With over 13,000 young people in NSW alone without a secure place to sleep tonight, it’s time we talked about youth homelessness and the critical lack of housing security for young people across our region. Nicky unpacks this issue with Kristy Puckeridge, Manager at Southern Youth and Family Services (SYFS) on this vital episode of Community Matters. Kristy speaks to the range of issues that impact on housing security for Australian youth with lack of affordable housing options and pove...

With 32% of Australia’s population born overseas Australia is truly a nation of immigrants with a strong and diverse multicultural identity. On this episode Nicky speaks with Allyson Pazos, Manager for Youth and Refugee Services at MCCI (Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra) about the important work they are doing in community supporting former refugees and new migrants to the region. Nicky and Allyson discuss the challenges for new settlers from refugee backgrounds and the fa...

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide that may be upsetting or triggering for some listeners. Resources and support are available and listed at the bottom of the show notes below. In this episode of Community Matters Nicky talks with Lachlan Stevens, Director Founder and Veteran, about the importance of “a sense of purpose” and the work he is doing to support veterans transition out of military life and into fulfilling opportunities after serving their country.&...

“It’s a little bit mind blowing!” says Nicky in this vital episode as she talks Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Jagdeep Singh, Emerging Technologies and Innovation Specialist. Jagdeep and Nicky take a much-needed look at the “big gap” that exists between the use of AI in the workplace and the boardroom and the guardrails, the guidance and the policy that guides staff and directors around organisational approaches to the use of this new technology. The shift in capability of AI has be...

On this important episode of Community Matters Nicky talks with Karen Burdett, CEO of Greenacres Disability Services, and dives into the benefits of employment inclusion and the challenges we face today as a result of Australia not keeping pace with the OECD levels of employment for people with disability. Just reaching OECD averages on disability employment would see 117,000 people with disability employed and $11.9 billion in value to the GDP of the country. Karen articulates the benefits f...

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual violence and disturbing content that may be upsetting or triggering for some listeners. Please use your discretion when deciding whether to continue listening. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, resources and support are available and listed at the bottom of the show notes below. ************* In this challenging and thought-provoking episode Nicky chats with Tracy Lumb, the Manager of Shoalhaven...

In this episode Nicky speaks with Alice Lans the CEO of Noah’s Inclusion Services to better understand how allied health disability services support functional outcomes for children with disability. Alice is a Speech Pathologist by training and now leads a dedicated team of allied health professionals, support workers and early childhood educators at Noah’s all of whom are working together to support functional and developmental outcomes for kids with disability. Alice talks abou...

In this enjoyable episode Nicky chats with Amarni Harris, a young Personal Care Worker with Warrigal Care. With a workforce twice the size of the entire mining industry in Australia, aged care needs great people and faces an urgent need to grow the workforce to meet the increasing demand. For anyone considering a career in aged care this episode demystifies the pathways to getting into the sector, from volunteering, to certificate courses, to tertiary qualifications and the great oppor...

In this powerful NAIDOC Week special celebrating the 2025 theme of "Next Generation: Strength Vision and Legacy," host Nicky sits down with Charlie Ashby, Cultural Lead for Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre in the Shoalhaven. This is a conversation that will transform how you think about cultural healing and community connection. “We are in good hands” says Charlie as he opens up about the incredible work happening at Cullunghutti, where children are strengthening their cu...

“There’s got to be food and it’s got to be fun!” explains Bellambi Neighbourhood Centre Coordinator Cath Daly about her approach to supporting community health and wellbeing. Nicky talks to Cath about supporting families and kids by providing nutritious breakfasts and packed lunches and a place to connect and share. After school programs, bingo and other community initiatives sees this little centre under Cath’s passionate leadership providing essential supports to the community. Nicky ...

Send us a text In this powerful conversation, Nicky dives deep into fairness, equity, and social justice with Craig Foster AM—former Socceroos captain, sports broadcaster, author, human rights advocate and 2023 NSW Australian of the Year. Nicky and Craig discuss how his own life journey took him from country NSW and a sheltered worldview to a broader, more diverse and inclusive perspective shaped by exposure to the people and communities he experienced through his soccer career and his activi...

Send us a text This week Nicky talks to Ed Birt, Senior Policy Specialist at the Community Industry Group, about the shift towards a risk proportionate registration model for disability service providers that is coming to the NDIS. In December 2023 the NDIS Review recommended a risk proportionate registration model where all providers are registered based on the level of risk and complexity of their services. Ed explains that presently only 6% of NDIS providers are registered.&n...

Send us a text Statistics show, despite years of disability employment strategies, rates of employment for people with a disability remain much lower than the general population. On this episode Nicky takes a deep dive with Rod Von Clark the CEO of the Flagstaff Group to understand why. Rod talks about some of the systemic and cultural barriers to people with disability achieving employment. While getting a job is generally regarded as a great achievement and important to ...

Send us a text New research from the University of Wollongong reveals concerning levels of food insecurity for families across the Illawarra Shoalhaven region (see link below). On this episode Nicky speaks with Danna Nelse, Manager of the Albion Park & Albion Park Rail Neighbourhood Centres, who is on the front line of seeing the impacts of food insecurity on families and individuals. A situation which she says is very real and only getting worse. The Neighbourhood Centr...

Send us a text In this Episode, Nicky is joined by Maria Corsiglia - Centre Manager, Barnardo's South Coast Children's Family Centre. Maria gives insights into how lack of access to public transport impacts the lives of people in vulnerable circumstances. Using real life examples, Maria explores how vulnerable families are further disadvantaged by being unable to access services and supports. A poignant example is the story of the single mum who lost her job due to lack of transport and how t...

Send us a text In this important episode Nicky talks with Kim Bertino. Kim is the Chief Executive Officer of Big Fat Smile, a not-for-profit provider in the Illawarra providing Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services. Kim and Nicky discuss the multiple impacts on children, families and communities of a lack of access to quality affordable ECEC and the existence of "childcare deserts" often in regions which correspond with other forms of multiple compounding disadvantage...

Send us a text Aged Care, Ageing and Dementia Advocate, Val Fell joins Nicky to give a very personal account of being a patient who has experienced the impact of bed block. A member of the Minister’s Council of Elders and the National Older Persons’ Reference Group, Val was taken into hospital for a medical emergency and spent 3 weeks in a locked geriatric dementia ward – despite not having dementia and having spent decades working for better outcomes for people living with dementia and their...

Send us a text In our third episode focusing on “Bed Block,” Nicky is shocked to learn that older people admitted to hospital are staying, on average, over 16 times longer than younger people. This is “Bed Block,” where people no longer in need of acute care are unable to leave the hospital due to a lack of availability of residential care or not having the supports at home to meet their needs. In this episode, Nicky talks with Tanya Southworth, the Coordinator of the Supported Transition Ass...

Send us a text Aged care consultant Mark Sewell joins Nicky on this episode of the podcast bringing his wealth of knowledge and insights into the crisis facing the Health Care system due to “bed block”. Bed block is where people are unable to leave the acute care hospital setting due to lack of availability of residential care or not having the supports at home to meet their needs. Mark steps through the demographic trends, including the arrival of the Baby Boomer generation now...

Send us a text Local Health District CEO, Margot Mains joins us to explore how hospitals are coping with the nearly 200 older people in hospital who need to move to, or return to, residential care. Margot explains how this impacts both older people who need and deserve specialised aged care, and health care opportunities for the whole community. Together we explore what the health district team are doing to actively address the current situation, and how the health sector is working with o...