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Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos pushes for new way to tackle overdevelopment

The Greek Herald
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Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos pushes for new way to tackle overdevelopment

In a first for NSW local government, Waverley Council is investigating the establishment of a community planning advocate to help tackle overdevelopment.

The role of the advocate would be to undertake awareness programs for residents about planning matters and conduct regular consultation about the cumulative impacts of overdevelopment.

Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, is behind the push for an advocate, with Councillors last month unanimously adopting a Mayoral Minute to investigate the matter further.

“Overdevelopment is changing the nature of our built environment and destroying much of the heritage values that makes Waverley unique,” Mayor Masselos said.

READ MORE: ‘So honoured’: Paula Masselos re-elected Mayor of Waverley.

“Ongoing and unabated numbers of planning proposals and development applications associated with large high-rise buildings are being submitted to Council and there has been a subsequent increase in organised resident groups objecting to these applications.

“Schools are at capacity, our roads are congested and parking increasingly difficult. Residents are increasingly turning to council for assistance in understanding the planning process, and that’s where an advocate would come in.”

Waverley is currently changing.

Consultation about the cumulative impacts of overdevelopment would include:

  • collecting metrics and lived experience of residents, businesses and the community more broadly.
  • assist in developing a comprehensive picture of the cumulative impact of development, large-scale developments and over development.
  • provide quantitative and qualitative data to assist the officers when assessing DAs and planning proposal or when advocating at the Land and Environment Court, Waverley Local Planning Panel or the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel.
  • provide several other benefits.

It would also consider how overdevelopment can contribute to alienation, loneliness, isolation, wellbeing, lack of social contact, noise and unauthorised works.

The advocate would be independent of the Council’s Planning department and results of consultation would be fed back into the Council’s social impact assessment statements for new developments.

“The planning system in NSW is a complex framework of legislation, policy and practice and can be a minefield to navigate,” Mayor Masselos said.

“The NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 sets up the framework for planning in NSW and affects plans, policies and guidelines Waverley Council has in place for development in Waverley.

READ MORE: Labor Councillor, Paula Masselos, first woman of Greek heritage to be elected Mayor of Waverley.

Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos.

“There are some planning instruments that can override Council’s own planning controls and some development can also be approved by other government bodies and agencies as well as by private certifiers.

“The average person might not know all of this and is left feeling hopeless when another large development pops up in their street.

“We want to demystify the planning process and help people understand the ins and outs of Planning, from our Local Environmental Plans and our Development Control Plans to the development application process and voluntary planning agreements.

“We want to do everything possible as a Council to ensure that our area grows in a way that is sustainable and healthy.”

The case for an advocate will be investigated over the coming weeks, with a report due back to Council towards the middle of the year.

To read the Mayoral Minute, see page 11 of the Minutes of the February Council meeting.

READ MORE: Waverley Council launches new Cultural Diversity Strategy.

Greek-Filipina executive breaks cultural barriers in the UK maritime industry

The Greek Herald
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Greek-Filipina executive breaks cultural barriers in the UK maritime industry

An executive of mixed Greek and Filipino heritage, Kate Bollanou is every bit the epitome of an empowered woman.

“When I started as a shipbroker in London, I felt I didn’t belong. At the time, I was the youngest and only woman on the team. The only expatriate. There were daily interactions that made me feel excluded,” Bollanou said in an interview with The Manila Times.

In this interview, she opens up about the way she transformed the “hurtful and traumatic” experience into positive advocacy and established the Kate Bollanou Coaching company, an intercultural communication consultancy that helps maritime companies develop their teams’ communications skills for more effective collaboration and increased productivity.

“I see it as my duty to help others navigate similar situations that I’ve been in,” Bollanou explained.

“Being biracial gives me a natural ability to see a situation from two different angles. I understand how other people can perceive reality differently, and this perception is often affected by each person’s cultural background.

“In 2017, after six years of working as a shipbroker, I decided to start my business and help women in maritime succeed in their careers. After working with several women and companies, I realized that culture also plays a role in how people experience their work environment,” she said.

Read the full interview here

Dr Tasos Chatzivasileiou to address Greek Australians in upcoming dialogue series

The Greek Herald
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Dr Tasos Chatzivasileiou to address Greek Australians in upcoming dialogue series

The Greek Australian Dialogue Series will continue on Monday, March 28 with a zoom conference with Dr Tasos Chatzivasileiou, who is a Member of the Hellenic Parliament (Nea Demokratia) and Secretary General of the Standing Committee of National Defense and Foreign Affairs.

The conference will be hosted by the Greek Consul General in Sydney, Christos Karras, and the Executive Director of Business Sydney, Paul Nicolaou.

During the session, Dr Chatzivasileiou will talk about the Greek Government’s strategies to drive the post COVID-19 recovery for Greece, as well as his views on the current situation in Europe.

Following his presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask Dr Tasos Chatzivasileiou a question in the Q&A session.

Details for the video conference:

  • Date: Monday, 28 March 2022
  • Time: 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM (AEDT – NSW, ACT, Vic, Tas) 9:00 AM (DST – Athens time)
  • RSVP: To register please click here. Registration is essential.

EU court adviser faults Denmark for misusing registered name ‘feta’

The Greek Herald
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EU court adviser faults Denmark for misusing registered name ‘feta’

Denmark has breached European Union law by failing to prevent local companies from making and exporting outside the EU white cheese labelled as “feta,” an adviser to Europe’s top court said on Thursday, Reuters reports.

The opinion by Advocate General Tamara Capeta at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) came three years after the European Commission, the EU’s executive, sued Denmark over the issue.

“Feta” has been a registered Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) since 2002 in the EU and can only be produced in Greece according to a set of production specifications.

Greece says feta is its cultural heritage because it has made the sheep and goat milk cheese for 6,000 years.

“By failing to stop the use by Danish producers of the registered name ‘Feta’ for cheese intended for export to third countries, Denmark has failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law,” Capeta said.

“The main idea behind that regulation is the improvement of the situation of EU agricultural producers through providing intellectual property protection to products involving traditional ways of production,” Capeta said.

The CJEU, which will rule in the coming months, follows such non-binding recommendations in four out of five cases.

Sources: Reuters, Kathimerini

Top Australian doctor shoots down Pfizer CEO’s claim a fourth COVID vaccine is needed

The Greek Herald
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Top Australian doctor shoots down Pfizer CEO’s claim a fourth COVID vaccine is needed

One of Australia’s top doctors has hit back at claims from Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla, that people will need a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Australia’s former Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nick Coatsworth, said Bourla needed to stop talking about more doses of the COVID vaccine and instead use some of the enormous profits Pfizer has made to help tackle pneumococcal disease.

“Be like Astra,” Dr Coatsworth tweeted on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla discusses journey to deliver COVID vaccine and investing in Greek youth.

Pneumococcal disease is a bacterial infection which kills more than 300,000 children under the age of five each year, with the majority of deaths occurring in low-income countries.

Dr Coatsworth told news.com.au that the pneumococcal vaccine would have an even greater impact for children globally than the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Pneumococcal disease is a bigger problem than COVID,” he said.

Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla.

READ MORE: Pfizer’s Greek CEO, Albert Bourla, wins $1 million Genesis Prize for vaccine development.

The Australian doctor said Pfizer’s actions were quite the contrast to AstraZeneca which had pledged not to profit from the vaccine as long as it remained a pandemic.

While AstraZeneca has recently announced it is moving to a for-profit model for the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with the University of Oxford, the vaccine will continue to be sold at cost for developing nations.

Source: news.com.au.

Turkish Defence Minister calls for sharing ‘riches of the Aegean’ with Greece

The Greek Herald
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Turkish Defence Minister calls for sharing ‘riches of the Aegean’ with Greece

Turkish Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar, claimed on Wednesday that the co-exploitation of the “riches of the Aegean” was raised in talks with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, during a recent meeting in Brussels.

“We are holding our talks sincerely, openly, honestly and transparently,” Akar told journalists after NATO’s Extraordinary Meeting of Defense Ministers.

“This is important in terms of the prosperity of the people of the two countries and the sharing of the beauties and riches of the Aegean. There are tourism, fishing and many other riches. We are in favour of using these together, we said this.”

READ MORE: Greek and Turkish Defence Ministers meet in Brussels to discuss reducing tensions.

On Wednesday night, Panagiotopoulos denied this issue was even raised during his talk with Akar.

Athens attributed the claim by Ankara to communication manoeuvres by Akar, who, according to sources, is well aware that the content of the talks was mainly about the need to respect the moratorium, especially in the summer, when both countries expect tourism.

Greece refuses to supply Soviet-era missile systems to Ukraine

The Greek Herald
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Greece refuses to supply Soviet-era missile systems to Ukraine

Greece has rejected an informal request by Ukraine to send its Soviet-era TOR-Μ1 and Osa-AK missile systems as the country believes they could still be needed by its Armed Forces, according to Ekathimerini.

The Greek media’s sources said that although these systems, owned by the Greek Army and Air Force, would need to be upgraded, “they still serve some of the country’s air defence needs.”

Athens has not yet received a request to send any of its Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine.

READ MORE: Ukrainian President assured of Greece’s ‘full support’ during phone call with Greek PM.

This rejection comes a day after the Chief of Greek General Staff Konstantinos Floros ruled out “any possibility to grant or dispose weaponry that weakens the defence of the country.”

So far, Greece has already sent Kalashnikovs and launchers to Ukraine, along with humanitarian aid.

Greek diplomat fleeing Mariupol continuing journey west:

In the meantime, the evacuation operation for Greece’s Consul General in Mariupol, Manolis Androulakis, is still underway.

According to Ekathimerini, the Greek diplomat resumed his journey westward on Thursday and is heading to Uman in western Ukraine.

The evacuation operation, which includes staff of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and their families as well, started on March 15.

Androulakis had stayed behind to assist some 150,000 ethnic Greeks in Mariupol who wanted to flee.

READ MORE: Greek Mariupol Consul General reaches Zaporizhzhia amid evacuation operation.

According to the Greek Citizen Protection Ministry, more than 10,700 Ukrainian refugees, of which 3,478 are minors, have already arrived in Greece since the start of the Russian invasion three weeks ago.

READ MORE: Russian shelling damages Consulate of Greece in Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

US, Greek security advisors discuss Ukraine:

US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, and Greek counterpart, Thanos Dokos, discussed the situation in the besieged southern city of Mariupol in a call on Wednesday, the White House said.

The two national security officials also discussed “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine, including the ethnic Greek community based in Mariupol,” the NSC Spokesperson, Emily Horne, said in a statement.

The two advisors also reiterated their commitment to international efforts to hold Moscow to account for its actions and to ensure Ukraine has the ability to defend itself.

When ‘Kalamatiano’ becomes a video game: How this teacher motivates students to learn Greek

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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When ‘Kalamatiano’ becomes a video game: How this teacher motivates students to learn Greek

In Adelaide’s Prospect Primary School, students create avatars to represent them and complete video game quests based on the Greek language, history and culture in order to collect the most points by the end of each academic year.

“To progress to the next stage of the game students have to learn a traditional dance like Kalamatiano or answer a question about history or mythology,” teacher Simone (Asimina) Karanicolas tells The Greek Herald.

“Greek is not easy to learn and the way I see it, students need to enjoy it. Once they leave primary school, I don’t want them to look back and only remember ‘Yiasou’ (yah-soo means hello, goodbye and cheers in Greek).”

Gamification, the concept of using game-like mechanisms to encourage learning, is currently one of the largest trends in education globally and although not a silver bullet for learning, it can make the classroom more exciting and inspire students.

For Ms Karanicolas, incorporating music and producing videos that she uploads on her YouTube channel has also proven effective not only for her students who are primarily of non-Greek speaking backgrounds but also for aspiring learners from around the world. 

“I always remind them [the students] that if they learn the language they’ll get to interact with Greek people. Because Australia is such a multicultural country and all the students have come across at least one Greek person in their life or at least know someone who knows a Greek person,” she says. 

“In the YouTube channel, I try to film in locations that are local to them [students] so they can connect more and realise that Greek and other languages are integrated with their immediate surroundings.”

With her new YouTube video series, the educator aims to teach basic grammar to upper primary school students. 

“Up until this point I’ve transformed popular music into educational videos but now I want to teach the basics of Greek grammar and the structure of the language so I don’t only teach vocabulary,” she says. 

Ms Karanicolas says that the school community as well as South Australia’s wider Greek community support her efforts.

“They love the initiatives and they understand they benefit the kids. I’m lucky.” 

Now she wants to create “a bridging program between Prospect Primary School and Adelaide’s High Schools that teach Greek to make the connection stronger and encourage more kids to continue studying the language.”

Despite the challenges the pandemic brought for educators, Ms Karanicolas says she keeps learning from her students every day and is more determined to find ways to instil in them the language and culture she grew up with.  

“Kids make me happy. They don’t give you a chance to be upset.” 

New research shows AI technology could decipher gaps in Ancient Greek texts

Eleni Patsalides
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New research shows AI technology could decipher gaps in Ancient Greek texts

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be the answer researchers have been looking for in the search for a way to fill the gaps of ancient Greek texts. After developing a system with the assistance of AI, nicknamed ‘Ithaca,’ researchers revealed the system can pinpoint parts of different texts to when and where they are from. 

Dr Thea Sommerschield is a co-author of the research that has been conducted at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Harvard University, and along with her colleagues developed this ground-breaking system. 

Dr Sommerschield has said that the significance of these inscriptions lies completely in the fact that they were written directly by ancient people, and they are evidence of the thought, language, and history of past civilisations. 

“Most surviving inscriptions have been damaged over the centuries. So, their texts are now fragmentary or illegible,” said Dr Sommerschield, adding that they may also have been moved from their original location.

According to their writings in the journal Nature, throughout the time of testing ‘Ithaca,’ more than 63,000 transcribed ancient Greek inscriptions were fed into Ithaca, enabling it to pick out patterns in the order of letter and words. 

After tuning the system, a further 7,811 inscriptions were fed into it as an experiment to see if it could accurately suggest where they were form and propose a range of letters and words to fill in artificially created gaps. 

The journal revealed that ‘Ithaca’ achieved 62% accuracy when used alone and 72% accuracy when the system’s suggestions were interpreted by a historian. The system was also able to date the inscriptions to within 30 years of their established date and correctly identified their provenance 71% of the time. 

“Just as microscopes and telescopes have extended the range of what scientists can do today, Ithaca aims to singularly augment and expand the capabilities to study one of the most significant periods of human history,” said Dr Yannis Assael, a co-author of the work conducted on ‘Ithaca’. 

It is claimed by the team that the approach could be used for any medium and any ancient written language, from Latin to Cuneiform (a logo-syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Near East – Regions such as the modern Middle East) and It may also be possible to train ‘Ithaca’ to dissect Greek literary texts written on fragments of papyrus. 

Professor Peter Liddel is an expert on Greek History and epigraphy at the University of Manchester and he was not involved in this research but said even the source of many of the ‘Elgin marbles’ was unclear. 

“The application of AI through Ithaca certainly has the potential to contribute to the toolbox of historians involved in analysing ancient texts and using them to understand processes like the development of imperialism or the nature of cult activity,” said Professor Liddel.

Like many scholars, Professor Liddel went on to warn “AI is only powerful as a tool to help us ask questions about, and make comparisons to, the existing evidence.”

Source: The Guardian,  Nature

Kytherian Association of Australia set to officially launch their centenary celebrations

The Greek Herald
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Kytherian Association of Australia set to officially launch their centenary celebrations

The Kytherian Association of Australia is set to launch its 100th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, March 26 at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour.

The festivities will kick off at 7pm and guests will be treated to entertainment by local band IHO Nyx, as well as deluxe canapes and beverages (excluding spirits).

On the night, guests will also have a chance to take part in an auction of the Collector’s Edition Medallion, which was designed by young Kytherian, Zoe Sophios.

The Medallion not only superimposes the outlines of Kythera, Australia and the Australian flag within the design, but it also includes important symbolic motifs such as ocean waves, olive branches, myrtle branches and seashells.

It’s a collector’s piece you definitely don’t want to miss out on. Tickets to the event can be purchased here.

READ MORE: Zoe Sophios designs the official medallion for the Kytherian Association of Australia’s centenary.

Event Details:

  • What: Launch Party
  • When: Saturday, March 26, 2022
  • Where: Australian National Maritime Museum, Ben Lexcen Terrace, 2 Murray Street, Sydney
  • Dress Code: Cocktail
  • Price: $160
  • Notes: Discounted Validated Parking, $15 at the Harbourside Car Park (100 Murray Street, Pyrmont)
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