Everything from learning how to recognise a mental health issue to safety on quad bikes and working with animals was learned by students and farmers in Merriwa last week.
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The second annual Merriwa Community Farm Safety Day was held last Thursday and has been dubbed another massive success.
More than 200 students from schools across the Upper Hunter and Central West converged on the Merriwa Showgrounds to join with local community members, farmers and authorities to make a difference to the future.
The primary and secondary students were educated on safety by representatives from the local community, Hunter Local Land Services, WorkCover, the Department of Primary Industries’ Rural Resilience team and Hunter New England Health.
A major focus of the day was mental and physical health, with a special Mental Health Makeover workshops with professional counsellors running into the evening.
Farmers and local community members gathered at the showground on Thursday afternoon for the workshops with special guests including professional counsellor Simon Santosha, Rural Adversity and Mental Health Program counsellor Sarah Green and DPI rural support worker Caroline Hayes.
The importance of Q fever and skin cancer prevention, feral animal control, zoonotic diseases and WorkCover rebates were also topics discussed throughout the day.
Merriwa Community Farm Safety Day organiser Maria Cameron said the event was a spectacular success thanks to the combined efforts of our small town’s wonderful community groups, our hardworking show committee and generous businesses and support organisations.
Mrs Cameron said the program is an initiative of the Merriwa Show Interschool Challenge committee and designed to provide agriculture and primary industry students with hands-on experience and guidance with farm vehicles, livestock and health advice, and raise awareness of farm safety issues and emergency services with younger primary school students.
Coordinator Rob Tindall paid special tribute to the many community organisations that help to make the event a success, including Merriwa’s Men’s Shed, Rotary, CWA, NSW Farmers, Progress Association, RSL Club, Sports Club, and the enthusiasm of the town’s emergency teams from the Fire Brigade, Rural Fire Service, Volunteer Rescue Squad, NSW Police and the Ambulance service, who were all on-site with vehicles and equipment to the delight of many young students.
“The Tocal College workshops could not have gone ahead without Mia Mackay and her band of instructors, Merriwa Tyre Service’s range of quads and ATV’s, the Kraefft family’s livestock, Brindley Park’s tractor and machinery, the Cameron family’s horses, and then the hundreds of meals served by Kylie Austin Catering to hungry students and field day visitors,” he said.
