TSC Safe Happy Healthy April 08pmd

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Safe - Happy & Healthy
April 2008

Welcome to the first edition of 2008. It is also the first edition under the program’s new name: Townsville Safe
Community. The change of name reflects a new reality for the area: following a reform of Local Governments by
the State, the councils of Thuringowa and Townsville amalgamated on 15 March 2008 into the “super city” of
Townsville.
The amalgamation has had little effect on the program. The program’s footprint has not changed and our
colleagues and partners at Council have retained their roles. Furthermore, Council continued its support of the
program through the transition. Thanks to all involved in maintaining the relationship between Council and
Townsville Safe Community.
Our email address (coordinator@ttsafecommunities.com) and
website address (www.ttsafecommunities.com) will remain with the
old identify for a little while longer. We’ll let you know when they
change to the new name.
As you will read in this edition, the program continues to grow. The
Senior Safety group’s Safe Banking and O.W.L.S. projects are
meeting with success. So is the Road Safety group with its safety
awareness sessions for pre-learner drivers. The Safety Data and
Evaluation group is developing a three year cohort study of the young
people attending the road safety awareness sessions.
It’s with great pleasure that this coordinator accepted an invitation to
be a lead speaker at the 17th International Safe Community
conference in Christchurch New Zealand in October 2008. I will be part of a five-member delegation representing
Australia. This accolade speaks volumes about Townsville Safe Community and the support it receives from all
its partners: James Cook University, Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Fire and Rescue,
Queensland Police Service, Queensland Transport, Townsville City Council, Tropical Population Health
(Queensland Health); and the program corporate sponsor, BHP Billiton (Cannington). There is a buzz in the air
as we roll up our sleeves for another exciting year. Marie-Claude Brown, TSC coordinator

In the lead up to the amalgamation, ex-Mayor of Thuringowa, Cr “Farewell Thuringowa” Tour
Les Tyrell, acknowledged the many Thuringowa community groups
with certificates of recognition. Seated, from left to right: Tonya
Grant, Tropical Population Health Unit (Queensland Health);
Melissa James, Townsville City Council; Karen Taylor, Queensland
Ambulance Service. Standing, from left to right: David Skinner,
Queensland Fire and Rescue Service; Marie-Claude Brown, TSC
coordinator; Julie Parison, School of Population Health, Tropical
Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences (James Cook University);
Senior Sergt Janelle Poole, Queensland Police Service; Cr Les
Tyrell, ex-Mayor of Thuringowa and current Mayor of Townsville;
Donna Halloran, Queensland Police Service; Susan Coker and
Vicki Stanfield, Thuringowa City Council.

Walk Safely to School, a national initiative, is on Friday
2 May. Townsville City Council, with the support of
Townsville Safe Community, will host an event at
Walk Safely to Hermit Park State School.
School in The purpose of Walk Safely to School Day is to
encourage parents and carers to reinforce the
Townsville importance of pedestrian safety to their primary-age
children; to promote walking as a healthy habit; and to
promote active transport.
Townsville City Council will host a
For more information on Walk Safely to School Day, healthy breakfast as well as
visit www.walk.com.au. Or visit the Townville City provide learning activities on
Council website, www.townsville.qld.gov.au. physical activity and road safety.
Road Safety Awareness Sessions for Pre-Learner Drivers
As mentioned in previous editions of Safe – Happy & to help develop the project’s capacity to reach more
Healthy, the Road Safety Working Group has been students.
hard at work, preparing for a second pilot of its Road In partnership with James Cook University School
Safety Awareness Sessions. The sessions, delivered of Education and School of Population Health,
once a week over five weeks, aim to raise the road Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, the
safety awareness of Year 11 students in two high Safety Data and Evaluation group is supporting the
schools. 15 and 16 year olds are literally tomorrow’s Road Safety group in developing a three year cohort
drivers, many being eligible for their Learners plate study of its 2008 pilot. The impact of road safety
within the year. It is therefore important to equip them awareness interventions on young drivers is difficult
with information that can help them make safe choices to measure and often not included in project plans.
while on the road. Townsville Safe Community feels privileged to have
Educational content and sessions delivery are the the support of James Cook University in its
focus of this year’s pilot, following on endeavour.
recommendations made in the evaluation report of the Other project partners are: Queensland Transport
2006 pilot. Further, the sessions will be delivered to (lead agency), Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs
300 students, a 40% increase on the 2006 audience. Service (Queensland Health), Queensland
The medium term goal of the Road Safety Awareness Ambulance Service, Queensland Fire and Rescue
project is to increase the number of participating high Service, and Queensland Police Service.
schools. The 2008 pilot will provide valuable lessons

Queensland Suicide& Self-Harm Prevention Conference, Cairns, Nth Queensland

Supported by The Edward Koch Foundation, the Cairns conference will
focus on intervention, post-intervention, bereavement and self-harm.
Conference will take place from 23 to 25 July at the Cairns Convention
Centre. For information and registration details, contact The Koch
Foundation on 07 4051 0727 or by email admin@kochfoundation.org.au.
Our colleagues at Cairns Safe Community and Cairns City Council are major
sponsors, as well as Queensland Health, and the Sunshine Foundation.

How to mearure the impact of your goals?...Evaluation!
The Safety Data and Evaluation Working Group have same situation or issue when the project is
undergone some changes in membership with completed? Finding out what has changed and by
representatives from Townsville City Council and how much is the evaluation process you have
Queensland Fire & Rescue Service with Julie Parison undertaken. It’s good to know what effect your
from James Cook University, School of Population project has had in a quantifiable way.
Health, Tropical Medicine, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Evaluation is an important element of the
performing the Group Leader role and keeping the redesignation by WHO in the coming years.
group ticking along. David Skinner, Queensland Fire and Rescue
The group are proactively supporting the working
groups with knowledge and expertise in ensuring
evaluation processes in measuring change are
Friday Night Flicks
included into the various projects that the working There will be two more Be Kind To Your Mind Friday
groups are tackling during 2008. Night Flick sessions: Friday 2 May, with a showing
There are some exciting projects on the table with the of “Hairspray”, and Friday 26 June, “Hitchhiker’s
Safety Data and Evaluation Working Group calling Guide to the Galaxy”. At Heatley Park on Fulham
upon relevant evaluation expertise in the areas being Road. Free barbecue from 6pm and the movie at
addressed by the projects concerned. 7.15pm. Everyone is welcomed!
When developing your project plans, please seriously Come and meet your neighbours, bring the kids
consider the evaluation process which is simply how (movies are PG’s), sit back and relax. It’ll do your
will you measure the change or impact on your goals mind good. For information on the Friday Night
within your project. Flicks, contact Nam on 4725 5990.
Regardless of your project theme, ask yourself the Be Kind To Your Mind is an initiative of Queensland
questions related to the goals of the project, why is Health, which provides advice on how individuals
there a need for change? What and how will we and communities can look after their mental health
measure the situation now? How will you measure the and wellbeing.
2 Townsville Safe Community
Seniors Safe Banking
The Seniors Safety Working Group, in partnership with
Westpac, is continuing its Safe Banking program.
Safe Banking presents banking tips to older people,
including safe internet banking, usage of credit cards
for online purchases, alternatives to carrying cash,
information on banking and internet scams, as well as
protective behaviours tips for seniors. The program
also teaches older people the safe usage of ATM’s
and EPTOS for those not familiar with the technology.
The training includes a Safe Banking booklet and
presentations from Queensland Police Service and
Westpac.
Last month, Safe Banking was presented to 100
members of the War Widow Association in Townsville. The session was well received and provided a
vulnerable group of our community with empowering information.
Queensland Fire and
Rescue reminded us
17 th International SC Conference to change the battery
Christchurch, New Zealand in our smoke alarm
The Safe Community Foundation New Zealand this month. Only
will host the 17 International Safe Community
th working smoke
Conference in Christchurch, 20 to 23 October alarms can save lives.
2008. Keep your smoke
The theme this year is “Working together to detector clean and
make a difference”. The conference aims to check the alarm every
celebrate and strengthen community safety as month.
an integral part of national and international injury
and violence prevention policy, research and
practice.
There is still time to submit an abstract, with the
closing date on 1 May 20008.
For more details on the conference, including the
program, speakers and booking information,
visit www.safecommunities.org.nz.

OWLS on 4ttt Community Radio
The OWLS (Older Wiser Living Safely) radio program is in second year of broadcast. Once a month, on the
airwaves of community radio 4ttt, local experts share their wisdom and inform our local seniors on topics that
supports safe and independent living.
Topics discussed include personal safety, modification to the homes of ageing adults, support for grand
parents caring for grand children, local respite services for carers, palliative care at home, as well as phone
assisted services and staying active in Townsville.
Cairns Safe Community and Burdekin Building Safe Community Action Team are looking to establish their own
OWLS program in partnership with their local community radio.
OWLS Townsville is broadcast the third Tuesday of every month, from 6.30pm on 103.9 FM.

You have a great safety story to tell? Mount Isa Safe Community Website
You want to know more about Safe
Communities? Contact Us!
Ph +61 7 4722 5810 Fx +61 7 4721 Mount Isa SC is online. They have just launched
4896 Email their great new website,
coordinator@ttsafecommunities.com http://ww.mountisasafecommunity.com.au/
Website www.ttsafecommunities.com which is full of local news, project updates and tools
of the trade. Very informative and well constructed.
Well done, Mount Isa!
Townsville Safe Community is supported by BHP Billiton (Cannington) Townsville Safe Community 3