Vol. 6 Issue 1. 2018
The Australian Emergency Services Magazine is a community educational resource dedicated to the recognition and promotion of emergency service personnel, and the awareness of safety measures, for the community, family and individual. We aim to provide relevant and up to date information and advancements within each of the emergency response sectors and first responders.
The Australian Emergency Services Magazine is a community educational resource dedicated to the recognition and promotion of emergency service personnel, and the awareness of safety measures, for the community, family and individual. We aim to provide relevant and up to date information and advancements within each of the emergency response sectors and first responders.
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Summer <strong>2018</strong> <strong>Vol</strong> 6<br />
YOUR STORM<br />
PREP GUIDE<br />
INSIDE<br />
2017 WILD<br />
WEATHER IN<br />
REVIEW<br />
PREVENTING<br />
DROWNING<br />
THIS SUMMER<br />
HEATWAVES<br />
ARE YOU<br />
PREPARED
VIOLENCE AGAINST<br />
WOMEN DOESN’T<br />
JUST START.<br />
IT GROWS.<br />
On average, one woman is killed every week at the hands of a current or<br />
former partner. One in three women has been a victim of physical or sexual<br />
violence, since the age of 15, from someone known to them. One in four<br />
young people are prepared to excuse violence from a partner.<br />
This is a cycle of violence, which starts with disrespect.<br />
Not all disrespect towards women results in violence.<br />
But all violence against women starts with disrespectful behaviour.<br />
When we make excuses like “It’s just boys being boys”, we allow boys to<br />
develop attitudes that can lead to violence. We raise girls to expect ridicule<br />
from boys when we tell them “He’s only doing it because he likes you”.<br />
When we do confront unacceptable behaviour, we play it down by saying<br />
“Don’t worry, it wasn’t that bad”.<br />
We’re allowing disrespect to become a normal part of growing up.<br />
By doing so, we are unintentionally part of the problem.<br />
We can all become part of the solution.<br />
STOP the excuses.<br />
START a conversation about respect with boys and girls.<br />
LEARN more at australia.gov.au/respect<br />
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN<br />
LET’S STOP IT<br />
AT THE START<br />
A joint Australian, state and territory government initiative.
CONTENTS<br />
Editor’s Note<br />
2<br />
Latest Events<br />
• Funding for Victorian<br />
Marine & Rescue<br />
• Bourke Street Memorial<br />
2017 Weather - Year in<br />
Review<br />
Summer Storm Prep<br />
Emergency Kit Essentials<br />
4 Ways to prevent drowning<br />
The GC hosts Commonwealth<br />
Games<br />
<strong>2018</strong> New Year Resolutions<br />
for better mental health<br />
Pets in an emergency<br />
Heatwaves - Australia’s<br />
deadliest natural disaster<br />
Family violence treated<br />
seriously<br />
3<br />
4<br />
6<br />
8<br />
12<br />
14<br />
18<br />
24<br />
26<br />
30<br />
34<br />
DISCLAIMER<br />
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emergency<br />
servicesmagazine<br />
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MAGAZINE CONTACTS<br />
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and is no way financially supported by or associated with<br />
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publication is Quarterly and are circulated via a database of<br />
interested parties, including business, subscribers, advertisers,<br />
volunteer emergency organistations, and council libraries.<br />
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1
EDITORS NOTE<br />
Summer<br />
From where we’d all rather be<br />
A bumper packed issue for Summer<br />
full of tips and information to help<br />
us all get through the busiest time<br />
of the year for all manner of natural<br />
disasters and emergencies.<br />
Now that the busy Xmas and New<br />
Year time is done our hospital<br />
emergency departments may be<br />
taking a slight breather - the storm<br />
season and fire season well and truly<br />
start to kick in.<br />
We have the weather year in review<br />
for 2017 and what a tumultuous<br />
year it was. We can expect much the<br />
same for <strong>2018</strong> as most experts warn.<br />
Storm and cyclone season is really<br />
amping up and the heatwaves much<br />
of the country has been experiencing<br />
is testament to this.<br />
Surviving severe storms and<br />
cyclones is something that most<br />
of us face in Australia. We have<br />
a storm prep guide in this issue<br />
along with what should be in your<br />
emergency kit and an extended<br />
list of emergency contacts for such<br />
situations.<br />
Not to forget our beloved fur family<br />
members - tips for looking after your<br />
pets during emergencies is included.<br />
If you live in Queensland or<br />
are preparing to attend the<br />
Commonwealth Games this year,<br />
hosted on the Gold Coast, you will<br />
find a great article within about the<br />
security measures in place for this<br />
spectacular sporting event.<br />
This is important information so we<br />
know that during this time we are<br />
certainly being protected, but also so<br />
you know how this affects you if you<br />
are a local.<br />
Well we are certainly well and truly<br />
hurtling into <strong>2018</strong> - the ending of<br />
the last and beginning of the new<br />
year always seems to go by in such a<br />
blur!<br />
We hope you and your families<br />
enjoyed a fantastic festive season and<br />
you have a prosperous and safe new<br />
year ahead for <strong>2018</strong>!<br />
Happy reading<br />
Emma Parker<br />
Editor<br />
2
LATEST NEWS<br />
FUNDING BOOST FOR<br />
VICTORIAN MARINE SEARCH<br />
AND RESCUE<br />
Victorian government comes to the<br />
rescue with record $1<strong>1.</strong>3m investment<br />
in Marine Search and Rescue<br />
Victoria’s Marine Search and Rescue<br />
(MSAR) volunteers are being given an<br />
extra $1<strong>1.</strong>3 million to help them buy<br />
new vessels, equipment and protective<br />
clothing, as well as cover fuel and other<br />
operating costs, after being pressured by<br />
the Boating Industry Association and<br />
marine rescue bodies as we reported.<br />
Minister for Emergency Services, James<br />
Merlino, joined Member for Carrum,<br />
Sonya Kilkenny, to announce that<br />
record funding would be provided over<br />
the 2017-18 and <strong>2018</strong>-19 financial years.<br />
“This boost will provide our volunteers<br />
with the vessels and equipment they<br />
need to keep Victorians safe on the<br />
water, as well as subsidising key<br />
operational costs, including fuel costs.”<br />
“We have always said we would<br />
reform the sector and build volunteer<br />
capability, and today’s announcement is<br />
a significant step forward.”<br />
“This is a record investment in our<br />
Marine Search and Rescue volunteers,”<br />
Mr Merlino said.<br />
Mr Merlino said it was a crucial<br />
investment in the sector, which would<br />
significantly reduce the fundraising<br />
burden on volunteers.<br />
He said it was the first time MSAR had<br />
been funded in this way, and was part of<br />
a wider program of reforms that would<br />
improve governance and deliver better<br />
coordination between Marine Search<br />
and Rescue units.<br />
The funding announcement, made<br />
Tuesday December, will drive a range of<br />
improvements, including:<br />
• A capital program to replace<br />
search-and-rescue vessels and other<br />
key assets<br />
• Operational subsidies for MSAR<br />
units, to cover training, fuel,<br />
insurance, protective clothing and<br />
equipment<br />
• The continuation of a small<br />
centralised team to drive reform<br />
and build volunteer capability,<br />
which will sit within Emergency<br />
Management Victoria.<br />
The Labor Government outlined a suite<br />
of reforms to marine-rescue services<br />
in 2016, in response to a Parliamentary<br />
Inquiry into the sector.<br />
There are almost 800 MSAR volunteers<br />
in Victoria, who donate their time to<br />
respond to marine emergencies and<br />
raise community awareness about<br />
marine safety.<br />
These volunteers respond to about 1300<br />
marine incidents every year.<br />
The Labor Government came to the<br />
party after pressure and a letter cosigned<br />
by the BIAV, Torquay Marine<br />
Rescue Service, VMR Mornington,<br />
Marine Rescue Port Fairy, Southern<br />
Peninsula Rescue, Australian <strong>Vol</strong>unteer<br />
Coast Guard and Coast Watch, et al,<br />
seeking urgent funding.<br />
3
LATEST NEWS<br />
BOURKE STREET<br />
TRAGEDY STATE<br />
MEMORIAL SERVICE<br />
On 20 January 2017, tragedy struck in<br />
the heart of Melbourne.<br />
The Victorian Government will<br />
host a State Memorial Service to<br />
commemorate the first anniversary of<br />
the devastating tragedy that occurred on<br />
Bourke Street.<br />
This will be an opportunity to honour<br />
those who lost their lives in the attack,<br />
their families and those who were<br />
injured and affected. It will also be an<br />
opportunity to come together with<br />
first responders and everyone who has<br />
provided ongoing support.<br />
The Memorial Service will be held on<br />
Tuesday 23 January <strong>2018</strong> at the Royal<br />
Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens<br />
from 12.00 pm to <strong>1.</strong>30 pm.<br />
The Memorial Service is being held after<br />
the one year anniversary to allow those<br />
affected the opportunity to mark the<br />
milestone personally and privately.<br />
Members of the public are encouraged<br />
to attend however they are not required<br />
to register. More information, including<br />
door opening times, will be made<br />
available closer to the Service at www.<br />
vic.gov.au/bourkestreet.html<br />
Donations of more than four thousand<br />
Australians have been provided to<br />
support the families of those who died<br />
or were seriously injured during the<br />
Bourke Street tragedy. More than $<strong>1.</strong>5<br />
million in donations were raised.<br />
The Fund was set up on 22 January<br />
to allow for public donations to assist<br />
the families most affected and those<br />
seriously injured in the Bourke Street<br />
tragedy.<br />
The Panel worked closely with the<br />
individual case managers, clinical<br />
psychologist Rob Gordon and some of<br />
those most severely affected, as well as<br />
ensuring that the fund complemented<br />
compensation from the Transport<br />
Accident Commission and Worksafe<br />
Victoria.<br />
With the fund closed the panels work<br />
has now been completed however the<br />
Chair will continue to engage as needed<br />
and further support will be provided<br />
through the Victim Support Agency,<br />
Transport Accident Commission and<br />
Worksafe Victoria.<br />
On the 20th January, six innocent<br />
lives were lost, 37 injured and many<br />
Victorian families were left devastated<br />
by a tragic act in Bourke Street,<br />
Melbourne.<br />
Over 1,200 people affected by this<br />
tragedy have been referred to case<br />
management services through the<br />
Victim Support Agency.<br />
4
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5
2017 - A Year<br />
Dramatic Weat<br />
6
Of<br />
her<br />
Overall 2017 will be the warmest non-<br />
El Niño year on record globally, and<br />
over the past 12 months we have seen<br />
plenty of extreme weather, both here in<br />
Australia and across the world.<br />
Here I’ll round up some of this year’s<br />
wild weather, and look forward to <strong>2018</strong><br />
to see what’s around the corner.<br />
Drought and flooding rains… again<br />
It feels as if Australia has had all manner<br />
of extreme weather events in 2017. We<br />
had severe heat at both the start and end<br />
of the year. Casting our minds back to<br />
last summer, both Sydney and Brisbane<br />
experienced their hottest summers<br />
on record, while parts of inland<br />
New South Wales and Queensland<br />
endured extended periods of very high<br />
temperatures.<br />
More recently Australia had an<br />
unusually dry June and its warmest<br />
winter daytime temperatures on record.<br />
The record winter warmth was made<br />
substantially more likely by humancaused<br />
climate change.<br />
The end of the year brought more<br />
than its fair share of extreme weather,<br />
especially in the southeast. Tasmania<br />
had by far its warmest November on<br />
record, beating the previous statewide<br />
record by more than half a degree.<br />
Melbourne had a topsy-turvy November<br />
with temperatures not hitting the 20<br />
degree mark until the 9th, but a record<br />
12 days above 30 degrees after that.<br />
November was rounded off by warnings<br />
for very severe weather that was forecast<br />
to strike Victoria. Melbourne missed<br />
the worst of the rains, although it still<br />
had a very wet weekend on December<br />
2-3. Meanwhile, northern parts of<br />
the state were deluged, with many<br />
places recording two or three times<br />
the December average rainfall in just a<br />
couple of days.<br />
Hurricane after hurricane after<br />
hurricane…<br />
Elsewhere in the world there was plenty<br />
more headline-worthy weather.<br />
The Atlantic Ocean had a particularly<br />
active hurricane season, with several<br />
intense systems. Hurricane Harvey<br />
struck Texas and its slow trajectory<br />
resulted in record-breaking rainfall over<br />
Houston and neighbouring areas.<br />
Then Hurricanes Irma and Maria, both<br />
of which reached the strongest Category<br />
5 status, brought severe weather to the<br />
Caribbean and southeastern United<br />
States just a couple of weeks apart.<br />
Island nations and territories in the<br />
region are still recovering from the<br />
devastation.<br />
Around the same time, the Indian<br />
subcontinent experienced a particularly<br />
wet monsoon season. Flooding in India,<br />
Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal killed<br />
more than 1,000 people and affected<br />
tens of millions more.<br />
Other parts of the world experienced<br />
their own severe weather events.<br />
Whether it was summer heat in Europe<br />
or wildfires in California, 2017 dished<br />
up plenty of extremes.<br />
In many cases, especially for heat<br />
extremes, we can rapidly identify a<br />
human influence and show that climate<br />
change is increasing the frequency and<br />
intensity of such events.<br />
For other weather types, like the very<br />
active hurricane season and other<br />
extreme rain or drought events, it is<br />
harder (but not always impossible)<br />
to work out whether it bears the<br />
fingerprint of climate change.<br />
What’s in store for <strong>2018</strong>?<br />
The main problem when trying to offer<br />
an outlook is that extreme weather is<br />
hard to predict, even on the scale of days<br />
or weeks in advance, let alone months.<br />
For Australia, with a weak La Niña<br />
in the Pacific, there are few clear<br />
indications of what the rest of the<br />
summer’s weather will bring. There is a<br />
suggestion that we can expect a slightly<br />
wetter than average start to the year<br />
in parts of the southeast, along with<br />
warmer than average conditions for<br />
Victoria and Tasmania. Beyond that it is<br />
anyone’s guess.<br />
Andrew King<br />
University of Melbourne<br />
Original Article<br />
7
STORM<br />
SEASON<br />
BE<br />
PREPARED<br />
8
In the peak of summer we tend to<br />
recieve our most damaging and severe<br />
storms. This trend usually continues<br />
into much of February when the<br />
threat of cyclones in the north looms<br />
large.<br />
To make sure you and your family,<br />
pets and neighbours can get through<br />
the storm season safely we have<br />
put together a preparation guide to<br />
reference whilst getting your home<br />
and family organised.<br />
When it comes to stoms, preparation<br />
is the key so you dont find yourself<br />
relying on the SES. A few simple<br />
measures will put you in a safer<br />
position.<br />
PREPARE YOUR HOME<br />
Preparing your home is an important<br />
step toward surviving and coping with<br />
emergencies. The best time to take<br />
action is obviously before the storm and<br />
cyclone season. But its not too late to<br />
get your home and yard ready.<br />
General Maintenance:<br />
Check the condition of the roof and<br />
eaves. Clean out gutters and downpipes<br />
so water an drain away as quickly as<br />
possible. Trim trees and overhanging<br />
branches, particularly near any lines<br />
coming into the house. Secure any<br />
loose items that could become weapons<br />
during high winds. This includes<br />
garden furniture and toys. Trampolines<br />
have been seen flying into other peoples<br />
homes and backyards so this is one to<br />
watch out for.<br />
WHEN SEVERE WEATHER<br />
WARNINGS ARE ISSUED<br />
• Disconnect electrical appliances and all external<br />
television and radio aerials<br />
• Turn off electricity and gas main supplies if<br />
instructed by emergency authorities<br />
• Secure outdoor furniture and other garden items<br />
• Fill buckets and bath with clean water in case of<br />
interruptions to main supply<br />
• Close windows with shutters, or use strong tape in a<br />
criss-cross pattern and draw curtains<br />
• Park vehicles under cover, away from trees,<br />
powerlines and waterways<br />
• Check all household members are safe and in the<br />
strongest room in the house<br />
• Take your emergency kit in with you whilst sheltering<br />
from storm or cyclone<br />
• Tune in and listen to your local radio station for<br />
updates on the event and for further warnings and<br />
safety messages.<br />
General Safety:<br />
Make sure your home and contents<br />
insurance and car insurance covers you<br />
in the event of storm damage. Identify<br />
the strongest room in the house in case<br />
you need to shelter. Usually this is the<br />
smallest room with the least windows.<br />
Find out how to turn the mains supply<br />
off to your home for water, power<br />
and gas. Make sure you have some<br />
emergency essentials such as stored<br />
drinking water, spare fuel for use in the<br />
vehicle.<br />
9
Emergency services use a range of<br />
methods to warn the community about<br />
severe weather and other emergencies<br />
that require preparation and action at<br />
the household level.<br />
When warnings are issued you may be<br />
directed to:<br />
• Finalise preparations<br />
• Secure items around your home<br />
• Activate you Emergency plan<br />
• Shelter in place, or<br />
• Commence evacuation to your<br />
predetermined safer location<br />
Warnings are urgent - you will need<br />
to act immediately on the information<br />
provided.<br />
Each state and territory has a wealth<br />
of valuable information and fact sheets<br />
on being disaster prepared. Check<br />
out your state or territory’s website on<br />
disaster management or alternatively<br />
log on to the State Emergency Service<br />
website where they have fact sheets on<br />
all relevant disasters that may affect us<br />
here in Australia.<br />
North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service<br />
www.naafls.com.au<br />
Legal Advice & Assistance<br />
Information, Support & Referral Services<br />
Community Legal Education and Family Violence Prevention Initiatives<br />
Law Reform Activities<br />
E: admin@naafls.com.au<br />
Darwin: 08 8923 8200<br />
Katherine: 08 8972 3200<br />
PO Box 43104<br />
Casuarina NT 0811<br />
Professional Financial Services in Melbourne<br />
1300 R FINANCE 0452 578 338<br />
www.robertofinance.com.au<br />
Level 27, 101 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000<br />
10
TUNE IN, LOG ON, LISTEN AND ACT<br />
TUNE IN: Local radio station & TV station<br />
LOG ON: Bureau of Meteorology, State Emergency Service<br />
Local Council<br />
LISTEN: Standard emergency warning signal, Emergency alert messages sent to your phone, local community<br />
announcements<br />
ACT: Warnings are urgent - Act immediately on the information provided<br />
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION<br />
Police - Fire - Ambulance Triple Zero (000) 112 From Mobiles www.triplezero.gov.au<br />
State Emergency Service (SES) 132 500<br />
BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY<br />
General Warnings 1900 969 922 www.bom.gov.au<br />
Cyclone Warnings 1300 659 212 www.bom.gov.au/cyclone<br />
Coastal Marine Warnings 1300 360 427 www.bom.gov.au/marine<br />
Tsunami Threat Information 1300TSUNAMI www.bom.gov.au/tsunami<br />
RADIO<br />
ABC Local Radio<br />
ABC Local Radio Frequency Finder<br />
Commercial Radio Australia<br />
www.abc.net.au/local<br />
www.abv.net.au/radionational/frequency/<br />
www.commercialradio.com.au<br />
GOVERNMENT/HEALTH/ROADS<br />
Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS)<br />
www.emergencyalert.gov.au<br />
Health & Hospitals 13HEALTH www.health.gov.au<br />
Road Closures 13 19 40 seek local/state road closure info<br />
ELECTRICITY<br />
Energex 13 19 62 www.energex.com.au<br />
Ergon 13 16 70 www.ergon.com.au<br />
PHONE<br />
Telstra 132 203 www.telstra.com.au<br />
Optus 13 13 44 www.optus.com.au<br />
ANIMALS & WILDLIFE<br />
Wildlife Hotline 1300 130 372<br />
RSPCA 1300 852 188<br />
Disease Watch Hotline 1800 675 888<br />
Lost/Missing Animals<br />
Local RSPCA website<br />
11
Lost/Missin<br />
HAVING AN EMERGENCY KIT IS AN IMPORTANT STEP TO<br />
PREPARE FOR, SURVIVE AND COPE WITH EMERGENCIES.<br />
Know<br />
All householders need to<br />
know where your<br />
Emergency Kit is kept.<br />
On this page is a list of items which should be in your<br />
kit at all times. There is also a list of extra items which<br />
if you do not keep at all times you should add to your<br />
kit during storm or cyclone season.<br />
FOOD AND WATER<br />
COMMUNICATIONS<br />
Check<br />
and update the contents<br />
of your kit regularly, to<br />
ensure everything is in<br />
working order and has<br />
not expired.<br />
Discuss<br />
your Emergency Kit<br />
with all householders<br />
and make sure everyone<br />
knows what to do in an<br />
emergency.<br />
KNOW YOUR<br />
EMERGENCY<br />
CONTACTS<br />
Range of non-perishable<br />
MEDICAL AND<br />
SANITATION<br />
food items<br />
Bottled water<br />
First Aid Kit and manual<br />
Essential medications,<br />
prescriptions and dosage<br />
Toilet paper<br />
Toothbrush/toothpaste<br />
Soap/shampoo<br />
Personal hygiene items<br />
LIGHT<br />
Flashlight/torch with<br />
extra batteries<br />
Battery powered lantern<br />
Battery powered radio with<br />
extra batteries<br />
Traditional wired telephone<br />
Prepaid wired telephone<br />
Prepaid phone cards and<br />
coins for phone calls<br />
CLOTHING AND<br />
FOOTWEAR<br />
Warm jumper, waterproof<br />
jacket, hat and gloves<br />
for everyone<br />
Closed-toed shoes or<br />
boots for everyone<br />
TOOLS AND SUPPLIES<br />
Whistle, utility knife,<br />
duct/masking tape<br />
12
Plastic garbage bags, ties<br />
Safety glasses and sun glasses.<br />
MISCELLANEOUS<br />
Special items for infants<br />
(nappies, formula etc)<br />
Special items needed by<br />
elderly or people with<br />
special needs<br />
Spare house and car keys<br />
Pet food, water and<br />
other animal needs<br />
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS<br />
Keep original or certified copies of<br />
these documents in your Emergency<br />
Kit.<br />
Scan copies of them and save the<br />
files on a USB memory stick or CD<br />
to include in your kit. Keep all these<br />
items in sealed plastic bags.<br />
Insurance papers for your<br />
house and contents, cars<br />
and for valuable items<br />
Inventory of valuable<br />
household goods<br />
Wills and life insurance documents<br />
House deeds/mortgage documents<br />
Birth and marriage certificates<br />
Passports/visa details<br />
Stocks and bonds<br />
Medicare, pension cards,<br />
immunisation records<br />
Bank account and credit card details<br />
A back-up copy of important<br />
computer files<br />
Household Emergency Plan with<br />
emergency contact numbers<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO DOWNLOAD AN<br />
EMERGENCY PLAN FOR YOUR HOUSEHOLD GO TO:<br />
www.qld.gov.au/emergency/dealing-disasters/emergency-kit<br />
EXTRA ITEMS DURING STORM AND CYCLONE SEASON:<br />
Three days supply of non-perishable food - can opener, cooking gear, plates, utensils<br />
Water purification tablets<br />
Extra supplies of medication and sanitary supplies<br />
Wide masking tape for windows<br />
Tent or tarpaulin<br />
Blankets<br />
Spare clothes<br />
Portable stove with fuel<br />
Spare batteries<br />
Esky or gas/battery powered refrigerator<br />
13
4 SIMPLE WAYS TO PREVEN<br />
The Long Hot Summer<br />
A long, hot Australian summer - days<br />
are spent finding ways to cool off,<br />
whether at the beach, in the backyard<br />
pool or at a local river or swimming<br />
hole. The perfect place to get together<br />
with our family and friends. Sounds<br />
very familiar to all of us.<br />
Unfortuneatly these are also the<br />
places where tragedy strikes during<br />
the summer time through the most<br />
preventable cause of death - drowning.<br />
This summer be proactive and take<br />
steps to protect your loved ones<br />
through some very simple actions.<br />
The Royal Lifesaving Association<br />
provides 4 useful tips to consider<br />
when cooling off this summer.<br />
SUPERVISE:<br />
Supervision is constant visual contact<br />
with your child. You should be within<br />
arms’ reach and be in a position<br />
to respond quickly. It is not an<br />
occasional glance while you nap, read<br />
or undertake household chores, and<br />
it is not looking outside at your kids<br />
playing while you are inside. Active<br />
supervision means focusing all of your<br />
attention on your children all of the<br />
time, when they are in, on or around<br />
the water. You must be within arms’<br />
reach, interacting with your child and<br />
be ready to enter the water in case of<br />
an emergency.<br />
Parents are busy and often try to do<br />
many things at once to save time.<br />
When you multi-task you can become<br />
distracted and do not give your full<br />
attention to maintaining the safety of<br />
your children. Distractions include:<br />
doorbell, phone, meal times, toilet<br />
breaks etc. Parents leaving young<br />
children in the care of older siblings<br />
has been a factor in a number of<br />
toddler drowning deaths. Older<br />
children are not equipped with the<br />
skills to perceive and respond to an<br />
emergency situation, nor should they<br />
be given this responsibility.<br />
RESTRICT ACCESS:<br />
Restricting access means ensuring<br />
there is a barrier between your child<br />
and a body of water. This can be done<br />
in two ways:<br />
• Barrier around the water – this<br />
includes a pool / spa fence with a<br />
self-closing and self-latching gate<br />
in accordance with AS1926, closing<br />
the door to the bathroom after use,<br />
using pool/spa/tank covers, placing<br />
mesh on water features and sh ponds,<br />
ensuring lids are securely on nappy<br />
buckets. Note: In atables over a depth<br />
of 300mm need to be fenced by law.<br />
• Barrier around the child – This takes<br />
the form of a Child Safe Play Area<br />
14
T DROWNING THIS SUMMER<br />
that can be used inside or outside the<br />
home and is especially effective for<br />
water you cannot fence like dams on<br />
farms.<br />
Restricting access when combined<br />
with the other Keep Watch actions<br />
of Supervise, Water Awareness and<br />
Resuscitate are highly effective in<br />
preventing child drowning.<br />
Barriers can fail when gates are left<br />
propped open, fences and gates aren’t<br />
maintained and climbable objects are<br />
left against the fence. Royal Life Saving<br />
encourages parents and guardians to<br />
regularly inspect their pool<br />
by downloading and completing a<br />
home pool safety checklist from www.<br />
homepoolsafety.com.au.<br />
WATER AWARENESS:<br />
Water awareness is a term which<br />
covers a range of strategies which can<br />
help ensure your child’s safety when<br />
in, on, or around water. This includes<br />
water familiarisation, checking for<br />
and removing water hazards (e.g.<br />
buckets), setting rules around water<br />
and discussing water safety with your<br />
child.<br />
You can use bath time as a time for<br />
water awareness, letting your baby or<br />
child feel, experience and play with<br />
water. You can also put rules in place<br />
for children when they go near water<br />
and ensure that parents and adults<br />
uphold these rules themselves to set<br />
a good example. When visiting new<br />
aquatic locations you can examine<br />
these together with your child and<br />
discuss any safety issues and rules for<br />
that location with your child.<br />
RESUSCITATE:<br />
Resuscitation or Cardio Pulmonary<br />
Resuscitation (CPR) involves<br />
stimulating the heart and breathing air<br />
into the lungs to preserve or restore<br />
life. Resuscitation involves establishing<br />
or maintaining an airway, breathing<br />
and circulation.<br />
Resuscitation is a skill for life. In most<br />
cases when an emergency occurs,<br />
a family member is the first on the<br />
scene. In fact, many children are alive<br />
today because their parents knew<br />
how to perform CPR and responded<br />
quickly.<br />
Having the skills to react in an<br />
emergency situation can mean the<br />
difference between life and death<br />
while you wait for emergency care to<br />
arrive.<br />
15
16
17
THE GC HOSTS COMMONWE<br />
THE SECURITY MEASURES THAT WILL AFFECT YOU<br />
18
ALTH GAMES<br />
19
The Gold Coast <strong>2018</strong> Commonwealth<br />
Games (GC<strong>2018</strong>) will be the largest<br />
sporting event hosted in Australia this<br />
decade. More than 6,600 athletes and<br />
team officials from 70 Commonwealth<br />
nations and territories will come<br />
to Queensland to participate in the<br />
Games. They will be joined by close to<br />
15,000 volunteers, <strong>1.</strong>5 million ticketed<br />
spectators and 3,000 international media<br />
broadcasting to a cumulative global<br />
audience of <strong>1.</strong>5 billion.<br />
The Queensland Police Service along<br />
with official Games organisers, the<br />
Gold Coast <strong>2018</strong> Commonwealth<br />
Games Corporation, the Office of the<br />
Commonwealth Games, and state and<br />
federal security agencies are responsible<br />
for the public safety and security<br />
response for GC<strong>2018</strong>.<br />
The Queensland Government has<br />
passed legislation to support police<br />
operations during Games time. These<br />
new laws will have temporary impacts<br />
on some areas of the community.<br />
The current security environment and<br />
global experience have shown that<br />
significant sporting and community<br />
celebrations hold attraction as targets<br />
for people intending or planning to do<br />
public harm.<br />
In response, new laws have been passed<br />
to help police keep the community safe<br />
particularly during the Gold Coast <strong>2018</strong><br />
Commonwealth Games (GC<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
These new laws outline:<br />
• protective security zones;<br />
• police powers to stop and search;<br />
and<br />
• restricted or prohibited items.<br />
<br />
These laws may also affect the way you<br />
access and operate around roadways,<br />
waterways and the airspace in and<br />
around Games areas.<br />
While there is no currently-known<br />
threat to Queensland or the GC<strong>2018</strong>,<br />
all levels of Government as well as the<br />
private sector have shown a tremendous<br />
commitment to doing everything<br />
possible to protect crowded places.<br />
As part of our commitment to delivering<br />
a safe and secure Games, we have also<br />
launched Sentinel Unite - a community<br />
awareness campaign about how to keep<br />
safe in crowded places.<br />
What is Operation Sentinel Unite?<br />
Operation Sentinel Unite is the<br />
Queensland Police Service’s crime<br />
prevention response reinforcing<br />
Australia’s strategy aimed at detecting,<br />
deterring and disrupting criminal and<br />
terrorist activity.<br />
Sentinel Unite will run before the Gold<br />
Coast <strong>2018</strong> Commonwealth Games in<br />
the form of a community awareness<br />
campaign entitled Project Unite and a<br />
strategy for businesses known as Project<br />
Unified Response.<br />
Road access restrictions<br />
The City of the Gold Coast will be<br />
implementing temporary changes to<br />
20
the way some roads operate in order to<br />
ensure athletes, officials and spectators<br />
arrive at event venues safety and on time<br />
while keeping the City moving.<br />
Temporary changes will include<br />
localised road closures, diversions and<br />
removal of on-street parking in some<br />
areas.<br />
More information about traffic changes<br />
and parking restrictions can be found<br />
on the City of Gold Coast’s Get Set for<br />
the Games website.<br />
Airspace procedures<br />
The Queensland Police Service and<br />
State and Federal Governments have an<br />
obligation to provide a safe and secure<br />
environment to host the Gold Coast<br />
<strong>2018</strong> Commonwealth Games (GC<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
and related events.<br />
As with previous high profile events, the<br />
Australian Government has established<br />
air control measures to ensure an<br />
appropriate level of airspace security<br />
exists to support the event.<br />
Waterways access restrictions<br />
To ensure the safety of competitors<br />
and spectators alike, some Gold Coast<br />
waterways, as prescribed by the Major<br />
Events (Gold Coast Commonwealth<br />
Games) Regulation 2017 may have<br />
restricted or no access during certain<br />
periods of the Games.<br />
Some waterways fall within protective<br />
security zones (PSZs). As with landbased<br />
PSZs, police officers will be able<br />
to apply additional powers aimed at<br />
keeping the community safe.<br />
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The community should be aware that<br />
when entering or inside a PSZ, police<br />
will have the ability to quickly and<br />
efficiently stop, search and detain<br />
people, vehicles, vessels and watercraft;<br />
enter and search places and premises;<br />
and give directions to all persons<br />
whether they are drivers, operators<br />
or riders as needed for the purpose of<br />
ensuring the safety and security of the<br />
community and the event.<br />
These additional powers would apply<br />
only in the PSZs and are proposed<br />
to lapse one week after the Games<br />
conclude.<br />
What is a Protective Security Zone?<br />
Protective security zones, or PSZs, are<br />
areas where police are able to apply<br />
additional powers aimed at keeping the<br />
community safe.<br />
The community should be aware that<br />
when entering or inside a PSZ, police<br />
have the ability to quickly and efficiently<br />
search people, vehicles and places as<br />
needed in an effort to keep the public<br />
safe (Chapter 19A, Police Powers and<br />
Responsibilities Act 2000). There are<br />
no restrictions to entering, being in or<br />
leaving a PSZ.<br />
Specifically, in these PSZs, police officers<br />
will be able to:<br />
• conduct a frisk search of persons<br />
without warrant;<br />
• stop, search and detain vehicles<br />
entering or in the zone without<br />
warrant;<br />
• enter and search premises including<br />
land associated with premises<br />
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22
without warrant, but cannot enter<br />
residential premises unless with<br />
the occupier’s consent or with<br />
reasonable suspicion;<br />
• give a general direction to persons<br />
(individually or in a group) in<br />
a public place for the safety and<br />
security of persons including giving<br />
a direction to move to another<br />
location or leave the zone; and<br />
• use firearms and explosives<br />
detection dogs to search public<br />
places, premises that are not<br />
residences and yards of private<br />
places. <br />
How will you know if you’re in a PSZ?<br />
PSZs cover land and water. They include<br />
public transport infrastructure and<br />
part of the public transport network<br />
associated with, or used to transport<br />
members of the public to or from the<br />
Commonwealth Games.<br />
We hope you enjoy the games and the<br />
incredible opportunity it brings to not<br />
only the Gold Coast but Australia as<br />
a whole in terms of hosting such large<br />
international sporting events.<br />
Stephen Young<br />
Lawyers<br />
02 9635 0889<br />
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We are dedicated in providing a personal, professional and friendly service.<br />
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23
New Year Resolutions for better<br />
mental health<br />
Every new year we set about making<br />
New Year’s resolutions. Usually they’re<br />
related to our physical health: going on a<br />
diet, joining a gym or drinking less. But<br />
what about our mental health?<br />
Mental health is central to every part<br />
of our lives: how we interact with loved<br />
ones, how productive we are at work,<br />
and how we feel when we are alone. So<br />
here are six things science says you can<br />
do to improve your mental health in<br />
<strong>2018</strong>.<br />
<strong>1.</strong> Stop dieting<br />
A lot of people make strict and<br />
prohibitive New Year’s plans to slash<br />
their kilojoule intake. But there’s<br />
evidence such resolutions just don’t lead<br />
to weight loss, and instead restrictive<br />
dieting typically leads to long-term<br />
weight gain.<br />
People with poor body image typically<br />
avoid social outings, physical intimacy,<br />
and exercise. Poor body image is also<br />
linked to depression, anxiety, and a raft<br />
of other mental health problems. Selfloathing<br />
does not make us thinner, but it<br />
does make us mentally unwell.<br />
People often avoid fully participating in<br />
life while waiting for their ideal body.<br />
Make <strong>2018</strong> the year you stop doing this.<br />
People who appreciate their bodies,<br />
irrespective of their body size, tend to<br />
have better mental health, better sexual<br />
functioning (and more orgasms), and<br />
happier romantic relationships overall. If<br />
your goal is mental (or physical health),<br />
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24
stop focusing on trying to be thin, and<br />
instead work on self acceptance.<br />
2. Eat broccoli<br />
The more we learn about the<br />
relationship between the gut and the<br />
brain, the more evidence we get about<br />
the role of nutrition in mental health.<br />
People who consume more fruits<br />
and vegetables have lower levels of<br />
depression than those who eat less fruit<br />
and vegetables.<br />
Read more: How your meal affects your<br />
mood<br />
Nutritional improvements over time<br />
(a balance of vegetables, fruits, grains<br />
and proteins) can improve your mental<br />
health and quality of life. Eating leafy<br />
greens and vegetables in the broccoli<br />
family (cabbage, cauliflower, kale) may<br />
even help slow cognitive decline.<br />
3. Join a group<br />
Read more: Are you part of a social<br />
group? Making sure you are will<br />
improve your health<br />
Social isolation is a better predictor<br />
of early death than either diet or<br />
exercise, and as strong a predictor as<br />
cigarette smoking. Making new social<br />
connections improves mental health,<br />
and being embedded in multiple<br />
positive social groups helps us cope<br />
with stress, and is linked to reduced<br />
depression and anxiety.<br />
Being around people is necessary for<br />
good mental health. Unsplash/Mark<br />
Adriane, CC BY<br />
If you have a dog, start going to your<br />
local dog park. If you like board or card<br />
games, why not see if there is a group<br />
of people who get together to play near<br />
you? You can find hundreds of groups to<br />
join on apps like meetup.<br />
4. Move your body<br />
I know exercise is an obvious one – a<br />
part of you wants to skip over this<br />
resolution. Don’t. Exercise is one of<br />
the most effective ways of reducing<br />
depression or anxiety, improving sexual<br />
function, and maintaining cognitive<br />
function.<br />
It doesn’t matter if you’re walking<br />
around your back yard or running<br />
a marathon – any sort of movement<br />
is going to help you. Adhering to an<br />
exercise plan can be hard. Aim to<br />
identify exercise you find enjoyable, that<br />
gets you out socialising, and that allows<br />
you to build competence.<br />
Exercise that does any of these things is<br />
easier to continue doing than exercise<br />
done with the goal of improving<br />
appearance.<br />
Read more: We all have to die of<br />
something, so why bother being<br />
healthy?<br />
5. Reduce screen time<br />
So how will you make time to exercise?<br />
Reducing screen time is one answer.<br />
This doesn’t mean you have to give up<br />
your favourite show – without Arrested<br />
Development or Game of Thrones<br />
things rightly seem bleak. But excessive<br />
screen time is linked to poor sleep<br />
quality, as well as depression. Screen<br />
time should be part of a happy life, not a<br />
substitute for it.<br />
6. Seek help if you need it<br />
We often shroud mental health<br />
problems in a cloak of invisibility,<br />
hiding them from sight, and assuming<br />
we’re going to be able to “snap out of<br />
it” by ourselves. The truth is sometimes<br />
we need help, and the smart, strong<br />
decision is to seek it. Visit your doctor<br />
and get on a mental health plan, or go to<br />
beyondblue.org.au, or call Lifeline (13<br />
11 14).<br />
Ultimately, you should pick goals that<br />
genuinely reflect who you are and<br />
what you want, and aim to break them<br />
down into concrete, specific steps<br />
(specify the “when”, “where”, and “how).<br />
The research suggests doing this will<br />
maximise your chances of success.<br />
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25
PETS IN AN<br />
EMERGENCY<br />
Know what to do?<br />
When it comes to emergencies, responding to natural disasters and<br />
even dealing with a storm passing through, our beloved pets are often<br />
anxious and completely reliant upon us as owners for thier welfare.<br />
Knowing how to help and provide for our other family members is<br />
vitally important. Read on for some tips on caring for our pets during<br />
a crisis.<br />
26
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Your animals are your responsibility. It is up to you to prepare for the safety and welfare of<br />
your pets in case of an emergency. Include them in your emergency plan and make sure all<br />
family members are aware of what to do. There will be different scenarios to manage during<br />
an emergency, if you are prepared, your pets won’t be one of these.<br />
28<br />
BE PREPARED:<br />
Include your animals in household<br />
emergency plans. Properly identify your<br />
pets eg. name tags, microchip or band.<br />
This will ensure they make<br />
their way back to you if someone finds<br />
them. Keep a list of emergency phone<br />
numbers on display. Be aware if you<br />
live in a cyclone prone area where<br />
there is greater possibility of being<br />
evacuated, some evacuation centres may<br />
not accept animals so plan<br />
alternatives accordingly.<br />
ACT EARLY:<br />
If moving animals to a safer place,<br />
do so early to avoid unnecessary risk.<br />
Ensure there is access to plenty of food<br />
and water and if staying at home secure<br />
animals in good time so that they do not<br />
take flight. Animals have an instinctive<br />
sense of what is going on and will<br />
become anxious long before you may<br />
realise there is approaching danger.<br />
Providing shelter and attention will do a<br />
lot to ease their anxiety. They will pick<br />
up on your emotions so staying calm for<br />
all involved is the best way to manage<br />
family and animals.<br />
BE CONSIDERATE:<br />
If you have to leave pets behind in<br />
the event of evacuation and no other<br />
alternatives available, keep your pets<br />
indoors. Place your pets in a separate<br />
room with small or preferable no<br />
windows. For example the bathroom or<br />
laundry.<br />
Provide adequate food and water in<br />
large heavy bowls that wont be easily<br />
tipped over. Do not tie your pets up,<br />
this will only increase anxiety.<br />
ACT SAFE:<br />
Your safety, and that of your family is<br />
paramount. Dont risk human life trying<br />
to find and protect pets. If you act early<br />
this will ensure you know where your<br />
pets are and all consideration has been<br />
put in place.<br />
For more information refer to:<br />
www.rspca.org.au
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29
AUSTRALIA’S DEADLIEST N<br />
WHAT’S YOUR HEATWAVE PLAN?<br />
Heatwaves are Australia’s deadliest natural hazard, but a recent<br />
survey conducted by Andrew Gissing and Lucinda Coates from<br />
Macquarie University has found that many vulnerable people do<br />
not have plans to cope with extreme heat.<br />
30
ATURAL HAZARD<br />
Working with the Bushfire and Natural<br />
Hazards Cooperative Research Centre<br />
and the Bureau of Meteorology, my<br />
colleagues and I surveyed 250 residents<br />
and 60 business managers in Western<br />
Sydney and the NSW North Coast.<br />
We found that 45% of those at risk<br />
– including the elderly, ill and very<br />
young – did not proactively respond to<br />
heatwave warnings as they did not think<br />
it necessary or did not know what to do.<br />
Few at-risk people reported moving<br />
to cooler locations, and more than<br />
20% of people in Western Sydney<br />
were concerned about the impacts of<br />
energy prices on their ability to use<br />
air-conditioning. For most people,<br />
extreme heat left them feeling hot<br />
and uncomfortable or unable to sleep,<br />
though around 15% felt unwell. Few<br />
people reported checking on vulnerable<br />
family members, friends or family<br />
during heatwaves.<br />
Businesses also suffered disruption,<br />
and most companies with employees<br />
working on machinery or outdoors<br />
reported lower than normal<br />
productivity.<br />
Many people said that they didn’t need<br />
to take any further actions to adjust to<br />
future extreme temperatures. However,<br />
for some extreme heat is already<br />
impacting their living preferences, with<br />
around 10% of people indicating that<br />
they are considering moving to a cooler<br />
town or suburb.<br />
A history of deadly heatwaves<br />
Australia has a long history of deadly<br />
heatwaves. The table below shows<br />
numbers of deaths and death rates per<br />
100,000 population from episodes of<br />
extreme heat in Australia by decade,<br />
reaching back to 1844. The information<br />
comes from PerilAUS, a database that<br />
records the impact of natural hazards<br />
reaching back to the early days of<br />
Australia’s European settlement<br />
31
The death rate is the number of deaths<br />
per head of population in the country<br />
at that time, and was consistently,<br />
significantly higher between 1890 and<br />
1939 than for any period before or since.<br />
An extraordinary heatwave occurred<br />
between October 1895 to January<br />
1896 that impacted nearly the entire<br />
continent but especially the interior.<br />
PerilAUS records 435 deaths, 89% of<br />
them within New South Wales. Deaths<br />
also occurred in South Australia,<br />
Western Australia, Victoria and<br />
Queensland. Bourke, in NSW, lost<br />
<strong>1.</strong>6% of its population to the heat:<br />
temperatures of 40 degrees in the shade<br />
were already being recorded in October,<br />
mid-spring.<br />
During the disastrous 1939 Black<br />
Friday bushfires, 71 people died in<br />
Victoria. But at least 420 people died<br />
in the heatwaves which preceded the<br />
fires, largely in New South Wales. The<br />
heatwaves were accompanied by strong<br />
northerly winds and followed a very dry<br />
six months, increasing the severity of<br />
the subsequent fires.<br />
Most will remember the catastrophic<br />
bushfires that destroyed several towns<br />
in Victoria in 2009 but not many will<br />
remember that these fires also followed<br />
two heatwave events across Victoria<br />
and South Australia, where at least 432<br />
people died.<br />
In 2009, new records of three<br />
consecutive days over 43 degrees in<br />
Melbourne and eight over 40 degrees<br />
in Adelaide were set. A feature of these<br />
heatwaves was the very hot minimum<br />
temperatures, with Melbourne’s<br />
temperature falling to between 20-25<br />
degrees overnight and Adelaide to just<br />
30 degrees.<br />
There is no reason why a deadly<br />
heatwave could not strike Australia<br />
again this summer, and there’s at least<br />
some evidence that the frequency of<br />
heatwaves in Australia is increasing.<br />
Sudden peaks in air-conditioning use<br />
also creates the risk of overloading<br />
electricity grids and prompting<br />
blackouts, so it’s important to think<br />
about how you can stay cool without<br />
power.<br />
Some easy ways to stay safe include<br />
tuning into heatwave and emergency<br />
warnings by listening to radio<br />
broadcasts or searching emergency<br />
websites.<br />
Simple measures, like rescheduling<br />
outdoor activities to cooler parts of the<br />
day, closing curtains and blinds and<br />
staying indoors are always sensible.<br />
Research suggests that elderly people<br />
may be particularly reluctant to use<br />
air conditioners, but if your household<br />
contains vulnerable people it’s important<br />
to use every cooling option available.<br />
It may be possible for some people to<br />
use an app or timer to turn on their air<br />
conditioners during the afternoon to<br />
cool their house, then turn it off after<br />
6pm to avoid contributing to peak<br />
demand.<br />
If you have friends or family who are<br />
elderly, sick or very young, make sure<br />
to check in on them. Consider selecting<br />
a cooler place, like a shopping centre<br />
or library, you can visit during peak<br />
temperatures.<br />
32
Make a plan for pets and animals,<br />
particularly those who will be left<br />
outside during the day while the<br />
household is at work or school. Ensure<br />
they have shade and access to plenty of<br />
water.<br />
On a larger scale, better urban planning<br />
and house design – and even planting<br />
shade trees near houses – are needed.<br />
Unfortunately, deadly heatwaves are<br />
part of Australia’s summer, and it’s likely<br />
they will worsen under climate change.<br />
Planning ahead can literally be a life<br />
saver.<br />
Original Article ‘The Conversation’<br />
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FAMILY VIOLENCE TAKEN SERIOUSLY<br />
34<br />
Victoria Police recently announced<br />
that family violence perpetrators will<br />
be treated as seriously as terrorists and<br />
murderers.<br />
This strategy represents a major<br />
milestone in the evolving police<br />
approach to family violence. Though<br />
family violence results in far more death<br />
and injury, terrorism is nonetheless<br />
considered Australia’s leading security<br />
threat.<br />
The Victoria Police strategy represents<br />
an opportunity to reset security<br />
priorities by recognising family violence<br />
as the foremost contributor to the<br />
preventable death and injury of women<br />
and children.<br />
Acknowledging family violence’s harms<br />
Following in the footsteps of those who<br />
have noted the similarities between<br />
terrorism and family violence – using<br />
such terms as “intimate terrorism”<br />
and “everyday terrorism” to make this<br />
point – Victoria Police’s acting chief<br />
commissioner Shane Patton said:<br />
… the consequences of family violence<br />
are the same as terrorism … We have<br />
death, we have serious trauma, we<br />
have serious injury and we have people<br />
impacted for the rest of their lives.<br />
However, the scope of the harms of<br />
“everyday terrorism” are far more<br />
widespread.<br />
Between 2002-03 and 2011-12, 488<br />
women were killed across Australia in<br />
homicides perpetrated by their current<br />
or former partners. In the previous<br />
two decades, five people were killed in<br />
terrorist attacks in Australia.<br />
In contrast, on average at least one<br />
woman is killed in Australia each week,<br />
usually by an intimate (ex-)partner.<br />
Family violence is the leading<br />
preventable contributor to death,<br />
disability and illness in women aged<br />
15–44. It is responsible for more disease<br />
burden than high blood pressure,<br />
smoking, and obesity.<br />
Victoria Police research that informed<br />
its strategy indicates that in the past six<br />
years, more than 11,000 perpetrators<br />
harmed three or more victims.<br />
In 2016-17, there has been 16 family<br />
violence killings in Victoria. This<br />
represents 28% of all homicides.<br />
Shifting police practice<br />
As the gatekeepers of the criminal<br />
justice system, police are critical in<br />
shaping the community understandings<br />
of crime. If the police don’t take a crime<br />
or threat seriously, it’s likely the public<br />
won’t either.<br />
A few short decades ago, family violence<br />
was hidden, excused or trivialised.<br />
Today, family violence, most typically<br />
intimate partner violence committed<br />
by men against their current or former<br />
partner, is recognised as the most<br />
prevalent type of violence against<br />
women. It is now also considered a<br />
serious crime and a pressing social issue.<br />
Changing police practices and priorities<br />
are central to this.<br />
Until the 1980s, criminal assault in the<br />
home was, in police parlance, generally<br />
considered to be “just a domestic”. Those<br />
now labelled perpetrators of family<br />
violence were seen as having gone “a
little too far with the missus”.<br />
When women called police for help, officers either did not<br />
attend or did not intervene to protect the woman or arrest<br />
the perpetrator. Once a woman calls for help and does not<br />
receive it, or has the abuse trivialised or blamed on her<br />
actions, she is unlikely to call again.<br />
Today, family violence is core police business. Across<br />
Australia, police receive a call related to family violence<br />
approximately every two minutes. Grim though these figures<br />
are, they reflect a major shift in police priorities and growing<br />
community recognition that they are a critical resource for<br />
those experiencing family violence.<br />
Until the 1980s, Victoria Police, like most police forces at<br />
that time, was male-dominated and socially conservative.<br />
Women comprised a tiny fraction of the force, and police<br />
leadership was almost exclusively male.<br />
Attitudes of police officers serving in this context often<br />
seemed to reflect and reinforce the notion of women as male<br />
property and at least partly responsible for the violence they<br />
experienced.<br />
The new millennium marked a significant break in police<br />
tradition with the appointment of Christine Nixon as<br />
Australia’s first – and to date only – female police chief<br />
commissioner. She provided strong leadership around social<br />
inclusion and family violence.<br />
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In Nixon’s first year in office, Victoria Police published a<br />
violence against women strategy. In 2004, it developed a<br />
code of practice that required police to prioritise responding<br />
to family violence calls.<br />
After Nixon left office, in another Australian-first, in 2015<br />
Victoria Police established a Family Violence Command<br />
and appointed Dean McWhirter as assistant commissioner<br />
for family violence. The command aims to provide<br />
organisational and policy guidance and identify good<br />
practice.<br />
Family violence will now be investigated as major crimes by<br />
specialised units. Priorities will target repeat offenders and<br />
work to predict violence and intervene before women and<br />
children are injured or killed.<br />
Perhaps just as important is the message the strategy sends<br />
about family violence as serious crime. Now, it really is<br />
everyone’s business.<br />
Jude McCulloch, JaneMaree Maher, Kate Fitz-Gibbon<br />
Monash University<br />
Sandra Walklate - University of Liverpool<br />
Original Article - “The Conversation”<br />
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35
36
Mate helping Mate<br />
Neighbour helping Neighbour<br />
People helping People<br />
132 500 Fact Sheet<br />
For emergency help in floods and storms<br />
Need emergency help in floods and storms?<br />
If you need the assistance of the State Emergency Service in<br />
non-life threatening emergency situations during floods and<br />
storms, you can:<br />
• Call 132 500; or<br />
• Lodge a request here: www.132500.qld.gov.au; Or<br />
• Lodge a request on our 132 500 SES Assistance App available<br />
for both Apple and Android devices.<br />
SES volunteers help protect people and properties from storms<br />
in QLD by:<br />
• Educating people about how to protect their family and<br />
property from floods and storms<br />
• Temporarily repairing properties from further hail, heavy<br />
rain or strong wind<br />
• Clearing roads and property to give emergency access<br />
• Rescuing people trapped or injured by flood or storm activity<br />
• Providing emergency assistance in flood situations<br />
??How can I help??<br />
R Use a BUCKET to capture leaking water<br />
R MOVE furniture from under leaks<br />
R Internally TARP furniture<br />
R SANDBAG entry points to your<br />
house/business<br />
R HELP your neighbours<br />
R HELP your family<br />
Handy Hints<br />
P SES volunteers carry<br />
out temporary repairs in<br />
emergency situations<br />
P Property owners should<br />
seek professional trades<br />
people to permanently<br />
repair any damage caused<br />
by storms or floods<br />
P It is the responsibility of<br />
the landowner to remove the<br />
debris from their property<br />
Call<br />
132 500<br />
Australia<br />
Wide!<br />
If your emergency<br />
is life threatening<br />
call 000 (triple zero)<br />
For more information, contact us as per below:<br />
© State of Queensland (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services) 2016<br />
All Queensland Fire and Emergency Services material in this document – except any material protected by a trademark, and<br />
unless otherwise noted – is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence<br />
www.ses.qld.gov.au<br />
37
No need to drink and drive<br />
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They’re welcome to your sofa, bean bag,<br />
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38