USQ Senior Lecturer speaks at Lockyer Valley flood memorial service

The Hon Ms Julia Gillard, Prime Minister meets with USQ Senior Lecturer and Lockyer Valley resident Cec Pedersen during the region’s First Anniversary Commemorative Service

USQ Senior Lecturer in Management and Lockyer Valley resident Cec Pedersen was honoured to be one of two invited community speakers at the Lockyer Valley First Anniversary Commemorative Service in Gatton earlier this month.

The service, broadcasted live by national media, was attended by about 1000 Lockyer Valley residents and guests to reflect on the catastrophic floods which devastated the region last year and to remember the 19 people who tragically lost their lives.

Mr Pedersen was asked to speak at the service because of his involvement with the Lockyer Valley Regional Council’s Community Reference Group which was formed to advise the Mayor and Council about community issues and concerns during the post-flood recovery.

The service was attended by The Hon Ms Julia Gillard, Prime Minister; Her Excellency, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor General; Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AC, Queensland Governor; The Hon Ms Anna Bligh, Premier of Queensland; Cr Steve Jones, LVRC Mayor and others.

‘It was a very sombre but positive event,’ Mr Pedersen said.

‘It was very overwhelming for many because there is still a lot of raw emotion and many people are still feeling the flood’s effects one year on.

‘The ceremony also represented a symbolic line in the sand— all this devastation has happened to the Lockyer Valley but this is the time from where we move on as a region; remembering what happened but not dwelling on it.’

Mr Pedersen also read a poem written specially for the service by Vicki Ruhr of Kinglake in Victoria, a survivor of the Victoria bushfires of February 2009

While Mr Pedersen was not directly affected by the floods, he said there was no one in the Lockyer Valley who wasn’t affected in some way.

‘At the end of my address, I reminded Premier Bligh of the time she told the nation Queenslanders were tough,’ Mr Pedersen said.

‘Well, the people in the Lockyer Valley have shown themselves to be very tough and we are now ready to take on the world again.’

Contact Details:
Callum Johnson, USQ Media, +61 7 46 31 1163