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ABC News
05-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Man runs 303km in three days in the outback to raise money for mental health
A man has run 303 kilometres over three days across some of Australia's harshest terrain to help men struggling with mental health in the bush. Warning: Readers are advised that this story contains references to suicide. After months of preparation, Travis McElligott, 32, ran from Mount Isa to Gregory over the Labour Day long weekend in Queensland, with a team of passionate locals helping him raise more than $25,000. The gruelling outback conditions — mouthfuls of flies, dust in the lungs, and a few run-ins with nature — were never going to stop Mr McElligott from getting his message out. Travis McElligott at the finish line, ready to rest and celebrate. ( ABC North West Qld: Maddie Nixon ) "We've lost some people close to us and I see a lot of people that that have lost friends," said Mr McElligott, who lives in Mount Isa. If you or anyone you know needs help: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line "I decided to get off my arse and run 300 kilometres to raise awareness and a bit of money for mental health." Mr McElligott was joined by others on and off over the long three days. ( ABC North West Qld: Maddie Nixon ) 'Something has got to change' It's a sentiment shared by others in outback Queensland including Tony "Tonka" Toholke, the founder of Mount Isa's International Men's Day. He became an advocate in the community after his own battle with mental health. Mr McElligott and Tony Toholke took time for a selfie before the run began. ( ABC North West Qld: Maddie Nixon ) And although mental health awareness is improving, he's concerned it is still too hard for people to get help and too many people are dying as a result. "I was talking to a guy here the other day, he said, 'I would like to see a psychiatrist or psychologist' — it's a two-month wait and it's a $250 fee … something's got to change." Mr McElligott and his support team the morning before they set off. ( ABC North West Qld: Maddie Nixon ) Lifeline Australia statistics show people in rural areas are two times more likely to take their life by suicide, and 75 per cent of the people who do are male. "I know about 30 blokes in my circle that struggle," Mr Toholke said. "I text them to check in on them, and every second week they come to my house, and we talk sh*t." Until professional services become easier to access, Mr Toholke said remote and regional locations like Mount Isa had to come up with "small, community-based solutions". Several support vehicles flanked Mr McElligott, ready to deliver food and water. ( ABC North West Qld: Maddie Nixon ) He said the funds Mr McElligott's efforts had raised would go toward helping men access support services. "We'll give them a bit of money to go to programs and get some help, because obviously, help is great to have, but it's also very expensive," Mr Toholke said. Getting the message out Mr McElligott back up his three-day run with the legendary Gregory River Canoe Marathon the following day. The gruelling feat took a toll. "I didn't think it was going to be that hard, but the end of day two was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life," he said. Mr McElligott and his support crew camped overnight on the side of the road leading to Gregory. ( Supplied: Ashley King ) Mr McElligott said it was worth it if it saved lives and there was "no chance" he wouldn't finish. "My support crew, they were like, 'If you wanna tap out, we'll drag you across the line,'" he said. "I couldn't have done it without the team." The beers, cheers and hugs were flowing when Mr McElligott finished his run. ( ABC North West Qld: Maddie Nixon ) His outback endeavour was not the first time he had strapped on sneakers for mental health. Last year he ran for 24 hours up and down Telstra Hill on Mount Isa's outskirts. Mr McElligott, his wife Rachael and their newborn Laney Rae, after the race. ( ABC North West Qld: Maddie Nixon ) This year he decided to go bigger, hoping to get his message out and save lives. "By doing this run, if we can help somebody out, we've done our job," he said. "If you're thinking of somebody that might be struggling, pick up the phone, have a chat with them, because you could actually save their life." ABC North West Qld — local news in your inbox Get our local newsletter, delivered free each Tuesday Your information is being handled in accordance with the Email address Subscribe
ABC News
24-04-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Should rural Australians pay less tax? Remote voters want the idea on the federal election agenda
The major parties are eagerly pulling tax levers as they look to win over voters on cost of living and housing, but Australians living in the bush say they have been overlooked this election. Residents of specified regional and remote communities in every Australian state and territory — except Victoria and the ACT — are eligible for a rebate of up to $1,173 at tax time, a measure introduced in 1945 as a balm for the higher costs encountered living in remote parts of the country. Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on It has been more than 30 years since the fixed rebate amounts were last updated and outback Queensland resident Nicole Crawford believed it was overdue for reform. Nicole Crawford believes zonal rebates are due for an update. ( ABC North West Qld: Meghan Dansie ) "If there is some kind of extra tax incentive to keep people here, in these rural areas, that would be a great idea," she said. The 35-year-old healthcare worker and mother of one said ensuring remote Australians could cope with costs such as $1,200 return airfares to the nearest capital city, $3 per litre petrol costs, and electricity bills in the thousands had largely become the responsibility of employers. She said it had created a divide between those with generous employment packages and those without. "It's very dependent on your work situation and the kind of job you're in, the kind of incentives that brought you out here, which does differ between industries," she said. A 'moral argument' to pay less tax in the regions Mr Dutton has said he is "happy to have a look" at whether people in regions should pay less tax. ( ABC News: Emily Dobson ) Prior to the election campaign and during a visit to Mount Isa in north-west Queensland last August, Coalition leader Peter Dutton said there was a "moral argument" for regional Australians to pay less tax than city residents. "I think there are arguments for people who live in regional towns where you're paying more for petrol, you're paying more for electricity, you're paying more for housing. There's an additional cost that comes with it," he said. "We're happy to have a look at taxation arrangements." The Coalition has not brought that policy to the election. Prime Minister Albanese at a press conference in Mount Isa prior to the election. ( ABC North West Qld: Maddie Nixon ) Prime Minister Anthony Albanese disregarded Mr Dutton's comments as a "thought bubble" while on his own visit to the outback mining town in January. "I think the idea of zonal taxation isn't something that certainly has ever been on our agenda because of the distortions and manipulations that could occur," he said. Both Labor and Coalition spokespeople declined to comment further. Push to increase rebates by thousands Photo shows The Words ABC News Daily with the ABC Listen logo beside it. Blue and pale green striped background. Submit your election questions and tune in for a weekly explainer of the latest election news. Listen to ABC News Daily on ABC listen. A zonal tax offset essentially means a person will pay less at tax time, depending on their postcode and their dependents. Locals in designated special areas like Norfolk Island, off the coast of Australia, are eligible for the highest fixed rebate. Zone A residents in locations such as Darwin and Broome can offset $338 at tax time, and Australians in Zone B locations like Broken Hill can offset $57 if they reside there for more than 183 days a year. Belinda Balch, 54, spent many years living in rural inland Australia, but now resides in South-East Queensland. Ms Balch said living on the coast had strengthened her belief that the existing rebates should be adjusted for inflation. Belinda Balch said her concern was with her employees' high cost of living. ( Supplied: Belinda Balch ) "It should be increased to at least $5,000 a year — enough to allow remote residents to travel for just one major experience," she said. "It's not simply a matter of moving — regional and remote communities are essential to sustaining the standard of living in urban centres. " People should not be disadvantaged for living remotely. " Many remote Australian towns like Mount Isa struggle to hold on to workers. ( ABC North West Qld: Meghan Dansie ) The existing tax concessions exist despite the Constitution setting down that taxes collected by the federal government cannot "discriminate between states or parts of states", a potential contradiction that has never been challenged. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 A 2020 Productivity Commission report found remote area tax concessions and payments were "outdated, inequitable, and poorly designed" and should be limited to only very "very remote" locations, with half of the claimants living in Cairns, Darwin, and Townsville, which have developed significantly In a statement from 2020, the Morrison government said it would not act on the recommendations because of the "significant disruption" they would cause during the COVID-19 pandemic and bushfire recovery period. Minor tax reform on the election menu? Photo shows A graphic showing a range of reader comments about potential issues in Australia's 2025 federal election. What do you need to know before you vote in the upcoming federal election? What would you ask the candidates? Have Your Say. Both major parties have been squaring off over the best way to deliver cost-of-living relief across the country. Labor The Coalition has promised to reverse Labor's legislated tax cuts, instead promising a temporary halving of the fuel tax, which would save consumers around $14 a week if passed on in full. They have also promised first-time home buyers tax-deductible mortgage interest payments. The Crawford family moved remotely because of employment incentives. ( ABC North West Qld: Meghan Dansie ) Radiologist Nicole Crawford, who moved to Mount Isa in remote north-west Queensland a year ago for employment, hoped to see the major parties take up the mantle of increasing tax benefits for rural Australians, taking the responsibility out of the hands of employers to keep communities alive. "It's really, really important to get people out here but also to keep people here long term because it's a very small community, but a fantastic community," she said. Having trouble seeing this form? 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