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News November is the month to get active

STROKE Foundation’s annual physical activity fundraiser Stride4Stroke has started. Victorians are being encouraged to get moving any way they can. It is estimated more than 7000 Victorians will have a stroke for the first time this year despite 80 per cent of strokes being preventable. The month-long campaign accommodates people of all ages and abilities and can be completed by either individuals or teams. Participants set their own activity and fundraising goals, completing the challenge within the month of November. The focus in 2022 is on increasing ‘moving minutes’ which is an accessible and achievable goal for everyone whether they are walking, running cycling, doing online fitness classes or setting a movement goal. Stroke Foundation executive director marketing, John De Rango, applauded the Victorians who have already signed up to take part in Stride4Stroke this year. “It is amazing to see so many people using Stride4Stroke as an opportunity to focus on their health and to get moving during the month of November,” Mr De Rango said. When a stroke strikes, it attacks up to 1.9 million brain cells per minute and can change lives in an instant. If you suspect someone is having a stroke, think F.A.S.T. and ask these questions:  F stands for Face - Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?  A stands for Arms - Can they lift both arms?  S stands for Speech - Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?  And T stands for Time - Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call triple 000 straight away. Mr De Rango said every dollar raised from the national event will go towards fighting stroke and supporting survivors and their families. To sign up, visit https://www.stride4stroke. www.gippslandtimes.com.au

Regional Matters forum

HOUSING shortages and subsequent increased homelessness, floods, fires, the COVID pandemic and inflation are making for tough times in Gippsland. At a forum hosted by Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV) at St Mary’s parish centre in Bairnsdale on September 29, more than 30 locals attended to hear from members of parliament and experts working in social services and discuss what is important to them before the Victorian election on November 26. The forum, Regional Matters, was the first of three in Victoria organised by CSSV, the peak body that represents 43 social services organisations across the state. Guest speakers at the forum included Cath McMahon, retiring president of the St Vincent de Paul Society Bairnsdale Conference; Cherie Draper, a microenterprise coach with Good Shepherd Australia-New Zealand; Anne-Maree Kaser chief executive of Gippsland Lakes Complete Health; Tim Bull East Gippsland MP and; Tom McIntosh MLC, representative for eastern Victoria. Members of the East Gippsland Shire Council were invited to join the panel, however, both the mayor and deputy mayor apologised for not attending. Joshua Lourensz, CSSV executive director, said the forums were about “teasing out the issues and listening to the community” in order to “work to address challenges while being informed of the great work already happening by people”. He referred to the ‘Dropping off the Edge’ (2021) research released by Jesuit Social Services together with their Centre for Just Places, which shows that complex and entrenched disadvantage is experienced by a small but persistent number of locations in each state and territory across Australia, including parts of Gippsland. Anne-Maree Kaser said she struggled to find accommodation when starting her new job. “In my first four months of this role I stayed in hotels and serviced apartments, and only secured a place through a personal connection. I now pay $600 per week,” she said. Cath McMahon said the local Vinnies, which receives no government funding (rather relying on donations and revenue from its opportunity shops), covers halfway between Bairnsdale and Sale to the NSW border and sometimes beyond. “In a nutshell, our community is in crisis,” she

CSSV executive director Josh Lourensz with panellists Cherie Draper, Tim Bull MP, Tom McIntosh and Anne-Maree Kaser.

Photo: Contributed

said. “By far the greatest issue for us at the moment is the housing crisis and subsequent homelessness. “From January 1 2022 until September 28 2022 we have interviewed 173 homeless people (112 men and 61 women). “Of those, we have had 27 later return for more assistance as they were still homeless and in our area. And these statistics don’t reflect the other agencies in town assisting the homeless, so the overall statistics would be much higher,” she said. “I have been blown away by the increase in homeless people knocking on our door. “We have a beautiful new assistance centre at 92 Macleod Street. “Yes, we can provide food, clothing, shower and laundry facilities and a multitude of other assistance, but with all our best attempts we cannot provide what they really need - a roof over their heads. “All we can do is support them in their homelessness,” she said. Tom McIntosh, who grew up in Victoria’s western Mallee region, was keen to do “more listening than talking” at the forum, he said. He said the further people were from Melbourne, the bigger the disadvantage. “Activism and social justice have always been a part of my family,” he said. “The best of the Catholic Church does incredible things supporting people and families,” he said. “The word that has crystallised everything for me is ‘equality’ - everything we look at, we need to ask, ‘what is this doing to improve equality?’” Questions and discussion among those who attended focused on the critical housing shortage, and what can be done to address the immediate needs of those who are homeless. There was also discussion about ageing volunteers, who fear they can’t continue to provide the same level of support to the community in coming years. In addressing these issues, Tim Bull said availability and affordability were intimately connected. “Council is struggling to get through subdivision and planning approvals. The state government could assist with a fast-track process. “It’s not an overnight fix, but it will assist in supply,” Mr Bull said. “East Gippsland has had the perfect storm - long drought, bushfires and COVID.” Mr Bull said other contributing factors to homelessness were the fires - 400 houses had been burned down, so many locals were occupying rentals, and during the COVID lockdowns Melbourne residents bought homes or took rentals to avoid city lockdowns. “I’ll give credit to the Labor government for investing $5.3 billion in building new homes. But there are 50,000 people on the public housing waiting list and this is growing,” Mr Bull said. There was consensus in the room that the issues needed to be worked on together, with local, state, and federal government input, and from both government-funded organisations and others.

The Department of Health is pleased to invite applications for part time board director positions of Central Gippsland Health Service with terms of office commencing from 1 July 2023.

We encourage applications from women, people of all ages, Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and from lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse, intersex and queer people.

Job Vacancies ç Please visit the recruitment section website: www.cghs.com.au on our

Calling for fairer legal system

THE Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) has welcomed the responses from the major political parties to its calls for a better, fairer legal system ahead of the Victorian state election. In September, the LIV published its Call to Parties, outlining a vision for improving the Victorian legal system through systemic and legislative reform. The LIV invited parties contesting in the upcoming state election to respond to each of the calls made in the document, and has published full responses from Labor, the Coalition, and the Greens. LIV president Tania Wolff thanked each of the parties for their response, observing that each of the 51 calls had been responded to in full. “We thank each of the parties for their willing and detailed engagement with the LIV on our calls to deliver an improved legal system in Victoria,” Ms Wolff said. Key themes emerged from each of the parties’ responses, including impacts felt on the system from the COVID-19 pandemic, and steps to take on the road to recovery. The LIV was particularly pleased to note all parties were in agreement about expanding resources to improve legal literacy in the community, advancing the Treaty process to support self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, and the importance of expanding the service of specialist courts and programs within the Victorian justice system. “The evidence illustrating the benefits of specialist courts and programs is clear now, and it is encouraging to see support across the political spectrum on this issue,” Ms Wolff said. The LIV will continually monitor progress on commitments made by the parties. “Regardless of who has the privilege to serve the Victorian people for the next four years, it is important that they are held accountable for the commitments they make. “We are encouraged that all parties understand the benefit of and are committed to continuing to engage across the sector to address the challenges facing the justice sector. “These calls and commitments have not been made lightly, and it is for the benefit of all who engage with our legal system that meaningful action is taken on them.”