Soroptimist International Mackay

11/06/2026

Mackay community,
Your voice is important in this conversation. There is a Federal Inquiry to Access and Affordability of Medical Specialists. The diverse needs of our region are not being met and you could make the difference. Please consider joining the conversation by completing a submission before 16 October.
Out sisters of Soroptimist International Brisbane have submitted their concerns. Mackay and surrounding areas now is your chance to speak up.
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Health_Aged_Care_and_Disability/Medicalspecialists

📢 ADVOCATING FOR HEALTH EQUITY: SI BRISBANE SUBMITS TO NATIONAL INQUIRY 🇦🇺🩺
SI Brisbane has officially lodged a comprehensive technical submission to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability Inquiry into access to and affordability of medical specialists in Australia.
Our submission, ‘From Access to Equity: Embedding Gender-Responsive Reform in Australia’s Specialist Healthcare System,’ examines how structural inequities are turning healthcare access into a postcode lottery—particularly for women, children, and regional communities. With Australia’s ranking for healthcare access declining sharply among high-income nations, we are calling for urgent reforms aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1, 3, 5, 10, 11, and 16).

⚠️ Our submission highlights four critical system failures:
📉 The Care Penalty (SDG 5): Specialist gap fees have surged an astronomical 136% over 13 years (averaging $117.18), outstripping CPI. Consequently, women face an average 10-year diagnostic lag for conditions like endometriosis and are penalised $3,670 annually in out-of-pocket costs due to widespread medical dismissal.
📍 The Postcode Lottery (SDG 11): Regional Queenslanders travel 4.2 times further for specialist care than urban residents. Hidden travel costs, commercial accommodation, and lost income create a punishing ‘Health Tax’ for families.
👶 The Paediatric Access Crisis (SDG 10): With 82% of specialists concentrated in South East Queensland, regional children face waitlists exceeding 18–24 months, missing critical early intervention opportunities before age five and capping their lifetime potential.
💻 Digital Vulnerability and Telehealth Risk (SDG 16): Telehealth accounts for 25% of regional care, yet a mere 15% of virtual platforms feature baseline ‘Safety by Design’ protections. Without trauma-informed protocols, digital consultations risk enabling coercive surveillance and Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA).

💡 SI Brisbane is calling for systemic reform through:
✔️ Gender-responsive health budgeting: Overhauling biased time-tiered MBS structures and removing regulatory barriers to clinical co-consultations.
✔️ Regional specialist in-reach models: Incentivising specialists to use shared-care templates in regional hubs rather than relying on fly-in, fly-out models.
✔️ Modernisation of the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS): Implementing mandatory market indexation to shield low-income households from poverty.
✔️ Mandatory TFA and digital safety training as a baseline requirement for telehealth specialist accreditation.

HEALTH EQUITY IS ECONOMIC EQUITY. Postcode, gender, financial standing, and digital risk must never determine access to life-saving specialist care.

👇 Track the Inquiry process and outcomes:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Health_Aged_Care_and_Disability/Medicalspecialists

🔗 Learn more about our upstream advocacy work: www.siseap.org Join us, Be a Soroptimist! https://www.siseap.org/get-involved.html

10/06/2026

🗓️ 𝑺𝑨𝑽𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑬 🗓️

We are excited to announce our much-loved High Tea is on again on 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐 so mark your calendars, gather your favourite gals and get ready to frock up and show up! Raising some funds for the Trudy Crowley Foundation, this wonderful event is one not to miss!

More details to come shortly...🥂🫖🍵🍰🎉

09/06/2026

Our 2 year plan was released last month. Listen to Women's Pain - Endometriosis Matters. We are excited to be on the journey with Strong HER Together Mackay.
If you would like share your story, join the monthly Coffee n Chat, connect to grow awareness... please connect via email.

08/06/2026

Advocacy in Action: Building Safer Families and Safer Communities

Soroptimist International Mackay welcomes the release of the Queensland Government's new 10-year framework, Safer Families, Safer Communities: A Domestic and Family Violence Reform Strategy for Queensland.

The Strategy recognises that preventing domestic and family violence requires a whole-of-community response, improved access to culturally safe services, stronger accountability, and sustained action to address the underlying causes of violence, including gender inequality.

These priorities strongly align with the advocacy work that Soroptimists undertake locally, nationally, and globally.

On 29 May 2026, SI Mackay proudly stood alongside community members at the RESPECT March, demonstrating our commitment to ending domestic and family violence and promoting respect, equality, and safety for all women and girls.

Our commitment also extends through initiatives such as the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign. In 2025, SI Mackay's Yarn Against Harm display provided a powerful visual reminder of the impact of domestic and family violence within our communities while creating opportunities for meaningful conversations, awareness, and action.

While the release of this Strategy is an important step forward, real change will depend on continued collaboration, investment, education, and support reaching all Queenslanders, including those in rural, remote, First Nations, migrant, and underserved communities.

As Soroptimists, we remain committed to advocating for a world where women and girls can live free from violence and where respect, equality, and human rights are upheld for everyone.

Together, we can help create safer families and safer communities.

https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/ckan-publications-attachments-prod/resources/72c86b65-95a2-4905-a1a7-ed5608288e29/dfv-reform-strategy.pdf?ETag=a5cf006a6f4729129d7d070cf8b18d6e

07/06/2026

Happy Monday! 🌻

A crisp & sunny Saturday yielded 29 more bags for the St Vincent de Paul Society 𝐁𝐚𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 program! Another successful and thoroughly enjoyable Cut 'n Sew day done! Keep your eye out for our next one coming up on Saturday 5 September! 🧵✨

07/06/2026

07/06/2026

This year we celebrate out 50th Anniversary of gifting service in Mackay. We have very proudly sponsored the Champion Crochet Article of the Show for almost 25 years.

07/06/2026

Great way to be in community and support sustainability. 🌱👕👏

04/06/2026

Image is translated in comments.

Today, on World Environment Day, we reflect on our connection with the world around us and our shared responsibility to care for it.

At Soroptimist International Mackay, we recognise that environmental sustainability is deeply connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Regardless of our individual views on climate change, World Environment Day invites us all to do something simple yet powerful: stop and listen.

Listen to the birds at sunrise.
Observe the changing seasons.
Notice the health of our waterways, beaches, parks and gardens.
Take time to appreciate the beauty and resources that nature provides every day.

When we slow down and pay attention, we become more aware of how our actions affect the environment and future generations.

Environmental stewardship is not just about global policies or scientific debates. It is about respect, gratitude and responsibility. It is about ensuring that the places we enjoy today are cared for and protected so that those who come after us can enjoy them too.

As Soroptimists, we are committed to creating a sustainable future where people and the planet can thrive together. Today, we encourage our community to spend a few moments outdoors, embrace nature, and consider one small action that can help leave our environment in a better place than we found it.

More information at https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/

💚 What is one thing you appreciate about the environment where you live?

« Les signaux sont clairs. La suite nous appartient. »

04/06/2026

On tomorrow and we can’t wait! 🧵🪡

It’s been another big beautiful & busy week for team SI Mackay! Happy Friday all & enjoy the weekend & this glorious weather! ☀️🌻