
ACT Mental Health Sector Update: 1 March 2024
We are marching into March with momentum!
Since our last Sector Update, our submission to the ACT Government’s Inquiry into climate change and a just transition has been published. You can read the submission here.
Our submission recognises the important yet often overlooked connection between mental health and climate change. It also notes some disturbing findings, for example, a third of people who die in heatwaves – the deadliest form of natural disaster in Australia – live with mental ill-health.
Moreover, policies to enable a cost-effective transition away from carbon-intensive resources, such as electric vehicle and solar panel subsidies, have generally favoured wealthier Canberrans.
Our focus is on ensuring that mental health considerations are integrated into climate change policies, creating a more holistic approach to community wellbeing.
Although we advocate for systemic shifts in climate change adaptation and mitigation in the ACT, something we can all do now is to take part in person-centred emergency preparedness, designed by the Queenslanders with Disability Network. This planning allows everyone – with a specific focus on people with disabilities – to ensure their safety during extreme weather events.
Right now, we are rolling out our informal ACT Politics Training, facilitated by government relations expert, Louise Crossman. Held fortnightly on Tuesdays at 3pm (with occasional deviations), we will cover topics such as:
- The ACT Legislative Assembly and government structure
- The role of MLAs
- How decisions get made
- The ACT Budget (including how to read an ACT Budget Paper!)
- Political parties
Members are welcome to join – either in the MHCC office or via Teams. You can sign up for the series via Humanitix.
Later this month we will be hosting an advocacy workshop for our member organisations. This roundtable discussion will be informative and outcomes-driven and will form the basis of our platform, leading into this year’s ACT election.
Coming up is an MHCC website refresh, which will include an events page promoting all the wonderful events and training provided by our members. In the interim, we will share these events on our socials, so please keep us updated on your events and training by emailing us communications@mhccact.org.au.
– Vicky Choice, Director of Engagement and Partnerships MHCC ACT