Advocacy
Recent Activities
Continuing to raise awareness of injury prevention and recovery as a priority, Injury Matters has made numerous submissions to Government over the last few months regarding alcohol, nicotine vaping, the development of an Australian Centre for Disease Control and the WA Seniors Strategy.
With alcohol being the leading risk factor for injury, we welcome the current review being undertaken by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries into WA’s Liquor Laws and provided insight into how WA’s liquor laws can be modified to further regulate how alcohol can be made available and promoted in our community.
Witnessing first-hand the burden that falls-related injuries have on older adults, within our submission regarding the development of the WA Seniors Strategy Injury Matters called for additional support to reduce the multitude of barriers that older adults face to conducting activities that support healthy ageing and falls prevention.
Western Australia Strengthening Firearms Legislation
The WA Government has begun making changes to firearms legislation following the announcement of the legislative overhaul in March 2022. The reform of the WA Firearms Act is the first in over fifty years.
Key changes announced recently include:
- National cabinet agreement in February to an Australia-wide firearms register to support law enforcement agencies across states and territories.
- The banning of high-powered firearms and ammunition which is designed to be shot over long ranges. The government announced the Prohibited Firearm Buyback Scheme in February, with these weapons being banned from 1 July 2023.
- Introduction of mandatory mental health screening for firearms owners was announced in February.
- Increased penalties for stealing and unlawful possession offences related to firearms were announced in November 2022.
Injury Matters is a member of the Australian Gun Safety Alliance and support legislation that places community safety as the priority. To find out more about Injury Matters’ position on Firearms read our position statement here.
Upcoming Events
Falls and cardiac health:
The link and the risks
March 28 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
WEBINAR
We’re hosting an online webinar for health professionals who work with older adults to better understand the importance and common risk factors to look out for with heart health and falls, as well as the screening tools used to help identify and mitigate the risk of falling in older adult clients with heart conditions.
Helen McLean from the Heart Foundation WA along with a range of speakers will be presenting online in this two-hour webinar.
Injury Prevention Summit 2023
May 11 @ 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Injury Prevention Summit is a one-day event held biennially by Injury Matters, via the Know Injury program, with funding from the Western Australian Department of Health.
Preventing falls in older adults:
A focus on diet and screening sarcopenia
May 24 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Bendat Parent & Community Centre
This workshop will go over the emerging dietary evidence with the latest Australian clinical guidelines on sarcopenia and treatment.
Seen and Believed:
Domestic Violence in LGBTQ+ communities
June 7 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
WEBINAR
Join us alongside guest presenter Ben Bjarnesen from LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation to learn more about LGBTQ specific domestic violence impact on overall health and injury, and how we as health professionals can help address barriers and provide support to victims when needed.
Our Programs
Resources Update
If you are looking for injury prevention resources for both health professionals and community members, be sure to check out the new Injury Matters resources page. Housing resources across 12 different categories the page is your one stop shop for injury facts, implementation tools and regional resources.
Improve Your Health Campaign
Injury Matters has launched the three-month Stay On Your Feet® Improve Your Health campaign across Western Australia. The Improve Your Health campaign encourages older adults to check their medicines, keep a healthy mind, and fuel their bodies with simple changes to prevent falls and support healthy ageing.
Connect with Blanche Marchant from the Royal Life Saving Society of WA
Blanche Marchant from the Royal Life Saving Society of WA recently joined us to write a new blog on how the Royal Life Saving Society works to prevent drownings in WA.
In the Community
How do we keep the WA community safe while operating quad bikes?
In 2022 four people died in Western Australia due to a quad bike-related incident. Given this high incidence and the preventable nature of transport incidents it is vital that we all play our part in ensuring quad bikes are operated safely.
Meet the Improve Your Health grant recipients
With the next Stay On Your Feet® Improve Your Health campaign launched this month, Injury Matters congratulates the successful Improve Your Health grant recipients who are ready to commence their community-based grant programs.
Meet our successful Improve Your Health grant recipients for 2023 below!
Nutrition and your wellbeing after a road crash
We know good nutrition is vital for our wellbeing. It provides the vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and energy to be able to live, grow and function.
When life gets tough (or busy), it’s easy to reach for convenience or processed foods, but often this isn’t the healthiest option, and we miss out on important nutrients which impacts our wellbeing.
Upcoming Conferences
- Aboriginal Health Council of WA Community Controlled Health Sector Conference, Perth, 29-30 March
- Preventive Health Conference 2023, Adelaide, 2 – 4 May
- WACOSS, 1-3rd May 2023
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) 2023 Congress, Perth, 28 May – 1 June
- World Trauma Congress, Tokyo, 9-12 August
- ANZ Burns Association Annual Scientific Meeting, Melbourne, 12-15 September – ABSTRACTS OPEN
- Australasian Road Safety Conference 2023, Cairns QLD,19-21 September – ABSTRACTS OPEN
- PHAA Australian Public Health Conference, Hobart, 26-28 September
- ANZ Falls Prevention Conference, Perth, 26-28 November – ABSTRACTS OPEN
- World Conference on Drowning Prevention, Perth, 4-7 December