Mums’ plea to Premier

Keep promise, visit strife-torn Kowanyama people

services were A GROUP of heartbroken women from the remote community of Kowanyama has made an emotional, personal plea for help from the Queensland Premier.

Kowanyama Shire Councillor Wendy Wust was given the job this week with delivering the message while the state’s full political cabinet visited Cairns.

The request follows a written commitment made by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to Mayor Michael Yam late last year to visit Kowanyama, “early in 2017”.

Since then, the Kowanyama community has been hit with a “mental health crisis”, including high numbers of attempted suicides by the town’s youth.

A 23-year-old local man took his own life in the town last month.

Kowanyama Women’s Group spokeswoman Priscilla Major said the group wanted to speak with Ms Palaszczuk “woman to woman”.

“Premier, we plead with you today to keep your promise to visit Kowanyama in 2017, before the election,” she said.

“Our children are dying. Our hearts are bleeding. Our souls are in constant pain and grief. With each suicide of our children and our grandchildren another piece of us dies.

“Our tears have run dry and now all we cry is dust.

“Madam Premier, we plead with you: please keep your promise and come to Kowanyama, sit down and yarn with us women.

“We need your leadership and your strength at this time.”

Federal Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt told the Cairns Post this month he was “very concerned” about reports of the suicide rates in the region’s remote indigenous population growing to become one of the highest in the world.

Mr Wyatt said further emergency action was underway with the federally-funded Northern Queensland Primary Health Network working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to expand mental health services at Kowanyama.

The attention has already ensured an extra full-time clinician for the community, who started work on Tuesday, to provide support and targeted suicide prevention activities.