Volunteers have long been at the forefront of Australia’s bushfire defense, but as NSW brigades age, the number of younger recruits is dwindling. Gerringong Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer, Matilda Walmsley, 19, responds to callouts as much as she can. “I live in Wollongong, so I’m usually marked unavailable on the app,” she said. “But if I get a call when I’m in Gerringong, I’ll go.” Ms Walmsley is one of the youngest members in her brigade — by decades. “I’m the youngest member, probably by 20 years,” she said. “We also only have three other women in the brigade.”…
Author: Mark Laird
Despite thousands of new nursing graduates each year, Australia continues to face a nursing shortage. It seems the issue lies less in attracting new nurses than retaining them in the profession, ensuring the supply meets the growing demand for health workers. In 2022, there were 362,855 nurses registered and employed across Australia—an increase of 36,573 since 2017, according to a government report. Yet the growth was still not enough to meet the growing pressure on the health system. Workforce data suggests retention is a major concern, particularly during the transition from study to the workplace. Research has suggested between 17…
There have been 54 drowning deaths along the Australian coast this summer. Statistics have revealed that all of the deaths occured in locations unpatrolled by professional surf lifesavers. Australia’s coastal safety system is built around visibility—lifeguards, flags and surveillance at popular beaches. But of more than 11,000 beaches nationwide, fewer than five per cent are patrolled, and most only seasonally. According to Surf Life Saving Australia’s National Coastal Safety Report 2025, 75 per cent of 902 coastal drowning deaths over the past decade occurred more than one kilometre from a surf lifesaving service. The data points to a clear disconnect…