Mental health affects everyone in the community
The majority of Australians are touched by the impact of mental health in some way.
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Many live with the daily burden of anxiety or depression, or care for a loved one.
Devastatingly, thousands of Australians die by suicide each year and many more make an attempt.
It is the leading cause of death for Australians between 15 and 44 years of age, but it can be prevented.
There are thousands of people working tirelessly to make a difference in this field and their efforts could not be more urgent at this time.
Anyone who knows of such a person would no doubt appreciate their achievements, but I would encourage them to take it one step further and nominate them for the Australian Mental Health Prize.
The Australian Mental Health Prize was established to acknowledge those who are doing innovative work in this area, whether they are involved in the industry as a vocation or are advocates because they have been touched by mental illness.
Acknowledging those who work or volunteer in the industry is an important part of the process to help to destigmatise mental illness.
Nominations are now open and I urge people to nominate people in your area.
More information and nomination forms can be obtained from www.australianmentalhealthprize.org.au
Entries close on 7 September.
For those who are living with the burden of mental illness every day, thank you for your support.
Ita Buttrose AO OBE
Chair
Australian Mental Health Prize Advisory Group
Drought bites harder under Labor’s vegetation management laws
As drought conditions worsen across many parts of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk’s unfair vegetation management laws are making it harder for Queensland graziers to keep to stock alive.
It’s clear that Labor’s new restrictions on using mulga trees to feed livestock have added extra red tape and untold stress to farmers struggling to keep what’s left of their sheep and cattle going.
Having to constantly re-apply for permits and comply with clearing patterns dreamt up by city-based bureaucrats is causing more pain for producers already under the pump.
These laws have to potential to create real animal welfare issues on properties, yet this government’s happy to sit by and let farmers and livestock suffer.
To make matters worse, Minister Anthony Lynham has refused to fund new extension officers to support farmers and landholders as Labor’s unfair vegetation laws are rolled out.
These are real people with real emotions.
It’s devastating that Labor’s willing to exploit the city country divide with these laws to snare extra votes in inner city Brisbane.
While the Palaszczuk Government refuses to build the dams that will create jobs and help drought proof our regions, the LNP would raise the Burdekin Falls Dam wall, get the Urannah and Nullinga Dam projects shovel ready and finally deliver Rockwood Weir for Central Queensland.
Dale Last
LNP Shadow Natural Resources Minister
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