AESM Vol 27, ISSUE 6 2021

VOL 27: ISSUE 6, 2021 

8 

DEADLY DAYS 

OF CHRISTMAS 

DROWNING AND SUMMER 

INTRODUCING 

NATURAL HAZARDS 

RESEARCH 

AUSTRALIA 

VACCINES AND 

EMERGENCY 

WORKERS: 

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LAW 

AMBULANCE VICTORIA 

INDEPENDENT REVIEW 

VOLUME ONE RELEASED

WE SEE YOU 

COORDINATING 

THE RESPONSE 

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FEATURE 

CONTENTS 

FEATURE 

Remembering, 

Rebuilding and 

Reaching Net Zero 

We look back at 

the Black Summer 

Bushfires, the 

connection to climate 

change and what is 

happening now. 

23 

Independent Review 

of Ambulance 

Victoria 

Volume 1 of the report 

from the Independent 

Review of Workplace 

equality within 

Ambulance Victoria has 

been released with 24 

recommendations. 

15 

FEATURE 

5 Mistakes We Make 

to Precipitate the 

Path to Burnout 

Alison Coughlan the 

author of The Health 

Hazard: Take control, 

restore wellbeing and 

optimise impact, guides 

us through 5 common 

mistakes that can lead to 

burnout. 

13 

Introducing Natural 

Hazards Research 

Australia 

Australia has a new national 

centre for natural hazards 

resilience and disaster risk 

reduction – Natural Hazards 

Research Australia. New 

research is now underway, 

with plenty of exciting 

funding opportunities 

already available. 

27 

21 

Taking Protective 

Action During Floods 

and Storms 

Public safety messages 

for floods and storms 

will be broadcast on 

ABC Radio this severe 

weather season, backed 

by Bushfire and Natural 

Hazards CRC research. 

www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 

New Technology Lets 

Police Link DNA 

to Appearance & 

Ancestry 

The Australian Federal 

Police recently announced 

plans to use DNA samples 

collected at crime scenes 

to make predictions about 

potential suspects. 

33

THE REGULARS 

• Editor’s Note 

3 

• Recent Events 

Victoria releases drowning report 

Diversity and Resilience for Volunteer 

Jurien Bay Marine Rescue gets new RHIB 

Community rallies for cyclone preparation 

New model keeping firefighters ahead of the front 

• Emergency Law with Dr Michael Eburn 

• Let’s Talk Mental Health with A/Prof Erin Cotter- Smith 

• On the Frontline - Our Gendered Reality 

• AESM Book Reviews 

• In the Spotlight - Disaster Relief Australia 

• Emergency Breaks - Christmas Travel Wish List 

5 

6 

6 

7 

8 

9 

19 

31 

39 

41 

43 

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Android platforms 

LET’S TALK MENTAL HEALTH 

Associate Professor Erin Cotter-Smith 

Course Coordinator of the School of 

Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan 

University. 

EMERGENCY LAW 

Dr Michael Eburn - PHD, leading expert in 

law relating to emergency management & 

emergency services. 

ON THE FRONTLINE 

An Insight into the World of Paramedicine 

with Rasa Piggott, Registered Paramedic, 

Nurse and Lecturer in Paramedicine at 

Australian Catholic University. 

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT 

EMERGENCY BREAKS 

Each edition features a 

profile on a person, team, 

partnership, squad or unit 

to showcase their unique 

contribution to the Emergency 

Services industry. 

Explore local surrounds, or 

new places that are only a 

short plane trip or drive away, 

so you can maximise every 

minute of those days when 

your name doesn’t appear 

next to a call sign on the roster 

Scan Me 

to download the AESM App 

www.ausemergencyservices.com.au

EDITOR’S NOTE 

Welcome to the last edition for the year of the Australian 

Emergency Services Magazine. We are proud to be an 

independent publication that seeks to acknowledge and 

promote the incredible work of the emergency services 

industry and the disaster management sector in Australia. 

With Summer upon us we are acutely aware of how busy 

our emergency services personnel are with bushfire season, 

storm and cyclone season and of course more people in the 

water means a busy period for surf life saving and marine 

rescue. The Christmas period is statistically the worst time 

for drownings in Australia. There are ways to prevent this 

though to not only save yourself and loved ones but to also 

help our surf life savers and rescue personnel. Article on 

page 37. 

This is the last edition that our very good friend Associate 

Professor Erin Cotter-Smith will be contributing. If you are 

a regular reader I’m sure you look forward to each edition 

of Erin’s column, ‘Let’s Talk Mental Health’. Erin has taken 

on a fantastic new position as CEO of the DART Centre for 

Journalism and Trauma, Asia Pacific. Her new role will see 

her very busy and unfortunately this means we no longer 

have her guiding us toward better mental health. We 

want to take the opportunity to say a very big thank you 

to Erin from all of the team for your valuable contribution 

and insights. It has been an absolute pleasure having 

you as part of our regular contributor team. Never fear 

however, Dr Lisa Holmes, Unit Coordinator and Lecturer of 

Paramedical Science at Edith Cowan University will be taking 

over this column in the new year and we can’t wait! 

From all of us here at the Australian Emergency Services 

Magazine we wish you a very safe and happy Christmas and 

New Year with your loved ones. 

Happy reading and we will see you in the new year! 

Bianca Peterson 

Editor in Chief 

www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 

DISCLAIMER 

The Australian Emergency Services Magazine 

is a community educational resource 

publication and does not promote itself 

as a charity or fund raising institution, nor 

solicit on behalf of charities and is no way 

financially supported by or associated 

with any government, union or similar 

institution. The Australian Emergency Services 

Magazine is an independent publication that 

is not associated with any services or similar 

entities. 

Distribution of the publication is Bi-Monthly 

and is circulated via a database of interested 

parties, including business, subscribers, 

advertisers, volunteer organisations, 

emergency service sectors, emergency 

and disaster management, government, 

universities, TAFE and council libraries. A 

print and digital magazine is distributed to a 

targeted database in each State & Territory. 

Every effort is made to ensure that material 

presented in the Australian Emergency 

Services Magazine was correct at the time of 

printing and is published in good faith, no 

responsibility or liability will be accepted by 

Boothbook Media. 

The views and opinions expressed are 

not necessarily those of Boothbook 

Media and its employees. The content of 

any advertising or promotional material 

contained within the Australian Emergency 

Services Magazine is not necessarily an 

endorsement by Boothbook Media. 

Published by Boothbook Media 

ABN:72 605 987 031 

BOOTHBOOK MEDIA 

DIGITAL MEDIA & MARKETING 

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? 

We are always looking for new 

and relevant content that 

our readers will enjoy. If you 

would like to be featured in 

the magazine there are many 

options. You may have a story 

you would like to share, or 

perhaps be featured in our “In 

the Spotlight” regular column. 

Please submit all articles or 

expressions of interest to the 

Editor for consideration at: 

editor@ausemergencyservices. 

com.au 

Articles should be no more than 

1000 words and be relevant 

to the content within the 

Australian Emergency Services 

Magazine. 

3 


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RECENT EVENTS 

everything to teach about 

being safe and it just takes 

that split second. 

Temporary memorial at Sandridge Beach with 61 rescue tubes representing lives lost 

LIFE SAVING VICTORIA’S DROWNING REPORT 

REVEALS TRAGEDIES BEHIND HIGHEST 

DROWNING TOLL IN 20 YEARS 

Life Saving Victoria (LSV) 

has released the 2020 – 21 

Victorian Drowning Report; 

industry leading research 

exploring the staggering 

increase in drowning figures 

during the past financial year. 

The alarming report reveals 

the tragic circumstances 

behind Victoria’s highest 

drowning toll in 20 years, 

noting that young 

children and men were 

overrepresented in 

drownings, and that 48 per 

cent of people drowned 

within their residential 

postcode. 

Life Saving Victoria honoured 

the 61 people who lost their 

lives to drowning and whose 

stories make up the report, 

including two-year-old Hunter 

Boyle, with a temporary 

memorial of 61 rescue tubes 

erected at Sandridge Beach 

on the 1st December. 

Life Saving Victoria’s general 

manager, health promotion 

and communications, Dr 

Bernadette Matthews said 

that it’s vital Victorians 

remember that the numbers 

represent real people who 

are tragically no longer here. 

“While anyone can drown, 

no one should. Life Saving 

Victoria is urging the 

community not to become 

complacent, and to 

remember that these are 

more than just numbers, 

they are people,” Dr 

Matthews said. 

“Our intention in compiling 

this drowning report is to 

ensure that part of their 

legacy lives on to help 

prevent future drownings 

in Victorian waters. By 

examining areas of risk, we 

can help to inform our safety 

strategies and hopefully 

prevent further tragedy 

moving forward. 

“Life Saving Victoria has 

been working closely with 

government, the water 

safety sector and the aquatic 

industry to address a number 

of preventative measures, 

in a bid to stop people from 

requiring assistance in the 

first place.” 

Devastatingly, a quarter of 

the drowning deaths were 

children aged between zero 

and 14 years old. 

“It is even more heartwrenching 

to highlight that of 

these fatalities, 15 involved 

children aged 0 – 14 years, 

equating to a quarter of all 

drownings and accounting 

for the highest age-specific 

fatal drowning rate this year,” 

Dr Matthews said. 

Ash Napolitano, mother 

of Hunter Boyle who was 

just two years-old when 

he drowned at the dam on 

his grandfather’s property, 

knows firsthand the 

heartache that comes when 

a child is lost to drowning 

and is urging all parents and 

carers to know the risks. 

“I can’t describe the pain that 

comes with losing our boy, 

even after a year, it never 

gets easier,” Ms Napolitano 

said. 

“It’s surreal to think that he 

is one of the numbers in this 

report, because he was and 

is so much more than that. 

“I can’t tell other parents 

or carers strongly enough, 

sometimes you can do 

“It has been incredibly 

overwhelming, but I’ve tried 

to channel some of this 

grief into positive change, by 

setting up the Hunter Boyle 

Children’s Swim Program 

with the support of Kidsafe 

Victoria. Piloted in our 

hometown of Shepparton, 

our aim is to fund 12 months’ 

worth of swimming lessons 

and water safety education 

to vulnerable children 

between the ages of 6 

months - 12 years. We know 

we can educate our most 

vulnerable little people about 

the dangers of water and 

support them to learn a life 

skill,” Ms Napolitano said. 

Life Saving Victoria’s message 

to all Victorians ahead of 

summer is to remember 

the reason you want to get 

back out of the water safely, 

and to keep kids away from 

danger. “Do not become a 

memory, please remember 

that a moment of distraction 

can lead to a lifetime of 

heartbreak,” Dr Matthews 

said. 

“Actively supervise children 

around water in the home 

and when at the beach, 

river or pool. Stay safe by 

learning swimming, water 

safety and lifesaving skills, 

always seek out patrolled 

beaches and swim between 

the red and yellow flags. 

If boating or rock fishing, 

wear safety gear such as a 

fully-functioning, approved 

life jacket and gripped shoes, 

and remember that drugs 

and alcohol don’t mix with 

water.” 

Life Saving Victoria kicked 

off an extended lifesaving 

patrol season on Saturday 

27 November, supported by 

the Victorian Government’s 

largest ever investment in 

water safety. 

To find patrolled locations 

this summer visit beachsafe. 

org.au 

5 


RECENT EVENTS 

NEW RESEARCH REVEALS 

A STRIKING PICTURE OF 

DIVERSITY AND RESILIENCE 

A new research paper from 

Volunteering Australia 

aims to provide a more 

detailed portrayal of the 

volunteering experience 

during the COVID-19 

pandemic. 

The COVID-19 pandemic 

has had profound 

implications for the 

volunteering ecosystem 

as we have witnessed 

a dramatic decline in 

volunteering. Whilst this 

data is without doubt 

cause for concern, it is not 

the full story. 

Volunteering Australia’s 

latest research paper 

‘Continuity and change: 

volunteering during the 

COVID-19 pandemic’ 

shows there is more to the 

experience of volunteers 

during the pandemic than 

figures alone can capture. 

Millions of people have 

continued to volunteer 

since the pandemic hit our 

shores early in 2020 and 

this new research shares 

their story. Based on 800 

qualitative responses 

gathered as part of the Life 

in Australia survey, the 

research reveals a striking 

picture of diversity and 

resilience. 

Responses illustrate the 

diversity of experience, 

highlighting wellbeing 

benefits of volunteering 

during the pandemic, the 

advantages and challenges 

of remote volunteering, 

the difficulties and 

hazards of providing 

voluntary support during 

the disaster, and the 

ongoing shifts in volunteer 

engagement which may 

remain significant as 

the pandemic response 

progresses. 

These insights will be 

crucial to understanding 

the changes in 

volunteering in the 

future, and in planning to 

support a more dynamic, 

accessible, and resilient 

volunteering ecosystem. 

CUSTOM-BUILT VESSEL 

FOR MARINE RESCUE 

JURIEN BAY 

A new Rigid Hulled Inflatable 

Boat (RHIB) has been 

deployed to Marine Rescue 

Jurien Bay, giving local 

volunteers greater capability 

to keep the community safe 

over summer. 

Built locally by Dongara 

Marine, the 6.8-metre 

vessel is trailerable and can 

be launched from beaches, 

improving response 

times for incidents in the 

Cervantes area, south of 

Jurien Bay. 

Importantly, the RHIB has 

been designed with input 

from local marine rescue 

volunteers and is custombuilt 

to meet their needs. 

This input has been vital, 

with the final design 

incorporating a trailer for 

quick transport via road 

and the capability to launch 

from beaches. 

The vessel is equipped with 

state-of-the-art electronics 

and twin 150-horsepower 

motors. 

To give the community a 

sense of ownership of the 

vessel, a local competition 

to name the RHIB has been 

running in Jurien Bay in 

recent weeks. 

The winning entry will be 

unveiled at a special event 

at Jurien Bay Marina Boat 

Ramp on Saturday 18 

December 2021. 

Fire and Emergency 

Services Commissioner 

Darren Klemm AFSM said 

the vessel would be a vital 

addition to marine rescue 

services in the Mid West 

this summer. 

“Marine Rescue Jurien 

Bay are a busy group and 

provide a very important 

service to the local 

community. This vessel 

gives them another tool 

to keep people safe,” 

Commissioner Klemm said. 

“The ability to launch this 

vessel from the beach and 

transport by road will help 

volunteers respond quicker 

to a range of maritime 

incidents. 

“We’re extremely pleased 

that the volunteers who 

use this boat have had a 

say in how the vessel is 

designed and built. 

“That way when it comes 

into service the boat 

is suited to the local 

conditions and to the 

needs of the volunteers 

who will ultimately use it to 

keep the community safe.” 

www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 6

RECENT EVENTS 

“The key is to regularly 

inspect, maintain and repair 

your property. Check key 

structural elements and 

ensure there are no loose 

items on your property that 

could cause damage in high 

winds. 

“We know people are 

overwhelmed by the 

impact of Cyclone Seroja. 

By checking your property 

and talking with builders, 

insurers and emergency 

services you’re not only 

preparing physically, 

but building emotional 

resilience as well.” 

Image: Bureau of Meteorology 

MID WEST COMMUNITY RALLIES FOR PRE- 

SEASON CAMPAIGN DURING CYCLONE 

SEROJA RECOVERY 

Members of WA’s Mid 

West community and 

a local netball star are 

spearheading a Department 

of Fire and Emergency 

Services campaign 

encouraging people to 

prepare for this summer’s 

cyclone season. 

A series of online videos 

have been created 

specifically for the region 

and acknowledge the 

challenge families and 

businesses face preparing 

properties for potential 

storms, flooding and 

cyclones while continuing 

their recovery from Cyclone 

Seroja. 

The tailored videos for the 

Mid West region, featuring 

a local State Emergency 

Services volunteer, DFES 

District Officer, Department 

of Communities Recovery 

Officer and a primary 

producer will be seen in the 

digital advertising campaign 

and on DFES social 

channels. 

West Coast Fever netball 

star Emma Cosh, who 

was born and raised 

in Geraldton, has also 

added her support to the 

campaign, which runs until 

April. 

Fire and Emergency 

Services Deputy 

Commissioner Operations 

Craig Waters AFSM stressed 

the importance of preparing 

for the cyclone season. 

“For many Mid West 

residents their current 

situation would have 

been unimaginable to 

them a year ago,” Deputy 

Commissioner Waters said. 

“The rebuilding of homes 

and businesses is underway 

and the timetable for the 

recovery process is different 

for each individual, but 

unfortunately the seasons 

don’t wait. 

“It’s important that 

families and businesses 

take the opportunity now 

to do some pre-season 

preparation to their 

properties to mitigate the 

potential for damage from 

cyclones this summer. 

Ms Cosh said that while she 

was now based in Perth 

playing for the Fever in the 

national Super League, she 

still had strong ties to the 

Mid West. She encouraged 

residents to prepare for 

the summer season after 

seeing family and friends 

impacted by Cyclone Seroja. 

“I think it’s important to 

prepare your home for 

another severe weather 

season this summer. I find it 

similar to the work athletes 

put into pre-season for 

their sport,” Ms Cosh said. 

“I know it can be a challenge 

and everyone finds preseason 

tough. But putting 

in the work now means that 

you will be prepared for 

whatever the season ahead 

throws your way.” 

For information about how 

to prepare yourself and 

your property visit www. 

dfes.wa.gov.au/cyclone/ 

prepare 

The Mid West videos can 

be viewed on the DFES 

YouTube page. 

For more information about 

the campaign contact 

DFES Media and Corporate 

Communications on 9395 

9543 or email media@dfes. 

wa.gov.au 

7 


Australia’s national science 

agency CSIRO and the 

NSW Rural Fire Service 

have released Australia’s 

most advanced model for 

predicting the speed and 

behaviour of eucalypt forest 

fires, helping to save lives and 

property during bushfires. 

RECENT EVENTS 

NEW BUSHFIRE SPREAD PREDICTION 

MODEL KEEPS FIREFIGHTERS AHEAD OF 

THE FIRE FRONT 

Eucalypts make up more 

than 70 per cent of 

Australia’s forests and some 

of Australia’s most extreme 

fire events, such as the 2009 

Black Saturday fires and the 

most severe of the 2019/20 

bushfires, occurred in this 

type of vegetation. 

The Vesta Mark 2 model, a 

mathematical description 

of how a fire responds to 

environmental conditions, 

will be rolled out nationally 

this summer and help fire 

control rooms across the 

country to predict and 

suppress bushfires as they 

spread across the landscape, 

and to warn the public. 

CSIRO bushfire behaviour 

researcher Dr Andrew 

Sullivan said although much 

of eastern Australia was 

expecting a wetter than 

normal summer this year, 

bushfires were an everpresent 

danger throughout 

summer and were increasing 

in frequency and severity. 

“Forests have critical 

ecological and socioeconomic 

roles, and often 

connect to areas where large 

numbers of Australians live,” 

he said. 

“Forest fires are complex 

and difficult to control and 

extinguish, and firefighters 

often have to battle steep 

terrain and challenging 

conditions just to reach the 

fire,” Dr Sullivan said. 

“Critically, this model can 

accurately predict the 

speed that a fire front will 

advance across a landscape, 

which is essential to enable 

authorities to efficiently 

identify threats, issue 

bushfire warning messages, 

signal evacuations, and plan 

NSW RFS State Operations Centre within the NSW RFS Headquarters, Sydney Olympic Park. Pictured full of people during the 2019/20 fire 

season. Image NSW RFS 

fire suppression actions.” 

Data inputs such as 

forecast weather and wind 

information come from the 

Bureau of Meteorology, while 

information on the state of 

fuels within the forest and 

existing behaviour of a fire 

can come from vegetation 

databases and fireground 

reports. Fire behaviour 

analysts in an incident 

management team, often 

stationed at an operations 

centre near the fire, collate 

this information and then 

run the model to generate 

a prediction of the likely 

progression of the fire across 

the landscape. 

CSIRO bushfire behaviour 

researcher and leader of the 

project Dr Miguel Cruz said 

the model used the latest 

available science on bushfire 

behaviour. 

“This model was built 

using analysis of the most 

extensive set of data 

gathered from observations 

of large high intensity 

experimental fires and 

wildfires, collated from 

around the country over the 

past 40 years,” Dr Cruz said. 

“Our research and findings 

during the 2019/20 

bushfire season were 

also instrumental in the 

development of this tool.” 

NSW RFS Deputy 

Commissioner Preparedness 

and Capability, Kyle Stewart, 

said the new model would 

be key to providing essential 

information about expected 

fire behaviour to support 

decision making during 

bushfire outbreaks this fire 

season. 

“Knowing with confidence 

where a bushfire will be 

ahead of time is critical 

to the safe and effective 

deployment of our fire 

crews and the safety of our 

communities,” Mr Stewart 

said. 

“This is an excellent example 

of science agencies and the 

Rural Fire Service working 

together to improve bushfire 

management in Australia. 

It is the latest in a long line 

of successful collaborations 

between the RFS and CSIRO.” 

The original ‘Project Vesta’ 

in the 1990s was the largest 

ever experimental program 

studying forest fire behaviour 

in Australia. 

Vesta Mk 2 has been 

incorporated into Spark, 

Australia’s newest wildfire 

operational simulator 

being developed by CSIRO 

and the Australasian Fire 

and Emergency Service 

Authorities Council AFAC, 

and Amicus, which is CSIRO’s 

bushfire knowledge support 

system to help support 

future bushfire fighting 

efforts. 

A guide to the use and operation Vesta 

Mk 2 can be found at https://research. 

csiro.au/vestamk2. 

The scientific article about Vesta Mk 2 

can be found as an open access article 

at https://www.publish.csiro.au/WF/ 

WF21068 


AUSTRALIAN EMERGENCY LAW 

A DISCUSSION 

ON THE LAW 

THAT APPLIES 

TO OR AFFECTS 

AUSTRALIA’S 

EMERGENCY 

SERVICES AND 

EMERGENCY 

MANAGEMENT 

ON REQUIRING COVID 

VACCINES FOR 

EMERGENCY WORKERS 

DR MICHAEL EBURN 

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen restrictions and obligations 

imposed on the entire Australian community. Many of the steps 

taken to control the pandemic are unprecedented within Australian 

living memory. One response to the pandemic has been to require 

people in some professions to be vaccinated against COVID if they 

are to continue in their role. This article will review legal challenges 

to these directions. 

PhD 

Honorary Associate 

Professor, 

ANU College of Law 

Adjunct Associate 

Professor, 

UNE School of Law 

Leading Expert in Law 

Relating to Emergency 

Management & 

Emergency Services 

https://law.anu.edu.au/ 

people/michael-eburn 

Work health and safety 

A person conducting a 

business or undertaking (a 

PCBU) is required to take 

reasonable steps to ensure 

that workers (including 

volunteers) are not 

exposed to unnecessary 

risks to health and safety 

due to their work. 

Further there is an 

obligation to take 

reasonable steps to ensure 

that the work does not 

expose others, such as 

clients and customers, 

to a risk to their health 

and safety. To meet 

those obligations, a PCBU 

may require employees 

or volunteers to get 

vaccinated. 

Before implementing WHS 

procedures and policies 

or changing employment 

conditions, a PCBU must 

consult with affected 

workers (ss 47 and 49). 

It was this failure to 

consult, rather than any 

fundamental rule against 

vaccine mandates, that led 

to a ruling that a mandate 

imposed by BHP was not 

lawful. 1 

Further, a PCBU that 

requires all employees to 

have a vaccine will have to 

demonstrate why, whether 

alone or with other control 

measures, that was a 

‘reasonably practicable’ 

step to protect either the 

workers, or those affected 

by the work, from the risk 

of COVID-19. 

Deputy President Dean of 

the Fair Work Commission 

(in dissent) said: 

It is very clear that a range 

of control measures will 

need to be implemented 

by employers to meet 

their health and safety 

obligations… [C]ontrols 

(based on a proper 

assessment of the risk in 

a particular workplace) 

might include appropriate 

air ventilation and filters, 

personal protective 

equipment including masks, 

staggered meal breaks, 

increased use of outdoor 

areas etc. The simple act 

of requiring people to 

stay at home if unwell 

and symptomatic will no 

doubt have a significant 

impact on the spread of all 

coronaviruses (whether a 

cold, flu or COVID). 2 

Identifying that a vaccine 

is a necessary part of 

the reasonable control 

9 


with Dr Michael Eburn 

measures will be easier 

in some workplaces 

compared to others. 

Paramedics for example 

are exposed to people 

in uncontrolled 

environments. People 

cannot be asked to refrain 

from calling paramedics if 

they are unwell as that is 

the very time, they need 

paramedics. Paramedics 

cannot ‘socially isolate’ 

from their patients. The 

use of PPE may reduce 

risk of infection, but that 

risk is further reduced 

with vaccination. Further 

paramedics who are not 

vaccinated may pose a 

risk to vulnerable patients. 

As Adamson J said in 

Larter’s case (discussed 

below): 

… the effect of the 

orders was to remove 

the increased risk of 

transmission posed by 

unvaccinated NSW Health 

workers. It would be of no 

comfort to the vulnerable 

patient who is infected by 

the unvaccinated health 

care worker to be told that 

he or she was unlucky by 

being in the wrong ward 

at the wrong time because 

most health care workers 

had been vaccinated. 3 

Similar arguments could 

also be made for rescue 

operators who must also 

operate in close contact 

with patients. Whether 

those arguments apply 

to fire fighters and others 

depends on all the 

circumstances. What is 

clear is that relying on the 

Work Health and Safety 

Act does not give an easy 

answer to the question 

of whether employers 

can or must require their 

workers to be vaccinated. 

Public Health Orders 

The presence of public 

health orders changes the 

issue. Where an order has 

been made under relevant 

public health legislation, 

or as has happened in 

some cases, emergency 

management legislation, 

then those operating in 

that environment have 

no choice but to comply. 

To draw a parallel an 

employer cannot employ 

someone to drive an 

emergency vehicle if they 

do not have a licence. 

The person may be a 

competent and safe driver 

but the obligation to have 

a licence is imposed by 

law and the employer has 

no choice but to comply. 

Kimber v Sapphire Coast 

Community Aged Care Ltd 

involved a nurse who 

did not want to get an 

influenza vaccination. 

On 24 March 2020, the 

NSW Minister for Health 

made a Public Health 

Order which said that an 

employee of a residential 

aged care facility must 

not enter the facility if 

they did not “have an 

up-to-date vaccination 

against influenza, if the 

vaccination is available to 

the person”. 4 

Sapphire Coast 

Community Aged Care 

wrote to Ms Kimber 

and advised her that 

because of her refusal to 

get vaccinated she was 

‘unable to perform the 

inherent requirements’ of 

her role and so she was 

dismissed. The majority of 

the Full Bench of the Fair 

Work Commission upheld 

the finding that her 

dismissal was not ‘unfair’.

They said: 

Ms Kimber was at the time 

of her dismissal legally 

prohibited from working at 

Imlay House. That plainly 

made the continuation 

of her employment 

untenable. In circumstances 

where Ms Kimber was 

given ample opportunity 

by her employer to get 

vaccinated or demonstrate 

that she had a medical 

contraindication, no other 

consideration could operate 

to render her dismissal 

unfair. 5 

Where there is a valid 

public health order, an 

employer has no choice to 

comply and if that order 

requires that a certain class 

of workers are vaccinated 

then the employer cannot 

continue their employment 

if they refuse to get the 

vaccination. But are the 

public health orders lawful? 

That was the question in 

Kassam & Henry v Hazzard 

& Ors and again in Larter 

v Hazzard, a supreme 

court case involving a NSW 

paramedic. 

In Kassam’s case 6 , Justice 

Beech-Jones went through 

arguments regarding 

the scope of the powers 

vested in the Minister 

for Health and whether 

the orders made were 

unconstitutional or beyond 

Where ther is a valid public health order, an employer has no choice to comply, requiring certain workers to be vaccinated 

the power of the Minister. 

This paper cannot deal with 

each step in His Honour’s 

reasoning but notes that 

all the objections were 

dismissed. His Honour’s 

reasoning was confirmed 

by the NSW Court of 

Appeal. 7 

In response to the claim 

that the various orders 

were a vaccine mandate, 

His Honour said: 

… the proper analysis 

is that the impugned 

orders curtail freedom of 

movement which in turn 

affects a person’s ability 

to work (and socialise). So 

far as the right to bodily 

integrity is concerned, 

Paramedics are exposed to people in uncontrolled environments and are unable to socially distance. 

it is not violated as the 

impugned orders do not 

authorise the involuntary 

vaccination of anyone. 8 

In the Court of Appeal, Bell 

P said: 

None of those Orders 

mandated vaccinations 

nor compelled citizens to 

be vaccinated, and none of 

the Plaintiffs in either set 

of proceedings had been 

vaccinated… 

The Orders recognised that 

not all workers may choose 

to be vaccinated, and that 

choice was respected. 

Vaccination was not a 

requirement under the 

Orders; rather, it was an 

element of the conditions 

by reference to which a 

worker would be permitted 

to take advantage of an 

exemption, namely to leave 

a particular area … or to 

enter a particular place… 9 

Leeming JA said: 

“… “free choice” is a label 

which disguises the fact that 

many choices commonly 

made by people are 

influenced by incentives 

and burdens, which are not 

uncommonly put in place 

for the express purpose of 

altering behaviour”. 10 

Or, as Senator Jaccqui 

Lambie said: “You have 

freedom to make a 

choice but, if you make a 

choice, those choices have 

consequences.” 11 

Larter is a NSW Paramedic 

who chooses not to have 

the COVID-19 vaccination. 

He argued that the orders 

went too far. In making 

that argument he relied 

on the principle of legality 

- a principle of statutory 

interpretation that says 

a statute should not be 

held to interfere with 

fundamental rights and 

freedoms unless that 

intention is expressed by 

clear language. 

Her Honour Justice 

Adamson said: 

The object of s 7 [of the 

Public Health Act 2010 

11 


(NSW)] is to permit orders 

to be made which may, for 

the greater good, interfere 

with fundamental human 

rights, such as freedom 

of movement. In these 

circumstances, the principle 

of legality is not of any real 

assistance in discerning 

the meaning of particular 

provisions…’ 12 

The Parliament had 

provided that “[t]he 

protection of the health 

and safety of the public 

is to be the paramount 

consideration in the 

exercise of functions under 

this [Public Health] Act.” 13 

In doing so the Parliament 

had given the Minister 

an intentionally broad 

power. It is not the role of 

the court to assess each 

of the options and make 

some determination as to 

which decision the minister 

should have made. 

As Beech-Jones J said in 

Kassam: 

… [I]t is not the Court’s 

function to determine the 

merits of the exercise of the 

power by the Minister … 

much less for the Court to 

choose between plausible 

responses to the risks to 

the public health posed by 

the Delta variant. It is also 

not the Court’s function to 

conclusively determine the 

effectiveness of some of the 

alleged treatments for those 

infected or the effectiveness 

of COVID-19 vaccines ... 

These are all matters of 

merits, policy and fact for 

the decision maker and 

not the Court. Instead, the 

Court’s only function is to 

determine the legal validity 

of the impugned orders 

which includes considering 

whether it has been shown 

that no Minister acting 

reasonably could have 

considered them necessary 

to deal with the identified 

risk to public health and its 

possible consequences. 14 

The Minister might choose 

to require certain workers 

to be vaccinated or he or 

she may take another of 

many options. In Larter’s 

case, Justice Adamson said: 

… The range of decisions 

reasonably open to 

the Minister is, in this 

context, wide. As long as 

the decision sought to 

be impugned falls within 

the ambit of those which 

are reasonably open, this 

Court has no power to set 

it aside on the grounds of 

unreasonableness. Each 

of the decisions between 

available alternatives are 

policy questions which 

Parliament has decided 

are to be matters for the 

Minister’s consideration 

and decision. 15 

Her honour dismissed 

all the challenges to the 

relevant order requiring 

Mr Larter and other 

health care workers to be 

vaccinated. 

Conclusion 

This paper focused on 

emergency workers, 

and in particular health 

care workers. Where the 

Minister or Chief Health 

Officer has exercised a 

power under relevant 

Public Health or emergency 

management legislation to 

issue an order or direction 

requiring certain workers 

to be vaccinated then the 

employer has no choice 

but to comply. Workers 

do retain a choice, there 

have been no orders that 

‘authorise the involuntary 

vaccination of anyone’. 

Workers have a choice, 

but choices often come 

with a cost. In this case a 

worker in an area subject 

to an order must choose 

between the vaccine or 

their job. That is a hard 

choice, but it is a choice. 

Dr Michael Eburn 

REFERENCES: 

1. CFMEU v Mt Arthur Coal [2021] 

FWCFB 6059. 

2. Kimber v Sapphire Coast 

Community Aged Care Ltd [2021] 

FWCFB 6015. [138]. 

3. Larter v Hazzard (No 2) [2021] 

NSWSC 1451, [83]. 

4. Kimber v Sapphire Coast 

Community Aged Care Ltd [2021] 

FWCFB 6015, [6]. 

5. Ibid [54] (Vice President Hatcher 

and Commissioner Riordan). 

6. Kassam v Hazzard; Henry v 

Hazzard [2021] NSWSC 1320. 


Hazzard [2021] NSWCA 299. 


Hazzard [2021] NSWSC 1320, [9]. 


Hazzard [2021] NSWCA 299, [95]- 

[96]. 

10. Ibid [170]. 

11. Commonwealth, Parliamentary 

Debates, Senate, 22 November 

2021, 10 (Jacquie Lambie). 

12. Larter v Hazard (No 2) [2021] 

NSWSC 1451, [80]. 

13. Ibid [83]. 


Hazzard [2021] NSWSC 1320, [7]. 

15. Larter v Hazzard (No 2) [2021] 

NSWSC 1451, [86]. 

This article represents the author’s opinion 

based on the law at the time it was written. 

This article, is not legal advice and cannot 

be relied upon to determine any person’s 

legal position. How the law applies to any 

specific situation or event depends on all the 

circumstances. 

If you need to determine legal rights and 

obligations with respect to any event 

that has happened, or some action that 

is proposed, you must consult a lawyer 

for advice based on the particular 

circumstances. Trade unions, professional 

indemnity insurers and community legal 

centres can all be a source for initial legal 

advice. 

This article has been published with 

permission from the author. 


Five mistakes we make that can 

precipitate the path to burnout 

13 


Burnout has certainly become a 

topic of interest in recent times. 

It is palpable in workplaces, 

accentuated and brought into stark 

light during the COVID-19 pandemic 

but real and present well before 

the virus infiltrated our services, 

our communities and our lives. No 

matter the role we play, there are 

mistakes we can make that can 

precipitate burnout in our workplaces 

and simple shifts in perspective and 

practice can prevent the decline. 

Mistake Number 1 

It’s not about me 

When our work involves a strong 

social purpose, this can go hand 

in hand with the belief that self 

sacrifice is optimal and that anything 

else would be self-serving or even 

selfish. Selflessness may be worn 

as a badge of honour and set the 

tone for workplace cultures and 

expectations placed on ourselves 

and each other. Whilst these are 

laudable qualities, they can lead to a 

blurring of boundaries between work 

and life, saying yes when overloaded 

and overwhelmed and, ultimately, to 

declining health and wellbeing. Crises 

are inevitable as part of the human 

condition and of work in emergency 

services. 

The most powerful thing we can all 

do to be of service to others in an 

optimal and sustainable way is to 

prioritise our wellbeing. 


It’s out of my control 

There are stressors and challenges 

inherent to work in emergency 

services, some that we can influence 

directly or indirectly and others that 

we cannot control. Feeling a lack of 

control is a risk factor for burnout 

and if we expend time and emotional 

energy railing against factors outside 

of our control that are sources of 

frustration, our wellbeing will suffer. 

This can create a domino effect 

through negatively impacting on 

others in our workplace. 

Take control of what you can, 

influence what you can and let go of 

what you cannot control and enjoy 

the relief that comes from that. 


I don’t have the time 

In our hyper-connected culture of 

busy-ness, we can feel like we never 

have enough time. When we do have 

time, we might not have the energy 

or motivation to proactively take 

care of our wellbeing. If we do not 

prioritise wellbeing and are on the 

hamster wheel peddling away madly, 

we adopt habits to help us cope 

that contribute to our decline like 

skipping lunch and trading sleep for 

work time (or lying awake ruminating 

over work challenges). A workplace 

in which many people are running 

on empty and feeling overwhelmed 

is one that is prone to conflict, to 

reduced productivity, absenteeism 

and staff turnover. This places even 

more pressure on finite resources, 

including time - the very definition of 

a vicious cycle in action. 

Choose to invest a small amount of 

time on your wellbeing each day and, 

as leaders, to normalise, promote, 

support and lead by example in our 

workplaces to break this vicious cycle. 


We don’t have the resources 

Investing in staff development, 

particularly in building personal and 

team resilience and our skills as 

leaders in fostering resilience at work 

can fall into the ‘nice to do’ list (or 

not even be on the radar). However 

workplace stress and burnout bring 

with them substantial health care and 

organisational costs that stem from 

absenteeism, reduced productivity 

and staff turnover. In fact, this was 

estimated by the World Economic 

Forum in 2016 as costing the global 

economy more than half a trillion 

dollars per year (AUD equivalent). 

Investing in workplace wellbeing, 

in growing and fostering resilient 

individuals and teams simply makes 

good sense. 


We’ve ‘done’ resilience/self care/ 

wellbeing… 

The challenges we face around 

workforce wellbeing are entrenched 

in cultures and norms formed over 

many generations. Our beliefs, 

systems, habits and processes are 

not going to change without a strong 

commitment, a belief that change is 

achievable and with a clear strategy, 

consistent effort, learning and 

continuous improvement over this 

and coming generations. There are 

no quick fixes or magic bullets here 

and no single intervention is going 

to get us to the place where we have 

new norms where the resilience of 

our people is valued as highly as 

delivering on our mission. 

Meaningful, concerted and sustained 

action is needed to reduce the 

prevalence and consequences of 

burnout in our workplaces and our 

lives. 

We need to reject burnout and 

set our sights on transforming our 

organisational cultures and practice. 

Forging a new path ahead to vibrant 

sustainable organisations filled with 

passionate, compassionate people 

with a strong social purpose who 

are supported to thrive, enjoy good 

health and be fulfilled in their work. 

Author: 

Alison Coughlan 

Alison Coughlan is the author of 

The Health Hazard: Take control, 

restore wellbeing and optimise 

impact. Alison’s work draws on her 

own experience of and recovery 

from burnout and provide simple, 

practical and powerful tools to 

chart a path to both resilience and 

impact. 

Find out more at 

www.alisoncoughlan.com 


INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF AMBULANCE VICTORIA 

VOLUME 1 REVEALS 24 RECOMMENDATIONS 

AROUND issues OF safety, respect and trust 

Words: Brooke Turnbull

In October 2020, Ambulance Victoria 

sought an independent commission 

review into its practices after a 

number of bullying, harassment and 

victimisation reports were brought 

forward to its management. 

According to the Victorian Equal 

Opportunity and Equal Rights 

Commission, the review examined 

the “nature, extent, drivers and 

impact of discrimination, sexual 

harassment, victimisation and 

bullying” that was experienced 

by both current and former staff 

members as well as volunteers 

working for Ambulance Victoria. 

It also examined the adequacy of 

the response and measures put 

in place to prevent and eliminate 

the harassment within Ambulance 

Victoria. Finally, it aimed to identify 

leading strategies to ensure a 

“safe, healthy, equal and inclusive 

workplace that supports and 

promotes positive workplace systems, 

values and behaviours, in accordance 

with the Equal Opportunity Act 2010.” 

On 30 November 2021, Volume 

I of the details of the findings 

and recommendations of the 

independent review was delivered 

and published. The inclusions 

within this first volume of findings 

were of the “nature, extent, drivers 

and impacts of discrimination, 

sexual harassment, bullying and 

victimisation at Ambulance Victoria”, 

as well as the adequacy of response 

to reports and complaints and how 

safe and respected current and 

former employees and volunteers for 

Ambulance Victoria feel within their 

organisation’s workplace. 

Volume II is expected to be delivered 

in March 2022 and will include the 

findings of the independent review 

into representation, equal pay, and 

progression, flexibility, accessibility 

and support as well as organisational 

capability, development into 

leadership and continued 

improvement. 

While the review into the conduct 

and response of Ambulance 

Victoria in regards to the complaints 

of harassment found that they 

implemented a range of measures 

that aimed to provide the 

organisation with a safe and inclusive 

working environment; due to the fact 

that Ambulance Victoria’s measures 

are still maturing, the review found 

that the organisation is currently not 

fully complying with the positive duty 

in the Act. 

As a result of this non-compliance, 

there was an overwhelming 

response to the review, with 47.2% of 

respondents reporting discrimination, 

17.4% of respondents reporting 

sexual harassment, 34.5% of 

respondents reporting victimisation 

and a huge 52.4% of respondents 

reporting experiences of bullying 

within the workplace. Reports of 

incivility, everyday sexism and other 

everyday forms of disrespect were 

also common within the findings. 

Ambulance Victoria has taken 

important steps in order to ensure 

that the organisation is responding 

correctly to its report and complaint 

system. The review found that few of 

the survey respondents went through 

with a formal complaint process and 

those that did found little satisfaction 

with the process and outcomes. The 

review found that these low levels 

of reporting is limiting Ambulance 

Victoria’s ability to identify and hold 

perpetrators accountable, the review 

found that moving forward the 

responsibility of prioritising measures 

that create a safer environment must 

be upheld by Ambulance Victoria. 

The recommendations from the 

review included in Volume I include 

adopting a new set of organisational 

values, security audits of work 

environments, establishing a new 

model for reporting complaints, 

and developing a comprehensive 

prevention plan among other 

recommendations. 

52.4% of respondents reported experiences of bullying within the workplace. Image credit: Ambulance 

Victoria Facebook 

Recommendations for further 

implementation involving pay, 

equality and devlopment will be 

available in Volume II of the review to 

be released in March 2022. 

Ambulance Victoria have expressed 

deep regret for the harm that 

has been suffered as a result of 

discrimination, sexual harassment, 

bullying, and victimisation. They 

have pledged to begin to work on 

the recommendations given by the 

review in November 2021. 

Ambulance Victoria’s CEO, Professor 

Tony Walker ASM, stated that 

although the report is hard to 

read, meaningful change will only 

happen through hearing, feeling and 

acknowledging the wrongs that have 

occured. His message within the 

first report is detailed and direct in 

regards to the deficiencies that have 

been highlighted by the independent 

review. His commitment to achieving 

change is clear. 

17 


“ Our immediate priority is supporting 

our people and strengthening the 

systemsthat will change their experience. 

This includes the establishment of a 

dedicated Workplace Equality and 

Organisational Reform Division, a 

restorative engagement scheme to 

support acknowledgment of harm and 

initiatives to immediately improveharm 

prevention and overhauling our 

complaints system.” 

The Chair of Ambulance Victoria, Mr 

Ken Lay calls the report both painful 

and confronting. He states, “The 

breadth and depth of issues of incivility, 

disrespect, discrimination, sexual 

harassment, bullying and victimisation 

in our workplace are deeply disturbing.” 

He goes on to restate the boards 

committment to working alongside 

the CEO and Executive Committee 

to “purge the organisation of the 

destructive elements of our culture 

and to improve and safeguard our 

workplace for all those who work at 

Ambulance Victoria.” In his message 

within Volume One of the review he 

says, “This board will be judged on 

our success in honouring the courage 

of those who have come forward by 

making Ambulance Victoria a better 

place to work.” 

The Victorian Equal Opportunity 

and Human Rights Commission is 

committed to remaining involved in 

assisting Ambulance Victoria with the 

implementation of these measures 

and a formal audit will be conducted 

after the recommendations in 

Volume II have been implemented. 

This audit is expected to be 

conducted in 2023, a year on from 

the release of Volume II. 

The commission acknowledges the 

contributors to the review, both 

current and former employees and 

volunteers for Ambulance Victoria. 

Those who came forward with their 

stories of workplace harassment have 

demonstrated real bravery. 

For more information about the 

Independent review into workplace 

equality by the Victorian Equal 

Opportunity and Human Rights 

Commission visit their website. 

To read Volume 1 of the Independent 

Review into Workplace Equality 

in Ambulance Victoria you can 

download it here. 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

1. LEARNING THROUGH REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 

2. BEARING WITNESS, LEARNING THROUGH LISTENING AND 

ACKNOWLEDGING THROUGH RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 

3. A HOLISTIC, EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION PLAN 

4. COMMUNICATING REGULARLY AND PROACTIVELY 

ABOUT PREVENTION 

5. THE CRITICAL ROLE OF UNIONS AND PROFESSIONAL 

ASSOCIATIONS IN PREVENTION 

6. PROTECTING SAFETY IN ISOLATED ENVIRONMENTS 

7. RESETTING AND EMBEDDING ORGANISATIONAL VALUES 

8. ENCOURAGING A ‘SPEAK UP’ CULTURE 

9. REINTRODUCING CONTACT OFFICERS AND 

ESTABLISHING A LOCAL CHAMPIONS NETWORK 

10. VALUING THOSE WHO CARE 

11. ESTABLISHING A DEDICATED DIVISION TO DRIVE REFORM 

12. SUPPORTING ROBUST GOVERNANCE AND OVERSIGHT 

OF REFORMS 

13. A VICTIM-CENTRED AND FAIR REPORT AND COMPLAINT 

SYSTEM 

14. ENHANCING PERCEPTIONS OF INDEPENDENCE 

AND SUPPORTING CAPABILITY FOR THE NEW 

ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSE TO REPORTS AND 

COMPLAINTS OF UNLAWFUL CONDUCT 

15. SUPPORTING STAFF TO CONFIDENTLY REPORT 

THROUGH ANONYMOUS PATHWAYS 

16. EMBEDDING A VICTIM-CENTRED APPROACH TO 

PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES 

17. SUPPORTING CHOICE AND CONTROL AND ADDRESSING 

HARM AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY 

18. DEVELOPING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT ACCESSIBILITY OF 

THE REPORT AND COMPLAINT SYSTEM 

19. SUPPORTING TRANSPARENCY AND DEVELOPING 

LEARNING TOOLS 

20. UNDERSTANDING HOW THE REPORT AND COMPLAINT 

SYSTEM IS WORKING 

21. LEARNING LESSONS AND IMPROVING SERVICE DELIVERY 

AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY 

22. CREATING AND MAINTAINING RECORDS AND DATA TO 

IMPROVE ANALYTICAL CAPABILITY 

23. SUPPORTING THE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF REPORTING 

AND COMPLAINT REFORMS 

24. ENHANCING ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE REPORT AND 

COMPLAINT SYSTEM

Lets 

‘ 

Talk 

Mental Health 

with Associate Professor 

Erin Cotter-Smith 

A fresh start… 

I recently made a big change. After almost 

two decades in academia, I accepted a 

CEO role for a not-for-profit organisation 

that closely aligned with my personal 

values and passion for supporting mental 

health and wellbeing. 

I will be approaching the new year with a 

fresh start! 

Behavioural science has long attempted 

to explain our desire for change; but more 

recently we are starting to understand 

a phenomenon called the “fresh start 

effect”. Coined by a group of researchers 

from Harvard University, it identified 

that our “fresh start” behaviours – things 

like taking out new gym memberships 

and buying diet cookbooks – all increase 

following temporal landmarks (e.g., the 

start of a new week, month, year, or 

events like our birthdays). 

When I first read about this, my initial 

response was, “uh, yeah, no kidding?”. 

However, on further reflection, it’s 

interesting and has serious implications 

for how we think about taking on 

behaviour change. 

Of note, the researchers highlighted 

how these milestones act as the start of 

new mental accounting periods which 

help us to relegate past imperfections 

to a previous period and to take a big 

picture view of our lives; in essence, they 

act as triggers for motivating aspirational 

behaviour. 

In other words, “fresh starts” help us to 

forget about what we didn’t do last week/ 

month/year, which gives us a clean slate. 

19 


I love that idea. It didn’t matter that I 

hadn’t been into the gym last week (OK, 

last month; OK, I can’t remember when I 

was last in the gym). I had a clean slate to 

start again next week! 

It allowed us to be imperfect, to make 

mistakes, but still move forward with a 

fresh start and new mindset. 

And the beauty is, we can choose which 

milestones we use to act as triggers for 

these fresh starts! Sure, we can use the 

big traditional ones like New Years Eve, or 

a birthday. But I am choosing my new job. 

“In fresh start moments, people feel more 

distant from their past failures,” says Katy 

Milkman, one of the lead researchers 

in this work. With the downward pull of 

failures behind us, it’s much easier to 

move forward. 

How to make the “fresh start effect” work 

for you 

While the fresh start effect can be helpful 

for giving us that extra “oomph” that we 

may need to make positive change, we 

need to be careful that we aren’t looking 

for a fresh start every other day! We don’t 

want to be starting a new diet each week 

or trying a new job each month. That can 

be the dark side of the fresh start effect; 

it can give us a repeating sense of false 

hope. 

The key is to use fresh starts selectively 

and not too frequently, and most 

importantly, to finish what you started. 

It’s also important to remember that 

a fresh start doesn’t have to involve 

changing every aspect of who you 

are, what you do, and when you do it! 

Sometimes, just making one small change 

will be enough to inspire a happier and 

healthier version of yourself. 

Personality isn’t permanent 

In his book, Personality Isn’t Permanent, 

Dr. Benjamin Hardy argues that you can 

have a fresh start by changing yourself 

anytime and in any way. 

As we gain more life experience, interact 

with different people, battle our way 

through hardships, fall in love, fall out of 

love, have kids, don’t have kids, get a job, 

change jobs, we change so much. New 

experiences, obstacles, and paths are 

constantly being explored which causes 

us to grow. 

Our personality isn’t permanent, and this 

is a good thing! It allows us to adapt and 

evolve and to make the most of the fresh 

starts that come our way. 

Science says we become happier as we 

get older and it’s likely because we finally 

figure out what matters in life. And so, if 

you’re looking to discover how to start 

over, just know that you can get a fresh 

start this very second if you decide to. You 

don’t need a big epiphany or a big “A HA” 

moment to get started. 

The power lies in your next move. 

Are you ready for a fresh start? Big or 

small? 

Give yourself permission to change 

If you just answered yes, then you need 

to give yourself permission to make that 

change! That means accepting that the 

existing version of you isn’t the healthiest 

or happiest you. It also means being ready 

to step up and make that fresh start. 

In the beginning, your brain may ask you, 

Associate Professor 

Erin Cotter-Smith 

PhD, MPH, MClinEpi 

Course Coordinator 

School of Medical and 

Health Sciences 

Edith Cowan University 

“What are you doing? This isn’t you!” “Are 

you sure you want to do this?” “Why are 

you stepping outside of your nice warm 

comfort zone?” You’ll need to know how 

to silence those thoughts. You might 

feel even guilty or find it challenging to 

let some habits fall by the wayside. But 

ultimately, to take on this fresh start, 

you’re going to have to make a switch 

towards a new version of yourself. You 

need to let go of old habits that just 

haven’t been working for you. This newer 

version of yourself is what will make you 

happier and healthier. 

I know – I had to work through all these 

thoughts when I walked away from a 

twenty-year career that I knew and was 

comfortable in to start something brand 

new. I am equal parts terrified and 

exhilarated! 

But I didn’t listen to thoughts that 

surfaced about how I could fail, or how it 

was all too hard. Deep down, I knew it was 

time for change. And future me will be 

so grateful for the changes I have started 

making today! 

If a part of you feels the same way after 

reading this, I hope you find the courage 

for a fresh start, despite the fear! 

A final sign off… 

As I take on my fresh start, one of the 

things I need to say goodbye to is this 

column. I am handing it over to someone 

I both respect and trust, my colleague and 

dear friend Dr Lisa Holmes. 

So, for one final time, I wish you all good 

mental health! 


Taking protective action 

during floods and storms 

Public safety messages for floods and storms will be 

broadcast on ABC Radio this severe weather season, backed 

by Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC research. 

Comprising of 26 different public messages, the new 

Community Service Announcements (CSAs) are the firstever 

nationally agreed set of public flood and storm risk 

messages, having been endorsed in doctrine by AFAC. 

This project resulted in a final set of CSAs designed to 

provide communities with information and advice about 

protective actions they can take when threatened or 

impacted by floods and severe storms. 

Utilising the findings from the CRC’s Flood risk 

communication project, the development of the 26 

nationally consistent CSAs was led by Hon A/Prof Mel 

Taylor at Macquarie University. The project was highly 

collaborative and made possible by the creation of 

a National Flood CSA Working Group, comprised of 

representatives from the Bureau of Meteorology and 

State Emergency Services from all states and territories 

with responsibility for response in floods. The project was 

facilitated and supported by AFAC through the AFAC SES 

Community Safety Group. 

Floodwaters cover Rosalie Village, Brisbane, Qld. Credit: Angus Veitch (CC BY-NC 2.0)

“Developing nationally consistent 

flood messaging is a significant 

achievement for the emergency 

services sector,” said AFAC Director 

Risk and Resilience, Amanda Leck. 

“These messages will minimise 

harm and save lives by 

ensuring that the ABC is able to 

communicate key messages to 

impacted communities during 

floods. The fact that these 

messages are based on research 

and evidence has meant that 

emergency services agencies across 

Australia have been willing and 

able to collaborate to achieve these 

nationally consistent messages.” 

Flood CSAs are used by the ABC 

before, during and after floods and 

severe storms for radio broadcasts 

that are typically around 30 

seconds in duration. They contain 

high-level, general advice and 

support to communities with the 

aim of increasing public safety in 

floods and storms. They are also 

often linked together to form 

longer public information segments 

to provide breaks in rolling 

emergency broadcasting. 

Although the ABC had an existing 

set of CSAs for floods and storms, 

they could only be used in certain 

combinations of states or territories 

with the potential for confusion. 

An important requirement of this 

project was therefore to produce a 

comprehensive single harmonised 

set of CSAs that the ABC can use 

nationally. 

“The best way to reach audiences 

is by giving simple, consistent 

messages and delivering them 

regularly,” said Patrick Hession, 

Emergency Broadcast Lead at the 

ABC. 

“For example, warning people 

about the dangers of driving 

through flood water is a goal that 

all agencies are working towards. 

It makes sense to simplify the 

message so that a person receives 

the same message no matter which 

side of a border they are on.” 

The development of the CSAs 

comprised three stages: 

1. Scoping 

Consensus decision-making was 

used to identify and prioritise 

message topics and content areas. 

The goal of this stage was to reach 

consensus on the content areas and 

message elements to be included in 

the CSA set. 

2. Co-development and iterative 

review 

The next step was to co-create 

messages and conduct iterative 

reviews to produce a provisional set 

of CSA messages for public testing. 

The draft CSA messages went through 

three rounds of review with CSA 

Working Group members and ABC 

representatives until a set of agreed 

messages was finalised. 

3. Testing and finalising 

The CSA messages were then tested 

through a series of focus groups with 

the public and a round of review with 

the CSA Working Group to refine the 

messages based on public feedback to 

produce the final set of CSAs. 

“This process has given me a much 

greater understanding of the thought 

processes that people might go 

through when they are making 

potentially risky decisions,” said Mr 

Hession. 

“This led to the development of 

messages that can be broadcast at 

times where people will be making 

these decisions. Messages were 

informed by research to better argue 

against the temptation or motivation 

that people might have to make risky 

choices. It’s been a great experience.” 

At the end of the project, a final 

set of 26 flood CSAs was approved, 

including messages that can be used 

in all phases of floods and storms in 

the context of escalating and rolling 

emergency broadcasts on ABC local 

radio. 

“This project enabled me to use our 

CRC research findings and combine 

them with the expertise of a great 

team of emergency communications 

to produce messages that resonate 

with the public and will hopefully lead 

to greater public safety in floods and 

storms,” said A/Prof Taylor. 

“As a researcher, it has been a great 

experience to work with such an 

engaged set of stakeholders and endusers 

to translate research findings 

into outputs that will help protect 

communities. It was really exciting 

to hear our messages produced 

professionally and slotted into the 

ABC emergency intro and outro 

wording, ready for use!” 

Six CSAs relate to different risks 

and contexts associated with 

driving in floods, and four relate to 

playing in floodwater—these are 

the behaviours most associated 

with flood fatalities. A further 

four relate to animal ownership, 

and four provide information 

about the meanings or nature of 

warnings and alerts. The remainder 

include issues around home 

preparation, safety considerations 

when cleaning up after flooding, 

information about what to do if you 

are trapped by rising floodwater 

or are considering staying when 

advised to leave, and messages 

about flash flooding and the 

implications of flooding upstream. 

The full suite of CSAs has been 

recorded by the ABC and has now 

been distributed to ABC Radio 

teams around Australia. They are 

available for use by the ABC’s local 

on-air teams when appropriate. 

“With the early start to flooding 

events, these CSAs couldn’t have 

been completed at a better time!” 

said Mr Hession. 

The full set of CSAs are available 

in the AFAC doctrine, National 

Community Safety Announcements 

for flood risk communication. 

Although the CSAs were created 

in response to a request by the 

ABC, and with their involvement, 

there is the opportunity for other 

broadcasters to use them too. 

Those interested should contact 

Melissa Peppin at AFAC for more 

information: Melissa.Peppin@afac. 

com.au. 

Read more about the development 

of the CSAs in the Research into 

practice brief, Development of a 

national set of Community Service 

Announcements for flood risk, and 

the final report. 

The Research into practice brief 

series provides concise summaries 

of the Flood risk communication 

research findings for end-users and 

practitioners. Download the full 

series here.

REMEMBERING, REBUILDING 

AND REACHING NET ZERO 

Author: Brooke Turnbull 

December 1st marked the beginning of Summer and a grim reminder of the 

second anniversary of the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/2020. We have a 

closer look at the connection between this catastrophic disaster and climate 

change and what has happened to the communities that were affected.

The Black Summer bushfires caused 

over 18.6 million hectares of destruction, 

cost the Australian economy over $103 

billion dollars and tragically cost the lives 

of just under 500 people through direct 

and indirect causes, as hundreds of fires 

raged across Australia. 

These fires were particularly lethal on 

the southeastern coast of New South 

Wales and into Victoria. This was a 

national tragedy, with homes and 

livelihoods lost. It also heralded a call to 

arms for Australia to discuss and fight 

against, what the majority of the country 

now believe, the effects of climate 

change on our country. 

In the lead up to this anniversary, the 

conversation had been dominated 

by the COP26 UN Climate Change 

Conference held in November of this 

year. 

The continued push from the public to 

have the government take responsibility 

for climate action right now to ensure 

our land and country is protected 

for future generations meant that 

the COP26 conference was a highly 

anticipated event. 

The conference was attended, en masse, 

by delegates of almost 200 countries 

around the world. It’s aim is to continue 

toward the goal of net zero by 2050 

and to ensure that global temperatures 

do not rise above 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

After two weeks in Glasgow, all countries 

had agreed on individual targets which 

means this is within reach. However, it 

is important to note that this will only 

be achieved if all countries that pledged, 

stand by their agreement. 

With the phasing out of fossil fuels high 

on the agenda nearly 200 countries 

pledged to phase out coal power by 

2030. Australia did not sign this pledge. 

Prime Minister, Scott Morrison was 

not supportive of the requirements 

that Australia would have to adjust in 

order to hit the necessary targets. The 

position of the current government is 

that Australia would support economic 

growth alongside environmental goals. 

This means, that, while Mr Morrison did 

not pledge to increase Australia’s shortterm 

2030 targets, there have been 

commitments made to ensure Australia’s 

export commodities take responsibility 

for conservation and emissions are 

in line with the current government’s 

commitments. He did acknowledge 

that climate change was a great threat. 

The opposition leader, Mr Anthony 

Albanese, has criticised Mr Morrison 

for this stance, and has pledged to 

lower emission targets further for 2030. 

Australia received much criticism globally 

for its stance on climate policy. 

Also highly critical of the government’s 

emissions target pledge are the 

Emergency Leaders for Climate Action 

(ELCA). Emergency Leaders for Climate 

Action is a coalition of 34 former fire 

and emergency service leaders from 

every fire service in Australia, a number 

of SES, national parks, and forestry 

agencies, and former Directors General 

of Emergency Management Australia. 

ELCA members are deeply concerned 

about worsening natural disaster risks 

driven by extreme weather directly 

resulting from climate change. The 

ECLA came together in 2019 to highlight 

the catastrophic connection between 

climate change and damaging weather 

events and natural disasters. 

The ECLA together with the Bushfire 

Survivors for Climate Action, presided 

over by Ms Jo Dodds, challenged Mr 

Morrison on emissions targets, calling 

the 2050 goal “vague”. In addition, Ms 

Dodds has pleaded with the Australian 

government to recognise the full effect 

that climate change has had on the 

land, leading to the culmination of the 

devastating 2019/2020 fire season. Ms 

Dodds called on the government for 

immediate change, during the COP26 

conference, saying “We need hope. A 

vague 2050 target does not bring us 

hope, it does not bring us the emission 

cuts we need. It brings us only more 

despair.” 

Members and supporters of the Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action. Image Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action 

This sentiment is echoed by the ELCA. 

At the COP26 the ECLA took out a 

full page advertisement in British 

newspaper, The Times. The purpose 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 


a struggle for many across these 

communities, they acknowledge that 

they are living in a time where people 

have had to dig deep for each other and 

many have witnessed or participated in 

true Australian mateship throughout this 

period of intense change. 

Volunteers helping to rebuild in New South Wales 2020 

of the advertisement was to remind 

everyone of the devastation caused by 

the fires and to plead with world leaders 

to address emission targets so that this 

type of devastation doesn’t become 

commonplace. 

Former Fire Commissioner of Fire & 

Rescue NSW and founder of ELCA, Greg 

Mullins stated, 

“Our ad – which will be seen by many 

influential delegates at COP26 – sends a 

message that we need drastic emissions 

cuts this decade to protect life, property, 

and the environment. Unfortunately, in 

Australia, our government seems intent 

on making things worse by clinging to 

polluting fossil fuels. 

“Time has run out and there can be no 

more excuses or meaningless slogans. It’s 

time to wake up and smell the smoke.” 

According to scientific experts the 

weather that led to the Black Summer 

bushfires may be the expected 

average by 2040 if we do not reduce 

our emissions. The ECLA is calling for 

Australia to reduce it’s emissions by 75% 

and achieve net zero by 2035. 

For those who experienced the 

2019/2020 bushfire season directly, the 

process of rebuilding is still very much 

ongoing. Many survivors of the bushfires 

feel forgotten and overlooked. 

As reported by The Guardian, while 

nearly 1000 homes were destroyed in 

the worst hit towns on the South Coast, 

only around 7% of those homes have, so 

far, been rebuilt. 

With the shortage of labour brought 

on by COVID-19, as well as a global 

material shortage due to economic and 

trade strains with China, many of the 

community are still living in temporary 

homes while construction continues at 

a slow pace, or in some case, is halted 

altogether. 

While the red-tape process has been 

The Summer of 2021 is undoubtedly 

different. We have seen a cool and wet 

change, with La Niña in full effect as 

rain lashes across the east coasts and 

towards the middle of the nation. 

This has, inevitably, brought with it its 

own set of challenges, as northern inland 

New South Wales and Queensland 

has experienced intense flooding. The 

outlook is to expect more of the same. 

This is yet another extreme weather 

event, one of many that we will no doubt 

continue to see in the future should 

we not take the global climate science 

seriously. 

For south coast New South Wales, there 

have been some positives to the wet 

weather. The bush is regenerating and 

the grass turning back to green from 

the dense and barren brown it’s been. 

Wildlife are returning to their natural 

habitats as the national parks continue 

to recover. With borders opening up 

again, after the restrictions put into 

effect due to the COVID-19 virus, many 

in the area are looking forward to a 

tourism boost. 

The Black Summer bushfires left 

an indelible mark on the Australian 

people and the landscape. Those 

communities that were affected are still 

slowly rebuilding both physically and 

mentally. Climate change will continue 

its unrelenting assault on this nation’s 

environment if we don’t take action. With 

solid and tenable targets, like the ones 

being fought for by the ELCA and the 

Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action, we 

can hope that future fire seasons don’t 

come close to such catastrophic levels 

again. 

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Introducing Natural Hazards 

Research Australia 

By Dr Richard Thornton 

CEO, Natural Hazards Research Australia 

Australia has a new national centre for natural 

hazards resilience and disaster risk reduction 

– Natural Hazards Research Australia. New 

research is now underway, with plenty 

of exciting funding opportunities already 

available.

A 

new chapter in Australia’s 

national natural hazards 

research began in July 2021, 

with the establishment of Natural 

Hazards Research Australia. 

Natural Hazards Research Australia 

(the Centre) is now up and running, 

extending 18 years of worldleading 

collaborative research 

from the Bushfire and Natural 

Hazards CRC and its predecessor, 

the Bushfire CRC. Initially, funded 

by $85m over 10 years from the 

Australian Government along 

with contributions from partners, 

the Centre’s role is to work with 

partners and the community to 

produce usable research that 

contributes to zero preventable 

deaths, creates well-prepared 

and resilient communities, and 

translates into use and action. 

With the impacts of natural hazards 

in Australia predicted to become 

more extreme and frequent in 

the future, this an important 

opportunity to produce natural 

hazard research that underpins 

Australia’s National Disaster 

Risk Reduction Framework with 

the best possible evidence and 

knowledge we have available. 

The establishment of the Centre 

represents a great step forward, as 

Australia continues to use research 

to think strategically about how we 

make communities, as well as our 

built and natural environments, safe 

and sustainable to the effects of 

natural hazards. 

Since beginning in July 2021, we 

have been busy working with the 

government and our partners 

(new and prospective) to develop a 

strategic natural hazards research 

agenda for Australia. We have also 

been establishing all the necessary 

programs and processes that a 

national centre needs – governance 

and staff, nodes in states and 

territories, initial research 

programs, an education program, 

funding opportunities, fresh 

branding, a media presence and 

much more. 

You can learn about everything 

we’ve been doing on our website: 

www.naturalhazards.com.au. 

Governance and location 

The Centre operates as a notfor-profit 

company, limited by 

guarantee and registered as a 

charity through the Australian 

Charities and Not-for-profit 

Commission. There is a refresh of 

the Board underway, which will be 

completed by mid-2022. 

We are establishing new advisory 

structures to ensure that the voices 

of our end-user partners are at 

the forefront of all we do. We are 

setting up several advisory panels 

that will inform our Board and 

guide the direction of the Centre, 

including an End-User Advisory 

Panel and an International Research 

Advisory Panel. There will be 

refreshed Board committees that 

will contain external advisors to 

ensure that the Board is hearing a 

wider view.

Operating as a national entity, the 

Centre will not have a ‘headquarters’ 

as such. To ensure we have the best 

engagement with our partners, we 

will have staff established in ‘nodes’ 

within several major cities. This 

model will ensure that work remains 

grounded and relevant to activities 

in each state and territory, as well as 

nationally. We currently have nodes 

in Queensland, New South Wales and 

Victoria. We will continue discussions 

with other states and territories to 

build on this. 

Partners at the core of our research 

Our research approach is highly 

collaborative and based on partner 

needs – we conduct research with 

our partners, for use by our partners 

and the community. We will build 

on the highly successful processes 

and practices of the previous CRCs, 

which have seen the findings of 

every major research project used by 

our partners for the benefits of the 

community – representing a morethan-six-fold 

return on every dollar 

invested. 

As such, we are having regular 

discussions with key stakeholders 

across the natural hazard sector to 

develop a portfolio of partners to 

guide our initial research program 

and ongoing priorities. This includes 

state and territory government 

agencies, local governments and 

associations, as well as organisations 

from the private and not-for-profit 

sectors, industry partners, research 

institutions and international 

research bodies. This multi-party 

engagement ensures that the 

research outcomes we produce 

will be of most use to as many 

Australians as possible, helping keep 

our communities, landscapes and 

infrastructure safe from the impacts 

of natural hazards. 

Australia’s national capability can only 

be formed through the investment 

of partners who share our mission of 

creating a safer and more disasterresilient 

society. We are continuing to 

seek new partners and you can reach 

us at office@naturalhazards.com.au 

to begin contributing to Australia’s 

natural hazard resilience. 

Towards final research priorities 

One of the key features of the Centre 

is that its research program will be 

flexible from the beginning. We will be 

redefining our research plans every 

year to ensure that we are addressing 

the most relevant and current issues 

for our partners. The portfolio of 

projects will include short-, mediumand 

longer-term projects, enabling 

us to meet the immediate needs of 

the nation as well as committing to 

solving the more complex issues. 

We began developing initial national 

research priorities by conducting 

an extensive series of sector-wide 

workshops with end-users and widely 

collecting feedback from research 

partners and others in August 2020. 

These workshops helped us examine 

the key research needs for the nation 

that we are now using to finalise our 

research priorities. 

The priorities – grouped around eight 

themes – will shape the ever-evolving 

research program for the Centre: 

• Communities and workforces of 

the future 

• Sustainable, safe and healthy 

natural landscapes 

• Resilient built environment 

• Resilient communities 

• Situational awareness 

• Operational response and 

innovation 

• Evidence-informed policy, 

strategy and foresight 

• Learning from disasters 

Alongside the finalisation of the 

research priorities, we are working 

with our funding partners to define 

the initial biennial research plan. 

We look forward to continuing these 

discussions and meeting with new 

and existing partners to broaden the 

scope of natural hazard research in 

the coming months and years. 

Natural Hazards Research Australia is the new national centre for natural hazards resilience and disaster risk reduction. 

29 


The development of the Centre marks the beginning of a new era of natural hazards research in Australia.” Credit: CSIRO 

First round of research 

While the new research priorities are 

being finalised, there are a targeted 

first round of research projects 

that are now underway – agreed 

to as part of the negotiations with 

the Australian Government for the 

new Centre earlier this year. Most 

projects being funded by the Centre 

will be announced in the next rounds, 

from early 2022. Further details are 

available at www.naturalhazards.com. 

au/news/initial-project or you can 

drop the team an email at research@ 

naturalhazards.com.au. 

The projects in this initial round 

extend and support the use of 

research findings from the Australian 

Government-funded Black Summer 

research program, conducted by the 

CRC. These projects include further 

work on the role of Indigenous 

land management in managing fire 

risk, as well as advancements in 

fire predictive services technology 

that are crucial to the management 

of bushfire risk. Projects are also 

looking at how the work on extreme 

fire behaviour can be translated to 

keep communities and firefighters 

safe, including an evaluation of 

how predictive maps can be used 

when communicating risk to the 

community. 

This round of research will also 

examine the creation of a Bushfire 

Information Database and address 

a number of recommendations 

from the 2020 Royal Commission 

into National Natural Disaster 

Arrangements about the role of 

data to better support decision 

making. Other approved projects are 

focusing on post-disaster recovery 

and on understanding the resilience 

of lifeline services, such as power, 

telecommunications, and food and 

water supply in regional and remote 

communities. 

Launching our education program 

The Centre is committed to 

supporting and promoting a 

strong intellectual cohort of 

researchers who can deliver usable 

outputs to partners and the wider 

community. This includes supporting 

postgraduate research, employment 

pathways and opportunities for 

career development of early career 

researchers. 

We recently launched our 

education program, beginning with 

Postgraduate Research Scholarships, 

and Early Career Researcher 

Development and Industry 

Fellowships. An Associate Student 

program will follow. You can find all 

the details at www.naturalhazards. 

com.au/news/education-program. 

Quick response funding 

We’re also mindful that data after 

a natural hazard sometimes needs 

to be gathered quickly, so in time 

for summer 2021–22, we launched 

our quick response funding. This 

will support researchers travelling 

to areas recently affected by 

natural hazards to ensure that the 

impacts are measured in a timely 

manner. This fund builds on the 

important quick response research 

from the CRC, which was essential 

when assessing post-disaster 

impacts, recovery, data collection 

and rehabilitation, planning and 

community response for natural 

hazards between 2016 and 2021. 

Learn more at www.naturalhazards. 

com.au/news/quick-responsefunding. 

Strengthening reconciliation through 

research 

Also high on our priority list is 

strengthening our engagement 

with First Nations peoples, as the 

Traditional Owners of the land on 

which we all live and on which the 

Centre will conduct research. 

Through the CRCs, we have a long 

history of research engagement with 

First Nations people and now, as a 

national centre, it is important to 

us that we continue to learn from 

the knowledge, contributions and 

perspectives of First Nations peoples. 

With a strengthened commitment to 

reconciliation, we are in the process 

of developing a Reconciliation Action 

Plan for the new Centre. This is an 

important step that will guide the 

First Nations-led processes, programs 

and research activities of the Centre. 

There are many more updates to share, 

all of which you can find on our website at 

www.naturalhazards.com.au. 

For the latest information on Natural 

Hazards Research Australia, follow @ 

hazardsresearch on social media or 

sign up to our newsletter at www. 

naturalhazards.com.au/news. 


ON THE FRONTLINE 

OUR GENDERED REALITY 

Written by Rasa Piggott 

Lecturer in Paramedicine 

Registered Paramedic 

Registered Nurse 

Three years ago, I was told by a manager that if I were a 6-foot tall, 

white male with blonde hair, my professional perspectives would 

be heard, and I would not be facing the same workplace challenges 

regarding career opportunity. 

This statement leant heavily into our societally driven gendered 

reality. 

Western medicine and healthcare systems were established by 

biologically designated men, for biologically designated men. 

This reality is deeply rooted in centuries of societally charged 

patriarchism and has intensely affected the ambulance industry. 

The inclusion of women within ambulance services remains recent 

history. Exclusion of sexes outside of the traditionally prescribed 

male from ambulance employment has contributed to a male – 

biased healthcare system. Ambulance Services were established 

firmly within the context of a patriarchal society, resulting in 

organisational structures that perpetuate health career and patient 

care inequities through embedded systems, cultures and routines. 

The Final Report on Victoria’s Ambulance Services from the Public 

Bodies Review Committee of 1984 sheds light on our patriarchal 

origins and consequent present-day Ambulance Service challenges. 

When reviewing our past and how it has infiltrated our present, 

we can see why outdated social constructs and harmful gendered 

biases are still embedded in every tier of healthcare. 

These gendered biases generate inequity not just within healthcare 

careers and healthcare organisational models, but also within 

healthcare delivery and health outcomes. 

Traditionally doctors, paramedics, scientists and researchers have 

possessed biologically male characteristics, excluding other sexes 

and gender identities. Additionally, clinical research and medical 

science have heavily focussed on biologically determined males 

(animals and humans). Historic lack of diversity within health 

professionalism and exclusion of women (and intersex people) from 

clinical trials has led to male-bias in clinical care. Consequently, 

and even with advancing medicine, women experience higher 

rates of undertreatment and misdiagnosis. Evidence confirms that 

when client’s present with the same severity of symptoms, those 

determined as being biologically male are investigated and treated 

more extensively than females. Leading areas in which health care 

provision and thus outcomes differ between sexes include pain 

management and cardiac care. 

Given health professionals come to work intending to help and do 

no harm, it is uncomfortable for us to hear that we are vulnerable 

to participating in a medley of undesirable gender and sex biases 

that negatively impact health careers, healthcare delivery and 

health outcomes. It is hard to accept that there is a correlation 

between health professional characteristics and career opportunity, 

just as there is a correlation between patient characteristics 

and inequitable healthcare treatment. Although there is clear 

evidence of conscious biases impacting the paramedic profession, 

oftentimes, biases that perpetuate the intrinsically linked 

inequities within health organisations and healthcare provision are 

unconscious. 

Conscious or unconscious, understanding that gendered bias lives 

on a spectrum and serves as a gateway to gendered harassment, 

sexual harassment and sexual violence is every health professional’s 

responsibility. To work at solving gendered bias, is to work at solving 

gendered violence. 

An indication of a mature health profession is a health profession 

capable of identifying, un-packing and addressing its fallibilities. 

For paramedicine, this means actively developing insight and 

responding to the ways in which our professional culture reflects 

and contributes to society’s gendered reality. 

Image credit: Artist Emanu https://www.emanu.se/ 

31 


Unconscious biases: 

social stereotypes about certain groups 

of people that individuals form outside 

their own conscious awareness. Everyone 

holds unconscious beliefs about various 

social and identity groups … Unconscious 

bias is far more prevalent than conscious 

prejudice and often incompatible with one’s 

conscious values” (UCSF, 2021). 

EXCERPTS FROM THE FINAL 

REPORT ON VICTORIA’S 

AMBULANCE SERVICES 

Public Bodies Review 

Committee. Parliament of 

Victoria. 1984. 

Performance bias: 

manifests as the underestimation of 

women’s workplace performance, and 

overestimation of men’s performance. 

Performance bias results in us affording 

men career opportunities based on their 

perceived potential, whereas career 

opportunities for women are typically 

based on past accomplishments. This 

means women must work harder to prove 

themselves. Studies show that something as 

simple as changing a historically designated 

female-sounding name to a male-sounding 

name on a resume increases selection 

success by 60%. (LeanIn, 2021) 

Attribution bias: 

results in women’s accomplishments not 

being credited, and women being more 

likely to receive blame for a workplace 

failing. Attribution bias is heavily linked to 

our historical participation in devaluing the 

contributions of women in the workplace. 

This devaluation of women in the workplace 

can be seen in data that reveals women 

are interrupted when speaking at work 3x 

more than men. Attribution bias erodes 

professional confidence. Perhaps this is 

why women wait until they meet 100% of 

job description criterion before applying for 

an opportunity, whilst men typically apply 

for opportunities upon achieving 60% of an 

opportunity’s criterion. (LeanIn, 2021) 

Likeability Bias: 

is cruel double bind. When a woman does 

try to assert themselves in a workplace 

or opposes attribution bias norms, they 

are risking a likeability penalty. Societally, 

it has long been expected that men be 

assertive, whilst women be communal and 

‘kind’. When a male asserts themselves, 

we intrinsically expect it and equate it 

with competence. When a woman asserts 

themselves, we don’t like it. We don’t like 

them. Frustratingly, when women are seen 

as agreeable and nice, evidence suggests 

that they are deemed less competent by 

their co-workers. So … being assertive 

equates to being less liked; being agreeable 

equates to being less competent. (LeanIn, 

2021) 

https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender#tab=tab_1 

https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/48642.html 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/gender 

https://diversity.ucsf.edu/resources/unconscious-bias. 

https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/gender-bias-in-medicine-and-medicalresearch-is-st 

Martin, Heron, S., Moreno-Walton, L., & Strickland, M. (2019). Diversity and Inclusion 

in Quality Patient Care Your Story/Our Story – A Case-Based Compendium (2nd ed. 

2019.). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92762-6 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/13/the-female-problem-malebias-in-medical-trials 

Allotey, Allotey-Reidpath, C., & Reidpath, D. D. (2017). Gender bias in clinical case 

reports: A cross-sectional study of the “big five” medical journals. PloS One, 12(5), 

e0177386–e0177386. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177386 

Hamberg K. Gender Bias in Medicine. Women’s Health. May 2008:237-243. 

doi:10.2217/17455057.4.3.237 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sex-redefined-the-idea-of-2-sexes-isoverly-simplistic1/ 

https://physicians.dukehealth.org/articles/recognizing-addressing-unintendedgender-bias-patient-care

New technology lets 

police link DNA to 

appearance and ancestry 

– and it’s coming to 

Australia 

The Australian Federal Police 

recently announced plans to 

use DNA samples collected 

at crime scenes to make 

predictions about potential 

suspects. 

This technology, called forensic 

“DNA phenotyping”, can reveal 

a surprising and growing 

amount of highly personal 

information from the traces 

of DNA that we all leave 

behind, everywhere we go – 

including information about 

our biological sex, ancestry and 

appearance. 

Queensland police have 

already used versions of this 

approach to identify a suspect 

and identify remains. Forensic 

services in Queensland 

and New South Wales have 

also investigated the use of 

predictive DNA. 

This technology can reveal 

much more about a suspect 

than previous DNA forensics 

methods. But how does it 

work? What are the ethical 

issues? And what approaches 

are other countries around the 

world taking?

How does it work? 

The AFP plans to implement 

forensic DNA phenotyping based 

on an underlying technology called 

“massively parallel sequencing”. 

Our genetic information is encoded 

in our DNA as long strings of 

four different base molecules, 

and sequencing is the process of 

“reading” the sequence of these 

bases. 

Older DNA sequencing machines 

could only read one bit of DNA at a 

time, but current “massively parallel” 

machines can read more than six 

trillion DNA bases in a single run. 

This creates new possibilities for DNA 

analysis. 

This makes it useful in missing 

persons cases and the investigation 

of unidentified remains. This method 

can also be used in criminal cases, 

mostly to exclude persons of interest. 

The AFP plans to predict biological 

sex, “biogeographical ancestry”, 

eye colour and, in coming months, 

hair colour. Over the next decade 

they aim to include traits such as 

age, body mass index, and height, 

and even finer predictions for facial 

metrics such as distance between 

the eyes, eye, nose and ear shape, lip 

fullness, and cheek structure. 

Are there any issues or ethical 

concerns? 

DNA can reveal highly sensitive 

information about us. Beyond 

be used. Despite some progress 

toward a privacy impact assessment, 

Australian forensic legislation does 

not currently provide any form of 

comprehensive regulation of forensic 

DNA phenotyping. 

The highly sensitive nature of DNA 

data, and the difficulty in ever making 

it anonymous creates significant 

privacy concerns. 

According to a 2020 government 

survey about public attitudes 

to privacy, most Australians are 

uncomfortable with the idea of their 

DNA data being collected. 

Using DNA for forensics may also 

reduce public trust in the use of 

genomics for medical and other 

purposes. 

The AFP’s planned tests include 

biogeographical ancestry prediction. 

Even when not explicitly tested, DNA 

data is tightly linked to our ancestry. 

One of the biggest risks with any DNA 

data is exacerbating or creating racial 

biases. This is especially the case 

in law enforcement, where specific 

groups of people may be targeted 

or stigmatised based on pre-existing 

biases. 

Massively parallel DNA sequencing has opened new frontiers for genetic analysis. Shutterstock 

DNA forensics used to rely on a 

system that matched samples to 

ones in a criminal DNA database, 

and did not reveal much beyond 

identity. However, predictive DNA 

forensics can reveal things like 

physical appearance, biological sex 

and ancestry – regardless of whether 

people are in a database or not. 

ancestry and externally visible 

characteristics, we can predict many 

other things including aspects of both 

physical and mental health. 

It will be important to set clear 

boundaries around what can and 

can’t be predicted in these tests 

– and when and how they will 

In Australia, Indigenous legal experts 

report that not enough is being 

done to fully eradicate racism and 

unconscious bias within police. 

Concerns have been raised about 

other types of potential institutional 

racial profiling. A recent analysis 

by the ANU also indicated that 3 in 

4 people held implicit negative or 

unconscious bias against Indigenous 

Australians. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35 


ancestral and phenotypic data as 

probabilities so uncertainty can be 

evaluated, and clearly explaining how 

judgements would be made about 

when to use the technology and who 

would make the decision. 

The VISAGE consortium of 

academics, police and justice 

institutions, from eight European 

countries, also produced a report of 

recommendations and concerns in 

2020. 

They urge careful consideration 

of the circumstances where DNA 

phenotyping should be used, and the 

definition of a “serious crime”. They 

also highlight the importance of a 

governing body with responsibility 

for deciding when and how the 

technology should be used. 

DNA-based prediction is used in some European countries and forbidden in others. Adapted from Schneider, 

Prainsack & Kayser/Dtsch Arztebl Int. 

Careful consideration, consultation, 

and clear regulatory safeguards 

need to be in place to ensure these 

methods are only used to exclude 

persons of interest rather than 

include or target specific groups. 

DNA data also has inherent risks 

around misinterpretation. People put 

a lot of trust in DNA evidence, even 

though it often gives probabilistic 

findings which can be difficult to 

interpret. 

What are other countries doing? 

Predictive DNA forensics is a 

relatively new field, and countries 

across Europe have taken different 

approaches regarding how and 

when it should be used. A 2019 

study across 24 European countries 

found ten had allowed the use of this 

technology for practical purposes, 

seven had not allowed it, and seven 

more had not yet made a clear 

determination on its use. 

Germany allows the prediction of 

externally visible characteristics 

(including skin colour), but has 

decided biogeographical ancestry is 

simply too risky to be used. 

The one exception to this is the state 

of Bavaria, where ancestry can be 

used to avert imminent danger, but 

not to investigate crimes that have 

already occurred. 

A UK advisory panel made four 

recommendations last year. These 

include the need to clearly explain 

how the data is used, presenting 

Safeguarding public trust 

The AFP press release mentions 

it is mindful of maintaining public 

trust, and has implemented privacy 

processes. Transparency and 

proportionate use will be crucial to 

keep the public on board as this 

technology is rolled out. 

This is a rapidly evolving field and 

Australia needs to develop clear and 

coherent policy that is able to keep 

up with the pace of technological 

developments - and considers 

community concerns. 

Caitlin Curtis 

Research fellow, 

The University of Queensland 

James Hereward 

Research fellow, 

The University of Queensland 

This article was first published on The Conversation 

 

 

With a circular loam track covering 

distances of 324m 453m 524m and 623m 

YOUNG ROAD, COWRA NSW 2794 

0418 424 118 


The 8 deadly days of Christmas: 

how to stay safe from drowning in Australia this summer 

Amy Peden 

Lecturer - Injury Prevention, UNSW 

Christmas is coming – meaning Australians are about 

to enter our most dangerous time of year for fatal 

drownings. 

The eight days from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day are 

the deadliest period for drowning, with 201 lives lost over 

the past 15 years, according to my new analysis. 

Using coronial data from the Royal Life Saving Society 

– Australia, my analysis shows a further 28 people 

drowned on Australia Day during the same 15 year 

period. My findings back up previous research, which 

found people are twice as likely to drown in Australia on 

a public holiday than any other day. 

But the danger isn’t limited to major holidays. January 

10 inexplicably emerged from my analysis as a key date, 

with 32 people drowning over the past 15 years – more 

than on any other single day of the year. 

The sadly predictable spikes in preventable drownings 

mean many river rescue divers and surf life savers have 

come to dread summer. 

The personal toll of preventable drownings 

The Murray River is Australia’s leading river drowning 

black spot. 

For more than 40 years, Peter Wright OAM, a volunteer 

rescue diver with the Corowa Rescue Squad, has 

performed the harrowing task of retrieving bodies – 

including children – from the river: 

I have this feeling of dread as summer approaches. I find 

myself avoiding going near the river, as seeing people 

behaving badly or irresponsibly really gets to me […] I know 

it’s not if, but when we will be called to search the river for 

the next drowning victim […] The look of abject grief and 

disbelief on the faces of relatives and the noise of wailing 

families haunts me to this day.

Data from Surf Life Saving Australia paint 

a similar story. 

The number of people who get into 

trouble at the beach spikes on public 

holidays. With an average of 20 rescues 

per day across the year in 2020/21, the 

period from Christmas Day to New Year’s 

Day sees this figure increase almost sixfold, 

with an average of 116 rescues per 

day. 

According to Chris Jacobson, National Surf 

Life Saving Australia’s chair of lifesaving 

and a volunteer surf lifesaver of 20 years: 

Surf lifesavers are constantly on the go 

attending to numerous rescues during 

this period, in particular on Australia Day. 

We see people not swimming between 

the flags, ignoring lifesavers, drinking 

and overestimating their abilities, which 

therefore requires our members to go to 

their aid. 

5 factors driving more summer drownings 

So why are Australians more likely to 

drown in summer, particularly on public 

holidays? And how can you be safer this 

summer? 

Alcohol 

Alcohol is a leading risk factor for 

drowning. It impairs reaction time, impacts 

the effectiveness of cardiopulmonary 

resuscitation (CPR) and can result in risktaking 

behaviour. 

Our breathalysing research at rivers 

– which are the leading location for 

drowning in Australia – found the average 

blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for 

adult river users was significantly higher 

on the Australia Day public holiday, with 

an average BAC of 0.175%. That’s more 

than three times the legal limit for driving 

a car. 

Several river users also registered BACs 

in excess of 0.350%, seven times the legal 

limit. 

Participation and exposure 

More people in and around the water 

means more people at risk of drowning. 

Our research shows higher numbers of 

people visit aquatic locations on holiday 

periods during summer, including the 

Australia Day public holiday. This is also 

sadly evidenced in the rescue and fatal 

drowning data. 

Warmer temperatures 

This deadly period for drowning often 

coincides with hot temperatures. Warmer 

weather drives people to seek out water 

to cool off, but are also linked to higher 

blood alcohol concentrations. 

Higher air temperature also lead people 

to spend longer in the water. 

School holidays 

School attendance has been shown to 

be protective against drowning, with 

school-aged children 5-17 years old 2.4 

times more likely to drown during school 

holidays. 

The Christmas school holidays also 

coincide with this high-risk period and a 

number of public holidays. 

Visitors who don’t know local conditions 

In a normal, non-COVID summer, many 

Australians travel on their summer break, 

including to unfamiliar aquatic locations. 

Our research shows visitors have 

increased drowning risk on public holidays 

compared to other days: 2.5 times the risk 

for people travelling within their own state, 

and 2.3 times the risk for those visiting 

other states or territories. 

How to stay safer by the water this 

summer 

• Check conditions of the river before 

you get in, observe how fast the 

current is going 

• Ask locals about the safest place to 

swim in a river 

• Swim between the red and yellow 

flags at the beach 

• Avoid alcohol around water 

• Always supervise young children in, 

on, or around the water 

• Always wear a life jacket when 

boating or using watercraft 

• Don’t drive, ride or walk through 

floodwaters, and don’t let children 

play in floodwaters 

• Learn CPR so you have the skills to 

act in an emergency. 

Those simple steps can save lives – and 

avoid so much needless pain, as volunteer 

rescue diver Peter Wright says: 

A drowning affects so many people. Not 

just the family but all those involved in 

the recovery, the police, ambulance and 

divers. It is often more difficult to cope 

with the pain-filled reactions of a family 

when you recover their loved one, than 

the task of diving in totally black, fastrunning, 

snag-filled water, feeling for that 

lost individual. I just wish that people took 

water safety more seriously. 

For more water safety information, visit 

Royal Life Saving Society – Australia and 

Surf Life Saving Australia. 

This article was first published on The Conversation 

 

 

 

 

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Book Review 

There are some incredible books out there about the trials and tribulations, 

heartbreak and satisfaction of working within the emergency services sector. 

We aim to bring you some great recommendations within each issue. If you 

have a book to recommend for our reviews, get in touch. 

GREAT AUSTRALIAN 

VOLUNTEER FIRIES STORIES 

Author: Bill ‘Swampy’ Marsh 

www.billswampymarsh.com.au 

‘Us firefighters do more than fight fires. We also assist those who have 

just gone through what’s probably the worst experience of their lives.’ 

The devastating 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires threw the 

importance of our volunteer firefighters into sharp focus. But these 

brave men and women don’t just step up to protect life and property 

in fires; they are also there to help in road accidents, plane crashes, 

natural disasters like cyclones and floods - and, yes, they even rescue 

pets that have got themselves into strife. 

In this collection of first-hand stories, ranging from the 1880s to 2020, 

our courageous volunteer firies take us right up to the frontlines 

and reveal the stark realities of the dangers they face to keep our 

communities safe. 

This book serves as a tribute to the thousands of volunteer firies across 

Australia who roll up their sleeves and selflessly put their lives on the 

line to assist their fellow human beings. 

We hope you enjoy this excerpt taken from “Great Australian Volunteer Firies Stories”. 

This exerpt from the book and a sample of the first few chapters can be found at www. 

amazon.com.au. The book can be purchased here also and at any of your favourite 

book retailers. 

As I write this introduction, bushfires 

have broken out in Western Australia. 

At last report, something like ninety 

homes in the Perth Hills may have 

been destroyed and over twenty-five 

thousand hectares of land burnt. 

Arson is suspected. And now storms 

are moving in to the north-east of the 

state, bringing with them a predicted 

one hundred millimeteres - four inches 

- of rain and one hunred kilometre 

per hour winds. 

In my own state of South Australia, 

within the last month a dozen 

buildings, including houses, were 

destroyed by fires in th Adelaid Hills, 

with one case of suspected arson. 

More than four hundred firefighters 

were involved in containing the blaze, 

which burnt through 2500 hectares 

of lands. Particularly badly hit was 

Cherry Gardens, where I used to live 

when I first came to South Australia 

back in the mid -1970s. I have friends 

living around the Mylor-Bradbury 

area who evacuated druring the fires. 

It’s a frightening situation. We all saw 

the footage of the catastrophic fires 

that burnt through NEw South Wales 

and Victoria during the 2019-20 fire 

season. How could we not? At the 

forefront of all these blazes stood our 

volunteer fire service personnel. 

As part of the interviewing process 

for this collection of stories, during 

Bill ‘Swampy’ Marsh is an awardwinning 

writer/performer of 

stories, songs and plays. 

Based in Adelaide, he is best 

known for his successful Great 

Australian series of books 

published with ABC Books: 

More Great Australian Flying 

Doctor Stories (2007), Great 

Australian Railway Stories 

(2005), Great Australian Droving 

Stories (2003), Great Australian 

Shearing Stories (2001), and 

Great Australian Flying Doctor 

Stories (1999). 

‘One of Australia’s most popular 

story teller/writers.’ 

—ABC Books. 

‘From the ridiculous to the 

sublime, from the bestial to 

the bizarre, from the tall to the 

tender, Bill Marsh holds his 

readers in the palm of his hand 

and tickles them with beautifully 

controlled yarns of childhood…’ 

—Katharine England (The 

Advertiser) 

39 


August and September of 2019, I 

travelled through outback SOuth 

Australia, southern Queensland, 

New South Wales and the Australian 

Capital Territory. I was back on the 

road in late December 2019, travelling 

through Victoria. Then it was 

over in Tasmania during Febrary and 

March 2020. In fact, I just managed 

to get the last boat out of Tasmania 

before their COVID-19 restirctions 

came in, and barely scraped back 

into South Australia before the South 

Australian-Victorian border closures 

came into force. I would like to thank 

all those people who housed and fed 

me along my travels. 

Book Review 

A LIFE ON THE LINE 

Author: Darren Hodge 

www.darrenhodge.com 

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, 

my mid-year travels of 2020 didn’t 

eventuate, leaving me withh a gap 

in Western Australia, Northern 

Queensland and the NOrthern Territory. 

I’d very much like to thank Jamie 

McElroy, media officer, Volunteer Fire 

and Rescue Servies association of WA 

(Inc) and Jess O’Reilly, media officer, 

Queensland Fire and Emergency 

Servies, for their assistance in helping 

me find people to interview. 

During the writing of this book I med 

and talked with near on a hundred 

people who have volunteered theri 

time to fight bushfires and house 

fires, attend road accident rescues, 

help out in flooded areas, clean up 

after cyclones and hailstorms, as well 

as attend a myriad of other emergency 

serviecs duties. Between the good 

laughs and friendly banter I must 

admit there were times I was brought 

to tears by some of theri experiences, 

all of which have left me with nothing 

but utter admiration for these people 

- our brave volunteer firies. 

Keep well, stay safe and hopefully se’ll 

meet up out on the road somewhere. 

Bill ‘Swampy’ Marsh 

January 2021 

Image and Quotes: www. 

billswampymarsh.com.au 

When Darren Hodge was a kid, 

a big, white, sleek ambulance 

squatted like a lion in the driveway 

next door, always ready to go, and 

sometimes it did, roaring down 

the street. 

Today, he is a MICA Flight 

Paramedic with decades of varied 

experience in a life of extremes in 

an Australian ambulance service. 

He does shifts at base on-call, and 

teaches another generation of 

paramedics now. He loves his job. 

A list of well-known events that 

includes Victoria’s Black Saturday 

Fires and the 2005 Bali Bombing 

he was trying to get married when 

that call came in marks two dark 

extremes. 

Technical matters trauma 

treatment decisions, and the 

limits of aviation, for example, are 

explained. And this book includes 

the little things like the time 

the supermarket aisle was alive 

with the sound of music from 

an ex-patients kids lips: Thanks 

for looking after Daddy. Darren 

couldn’t have put it better himself, 

and it made his heart sing. 

A Life on the Line tells what it is 

like to be Darren Hodge on the 

end of a line, what it is like to be a 

paramedic. Open, honest reports, 

warts and all, this memoir is an 

unflinching account of how it feels 

to pluck people from imminent 

death. And there are some laughs 

on the way. 

Darren Hodges’ career in 

Ambulance Victoria has been rich 

with opportunities. 

Only a few years had passed after 

qualifying as a paramedic and 

he was offered the opportunity to 

undertake intensive care training, 

known as MICA. He found the role 

at times challenging, but highly 

rewarding. 

Tenures at the different 

ambulance colleges unearthed 

a love of teaching that continues 

today and has spanned more 

than 25 years. 

Assisting paramedics to master 

their craft has been one of his 

most satisfying achievements. 

After 15 years as a paramedic 

he achieved his ultimate career 

goal after joining Air Ambulance, 

working on both fixed and rotary 

wing aircraft. 

He regards his experiences 

working with highly talented 

paramedics, pilots and crewman 

at Air Ambulance as a career 

highlight, 

You can find out more about 

Darren Hodge and purchase his 

book via his website or from your 

favourite book retailers. 


IN THE SPOTLIGHT 

In each edition of the Australian Emergency Services Magazine we 

feature a profile on a person, team, partnership, squad or unit to 

showcase their unique contribution to the emergency services industry. 

If you would like to be featured or know someone who deserves some 

recognition get in touch with our team. 

Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) was 

launched in 2020, after a tenure 

as Team Rubicon Australia, which 

was founded in August 2016. 

Their first disaster relief operation, 

launched in April 2017, was in 

response to the devastation 

wrought by Tropical Cyclone 

Debbie in Northern Queensland. 

This operation, dubbed Operation 

Dunlop, after WWII Surgeon Sir 

Ernest Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop, saw 

DRA deployed to the hard-hit town 

of Proserpine. 

For over three weeks 62 volunteers 

worked tirelessly to help the 

greater Proserpine community 

recover from the disaster. As 

importantly, they proved that 

military veterans and emergency 

services specialists are ideally 

suited to conducting this type of 

work. 

DRA member, Army Veteran and 

current serving firefighter Adam 

Moss says, ”Every time I put on 

a Disaster Relief Australia shirt, I 

am humbled by the fact that I am 

about to be surrounded by the 

best men and women this country 

has to offer.” 

The members that make up this 

amazing organisation are definitely 

‘Built to Serve’, and this dedication 

to service of communities 

impacted by natural disasters is 

at the core of their values. DRA 

believes that veterans, emergency 

services specialists and other first 

responders have unique skills and 

experience that can be harnessed 

to assist disaster affected 

communities. 

Bega Valley Bushfire Recovery June 2021 

DISASTER RELIEF AUSTRALIA 

We have featured Disaster Relief Australia within the Australian Emergency 

Services Magazine a few times over the last year as they are such an 

incredible organisation. Their vision is to integrate veterans and emergency 

services volunteers to build Disaster Relief Australia Teams across Australia, 

serving local communities before, during and after natural disasters. They 

have put boots on the ground across the country following the bushfires, 

floods and cyclone disasters throughout the year. Disaster Relief Australia 

make a difference not only to the communities they help but to the 

veterans that are part of the teams. 

“When deploying as a member 

of the organisation you can be 

guaranteed that three things will 

occur, you will experience complete 

cultural immersion, you will obtain 

a feeling that you’re giving back 

to the community, but most 

importantly you will have a feeling 

of being part of a team,” Adam said. 

Disaster Relief Australia is a 

professional disaster relief 

organisation with a unique culture 

and history. In recognition and 

honour of DRA‘s veteran heritage 

before they deploy into a disaster 

affected area, they research the 

history of veterans in the local 

41 


community and name the operation 

in honour of them and their service 

to our country. 

With members located nationwide 

DRA operates seven Disaster Relief 

Teams (DRTs) in Townsville, Brisbane, 

Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, 

Adelaide and Perth. Each DRT has the 

capability to conduct disaster relief 

and community support operations 

with scaled capacity dependent on 

the skills and deployment readiness 

of volunteers as well as the location, 

size and complexity of the disaster. 

DRA CEO Geoff Evans says “Disasters 

are more frequent and more intense 

and for those affected deeply 

personal. We’re determined to bring 

help where it’s needed most despite 

the challenges of deploying our 

volunteer workforce nationally during 

COVID restrictions.” 

DRA completely appreciates there is 

an ongoing need to build resilience in 

communities. Vulnerable Australian 

communities are increasingly 

battling fire and flood. Nearly half of 

Australia’s population live in regions 

with only low to moderate levels of 

disaster resilience. In partnership 

with the Minderoo Foundation, 

DRA plans to grow the numbers of 

volunteers able to adapt and plan 

during disaster offseason. 

CEO Geoff Evans states “We know 

that disasters will be more frequent 

and more intense. We need to lead 

the way in showing communities how 

to help themselves. Our veteran and 

emergency services led workforce will 

be instrumental in training hundreds 

of volunteers in disaster resilience.” 

Over four years Disaster Relief 

Australia aims to work with one 

community per year per DRT as 

part of a broader effort, we will 

see Australia’s 50 most vulnerable 

communities lifted to be on par with 

our most resilient. 

Damage assessment bushfire recovery WA 

To find out more about Disaster 

Relief Australia, the benefits of 

joining and the impact on the 

communities they serve visit: www. 

disasterreliefaus.org 

Operation Elliot underway in response to the floods 

DOMESTIC 

COMMERCIAL 

INDUSTRIAL 

HAZARDOUS 

2/87 Keogh Street, West Ipswich admin@bseservicesaustralia.com.au Safely servicing the energy sector 


TRAVEL 

EMERGENCY 

Breaks 

Words: Brooke Turnbull 

2022 Travel Wishlist 

Lord Howe Island

As borders open and we move into the 

promise of hot, summer days by the 

beach, feasts shared with family and 

the reuniting of all of us, we can’t help 

feeling a bit excited that travel is once 

again back on the cards. And this time, 

it’s even including international travel, 

a prospect many of us haven’t been 

able to consider for the last two years 

since the beginning of the COVID-19 

pandemic. 

This has somehow made the usual 

excitement of summer even better than 

ever and has seen the culmination in 

many of our Christmas wishes come 

true. So, to honour that, we thought 

what better way to see out the year, 

and our final Emergency Breaks for 

2021, than by gathering our Wishlist 

of all the places we want to see as we 

move into the bright potential of 2022. 

As we’ve got a number of areas to visit 

in the next 12 months, this Emergency 

Breaks won’t be like the usual, but we’ll 

still give you a wrap up of the area, a 

couple of accommodation options to 

check out and things to do around 

all the locations we’ve got on our 

Christmas wishlist…we just hope Santa 

is reading this. 

1. South Coast New South Wales. 

After a devastating 2019/2020 bushfire 

season, dubbed Black Summer, the 

areas of South Coast New Wales have 

started rebuilding and are back, better 

than ever and ready to showcase the 

uniqueness of their truly beautiful 

region. 

From the azure blue waters of Batemans 

Bay to the rolling green hills that meet 

the sea at Gerringong and Kiama, the 

whole of the South Coast is not to be 

missed. 

Sea Cliff Bridge - the perfect drive along jewelled seas. 

2. Kangaroo Island, South 

Australia. 

South Australia, much like Western 

Australia, has been pretty much 

off the cards for most of the year 

as their hard borders have been in 

place. But now, with the majority 

of the population fully vaccinated, 

South Australia are opening up 

and welcoming us all back. And we 

couldn’t be happier about it. 

Kangaroo Island is number two on 

our wishlist for its stunning seaside 

vistas, accommodation options like 

Remarkable Rocks located on Kangaroo Island 

Mercure Island Lodge, or, if you’re 

more adventurous, simply hiring a 

camper van from Kangaroo Island 

Connect Campervan hire and 

experiencing the island at your own 

pace. 

The island is famous, not only for 

its wildlife (and its own breed of 

kangaroo) but also for gastronomic 

delights like honey, olives, eggs, wines 

and spirits. So if you don’t mind a 

cheese and wine platter (we definitely 

don’t mind one at all) then Kangaroo 

Island is the place for you too. So 

hop on the ferry from Adelaide and 

experience all the wonders of this 

incredible place. 

With quaint places to stay like The 

Ridge Retreat B&B in Moolymook to 

The Laurels B&B in Kangaroo Valley, 

just outside of Kiama, there is nothing 

like the comforts of home, but better 

because you don’t have to wash up 

afterwards! 

Experience the jewelled seas, bush walks 

and walking tracks, as well as lashings 

of local produce from soft, delicious 

cheeses, creamy butters and fresh, salty 

seafood straight off the trawlers. There’s 

a seemingly endless itinerary of things to 

do, see and eat around this region, and 

we will be happy to be back, indulging in 

our every sense while we visit. This one 

takes top spot in our Christmas wishlist, 

and we have been very good boys and 

girls, Santa, just so you know.

3. Melbourne, Victoria. 

With the fact that Melbourne holds the record of the 

longest lockdown in the world, which is definitely the 

saddest record to hold, Melbourne needs more help than 

ever to get back on her feet. Which is why we’re so excited 

to head down for a visit as soon as possible! 

The city of Melbourne doesn’t need much introduction, 

as a certified cultural hub, this place has an endless sea 

of things to do, places to go and venues to visit. From 

rooftop bars, to rooftop cinemas, to rooftop art shows, 

Melbourne sure does love a rooftop! 

Explore the beautiful city of Melbourne 

Street art, museums and cafes alike all have a taste of 

the art that is created in this vibrant city. If you’re looking 

for more fun, head down to the St Kilda foreshore for a 

ride on the haunted rollercoaster at Melbourne’s Luna 

Park. But if you want a more sedated time away, then 

just strolling through Melbourne and setting up at a 

cafe to people watch is a perfect way to wile away a few 

hours. There are far too many accommodation options to 

mention, but our top pick is The Langham Melbourne for 

a five star stay to really appreciate the city and surrounds. 

4. Margaret River, Western Australia. 

Now that the borders are opening again, WA is definitely 

in our top five of places to visit. With Margaret River right 

at the top, because you know how we love our wine! 

At the time of this article being printed, the Margaret River 

region is under threat of bushfire, which makes it all the 

more important for us to get out there and support the 

local economies of our favourite places. 

While craft beer, spirits and wine is the region’s main 

attractions, there are also stunning natural wonders like 

Lake Cave, a crystal chamber deep beneath the earth, to 

explore and discover. So while, yes, we do love our wine, 

with so much to see and do, the Margaret River region is 

the perfect place for your next adventure. Our hot tip for 

accommodation is the super quaint, perfect Victorian-era 

escape in the Studio Guest Suites. 

Catch a tram to the famous St Kilda beach and Melbourne’s Luna Park 

PR 

ENGINEERING 

& SERVICES 

P&R Engineering Services Pty Ltd 

Engineering Consultants 

0439388912 

144 Bray Road LAWTON 4501 QLD 

45 


5. Lord Howe Island. 

Capping out our Top 5 travel wishlist for 2022 is Lord 

Howe Island. Now we can fly freely again, Lord Howe is the 

perfect place to take advantage of this fact. The island’s 

rich history is it’s focal point and a great way to discover 

more about our amazing country than you knew before. 

With its picturesque mountain tops cascading into the 

jewel blue surrounding seas, there really isn’t another 

place like Lord Howe. And for such a tiny place, it 

has an astonishing amount of things to do, from golf 

to snorkelling, bird watching to hiking, as well as a 

generous amount of tours both on the island and off it to 

experience. 

Even better is the experience of total relaxation and 

escape from the hustle and bustle that Lord Howe 

creates, and for a perfect unwind, the island community 

offers yoga overlooking the sea. With its mouthwatering 

seafood on tap, all the dining options at Lord Howe 

Island will have you salivating. There are also a variety of 

stunning properties to stay on the island, our top pick is 

the Arajilla Retreat to really round off that escape from 

the mainland feeling. 

Sunset over Margaret River, Western Australia 

So, whether it’s escaping from the city, or escaping to the 

city. Whether you’re heading off for an adventure away 

from the daily grind or you’re finally able to travel and 

embrace loved ones again, we know there are plenty of 

you with travel wish lists even longer than ours. We hope 

those wishlists are fulfilled and Santa gives you the gift of 

travel under the Christmas tree this year. We wish you a 

happy and healthy holiday and we’ll see you in the new 

year for more travel inspiration and a whole lot more 

accommodation top picks and exciting things to see and 

do! 

Lake Cave - a crystal chamber deep beneath the earth - Margaret River, WA 

Located in Central Queensland 

33-35 Dawson Hwy, Biloela 

info@cdautos.com 

(07) 4992 4193 

Automotive & Mechanical Solutions 

Providing expert automotive and mechanical servicing and maintenance, 

with cost-effective solutions delivered in the fastest possible time frame. 

From mining equipment to medium vehicles and mechanical equipment. 

We look after it all. 

ONE STOP 

MAINTENANCE 

AND SUPPLY SHOP 

www.cdautos.com 


HOW FAST CAN COVID-19 SPREAD 

IN UNVACCINATED PEOPLE? 

DAY 1: 

1 PERSON INFECTED 

DAY 14: 

OVER 350 INFECTED 

DAY 30: 

OVER 1,200 INFECTED 

We know that the Delta strain of the COVID-19 virus spreads faster and more easily. In fact, 

in just eight weeks the virus spread from just a few to more than 4,000 Aboriginal and 

Torres Strait Islander people across many communities in one part of New South Wales this 

year. The best way to protect yourself and the people around you is to get vaccinated. 

Have a yarn to your healthcare worker about getting vaccinated today. 

DON’T WAIT, VACCINATE!

ARE THEY 

TRIPLE OK? 

We’re always there to help. 

Let’s make sure we help each other and ask R U OK? 

ruok.org.au/triple-ok

A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE 

DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE SOFT. 

IT MEANS YOU’RE HUMAN. 

Put your hand up for help. 

The sooner you do, the sooner you get better. 

PO LICE ASS O CIAT 

IO N 

O F 

S O U TH 

I A 

AUST RA L

AESM Vol 27, ISSUE 6 2021

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