THE PHILIPPINE COMMUNITY HERALD NEWSPAPER
MULTICULTURAL
FECCA welcomes Budget support for older CALD Australians
FECCA welcomes the significant $ 17.7 billion investment in aged care over five years announced in the recent Federal Budget . This funding , matched with committment for representation on the new governance structures , will go a long way to ensure the needs of vulnerable older people of culturally and linguistically diverse ( CALD ) backgrounds are met . Specifically , FECCA :
• Welcomes the $ 6.5 billion for 80,000 new Home Care Packages over the next two years . Home care is a critical support for older CALD Australians and there is an overwhelming preference amongst CALD communities to age at home .
• Welcomes the $ 65.2 million to increase translating and interpreting services to help CALD Australians access and navigate the aged care system . This will assist more than 75,000 people .
• Supports the drafting of a new Aged Care Act to enshrine the Government ’ s reforms in legislation by mid-2023 .
• Supports the announcement that the Government will work towards the establishment of an office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care .
• Supports the establishment of new governance arrangements , including a National Aged Care Advisory Council and a Council of Elders .
• Notes that the Aged Care Diversity Framework should be mandated and FECCA will continue to work collaboratively with the Government on this following the review .
FECCA Chairperson Mary Patetsos said the Budget measures would assist many older CALD Australians . “ The Aged Care Royal Commission brought to light the need for significant reform and additional funding in the aged care sector ,” Ms Patetsos said .
“ FECCA was very active throughout the Royal Commission in ensuring that the voices of older CALD Australians and their families were heard . “ FECCA welcomes this very significant funding for the sector , particularly the additional funding for Home Care and translating services , and the announcements of new Governance structures , including an Aged Care Advisory Council and a Council of Elders .
“ It is critical that the Aged Care Advisory Council and the Council of Elders both include representatives with CALD expertise and lived experiences to ensure the sector is responsive to the needs of CALD Australians and their families , and we thank the Government for recognising the importance of diverse representation on these structures . “ FECCA will also proactively work with the Government to ensure that a sustained social support program will be in place to support older people living in the community and their carers .”
FECCA is the national peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds .
BUSINESS NSW UNVEILS TOP TOURISM TOWN AWARD WINNERS
Berrima and Mudgee have been named NSW ’ s Top Tourism Towns , voted by the public and an industry panel as the top destinations for an outstanding visitor experience .
The Southern Highlands and country NSW favourites today were crowned winners of the inaugural awards by Minister for Jobs , Investment , Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres at the Local Government NSW Destination and Visitor Economy Conference underway in Port Macquarie .
“ There ’ s a real buzz about regional NSW right now and with incredible destinations such as Berrima and Mudgee to visit it ’ s easy to understand why ,” Mr Ayres said . “ These vibrant communities with unique visitor experiences , authentic hospitality and world-class tourism operators make NSW the envy of all other states , and the place to be when it comes to regional Australian escapes .
“ Regional visitor economies are on the road to recovery , and the Destination NSW and Roy Morgan Weekly Visitor Tourism Tracking Index shows that the total number of visitors across regional NSW is approximately 20 per cent above the where we were at mid-October last year . “ The data also tells us that in the last six weeks alone , interstate travel has risen and 36 per cent of visitors to regional NSW are interstate visitors , up from 23 per cent in mid-February .
“ These awards showcase NSW ’ s strengths , and with the ‘ visitor-first ’ approach shown by the 52 entrants , the program is a great platform to demonstrate our State is in a fantastic position to be the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific by 2030 .”
Mudgee was praised for its great community spirit and the way it welcomes visitors from far and wide to sample its wines , food and warm hospitality . Historic Berrima was admired for being a beautifully preserved Georgian town with amazing food and friendly people . The awards are managed by the NSW Tourism Industry Council , and celebrate towns with a population of less than 5000 , and a population of more than 5000 .
“ Tourism Associations , Councils , Local Chambers and Visitor Information Centres collaborated to enter their towns in the awards ,” said NSW Tourism Industry Council Executive Manager , Greg Binskin .
“ Entrants submitted a short video , itinerary and editorial article which was reviewed by a judging committee of 14 industry experts and it was always going to
NEW FIRE SAFETY EDUCATION PROGRAM KEEPS KIDS SAFE
Children in NSW will be better educated about fire safety and prevention , with the introduction of Fire and Rescue NSW ’ s updated fire safety programs .
The programs , which are designed to reduce the risk of fire to children aged between 3 and 10 years have been reviewed and supported by the NSW Department of Education .
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said he was pleased the programs will be introduced to children during the period they are most at risk .
Education is the first line of defence against fire-related injuries and fatalities in children ,” Mr Elliott said
“ Children often have limited knowledge about fire risks and the updated education program will help them avoid starting a fire and teach them the best way to stay safe if one occurs .” The updated programs consist of four sessions :
1 . A session delivered by a firefighter to teach children important skills in burns first aid ;
2 . School fire evacuation drill ;
3 . Home Fire Escape Planning ; and
4 . How to identify fire hazards in the home .
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the new program would be a fantastic resource for teachers .
“ Giving children an understanding of how to stay safe and avoid fire risks from a young age is crucial to keeping them safe ,” Ms Mitchell said .
“ The updated fire lessons have been developed in consultation with the NSW Department of Education , to ensure the best learning outcomes for children who participate .”
Fire and Rescue NSW Assistant Commissioner Trent Curtin said children are one of the most atrisk groups when it came to the risk of fire , with FRNSW responding to over 8,000 fires caused by children and 12 child fire fatalities in the last five years .
“ Fire safety education not only prevents fire , it improves responses to fires and empowers children by providing them with the capacity to make informed decisions , enhancing resilience ,” Assistant Commissioner Curtin said .
“ These sessions have been designed on the back of extensive evidence based research by professionals and we believe they will go a long way in reducing misuse of fire , fire related injuries and fatalities in children . To book a fire safety education program at your school , visit www . fire . nsw . gov . au / education
WESTMEAD HEALTH PRECINCT FUNDED $ 3 MILLION TO STEP UP FIGHT AGAINST ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT INFECTIONS
Three million dollars from the NSW Government , Federal Government and industry partners will now go towards establishing “ Phage Australia ” at the Westmead Health Precinct to step up the fight against antibiotic resistant infections .
The Federal Government announced in the Budget recently it would invest $ 1 million on top of the NSW Government ’ s previous commitment of $ 1.15 million along with additional funds from industry partners . It ’ s estimated that by 2050 , antibiotic resistant infections are projected to become the leading cause of death worldwide resulting in approximately 10 million deaths annually .
Bacteriophages – also known as phages – are viruses that prey on bacteria and remain completely effective against antibiotic resistant bacterial strains . They offer a last defence against otherwise untreatable infection .
Professor Jon Iredell , Director of the Centre for Infectious Disease and Microbiology at Westmead Hospital and Director of The Westmead Institute for Medical Research ( WIMR ) Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology says phage therapy could provide the answer to addressing the rapidly emerging threat to global health of antibiotic resistance . “ Antibiotic resistance is a huge threat to our health system . Without effective treatment against infections , doctors wouldn ’ t be able to perform life-saving treatments such as transplants or cancer therapy ,” Professor Iredell said . Phage Australia which will focus on the rapid translation of phage therapeutics into clinical practice and explore how phage therapy can be ‘ supercharged ’ using cutting edge technology .
“ Phages are everywhere in nature and there is a more than a century of safety data , but they have been difficult to harness for treatment ,” Professor Iredell said . “ Now is the time to be finding safe treatments for serious infections . Phage therapy is both our last resort for antibiotic resistance now and our best hope for the future .”
Phage Australia will be led by Professor Jon Iredell . He is supported by two Deputy Directors – WIMR ’ s Associate Professor Ruby Lin ( Science / Biotechnology ) and Dr Ameneh Khatami ( Clinical / Therapeutics / Trials ) from the Children ’ s Hospital Westmead .
Westmead Health Precinct is one of the largest health , education , research and training precincts in Australia , employing more than 18,000 people across the biomedical , health and life sciences fields . It is being delivered in partnership between Health Infrastructure , Western Sydney Local Health District , Sydney Children ’ s Hospital Network and the University of Sydney . be very competitive with a field of 52 nominations . “ The public then had their say , with more than 15,000 people casting a vote for their Top Tourism Town .”
Mudgee and Berrima will represent NSW at the inaugural Australian Top Tourism Town Awards to be held Wednesday 25 August at Parliament House , Canberra .
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