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Elderly patients who remain in hospital waiting for aged care placements could now be discharged sooner under a plan to ease the impact of residential aged care shortages in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.

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Up to 35 temporary aged care beds are being made available across the Illawarra Shoalhaven region, under a joint state and federal funding agreement which will help free up beds in local public hospitals.

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said the funding agreement between the NSW Government and the Commonwealth will enable additional beds in the Illawarra Shoalhaven to open under the Transitional Aged Care Program.

“This will make it possible for more patients to be safely discharged from hospital to another care facility while they wait for a residential placement to become available,” Mr Park said.

“Under the agreement, the NSW Government will contribute around 75% of the funding required to open 20 additional transition beds in Illawarra, which will equate to around $5 million annually.

“We will also jointly fund an additional 15 transitional beds in the Shoalhaven, with 4 already in place in Nowra.

“This is an exceptional result for the local community and is especially welcome news for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD), which has been facing unprecedented challenges with the flow of patients through local hospitals because of the impact of residential aged care bed shortages.”

An average of 92 local hospital patients every day in the Illawarra Shoalhaven have been classified as ready for transfer to a residential aged care facility over the past 12 months.

Mr Park said that number was previously between 30 and 40 patients per day.

“This no doubt creates a level of uncertainty for patients and their loved ones because they are forced to wait in hospital,” Mr Park said.

“It also impacts access to beds for other patients needing admission to our public hospitals.

“This relief package will enable more elderly patients, who are well enough for discharge, to be cared for in a more appropriate facility while at the same time making more hospital beds available.

“This will significantly improve access to hospital beds from emergency departments.”           

Staff recruitment is underway and the Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD is currently negotiating with Figtree Private Hospital to enable the opening of a 20-bed ward within its facility.

Federal Member for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes, said the collaborative agreement with Federal Aged Care Minister Annika Wells would help public hospitals transition elderly patients into more appropriate care.

“Both Minister Wells and I see it as a priority to work cooperatively with government and the sector to achieve effective solutions that will reduce pressure on our hospitals; while delivering the care that older Illawarra residents need, when they need it and in a form that meets their care needs,” Ms Byrne said.

“Locally, we are committed to developing these solutions that is why I speak regularly with Federal Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells MP, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park MP, ISLHD CEO Margot Mains and private providers about solutions.

“The Federal Government is committed to improving the attraction, retention and the sustainability of the care workforce by delivering a 15% pay rise on award wages for aged care workers, having at least 1 registered nurse available to care for residents at all times – 24 hours a day, every day of the week; and developing an Industry Labour Agreement to streamline the recruitment of qualified direct care workers to work in the aged care sector.”

The additional transition aged care beds will open over the next few months.

Greens’ Economic Justice spokesperson Senator Nick McKim has responded to the RBA’s decision to keep rates on hold today.

“The RBA’s decision to keep rates on hold is welcome, but recent history shows there remains a risk that they will go up again soon.”

“Labor needs to act to make sure the RBA does not raise rates again in the near term.”

“Unnecessary rate rises have already inflicted immense pain on those who can least afford it because Labor has failed to act.”

“Mortgage and renters have been smashed by record rate rises and will remain nervous that there are more to come.”

“And the risk of recession due to previous rate rises remains real.”

“Real wages continue to go backwards and the prospect of a wage-price spiral remains a fantasy.

“And it’s the lowest paid and least secure workers who are set to be among the 140,000 who will lose their jobs as interest rate rises start to bite.”

“Meanwhile, corporate CEOs are getting a 15% pay increase for increasing prices which is actually fuelling inflation.

“But Labor is failing to use the fiscal and regulatory levers it has to make people’s lives better.”

“Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers were elected to ensure no one was left behind.”

“Their failure to either rein in the RBA or start doing any of the heavy lifting makes them complicit.”

“If Australia is smashed into a recession, it will be Labor’s recession.”

“Their passive acceptance of the neoliberal ideology that is driving the RBA is a betrayal of their roots.”

“A real Labor government would be taxing corporate super profits and the super wealthy, bringing in price caps on things like rents and electricity, and making childcare and dental health free to help reduce the cost of living for those struggling to get by.”

The NSW Government is working to approve more Aboriginal land claims to support social, cultural, and economic benefits for Aboriginal communities.

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The celebration of NAIDOC Week this week follows last month’s 40th anniversary of the commencement of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983.

Since Monday 10 June 1983, a total of 4396 land claims have been granted or partly granted by Crown Lands, and 168,438 hectares of land has been returned to Aboriginal land councils.

So far in 2022/23, Crown Lands has assessed 596 land claims with 403 granted in whole or in part, and 3932 hectares of land returned to 56 different Aboriginal land councils. Some recently approved land claims have included:

• 2 blocks of land covering 209.2 hectares at Miandetta will be returned to Nyngan Local Aboriginal Land Council
• 88.5 hectares of bushland, formerly part of Kingsgate Mines, bordering the Yarrow River will be returned to Glen Innes Local Aboriginal Land Council
• 3 blocks of land with a combined size of 6.47 hectares around Narromine will be returned to Narromine Local Aboriginal Land Council
• 1082 square metres of land adjoining Hay Courthouse including an unoccupied 3-bedroom former residence returned to Hay Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris:

“The NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Local Aboriginal Land Councils have a right to lodge land claims under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, which are assessed to statutory criteria to determine if the land is lawfully used or occupied or needed for an essential public purpose.

“If the land is not occupied or needed the claim can be granted, which supports the social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of Aboriginal communities.”

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper:

“These land claims have delivered fantastic results to local communities across the state, as land is not just a physical asset but also deeply connected to cultural identity and spiritual beliefs.

“Crown Lands is working closely with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Local Aboriginal Land Councils to deliver tangible outcomes for Aboriginal communities and peoples.”

The Senate inquiry into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Assessment and support services in Australia will this week convene for its first public hearing.

Held in Canberra on Thursday, June 29, the hearing will invite people with lived experience of ADHD, ADHD peak bodies, NSW and ACT-based disability advocacy organisations, some government departments and a range of healthcare professional representative bodies to present further evidence to the committee. 

It is expected that the ADHD inquiry, initiated by Senator Jordon Steele-John and passed by the Senate in March, will make community-led recommendations to address the common barriers people experience as they seek ADHD assessment and care.

Around a million people in Australia are directly impacted by ADHD, a widely misunderstood neurodevelopmental disability that can cause significant impairment and dysfunction in people’s lives.

Senator Jordon Steele-John, Australian Greens spokesperson on Disability Services, Health and Mental Health said:

“People with ADHD have been left behind in this country for far too long. 

“Over the past year of engaging closely with the ADHD community, I’ve heard countless stories of barriers around cost, wait time and stigma associated with seeking ADHD assessment and support services.

“The ADHD inquiry marked the first time that people with ADHD have had the opportunity to share their lived experience directly with the people who make the decisions that impact their care. 

“Now as we move into the next phase of the inquiry, I’m hopeful these experiences will steer the committee toward the robust and meaningful recommendations needed to improve countless lives.

“We laid the first brick in the road toward that by initiating this inquiry. Now, I look forward to working with the community to lay the many bricks to come, beginning with this first public hearing.”

Background 

The first public hearing for the ADHD Assessment and Support Services in Australia inquiry will be held on Thursday 29th June in Canberra 10am – 5:30pm AEDT and will hear from people with lived experience, their representative organisations including ADHD Australia, Disability advocacy organisations, Healthcare Professionals and representatives of the Departments of Education, Health and the NDIS. 

Program is available here: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/ADHD/Public_Hearings 

Frontline clinicians throughout NSW will come together to offer their expertise and advice to help inform and shape the delivery of healthcare.

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NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM said the newly established NSW Health System Advisory Council will empower healthcare workers to guide the planning and implementation of measures to drive positive change throughout the NSW public health system.

The members of the advisory council bring their experience from all corners of the NSW Health system and include doctors, nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals who work on the frontline day in, and day out.

The council will provide independent and impartial strategic clinical advice on key priorities and functions of the health system, reporting to Ms Pearce as the NSW Health Secretary.

Ms Pearce said the council will be critical to developing new ideas for implementation in hospitals and health services statewide.

“High quality and safe healthcare requires constant innovation and collaboration, and this group will be at the forefront of how we make those changes,” she said.

“It’s so important the voices of clinicians are factored into all of our decision-making, and I look forward to seeing the many contributions this group makes in developing solutions to statewide issues.”

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the experiences of the last few years during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how innovative ways of working can be developed to address new challenges.

“I am looking forward to attending the first meeting of the advisory council next month, listening to and learning from the expert advice and guidance of the advisory council, and hearing its ideas on how we can continue to deliver excellent healthcare experiences and outcomes for the people of NSW,” Mr Park said.

“Each member of the group will draw on the diverse expertise and experiences of their many colleagues to reflect the views of clinicians throughout the health system.

“They will also work alongside members of the Aboriginal clinical community and GPs to inform our future decision-making.”

The Coalition is calling on the NSW Labor Government to urgently extend funding support to the 15 Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) who provide much-needed support for refugees and asylum seekers across NSW.

The Multicultural NSW Emergency Relief Support Grants, first administered in 2021 under the former NSW Liberal and Nationals Government provides an essential lifeline to frontline organisations who support new refugees and asylum seekers in NSW. The emergency funding is set to expire on June 30 2023.

Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, Mark Coure, has been calling on the NSW Labor Government to urgently extend this funding to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom are in vulnerable situations, continue to receive the help they need.

“Late last year during our time in Government the Coalition provided an extension of $3.65 million to cover the operations of these 15 NGOs, ensuring that those suffering from homelessness, food insecurity and mental health issues were well supported.” Mr Coure said.

“I have met with a number of these organisations who have stressed to me how important it is that the NSW Labor Government extends this funding again, to cover the gap created by the Federal Government’s absence of responsibility on this issue.”

“Refugees and asylum seekers in NSW simply cannot wait for Labor’s endless expenditure reviews, they need support now, not in three or four months’ time when Labor finally delivers their delayed budget.”

Mr Coure has written to Minister for Multiculturalism, Steven Kamper, Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey and Federal Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Andrew Giles imploring them to support our most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers.

“New refugees and asylum seekers have relied on this funding to help support them during one of the most difficult periods of their lives, they need this funding to ensure they have a roof over their head, food in their stomachs and the ability to find secure and stable employment.” Mr Coure said.

“It is time now that the NSW Labor Government steps up and provides this funding.”

Fans of K-Pop, KBBQ and Korean dance can celebrate as the vision of a group of Eastwood locals comes alive. On Rowe Street Eastwood a determined project group are working to share and enjoy these popular elements of Korean culture and much more with the wider community.

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The project, funded by NSW Government, has been named “KoreaTown” and their vision for Eastwood includes K-Pop music festivals, street-dancing, Korean traditional dance performances, baked goods, Korean cuisine and night markets served up to a thriving night-time precinct around the clock.

KoreaTown is just one of 21 new projects supported by the NSW Government’s Uptown program. This program was brought in to encourage local businesses to collaborate and build a self-sustainable cultural district. Each district was then given tools and resources to brand their project and brought to the table their ideas. The goal is to create a vibrant area that is to be enjoyed by locals and visitors all year round.

Minister for Music and the Night-Time Economy John Graham said the Korean Community of Commerce will use the $198,200 Uptown grant to bring their vision of marketing Eastwood as ‘KoreaTown’ to life.

“The KoreaTown district team will use this funding to commence an advertising campaign with the goal of attracting four million visitors to Eastwood to enjoy the great food, entertainment and Korean goods on offer” Mr Graham said.

“Ideas like this will not only enhance our state’s global reputation, but it will also highlight the vibrant, diverse, and exciting opportunities available to visitors and residents across Greater Sydney.”

Moko Eastwood owner and KoreaTown representative Jong Hoon Park said Rowe Street, Eastwood was already home to 120 Korean shops and restaurants.

“We are only a small street, but we are full of Korean culture, and we want to encourage more people to come and experience what we have to offer,” Mr Park said.

“The Uptown grant will allow our collective to hire a marketing agency to promote Eastwood as KoreaTown through partnerships that will showcase our offering whether daytime or into the night.”

NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said KoreaTown was just one of the great district visions for Sydney to come out of the Uptown program this year.

“Uptown will help these districts to deliver brilliant night-time experiences that will enhance greater Sydney’s rich social fabric and bring more visitors to these great locations,” Mr Rodrigues said.

For more information visit Uptown grant programlaunch.

BACKGROUND

Over the last few years, Ryde Council recognised the areas need for its own identity, formally referring to the area as KoreaTown and installing a new car park to accommodate the influx of visitors to the area.

Among the 21 Uptown recipients are Little India Harris Park Business Association (City of Parramatta), an LGBTQIA+ Rainbow District in Darlinghurst (City of Sydney), as well as precincts in the Northern Beaches, Inner West, Hornsby, Woollahra and Blacktown councils.

Construction is underway on the first stage of City of Newcastle’s latest fenced off-leash dog park in Maryland.

The premier facility will be located at Maryland Drive Reserve adjacent to the existing unfenced, leash-free area, with stage one works including the delivery of one fenced area open to all dogs.

Shelters with tables, informal sandstone seating, dog bubblers and extensive landscaping including trees for shade will also be included in the stage one area.

A future second stage of the project will feature an additional off-leash area to separate large and small dogs, as well as a formalised car park with accessible parking, additional seating and landscaping.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the first fenced area is expected to be complete by mid-June with the existing off-leash dog area remaining open.

“With more than 63,000 dogs registered in our city, we know Novocastrians are passionate about their canine companions and want more spaces where their dogs can safely exercise and mix with other pets,” Cr Nelmes said.

“City of Newcastle is committed to providing a variety of off-leash options throughout Newcastle and has already delivered the city’s first fully fenced off-leash dog park at Acacia Avenue Reserve, as well as upgrades to the existing popular area in Islington Park.

“Formalised off-leash dog areas enable people to take their dogs to a place where they can legally run free, exercise and socialise with other dogs. They also provide pet owners with a meeting place and an opportunity to connect with others in the community.

“This new project at Maryland will provide a premier facility for dog lovers in our western suburbs, which is sure to be popular with pet owners who already make the most of the unfenced off-leash area within this popular reserve.”

The Maryland Dog Park forms part of the Dogs in Open Space Plan, which was adopted by City of Newcastle in 2019 to guide the provision, improvement and management of off-leash dog areas during the next 10 years.

It’s often said that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Yunupingu was a giant who made sure we could.

He lifted us up and held us there so that we could see as far as he did.

And what a vision he shared with us.

A vision underpinned by an unbending belief in the need for Aboriginal people to hold their future in their own hands.

A vision so grounded in all that was just and fair and right that, ultimately, it elevated us all.

He had every right to be cynical, but he wasn’t. No matter how often Australia let him down, he kept striving to have us rise to his level of integrity.

And as he did, what Yunupingu helped us all to see was not the reinvention of Australia, but the realisation of an even greater one.

Now his life is at an end, we gather in the place where it began.

And as we gaze out to where the Gulf of Carpentaria meets the sky, we soften our sorrow with joy and gratitude for all that his life was.

It is an honour to be here in the country that so filled his heart, but as it’s my first time in Arnhem Land without him, it is a poignant one.

Yet his presence – and the reminders of all he believed in and all that mattered to him – are all around us, the profound cultural, political, social and economic legacies of a leader.

Of a statesman.

A painter, dancer, singer and musician.

Australian of the Year in 1978. Member of the Order of Australia. A national treasure.

A remarkable member of a remarkable family.

A great Yolngu man. An extraordinary Australian, who understood if you want to make your voice count, you have to make sure that it is heard.

He made sure with the sheer power of his advocacy for land rights.

He made sure when he helped draft the Yirrkala Bark Petitions, which delivered such a powerful message that resounded within the walls of the nation’s Parliament.

He made sure when he co-created that blueprint for treaty, the Barunga Statement.

And he made sure in his crucial role in that masterclass of concise and unifying eloquence, the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

In his words: “At Uluru we started a fire, a fire we hope burns bright for Australia.”

Now Yunupingu is gone, but the gurtha — the great tongue of flame and truth with which spoke to us — is still here. And it lights the path ahead for us.

We will never again hear his voice anew, but his words – and his legacy – will keep speaking to us.

The finest tribute we can offer to his memory is within our grasp.

Yunupingu walked in two worlds with authority, power and grace, and he worked to make them whole — together.

Now he walks in another place, but he has left such great footsteps for us to follow here in this one.

With deepest respect. Vale Yunupingu.

This week, I will travel to Southeast Asia to further strengthen Australia’s relationship with Laos and the Philippines, and promote our shared interests in a stable, peaceful and prosperous region.

Laos is a valued partner for Australia, with our Prime Ministers announcing their intention to elevate the relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership in November 2022. Our friendship, built on longstanding development cooperation and people to people ties, has been forged over 70 years.

In Laos, I will meet Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, and Head of the External Relations Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Thongsavanh Phomvihane.

I look forward to signing the Laos-Australia Sustainable Energy Partnership and to exploring ways we can expand and deepen cooperation under a Comprehensive Partnership.

Australia and the Philippines are longstanding partners, with diplomatic relations spanning 77 years. We share extensive defence and security ties, strong maritime cooperation, a wide-ranging development cooperation partnership, and deep people-to-people ties.

In the Philippines, I will meet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., building on an agreement by President Marcos and Prime Minister Albanese to elevate the Philippines-Australia bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership.

I will also meet with Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, Secretary of National Defense Carlito Galvez, and National Security Advisor Eduardo Año.

The Albanese Government is committed to deeper collaboration and cooperation between Australia and Southeast Asia. The 2023-24 Budget included more than $55 million to further our engagement – investments which will complement the Government’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy, to be released later this year.

Following this visit, I will have travelled to every country in the region as Foreign Minister, with the exception of Myanmar, as a clear statement of our intent and our priorities in the region.