Media Releases

A new five-year strategic plan and website for Loddon Healthy Minds Network has been launched today by Northern MLC Damian Drum.
Speaking at the launch in Bridgewater on behalf of Minister for Mental Health Mary Wooldridge, Mr Drum said the Loddon Healthy Minds Network has played a significant role in promoting good mental health and wellbeing in the Loddon Shire since its establishment in 2007.
“Healthy Minds plays an important role in building awareness about mental health issues and educating consumers, carers and community groups about mental health services available in the Loddon Shire,” Mr Drum said.
“The development of a five-year strategic plan by the Loddon Healthy Minds Network is a significant achievement and will play a crucial role in guiding the direction of the Network over the next five years. It identifies the key goals and priorities to address and improve mental health and wellbeing in the Loddon Shire.”
Mr Drum said goals of the Network include building awareness in the Loddon community about mental health issues and advocating for the best possible outcomes for Loddon residents in relation to mental health.
“The strategic plan outlines the actions to be undertaken by the Network to achieve the goals and priorities by 2016,” Mr Drum said.
“Development of the Loddon Healthy Minds Network website is also a significant achievement.
“The website is an information portal for consumers, carers and community members wanting to access information about mental health issues.
“It contains a comprehensive database of mental health service providers available in the Loddon Shire and provides links to mental health peak bodies such as beyondblue.
“This website is an excellent mental health and wellbeing resource for consumers, carers, community members and service providers in the Loddon Shire.”
Mr Drum said completion of the strategic plan and website builds on other key achievements of the network, which include hosting mental health week activities such as the annual ‘Sunshine Breakfast’ and the development of Healthy Minds Community Forum in 2009.
“The work of the Loddon Healthy Minds Network in the Loddon Shire is especially important after the impact of the 2011 floods in the Shire,” Mr Drum said.
“Promoting good mental health and wellbeing in our flood-affected communities has been essential in improving community spirit and building community resilience in the Shire.”

Letter to the Editor, March 6, 2012.
Dear Editor,
Like many others, I am sick of the constant strident negativism coming from Labor Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards and the rest of her Party about Bendigo health issues.
There’s no health matter she won’t try to pervert into an opportunistic media hit, or a whining letter to the editor, constantly warping history and inventing weird conspiracies.
On the matter of the future of pathology services, Ms Edwards and Labor show they have no regard for the thousands of extra elective surgery procedures or the amount of other extra services the hospital will be able to offer because of the savings over the next 10 years.
I have been told these savings will be in the tens of millions of dollars over the life of the contract. What’s more, Ms Edwards has been told that as well. She was given a full briefing by the hospital on the day the decision was announced and she was shown the figures and the savings.
What she is advocating now – that despite the freeing up of many, many millions to provide life-saving services, the hospital should keep its old system – is nothing more than economic vandalism.
But Ms Edwards always tries to warp our hospital board’s decision into an anti-Coalition conspiracy. The fact is that the review of pathology services began under the previous Labor Government.
She and her leader, the fumbling Daniel Andrews, wanted the Coalition Government to improperly interfere in the hospital board’s processes and tell it what to do. We declined.
This is the same Daniel Andrews who once again has come to Bendigo to show “solidarity” with the nurses union against the hospital and against the courts which keep ordering nurses to drop their industrial action.
And it’s the same Daniel Andrews who, back in August 2007 when he was Health Minister facing similar nurses industrial strife, told the nurses union to abide by the umpire’s decision and drop the action.
He also demanded more flexibility in the nurse-patient ratio.
People are sick of the hypocrisy and double standards of Labor when it comes to Bendigo health.
Their two-faced negativity has been shown on the nurses issue, on pathology and on whether Bendigo people should get the $630 million the Coalition Government is building.
Labor is trashing the Bendigo Health brand, and it will cost our community in terms of attracting the best possible staff, community confidence, money and in health outcomes.
If Labor has nothing positive to contribute to the issue of Bendigo health, it should just back off.
Damian Drum MLC
Member for the Northern Victoria Region

The entire community of Greater Bendigo has taken an important step towards building new respect between men and women and ending the cycle of violence, the State Government’s Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development, Damian Drum, said today.

Mr Drum officially opened a public forum, Achieving Respect and Gender Equality in Greater Bendigo, aimed at finding ways to end gender-based violence.

“Just as violence in our homes has devastating impacts on our entire community, so it is up to us all to develop a community-wide response.

‘One of the most pervasive and devastating forms of violence is the use of violence by men against women. It is a violation of the most fundamental rights of women and children – but it can be tackled only with commitment and direction.”

The forum brings together state and local governments, community groups, individuals and health and well-being agencies.

In 2010-11, police responded to 753 family violence reports in Bendigo, compared to 420 call outs in 2006-07.

“Statewide, there were 40,892 violence incidents reports – up 14.6 per cent in a year,” Mr Drum said.

“That’s why addressing violence against women and children is an important priority for the Coalition Government. We have invested more than $75 million this financial year to both prevent and respond to this issue.

“State Minister for Women’s Affairs, Mary Wooldridge has launched a new push to find better ways to address gender violence over the next three years. That project has already begun.

“And now we are also seeing local government inspiring us with its efforts to end the violence.

“The Coalition Government has invested just over $1.5 million helping local government build respectful, fair and non-violent communities.

“The Bendigo forum is part of that response,” Mr Drum said.

He said the forum, at Bendigo’s Capital Theatre, demonstrated the whole-of-community response to develop ways to deal with the problem.

“I congratulate the City of Greater Bendigo for its leadership in making this a community responsibility and a high priority,” Mr Drum said.

California Gully’s Men’s Shed will soon not only be a creative place for blokes – but also a safer place thanks to a Coalition State Government grant.
Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region, Damian Drum announced today the Bendigo Men’s Shed would get an extra $2000 to help develop its occupational health and safety practices.
The money will be used to help train 10 supervisors in OH&S as well as to develop a Men’s Shed OH&S manual which could be shared with Men’s Sheds in other parts of the state.
Mr Drum said the California Gully Men’s Shed was expecting a significant rise in participation and wanted to have activities such as training sessions on occupational health and safety, first aid, governance, and to host networking events with sheds in other communities.
The grant was part of the State Government’s Capacity Building Fund.
“The OH&S project will have a broad outcome for the Men’s Shed movement,” Mr Drum said.
Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge said the Victorian Men’s Shed Association (VMSA) was playing an increasing role in ensuring new and growing Men’s Sheds can become sustainable.
“Volunteers contribute countless hours to supporting their members, and the Coalition Government is pleased to support their efforts,” Ms Wooldridge said.
VMSA president Paul Sladdin said Men’s Sheds were increasingly being recognised as valuable to older men’s wellbeing, particularly to their social enjoyment, ongoing learning capacity, and ability to contribute to their community.
More than $88,000 from the Capacity Building Fund is being distributed across Victoria in partnership with the VMSA to support activities that build the skills and knowledge of supervisors and volunteers.
The funding will be used to support:
• 40 training sessions ranging from governance to finances to first aid;
• up to 20 community partnership building events, such as men’s health awareness; and
• up to 50 shed groups participate in activities funded through the program.
There are about 160 Men’s Sheds in Victoria. The Coalition Government has committed a further $4 million in the 2011-12 Budget to continue to strengthen Men’s Sheds for the next four years.

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region, Damian Drum, said today he was seeking some clarity from Bendigo Health on the future of the Bendigo hospital’s pathology unit.
“There are some conflicting, and potentially confusing signals in the issue this afternoon.
“While the instant media headlines claimed Bendigo Health had decided to privatise its pathology services, the hospital’s own media release says no such decision has been made.
“In the release, hospital CEO John Mulder says: the move to seek expressions of interest for the provision of pathology services … should not be viewed as a decision to outsource the service to an external provider.”
“The hospital itself is saying the calling for expressions of interest is actually part of the review of the pathology unit.”
Mr Drum said he, like Health Minister David Davis, was yet to be convinced that outsourcing was a good move.
“It’s not just about cutting costs. Decision need to be made which protect and preserve Bendigo’s pathology unit achievements, its teaching capacity and its research capacity.
“I’m not sure that it was advisable for the hospital to mix up the on-going pathology services review with a decision to close the hospital’s laundry service.
“As we can already see from the snap headlines, people are really unclear what is going on.
“The Government will be seeking some clarity as a matter of high priority.’ Mr Drum said.

This week’s announcement that Expressions of Interest had been called for the construction of the Bendigo Region’s $630 million new hospital would lead to a big boost for regional employment.
Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region, and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development, Damian Drum, said he was delighted with the news from Health Minister David Davis that the project would create 735 construction jobs with a large flow-on to the rest of the community.
Mr Davis had said at least 500 of those jobs would be maintained for at least three years during the construction phase.
In Parliament, Mr Drum asked Mr Davis for estimates of how many of the jobs would be filled by local workers and local firms.
“The Bendigo hospital project is regional Victoria’s biggest hospital project, and in local terms it is larger than the Bendigo Bank project by a factor of 10.”
Later, outside Parliament, Mr Drum said it was fair to assume that around 75 per cent of the workforce would come from this region.
He said hundreds of regional families and dozens of local businesses stood to benefit from the Coalition Government’s commitment to a higher investment in the project.
The $630 million committed by the Coalition Government was $102 million more than the previous Labor State Government had been prepared to spend.
“Among the benefits will be facilities such as an integrated regional cancer centre, education, training and a new psychiatric inpatient capacity.
“I have also been assured by the Minister that our hospital will be world standard and on time.”
More information on the Expressions of Interest can be found at www.tenders.vic.gov.au.

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/victorian-government-reforms.html

Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan has been publicly accused of political point-scoring and trashy populism in her stance on the Bendigo pathology unit review.

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria, Damian Drum, has told State Parliament it was astonishing that even though there had been one previous review of the function of the Bendigo Hospital Pathology Unit – initiated under the previous Labor Government – Ms Allan now said she was now against reviewing the unit
“The first review was initiated under a Labor Government, when the local member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan, was a minister. That is right -- this review process into pathology services was started under the former Labor government.
“We understand that one of the member's best friends in Bendigo is Marika McMahon, and she currently enjoys the role of chair of the board of Bendigo Health Service. She is very well qualified for that role.
“We have a Labor party ex-minister as the local member, and we have her best friend as the person controlling the hospital that started the review process.
“We now have a situation where Jacinta Allan is campaigning to have the review process stopped because she can now see a cheap -- and I emphasise 'cheap' -- political point to be scored by jumping on board the wagon of those opposed to a review.
“It may also be her way of deflecting attention from the fact that she has refused to back the $102 million of additional investment into the new Bendigo hospital,” Mr Drum said.
“She started a review process into pathology services, but now that her party is not in government, she is campaigning on a political point, with an emphasis on populism, to change this service. “
Mr Drum said he shared the view of State Health Minister David Davis of concern at any move which would cost health sector jobs, but pointed out the Minister’s office was still seeking detailed information from the hospital executive on the unit review.

The eagerly anticipated $296,000 tennis pavilion at Spring Gully Tennis Club was officially opened today by the Member for Northern Victoria Damien Drum.

Representing Minister for Sport and Recreation Hugh Delahunty, Mr Drum said the new pavilion would go a long way to accommodating the increasing numbers of locals wanting to join in the fun at the popular club.

“Our local sporting clubs are at the heart of our communities and by improving the quality of their facilities we’re helping more people get active more often,” Mr Drum said.

“The new pavilion provides the perfect opportunity for the club to cater for the growing numbers and broaden its tennis programs for club members, the community, and nearby schools, as well as host bigger competitions and events,” he said.

The new pavilion includes a sheltered viewing area, a large social and meeting space, kitchenette and new accessible toilet amenities and replaces the previous inadequate small hut.

“The new pavilion will go a long way to encouraging more people to don their tennis gear and get on the courts at the Club, regardless of the season,” Mr Drum said.

Mr Drum said the Victorian Government had contributed $60,000 towards the development of facility through the Community Facility Funding Program.

“By investing in local sport and recreation facilities like these we can further encourage people to get involved in their local clubs,” Mr Drum said.

Mr Drum acknowledged the Greater Bendigo City Council for its investment of $186,000 and the Spring Gully Tennis for their contribution of $50,000 towards the project.

“Working together we can further encourage participation in sport and recreation and improve levels of physical activity to enhance a person’s overall health and wellbeing,” he said.

A $2 million allocation in this month’s State Budget will allow Maryborough and the Central Goldfields Shire to react swiftly to any future growth opportunities, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development, Damian Drum, said today.
Mr Drum was in Maryborough to discuss the Shire’s bold new Go Goldfields strategy, which won major funding from the new Regional Growth Fund.
“Go Goldfields is the result of some inspired visioning from the shire and the broader community,” Mr Drum said.
“It sets out a plan under which the region will be able to quickly take up any growth opportunity which comes its way.
“Go Goldfields was developed by Central Goldfields Shire – in partnership with agencies and the community – after a great deal of planning and discussion.
The community focussed on five priorities: early childhood, youth, skills and training, community development and environmental sustainability.”
Mr Drum said that work had identified the strengths and weakness in the region and now Go Goldfields would work to achieve community renewal and addressing some of the social and society challenges.
Among the strategy’s early aims are ideas on creating stronger families, to reconnect young people with the community, improving literacy and a range of family-based well-being projects.
“There would, for example, be a specialist children’s librarian and an expansion of the Bookmates program to improve the language skills of young children,” Mr Drum said.
“There would be expanded speech pathology services through the Maryborough District Health Service.
“And there would be efforts to get better linkages from the various assistance agencies which already exist across the community.
“This would all be geared towards developing stronger foundations, strong building blocks in the Central Goldfields Shire. This, in turn, better equips the community to react positively and quickly to new economic circumstances.”
Mr Drum said it was an example of getting the basic community settings right to be able to build new futures.
The strategy will be driven by an Alliance chaired by Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Cr Chris Meadows-Taylor and will include representatives from across all sectors of the community, including:
• ASETERIA Disability Services
• Bendigo Health
• Central Victoria Health Alliance
• Emergency Accommodation and Support Enterprises
• Goldfields Education and Learning Centre
• Maryborough District Health Service
• Maryborough Education Centre
• Maryborough Police
• Salvation Army
• St Luke’s Anglicare
Mr Drum said the strategy had been discussed with the Liberal/Nationals Coalition before last November’s state election and had won a firm commitment of support.
“The Coalition State Government is now delivering on that commitment.
“I’m proud that the Government is partnering Maryborough with the strategy which, I believe, can help create a much brighter future for Maryborough and the region,” Mr Drum said.