A pioneer in the treatment of digital addiction and gaming disorders is the Australian of the Year for Western Australia.
Daniela Vecchio, who is head of mental health and addiction services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, accepted the award at Government House in Perth on Thursday.
Dr Vecchio, 57, helped establish the first publicly funded gaming disorder clinic in Australia in 2022 after she saw increasing numbers of young people with harmful addictions to video games and social media.
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The clinic is unique worldwide in providing early detection and intervention within a hospital setting.
Dr Vecchio has fostered extensive international and national collaborations with other experts in the field and with health, education and police services.
As a director of the Australian Gaming and Screens Alliance, she is also promoting education and research into harmful online use and influencing national policy.
World-leading botanist Kingsley Dixon was named Senior Australian of the Year for WA for devotion to science and native plant conservation.
The 71-year-old has also helped make the state an international hub for mining environmental science, leading projects that have boosted mine rehabilitation standards and community conservation practices.
The Young Australian of the Year for WA went to positive masculinity educators Haseeb Riaz and Gareth Shanthikumar.
The Local Hero for WA was Indigenous construction leader and Whadjuk-Yued Noongar man Frank Mitchell.
Mr Mitchell, 43, is co-director of Wilco Electrical and co-founder and director of Kardan, Baldja and Bilyaa in the trades and construction industry.
Starting with just eight staff and $1.5 million turnover in 2015, Mr Mitchell and his partners have created more than 70 Aboriginal upskilling positions in the electrical and construction industry.
Today, all four companies collectively employ more than 200 full-time staff.
National Australia Day Council chief executive Mark Fraser said all the winners had made remarkable and positive changes in the community.
“Daniela is at the leading edge of treating the quickly growing problem of digital addiction; Kingsley has made fundamental discoveries and continues to lead conservation practices,” he said.
“Haseeb and Gareth are positively impacting a generation of young men’s values and sense of self, and Frank is paying opportunities forward to create generational change.”
The WA winners will join those from the other states and territories for the national awards on January 25, 2026.
