‘Could you still be doing this at 70?’
Working till seventy might be fine for those of us in office jobs, but what about those Australians whose jobs are a little more physically demanding? Multimedia Reporter Lindley talks to Illawarra locals about their professions, and about what they think about the rise in the pension age under the 2014 Budget.
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- Frank Raschilla 55, unloads fish at Harbourside Fish Market.
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- ‘I hope I’m not still doing this when I’m 70,’ he laughs. ‘It’s important for people to have a choice – many people can still work well into their 70’s, but it shouldn’t mean they have to.’
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- ‘We had 800kg of fish in yesterday. It took us 3 hours to unload and package them up.’
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- Daniel McDermatt says the work is tough, but he enjoys it. ‘It can be a tough job…. it has it’s moments.’
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- Carl Glaister, 49 is a horticulturalist with the Wollongong Botanic Gardens.
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- ‘The job can be quite physically demanding. 7 and 3/4 hour days, five days a week…’ he says.
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- Carl admits that his workplace is pretty accommodating. ‘They do take into consideration your capabilities,’ he says.
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- Denis Brown, 67, own Trogan Fisheries. He has been in the industry for over 30 years, and has no plans to stop soon.
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- ‘It keeps me fit,’ he says, as he makes repairs to his boat down at Wollongong’s Hardstand Area.
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- Paul Brunskill, 54 moved into construction when his wife fell pregnant with twins.
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- Allan Ryrie, 50. ‘Sometimes it’s tough work. It’s all day on your feet. But I’ve worked outside all my life.’
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- ‘I’m going to be working till I’m 70 anyway. I’m just like that. I’m pretty lucky – I own my own house already, so a later pension age wouldn’t really bother me too much,’ he says.
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- ‘If I keep working that long, I’m gonna die!’ he jokes about the new pension age.
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- ‘I hope I’m still doing this at 70. I hope I’m still able to.’
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- Russell Coe, 65 has been a bus driver with Premier Illawarra for 3 years. He says that bus driving is less ‘physically demanding’ than his previous job, truck driving.
UOWTV Multimedia Reporter: Amy Lindley
Not all budget cuts are mental
Though critics are labelling young people as one of the biggest losers in the Abbott Government’s first budget, ten new headspace centres and a new centre for mental health research and training is a silver lining for young Australians.
Headspace will receive almost $15 million over the next four years to establish ten new centres, bringing the total number to 100 across the country.
In a statement, CEO Mr Chris Tanti said that that the new centres would help more young people access essential mental health services.
“Early intervention is crucial in reducing the impact of mental illness and drug and alcohol use by young people in Australia, and the Government’s continued support of headspace goes a long way to addressing these issues,” he said.
The coalition’s pre-election promise to establish the National Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental Health will be fulfilled with $18 million over four years.
The centre will be established in partnership with the Orygen Youth Health Research Centre (OYHRC) in Melbourne. OYHRC Chairman Mr Peter Smedley says the centre would provide real outcomes for young people.
The centre “will provide research and training platforms to support the delivery of services”, says Smedley, “So that more young people in Australia enjoy optimal mental health as they grow into adulthood.”
However, like most parts of the budget, there have been some casualties in the area of mental health, with the establishment of 13 new Partners in Recovery organisations being put on hold for two years.
Partners in Recovery organisations provide extensive support for people with severe mental illness. The deferral will save the government $53.8 million, which will be invested into the $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund.
Other budget changes such as a six-month wait for under 30s to receive unemployment benefits and changes to university fees could put more pressure on young people.
If you are experiencing stress or wish to speak about other mental health issues, visit the headspace website at headspace.org.au
UOWTV Multimedia Reporter: Jon Brag