MADDA

19/06/2026

Toni's sister, Tracy, passed away from mesothelioma when she was only 49 years old.

Mesothelioma is the terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. MADDA provides specialist support to those with mesothelioma and their families.

Toni is leading the Step Up Challenge for Team WA.

The Step Up Challenge is a 31-day initiative by the Viridian Foundation to get Australians moving & raise funds for a meaningful cause.

MADDA is Viridian's chosen charity for WA.

Toni is keen to get other West Australians involved and raise vital funds to help support those who need it the most: "So that other families get support and we can help spread awareness about this awful disease.”

Join Team WA to raise vital funds for MADDA.

SIGN UP HERE: https://step-up-challenge-2026-madda.raiselysite.com/

18/06/2026

👟👏Let's get physical - join us & get moving for Team WA!

We're calling on individuals, teams & businesses to sign up to The Step Up Challenge starting 1 July.

The Step Up Challenge is a 31-day initiative by the Viridian Foundation to get Australians moving, raise funds for a meaningful cause and create an impact for those who need it most.

Mesothelioma and Dust Diseases Australia (MADDA) is Viridian's chosen charity for WA.

MORE INFO: Landing page

How it works:
1) Download the Step Up app and register: free & available on the iOs or Android
2) Join the WA Team
3) Pay $31 registration per person (tax-deductible)
4) Donate to kick off your challenge and start fundraising (tax-deductible)
5) Set your goals, track your progress through the app & get moving for 31 days!

SIGN UP HERE: https://step-up-challenge-2026-madda.raiselysite.com/

16/06/2026

"It was awful. It was so sudden. We lost him within six months."

Dale lost his father to mesothelioma. We don't want this to be the story of other WA families.

Donate this EOFY and help us change this. ➡️www.madda.org.au/donate

16/06/2026

It's not the first. It's not the second. We are in the third wave of asbestos disease.

Our community, and importantly our industry, still requires greater awareness and education.

Here’s why:
🔵WA has one of the highest incidences of mesothelioma in the world.
🔵Mesothelioma is the terminal cancer caused by asbestos.

➡️Donate this EOFY and ABN Group will match your donation: www.madda.org.au/donate

05/06/2026

WA, it’s time to stand up and take notice. We don't want our young tradies dying in their 40's of a preventable disease.

➡️Donate this EOFY: www.madda.org.au/donate
ABN Group will match your donation, dollar for dollar.

🔵Matched giving up to $50,000.

05/06/2026

New Curtin University research has found lung cancer screening programs may be failing Australians with a history of asbestos exposure.

MADDA Board Members, Dr Fraser Brims and Peter Franklin, are among the co-authors of this research published in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) journal.

The research found that current screening programs largely rely on age and smoking history to identify who should be tested. This leaves people who don’t fit that criteria but were exposed to asbestos decades ago - through work in , , and manufacturing - are being overlooked.

For state with a legacy of asbestos and one of the highest rates of in the world, this is a serious blind spot.

The researchers are calling for exposure, including its duration and intensity, to be factored into national screening criteria.

Read the article 👉 https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/media-release/study-reveals-asbestos-blind-spot-in-lung-cancer-screening-may-cost-lives/

View the research 👉 https://oem.bmj.com/content/early/2026/05/25/oemed-2025-110249?utm_source=nationaltribune&utm_medium=nationaltribune&utm_campaign=news

New Curtin University research has found Australians exposed to asbestos could be falling through the cracks of lung cancer screening programs. The study, p ...

03/06/2026

Asbestos discovered at Fremantle Hospital's expansion site has contributed to a $25 million cost blowout, bringing the project from $63 million to more than $88 million.

⚠ Australia still has an estimated 6.2 million tonnes of in the built environment, so stories like this show the scale and impact of this problem.

Asbestos contamination is a costly reality in and redevelopment across WA.

Exposure risks are significant, especially for our WA tradies, which is why we continue to raise awareness and promote to safe work practices across WA worksites.

Read more 👉 https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/asbestos-construction-costs-blamed-for-25-million-fremantle-hospital-blowout-20260602-p60377.html


WorkSafe Western Australia

Construction on the expansion kicked off in January 2024, when the government said the redevelopment was set to cost $63 million.

02/06/2026

We are thrilled to welcome Maxine Wood to our team as a Support Nurse Coordinator.

Maxine brings over 30 years of experience across palliative care, oncology, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy services in Australia and the UK.

Maxine will be offering phone and in-person support:
🗓️ Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
⏰ 8.30am to 4.30pm.

We’re excited to have her experience and care strengthening our team.

Welcome Maxine!👏

27/05/2026

It was a privilege for our Chairman Bruce Watkins and Managing Director Cate Harman to join the team at MATES in Construction WA at Crown for their annual lunch on Friday.

Over 800 people across the , mining and energy sectors came together to raise awareness and funds for and su***de prevention in the industry.

👉 Su***de is one of the leading causes of death in Australia's construction industry, which is why MATES' mental health support services and 24/7 helpline are so critical.

Having just completed a dust disease and mental health campaign with MATES as part of , the lunch was a fitting close to this initiative.

Well done to Liam C., Sinead Donovan and the MATES team for another fantastic event 👏

📸 Liam Cubbage, CEO of MATES in Construction WA with Cate Harman, Managing Director of MADDA.