The National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) has welcomed the Victorian Government’s commitment of $900,000 to support the health, wellbeing and safety of farmers across Australia.
NCFH Director Alison Kennedy said the announcement was a relief.
“The announcement of $900,000 funding for the NCFH underscores the Victorian Government’s commitment to supporting farmers who are currently doing it tough managing multiple – and often cumulative – stressors on the farm, from extreme weather events to volatile markets,” Alison said.
“The continuation of funding for 2025-26 will help us to keep doing what we do best – identifying and preventing chronic disease and safety risk factors in the agriculture and farming community with a range of practical tools and programs.”
Founded in 2008 as a partnership between Western District Health Service and Deakin University, the NCFH works with primary producers and agriculture industry members, researchers, health services and all levels of government to develop and deliver services that support the health, safety and wellbeing of farmers – at no cost to them.
The NCFH employs over 20 staff, many of whom are farmers as well as professionals from health, agriculture, behavioural and social sciences. They develop and deliver a range of evidence-based and impactful programs and resources in collaboration with farmers, experts and industry including:
- Health & Lifestyle Assessments where farmers can get a free farmer-focused health check-up with a registered nurse
- Farmer-focused mental health information and resources, such as the Support Hub and Managing Stress on the Farm booklet
- Unique education opportunities, such as the Shifting Gears farm safety education program providing easily accessible resources for school teachers
- Training workshops for service providers to help them support farmers navigating tough times
- Support for communities to plan and run effective mental health promotion events
- Essential research to inform and evaluate farmer health, wellbeing and safety initiatives and inform ongoing work at the NCFH.
“At the NCFH we see first-hand the impact we’re having in providing this support. We often have farmers telling us about life-saving changes they made as a result of something picked up in a 20-minute health assessment or something they learned during a mental health workshop,” Alison said.
“We appreciate the government’s recognition of the critical role we play in continuing to deliver and reach more farmers with our important services, but stress the need for sustained funding to maximise reach and long term impact on farmer health, wellbeing and safety.”
For more information or to find out how to support the National Centre for Farmer Health, visit farmerhealth.org.au/partnerships-supporters.
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For more information, please contact:
Alison Kennedy – Director, National Centre for Farmer Health
P: 03 5551 8533 | M: 0407 549 970 | E: alison.kennedy@wdhs.net
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