NSW coach Laurie Daley has named four debutants to play in the opening State of Origin match of the 2016 series next week. After loosing 52-6 in the final match in the 2015 edition, Daley has looked to youth and the future to reclaim the coveted Origin trophy. Albion Park first grade player Aiden Menzies said the four debutants Daley has named will struggle. “They are all good players but origin is a completely different game. I think (Matt) Moylan from the Panthers is a great young player but the physicality and intensity of origin is just another step up,”…
Author: Brenton Miller
Wollongong is home to more than 300 Syrian refugees, and that number is predicted to swell. Earlier this month, then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the Federal Government announced Australia would have a one-off intake of 12,000 refugees from Syria in response to the global refugee crisis. SCARF (Strategic Community Assistance for Refugee Families) is the Wollongong organisation responsible for helping over 1100 people assimilate into the local community. While Sydney and Melbourne are set to take in the majority of the new arrivals, Wollongong’s proven track record of resettlement is likely to see it experience an influx of new community…
There was mixed student reaction to the federal budget handed down last night. Wollongong Undergraduate Students Association (WUSA) and UOW Liberal Club president Sam Tedeschi supported budget, and claimed it would create jobs and growth, and push Australia’s economy into the 21st Century. Mr Tedeschi said the decision to delay university fee deregulation would provide the opportunity for student voices to be heard in the higher education reform debate. https://youtu.be/ZycW2Tnynr0 UOW Labor Students President Caitlin Roodenrys argued the 2016 budget favoured the wealthy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVn8-SGUxlI Ms Roodenrys took aim at the budget’s PATH job scheme, and said it was likely to…
Wollongong City Council is trying to lead the Illawarra into a more sustainable agricultural future. The council has attempted to bolster the local agricultural industry and self-sustainability as part of its Wollongong 2022 plan, The council estimated the gross value of agricultural production in the Illawarra to be about $30 million, less than one per cent the state total. “The pressures of expanding residential dwellings and the need for conservation are impeding expansion,” a Wollongong City Council spokesman said, The coordinators of a Wollongong showcase food event said local produce was not taking pride of place on Illawarra plates. “Few of…
The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) has recommended the federal government re-work the alcohol tax system and address binge drinking. The recommendations would increase the cost of products considered ‘cheap alcohol’. FARE claimed some cask wine is being sold for 24 cents a drink and the cut price encouraged a dangerous drinking culture. The new recommendations follow the introduction of lockout laws in Sydney that were introduced to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence. The new tax, if implemented, would generate an estimated $2.9 billion for the federal government.
Wind turbines have faced consistent criticism since they were introduced to Australia. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott once described them as “visually awful” and “utterly offensive”. Lingering doubts and criticism have led to renewed pressure for research groups to find out if wind farm noise has an impact on the health of those who live close to the turbines. The Woolcock Institute has been commissioned to conduct a range of studies over the next five years to determine their impact. The announcement from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) follows other international studies. According to the Australian Wind Alliance, Canada spent $2.1 million…
Uncertainty still surrounds the government’s May budget as SBS News reported. Labor Senator Penny Wong is calling on the government to clarify its ideas. “It’s a pretty chaotic and dysfunctional way to run the government and to run what is the most important set of economic decisions a government makes,” Senator Wong told ABC radio. “The government has got to come clean with the Australian people and the parliament about what their plans are.” Her remarks come after Treasurer Scott Morrison MP all but ruled out tax breaks for individuals and businesses in the next budget as reported by ABC…