Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 29 July, I stood in the darkness of the early morning at the foot of the Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club and listened to the waves roll in. I was awaiting first light and preparing myself to embark on a 42 kilometre journey along Adelaide's beautiful beaches. The walk was to honour our war dead and raise money to assist those veterans who have returned home and are still affected by their service. I was joined by my fellow veterans, their families and friends.

This event is organised each year by Walk for a Veteran. I hold the honour of being one of their ambassadors. Walk for a Veteran's focus is to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress and its effects. This stress not only affects those who serve but also affects their family and friends, many of whom struggle with supporting their loved ones when they are suffering from the impacts of their service. Walk for a Veteran not only supports our veterans but also supports South Australia's first responders. First responders suffer from the same mental stress as experienced by our ADF personnel. It's not uncommon for our paramedics, police officers and firefighters to experience trauma on a daily basis, often on more than one occasion each shift, before having to go home and trying to live a normal life with their loved ones.

At dawn and before we stepped off, the chair, veteran and founder of Walk for a Veteran, Chad McLaren, delivered a rousing speech and then we embarked on our adventure. The journey took us north along the beach until we reached West Lakes, before we began our return journey to Seacliff. During the day, we walked along some of the most beautiful beaches that our country has to offer. This amazing setting allowed each of us the space to contemplate those less fortunate than ourselves and especially those who bear the scars of their service. One of the more poignant moments was the passing of the Brighton Arch of Remembrance in the early light of the day. The arch left us in no doubt about the reason for our endeavours.

This year's Walk for a Veteran event was organised in collaboration with Australian Partners of Defence, better known as APOD. APOD was founded by veterans and is Australia's official veterans benefits program linking businesses to the veteran community. This allowed businesses to tailor their services to the needs of veteran families and, in doing so, recognise the sacrifices that veterans and their families have made to the service of our nation. APOD CEO, Paul Broadbridge, and his staff walked with us and provided incredible support to the event.

I thank them for all their hard work to make the day a success. Funds raised from this year's event will be donated to Partners of Veterans Association of Australia to fund student scholarships as well as to police families through the charity SA Police Legacy. I thank all of those who took part in the walk and supported this event, especially the many volunteers who could not do enough for our walkers. I look forward to supporting this great initiative next year.