August 31, 2010

Positive Restaurant Outlook Can Help Social Enterprise

Commenting on the very positive restaurant business outlook, Restaurant & Catering SA CEO, Sally Neville, says the industry turnover is continuing to grow annually at 7 per cent. This annual growth rate reflects new businesses as well as higher turnover […]
August 29, 2010

Dealing With Suicide Prevention, Hunger Relief, Gambling In Oz…

PWF has found the TRI Community Exchange (TRI) on Twitter. TRI is a NSW community info exchange that has been in operation since 1992. They’re dealing with: Suicide & Self Harm Prevention– TRI has just launched a national suicide/self harm […]
August 29, 2010

The Growing Community Social Enterprise Movement

The ABC’s Inside Business has provided a very positive picture of Hepburn Wind an Australian community owned social enterprise. This registered cooperative is Australia’s first community owned wind farm. A Strong Conclusion From Collaboration Hepburn Wind chairman, Simon Holmes a […]
August 29, 2010

Appalled At Aged Care Process – More Bureaucratic Concerns?

The need to better manage Aged Care processes has not lessened – something else for our Indies to address? PWF has addressed this issue before with Something’s Wrong – Families Struggle To Support Elderly and Good News On Direct Family […]
August 29, 2010

Democracy Evolving? In New Zealand AND Australia?

After being buoyed by Australian post-election ‘let’s improve the democracy discussions’ I see the NZ Opposition is braving the twittersphere inviting open discussion on new policies, espousing transparency and an opening up of the public sector, just like our Australian […]
August 29, 2010

Cycling And Bike Helmets…More Carrots Than Sticks Needed?

Cycling IS good for our health and the environment. Helmets DO protect riders. In Victoria you can be fined $146 riding without a helmet. Why did Melbourne start a $5.5 million Bike Share project? Why don’t Sydneysiders cycle? A ‘Melbourne-World’ […]
August 25, 2010

The Silent Emergency – But NOT A Vote Winner

There was little or no attention paid to Indigenous issues over the election campaign, as noted by Sarah Maddison from University NSW. It seems we voters are blind to Australia’s greatest failing and, of course, the First Australians don’t live […]
August 25, 2010

Oil-Eating Microbe Discovered In Gulf Of Mexico

Have you seen the reports about an oil-eating microbe that scientists have found ‘flourishing’ in the Gulf of Mexico after the BP oil rig explosion? Terry Hazen, researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, reported the finding in […]
August 21, 2010

Our Future – Some Sane Words On Election Day

The Age’s Ross Gittins made some election day observations on broad economic management that resonated with this voter: Dodging Climate Change Climate change is roughly equivalent to the GST in unpleasantness for the public. In dodging it our leaders are […]
August 10, 2010

CERES Sustainable Home Workshops: Sept – Nov 2010

CERES, Melbourne’s award-winning Community Environment Park in Brunswick is running a new series of Sustainable Home Workshops Saturday afternoons 1.30pm-3.30pm. They will focus on reducing our environmental impact at home, for example: Insulation and Glazing Green Cleaning Buying Green Living […]
August 4, 2010

Safe Food, Food Labelling, And A Name And Shame Register

After 4 million hits to its ‘Name and Shame register’ the NSW Government says the public certainly does want safe food information. The NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Steve Whan, says “Name and Shame provides that information.. in an easy […]
August 3, 2010

Twitter, Stephen Fry, Public Interest Journalism & The Future?

The London Evening Standard’s Lucy Tobin reports that although Twitter has not as yet worked out how to make ‘serious money’ it appears British TV star Stephen Fry has. You may have heard Stephen’s interview defending the modern digital age […]