A massed display of beautiful floral tributes, cards and children’s drawings in the foyer of Wangaratta Police Station overwhelmingly express the heartfelt emotions and sentiments of a shocked community appalled by the fatal shooting of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, plus the serious wounding of their colleague at Porepunkah.
Acts of violent extremism practiced by a collective minority with willful intent to inflict havoc and disrupt society is an abhorrent concept to law-abiding citizens who value living with goodwill and harmonious interaction with others.
The Police Academy Chapel at Glen Waverley has a memorial alcove with honour boards commemorating officers’ fallen in the line of duty, and sadly, the names of the two brave police members will soon be inscribed on individual plaques and attached to the board.
A sombre, but realistic reminder of the perilous nature of policing is the inclusion of blank plaques on the honour board for future additions.
Let’s respond to Blue Ribbon Day on 29 September and show our support and respect for the wonderful work police members carry out to keep us safe.
Latest Stories
Beverley Waring, Hansonville
Dementia has widespread impact beyond immediate family
Dementia doesn’t just impact the person living with the condition and their immediate carers; it also impacts their family, friends and wider social network.
With an estimated 433,300 Australians living with dementia and 1.7 million people involved in their care, chances are you know someone who is impacted by dementia.
People living with dementia tell us that friends and family often drop away, not knowing how to interact with them once they have a diagnosis.
That’s why this Dementia Action Week (15 – 21 September) we are challenging everyone in the community to reach out and reconnect to someone impacted by dementia because nobody can do it alone.
For some practical ideas about how to reconnect, visit dementia.org.au/dementiaactionweek.
For support any time, please contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Merran Kelsall, chair Dementia Australia
Ann Pietsch, chair Dementia Australia Advisory Committee
CFA volunteers smack down government
Thousands of Country Fire Authority volunteers across the state have expressed their frustration with the Allan Labor Government, marking the government poorly on virtually every area of CFA management and operations in a key survey.
The annual Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV) survey received responses from more than 2000 CFA volunteers, with six out of seven survey themes recording a drop in volunteer satisfaction with the government.
Drops were recorded in the areas of respect for the role of volunteers and support from the CFA, and particularly in training and the provision of up-to-date appliances.
Of particular concern is the worst-ever recorded response in relation to the Allan Labor Government providing sufficient funding for CFA trucks and stations.
The survey reflects the frustration of CFA volunteers.
For more than a decade now, the Labor government has disrespected the CFA and particularly its volunteers.
It’s alarming to see the lack of confidence that our volunteers have in the Allan Labor Government.
Clearly they don’t believe the government’s rhetoric about supporting appliances and new stations, with the survey recording the worst ever result on that issue.
Worse still, the survey was completed before legislation creating the new emergency services tax had passed Parliament.
All the evidence shows that tax is about filling budget black holes, not supporting our frontline firefighters.
This new tax has been slapped on Victorians at a time of a cost of living crisis and that’s why the Liberals and Nationals will scrap it if elected next year, while restoring the independence of the CFA and giving respect back to our volunteers.
Danny O'Brien, Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Emergency Services
