Peter and I just returned from an outing to Austinmer Beach where we had some lunch at the Austi Beach Cafe. After lunch we drove to the Ruby’s Cafe at Bulli Beach for some coffee. It was a beautiful late summer day here in the Illawarra of Australia, and we took heaps of photos again, that is, I think I probably took most of the photos!
Two weeks ago was the wedding of Caroline and Matthew. During the week after the wedding they went to the South Coast for a little holiday. When they returned from their honeymoon they stayed with us in Dapto for one night from Friday to Saturday. I think it was on Friday when they drove us down to the lake where we went for a lovely walk.
Well, and then on that Saturday one week ago they invited us and some friends to the Hellenic Club in West Wollongong. We had always wanted to get to know this club. So far we had never made it there. So last Saturday we finally actually went to this club. and had lunch there. We did like the club very much and definitely want to go there again.
Precinct to integrate patient-centred healthcare with research and teaching one step closer
Development partner chosen for innovative $500M Health and Wellbeing Precinct.
The University of Wollongong’s innovative Health and Wellbeing Precinct will include Australia’s first primary and community health clinic to offer truly integrated, patient-centred healthcare, as well as aged-care and retirement living facilities, and research and teaching programs.
New details about the planned Precinct were revealed today (Thursday 22 February) when UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings CBE announced that Lendlease had been chosen as preferred respondent for the project. Lendlease was chosen following a national open-market Expression of Interest process that commenced in November 2016.
“The development of the Health and Wellbeing Precinct is a major initiative for the University that will bring significant benefits to the Illawarra community and beyond,” Professor Wellings said.
“It will create a space where medical professionals sit alongside students, researchers and academics and where aged-care centres sit alongside state-of-the-art rehabilitation services, where GPs will work side-by-side with dieticians, dentists and psychologists.
“Lendlease provided the most comprehensive development concept and vision for the Health and Wellbeing Precinct, which best meets UOW’s vision to advance education, research, community engagement and employment opportunity for graduates.”
The Health and Wellbeing Precinct will integrate research and teaching environments with non-surgical health care and aged-care facilities to translate research into action while developing and delivering new models of patient-centred care and training the next generation of healthcare professionals.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING STRATEGY
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Health and Communities) Professor Alison Jones said the precinct will enhance UOW’s already strong multidisciplinary focus on aged care and provide new research and teaching opportunities in nursing, nutrition, physical activity and rehabilitation, psychological wellbeing and mental health, and technological support for ageing, among other areas.
“The Health and Wellbeing Precinct is one of the key planks of UOW’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy which will harness and build upon the collective talent across the University, our partners and communities themselves, to improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of our communities,” Professor Jones said.
“The Precinct will have a strong focus on teaching and research, which will see research translated into practice to improve patient experience and outcomes.
“It will enhance our ability to train the health workforce of the future to deliver patient-centred models of care within an interdisciplinary model.”
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
The overall development represents a $450-$500 million investment in the Illawarra, with Stage One accounting for $200-$250 million.
Economic modelling indicates that Stage One, in its the initial five-year development and operation, will add $600 million in total value to the Illawarra (in direct, indirect and induced impacts) and create more than 2,000 jobs.
It will also generate more than $6 million in annual economic benefits to the public through the provision of aged care and healthcare services.
PRECINCT FACILITIES
Stage One of the Health and Wellbeing Precinct vision includes health-related research and teaching facilities integrated with a primary and community health clinic, a 108-bed residential aged care facility, 199 independent retirement living units, a childcare centre, and retail and commercial facilities. Additional parking spaces will also be included in the development.
The hub of the Precinct, the intoHealth Primary and Community Health Clinic, is modelled on the renowned Mayo Clinic in the United States and will offer truly integrated patient-centred healthcare – everything from respite and rehabilitation to aged-care and mental-health services – for the first time in Australia.
Covering 7.5 hectares at the southern end of the Innovation Campus, the Precinct will complement existing health services and help relieve pressure on local health networks in the Illawarra by offering non-surgical care focussed on preventative health and the maintenance of physical and mental health and wellbeing.
The Lendlease proposal ranked highest overall after competing bids were evaluated, scored and ranked on a number of criteria, and was determined to best meet UOW’s vision for the Health and Wellbeing Precinct.
Lendlease is Australia’s largest owner, operator and developer of retirement living communities with more than 12,500 units across 71 communities nationally.
NEXT STEPS
UOW and Lendlease will now enter a negotiation phase to reach a commercial agreement. If the negotiations are successful, this will be followed by extensive stakeholder engagement, planning approvals, geotechnical and site enabling works throughout 2019.
UOW anticipates construction commencing in 2020, with the first facilities operational by 2022.
Lendlease intends to partner with an aged care provider active in the local Illawarra region.
ABOUT UOW’S HEALTH AND WELLBEING STRATEGY
UOW’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy aims to address global and regional health challenges by capitalising on the University’s expertise in medical research, research application and education, and its focus on high-impact science.
It is focused on five key initiatives with a local, national and global outlook: the Health and Wellbeing Precinct; the $80 Molecular Horizons life-science research centre; Clinical Education Unit for regional nurses at Bega and South Western Sydney; the Mind the Gap initiative for mental health services in the Shoalhaven; and a Rural and Regional Postgraduate Medical Training Network.
Yesterday, on the last day in February, I spent the day exploring the Wollongong Harboursite a bit while Peter had to spend the day in Wollongong Hospital. It was a glorious late summer day. I used the Free Tram to get to the Harbour.
Since we had had a very early breakfast that day I felt already a bit hungry. So first thing I sat down here in Osborne Park and had some cheese on Rye as well as some grapes and water. Before going down to the harbour I took some more photos:
Walking down to the traffic lights it was easy to cross the road to the other site. The next pictures show where I walked along then.
Here at this bus stop I caught the free tram back into the city where I had some lovely hot chilly chocolate drink. Then I took another bus back to the hospital where I spent a bit of time at the outside terrace. I waited then for quite a few hours in different areas in and outside the hospital until Peter was ready to go back home. Our daughter Monika was called at work when Peter was ready. She came and picked us up and drove us back home to Dapto. Next Monday Peter has to see his cardiologist. So we have to wait and see what he has to say.
From this outside area at the Hospital one can see Mount Keira
The Skin of Others explores the meeting between Douglas Grant, an Indigenous activist and first world war veteran, and the famous Australian author Henry Lawson which took place at Lawson’s north Sydney home in 1921. Drawing from papers left behind by Percy Cowan, the short film uses dramatic re-creation, archival stills and animated backdrops to bring the meeting to life. The film is the latest in the Present Traces series of films from Macquarie University, based on archive material • Watch more from the Present Traces series
The Skin of Others explores the meeting between Douglas Grant, an Indigenous activist and first world war veteran, and the famous Australian author Henry Lawson which took place at Lawson’s north Sydney home in 1921. Drawing from papers left behind by Percy Cowan, the short film uses dramatic re-creation, archival stills and animated backdrops to bring the meeting to life. The film is the latest in the Present Traces series of films from Macquarie University, based on archive material
Today, the 26th of February, I think back on the last few days. I feel it has been a long time since I mentioned anything that is going on in our lives. Too many things have been happening, mostly very lovely things! Saturday, the 17th of February was definitely the best of all the recent happenings: It was the wonderful wedding ceremony of daughter Caroline and son-in-law Matthew.
As usual I am running out of time again. So I just want to insert a.few photos and write another post when I have a bit more time.
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THE RECEPTION WAS AT THE MARRICKVILLE BOWLING CLUB. THE CEREMONY HAD BEEN HERE AT THE STABLES THEATRE;
Matthew and his brother Ben
I can publish some photos of the wedding ceremony when we get the official photos from the wedding photographer. Here now are some photos I took at the club of people dancing. I want to mention here that Caroline and Matthew did a magnificent opening dance, and I’ll show some pictures of the bride and groom dancing at some other time when I get some photos of it!
Germany used to be an anchor of international stability. But that’s changing. The political chaos surrounding Angela Merkel’s attempts to create a new government serve as a warning that the country is not immune to factors that are destabilizing other European countries.
Something strange is happening in the land of boredom. Until last Friday, German politics seemed neat and orderly. The next “grand coalition” (or GroKo) was to be formed — with familiar faces, modest projects, no surprises. The planned third edition of the pact between the conservative Christian Democrats and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) under Angela Merkel’s chancellorship didn’t promise Germany, Europe and the rest of the world much, but at least it seemed to guarantee stability.
The Turnbull Government has launched an all-out attack on our democratic rights.
This video from top viral media lab Juice Media explains exactly what’s at stake. And with politicians headed back to Canberra for Parliament on Monday, this is the perfect time to make it go viral and make sure everyone knows what’s at stake.
Let’s use our people-power to make this video go viral. Can you take a minute right now to share it with your friends and family?
If the hard right’s attack on our democracy succeeds, it will devastate progress on every single issue we care about – Stopping Adani, bringing the people on Manus and Nauru to safety, and corporates paying their fair share of tax. This is the biggest threat our movement – and a progressive Australia – has ever faced.
The hard right is throwing everything they have at ending the GetUp movement by attacking the right of everyday people to participate in political decision making.
And it’s not just GetUp under threat – community groups, civil society organisations and even charities are in the firing line.
The bill containing these attacks is deliberately convoluted – because the hard right are trying to disguise it as a “national security measure”. It’s a clever ploy intended to head off opposition and obscure the truth at the heart of the legislation.
If we’re to see this bill defeated in the Senate we need to expose it for what it really is by mounting a huge Statement of Opposition – signed by tens of thousands of people – and delivering it to every single MP in Parliament.
AuntyUta 