The Westender published a story on its online edition on Monday 7th April regarding the purchase of the ABSOE property in Boundary Street by Sydney developers Payce Consolidated.
Part of the story may have given readers the impression that the owner of Payce Consolidated, Mr Brian Boyd, was in some way involved with criminal activity.
The Westender withdraws that statement unreservedly, and apologises for any damage to Mr Boyd’s reputation it may have caused.
The Publishers
Thirty years ago, Sonia Caton ran a free legal telephone advice line from her own flat, and her commitment to helping those who cannot afford a lawyer has not changed ever since. Today, the solicitor and migration agent advises refugees on their legal rights. She will talk about this challenging yet inspiring work at the 2014 WILPF Peacewomen Awards in South Brisbane on 2 May.
Held at COTAH restaurant / Southbank TAFE, the Peacewomen Awards acknowledge the work of four outstanding Queensland women who are committed to peace, social justice, and human rights.
This year’s theme is freedom, and guest speaker Sonia Caton said that her work relates to this concept in many ways. “Freedom can mean so many things – freedom from fear; freedom to get an education, to work; to move; to play music; to sing; to be an artist; to be an activist; freedom of expression; to chose your life partner; to practice your religion; to plan your family; to access to medical care and to have access to justice.”
“My work with asylum seekers and refugees has involved all of these lived meanings of the word ‘freedom’.”
Ms Caton has worked with the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service on and off for over 20 years, including as its Director/Principal Solicitor.
She is also a board member of the Refugee Council of Australia, a consultant to a number of organisations working with asylum seekers and a member of several other Boards and Government advisory committees. She has worked in detention centres on Christmas Island and elsewhere.
Ms Caton said that her most rewarding work has been assisting vulnerable women who have legitimate claims for protection. “My case load was consistently comprised of at least 80% female clients. I found my previous work as a criminal lawyer relevant as many had suffered terrible violence in their countries of origin.”
Asylum seekers are often criminalised in the public debate, Ms Caton said. “There has been a complete conflation of asylum seeking with criminality and being ‘at war’.”
Many politicians tend to simplify this complex matter, she said: “The issue of asylum seeking is global and it is ‘wicked’ – in that it is a very difficult one to solve.”
A multi-lateral, long term approach was necessary to address the problem, she said, but not popular with most politicians: “A highly aggressive partisan rather than a bi-partisan approach has won elections before so I think it is now hard for some politicians not to inflame the issue for political purposes.”
To hear Sonia Caton speak at the WILPF Peacewomen Awards, please register by 22 April. More information on the registrations is available on http://www.wilpf.org.au/qld-peace-women-awards. Alternatively, please contact Norma Forrest on 3207 7929 or 0407 768 873, email: normarod@bigpond.com.
Australian adults now average more time in front of a screen than they do sleeping, but do not fully understand the associated health risks, or how to change their behaviour.
A new community survey commissioned by Medibank also reveals that a majority of parents are very concerned about the time their children spend on screens and the effect it is having on their health.
The Medibank Health Check – Is it time to unplug? is the first in a series of community surveys which will examine Australians’ views on emerging health issues.
The first independent survey asked 1,505 Australians their views about the amount of time they spend in front of screens (computer, TV, smartphone, tablet).
Respondents estimated they spend about nine hours a day looking at a screen – six hours for leisure and three hours for work or study – which is more than the eight hour recommended average adult daily sleep-time.
National Medical Director at Medibank, Dr Ian Boyd, said some of the key results were concerning.
“It is worrying that adults are spending more time in front of screens than sleeping, and while they want to change their behaviour they don’t seem to know what to do about it,” Dr Boyd said.
“While 62 per cent of respondents know that reduced physical activity is a consequence of too much screen time, almost half of those surveyed also failed to recognise the likelihood of the known health risks of screen time which include obesity, attention difficulty, low self-esteem and depression.”
Dr Boyd said that concerns adults held for themselves were in contrast to those they had for their children, with a majority particularly worried about the impact of too much screen time on their children’s health and development.
“More than 60 per cent of respondents with children agreed that screen time affects their family time, and their family’s health, and 57 per cent of these want to cut back on screen time,” Dr Boyd said.
“And one in five say that if they weren’t in front of a screen they would be involved in a physical activity instead such as going for a walk or riding a bike.”
Dr Boyd said that enough concern had been raised about screen-time to warrant further research and education to improve community health outcomes.
“There needs to be much greater community education around what are safe levels of screen time and more programs are needed to encourage people to unplug and get involved in other recreational activities,” he said.
“The benefits of unplugging and spending more time being active are clear for both adults and children, and we need to be encouraging this before people accept our over-use of screens as the norm.”
A copy of Medibank Health Check – Is it time to unplug? is available at www.bemagazine.com.au/images/medibank-health-check-screen-time.pdf
UPDATE: We just received this email from the West End Police, which states that the West End Police Station (see story below) has already started operating at it’s new premises in Vulture Street. Here’s the message:
As an addition to your recent story involving the relocation of West End Police Station, we would like to advise that we have now moved and are fully operational at our new premises located at 2/36 Vulture Street, West End. All telephone, fax and postal addresses remain the same.
Would it be possible to include our new address as an addendum to your previous story? If you would like to contact West End Police for any clarification or comment, please refer any inquiries to our OIC, Acting Senior Sergeant Pat Humphrys.
Regards,
Vanessa MANN
Acting Sergeant
The West End Police station in Boundary Street – 130 years old, and the oldest operating police station in the State of Queensland – is soon to close its doors for the last time, and operations moved to purpose built new premises in Vulture Street.
According to Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers, the move comes none too soon, as he has been agitating for its replacement for some time.
“When Jack Dempsey first became Minister I invited him here to West End and took him on a tour of West End police station to show him that not much had changed in the station’s 130 years of operation that made it a significant workplace health and safety concern for police.
“He immediately took on board my request on behalf of the police who work here in one of the most diverse and neglected policing beats in the state for a solution and I am proud today to see that come to fruition,” said Mr Leavers.
Commissioner of Police Ian Stewart said that the new station would replace the oldest serving police station in the State.
“In the year that we proudly celebrate 150 years of service it seems fitting that the oldest operating police station in the State makes way for a new complex that is fit for purpose,” Commissioner Ian Stewart said.
“It has remained in continued operation with several modifications made to the original 19th Century timber and corrugated iron building.
“The new station is a short hop away and the move maintains police operations in the heart of West End, which is critical in terms of projected growth and policing requirements,” Commissioner Stewart said.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey said that his LNP Government is committed to revitalising frontline services for police. “We’re delivering new modern facilities to deliver on that promise,” Mr Dempsey said.
“We are addressing that through a new modern fit for purpose station that will benefit officers, and responses to the local community.
“Today we are announcing a win for the local community and the officers of West End.”
While no announcement has been made on the future of the prime real estate on which the current police station sits, and it is intended that the property remain in the hands of the Queensland Police Service, the Westender has spoken to a number of local real estate agents who expressed keen interest in being involved if and when it goes on the market..
On Friday 28 March, 38 enthusiastic young volunteers and 5 hard-working staff members from Optus RockCorps turned up bright and early at South Brisbane People’s Market at 15 Hope St. They arrived with paint, hammers, saws and drills in hand, ready to transform the sparse shop space into a colourful, warm and inviting community pop up shop.
Optus RockCorps is an initiative based on the concept of Give, Get Given. Young people sign up to volunteer on a community project for four hours, after which they receive a ticket to a music concert.
Within four hours, the young people managed to build a shop-front service table, two partitions, a welcome board and a planter box for the pop up shop. Additionally, they painted two decorative hangings for the space and chalk-decorated sections of the empty concrete block. The change to the ambience of the environment was phenomenal.
The South Brisbane People’s Market, based in a commercial space at Brisbane Common Ground, is Micah Projects’ early phase of what is hoped will grow to be a thriving, creative and inclusive space for everyone in the local community.
Micah Projects is a community organisation, based in South Brisbane, with an unswerving commitment to social justice. Micah Projects works with individuals, adults, children and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The organisation provides a range of support and advocacy services as well as social inclusion activities to support vulnerable people in the local community.
Currently, every Thursday, from 11am until 3pm, the pop up shop sells fresh fruit and vegetables, ethically sourced from a local organisation, Food Connect, as well as freshly baked goods and condiments from Brisbane Common Ground’s chef Phyllis Patterson. Brisbane Common Ground is a supportive housing initiative which is home to 146 low-income and formerly homeless tenants.
It was great to see some of the tenants actively engage in RockCorps and it cannot be denied that the end result of all of the volunteers’ hard work and enthusiasm was well and truly worth it. Thank you to all who participated! We hope it was as rewarding for you as it was for the People’s Market!
FUSION CULTURE is a very spicy and passionate mix of vocals, dance and music that will take place at BEMAC Multi-Cultural Centre, 102 Main St, Kangaroo Point on May 3, 2014.
The night is a community celebration of Brisbane’s own Yenenesh Nigusse, born in Ethiopia, but familiar to probably 1000s of people through her dance performances at festivals and workshops throughout Queensland and Australia over the last 20 years.
Before Yen departs to live in the UK she has invited many of the professional and well known artists she has worked with to create a rich and diverse cultural experience, a night to share the music and dance that she loves from Africa and Latin America, along with original and contemporary hip-hop, dancehall performances.
Please see also our flyer for the night along with a pdf with bios of many of the performers. Each and every one of them has a great story tell!
This is a privately organized community event; proceeds of tickets sales will cover expenses and artists fees only.
FUSION CULTURE: Yen’s Farewell Gig
Saturday May 3, 2014
7:30 – 10pm
A night of African, Latin, Hip Hop & Dancehall grooves and moves.
Line-up: Nii Armah [Baala Baajo], Tichawona Noble Mashawa, Adama Fakoli, Velvet Pesu, Bandambira, Ethiopian Bahil Dance Group, Evoke Dance & Theatre Co, Wanida Serce, Nadia Roosens, Nadim Cody, Avinash Ramchandani, Diana Raczek…and Yenenesh Nigusse.
Where: Qld Multi-Cultural Centre [BEMAC], 102 Main St, Kangaroo Point
Tickets: $15 / $12, family (2 adults + 2 kids under 12) $40
Buy tickets online at: www.trybooking.com/EQDJ
Tel BEMAC: 07 3391 4433
Email: info@drumanddance.com.au