18 01:41:15Z
1218061606
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Scott Morrison announces funding support for those affected by Tasmanian jumping castle tragedy - ABC News"
Post a Comment