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Written by Jayne Kearney
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Thursday, 11 February 2010 12:33 |
To commemorate the second anniversary of the Prime Minister’s apology to the Stolen Generation, Lake Macquarie City Council is hosting an art exhibition and a short film screening.
On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a broad apology to Aboriginal people of the ‘Stolen Generations’ for their profound grief, loss, and suffering cause by the forced removal of children. The Prime Minister described it as an occasion for “...the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence in the future.”
To commemorate this historic occasion, Council is showcasing part of the yapang marruma: making our way (stories of the stolen) exhibition in the Administration Building foyer from Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 February.
yapang marruma: making our way (stories of the stolen) is an award-winning exhibition curated by Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, in consultation with its Aboriginal Reference Group, representing the historical and contemporary effects through archival material and local personal journeys.
On Friday 12 February at 12.30pm, Council will host a screening of a short film Why Me? a film featuring five Aboriginal people in four stories, showing the human cost of a policy which removed children from their families and country. The film also displays the careful work of restoring meaning and connection to dislocated lives and puts viewers in touch with the emotional journey of the children of the stolen generation.
Council’s Aboriginal Community Development Worker, Jake Chatfield, said these events increase cultural sensitivity and awareness and supports reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.
“The national apology was a very important moment for many Australians and we are pleased to be able to commemorate this historic milestone,” Mr Chatfield said.
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Tuesday, 15 December 2009 11:27 |
Environmental projects in the Lake Macquarie community are eligible for funding as part of the Lake Macquarie Environmental Education Grants Program.
Lake Macquarie City Council’s grants program is designed to support community-initiated projects that improve environmental behaviour of individuals, groups, and the general community within Lake Macquarie.
Community Empowerment Coordinator, Karen Mason, said grants of up to $3,000 are available.
“We encourage all community groups and schools interested in developing or continuing an environmental project within Lake Macquarie to apply for a grant,” Ms Mason said.
“Some of the projects that received grants last year were St Paul’s High School’s Outdoor Education Space and Garden and Mirring Aboriginal Corporation’s Restoring Land and Culture project.”
Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability for the Lake Macquarie local government area.
An information package containing a copy of the program's guidelines and an application form is available on the city website www.lakemac.com.au. Applications close Thursday 25 February 2010 at 4.30pm.
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Monday, 14 December 2009 13:23 |
 Newcastle Five Star Family Day Care has received the thumbs up from the national governing body for child care services.
Life Services Manager Deborah Lisson says this is a great achievement on the back of unexpected result earlier in the year.
“The scheme just received the long awaited for accreditation decision by National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC). The service has been accredited as high quality in all six areas which is a very pleasing result.”
“In January 2009 the service received a 'not accredited' status and as a result the accreditation cycle had to be repeated in six months rather than the standard 2 ½ years.”
Newcastle Five Star Family Day Care Coordinator Alice Chesney says everyone involved in the scheme, from staff to carers to families, are passionate about providing quality childcare and have worked hard at reviewing policies, procedures and practices to ensure that every child in the service receives quality care every day in every family day care home.
“This is a high quality service and the accreditation decision is well deserved.”
“The NCAC also commended our commitment to the provision of quality care and professional development opportunities.”
The process for accreditation involves completing a self-study carried out by the co-ordination unit, surveys received from carers families, school aged children and staff and a four day NCAC validation visit to the co-ordination unit and seven carers. During the validation visit the carers and scheme were rigorously assessed against 30 principles of quality care in the following six areas: interactions; physical environment; children’s experience; learning and development; health, hygiene, nutrition, safety and wellbeing; carers and co-ordination unit and management & administration.
Newcastle Five Star Family Day Care is operated by Newcastle City Council and currently 70 carers care for 550 children each week. Family Day Care offers flexible child care for a small group of children in a registered carers own home. A comprehensive carer registration process is involved to select and train suitable people to run their own successful quality childcare business.
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Written by Jodie McEwen
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Friday, 11 December 2009 13:36 |
 Tucked away in Blue Gum Hills Regional Park, (surely one of our area’s best kept secrets), the Tree Top Adventure Park is the little sister to the original park at Ourimbah. The park melts unobtrusively into the surrounding bush, and the equipment can only be seen once you look carefully into the tree canopy.
The park has been launched in conjunction with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. From the initial planning stages to the completion of the park, the focus has been on developing sustainable nature tourism. Owners Sandrine and Fred Gaymard are obviously doing things right, as the Ourimbah park has just been awarded a Bronze Award by NSW Tourism.
The structures that make up the challenges allow the trees to continue to grow and provide safe wildlife passage while being suspended from a cable and zipping along a flying fox creates a whole new way to learn about the bush.
The park is made up of a series of challenges, graded by difficulty. Each challenge is unique. With 6 courses of increasing complexity, 19 flying foxes, suspension bridges and other high wire antics, there is something for everyone. The easiest course is suitable for children from 3 years, and the black course is for the adventure lover. A continuous belay system has been incorporated into both the yellow and orange courses, to ensure that kids under 10 are safe while they monkey around.
To enjoy the adventure, enclosed shoes must be worn but all other safety equipment is provided at the park. Qualified instructors take participants through an initial training circuit to make sure all the safety requirements are understood. Staff emphasise the fact that the adventure is safe, good exercise, environmentally-friendly and a good way to experience the bush, and all these things are true, but you find yourself just wanting to get up there because it looks like so much fun!
Childhood stories of Tarzan swinging through the trees; high-wire trapeze artists; Robinson Crusoe and his amazing tree house in the canopy - all these play a part in making me want to strap on my helmet and get on the course. My three year old son’s eyes light up when he sees someone glide down a flying fox. “I want to do THAT!”
For a family day out, this place has to be a stand-out winner. Anyone interested in a place to enjoy our stunning bush environment, overcome challenges together, get some exercise and behave like monkeys? Count us in!
Sunny Days has a Family Pass to Tree Top Adventure Park valued at $140 to give away. Click here to enter.
Tree Tops Adventure Park is located in Blue Gum Hills Regional Park, Minmi Rd, just before Minmi. (Travel time from Wallsend is about 7 minutes, or just on 8km.)
Admission Prices
3-9 yrs $20
10-17yrs $30
Adults $40
The Night Experience costs $49 per person.
The park is open 7 days a week from 9am-6pm. Booking is recommended.
p: 4026 7617
e:
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w: treetopadventurepark.com.au
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Written by The Olive Tree Market
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Tuesday, 10 November 2009 19:36 |
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 The Organizers of 'The Olive Tree Market' are starting a new Night Market in collaboration with 'Renew Newcastle'.
Red Lantern Night Market will be held over three Fridays in December, in and around Morgan St Newcastle. Think night markets in Darwin and Asia and imagine life back in the city!
Come and see a wide variety of new stalls exhibiting and selling work by emerging and established artists and designers, fashion and fair-trade products and high quality imported goods.
Renew Newcastle Projects will open on the evenings, Livesites will have Lantern Making Workshops and an Exhibition and local musicians will perform throughout the evening. Eat delicious food from around the world and take in the vibrant smells, sites and sounds of night time in the city.
If you are a stallholder interested in being a part of the Red Lantern Night Market Stalls are $60 which includes PLI Insurance. There is a discount for attending the three markets- $160. Email details and images of your work to
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