Forum for veterans
Warragul RSL will shine a light on posttraumatic stress disorder and its impact on about 100 local veterans at a forum on Thursday, November 21.
The “Gippsland Veteran and First Responder Management Forum” at Warragul RSL sub branch, 94 Albert St, Warragul aims to discuss long and short-term health issues and managing issues unique to veterans and first responders. It will be held from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.
Warragul RSL president Bill Westhead said the sub branch had 250 affiliated members and 140 service members. Of those service members, he estimated 70 per cent – about 100 members - were affected by PTSD.
He believes many more not affiliated with the RSL are living with PTSD.
The forum will be attended by Veterans and Defence Personnel Minister Darren Chester, local politicians and senior members of the defence force, police and local veterans.
Mr Westhead said he wanted every veteran in the district to attend. The forum will open with stories of four local veterans and their experiences with PTSD. The first is a Vietnam veteran. The remaining three are aged in their 30s. A spouse will also speak on the impact of PTSD on families.
“We will show our people that we are here for them and we are standing up for them. We deserve some dignity post service.”
“We are doing this because we have an obligation to provide leadership and support to our fellow veterans because the government has let that obligation go.”
The forum was sought following a veteran suffering from acute PTSD meeting Member for Monash Russell Broadbent. Mr Broadbent suggested a meeting with Mr Chester and the forum was organised.
Mr Westhead believes the forum will go some way to assigning and affirming responsibility for veteran management, welfare and highlighting to the community short and long-term effects of service in the defence forces and as first responders.
For more information email rslwgl@dcsi.net.au or call Bill Westhead on 0408 240 215.
If you or anyone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 131 114 or BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636.
A West Gippsland wedding venue is aiming to convert “I do” to increased tourists for the area.
While bookings for weddings at Parnassus and a rail wedding aboard the Walhalla Goldfields Railway continue to increase, manager Rhys Morris says it is all about raising the tourism profile of the area.
For the second consecutive year, Parnassus has won the Brides’ Choice Award, judged by couples who have had ceremonies had hundreds of venues across West Gippsland, Mornington Peninsula and Bayside.
With back-to-back titles, Rhys says with a laugh that “it was no fluke” last year.
“It’s great for the region. We are all about local produce and fresh produce
“When we won it last year we thought, this is nice – but then to win it again…we are quite proud,” Rhys said.
Rhys took over the lease of Parnassus five years ago and now has about 50 bookings a year for weddings. The venue is still owned by Gary and Judy Surman.
They also now offer a unique wedding service, working closely with the Walhalla
Goldfields Railway to provide an historic rail setting, which has already attracted 18 bookings for next year.
With weddings come visitors and Rhys believes increasing the attraction of Parnassus and Walhalla as wedding venues to the Melbourne market will boost tourism for the area.
“We hope it will lift tourism in the area and bring people back. Next year we want to bring more of the Melbourne market into here.
“We want to bring tourists into the area and fill accommodation venues in Warragul and Rawson.
“People want rustic themes rather than silver service and I think we’ve found the right niche,” he said.
The Brides’ Choice Award is a social media based survey requiring couples to rate their wedding experiences. Their feedback and comments contribute to judging the Brides’ Choice Venue for best function centre, bistro and overall wedding experience.
Parnassus’ wedding co-ordinator Danielle Homan also was named runners-up wedding co-ordinator in the awards.