Echuca’s Dr Sue Harrison will chair the Senior Victorian Advisory Committee.
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Associate Professor Sue Harrison has been appointed chair of the new Senior Victorian Advisory Committee, tasked with providing a voice to the state government on the lived experiences of older Victorians.
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Dr Harrison, a rural GP and educator, has had a 40-year career working in Echuca and as part of the team at Echuca Regional Health.
“I grew up in the country, and after medical school at the University of Melbourne, we moved to Echuca,” Dr Harrison said.
“I did further training to be a GP anaesthetist in the UK, and we chose to return and work in Echuca in 1989.
“The highlight for me is the relationships I’ve had with my patients over time, from someone who has assisted with the delivery of babies to providing aged care and palliative care.
“The whole journey through is something that has been a great joy.
“The other thing is the relationship I’ve had with the staff I’ve worked with, both in general practice and at the hospital.”
Dr Harrison highlighted the importance of rural perspectives.
“I think our older people need to be able to be cared for close to their family and friends, and it is just such an important thing to be in the community that they feel part of,” she said.
The Senior Victorian Advisory Committee will inform government policy and programs, including the implementation of the Ageing Well Action Plan 2022-2026.
The 12-member committee comprises eight community members and four sector representatives, reflecting the diversity of older Victorians.
Members were chosen from applicants aged 60 and over, with First Nations people 50 and over also eligible.
Comprising 12 members, the Senior Victorian Advisory Committee includes diverse community and sector representatives. Front row — Gabrielle Gamble, Sue Harrison, Jan Laidlaw and Switchboard senior policy lead Dr Lara Hedberg. Back row— Van Pho, Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria chief executive Farrah Farouque, Municipal Association of Victoria director community and sector development Kath Brackett, Mariamma John, Linette Harriott, Victorian Ageing Minister Ingrid Stitt (who is not on the committee), Brenda Appleton, Dr Chukwudozie Ezigbalike, Council on the Ageing Victoria chief executive Ben Rogers.
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The committee’s role includes sharing perspectives, advising on priority issues for older people, raising awareness about seniors’ contributions and promoting respect.
Dr Harrison stressed the importance of diverse viewpoints.
“The committee is trying to reflect a variety of perspectives, whether rural or urban, from people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people from the LGBTQTI+ backgrounds and First Nations representatives,” she said.
“It is an opportunity to discuss, certainly among the group, any issue that the government might think is relevant to us, but also bring issues to government that we see as important for their consideration.
“I would be hopeful that they would use the advice as part of their consideration of any change to legislation, funding or those sorts of things, but mostly, I see that its importance is to avoid unintended consequences.
“Because I think sometimes people have ideas that might look great from a quick perspective, but sometimes the consequences of what they do and the impacts on older people haven’t always been considered.”
Appointed for a three-year term ending in 2027, the committee aims to provide valuable input to the government.
Dr Harrison's extensive rural healthcare experience and advocacy for older Victorians make her well-suited for the role.
Her insights into challenges faced by senior Victorians, particularly in rural areas, will be crucial in shaping policies that address this diverse population’s needs.
“It’s essential to have someone with lived rural experiences, and I have the advantage, I think, of having not just had my journey and the journey of my parents and my husband to deal with, but also having to be the advocate on many occasions for my patients,” she said.
