ABC Deputy Regional Editor Vic/Tas + @RPCVic committee (All views are my own) abc.net.au/gippsland
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Articles by Laura Poole
In a wild 24 hours, ABC Gippsland went from emergency broadcasting on fires to floods
The ABC broadcasts hundreds of emergency warnings each season, but for the first time in 24 hours the broadcaster has transitioned from emergency level fire coverage to emergency level flood coverage in the same region. Loading... ABC Gippsland hadn't produced rolling emergency coverage since the 2019-2020 Black Summer when communities including Mallacoota, Sarsfield and Buchan were surrounded by fires.
O2 Academy Islington, London
Name: O2 Academy Islington Phone: 0207 288 4400 Venue short url: https://www.skiddle.com/venues/11643/ Music Policy: Live music, club music Dress code: Casual Drinks served: Yes Disabled facilities: Please contact disabledbookings@o2academyislington.co.uk / 0207 288 4410 Nearest Train Station: Kings Cross St Pancras Address: Angel Central, 16 Parkfield Street, London, N1 0PS Website: http://www.o2academyislington.co.uk Capacity: 800 Type of venue: Live Opening hours: Box Office Mon-Sat...
Sand bagging the studio and broadcasting from home. What happened behind the scenes covering Victoria's floods
When natural diasters occur, the ABC scrambles to provide emergency broadcasting and deploy news crews to cover the event and keep the community informed on radio, TV and digital platforms. Stephanie Ferrier reporting from the banks of the swollen Maribyrnong River in Melbourne's west.(ABC News: Phil Loschiavo) When these disasters happen in country areas, as they often do, our network of regional offices is the backbone of our coverage.
Yallourn power station evacuates mine due to potential flooding in Victoria's Latrobe Valley
In Gippsland's Latrobe Valley, Yallourn power station's brown coal mine has been evacuated and electricity generation has been reduced as operator Energy Australia monitors local floods. Key points: Energy Australia has evacuated its brown coal mine at Yallourn Local creeks and rivers are flooding in Victoria's Latrobe Valley Electricity production has been reduced Everyone has been asked to leave the mine and equipment has been removed.
South Australia's first veterinarians graduate
The first South Australian trained veterinarians are celebrating finishing their exams. In the past, any South Australians who wanted to become a vet, had to move interstate for training. University of Adelaide school of animal and veterinary sciences head professor, Kym Abbott, says there are lots of demand for their graduates. "Virtually all of this class have their jobs now," he said. Professor Abbott says 35 students will graduate from the course, for the first time in the state.
Gippsland mushroom grower fulfils lifelong ambition of becoming a farmer
"It took years and passion and determination, to get me here." As a kid growing up in Melbourne Chris Puyol dreamed of becoming a farmer. "My father was a shoemaker in Spain, we came to Australian in 1967. "I always wanted to be a farmer.
Emergency services fight out-of-control bushfires in eastern Victoria
Fires burning along the Great Dividing Range in eastern Victoria are behaving in ways expected in January and February as fuel loads are so dry. Emergency services say wind and increasing temperatures will pose a challenge to controlling more than 20 bushfires in East Gippsland and north-east Victoria. Fires burning in East Gippsland include an 850-hectare fire near Bruthen and a 600-hectare fire burning near Gelantipy.
'Today will be a difficult day': Hotter temperatures and gusty winds create challenges for firefighters in eastern Victoria
Posted November 25, 2019 10:24:06 Fires burning along the Great Dividing Range in eastern Victoria are behaving in ways expected in January and February as fuel loads are so dry.
Laura Poole - ABC News
Author Rosalie Ham says she will try to debunk some of the stereotypes played upon in her novel The Dressmaker in her fourth book, which she is working on. Victorian parents' support groups save millions of dollars worth of prams, cots and car seats from landfill, but it is not widely understood that you should not sell or donate second-hand baby gear without safety checks.
Tony Abbott's love of onions recalled on social media during leadership spill
As the Liberal leadership spill unfolded an unsuspecting vegetable took the limelight. The hashtag #putoutyouronions trended on social media, with people recalling the outgoing prime minister's unusual like for eating raw onions. Onions Australia chief executive officer Lechelle Earl said the trend took her by surprise. "Tony Abbott was a big fan of the Aussie onion...so let's hope Malcolm Turnbull will pick up an onion and chomp on in," she said.
Mental health staff in Victorian regional hospital gagged over violent attacks on staff
Staff at the largest acute mental health hospital east of Melbourne have been gagged from speaking out about violence at their workplace. This is despite a spike in violence incidents at Latrobe Regional Hospital (LRH) in Gippsland. The hospital's chief executive Peter Craighead held a meeting yesterday to warn mental health staff to stop speaking to media and unions about violent attacks against hospital staff.
Mental health staff in Victorian regional hospital gagged after violent attacks on staff
Staff at the largest acute mental health hospital east of Melbourne have been gagged from speaking out about violence at their workplace. This is despite a spike in violence incidents at Latrobe Regional Hospital (LRH) in Gippsland. The hospital's chief executive Peter Craighead held a meeting yesterday to warn mental health staff to stop speaking to media and unions about violent attacks against hospital staff.
11 Tips to Get More Out of Your Next Conference
We here at Copyediting have been making a point of attending and sponsoring several editorial conferences this year. Maybe we’ve met you personally! (If not, come and say hi at future events.) We have been so inspired that we put together an ebook on attending conferences to help launch our imprint, Editors’ Editions. Following is a sneak peek about maximizing your time at conferences for editors.
A distinctly Australian industry?
There's a perfumed, warm breeze coming towards me - a deep breath and my head clears. This is unlike any farm or processing plant I've been to before. "People are a bit envious of working here I think, " says Cliff Vernon. "They come here in the winter time and there's a lovely smell and a warm fire." "Summertime can get pretty hot but we don't do a lot in the summertime." Cliff and Brian Vernon have a eucalyptus distillery, where they harvest eucalyptus leaves to capture a unique oil.
Victoria weather: Rain puts brakes on bike ride, causing parmigiana overload at Gippsland hotel
Victoria's east is still preparing for the worst of the flooding, but there is an oversupply of a different kind facing the central Gippsland community of Glengarry. The town was prepared to host and feed more than 3,000 cyclists participating in the Great Victorian Bike Ride. The bike event was cancelled due to heavy rain, meaning the town's weeks of preparation were for nothing. Or were they?
Mirboo North community hopes to buy Victorian state forest to prevent VicForests logging
A South Gippsland landowner has offered to buy state forest to prevent the timber being harvested by Victorian Government-owned logging company VicForests. Jon Wood runs beef cattle on the edge of the intended harvest area at Mirboo North in eastern Victoria, and said harvesting the logs would reduce land value. VicForests has outlined plans to harvest up to 50 hectares of timber near the town.
Hazelwood power station workers: Where are they now?
At the end of March 2017, hundreds of Hazelwood workers lost their job when the coal-fired Hazelwood power generator in Victoria's Latrobe Valley closed. Hazelwood had a loyal workforce. The average tenure of a worker was 25 years and the average age, 52. Since the mine opened in the 1950s, followed by the plant in the 1960s, multiple generations of families — sometimes grandfather, father and son — have worked at Hazelwood and lived in the local community.
Honing Your Elevator Speech - Copyediting.com
An elevator speech is a roughly 30-second introduction of who you are and what you do (the length of a brief elevator ride). Explaining what you do succinctly is sometimes a real challenge, even for those of us who work with words. Live networking is still important for professionals, editors included.
Latrobe Valley households face uncertain future as Hazelwood closure looms
Uncertainty is hovering over hundreds of Latrobe Valley households, as families weigh up whether they will be able to afford to make mortgage repayments after the Hazelwood power station closes. The brown-coal-powered station in Victoria's east employs about 750 people, and will close on March 30. For many employed at the station, they have updated their resumes and are applying for new jobs. They bought their Traralgon home in August last year, and now do not know if they will be able to keep it.
Latrobe Valley small businesses invest as Hazelwood power station closes
The Latrobe Valley's brown-coal fired power station Hazelwood is closing this month, but still small businesses are investing in the region. French owners Engie will close the station at the end of March, ending the full-time employment of about 750 workers. The Latrobe Valley already has a high unemployment rate, and with that rate likely to increase the federal and state government are funding transition packages to support employment growth in the area.
Latrobe Valley small businesses invest as Hazelwood power station closes
The Latrobe Valley's brown-coal fired power station Hazelwood is closing this month, but still small businesses are investing in the region. French owners Engie will close the station at the end of March, ending the full-time employment of about 750 workers. The Latrobe Valley already has a high unemployment rate, and with that rate likely to increase the federal and state government are funding transition packages to support employment growth in the area.
Hazelwood mine coal dust art exhibition opens as power station prepares to close
The opening of an art exhibition using coal from Hazelwood mine will coincide with the final weeks of Hazelwood power station's operation. The brown coal mine, which has been labelled the world's dirtiest by a conservation group, will close at the end of March in Victoria's Latrobe Valley. Victorian artist Hartmut Veit negotiated access to the mine through its French owner Engie, and has created strong images with coal, using coal dust particles in particular.
Victorian Liberals call for staged Hazelwood closure, workers back plan
The Victorian Liberal Party is backing the National Party's calls for a phased closure of the Hazelwood power station. The French company Engie will close the power station and mine at the end of March. Liberal leader Matthew Guy said his grandfather and uncles had worked at power stations in the Latrobe Valley, and he supported calls for a phased closure of Hazelwood. "The Government needs to intervene to ensure that at least three of those eight units are operating until 2025," he said.
East Gippsland councillor Linette Treasure stands down, refusing to allow council access to her mail
A former eastern Victorian councillor has stood down from her position because she refuses to give council staff access to her mail. Linette Treasure has been disqualified from the East Gippsland Shire Council after refusing to sign the council's code of conduct. She is the second East Gippsland councillor to oppose the document, with Councillor Ben Buckley signing a hand-written declaration instead.
Boost Your Editing Business with the Freelance Accelerator Workshop - Copyediting.com
Copyediting is excited to bring back our popular live training events! We are kicking off with our Freelance Accelerator workshop, live in New York City, on January 19, 2017. Boost your freelance career with six hours of intensive, interactive training on working as a freelancer, including: You’ll get practical ideas, guidance from experienced freelancers, worksheets and tools, and lively discussion, all focused on helping you build a strong freelance business.
2016 Bass Coast Young Citizen of the Year Rebecca Slavin calls for Gippsland ice rehabilitation centre
The 2016 Bass Coast Young Citizen of the Year says Gippsland has to develop emergency drug and alcohol support services. Inverloch's Rebecca Slavin spent 15 months in a rehabilitation centre coming to terms with her addiction to the drug ice. She travelled interstate, to Western Australia, to get the help she needed but she said there should be help available in eastern Victoria. "I ended up over there because of the waiting lists for the rehabilitation centres in Melbourne," she said.
'Pocket rocket' Maisie Brooks continues to farm at the age of 90
Maisie Brooks checks her Angus cattle on the motorbike, supervises fencing repairs, and rides the fluctuating market prices for beef. She is your typical farmer, but at 90 years old, Mrs Brooks is not ready to retire. She has farmed at Korumburra South, in eastern Victoria, for 57 years. With her husband Bob Brooks, they cleared the property in the 1950s. She farmed with Mr Brooks until February, when he died the day after her 90th birthday. They were married 67 years, and worked together seamlessly.
'Pocket rocket' Maisie Brooks continues to farm at the age of 90
Maisie Brooks checks her Angus cattle on the motorbike, supervises fencing repairs, and rides the fluctuating market prices for beef. She is your typical farmer, but at 90 years old, Mrs Brooks is not ready to retire. She has farmed at Korumburra South, in eastern Victoria, for 57 years. With her husband Bob Brooks, they cleared the property in the 1950s. She farmed with Mr Brookes until February, when he died the day after her 90th birthday.
Mother raises funds for community cuddle cot after death of infant son
Tara Lea will always have a connection with her son Noah, who died a few days after a traumatic birth. For her, one of the hardest parts of the grieving process has been dealing with the grief of others — with family and friends who did not meet Noah and spend time with him. Noah was born in East Gippsland, but was airlifted to a Melbourne hospital soon after his birth. "He had a really difficult birth and he struggled with brain damage from his birth, due to a lack of oxygen," Ms Lea said.
World-first replica 3D body parts teach medical students anatomy
Replica 3D-printed body parts, created using world-first technology, are now being used to train medical students. For universities in regional areas, or those establishing a medical training facility, the replica plastic parts are an alternative to the expensive licensing that comes with accessing dead bodies. While many people donate their bodies for medical training and research, the storage and use of bodies are subject to strict rules, and institutions need licences to store and use bodies.
Tasmanian farmers demand climate change action after floods ruin farms
Some flood-affected Tasmanian farmers want to see more action on climate change, a topic which has received little debate during the election campaign. Cropping, dairy, livestock and horticultural producers farming on waterways across north and west Tasmanian have watched their hard work wash away during floods, which have been described as the worst since 1929. Damian Atkins from Caveside, has a property at Mole Creek on the Mersey River.
Tasmanian farmers demand climate change action after floods ruin farms
Some flood-affected Tasmanian farmers want to see more action on climate change, a topic which has received little debate during the election campaign. Cropping, dairy, livestock and horticultural producers farming on waterways across north and west Tasmanian have watched their hard work wash away during floods, which have been described as the worst since 1929. Damian Atkins from Caveside, has a property at Mole Creek on the Mersey River.
Tasmania floods: Livestock being returned to farmers, but thousands of animals feared dead
Thousands of animals have perished in the Tasmanian floods, but there's also been hundreds survive. Stories are emerging of cattle that were swept up in floodwaters, and have travelled more than 20 kilometres, now being returned to their owners. Ebony Bannister from Roberts Livestock has spent the last week trying to find the owners of displaced stock. Ms Bannister said the number of dead cattle would far exceed the number that had survived.
Victorian alpine village Dinner Plain celebrates 30 years young
Thirty years ago Peter McIntyre designed the Victorian alpine village of Dinner Plain — it was the first time a town had been created since the gold rush. At the time, when Mr McIntyre stayed in a caravan in the high country surveying the area, it did not occur to him that he was building a new town from scratch. But the enormity of that task is being celebrated this weekend, as the town celebrates its 30 year anniversary.
Hepatitis A warning issued after supermarket deli worker in Yarram diagnosed
Shoppers who have purchased fresh food from a Foodworks in Yarram, in eastern Victoria, have been told to throw it out after deli worker was diagnosed with hepatitis A. The manager of the regional supermarket where the staff member was diagnosed said the store was being decontaminated. Victorian chief health officer Charles Guest said deli items and fresh fruit and vegetables should be discarded.
Gippsland beef producer Rohan Bingley transitions to dairy amid milk crisis
Victorian farmer Rohan Bingley has wanted to be a dairy farmer for decades. Yet despite the ongoing milk price crisis, it's a dream that is set to become a reality for the beef producer from Goon Nure in east Gippsland. "For me, I had no emotion involved in it. I was looking at it from the business side of things," he said.
Gippsland theatre bus makes its last trip after women spend 34 years organising
From the rural town of Heyfield, in eastern Victoria, to Melbourne's Spring Street is a 200-kilometre one-way trip. It is a journey Val Lawson and Leslie Fitzpatrick know well, having travelled those roads for 34 years. A love of the theatre saw these good friends share their passion with others. They have organised charity bus trips, to transport fellow thespians to shows in Melbourne and even further afield to Canberra, Sydney and Queensland.
Giant Gippsland earthworm set to gain extra protection as council changes planning scheme
Local councils in Gippsland are moving to protect the habitat of the region's rare and protected giant earthworm. A small area of west and south Gippsland, east of Melbourne, is the only remaining place where the giant Gippsland earthworm, a state and federal protected species, can be found. Expanding housing developments are threatening the earthworm, with experts hearing anecdotal evidence of a population decline.
Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival in South Gippsland mixes the traditional with the quirky
'Exuberant whimsy' is just one of the categories participants can enter in the Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival. The festival, which attracted 160 exhibits in its third outing at the weekend, draws on both traditional and contemporary craft skills. The showcase of the festival is the tea cosy exhibition, which showcases the winners from open and junior competitions across traditional, aquatic and exuberant whimsy categories.
Author Rosalie Ham calls for diversity in rural storytelling, after success of The Dressmaker
In the popular novel The Dressmaker, recently adapted to film, the shopkeeper's daughter Gertrude Pratt pins her hopes on 'marrying up'; she targets a man on the land. Dungatar, the community at the centre of the novel is a dry, dusty wheatbelt town, the setting for small-minded characters to band together and reject what they don't know.
Performance artists bring unusual movement theatrical work to Cowwarr, Gippsland
Taking time out of a usual day-to-day pattern, and finding space to create, is exactly the idea of an artists-in-residence program. At central Gippsland's Cowwarr ArtSpace a former butter factory now operates as a gallery. The owners use their space to help other artists generate ideas. The latest artists in residence are Callous Physical Theatre company directors Joséphine Garibaldi and Paul Zmolek, from Florida.
Victorian parents' support groups save prams, cots and car seats from landfill
Victorian parents' support groups are saving millions of dollars worth of prams, cots and car seats from landfill. Lots of baby rearing equipment cannot be donated to opportunity shops, as the area is heavily regulated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. This is to ensure that second-hand goods that are passed onto families meet Australian safety standards.
Eviction of caravan park residents highlights rental affordability issues in Victoria
The number of people living in caravan parks in Victoria is a reflection on housing and rental affordability, according to the Tenants Union of Victoria. Policy officer Yaelle Caspi said even in regional areas, it could be difficult for people to access the rental market. Ms Caspi made the comments as Wellington Shire Council in Gippsland moved to evict a group of permanent residents from Maffra Caravan Park.
Australia's oldest female triathlete Karla McKinlay heading back to Ironman World Championships
Karla McKinlay is not simply fit and healthy; she is an extremely determined 70-year-old — and Australia's oldest female triathlete. On the walls of her home in the central Gippsland town of Maffra, is a whiteboard broken down into columns, outlining her goals, and the time frames to achieve them. Alongside the words 'share my experiences' and 'sort my photos' is 'win age group in Kona'.
Kurnai Young Parents' Program graduates: where are they now?
Having a child at high school might feel like the end of one pathway, and the start of a completely different set of experiences. For teenagers with children, educational outcomes can be difficult. That is where a program for young parents in Morwell, in Gippsland's Latrobe Valley, comes into play. Kurnai Young Parents' Program graduate Geneva Tomkins is now saving to buy a house. She works full time in aged care to support her family, an outcome she credits to the program.
Niche Victorian fishery Corner Inlet has commercial and recreational fishers at loggerheads
It's merely hours from when Corner Inlet fisherman Neville Clark lands his daily catch to when it sells at market. "The fish we keep for market go straight into the ice slurry," said the fisherman from Victoria's Gippsland region. "They are beautifully chilled by the time we get home to port, then we sort into the fish boxes and they are iced down ready for market. They are sold the next morning at 4am.
Globetrotting shearwaters start huge migration from Phillip Island to northern hemisphere
If you were to compare the short-tailed shearwater to an athlete, it would be a marathon runner rather than a sprinter. The migratory birds can fly thousands of kilometres, from the southern hemisphere to the north. But while it is good at long distance, take-off poses difficulties. That is where the 'Shearwater Rescue Patrol' comes in.
Why Editors Should Attend Conference of Editors
Last week, we talked about why freelance editors should attend their clients’ conferences. This week I’ll cover why editors should attend conferences dedicated to editors and the craft of editing. It’s easy to get complacent in our work and think we don’t need to learn anything new. But some grammar rules are in flux, style manuals update their guidelines, and technology tools change quickly.
Bushies bakery chilly hot-cross bun line-up for children's hospital charity
You might see it occasionally in the city, but a line-up to get into a shop doesn't happen too often in a rural community. At three o'clock in the morning at Bushies Bakery in Glengarry in eastern Victoria, hot-cross bun hopefuls brave the chill and camp out in the street. The Gippsland town has fewer than 2,000 people, but there have been hundreds line-up to buy buns — everything from pineapple, white-chocolate-flavoured buns to butterscotch, and even bubblegum.
Increased prices at Victorian high country calf sales in East Gippsland
Young cattle prices have seen a surge at the famed Victorian high country sales this week. Some farmers have seen prices up to 50 per cent higher than last year. In a lot of cases per head prices where up $150 to $250 a head at sales at Omeo, Benambra and Ensay in East Gippsland. Ron Rutledge, from Elders, said while it had been a mixed season in many areas, demand continued to be strong.
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