Italian gas company, Italgas has concluded its acquisition of Greek gas grid, DEPA Infrastructure, from asset management company, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) and petroleum company, Hellenic Petroleum.
DEPA Infrastructure, which sold for 733 million euros, holds stakes in Greece’s three main gas distribution operators, which together manage 7,500 km of the gas network. It is the largest gas distribution operator in Greece.
The acquisition of 100% of #Depa Infrastructure S.A., the largest gas distribution operator in Greece, by #Italgas was completed today in Athens.
Italgas CEO, Paolo Gallo, commented: “We will put our experience and our technological know-how at the disposal of the country to build an infrastructure of excellence and with it contribute to achieving the coal and lignite phase-out targets set by the government.”
He added that Italgas aims to expand the Greek grid to serve around 1 million customers, up from the 600,000 customers currently being served and that the grid will be fully digitised so as to facilitate easier and increased use of greener fuels.
“In the European scenario, Italy and Greece can aim to become the benchmark for the strategic role of smart, digital and flexible gas networks fostering the energy transition,” he added.
CEO of HRADF, Dimitris Politis said the sale is “one of the most important asset development projects carried out by HRADF, with significant benefits for the Greek economy and the Greek citizens.”
“It is also an important step towards realising the ambitious goals of our country’s energy transition by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring that the company will have plentiful access to financing for the expansion of the natural gas distribution networks,” he concluded.
People are taking destination weddings to new depths these days, at least one Greek couple is, literally.
Petros and Myrto exchanged vows in the first underwater civil ceremony at the bottom of the sea off the Sporadic island, Alonnisos on Monday August 29, with the bride wearing a wedding gown and the groom donning a semi relaxed tux look.
Petros from Edessa, northern Greece, and Myrto from Komotini, in the North-East of the country, as well as the bridesmaids had scuba diving lessons for four days on the island before the cermony, state broadcaster ERT reported.
In attendance to this less than usual affair was Alonnisos Mayor, Petros Vafinis, President of the Tourism Commission, Maia Agallou, the bridesmaids, diving instructors and an underwater cameraman, who all wore scuba and diving gear.
“The feelings that flood you at the bottom during the wedding are indescribable,” said the Mayor.
“In the ideal conditions of peace the underwater environment offers, time stops and this moment belongs exclusively to the couple.”
The submerged nuptials were performed by a civil celebrant with special waterproof surfaces and this was all captured by a team of underwater photographers in scuba gear that was live broadcast for the family watching on the beach.
The initiative was started when a call out was made last February by the Municipality of Alonissos to couples for the organisation of underwater weddings.
“Our goal is to “open” a new market for Greece and the island. Alonissos is developing into an international diving destination that this year was chosen by hundreds of scuba divers from all over the world,” Mayor Vafinis says.
“In general, the island recorded very high occupancy throughout the summer season that reached up to 100% for August, while the tourist traffic will continue until the first ten days of October.”
The Ellinikon project has made recent waves with plans that will turn the Athenian Riviera into one of the most prestigious and luxurious complexes in all of Europe, taking over the city’s former airport.
With plans of business complexes, residences, hospitality venues, parks, recreation centres and so much more, the Ellinikon project is adding Greece’s largest shopping mall to its resume.
The retail complex is estimated to be a $8.02 billion project run by Athenian developers and calls for a new minicity of about 30,000 residents south of Athens.
The new retail complex is estimated to bring in all of the attention of Greek shoppers even though there is some serious doubt, especially with the global struggle of large malls around the world.
Some major retailers have been struggling with the recent shift to online shopping, although Greek developers are hoping that the new shopping mall in conjunction with the new attractions that the Ellinikon project will bring.
A rendering of the Ellinikon’s retail hub, which will include more than 2 million square feet. Photo: Lamda Development
Chief Executive of Greek developer, Lamda, Odisseas Athanasiou has openly said that in the fight against e-commerce, Greece could use more malls.
Athanasiou said that during Greece’s financial crisis about a decade ago, everyday consumption in the country dropped 60%, while sales at Lamda malls dropped a comparative 18%. Lamda malls in Greece enjoy a nearly 100% occupancy rate according to Mr Athanasiou, and sales hit record levels every year.
“With small stores closing, part of the consumption is going to go online, but the main part is going to come to us,” he said.
Mr. Athanasiou predicts the Ellinikon development will be visited by more than a million tourists a year who will be attracted by its architecture, beaches and parks, as well as its proximity to Athens and the Acropolis.
“For Greeks, it’s a no-brainer. We’re going to be there,” said Mr. Athanasiou.
“It is the first opportunity they will have in their country to visit places they only had the opportunity to visit when they travelled the globe.”
The Victorian and New South Wales Governments announced on Tuesday, August 30 a major partnership to expand urgent care services across both states, in a move to further try and ease record demand on busy emergency departments following COVID-19.
Victoria and NSW will each establish 25 urgent care services each, in partnership with General Practitioners (GPs), bringing the total number of services across both states to 50.
The services will help ease pressure on emergency departments, give people faster care for urgent but non-critical conditions and free up critical resources for patients with more serious needs.
The GP-partnered services will be well equipped to handle conditions such as mild infections, fractures and burns.
Premier Daniel Andrews and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet have announced 50 free primary care clinics. 25 in each state. Photo: Sharnelle Vella
“Around the country, the pandemic has put enormous pressure on healthcare systems, and part of that is because – through no fault of their own – people have delayed going to their GP and accessing primary care,” Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews said.
“We know and appreciate that the Commonwealth are investigating longer-term support for primary care, but we also know we need to act now to support healthcare systems across Australia’s two biggest states.”
Services will operate for extended hours and patients will not be charged for services provided by GPs. Patients without a Medicare card will also be able to access services, free of charge.
“We are leading the way to adopt a new model of care by investing in our communities to ensure people can access free health care,” Premier of NSW, Dominic Perrottet said.
These new services will be commissioned in partnership with Primary Health Networks, with locations determined following consideration of population, community needs and emergency department demand.
Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, looks on at the NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP
As part of the package in Victoria, 10 centres will be established to partner with Frankston Hospital, Bendigo Hospital, Casey Hospital, Albury Wodonga Health, Austin Hospital, Alfred Hospital, Dandenong Hospital, Latrobe Regional Hospital, Werribee Mercy Hospital and Box Hill Hospital.
Another 10 Victorian locations will be announced soon.
This builds on the Victorian Government’s recent $14.3 million investment to establish and run five new Priority Primary Care Centres (PPCCs) with the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Northern Hospital Epping, Sunshine Hospital, Monash Medical Centre Clayton and Grampians Health Ballarat.
Victorian emergency departments are the busiest they have ever been, with presentations hitting a record 486,701 in the most recent quarter – an increase of 5.1 per cent from the previous quarter.
The Victorian Government is delivering a range of initiatives to establish more care outside the hospital system, including the expansion of the Virtual ED and Better at Home programs, as well as 30 state-funded GP respiratory clinics.
NSW has recently established partnerships with GPs and Primary Health Networks in Western Sydney, the Murrumbidgee, Northern Sydney and Western NSW which aim to reduce the number of people presenting to emergency departments by providing community-based, patient-centred, urgent care.
Photo: Wolter Peeters
The locations of future urgent care services in NSW will be delivered where there is the greatest need, based on the demands experienced by hospital emergency departments, including where services can be scaled up quickly.
NSW emergency departments see more than 3 million patient presentations each year.
During the first quarter of 2022, there were 734,704 attendances at emergency departments, with hospitals throughout the state continuing to experience sustained, high demand for emergency care.
NSW has implemented a range of initiatives to ensure people can access the right care at the right time to improve their health outcomes, as well as free up our emergency departments for patients who require critical care.
These include a secondary triage program in partnership with residential aged care facilities and NSW Ambulance, expansion of virtual care and the statewide Planned Care for Better Health program, which aims to reduce hospital admission for patients with complex medical issues.
The validity of newly issued Greek passports will double from five to 10 years for all citizens aged at least 14 as of today, the Citizen Protection Ministry said on Thursday.
The extension comes after Parliament voted on the relevant legislation last month, which came into effect on September 1, 2022.
The move will save at least 55.5 million euros in state funding and bring the country in line with international practices, AMNA reported.
Speaking of the newly passed legislation last month, Minister of Citizen Protection, Takis Theodorikakos, said Greece was one of the last European Union member States, as well as world countries, that still issued passports with a validity shorter than 10 years.
“It will mean less bureaucracy for Greek citizens, especially Greeks abroad. It will free up police time. Both the state and citizens will benefit,” the Minister said at the time.
Greek army officers will be able to enrol at Egypt’s highest military educational facility and the nation’s College of Command and Staff, the two countries have agreed.
The agreement was signed in Cairo by the head of Egypt’s Armed Forces Lieutenant General Osama Askar and the chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (GEETHA), General Konstantinos Floros on Wednesday during his official visit to Egypt this week.
Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (GEETHA), General Konstantinos Floros and his Egyptian counterpart, Lieutenant General Osama Askar at the signing of the education protocol in Cairo. Photo: GEETHA
The protocol is part of the Military Cooperation Program of Greece and Egypt, and repays the participation of Egyptian Officers in the respective Greek military schools.
According to a press release issued by GEETHA, the program will “strengthen further the relations of the two countries in matters of education” whilst also “contributing to the synergy and interoperability of the Armed forces of Greece and Egypt.”
📍Κάιρο Στην Πρεσβευτική Κατοικία με τον🇬🇷Πρέσβη στην🇪🇬 κ. Νικόλαο Γαριλίδη
Στο επίκεντρο της συζήτησης η εμβάθυνση των🇬🇷🇪🇬σχέσεων & της Στρατιωτικής Συνεργασίας, όπως & οι εξελίξεις στην περιοχή & η ευρύτερη γεωπολιτική τους διάσταση
Floros and his Egyptian counterpart discussed the security challenges faced by Greece and Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean as well as the situation in Ukraine after the Russian invasion and its effects on the wider region.
Whilst exchanging views on the adverse consequences of revisionism and interventionism in the affairs of other states, the pair discussed the role of the Greek and Egyptian armed forces to offer mutual support and consolidate their own security and stability.
The GEETHA Chief particularly pointed out that Greece and Egypt share common goals to ensure peace in the wider region respecting and remaining firmly committed to International Law and the rules of good neighbourliness, “unlike Turkey, whose rhetoric and provocative actions against our country are constantly escalating.”
We all know the traditional story of Greek migration to Australia.
Young men and women left their families behind in Greece, boarded boats with only one suitcase containing the essentials, and headed towards Australia in the hope of having a better and brighter future.
Achieving this dream wasn’t always easy though as many Greek migrants struggled with the English language and faced persistent racism. But they still never gave up. Instead, they opened their own small businesses, integrated into society and contributed to building the foundations of Australia.
It’s this contribution which deserves to be recognised today, especially as these young men and women are now our own grandparents and parents, even aunties and uncles.
But how can you have a permanent record of your loved one’s achievements? Australia’s National Monument to Migration is the answer.
Shirley and Sozos Koutsogiannis at the Monument. Photo by Kaily Koutsogiannis.
Located at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, the Monument is hard to miss.
It is a bronze-panelled wall that faces Sydney’s Darling Harbour and Pyrmont Bay, and features over 31,000 names of migrants who made Australia their home.
Currently, there are 1,632 migrants of Greek heritage on the Monument. Greece is number five of the top ten countries of origin listed.
One of these Greek names belongs to George Alfieris, who is the dad of the Kytherian Association of Australia’s past President, Emmanuel Alfieris.
Emmanuel Alfieris (left) with his dad George at the National Monument to Migration. Photo: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
“I think we need to reflect on the sacrifices that all those 31,000 names on that wall made to get us here. To come to a country where there’s peace and prosperity, and that has let us stand on their shoulders,” Mr Alfieris said.
“So I encourage all of you who don’t have your family names yet on the wall, please make the effort. Mark them for prosperity.”
Donor, Bill Drakopoulos, also said the Monument was a great way to recognise the hard work and contribution of Greek migrants to Australia.
People enjoy the Monument. Photo by Marinco Kojdanovski, Australian National Maritime Museum.
“We are part of a long chain of proud Greek migrants who have forged new lives in our new home. We remain proud to be Greek and proud to be Australian,” Mr Drakopoulos said.
“It is a great chance to honour those who came before us.”
To do this, the Museum requires a tax-deductible gift of $500 to etch the name of a loved one with Greek heritage on the Monument.
The Museum then requests a brief story about each person being honoured on the Monument for publication on its website. The Museum is amassing a selection of stories from these migrants; stories that, in turn, build the history of modern Australia.
Honour our Greek immigrants on Australia’s National Monument to Migration at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Register to be part of the next unveiling ceremony. To register please visitthis website or call (02) 9298 3777.
After having faced her own personal challenges, SA Woman Shine Award finalist Samantha Papavasiliou has turned to advocating for people who identify as neurodivergent.
“I’m overwhelmed. I have never been good at accepting or responding to compliments and nothing I have achieved or worked towards has been aimed at achieving an award,” says the second-generation Greek Australian whose family immigrated from Kastoria, northern Greece to Adelaide in the 1960s.
Now in their fifth year, the SA Woman Awards recognise the achievements of women in business and careers from across South Australia.
L to R: Samantha with her brother Jake, mother Shirley, sister Chloe and father Nick
“Sometimes it’s just about being able to celebrate with the people you care about, all that we have collectively achieved, the opportunities we have had and the challenges we have tackled,” Samantha said.
And although Samantha is not new to challenges due to her ongoing battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that stems from germaphobia, she says the last twelve months have been the most demanding yet the most amazing of her life.
“I was dealing with my own health and personal issues, when my family learned that Mum was going through renal failure, followed by the emotional roller coaster waiting for a transplant,” she explains.
“Hearing my dad wake up one day and say ‘I will be the donor,’ showed me what true strength and selflessness really is. We are now post-transplant, and they are both doing incredibly well. My dad, a small business owner, eased back into work and my Mum started a PhD.”
Samantha, who works at the Australian Taxation Office and is a senior research fellow at the James Cook University, says her parents, colleagues and mentors have not only supported her along the way but have encouraged her to use the difficulties as a driver to accomplish things.
“Everyone is different, we have different talents, skills and interests. I was brought up to look beyond the obstacles that always seem to appear and look for the opportunities. There is a great deal of support available, just be brave enough to ask,” she says.
Samantha (third from L) with extended family in Kastoria, northern Greece
Looking past her own struggles and wanting to give back to the community Samantha working as an advocate for people who identify as neurodivergent or atypical and is a great supporter of Women in STEM.
“As a woman in STEM, I see how interesting and challenging the work is, but also the opportunities it provides. The sector needs more females to provide balance in the input and the range of inventions in the different fields through the opinions, views, skills and experience women offer,” she says.
“Having gender diversity in STEM, will increase the breadth and depth of innovations and breakthroughs as it will provide opportunities to view problems differently.”
*Click here to find out more about all the SA Woman Awards Finalists or to vote for the SA Woman Awards People’s Choice 2022 by Monday September 5.
Alana Kalithrakas shared how she came up with the idea for A2 Tutors – a one-on-one tutoring service supporting students from age 4-18 in their journey through school.
In her interview, Alana said the key to the success of her tutoring business is about having students who are “raving fans” that don’t need “an incentive to refer their friends.”
“What I have been taught is that a successful business is one that primarily works without you being there,” Alana said.
James Avramides – Getawayz NSW
James Avramides.
James Avramides is the founder of Getawayz NSW, which specialises in end-to-end short-term property management including guest communications, reviews, marketing and property maintenance.
James said that he’s faced a number of challenges since opening his business, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the NSW floods, and it’s taken a toll on his mental health.
“I didn’t realise before opening the business how much of a toll it can take on your mental health. I have worked a good 12-16 hour days and haven’t had a day off since launching,” he said.
But he still loves his job.
“I adore being able to be my own boss, doing what I love every day. I also get to choose the wonderful staff that work alongside me as well as make sure the business is a positive place to work,” James added.
Emily Bobis – Compass IoT
Emily Bobis.
Emily Bobis, 27, founded IoT Compass in 2018. The business uses real-time data analysis of cars swerving or breaking to detect trends and patterns. This halved the number of car crashes on one of Sydney’s busiest roads.
“The biggest benefit of running a small business is being able to make a tangible difference. I get to see first-hand the impacts of what we do for our customers and how it’s changing the future of roads,” she said.
Max Agapitos – Agspire Kids Fitness
Max Agapitos. Source: Facebook.
Max Agapitos is the founder of Agspire Kids Fitness in Maroubra, which holds strength and conditioning classes for primary and high school aged children.
Max said the benefits of running his own business “include creative freedom and personal satisfaction for working so closely with clients.”
“When you have a positive influence, it’s not for someone else in the hierarchical structure – it’s for you and your client, which is intrinsically satisfying,” he said.
“We live in a nation full of opportunity. If you have an idea and there’s a need for it, then you can make it.”
Sydney Roosters chairman, Nick Politis, has marked the NRL club’s territory at the new Allianz Stadium in Sydney amid attempts by the South Sydney Rabbitohs to share it.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Rabbitohs want to quit Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park to share the new $850 million Allianz Stadium with the Roosters from next season.
Speaking on the Roosters Radio podcast, Politis was adamant the new state-of-the-art facility should remain an exclusive NRL home for his club.
“I’ve heard other people say they want to play there because it’s their home,” Politis said, without mentioning the Rabbitohs specifically.
“The point is we’ve been there since 1928. We started with the old sports ground and then 30 years with the old Allianz Stadium.
The new Allianz Stadium. Photo: Cox Architecture.
“Nobody else has played there. For another club to say we want to go there because it’s our home, it’s not their home. The Roosters are the only people that belong there. It’s our true home and it’s very sacred.”
Politis’ comments come as tensions between the foundation clubs are at fever pitch ahead of their Friday night blockbuster at Moore Park.
