Seniors Week Intergenerational Walk & Seniors Expo at New Farm Park
By natasha | July 25, 2010
Senior Sector Roundtable
Seniors Week Intergenerational Walk
& Seniors Expo at New Farm Park
Kick off Seniors Week with a wonderful riverside walk, bringing grandparents, children and grandchildren together to celebrate with seniors. Free entertainment, morning tea, prizes.
When: Sunday 15 August
Time: 8.30am (walk), 9:00–11:15 am (expo)
Start: Rotunda in New Farm to Riverside Function Centre, 50 Oxlade Drive, New Farm.
Complimentary Morning Tea served at the Seniors Expo from 10.30am
For more information contact Beverley on 07 3316 2915
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MULTICULTURAL DAY CONCERT
By natasha | July 25, 2010
APSL and Diversicare invite you to enjoy a
MULTICULTURAL DAY CONCERT
Morning Tea and Lunch
Come and celebrate Seniors Week with us and join in on the cultural diversity with entertainment
THURSDAY 19TH AUGUST 2010
9:30am–2:00pm,
Kurilpa Hall, 174 Boundary Street, West End (Next to West End Library)
Lunch available for $5 and must be booked.
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL - PH: 3844 5878 or 3844 9166
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11th Amateur Fun Walk for the Over 50’s Families & Friends
By natasha | July 25, 2010
APSL Caloundra presents
11th Amateur Fun Walk for the Over 50’s Families & Friends
When: Sunday 22nd August 2010
Where: Scenic 4 kilometre flat walk along the Golden Beach foreshore from the Rydges Oasis Resort North St, Caloundra {Landsborough Parade} to the Caloundra Power Boat Club {Leave your car at the Caloundra Power Boat Club & take the free shuttle bus to the Start}
Time: Registration 7am for 8am start
Fee: $8 per Person, children free
Categories: Male and Female, 50 - 59, 60 – 69, 70 – 79, 80 +, Disabled (wheelchair, Scooters, Walking Frame/Buggy, VIP).
To assist with catering early registration would be appreciated; late entries will be accepted on the day.
Complimentary Fruit & Yoghurt Breakfast and Drinks for Walkers. Trophies, Prizes, Free Gifts, Prizes for Best Fancy Dress & Lots of Fun for all.
For further information & more entry forms please phone: Frank 07 5492 7134 or Del 07 5439 0934
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Electricity prices on the rise
By natasha | May 30, 2010
Brace yourself, not only will you feel the winter chill this year, you may literally feel the winter weather as many of you find alternative heating methods to try and reduce energy consumption. The announcement that the cost of electricity will rise by 13.29 per cent on July 1 will put increasing pressure on the household budget.
The Queensland Competition Authority has announced the biggest annual increase in recent years for retail electricity prices, following a “significant increase in estimates of customer acquisition and retention costs”.
The plan will add an extra $256.80 to the average annual bill, which has increased to nearly $2000 a year since Queensland’s electricity industry was deregulated in mid-2007.
The price rise has been driven by an increase in transmission and distribution costs, an 8.7 per cent blowout in energy costs, and skyrocketing retail costs.
The APSL have opposed Full Retail Contestability (FRC) of the distribution of electricity since its inception. In the last decade we have seen power consumption rise by 90%, this coincides with a population growth in South East Queensland of around 30% in the similar period. The effect, the government and electricity providers has said is a necessary increase in the cost of power supply.
While recognising these significant changes and the impact that population growth has had on electricity demand, the guarantees and assurances that were given to Queenslanders (particularly those in the South East Corner) that the introduction of privatisation of retail suppliers would not increase the cost of power, but would provide the necessary competition to bring about a reduction in the cost of electricity has been proven to be a myth.
Since the introduction of private electricity retailers, the cost of electricity over three years in Queensland has increased by over 30% and with the latest announcement consumers will be looking at nearly a 50% increase in the cost of electricity.
The APSL calls upon the Minister of Mines & Energy, Mr Stephen Robertson and the Bligh Government to extend the current rebate as in other states to those people who hold a Commonwealth Health Card. Failure to provide assistance to these groups of people is likely to see a further increase in the number of people facing disconnection and further aggravate an already increasing level of poverty in Queensland.
The impact of these significant increases is now having a serious effect within the community and last year the Energy Ombudsman’s report revealed that over 30,000 Queenslanders were disconnected from their source of electricity. This compares with less than 12,000 accounts in New South Wales.
Over the last few days, since the price increase was confirmed to the public, the APSL has been inundated with phone calls from worried consumers demanding the ‘re-regulation’ and ‘government intervention’ in this out of control energy pricing mechanism.
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Australian Pensioners’ and Superannuants’ League responds to the Federal Budget – the initiatives, disappointments and caution of further back flips.
By natasha | May 17, 2010
The Australian Pensioners’ and Superannuants’ League, Qld Inc. (APSL) welcomes aspects of the 2010/ 2011 Federal Budget. In particular, the additional $2.2bn health funding which will now represent a total of $7.3bn for necessary medical and hospital reforms as part of the health program. More importantly, we are quite pleased with the encouragement of nurses back into the aged care industry through further investment in attracting them back into the aged care industry.
Raymond Ferguson, APSL Policy Coordinator says “that seniors, particularly superannuants will welcome the tax breaks announced by Treasurer Swan in regards to the 50% tax discount on interest savings.” Tax breaks will apply as of July 1 for bank, credit unions and building society deposits. In addition, low and middle-income earners and older Australians will also be beneficiaries of this reform.
Of particular value for pensioners, seniors and other disadvantaged people will be the savings announced in the budget on medical prescriptions. The APSL welcomes the memorandum of understanding between the Government and Medicines Australia, which require the pharmaceutical manufacturers to advise of the wholesale prices of drugs sold to pharmacies and hospitals. On average, a saving of $2.85 per prescription will be made. For pensioners and seniors whose health demands require them to take 3 to 4 prescriptions on a monthly basis, this is a saving that will cause some comfort.
Whilst the budget attempts to be “no frills? and responsible, in terms of economic management, we express disappointment that no further adjustment to the base rate of pensions has been made. The increases to the base rate of pensions as from March 20 this year, has long since been eroded as a result of rising living costs of basic and essential items. At the moment, pensions are adjusted every six months (March -September), if the government is serious about maintaining “Secure and Sustainable Pensions” then pensions need to be adjusted on a quarterly basis.
An area we are concerned for is the lack of attention paid towards the need for an increase in rental subsidies for those who are still forced on the private rental market for shelter. Currently approximately up to twenty per cent of pensioners are renting in the private rental market. In Queensland over 30% of pensioners are on the waiting lists for public housing, because of rising rents these pensioners are suffering from housing stress and as a result, many more will join the list of homelessness.
In addition we are also disappointed that the budget didn?t take up the recommendations of the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission Report which proposed a “Denticare Scheme?; a plan to provide basic dental health services to not only pensioners and seniors but for other low income and disadvantaged people which over time would have substantially reduced the waiting list of over 600,000 for basic dental care. This scheme was suggested to be free of charge or heavily subsidised with funding for the scheme met by ¾ of a percent increase in the Medicare levy.
The integrity and implementation of this budget will now be tested primarily on the basis that there are no more “Rudd back flips?. Any reversals in thought on the super profit resources tax will certainly see the health reform nosedive along with any prospect of a budget surplus by 2012-2013 .
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NEC Broadband for Seniors Program
By natasha | May 12, 2010
The APSL is now a participant in the training of seniors in the use of computers and in accessing the internet. NEC Broadband for Seniors is a Federal Government funded program to give seniors more opportunities to learn to use computer technology.
The APSL is based at Kurilpa Hall, 174 Boundary Street West End 4101. We have been provided with two NEC computers, desks and a wireless broadband network. We are offering local seniors the opportunity to learn how to use computers at no cost.
Computer Training Sessions
We aim to offer three training sessions per week.
Duration: 2 hours
- Tuesday 10.00am - 12 noon
- Wednesday 10.00am - 12 noon
- Thursday 10.00am - 12 noon
Two seniors can book for each session.
Once the program is under way we will offer more training sessions per week.
Call us today to make a booking
Kristine - 07 3844 5878
Ian - 0417 796 887
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