Hope for cancer answers
Parliamentary inquiry to look at Bellarine cluster
BARWON Heads residents say they are hopeful a parliamentary inquiry into a cancer cluster along the Bellarine Peninsula will bring answers for concerned community members.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Government would deliver on its election commitment to hold an inquiry.
“The Minister for Health is deeply concerned about reports of a cancer cluster in the Bellarine-Barwon Heads region, and that is why a parliamentary inquiry will be established,” Mr Hunt said.
“The inquiry will provide residents with an important avenue to have their concerns NEW sets of wheels are giving Geelong kids with limited mobility the freedom to run.
Keisha Low, 5, lives with cerebral palsy and can use the innovative RaceRunner at the Kids Plus Foundation to run for the first time.
The foundation is the first organisation in the state to receive the devices — a cross between a trike and a walker — which were invented in Denmark to give people with cerebral palsy the chance to compete in running events, and a third is on the way.
Kids Plus Foundation physiotherapist Louise Daniels said RaceRunning was an innovative sport for people with a disability who have impaired balance and who are not able to functionally run.
“Using a custom-built RaceRunner, athletes are given the freedom to move with the RaceRunner supportraised, make submissions and have the issues investigated.”
Residents, led by Discovery 3227 founder Ross Harrison, have repeatedly claimed that South Barwon Shire’s and Geelong City Council’s mosquito-spraying program, run in the ‘80s and ‘90s, involved cancer-causing chemicals.
The group claim more than 80 residents who lived near the region’s reserve — colloquially known as The Muddies — contracted various types of cancer or auto-immune diseases during the past 20 years. ing their balance,” Ms Daniels said.
“The decision to purchase RaceRunners for Kids Plus was driven from families,” she said.
“The kids who have trialled the RaceRunners have had a really positive experience with comments such as, ‘Mum, look at me, I can go fast’ and ‘I don’t want to stop running’.”
RaceRunning has been recognised as a Paralympic sport.
Kids Plus Foundation is actively working with local coaches in Geelong to increase the opportunities for children to use RaceRunners in regular sporting activities as well as in athletics competitions. Mr Harrison yesterday told the Addy the group was hopeful the inquiry would hold all parties involved in the mosquito spraying program to account.
He said the group was “flat out” gathering data for the inquiry so they could table concerns and statistics.
“We are very keen for the inquiry to happen,” Mr Harrison said.
“We are preparing what I think will be really solid case for the community.”
Barwon Heads local Prue McKechnie, whose second child died weeks after birth in 1983 from congenital leukaemia, says she is hopeful the inquiry will bring answers for grieving families.
The baby was the 17th diagnosed case in Australia and doctors did not ever say why the cancer developed. Ms McKechnie’s second son was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and her youngest daughter suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome.
Ms McKechnie believes environmental factors contributed to their ill health.
“It’s (the inquiry) a very positive step forward, finally the trust will probably come out … and everyone will be held accountable,” Ms McKechnie said. “There are too many coincidences of so many young people having cancers and it’s become more and more evident.”
The City of Greater Geelong has repeatedly said all chemicals used in the mosquito spraying program are approved and said suggestions of links between these products and illnesses were irresponsible and harmful.