In a community shadowed by addiction and public health crises, a brave voice is emerging to turn despair into action.
Judy Ryan, an advocate for community-based health solutions, is encouraging the Shepparton region to take a stand against the issues of drug and alcohol abuse during a panel discussion at the Shepparton Library on Thursday, November 14.
Joining her will be a distinguished panel of local experts, including Maria Hutchison, a trauma practitioner and former chief executive of The Cottage; Professor Edward Ogden, an addiction medicine specialist at GV Health; and associate professor Bernadette Ward from Monash University’s Rural Health Office.
ABC Radio presenter Nic Healey will moderate the conversation.
Ms Ryan’s journey as an activist emerged from personal experiences and a deep concern for her community.
Born and raised in Wangaratta, she later raised her family in Wodonga before relocating to Richmond, where she became acutely aware of the drug crisis.
“We moved there (Richmond) in 2012, and I was shocked at the extent of the public health crisis,” she said.
“We couldn’t get in or out of our homes because someone had overdosed.
“People are dying in our streets, and no-one is doing anything.
“I said, ‘they’ should do something, and my husband John said, ‘who’s they?’”
This sparked her journey into activism focused on harm reduction and evidence-based solutions.
Motivated by her experiences, Ms Ryan launched a community campaign advocating for a medically supervised injecting room (MSIR) in Richmond, which officially opened its doors in 2018.
“I googled ‘heroin overdose deaths and saving lives’ and found the Sydney injecting room,” she said.
“I thought, that’s what we need in Richmond … but what could I do?”
In October 2016, Ms Ryan boldly stood as an independent local government candidate on the sole issue of the supervised injecting facility.
Her efforts led her to visit the Sydney facility, where she witnessed firsthand the respectful treatment provided to individuals struggling with addiction.
“It treated people with respect, kept them alive, and offered counselling and rehabilitation services,” Ms Ryan said.
Through community forums and rallies in 2017, Ms Ryan built a coalition of supporters that ultimately swayed the government, along with three coroners’ reports recommending the facility.
As a result, Richmond’s MSIR became a reality, transitioning to a permanent facility in 2023.
Despite media scrutiny and public scepticism, Ms Ryan maintains that the facility is thriving and effective.
“Trained staff have managed more than 9000 overdoses, with no deaths in the facility,” she said.
“Two independent reviews have been very positive. It has reduced the number of people injecting, overdosing and dying in residents’ gardens and carports and the disruption caused by ambulances.
“The public is always way ahead of the media, the institutions, and the politicians about their community’s needs.”
At the forthcoming panel, Ms Ryan hopes to ignite a similar spirit of activism in Shepparton.
“People can become activists without marching up and down the street,” she said.
“It can be as easy as contacting your local politician: we can change the world just by doing that.”
Addiction, Advocacy and Community Action is on Thursday, November 14, from 5.30pm to 7pm at the Shepparton Library, 41-42 Marungi St, Shepparton.
The event is free, but booking in advance is encouraged.
To book, call Shepparton Library at 1300 374 765, email shepparton@gvlibraries.com.au or visit www.gvlibraries.com.au/event/!/133/event/addiction-advocacy-and-community-action