‘No’ to mental health road show

AUSTRALIAN Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health CEO Dr Jennifer Bowers says she is disappointed with a Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) decision not to support a mental health road show in Warwick.
“It’ll be Alright in the Long Run”, a morale building and information sharing road show, was to run in Warwick this month.
The proposal was put forward to councilors during the SDRC’s general meeting on Wednesday, 24 April.
Councilor Denise Ingram identified during previous council meetings that mental health and well-being of landholders, whose properties were flooded, was a major concern and needed to be addressed.
According to the council report, the event is designed expressly for that purpose, and while it cannot fix all problems, it does provide a safe avenue for residents and landholders to gather information about mental health and well-being.
The event would have featured legendary singer songwriter and ex-Redgum front man John Schumman (writer of “I was only 19”), along with his seven-piece band the Vagabond crew.
Regional councils including South Burnett, Dalby, Tara and Clifton jumped at the chance to host the event, but Southern Downs knocked back the suggested 23 May date.
The one-day event was tipped to cost more than $16,000, however, the council report stated that all funds required for the event would be aligned with the Flexible Funding Grant program and would not require existing SDRC funds to conduct the event.
“It was disappointing that the Southern Downs Regional Council voted not to go ahead with the performance and information-sharing event,” Dr Bowers said.
“However, other communities have been very positive and we’re receiving some amazing feedback. Perhaps in the future, and with more time, the Southern Downs Regional Council would consider an event like this one.”