Unanswered

Mr Flynn’s response, The Weekly Advertiser, July 22 edition, to my letter begins by attributing to me arguments I did not make. 

Rather than addressing the question I actually raised, he responds to one of his own creation.

My letter neither criticised his campaigning nor suggested alternative actions. 

It asked one question: whether the claims that Horsham West Primary School was ‘unsafe’ and ‘chaotic’ were supported by objective evidence.

Mr Flynn asks whether his list of actions is the evidence I was seeking. It is not. 

The issue was never whether he had campaigned on this matter; it was whether the original claims were supported by evidence. 

Meetings, signage changes, patrols, reports and grant applications may demonstrate that concerns were raised and actions were taken, but they do not, by themselves, establish that the area was unsafe and chaotic as described.

Actions taken in response to concerns do not automatically prove that the original description of the situation was accurate. 

Evidence that a campaign led to changes is not the same as evidence that the underlying conditions met the threshold of being unsafe and chaotic.

Mr Flynn refers readers to the Municipal Monitor’s report. I have read the report and could not identify any finding relevant to the safety claims under discussion.

Mr Flynn is entitled to continue raising concerns and advocating for change. However, repeated assertions do not become evidence through repetition.

The question has remained the same throughout this exchange: was the description of the area as ‘unsafe’ and ‘chaotic’ supported by objective evidence?  It remains unanswered.

Kath Dumesny, Horsham 

Call to action

Suicide in rural Victoria is a growing crisis that can no longer be ignored. 

Behind every statistic is a family, a friend, a young person, a community member whose life matters deeply.  

2037 people died from suicide in 2018 to 2025 in regional Victoria. (AIHW, 2025) 

There are no words to describe this staggering figure or an ability to measure the impact this has on our communities. 

People living in rural communities often face greater barriers to mental health support – isolation, drought/flood pressures, financial stress, limited services, and stigma around seeking help. 

These challenges demand local solutions driven by community connection and early intervention. 

Headspace Horsham and our consortium have been motivated to seek preventative measures in aim to reduce suicide in our region.

We are working to become a Live4Life community and are calling to community partnerships, which is an integral element of the model.  

The Live4Life model is the only mental health education and youth suicide prevention model designed specifically for rural communities. 

It’s a long-term prevention approach rooted in a whole of community model designed specifically to improve youth mental health and reduce suicide in rural areas. 

The program takes a whole of school approach over multiple years to build and strengthen a culture that supports positive mental outcomes. 

Young people in our community deserve better mental health support and we can make that happen together. 

We will be co-hosting a community information session with Live4Life on Wednesday, September 16 at 10am at Federation University where you can find out about the Live4Life model, what it means to be a Life4Life community and how you can be involved. 

Please register your interest at form.jotform.com/261968162825063.

Every life lost to suicide is one too many. 

Together, we can build stronger, safer, and more  connected rural communities where people feel seen, supported, and hopeful. 

We need community partnerships to become a Live4Life community. We look forward to exploring how you could be involved.  

Kate Waterworth, manager, youth mental health + wellbeing,  Headspace Horsham 

The entire July 29, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

The entire July 29, 2026 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!