- Published:
- Friday 9 July 2021
The Andrews Labor Government is working with Kidsafe Victoria to deliver farm safety education to early learning centres and primary schools across the state.
Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas launched the second annual Kidsafe Victoria Farm Safety Creative Competition today, with an aim to encourage kids to think about solutions to farm safety issues.
The theme for this year’s competition ‘Think Farm Safe, Be Farm Safe,’ is about teaching children to stop and think about the potential injury risks on farms and to ensure that safety is always front of mind in the farm environment.
The competition provides children with the opportunity to take an active role in investigating farm safety issues, empowering them to become part of the solution. Participants can submit a video they have created, an illustrated story, poster or collage, a radio advertisement, or an invention.
The winning entries will feature in a state-wide farm safety education campaign designed to increase farm safety awareness among Victorian parents and carers.
According to the Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit, children under the age of 15 in Victoria’s outer regional areas are four times more likely to die due to injury than children in major cities.
In 2019-20, almost 400 Victorian children under the age of 15 were treated in hospital as a result of an injury on farm.
Common injury hazards for children on farms include vehicles such as quad bikes, motorbikes and tractors, accidents involving animals, water hazards, machinery and poisons.
The Farm Safety in Schools Campaign and Creative Competition is funded by Smarter, Safer Farms, a $20 million Labor Government initiative to improve safety outcomes for Victorian farmers, their families, farm workers and visitors.
For more information on the Kidsafe Victoria’s Farm Safety Creative Competition and other learning resources, visit the Kidsafe Victoria website, with entries open until 5 November 2021.
Quote attributable to Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas
“Farms are unique environments which are often both a workplace and a home. The Farm Safety Creative Competition is encouraging future generations of Victorian farmers to take an active role in developing and promoting farm safety messages.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Workplace Safety and Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt
“Farms are a wonderful place for children to learn and grow up in – but they can also be very dangerous. This initiative gets kids and adults alike thinking about how to stay safe on farms in an interactive way.”
Quote attributable to Kidsafe Victoria General Manager Jason Chambers
“It’s important to remember that while farms can be wonderful places for children to visit and grow up, we all have a role to play in preventing serious injuries and deaths.”