Perth Voice Interactive

PERTH Children’s Hospital anaesthetist Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg has been awarded the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year in the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science.

Prof Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg, who is also chair of paediatric anaesthesia at the University of WA, received the award for her life-changing research into reducing the risks for children under anaesthesia.

Her research showed a link between family history, modifications in anaesthesia management and the one-in-seven kids who experienced breathing problems during surgery.

This meant kids at high risk could be identified early and their anaesthesia management tweaked to make their operations as safe and pain-free as possible.

Her work has been incorporated into international guidelines.

“Receiving the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year is a very humbling experience,” Prof Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg said.

“I truly feel this prize is not just for me – it’s for my whole clinical] and non-clinical team and all the work they do to care for our patients.

“The reason we can translate our work so easily into clinical practice is because we work together as a group, including with our patients and their families. 

“Our research is not just about children and for children, but is co-designed with and by children and families.

“We know that the experiences we have as a child in healthcare and particularly surgery, can shape not only the now but also the future and long-term health as an adult. 

Comfortable

“If a child needs a vital operation, my aim is for this surgery to be as safe and comfortable for the child as possible.

“I started out as the only female paramedic in my town in Germany and I’m now one of a small number of female academics in my specialty. 

“I feel very passionate about mentoring people from all walks of life and all genders, and giving them opportunities in our field.

“We look after some of the most vulnerable patients in Australia, so it’s fantastic for people to hear about all we do in paediatric perioperative care. 

“I hope it will encourage more people to become interested in the specialty,” she said.

GOOD SAMMY has launched in Leederville.

Providing new jobs for people with disability, its latest sustainable clothing and homewares retail store is on Oxford Street next door to the iconic Re Store. 

Offering a local twist, the Good Sammy Leederville store features a custom mural designed and brought to life by local artist Yani Mengoni. 

The 45sqm mural extends 15 metres over two walls inside the new store and features well loved, popular Leederville hot spots including Luna Cinemas and The Leederville Hotel. 

“This is my first mural, the largest I’ve ever illustrated on a wall,” Mengoni said.

“One of my goals was to capture the character and personality of Leederville and celebrate local stories. 

“I put my heart into this project. 

“It’s going to be amazing having a new Good Sammy store in town, and I’m so glad to be part of it.”

Founded in 1958, Good Sammy Enterprises is one of WA’s largest disability employment providers, with just over half its workforce identifying as having a disability.

THE City of Perth has given outdoor media companies an extra two square metres to hang advertising on the walls of CBD buildings, but has stood firm on shrinking street furniture signage by half.

At its last monthly meeting, the council adopted a revised signage policy, despite complaints from the Outdoor Media Association that it might deter its members from further investment in the city.

OMA CEO Elizabeth McIntyre addressed the agenda briefing session arguing a proposed maximum of 18sqm for signs on building walls would discourage reinvestment in upgrading signage, as most companies wouldn’t digitise signs below about 18.6 metres.

Ms McIntyre also pointed out that the city’s street furniture and bus shelter network would fall foul of new rules limiting their signs to just one square metre.

“Do councillors want a council contract that does not comply with its own policy,” she said.

“Our members contributed $64 million to the state economy last year and built and maintained important and much-used public infrastructure items such as street furniture and bus shelters valued at $23m.

“This contribution comes at no cost to ratepayers and they play a key role in place making, city activation and connecting the community.

“Digital advertising signs in particular also reinforce the city’s identity as the City of Light.”

Commercialisation

oOh!media director of operations Michael Kelly said Perth’s proposed policy was a “step apart” from other capital cities, particularly the limits on street furniture signage.

“In terms of the commercialisation of Perth assets in the future as well, there’d be a different sized sign compared to the rest of the country which would then impact how the industry sells and monetises, and there provides commercial returns to Perth,” Mr Kelly said.

He said the other alternative was for the companies to provide custom-made signs just for Perth, which would be more expensive and make it difficult to sell the city to big advertisers.

Ms McIntyre said it could also stifle any further growth of the City’s bus shelter network.

“We need a policy that is flexible and accommodates various established industry standard sizes,” she said.

Despite quipping that outdoor media companies would light up every inch of every building given the chance, lord mayor Basil Zempilas moved an amendment that would give the industry 18sqm metres to play with on wall signs.

“We’re very conscious of the fact that some of the great attractions of some of the great cities in the world is their digital signage,” Mr Zempilas told the chamber.

But like the majority of his colleagues he was unmoved by a proposed amendment from councillor David Goncalves to stick with the current two square metre signs on street furniture, and the motion was lost 2-5.

by STEVE GRANT

THE City of Bayswater is after feedback from local businesses for its new Economic Development Strategy, which aims to drive growth and attract investment to the area. 

Mayor Filomena Piffaretti said the City was committed to ensuring the strategy reflected the needs of local businesses. 

“Our local businesses are vital to the success of the city and their input is crucial in shaping a strong, sustainable local economy,” Ms Piffaretti said.

“We’re asking business owners to share their insights to help us identify opportunities and challenges as we develop this long-term strategy.” 

The City’s previous Interim Economic Development Strategy, adopted in 2022, focussed on the attraction of new development and the continued support for local business. The new strategy will build on this foundation. 

“The survey we’ve launched will provide valuable insights into the needs of our business community and help us make informed decisions that keep our economy competitive,” she said.

“This is an opportunity for businesses to have their say and help us shape the future of economic development in our city.” 

The survey is open until 4pm on Monday November 11. 

Businesses can complete the survey online or pick up a hard copy from the City’s Civic Centre or libraries. 

Additionally, the City will host several workshops, run by an external consultant, where business owners can provide feedback in-person and discuss their experiences. 

Workshops 6.30-8pmt: 

• October 16  at Les Hansman Community Centre, Morley 

• October 29 at Hawaiian’s Noranda, Noranda 

• October 30 at Eighth Avenue Social, Maylands 

• November 6 at Quality Inn Bayswater Hotel, Baywater.

The survey is available from engage.bayswater.wa.gov.au/economic-development-strategy

THE Friends of Palestine WA will be holding a rally today (Saturday October 12) at 4pm in Forrest Place despite prime minister Anthony Albanese warning that pro-Palestinian rallies can be “incredibly provocative”.

FPWA says the demonstration is in response to “Israel’s aggressive escalatory attacks on Lebanon and its other regional neighbors”.

The protest will be calling for the government to impose military and economic sanctions on Israel and for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled from Australia.

Protest organiser Sam Shahin says there will be anger and grief at the gathering. 

“Grief over the fact that the last year has seen untold Israeli destruction in Gaza, a fact recognised by multiple international legal and political bodies,” she said.

“Anger over the fact that the same genocidal Israeli state is now waging offensive war in Lebanon, murdering over a thousand and displacing over one million people.”

Last week Mr Albanese said protests marking the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that killed around 1200 people would “cause a great deal of distress” and urged people to promote social cohesion.

But Jews for Palestine member Janet Parker said as a Jewish person, that wasn’t what distressed her.

“As a Jewish person myself, what is truly distressing is the murder of tens of thousands of women, men and children in Gaza by a state that claims that it speaks for all Jewish people,” Ms Parker said.

“I say ‘not in my name’.”

Organiser and FPWA member Vashti Fox said: “Our rally will stand in opposition to government and police attempts to stymie pro-Palestine protests and voices across Australia. 

“We also oppose the media focus on the waving of a few Hezbollah flags at protests in Melbourne and Sydney. 

“We maintain that if the federal government wants to oppose symbols of violence and terror, they should ban the Israeli flag.”

RIDE2WORK Day celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

To celebrate the milestone, WestCycle is holding a big shindig with ABC Radio on October 16 from 6-9am in Forrest Place.

WestCycle membership and community engagement officer Rachel Pemberton says there’s a lot to be said for riding to work.

“I love riding to work, it’s a great way to boost your energy at the start of the day, and to wind down after work,” she said.

“Plus, the fact that it’s fun, free and saves all parking and traffic hassles is a bonus!”

Research shows that more than one in four people who ride to work for the first time as part National Ride2Work Day are still riding to work five months after the event. 

Over 80 per cent of these first timers indicated that Ride2Work Day had a positive impact on their readiness to ride to work.

Riding a bike 10km each way to and from work will save about $1700 a year in transport costs, while the cost of purchasing and maintaining a bike is about 1 per cent of the cost of buying and maintaining a car! 

Households that replace a second car with a bike or e-bike can save about $11,000 a year.

Ms Pemberton says cycling is also a great low impact mood booster, improving cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and depression. 

The event in Forrest Place will feature free coffee and breakfast while stocks last, free bike checks from a qualified bike mechanic, e-bike test rides, activities and entertainment featuring the ABC Perth breakfast show live broadcast from Forrest Place and the opportunity to win prizes. Register to attend and be in the draw to win great prizes at westcycle.org.au/ride2workday/ 

The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network held its 2024 conference in Perth from October 4 – 6 with a strong emphasis on the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal and the stationing of nuclear submarines at Garden Island. JOHN LANDER is a former Australian diplomat who was based in China; he prefaced his speech at the conference by saying he believes Australia is being groomed to be the United States’ aggressive proxy while it dodges a direct showdown with China.

THE issue which the United States uses to provoke a war between China and the American proxies in the AsiaPacific region, is the status of Taiwan. 

There is lot of disinformation and confusion about this. So, I’ve been asked to lay out Australia’s legal position regarding Taiwan.

Australia’s One China Principle recognises Taiwan as part of China. 

It pre-dates, by several decades, Australia’s recognition in 1972 of the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legitimate government of the whole of China.  

Before, during and after the Second World War, Australia maintained diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC) on the basis that Taiwan was part of China, even when it was under military occupation by Japan.  

At the end of WWII, Japan’s Instrument of Surrender legally restored Taiwan to China, then nominally the Republic of China. 

We continued recognition and diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, as the whole of China, including Taiwan, until 1972.

The establishment of the Peoples’ Republic of China in 1949 amounted to a change of governance and a change of government, but did not constitute a change to China’s sovereign territory – a point on which both the Communist Party of China and the Nationalists agreed.

During the negotiations for recognition of the PRC, we tried to persuade the government of the PRC to accept a formulation that would afford Taiwan some degree of status as a separate international entity. 

Not budge

They would not budge (interestingly the representatives of the ROC in Canberra also opposed it, because they still hoped to persuade Australia to continue to recognise the ROC as the legitimate government of the whole of China).

The Joint Communique of 1972 acknowledged (i.e. recognised and accepted) that Taiwan is integral to China. 

Accordingly, we ceased to recognise the ROC and severed diplomatic relations with it, on the understanding that unofficial exchanges could continue.

So, the Joint Communique did not create Australia’s One China Principle. 

It re-affirmed a principle under which Australia had conducted its dealings with China since well before the end of WWII.

Assertions by the United States that it adheres to the One China Principle and does not intend to go to war against China offer cold comfort. 

It continues to arm Taiwan – and the network of proxies – from Japan through South Korea and the Philippines down to Australia – for war against China. 

Efforts by the agents for US political and strategic policy within the Australian parliament and government and abroad, to goad China into war over Taiwan, continue unabated.  

A recent example is the [Australian] Senate motion that deliberately misrepresented the United Nations’ resolution that recognised the Peoples’ Republic of China in the General Assembly and Security Council.  

The UN Resolution did not mention the Republic of China nor Taiwan by name, specifically to avoid any implication that Taiwan had status as a separate international entity.

Parliamentary visits also run counter to Australia’s undertaking not to engage in official dealings with Taiwan.

Since Taiwan is integral to China, so-called ‘freedom of navigation’ by military vessels through the Taiwan Strait, is a violation of China’s sovereign territory and the Law of the Sea, which it purports to uphold.

It also undermines Australia’s One China Principle. 

Remarkably China has so far taken no action against such intrusions.

While Taiwan is part of China, it does not operate under the same system of governance, nor under the same government. 

The PRC has long committed to the peaceful social, economic and eventually political reintegration of the people of Taiwan into the life of the nation. 

It has, however, reserved the right to use force, as a last resort, to prevent the separation of Taiwan from the sovereign territory of China.

If we encourage elements in Taiwan to declare independence, we simply bring the prospect of war closer.  

The notion that China poses a military threat to mainland United States is ludicrous.

China’s military budget is one third that of the United States and, unlike the United States, China does not have 800 military bases around the world and has not anchored the majority of its naval power off the coast of the United States.  

Likewise, China does not pose a military threat to Australia.

The so-called ‘unprecedented military build-up’ by China is clearly to protect against the massive military threat it faces from the United States and its allies (Including Australia).  

Australia is now committed to spending $3.5 million per day for the next thirty years to acquire an offensive capability against the fictitious “China threat” – a capability which might never materialise, since the US and the UK have reserved the right to withhold delivery, if it would deplete their own requirement. (and we won’t get our money back!).

RECONCILIATION WA will be marking the one-year anniversary of the Voice Referendum this coming Monday October 14 with a “safe space for yarning and sharing”.

Co-chairs Nolan Hunter and Debra Zanella will share their reflections on the referendum loss and their future aspirations.

“We acknowledge that this year has been one of change and reframing but also full of hurt for many people,” RecWA said in a statement.

“Together, let’s commit to action that brings us closer to a reconciled future and continue the work of empowering First Nations’ voices and building a more united Australia.”

The anniversary event will be at The Constitutional Centre of WA on the corner of Havelock Street and Parliament Place in West Perth from 3-5pm.