AESM Vol 21. Issue 5, 2020

VOL 21: Isssue 5, 2020 

busy SEASON ahead 

for emergency services 

PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY AS SUMMER APPROACHES 

& BUSHFIRE SEASON AND CYCLONE SEASON COLLIDE

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FEATURE 

CONTENTS 

FEATURE 

“ 

With an emerging 

La Niña and warmer 

than normal sea 

surface temperatures 

in the eastern Indian 

Ocean, 11 tropical 

cyclones are expected 

for Australia. 

“ 

NEW MODEL 

SHOWS 

AUSTRALIA 

CAN EXPECT 11 

CYCLONES THIS 

SEASON 

23 

The Marker That 

Could Save Your Life 

The vital role of 

Emergency Markers for 

fast emergency response 

in unknown or remote 

locations. 

19 

FEATURE 

Supporting Kids 

Whose Parents Fight 

Fires 

Many children have to 

deal with the prospect 

of not having a parent 

around because of a job 

that takes them away. 

35 

One Of Australia’s 

Most Dangerous 

Jobs 

Being a paramedic is not 

only dangerous because 

of the daily trauma 

witnessed, workplace 

culture is also having an 

affect on health. 

15 

11 

The Unequal Burden 

of Disasters 

BNHCRC research shows 

the true costs of disasters 

are typically greater than 

what the direct damage 

estimates suggest. 

www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 

Some Crimes Have 

Decreased During 

Coronavirus 

Certain crimes have 

declined dramatically 

during restrictions, while 

others, such as online 

fraud, have been on the 

rise 

29

THE REGULARS 

• Editor’s Note 

• Recent Events 

National Air Fleet & Worsening Weather: 

Royal Commission recommendations 

Marine Rescue Volunteers Recognised 

Top Awards at SLSA Excellence Awards 

• Emergency Law with Dr Michael Eburn 

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

• The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Paramedic 

• In the Spotlight - The Mt Barker SES & Eleanor Beidatsch 

• Emergency Breaks - Broome, Western Australia 

3 

5 

6 

7 

9 

19 

29 

40 

43 

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Apple IOS and Google 

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. Research Consultant at The 

Code 9 Foundation. 

EMERGENCY LAW 

Dr Michael Eburn - PHD, Barrister 

and leading expert in law relating to 

emergency management & emergency 

services. 

THE GOOD, THE BAD & 

THE UGLY PARAMEDIC 

Tammie Bullard is a paramedic and 

sessional lecturer based in Western 

Australia. Author of The Good, The Bad 

& The Ugly Paramedic 

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EMERGENCY BREAKS 

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EDITOR’S NOTE 

Welcome to the latest edition of the Australian Emergency 

Services Magazine. 

We are fast approaching the busiest season for the 

emergency services sector. With the announcement by 

the Bureau of Meteorology this year that we are heading 

into a La Niña weather cycle, Australia has been put on 

alert to expect above average rainfall and more frequent 

storm and cyclone activity. You can read more about 

the prediction for at least 11 cyclone systems over the 

summer period in this issue. 

This of course collides with bushfire season across the 

country. Although not expected to be as dangerous as 

last year, that doesn’t mean parts of the country won’t be 

affected by fire again this year. The message from all fire 

services is to be prepared and have a bushfire ready plan. 

Add to this the ever present threat of COVID-19 and 

the celebrations of summer silly season and we have 

a busy time ahead for all of our emergency personnel. 

Firefighters, SES, Police, Surf Life Saving, Marine Rescue, 

Paramedics and Emergency Departments across the 

country are on alert and have been preparing, after what 

has already been an incredibly trying year. 

From all of us here at the Australian Emergency Services 

Magazine, we join the rest of the community in saying 

a big thankyou to the incredible people within the 

emergency services. Those hardworking people who 

stand with us, during often the most difficult times in our 

lives. 

Bianca Peterson 

Editor in Chief 

www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 

DISCLAIMER 

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Distribution of the publication is Bi-Monthly 

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and disaster management, government, 

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Every effort is made to ensure that material 

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Services Magazine was correct at the time of 

printing and is published in good faith, no 

responsibility or liability will be accepted by 

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The views and opinions expressed are 

not necessarily those of Boothbook 

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RECENT EVENTS 

Australia should develop a national 

aerial fire fighting capability and fuel 

load management strategies should 

be more transparent, the inquiry set 

up following last summer’s devastating 

bushfires has recommended. 

In its 80 recommendations, including 

many shared between federal and state 

governments, the Royal Commission into 

National Natural Disaster Arrangements 

calls for a bigger federal role in dealing 

with disasters but stresses 

‘there are compelling reasons for state and 

territory governments to continue to be 

responsible for disaster management.’ 

The 2019-20 fires took 33 lives, nine 

of them firefighters including three 

Americans. 

The recommendations are aimed at 

increasing national co-ordination to 

prepare better for natural disasters, 

respond more rapidly (including through 

the army), and ensure the recovery is 

focused on making communities more 

resilient. 

Natural disasters have changed, and so 

must the management arrangements, the 

report says. 

‘Extreme weather has already become more 

frequent and intense because of climate 

change; further global warming over the 

next 20 to 30 years is inevitable. Globally, 

temperatures will continue to rise, and 

Australia will have more hot days and fewer 

cool days. Sea levels are also projected to 

continue to rise. 

Tropical cyclones are projected to decrease 

in number, but increase in intensity. Floods 

and bushfires are expected to become more 

frequent and more intense. Catastrophic fire 

conditions may render traditional bushfire 

prediction models and firefighting techniques 

less effective.’ 

But the report does not make 

SET UP NATIONAL AIR FLEET TO FIGHT 

FIRES, SAYS ROYAL COMMISSION, 

WARNING OF WORSENING WEATHER 

recommendations on climate change 

policy. 

Calling for a “national” approach to natural 

disasters, the commission says this 

doesn’t mean the federal government 

taking over, but rather a “whole of nation” 

level of cooperation and effort. 

As part of playing a greater role, the 

federal government should be able to 

declare “a state of national emergency”. 

A declaration should be the catalyst for 

a quicker, clearer and more pre-emptive 

mobilisation of federal resources but 

should not give the federal government 

power to determine how state resources 

are to be used, the report says. 

While usually a state or territory would 

have asked for help, “in some limited 

circumstances” the federal government 

should be able to take action during a 

natural disaster, “whether or not a state 

has requested assistance”. 

In the bushfire crisis, there was 

tension between the NSW and federal 

governments over the deployment of 

military personnel. 

The commission’s recommendations 

on the controversial issue of fuel loads 

concentrate on questions of clarity. 

Public land managers should clearly convey 

and make available to the public their fuel 

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra 

load management strategies, including the 

rationale behind them, as well as report 

annually on the implementation and 

outcomes of those strategies,“ the reports 

says. 

It also says governments should review 

the assessment and approval processes 

on vegetation management, bushfire 

mitigation and hazard reduction to make it 

clear what landholders and land managers 

need to do and minimise the time taken 

for assessments and approvals. 

On air capability, the report says all 

Australian governments should develop a 

“modest, Australian-based and registered, 

national aerial firefighting capability”. This 

would be made up of “more specialised 

platforms … to supplement the aerial 

firefighting capability of the states and 

territories”. 

After some anger at charities’ use of 

money donated for bushfire victims, the 

commission has said federal, state and 

territory governments should create a 

single national scheme for the regulation 

of charitable fundraising. 

The Minister for Emergency Management 

David Littleproud said cabinet would 

consider the report next week. 

First published on The Conversation 

5 


RECENT EVENTS 

Matthew Bowra, Miriam Wellsandt, Sandra Lymbery, Frazer McGregor from Marine Rescue Groups in Coral Bay and Exmouth 

MARINE RESCUE VOLUNTEERS 

RECOGNISED FOR SEAWORTHY 

CONTRIBUTIONS 

A Rockingham volunteer who dedicated 

countless hours of personal time to 

the growth and development of his 

marine rescue group was among a list 

of outstanding winners at the 2020 WA 

Marine Rescue Awards held in Perth last 

night. 

Graham Martin, of Marine Rescue 

Rockingham, received the Award for 

Outstanding Individual Contribution in 

recognition of his exemplary service over 

the last decade. 

Fire and Emergency Services 

Commissioner Darren Klemm AFSM said 

that with more than 10,000 kilometres 

of coastline in Western Australia, Marine 

Rescue groups have a critical role to play 

in keeping the community safe. 

“Marine Rescue volunteers provide an 

essential service to our community – 

they are often the first responders in 

a crisis at sea and contribute to lifesaving 

operations throughout the year,” 

Commissioner Klemm said. 

“They are also an invaluable source of 

local knowledge and work behind the 

scenes to educate the boating community, 

recruit new members and undertake 

extensive training to equip them with the 

skills to complete complex water rescues. 

“The 2020 winners of the WA Marine 

Rescue Awards have all demonstrated 

outstanding commitment to their role 

of keeping Western Australians safe on 

our oceans and waterways, which is an 

intrinsic part of our lifestyle in this State.” 

Other recipients included Marine Rescue 

groups from Coral Bay and Exmouth, 

who shared the Award for Outstanding 

Group Operations for their response to a 

capsized vessel earlier this year. 

The crew of a commercial fishing boat, 

Nebraska II, received the Volunteer 

Marine Rescue WA Commander Award for 

rescuing a swimmer who had been swept 

out to sea near Kalbarri. 

Thomas Knight, 20, of Marine Rescue 

Port Walcott received the Award for 

Youth Achievement for his outstanding 

contributions to the remote Pilbara group. 

Marine Rescue Naturaliste received the 

Department of Transport Award for 

Marine Safety for their commitment to 

maintaining their website with marine, 

weather, tide and safety information. 

Graham Martin, of Marine Rescue Rockingham 

Thomas Knight, 20, Marine Rescue Port Walcott 

Marine Rescue Naturaliste 

www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 6

RECENT EVENTS 

QUEENSLANDERS NAB TOP AWARDS AT SLSA 

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 

Queensland nominees dominated 

the list of winners at Surf Life Saving 

Australia’s National Awards of 

Excellence, taking out top honors 

in five of the 13 national awards 

presented. 

Australia’s top surf lifesavers were 

recognised for their achievements 

and contributions in last night’s 

virtual event. 

Surf Life Saving Queensland CEO 

Dave Whimpey congratulated 

them on being recognised for their 

outstanding contribution. 

“It is great to see our lifesavers, 

lifeguards and competitors 

recognised as the best in the 

country,” he said. 

“Each one of them put an enormous 

effort into ensuring they are the best 

in their field and it’s great to see them 

recognised for their dedication.” 

Neil John from Sarina SLSC took out 

the prestigious DHL Surf Lifesaver 

of the Year for his outstanding 

leadership as both Club Captain and 

President, and hard work to boost 

member engagement at his club. 

Fellow Queenslander Belinda 

Doman from Coolangatta SLSC was 

awarded DHL Volunteer of the Year, 

in recognition of her contribution at 

all levels across the movement. In 

addition to various committee roles 

she also spends countless hours 

training members in a range of 

awards. 

Sunshine Coast Lifeguard, Corey 

Jones, claimed DHL Lifeguard of the 

Year, for his great leadership and 

positive attitude. Corey has created 

a healthy environment for all who 

work in his area, even providing 

development opportunities for team 

members by conducting scenario 

training. 

After a breakout season claiming her 

maiden Coolangatta Gold title and 

2019-20 Nutri-Grain IronWoman 

Series crown, Noosa Heads’ Lana 

Rogers took out Surf Sports Athlete 

of the Year. Lana is an extremely 

focused, determined athlete and role 

model, assisting with nipper sessions, 

sponsorship breakfasts and is always 

encouraging young athletes at the 

club. 

Connor Peabody from Kurrawa SLSC 

was named Surf Sports Youth Athlete 

of the Year for his outstanding results 

throughout the 2019/20 season. 

Former Ironman champion Darren 

Mercer (Noosa Heads SLSC) was 

inducted into the SLSA Hall of Fame. 

Darren has had a long and illustrious 

career in Surf Life Saving over many 

years as an exemplary athlete and 

more recently a successful coach of a 

number of Australian champions. 

SLSQ also congratulate Dylan 

Newbiggin (Sunshine Coast ALS 

Lifeguards) and Clayton Schilg (Tweed 

Heads and Coolangatta SLSC) on 

being awarded Individual Certificate’s 

of Merit. 

Will Prentice from Tallebudgera 

SLSC was also awarded an Individual 

Certificate of Merit with Bronze Insert. 

7 


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AUSTRALIAN EMERGENCY LAW with Dr Michael Eburn 

A DISCUSSION ON 

THE LAW THAT 

APPLIES TO OR 

AFFECTS AUSTRALIA’S 

EMERGENCY SERVICES 

AND EMERGENCY 

MANAGEMENT 

PARAMEDICS 

BECOMING 

AUTONOMOUS 

PRACTITIONERS 

September 3rd, 2020 

Today’s question is interesting as it’s a true forward thinking academic 

question. 

I’m asked: 

PHD 

Barrister 

Leading expert in Law 

relating to Emergency 

Management & Emergency 

Services 

Now that paramedics are a registered health profession, I’ve had the 

same conversation with quite a few colleagues who, like me, envision 

fully autonomous paramedic practitioners becoming a reality in Australia. 

Those conversations usually revolve around the question ‘what next?’ in 

terms of expanding the capabilities of the profession. As far as we can see 

there are four major legal hurdles: (1) the ability to bill directly to Medicare, 

(2) the ability to prescribe medications, (3) the ability to refer to medical 

specialists, and (4) a ‘drug license’ (for lack of a better term) that allows us 

to autonomously take authority for medications, i.e. paramedics taking 

ketamine out of a pharmacy under their own authority for their medical kit 

in a trekking expedition they’ve been hired to take care of. I recognise that 

some paramedics in some parts of the country can do some of these things, 

but I don’t believe there are paramedics anywhere in Australia that can do 

them all. 

My question for you, from your perspective in law, is this: do you think 

these are all necessary, and do you think that in sum these four would be 

sufficient, or do you believe that there are other major steps that we need 

to take to become fully autonomous medical professionals? 

Follow Michael Eburn 

Facebook- facebook.com/ 

EburnM/ 

Twitter - @EburnM 

For his latest articles on 

Emergency Law go to: 

www.emergencylaw.wordpress.com 

I suppose one cannot answer the 

question until you define what you 

think makes a professional a ‘fully 

autonomous health care professional’. 

I don’t think paramedics should aim 

to be ‘fully autonomous medical 

professionals’ because they are 

not medical practitioners, they are 

paramedic practitioners – they should 

aim to create a unique space for 

paramedics. 

Personally, I think the most important 

step would be ‘a ‘drug license’ (for 

lack of a better term) …’ When the 

right to carry, supply and administer 

drugs comes with registration then 

paramedics are trusted health care 

professionals with an ability to create 

their own practice environment. 

Having a Medicare provider number 

and being able to bill Medicare would 

certainly assist paramedics to develop 

an effective business model but there 

could be other ways to manage a 

business eg fee for service as event 

paramedics or billing health insurance 

companies for patient transport. One 

doesn’t have to charge the patient so 

having relevant Medicare items and 

an ability to charge Medicare would, I 

think be helpful for paramedic business 

but – and without having an explicit

definition of what constitutes a ‘fully 

autonomous health care professional’ 

in mind – I don’t think it’s essential to 

demonstrate professional autonomy. 

The right to prescribe medication 

and refer patients to other health 

care practitioners would certainly 

open up business and practice 

opportunities particularly in extended 

and community care paramedicine. 

Both would demonstrate ‘autonomy’ as 

the paramedic could form a view of the 

patient’s condition and provide care 

without having to refer them to a third 

party, ie a doctor. 

This takes me back to an earlier 

point which is that paramedicine is 

not medicine. So one needs to think 

about what sets paramedicine apart 

from medicine. Paramedics don’t 

need to be ‘almost doctors’ (which of 

course is odd, given the root of the 

word ‘para-medic’ but whatever the 

linguistic history behind the word 

paramedic, it’s a word that’s taken on 

its own meaning with registration). If 

paramedics don’t have to be as close 

to ‘medical practitioners’ as possible 

then they have to define what are the 

essential issues of paramedicine. If 

paramedicine is about out of hospital 

care, and in particular out of hospital 

emergency care, then I think the need 

for prescribing and referral is less 

important than the right to carry drugs. 

At the moment paramedics are 

registered health professionals but 

the right to carry an essential tool of 

their trade, the drugs they use for the 

benefit of their patients, belongs to 

their employer. Until that is resolved 

they are not truly independent health 

professionals because they need their 

employer’s permission to practice 

their profession. When that’s attended 

to then they will, in my view, be ‘fully 

autonomous health care professionals’. 

The other issues – Medicare, 

prescribing and referral will help define 

and dictate what paramedic practice 

looks like. They would be useful to 

give paramedics the widest scope of 

practice and communities the benefit 

of practice. But my answer to the 

question (remembering that I’m not 

a paramedic) is the essential step 

is a drug authority that comes with 

registration, not employment. 

Another issue, I’m not sure if it’s 

required to ‘become’ fully autonomous 

health care professional or will be 

evidence that the profession has 

achieved autonomy, is to be personally 

accountable for decisions. This is 

an idea that Megan Jane-Johnston 

raised in her book ‘Nursing and the 

Injustices of Law’ (W.B. Saunders/ 

Bailliere Tindall, 1994). Her argument 

(if I remember it correctly) was that 

whilst nurses were not sued because 

they were employees of institutions 

and were simply following ‘doctor’s 

orders’ they were not and could 

not be considered independent 

professionals. It is still the case that we 

rarely if ever see nurses getting sued 

because they nearly always practice 

as employees. Equally in cases where 

paramedics are allegedly negligent it is 

their employer who is the defendant. 

When paramedics start having their 

own business practices and their own 

independent relation with patients 

then that may change. It may not 

be an indicium anyone wants, but it 

is I think an interesting argument. If 

paramedics could charge Medicare 

directly, prescribe medication and 

refer a person to a specialist, then it 

would certainly be the case that they 

would be personally liable for their 

decisions and that would indicate that 

they are indeed truly autonomous 

professionals. 

Having said that I think (without 

rationalising the arguments in full) 

that those issues would expand the 

ways paramedic could practice and 

could help widen the definition of 

what paramedicine is, but they are not 

essential for saying that paramedics 

are able to practice as autonomous 

paramedic practitioners. 

But at the end of the day, defining 

what is or are the essential elements 

of paramedicine is not for me; it’s for 

the profession and bodies such as the 

Australasian College of Paramedicine. 

Once there is some consensus on 

what it is to be a paramedic – what is 

essential to paramedic practice – then 

it will be possible to define what is 

required to ensure that paramedics 

are truly autonomous health care 

professionals. Registration was a critical 

first step. 

This article originally appeared on the 

blog Australian Emergency Law (https:// 

emergencylaw.wordpress.com/) and is reproduced 

with the permission of the author. 

As a blog post it represents the author’s opinion 

based on the law at the time it was written. 

The blog, or 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. 


THE UNEQUAL BURDEN 

OF DISASTERS IN 

AUSTRALIA 

By: Professor Mehmet Ulubasoglu 

Deakin University & the Bushfire & Natural Hazards CRC

Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC research has 

shown that the true costs of disasters are typically 

greater than what the direct damage estimates 

suggest. 

The project Optimising disaster recovery 

interventions in Australia estimated significant 

income losses for individuals living in disaster-hit 

areas within the years following natural hazard 

disasters in Australia. Using four case studies 

representing different hazard types, in different 

parts of the country and covering different 

scales, the research revealed additional costs 

that would not normally be picked by the direct 

damage estimates. 

For example, according to Deloitte Access 

Economics (2016), the direct total (tangible and 

intangible) damages of the 2009 Black Saturday 

bushfires were $7 billion. However, we found 

that, following the Black Saturday bushfires, 

agricultural employees who lived in the fireravaged 

areas lost an average of A$8,000 in 

annual income for the next two years. Employees 

in the accommodation and food services 

industries lost an average of A$5,000. 

This research also found that the burden of 

lost income as a result of the disasters is not 

borne equally. That is, the income gap routinely 

increased after disasters. For example, following 

the 2010-11 Queensland floods, which were 

reported to have costed $14.1 billion in direct 

damages, the difference between those on 

low and middle incomes in the Brisbane River 

Catchment area increased by about $7,000 a 

year. 

Low-income earners, small-business owners and 

part-time workers are more likely to lose income 

following a disaster. Middle and high-income 

earners, full-time workers and owners of larger 

businesses are far less likely to lose income; 

indeed they might even earn more. This means 

that disasters resulting from natural hazards can 

cause the income divide to become larger. 

Further, certain demographic groups exhibited 

lower economic resilience in returning to their 

pre-disaster income levels in the aftermath of 

disasters. Following the Black Saturday bushfires, 

low-income individuals and the female workforce 

experienced lower income levels that persisted 

until 2016, seven years after the fires. This 

contrasts with high-income earners, who despite 

having lost income in the short term, were able 

to bounce back to their original income trajectory 

by 2016. This suggests that the income divide 

persisted in the medium term. 

Methodology 

We used the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 

individual-level, de-identified, longitudinal 

census data sets from 2006, 2011 and 2016 in 

a difference-in-differences modelling, where we

compared the incomes of people 

living in disaster-hit areas with those 

in comparable areas not affected by 

disasters. 

We examined the following disasters 

caused by natural hazards: 

• the 2009 Black Saturday 

bushfires in regional Victoria 

• the 2009 Toodyay bushfire in 

Western Australia 

• the 2010-11 Queensland floods 

in the Brisbane River catchment 

• Cyclone Oswald 2013 in 

Queensland’s Burnett River 

catchment 

These disasters represented 

different hazard types (i.e., 

bushfires, cylones and floods), 

different severity (i.e. catastrophic, 

medium scale, and small scale), and 

different locations (i.e., regional 

areas, metropolitan areas, or a small 

town). 

While there were research 

limitations related to observing 

individuals every five years, the 

anonymised census dataset 

comprises a 5% representative 

sample of the Australian population, 

providing a significant amount 

of observations that enable a 

granular analysis. Also, findings that 

were common and robust across 

the different disasters provided 

additional confidence in the results. 

Who loses? 

Across most of the disaster types, 

scales and areas, those most likely 

to lose income following disasters 

were employed in agriculture, and 

accommodation and food services 

(covering the tourism industry). This 

effect was almost uniform across all 

case studies, except for the Toodyay 

bushfire. 

In addition, being employed in 

disaster-sensitive sectors meant 

that there were flow-on effects 

onto certain demographic groups 

who had a high employment 

concentration in those sectors. 

These groups included, low-income 

earners, small-business owners, 

part-time workers, and sometimes 

the female workforce. 

Who gains? 

Post-disaster income losses do not 

affect full-time workers or higherincome 

earners nearly as much as 

others in the affected communities. 

Unlike the groups of people who 

lose, gains are not uniform. It varies 

by disaster. For example, after the 

Black Saturday bushfires, those 

employed in Victoria’s public and 

administrative services benefited 

most, with their income increasing. 

After the 2010-11 Queensland floods, 

incomes were higher for health and 

retail employees in the Brisbane River 

catchment area. Low-income earners 

lost an average of A$3,100 in the 

year following the floods. Middle and 

high-income earners earned a higher 

income of an average of A$3,770 and 

A$3,380, respectively, for the same 

time period. 

Relief and recovery funding 

Our analysis suggests that the way in 

which relief and recovery funding is 

invested may inadvertently contribute 

to widening the income gap, or 

at least does not fully prevent the 

increased divide. 

The main reason is how programs 

are structured. Funding tends to 

be channelled to businesses, not 

households. Businesses receive tax 

deferrals, special disaster assistance 

grants, back-to-business workshop 

grants, clean-up operation grants, 

exceptional disaster assistance and 

other forms of subsidies. 

In the six months following the 

Queensland floods, for example, just 

10% of the recovery spending went to 

income and wage assistance. At least 

80% went to businesses (Chamber of 

Commerce and Industry Queensland, 

2011). 

Local businesses assessing the impacts of the Brisbane floods in 2010-11 on their stock. 

Credit: Angus Veitch

The main street of Marysville several months after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. Credit: David Bruce, Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC 

Building a more sustainable model 

Overall, there is room to rethink how 

we might build a more sustainable 

model for disaster recovery. 

It’s important to assist businesses 

because they are arteries of 

the economy. But four possible 

improvements to the current recovery 

funding model could help minimise 

the widening of the income gap. 

First, assistance programs should 

make it a priority to balance the 

imperative of short-term aid with the 

importance of not making inequality 

worse in the longer term. 

Second, funding arrangements need 

to account for the characteristics of 

different disasters, and the different 

patterns of social effects. Not all 

disasters are the same, but the 

current funding model tends to treat 

them as if they are. 

Third, programs should account 

for the greater vulnerability of 

households that depend on parttime, 

casual work and other forms of 

insecure work. 

Fourth, programs should 

acknowledge the susceptibility of 

different employment sectors. While 

the Natural Disaster Relief and 

Recovery Arrangements scheme 

provides some benefits to the 

farming sector, other sectors, such as 

accommodation and food services, 

can also be hit hard. 

Income matters. It shapes all 

household decisions. With more 

frequent and extreme weather events 

predicted, natural disasters present 

an increasing threat to social equality 

and all the benefits that flow from 

that. It is crucial to ensure relief and 

recovery efforts do not inadvertently 

contribute to widening the gap. 


PARAMEDICS HAVE ONE OF 

AUSTRALIA’S MOST DANGEROUS JOBS 

— AND NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE 

TRAUMA THEY WITNESS

Allegations of widespread 

sex discrimination and 

gender-based bullying 

among Ambulance Victoria staff 

have highlighted just some of the 

problems faced by paramedics. 

Since the allegations came to light 

last month, Ambulance Victoria 

has engaged the Victorian Equal 

Opportunity and Human Rights 

Commission to investigate. 

While these reports are reason 

enough for drastic action, they are 

just part of a broader pattern of 

poor physical and mental health 

among Australian paramedics. The 

profession needs to change, and 

rapidly. 

Paramedicine is one of the most 

dangerous jobs in Australia, 

according to epidemiologist Brian 

Maguire, who has researched 

violence against paramedics. 

Researchers at Flinders University, 

led by Sharon Lawn (one of this 

article’s co-authors), published 

in July a systematic review of 

research on paramedics’ health. 

They found that, compared with 

other professions, paramedics have 

far higher rates of mental health 

disorders, workplace violence, 

workplace injuries, fatigue, sleep 

disorders and suicide. 

There is a pervasive myth the 

impact of a career in paramedicine 

stems from unavoidable exposure 

to traumatic events. However, the 

researchers found paramedics say 

workplace culture — and how state 

and territory ambulance service 

management treat their staff — 

may play an even bigger role in the 

link between paramedicine and 

poor health. 

Before looking at the changes 

needed, here are five key reasons 

why Australian paramedics often 

have poor health: 

1. THEY ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK 

FOR WORKPLACE VIOLENCE 

According to Ambulance Victoria, a 

paramedic is assaulted in Victoria 

every 50 hours.

And it’s getting worse. A 2018 study 

by Maguire found reports of assaults 

against paramedics tripled between 

2001 and 2014. 

One study of 400 Australian 

health-care workers in 2003 found 

paramedics were at the highest risk of 

experiencing workplace violence. 

Another study, led by Malcolm Boyle 

(another of this article’s co-authors), 

found many paramedic students 

undertaking clinical placements 

experience workplace violence, 

including sexual harassment by 

colleagues. 

2. THEY ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO 

DEVELOP PTSD AND TO SUICIDE 

A national Australian study of 

emergency service workers found 

two out of five paramedics had been 

diagnosed with a mental health 

condition. 

Just over 8% of paramedics suffer 

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 

which is double the national average, 

while 21% have anxiety and 27% 

depression. 

A 2016 study showed paramedics are 

twice as likely to suicide compared 

with the general public. 

3. THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY 

POORER SLEEP 

Most paramedics work a mixture of 

day and night shifts in a single block, 

which is known to be one of the most 

damaging work patterns. 

Researchers from RMIT surveyed 136 

Australian paramedics and found 

they have significantly poorer sleep 

quality than the general population, 

and a significantly increased chance 

of developing sleeping disorders, 

which contribute to their already poor 

mental health. 

4. THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST RISK OF 

WORKPLACE INJURY 

Paramedics have the highest injury 

rate of any profession in Australia, 

double that of police, and are seven 

times more likely to be seriously 

injured at work than the national 

average. 

Alarmingly, the fatality rate for 

paramedics is six times higher than 

the general population. 

5. MORE THAN HALF OF 

PARAMEDICS HAVE ‘TOTAL 

BURNOUT’ 

Burnout refers to a state of physical, 

emotional and mental exhaustion. 

It’s linked to an increased intention 

to leave one’s career, poorer patient 

care, and developing depression and 

anxiety. 

One study of 893 Australian 

paramedics found two-thirds had 

“work-related burnout”, and more 

than half had “total burnout”, meaning 

the burnout was impacting both their 

personal and work lives. 

What has to change? 

The evidence paints a bleak picture of 

paramedicine in Australia. If anything 

is clear from the recent bullying 

revelations, it’s that ambulance 

services are not being proactive 

enough about their staff’s health and 

well-being. 

Research is showing that potentially 

the largest threat to paramedics’ 

well-being is not the traumatic scenes 

they encounter at work, but rather a 

workplace culture that undermines 

their physical and mental health. A 

fundamental change is needed to 

how ambulance services management 

support and treat their staff. 

There is a clear need for an 

independent review into the 

management of state and territory 

ambulance services. What has 

occurred in Victoria is just the tip 

of the iceberg nationally. These 

Paramedics are at a high risk of assault and violence. But workplace culture also plays a big role in their poor health. James Ross/AAP 

17 


cultural issues have existed for a long 

time. The decision by Ambulance 

Victoria to engage the Victorian 

Equal Opportunity and Human 

Rights Commission to investigate 

the allegations of bullying indicates 

removing decision-making power from 

the ambulance services is needed 

and more independent oversight is 

required nationally. 

High on the agenda for reform should 

be building ways of working that 

encourage healthy work-life balances. 

We need to address the impact of the 

career on all aspects of paramedic 

well-being, including mental health, 

healthy eating, quality exercise, better 

sleep, and access to support services. 

Some ambulance services have 

created positive change over recent 

years, but it’s clear this hasn’t been 

enough. 

All forms of workplace violence, which 

includes bullying and harassment, 

must stop. There is a need to 

dismantle the punitive culture that 

punishes paramedics for speaking 

out. It’s clear many paramedics don’t 

feel supported or respected by their 

management. 

Changing the culture is imperative 

We also need to acknowledge 

and address the gender bias in 

paramedicine and create inclusive 

workplaces. Female paramedics are 

at more risk of workplace violence, 

burnout, and bullying and harassment. 

Ambulance services need to ensure 

the safety of all paramedics, as well 

as fair and open recruitment and 

development opportunities that don’t 

disadvantage women. 

Most importantly, a drastic change 

in culture is needed. Ambulance 

culture is often centred on 

meeting productivity goals, without 

acknowledging the human cost. A key 

performance indicator in ambulance 

services has long been incident 

response times, and paramedics are 

held to account for every delay. 

We need to have indicators on 

workforce health, and chief executives 

and boards need to be held just as 

accountable. 

We shouldn’t have to sacrifice the 

health of our paramedic workforce to 

meet productivity targets. 

Simon Sawyer 

Lecturer in Paramedicine, Australian Catholic University 

Malcolm Boyle 

Academic Lead in Paramedic Education and Program 

Director Paramedicine Programs, Griffith University 

Sharon Lawn 

Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, 

Flinders University 

This article was first published on ‘The Conversation’ 

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THE MARKER THAT COULD 

SAVE YOUR LIFE 

The simplicity of a sign and the complexity of the latest technology are 

combined in the championed initiative by ESTA, Emergency Markers

What happens when an emergency 

occurs in a remote or unknown 

location? What would you say to the 

triple zero call taker to explain your 

current location so that emergency 

personnel can find you? 

Every second counts in an emergency 

and being able to provide accurate 

location information to emergency 

dispatchers can quite literally be the 

difference between life and death. 

The Emergency Marker program, a 

Victorian-based initiative, provides 

easily identifiable location data in 

public open spaces – saving time and 

saving lives. 

Managed by the Emergency Services 

Telecommunications Authority (ESTA), 

the Emergency Marker program is 

supported by Ambulance Victoria, 

Victoria Police, Victoria SES, Parks 

Victoria, Life Saving Victoria and 

RapidMap and was established 

following coronial inquests into the 

inability to identify locations, where 

emergency responders needed to 

attend but did not have a definitive 

address. 

Emergency Markers are highly visible 

and can be easily identified from a 

distance. Similar in colour and size 

to a street sign, each marker has a 

unique Alpha Code - three letters 

and three numbers. This reference 

number is linked to ESTA’s computer 

aided dispatch system and specifies 

the relevant location, GPS coordinates, 

road access and navigational data 

to assist in an expedited dispatch of 

emergency services. 

This is when the complexity of spatial 

technology and the speed of data 

comes into play. 

Point Cook Coastal Park, Victoria 

In 2019, ESTA outsourced the 

collection and field capture of 

Emergency Markers to the highly 

respected survey team, RapidMap, 

who has a long and successful 

history of delivering high-quality 

spatial technology solutions across 

challenging projects. 

RapidMap, along with their software 

engineering division Iconyx, worked 

with ESTA to understand the spatial 

data, field data capture and system 

integration requirements. This 

Princess Pier, Victoria 


information enabled RapidMap to 

easily configure the sophisticated 

Iconyx-built GIS platform and softwareas-a-service 

solution Summit, to 

coordinate the capture of new 

Emergency Markers and the auditing 

of existing markers. Pairing the Summit 

mobile applications CrestSE or SWIFT 

with an Eos Arrow GNSS receiver 

ensures the data is captured to a 

high standard and delivered to ESTA’s 

GIS and CAD systems as quickly as 

possible in order to verify the location 

data of emergency callers. 

Open spaces such as mountains, 

farms, beaches, parks, reserves, bike 

trails, walking tracks and reservoirs are 

owned and managed by a wide range 

of landowners, who are responsible for 

the activity that occurs on that land. 

RapidMap works with landowners to 

establish and manage the Emergency 

Markers. 

Increasingly landowners are also 

installing Emergency Markers across 

a variety of non-open space sites 

including construction zones, freight 

areas, transport hubs, manufacturing, 

forestry and plantation areas, 

shopping centers and power utilities 

to mitigate risk and ensure responders 

can be directed efficiently if an incident 

occurs. 

Currently there are over 3,500 

emergency markers located in public 

areas throughout Victoria. However, 

this number is steadily growing 

as RapidMap seeks to expand the 

network of Emergency Markers. 

Going mountain bike riding at the 

Mystic Mountain Bike Park in Bright or 

exploring the majestic 250 kilometres 

of the Great South West Walk has now 

been made safer with the installation 

of Emergency Markers over the last 

year. 

In the last 10 months RapidMap 

has increased the number of new 

Emergency Markers at the following 

sites: 

• Great South West Walk - There 

are now 115 Emergency Markers 

across the 242kms long walking 

trail. 

• HVP Plantations sites across 

Gippsland - 165 Emergency 

Markers installed. 

City of Port Phillip, Victoria 

• Eastern Dandenong Ranges Trail – 

24 Emergency Markers installed. 

• Central Gippsland - 30 new 

Emergency Markers. 

• Melbourne Metro Tunnel Sites - 

19 Emergency Markers installed. 

• Mt Baw Baw Alpine resort - 12 

Emergency Markers installed. 

• Mystic Mountain Bike Park, Bright 

- 12 Emergency Markers. 

• Bayview Park - 1001 Steps, Narre 

Warren - 8 Emergency Markers 

installed. 

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Great South West Walk, Victoria 

Locations that currently contain more 

than 100 Emergency Markers: 

HVP Plantation Sites 165 

Grampians National Park 150 

City of Port Phillip 148 

Great South-West Walk 115 

Mornington Peninsula 113 

Mt Buller 108 

Great Victorian Rail 107 

Murray to Mountains 104 

Port of Melbourne 103 

Emergency Markers can be sponsored 

by not-for-profit organisations that 

are willing to make financial or inkind 

contribution. ESTA has specific 

guidelines for the markers to make 

sure the emergency information is not 

hindered by this sponsorship. 

What to do if you find yourself near 

an Emergency Marker and require 

emergency assistance? 

• Always call Triple Zero (000) 

• You will be asked which service 

you require: “Police, Fire or 

Ambulance?” 

• Your call is then connected to an 

ESTA communication centre. 

• You will be asked: “Where is your 

emergency?” 

• Provide the call taker with the 

code on the Emergency Marker. 

The alphanumeric code will vary 

according to the location. The call 

taker will then verify your location. 

To find your nearest marker visit: 

Emergency Marker Map 

To learn more about ESTA Emergency 

Markers visit: 

ESTA - Emergency Markers 

To learn more about RapidMap or 

Iconyx visit: 

RapidMap or Iconyx 


OUR NEW MODEL SHOWS AUSTRALIA 

CAN EXPECT 11 TROPICAL CYCLONES 

THIS SEASON 

Andrew Magee 

Postdoctoral Researcher, 

University of Newcastle 

Anthony Kiem 

Associate Professor – Hydroclimatology, 

University of Newcastle

Tropical cyclones are considered 

one of the most devastating 

weather events in Australia. But 

they’re erratic — where, when and how 

many tropical cyclones form each year 

is highly variable, which makes them 

difficult to predict. 

In our new research published today, 

we created a statistical model that 

predicts the number of tropical 

cyclones up to four months before the 

start of the tropical cyclone season 

from November to April. 

The model, the Long-Range Tropical 

Cyclone Outlook for Australia (TCO- 

AU), indicates normal to above normal 

tropical cyclone activity with 11 

cyclones expected in total, Australiawide. 

Though not all make landfall. 

This is above Australia’s average of ten 

tropical cyclones per season, thanks 

to a climate phenomenon brewing 

in the Pacific that brings conditions 

favourable for tropical cyclone activity 

closer to Australia. 

La Niña and tropical cyclones 

As we’ve seen most recently with 

Tropical Storm Sally in the US, tropical 

cyclones can cause massive damage 

over vast areas. This includes extreme 

and damaging winds, intense rainfall 

and flooding, storm surges, large waves 

and coastal erosion. 

Australian tropical cyclone behaviour is 

largely driven by the El Niño-Southern 

Oscillation (ENSO) — a global climate 

phenomenon that changes ocean and 

atmospheric circulation. 

“La Niña” is one phase of ENSO. It’s 

typically associated with higher than 

normal tropical cyclone numbers in 

the Australian region. And the Bureau 

of Meteorology’s weather and climate 

model indicates there’s a 95% chance a 

La Niña will be established by October 

this year. 

Around ten tropical cyclones occur in 

the Australian region every season, 

and about four of those usually make 

landfall. 

Historically, La Niña has resulted in 

double the number of landfalling 

tropical cyclones in Australia, compared 

to El Niño phases. An “El Niño” event 

is associated with warmer and drier 

conditions for eastern Australia. 

During La Niña events, the first tropical 

cyclone to make landfall also tends to 

occur earlier in the season. In fact, in 

Queensland, the only tropical cyclone 

seasons with multiple severe tropical 

cyclone landfalls have been during La 

Niña events. 

Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi, one of 

the most intense tropical cyclones to 

have hit Queensland, occurred during 

a La Niña in 2011. So did the infamous 

Severe Tropical Cyclone Tracy, which 

made landfall around Darwin in 1974, 

killing 71 people and leaving more 

than 80% of all buildings destroyed or 

damaged. 

While naturally occurring climate 

drivers, such as La Niña, influence 

the characteristics of tropical cyclone 

activity, climate change is also expected 

to cause changes to future tropical 

cyclone risk, including frequency and 

intensity. 

Australian tropical cyclone outlooks 

Tropical cyclone outlooks provide 

important information about how 

many tropical cyclones may pass within 

the Australian region and subregions, 

before the start of the cyclone season. 

Decision-makers, government, industry 

and people living in tropical cyclone 

regions use them to prepare for the 

coming cyclone season. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 


The Australian Bureau of Meteorology 

has led the way in producing tropical 

cyclone outlooks for Australia, usually a 

couple of weeks before the official start 

of the tropical cyclone season. 

But with monthly guidance up to four 

months before the start of the season, 

our new model, TCO-AU, is unmatched 

in lead time. It considers the most 

recent changes in ENSO and other 

climate drivers to predict how many 

tropical cyclones may occur in Australia 

and its sub-regions. 

As a statistical model, TCO-AU is 

trained on historical relationships 

between ocean-atmosphere processes 

and the number of tropical cyclones 

per season. 

For each region, hundreds of potential 

model combinations are tested, 

and the one that performs best in 

predicting historical tropical cyclone 

counts is selected to make the 

prediction for the coming season. 

So what can we expect this season? 

September’s TCO-AU guidance 

suggests normal to above normal risk 

for Australia for the coming tropical 

cyclone season (November 2020 – April 

2021). 

With an emerging La Niña and warmer 

than normal sea surface temperatures 

in the eastern Indian Ocean, 11 tropical 

cyclones are expected for Australia. 

There’s a 47% chance of 12 or more 

cyclones, and a probable range of 

between nine and 15. 

For the Australian sub-regions, TCO-AU 

suggests the following: 

• above normal activity is expected 

for the Eastern region (eastern 

Australia) with four cyclones 

expected. Probable range between 

three and six cyclones; with a 55% 

chance of four or more cyclones 

• normal activity is expected for the 

Western region (west/northwest 

Western Australia) with six 

cyclones expected. Probable range 

between five and eight cyclones; 

39% chance of seven or more 

cyclones 

• below normal activity is expected 

for the Northern region (northwest 

Queensland and Northern 

Territory) with three cyclones 


two and five cyclones; 37% chance 

of four cyclones or more 

• below normal activity is also 

expected for the Northwestern 

region (northwest Western 

Australia) with four cyclones 


three and six cyclones; 45% 

chance of five cyclones or more 

Guidance from TCO-AU does not and 

should not replace advice provided by 

the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 

Instead, it should be used to provide a 

complementary perspective to regional 

outlooks and provide a “heads-up” in 

the months leading up to the start of 

and within the cyclone season. 

Regardless of what’s expected for the 

coming cyclone season, people living 

in tropical cyclone regions should 

always prepare for the cyclone season 

and follow the advice provided by 

emergency services. 

This article was first published on The Conversation 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Lets 

‘ 

Talk Mental 

Health 

with Associate Professor 

Erin Cotter-Smith 

HOW HAS COVID-19 

IMPACTED OUR 

MENTAL HEALTH? 

Results from an 

International WHO survey 

At the beginning of October, the 

World Health Organisation (WHO) 

published the results of a survey 

that had explored the impact of 

COVID-19 on mental, neurological, 

and substance (MNS) use services in 

130 WHO Member States. 

This rapid assessment of service 

delivery for MNS disorders during 

the COVID-19 pandemic is the first 

attempt to measure the impact of the 

pandemic on such services at a global 

level. 

What does the research tell us? 

The results of the survey – published 

in The Lancet – revealed that most 

countries have experienced some 

disruption to the use of MNS services. 

There were differences in the types 

of service affected, with outpatient 

services in mental health and general 

hospitals as well as communitybased 

services predominantly more 

affected. And community-based 

services were more impacted 

compared with inpatient facilities. 

Accessing MNS services was largely 

disrupted by a lack of healthcare 

workers (HCW’s) – with many being 

redeployed into different roles 

during the COVID-19 response – 

and insufficient supply of personal 

protective equipment (PPE). 

Access to PPE has also been reported 

as a key issue for HCW’s in Victoria. 

As of the 20 October, there were 

27 


3599 cases of COVID-19 in HCW’s, 

with just under 73% of these 

cases being acquired in a 

healthcare setting. 

Nearly 90% of 

WHO Member 

States reported 

that mental health 

and psychological 

support was part of 

their national COVID-19 

response plans, but only 17% said 

they had committed additional 

funding for this. 

This research comes on the back 

of mounting evidence that the 

COVID-19 pandemic is having 

significant effects on the 

mental health and well-being 

of populations worldwide. 

And with seemingly low 

capacity to respond, it is unclear how 

the world will deal with this looming 

mental health crisis. 

Prevention and promotion mental 

health services and programmes 

were most severely affected 

Around three-quarters of school 

mental health or workplace mental 

health services were either fully or 

partially disrupted. 

Of concern, only 30% of mental 

health services were available with 

no disruption. And fewer than 40% of 

antenatal or postnatal mental health 

services had been routinely available 

throughout the COVID-19 response. 

Almost 60% of all psychotherapy and 

counselling services were reported 

as partially disrupted. Overdose 

prevention and management 

programmes and critical harm 

reduction services were disrupted in 

more than 50% of countries. 

The flow-on impact of this is still 

largely unknown, with the true 

toll still to become evident in 

the months and years ahead. 

The impact of public health 

measures 

In the case of COVID-19, public 

health measures utilised to control 

the transmission of the virus have 

led to physical isolation and lack of 

connection, closure of schools with 

consequential flow-on effects on 

the development and well-being of 

children, and widespread job losses 

and economic impact. 

Misuse of substances, particularly 

alcohol, is also rising. And emerging 

evidence suggests that COVID-19 

could even have direct neurological 

consequences. 

Mental ill health may also affect 

uptake of a vaccine (if and when it 

becomes available) and adherence to 

public health measures, with some 

evidence suggesting that poor mental 

health could increase susceptibility 

to infection and transmission of the 

virus. 

Not everyone has been impacted 

equally 

As with many other features of this 

pandemic, not everyone has been 

affected equally – with disruptions 

to MNS services disproportionately 

affecting people with pre-existing 

mental health conditions. 

People with an income have been 

far less likely to be affected during 

COVID-19 than those with informal 

or casual roles, which include a 

substantial proportion of the 

workforce in lower-income 

countries. 

The WHO research has also 

highlighted that people with 

dementia might have a higher risk of 

exposure to COVID-19 because of 

difficulty in remembering instructions 

for, and importance of, physical 

distancing and hand hygiene. 

Confinement of people with and 

without mental illness in institutions 

can increase their risk of infection, as 

witnessed in long-term care facilities 

and prisons. 

The impact on the frontline 

Even under normal circumstances, 

good mental health is crucial to 

the functioning of society. During a 

pandemic, however, it can directly 

affect how we respond and recover. 

We know that our HCW’s are 

essential to any effective response 

to COVID-19, but many may have to 

leave the workforce if their mental 

health is not protected. 

Frontline HCW’s are experiencing 

increased workload and 

trauma, making them 

susceptible to stress, 

burnout, depression, 

and post-traumatic 

stress disorder 

Associate Professor 

Erin Cotter-Smith 

PhD, MPH, MClinEpi 

Course Coordinator 

Edith Cowan University 

Research Consultant 

The Code 9 Foundation 

We were “woefully” unprepared 

(PTSD). 

Even before COVID-19, mental health 

conditions were prevalent around the 

world, accounting for around 13% of 

the global burden of disease. Yet, the 

world was woefully unprepared to 

deal with the mental health impact of 

this pandemic. 

Years of under-investment in mental 

health, especially in low-income and 

middle-income countries, left us 

vulnerable. 

It is well known that our ability to 

respond to, and recover from, the 

COVID-19 pandemic will require 

development of effective vaccines 

and treatments and strict adherence 

to public health measures. 

Less well known is that to minimise 

the impact of the pandemic, we 

must also address the substantial 

unmet mental health needs of whole 

societies, with a focus on the most 

vulnerable. 


SOME CRIMES HAVE 

SEEN DRASTIC 

DECREASES DURING 

CORONAVIRUS 

Terry Goldsworthy 

Associate Professor in Criminology, 

Bond University 

The various restrictions put in place to combat 

the spread of coronavirus in recent months have 

disrupted life for everyone – including criminals. 

More than six months into the pandemic, it is clear 

the pandemic has had a major effect on crime rates. 

Certain crimes, such as robberies and sexual offences, 

have declined dramatically, while others, such as online 

fraud, have been on the rise. 

Of course, it is difficult to firmly establish a direct causal 

relationship between coronavirus restrictions and crime 

rates, but the statistics reveal some common themes. 

Reductions in burglaries and assaults 

Lockdown policies in Australia and many other 

countries around the world have significantly altered 

the environment in which criminal activity can take 

place. 

The broad view in the early days of the pandemic was 

some crimes would naturally decrease – those requiring 

access to public space, for instance, and human contact. 

For example, under the routine activity theory in 

criminology, which focuses on the criteria that must be 

present for crimes to occur, the lockdown should have 

led to a significant decline in burglaries of homes. There 

were fewer suitable targets for burglaries (unoccupied 

houses) and an increase in capable guardians who 

could intervene (families staying at home). 

The same theory can apply to violent crimes and sexual 

assaults – if you limit the ability of people to commit 

these crimes through lockdowns, it’s reasonable to 

expect crime rates would decrease. 

The statistics in Australia suggest these theories may be 

correct.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics 

and Research found that in April, 

crime across many categories 

declined sharply compared to the 

same month for the past five years: 

robberies (down 42%), non-domestic 

assault (down 39%), sexual offences 

(down 32%), break and enter of 

dwellings (down 29%), break and 

enter of non-dwellings (down 25%), 

stealing from motor vehicles (down 

34%) and car theft (down 24%). 

A similar pattern was noticeable in 

Queensland, comparing crime data 

for April to the same month in 2019 

— a 28% decline in unlawful entry of 

dwellings, 45% reduction in robberies 

and a 7% drop in sexual offences. 

Increases in crimes committed in 

private 

Conversely, offences that could be 

committed in private settings or 

remotely, such as cybercrimes, rose 

dramatically during the pandemic. 

In Queensland, for instance, 

computer fraud was up 76% in April 

compared to the year before, while 

drug offences increased by 13%. 

There was also great concern 

that domestic violence would also 

increase during lockdown periods. 

NSW police did not see an increase 

in domestic violence reports in April, 

compared to the previous year, 

and Queensland crime data shows 

breaches of domestic violence orders 

have remained stable since the start 

of the pandemic. The NSW Bureau 

of Crime Statistics and Research, 

however, said police could not 

rule out an increase in unreported 

domestic violence. 

In contrast to this, police data for the 

Northern Territory showed a 25% 

spike in domestic violence-related 

assaults in parts of central Australia 

during the first months of the 

COVID-19 lockdown. 

A study by the Australian Institute of 

Criminology (AIC) surveyed 15,000 

Australian women to gauge the 

prevalence of domestic violence 

during the lockdown period from 

February to May. It found 4.6% 

of women experienced physical 

or sexual violence from a partner 

and 11.6% reported experiencing 

emotionally abusive, harassing or 

controlling behaviour. 

The report noted more research was 

needed to understand the problem. 

“Given the majority of women 

experiencing violence and abuse within 

their relationships do not engage 

with police or government or nongovernment 

agencies — particularly 

while they remain in a relationship with 

their abuser — this is a significant gap 

in knowledge.” 

Crime also down overseas, but 

homicides on the rise 

Other countries reported similar 

decreases in crime. In England and 

Wales, crime dropped consistently by 

an average of 24% per month over 

a three-month period from April to 

June compared to the same period 

for 2019. 

These figures, however, did not 

include fraud offences, which 

increased during the pandemic. In 

March, reported frauds in the UK 

Deco 

Sand 

Ballast 

Road Base 

Rocks 

Jenkins Quarries 

Sand, Soil & Gravel Supplies 

 

 

 

31 


increased by 400%. 

Scotland also saw an 18% decrease 

in overall crime in April compared to 

the same month in 2019. One of the 

few exceptions to this was a 38% rise 

in fraud. 

In the US, however, the findings have 

been mixed. One study that looked at 

crime in 16 large cities from January 

to May (when lockdowns were 

coming into force) found reductions 

in residential burglaries and car 

thefts in some cities, but little to no 

change to non-residential burglaries 

and serious assaults (including 

homicides). 

Another study looking at the effect 

of social distancing on crime in two 

cities, Los Angeles and Indianapolis, 

found it 

“had a statistically significant impact 

on a few specific crime types. However, 

the overall effect is notably less than 

might be expected given the scale of the 

disruption to social and economic life.” 

Finally, a major study by the 

University of Pennsylvania found 

overall crime across 25 cities in the 

US declined by 23% in the first month 

of the pandemic, compared to the 

average over five years of data for the 

same time period. 

Notably, the study found crime 

declined even before stay-at-home 

orders were issued as people 

changed their normal routines and 

spent more time at home. Drug 

crimes saw the biggest decline of 

any crime category, while home 

burglaries, assaults and robberies 

were also down across the 25 cities. 

However, the study found little 

change to homicide rates or 

shootings in the first month after 

stay-at-home orders. One possible 

reason for this, the authors note, is 

people committing these types of 

crime are unlikely to be concerned 

with stay-at-home orders. 

In a separate analysis of crime data 

conducted by The New York Times, 

murders were up 21.8% in the 36 US 

cities it studied through at least May, 

compared to data for the same time 

period last year. 

Other academics have said it is 

difficult to draw conclusions on 

homicide rates during the pandemic 

due to a lack of long-term data. 

Further study of the impact of 

COVID-19 on crime will be required. 

In the UK, Leeds University has just 

been awarded funding to conduct 

such a study over the next 18 

months. 

Future challenges 

Not only will law enforcement 

be required to adapt to the 

effect of COVID-19 responses on 

criminal behaviour, the role of law 

enforcement is also being expanded 

to take on non-traditional roles in the 

pandemic. 

And the full economic impact of the 

pandemic has yet to be seen. Many 

economies have been insulated 

to some degree by government 

assistance programs, but the 

extent to which a severe economic 

downturn could affect crime rates is 

still not known. 

This article was first published on The Conversation 

Wardell Chambers is a leading barristers’ chambers in Sydney, 

with outstanding senior and junior counsel providing expert 

advocacy and sound advice in most areas of the law. 

www.wardellchambers.com.au 

02 9231 3133 clerk@wardellchambers.com.au 

Level 10, 111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000 


The Good, The Bad & The Ugly 

DON’T WAIT TIL A DISASTER TO 

PARAMEDIC 

PLAN AHEAD 

Tammie Bullard is a paramedic and sessional lecturer based 

in Western Australia. Author of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly 

Paramedic - A pain free approach to best patient care and 

professionalism. 

COMPASSION : FIGHTING 

FATIGUE BY SEEKING 

SATISFACTION 

Two of the most widely accepted 

consequences in healthcare are 

compassion fatigue and burnout, 

with causes just as diverse as their 

negative effects. 

Definitions of each may be complicated 

and conflicting, best left to qualified 

psychology professionals, but from a 

care provider’s point of view, narrowing 

down the basics can lead to some 

obvious and positive conclusions. 

There are well-known consequences to 

compassion fatigue and burnout, such 

as high turnover, a decline in mental 

health and negative attitudes towards 

patients. In addition, the risk of poor 

communication and misjudgement 

leading to clinical errors, safety 

issues and professional compromise 

increases. 

Maslach’s theory explains the 

progression through a series of 

steps, beginning with the emotional 

burnout that erodes our resources. 

In an attempt to alleviate this, we 

may distance ourselves from patients 

and colleagues by depersonalising 

thoughts and interactions. In doing 

so, we reduce feelings of personal 

accomplishment, sense of achievement 

and ultimately, self-esteem. Before we 

know it, physical, emotional and mental 

exhaustion can set in. 

Compassion fatigue, arising from 

repetition and increasing contact with 

patients, compounds to replace any 

ability to nurture with cynicism and 

apathy. Negative emotional, cognitive, 

physical and social consequences will 

also lead us to experience exhaustion, 

anger, frustration, depression, sadness 

and feelings of inadequacy. By the 

time we add professional implications, 

reduced empathy, increased 

judgmental response and less overall 

joy in life, it becomes clear to see that 

a negative spiral can occur, gradually 

or suddenly, with every aspect further 

impacting on each other. In today’s 

climate of emergency prehospital care 

pressures, these are understandable 

negative reactions to excessive 

demands. 

So why would we want to do this to 

ourselves? 

Paramedics are drawn to the role 

for various reasons. For some, it may 

be a desire for excitement, personal 

challenge or adventure. That desire 

33 


may be infrequently fulfilled when the 

reality of repetition kicks in. 

Others are highly perceptive to the 

needs of others and gain satisfaction 

through helping people and feeling 

needed or appreciated. An ongoing 

lack of appreciation or inability to make 

a positive difference may fail to satisfy 

at all. 

With common natural traits such 

as flexibility, resilience, strongmindedness, 

motivation, detail 

orientation, decision making skills, 

action focus and high stress tolerance, 

paramedics are ideally suited to the 

role. We also get to develop personal 

and professional attributes through 

emotionally demanding work and 

stressful situations that strengthen us 

over time, but our downfall may also 

stem from these characteristics. The 

ability to keep pain, hurt, frustration, 

pressure and stress to ourselves is 

just as common and, culturally, a lack 

of discussion around feelings or open 

reflection of life and work challenges 

looms large. 

Add to this an accumulation of high 

workload, mundane tasks, infrequent 

use of hard-earned skills and 

education, long travel and ramping 

times in confined spaces and the close 

proximity of the same colleague over 

weeks, months or years. Patient and 

bystander behaviours such as hostility, 

aggression, frequent callers, regular 

attendance to challenging mental 

health and social crises. Unavoidable 

overtime, varied or lack of meal breaks, 

key performance indicator pressures, 

organisational frustration, disturbed 

sleep cycles, work/life imbalance and 

limited family contact over several days. 

Not to mention repeat exposure to 

trauma, neglect and poverty, feelings 

that the world is not a good place, and 

shame or guilt at not being able to 

make things better. 

So how can we avoid what may seem 

like a slippery slope downwards? 

A major key may lie in compassion 

satisfaction. Rarely discussed, less 

widely revered but just as valid as its 

counterparts exists a more positive 

feature of long-term patient contact. 

It encourages strengthened selfesteem 

from feeling useful, increased 

growth in developing as a person 

through connecting with others and a 

notion of bettering society by making 

a difference. A sense of achievement, 

success and value can be attained 

by creating stronger patient rapport 

and more rewarding interactions. 

Precepting, mentoring, training and 

leadership may feel more worthwhile 

when shaping a culture that seeks out 

compassion satisfaction into the future. 

The benefits derived from helping 

others and directly contributing in 

this way are not only useful in the 

moment, they are cited as a valid way 

of combating compassion fatigue and 

burnout. 

Rather than trying to avoid what may 

feel like inevitable adverse effects of 

paramedicine, there are steps that we 

can take to focus more on seeking out 

compassion satisfaction instead. 

Steps In The Search For Compassion 

Satisfaction 

• Download and complete the 

Professional Quality Of Life tool 

and use this as a benchmark 

moving forward 

• Schedule some time for 

compassion satisfaction reflective 

practice in upcoming CPD hours 

• Start the conversation with a 

trusted circle of peers to focus on 

it together and form a support 

system 

• Find out which positive and 

proactive resources exist in the 

workplace and consider offering 

constructive suggestions if options 

seem limited 

• Build education and training 

goals that help to create feelings 

of success and satisfaction more 

often than focusing on areas rarely 

used 

• Create a satisfaction journal in an 

app or diary then add “feel good” 

moments every time they occur, 

no matter how small 

• Ask loved ones to look out for 

signs of impending burnout 

or fatigue and explain that 

satisfaction is the new goal 

• Engage psychological support in 

proactive behaviours rather than 

having to implement this as a 

reactive measure later on 

As paramedics, we pride ourselves 

on enhancing skills and knowledge, 

particularly in less common injuries 

and ailments so that we feel successful 

and satisfied. The only way to increase 

how often we experience that feeling is 

to seek it out. Priding ourselves on the 

benefit we can bring and how much 

difference we can make will only serve 

to enhance satisfaction overall. 

Whichever approach we choose, the 

balance will always tip one way or 

the other. High levels of compassion 

fatigue and burnout will make high 

levels of satisfaction impossible. In 

the same way, growing compassion 

satisfaction will soothe away some 

burnout and make work a better place 

to be. 

If the personality traits of paramedics 

trend towards enthusiastic, problemsolving, 

solution-seeking, resilient 

people with a desire to help others, 

let’s put them to good use. Rather 

than settling for and suffering the cost 

of caring for others in emotional and 

physical distress, we can use those 

motivating characteristics to actively 

seek out compassion satisfaction. 

To see more about “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Paramedic”, head to 

www.gbuparamedic.com or follow GBU Paramedic on social media 

@gbuparamedic 

@gbuparamedic 

@gbuparamedic 

Tammie Bullard 


BIRTHDAYS, HOLIDAYS, CHRISTMAS 

WITHOUT MUM OR DAD: 

How to support kids with a parent 

away fighting fires 

Marg Rogers 

Lecturer, Early Childhood Education, 

University of New England

Among the sacrifices made by firefighters, and 

those who support fire-affected communities, 

is precious time spent with family. In 

California, thousands of firefighters and community 

support workers or volunteers have missed 

important moments such as birthdays, school events 

or family gatherings. 

In Australia, where bushfire season includes 

December-January, thousands routinely miss out 

on Christmas, New Year’s Eve and chunks of school 

holidays with family because they’re off fighting fires 

or helping those affected. Some only go home to 

sleep before returning to the fire front. Others are 

deprived of family time for weeks or months. 

My research focuses on how to support children with 

at least one parent who must travel afar for work 

(such as military families). But the same techniques 

may apply in households with a firefighter or other 

fire-affected community support worker in the family. 

How might children respond? 

Children might respond to parents working away for 

long periods: 

• emotionally (teariness, whinging, emotional 

outbursts or withdrawing) 

• socially (clingy behaviour or struggling with 

routines) 

• cognitively (skill regressions, delays in 

development), and 

• physically (nightmares, issues with toileting, or 

sleep and feeding regressions). 

Children are never too young to realise a parent is 

missing. 

Parents can prepare 

I conducted research with 19 children aged between 

2 and 5 who had a parent who worked away at times. 

I also talked to one of their parents and educators 

about the children’s and family’s responses, strengths 

and coping strategies. 

Many parents find it useful to explain why they work 

away, where they are going, and what they will do 

using age-appropriate language. 

Some found it helpful to mark where they were 

going on a globe or map, repeating the story each 

day for a few weeks before leaving. Where possible, 

homemade sticker calendars marked off the days 

until the parent returned. 

Pictures can help explain the roles of emergency 

services, defence personnel, front line workers and 

volunteers. Discuss how these workers use their skills 

to save people, forests, animals, farms and buildings. 

Partner with children’s educators to find resources to 

help children understand. 

Talk about other jobs where parents work away, and 

explore some of the children’s resources available,

including those designed for children 

with a disability or language delay. 

Share these, and bushfire resources, 

with educators. Children’s educators 

can be a great support when parents 

work away. 

Develop and practice a narrative 

simple enough for the child to repeat. 

For example, “Mum is away fighting 

fires. She will be home after New 

Year.” This can improve children’s 

confidence. 

Children should be able to talk 

about their fears 

Some children fear their parent will be 

killed or injured when they work away. 

Parents can and should encourage 

children to talk openly about their 

fears. 

Showing children pictures of safety 

precautions and equipment they 

use might reduce fears. Consider 

restricting unsupervised use of 

media to reduce exposure to the 

news. Telling their educators about 

children’s fears can be useful. 

Parents found pets could be a 

comfort and a conversation topic. 

Some bought a new pet before they 

went away, asking for updates and 

photos (of course, pet ownership is a 

long term commitment and is not a 

decision that should be made lightly). 

Other parents allowed pets to 

comfort children at night by letting 

the pet inside when they were away. 

I’m here, you’re there, but we’re 

still in touch 

Setting up a joint project before 

the parent goes away can increase 

children’s confidence and agency. 

Examples include a vegetable garden, 

flowerpots, worm or mushroom 

farms, craft projects, dolls house or 

adventure kingdom using recycled 

materials. Children can continue the 

project and send updates and photos. 

When children missed their parent, 

the “at home” parents asked the 

child to draw what they were looking 

forward to doing with the “away” 

parent when they returned. These 

were photographed and sent to the 

parent via messages, emails or post. 

Parents set up a basket for these 

drawings. The “away” parent could 

then work through the activities on 

their return. 

Providing art and craft materials for 

children helped them to express 

feelings. Some young children made 

faces out of modelling clay to show 

how they felt when their parent 

worked away. 

Self-soothing tools 

Other parents of young children used 

mascots, such as two teddy bears: 

one for the child and one for the 

away parent. The child could hug the 

bear when they wanted to cuddle 

the parent, and was told the parent 

would feel the hug (and vice versa). 

The parent took photos of the bear in 

different locations, as did the child did 

during outings. 

Children found comfort in video 

and audio recordings of the parent 

reading bedtime stories, including 

short stories they enjoyed as a child. A 

small photo album featuring the child 

and the parent next to the child’s 

bed also helped. Some parents also 

allowed children to sit on the “away” 

parent’s loungechair when they were 

absent. 

Overall, parents found children 

responded to situations differently, 

but finding strategies that boosted 

understanding and maintained 

connection with the absent parent 

built resilience. 

This article has been republished with permission from 

the author 

Speech pathology in a multi-disciplinary clinic, for 

individuals across the age spectrum, including 

children, adolescents, adults and the elderly 

www.talkinginsteps.com.au 

02 9757 1388 reception@talkinginsteps.com.au 

PEDIATRIC 

SPEECH THERAPY 

AUTISM CLINIC 

ADULTS 

ASSESSMENTS 

EDUCATION 

SEMINARS 

Suite 3, 12-16 Daniel Street, Wetherill Park NSW 2164 

37 


A SAFER SUMMER AHEAD AS SURF 

LIFE SAVERS BUILD CAPABILITY, 

CAPACITY AND RESILIENCE 

THROUGH EXPERT TRAINING 

The UAV (drone) pilot training program developed by Surf LIfe 

Saving NSW is creating jobs and ensuring our beaches are kept safe

The Minister for Skills and Tertiary 

Education, the Hon. Dr. Geoff 

Lee MP, met with surf lifesavers 

in Kiama in eartly November to discuss 

the new UAV (drone) pilot training 

program that is creating jobs and 

ensuring our beaches are kept safe. 

Launching the SkillsIQ NSW ITAB Sport 

and Recreation Industry Advisory 

Committee Forum in Kiama, Minister 

Lee said that with the start of summer 

fast approaching, beach safety was of 

paramount importance. 

“The safety of our beaches is on the 

mind of all of us particularly near the 

start of every summer,” Minister Lee 

said. 

“I’d like to acknowledge Surf Life 

Saving New South Wales (SLSNSW) 

and specifically their specialised 

aviation unit, the Australian UAV 

Service (AUAVS), for the state of the 

art Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) 

program they currently operate across 

NSW. 

“The UAV pilots we witnessed in action 

today use innovative drone technology 

– meaning more eyes in the sky across 

NSW beaches,” Minister Lee said. 

Surf Life Saving NSW UAV (drone) 

pilots were on hand to demonstrate 

the latest UAV technology and to 

discuss the new, free UAV pilot training 

program that SLSNSW has developed, 

in house, that is upskilling surf 

lifesavers to become volunteer or paid 

UAV pilots. 

The innovative UAV pilot training 

program developed by SLSNSW has 

now trained over 350 UAV pilots who 

are currently operating drones along 

the NSW coastline. Drones have a 

range of applications across Surf Life 

Saving including Search and Rescue 

(SAR) operations, marine creature 

management, beach attendance and 

in identifying beach hazards - such as 

rips. 

NSW Minister for Emergency Services, 

the Hon. David Elliott, said that the 

NSW Government was committed 

to providing the best resources and 

training programs to help keep our 

coastline safe. 

“The NSW Government is providing 

record funding of $16 million to 

SLSNSW over four years to further 

support our surf lifesavers with new jet 

skis and all-terrain vehicles, community 

education programs and innovative 

technology,” Minister Elliott said. 

Applicants who wish to fly a drone for 

SLSNSW are invited to do a free twoday 

course. Content covered in this 

course includes a full day of practical 

flight training with an instructor and 

operationally specific training which 

includes identification of marine life 

and other hazards such as rip currents. 

The Australian UAV Service (AUAVS) 

is now seeking applications for casual 

employment across the summer, and 

spring holiday periods across NSW 

from people living in areas right along 

the NSW coastline. 

The Australian Lifeguard Service (ALS) 

and Australian Lifesaving Academy 

(ALA) also provide a variety of training 

programs and community education 

workshops. The ALS provides 

professional lifeguard services at over 

90 individual locations and for 15 local 

government authorities (local councils). 

During the peak of the summer season 

the ALS employs in excess of 330 

lifeguards across NSW. 

Through Surf Life Saving NSW’s 

Registered Training Organisation 

(RTO) status, the ALA offers nationally 

accredited qualifications and training 

ensuring ALS lifeguards are equipped 

with industry-leading and peak body 

knowledge and support. All ALS 

Lifeguards complete a Certificate II & III 

in Public Safety (Aquatic Rescue). This 

program was recently enhanced with a 

variety of flexible learning options and 

increased delivery online. 

Earlier this year, as COVID-19 

social distance restrictions were 

implemented, the Australian Lifesaving 

Academy (ALA) launched an innovative, 

virtual CPR training program designed 

for people who wanted to learn CPR at 

home during lockdown. 

The new ‘Living Room Lifesavers’ 

training program utilises a combination 

of online learning platform technology 

and live video conferencing sessions, 

with a qualified trainer, to train 

people in correct CPR technique. This 

includes the modified ‘no breaths’ 

CPR technique used to reduce the 

likelihood of COVID-19 transmission. 

Once the virtual ‘Living Room 

Lifesavers’ program has been 

completed, course participants are 

invited to attend an optional face-toface 

session if they wish to receive 

formal Provide Cardiopulmonary 

Resuscitation HLTAID001 accreditation. 

The three innovative training programs 

are good examples of the way Surf Life 

Saving NSW is improving capability, 

capacity and resilience in the NSW 

community by offering a range of free 

and paid training programs. 

More information regarding SLSNSW 

training programs is available here: 

AUAVS UAV Pilot training program 

ALS Lifeguard training program 

ALA ‘Living Room Lifesavers” virtual CPR 

program 

39 



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. 

MT BARKER SES & ELEANOR BEIDATSCH 

Nestled at the southern end of Western Australia, at the 

gateway to the South Coast and a 3-hour drive away 

from the Margaret River wine country, lies Mount Barker. 

With a population of just over 1,900 people, it’s not a big 

town by city standards, but it’s a town with a big heart. 

The Mount Barker SES unit knows this more than anyone, 

and with a close knit, inclusive team and award-winning 

volunteers, they’re not just talking the talk, they’re walking a 

big-hearted walk. 

Mount Barker SES came under our radar for an ‘In the 

Spotlight’ piece when we were contacted about their Deputy 

Training Manager, Community Engagement and Admin 

Officer, Eleanor Beidatsch. Eleanor works within the unit 

across many different avenues to ensure the community 

know who their local SES unit is and what help they can 

offer. 

Eleanor also has a genetic condition called Spinal Muscular 

Atrophy (SMA) Type 1, a condition that affects the motorneurons 

that leads to extreme muscle weakness. This 

means that Eleanor uses a power mobility wheelchair and 

some super cool technology (as well as, in her own words, 

“obsessive planning”) to move around and do her job at the 

unit. 

SMA Type 1 is often fatal, and when she was diagnosed 

as an infant, doctors told her mother that she wouldn’t 

live past two years old. However, as Eleanor puts it, 

“with determination, excellent parenting and medical 

management, I made it through” which is a blessing for 

anyone that has had the good fortune to have met her. 

We were lucky enough to speak with Eleanor about what 

she does and why she does it for the Mount Barker SES. 

We very quickly realised that Eleanor’s disability is, in 



fact, one of the least interesting things about her. She’s 

intelligent and obviously passionate about volunteering and 

her work with the SES. Her sister, Kirsten Beidatsch, has 

also been involved with the organisation for 10 years and is 

now the local manager, as well as the 2015 recipient of the 

SES Youth Achievement award (the first of two that the unit 

would be awarded within 5 years, a testament to their hard 

work and dedication). 

Eleanor has also been involved with some great causes 

within the unit, including online training and education, 

the nomination of one of their own, Jeremiah Peters, 

for the 2020 SES Youth Achievement award (which was 

subsequently won) and in raising the public profile of 

the unit with articles in the local phone book and district 

newspapers. She’s also a journalist with a love of science, 

sustainability and the environment “I’d always loved 

science, but what I enjoyed about this subject was learning 

to present relevant, scientific information to the wider 

community in a way that was meaningful and accessible.” 

These achievements are not small, and her dedication and 

commitment to the organisation is felt from the moment 

you speak with her. From the connectivity of the unit, to a 

story of her coordination of spare blankets that the unit 

delivered to a number of charities within the Albany area 

to ensure displaced and homeless people could spend 

cold, winter nights feeling warmer and safer. Eleanor works 

hard at ensuring this community feels safe, included and 

connected to their local SES team. 

It’s been no secret that Covid-19 has made us all appreciate 

many of the small things in life, the ability to be out in the 

local park for longer than 2 hours at a time, for instance. 

But it’s also been a huge adjustment for businesses and 

community services. From February, Australia went into a 

collective lockdown and many of us were suddenly forced 

to work or learn from home, often with many others in our 

households doing the same. It has been a mentally and 

emotionally trying year. 

The Mount Barker SES unit was no different, and when 

Western Australia went into lockdown, Eleanor had only 

been with the team for a matter of months. This added 

an additional layer of pressure to ensuring that she was 

continuing to keep everyone within the team and the 

community at large connected with each other, no small 

feat in the middle of a global pandemic. 

While many of us quickly came to realise that we had no 

control over when this lockdown would end, Eleanor didn’t 

flounder but instead got straight down to business with 

organising the continuous ongoing training within the 

team. With an uncertain future in isolation looming, would 

this lockdown last a year?, and if so, how could they stay 

connected and in training? 

“Even within a pandemic, we still have to respond, so they 

need to stay on top of their skills.” 

While collectively, as a community, we obviously realise this 

in theory, it’s not something that we would consider on 

a day to day basis. But that’s what happens when you’re 

involved in emergency services, when everyone else is 

running away from the disaster, these dedicated volunteers 

are running towards it. And, in the case of a disaster in the 

middle of a lockdown, should a natural disaster have struck, 

many people were already in isolation within their own 

homes not knowing if they should leave or not. 

Eleanor with her sister and local manager, Kirsten Beidatsch 

Despite the risks to themselves, our SES volunteers will 

be there for us through these difficult times. Eleanor 

confirmed that SES volunteers need to train often in order 

to keep up with their community demands and so she 

quickly came up with a way to offer this training online so 

that no one fell behind. 

41 


Eleanor organising the practical forensics training to identify the difference in animal and human bone fragments 

Prior to the interview being conducted, we assumed it 

was standard CPD online training courses, but we quickly 

learned that not only had she organised continued 

practical training for the unit through Microsoft Teams, 

which is amazing in itself, but she had also organised 

additional practical forensics training to identify the 

difference in animal and human bone fragments that was 

held in conjunction with the local police. 

Throughout her life, because of her disability, Eleanor 

would have come up against the inability to participate 

purely because of accessibility of her wheelchair. Taking 

this in her stride and knowing that she could help, her own 

experiences contributed to the successful organisation and 

delivery of these online training programs. 

While Eleanor acknowledges that the unit itself isn’t 

currently suitable for a lot of her needs with her wheelchair, 

she also let us know that this is currently being changed for 

the better. From this, we took away how much better our 

communities are and how much more enriched our lives 

are when we experience inclusivity. 

Eleanor herself loves that about her team “we’re a closeknit 

group and we have a good dynamic. I’ve never been 

made to feel like an outsider or not a member of the team, 

which is good because a lot of people don’t know how to 

include people with disabilities so having an inclusive team 

makes it easier to do my duties.” 

This is Mount Barker’s crowning achievement, their tight 

knit community spirit and care for each other and those 

around them. As well as their understanding that their 

team just wouldn’t be the same without Eleanor among 

them contributing, as she does, with her dedication and 

love of volunteering. It’s clear that Eleanor takes her 

position and her community very seriously. We were 

privileged, as we always are when we explore ordinary 

people doing extraordinary things within the emergency 

services, to speak with her and tell her story. 

Words: 

Brooke Turnbull 

Individual Support Group Activities Respite Care 

Supported Independent Living Transport 

www.integratedsupport.org.au 

42 Bourbong St, Bundaberg Central 4670 0743037969 


TRAVEL 

EMERGENCY 

Breaks 

While travel has definitively changed for the foreseeable future, 

with borders shut and a pandemic causing chaos across the globe, 

what hasn’t changed is the inherent need of all of us to look at 

beautiful pictures while planning a future, future holiday. This is 

that holiday. You’re welcome. 

Words: Brooke Turnbull

Location: 

Broome is located at the top of 

Western Australia and is one of the 

most iconic West Australian coast 

holiday destinations. Considered 

the gateway to the Kimberley region, 

far away from the bustle of Perth, 

its white sandy beaches, pristine 

aqua-blue coastline and warm and 

friendly locals invite you to come for 

a holiday and plan for your potential 

retirement while you’re there. 

Broome has its own International and 

domestic airports that you can fly into 

from all major capital cities. Given the 

potential for adventure within the 

region, we would highly recommend 

you hire a car if you have flown into 

Broome. If you’re fortunate enough 

to have the time to drive there (or live 

close enough to) even better! 

Places to Stay: 

Given where Broome is situated, as 

well as it’s Instagram-friendly coast, 

it obviously has its fair share of 

excellent, unique and beautiful places 

to stay. 

In our usual fashion we’ll be 

recommending some different 

options so you can get the full feel of 

price point and location of where you 

want to stay, while you’re in your pjs, 

sipping wine and dreaming of your 

post-Covid vacation (wait, is that just 

us?). 

We would be remiss if we didn’t start 

with some drool worthy inspiration 

in the form of the Eco Beach Resort. 

Set off the coast, its infinity pool 

overlooks the blue waters of the 

Indian Ocean. 

The Eco Beach Resort offers selfcontained 

style villas (from $345 

per night in low season), amazing 

luxury glamping tents (from $240 

per night in low season) and the 

stunningly situated beach house for 

larger groups ($1,200 per night in low 

season) that are linked by an elevated 

wooden boardwalk that stretches for 

1km of the coast. 

The Eco Resort offers a wide range 

of exciting and unique experiences 

from whale watching tours to land 

Pearl luggers off Cable Beach near Broome at sunset 

based fishing charters, as well as 

complimentary daily yoga. 

The resort also has a Day Spa 

that offers a variety of different 

treatments for you to relax and enjoy, 

and Jacks Bar and Restaurant is open 

until 10pm daily for delicious food 

and sensational cocktails. 

However, if you’re looking for 

something a bit more traditional, as 

well as easy for the family, a selfcontained 

apartment is always a great 

option. You can come and go as you 

please, plus you’ve got the freedom 

of your own kitchen which can bring 

down the holiday cost a bit, all that 

learning to bake during lockdown can 

be put to good use. 

Sunset camel safari along Cable Beach in Broome, Western Australia 


Seashells Broome is located right on Cable Beach and 

is the perfect retreat away for this sort of option. With 

rooms starting at $240 per night for a 1 bedroom, it’s 

easy on the pocket but doesn’t skimp on the appeal. 

This 4.5-star property has a delicious tropical feel with its 

stunning gardens and access to the beach. It also offers 

free Wi-Fi, free in-house movies, Foxtel and a weekly 

housekeeping service. It’s conveniently located only 5 

minutes from Broome Airport, so if you’re looking for 

a place that you can get to easily without a car and not 

have to leave (except for some lazy wanderings on the 

beach or a pre-booked adventure with their reception 

team) Seashells Broome is the perfect place for you. 

Things to do: 

Broome is one of those destinations that lets you 

choose your own way of holidaying. They’re our favourite 

holidays to imagine ourselves going on, here at Aus 

Emergency Services. 

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm Paddocks 

While we might be physically working from home, 

mentally we’re taking a beach camel ride or soaking up 

the beauty of the phenomenon of the Staircase to the 

Moon. We’re also adding all these ideas to our holiday 

Pinterest boards while the boss isn’t around. 

The best part about Broome as a holiday destination is 

the fact that whether it be floating on a giant Unicorn 

blow-up in a bay of crystal blue water, or heading for a 

rock climbing, can’t stop won’t stop style of adventure 

holiday, Broome has got the options you’re looking 

for. With so many things to do, it’s nearly impossible to 

choose the best, but we’re certainly going to try. And if 

you’re hungry for more, check out the Broome Visitor’s 

Centre website for a positive feast of ideas for you to 

gorge on. 

We’ve already touched on the Staircase to the Moon 

phenomenon that occurs when the rising full moon 

reflects off the exposed mudflats in Roebuck Bay at 

extremely low tide. 

The phenomenon occurs from March to November and 

if you’re dreaming of a Broome getaway is a sight not to 

be missed, plus it costs nothing which is always a bonus! 

Staircase to the moon, Roebuck Bay 

Rare and Beautiful, Gemstones 

and Crystals, Exhibition and Sales 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

45 


Broome is, at its core, a pearling town and is well known 

for its flawless Mother-of-Pearls that are found off 

its coast (the locals even say the town is founded on 

buttons!) If pearls are your thing, then there are options 

for you! 

One of the best is the guided Cygnet Bay Pearl Tour, 

operated by the pearl farm itself, it allows visitors to 

uniquely explore and experience a working pearl farm. 

The tour also explores the indigenous culture of the 

area and the significance of the pearl shell to the Bardi 

Jawi people. With prices ranging from $15-$35 for the 

tour, this one is fun, informative and cost effective. If you 

prefer to outright buy your pearls, Cygnet Bay’s glittering 

jewellery shop that showcases the natural beauty of 

their pearls is the place to do it. 

From crocodile parks to fishing charters to a scenic 

plane ride that takes you over the red plains and 

blue water for a bird’s eye view, Broome’s got the lot. 

However, we can’t leave this article without exploring 

one of the most popular and iconic Broome attractions: 

the sunset camel ride. 

The Eco Beach Resort - Cabins 

Your camel is docile and never spits, your spirits are 

high and the sun is low, your guide is friendly and you’ve 

been waiting for this for a long time (you can’t quite 

remember a time before you started reading this article 

but you definitely know there was one). 

The Broome sunset camel ride is the sort of experience 

you can’t miss out on when you visit this superb 

destination and Broome Camel Safaris are the top 

option when it comes to these tours. With prices starting 

from $110 per adult and with over 30 years’ experience 

guiding travellers on camels, you can take in the glory of 

Cable Beach in a uniquely perfect way. 

When these borders finally open and we’ve stopped 

doing YouTube workouts while also drinking wine, we 

know where we’re headed to next. Perhaps we’ll see you 

there! 

Seashells Broome Self-contained apartments 

 

_ 

 

 

 


Get 

storm 

ready. 

Storms can strike at any time, that’s why it’s important 

to always be prepared. 

Prepare your home 

Stay safe while driving 

Trim trees and branches close to your house 

Secure loose items in your backyard 

Clear gutters, downpipes and drains 

Get your roof checked for damage or corrosion 

Make sure all shades, sails and awnings are 

properly fitted 

Get your insurance up-to-date 

Always follow flood warning signs 

Never drive through flood water 

Shelter vehicles under cover, not under trees 

Avoid driving when a storm is coming 

Get your insurance up-to-date 

Helpful hints: 

You can ask the council or energy 

company to check trees on your street 

that may pose a threat to your property or 

powerlines. 

Even if you’ve cleared your gutters 

recently, they can soon fill up with leaves 

and other debris, especially after a 

downpour. On average you should check 

they’re clear every couple of weeks. 

If you don’t already know your neighbours, 

go and introduce yourself. They might 

need a hand getting storm ready. Plus, 

when bad weather strikes it’s important to 

be able to tell the SES who lives nearby. 

Make sure everyone in your household 

knows what to do in severe weather. 

For tips on developing a house 

emergency plan use the SES guide at 

www.stormwise.com.au 

If you do need help during a severe storm, call the Queensland State Emergency Service on 132 500 

Principal Partner 

G018213 11/16

Looking after our mental health is as 

important as looking after our physical 

health. It’s ok to ask for help if you are 

not feeling yourself. 

There are some things you can do to feel 

better, like staying connected, being active, 

talking with family, friends and neighbours 

and making a new daily routine. 

Information Advice Professional Support 

Visit headtohealth.gov.au 

If you don’t speak English you can call the 

Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450.

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

AESM Vol 21. Issue 5, 2020

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