CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Dr FREELANDER (Macarthur) (10:10): Last Monday 25 May, our community woke up to the devastating news that the beloved Store Menangle was severely damaged by fire. The Store Menangle was based out of a historic building built in 1904 to serve the growing Camden Park estate, home of the Macarthur family and, of course, the birthplace of Australia's merino industry.

At its peak in 1930, the Camden Park estate covered 28,000 acres, with the store being a major supply centre for this growing region. It was home in the sixties to the Menangle Rotolactor, the most advanced dairy in the world, it was said at that time. Over the years, the historic general store would evolve with the ever-changing region, and most recently it was a beloved cafe that sold local produce and delicious meals and coffee; employed local workers; and, most importantly, was a beloved spot for locals, including me, to catch up.

It was also home to the local post office. For many years, my great mate Andrew McDonald and I would routinely get a coffee together in the morning ahead of our work as paediatricians at Campbelltown Hospital, and I have fond memories of the coffee, the staff and the cake at the store. Sadly, though, we will have to wait some time to go back to the Store Menangle, as the proud 120-year-old landmark was severely damaged after an intense three-hour fire.

Thankfully, the building itself remains on its foundations and some of its historic property, including the ovens and the fireplaces, remains. There is, however, a lot of internal damage and, unfortunately, it will take some time for the store to be repaired. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Fire and Rescue NSW, the Rural Fire Service, NSW Ambulance and NSW Police as well as the community members involved in helping to contain and put out the fire.

Their work has kept this historic building from total destruction. Now the long road to recovery begins for all involved to get the Store Menangle back up and running. From the ashes of this fire, the community response has been absolutely outstanding.

Over $45,000 has been raised by members of our community via a GoFundMe page to help Shane, Marcel and their team navigate this devastating time. When I finish in Canberra this week, I intend to go back and give them a donation from me personally. I wish all those involved and affected by this terrible fire the best and I look forward to going back for coffee and certainly for a piece or two of cake when they reopen in the future.

I wish them well for their recovery.