Chris Draffin has been involved in responding to emergency situations for decades, and he was one of two Tasmanian recipients of the Emergency Service Medal in this year’s Australia Day Honours.

Kendi Burness-Cowan talks to Chris about the hazards of being in an emergency team, why people volunteer, and the biggest mistake Aussies continue to make in extreme conditions.

Have volunteers helped you in an emergency situation? Tell us on social media. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Regional Voices podcast to catch more episodes about the real people of regional Australia.

In 2016, six dairy farmers died at work. It was a particularly bad year, but even in a typical year, dairying is surprisingly dangerous.

This week we talk to Bill Youl from Dairy Australia about DA’s initiative, the Farm Safety kit. The kit was developed with farmers as a starting point to try and improve farm safety and lift the statistics that have not changed for the better over time.

Kendi Burness-Cowan chats to Bill about some of the major contributors to farming injuries and how implementing simple measures can often ensure everyone’s safety.

Have you made some simple changes to make your property safer? Tell us about them on social media and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast.

Australian research has shown that widened roads result in up to a 42% reduction in serious injury crashes. But around Australia lots of roads don’t have great shoulders and some have none at all. It’s a particular challenge in regional areas where funding is limited.

Now there’s a new approach, thanks to some classic Aussie inventiveness. A Wauchope based, family run company has developed a system to provide a cost effective way of making roads safer, and they’re about to take their great idea to the world.

Ashleigh Pinson tells Kendi Burness-Cowan how her dad came up with the idea for the ShoulderMaster, which enables quick and effective repairs to road shoulders.

Today we talk to Alex Thomas, a safe work campaigner who says safer farms are not about ticking boxes but about changing the culture.

Alex has started a number of initiatives on social media, including ‘plant a seed for safety’ and the rather catchy ‘save a life listen to your wife’. She wants everyone in farming, including family members who might not be out working on the property every day, to talk about safety. Alex tells Kendi Burness-Cowan how having conversations can lead to practical solutions.

Have you had a safety conversation with those around you? Get in touch on social media to let us know how it went.

This week we share the powerful story of Rob Cook, a fourth-generation farmer whose life was turned literally upside down in a terrifying helicopter crash.

In an instant, the future Rob had planned for him and his young family completely changed. His injury left him with quadriplegia. But after a lengthy recovery, and with the unwavering support from his wife Sarah, Rob is back on the farm.

Rob talks to Kendi Burness-Cowan about rethinking the future, his love of farming, and the world first joystick he and a friend created that lets him operate the gate and drafts in his cattle yards from his wheelchair.

Join the conversation on social media to share your thoughts on this episode.

This week we chat with Shannon Malseed, current Australian champion women’s road cyclist. It’s been a big year for Shannon, who took the road cycling title in her home town of Ballarat and went on to be part of the team which brought home gold at the Commonwealth Games. 

But as she’s discovered, winning is definitely not everything for Shannon. Join us as Kendi Burness-Cowan chats to Shannon about the social and team aspects of cycling, the elation of winning and maintaining the motivation to keep training while aiming high.

Are you a recreational cyclist or a tour tragic? Join us on social media and tell us what you love about cycling.

This week we chat with Barry Biffin, President of the Australian Tentpegging Association; Member of the Australian Tentpegging Team and Coach of the Australian Ladies team. Tentpegging is an equestrian sport with military origins. It involves competitors galloping, while carrying a lance aimed at a target, in individual and team events.

Join us, as Kendi Burness-Cowan chats to Barry about competing in far-flung overseas countries and the following that the sport has in the Middle East and Pakistan where tentpegging is as celebrated as cricket.

And remember to subscribe to the Regional Voices podcast so that you never miss one of our great stories about the real people of regional Australia.

Today we talk to Michael Albert, the Chief Executive Officer of Garnduwa, an Indigenous sport and recreation organisation covering the vast Kimberley region in West Australia.

Michael has seen how sport can be transformative for people of all ages and abilities. He also knows that getting a sporting program up and running is no mean feat when the communities you service are tiny and very remote.

Kendi Burness-Cowan talks to Michael about building healthy people and communities through participation in sport, and how sport is linked to better educational and employment outcomes.

Follow us on social media to join the conversation.

The Invictus Games bring together wounded, injured and ill servicemen and women from around the world. Among them will be Corporal Sonya Newman, from the tiny town of Marrakai outside of Darwin, representing Australia at her second Invictus Games after a four medal haul in Toronto last year.

Sonya tells Kendi Burness-Cowan about her lifelong love of sport, her competitive spirit and why neither of those are the most important things about the Invictus Games.

You can subscribe to the Regional Voices podcast and never miss one of our great stories about the real people of regional Australia. Catch us on social media to join the conversation.

Dr Wendy Craik AM has been making a huge contribution to society for decades and she’s not about to slow down any time soon. In fact, she recently accepted an appointment to the Board of the Reserve Bank.

She’s also a former Chair of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and Director of the National Farmers Federation. Listen as Wendy talks with Kendi Burness-Cowan about leadership development and policies affecting rural and regional Australia.

You can subscribe to the Regional Voices podcast and never miss one of our great stories about the real people of regional Australia. Find Regional Voices on social media to join the conversation.