1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: In some great news, we know that a veterans conference 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: is being held in Darwin in the coming weeks. It's 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: aim to connect veterans and their families with service providers 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: to build a stronger support network. The inaugural event is 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: being organized by Walking Off the War Within and it 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: is going to include workshops, presentations from keynote speakers, and 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: well being activities. Now, I know we've got a lot 8 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: of veterans that listen to this show, so there'll be 9 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: plenty of you keen to find out more about this 10 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: and joining us in the studio to tell us more 11 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 1: is the conference coordinator, Danny Evely. 12 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 2: Good morning, Danny, Good morning Katie. Thanks for having me. 13 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, good to have you on the show. Now tell 14 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: me what's the aim of the conference? 15 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 2: So, Katie, the aim is about, you know, providing some 16 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 2: opportunities for our veterans and their families to link with 17 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 2: service providers, but also around that well being and connection. 18 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 2: So we know that we've got a lot of veterans 19 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 2: across the territory and there are a number of different 20 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 2: services that we have up here. So we've got a 21 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,919 Speaker 2: lot of different ex service organizations and we've got people 22 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 2: like you know, mates for mates and soldier on who 23 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 2: all do great jobs. But what we're doing here is 24 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 2: bringing as many people together as possible, but also linking 25 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: other organizations from across Australia into the territory because we 26 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 2: know that there are certain activities or different elements that 27 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 2: we don't have quite at our doorstep in the territory, 28 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 2: so we're trying to break down some of those barriers 29 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:30,559 Speaker 2: at the same time. 30 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: So I understand that there are four key themes. What 31 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: are those? 32 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 2: So we've got so around the connection, community and careers 33 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: side of things, so very much around well being. We 34 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 2: are looking at the advocate side of things and with 35 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 2: DVA so helping you know, navigate those sometimes complex red 36 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: tapes that our veterans have to go through. And then 37 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 2: looking at you know, very much resilience managing stress side 38 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 2: of things, and particularly around families and the transition process. 39 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 2: So life after Defense can be quite confronting. I know, 40 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 2: I know myself when my husband left Defense, it was like, Okay, 41 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 2: you're outseer and that's it. 42 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: It's you know, the. 43 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 2: Signature has been done and so you know it is 44 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 2: and I think like for us that we were in 45 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 2: a good position because I had a good network, I 46 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 2: had a good job, and so I didn't feel really 47 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 2: you know, I guess left left out in the wind 48 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 2: or out in the cold, but a lot of a 49 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 2: lot of people do. 50 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: So. 51 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: Spouses are often you know, stay at home parent or 52 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 2: they're they're limited in their networks because of how much 53 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 2: they've they've you know, moved and that, so it can 54 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 2: be like their their safety nets being really pulled out 55 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 2: from underneath them very quickly. And when you know, the 56 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: person that was in defense, they've come from a very 57 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 2: structured environment, very regimented, very organized, and all of a 58 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: sudden that's gone as well. So it can be a 59 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 2: confronting situation. And what we're really trying to do is 60 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 2: put in place or identify where some of those support 61 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 2: services may be to help people, but also create that 62 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,399 Speaker 2: connection so that there might be other people going through 63 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 2: it at the same time, so you know, appear to 64 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 2: peer style relationships as well. Well. 65 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 1: That's a great thing to do, you know, having other 66 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: people to talk to and to be able to have 67 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: those connections, because like you said there, as you were 68 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: you know, as you were talking about that, I was 69 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: thinking for a lot of you know, for a lot 70 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: of those spouses. If your partner is away for extended 71 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: periods of time, whether it's training or whether they are 72 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: actually deployed somewhere, it'd be really difficult to then have 73 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: a full time job, depending on the ages of your children, 74 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: et cetera. And so then when all of that changes, 75 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: it'd be a really different world for a lot of 76 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: those families, and then trying to deal with that could 77 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: become quite. 78 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 2: Hard, absolutely, and particularly when we know that a lot 79 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 2: of our defense families don't have other family here, so 80 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 2: they can be they can be very isolated. The territory 81 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 2: we know is very difficult to get anywhere else. It's 82 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 2: very expensive to travel. And so yeah, when we've got that, 83 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 2: that situation occurring can be overwhelming, it can be stressful. 84 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 2: It can you know, if someone's got perhaps you know, 85 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 2: a little one with some health issues, then you know 86 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 2: that that in itself can then create additional complexities and 87 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 2: and so yeah, we're really trying to bring all of 88 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 2: these different support services together and highlight them so that 89 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 2: our network can be stronger well, and we want to. 90 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: Keep people in theory as well, right like we want 91 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: to keep you know, current serving Obviously they here, but 92 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: you want to keep those veterans here in the Northern Territory, 93 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,039 Speaker 1: so you want to make sure that they know where 94 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: they can access those different services and networks. 95 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 2: Absolutely, and about that transition and the careers process. So 96 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 2: working with both the spouse and the defense member around, 97 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 2: you know, what does employment look like after that? And 98 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 2: because veterans and their spouses they make wonderful employees. You know, 99 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 2: our defense personnel they've gone through some very very rigid 100 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 2: training and structure, and so they're wonderful employees. And sometimes 101 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 2: they don't. They don't have the perhaps the skill set 102 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 2: to really articulate what it was that they did in 103 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 2: the defense to translate across to civilian life. And so 104 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 2: there's some of the things that we'll look at working 105 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 2: as well. So for example, you know, you look at 106 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 2: a rifleman, and a rifleman will go, well, what do 107 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 2: I do in civilian life? But if you down the 108 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 2: courses that that person would have done whilst they were 109 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 2: in the defense force, then you can really clearly identify 110 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 2: some things. 111 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: Yes, skills that like a lot of other people may 112 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: not have. 113 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,039 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, but also skills that you know, on the 114 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 2: face of it, you wouldn't really be able to understand 115 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 2: or determine what they could apply in his civilian life, 116 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 2: so you know, being able to have that discussion then 117 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 2: work with them on that process. 118 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: Danny, who were some of the keynote speakers going to 119 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: be and and you know what can people expect to 120 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: hear yep. 121 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 2: So we've got Repatriation Commissioner Carll Figan coming now. Karlol 122 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 2: will be able to give an update on the Royal 123 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 2: Commission so where the actions are up to, which will 124 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 2: be absolutely fantastic. And he's going to be there all 125 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 2: day as well, so able to network and have questions 126 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 2: asked of him. Jared Goundry who was a defense member 127 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 2: at Turn Comedian, so he's actually up here for the 128 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 2: Darwen Festival and I've managed to snafflim So which is wonderful. 129 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 2: Luke Gosling who's our local member for Solomon and the 130 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 2: Special envoye for Veterans and Defense, so he'll provide a 131 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 2: speak a little bit of an update on that process 132 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 2: and what he's doing in the space for Veterans and 133 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 2: Defense members. And we've got the Assistant Secretary for the 134 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 2: Well Being Task Force in DVA, Tina Blewett. Now she 135 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 2: is doing some amazing work in that well being space 136 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: and so it's going to be really really wonderful to 137 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 2: hear from her. We've then got advocate groups. So I've 138 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 2: got Advocate Group out of Western Australia AVAC Services and 139 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 2: one from Queensland Life After Defense. So they're coming up 140 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 2: to provide a little bit of oversight into what their 141 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 2: role is and the process and the support that they 142 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:56,239 Speaker 2: can provide to veterans. We've then got Vanessa Brown who's 143 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 2: the CEO of Inlock Group. Now, Vanessa is a veteran 144 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 2: and her business one the Veteran Employer of the Year 145 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 2: NT for twenty twenty five. So and she'll be able 146 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 2: to provide a really good insight into their role. And 147 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 2: they only employ veterans cour sorry I should say ninety 148 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: percent veteran employer and so that's wonderful to hear. We'll 149 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 2: have a couple of other employers that are in that 150 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 2: frame as well. 151 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: So Danny, when and where is it happening for those 152 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: listening this morning. 153 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 2: So it's on the sixteenth of July and it's at 154 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 2: the NT Tennis Center, so quite central for everyone. It's 155 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 2: free parking, it's free to attend the conference, but we 156 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 2: do ask that people read just us so that you 157 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 2: know we've only got a certain amount of seats still 158 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 2: we want to make sure that they are filled, but 159 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 2: we don't want to overcrowd it. And also for catering 160 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 2: purposes because you know, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea 161 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 2: will be provided as well. 162 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 1: And so do you have to pay to go in? 163 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 2: No, No, absolutely free and that's thanks to our sponsors. 164 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,439 Speaker 2: So we've had some amazing sponsors and a couple of 165 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 2: those that are speaking have provided the sponsorship as well. Well. 166 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: That is good to hear, Danny. Where can people go? 167 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: Just before I let you go? Where can they go 168 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: if they're after some further info? 169 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, so the easiest place is social media, so Facebook, 170 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 2: if you search either Walking off the Wall within or 171 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 2: the Veteran Voices Conference, you'll come across it. 172 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: Well, Danny. Everly, it is good to speak with you 173 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: this morning. Thank you so very much for your time. 174 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: We'll talk to you again soon. 175 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 2: Thanks so much, Katie, thank you