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NEWS
Cairns Local News
Friday February 19, 2021
Champion of Indigenous justice A Cairns-based Mamu and Gunggandji barrister has received the Australian Lawyers Alliance’s (ALA) Queensland Civil Justice Award this week. Melia Benn works to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities fair access to the legal system. The annual ALA Civil Justice Award recognises individuals or organisations who have displayed an outstanding commitment to the pursuit of justice.
Troy and Daniela Furner with Xavia (9) and Marley (7).
Travelling coffee family hits the road TANYA MURPHY
THE co-founders of a popular local coffee business, who were instrumental in the movement towards reducing plastic waste in Cairns, are embarking on a round-Australia awareness-raising trip. Troy and Daniela Furner co-founded Cairns coffee brand Blackbird Espresso and wholesale company Coffee NQ with Graham and Lin Penfold in 2014. After seven successful years of serving specialty coffee at their two cafes and wholesale business in Cairns, the Furners are now farewelling the region and setting off on a cross-country trip which they will share through their Instagram account, ‘The Travelling Coffee Family.’ They will set off next week on the epic year-long trip with their children Xavia (9) and Marley (7) as ambassadors for reusable coffee cup initiative Green Caffeen. “Australians throw out a whopping 2.7 million single-use or disposable coffee cups every single day, and they are not easily recycled due to their plastic lining and contamination, often ending up in landfill, or worse, as plastic litter in our environment,” said Mr Furner. “Throughout our trip we hope to highlight the natural beauty that we are so lucky to have in Australia, and the importance of protecting it. “Thanks to Green Caffeen,
coffee addicts can now get their fix without contributing towards waste in our beautiful environment. “Just download the free Green Caffeen App, grab a free reusable cup from a participating café, scan it, take it home and enjoy your coffee, and return it on your next visit, just like a library book.” Green Caffeen was started by two men in New South Wales, and there are already more than 500 participating stores in Australia, including more than 20 in Cairns, and the initiative has already saved more than half a million cups from going to landfill. The Furner’s Newell Street Café, Blackbird Warehouse, is leading the way in giving single-use cups the bird after celebrating “Use Your Own Cup Day” on January 28. The café succeeded in going nearly 100 per cent single-usefree after a three-week campaign encouraging customers to embrace reusable cups. Now, Mr and Mrs Furner have sold the business and will travel around Australia with a four-wheel drive and a campervan, stopping in at cafes all over the country. They will also post videos from their adventures, including lots of tips on different methods of coffee brewing, while showcasing the natural beauty of Australia. Follow their adventures on Instagram, @thetravellingcoffeefamily.
“Barrister Melia Benn is a very deserving winner of our Civil Justice Award,” said ALA State President Mr Greg Spinda. “She is one of only two female Indigenous barristers in Queensland and she works tirelessly to assist Indigenous communities to receive proper access to justice. “She often works on a probono or reduced fee basis to represent Indigenous clients who would otherwise have difficulties obtaining legal advice. “She is committed to representing young clients, encouraging them by her example and demonstrating that they can achieve more if they
stay in school and received an education.” Melia has worked on several Indigenous human rights class actions including stolen wages cases in two states. “Melia is an outstanding example to the Australian legal profession. She has genuine passion for her work and an altruistic motivation for her pursuits,” said Mr Spinda. “In a short time, Melia has made a significant contribution to furthering civil justice in Indigenous communities. “In particular, through her work with Indigenous women she has helped to preserve the dignity of women in an otherwise sometimes undignified legal process.” Previous winners of the Queensland Civil Justice Award include law firm founder Kerry Splatt, Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnson AM, patient advocate Beryl Crosby, Sisters Inside CEO Debbie Kilroy and human rights barrister Stephen Keim SC. Ms Benn was announced as the recipient of this award today at the ALA Queensland Conference on the Gold Coast.
Barrister Melia Benn
Program teaches digital skills A NEW Digital Mentor Training initiative takes off in Yarrabah this month aimed at equipping suitable community members with the skills to become a ‘digital mentor’ in their community. The program, which is funded through the Australian Government’s Be Connected initiative and the Good Things Foundation and is delivered by the Babinda District Community Association (BDCA), involves face-to-face digital training followed by further mentoring sessions. BDCA’s Jayne Guthrie said that with an ageing population throughout the region, improving digital skills are essential for community members to continue navigating
their everyday life. “Improved digital skills are a boon for older persons, particularly for those who live alone, live away from their family, live with mobility constraints and want to live independently in old age,” said Ms Guthrie. “With some basic resources now moved to being mostly online, or even online only, digital literacy is not only critical for day-to-day living, but it also opens a whole new world of engagement for them and provides them with a ready source of news, entertainment and connects them to the outside world. “It can be extremely difficult for some elderly community members to access programs that assist them with
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obtaining these sorts of skills. “The hope is that by training individuals who live in the community to become ‘digital mentors’, they will go out in the community and through their pre-existing networks, assist others.” The Digital Mentor Training program kicks off in Yarrabah with a Meet and Greet information session on February 25, followed by a full day training session on March 4. Both the Meet and Greet and the training day will be held at the Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council RTC Centre, with follow up sessions to be organised between individual participants and BDCA. “One-off lessons are not
enough to build digital literacy. It requires repeated instruction and guidance across all learning areas and topics,” said Ms Guthrie. “Once our Digital mentors have completed training, we will offer ongoing support and assistance - face to face, by phone, by zoom, or social media, and encourage them to take their skills out into their community, build a network and deliver training to seniors and other individuals in their communities.” Following Yarrabah, the Digital Mentor Training program has training sessions scheduled for Babinda and Innisfail in March and April.
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