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New multicultural community wellbeing campaign encourages people to stay connected

The Greek Herald
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New multicultural community wellbeing campaign encourages people to stay connected

A new Multicultural Community Wellbeing Campaign urges all young people, their families and friends in NSW to “stay connected” and, if needed, seek mental health support from the new Australian Government funded mental health service, Head to Health.

NSW Multicultural Health Communications Service (MHCS) and NSW Primary Health Networks (PHNs) collaborated with Settlement Services International (SSI) and Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) to put the campaign together.

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman MP, said all Australians should feel supported and able to access mental health services when and where they need them. This includes making services and resources available in their own language.

“It can be hard to reach out and ask for help, and even harder to name what you need when there is a language or a cultural barrier, or you don’t feel safe,” Assistant Minister Coleman said.

“That’s why this campaign is so important. It uses the experiences of young Australians from multicultural backgrounds to encourage others to reach out for support. There is plenty of support available, we just have to make sure those that need it, know about it and feel safe to reach out.” 

NSW Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said the initiative will spark important conversations among our young people.

“The past two years has been incredibly tough on everyone especially for our young people so it is wonderful to launch a campaign that will strengthen mental health strategies and supports across the board.”

NSW Health Chief Psychiatrist Dr Murray Wright said while our collective mental health has deteriorated during the pandemic – there is still cause for hope.

“The pandemic has caused a lot of stress and hardship, but it has also brought forward many meaningful and positive conversations about mental health and wellbeing.

“As we continue to adapt our lives to living with the virus, make mental health an ongoing topic of conversation. Talk about it around the family dinner table, at community gatherings and with your friends. Importantly, if anyone you know is struggling with stress, depression or anxiety, reassure them that these are all treatable – especially if you get help early on.”

The Multicultural Community Wellbeing Campaign includes:

  • A partnership with SBS to produce a suite of videos in English and Mandarin on ways to “Stay Connected”.
  • Radio advertising on SBS language programs and community radio in Arabic, Assyrian, Bangla, Cantonese, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Nepali or Vietnamese – complemented by interviews with health professionals about mental health on community radio, in community languages.
  • A partnership with SSI and youth mental health advocates with lived experience to produce meaningful campaign resources in a range of languages.

The ANU COVID-19 Impact Monitoring Survey showed that anxiety and worry levels were highest during lockdowns amongst young people 18 to 24 years, Indigenous Australians and those who speak a language other than English.

Unfortunately, ongoing social isolation prompted by loss of employment, restrictions on recreation and reduced social connection continue to be a problem even as COVID-19 restrictions are lifting, and mental health conditions like anxiety continue to be a major concern post-lockdown.

MHCS Director Lisa Woodland said that it is vital for young people and their families to know that there are in-language mental health support services available for them. 

“Our aim is to promote key messages to the community through trusted media channels to help increase meaningful conversations between young people, their peers and family members around mental health.”

This initiative urges anyone with mental health concerns who may not be able to access psychological support, to reach out to a new free mental health service, Head to Health, by calling 1800 595 212.  Eleven Head to Health services are now open and taking calls across NSW and ACT and work closely with existing providers including GPs and hospitals, referring people to more intensive mental health care or social supports if needed.

Head to Health services are available in many community languages and the Head to Health website is also available in Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Italian, Arabic, Vietnamese and Greek.

The campaign is an example of collaboration between organisations funded by the Australian and NSW governments to address community mental health concerns.

“The collaboration between NSW PHNs and NSW MHCS is an example of our shared commitment to working across federal and state programs to address health challenges together,” said Dr Michael Moore, CEO of Central and Eastern Sydney PHN on behalf of NSW PHNs. 

NSW PHNs involved in this initiative are Central and Eastern Sydney, Nepean Blue Mountains, Northern Sydney, South Eastern NSW, South Western Sydney and Western Sydney PHNs.

Ancient Greek blockbuster exhibition opens at National Museum of Australia in Canberra

The Greek Herald
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Ancient Greek blockbuster exhibition opens at National Museum of Australia in Canberra

A compelling exhibition exploring the theme of competition in the Ancient Greek world and featuring stunning objects from the British Museum’s collection, opens at the National Museum of Australia on Friday, 17 December.

Following a 12-month delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes opens at the National Museum in Canberra as the nation emerges from lockdown.

With Canberra as its only east coast venue, the Ancient Greeks exhibition features more than 170 objects from the British Museum’s collection of Greek treasures, with artefacts dating from 800 BCE to 200 CE.

National Museum director, Dr Mathew Trinca, said: “We are delighted to finally be able to bring this spectacular exhibition to Canberra.

“Australians have endured months of lockdown and uncertainty, and we are thrilled to give them such a magnificent international exhibition experience after what has been one of the most difficult periods in our nation’s history,” Dr Trinca said.

“The legacy of Ancient Greece endures in our society today, and visitors will be mesmerised by the stories of competition in the Ancient Greek world and by the beautiful depictions of athletes, the ceramics, sculptures, armour and jewellery on show,” Dr Trinca said.

Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes is the fourth in a series of British Museum exhibitions that have featured at the National Museum of Australia, following Rome: City and Empire (2018), A History of the World in 100 Objects (2016) and Encounters: Revealing Stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Objects from the British Museum (2015).

Dr Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum said: “We at the British Museum are delighted that Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes will open imminently at the National Museum of Australia.”

“This wonderful exhibition is the result of tireless efforts and contributions made by staff at the National Museum of Australia, the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, the Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, and the British Museum. The exhibition has been many years in the making and the British Museum is extraordinarily proud of this partnership. We hope that audiences in Canberra will enjoy and be inspired by the magnificent objects and stories woven throughout the Ancient Greeks exhibition,” Dr Fischer said.

Dr Peter Higgs, British Museum acting keeper Greek collections, said: “I am so pleased that the exhibition Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes is going to our partner museum in Canberra. Despite the worldwide pandemic and the immense challenges it has created, we have all worked together to achieve this momentous task.”

“Following the pandemic, we seized the opportunity to develop collaborative new approaches to our international installation practices, all the while adhering to our tightest processes. A huge thank you to everyone who has been involved with this exhibition. We hope you are able to go and see The Greeks and immerse yourselves in the stimulating narratives and stunning ancient artefacts,” Dr Higgs said.

Tara Cheyne, ACT Assistant Minister for Economic Development, said: “As part of the ACT Government’s ongoing commitment to the tourism, events, arts and cultural sectors, we are very pleased to be supporting the National Museum of Australia in staging this exhibition. The welcome return of blockbuster exhibitions will play an important role in the social and economic recovery of the Canberra region – and provides yet another great reason for our interstate visitors to organise a trip to the nation’s capital.”

Ancient Greeks is the result of a groundbreaking collaboration between the Western Australian Museum, the National Museum of Australia, and the Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, which combined forces to bring the exhibition to Australasia for the first time.

Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes was on display at the Western Australian Museum from 20 June to 7 November 2021, and will be on show at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand from 10 June to 16 October 2022.

Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes is at the National Museum of Canberra from 17 December 2021 to 1 May 2022. Tickets $28. For bookings see: https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/ancient-greeks.

Background:

The exhibition is divided into six sections: Nike, Goddess of Victory; Sporting Competitions; The Performing Arts; War; Heroes and Myths; Society: Competition in Life and Death.

The National Museum requested two additional objects for the exhibition. Both are exquisite examples of their type and remarkable because they feature the artists’ signatures:

• Black-figured amphora showing the Greek warrior Achilles slaying the Amazon Queen Penthesileia (about 540–530 BCE), signed by Exekias, the renowned Athenian potter and painter

• Marble relief known as the Apotheosis of Homer (about 220–200 BCE) signed by its maker, Archelaos of Priene

Key objects include rare and striking items from the British Museum’s Greek collection:

• A rare, black-figured amphora showing athletes training for the pentathlon (540–520 BCE)

• A black-figured amphora presented as a prize at the Panathenaic Games in Athens, it was once filled with 45 litres of olive oil. A rare example of its type as its lid has survived intact (333–332 BCE)

• A terracotta sculpture of two young women playing a game of knucklebones. One version of the game was the Aphrodite throw, thought to predict the odds of getting married (330–300 BCE)

• A gilded silver pin showing the figure of Nike, goddess of victory, holding a wreath (never previously toured) (100–200 CE)

• Gold earrings depicting Nike holding discs featuring the head of the sun god Helios (never previously toured) (about 350–250 BCE)

• A Roman version of one of the most famous Greek athletic statues – the Diadoumenos – based on a Greek original by the sculptor Polykleitos in the 5th century BCE. A victor statue and a powerful study of the ideal male physique (about 120–140 CE)

• Bronze head from the statue of an athlete, rare survival of bronze sculpture (never previously toured) (400–350 BCE)

• Marble portrait bust of the famous playwright Euripides, known for writing tragedy (Roman version 69–96 CE, after a Greek original about 330–300 BCE)

• An intricately detailed, red-figured volute krater features scenes from the ancient story that inspired Euripides’ last tragic play, Iphigeneia in Aulis (360–350 BCE)

• A fragment of a sarcophagus depicting warriors, from Klazomenai (modern Urla), Turkey (about 525–515 BCE)

• A bronze cuirass (body armour) modelled with tense, powerful, musculature (about 350–300 BCE)

• A tiny chalcedony gem engraved with the figure of winged Nike – one of the finest examples of a Greek intaglio (engraved gemstone) (never toured internationally) (about 350–300 BCE)

• A large marble statue of an athlete, hero or god, which is representative of the ideal athletic physique (Roman version 1st century CE, after a Greek original 320–300 BCE)

• A finely modelled bronze statuette of Herakles, legendary hero and founder of the Olympic Games (about 400–350 BCE)

• A statue of a wealthy Greek woman carved from fine Parian marble (about 150–100 BCE)

• An array of exquisite jewellery, including a gold necklace featuring myrtle buds and a lion-head pendant (about 450–400 BCE)

• A block from a marble frieze depicting Greeks fighting Amazons. Part of the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (about 350 BCE)

• A marble charioteer, a fragment of a frieze from the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos (never been shown internationally) (about 350 BCE)

READ MORE: ‘A unique experience’: National Museum curator Dr Withycombe on the ‘Ancient Greeks’ exhibition

NT judge rejects Mario Tsirbas’ bid for urgent court hearing challenging vaccine mandate

The Greek Herald
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NT judge rejects Mario Tsirbas’ bid for urgent court hearing challenging vaccine mandate

A Northern Territory Supreme Court judge has rejected a bid to hold an expedited hearing challenging the territory’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

Three unvaccinated men last week filed a legal case against the Chief Health Officer’s (CHO) direction that forbids workers from attending their workplaces after December 25 if they have not received both doses of an approved vaccine.

They had asked the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing on December 23, but Justice Sonia Brownhill today said the expedited timetable was too tight.

READ MORE: Mario Tsirbas spearheading legal challenge against NT vaccine mandate.

According to ABC News, Justice Brownhill refused the application and instead listed the matter for a directions hearing next Wednesday, when a trial date is expected to be set.

Outside court, Mario Tsirbas, the President of United NT Businesses, which is funding the legal challenge, said the result was “very disappointing.”

“We’ve got thousands of workers with a real prospect of having a Christmas of a lot of heartache,” Mario Tsirbas said, while added that the group would continue its legal fight.

“Justice is justice, regardless of the timeframe. So, yeah, we will be pushing ahead with the case,” he said.

“This is too important to walk away now.”

Source: ABC News.

Greek Prime Minister: Turkey must not threaten Greece or Cyprus

The Greek Herald
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Greek Prime Minister: Turkey must not threaten Greece or Cyprus

Turkey must realise that it cannot be threatening either Greece or Cyprus, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told German newspaper Handelsblatt on Wednesday.

“We are not the ones who nurture fantasies about empires of bygone times,” noted Mitsotakis.

He said he does not seek confrontation with Turkey and that he is “on speaking terms with President Erdogan.”

Greece has every interest in cooperating with Turkey, he added, and is unhappy with Turkey’s current economic crisis as “it could lead to regional instability.”

Mitsotakis also observed that Greece does want Germany’s support regarding its relations with Turkey, as both countries are part of the European family.

He added that Germany “is not a non-involved, neutral, third party” when it comes to Greek-Turkish relations.

Source: Ekathimerini.

Greece starts vaccinating kids 5-11, introduces mandatory PCR test for all travellers

The Greek Herald
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Greece starts vaccinating kids 5-11, introduces mandatory PCR test for all travellers

Greece, Italy and a handful of other European Union nations began vaccinating children ages 5-11 against COVID-19 on Wednesday as EU governments braced for the omicron variant to spread quickly during the travel and large gatherings of the holiday season.

Youngsters getting their first shot in Greece were given stickers and the day off from school.

Greece administered its first shots to younger children hours after authorities announced the country’s highest daily death toll of the pandemic: 130 people. Among the first to respond was Greek Education Minister Niki Kerameus.

A staff member from the National Health Organisation (EODY) prepares a booster Johnson and Johnson vaccine against COVID-19 at Karatepe refugee camp, on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas.

“I won’t hide the fact that on a personal level, after having talked with doctors and receiving scientific data, our family decided to vaccinate our son, who is 5 1/2 years old,” Kerameus said before taking her son, Loukas, to get his shot at an Athens hospital.

EU regulators last month approved a reduced-dose vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech for use in the 5-11 age group.

Mandatory PCR tests:

This vaccination drive comes as Greece’s Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that all travellers to Greece will have to show a mandatory negative PCR test for COVID-19 starting on Sunday.

All travellers to Greece will have to show a mandatory negative PCR test for COVID-19 starting on Sunday.

The measure affects all travellers, whether they are vaccinated against COVID-19 or not, irrespective of the country of departure. The only exception is for travellers who have spent less than 48 hours in a country prior to arriving in Greece.

The PCR test must have been carried out 48 hours before. The measure goes into effect at 6am on Sunday, December 19, 2021.

In a press release, the Greek Health Ministry said that the measure is in the context of the effort to control the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Despina Papamichail looks forward to seeing Greek Australian fans at the Australian Open

The Greek Herald
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Despina Papamichail looks forward to seeing Greek Australian fans at the Australian Open

By Bill Roumeliotis.

Greek professional tennis player, Despina Papamichail, will be in Australia on New Years Eve to participate in the Australia Open tournament and preparation tournaments. Ahead of her arrival, the 28-year-old athlete sat down with The Greek Herald‘s sport reporter, Bill Roumeliotis, and spoke exclusively about her daily life and her training schedule.

Despina also opened up about her favourite moment in the field of tennis and sent a message to The Greek Herald‘s readers.

1. Tell us about your progress in the sport of tennis. When did you first get involved?

I started playing tennis when I was 8 years old in my hometown of Preveza.

2. You are coming to Australia this year. What day do you arrive and what tournament will you participate in?

Despina Papamichail.

I’m coming to Australia for the third time. The first time was when I played the Australian Open Junior tournament, the second time I played some 25-a-side tournaments and now I’m coming for the Australian Open women’s tournament.

I will arrive in Melbourne on December 28 but it is still not certain which preparation tournament I will play in. I definitely want to play in one of the WTAs but if I do not enter, then I will play one of the two 60arias.

3. Can you share some of your important moments from a few of your memorable tennis matches?

There are many important moments. Playing with the Greek national team was perhaps one of the most important. The first grand slam I played was also an important moment of my career. But in general, I try to give my best always and watch each match separately and fight to the end.

Despina Papamichail is looking forward to the Australian Open.

4. What is the daily life of a tennis player like?

Our daily life is a routine. I wake up in the morning, make breakfast and at 9am I go to the stadiums. Usually I do gymnastics from 9am to 11am, immediately after I do tennis from 11am to 1pm, we eat and at 3pm we train again until 5pm. After all this, we do some stretching, physiotherapy when needed and then head home to rest.

5. What message would you like to send to the Greeks of Australia through The Greek Herald?

I would like to call on all Greek men and women in Australia to watch us and support us, as they always do, to live new experiences together and to honour our country.

Theo Maras: ‘Who you are is measured by what you will leave behind’

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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Theo Maras: ‘Who you are is measured by what you will leave behind’

As we walk down the laneways in Adelaide’s cosmopolitan East End, property developer and Adelaide Central Market Authority, Theo Maras gives me a tour of the place that his family owns and has transformed over the last three decades.

“I am proud of what we have done. There was nothing here,” says the Chairman of Maras Group, showing me proudly around as he orders his usual coffee and a glass of water with a slice of lemon at the Ebenezer Place French Brasserie. 

We talk about his recent fireside chat with Jessica Adamson at one of Business SA’s pre-election luncheons where with yet another of his frank speeches he made a poignant reminder to the attendees that “politicians work for us” and was praised “for the work and leadership he has shown during the COVID pandemic, in helping both his tenants and the business community at large.”

He chats briefly with the brasserie’s French owner about the challenges he faces in finding qualified staff and greets by his name the kitchen hand who enters from the back door with his hand full of baguettes. 

Maras is known as a landlord who dines in the cafes, knows the staff and enjoys the shops in the street he virtually owns. 

He says when COVID hit he felt anxious for his over one hundred tenants and the young workers who would not be able to make ends meet.

“I felt depressed for young people who had to close their businesses, not because they would not be able to pay rent for the shops. I was more worried about how they would pay their house rent and feed their families, how they would pay for fuel,” Maras, 73, says. 

“It brought to me memories from my childhood when we had nothing. I was lucky enough back then to have three jobs to work and help my family. Now it’s even hard to find a job.”

He migrated to Australia from the Greek island of Ikaria in 1952, at the age of four following his grandfather who himself had moved to the country in the late 1920s to escape war-torn Europe and poverty and he has been working non stop ever since.

When the pandemic hit South Australia nearly two years ago, Theo Maras says that together with his son Steve, who is the Managing Director and CEO of the Group, decided -in a nationally first initiative- to freeze the rent for all their tenants.

“The very first thing we did, with no support from the government or anyone, was to let our tenants know that they did not have to pay rent for as long as their doors were closed. How could we ask for rent from people who have been with us for 25 years? We could survive.”

Steve and Theo Maras. Photo: The Advertiser

What sets him apart from other developers is his interest in the city, its long-term economic future as well as the wellbeing of the community. 

“After three months, things opened up for businesses. When the restrictions eased and restaurants were able to allow more punters, they started paying their rent according to their capacity. 

“When they were allowing 50% of their capacity to come in, we said half rent. When it got to 75%, we said 75% rent and so on,” he explains.

It’s not strange that during one of the most challenging periods for South Australia and the economic upheaval the Marases not only survived but thrived like they have done in the past with the recession of the 1990s, and later the financial crisis and rise of online shopping in the 2000s.

Theo Maras in a construction site in the 1970s

“We are full and where we had a few gaps, people came in because they know what we do and how we do it,” he says.

We talk about the increasing demand in housing in SA and the growing momentum in the state’s population and economy. 

“Some years ago, we had people coming to South Australia from interstate. Now we’ve got people coming in from overseas wanting to live here and we have become the third best city in the world to live in.”

Recently, the prominent developer called on the state government to ‘put the politics aside’ and set out a new vision for future development across Adelaide with a holistic planning review. 

“Whether you’re a family, a single person, a small family business or a corporation you can’t do anything without having an idea of what the government is going to do.”

“We have five big industries in South Australia. Education, tourism, agriculture, defence and mining. We have the education facilities so let’s organize them so we can train people up,” he says.

In the seventh decade of his life there are no signs that Theo Maras will slow down any time soon. To the contrary. 

Adelaide Central Market Authority chairman Theo Maras with Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor. Picture: The Advertiser/ Tait Schmaal

After the East End development and Rundle Mall rejuvenation he’s now on a mission to make the Adelaide Central Market one of the biggest and best in the world. 

“When you consider what the icons are for the people in South Australia, Rundle Mall is first. The market is the second major icon. 

“I am happy that I’ve been able to do three major projects that have left on the city. Let’s not be stupid. I’m proud for what I’ve done but I am most proud because I will leave something for my grandchildren and hopefully the next generation to be able to work with.”

Theo Maras feels strongly about the legacy he will leave for the next generation and his Greek heritage. 

“I was always one of the people who wanted to do something for their family, their friends and ultimately their own good. Then I saw that I had the capacity and the will to do something about the wider community and for this country, this second home, that gave me opportunities to become who I am today.

“And who you are is measured by what you will leave behind. This is what matters.”

During our conversation Theo Maras had to pick up his phone two or three times. Every time he would change his voice in a humorous way.  

Theo Maras with his St Theofanis portrait. Artwork by Anezoula Julia Karpathakis. Photo: KPN Photgraphy via The Foundation for Hellenic Studies

“You need to have fun in life,” he says and reveals his next project. 

“I want to create a National Centre of Languages in Adelaide as a collaboration project between the three South Australian universities to ensure that the language, history and culture of the migrants who helped build Australia will be remembered.”

At this point in our conversation, I realise that Theo Maras might indeed be a saint as depicted in a portrait of the recent Foundation for Hellenic Studies ‘By George!’ exhibition, although he does not consider himself one. 

He carves out the future on passion, solid work ethic, knowledge, hands on experience and last but not least some gentleman core values that tend to be scarce these days.

St Basil’s operators made to give evidence at inquest into COVID deaths

The Greek Herald
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St Basil’s operators made to give evidence at inquest into COVID deaths

The operators of the St Basil’s nursing home in Fawkner must testify at an inquest into the deaths of the home’s residents last year.

Kon Kontis and Vicki Kos first requested to be excused from giving evidence last week on the grounds they might incriminate themselves.

They fronted the Victorian Coroners Court on Wednesday only for state Coroner John Cain to reject their requests.

Cain required both of them to give evidence but provided them with a certificate that means nothing they say at the inquest can be used against them unless it is false information.

Mr. Kontis and Ms. Kos were running the home in July last year when a COVID-19 outbreak led to the deaths of 45 residents.

Last week, a woman whose mother died from COVID-19 after living at St Basil’s told the inquest excusing the pair would be a “slap in the face”.

“What transpired should never have happened,” Helen Karikas, whose mother Vicky Patsakos died in August 2020 after she got COVID-19, said.

“The evidence has demonstrated how many opportunities were missed to prevent this tragedy.”

“I’m calling on you now – please do not allow Vicki Kos and Kon Kontis to be excused from giving evidence.”

Source: Mandurah Mail

Winner announced for The Greek Herald’s Christmas print cover competition

The Greek Herald
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Winner announced for The Greek Herald’s Christmas print cover competition

Drumrolls please! 

Congratulations to eleven-year-old Nicolette Grigorakis from Sydney, NSW who is the winner of The Greek Herald’s Christmas print cover competition.

We received a big number of entries from across Australia and at the end of this year, the overload of festive feelgood spirit is just what we needed!

Nicolette’s image represents the time spent with immediate family to decorate her home and prepare for giving thanks and acknowledging, accepting each other after a difficult year in line with her Christian faith – listening to Christmas carols (Greek and English).

“The bows on the Christmas tree represent the family ties, the heart is the love we nurture for each other and the round ornaments are the family that gathers to celebrate,” said Nicolette, explaining the meaning behind the elements of her artwork.

The young artist whose family hails from Arcadia and Corfu is a student of St Spyridon’s Greek Afternoon School and told The Greek Herald she is really excited to spend Christmas with her family and friends after a tough year. 

“We try to follow both Greek and Australian Christmas customs and combine the two cultures,” said Angela, Nicoletta’s mother. 

Artworks of finalists

*All finalist entries will be published on Friday’s Christmas edition

Developer Jim Raptis buys $16m Gold Coast property amid ATO asset freeze

John Voutos
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Developer Jim Raptis buys $16m Gold Coast property amid ATO asset freeze

Prolific tower builder Jim Raptis has confirmed his purchase of a $16 million property in Mermaid Beach amid an arm wrestle with the Australian Tax Office. 

The over 6500-sqm property at 2506 Gold Coast Highway includes a cinema center, KFC outlet, medical center, and a snooker hall.

“We plan on putting in plans for the first quarter of next year,” he said.

“We have concepts in our mind but nothing on paper of what it will be like.”

He signed up for the property in August, weeks before the ATO froze he and his family’s, including wife Helen and son Evan, assets. 

Raptis and his family allegedly owe $110 million in taxes and penalties to the ATO, the tax body said in October.

The freeze will last until a case management hearing in February.

A Raptis spokesman last month said the developer was co-operating with the ATO and that there were ‘productive discussions’ with the tax body to clarify and resolve matters.

Source: Gold Coast Bulletin 

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