Latest news with #Traralgon
ABC News
22-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Calls for support as Latrobe Valley power workers continue to die from asbestos exposure
Like many men of his generation, Mick Tomkins does not like to make a fuss. The 73-year-old enjoys meeting up with a group of mates to swim at the nearby Traralgon pool most mornings, before a coffee and a chat about the footy. But, like many men of his generation, Mr Tomkins is also living with the insidious legacy of being a power station worker in the 1970s, after being diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma last year. "It was a bit of a shock," he said. Mr Tomkins was just 20 years old when he first took on a role as a subcontractor, helping build the new W station at Yallourn. For the young sheet metal worker, it was the prospect of high-paying work that would support his family. "That construction was an area I really didn't want to go into, but I had a wife and a couple of kids, so I had to get work and they paid very well out there," he said. The power industry was booming, with Mr Tomkins joining around 1,000 other contractors onsite at the time. What workers did not realise was that their job exposed them to asbestos on a daily basis. "The laggers would go in and put the insulation on the pipes, and we would come in and coat them with sheet metal," he said. "Most of that insulation was fibreglass, but then we had sectional asbestos over the pipes. It would not be until 50 years later that Mr Tomkins and his family would discover the damage caused by this exposure. In 2003, after a series of court cases, asbestos was banned in Australia. More than a decade ago, Mr Tomkins and his family started to monitor his condition by getting regular lung compression testing. Then, about three years ago, Mr Tomkins said he started to develop a cough that would not go away. He would soon not be able to walk to the front gate. A CT scan and a biopsy would later confirm Mr Tomkins had mesothelioma. For the stoic father and grandfather, the news, while devastating, was not unexpected. "I didn't panic. In some ways, in the end, I'd sort of half expected it because of the cough," he said. For Pauline Tomkins, Mr Tomkins' wife of 54 years, and their family, it was confirmation of the worst kind. "We just all went quiet, and I just kept looking at the floor," she said. "It was always in the back of my mind, but the trouble is when it is said to you." A 2009 study by Monash University found that former power workers in the Latrobe Valley were contracting mesothelioma at a rate seven times the national average. The proliferation of asbestos among Latrobe Valley workers prompted an apology from the then Victorian premier John Brumby at a regional sitting of the 56th parliament at Monash University's Gippsland Campus on October 15, 2008. "On behalf of the Victorian government and the community, I want to say sorry and to express our regret for the pain and the suffering felt by some former power industry workers and their families where that was caused by asbestos exposure at the former SECV … It is unacceptable that any person, through the course of their work, is exposed to what we now know is a deadly substance," Mr Brumby said. For Vicki Hamilton, the CEO and secretary of the Asbestos Council of Victoria (better known as GARDS), the ongoing legacy of illness for the Latrobe Valley hits close to home. Ms Hamilton lost both her father and grandfather to asbestos-related disease, and said despite the high profile nature of asbestos cases, many people mistakenly believed the challenges were behind them. "I get a couple of calls a month at least from people who know that they're sick and they are going to see a doctor," she said. Ms Hamilton said 140,000 workers were exposed to asbestos between the 1920s and the 1980s. "That affected a whole community, and every person, every second or third person in the Latrobe Valley knows somebody who has an asbestos-related disease," she said. The Asbestos Council formed part of a state government task force established in 2019 to review how asbestos was managed in the Latrobe Valley. In 2022, the task force made 21 recommendations to minimise the risk and harms of asbestos exposure. The recommendations included establishing a statewide centre to manage all asbestos queries, developing targeted awareness campaigns, and mandating training for the handling and removal of asbestos. However, no recommendations had been implemented when the work of the task force culminated in March 2023. Ms Hamilton said more needed to be done as workers continued to come forward with diagnoses. "I'm very lucky, the state government just helped to fund me for part of my money because, without that, we would have been looking at closing within 12 months because that's about the only money we have left." A Victorian government spokesperson said the government was working to prevent or minimise risks associated with asbestos. "Actions underway to address the harmful legacy of asbestos and prevent asbestos-related diseases in Victoria include raising awareness of asbestos risks, prioritising and coordinating the removal of asbestos from Victorian government buildings, establishing convenient disposal points and strengthening compliance and enforcement," the spokesperson said. With legal help, Mr Tomkins was able to make a claim for compensation against his former employer's insurance company. Now, he and his family are taking each day as it comes. Mr Tomkins is balancing his life with treatment, and so far has found success with immunotherapy to keep his cancer under control. "We just take each day now as we go and just do what the doctors say," Mr Tomkins said. "I don't look like I'm dying, do I? "I've had a life, but you know I'd like to still have a longer life actually."
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Australia Post launches new mailboxes to tackle growing Aussie issue
Australia Post has installed the country's first-ever talking post boxes in a bid to bring people closer together. The three interactive mailboxes, located in Canberra, Sydney and in Traralgon, in Victoria's Gippsland region, use smart sensors to grab the attention of those walking past, and encourage them to write to a loved one the old fashioned way — by sending a postcard. The installations, which were set up as part of a nationwide campaign with Beyond Blue to deliver five million prepaid Connection Postcards this month, utter phrases like: 'You can make a difference with a connection.' 'A little hello goes a long way.' 'Send a note to someone special.' 'Give them a laugh — send a free postcard from your local Post Office.' Anyone wandering by who decides to take the talking post box up on its offer can simply pop into the nearby post office and ask staff for one of specially designed postcards, a spokesperson for Australia Post told Yahoo News. The cards, which are illustrated by regional Aussie artist Jocelyn Proust and feature the words 'sharing this postcard because I care', are available from all post offices around the country. Since launching the initiative five years ago, over 21 million postcards have been distributed, however efforts were ramped up this year after an Australia Post survey revealed people were 'more likely to send a postcard if they were prompted', Nicky Tracey, the company's general manager of community and stakeholder engagement, said. 'For the very first time, we're bringing talking Post Boxes to three locations. What we know is that people still feel a much deeper emotional connection when they receive a letter or postcard. And that's why we want to encourage people to write to one another, to improve connection.' 📪 Locals fume after Australia Post boxes vanish from city 'without warning' 🐶 Australia Post makes big move after alarming increase in attacks 📦 Expat's major gripe with 'bizarre' Australia Post rule: 'It's madness' In a study conducted by Beyond Blue last year, one in three Aussies reported to feeling lonely, with some admitting it caused them similar distress to cost of living and housing pressures. Small acts of kindness can help bridge this gap, especially in isolated areas, Beyond Blue CEO, Georgie Harman AO, said. 'Research shows that everyday micro interactions like saying hello to people in our local neighbourhood as we're walking the dog or popping into the shops can help us feel less lonely and more connected,' she explained. 'Our partnership with Australia Post and the Connection Postcards embodies those small but mighty moments by encouraging Australians to let someone know they're thinking about them.' 'Australia Post's large network helps us reach regional and rural communities, where people are more likely to experience loneliness, which can affect their mental health, and where access to support is often limited.' The talking post boxes can be found at the below locations until mid-July, when the campaign ends. Canberra — 53 Alinga St Sydney — 44 Market St Traralgon — 161-169 Franklin StreetDo you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- ABC News
Man arrested after pedestrian's body discovered on Morwell roadside
Police have interviewed a man following the discovery of a body on the side of a road in Morwell in eastern Victoria. Police say a 40-year-old father from Traralgon was walking along the base of the Princes Way overpass on the Princes Freeway when he was likely struck by a vehicle. His body was discovered at about 9am on Thursday by a commuter. Sergeant Mark Amos of the Major Collision Investigation Unit told the ABC the deceased man's body could have been lying in the grass for eight hours. "He's been found next to the barrier with injuries consistent with being hit by a vehicle," he said. Detectives searched the scene for evidence for most of Thursday. A 28-year-old Lakes Entrance man was arrested 128 kilometres away in Bairnsdale late on Thursday afternoon and has been interviewed by police. He has been released without charge pending further enquiries. Police are calling on people who were driving in the area between 1am and 9am on Thursday, May 22, to come forward with information that may be of interest. They are also asking anyone with road-facing CCTV to look through the footage.
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- News.com.au
Man, 40, killed in suspected hit-and-run on Princes Freeway overpass at Morwell
A man has been killed in a suspected hit-and-run on a freeway in regional Victoria. The 40-year-old man's body was found by a passer-by on the Princes Freeway overpass at Morwell just before 9am Thursday. Early police investigations suggest the Traralgon man was struck by a vehicle that has then fled the scene. Police believe the collision occurred between 1am and 9am on Thursday. Detectives are urging motorists who were travelling to Traralgon along the Princes Freeway within that time period to check their dashcams, as they may have inadvertently captured the man as he was walking or the vehicle involved. It was expected detectives would be processing the scene most of Thursday. Anyone with information or dashcam footage has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
7NEWS
22-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Police appeal for information after man killed in suspected hit-and-run in Victoria's Morwell
Police are appealing for information after a man was found dead on the roadside in a suspected hit-and-run. A passerby found the body of the 40-year-old Traralgon man about 9am on Thursday on the Princes Fwy overpass above Princess Dr in the southeast Victorian town of Morwell. Investigators believe he was struck by a vehicle sometime between 1am and 9am, with the driver leaving the scene. Detectives are urging Traralgon-bound motorists who were on the Princes Fwy during that time to check their dashcams. 'Motorists may have inadvertently captured the man as he was walking in the area, or the vehicle involved,' police said. Officers will remain at the scene for most of the day as investigations continue. Anyone with information or footage is urged to come forward.
