Dear Everyone,
After three fabulous meetings at the Paradise Valley Hotel, we will be back on Zoom next Tuesday evening unfortunately. I am sure that we are all hoping that this lockdown will be short-lived like those of Brisbane and Adelaide. Ian Ash is very kindly allowing us to use his Zoom account and you will find the link below.
As previously mentioned, I am fortunate to be on the Cardinia Shire’s “Imagine Cardinia – People’s Panel” a consultative body for the Shire to discuss ideas and receive input. The panel attends a Learning Session Webinar of presentations, which is followed by a facilitated Collaborative Workshop a few days later to discuss the material. I am reporting on some of the content of the presentations here, in the hope that you will find it interesting and informative. By knowing more about the people of Cardinia, we will be better able to help meet their needs, and the Community Service Committee was especially keen to learn about the residents to assist in their preparation of the vouchers during Covid. I am only including aspects of the presentations which I think are relevant to us or are of general interest.
Alison Brash, Cardinia Shire Council’s Social Inclusion officer, spoke about Reconciliation and Cultural Diversity. There are three Traditional Owner groups in Cardinia Shire, the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung, the Boonwurrung and the Bunurong. Council regularly seeks advice from all 3 groups. The Shire estimates in 2021 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents’ population to be around 1,000 people, many of whom are young. Apparently “Cardinia” is an Aboriginal word meaning “Look to the rising sun”.
The second presentation was the “Children’s Panel Feedback” delivered by Council’s Kate Beveridge and Nitheeben, the School Captain of John Henry Primary School, Pakenham. In 2018, a Children’s Charter was presented to Council on behalf of all children in the community. These statements, which were written by children, appear in that Charter:
Children of today helping children of tomorrow, are the future, have good ideas from their own experiences, have a different perspective, and can make a difference and change the world.
Children were able to do an online survey for the “Imagine Cardinia” process, and kindergarten children, guided by their teachers, drew pictures.
Pieta Bucello in “Health and Social Planning”, provided a Demographics overview and Health and Social Data profiles, and talked about “Council’s role in public health planning”.
Who are we? - In 2019, the population was 112,159, with 19% born overseas.
What do we do? – 62% work outside of the area, 25% have vocational qualifications, 14% have bachelor or higher degrees, 4.2% need assistance for a disability.
Health Status – Mental wellbeing – 15% of adults experience high or very high psychological distress, and 19% of residents have reduced activities due to psychological distress - higher than the state average.
- Workplace stress is 21% in growth areas and 17% in rural areas.
- Reporting of family violence has increased significantly since the previous year.
Obesity – 54% are overweight or obese.
Only 6% eat the recommended serves of vegetables and 50% eat the recommended serves of fruit each day.
15% drink sugar-sweetened drinks daily.
70% eat take-away meals or snacks weekly.
39% meet the physical activity guidelines.
Financial Vulnerability – 28% of adults have a low income (< $400/week).
13% experience mortgage stress.
27% experience rental stress.
14% of adults worry about running out of food.
A further 12% have run out of food.
15% in rural areas and 21% in growth areas identified financial difficulties as impacting on their household.
8.4% of 15-64 year olds are receiving JobSeeker; in December 2020 this figure had doubled since March 2020. What will happen with the payments being rolled back next month?
Alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling –
18% currently smoke (17% are daily smokers).
62% are at increased long-term risk of alcohol-related harm e.g. liver disease.
43% are at increased short-term risk of alcohol-related harm i.e., accidents and causing harm to self or others.
$79,724 is lost at the Pokies in Cardinia each day!
More information is available on the Website about Cardinia’s Community Profile and the Liveability Plan for those interested. I have the links should you need them.
There was a fourth presentation on the Future Impacts of Climate Change – environmental, social and economic – and building climate resilience through mitigation and adaptation from Aruna Dias.
The Webinar provided much food for thought, which Saturday’s Collaborative Workshop worked with. Public consultation will then be carried out before the panel meets again in March for its final deliberations.
And now a final reminder about Rotary’s Climate and Peace Forum next Tuesday morning. An email I received on Friday said they are 50 registrations short of 500 and need help to get it beyond this. Many will not be Rotary members, so the organisers will do their best to direct them to the map that our Club is on to consider joining a club like ours.
Registrants get a link to the speaker videos after the event and they are Marian Wilkinson, international journalist and author, Michael E. Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State Uni., Nobel Prize winner and author, and Maxine Burkett Professor of Law at the Uni. Of Hawaii. This is an important event for Rotary's new focus of environmental sustainability.
Thank you’s this week to:
- Catherine and Ian Wakefield and all the members rostered on at last Saturday’s Market.
- Lyn, Lorna and Tina for assisting ESC’s Breakfast Club, which is going from strength to strength.
- for making us laugh in her Sergeant’s Session.
- Chris Adams for his thoroughly entertaining “Know Your Rotarian” talk.
- Ian Ash for doing the response to our guest speaker, when Peter pulled out with car problems.
- Kris Ash for her superb work producing Sparkle each week.
Don’t forget that this Tuesday night, our Speaker is our very own Peter Ravenscroft who will be delivering his “Behind the Badge” talk – Not to be missed!!
** Next week:
on 23rd of February it’s Club Assembly again chaired by the irrepressible and multi-talented President – Elect and Secretary Shalini, with an update from all Areas of Service Chairs.
**The following week:
on 2nd of March our guest speaker is Box Hill Central’s President and our incoming Assistant Governor and all-round good guy Mark Balla talking about WASH.
Join Zoom Meeting this coming Tuesday using this link:
Meeting ID: 718 947 8380
Passcode: 106183
Stay safe, stay home and stay Rotary Even Prouder.
Yours in Rotary,
Vicki.
