Page 4123 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 23 October 2018
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Since that first clean-up, the way we as a nation think about littering has evolved, and Ian’s philosophy of identifying the problem and the solution and then just getting on with the fix-up is something Australians have come to deeply value. Ian Kiernan’s vision created Clean Up Australia and, as a result, thousands of Canberrans have mobilised over the years to take part in both hands-on and mindful environmentalism.
I personally felt Ian’s impact when I regularly took part in clean-ups when I was a kid, with my Girl Guide group, along with my neighbours and my friends. More recently, with the help of Clean Up Australia, I have been able to hold my own grassland and waterway clean-ups across my electorate of Yerrabi. Clean Up Australia has always helped to facilitate these clean-ups by providing resources for volunteers to participate. Last weekend I held one of these events at the north Mitchell grasslands in Franklin.
The passion and commitment that volunteers in my electorate give to each clean-up reflect exactly the attitude Ian Kiernan promoted and what I believe he would want Australians to continue to display. I encourage all my constituents to get involved in events like these to honour Ian’s vision for Australia’s environment and to give back to our local community.
Ian’s original vision has grown into one of Australia’s largest, most successful volunteer movements and reflects a strong national character. In honouring Ian’s legacy, it is important to remember that Ian believed that Clean Up Australia belonged to its volunteers. We will probably never be done cleaning up Australia’s environment but, because of Ian Kiernan’s impact, Australia is a much cleaner and healthier place now than it would have been without him.
Mental Health Month
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety and Minister for Mental Health) (4.33): Mental Health Month is a global event held annually each October to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental illness. There has been a terrific series of events taking place here in the ACT, and I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on a few of those.
Each year, one in five Australians experience a mental health issue, and approximately half of all individuals will experience issues with mental health in their lifetime. Mental Health Month is a yearly reminder of the responsibility we all share to reach out and support those in the community who suffer in silence. Mental Health Month gives us all the chance to share the message that it is okay to get help for mental illness and that it is a sign of strength, not weakness.
This year the theme for Mental Health Month in the ACT is identity and growth. This theme was suggested by students from Hawker College and it means knowing who you are, accepting the past and growing into your future. Students went on to explain that mental illness should never define us. It is only one small part of the person we are; it cannot stop us from accomplishing everything we want to achieve. We need to be able to say, “I’m me. I’m okay with me. I wouldn’t change a thing.” This is a very
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