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Maybe we are bias, but how good is this shot?! Local holiday adventurer Terry Lyons at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with his copy of the Cooroy Rag in hand. Onya Terry! Where have you taken the Cooroy Rag? Let us know and send your photos to editorial@cooroyrag.com.au
I 18 March 2025
Stay dingo safe on K’gari
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Fiery flamenco performance
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Farming tragedies highlight urgent need for safety protocols BY SARAH JANE SCOTT AUSTRALIAN farm fatalities more than doubled last year, making it one of the deadliest years for the agriculture sector. Authorities are urging farmers and rural workers to take extra precautions following the recent string of tragic incidents, as 2025 is proving to be just as dangerous for farmers. According to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ), the agriculture industry consistently records some of the highest workplace fatality rates in the state. The most recent
data from Safe Work Australia and WHSQ indicates that farming accounts for a significant proportion of workplace deaths despite employing a relatively small percentage of the workforce. Queensland's Office of Industrial Relations reports that between 2018 and 2023, there were approximately 35 to 40 agriculturerelated fatalities in Queensland, and hundreds of serious injuries requiring hospitalisation. "Vehicle incidents, including quad bikes, tractors and other farm machinery, continue to be the leading cause of farm-related
fatalities," a spokesperson for WHSQ said. On 9 March a man was airlifted to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital following a tractor accident on the Fraser Coast. The man in his 50s was treated by a LifeFlight critical care doctor and a Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) flight paramedic for multiple injuries, before being flown to Sunshine Coast University Hospital with abdominal and pelvic trauma. An emerging trend noted by Queensland safety authorities is the increasing number of incidents
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involving older farmers (65+ years), who face higher risks due to declining physical capabilities while often continuing to work alone on farms. Quad bike accidents are also increasing. Since 2001, Queensland and NSW have recorded more than 57 deaths, with a further 21 fatalities linked to side-by-side vehicles. SafeWork is urging farmers to adopt key safety practices, including choosing appropriate vehicles for the terrain, avoiding steep slopes, riding at safe speeds, wearing helmets, and ensuring that
seatbelts are used in side-by-side vehicles. Authorities also issued renewed warnings after a child was killed in a buggy crash on a property in Cooran in September 2024. In November, there were two more farming fatalities in NSW which occurred within just 24 hours. “These two fatalities within such a short space of time are tragic, and my sympathies go out to their families, friends and communities,” Trent Curtain, head of SafeWork NSW said. Continued page 3
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