Judy Hocking is one half of a farming couple in their 70’s. Judy and her husband Charlie, whose family have been on their property outside Bendigo for 4 generations, are continuing to advance their holding while also succession planning to ensure its future.

Kendi Burness-Cowan talks to Judy about Cultivate Farms innovative assistance in this process and the advantages of a farming matchmaker service.

Having a flexible plan for the future looks to be a way to keep Australians farming. Do you agree? Look for us on social media to join the conversation. You can catch another episode of Regional Voices on your local station next week or subscribe to the podcast and never miss one of our great stories about the real people of regional Australia.

This week we talk to the indomitable Charlotte Drake-Brockman, artist and occasional troublemaker. If you were lucky enough to catch the Archibald Prize exhibition this year, you may have seen Charlotte’s portrait hanging among the finalists. The artist who painted her described her as “a woman who is strong, unconventional, flamboyant and still formidable”.

Does our society value the experience of older Australians? How can we better include and benefit from the wisdom of Australian seniors? Find Regional Voices on social media to join the conversation.

After retiring from the corporate life, Mark Evans and his wife Judy returned to Australia from Singapore and set off around the country in a caravan looking for their next life. What they found was an incredible and consuming experience at Paronella Park, near Innisfail in Queensland, complete with gardens and waterfalls, a once glittering dance hall and a cinema, set in a Spanish castle.

Mark tells Kendi Burness-Cowan about restoring the property to its former glory. 25 years and many awards later there are still grand plans afoot for Paronella Park.

What would you do if you could choose any kind of career for your ‘second time around’? Look for us on social media to join the conversation. You can catch another episode of Regional Voices on your local station next week or subscribe to the podcast and never miss one of our great stories about the real people of regional Australia.

Did you know 1 in 5 people in outer regional or remote areas smoke daily and the number goes up in the most disadvantaged rural areas? Dr Adam Coltzau, President of the Rural Doctors Association, talks with Kendi Burness-Cowan about some of the reasons for these figures and to how to address the problem.  

They also talk about access to healthcare and how the association is working with doctors and government to try to get more GPs to go to and stay in regional and remote areas.

Are you smoker who’s tried to quit? Tell us about accessing support in regional areas. You can join the conversation by finding us on social media. If you enjoyed this episode don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast.

How much can technology improve access to healthcare in rural and remote Australia?  Richard Sykes, CEO of Panaceum Health, in regional WA says technology has led to big strides in regional healthcare, but it will never be the whole answer.

Kendi Burness-Cowan and Richard discuss the use and limitations of technology including telehealth for regional Australian GPs as well as other measures GPs can take to make sure their practices are as healthy as their patients.

Does your rural GP use technology like SMS appointment reminders? What technology would you or do you use to make dealing with your doctor easy? You can also join the conversation on social media, by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Is upskilling the answer to the delivery of improved regional health services? This week we speak to Fiona Currie about how the Rural and Isolated Practice Endorsed Registered Nurse qualification is improving the delivery of services to patients at Cobram Health.

Kendi Burness-Cowan talks to Fiona about returning to study, working in a regional hospital and what patients think about being treated by a nurse instead of a doctor.

What do you think about giving nurses extra training to help meet healthcare needs in our regions? Is it a good use of the advanced skills so many nurses have? Find Regional Voices on social media to join the conversation.

As most parents are aware, the joys of parenthood come hand in hand with sleep deprivation and a lot of hard work. This week we talk to Debbie Russo, a mother to 3 boys and a fly-in-fly-out wife. Debbie shares how she and her husband juggle their parenting roles and how her own battle with depression inspired her to start a support network for other FIFO partners.Kendi Burness-Cowan speaks with Debbie about her unique lifestyle, the support network that helped her and how honoured she is that she can now assist others in similar situations.

Having survived his own battle with depression after losing the farm, Brian Egan took the advice to “help someone worse off than himself” to heart in a big way. His charity Aussie Helpers provides both practical assistance to farmers battling drought and mental health guidance where it is desperately needed.Kendi Burness-Cowan speaks with Brian about the Virtual Psychologist, a mental health program aimed at giving accessible mental health support to farmers in regional Australia. Mental health training and support is also provided to all Aussie Helper volunteers who visit the farmers. Where relevant, the local community-based services are linked in to provide ongoing care.

In 2015, things were not great in the Clarence Valley. Suicide rates were three times the national average. The youth suicide rate was especially high.

It was a time of grief and despair for the community – but instead of burying themselves in that grief, the people of the region came together to look for solutions.

This week Kendi Burness-Cowan speaks with Sue Hughes, Project Co-ordinator for Our Healthy Clarence, a community led program to better address mental health issues in region. And it’s working. Sue talks about how listening to the community and focusing on wellbeing, hope and resilience have helped turn things around.