If you spend your professional life planning the best ways to protect the community, how heartbreaking would it be when you can't protect the ones you love most.
Andrew Fletcher is a unit commander for the NSW SES. During last year’s bushfires, while he worked on the NSW mid north coast coordinating relief efforts in the region, his own son lost his home to bushfire on the south coast. Andrew has served in the armed forces, fought fires, floods, been on the scene at horrific road accidents on our rural highways, and through it all he has remained focussed and caring - in his own words.

In his spare time he's fought for recognition for WWI nurses from his hometown of Bathurst, and has dipped his toe into natural heritage with the team at Jenolan Caves. With a life so colourfully lived, his story is one not to be missed.

CREDITS
Guest: Andrew Fletcher
Host: Madeleine West
Executive Producer: Elise Cooper
Editors: Hannah Bowman and Elise Cooper
Audio Engineer: David Cooper

LINKS

• Lifeline 13 11 14 or https://www.lifeline.org.au/
• Soldier On, help for returned servicemen and women https://soldieron.org.au/connect-hub/
• Young Diggers https://youngdiggers.com.au/
• Volunteer with your SES
  • NSW https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/
  • QLD https://www.ses.qld.gov.au/volunteer/Pages/default.aspx
  • VIC https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/volunteer
  • SA https://www.ses.sa.gov.au/home/volunteer/
  • ACT https://esa.act.gov.au/
  • WA https://dfes.vol.org.au/
  • NT https://pfes.nt.gov.au/join-us/become-emergency-service-volunteer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to sex work, people have a lot of assumptions. And more often than not they are of a pretty negative or judgemental nature. But, when you take a closer look at the industry you can see that escorts are care givers in the same way that nurses or occupational therapists are. But they’re working within a field that has long been associated with shame and seen as something to keep behind closed doors.

CREDITS

Host: Madeleine West
Guests: Ellie & Tash
Executive Producer: Elise Cooper
Editors: Hannah Bowman & Elise Cooper

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although many of us may not notice, modern life relies heavily on forest products. Did you recently receive a package in the post? Was it in a cardboard box?  Is there a printed label on the cans of veggies in your pantry? 

Yet, when most people hear the word ‘logging’ they’d probably immediately think of deforestation and environment destruction.

Ross Hampton and Dean Kearney are two men whose job it is to make sure that the trees in this country that are cut down for everyday products, are done so sustainably. Ross is the CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association and Dean is from Forestry NSW. For this episode of Invisible Heroes Madeleine sat down with Ross and Dean, in the middle of a forest, to find out if there is even such a thing as sustainable forestry. 

CREDITS  

Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest  

Guests: Ross Hampton and Dean Kearney

Executive Producer: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper 

Assistant Producer: Hannah Bowman @itshannahbowman 

Technical Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events northcoastevents.com.au 

LINKS  

• Forestry Corporation - https://bit.ly/2HrshPF 
• Australian Forest Products Association - https://bit.ly/3dMSJiE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does a Private Investigator actually do? What sort of person hires a PI? In this episode of Invisible Heroes I am speaking with Ken Gamble -  a professional cybercrime investigator and surveillance specialist with 30 years experience in the private sector.  

Most recently Ken has also been consulting with the family of missing Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez. Theo disappeared 18 months ago in far northern NSW in the Byron Bay region. The then 18 year old vanished after leaving a Byron Bay nightclub at around 11pm on May 31st of 2019. Ken has been looking into the case on behalf of Theo’s family – and thinks there’s more to his disappearance than we have been told. 

CREDITS  

Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest  

Guest: Ken Gamble 

Executive Producer: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper 

Assistant Producer: Hannah Bowman @itshannahbowman 

Technical Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events northcoastevents.com.au 

LINKS  

• Ken can be contacted via IFW global at ifwglobal.com   
• The latest news about Theo Hayez’ disappearance can be found at looking4theo.com 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are you doing to save the planet? Would you quit your big time job in the city and take up planting rainforests? That sounds like a fantasy, but it’s one that Michael Martin made his reality. Along with Maximo Bottaro the duo founded Reforest Now, an organisation whose mission is to grow and plant trees that will reforest cleared land in subtropical Australia and stand for generations to come. 
Their vision is to see this region as Australia's largest expanse of subtropical rainforest once again.  Maximo and Michael sit down with Madeleine in the middle of a rainforest to explain why their work is so important, and what everyday people can do to help.

CREDITS 

Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest 
Guests: Maximo Bottaro and Michael Martin @reforestnow_australia
Executive Producer: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper
Assistant Producer: Hannah Bowman @itshannahbowman
Technical Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events northcoastevents.com.au

LINKS 

• Reforest Now https://www.reforestnow.org.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How comfortable are you with your sexuality? What about consent, role-playing, the power of your own body and it’s desires?

Kink and fetish play are taboo topics usually spoken about behind closed doors. So in this episode we’re opening that door to talk about it. Roger Butler is someone who has worked in the sexual empowerment space for years, facilitating Curious Creatures sexuality workshops and helping people to become comfortable in their own skin, and with their own desires. They're easily one of Australia's most prolific sexuality workshop facilitators.

CREDITS

Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest
Guest: Roger Butler of Curious Creatures
Executive Producer: Elise Cooper
Assistant Producer: Hannah Bowman
Technical Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events northcoastevents.com.au

LINKS

• Curious Creatures and their workshops http://bit.ly/curiouscreatures-roger
• About Roger and Curious Creatures https://bit.ly/2IRDdqE 
• Curious Conversations About Sex – the podcast https://bit.ly/2ULvvkh 
• Curious Creatures on Facebook com/TwoKinkyKids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian koala population is in serious decline - suffering from the effects of habitat destruction, domestic dog attacks, bushfires and road accidents. The Australian Koala Foundation estimates that there are less than 100,000 Koalas left in the wild, possibly as few as 43,000. 

Linda Sparrow is the founder of Bangalow Koalas and spends her days planting trees and creating environments that can best give our beloved koalas a fighting chance.

CREDITS

Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest
Guest: Linda Sparrow bangalowkoalas.com.au
Executive Producer: Elise Cooper
Assistant Producer: Hannah Bowman
Technical Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events northcoastevents.com.au

LINKS

• Bangalow Koalas https://www.bangalowkoalas.com.au/
• Koala Clancy Foundation Victoria https://www.koalaclancyfoundation.org.au/
• Mornington Peninsula Koala Group https://www.mpkoalas.org.au/
• Pine Rivers Koala Rescue – Morton Bay QLD https://www.prkoalacare.com.au/
• Lawrence Koalas https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceKoalas/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode contains discussions of assault, murder and sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised. Please contact Lifeline if this raises any issues for you on 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au 

Gary Jubelin is a former detective chief inspector who has led some of the most high profile homicide and missing persons cases in Australia’s recent history. William Tyrell, Evelyn Greenup, Colleen Walker, Clinton Speedy-Duroux; These are the names of four of the many, many people that Gary has pursued justice for. It was just last year that Gary felt his hand was forced, and handed in his resignation with the police force.

On Friday September 18th a judge will rule on an appeal before the courts; that appeal was lodged by Gary himself, after he was found guilty in April of  2020 of unlawful conduct during the high profile William Tyrrell case.

Jubelin speaks candidly about this charge, and the appeal process. And about the ongoing support he receives from the families of the victims whose crimes Gary investigated prior to his resignation.

So what is it like, to now be on the other side of the police force. Can you still be a force for good when the police force you’d worked so hard for, for all those years, is now not a welcoming place for you.

CREDITS

Guest: Gary Jubelin – author of ‘I Catch Killers’
Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest
Executive Producer: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper
Assistant Producer: Hannah Bowman
Editor: Elise Cooper and Hannah Bowman
Audio Transfer and Assistance: North Coast Events https://www.northcoastevents.com.au/

LINKS

• I Catch Killers, a book by Gary Jubelin and Dan Box http://bit.ly/i-catch-killers-book
• I Catch Killers, the podcast hosted by Gary Jubelin http://bit.ly/jubelin-podcast
• Bowraville The Documentary (in production) http://bit.ly/bowraville-documentary
• The Disappearance of William Tyrell http://bit.ly/william-tyrell

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the word “homeless” mean to you? Tonight in Australia one in 200 people will find themselves sleeping without a roof over their head.

Leseera Kai is a woman who has faced immense tragedy in her life. As a 20 year veteran working in community welfare, she has seen it all. Fires, floods, domestic violence, homelessness. And in the last 18 months she has lost both her son and daughter and cares for her grandchildren. Through it all she still finds time to help the homeless, those at risk from their home environment, the hungry, the struggling – all within her own small community in the northern regions of New South Wales.

Her own life has been colourful – the good, the bad, and everything in between. Join us as she tells her life story, and how she stays motivated to give back to her local community.

CREDITS
Guest: Leseera Kai
Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest
Executive Producer and Editor: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper
Audio Transfer: North Coast Events

RESOURCES

• Donate to the Mullumbimby Neighbourhood Resource Centre https://mdnc.org.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trevor Russell started out his career wanting to be an economist. So how did he end up investigating forced child marriages for the Australian Federal Police?In part two of this exploration of Australia’s victim based crimes, Det Sgt Trevor Russell takes us deep into what it’s like investigating forced child marriage in Australia. Plus how he manages the heavy emotional toll of his work after he clocks off and heads home to his family and friends.

Listen to part one with Detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling here http://bit.ly/jayne-crossling

CREDITS
Guest: Det. Sgt. Trevor Russell
Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest
Executive Producer and Editor: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper
Audio Transfer: North Coast Events https://www.northcoastevents.com.au/ 

If you are a victim of trafficking or know someone who is contact the AFP on 131AFP (131237) or email [email protected] 

RESOURCES

• Online form to report human trafficking via the AFP website http://bit.ly/report-trafficking-form 
• Inquiry into human trafficking and slave-like practices, 2017, http://bit.ly/trafficking-report-2017 
• How Human Trafficking Is Happening In Plain Sight http://bit.ly/jayne-crossling 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.