Bushfire anniversary - Australia reflects

Fairfax

REFLECTION: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd attends the Black Saturday Remembrance service at St. Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne.

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The anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires will forever be a day of mourning, but the Autralian federal government says it's also a day to reflect on the nation's tremendous strength.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Families Minister Jenny Macklin, Attorney-General Robert McClelland and Parliamentary Secretary for Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction Bill Shorten on Sunday released a joint statement remembering the tragedy one year on.

"February 7 will be forever etched in the nation's memory as a day of mourning but also one of tremendous spirit and inspiration," it read.

"The tragedy brought out the best of the Australian character and inspired countless acts of bravery and generosity."

The worst natural disaster since Federation, Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires claimed 173 lives and destroyed more than 2000 homes.

Mr Rudd and his colleagues said their thoughts were with the survivors of the disaster, whose "quiet courage" inspired the nation.

Meanwhile, the head of the police task force investigating the Black Saturday fires has vowed not to stop until they find the arsonist responsible for starting the Marysville blaze.

Taskforce Phoenix boss Detective Superintendent Paul Hollowood said he was pleased arrests had been made over the two other deadly bushfires believed to have been deliberately lit - in the Gippsland area and Bendigo.

However, no arrests have been made in relation to the Murrindindi fire that hit Marysville and Narbethong, causing the deaths of 40 people.

"There's still one outstanding investigation which we want to make inroads to," Det Supt Hollowood told reporters on Sunday, the first anniversary of the fires.

"The Murrindindi fire devastated through Narbethong and Marysville in particular and that's the one that concerns us most.

"We do have leads and time's not a factor with us, whatever it takes to bring people before the courts, to hold them to account for these types of acts, we'll take that time.

"We've just seen in the last few weeks, it's taken some time to actually thoroughly investigate, to actually bring people before the courts on some of these matters."

Two teenage boys were charged earlier this month with lighting the Bendigo bushfire that caused the death of Kevin "Mick" Kane, while a 39-year-old man was charged last year over the Churchill fires that killed 11 people.

Media reports last year speculated that a 65-year-old firefighter who lived near Marysville had been interviewed by police over the Marysville fire.

Det Supt Hollowood would not comment on that, but said locals sometimes started fires in their areas.

He urged people to pass on information about the events on Black Saturday to help police solve the crime.

"I still believe there are people in the community that have information they may not think is of value or they may think that we already have that information," he said.

"It's really important for them to come forward and tell us what that is."

Police and Crime Stoppers also launched the Extinguish Arson Campaign on Sunday, which encourages people to stop arsonists and a repeat of Black Saturday by calling Crime Stoppers - anonymously if they wish - to report suspicious activity.