A COMMUNITY information session will be held at the Forster Surf Life Saving Club on Thursday June 3 from 3.30pm to 7pm following the fatal shark attack that occurred on Nine Mile Beach last week.
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The event, hosted by Surf Life Saving NSW, the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) and the Department of Primary Industries will offer the community of Forster-Tuncurry an opportunity to come together to hear experts talk about beach safety, shark mitigation strategies, shark behaviour and the effects of trauma as well as seek mental health support following this traumatic incident.
Community members are invited to drop in at any time or attend one of the presentations by RAMHP and the DPI at 4.30pm and 6.30pm on Thursday.
The mental wellbeing of communities has been identified as a priority following these incidents.
RAMHP spokesperson Matthew Milne said tragedies like these can create a high level of trauma within communities and the ongoing effects can last for some time after the newspaper headlines have disappeared.
"We know that many residents of coastal communities see the beach as their happy place where they can de-stress and unwind, but when that place becomes a place of fear, people's mental health can suffer as a result," Mr Milne said.
People who have been traumatised can experience a wide range of emotions.
"There is no 'normal' way of experiencing trauma because everyone is different and most people will start to feel like themselves again with the help and support of friends or family.
"However, some people may need the help of a mental health professional and RAMHP is well positioned within communities like Forster-Tuncurry to provide links when necessary," he explained.
Surf Life Saving Lower North Coast duty officer Brian Wilcox responded to assist with the incident last week and agrees that many locals and the surf life saving community are in shock.
"Our role is to protect and save lives so when tragedies like this occur it deeply affects our volunteer lifesavers," Mr Wilcox said.
"We have our own member welfare support systems in place but it helps enormously to come together as a community so people can air their fears and concerns and know they are not dealing with this alone."
Matthew Milne added that it's not just people who were directly involved in the incident who are at risk of experiencing trauma.
"Sometimes people who hear or read about an incident can be affected without being directly involved. This is called vicarious trauma and is very common after high profile incidents within close communities."
