2014-10-14 Farmer Dollars – Hamilton Spectator
A STATE Labor Government if elected in November would ensure the future of the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) with $1 million each year for four years.
Shadow parliamentary secretary for agriculture, Jaala Pulford announced the news on Friday to staff and board members of both the NCFH and the Western District Health Service (WDHS).
NCFH director, Sue Brumby was speechless and overwhelmed with emotion when the announcement was made.
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2014-10-14 Farmer Dollars – Hamilton Spectator -PDF
2014-10-14 Farmer Dollars – Hamilton Spectator website
2014-10-14 Cow runs in Melbourne Marathon – Stock & Land
More than 100 entrants took part in the The Run for Farmer Health – part of the Melbourne marathon on Sunday; one even donned a cow onesie.
The run aimed to raise the profile, and funding, for Hamilton’s National Centre for Farmer Health.
One runner, Edward Kus, completed 13km of the 42km course in a cow onesie.
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) teamed up with the Centre to #Run4FarmerHealth in the marathon.
“We are committed to advocating for this centre and are prepared to literally ‘walk the talk’ and run in solidarity to support NCFH,” VFF
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2014-10-14 Cow runs in Melbourne Marathon – Stock & Land
2014-10-13 National Centre for Farmer Health welcomes ALP funding pledge – ABC News
The National Centre for Farmer Health, in western Victoria, has praised the State Opposition’s commitment to fund the centre if it wins next month’s state election.
Last Friday, the Labor Party promised $4 million over four years to the Hamilton-based research centre.
The centre’s director, Sue Brumby, says the funding is not contingent on federal funding, providing much needed security.
She says it will also mean the centre can reinstate some of the jobs that were lost earlier in the year.
“It was unexpected, we’re just so pleased and to give such continuity for us for four years and to also allow us to reinstate some of the positions that have gone and actually provide more services again,” she said.
Meanwhile, the centre raised almost $14,000 and ended up sixth on the fundraising board at the Melbourne Marathon yesterday.
More than 133 people, including local politicians, ran to raise money for the centre.
Source: National Centre for Farmer Health welcomes ALP funding pledge – ABC News
2014-10-10 Deakin welcomes funding commitment for National Centre for Farmer Health – Deakin University
10 October 2014
Deakin University has welcomed a funding commitment for the National Centre for Farmer Health.
“Deakin welcomes the announcement that if elected, Victorian Labor will provide $1 million each year over the next four years towards the Centre,” Deakin Pro Vice-Chancellor (Health), Professor Brendan Crotty said today.
“Since opening in 2008, the National Centre for Farmer Health has combined university research, service delivery and education to improve the health and wellbeing of farmers, farm workers and their families across Australia.
“The Centre’s research and education programs have played a significant role in identifying and addressing health issues in farming communities, and we welcome this commitment to an important healthcare initiative.”
The Centre is a partnership between Deakin University and Western District Health Service and is based in Hamilton.
Source: Deakin welcomes funding commitment for National Centre for Farmer Health – Deakin University
2014-10-10 VFF applauds Labor’s commitment to Farmer Health – Victorian Farmers Federation
VICTORIAN Farmers have today welcomed the Labor government’s commitment to provide the National Centre for Farmer Health with $1 million of funding each year for the next four years if it wins the November 29 election.
“This is a sensational commitment from the Victorian Labor government and certainly one of the key election priorities for the VFF,” Victorian Farmers Federation president Peter Tuohey said today.
“We have spearheaded this campaign together with the Centre to ensure that the Hamilton based service is kept alive and we commend the Labor government.
“We need to make sure that an institution which plays such a vital role for farming families’ physical and mental health is alive and well for years to come.
“This commitment may just do this – so it’s a great win for regional Victorian’s and farmers across the state who firmly rely on its service,” Mr Tuohey said.
The Victorian Farmers Federation has also proudly teamed together with the Centre to #Run4FarmerHealth on Sunday’s Melbourne Marathon.
“We are committed to advocating for this centre and are prepared to literally, ‘walk the talk’ and run in solidarity to support the NCFH,” Mr Tuohey said.
The VFF will join more than 130 runners on Sunday to raise awareness of the great work conducted by the centre.
Media Contacts:
Peter Tuohey, VFF President 0428 952 425
Tom Whitty, VFF Media Manager 0417 165 784
2014-10-10 Labor pledges money for National Centre for Farmer Health at Hamilton – Weekly Times
UPDATE: A VICTORIAN Labor Government would fully fund the National Centre for Farmer Health for the next four years if elected.
Western Victoria Upper House MP Jaala Pulford made the announcement at the Hamilton-based centre this afternoon.
The Opposition announced it would provide the centre with $1 million funding each year for the next four years if it wins the November 29 election.
The centre was set up by the previous Labor Government in 2008 but has battled to stay open since the Coalition Government cut its funding in 2012.
The Victorian Government had claimed the centre was a national organisation and should be partly federally funded, but the previous Federal Labor Government had refused.
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2014-10-10 Labor pledges money for National Centre for Farmer Health at Hamilton – Weekly Times
2014-10-09 – Episode Rural Mental Health – 20Twenty Vision Christian Radio
2014-10-09 – Episode Rural Mental Health – 20Twenty Vision Christian Radio
Episode Rural Mental Health, Dr Susan Brumby – Deakin Uni et al
20Twenty with Neil Johnson from Vision Radio Network www.vision.org.au
2014-09-23 Run to promote farmer health – Country News
It might sound like folly, but Victorians of all fitness levels are running up to 42km to raise awareness of farmers’ health.
Farmers, rural community members and supporters including politicians are running in the ‘Run 4 Farmer Health’ team in the Melbourne Marathon next month.
Echuca’s Jennifer MacLean, Wendy Nolan and Deb Whitten (who are all aged over 50) are ready and set to go in the 10km race, while Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie is training for the 21km half-marathon event.
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2014-09-23 Run to promote farmers health – Country News
2014-10-03 Run 4 Farmer Health in aid of farmer health – Southern Weekly
Victorians have been urged to take part in the Run 4 Farmer Health in Melbourne on October 12.
The run aims to raise $20,000 for the National Centre for Farmer Health.
The centre educates and promotes health, safety and wellbeing for farmers.
There are currently 73 runners signed up to compete in the runs which vary in length from the 43 kilometre full marathon, 21 kilometre half marathon, 10 kilometre, five and three kilometre events.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, along with her colleagues, took part in a training run in Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens recently.
“The National Centre for Farmer Health and VFF are organising this fabulous event and we should support them in ensuring it’s a great success. There are even training tips on the Centre’s website if you need some motivation,” Ms McKenzie said.
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2014-10-03 Run 4 Farmer Health in aid of farmer health – Southern Weekly
2014-10-03 Nevill paced by children, dog for Melbourne Marathon challenge – The Standard
TANIA Nevill pounds the pavement around Mepunga East in the early hours of the morning when many are still tucked up in bed.
The avid runner, preparing for her first marathon, admits her family thinks she’s “a bit mad”.
Nevill runs on the roads — her family’s 190-hectare dairy farm is “very muddy and there’s too many holes you’d do an ankle” — taking different routes to mix up the routine.
“I think I like it because I can do it when it suits me,” she said.
“I like the freedom of getting out and running at my own pace.”
The mother of four will swap the flat Western District roads around her property for a city challenge on Sunday week — the Melbourne Marathon.
Nevill is committed to tackling Victoria’s most renowned long-distance running race.
She’s completed the event’s half-marathon and knows what to expect when she battles the 42.2-kilometre distance on October 12.
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2014-10-03 Nevill paced by children, dog for Melbourne Marathon challenge – The Standard
2014-10-02 Senator McKENZIE (Victoria) – Senate Hansard (Parliament of Australia)
Senator McKENZIE (Victoria) (18:45): Earlier this week my Nationals colleague the Minister for Agriculture paid tribute to Australian family farms and their contribution to our country and economy.
2014 is the International Year of Family Farming. Tonight I would like to contribute to this important topic, taking the opportunity to promote the National Centre for Farmer Health. The International Year of Family Farming aims to raise the profile of family farming by focusing world attention on its significant role in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment and achieving sustainable development in rural areas.
Here in Australia there are an estimated 135,692 farm businesses and 99 per cent of those are family owned and operated. Our farmers are impressive. Each Australian farmer produces enough food to feed 600 people per year, 150 here at home and 450 overseas. They produce almost 93 per cent of Australia’s daily domestic food supply and they export around 60 per cent of what they grow and produce. Those exports earned our nation $38 billion in 2012-13, while wider agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors generated $41 billion in exports. The gross value of Australian farm production in 2012-13 was $47 billion, about 12 per cent of our GDP.
About 278 people are employed in Australian agriculture and there are over 1.6 million jobs in the agricultural supply chain and affiliated industries. This is why the health and wellbeing of both our farmers and the National Centre for Farmer Health are so important.
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2014-10-02 Senator McKENZIE (Victoria) – Senate Hansard (Parliament of Australia)
2014-09-23 Scholarships Now Open!
Urgent prescription needed for farming, and farm family health
Scholarships Now Open!
The health and safety of the Australian farming industry is one of the poorest in the nation and more needs to be done about it according to Hamilton based National Centre for Farmer Health Director Dr. Sue Brumby.
“In 2010-11 Agriculture had the highest number of industry worker fatalities, this is not an aberration, over the previous decade the industry had been the second highest”.
“But farming’s most serious diseases are more insidious, more ingrained – and frighteningly – more traditional. For too long too many farmers have not even acknowledged illness, let alone allow it to slow the hectic work schedule now demanded by 21st century farming” she said.
Dr. Brumby said “The impact of that attitude is phenomenal – not only is the farmer at risk, so is his, or her, family and the security of the very business on which too many are working themselves to death”.
“Yet health has to be the cornerstone of it all, and as such needs so much more attention, acknowledgement – and respect – than it currently receives”.
“We have a sobering record of farmers who did not think they needed to take care of their health, not enough of them understood what was happening when their health failed. This is why we developed Agricultural Health and Medicine (HMF701), which will be run through Deakin University School of Medicine and Western District Health Service in 2015 from 23rd to 27th February” Dr. Brumby said.
Scholarships worth $1500 are now available to prospective students, who come from a diverse range of backgrounds, all working within the agricultural and health care industries.
The course has already attracted doctors, nurses, veterinarians, counsellors, agriculturalists and public health specialists from all states, some of them travelling thousands of kilometres to participate.
“They will work with an outstanding lineup of medical and industry presenters who will provide an insight of the challenges facing farmers, their families, their staff and their industry” Dr. Brumby explains.
That line-up includes surgeon Mr. Stephen Clifforth, respiratory physician Dr. Andrew Bradbeer, emergency medicine specialist Associate Professor Tim Baker, clinical psychologist Jan Austin and drug and alcohol addiction specialist Dr. Rodger Brough.
Dr. Brumby said “These specialist presenters, and the rest of the program – which also includes veterinary and farm safety experts – have been selected to deliver a concise and comprehensive introduction to the areas of farming health which need to be better understood, and clearly better managed”.
“We would encourage everyone involved in the industry – from agriculturalists to health service providers – to invest just five days in their future. It will be time well spent” she said.
Rural GP, Dr. Christel Smit Kroner said “the course helped me gain a deeper understanding of the work and life style factors impacting on my patient population. I feel more confident to open up conversations with farmers about their daily work, stresses, worries and joys”.
The NCFH Scholarships are now open and close 19th October 2014, visit www.farmerhealth.org.au or call Dr. Jacquie Cotton 03 5551 8585 for more information.
Enquiries:
Dr. Jacquie Cotton
National Centre for Farmer Health
Western District Health Service
03 55518585