Free skin cancer checks at Walcha Show

This year, the Walcha Show will be held on the 8th and 9th of March 2024 and will bring an important, potentially lifesaving truck to town.

The Australian Skin Cancer Foundation has launched the first ever skin check truck and will be on tour across Victoria in February to arrive in Walcha on show day for free skin cancer checks.

Walcha Show Society Secretary Dale Webber said free checkups offer an important service to the community.

"We watched the launch of the skin check truck in Sydney last year on the news and we decided it would be a great benefit to the community for the truck to visit Walcha.

"Walcha as I'm aware, has a high risk of skin cancer due to our altitude and that was the catalyst and inspiration to reach out to the skin cancer foundation to have them visit," Ms Webber said.

"We thought it would be an important thing for the community to access especially considering the costs for skin cancer checkups these days."

The skin cancer doctor, is a travelling skin cancer checkup service that visits Walcha intermittently. A specialist from the service was in Walcha as recently as January and won't return for at least a few months.

No referrals are required for the skin cancer doctor checkups however, appointments can cost around $140, with a $39.75 Medicare rebate available.

The Australian Skin Cancer truck provides totally free skin checks to patients and no appointment is necessary.

Ms Webber said the trucks visit would not be possible if not for the help and sponsorship of the Walcha Town and Country club, Walcha Lions Club, Quota and Rotary clubs of Walcha.

Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world. An Australian is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes and is most common for Australians aged 20 to 39.

If caught early, 90 per cent of melanomas can be cured by surgery.