25/03/2026

Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan has today written to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention requesting an immediate extension to funding for the successful Stay Afloat Program.

Established in 2020, Stay Afloat is Seafood Industry Australia’s national mental health program which works to empower seafood communities through industry-led initiatives that address mental health and wellbeing challenges. The initiative was devised to create programs ‘For Industry, By Industry’ and highlights the vital role community-driven solutions play in fostering resilience. The program attracted 189 volunteer Trusted Advocates from over 70 communities who are trained in providing Mental Health First Aid and wellbeing support for their own industry at a local level. Funding ceased in September of 2025 and has not been reinstated.

“At a time when all primary industries are being hammered with uncertainty, we can’t be reducing the services available to those in mental distress. We all know the brutal statistics around suicide within primary producer communities, and as a Federal Government we can’t be taking our hands off the wheel on this issue,” Mr Conaghan said.

“The seafood industry in our electorate has been hit particularly hard in recent years, especially our Oyster Farmers. Every minor flooding event sees oyster businesses shut for weeks if not months. And now with so many unable to access fuel, either due to price or supply, the level of stress is at fever pitch.

“These are individuals and families putting in the hard yards every day to keep food on our tables and locals in jobs, not to mention putting our region on the culinary map with the fantastic quality of seafood that they produce.

“Our food sovereignty depends on farmers of all kinds. And the Seafood Industry deserves our support. I’m asking the Ministers to reinstate this crucial funding immediately and provide certainty that support will be available for years to come.”

NSW Farmers Oyster Committee Chair and Stuarts Point Oyster Farmer Todd Graham called Mr. Conaghan on Wednesday to alert him to the lack of support on offer.

“People in our industry are really struggling and now have no-one who understands our unique challenges to talk to. I actually tried to call them myself last week but received no reply. I since found out that the funding was pulled in September and they are no longer providing the service at all in NSW,” Mr Graham stated.

“After being given the runaround, I picked up the phone and called Pat to let him know what was going on. We really need these services back up and running and assurances that they will be there in the future. With all the natural disasters in our region since 2019, on top of QX outbreaks in oysters, white spot disease in prawns and the algal bloom in SA, this fuel disaster is just compounding the issues for farmers already at their wits end.

“The issues facing the seafood industry are unique to us and having someone to talk to who really understands what we are going through is important. I thank Pat for jumping on the case with us and putting pressure on the Ministers to get funding reinstated. At least someone is listening!”