08 Jun LOCAL INDUSTRY SUPPORTS DV AWARENESS DAY
Employees from some of Gladstone’s largest industrial employers participated in the annual Gladstone Industry Leadership Group (GILG) Domestic Violence Awareness Day Volleyball Challenge recently. The event saw teams from QAL, Rio Tinto Yarwun, Orica Yarwun, Gladstone Ports Corporation & Boyne Island Smelter battle on the volleyball courts at Tannum Sands State High. The overall winner of the tournament was the QAL team.
Patrick Hastings, GILG CEO, said that as the membership-based organisation for heavy industry in Gladstone said the group recognises the massive challenges surrounding Domestic Violence in the region. Mr Hastings said that the rate of Domestic Violence in Central Queensland is 20% higher than the Queensland average, in fact, one in four people in our region will be affected by Domestic Violence in during their lifetime. “With this in mind we organised a Domestic Violence Awareness Day, which brought together heavy industry to play a game of volleyball and to also recognise and pledge to end Domestic Violence in this region,” Mr Hastings explained.
Mr Hastings said that special thanks go to Welcoming Intercultural Neighbours, Co-ordinated Community Response to Domestic and Family Violence, Gladstone Volleyball Association and EQIP Gladstone for their support and help in organising the event. “The day was a massive success, not only in raising awareness but also bringing colleagues together to talk about this important issue,” Mr Hastings said.