Men's Sheds

Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson) [2.12 p.m.]: We have a growing phenomenon of men's sheds in our community. One already in the electorate of Davidson is the Forest Community Men's Shed and another is planned for the Ku-ring-gai council area. I outline some of the reasons for men's sheds and information about our new Forest Community Men's Shed. Our society is always on the move with sociological and technical advancement. This has resulted in our average life expectancy on this planet getting longer and our working lives getting shorter. Life in the workplace can be as brutal as ever these days. Where people were once tolerated in jobs until 65 regardless of their output, these days they can be out the door once their manager decides their use-by date has been reached. Consequently, we have many men with skills to offer and time on their hands. I understand that today only 50 per cent of men over 50 have a full-time job let alone one of their own choosing and that the average age of persons who commute to the Sydney CBD each day is just 33.

Middle age can be a difficult time for males. One or more issues such as job loss, family breakdown, social isolation, living alone and poor health, including depression, can strike many of us. The present drought has caused further distress amongst rural men. Quite a few of these men have found a new outlet in their local shed. Other important parts of the shed are a noticeboard where health information can be displayed and the kitchen/meeting room where men can discuss matters such as financial stresses. Over the last six months we have seen a downturn in financial markets, with a corresponding drop in many retirees' income and financial security. Women are in a somewhat different situation because traditionally they are boss of the kitchen, if not the house. For some, men's sheds are the equivalent, for women, of the kitchen or Country Women's Association rooms.

It is interesting how the two societies of England and Australia have a different approach to men's activities in middle age. England is the land of communal gardens and there are 7,800 sites in cities and towns where men can plant vegetables and then sit on seats outdoors and watch them grow. In Australia we now try to keep people out of the sun, hence the indoor activity of men's sheds. The first task for the Forest men was to outfit the shed with partitions, workbenches and shelves. Projects in the men's sheds include repairs to personal items and community items for charities and small repairs to assist the aged to live longer in their own homes. There is a possibility of limited training for younger persons who are having trouble fitting into the workforce to obtain a simple saleable skill.

On 3 April the Forest Community Men's Shed opened after three years of hard work from a small team. As Parliament was sitting, I visited the shed and met the guys a couple of weeks later. The principal sponsors of this shed project are the Lions Club of Frenchs Forest, the Rotary Club of Belrose, and Uniting Care Ageing Northern Sydney Region, which has helped to establish four men's sheds in northern Sydney. The project was managed by the Lions Club as a community service project under the leadership of club member Tim O'Sullivan. Other organisations contributing to the project are Warringah Council Aged Services and the Forestville RSL sub-branch, which has about 600 veterans. The sub-branch helped to secure a grant of $36,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs to support veteran involvement in the project. Many individuals in the local community also assisted with donations of timber, tools and equipment.

Commonwealth and State governments need to better address how to keep middle-aged workers in the workforce longer, particularly with the growing local skills shortages. Workplaces have possibly swung too much to being the preserve of younger workers. We need an improved culture of younger and older workers both taking their rightful place at work. The Australian Men's Sheds Association, underwritten by the Northern Sydney Region of Uniting Care Ageing, is doing great work in assisting sheds across Australia, particularly new sheds and sheds in rural areas. Men's sheds are proving to be an important part of the fabric of our community, with over 200 now running across Australia. Mindful of their social and therapeutic value, I urge all members to assist in the establishment of further men's sheds in their local communities. Finally, I am pleased to note also the work of Kevin Callinan and his committee, who are working towards establishing a men's shed in the Ku-ring-gai area.