Public lecture to address community issues

Tackling issues such as homelessness, drug abuse, youth suicide and loneliness amongst the aged in Toowoomba must be a group effort from the community.

The Community Capacity Building Project, in conjunction with the Toowoomba Regional Council, is hosting a series of public lectures focusing on various issues in the community, with the first being held on August 3.

Residents are invited to attend the Keeping Toowoomba Safe public lecture, which will be presented by Toowoomba District Superintendent Andy Morrow.

Superintendent Morrow said that beginning with the Domestic Violence Act in 1989, we had seen legislation regulating community behaviours, covering issues as diverse as the wearing of bicycle helmets, cigarette smoking, behaviour in the workplace and workplace safety.

'A common thread in this trend is that legislation is increasingly replacing community and individual responsibility as the basis for guiding our actions,' he said.

'We can forevermore expect government to increasingly regulate our behaviour by legislation – and in creating laws and also expand the basis for creating law-breakers – or we can take the path in which community finds the means to regulate the behaviour of citizens by agreement and consensus.'

Community capacity building is an empowering approach to achieving future goals and solving specific issues of communities.

It involves identifying and building on the strengths and capacities of a community to deal with its own issues in ways that are effective for the unique community.

Community Capacity Building Project Coordinator and USQ honorary Professor, Glen Postle, said the lecture was an opportunity to get together people from a wide range of backgrounds and experience to discuss better ways to use the resources available to address some of the major problems facing society.

He said that while it was important that the community looked towards a solution to these issues, it was just as vital that the causes were also examined more closely.

'This is where we can really make a difference. By putting more effort into preventing the problems from occurring in the first place we can achieve better outcomes and prevent a lot of pain and suffering in the community,' Professor Postle said.

'At USQ there is research underway which is looking at possible causes of various social problems, which we hope to bring to the attention of governments to help with the development of policies and processes that might make a difference.

'We must all work together to bring good ideas to the table. We can’t expect others to do the work for us. These are problems faced by the community and the answers lie in a more active and compassionate community finding the solutions.'

The public lecture is free and will be held on Tuesday, August 3 in the QCWA Hall at 6.45pm. Bookings close on July 30.

A public lecture on Youth Suicide will be held on September 14, and the third on Youth Driving Programs is planned for November 9.

For more information, contact Mary McGilvray on 46311414 or email usqccbp@usq.edu.au