This week 10 years ago, Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon announced the lifting of gender restrictions so women would be able to work in any position in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), including combat roles.
Mr Smith said the roles to be opened to women in the future would include positions as Navy Clearance Divers and Mine Clearance Diver Officers; Air Force Airfield Defence Guards and Ground Defence Officers; and Army Infantry and Armoured Corps and some Army Artillery roles.
Mr Snowdon said women had a long and proud history of serving in the ADF. “This decision is a positive step, enhancing equality among the men and women who proudly wear the uniform,” Mr Snowdon said.
2. Chief Executive of the national workers comp agency Comcare, Paul O’Connor released statistics showing people injured or harmed due to work recovered their health faster if they returned to “good” work earlier.
He said long-term absence from work could have a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of an injured worker.
“The more time spent off work, the slower the recovery,” Mr O’Connor said. “We need to help workers … get back at work as soon as possible. It doesn’t have to be full-time to start. A few hours of good work will make a real difference to recovery.” Mr O’Connor defined “good” work as that which was fulfilling, meaningful, and matched to what the injured person could do.
3. The Victorian Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Peter Ryan introduced new laws into Parliament clarifying the roles of Government and emergency service Agencies when responding to natural disasters.
He said the Victorian Government was implementing all 67 Bushfires Royal Commission recommendations and these changes would directly fulfill Recommendations 11 and 51.
“This legislation will help steer Victoria’s emergency management towards an ‘all hazards, all Agencies’ approach, so that, for example, CFA and VICSES volunteers will be able to operate under either Agency’s structure,” Mr Ryan said.
4. WA Minister for Transport, Troy Buswell opened a new $7.4 million Central Monitoring Room (CMR) for the Public Transport Authority’s network of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance cameras.
Mr Buswell said the CMR upgraded and consolidated as a network-wide system Perth’s existing CCTV facilities, which were already recognised internationally for the safety they provided travellers.
“Perth public transport users can feel even safer, knowing that this CCTV facility allows security staff to see exactly what is going on at every train station and the seven major bus interchanges at any time, day or night,” Mr Buswell said.
5. Also a decade ago, the WA Parliament passed a new Bill to give Aboriginal people a greater role in managing and using conservation reserves and carrying out traditional activities “on Country”.
Minister for the Environment, Bill Marmion said the Conservation Legislation Amendment Act 2011 recognised the intrinsic connection between Aboriginal people and country and would help promote conservation partnerships between Aboriginal people and the State Government.
“It will allow the State to deliver on commitments under native title agreements,” Mr Marmion said, “[and] provide increased opportunities for Aboriginal people to be actively involved in, and contribute their knowledge to, the management of land and waters.”
6. The CSIRO’s Remote-i research project won the national e-Health iAward this week 10 years ago as well as the Victorian Government Inspiration Award for providing a low-cost, high-quality eye screening system to remote and regional Western Australia.
WA Minister for Regional Development, Brendon Grylls said Remote-I had received funding from Royalties for Regions to deliver the program in the Pilbara with the aim of saving the eyesight of remote residents through screening and early diagnosis.
“Limited access to eye specialists across regional areas of the State can make early diagnoses and treatment of eye disease difficult,” Mr Grylls said. “Being able to manage eye disease using cutting-edge technology over the web is a great innovation.”
