Transcript - Interview - Today Show Nine Sydney

BROOKE BONEY: Let’s bring in Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King in Canberra. Minister, thanks for being with us this morning. So, Daylesford falls in your electorate. What is the latest on investigations?

CATHERINE KING: Well, the Major Collision Investigation Unit obviously has been on the ground overnight and they’ll continue their investigations. Obviously, it’s an incident that’s devastating to the local community. There are lots of witnesses, given the number of people are there, and we’ll let Vic Police get on with that investigation in the days to come. It’s important we let them do that. I know it’s been a very confronting scene for locals, for emergency personnel. We had the CFA, the SES were on the ground, Hepburn Shire staff were on the ground, Ambulance Victoria. So, it’s been a very confronting scene and those investigations will be ongoing.

BROOKE BONEY: When can we expect to know more about how and why this crash happened?

CATHERINE KING: Well, I think it’s important not to speculate at the moment and let the Victorian police do their job. It’s a really significant scene. As we said, they’ve been on the ground, on the ground overnight and are still there today. I think they’ll make some statements in the days ahead, I’m sure, but they need to be allowed to get on with that investigation.

BROOKE BONEY: Have you been in touch with any of the victims’ families yet? And what have they had to say?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well as yet, obviously, the victims are not identified. And I just heard the news that there’s unconfirmed reports about a sixth death, which is, again, just awful. This is a really close-knit community, but it’s also a community that experiences a lot of tourists over the weekend. As you know, with Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, a lot of people are taking the opportunity to have Monday off as well. So, there would have been a lot of people from out of town in the community at that day. It was a beautiful, beautiful night. It’s an area where a lot of people congregate. It’s not just for the pub. There’s also an ice cream shop that’s there. I’ve sat there with my family as well. It’s an area where people do congregate. So, a lot of people around last night and victims are yet to be identified.

But what we do know is that we’ve got five families at least, whose lives have been absolutely altered forever, and the community will be altered forever as a result of this incident. It’s a really, really significant incident in a community that really is pretty quiet and generally doesn’t experience things like this.

BROOKE BONEY: Yeah, absolutely. All right, well, thanks for making time for us this morning, Minister.

BROOKE BONEY: Let’s bring in Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King in Canberra. Minister, thanks for being with us this morning. So, Daylesford falls in your electorate. What is the latest on investigations?

CATHERINE KING: Well, the Major Collision Investigation Unit obviously has been on the ground overnight and they’ll continue their investigations. Obviously, it’s an incident that’s devastating to the local community. There are lots of witnesses, given the number of people are there, and we’ll let Vic Police get on with that investigation in the days to come. It’s important we let them do that. I know it’s been a very confronting scene for locals, for emergency personnel. We had the CFA, the SES were on the ground, Hepburn Shire staff were on the ground, Ambulance Victoria. So, it’s been a very confronting scene and those investigations will be ongoing.

BROOKE BONEY: When can we expect to know more about how and why this crash happened?

CATHERINE KING: Well, I think it’s important not to speculate at the moment and let the Victorian police do their job. It’s a really significant scene. As we said, they’ve been on the ground, on the ground overnight and are still there today. I think they’ll make some statements in the days ahead, I’m sure, but they need to be allowed to get on with that investigation.

BROOKE BONEY: Have you been in touch with any of the victims’ families yet? And what have they had to say?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well as yet, obviously, the victims are not identified. And I just heard the news that there’s unconfirmed reports about a sixth death, which is, again, just awful. This is a really close-knit community, but it’s also a community that experiences a lot of tourists over the weekend. As you know, with Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, a lot of people are taking the opportunity to have Monday off as well. So, there would have been a lot of people from out of town in the community at that day. It was a beautiful, beautiful night. It’s an area where a lot of people congregate. It’s not just for the pub. There’s also an ice cream shop that’s there. I’ve sat there with my family as well. It’s an area where people do congregate. So, a lot of people around last night and victims are yet to be identified.

But what we do know is that we’ve got five families at least, whose lives have been absolutely altered forever, and the community will be altered forever as a result of this incident. It’s a really, really significant incident in a community that really is pretty quiet and generally doesn’t experience things like this.

BROOKE BONEY: Yeah, absolutely. All right, well, thanks for making time for us this morning, Minister.