TALENT OUTSHINES DISTANCE FOR HUNTER ‘YOUNG ARCHIES’ FINALIST To have your artwork hanging in the NSW Art Gallery before you finish high school is quite an achievement. For it to be there because you have been selected as one of 70 Young Archies finalists out of more than 2400 entries nationally is even more impressive. “I’m so honoured, I couldn’t wait for the day, I couldn’t wait to see it up on the website,” selected artist Juliette Kostalova said. “I’m yet to go see it at the gallery, I’m too far away.” The Year 12 student from Rutherford Technology High School, near Maitland in the Hunter Valley, is one of just three students from a regional public school to be named as a finalist for the prize. Her self-portrait Solus has been nominated among the 16-18-year-old category and was created specifically for the competition. Luella Chiswick, from Lisarow Public School on the Central Coast, and Freda Schaeffer, from Martins Gully Public School near Armidale, are among the five to eight-year-olds whose works Aerlie and Captain Bobbie were selected. A total of 25 students from NSW public students are finalists in the competition. Without question, the Archibald Prize for portraiture is the best-known art prize in Australia. A decade ago, the Young Archies were established and have been embraced by budding artists of all ages. “I’m so nervous, I do want to win but the entries this year are so good,” Juliette said. The winner of the Young Archies will be announced Saturday, 18th June 2022. |
CISCO JOINS LIFELINE AUSTRALIA TO ‘PUSH’ FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH IN THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR
Cisco, one of the Australia’s leading IT and networking companies, has joined Lifeline in pushing for better Mental Health in the workplace. For the second year running, Cisco will take part in The Push-Up Challenge as it aspires to top the community fundraising chart.
Every year, about 1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health condition of some form. The importance of workplace mental health is rapidly increasing in the post-pandemic environment and particularly within the IT workers due to the higher rates of depressionexperienced in the industry.
As ways of working have shifted with the pandemic and with demand for telecommunication resources ever growing, the sector has been confronted with the challenges of supporting their staff to be mentally healthy.
Following success of last year’s The Push Up Challenge, Cisco is now calling on the broader IT industry to join them and provide tech workers with an ‘antidote’ to feelings of ‘isolation’, all while enabling them to prioritise their physical and mental health.
The Push Up Challenge participants will take on 3,139 push ups across 24 days in June, putting a spotlight on the tragic number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2020.
Head of Small Businesses at Cisco, Karen Schuman, said The Push Up Challenge creates a safe and relaxed space to talk about mental health at work. By completing the challenge as a team, Karen and her colleagues are able to provide personal support to each other and foster better understanding of mental health.
“When working in a high-pressure industry, it is crucial to have conversations about mental health and suicide, and we need to see more workplaces making it a priority,” said Ms Schuman.
“May 2021, when I was first introduced to The Push Up Challenge, marked the 25th anniversary of my father’s death by suicide. The Challenge resonated with me instantly, both professionally, as a Cisco leader, and personally. For years after my father’s death, I couldn’t say the word ‘suicide’ without shame or hurt, so I knew it was the time to be vulnerable and have open conversations within the team.”
Ms Shuman believes that rallying a workplace to complete the Challenge can have a positive impact on teams’ mental and physical health. It also provides much needed financial support to Lifeline Australia, which is working to make sure no one is facing their darkest moments alone.
Colin Seery, CEO of Lifeline Australia said, “Just like Lifeline’s services, The Push Up Challenge is for everybody. The terrific thing about the Challenge is how it connects people through exercise, while empowering them with ways they can make a positive difference in other people’s lives.”
“More people than ever before are reaching out to Lifeline for help, and the money raised will support our services to be there for anyone, anytime, whatever the reason. We are delighted to have the Cisco team fundraising to back our crisis support services.”
“When organisations take the lead like this, it helps encourage Australians to talk about their mental health, learn how to best support each other and recognise when they might need to put their own hand up for help.”
In 2021, over 174,000 participants completed 240 million push ups and raised $9 million for mental health programs and services.
Participants of all ages and abilities push-up while learning about mental health, with the number of daily push-ups changing to reflect a vital mental health fact.
Alternatively, participants can set their own push-up goal, which can also be done as sit-ups, squats or tailored exercises, with progress tracked through a dedicated app.
You can register for The Push-Up Challenge as an individual, a team, or get your whole workplace, club, gym or school involved at www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/lifeline.
Van Gogh Alive to headline Newcastle’s 2022 New Annual festival
A multi-sensory experience that has attracted more than eight and a half million people across 75 cities around the world will be the centrepiece of City of Newcastle’s second New Annual festival in September.
Presented in a specially designed 2,300-square-metre gallery known as The Grand Pavilion, which will be set up at Newcastle’s premier major event space, Foreshore Park, Van Gogh Alive features more than 3,000 high-definition images of the artist’s work, projected at a scale that allows visitors to experience the paintings like never before.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said attracting Van Gogh Alive is a coup for Newcastle that will enhance the city’s reputation for hosting world-class events while boosting the local economy by attracting thousands of visitors.
“We’re excited to partner with Andrew Kay Management to bring the impressive Van Gogh Alive to a regional city for the first time in Australia as part of our New Annual festival,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Spanning across a ten-day period and featuring over 50 events across the city, New Annual will showcase local and visiting artists sharing music, dance, theatre, performance, and visual art in a celebration of creativity.
“The versatility of Foreshore Park ensures we’re able to attract major events such as this unique immersive experience in Newcastle, which will attract an influx of visitors to our city at a time when the local tourism industry needs it most and as local operators and businesses recover from the pandemic.”
Newcastle artist James Drinkwater described Van Gogh, who was his favourite painter as a child, as being “in the pantheon of the greats” and welcomed the opportunity to see this show in Newcastle. He said the city was “coming of age” culturally and believed an event such as this one would make art more accessible to the wider community.
“This event is a marker of the times and acts as a conduit between the wonderful and complex social spectrum of Newcastle,” James said.
Created and produced by Grande Experiences, Van Gogh Alive is co-produced by Andrew Kay in association with BBC and Alex Fane in the Grand Pavilion.
Bruce Peterson, owner of Grande Experiences, said “After mesmerising a global audience of over 8.5 million people and selling-out cities all over the world, including Rome, London and Beijing, we’re incredibly excited that Van Gogh Alive now comes to Newcastle. This is an unforgettable cultural experience for all the family.”
Andrew Kay of Andrew Kay Management, said “Van Gogh Alive has been an international hit, thrilling audiences across the globe since the first experience launched at the Art Science Museum in Singapore in 2011.”
Van Gogh Alive provides audiences with the opportunity to plunge themselves in the life and work of Dutch Post-Impressionist painter, Vincent van Gogh, through a vibrant symphony of light, colour and fragrance, set to an evocative classical soundtrack.
An interpretive area provides an educational introduction to some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, before the cutting-edge technology of the SENSORY4 TM Gallery transports visitors inside the artist’s greatest works, with images projected onto virtually every surface.
Newcastle will host Van Gogh Alive from 21 September until 23 October at Foreshore Park, while the New Annual program will run from 23 September to 2 October throughout the city.
Further information about City of Newcastle’s flagship cultural festival is available at newannual.com
Ticket information for Van Gogh Alive is available at vangoghalive.com.au
$2000 IVF rebates for NSW women
In an Australian first, women in NSW undergoing IVF and accessing other assisted reproductive treatments (ART) will be given a cash rebate of up to $2,000 to reduce treatment costs as part of the NSW Government’s 2022-23 Budget.
About 12,000 women who are using private fertility clinics will benefit from the rebate, while another 6,180 women will be given access to publicly supported IVF treatment under the $80 million package.
Treasurer Matt Kean said about one in 20 births in Australia involve some form of assisted reproductive treatment.
“We know that the costs of these treatments can be prohibitively expensive,” Mr Kean said.
“No-one should have to face the impossible choice between looking after their household budget and starting a family. I’m so proud NSW continues to lead the nation, helping thousands of families fulfil their dream of having a baby.”
The fertility package will also:
- extend rebates for pre-IVF fertility testing
- boost the number of fertility preservation services for patients with cancer and other medical needs
- provide five days of paid fertility treatment leave for teachers, nurses and other public servants across NSW.
Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said IVF and fertility preservation can be a difficult process for women, both emotionally and financially.
“We want to make sure the costs don’t stop women from accessing fertility services which would give them the best chance of being able to conceive,” Mr Hazzard said.
“This investment builds on the NSW Government’s $42 million election commitment for affordable IVF, which was successfully achieved during the past two years despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The $42 million Affordable IVF initiative includes enhanced publicly supported IVF clinics at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Westmead Hospital and Royal Hospital for Women and the establishment of the state’s first publicly-funded fertility preservation service for cancer patients.
The NSW Government will also invest funding towards the establishment of a hub and spoke model that expands publicly supported IVF services to regional NSW.
Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said that one in every six couples experiences fertility issues.
“Fertility challenges can be stressful and heartbreaking. I hope that by lowering the cost of treatments, we can help more women on their journey to start a family,” Mrs Taylor said.
Eligible families will be able to receive up to $2,000 depending on the cost of their required treatment. Rebates are only available for eligible treatments offered by accredited clinics, ensuring the highest standards for all families.
The $2000 rebate will open 1 January 2023. Women who have undergone an eligible procedure from 1 October 2022 will be able to submit a claim when the rebate scheme opens.
The rebate scheme will initially be open to 12,000 eligible women, after which a full evaluation will be completed to ensure private fees have remained low and competitive before any extension is considered. The NSW Government will also advocate with the Commonwealth to lower the cost of IVF for all families across Australia.
The Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand and the IVF Directors Group have committed to working in partnership with the NSW Government to implement the rebate and ensure that patients directly benefit from the cost savings.
43 million investment to support return of Me-Mel to Aboriginal community
The NSW Government has committed $43 million to supporting the transfer of a Sydney Harbour island to the Aboriginal community, and commenced the first step in the official transfer process.
In one of the first NSW Budget 2022-23 announcements, Premier Dominic Perrottet said returning Me-Mel (Goat Island) to the Aboriginal community is a personal priority.
“Returning Me-Mel to the Aboriginal community is the right thing to do, and it helps deliver on my commitment of improving outcomes and opportunities for Aboriginal people across all parts of Government,” Mr Perrottet said.
“A big part of my commitment is ensuring the island is remediated before it’s transferred to the Aboriginal community.
“Through the NSW Budget 2022-23, we’re delivering $42.9 million to regenerate and restore Me-Mel, and ultimately pave the way for the transfer back to the Aboriginal community.”
Treasurer Matt Kean said the significant NSW Budget funding will go towards important maintenance and safety work that will help ensure Me-Mel can be safely enjoyed for generations to come.
“This $43 million investment from the NSW Government demonstrates that we’re dedicated to improving outcomes for the Aboriginal community,” Mr Kean said.
“This funding over four years will go towards work such as repairing seawalls and buildings, improving the wharf and access, upgrading services such as water and sewers, and removing contaminants like asbestos.”
Me-Mel is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register and has a rich and diverse array of important Aboriginal, historical and natural heritage values, including more than 30 buildings and other structures dating from the 1830s to the 1960s.
Minister for Environment and Heritage James Griffin said the official process to transfer Me-Mel to the Aboriginal community is now underway through the opening of an Expressions of Interest.
“It’s easy to see why Me-Mel is such a cherished Aboriginal site – it sits in the middle of magnificent Sydney Harbour, surrounded by a vibrant ecosystem,” Mr Griffin said.
“This is a significant transfer from the NSW Government to the Aboriginal community and we need to ensure it’s done right, which is why the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is now calling for Expressions of Interest to join the Me-Mel Transfer Committee.”
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin said the Committee will make recommendations for the transfer to Aboriginal ownership, and help determine how the island is managed and used into the future.
“The Me-Mel Transfer Committee includes Aboriginal people and NSW Government agency representatives, and importantly, its establishment is supported by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC),” Mr Franklin said.
“Me-Mel holds great significance to Aboriginal people, including in the creation story Boora Birra, where the great eel spirit created the water courses known today as Sydney Harbour.”
Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council Deputy Chair Yvonne Weldon said acknowledging and respecting all histories so they can be respectfully enjoyed by everyone will help healing and progress.
“Me-Mel is a place where we can go to be within our culture, pass culture on to our younger generations and share with other people,” Ms Weldon said.
“Me-Mel is an opportunity for truth telling, and it’s about recognising the past and unlocking the future.”
Me-Mel is a complex site and a range of expert advice, including legal, heritage, planning, and governance will be offered to the Committee to help it develop a plan and a business case for future ownership and management of the island.
Me-Mel will continue being managed by NPWS until the transfer is finalised. It will remain open to the public through NPWS.
Community Representative nominations for the Transfer Committee should be received by close of business on Monday 27 June 2022.
For further details please visit https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/park-management/community-engagement/sydney-harbour-national-park/me-mel-goat-island
Helping Households with energy bills
Households experiencing difficulty paying their energy bills will be able to access up to $1,600 a year in help after Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean today increased support payments.
The Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) program has helped 49,000 NSW households experiencing short-term financial hardship with their energy bills. From Monday, each application will have its limit increased from $300 to $400, up to a maximum of $1,600 a year.
“Eligible customers can receive payment assistance of up to $400 per application for electricity and up to $400 per application for gas bills twice a year,” Mr Kean said.
“This means the annual maximum limit of vouchers has increased from $1,200 to $1,600 per household.”
The boost to assistance for electricity and gas bills comes as the Australian Energy Regulator released its final determination today showing NSW energy customers on standing offers will face price increases from July 1.
The price increases are driven primarily by external factors including the Russian invasion of Ukraine which has affected supply and led to global price pressures on coal and gas. Extreme weather events in NSW and Queensland have also had an impact on prices.
The extra assistance is part of a $330 million per year package the NSW government is providing which also includes energy rebates to around 1 million households.
“With cost-of-living pressures increasing, colder weather arriving and days shortening, we want to make sure households in NSW not only keep the lights on but keep their families safe, warm and comfortable,” Mr Kean said.
Eligible households can also apply for different rebates including the Low Income Household Rebate, Gas Rebate, Family Energy Rebate, and Seniors Energy Rebate.
Around 800,000 households received the Low Income Household Rebate last year and 286,000 received the Gas Rebate.
Customers can see what they are eligible for by using the Service NSW Savings Finder at www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/savings-finder, by phoning 13 77 88 or visiting a Service NSW centre.
“I encourage all households to shop around to find the best deal for their energy,” Mr Kean said.
Households and small businesses can also use the free and independent Australian Government service – Energy Made Easy to compare energy plans: www.energymadeeasy.gov.au
HSU launches legal crackdown on aged care outsourcing
The Health Services Union today commences a precedent-setting legal push to prevent aged care operators slashing pay by engaging catering staff under the hospitality award through labour hire operators.
The Union will take Catering Industries to the Federal Court, insisting it should pay its employees under the aged care award rather than the hospitality award when the employee works in an aged care facility. Weekend penalty rates are 25 per cent higher under the aged care award.
Base rates are also lower under the hospitality award. Currently a full time cook who has worked in aged care for 13 years Tuesday to Saturday is just shy of $4,200 ($4195) a year worse off in wages. A full time supervisor who has oversight of an aged care kitchen working the same shifts (Tue-Sat) is $3,175 a year worse off in wages. This is before either of them have done any overtime or worked a public holiday. The drop in wages is even more profound for casual employees.
HSU anticipates the gap will widen if its separate case for a 25 per cent increase in aged care wages succeeds in the Fair Work Commission.
HSU National President Gerard Hayes said the best interests of residents were better served through keeping catering in-house.
“We saw through the Royal Commission just how important food is, with residents in some facilities being served jelly and frankfurts. It’s simply astounding that Catering Industries is trying to bolster its legal position by arguing that it bans its staff from communicating with residents. How on earth can they be attentive to the needs of residents if they are banned from communicating with them?
“Aged care’s race to the bottom must end. The endless splintering of the workforce undermines the bargaining position of all aged care staff and keeps wages rock bottom.
“Aged care residents requires holistic care and to deliver that you need a holistic workforce. You can’t carve out catering or cleaning from care and health. The same employer should be responsible for the vast bulk of the aged care effort.
“Some catering companies might argue they have seasonal or event based work. But the nutrition needs of our elderly do not stop and start. They requires constant attention.”
The HSU case arises from members at a Port Botany aged care site insisting on their right to bargain under the Aged Care Award, which Catering Industries refused to accomodate.
Two teenagers charged following alleged armed robbery near Singleton
Two teenagers have been charged after an alleged armed robbery near Singleton yesterday.
About 1.30am (Thursday 26 May 2022), a 25-year-old man was working inside a service station on Bridgman Road, Dunolly, near Singleton, when a woman entered the store.
Police will allege in court as she was exiting, a man – armed with a knife – entered the store and threatened the attendant, before demanding cash and e-cigarettes.
The pair fled on foot together towards the New England Highway.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District established a crime scene and commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, detectives executed a search warrant at a home on Wakehurst Crescent, Singleton Heights, shortly before 3pm (Thursday 26 May 2022).
A 14-year-old girl was arrested inside the home while a 16-year-old boy was located and arrested from inside a roof cavity.
Both were taken to Singleton Police Station, where the teenage boy was charged with robbery armed with an offensive weapon, and two counts of goods in custody. He was refused bail to appear at a children’s court today (Friday 27 May 2022).
The teenage girl was charged with robbery armed with offensive weapon principal 2nd degree serious indictable offence, and dishonestly obtain property by deception. She was granted conditional bail to appear at a children’s court on Thursday 30 June 2022.
The Greens Renew Call for National Compensation Scheme for Stolen Generation Survivors
The Bringing them Home Report was released 25 years ago today. The Greens are renewing calls for a national compensation scheme: a $200 000 payment plus additional $7000 for funeral expenses to compensate for the harm inflicted by successive Australian Governments.
“They stole our children to break our people. No Government has ever brought peace to survivors of the stolen generation.” Said The Greens spokesperson for Justice and First Nations: Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe.
“Our pain continues and we can see that today. My mum was a co-commissioner on the Inquiry in the 90s. Just this week, she was giving testimony at the coronial inquest of a Gunditjmara, Dja Dja Wurrung, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta woman who died in police custody. We need to break the cycle and stop the trauma.”
“It’s been 25 years since the Bringing Them Home report recommended that a National Compensation Fund be established to adequately compensate survivors. This is far too important to be patchy and inconsistent across state lines.”
“How many of our people have died since the Report was released? How much longer do our people have to wait for the Report’s recommendations to be implemented?”
“Sorry means you don’t do it again. Today, there’s more First Nations kids in out of home care now than when Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations. We call on the Albanese Government to compensate survivors and stop a new Stolen Generation.”
“It’s time for truth, Treaty and Blak justice.” Said Thorpe.
Getting out of coal and gas key to Pacific relationship
The best thing the new Labor government could do to repair the relationship with Pacific is commit to no new coal and gas, Greens Leader Adam Bandt said today.
Pacific leaders have been making clear for years that the good relationship with Australia is dependent on climate action, with a focus on no new coal and gas.
Former President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, has said this week that ““My hope is that we will see stronger and more urgent climate action from the incoming government, including a more ambitious emissions reduction target, ramped-up support for climate-vulnerable communities in the Pacific and, most importantly, a commitment to no new coal and gas projects in Australia.”
Tuvalu’s former Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga said “This would include radical new Australian targets for emissions reduction under the Paris Agreement, no new coal or gas, and an ongoing commitment to supporting Pacific Island nations as we face the brunt of climate impacts.”
Adam Bandt MP said:
“Keeping coal and gas in the ground is the key to our relationship with the Pacific and is the best way to deal with concerns about security in the region.
“Pacific leaders want real climate action. By committing to no new coal and gas we can not only protect the Pacific, but also reestablish the relationship with the Pacific.
“Sea level rise and other climate impacts are an existential threat to the Pacific. As former President Tong has said, the Pacific Islands’ “survival is on the line”.
“Climate is the number one national security threat to the Pacific, so concerns about China will fall on deaf ears if we continue to threaten the Pacific with our coal and gas.”