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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-11-23 Daily Xml
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WORK INJURED RESOURCE CONNECTION

The Hon. A. BRESSINGTON (15:55): I rise to inform members once again of the extreme importance to the state of South Australia of the services known as Work Injured Resource Connection. This organisation was founded by Miss Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson back in the 1990s, after she herself became an injured worker through no fault of her own. On entering the WorkCover system, she became totally confused and had no idea how the process worked or what her responsibilities were, which is not an uncommon situation.

After hitting a brick wall everywhere she turned, and after many months of rehabilitation and many bouts of depression, she decided that there had to be a better solution to the problems facing injured workers trapped in the WorkCover system. She obtained a copy of the act, which she then set about studying, which was a daunting task in itself. She believed that injured workers needed support outside of the system. This is not just a matter of guidance; it goes much further than that. Rosemary also attends meetings, interviews, doctor's appointments with injured workers and visits some in their home in city and country areas to explain exactly how to navigate the system.

She has on many occasions driven to the Riverland, the South-East and Yorke Peninsula to help injured workers. This relieves much of the stress for those injured workers and makes the whole experience a little more bearable. Rosemary also has attended funerals of suicide victims and even delivered a eulogy because the deceased worker's family were too distressed to read what they had written.

Another feather in Rosemary's cap is the Deceased Workers Memorial Forest, which is located in Bonython Park and which is the only one of its kind in the world. It is getting bigger every year as more trees are planted on the injured workers' International Day of Mourning. One tree has under it the ashes of a deceased worker and another was used for the wedding of a deceased worker's sister.

Rosemary was horrified to see that some of these people, after their cut-off period, were in such a terrible financial state that they could no longer put food on the table. She then came up with the idea of the Bags of Love emergency food project, which I have funded financially. Those who are in desperate need, and there are many of them, have a food hamper delivered to their door by Rosemary.

There is also the final scenario where people have lost their home because they can no longer afford the mortgage. As Rosemary says, 'I can't do anything about their home, but I can try to make sure that they have food on the table.' One injured worker couple had sold everything that was not essential and were at the point of selling their wedding rings so that they could pay the bills and put food on the table. Rosemary then delivered enough food to last them for two weeks and assisted them to put other supports in place. She has been working tirelessly since 1997 and is looking to the future by setting up the work board, which is now trying to get some fundraising underway so that she can concrete the future.

Work Injured Resource Connection has grown substantially, and it is now necessary for the organisation to have an official premises for appointments, meetings and group support sessions. Rosemary urgently needs funding to continue this important service, to pick up the shortfall and help injured workers who are finding the WorkCover system a very hostile environment.

Rosemary was recognised for her dedication and never-ending support to injured workers on Thursday 3 November in the South Australian of the Year awards, winning the category of community leader. I congratulate her on her consistent tenacity and on continuing this important service and winning this much-deserved community leader award for 2011.

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