Voice of the Peninsula 20 JANUARY 2022
ISSUE 043
REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS
News
Outrigger success at the Pasha Dasha
Member for Robertson Lucy Wicks has confirmed a decision has been made on the safety upgrade for St Huberts Island Bridge. See page 3
Business
Land values on the Central Coast increased by 43.3 per cent in the 12 months to July 1, 2021, with the Peninsula recording exceptional growth... See page 21
The Central Coast Outrigger Canoe Club, which operates on the Brisbane Water, enjoyed some success at the Newcastle Pasha Dasha regatta, held on January 15 at Horseshoe Beach.
Education
See page 32
COVID placing immense pressure on local aged care providers Local aged care centres are feeling immense pressure due to the latest COVID-19 outbreak with dozens of staff forced into isolation and centres required to source their own supplies to test residents and staff. CEO at Peninsula Villages Colin Osborne said approximately 12 per cent of the local aged care service’s staff have had to isolate. “Our first staff member tested positive between Christmas and New Year with most of our staff then contracting COVID-19 as a result of community
contact – not from within work,” he said. “We have had two instances where we think a staff member has contracted COVID-19 from exposure to a work colleague. “In total, during this wave, we have had approximately 40 staff that have been impacted and have had to isolate under the mandatory requirements. “As of [January 18], we have approximately 20 staff that are waiting to come back to work – half of those have gone through their isolation period and have now returned to work. “In order to continue to
minimise the risk to our residents, our staff are continuing to complete a rapid antigen test before coming into work each day and are wearing personal protective equipment.” Osborne said two residents have contracted COVID-19 during the recent outbreak. “One resident has completely recovered whilst the other is still recovering,” Osborne said. “When a resident tests positive to COVID-19, we relocate them to another building immediately adjacent to one our nursing homes … it’s a separated area.
“They are then looked after by dedicated staff until their isolation finishes before being moved back into their locations in the nursing home.” Peninsula Villages have been able to source RATs and PPE through the National Medical Stockpile and through independent commercial arrangements but Osborne said more needs to be done. “The most important thing … is for the entire aged care sector to get funding levels from government services to a reasonable level,” he said. “This will help provide pay rates for staff in aged care that are competitive to the acute
health care centre. “This is driven by the fact that funding provided by the Federal Government is not sufficient to support levels of staffing that we would aspire to have, nor does it support us being able to have the proportion of highly qualified staff that we would want to have. “At the present time in Australia, more than 50 per cent of organisations like Peninsula Villages are actually running at a loss … and that proportion has gone up in the past 18 months from just under 30 per cent, to now 57 per cent. Continued page 4
For the second week in a row the union representing teachers of non-government schools - the Independent Education Union has rejects calls by the NSW Premier to rely on retired teachers... See page 27
Sport
A late withdrawal from the 2022 Women’s Championship Tour (CT) has resulted in the call-up of the Central Coast’s Molly Picklum, who will now enter the top-level World Surf League competition for her maiden year. See page 31
Puzzles page 18
It all starts with spirit spiritsuper.com.au Advice on Spirit Super is provided by Quadrant First Pty Ltd (ABN 78 102 167 877, AFSL 284443) and issuer is Motor Trades Association of Australia Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd (ABN 14 008 650 628, AFSL 238718), the trustee of Spirit Super (ABN 74 559 365 913). Read the PDS at spiritsuper.com.au before making a decision.
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