No one was showing anything other than Optimism: Anthony Albanese

"No one was showing anything other than optimism about the future, but it's going to be a difficult few weeks ahead."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Adelaide radio discussing flood preparations along the Murray River.

Discussing his visit to Renmark, the Prime Minister said, "It was also an opportunity just to say thank you. The extraordinary work that the local government has done, the police, SES, volunteers, and contractors putting aside their normal competition to help each other to build the levees, either have them reconstructed or in some cases around the Big Four caravan park there in Renmark, it's a new levee that's been built. And just to say thank you to them and to encourage the resilience that they've shown. No one was showing anything other than optimism about the future, but it will be a difficult few weeks ahead."

Read More on Gratitude and Optimism

Radio Host Will Goodings:  "Did your briefings give you cause for optimism in so far as the preparations that have been made here to give our communities here in South Australia some time that wasn't afforded to those in New South Wales? So were you told about the scale of what's likely to come and how the preparations are likely to mitigate the worst of it?"

PRIME MINISTER: "Well, that’s right. It's very different from a place like Eugowra that I went to, that we witnessed literally houses that had moved eight, nine hundred metres, just been picked up and taken away. There was a bridge there that was concrete, steel, like really heavy, that was nowhere near where the water was, so just been taken a few hundred metres away. But the weight of it, you see the power of water and what it can do. But you also see the preparation which has been done there in the Riverlands. We know that not everything can be mitigated, there will be homes and properties that are inundated, and that will happen. Of course, the most important thing is always to preserve life and provide as much preparation as possible. From what I saw there firsthand, everything that can be done is being done."

Read More: Resilience is Underpinned by Optimism

Ear;lier in a doorstop press conference, the Prime Minister said, "This is a difficult time. But I have been really heartened by the optimism of this local community and just the sheer confidence that this community can be resilient and can get through this difficult time. I do want to say not just to other South Australians, but other Australians as well, that the businesses here need your support now. They actually want people to come and to participate, to bring economic activity to this region which will be important while this difficulty is happening. But will be perhaps even more important as the recovery period comes. "

 

Keep up to date with the latest from Centre for Optimism

We appreciate any contribution you can make to help us spread optimism with the world
Give Today

Connect With Us

We love to connect with everyone who is ready to open up and share their optimisim.