Invisible Heroes

Floods, Fires And First Responders: Andrew Fletcher

If you spend your professional life planning the best ways to protect the community, how heartbreaking would it be when you can't protect the ones you love most.Andrew Fletcher is a unit commander for the NSW SES. During last year’s bushfires, while he worked on the NSW mid north coast coordinating relief efforts in the region, his own son lost his home to bushfire on the south coast. Andrew has served in the armed forces, fought fires, floods, been on the scene at horrific road accidents on our rural highways, and through it all he has remained focussed and caring - in his own words. In his spare time he's fought for recognition for WWI nurses from his hometown of Bathurst, and has dipped his toe into natural heritage with the team at Jenolan Caves. With a life so colourfully lived, his story is one not to be missed. CREDITSGuest: Andrew FletcherHost: Madeleine WestExecutive Producer: Elise CooperEditors: Hannah Bowman and Elise CooperAudio Engineer: David Cooper LINKS Lifeline 13 11 14 or https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Soldier On, help for returned servicemen and women https://soldieron.org.au/connect-hub/ Young Diggers https://youngdiggers.com.au/ Volunteer with your SES NSW https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/ QLD https://www.ses.qld.gov.au/volunteer/Pages/default.aspx VIC https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/volunteer SA https://www.ses.sa.gov.au/home/volunteer/ ACT https://esa.act.gov.au/ WA https://dfes.vol.org.au/ NT https://pfes.nt.gov.au/join-us/become-emergency-service-volunteer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sex Work In Modern Australia: Tash & Ellie

When it comes to sex work, people have a lot of assumptions. And more often than not they are of a pretty negative or judgemental nature. But, when you take a closer look at the industry you can see that escorts are care givers in the same way that nurses or occupational therapists are. But they’re working within a field that has long been associated with shame and seen as something to keep behind closed doors. CREDITS Host: Madeleine WestGuests: Ellie & TashExecutive Producer: Elise CooperEditors: Hannah Bowman & Elise CooperSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could We Have A World Without Wood: Ross Hampton & Dean Kearney

Although many of us may not notice, modern life relies heavily on forest products. Did you recently receive a package in the post? Was it in a cardboard box? Is there a printed label on the cans of veggies in your pantry? Yet, when most people hear the word ‘logging’ they’d probably immediately think of deforestation and environment destruction. Ross Hampton and Dean Kearney are two men whose job it is to make sure that the trees in this country that are cut down for everyday products, are done so sustainably. Ross is the CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association and Dean is from Forestry NSW. For this episode of Invisible Heroes Madeleine sat down with Ross and Dean, in the middle of a forest, to find out if there is even such a thing as sustainable forestry. CREDITS Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest Guests: Ross Hampton and Dean Kearney Executive Producer: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper Assistant Producer: Hannah Bowman @itshannahbowman Technical Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events northcoastevents.com.au LINKS Forestry Corporation - https://bit.ly/2HrshPF Australian Forest Products Association - https://bit.ly/3dMSJiE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Secret Life Of A Private Investigator: Ken Gamble

What does a Private Investigator actually do? What sort of person hires a PI? In this episode of Invisible Heroes I am speaking with Ken Gamble - a professional cybercrime investigator and surveillance specialist with 30 years experience in the private sector. Most recently Ken has also been consulting with the family of missing Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez. Theo disappeared 18 months ago in far northern NSW in the Byron Bay region. The then 18 year old vanished after leaving a Byron Bay nightclub at around 11pm on May 31st of 2019. Ken has been looking into the case on behalf of Theo’s family – and thinks there’s more to his disappearance than we have been told. CREDITS Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest Guest: Ken Gamble Executive Producer: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper Assistant Producer: Hannah Bowman @itshannahbowman Technical Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events northcoastevents.com.au LINKS Ken can be contacted via IFW global at ifwglobal.com The latest news about Theo Hayez’ disappearance can be found at looking4theo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Replanting Australia’s Rainforests: Maximo Bottaro & Michael Martin

What are you doing to save the planet? Would you quit your big time job in the city and take up planting rainforests? That sounds like a fantasy, but it’s one that Michael Martin made his reality. Along with Maximo Bottaro the duo founded Reforest Now, an organisation whose mission is to grow and plant trees that will reforest cleared land in subtropical Australia and stand for generations to come. Their vision is to see this region as Australia's largest expanse of subtropical rainforest once again. Maximo and Michael sit down with Madeleine in the middle of a rainforest to explain why their work is so important, and what everyday people can do to help. CREDITS Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest Guests: Maximo Bottaro and Michael Martin @reforestnow_australiaExecutive Producer: Elise Cooper @elisejcooperAssistant Producer: Hannah Bowman @itshannahbowmanTechnical Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events northcoastevents.com.au LINKS Reforest Now https://www.reforestnow.org.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.