Pittwater Life July 2018 Issue

Pittwater News
News
Continued from page 23
Pittwater president Bob Grace
said the group was calling on
residents from Palm Beach to
Narrabeen and in the offshore
communities to get in touch
about their experiences and
treatment at the hospital.
He added local filmmaker
John Illingsworth would film
interviews to create an archive
of the hospital’s history. “We
want to hear the stories of new
lives, lives saved and what the
hospital means to locals,” Mr
Grace said. “Patients, doctors,
nurses, other staff and volunteers
will all have stories –
medical treatment in Pittwater
was a different kettle of fish
before Mona Vale was built
and we want to pay tribute to
the hospital which has been an
integral part of our community
for over 50 years.” Protect
Pittwater is also organising a
film night and public forum
at Mona Vale Memorial Hall on
Wednesday July 18, from 7pm
to 9pm. To volunteer to be interviewed
for the film history
phone 0439 788 867.
Rural Fire Brigade
equipment boost
The West Pittwater, Mackerel
Beach, Coasters Retreat and
Scotland Island brigades of
the NSW Rural Fire Service
(RFS) have been boosted by
new equipment made available
under the RFS Association’s
Grant Scheme. West Pittwater
Brigade Captain, Andrew
Cutler, said the acquisition of
two thermal imaging cameras
would be invaluable to the
brigades when fighting fires
or assisting other agencies in
search activities. “The cameras
will be included in the equipment
on the two boats the
brigades use when attending
structural and bush fires or
assisting in searches,” Mr
Cutler said. These boats and
their equipment are essential
to the brigades as most of the
buildings and areas the brigades
cover are only accessible
by water. The thermal imaging
cameras enable the crews to
quickly identify where the major
heat areas of a fire are located
and provides much more
accurate information to better
assign resources and identify
potential risks to crews.
Mackellar aged care
Budget injection
The Federal Government’s
$5 billion aged care budget
injection will deliver significant
benefits for Mackellar,
says local member Jason
Falinski who visited Anglicare’s
Marcus Loan House
in Warriewood with Aged
Care Minister Ken Wyatt last
month. Mr Falinski said the
budget increased home and
residential care options and
provided more choice and
certainty for local older Australians
and their families.
“The Government invested
more than $116 million in
Mackellar aged care services
in 2016-17, including $107
million for residential aged
care, $1.1 million for transition
care, $5.3 million for
home care and $2.9 million
in the Commonwealth Home
Support Program.” Other
budget highlights included
increasing home care packages
from 87,000 to 151,000
so older Australians could
live in their own homes for as
long as they can; $60 million
in capital grants for new and
expanded aged care facilities;
$102.5 million commitment
to older Australians’ mental
health; an online aged care
provider comparison system;
health, career and finance
checks for 45- and 65-yearolds
for future planning; and
pensioners will be able to
earn $7,800 per year without
affecting their pension. “We
want the more than 28,000
people aged over 65 and their
families in Mackellar to live
longer, happier and healthier
lives,” Mr Falinski said. As at
30 June 2017, there were 20
residential aged care facili-
24 JULY 2018
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