Investiture Ceremony, Wednesday 10 September, 10am

Representing the Premier of Queensland, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Premier and Assistant Minister for Planning, Housing and Better Regulation, Mrs Rebecca Young MP; Representing the Queensland Fire Department Commissioner, Acting Assistant Commissioner Enes Seferovic; Queensland Ambulance Service Commissioner Craig Emery ASM; Queensland State Emergency Service Chief Officer Mark Armstrong CSC; President, Australian Bravery Association, Queensland Branch, Dr Sally Gregory; Deputy National President, Australian Bravery Association, Mr Michael Pearson BM APM; Award recipients, your family and friends; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen; boys and girls.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to the First Nations people here today.

I welcome you all most warmly to Government House for this very special Investiture Ceremony to present Australian Honours and Bravery Decorations to a group of individuals who are defined by their commitment to serve others, even when such service comes at immense personal risk.

Each of you who has received meritorious medals or bravery awards today is defined not by the roles you hold, or the activities you undertake, but by demonstrating the type of leadership that is built from looking outwards, beyond your own needs and objectives.

Winston Churchill said: “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because as has been said, it is the quality which guarantees all others.” And it is this courage that also reveals your admirable qualities of compassion and resourcefulness, which lead to more collaborative working environments, and which are also tremendously valuable to enhancing the resilience of our society itself—by reinforcing our trust in the goodness of others.

This morning’s citations speak of incredible bravery in fraught, dangerous and high-stakes situations, where difficult decisions made on the spot could become the difference between life and death, not just for those directly affected, but for members of the wider community.

And whether this bravery is reflected on the frontlines as professionals, or by confronting unexpected and unpredictable circumstances as civilians, you have each shown a powerful willingness to put the welfare of others first.

For those of you in our state’s fire, ambulance and emergency services, I know that danger comes with the territory, and that you are often required to deal with traumatic and complex situations. But your stories also reveal how your dedication to your disciplines is having an extremely positive impact on our state’s wider emergency response systems.

By striving for excellence in standards, placing importance on improving our state’s response capabilities through innovation and initiative—and by sharing your knowledge and skills with others through mentoring and training—you are helping to promote much more effective and inclusive services.

And while we are never sure what the future will bring, it is the strength and cohesion you are helping to generate—both within our emergency response systems and out in your communities—that will be crucial to ensuring all parts of our state can continue to cope with the challenges to come.

Through your courage, each one of you being recognised today has beneficially touched the lives of others in ways that are difficult to express sufficiently. And so, I hope that the official acknowledgements you are receiving today go some way to demonstrating our enormous gratitude in this, the 50^th year of our country’s unique honours and awards system.

Your example gives others a path to follow, and the true value of your efforts is immeasurable.

As Governor of Queensland, and the representative of our Head of State, King Charles the Third, I commend you for your notable contributions.

Thank you all.