Asbestos-related diseases are not a thing of the past. Every 14 hours, one Australian loses their life to mesothelioma. Every 13 hours, another 13 families receive the tragic news that a loved one has the disease that will take their life, usually within months. 

All too often I’ve heard people say that they don’t worry about the warnings, that they don’t think it will affect them, that they’re bullet-proof when it comes to asbestos. 

Well, with one-in-every-three homes containing asbestos in some form or another, homeowners and tradies could be risking their lives and the lives of families (even their kids) if they don’t take the warnings seriously.

Asbestos could be lurking in any home built or renovated before 1987 including brick, weatherboard, clad and fibro homes. 

Asbestos was used in the manufacture of hundreds of products and if these products are disturbed during renovations, that’s when fibres can be inhaled and can kill.

Death from asbestos is not a thing of the past. While we don’t know how many fibres it takes, what we do know is that the more fibres inhaled, the greater the risk to our health.

Today, asbestos remains one of the greatest health threats to families and tradespeople who disturb asbestos during renovations and maintenance. 

We must stop the ongoing tragic loss of Australian lives.

Every Australian needs to know that when it comes to asbestos, they’ve got to go slow, because asbestos is a no go. Visit asbestosawareness.com.au to learn what you need to know!”

On behalf of the staff and patients of Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital's Paediatric and Adolescent Unit, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the many people from Wagga and surrounding townships for their donations to this year's Give Me 5 for Kids Appeal.

We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the community, which resulted in $61,893.37 being raised, which will make a tremendous difference to the many children admitted to the unit each year from across the Riverina.

The donation means we can upgrade the external play area with new play equipment and provide shade to the area.

Aged care in Australia care for millions of Australians and would employ tens of thousands of staff, including doctors, nurses, specialists etc, and have assets worth trillions, with a monetary turnover of billions.  

I would assume it would be the one of the largest businesses in Australia, receiving billions of dollars in handouts from Governments (taxpayers).  

Yet who does the Government rely on to oversee this massive organisation – the minister for small business?

Obviously our government does not rate our seniors high on priority list.

Unbelievable.