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Brewer a long way from home

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GARDINER Foundation Tertiary Scholarship recipient, Lauren Brewer, never thought life would lead her to her current workplace, a remote mine site in the Gibson Desert, located three hours north of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. She is the only paramedic, supported by one nurse and an emergency services officer, rotating with another healthcare team on their week off, working in an Indigenous community. “The most rewarding part is seeing the impact you can make in such a remote community and workplace,” said Lauren, who is from Warragul. “People say they want to go into healthcare to make a difference. Out there, you actually see the difference. “We have to teach ourselves, and we have to adapt and find solutions for problems we didn’t ever think we’d face. “It’s also about being prepared. You need to be on top of things like orders and use-by dates. If you suddenly have a massive incident but only have three IV needles, you have a problem.” Applying for a fly-in, fly-out job in such a remote location wasn’t the easiest choice for Lauren, but so far, it has been the most rewarding. “We’ve all done our part to be there. The selection process is very rigorous and took three months after applying,” she said. “I love the community and people. Everyone knows everyone. They’re my family now. They are all extraordinary and incredibly resilient; everyone brings something different to the team. And the vastness and the beauty of the area is very special. Coming back home to Warragul doesn’t feel real.” Working and living in the same place isn’t always easy, but Lauren has found ways to separate her private and work life. “If you are mentally always at work because your home is work, it’s hard to keep on top of your mental health. You have to compartmentalise. You have to make sure you separate home and work,” she said. She’s taking care of herself physically and mentally, ensuring she’s up for such a demanding job. “You need good mental health and coping strategies; I go to bed early, for example, and always make sure to acknowledge when I need a break,” Lauren said. “It’s also important to manage stress. Don’t push yourself when your body needs something else. Reach out if you need help. If you can’t manage

Gardiner Foundation Tertiary Scholarship recipient Lauren Brewer. Photo: Contributed

your own stress and health, you can’t help anyone else.” Lauren believes in trying different things and exploring more than one avenue. “You have to find what’s right for you because the first thing might not be it,” she said. “I’ve done COVID testing and worked for Ambulance Victoria casually, but knew it wasn’t what I needed right now in this stage of my life. But I just needed to keep looking. Things don’t always go to plan and that’s okay. Goals also might change over time and that’s okay too.” Lauren’s family lived on a beef farm at Neerim in West Gippsland before moving to nearby Warragul when she was four. Her grandma is still farming in Warragul today.

Agricultural agreement

THE Nationals have welcomed news that farmers will be able to hire workers from Vietnam under a commitment signed in March. An Estimates hearing has confirmed Labor will honour the ‘Agriculture Visa’ agreement with Vietnam, after a Memorandum of Understanding was established by the previous Coalition government. The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee heard the visa would be given another name, but importantly, was being honoured. “Allowing workers from Vietnam to come to Australia on what was previously known as the ‘Ag Visa’ is a win for the nation and a result of hard work by The Nationals,” the Nationals’ federal leader, David Littleproud, said. “We welcome migrant workers from Vietnam and are pleased the Labor Government will honour the Australian Ag Visa agreement.” The Ag Visa was designed to supplement the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme for workers from south-east Asia. Since June, the PALM Scheme has brought in 10,800 workers. Mr Littleproud added the Estimates hearing proved Labor needed to reinstate the Ag Visa, to help ease the cost of living crisis, rather than rely on the PALM Scheme, which provides visas for workers from just nine Pacific islands and Timor-Leste. “Australia needs 172,000 workers to get product from the paddock to the plate right now,” he said. “There are still not enough workers available and the PALM Scheme will not be able to bring them in. “I urge Labor to help our farmers and our families and find practical solutions. The PALM Scheme will only continue to increase food prices because farmers can’t get the workers they need. “When the supply of food goes down, the cost goes up.” The Estimates Committee also heard there had been correspondence for a similar visa for India, which the Labor government has incorporated into the PALM Scheme.