The Generator news service publishes articles on sustainable development, agriculture and energy as well as observations on current affairs. The news service is used on the weekly radio show, The Generator, as well as by a number of monthly and quarterly magazines. A podcast of the Generator news is also available.
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On May 12, International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world in recognition of the significant contribution nurses make to the health of society.
In Brisbane’s south, three dedicated nurses are providing health care to the most vulnerable in our society, people who are homeless.
St Vincent’s Private Hospital Brisbane (SVPHB), along with Micah Projects and Mater Health Services, provide an onsite seven-day nursing service that offers support, health assessment, education, medication management and general coordination of healthcare needs for tenantsat Brisbane Common Ground.
Brisbane Common Ground(BCG) is an innovative, supportive housing development at 15 Hope Street, South Brisbane, that provides 146 studio and one-bedroom units for people who have experienced homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless.
Many of the residents at BCG have been unable to access health care services in the past, but with the stability that comes withsafe and reliable housing, their health is now a priority.
Registered Nurse Arif Mansuri, who has worked at BCG since it’s opening, has seen firsthand the difference basic healthcare can make in the lives of homeless people.
Recently Arif helped care for an elderly woman who was experiencing anxiety, depression and overall bad health for years.
“I remember the first day I met her, she was so scared and unwell and she tried to hide it for a long time. But because we provide in-home care the other staff and I were able to pick up on it and see she received the correct multidisciplinary care she needed,” Arif said.
“She is now enjoying life. She has joined our meditation and art groups and when I see her she always has a smile on her face.”
SVPHB general manager Cheryle Royle said the support we provide BCG is helping break down barriers homeless people face in receiving adequate healthcare.
“Homeless people encounter multiple barriers to accessing services for their general health including the fear of experiencing the social stigma that comes with being homeless,” Cheryle said.
“I’m proud of our involvement which not only includes nursing care, our specialists are now visiting BCG and in the future we hope to establish an onsite GP clinic.”
Arif believes the unique delivery of care provided at BCG is what makes it so successful in helping residents.
“The key to providing healthcare to formerly homeless people is to develop a friendship with them first. There needs to be trust,” Arif said.
“Myself and the other two nurses at BCG believe in active listening and are always non -judgemental of our patients.”
“Nothing is more rewarding then when a patient comes up to you smiling and gives you a hug and says how well they are doing and much they are enjoying life again.”
An example of an earlier workshop held in the main auditorium at the Town Hall.
FREE Sales and Marketing: Business Growth Workshop for Entrepreneurs!
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Business Queensland warns business owners to be sure they understand their obligations under the consumer laws. The key message is that you need to understand the nine guarantees you make just by selling a good to a consumer. Business to business services are not exempt either.
Business.qld.gov.au contains a range of resources on guarantees and warranties and the implications for small business which are summarised below.
There are two potential traps for business owners and operators in the current consumer laws stemming from the guarantees and warranty clauses that many operators are not aware of.
The first trap is that by selling the goods you are declaring them fit for purpose. If they do not do what you have advertised them as doing, then that is your problem. Literally. You need to make good to the consumer. There are none consumer warranties that apply to goods, and three applying to services. It is worth your while making sure that you understand them.
The second trap only applies to those companies that sell extended warranties. “Here is your washing machine sir, would you like a five year warranty on that for an additional $120.”
There is nothing illegal or problematic about the warranty, or selling it, the problem is that most of the terms in most extended warranties are exactly the same as the guarantees offered to consumers under the law. The customer who says to you, “No thanks I don’t need to pay for that, you have guaranteed all of those things by selling me the goods,” might be a smart-arse but they are, in fact, correct.
Business Queensland refers proprieters to the specific area of the Fair Trading website to deal with that specific issue.
All in all, this is an area that affects all of us, whether we are selling goods or services and whether we are dealing with the public, or other businesses.
To review the full range of information collected by Business Queensland head over to the Legal Obligations area of their website.
Petrol prices will not rise in this budget. For all the wrong reasons
Okay. Alright already. Just ‘cos I correctly predicted the result of the Griffith by-election does not make me a seer. DJ Greyboy’s French Bulldog would have predicted that result without putting her snout over the pink-ribboned lip of her bling-lined basket.
But. I know human behaviour and I can recognise a bunch of old ,white men having a bit of fun with the national budget at the expense of the media when I see it.
The talk about an increase in the petrol levy is a red herring, designed to keep everyone talking about anything except the real problem. And that is: the more the government cuts to balance the budget, the more the rest of us have to reach into our pocket.
The problem is that the government talks as if it is the equivalent of a very large household and that if the budget does not add up then then we will all suffer.
The analogy does not hold.
The government is one member of a very large household. Since it is a bunch of old white men, it is tempting to give it the role of the father but, in fact, it is more like this bunch of old, white men’s traditional view of the mother.
The father’s role we will give to international trade: The money that comes in and out of the country/family. In this analogy, the balance of trade is the amount of money that papa puts on the table. He pays the builder, buys the cars and the holidays.
Mama, the government, takes some of that money to feed the little kids who do not earn, to provide the services that this traditional family need and on the side she does a couple of things that bring in a bit of extra revenue. She makes up the difference in nanna flat rent, Air B and B on the spare room and the household allowance from Dad. That, if you like, is the mama tax.
The rest of us – the nation’s businesses, workers and consumers – are the kids, the boarders and nana in the flat out the back that was once a garage. We dip into the family resources pretty substantially but we also bring back a reasonable amount of loot from our wanderings. Since we put the Air B and B advertisement online, there has been enough money for us all to upgrade our phones and buy a couple of nice items of clothing. Well done Mum.
If you look at the overall budget, Dad generally brings in more than he spends, if he doesn’t the rest of us are going to have to work pretty hard to keep the boat afloat. On the other hand, Mama often spends more than she earns.
So those three sectors together form the household. Of course the household budget has to balance. That is the nature of things. If Dad stops earning and we have a trade deficit, then times will be tight. Nanna’s rent might go up, the kids might start paying board, the violin lessons might stop.
I once had an affair with an economist who called this the twin deficit theory of macro-economics. No-one could understand a word he said so I shifted my affections to a saxophone player and have kept on using this household analogy. Most people get it and if it annoys a certain sad duck well that suits me just fine. Not that I’m bitter, just vengeful.
What this government is doing, is pretending that Mama’s budget is the budget for the whole household. It is ignoring Dad’s contribution and the fact that there is actually a reasonable amount of money on the table from the various hangers on.
So, Mama has to balance her budget by feeding us less, stemming our bleeding wounds with rags from the bag on the back of the laundry door, and refusing to pay for our magazines, school books and phone cards. We have to fend for ourselves now, in the interests of a more ruthless, market-driven family.
Dad is rapt. Without the strain of all those brats on his weekly wage he can spend a bit more on his golf clubs, next car and whatever else takes his fancy. Nanna and the boarders don’t give a toss. If there is a better quality of toilet paper on the hanger and a maid does the cleaning instead of Mum then so be it. It is the kids who suffer.
In this government’s model of the economy, though, that does not matter. At least Mama’s budget balances.
A cynic might think that Mama has been plotting with Dad and no longer has the kid’s well being as her top priority.
For a relative newcomer to the West End, such as myself, the Kurilpa Peninsula Local Legends awards night held at Archive Beer Boutique on Saturday, May 10, could not have been a better introduction to the people and the spirit of the community.
This was the second of the Local Legends events hosted by the Gabba Ward’s Councillor Helen Abrahams. Councillor Abrahams said that the awards, presented in four categories for Creativity, Youth, Environment, and Business, are by the community, recognising people they know in the community.
The unique awards for the evening were designed by local artist and businessman, Mr Hiroaki Eba from Hanasho flower shop and art gallery and represent the river and the Kuripla Peninsula.
Federal Member for Griffith, Ms Terri Butler, and Local State member for South Brisbane, Ms Jacki Trad joined Councillor Abrahams in presenting awards.
Terri Butler MHR with Creative Award winner Litsa Stilianos
Nominees for the Creativity Award were announced by Ms Butler. Reading from his nomination, Ms Butler said that first nominee Mr Chris Maver has “tenaciously and energetically promoted flamboyant entertainment in the genre of gay and allied gender in the arts.” Mr Maver has also authored and produced a documentary about local artists in the community which is available from the West End library.
The second creative nominee was Debaran Wright. Ms Wright is an art teacher and therapist who has volunteered at West End Community House for more than 12 years.
There were two group nominations for the creativity award which included the West End Making History Group the authors of the Streetwalker Guides of the West End. Ms Butler said the group members “are local heroes who exemplify the creative and sharing culture of our West End community”.
Fiona Stager from Avid Reader (and a member of the Making History Group) nominated West End’s Kurilpa library for the creativity award. The library was established in 1929 and was the first purpose-built municipal library in Queensland. In her nomination, Ms Stager wrote, “I cannot imagine West End without the Kurilpa Library”.
The winner’s award went to Ms Litsa Stilianos, Director of the Greek Orthodox Child-Care Centre in Browning Street, South Brisbane, a role she has held for 25 years. Her philosophy is that the child-care centre should be providing a service to the parents and the broader family as well as the children. Ms Stilianos has also been part of the organising committee for the Paniyiri Greek Festival for the last 10 years and presents and compares popular cooking demonstrations at the event.
The youth award announced by Ms Abrahams went to Brisbane State high school student Anikah (Ani) Shah. Ms Shah was nominated for being an outstanding student who consistently displays “a heart for social Justice and compassion within our community”. Ms Shah has worked with the local community through Micah projects and with the Brisbane Homelessness Service Centre. She has also been involved with World Vision and is a key member of her school’s Peer Helper team.
Young musician Louis Whelan was also nominated for the Youth Award. Louis plays in several West End bands, is the manager of the Mouldy Lovers and Rivermouth, as well as a volunteer for community radio 4ZZZ.
There were two nominees for the local environment award. Entomologist Tim Heard was nominated for his work over 30 years with the Australian native stingless bee. Mr Heard who has helped introduce over 300 hives to residences across metropolitan areas, was represented at the awards by his partner Katina because he was off giving a native bee workshop in Ipswich. Anyone interested in having a native beehive in their garden should visit Tim’s website www.sugarbag.net.
The winner of the Environment Award was the deserving Meg Kanowski, who is well-known for her work with the Jane Street Community Garden and more recently for establishing and maintaining the wonderful community garden at Paradise Street, Highgate Hill. Ms Kanowski, has been doing community garden work for the past 11 years, and Councillor Abrahams said she is a “much loved member of the local community often recognised for her razor sharp wit [who is] deeply caring and generous towards everyone she meets. Meg is the unsung hero that keeps the gardens as wonderful places to visit”.
Meg Kanowski winner of the Environment Award
I don’t know if Ms Kanowski is also known for her eloquence, but her acceptance speech was the highlight of the night for me. Acknowledging the traditional owners of Paradise Street, Ms Kanowski said of the garden that ”it is a greeting place, a meeting place, a place for argument, joy and despair ….we don’t only share food, we share stories, we share fire, we share beauty and sanctuary…”
South Brisbane MP, Ms Jacki Trad presented the Local Business award. The West End library was again a nominee along with Ms Brenda Fawdon of Mondo Organics. Ms Trad, said that Ms Fawdon has been a restaurateur and chef in Brisbane for 22 years. Inspired by a concern for the increasing use of pesticides, preservatives and genetically modified additives in everyday foods, Ms Fawdon opened Mondo Organics restaurant in 2000. People come to West End from all over Brisbane to eat at Mondo and to attend its cooking classes. Ms Fawdon’s cookbook, ‘Wholehearted Food’ was published in 2013.
The winner of the Local Business award was former president of the West End Traders’ Association, Mr Peter Marinelli. Ms Trad said that Mr Marinelli is a well-known West End business icon. He lives in the West End and with his wife Maria runs the local Swiss Deli famous for its Portuguese custard tarts among other wonderful delicacies. A sponsor said of him, and that Mr Marinelli is a “tireless community worker and benefactor who during the 2011 flood emergency delivered food and refreshments to residents and flood workers”.
Peter Marinelli and wife Maria – winner of the Local Business Award
The climax of the night was The Westender award (although Councillor Abrahams was at pains to point out that there was not a hierarchy of awards). Nominees included many of those previously nominated. Additional nominees were the Paniyiri Organising Committee, Mr Jeff Lam, Owner and Manager of the Health Works West End, and local window cleaner Mr Charley Lay and his little dog Tubsie.
Reading from his nomination, Ms Abrahams said that Mr Lam had been operating the Health Works in West End for almost five years and that he has an emphasis on fitness for everyone, no matter what age or social situation. She said that Mr Lam had consciously kept membership fees low to enable people to access a safe and friendly environment in which to exercise.
Charlie Lay and Tubsie nominee for The Westender Award
Ms Abrahams said that the first Paniyiri festival held 37 years ago had attracted a few thousand people and now it is a nationally recognised two-day extravaganza, attracting more than 60,000 people. This year the Paniyiri will be held in South Brisbane’s Musgrave Park on May 24 and 25.
The Westender award went to Mr Joe Hurley whom his sponsor said has been “a guiding light in the West End community for nearly 20 years as team leader, coordinator and now manager of the West End Family Care Services”. His nomination said that under Mr Hurley’s leadership, “the organisation has delivered free breakfasts drop-in advice information referrals housing support and provided a refuge of hope and opportunity for thousands of residents. Mr Hurley has recently been instrumental in expanding services Annerley and Yeronga under the banner of community plus”.
Joe Hurley – winner of The Westender Award for 2014 plus”.
“Mr Hurley is a fiercely loyal and local legend who deserves our recognition”, Councillor Abrahams said.
Far too often lately we have seen protests and complaint, often for good reason, so it was wonderfully refreshing to spend an evening celebrating the ordinary and the extraordinary people who make a real and lasting difference in our community, I felt privileged to be there.
The eyes of the nation focused on the Indi electorate during the 2013 Federal election campaign, as this previously safe seat saw a nine per cent against the national trend and elected an Independent candidate backed by the Voices for Indi community movement.
Voices for Indi has since been contacted by many community groups, NGOs, advocacy and activist groups, unions and election candidates of varied political affiliations who wish to learn about the simple and effective process that gave voice to the people of Indi and created such extraordinary electoral change.
In response an IndiShares forum will be held at the Oxley Hall on 14th June.
Cathy McGowan MP and key people from her campaign team and Voices for Indi and will be there to share and discuss all aspects of building participatory democracy and how to conduct an innovative and successful election campaign.
IndiShares will take the form of round table conversations, hosted by a V4I member with a maximum of ten participants. These round table conversations will be for thirty minutes and there will be an opportunity to attend up to five different topic conversations throughout the day.
The forum will end with a plenary session for general questions and discussion.
To ensure quality conversation for participants IndiShares numbers will be limited, so please register early.
Session themes will be:
Voices for Indi: how to build values based participatory democracy
Kitchen Table Conversations: the process for giving people voice
Social Media: new platforms for engagement and crowdfunding
Website/Nation Builder: communications and managing the data
Young People: inclusion and embracing new ideas
Volunteers: signing up to values, belonging and training
Branding/Marketing: creating identity
Innovative Campaigning and Events : flashmobs, pop up events
Electioneering: creativity, fun and logistics
Being an Independent Candidate
Tickets cost $180pp and will be limited. To request a registration package or to make further enquiries, please email voiceforindi@voiceforindi.com
For media comment: Alana Johnson, V4I President – 0427 624 214
