Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
My Heart a Peninsula coming up. Midwives are in short
supply on the ep HI. I'm Jackie Limb with iHeart
Air Peninsula, your weekly local news wrap for the Air
Peninsula and surrounds. But first, six months before Australia voted
no in a referendum which would have established the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Voice, the South Australian Parliament directly
(00:23):
legislated a first Nation's Voice for the state, and just
a couple of months ago Aboriginal and torrest Ray Islanders
across Essay voted for their representatives. Sam Talbot has more.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Thanks Jack, That's right. But the Voice process hasn't been
without controversy. One of the main criticisms has been how
low the voter turnout was.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
So few people turned out to vote that in many
cases there were more Electoral Commission starts at polling places
than there were voters.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
That's Josh Tigue, shadow Aboriginal Affairs Minister, who we spoke
with back in May. The Essay Electoral Commission says that
non compulsory elections like the Voice always do get a
low voter turnout. Federal elections get around ninety percent. They're compulsory,
of course, but local government elections, which are also non compulsory,
(01:12):
get around thirty percent turnout. In comparison, the Essay Voice
did even worse than that, though, just a ten percent
voter turnout. That equates to about three thousand ballots in total,
and it meant some representatives were elected with just a
double digit amount of votes. One elected official made the
cut with just eleven first preference votes. Despite that, the
(01:34):
Voice and its elected officials have been meeting and they've
started getting to work. Candice Champion is a presiding member
of the Voice in Region three Flinders and Upper North.
I caught up with her earlier this week and she
told me why she wanted to become part of the Voice.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
The benefits for our community is that we have a
seat at the table and that every individual has a
unique set of skills, the unique challenges, and these are
high priorities which highlight exactly what it means to be
a South Austrian, Aboriginal, trist and Islander identified individual. And
it helps us as a community unify in more ways
(02:12):
than one and get the right outcomes and the right
policies and procedures, bills and legislations set for our people
to be able to not only just exist, but have
a better quality of life and thrive and have prosperity
within our communities.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Candace says that the no votes in the federal referendum
was pretty disheartening, but that there was a silver lining
and she's using that in her role with the South
Australian Voice.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
It was a big blow personally to myself to see
the tears and the fear on my elders eyes. I
did do a lot of work in the Uniting Church
with lobbying for change and you know, constitutional recognition and
fairness and equality for all, and so it was only
inevitable that we had conversation. Whether the vote was yes
(03:02):
or no, it still showed that these issues that create
division within our nations are very much alive and are
very much real. And if we can come together in
a meeting ground and a meeting place safeer or and
acknowledge one another's unique gifts and abilities, that it would
(03:22):
be a lot more increasive and socially enjoyable place for everyone.
I'm pretty sure I don't need to tell you that
the First Nation people are probably one of the most
victimized racially abused via social media or most talked about
people without really any individual really having a real relationship
(03:42):
or connection with a First Nations person. Some people do
live in Australia where there is no memory or individual
that they can turn to to form a relationship within
our community particularly, I know the elders are very much saddened,
and I know that again the average on tour Stohn
Island a community was very much silenced, and so I'm
(04:03):
very proud that South Australia took this initiative on to
allow a voice for First Nations people to speak into
a space.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
There was also criticism of the essay Voice getting a
fairly low voter turnout about ten percent of Aboriginal and
Tallish Straight Island to people that could have voted in it.
Why do you think that turnout was though? Was that disappointing?
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Not necessarily. I have a long standing interest in advocacy
for my community and I want better days for our
children and future generations to come, and this is a
major reason why I stood up and knowing that the
community was so fragmented and upset and broken from the
no vote, I wasn't surprised at all that we were
(04:49):
going to get that kind of result with our community
members being told nationally no to be told you know
in the state. Know, you know, people didn't really have
the understanding, all the capacity when they suffered a blow
(05:11):
that significant. The level of commitment it took, as well
as the amount and a normality of coming into certain
areas and calling booth to put your heart again on
the table, it was a very daunting thing to have
to experience and really live again.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Do you think South Australians will get around the voice now?
And I mean you're in Gray, so you're really in
the stick of probably people who voted the highest proportion
of people in the country that voted no to the
Federal Voice. What would you say to people to get
them to believe and trust and get around the essay Voice.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
You know, I've known many people in this region. I've
played netball or basketball once or twice and football, champion sports.
You know, we're not so different.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
You know.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Getting around the Voice is getting around community first, nations,
community and supporting individuals in that. And I think with
the actual how we can progress forward and support one another.
It's just allowing everybody to have a seat at that
table and an equal voice within the state itself, and
(06:24):
with that comes more understanding and more inclusiveness and more
pride in who we are holistically as this multicultural nation
and as this multicultural state.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Thanks Candice and Sam. More birthing woes for the Air Peninsula.
With the Australian Nursing and Midwiffery Federation visiting the Port
Lincoln Hospital this week, it comes just weeks after Whyla's
birthing unit reopened. A n m f SA CEO Professor
Elizabeth Dbaz says they're looking into several issues in Port Lincoln,
(06:56):
with birthing top of the list.
Speaker 6 (06:58):
The concern that I've heard I share with the midwives
here is that it's becoming increasingly untenable for them to
continue working here. They've all made a very strong commitment
to provide good quality care to mothers and babies and families,
and they really feel like they're in a very difficult
(07:18):
position where they're not always able to deliver on that commitment.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Professor Debars says Port Lincoln's rostering is rather unique and
it's essential to beef up the shift numbers.
Speaker 6 (07:28):
In terms of the essential need for midwives and the
shortage that we have that is absolutely the case in
terms of how many people they've got rostered on shift.
I am actually hearing that this does seem to be
a really peculiarity of the Port Lincoln Hospital, and we're
hearing that in other locations they actually do have more
(07:48):
midwives on shift, and so this is the concern. We
think that the Port Lincoln community is deserving of a
very good quality care and the midwives are not convinced
that they are able to give that. So we need
as a matter of agency. As I said, we do
know that there are plans are foot to advocate for
(08:11):
a second midwife on shift. Those plans have borne up
to the decision makers. We need an urgent response on
those plans because the situation really is getting dine.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
She says.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
The number of births is increasing. We're two hundred and
eighty babies born in Port Lincoln in the last twelve months,
and this is coming at the same time as the
nurses are dealing with an aging and sicker population. So
staff members are stretched and pulled in every direction. The
A and MF believes just one extra set of hands
in the midwifery section would prevent transfers to other hospitals.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
We believe, based on the information that we've been provided,
that there certainly would be more capacity for more mothers
to have their babies here in the event that they
had more midwiffree services, so that additional staff member on
ship would absolutely assist it. And in whether it would
mean that all manner of birds could still be here,
(09:05):
I do think that there's still an argument to be
had that it would still be occasional, will still be
cause for people to go to work different region or
metropolitan region. But certainly, from what I've heard, there would
be many more mothers who will be able to work here,
and there are occasions where they are being transferred purely
on the basis that they're in adequate numbers of lips here.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
The investigation and review into the services is underway, and
we'll follow this one as it unfolds. Another ronze sculpture
is on the way for the region. Port Lincoln artist
Ken Martin has been commissioned to create an Osprey statue,
adding to his already impressive list of creations including the
Tuna Pola and Makayabee Deva on the Port Lincoln Foreshore.
(09:48):
I spoke with Ken earlier this week to see how
the project is progressing.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
It's been a fascinating study actually, the anatomy and everything else.
It's a whole different kettle of fish to other things
I've sculpted. And an amazing bird.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, and something is very close obviously to the region.
We talk about oz praise a lot and having to
protect them because you know they're becoming extinct sadly, but yeah,
this will be one that will endure for many, many
years to go.
Speaker 5 (10:14):
Yeah, well, well we'll do. But they're such a unique bird,
apparently one of the oldest rutgers there are. The anatomical
study has been fascinating. I have one in the fridge
actually that the poor thing was electrocuted. How it took
us so I've been able to study it in depth
up close. The way that they make a living having
to catch a fish every day is quite remarkable. And
(10:36):
I was also surprised to learn that their wingspan can
be up to one point eight meters or six feet.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
So is the statue going to be to scale or
smaller than that?
Speaker 5 (10:47):
No, No, it will be to scale. It's life size.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Could you give us a little bit of a rundown
of the process of creating the bronze sculpture.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Initially, one of the first things to do is gather
up as much photographic material as possible and physical material
so that can't understand the anatomy of the bird. And
then there was the decision as to what the composition
would be. And in this case it's the osprey lifting
in the Australian salmon out of the water. The first
thing I did was in studying an anatomy to take
(11:15):
all sorts of measurements so that I've got the proportions
absolutely correct. And one of the biggest challenges was understanding
how the feathers work. So initially there's a photographs, then drawings,
and then making up an armateur or a metal skeleton
to support the plaster scene that I'm scalping it in,
and then molds are taken from that and then cast
(11:35):
into bronze.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
So you said that it's lifting a salmon out of
the water. Should be a tuner in Port Lincoln, shouldn't it?
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Well, there you go. I think a tune white make
it puff a little bit because looking at a fish
around five hundred grams, but the bird itself, this particular
bird I weighed one point eight kilos. So although it
has that big wingstand, their strength, their muscle ratio must
be enormous because at one point eight kilograms, to lift
(12:04):
the kicking half kilogram fish out of the water is
quite remarkable.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
If I've read this correctly, it takes about four hundred
hours to get these sculptures done. Is that pretty stand
or is this one a little bit more difficult?
Speaker 5 (12:17):
Yeah, well this one is a little bit more difficult.
And I don't mean to be harping on about the feathers,
but there are a lot of feathers on an ice gray,
so they are all correct and in place, and then
there are the textures of the feathers and something to
get that softness so that in the bonds they express
the softness of the feathers as well.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Do you know where it's going to be displayed yet,
where it's going to be set up?
Speaker 5 (12:40):
No, that's still a mystery to me. We've talked about
the display and how it could be displayed in terms
of the physical display on a stand inside or outside,
but to where it's actually going to be situated, I
don't know. A little bit unusual would be a total mystery,
but it is at the stage, but the actual plasticine
(13:01):
sculptures almost finished. So the next stage of going into
the bronze is learning in the next few weeks.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
How did you discover this talent that you've got. Have
you been creating since you were a.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
Child, or I loved drawing when I was a child.
I struggled with school because I was dyslexic, and interestingly,
this next as a pre d way of learning, so
that was a real benefit me. I didn't have a
formal training, but it was something more from a passion
than anything else. So I say that I'm self taught,
but that's not really true, because you're always learning from
(13:32):
what's come before and the people that you meet. My
late wife, Lisa bought my first Carbage's or. She came
from an Italian family and the idea of making a
living from creativity was within her family something that was
quite accepted. So that was a bit of a leg
up because part of that I was shearing sheep.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Speaking of family, though I believe you and I do
have some family in common. I didn't tell you my
last name just before, but I'm Jackie limb as Jeannette and.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Dennis Goodness, Well, I'd about you through the family, but yes,
thanks for confessing that on.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
So, yes, you are my great uncle in a roundabout way, I.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
Suppose that's marvelous.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Well, thank you so much for your time, Ken, and yeah,
I wish it.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Thank you and it's nice to meet another relative than you.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
And that's your weekly news wrap across the Air Peninsula
and surrounds. Don't forget you can hear iHeart Air Peninsula
on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.
I am Jackie Limb. Join us again next week for
more local, trusted and free newstula