iHeart Spencer Gulf

Your local weekly news wrap for the Spencer Gulf and surrounds.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lightheart, Spencer Golf coming up, your weekly crime rap, and
another hurrowing ordeal at a local hospital. Hi, I'm Jackie
Lim with iheard Spencer Golf, your weekly local news rap
for the Spencer Golf and surrounds. But first let's drive
into what the budget means for our local roads. Last week,
the ESSA budget brought with it over one hundred million

(00:22):
dollars for country roads, but not everyone is happy.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Sam Talbot reports both sides of politics agree our roads
could use some work and that one hundred million dollars
will go towards that, but Shadow Minister for Regional Roads
Adrian Pedderick says it's not nearly enough.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
In regards to regional roads. I think it was quite insignificant.
You know, a ninety eight million dollar road safety package,
with forty million dollars of that going to the upgrade
of one roundabout in Mount Barker. Now, I've hardly grade
Mount Barker as a regional precinct, but that's where the
money is going, and I think more focus should be
on more road duplication in regards to the che Highway,

(01:00):
the Start Highway and the Augusta Highways.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Charles Mountain from the Raa was also disappointed by the budget.
He hoped for more money in general and more of
a focus on the duplication of the Augusta Highway.

Speaker 4 (01:12):
What we've received so far is not going to be
sufficient to address what has been identified in terms of
the maintenance requirements across the network. So yes, we need
to see an increase investment of funding across the regional
road network. It was obviously welcomed. There was some about
ninety eight million dollars I think allocated for some road
safety package of improvements. Quite a few of those are

(01:34):
located in regional areas, which is obviously beneficial, but overall
we do need to see a greater investment in funding
to maintain and ultimately upgrade the network.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Minister for Regional Roads Jeff Brock, also agrees our roads
need plenty of TLC, but money isn't the problem. According
to him, it's the weather.

Speaker 5 (01:52):
We've got the fifty six million dollars which is a
new money, but at the same time there's seven hundred
and ninety five million dollars worth of roads that are
still in the the program for the next twelve months,
and also in the forward estimates there is for the
four years. It's a total one point eight six billion
dollars worth of roads in the forward estimates. If you
start doing roads when there's that water and moisture in

(02:13):
the ground itself, it's just wasting our money. If the
Treasurer put any more money into that as new money,
then a natural fact we won't be able to spend it.
So a natural fact, be silly to actually put more
money in there knowing we won't be able to actually
do that work in the next twelve month.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Sam Talbot reporting there and this year has been one
of the worst in terms of country drivers dying on
our country roads. So make sure you're driving safely out
there around the grounds for your week in review. Local
crime wrap a date with the cords for a high
range drink driver called in Napabee over the weekend. Just
after four point thirty on Sunday, vo police were called

(02:49):
to a caravan park off the Augusta Highway, where they
breath tested the fifty one year old, who allegedly returned
a blood alcohol reading of point three two, one more
than six times the four license limit. The mid north
man was reported for drink driving, driving an unregistered motor
vehicle and breaching the conditions of his license. Later the
same day, a fifty year old man was caught and

(03:11):
fined for setting off illegal fireworks in Streaky Bay between
one am and six thirty am. Police received multiple reports
of the fireworks going off at Maybe Road. The culprit
has been fined over four hundred dollars and police have
reminded the public of the dangers of using illegal fireworks,
with risks including significant physical harm to the user and bystanders,

(03:31):
as well as starting a fire. And there's fresh concerns
about the safety of health professionals in regional hospitals after
two nurses and three doctors were treated for injuries after
being attacked by a patient at Port Pirie Hospital on
the weekend. According to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation,
the patient allegedly punched one nurse in the head, then
chased others around the ward, assaulting multiple people as they

(03:54):
tried to restrain them. Saint Paul were called and the
patient was eventually subdued. A few weeks ago, say Health
data revealed frontline health workers call for help around thirty
times a day on average. I spoke to Australia Nursing
and Midwifery Federation CEO Professor Elizabeth Dubars, who explained nurses

(04:15):
could soon be able to sue their employers who failed
to prevent serious or ongoing abuse and violence in public hospitals.

Speaker 6 (04:22):
We've been advocating for a long time now laws that
would enable an organization such as ours to prosecute an
employer should they be in breach b occupational Health, safety
and welfare laws. And the reality is that our members,
the nurses and midwives and care workers of this state,
continue to be spat on, pinched, kicked kit and other

(04:45):
ridiculous and terrifying behaviors and really enough is enough.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
Following the Poor Pirie incident last weeken Professor Dbars joins
us again to explain how the lack of twenty four
to seven restraint trained security guards are putting a whole
health system at rear.

Speaker 6 (05:00):
I think what we are experiencing is a very very
difficult environment to attract and retain nurses and midwivester country environment,
and this is just another reason for people to not
be encouraged to go if they don't believe they've been
supported in their very own workplace. I do know for
a fact that the people involved in this series of
events and other people who are exposed to violence and

(05:22):
aggressions say that they feel terrified, they see ter arived,
and they also feel completely unsupported by their employer.

Speaker 1 (05:31):
Nurses, import period and other hospitals in the area have
been wearing purple as a form of protest, and they
will continue to do so until they get the security
they need.

Speaker 6 (05:40):
If all of the evidence, both anecdotal and in numbers,
is going in favor of putting in place these measures
to protect staff, and not any staff, we have to
remember other patients and visitors who are also affected, then
every measure should be putting in place to make sure
that we can be assured of a safe environment for everyone.
Act the thing or giving self care, and I can

(06:02):
stay unequivocally at the moment they are not safe, they
are not feeling safe, and the reality is that their
reality is correct and they are not safe.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
We've reached down to Essay Health and will follow up
next week.

Speaker 7 (06:14):
Why are iHeart Spenser? Golf iHeart Spenser Gold.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
Red Cross Lifeblood have put out an urgent call for
donors this month, Around two thousand blood donors a week
are canceling and rescheduling appointments due to cold and flu symptoms,
and it's expected to get worse in the coming weeks.
Emily Granlins from Red Cross Lifeblood explains.

Speaker 8 (06:38):
Winter is always a challenging time for blood donations, and
we are seeing higher levels of appointments canceled or rescheduled
due to cold and flu and even COVID nineteen. At
the moment, we need people with the own negative blood
to make a donation. In particular, that's the universal blood
type and it can be given to anyone in emergencies
when a patient's blood types unknown. But of course we

(07:01):
do need all of the different blood types all of
the time because the need of blood just doesn't stop.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
Booking numbers in the regions are usually particularly strong. Not
to toot our own horn or anything, but whyala this
week booked out? How did we go?

Speaker 6 (07:17):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (07:17):
Look, whaler, we've had a really fantastic result all up.
We've got one hundred and thirty seven collections and that's
just in a couple of days. And one thing that's
really encouraging is that there were five new donors this time,
around two, which is fantastic. So really appreciate the local
donus so much, and yeah, encourage people to book ahead.

(07:38):
We'll go to be in Kadina and Port Augusta between
July three and six. Those three locations all up. You
might be interested to know Wyale, Kadina and Port Augusta.
In the past year there were more than sixteen hundreds
donations made in those areas, so that equates to up

(07:58):
to around four thousand and eight lives saved.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
So I have to ask one last question, Emily, what's
your number? How many times have you rolled up the sleeve?

Speaker 8 (08:05):
Dah? Well, okay, I'm going to be honest. I have
been at Lifelike a short time and one of the
first things I did was donate blood, and so I
have done it once that I am doing it again
next week and super keen to get there.

Speaker 1 (08:21):
For anyone who is a little nervy about needles and stuff,
let's just reassure them.

Speaker 8 (08:25):
Yeah, one hundred percent. And I think that that is
probably one of the reasons why I had not done
it in the past. It was just so easy. I
didn't even feel it. And then you get to sit
down and enjoy some snacks and have some downtime, so
you know, we have busy lives. It's not often we
get to relax. So I think, you know, people will

(08:45):
find that it's quite a good experience. But the best
thing of all is that you feel fantastic at the
end of it, because you know that you've done something good.
Though you know what's better than that.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
You might have heard about the alban Easy government's two
billion dollars social housing fund. Well Wyla is looking for
a piece of the action. Our journalist Ali Hall got
the scoop on the Steel City from Mayor Philstone.

Speaker 9 (09:07):
That's right, Jackie. Mayor Philstone is calling for Premier Peter
Melanowskis to invest some of the federal governments two billion
dollar grant into the Steel City.

Speaker 10 (09:14):
Within about twenty four hours of the announcement, we had
a letter off to the Premier because we have been
doing a lot of advocating and a lot of canvassing
with both these state and federal governments for quite some
time about our accommodation needs, our housing in Wyler, and
of course with that announcement, we were very quickly ont
of the Premier. Again, I guess we're reinterating a lot
of the things we've already raised. We've already got a

(09:36):
housing shortage like most towns and cities have at the moment,
but also with the development that's coming, we know we
need accommodation. We know we need the housing, and what
we're trying to do is encourage these state government in
particular because one of the fortunate things in Wyler is
we've got the land. It's most of the big parcels
of land which can be used for housing is actually

(09:59):
owned by the state government. So we've been encouraging fairly
strongly for quite a while, encouraging the government to make
that lay and available so at least developers have the
opportunity to start looking. We are getting a lot of interest.

Speaker 9 (10:12):
This push for more housing comes after the announcement the
coke ovens at the Wireless Steel Works will be closing
this September. The closure comes as part of the company's
transition towards electric arc furnace steelmaking technologies at the site.

Speaker 10 (10:24):
The co covens have will well and truly outlived their
useful life, and co covens they're not the future because
of the emissions they create. And my understanding is that
even if you wanted to get approval for putting up
new co governs. You'd never get it these days because
of the environmental issues. So as part of their transformation,
my understanding is that with the co governance closing, they

(10:45):
will import coke direct instead of making it here in Wiler.
Until the arc furnace is up and running, the hydrogen
is up and running, and then it'll be hydrogen powered basically.

Speaker 9 (10:56):
And that will probably again bring more people to the region.

Speaker 10 (10:59):
It certainly well. I always have this attitude that I
don't see development happening until there's somebody digging a hole,
putting a piece of steel in and putting concrete around it.
Then I know we've got development. I can, honestly from
my heart say, I know we're going to have this transformation,
and I know it's going to be the biggest change
in while since Long Product Division was built for steel

(11:20):
works back in the sixties. Of course, until it starts happening,
people can still oh yeseses, we We'll wait and see
that I know is going to happen. It's just a
case of when not if.

Speaker 9 (11:30):
A consultation process with the workers affected by the closure
has begun with assurances that all affected employees will be
given opportunities for redeployment within its operations. The growing sustainable
industries are expected to bring it ten thousand workers to
the region over the next few years, so let's hope
there's housing for them.

Speaker 1 (11:47):
Fingers crossed, Ali, thank you for all the experimental wine
drinkers out. There's some exciting news out of the Clare
Valley with a brand new grape varietal coming soon. The
rare Eastern European Saparavi grape were successfully cultivated at winery
Matriarch and Rogue, with the one acre vineyard harvested in April.
Our reporter Alex Newman spoke to winemaker Marni Roberts earlier

(12:10):
this week.

Speaker 11 (12:11):
What is it that makes saparav grapes so different to
everything else used in Clare Valley.

Speaker 12 (12:16):
Basically, Saparami's in ancient grapes and it's got a really thick,
crunchy skin holds that daffed. It's quite an intense flavored
grape and it's the first time that it's been grown
in in cra Valley. So I think what's different about
other things that we have here is we'll get this
extra dimension of these really deep, dark fruits and colors.

(12:38):
That isn't too different from charads, but it has a
much empty element.

Speaker 6 (12:43):
To it as well.

Speaker 11 (12:43):
So well, you're growing them with Grant Carr, who's a
former IT worker who's quite new to the wine industry.
Is that correct?

Speaker 12 (12:51):
That's right. Yeah, he's jumped in the deep end and
bought a vigneyard and he loves it.

Speaker 10 (12:57):
This is great.

Speaker 11 (12:58):
I love a bit of positive madness. How did you
guys meet each other anyway?

Speaker 13 (13:03):
Well, Grant I met probably through the wine break Claire
Valley Wine read Association, Grant to act member on the
boards end, and just you know, through the various totals
of blind industry, which.

Speaker 12 (13:15):
Is actually quite small. We just would have got chatting
and running out one day and their pay. Saparavi.

Speaker 1 (13:22):
The Saparavi wine is currently aging in barrels and is
expected to be available mid next year. And in the
wide world of female sport, it seems our region has
been a breeding ground for success. Local brecky host and
cricket enthusiast Jordan Curtis has.

Speaker 7 (13:40):
More in cricket. Jamestown's young gun Quick Maggie Clark may
have dominated the under nineteen women's Tea twenty World Cup,
but it's fellow South Ossie and Kapunda local Darcy Brown
representing our young talent in the women's Ashes series, which
kicked off on Thursday. Just fifteen years old, Maggie was
the leading wicket taker at the Under nineteen World Cup,
while twenty year old Darcy has over forty wickets across

(14:01):
a thirty five international game career so far. Australia will
look to cap off their unstoppable run of World Cup victories,
starting with a one off five day Test match at
trent Bridge in Nottingham. With the team made up of
an even mix of experience in fresh blood, Australia will
hope to emulate their last tour of England and return
home with the Ashes trophy once again.

Speaker 1 (14:21):
Thanks for that Jordan and to Netbul Now two former
locals will take to the court for the semifinals in
the Super Nepal League this weekend. The York Peninsulas Sasha
Glasgow will lace up the sneakers for West Coast Fever
for the knockout game against the Melbourne Vixens, while Hannah Petty,
who originally hailed from Woodner, will have a shot at
going straight through to the Grand Final if the Adelaide

(14:42):
Thunderbirds beat the New South Wales Swifts. If they lose,
the Tea Birds will get a second shot against the
winner of the Fever and Vixen's. Then we could have
an Air Peninsula and York Peninsula battle on our hands.
And that's your weekly news wrap for the Spencer, Golf
and surrounds. Don't forget you can hear Iheard Spencer go
on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.

(15:03):
I'm Jackie Lim. Join us again next week for more local,
trusted and free news.

Speaker 7 (15:09):
iHeart Spencer Golf.