Bringing communities together: grant funding supports mental health across the South Burnett

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Ever noticed how the best conversations happen when you least expect them – on a bus, over morning tea, standing shoulder to shoulder at a footy field day? That's exactly the thinking behind a recent partnership between the South Burnett Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Service (SBMHAODS), Darling Downs Health's Tackling Regional Adversity in Connected Communities (TRACC) program, South Burnett Regional Council, local schools and community organisations.

Since October 2025, this partnership has been working to bring you and your community closer together – through music, conversation, and a couple of very memorable road trips. It all came together through two standout events: Iron + Clay and Farmfest.

Iron + Clay: music, mental health and a bit of straight talk

Picture this: over 600 Year 11 and Year 12 students, four hours, live music, and some seriously honest conversations. That was Iron + Clay, held on 8 May.

The event took its name from its headline act – Iron + Clay, an Australian youth outreach band who know how to blend music with messages of resilience and hope. But the music was just the beginning. Throughout the day, students heard from "the Village" – the local people and services who show up for young people, every day.

Anita Smith from SBMHAODS' Child & Youth Mental Health Service spoke plainly with students about mental health.

"Understanding what mental health actually means is the first step to looking after it. That's what we wanted students to walk away with,"

- SBMHAODS' Child & Youth Mental Health Service, Anita Smith

Taylor Carius and Jessica Miller from the Alcohol and Other Drugs Service tackled something close to home for a lot of teenagers: the harms of alcohol and vaping, bringing along a set of beer goggles so students could see for themselves how alcohol affects balance and judgement. "We wanted students to see – quite literally – how alcohol throws off your balance and judgement. It's one thing to hear about it, another to experience it," they said.

Representatives from the Rural and Remote Mental Health Service and Queensland Police Service rounded out the day, giving students a clear picture of the support around them, long before they might ever need it.

Dona Brown & Michelle Newson (SBRC) & Meredith Barry (TRACC) – supplied by M Barry

Farmfest: connection down the highway

A few weeks later, the focus turned to farmers – the people who keep our region running, often while carrying more than most of us see.

On 2 June, five buses and 270 people set off for the opening day of Farmfest, one of Australia's biggest agricultural field days. This wasn't just a day out. It was a chance for farmers to connect with each other, swap stories, and find out where to turn for support if they ever need it – because life on the land can be isolating, and no one should have to face it alone.

Agriculture students from local high schools came along too, learning from experienced farmers while sharing what they're studying – proof that good conversations go both ways, whatever your age.

On the road, SBMHAODS Service Integration Coordinator Megan Theobald spoke with her busload about the mental health continuum, and posed a question worth sitting with. "Does the word 'resilience' help farmers ask for help, or does it get in the way? That's a question worth sitting with," she said. She also unpacked unhelpful thinking styles, and practical ways to challenge them.

In Oakey, the group paused for morning tea and a presentation that stuck with everyone in the room. Former rugby league player Shane Webcke shared his own mental health journey, encouraging everyone to open up rather than bottle things away. "Talk it out. Don't carry it alone," he said.

Shane Webcke presentation – supplied by M Theobald

Once at Farmfest, TRACC Coordinator Meredith Barry kept the conversations going, checking in with participants at one of the Darling Downs Health displays. "It's all about making sure the conversations that start on the bus keep going once you arrive," she said.

Every part of the day – transport, entry, refreshments, the guest speaker, even a goody bag – was covered, because getting there shouldn't be the hard part.

One more for the Youth Council

There was a bit left in the kitty, so the team put it to good use. On 20 June, JC Action Sports rolled into the South Burnett Youth Council Community Expo and Talent Show with a BMX trick display, adding some extra energy to the celebrations.

Stronger together

From a school hall buzzing with music to a convoy of buses heading down the highway, this project shows what happens when your community, schools, council and local services work towards the same thing: making sure you know you're not alone, and you know where to turn when you need a hand. It's connection, conversation and community – and there's more where that came from.

Megan Theobald with Shane Webcke – supplied by M Theobald