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Fax from 616273it97 THE ACTING PRIME MINISTER
MEDIA RELEASE
STATEMENT ON T14REDBO TRAGEDY
The removal late last night of threc bodies from the site of the Thredbo landslide marks the
end of a tragic and extraordinary week for Tbredbo and Australians.
While emergency services continue to work on the site, all those people listed as missing in
this natural disaster have been accounted for.
It is a -week that has been marked by great shock and sadness, enormous and unstinting effort
by emergency services personnel involved, gut-wrenching frustration and tension, and of
course the great joy generated by the miraculous recovery of Stuart Diver.
All those involved, and the nation, have run the gamut of emotions in the past seven days.
It is now timc to offer sympathy and prayers to those who have lost family memnbers, to give
thanks that one life could be saved and that loss of lire was not greater and to oter our
deepest appreciation to the hundreds of professionals and volunteers who attended the
disaster. A Coroners' Inquest must now ensue before the famiflies involved and the village of Thrcdbo
can properly begin to recover from this tragedy. I am sure all Australians will give the
families, and the village, continuing support in this period.
I would only add that, while most media representatives conducted themselves properly
during this period, I believe it is appropriate that concerns over media behaviour raised by
Thredbo residents be addressed, through the Australian Press Council.
7 August, 1997
Par iameqnt House, Canberra, ACT 2600 Tel ( 06) 277 7420 Fax ( 06) 273 4128
Fax6fr1o2 73197181/ 20: 85/ 997 PS: 2