The Advocate: September 2021 Edition by The Advocate

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ENVIRONMENT

Sydney athlete wins first Australian boccia Paralympic medal in 25 years

Tasmanian government lost in the woods as deer wreak havoc

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Kids can have cancer How improved early diagnosis methods can save our children’s lives

ELLIOT GOODYER Blood Cancer Awareness Month | Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

T took several months of GPs and specialists saying everything was completely fine before Samantha Dennoui first took her son Noah to the Monash Children’s Hospital Cancer Centre. “Noah came to me with a little lump right under his collarbone that you really, really had to dig for,” Ms Dennoui said. “I spoke to my mum because my brother died prematurely of cancer and she made me do a quick Google of symptoms and it was things like weight loss, fatigue and all the things he didn’t have.” Noah and his mum attended a GP to make sure it wasn’t anything serious and were told that he had no suspicious symptoms, that it was a swollen lymph node but to come back if it got worse. “Three weeks later he was walking past and I actually could see the lump as he

moved his neck, with all the tendons you could see it in between and I thought ‘I might need to go get it checked out again’,” Ms Dennoui said. After several months of waiting and monitoring the lump continued to grow. When Ms Dennoui entered the Monash children’s oncology ward, she received a call from their GP informing her that there was a large growth impinging his lung. “Noah has a mass on his lung running on the right side of his body and the mass in his neck is on the left side which is not what lymphoma normally does,” the oncologist said. The development of cancer in children is still poorly understood and without clear symptoms, early diagnosis remains a difficult medical problem. New research by the Leukaemia Foundation has revealed four in five

Australians aren’t confident they can identify blood cancer symptoms — while just under a third weren’t sure they would go to their doctor if they had symptoms.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

Blood cancer figures continue to rise year on year in Australia, with blood cancers combined recently confirmed to be the second most diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of cancerrelated deaths in the country. However, soon after the appointment, Noah’s health deteriorated suddenly; his skin turned grey, he complained of his hair burning, and he was nearly catatonic. In November 2019, he was diagnosed with a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Noah was given a range of treatment options including immunotherapy and chemotherapy. The doctor told the family ‘the protocol we’re about to give your son is the worst protocol we’ve got, it’s the absolute kitchen sink and we’re going to put him to the brink of death to bring him back but it has a one hundred per cent success rate’. Noah underwent six months of heavy chemotherapy followed by a gruelling 12 months of chemo maintenance therapy to combat a high chance of relapse specific to anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Noah is now in full remission with frequent tests to monitor his progress. Ms Dennoui said she had no idea what signs or symptoms she should have noticed when Noah first became unwell with cancer of the blood. “I don’t want what happened to us to happen to anyone else, where everyone was reassuring us,” she said. “I didn’t know the signs and even when the signs were there everyone was telling me it wasn’t a possibility. We almost lost him because everyone was so hellbent on the idea that children can’t have cancer.” September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Noah underwent six months of heavy chemotherapy followed by a gruelling 12 months of chemo maintenance therapy. Photo: Supplied

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Teenagers use App-based tools to find help for Psychological Distress CAROL SAFFER Mission Australia

TRESS, mental health, and body image are the most common concerns for Australia’s young people aged 15 to 19, with one in four experiencing mental health challenges, reports Mission Australia’s Youth Survey. The psychological distress in young people in Australia fifth biennial youth mental health report: 2012-2020, co-authored with Black Dog Institute, explores the responses of 25,103 young people in a survey measuring psychological distress in 2020. The study illustrated a considerable increase since 2012 when one in five teenagers were facing similar concerns. The survey was to discover how young people think, feel and act. The results have prompted both organisations to call on governments, schools, families, businesses and others, to prioritise increased activity and awareness on tailored, timely and accessible mental health support to combat the prevalence of mental ill-health in this age group. Mission Australia’s CEO James Toomey explains the survey’s methodology was a combination of scale questions, asking the respondents how they rate something on a scale of 1 to 10, and asking for open text answers to questions like ‘what would you look for in a counselling service.’ “We all have a duty to safeguard young people’s wellbeing and properly support the enormous number of young people contending with mental health challenges,” Mr Toomey said. “Every young person in Australia should have access to appropriate supports at the time they need it, regardless of their gender, location, background or any other circumstances, and most definitely under special circumstances like a global pandemic.” The survey noted the everyday barriers young people faced when seeking help are feeling scared or anxious, embarrassed, and thinking they could deal with it independently.

Black Dog Institute’s director of research, Professor Jennie Hudson, said global research shows that over 75 per cent of mental health issues develop before the age of 25, which can have lifelong consequences. “Early intervention in adolescence and childhood is imperative to help reduce these figures,” Professor Hudson said. “This report shows that young people in distress will seek help directly from friends, parents and the internet. “As such, we need to …… provide online and app-based tools that may be a key part of the solution.” Three out of the report’s nine recommendations focus on the roll of the education sector in online access for support. As most of the respondents spend the majority of their time at school if they want to seek help without their family or schoolmates knowing, it needs to be within

school time, not after hours or weekends. “The barriers to accessing support using an app is a very low-risk way of getting information,” Mr Toomey said. “The ease of connecting with a school counsellor, with the ability to slip into see them at lunchtime, is so much better than someone coming into the classroom saying you have an appointment now.” Fears about what they will ask me and what they want to know about me if someone notices me going to a psychologist are out of the way if the student is using a device. “Minimise the barriers and make it almost incidental in engaging with the support when needed,” Mr Toomey said. “They are invisible to others; they could just be logging onto their Instagram page and not searching for help.”

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Digital Resource hub unveiled for people with disability

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TIA HARALABAKOS IncludeAbility

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Uncredited images have been provided by the relevant charity or are from royaltyfree stock image sites. Thank you to the photographers who so graciously donated their images. Copyright © The Advocate 2021 Published by Helping Hands Media Published quarterly. Edition 3. Melbourne, Australia. September 2021

he Australian Human Rights Commission has launched an online portal that aims to increase employment opportunities for Australians living with disability. Put in motion on 1 September, the website contains a litany of versatile employment resources for open access, as a part of the National IncludeAbility program. Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Ben Gauntlett hopes the site will promote access and inclusion in the workplace. “The employment participation rate for people with disability is 30 per cent lower than people without disability,” he said.“It is vital that disability… play

a key part in any diversity discussion.” A report on the employment and economic outcomes of Australians with disability has driven the Commission’s focus on fostering meaningful employment opportunities. The report found nearly half of all employed people with disabilities had experienced unfair treatment or discrimination in the past 12 months. To address this workplace culture, the resource hub attempts to amplify the employment participation rate by focusing on ways to employ, retain and promote people with disability. Supporting this pursuit is the programs Employer Network, made up of 16 leading private and public sector employers committed to addressing workplace inequalities.

IncludeAbility Ambassador, Nathan Basha is an office assistant at radio stations Nova 96 and Smooth FM. Whilst Mr Basha lives with Down Syndrome, inclusion in the workforce has provided a sense of purpose and independence, both financially and personally. “[IncludeAbility is] an opportunity to unlock the potential of people with disabilities, transforming their lives and our own economy. I would like to also believe that my employment has helped in changing mindsets. “I think people seeing me do ordinary things has helped me break down longheld barriers.”

THE ADVOCATE | 3

Giant bird-eating centipedes are restoring ecological balance to Phillip Island

TOP READS

The humiliation of prolonged pain needs to be better understood ELLIOT GOODYER Chronic Pain Australia

ORE than fifty per cent of people living with chronic pain feel stigmatised because of their condition, according to new data released by Chronic Pain Australia. For Rachel O’Dowd, a slight twist of the ankle led to 18 months of chronic pain. A persisting limp led her through doctors’ and specialists’ offices until she was finally diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Senior Research Fellow at Curtin University Dr Darren Beales, a CRPS expert, said it is misunderstood because the condition’s cause is largely unknown. “CRPS is characterised by heightened pain, sensitivity and swelling, and changes in the colour and texture of the affected limb,” Dr Beales said. “It comes down to bad luck, but it’s kind of the worst pain disorder; you wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy.” Rachel spent her evenings on the couch, elevating her swollen foot, unable to sleep from the pain. The mysterious cause of her pain affected her mental health. “In the end, I was on antidepressants to sleep,” she said. “I would take it because I wasn’t sleeping from the pain much at all.” After eight months of ineffective treatment, she felt like it was all in her head. “You sort of think you’re going mad,” she said. Dr Beales said that “disbelief by healthcare practitioners, employers, and friends” was a common experience among people suffering from CRPS. He said this often leads to relationship breakdowns and undermines trust and engagement with the healthcare system. CRPS is so poorly understood because it is diagnosed by excluding other possible conditions. Dr Beales’ research group are now

developing an infographic to address “a real gap in not just information on CRPS in general but particularly on how that affects people’s lives and what strategies other people have found to be helpful.” Eventually, Rachel saw a podiatrist who recognised the symptoms from a patient some 25 years prior and referred her to a pain specialist specialising in CRPS treatment. “I had to do three spinal blocks over nine months,” she said. A spinal block is the injection of strong anaesthetics to block pain which can help manage symptoms and allow the condition to resolve. But even with the pain gone, Rachel

found her ordeal was not over as her brain stopped recognising the left side of her foot in preference to the right side. Dr Beales said this is not uncommon in people who have recovered from CRPS. “There’s graded motor imagery, so people with CRPS lose or have an interrupted connection with that part of their body in their brain.” Rachel’s advice for those dealing with chronic pain is to seek help when it begins. “I just kept going; like they’d tell me six weeks, and after the six weeks, I’d go see someone else,” she said. “A shred of wisdom that I should pass on is, when it hurts, get it seen.”

Chronic Pain Australia reveals that more than 50 per cent of people with chronic pain feel stigmatised.

Kids read books for fun while fundraising at the same time AMELIA COSTIGAN MS Readathon

HE forty-third MS Readathon commenced in August, with children encouraged to read as much as they can throughout the month to support an incredible cause. At the beginning of August over 24,000 people had already registered to take part in the readathon, and more than one million dollars had been raised. Since 1978 the annual event has fundraised to support families living with multiple sclerosis. The program provides funds for family camps and fun days, where kids who have a parent with MS can learn more about the

condition and bond with other children sharing the journey. Multiple Sclerosis is an incurable chronic condition involving the central nervous system and a weakening of the protective layer around nerve fibres. Multiple Sclerosis Ltd’s senior manager, individual giving Elizabeth Dorizac, said that since its inception, the reading challenge has made a significant impact on MS Research. “Australian researchers are continually discovering life-changing scientific breakthroughs and there are now six times more MS treatments available than there

THE ADVOCATE | 5

How disadvantaged women can overcome employment barriers CAROL SAFFER Fitted for Work

UPPOSE you are a woman looking for a job, been in and out of the workforce, passionate about clothing, committed to sustainability and looking for a career in retail with no experience. How do you crack an opportunity to achieve your desire? Fitted for Work, an independent notfor-profit organisation that champions and changes women’s working lives, is here to help. They are launching RED, a new Retail Experience Development program designed to assist women experiencing employment barriers. General Manager Amanda Carlile said the impetus for the new program came from their social enterprise retail outlet Conscious Closet which has sold pre-loved clothing and accessories online for 12 years. “We wanted to be able to offer work experience placements for women under 25 as the first step in a retail career,” Ms Carlile said. “Retail is a great career even if you have minimal experience or education because you can start at the grassroots level.” Fitted for Work has partnered with ELK, an ethical fashion label and leading fashion chain Taking Shape, for the program. RED kicks off with Reimagine Retail Webinar, a one-hour online event on Thursday, 26 August commencing at 12pm, where experts from ELK and Taking Shape will discuss the future of retail in a facilitated panel presentation. “They will share their expertise and provide in-store retail experience opportunities to participants,” Ms Carlile said. ELK’s people and culture manager, Katrina Bakht, said she looks for three attributes when hiring retail staff. “Firstly, the ability to go above and beyond in customer service is paramount,” Ms Bakht said. “Secondly, being able to work as part of

a collaborative, cohesive team environment is essential to our entire business. “I see the collaborative attitude as inherent; there needs to be an absence of ego. “[The candidate] does not necessarily need to demonstrate that skill; it’s the ability to respect and appreciate each other’s differences and support the whole team that is important. “But what sets a candidate apart is a passion for sustainability; this helps us engage with our customers and communicate more about our product.” Ms Bakht said ELK had supported many people who stepped into the business unskilled and with a significant [employment] gap in their work-life who still work with the team because their values align with the company. RED offers participants the ability to acquire the essential retail norms that will land that first job. The four-week work experience and learning placement program is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10.00am to 3.30pm in and around the Richmond area. Across the eight days, a range of topics, from designing a digital marketing project, merchandising and sales workshops, and work experience on the sales floor and warehouse, will be covered. Also included are developing social media skills, producing a tailored retail

resume and a LinkedIn profile, plus interview practice and outfitting. Head of people and culture at Taking Shape, Louisa Trombin, said clothing makes a woman feel great and so does Fitted for Work’s retail project. “We’re proud to be involved with their innovative programs that address barriers to employment and support women to gain experience and confidence through employment,” Ms Trombin said. “We want to open the doors to show the front line and the back office of the business. “Retail is not just working with customers in-store; there are so many roles and skills that complement our retail functions. “We want to help open the participant’s eyes in a practical sense through work experience which will complement the theoretical skills that Fitted for Work are providing.” Women will leave the program supported by a mentor, and via their work placement experience, they will be equipped and confident to apply for retail roles. The Jack Brockhoff Foundation, which exists to support the health and wellbeing of all Victorians, is a generous supporter of the Retail Experience Development program.

were 20 years ago. “In fact, the research community believe we could be as little as ten years away from stopping MS and undoing some of the damage caused by the disease,” Ms Dorizac said. Studies regularly show how vital reading is for academic and economic success, as well as for mental health. Indeed, some researchers have even found the reading of fiction to increase empathy. As reading abilities and engagement are altered by the digital age, young peoples’ relationship with books is changing. A 2019 study by the National Literacy Trust revealed that only 26 per cent of people under 18 read every day. The MS Readathon provides a fantastic opportunity for children to get stuck into

a book. “We saw participation numbers double to over 47,000 last year and we’re aiming for a high number of participants again this year,” Ms Dorizac said. Ms Dorizac praises the event as a chance for kids to stay connected during lockdowns when libraries are closed, and as a break from the strain of online learning. “The MS Readathon is one of the best ways kids can stay connected during lockdown; it’s a fun and rewarding program for kids to get involved in”, she said. “The digital element also connects kids to their friends and schoolmates, tracks their fundraising and recommends great books to read. “Reading is a great way to flex kids’

imagination, especially in what is a difficult period. “Getting lost in a good book is a great way to pass the time productively and throughout August it’s all for a good cause.!” Children can register to take part with their school or individually and keep track of their book tally on the MSReadathon website. Whether it’s reading two books or twenty, the readathon is a unique opportunity to nurture a love of reading while fundraising for a great cause. The 2021 MS Readathon involved more than 27,000 participants and raised over 2.3 million dollars for families living with multiple sclerosis.

Hope lies in therapy, not just medication CAMERON DOODY Anxiety Disorders Week

NXIETY Disorders Week, which ran from 4-10 August, aims to raise awareness of these conditions and learn from people who suffer with them how best to offer help. Lyn English is a mental health consumer consultant. A Member of the Order of Australia, her decades of dedication to groups like the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia make her a national treasure. But what really sets her apart is her bravery in talking about her own lived experiences of an anxiety disorder. “Anxiety is ultimately about fear, but you don’t realise it is; it’s not necessarily logical,” she said. She runs through some symptoms which differ in their intensity and frequency from everyday nerves. “It feels like you’re having a heart attack, like you’ve got pressure on your chest, like your legs are going to go from under you, or you’re going to faint,” she said. Lyn has two messages for governments, health authorities and the community. Firstly, don’t patronise people with anxiety disorders. “I do get annoyed by the statement, the worried well; for the people who have anxiety or panic disorders, it’s very hurtful,” she explained. “They’re not just worrying for nothing; this is very real and very frightening.” Secondly, increased funding is needed for more evidence-based programs like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and peer support, Rather than a system that relies on pills, Lyn is clear about the kind of mental healthcare policy she wants. “Mental health reform is still lacking the fundamental thing it needs, and that’s people [contributing to policy] who have travelled the journey,” she said. SANE Australia is one charity that puts peer support at the heart of its operations. CEO Rachel Green said it’s understandable many are doing it tough as a result of COVID-19. She said speaking up about anxiety and early intervention are vital. “In the last 12 months, we have seen the demand for our free counselling and online peer support services increase exponentially,” she said. “This reflects the need in our community for people to talk to someone and feel a sense of connection when there is so much uncertainty.” Rachel highlighted the features and support services on the SANE website. They include factsheets, a phone helpline, an online chat service and internet forums, all staffed by qualified counsellors and peer workers.

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HEALTH

Aphasia: a little known speech condition that cripples lives

RYAN FRITZ Speech Pathology Week

Cancer Council works towards making Gabi’s wish come true RYAN FRITZ Daffodil Day

EVENTY-year-old David George*, a retired naval architect of 45 years, suffered a stroke during his sleep. The next morning he was on the phone with his son. His wife, Michaela, noticed his garbled speech and rushed him to hospital. “I experienced no pain,” Mr George said. “I just had a sense of total confusion. I didn’t know who I was or where I was; it was very scary.” Mr George now suffers from aphasia, which affects a person’s ability to express and understand written and spoken language. “I was a person who valued my ability to talk and was quite talkative,” he said “I wasn’t able to order a coffee at a café because I couldn’t say the word: coffee. It’s been very difficult for me.” Speech pathologist Sam Harvey of La Trobe University in Melbourne believes that there are over 100,000 people living with aphasia in Australia. “That’s more than Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis combined,” Mr Harvey said. “Aphasia is a common problem after a stroke, but one out of 10 Australians have never heard of aphasia.” Mr Harvey believes that aphasia has changed David’s personal identity, impacted his personal relationships, and his ability to go back to work. “It causes a poorer quality of life than many other debilitating conditions like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease; Aphasia is worse so it’s a big problem,” Sam said. Speech Pathology Week, from 2228 August, aims to raise awareness of communication disability for the 1.2 million Australians who struggle to

converse. Speech Pathology Australia’s president Tim Kittel, wants Australians to know that communication is a human right, and support like speech therapy, is widely available. “If one in seven Australians are having difficulties understanding and using language, their entire ability to access and influence the world is impaired,” Mr Kittel said. “When people can communicate effectively, they thrive.” Children with communication disabilities are more likely to be suspended from school, and many people in juvenile and adult justice settings have a communication disorder. Intervention is required to drive improvement on health illiteracy and to spotlight associated injustices. “People who can’t communicate, who can’t understand information, or who can’t structure coherent arguments, are ultimately at risk of being overlooked, and not having their rights respected,” Mr Kittel said. For Mr George, speech therapy hasn’t always been accessible. When his primary speech pathologist in the Blue Mountains moved away, he was without a therapist for a number of months. “That made me upset when I found out David didn’t have access to a therapist,” Mr Harvey said. He invited David to contribute to his research into aphasia. “People like David will continue to get better if they have the therapy,” Mr Harvey added. He said the silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic was telehealth, providing

regional patients, like Mr George, greater access to a speech therapist. “Without COVID, I don’t think this therapy option would have been available to us,” Mr Harvey said. “Whether you live in Melbourne or Alice Springs, you should be able to have the therapy that you need. “Work needs to be done to make sure there’s equity in healthcare,” he said. Mr George’s speech is slowly improving as he practices his exercises every day at his computer. “Sam helped me enormously with my comprehension and speech over the many weeks when we were together on Zoom. “It was his research into aphasia that I found very beneficial,” he said. “Sam has been a very important component on my road to recovery, and I will be forever grateful to Sam.” One day Mr George again hopes, to have an articulate conversation with his wife on their daily morning walks, to read his science books, and play the piano. “I feel more confident with my speech now, but I’m not there yet,” he said. “The more therapy I have the better off I will be.” Speech Pathology Week, from 2228 August, aims to raise awareness of communication disability for the 1.2 million Australians who struggle to converse.

*David’s surname has been withheld for privacy reasons.

ODAY is Daffodil Day and Dawn Cunningham, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, is on a mission. She is honouring her late son and mother’s memory, who both passed away from cancer, to encourage Australians to donate to Cancer Council to fund lifesaving cancer research. Ms Cunningham, from Torquay in Victoria, lost her only son Gabi to NonHodgkin’s Lymphoma when he was just 14-years-old. “He was taken away from me after only 14 years,” she said. “It was much too short a time, but they were the most precious years of my life.” She finds August difficult as it is the month of Gabi’s birth and she always visits his grave to wish him a happy birthday. “I remembered the many months Gabi underwent chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and the times his hair would fall onto the bed,” Ms Cunningham said. “He was such an exceptional young man who was outgoing and affectionate. “He absolutely adored school and made lots of friends. “Gabi always wanted to be a pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force; that was his goal and he would’ve achieved it, but sadly it wasn’t meant to be.” Ms Cunningham, now in remission from breast cancer, raised thousands of dollars over the years for Cancer Council with Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser events. Her charity work is well-known in her local community. Cancer Council is the only charity in Australia that works across every area of cancer, from research to prevention and support. It is encouraging Australians this year to use their Flower Power to make a positive impact on the lives of people affected by cancer. Cancer Council Victoria’s head of fundraising and communication Lyrian Fleming-Parsley said the daffodil flower is recognised as a symbol of hope the world over. “Hope has always been at the heart of our mission,” she said. “Due to COVID-19, we lost close to $15 million in fundraising revenue in Victoria last year which means less money to fund our cancer research, prevention programs and support services. “After a year when we all felt a little powerless about the future, thanks to the pandemic, particularly for people undergoing cancer treatment, this year we’re determined to create a movement focused on empowerment.” Ms Cunningham hopes that one day Gabi’s wish will come true. “He wanted to get a cure for cancer,” she said. To donate to life-saving cancer research,

THE ADVOCATE | 7

Hero in life and death

Phoebe and Ethan with their dad John, who “came on all our school trips—he was just the most amazing dad.” Photo: Supplied.

SARA BOLST Donate Life Week

HEN former paramedic John Griffiths suffered a catastrophic brain haemorrhage after a fall, his teenage children were left with a daunting choice: should they honour his organ donor registration and donate his organs after his death? “It was a big question to put on a sixteenyear-old,” said Phoebe, now eighteen and in her final year of high school. “At the time you’re going through so much, so many emotions; you’re not in the right headspace to be making those decisions.” In Australia, the decision to donate your organs and tissue will ultimately fall to your family once you’ve passed away. As a registered donor, John had indicated his wishes before his death and knowing the dedication her father had to help those in need made Phoebe’s decision a little clearer. “He was the most amazing dad; he was such a kind soul,” Phoebe said. “His job was saving people’s lives, that’s what he did; so I feel like that final act of donating his organs is such a testament to what he did in his life. “I can say with so much confidence that it helped the grieving process, knowing that his last act was helping someone else.” Around 13 million Australians over the age of 16 are eligible to register as an organ or tissue donor but have not yet officially registered. DonateLife, an initiative by the Australian government, aims to change that by registering new organ donors.

Becoming a registered organ donor is a simple process that indicates your wish to be a donor after your death, regardless of health status, age, or lifestyle. While only about 2 per cent of those who die in hospital end up being eligible organ donors, every registration counts, and can be a matter of life or death. As blood and tissue types need to match for a transplant to be successful, registering donors from all communities and ethnic backgrounds is essential. Around 1,800 Australians are currently on the waitlist for an organ transplant, with a further 12,000 on dialysis who could benefit. Richard Betteridge was one of those on the waiting list. After two devastating false alarms, his dying liver was wreaking havoc on his kidneys and heart, and doctors told him his time was limited. Thanks to a third and finally successful organ donation, he recently celebrated his ‘liverversary’, one year since the liver transplant surgery that saved his life. “They told me I wouldn’t see Christmas, that was the scary thing about it,” Richard said. “Not only did I see Christmas, but I’ve also seen birthdays, and now I’m going to be a grandpa again. “I could never, ever repay what my donor has done for my family and me.” Since the national program began, more than 14,000 people like Richard have been given a new chance at life thanks to the gift of organ donation. And while Richard hasn’t been able

to connect with his donor’s family, he knows what he would tell them should the opportunity ever arise. “I would tell them that because of their loss, because of their courage, because they honoured the decision their relative made, they not only saved my life, they gave me a new life,” he said. When considering organ donation, the most important thing is to talk to your family about your decision. As the responsibility ultimately falls to them, families that have discussed organ

The killer in your kitchen CAMERON DOODY Lung Foundation Australia

NGINEERED stone benchtops might be reaping savings and prestige for homeowners and renovators, but they also wreak a terrible human toll on stonemasons. The people who work the stone to produce these benchtops, often without proper safety protections, are at risk of inhaling invisible silica dust. Silicosis, Lung Cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and a host of other severe medical conditions are

deadly results of creating the benchtops. In a June report, the National Dust Disease Taskforce acknowledged the incidence of silicosis is on the rise. Safe Work Australia puts the number of workers’ compensation claims for the disease at 388 between 2009 and 2019. Lung Foundation Australia said the surge in cases comes down to the housing boom and associated rise in demand for silica-containing benchtop materials. CEO Mark Brooke is encouraging people

to rethink the purchase of engineered stone for their homes. “We hope consumers vote with their wallets on this and that sentiment will change as people renovating or building their homes become aware of the implications of using these products,” Mr Brooke said. The National Dust Disease Taskforce warned the engineered stone benchtop industry it should face a ban on the product within three years if workers continue to be

donation previously are far more likely to agree to the donation process after a loved one’s death. For those still unsure about the process, Phoebe believes there’s an easy solution. “If you’re sceptical, just research; there are stories about people on the waiting list, or stories like mine where people have seen the joy that it can bring from a difficult situation. “If you hear the stories, I feel like it’s such an easy answer.”

inadequately protected. Mr Brooke welcomed recommendations that stonemasons receive enhanced screening measures against silicosis. However, he called for the government to implement a ban within two years, not three. “As for the industry, we urge those running businesses to immediately invest, in all ways possible, to improve the safety of workers,” Mr Brooke added. Cancer Council SA Community Education Coordinator Diem Tran said almost 600,000 Australian workers were exposed to silica dust in the workplace in 2011 alone. Of those, almost 6,000 will develop lung cancer in their lifetimes. “Not all exposed workers will develop cancer, but risk increases with long-term or repeated high-level exposure,” Ms Tran said. Lung Foundation Australia has released a new factsheet on living with silicosis. It also lays the blame for rising disease rates in workers at the feet of road-building, tunnelling and mining projects. The Foundation reminds stonemasons and their employers that early detection of the condition is vital. Although there is no cure, medical and self-treatment strategies including medication and healthy lifestyle choices may help to slow its progression.

8 | THE ADVOCATE

COMMUNITY

Don’t let your good cause die with you CAMERON DOODY Include a Charity Week

VER one hundred charities are encouraging Australians to leave gifts in their wills to ensure their ideals live on. Include a Charity Week, which runs from 6-12 September, aims to get people thinking about how the material legacy they’d like to leave behind when they’re gone could make all the difference to their favourite non-profit. CEO of Fundraising Institute Australia Katherine Raskob said a key part of the Week is an online ‘What Kind of Legend Are You?’ quiz. Anyone can take the quiz to understand how their life stories and values relate to some of Australia’s best-loved charities including Royal Flying Doctor Service and RSPCA, and how a gift from their estate can leave a lasting mark on the world. “The charities behind the campaign really run the gamut of causes – health and medical, children, refugees, the environment – so it’s quite easy for someone to take the quiz and find, ‘Yes, this is something I’d like to get behind,’” Ms Raskob said. Include a Charity Week’s tenth anniversary could hardly come at a better time for our non-profits, in the context of the ongoing lockdowns.

“Because of the pandemic, there has been an incredible increase in demand for [charity] services, but at the same time, income has fallen,” Ms Raskob said. She cited numbers from the latest JBWere NAB Charitable Giving Index, which found donations were down 16 per cent in 2020, bringing them back to 2016 levels, a problem given that a fifth of charity income comes through gifts in wills. Another obstacle to charity fundraising through bequests is that only half of Australians have written their will, with most of those preferring to leave their money solely to family. Ms Raskob urged people to reconsider those choices. “Even if it’s only one per cent of your estate, charitable giving has an incredible, lasting and tangible impact on a charity, and those gifts, when they come, are really transformative,” she said. “It’s not that Australians aren’t generous. “We respond really well to needs like bushfires, for example. “But in everyday consciousness we don’t think about the mark we want to leave and about what we can do to transform a charity, and that’s what Include a Charity Week is all about.” Seventy-five year-old author and

Two-thirds of Australians back Suicide Prevention Act CAMERON DOODY Suicide Prevention Australia

UICIDE prevention isn’t just a health issue, but instead requires government action across a range of policy areas. That’s the message from Suicide Prevention Australia on World Suicide Prevention Day this 10 September. The charity’s 2021 State of the Nation

report found 66 per cent of Australians agree the government should take a holistic and not just health approach to suicide prevention through a stand-alone Act. CEO Nieves Murray agrees. “Suicide prevention isn’t limited to health portfolios,” she said. “Housing is suicide prevention, employment is suicide prevention, finance is suicide prevention, and education is suicide prevention. “We’ve seen how quickly COVID-19 cases can get out of hand and we need to have the same national policy focus and vigilance to stop suicide rates doing the same.” Other findings from the State of the Nation survey include that one in four Australians say they know someone who has died by or attempted suicide. The biggest risks for suicide over the next year include social isolation, unemployment and relationship breakdowns. The State of the Nation report comes as Lifeline is organising a new Out of the Shadows campaign to raise awareness, challenge the stigma and create hope around suicide. In remembrance of the nine lives lost to

naturalist David Waterhouse has been giving to the WWF for almost sixty years, and he doesn’t plan on his generosity ending when he passes away. Mr Waterhouse intends to give from his estate to a range of charities including the Fred Hollows Foundation, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Birdlife International, but he said WWF holds a special place in his heart. As a young person growing up in the UK he collected cards in tea and bubble gum packets featuring exotic flora and fauna. “WWF was just about the first organisation to try to protect wildlife I heard about as a child,” said Mr Waterhouse. “It [WWF] is like an old friend, an old school friend, even though you pick up new friends along the way’” Mr Waterhouse recalled even in his lifetime whole forests in different parts of the world have been cleared and said that

human impact is a big factor behind his decision to make a bequest. “You’re never done [with conservation], you’re always at the barricades,” he said. “I realise it won’t be solved in my lifetime: population explosions [and] habitat clearing mean there will be more and more species on the endangered list. “Snow leopards, koalas, bilbies… to me these things are just as precious and should be looked after just like fine art, statues and architecture.” Mr Waterhouse understands those people who would prefer to leave their estate to their family, but he encouraged them to consider the range of good causes around. “If you’ve got a property and your grown children are doing alright and have good jobs, or you’re on your own and are childless, things like the WWF are well worth considering,” he said.

suicide in the country every day, Lifeline is encouraging Australians this Friday to take a walk, plant a thought and connect, listen and talk. That walk could be virtual, or it could consist of 3,318 steps to represent the number of suicides in the last reporting period in 2019, Lifeline said. The thought could be planted physically or in a Lifeline virtual garden, where flowers such as morning flags and magenta mists adorn digital dedications to lives lost to suicide. Connect, Listen and Talk is a compilation

of video, written and audio stories of hope beyond suicide available on the Out of the Shadows website. AFL player Archie Smith appears in a video to talk about the experience of losing his 21-year-old younger brother Sebastian to suicide in 2020. “You have to let someone know if you’re not feeling ok – there is hope and there is evidence that people do get better,” Mr Smith said.

Innovative Foster Care program expands across Australia TIA HARALABAKOS Foster Care Month

ZCHILD has launched Treatment Foster Care Oregon program (TFCO) in South Australia, just in time for Foster Care Month this September. Developed as an alternative to residential care, TFCO is a targeted intervention for children and young people who display complex and extreme emotions. These behaviours get in the way of healthy relationships with family members or long-term foster carers. Chief Executive Officer of OzChild, Dr

Lisa Griffiths said the aim of the program is to keep vulnerable youth out of residential care and into family homes. “Wherever possible children and young people should live within families, not staffed residential care facilities,” she said. “Children in residential care develop a whole range of unhealthy behaviours, most of which are unacceptable in society.” The TFCO program works towards providing consistent support, which is “often what kids are missing at that end of the system [residential care],” said Dr

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Boroondara locals look after their missing middle TIA HARALABAKOS Homelessness Week

The Boroondara Community Outreach Centre (BCO) provides ongoing support for the vulnerable, any time of the week. Photo: Instagram/ @bco.kew

VEN though Homelessness Week is officially over, Boroondara Community Outreach Centre (BCO) provides ongoing support for the vulnerable, any time of the week. The Outreach program, established in 1993 is a place of relief where hospitality and essential services can be accessed by the community’s vulnerable. Outreach Centre’s Coordinator, Reverand Natalie Dixon-Monu said the service is a grassroots organisation that supports the “missing middle.” “There was a need for people to have an individual focus, and the incredible need for people to have a place to connect and feel they belong,” she said. COVID-19 lockdowns in Victoria have forced communal spaces to become inaccessible, so places to connect and belong are few and far between. David, a 71-year-old homeless man, normally depends on public libraries and cafes for free shelter during the day. Victoria’s lockdown announcement on August 4, 2021, has blocked David from finding safety and shelter. “Essentially everything is closed, and because of that, I have difficulty finding places to go,” David said. Boroondara Community Outreach has adapted to the needs of people like David, offering up public spaces which “anyone living on the streets can come to,” said Rev. Dixon-Monu. On Mondays to Fridays between 11 am and 3 pm, vulnerable community members can access emergency relief and support at Uniting Church hall in Kew. “It has been really helpful,” said David. “I am able to stay during the day and access food and clothes… it makes me feel like I have a place to spend my days.” Rev. Dixon-Monu reflects on the lifealtering effects of access after an emotional experience with a homeless man. “We had a man rock up who needed to charge his phone that has been dead for days,” she said.

“Once the mobile was on, he found out his father has died… he came to me and completely broke down.” Aljazeera recently released an article stating more than 116,000 people are homeless at any given night in Australia. A Victorian parliamentary inquiry into homeless, in 2018 and 2019 found that one in every 57 Victorian’s has been accessing government-funded homelessness services. The numbers are presumed to have risen since then. The Victorian government this year adopted housing programs to protect homeless people from the pandemic, moving 7,000 rough sleepers into motels. The Victorian Government recently announced an extension of the program

until April 2022. Whilst government housing has been one avenue of support for the homeless and vulnerable, outreach centres like BCO have been essential for their myriad of services. Elizabeth, a volunteer who has been working at BCO “since the beginning” said humanity is part of the service. “Everyone is a human being… I acknowledge people, whatever state they are in,” she said. In the twelve months up to June 4, 2021, BCO provided 33,000 meals for families and individuals. “We figured that one of the best ways we could care for people in need, was to cook them really nutritious meals,” Rev. DixonMonu said.

Jane Stewart has been volunteering at BCO since May 2020 and makes approximately 150 meals per week for those in need. Food, for Jane, is not only a source of nutrients but an emotional experience, especially when flavour and smell unlock a memory. “I remember one of the men from Ivy Grange boarding house, to who I have been supplying home-cooked meals, said my food reminded me of his mother,” she said. “The way food can bring instant joy to someone makes me feel like I am really making a difference.” BCO is a locally run organisation that depends on and welcomes donations to continue serving people in need.

Griffiths. A nine to twelve-month placement with a specially trained TFCO foster carer is the first stage of the program. During this time, the child or young person is taught social learning and behavioural modification principles. “The premise is straightforward, you want to catch the child being good and positively reinforce this to create a desirable experience,” she said. “If the negative behaviours are somewhat ignored, and not encouraged, but the positive ones are enforced and rewarded, kids will begin to recognise that behaving in positive ways is desirable.” Real-life success stories, like Jane* who entered OzChild’s TFCO program when she was 12 years old, are evidence of the programs capacity to transform.

Due to a history of trauma, which resulted in a lack of trust with adults, Jane struggled following instructions and respecting rules. After six years in and out of home care, Jane was placed with TFCO carers for ten months. The program taught Jane how to manage her behaviours and afterwards provided a stepping stone to cultivate a positive relationship with her biological mother. OzChild’s South Australian and Queensland director, Estelle Paterson, believes the positive outcomes of TFCO are plentiful. “Benefits for the young people extend further than just preventing residential care placements,” she said. “They experience improved health and wellbeing, positive inclusion in community

activities and enhanced pro-longed social behaviours.” Ms Paterson is excited for South Australia to reap similar TFCO rewards. “Entry into South Australia really cements the incredible, life-changing outcomes being achieved,” she said. The South Australian State Government has backed the program, committing $3.8 million towards a two-year trial period. Minister for Child Protection, Rachel Sanderson said the South Australian Government is committed to supporting family-based care. “Children and young people in care have often experienced significant trauma, abuse and neglect and finding the right foster care placement for them can be challenging,” she said. “The Treatment Foster Care Oregon

trial builds on our commitment to support children and young people in care.” TFCO carers are trained specialists who work around the clock to keep children and young people out of residential care and back home. With 40 years of international evidence up its sleeve, the TFCO program is a story of ongoing success and has been backed by real and measurable outcomes in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. Every 45 minutes a child enters the Foster Care system in Australia, yet Dr Griffiths is confident that TFCO’s longterm benefits mean “effects of disadvantage are not irreversible.” *Name changed to protect privacy

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ENVIRONMENT

Mutant mice could solve NSW mouse plague ELLIOT GOODYER NSW Farmers Association

EW funding announced by the NSW government could save Australia’s grain belt from fatal mice infestations. Professor of Biomedicine at Curtin University Dr Paul Thomas will lead a team, in collaboration with the CSIRO and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, to undertake breakthrough genetic biocontrol research to target pest populations. Dr. Thomas said the project will explore two main approaches. The X-shredder approach eliminates sperm containing the X-chromosome, producing more male than female pups. “The x chromosome gets essentially chopped up into tiny pieces which means that those sperm don’t contribute to fertilizing the egg in the next generation,” Dr. Thomas said. “Over time you see a population crash because the number of females will eventually reduce further and further because only males are being born at each generation.” The Female fertility approach uses a modified gene ensuring female offspring will be infertile. NSW Farmers Association Vice President Xavier Martin says a solution couldn’t come sooner. “We just can’t keep tearing up money trying to control this, so we won’t plant that paddock, or we won’t plant all those paddocks, or in some cases farmers completely abandoned farms,” he said. Dr Thomas said the best scenario is to eradicate invasive mice completely without influencing the native population of mice. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who traditionally oppose genetic testing, support the research. “Biocontrol methods will reduce the countless number of mice suffering in traps and enduring slow, painful deaths while preventing the poisoning of the species who eat them.” For Dr Thomas, suppressing the population through natural mating is an ethical alternative to traditional poisonous baits. “The last major [mice plague] in New South Wales was in autumn 84,” Mr Martin said. “Mice just overran towns and villages and houses, and the roads just turned to fur; you know, you couldn’t see the bitumen on the road because there was that many mice carcasses.” For Mr Martin, the important thing is that it works. “We trust good science; we make a living out of healthy plants and healthy animals and that relies on good science.”

Take action to stop debris choking our waterways CAMERON DOODY Debris Month of Action

EPTEMBER is Debris Month of Action, with this year campaigners drawing particular attention to two huge threats, plastics and benthic litter, to our water environments. The month is an initiative of the PADI AWARE Foundation, a publicly funded not-for-profit global charity whose mission is to drive local action for global ocean conservation. Operations coordinator for the AsiaPacific Ian Amos encourages people to avoid utilising single-use plastics to stop polluting our waterways. He also sounded the alarm on the broader scale of the marine rubbish problem. “The issue is very bad and huge: out of sight and out of mind seems to be the case,” Mr Amos said. “While governments and citizens are working on the issue, more needs to be done, and rapidly. “Better waste management, better education on the issues and also being mindful of what we purchase and why.” To explain just how bad the problem of ocean contamination has become, Mr Amos pointed to some findings of PADI AWARE’s Dive Against Debris program. The project is notable for being entirely crowd-sourced from PADIcertified divers turned citizen scientists. More than 86,000 divers have taken part in 120 countries since the project began in 2011, reporting between them

over 1.8 million pieces of rubbish. “Around 70 per cent of all garbage and over 90 per cent of all plastics entering the ocean sinks to the seafloor,” Mr Amos said. According to marine debris campaign coordinator at Sea Shepherd Australia, Alison Hill, Australia produces 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, which works out to 100 kilograms per person, per year. “Around 130,000 tonnes of the plastic Australians consume leaks into the environment, and this is having serious impacts to many at-risk species such as marine turtles, seabirds and cetaceans as well as devastating marine environments,” Ms Hill said. “By 2050, it is predicted that the amount of plastic in our oceans will outweigh fish.” The scale of the plastic problem is one reason why Mr Amos and his colleagues are running a PADI AWARE Week from 18-26 September, in the hope of organising as many Dives Against Debris as possible around Australia and the globe. With the goal of saving the oceans not only from plastics but also from global warming and depletion of fish stocks. “I’m concerned about ocean temperatures rising, over-fishing and the knockon effects this has,” Mr Amos said. “Rising sea levels are an issue, especially in the Pacific.“Some habitats are being lost, so the protection they afforded the islands is also being lost and so storms and typhoons have a far worse impact than they would have had previously.” Ms Hill from Sea Shepherd, a charity which along with rubbish also focuses on

illegal fishing and protects sharks as part of its push for healthy oceans, said her group also harnesses the power of citizen science. For example, the way crew members and volunteers document and audit every piece of waste they pick up in their beach clean-ups. A recent Sea Shepherd campaign on Christmas Island saw crew members clear 975 kilograms in a single day. “We hope this data inspires change for the adoption of more environmentallyresponsible behaviours and a reduction in littering, pollution and waste,” Ms Hill said. Project officer at OceanWatch Australia, Siobhan Threlfall, said her organisation’s message this month is that everyone can play a part in cleaning up our water environments.

How solar lights help pave the way towards an illuminated future TIA HARALABAKOS SolarBuddy

ussie charity SolarBuddy wants to give six million solar lights to children living in energy poverty by 2030. The bold initiative aligns with 17 Sustainable development goals curated by the United Nations, in particular, “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” by 2030. There are four spheres of life impacted by energy poverty. SolarBuddy titles these ‘four pillars of energy’ as education, health, economic standing, and environmental longevity. SolarBuddy’s solution to sustaining the pillars is a renewable energy powered light. Chief Executive Officer of SolarBuddy, Mr Simon Doble created the light in 2015 and is continuously inspired by the impact of illumination. He reflects on a poignant experience at a Somalian refugee camp, after bringing a woman and her children out of povertystricken darkness.

“She had seven children and had gone through the horrors of civil war and persecution to get to where she was…,” he said. “Up until that moment of me installing a renewable energy source, she still had to venture out of the refugee camp and back into a war zone to get fuel and other resources for her family. When I turned the light on for the first time, she held my hand in gratitude… that will never leave me.” Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Mr Fatih Birol said in an interview with Time Magazine that “solar energy is going to play a huge role in improving energy access… it’s one of the best ways to meet the challenges off the grid.” Mr Doble found that refugee sites are remote and lack a direct power source, thus solar is the common-sense approach to battling energy poverty. The organisation has developed two solar

light designs known as the JuniorBuddy and StudentBuddy in response to this, with a third on the way. To achieve the six million vision, Solar Buddy has also created education and corporate engagement programs that allow members of the community to contribute to eradicating energy poverty. The program combines SolarBuddy education with curriculum-based activities that allow students to understand the problem and contribute to the solution. Each student is taught to put together their own solar light and accompany the piece with a personalised letter that will reach a child in need and which Mr Doble calls the ‘icing on the cake.’ The issue of energy poverty reached global attention in 2010, at the World Economic Forum where it was defined as a lack of access to sustainable modern energy services and products that are affordable, safe, and environmentally sound. SolarBuddy has outlined the educational

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A diver on a PADI AWARE Dive Against Debris © PADI AWARE Foundation

today it will make a big difference for the future of our oceans.” Ms Threlfall acknowledged it is easy to get discouraged by the sheer number and complexity of the threats our oceans are facing, which include not only the waste that originates on land but also the nets and other equipment lost by fishing operations at sea. However, she prefers to emphasise the scale of the work already being done to minimise the damage. OceanWatch is making progress with its habitat restoration projects, which include the rehabilitation of shellfish reefs and urchin barrens particularly on the NSW South Coast.

Another success is the organisation’s Tide to Tip clean-up campaign, which the group is now organising for 2022. These clean-up events, organised nationwide in concert with the oyster industry, have already seen 495 volunteers remove 22,550 kilograms of debris from estuaries in NSW and Queensland in 2020 and 2021. Sea Shepherd’s Ms Hill also emphasised the importance of action in the face of the marine debris problem and celebrated the enthusiasm and passion for the ocean antidebris volunteers show. She invites people to join the beach clean-ups the group is organising around Australia on Facebook. .all throughout Debris Month.

Tasmanian government lost in the woods as deer wreak havoc CAMERON DOODY Bob Brown Foundation

“Whether you’re in lockdown or not you can start making changes this month to help solve our marine debris crisis,” Ms Threlfall said. “Anything from refusing single-use plastics, repurposing items, taking up plogging [jogging and picking up rubbish], bringing awareness to the issue… be it big or small any action makes a difference.” Ms Threlfall explained that OceanWatch is currently investigating pollution in estuaries and specifically, the scarcelyresearched benthic litter that falls to the bottom of these bodies of water. “This subset of litter is not as well understood as most clean-up/litter prevention work usually focuses on floating or shoreline litter,” Ms Threlfall said.

The technology OceanWatch is deploying on the project, which includes remotely-operated vehicles and live camera feeds, is crucial given the huge threat to our waterways. “[Debris is] one of the biggest issues facing the marine environment today,” she said. “We’ve had positive steps recently from the federal and state governments, with commitments being made that should help improve the issue of marine debris which have been great to see, for example, the National Plastic Plan and the NSW Plastics Action Plan. “But everyone has a role to play in solving… the issue. “If everyone takes small steps

benefits of solar lights for students in energy impoverished regions, like the ability to study for 78 per cent longer and feel an overall sense of safety. “When turning the light on, there is a direct intuition that you are going to be safer,” Mr Doble said. A report by Our World Data found that 940 million people did not have access to electricity in 2020, meaning 13 per cent of

the world continue to live without safe and reliable lighting. SolarBuddy distributes to the Dominican Republic, Cambodia, and Zimbabwe. To conquer energy poverty and contribute to the six million movement, SolarBuddy calls for collaboration and partnership.

ERVINE pests are destroying the environment, farms, Aboriginal heritage and the economy due to the authorities’ inaction on the Apple Isle. The claim in a report issued by The Invasive Species Council accompanied a warning that a million feral deer could be running amok over 54 per cent of Tasmania by 2050. That’s a projected increase of 11.5 per cent annually from the 100,000 deer invading 27 per cent of the state today. Report author Peter Jacobs urged premier Peter Gutwein to take the environmental and economic emergency seriously. He said feral deer could soon cost even more than the estimated $100 million hit to the economy they cause every year. “If the government doesn’t alter course, the losers will be the Tasmanian environment, tourism, community and the economy,” Mr Jacobs said. Christine Milne of the Bob Brown Foundation, which commissioned the report, said the spread of deer in Tasmania is an ecological time bomb. “Just because the Tasmanian government wants to pretend we remain a far-flung outpost of the Empire and copy the recreational trophy hunting habits of the 19th-century British aristocracy doesn’t mean we should sacrifice our environment

and farming community,” Ms Milne said. Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association CEO John McKew said although his group wasn’t consulted during research for the new report, it is ready to be a proactive part of the solution. “Deer don’t discriminate between a natural forest and farmland,” he said. “They will run and cause problems across all of these areas. “Their numbers are not diminishing, they’re growing, and their impact on our members is also growing. “But deer are not the only problem we have.” The Invasive Species Council report recommends reducing Tasmania’s deer population to 10,000 by 2032. It also proposes 28 points of action to stop the damage deer are doing to the state’s natural, societal and agricultural jewels. Those points include a petition to the Tasmanian government to allocate $1.65 million annually until 2025 towards deer management, alongside $150,000 every year from the federal government. “If the Tasmanian government fails to heed this wake-up call, rocketing feral deer numbers will take an increasingly heavy toll on the Tasmanian economy and the emotional welfare of farmers,” Mr Jacobs said.

12 | THE ADVOCATE

INTERNATIONAL

Australia has a responsibility to Afghan refugees

SARA BOLST Asylum Seeker Resource Centre

Iraqi villagers banished over minister’s ISISlinked family feud ELLIOT GOODYER Human Rights Watch

HE Australian government’s response to the escalating refugee crisis in Afghanistan has been grossly inadequate, argues the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Thousands of Afghans are at risk following the Taliban’s takeover of the capital and last remaining stronghold, Kabul. Women, journalists, human rights activists, and ethnic and religious minorities are among those fearing for their lives as the Taliban has taken control of the country. In a press conference earlier this month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison conceded that the Australian government would not be able to help all those who had assisted Australian troops. “I know that support won’t reach all that it should,” Morrison said, referring to his government’s plan to evacuate around 600 Australian citizens, family members, and locally engaged employees from Kabul. “On the ground events have overtaken many efforts… we wish it were different.” Minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, and Hazaras were already experiencing attacks even before the withdrawal of US and NATO troops. These incidents have only intensified, with targeted killings and bomb blasts in Hazara communities. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), a human rights organisation for people seeking asylum in Australia, is calling for a substantial resettlement plan that covers all those at risk of violence and death from the Taliban, not just those who

have assisted military interests. ASRC organiser Barat Batoor said this meant that many in Australia’s large Hazara population have close relatives in danger. “There are thousands of people in the Australian community who have family members at grave risk right now from the Taliban,” Batoor said. “We need to know what the Australian government is doing alongside the international community to protect people in this emergency. “As an Australian-Hazara, I call on the Australian government to respond to this international humanitarian crisis urgently with a clear plan to evacuate and protect as many as possible, especially those most at risk from the harm of the Taliban.” There is precedent for a response of this size: the Australian government previously provided an additional 12,000 humanitarian visas to people fleeing Syria in 2015. The ASRC maintains this precedent should be matched to bring most at risk from the Taliban to safety in Australia. Canada has recently committed to taking in up to 20,000 Afghan refugees and the US is accelerating visa application processes, yet Australia has only provided 640 protection visas since 15 April. ASRC’s director of advocacy and campaigns Jana Favero, said the organisation is calling for an increase in humanitarian visas on top of existing annual refugee intake commitments. “Australia needs a transparent and effective plan for a substantial emergency intake of people at risk from the Taliban,”

Favero said. “The Morrison government has routinely cut Australia’s refugee intake, and in the most recent budget intake it was capped at only 13,750. “Any increase in the humanitarian visas from Afghanistan must be additional and cannot be in lieu of annual commitments.” On Tuesday, 17 August, the government announced a reprieve for Afghan nationals already in Australia. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke stated that no Afghans on visas would be asked to return to Afghanistan “while the security situation there remains dire.” Despite this change, no commitment has been made for permanent protection through residency pathways. As of 9 September, Australia has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan after evacuating around 3,500 people, including more than 100 who had previously been evacuated to other locations from Afghanistan. The evacuation included 32 flights, with the last arriving in Darwin on 8 September. “Of those 3500, some 2500 are women and children in one of the most desperate and most dangerous parts in the world,” the Prime Minister said. He announced that the plan will now move into the humanitarian program as the next phase, which will involve bringing people to Australia.

INETY-ONE Iraqi families have been illegally expelled from al-Aetha village north of Baghdad over an alleged ‘familial feud’ involving Defence Minister Juma Inad in August. Minister Inad has reportedly punished his brother, Abdulrazaq Inad, for marrying the widow of a member allegedly linked to the Islamic State, by confiscating government issued vehicles and forcibly removing families from al-Aetha. Iraqi armed forces transported villagers to one of the camps assembled to house internally displaced persons (IDP) in Nineveh Governate, close to the final battleground of ISIS’s failed push to form a regional caliphate. Human rights groups criticised the Kadhimi administration’s closure of IDP camps across Iraq which were home to a high contingent of ISIS militant’ families. Human Rights Watch senior crisis and conflict researcher Belkis Wille said Iraqi authorities have a long history of forcibly rotating communities in and out of camps claiming it to be “for their protection or in their best interests”. “But the case of these villagers being ping-ponged between their village and displacement camps is yet again proof that these evictions are often about the authorities’ personal or political considerations rather than the wellbeing of those affected,” Ms Wille said. One villager told Human Rights Watch that when he asked one of the soldiers why they were being evicted, the soldier said, “it’s because of some problem between you villagers and the [defence] minister.” “We are being blamed for something we had no part in. We are powerless victims.,” the villager said. It is unclear from reports as to why Inad would undertake such extreme measures. On August 10, Human Rights Watch spoke to a representative from the Ministry of Displacement and Migration who did not provide any justification for the evictions. Ms Willie said the notion that a government minister can without justification kick hundreds of people from their homes is shocking. “These families have been suffering for years at the hands of a government that has endorsed and sometimes participated in a range of collective punishment measures against them,” she said. In a November 2020 report published by Amnesty International it was revealed that Iraqis with perceived ties to the Islamic State continue to be subjected to “arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and unfair trials”. Within that report Abed, a young local man released from Asayish detention said that being held in indefinite detention without charge is commonplace in Iraq.

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Ethiopian children will starve and die as violent carnage continues ELLIOT GOODYER UNICEF

ASS child starvation is expected to rise tenfold in Ethiopia’s conflict-ridden Tigray region as warfare continues to shatter emergency supply lines. In 2019, Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed claimed to distance the country from tense and longstanding ethnic nationalism by condensing regional parties into a nationally representative Prosperity Party. Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the previous ruling party of Ethiopia, refused to join the ruling Prosperity Party until violent tensions erupted in November 2019 as insurgencies to control Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, made rape and extrajudicial killings a daily occurrence. UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado now estimates that over 100,000 children in Tigray could suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition over the next twelve months. “Screening data also indicates that 47 per cent of all pregnant and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished,” she said. “These alarming rates suggest that

mothers could face more pregnancyrelated complications, increasing the risks of maternal death during childbirth as well as the delivery of low-birth-weight babies who are much more prone to sickness and death.” On 28 June 2021, Tigrayan forces recaptured the provincial capital of Mekelle, forcing a unilateral ceasefire on Abiy Ahmed’s federal government, which cited the provision of essential aid as a key justification. Bloodshed has now begun to spill over into neighbouring Afar region with UNICEF reporting that over 200 people, of which more than 100 are children, were slaughtered at a health facility on Thursday 5 August in which crucial food supplies were also destroyed. UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said more than 100,000 individuals have been newly displaced by the recent fighting, adding to the 2 million people already uprooted from their homes. “The humanitarian catastrophe spreading across northern Ethiopia is driven by armed conflict and can only be resolved by the parties to the conflict,” she said.

World Food Programme’s corporate response director for Tigray Michael Dunford said 90 per cent of the Tigray population will need emergency food assistance. “People in Tigray are suffering due to lack of humanitarian support over the past month – we need to reach them now before they fall into famine,” he said.

“WFP is calling for all parties to agree to a ceasefire and guarantee an unimpeded flow of humanitarian supplies into Tigray so that we can deliver life-saving food and other emergency supplies safely before it’s too late.”

“The target is on [the] Hazaras,” she said. “We look different, our religion is different, and as long as my grandparents can remember we have been a minority. “We have never been accepted by Afghan people.” Three explosions killed nearly one hundred Hazara schoolgirls in Kabul in May. Like Dr. Salehi, Ms Qarar believes the empowerment of Afghan women is an indelible right that is in jeopardy under Taliban control. “It’s getting better,” she said. “Or it was; Hazara communities especially encourage women to go to universities. “Because we don’t have power in government, education is the only tool that Hazaras have to develop and improve and make a better life for ourselves.

“To make this generation better than the last.” Australia is home to over 50,000 Hazara people, many of whom fled Afghanistan when the Taliban first took power in the 1990s. As an ethnic group that hold liberal values and promote education, the Hazara’s pose a challenge to Taliban dogma and are now at a significant risk. Avenues to support Afghanistan in this complicated time are plentiful. The Afghan Australian Development Organisation is seeking donations via its website, which go directly to Afghanistan to support its educational projects. “It’s against humanity if they don’t help,” Ms Qarar said. “All anyone can do now is escape. “And leaving your own country is the hardest thing to do.”

Australia’s Afghan community fear for women and Hazaras now under Taliban control AMELIA COSTIGAN

HE US-led war in Afghanistan came to a swift close in August as Taliban fighters seized power in Kabul. Following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan after twenty years of occupation, cities fell to the Taliban in rapid succession and the country was plunged into turmoil. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended Australia’s participation in the war in Afghanistan. “It’s always Australia’s cause to fight for freedom, and whatever the result, whatever the outcomes of that, Australians have always stood up for that,” he said. The brutal rule of the Afghan Taliban in the 1990s was marked by the imposition of strict Islamic law which forbade women from appearing in public unveiled, required male guardianship, and severely limited women’s access to education. Founder of Afghan Australian Development Organisation Dr Nouria Salehi AM has worked tirelessly to provide Afghan women with opportunities for education. “In 2002 when the Taliban fled, I went to Afghanistan with one aim: to take part

in education, especially science education,” Dr Salehi said. Dr. Salehi is a scientist and humanitarian who established the iconic Afghan Gallery Restaurant in Fitzroy in 1983. The Afghan Australian Development Organisation began science teacher training programs in 2007 with the support of the Afghan government. “Between 2007 and today we trained 4700 science teachers in seven provinces.” Dr Salehi said “This is my aim, my goal, and my dream. “I don’t want to stop. “Today as we speak, we have five projects running for women. “They are in class this week.” Western intervention in Afghanistan enabled a generation of Afghan women and girls to safely access education, but many fear the return of the Taliban may mean the gains of the last two decades will be eroded. Tamanna Qarar is a Hazara woman and structural engineer who left Afghanistan in 2014 to pursue civil engineering studies at RMIT University. Ms Qarar fears for the Hazaras, an ethnic group who have long been persecuted in Afghanistan and have been the target of recent Taliban attacks.

14 | THE ADVOCATE

OPINION

I celebrated my tenth birthday behind bars CAROL SAFFER

n August 1962, I turned ten in the isolation ward at Melbourne’s Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. It wasn’t jail, but it felt like it was; I was alone, scared and hadn’t seen my mum for three weeks. Yesterday, when I read about the #RaiseThe Age campaign calling on governments to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to at least 14, all my memories came flooding back. I was admitted to the hospital in July that year, having been diagnosed with

whooping cough. I could not join the other kids in the children’s ward because my two younger siblings were at home suffering from chickenpox, and I might be contagious. Therefore, I spent almost five months in quarantine. Viewed through my 10-year-old eyes, the 1800’s architecture of the hospital was reminiscent of Pentridge Jail, the bluestone penitentiary in Coburg. I wasn’t allowed to go home, and it was a long, arduous journey for my mum and

dad, who didn’t own a car to visit. My mum left my nine-year-old sister and five-year-old brother home on their own and walked almost a mile (in those days) down our street to the bus to take her to Bentleigh station, change trains at Flinders Street for Fairfield, then walk another half a mile to the hospital. It was a three-hour journey each way. I cried with happiness every time she arrived after that trek. The thought of this country’s governments, state and federal incarcerating kids the same age as I was then is terrifying and abhorrent to me. I urge you to sign the petition to raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years. A coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, medical and human rights legal experts launched the #RaiseTheAge campaign calling on all Australian governments to change laws that can lead to the imprisonment of 10-yearold kids. I agreed wholeheartedly with Public Health Association Australia CEO Terry Slevin when he said, “criminalising the behaviour of children as young as ten might in itself be considered a systemic crime.” “It helps no one…it leads to devastating and lifelong health impacts via years of involvement with the criminal justice system.” “We must do better; we need to support these children and their families, to get them back to school, not expose them to the trauma of being locked up.”

Victorians have experienced lockdown and isolation due to the Corona Virus. We have suffered mental health anxieties because of separation and loneliness. Imagine going through all of that at age ten because you are in jail. Change the Record Co-Chair Cheryl Axleby is right when she said, “Locking children up can cause lifelong harm.” “The medical evidence is clear - kids are still developing at 10, 12 and 13 years old and need to be in school, at home and with their peers, not behind bars,” she said. In just one year across Australia close to 600 children aged 10 to 13 years were locked up, and thousands more were hauled through the criminal legal system. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children account for 65 per cent of youngsters currently in prison. Ms Axelby points out that Aboriginal children are being taken from their families and thrown into detention centres at far higher rates than the rest of the population. “If governments are being honest when they say they want to end the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in prisons and end deaths in custody, then they must raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 and stop the criminalisation of our kids,” she said. Looking back, I recognise my mum’s courage and fortitude, and I acknowledge the pain my dad felt being able only to visit me once. I wasn’t in jail, but I do not wish this isolating experience on anyone at ten years of age.

Time for a universal basic income

CAMERON DOODY

AM in favour of a universal basic income. So are 77 per cent of Australians, according to a new Anglicare survey. Basic income schemes propose citizens and residents receive government payments that are universal, unconditional and adequate enough to live about the poverty line. A YouGov poll commissioned by the Green Institute last year also found 58 per cent of citizens back a basic income. Like all those in favour, I believe the idea makes good social, economic and political sense. As someone stuck on the Jobseeker payment for the past five months, I have seen first-hand how cruel the system is. Like hundreds of thousands of others around the country looking for work, I struggle to make ends meet on government support. Life is not much better for casual and underemployed workers, with two out of every five Australians reporting they experienced income insecurity in the past year. Add to that Australia’s nearly worldleading levels of personal debt and it’s an

explosive combination. My plight and that of others like me is the result not only of our broken social security system but of our inflexible and unresponsive labour market as well. Though I would be content to change careers, the fact just 12 per cent of job vacancies are for entry-level positions not requiring particular skills and experience means I would likely need to retrain, an option I can ill afford. Meanwhile, as millions like me are looking to work or to work more, many people already in jobs want to work less. Their desire to downshift might be motivated by a plan to engage in unpaid care work, demand for which is projected to grow by 23 per cent by 2030. Men in particular looking to reduce their hours might be spurred on by a wish to help out more at home, given that on average they have 99 free hours a year more than women. A universal basic income would solve all of these problems and lead to other additional benefits, according to the Anglicare results. Were they to receive a basic income, 38 per cent of Australians say they would use

the money to reduce their debt and save more, while 18 per cent say they would donate to charities. Twenty-two per cent say with money worries behind them they would spend more time volunteering, and an equal amount say they would engage in unpaid care work for family and friends. That all sounds attractive to me, and a far better use of my time and talents than the disheartening and futile struggle of meeting an arbitrary number of “mutual obligations” job applications. Critics of basic income schemes say they’re a disincentive to work, but the Anglicare conclusions tell a different story. Just 12 per cent say they would reduce their paid work hours, while 20 per cent say they would further their education to better position themselves in the workforce. As for where the money to fund the new policy might come from, proponents say the cost could be recouped from targeted taxes on wages, rents, investments and business profits. It’s also worth considering how ripe this country is for a redistribution of its wealth. Nearly two-thirds of our riches are in the hands of the most well-to-do 20 per cent,

according to ACOSS numbers. Where there’s a will there’s a way, as Jobkeeper and the COVID supplement showed. Anglicare is in favour of a universal basic income, and so are two-thirds of Australians like me. The Anglicare and YouGov numbers show the idea is gaining traction. It’s time for the government to implement such a scheme without delay.

THE ADVOCATE | 15

SPORT

Sydney athlete wins first Australian boccia Paralympic medal in 25 years CAROL SAFFER

A Paralympic Games to remember Paralympics Australia

USTRALIAN Paralympian Daniel Michel and his ramp assistant Ashlee McClure took out the men’s BC3 individual Bronze Medal for boccia yesterday in Tokyo. The pair defeated Great Britain’s Scott McCowan 6-1, achieving Australia’s second-ever boccia Paralympic medal – and the country’s first individual boccia win. Mr Michel said he was excited to win the first boccia medal for Australia in 25 years. “It’s a massive achievement,” he said. “I’m happy I was able to pull it out.” Athletes with severe physical impairment, competing in a wheelchair with an assistant, throw, kick or use a ramp device to propel leather balls along the court floor to get as close as possible to the jack, a white ball. Mr Michel, born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, an inherited neurological muscular condition, has played boccia for ten years. SMA is a physical condition only, affecting the motor neurones in the spinal cord that control the body’s muscle movement, including head control, arm and leg movement, and the actions of breathing, coughing and swallowing. The BC3 classification is for players who have the most significant limitations. Boccia tests each competitor’s degree of muscle control and accuracy; in addition, it also requires technical skill and tactical intelligence The sport was introduced to the Paralympics in 1984.

Mr Michel said finding out about boccia was an eye-opener. “I had never been able to take part in sport due to my severe physical impairment,” he said. “Despite my disability, I have always had a keen passion and love for sport, and boccia provided me with an outlet to express that.” The importance of boccia as a Paralympic sport can’t be exaggerated, Mr Michel said. “It demonstrates the abilities the most physically impaired members of our community have to be successful through sport.” Australian head coach Ken Halliday said Dan is always thinking about the game. “He’s a very intelligent guy and uses that to work through the game and tactics and strategies,” Mr Halliday said. “It’s paid off for him.” SMA Australia’s CEO, Julie Cini, describes Daniel as a phenomenal sports person. “Many people with SMA have above average intelligence, and even though he has a disability, Dan’s thinking game is remarkable,” Ms Cini said. “He excels at the battleground tactics the game requires. “His physical disability means he pushes the ball with a stick in his mouth down a ramp. “The biggest message is it doesn’t matter what your disability; you are valued in society, and we want to see what you have to offer.”

ven before Madison de Rozario breathtakingly held off Swiss world record holder Manuela Schaer after 42.2 kilometres of racing to win the Marathon T54 – Australia’s final gold medal of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – the Australian Paralympic Team had produced perhaps the most courageous and successful campaign in the nation’s 61-year Games history. Against unprecedented odds, not least the massive disruption caused by the COVID pandemic over nearly two years leading up to Tokyo 2020, Australia’s elite Para-athletes won 80 medals to finish sixth on the overall medal tally and 21 gold to come eighth on the gold medal count. “I’m so incredibly proud of every member of this Team for what they’ve produced in the face of a lead-in to the Games that was more difficult than any Australian Team has experienced before,” Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin said. “A lot gets spoken about the resilience and determination of Para-athletes. “But I don’t think those qualities have ever been more clearly displayed than by this incredible Team over not just these two weeks here in Tokyo, but right throughout this five-year Games cycle. “Congratulations to every one of our awesome Para-athletes. You have performed brilliantly on the world stage and carried yourselves with dignity and class, truly demonstrating the best of the Australian Paralympic movement. “I’d also like to express my deep thanks to all the people who worked relentlessly over many months to put in place the very complex logistics that made this campaign possible.” Paralympics Australia Chief Executive Lynne Anderson said: “Sending this Australian Team to the 2020 Paralympic Games was a colossal effort. It could not have been achieved without the incredible level of cooperation and teamwork we saw between so many people in Australia and Japan. “On behalf of Paralympics Australia and our wonderful Para-athletes, I’d like to say an enormous thank you to the Japanese people for being such gracious and kind hosts to our Team and staff. We

will forever be grateful that they delivered on their promise to hold an exceptional Paralympic Games. “I’d also like to thank the Government of Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and TOCOG for all their commitment to staging Tokyo 2020. Their dedication to ensuring a safe and successful Paralympic Games under such challenging circumstances will be long remembered and appreciated by all of us within Australia’s Paralympic movement. “A sincere thank you also to the Australian Federal Government and various agencies for their guidance and support throughout this campaign. A special thank you, as well, to the Australian public, whose support from afar was never more needed and appreciated. “I’m so proud of what we’ve collectively achieved, bringing joy to millions of people, showing that inclusion and diversity are strengths to be embraced and highlighting the very best of humanity.” Australian competed in 18 of the 22 sports on the Tokyo 2020 program. There were numerous highlights. In Para-swimming: Australia finished with 33 medals, including eight gold, 10 silver and 15 bronze, four more medals overall than at Rio 2016. In wheelchair tennis: Dylan Alcott successfully defended his quad singles gold medal from Rio 2016, with an emotional victory over Sam Schroder of the Netherlands in the final. In Para-athletics: Despite lacking elite competition after the 2019 World Championships, the Australian Para-athletics Team achieved two world records, six personal bests and 18 season bests. The team won four gold medals, up from three at Rio 2016, seven silver medals and eight bronze. In Para-cycling: Australia won six track cycling medals, including three gold, and seven road cycling medals, including one gold. Visit the Paralympics Australia website for more Games highlights.

16 | THE ADVOCATE

SPORT

Mental health risks rank high among athletes during the pandemic

ELLIOT GOODYER Eating Disorders Victoria

NE in three current and former athletes are struggling with troubling relationships to food and worsening body image during the pandemic, according to new research published by Swinburne University. The University’s lead researcher Dr Georgina Buckley found current and former athletes are a particularly high-risk group for disordered eating. “Disordered eating is essentially the subclinical state of eating disorders that occurs along a continuum of body dissatisfaction and a complex relationship with food,” Dr Buckley said. “Treatment for disordered eating presents a far higher success rate for intervention as opposed to a clinical eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.” Athletes are already shown to be an atrisk group with the chance of developing an eating disorder twice that of the general population. In the Swinburne study, one athlete described feeling a sense of guilt when seeing other people’s fitness updates online. Another former athlete told researchers that controlling food became a coping mechanism during the pandemic. “In this chaotic time, I have found food to be a pillar of control,” they said.

So, I feel as if I am exerting greater control over aspects of my diet which is getting somewhat stricter than normal.” The study points to online pressures amongst athletes’ communities to approach food and their bodies in the same structured way as they approach their respective sports. About one in 20 Australians has an eating disorder and this rate is increasing, with approximately 15 per cent of Australian women experience an eating disorder during their lifetime, according to the National Eating Disorders Collaboration. “They’re seen as almost super humans above non-athletes and for much of their food and body relationship they’re treated like robots where they’re expected to eat how they train,” said Dr Buckley. “I think there’s not enough emphasis for athletes and former athletes, as well, to have pleasure, enjoyment, and social aspects emphasized as part of their food relationships. “So, it’s easy to fall into that controlling state of food.” Female athletes were found to be almost 10 times more likely to suffer from symptoms of disordered eating as opposed to their male counterparts. “The intersection between social pressures and sporting culture likely accounted for the disparity,” Dr Buckley said.

Australian Institute of Sport chief medical officer Dr David Hughes says a key recommendation is for all sporting organisations to develop a sport-specific disordered eating policy. “To help foster a healthy sport system for all athletes, we believe all sporting organisations should have a disordered eating policy in place that is tailored to suit the needs of their organisation and athletes,” Dr Hughes said. Dr Buckley said looking out for athletes close to us during lockdowns is key to getting necessary support. “If you’re noticing unusual or differing eating patterns or a change in body composition or a change in exercise patterns, where it’s become really rigid or controlled, that’s probably one of the most obvious signs,” she said. “A discussion to check in with someone and see how they’re going, if you noticed changes, if things have become more stressful for them. “There’s no such thing as not sick enough for people to reach support, clinicians welcome any level of stress it doesn’t have to get really bad for it to be worthy of support.” If you are concerned about yourself or someone you care about, please contact the Eating Disorders Victoria Hub on 1300 550 236

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