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US

Lawyer: Giuliani won’t testify Tuesday in Ga. election test

Lawyer: Giuliani won't testify Tuesday in Ga. election test

ATLANTA (AP) — Rudy Giuliani will not appear as scheduled Tuesday before a special grand jury in Atlanta that’s investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to interfere in the 2020 general election in Georgia, his lawyer said.

A judge last month had ordered Giuliani, a Trump lawyer and former New York City mayor, to appear before the special grand jury Tuesday.

But Giuliani’s attorney, Robert Costello, told The Associated Press on Monday that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who’s overseeing the special grand jury, had excused Giuliani for the day.

Nothing in publicly available court documents indicates that Giuliani is excused from appearing, but McBurney has scheduled a hearing for 12:30 pm Tuesday to hear arguments on a court filing from Giuliani seeking to delay his appearance. In a court filing Monday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis asked the judge to deny Giuliani’s request for a delay and to instruct him to appear before the special grand jury as ordered.

Willis opened an investigation early last year, and a special grand jury with subpoena power was seated in May at her request.

Last month she filed petitions seeking to compel testimony from seven Trump advisers and associates, including Giuliani. Because they don’t live in Georgia, she had to use a process that involves getting a judge in the state where they live to order them to appear.

New York Supreme Court Justice Thomas Farber on July 13 issued an order directing Giuliani to appear before the special grand jury on Aug. 9 and on any other dates ordered by the court in Atlanta.

Giuliani’s legal team last week asked Willis’ office to delay his appearance, saying he was unable to travel because of a medical procedure. That request was rejected after Willis’ team found evidence on social media that he had traveled since his medical procedure.

A Giuliani attorney then clarified to Willis’s team that Giuliani is not cleared for air travel, but Willis still refused to postpone his appearance, the motion says.

In her Monday court filing, Willis wrote that her team had obtained records indicating that between July 19 and July 21, Giuliani bought multiple airline tickets, including tickets to Rome, Italy, and Zurich, Switzerland, for travel dates between July 22 and July 29 Willis said her team offered to provide alternative transportation — including bus or train fare — if Giuliani wasn’t cleared for air travel.

Giuliani had also offered to appear virtually, for example by Zoom, his motion says.

“It is important to note here that Mr. Giuliani is no way seeking to inappropriately delay, or obstruct these proceedings or avoid giving evidence or testimony that is not subject to some claim of privilege in this matter,” the motion says, noting that Giuliani had appeared virtually before the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and testified for more than nine hours.

“Mr. Giuliani is willing to do the same here under conditions that replicate a grand jury proceeding,” the motion says.

In the petition for Giuliani’s testimony, Willis identified him as both a personal attorney for Trump and a lead attorney for his campaign.

She wrote that he and others presented a Georgia state Senate subcommittee with a video recording of election workers that Giuliani allegedly showed them producing “suitcases” of unlawful ballots from unknown sources, outside the view of election poll watchers.

Within 24 hours of that hearing on Dec. 3, 2020, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office had debunked the video and said that it had found that no voter fraud had taken place at the site. Nevertheless, Giuliani continued to make statements to the public and in subsequent legislative hearings claiming widespread voter fraud using that debunked video, Willis wrote.

Evidence shows that Giuliani’s appearance and testimony at the hearing “was part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere,” the petition says.

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Tucker reported from Washington.

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Categories
Business

WA regional and FIFO flights at risk of disruption as Virgin aircraft engineers prepare to strike

WA regional and FIFO flights at risk of disruption as Virgin aircraft engineers prepare to strike

Air travel in WA — including in the FIFO sector — is at risk of further severe disruption as aircraft engineers servicing Virgin Australia’s regional fleet this week joined their Qantas Group counterparts in preparing for a wave of industrial action.

A ballot of about 1000 Qantas Group engineers on their support for a potential strike in protest over their pay and conditions closes on August 10, with the union representing the workers confident it will be decisively backed in.

The West Australian has revealed the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association this week launched a second ballot of the approximately 50 technicians working at Virgin Australia Regional Airlines.

Both polls — launched after obtaining protected action orders from the Fair Work Commission — canvas “work stoppages up to 12 hours in length” and “overtime bans”.

Between them, Qantas Group — which includes Jetstar and Network Aviation — and VARA operate the vast majority of both regular passenger and FIFO flights in WA.

VARA provides FIFO services for Rio Tinto and BHP and flies between Perth and a number of regional destinations including Broome, Darwin, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Newman and Port Hedland.

ALAEA federal secretary Steve Purvinas said engineers at both airlines had endured years of pay freezes despite larger workloads, leading to fatigue and burnout.

He said Qantas Group engineers would commence “a token move of industrial action” within the next three weeks in the hope of prompting the national carrier back to the negotiating table.

The earliest VARA engineers would be able to engage in industrial action would be seven working days after their ballot closes on September 14.

Mr Purvinas claimed the union “do not intend to structure industrial action to disrupt services”.

“Our contest is with the airline, not the public,” he said.

“To that end we can have work stoppages but offer labor via overtime to cover the deficit in work. Certain options appear on the ballot paper but that does not necessarily mean they will be used.”

It remains to be seen what impact any kind of engineering downtime would have for airlines accustomed to operating on finely-tuned schedules.

Virgin Australia did not directly address questions about whether the airline was concerned about disruption to its WA services, a spokesperson saying only that the company was aware a protected action ballot had been launched.

“We intend to continue discussions with our team members and the ALAEA to understand the issues and work towards a new enterprise agreement,” the spokesperson said.

In a previous statement, Qantas Group said it was “disappointed” the union was threatening “completely unnecessary” industrial action.

“The latest claim by the ALAEA was for a one-year agreement with a 12 per cent pay rise for Qantas engineers,” the statement said.

“That’s something we simply can’t afford and is well above wage increases for other employees across the group.”

Mr Purvinas said the 12 per cent claim equaled to 3 per cent for each of the four years engineers’ pay had been frozen.

Both Qantas and Virgin Australia made headlines for their poor performance during the winter school holidays, including hundreds of flight cancellations and widespread delays.

In June, VARA had the worst on-time performance of any airline with nearly half of all flights either delayed or cancelled.

Travelers at Perth Airport endured another evening of chaos on Tuesday after severe storms cut off power to the site and backup generators servicing the terminals failed.

That forced all outgoing flights to be canceled — wrecking the travel plans of thousands of West Australians.

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Categories
Business

Recreational vehicle sales soar as wi-fi nomads overtake gray nomads

Recreational vehicle sales soar as wi-fi nomads overtake gray nomads

The number of Australians hitting the roads in caravans has emerged since the start of the pandemic, as people continue to seek alternatives to international travel.

The Australian Caravan Club said there were 30,000 new recreational vehicles (RVs) on Australian roads in 2020.

The club said a surge in camper trailer, motorhomes and caravans traveling amounted to 1.7 million RV movements on Australian roads over the 2022 Easter weekend.

Club chairman Ken Newton said market demand and supply chain issues had created a 12-to-24-month wait for custom recreational vehicles.

Taking the stress out of pandemic travel

Mr Newton attributed the rediscovery and rising popularity of domestic road travel to the ongoing pandemic, a quest for freedom and hesitancy about international travel.

“Most people would be happy to travel within this country rather than take the risk of getting on a cruise liner or an overseas flight,” he said.

senior couple in front of their van
Happy memories: Denise and Colin Whitehand have traveled all around Australia in their caravan.(ABC Gippsland: Rachael Lucas)

Besides avoiding potential health risks, disruptions, restrictions and cancellations inherent in pandemic travel, retired RV owners such as Colin Whitehand appreciate the simplicity of not having to constantly pack up and check out of motels.

“At least you know where your luggage is going to be when your caravan is following behind you!” said Mr Whitehand, president of the Gippsland Gypsies branch of the Australian Caravan Club.

Shifting demographics

More young families are hitting the road, driven by the inaccessible housing and rental market, job insecurity, and a “work-from-van” freedom enabled by wi-fi technology.

There is also an abundance of seasonal work around the nation, meaning more young families are homeschooling their children on the road.

“The average age of people buying recreational vehicles is about 34,” Mr Newton said.

“Baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964, once the majority of the RV population, are being replaced by millennials coming through.”

He said many couples who were raised on caravan-park or camping-ground holidays wanted the same experience for their own children.

A family silhouetted at sunset with a campfire and a caravan.
A thirst for adventure is spurring on caravanners.(Supplied)

“With families traveling on the road with homeschooling, mum and dad tend to be working whether it’s fruit picking or hitting a keyboard for five or six hours a day,” Mr Newton said.

Some families go from region to region house-sitting or providing relief management services to motel and caravan park owner operators, he said.

“Some people just say, ‘I’m going to get a car and caravan, camper trailer or motor home and I’m going to go around Australia and give it a go’. It’s about adventure.”

Caravan driving on raod in Cann River
Driving a “lap” of Australia remains a popular ambition for many road trippers.(ABC Gippsland: Rachael Lucas)

Likewise, single women in their 50s and 60s are also increasingly taking to the freedom of life on the road, typically preferring the convenience of a motorhome over towing a van.

“The number of women traveling on their own with a pet is huge,” Mr Newton said.

He said the trend was driven by everything from housing affordability to the death of a partner or healing from illness.

The proliferation of solo travelers even inspired the Australian Caravan Club to facilitate a Lone Trekkers special interest group, which includes solo travelers of all ages.

He said the solo RV lifestyle was particularly inspiring for writers and journalists.

“Technology is allowing you the freedom to be where you are, whenever you want to be, and that’s been a big change,” he said.

“The catalyst was COVID and now Zoom meetings are commonplace.”

A group of people stand in front of caravans.
The Gippsland Gypsies Caravan Group have bimonthly trips to different parts of Victoria.(ABC Gippsland: Rachael Lucas)

Going bush in comfort

Fellow club member Wayne Clark enjoys the freedom of becoming absorbed in remote natural settings where there’s no COVID, often no television reception and no negative news cycle.

Rows of Caravans line the foreshore of a lake
Mallacoota Foreshore Tourist Park is a popular destination for caravans and RVs.(ABC Gippsland: Rachael Lucas)

“Some of the remote places you go to, you couldn’t get any further away from reality, you don’t have to worry about anything else,” Mr Clark said.

“You light the fire of a night time, you sit back in your chair and look at that wonderful light show that happens at night time where there’s no artificial light.

“It’s just absolutely beautiful in the outback. You think you’ve died and gone to heaven.”

Group of baby boomers sitting around fire in outback
Lorraine and Wayne Clarke with friends in the outback on one of their many adventures.(ABC Gippsland: Rachael Lucas)

Unplugging from the perils of modern life does not mean unplugging from the comforts of modern life, even when traveling off-road.

With the outlay for a new RV costing anywhere between $70,000 and $250,000, vans come with washing machines, ensuites with hot showers and separate toilets, heating and air conditioning, microwaves, stoves and ovens, and solar panels.

A couple stands next to their caravan.
The Clarkes have enjoyed learning about local history while caravanning.(ABC Gippsland: Rachael Lucas)

Some RV owners have managed to offset the expense of their vehicles by renting them out on share economy websites such as Camplify, earning hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.

“A lot of people now are traveling shorter distances and stopping somewhere for longer due to the cost of fuel,” Gippsland Gypsies social coordinator Lorraine Clarke said.

view of kitchenette with ensuite room in the background
Camping in style: in the past five years, most vans have come with larger fridges and separate ensuites.(ABC Gippsland: Rachael Lucas)

Club member Barbara Willingham has progressed from a campervan to a van with bunks for the children, to a modern van with an ensuite and large fridge.

“It’s a bit more luxurious,” she said. “It’s like towing your own motel room behind you with all the conveniences.”

Interior living area of ​​modern van with comfortable couch and bed.
Contemporary caravans are equipped with ovens, stoves, microwaves, fridges and comfy beds.(ABC Gippsland: Rachael Lucas)

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Categories
Entertainment

I was worried I was doing my 20s ‘wrong’

Chloe and a birthday cake

One Sunday morning recently — stretched out like a croissant on the grass of Carlton Gardens — a friend said to me, “I’m 29 years old and I’ve never been to the club or worn a tiny top!”

I’m also 29, and although my friend and I both google things like “Phoebe Waller-Bridge how old when” routinely, our twenties have unfolded in markedly different ways.

I’ve spent many a night peeling my shoes off the floor of the proverbial club, and I’ve worn plenty a tiny top, but I still don’t understand how money works, and I’ve only just started my “career” .

“I’m 29 years old and I still don’t understand what the jobs are,” I replied, and as these words left my mouth I realized we were saying exactly the same thing: I have a sneaking suspicion I’ve done it all wrong.

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Categories
Technology

D-Link R15 AX1500 Smart Router Review: A solid entry-level option

D-Link R15 AX1500 Smart Router Review: A solid entry-level option

D-Link’s new Eagle Pro AI series of routers is looking to shake things on both sides of the market, from entry-level routers-to premium mesh systems. The R15 AX1500 Eagle Pro AI stands as the entry-level option, but provides some nifty value through its compact design, Wi-Fi 6 functionality and various smart features including Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice control commands, that this side of the market have been missing as of late. It might not jump out at users in any particular way, but still serves as a worthy upgrade for those looking for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, or as a basic upgrade for those rather bare-bones routers provided by most internet and telco providers.

Design

Much like its sibling, the G415 4G Smart Router, the R15 is rather compact an unassuming, sporting a flat white paint job and four side antennas. Unlike the G415, the R15 does sit flat on its back rather than standing upright, meaning it might take up a little more room in some spaces. That being said, the R15 is one of the smallest routers I’ve ever used, so I can’t imagine both the size and orientation being too much of an issue for most users.

The back of the router also sports three Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, and a single Gigabit Ethernet port for even faster transfer speeds, the latter of which is now becoming a standard for all levels and tiers of internet routers. Beyond this, there’s admittedly not much going on with the router, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Its smaller size allows it to be tucked away, while the only thing I can truly point out regarding the overall appearance and design of such a router, is that the flat white colourway may stand out, particularly if your internet setup is located in a central position in the home.

Performance

In terms of performance, the R15 plays things relatively straight. With the ability to hit speeds of up to 1,201Mbps on 5GHz band and 300Mbps on the traditional 2.4GHz, most Australian users will find the router capable of transmitting the fastest speeds our internet companies and telco providers have to offer. Unlike most entry-level routers and routers provided by the aforementioned internet and telco companies, the the R15 can cover a whopping 230 square meters, making it a no-brainer for both smaller and larger households alike, without the need to purchase any external or additional extenders.

That being said, the R15 does play friendly with the Eagle Pro AI range, meaning such extenders and even additional routers can easily be paired to the R15 via the Eagle Pro AI app. Much like the G415 4G Smart Router, the Eagle Pro AI Engine also keeps users tuned to the most reliable band at any given time, be it the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band, allowing multiple uses to consistently access the most efficient and reliable method of connectivity .

Software

Thankfully, the Eagle Pro AI app is incredibly friendly and easy to use. As we’ve covered most of the apps functionality and features in our D-Link G415 AX1500 4G Smart Router Review, we have included the relevant excerpt below, outlining a nearly identical experience in relation to the R15:

“It’s incredibly easy to navigate, and is responsible for additional features, including the aforementioned AI Mesh Optimiser and the handy AI Parental Control. As the name suggests, AI Parental Control allows users to monitor and manage their children’s online activities. From here, you can create a profile for individual users to block and minimize access to the internet. Aside from the rampant virus exposure that may be a cause for concern for some parents, certain sites can even be curbed thanks to a web filter.”

“The Eagle Pro AI App also allows for voice control through multiple platforms including the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. This might feel unnecessary for some, but is a welcome inclusion for those looking to turn their home into a smart, interconnected haven. The included AI Assistant can also whip up weekly reports for you incusing user activity and general internet traffic, with recommendations on how to solve the issues that may arise as a result. Overall, the app is incredibly easy to navigate and continuously informative at every step.”

Verdict & Value

Overall, the D-Link R15 AX1500 Smart Router is a reliable router for the entry-level price tag. Thanks to the Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, Eagle Pro AI app and compact design, it’s admittedly hard to pass this one up, should you be upgrading from a basic router provided by your internet provider, or imply looking to the future for Wi-Fi 6 support, which is arguably provided here at one of the cheapest price points in the market today. Impressive range will negate the need for extenders in most homes, while such a solution is incredibly easy to set up given the seamless functionality of the Eagle Pro AI app. If you’re looking for a solid all-rounder for an entry-level price tag, you might not need to look any further.

FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)

highlights:
lowlights: White coloring can stand out, particularly if internet setup is in a central location
manufacturer: D Link
Price: A$199
Available:Now

Review based on unit supplied by D-Link.

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Categories
US

Flash floods strand 1K people in Death Valley National Park

Flash floods strand 1K people in Death Valley National Park

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Flash flooding at Death Valley National Park triggered by heavy rainfall on Friday buried cars, forced officials to close all roads in and out the park and stranded about 1,000 people, officials said

The park near the California-Nevada state line received at least 1.7 inches (4.3 centimeters) of rain at the Furnace Creek area, which park officials in a statement said represented “nearly an entire year’s worth of rain in one morning.” The park’s average annual rainfall is 1.9 inches (4.8 centimeters).

About 60 vehicles were buried in debris and about 500 visitors and 500 park workers were stranded, park officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries and the California Department of Transportation estimated it would take four to six hours to open a road that would allow park visitors to leave.

It was the second major flooding event at the park this week. Some roads were closed Monday after they were inundated with mud and debris from flash floods that also hit western Nevada and northern Arizona hard.

The rain started around 2 am, said John Sirlin, a photographer for an Arizona-based adventure company who witnessed the flooding as he perched on a hillside boulder where he was trying to take pictures of lightning as the storm approached.

“It was more extreme than anything I’ve seen there,” said Sirlin, who lives in Chandler, Arizona, and has been visiting the park since 2016. He is the lead guide for Incredible Weather Adventures and said he started chasing storms in Minnesota and the high plains in the 1990s.

“I’ve never seen it to the point where entire trees and boulders were washing down. The noise from some of the rocks coming down the mountain was just incredible,” he said in a phone interview Friday afternoon.

“A lot of washes were flowing several feet deep. There are rocks probably 3 or 4 feet covering the road,” he said.

Sirlin said it took him about 6 hours to drive about 35 miles (56 kilometers) out of the park from near the Inn at Death Valley.

“There were at least two dozen cars that got smashed and stuck in there,” he said, adding that he didn’t see anyone injured “or any high water rescues.”

During Friday’s rainstorms, the “flood waters pushed dumpster containers into parked cars, which caused cars to collide into one another. Additionally, many facilities are flooded including hotel rooms and business offices,” the park statement said.

A water system that provides it for park residents and offices also failed after a line broke that was being repaired, the statement said.

A flash flood warning for the park and surrounding area expired at 12:45 pm, Friday but a flood advisory remained in effect into the evening, the National Weather Service said.

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Categories
Business

BITRE data reveals WA’s Broome Airport has worst flight delays in Australia

BITRE data reveals WA's Broome Airport has worst flight delays in Australia

A popular tourist town in WA’s far north has been outed as having the worst airport delays in Australia, according to new data.

A monthly report by the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics has revealed that Broome experienced the lowest percentage of on-time arrivals and departures this June, with little over 30 per cent of flights to Perth leaving within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure.

Flights arriving in Broome provided only marginally better, with 37 per cent landing on time.

In Broome, Virgin Australia delivered the brunt of these delays with none of the 14 scheduled flights from Broome to Perth departing on time.

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines also suffered delays, only 38 per cent of flights to Perth managing to leave at the scheduled time.

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Categories
Business

Owner of notorious Greek restaurant hits back over newlyweds claims of eyewatering prices and bad service

The owner of a restaurant that charged newlyweds a staggering $850 for a quick snack has hit back at the couple, branding them “liars”.

Alex and Lindsay Breen ordered just one beer, one cocktail and a dozen oysters — and were then hit with the eyewatering bill by the DK Oyster bar on the Greek island of Mykonos.

Lindsay said she asked for a drinks menu but was repeatedly fobbed off before finally giving in and ordering an Aperol spritz.

When the couple were ready to leave, they asked for the bill — but rather than giving it to them at the table, Alex was taken to a back room to pay.

On being shown the massive bill, Alex was shocked and asked for a breakdown, which they gave him in Greek.

DK Oyster owner Dimitrios Kalamaras.
Camera IconDK Oyster owner Dimitrios Kalamaras. Credit: Facebook

Feeling under pressure and getting a “sketchy vibe”, Alex paid the bill.

But DK Oyster owner Dimitrios Kalamaras said the honeymooners were out of their minds.

“This person who is trying to get famous through Instagram posts under the name of Lyndsay Breen, starts with a lie,” he told Kennedy News.

“She claims that she ‘repeatedly asked for a cocktail menu’ and adds that ‘the server didn’t seem to want to provide one’.

“Despite that, she placed an order. An experienced well traveled person … she did what most adults in the right mind would not do — she ordered drinks and food from a waiter who refused to present a menu.

“This false claim has been used so much against our restaurant by dozens of anonymous users in TripAdvisor that we decided to place three huge blackboards by the entrance of the restaurant displaying the menu and the prices.”

While the restaurant does have prices on blackboards, tourists say it is misleading with prices based on per 100g rather than the usual 1kg as is the norm at most eateries in Greece.

Mr Kalamaras added that if someone was unhappy with the service before they ordered, they could “leave or request to talk to the manager”.

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Categories
Australia

Yeppoon dad Dan Rutledge in coma in Brisbane hospital after stroke following brain surgery

A man lies in a hospital bed.

Choking back tears, Leisa Rutledge struggles as she details the past month with her husband Dan in intensive care in Brisbane.

Ms Rutledge, who usually lives in Yeppoon in central Queensland, pushed for her husband to see a doctor after what seemed like a harmless sinus issue made his snoring worse.

But a scan and a follow-up phone call from a Brisbane neurosurgeon changed everything.

“[The doctor] he said it was quite big… the [brain] tumor was connected to a major blood vessel,” Ms Rutledge said.

“He said I think it’s really important that you have the surgery because if you don’t, you probably won’t be around for Christmas.”

Mr Rutledge suffered a stroke in his brain stem after the surgery in early July and has been in a coma since.

Ms Rutledge said the experience of nearly losing her high school sweetheart had been heartbreaking.

“That was a really hard day,” she said.

Accommodation struggle

A woman and men stand together smiling, they are dressed up
Mr and Mrs Rutledge have been together since high school.(Supplied: Leisa Rutledge)

Ms Rutledge said she had not previously thought about what living in Yeppoon would mean for her family if someone needed care that was not available locally.

“I don’t know how people can afford to be in our situation,” she said.

Ms Rutledge said a doctor told her to think long term about her family’s future, as her husband could be in a coma for months and any rehabilitation would be intense, take considerable time, and would need to happen in Brisbane.

It’s put the mother-of-three in a difficult position.

“That kind of shocked me because I don’t want to give up our home in Yeppoon, because if Dan does get to a point where he gets home, I want him to remember what we had,” she said.

Queensland Health offers a patient subsidy scheme to help people from rural and regional areas to access healthcare more than 50 kilometers away.

While Ms Rutledge has access to the subsidy scheme, she said the money it provided for rent did not cover the cost of renting for the family in Brisbane near the hospital.

They are currently living with her sister, about a 50-minute drive from the hospital, while an online fundraiser has been set up to help pay the family’s costs.

A woman, man, teenage boy and two girls dressed up
The Rutledges have three teenage children who are completing school work online.(Supplied: Leisa Rutledge)

Queensland Health said in a statement that distance, geographical implications, and isolation were important considerations when managing healthcare services in hospitals.

“We acknowledge additional costs Queenslanders living in rural and remote locations incur when accessing specialty health services,” it said.

The department added that $97.20 million was allocated to the subsidy scheme in the 2021-22 financial year.

Ms Rutledge said she was looking for an apartment, but with the tight rental market, her situation felt “really dire”.

While Mr Rutledge’s hospital does have social workers to help place families in homes, she said the only option available was a studio apartment and her family needed more space long term.

She said she was on a waiting list for a bigger, family-sized hospital unit but had been told the hospital did not see her getting off the waitlist “anytime soon.”

“It’s really difficult for a lot of rural families to be able to come down and try to find long-term accommodation,” Ms Rutledge said.

Not the only ones

A headshot of a woman with strawberry blonde hair wearing a white jacket
Gabrielle O’Kane says the distance can be traumatic for some people.(Supplied: National Rural Health Alliance)

National Rural Health Alliance chief executive Gabrielle O’Kane said some people missed out on caring for their loved ones in capital cities because of the high expenses associated with travel, accommodation, and missing out on paid work.

“I’ve actually had the experience myself where I had six to seven months’ worth of treatment in Sydney when I lived in Wagga Wagga with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” Dr O’Kane said.

“I know how difficult it is being separated from family, and while there’s some assistance in terms of accommodation and travel assistance … when you’re away from your family for a long period of time there is emotional support and those sorts of things you don ‘t have.”

Dr O’Kane said travel schemes needed to incorporate the “vast majority of expenses” that people incurred living away from home to make it easier on patients.

A man grinning wearing a Santa hat
Ms Rutledge says her husband is a much-loved “typical Aussie dad.”(Supplied: Leisa Rutledge)

The Rutledges’ three teenage children are now doing online-only lessons from their central Queensland high school, which they complete at the school onsite at their dad’s hospital.

When asked whether she would consider going back to Yeppoon and traveling back and forth to Brisbane, Ms Rutledge was resolute.

“I would never do that,” she said.

“I just miss him.”

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Categories
Business

Perth venues Gangemi’s Fine Wines & Food and the Comedy Lounge awarded City of Perth redevelopment grant

Perth venues Gangemi's Fine Wines & Food and the Comedy Lounge awarded City of Perth redevelopment grant

Two Perth businesses are sprucing up their shopfronts with help from the City of Perth.

West Perth’s Gangemi’s Fine Wines & Food and the Comedy Lounge on Murray Street are two of several Perth businesses which have been awarded City of Perth business improvement grants this financial year.

Gangemi’s owners Edward Johnson and Tobias Goyder-Ewan told Perth Now this week the $20,000 grant would go towards a major redevelopment of the well-known corner bottle shop and liquor store on Hay Street.

Your local paper, whenever you want it.

The duo said they believed their business was the first metropolitan standalone liquor store to trade in Perth, having been open since 1911.

Co-owners Tobias Goyder-Ewan and Edward Johnson, Gangemi's Fine Wines.
Camera IconCo-owners Tobias Goyder-Ewan and Edward Johnson, Gangemi’s Fine Wines. Credit: Andrew Richie/Perth Now

The historic establishment will receive an interior facelift to turn it into an 80-person small bar with indoor dining, an alfresco area and European style charcuterie food on offer. Drinks will be served until 10pm.

The business will also build a coffee window which will be open from 7am.

“We have been liquor retail and wine retail and we’re going to be wine retail and liquor retail-focused with the addition of being able to sit down and have a glass of wine on top, and it extends that ‘try before you buy ‘ethos,” Mr Johnson said.

“We are changing it from just retail to being an on and off premise consumption and a place for the community.”

Artist impression of the new bar at Gangemi's Fine Wines & Food during the evening.
Camera IconArtist impression of the new bar at Gangemi’s Fine Wines & Food during the evening. Credit: Gangemi’s Fine Wines and Food

Mr Johnson said the grant would go towards paying for the “base build”, including the construction of toilets, amenities and access for people with a disability.

Re-development of the site is set to start as soon as next week, with the duo aiming to not close the store during construction and have the additions ready by October.

“You can have a chat to us, you can have a sit down, we can talk about the wine if people are interested in that,” Mr Johnson said.

“Or they can just have a place to hang out, eat some bread and cheese and have a glass of wine.”

In the CBD, the Comedy Lounge exterior and laneway is set for a facelift.

“Overall we expect the exterior improvements to increase Comedy Lounge’s public awareness and organic traffic,” business development and marketing director Jack McAllister said.

“It’s amazing how many people are unaware Perth has its very own purpose-built comedy club, so hopefully this will help get the word out there.”

Jack McAllister (event organiser) Sunday Singles at the Comedy Lounge will be launching as a weekly Sunday event for Perth singles. Andrew Richie
Camera IconJack McAllister (event organiser) Sunday Singles at the Comedy Lounge will be launching as a weekly Sunday event for Perth singles. Andrew Richie Credit: Andrew Richie/Community News

The team behind the establishment are researching the possibility of installing 3D projectors which would display the venue’s line-ups and a promotional video.

Mr McAllister said designs were being drafted for the new laneway street art, which would include a portrait of the greatest comedians of all time.

“We’re in a great location where we get a lot of daily traffic passing the venue,” he said.

“It’s one aspect of advertising that we haven’t utilized yet — we want to be noticed as people pass our venue.

“First impressions count and at the moment the look of the building and laneway does not match the quality of entertainment we’re providing.

“The upgrades will help convey to customers that it’s a high-quality establishment with world-class live entertainment.”

Mr McAllister said the $12,950 grant would go towards the works but the upgrade would cost “significantly more”.

“The last few years for businesses have been a rollercoaster, so it’s good to know the government is showing its support,” he said.

“We haven’t made any significant or noticeable upgrades for about three years now, so we are well overdue for a makeover.

“All our recent major upgrades have been interior, which has been money well spent, but it’s time we improve the outside.”

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