Statewide Phone Ban For High Schools Starts | GC Entrepreneur Of The Year | $56m Pimpama Road Upgrade | Sweden Bans Fuel Cars | 🇮🇱 #standwithIsrael and more!
Statewide Phone Ban For High Schools Starts | GC Entrepreneur Of The Year | $56m Pimpama Road Upgrade | Sweden Bans Fuel Cars | 🇮🇱 #standwithIsrael and more!
Today’s newsletter is 1,120 words: 4 minute read.
Happy Thursday, October 12!
🎬 What To Watch: A New Mini-series from the team behind Band Of Brothers called Masters Of The Air hits screens in January.
We can’t wait.
In today’s email
Statewide High School Phone Ban: Started this week in New South Wales, with Queensland soon to follow
GC Young Entrepreneur Of The Year: Announced
$56m Pimpama Road Upgrade: Invested by The State Government with works starting now
Trending: 🇮🇱 #standwithIsrael
Around The Web (Snippets): Keebra Park High cancels the Titans, Sweden Bans Petrol and Diesel Cars, 1,000 new homes approved in Surfers Paradise, the largest cyber attack in history just hit Google and Amazon and more!
Councillor’s Corner
Upcoming Events
GC Weekend Weather and Surf
Live Gold Coast Housing Price Index
1. One Big Thing: NSW Just Banned Mobile Phone Schools Statewide
What’s Happening?
Students in public high schools across NSW must have their mobile phones turned off and out of sight from this week.
Why It Matters
NSW's immediate implementation reflects a broader strategy to rejuvenate classroom dynamics and educational focus.
With Queensland on deck for next year, the national trend indicates a unified approach towards combating distractions and enhancing student well-being.
Zoom In
NSW enforces an immediate mobile ban, covering even breaks and lunch.
Queensland gears up for a total ban by Term 1, 2024, even sidelining smartwatches.
NSW's phone-free directive, effective from the start of Term 4, fulfils a key election promise and extends an existing ban in public primary schools.
Queensland is not far behind; with 95% of state schools already practising some form of phone ban, the state aims to expand these restrictions by 2024.
The Big Picture
Australia's youth are in for a digital detox that goes beyond mere screen time statistics.
NSW's lead sets the stage for what could become a nationwide policy, with Queensland already laying the groundwork for its comprehensive ban starting in early 2024.
What the People Say
Deputy Premier Prue Car: "Focused classrooms are the priority."
Education Minister Grace Grace: "Queensland is committed to a uniform policy."
What To Look For Next
While NSW schools navigate the initial days of this new era, Queensland schools are paying close attention, eyeing the release of Cheryl Vardon’s comprehensive report, expected later this month.
It may become the playbook for Queensland's mobile ban next year.
2. Mannu Kala Wins Gold Coast Entrepreneurship Award
What’s Happening?
Mannu Kala, the co-founder of KnG Group, takes home the Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Why It Matters
Kala's story serves as a masterclass in evolving one's business adaptively and intelligently.
He has:
Diversified from COVID-19 solutions to a broader business model
170 aged care facilities served, expanding to almost 200 by year-end
Zoom In
KnG Healthcare, the largest subsidiary of the KnG Group, currently employs around 7,000 staff.
One of its standout projects is a medi-hotel trial at Seaworld in Southport, which has saved around 11,000 bed days in Gold Coast health services over the past three months.
The Big Picture
Kala's KnG Group is more than a diversified enterprise; it's a multi-faceted solution to multiple Australian challenges, from healthcare to cybersecurity.
What the People Say
"We're now going for a national roll-out," Mannu Kala says, encapsulating the group's ambitions.
What To Look For Next
With former Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and former Queensland Government Minister Kate Jones sitting on the advisory board, expect KnG to expand its footprint in aged care and new sectors like cybersecurity and education.
With its multi-service model, the sky's the limit for this Gold Coast gem.
3. $56m for Pimpama Road Revamp
The Road Less Congested
Pimpama's Yawalpah Road is in for a revamp, making daily commutes less nightmarish.
What's Happening?
The State Government is investing $56 million to upgrade Yawalpah Road in northern Gold Coast.
Why It Matters
The upgrade is essential for catering to the booming northern Gold Coast population and reducing traffic full-blown chaos.
Zoom In
Specific upgrades include two westbound lanes from Kerkin Road to Gawthern Drive and three westbound lanes from Gawthern Drive at Home Focus Pimpama.
Upgrade from a measly two-lanes to a spacious four and five-lane urban road
A new three-lane bridge is to be built over the existing rail line
Division 1 Councillor Mark Hammel hails the move as a game-changer for safety and accessibility
Moreover, a new signalised intersection with four pedestrian crossings at Yawalpah Road/Cunningham Drive North is in the works.
The Big Picture
This isn't just a facelift; it’s a complete reconstructive effort for Yawalpah Road.
The expansive project is a nod to the significance of the northern Gold Coast as a growing residential and economic hub.
What the People Say
"New pedestrian crossings and shared pathways will encourage active travel," says Cr Hammel.
Also, installing a 2.4-metre diameter fauna crossing for local wildlife
A 366-year-old Tallowwood tree will be preserved; nature enthusiasts will breathe a sigh of relief
What To Look For Next
Keep an eye out for "minimal disruptions," as local authorities “promise”.
As construction progresses, the northern Gold Coast's ever-expanding footprint is one to keep up to date with.
4. Trending
Making the world sick to its stomach, the vile atrocities committed by Hamas this week against Israel have led to this..
5. Around The Web (Snippets)
Keeba Park High Controversially Ends: Local NRL support for cancelling the affiliation with the Gold Coast Titans and choosing to link with New South Wales’s South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Sweden Bans Petrol And Diesel Cars: From the city centre in Stockholm.
Google, Amazon and Cloudflare just weathered the internet's largest-known cyber attack: And are sounding the alarm over a new technique they warn could easily cause widespread disruption.
1,000 New Surfers Paradise Homes: Have just been approved by the Gold Coast City Council
A Spooky Glitch In The Dark Universe Telescope: Euclid is fixed and back on course.
Straddie’s Island Vibe Festival Ambushed: By shock closure of all island campgrounds
Donald Trump Is In Strife For Telling Australia’s: Anthony Pratt some secrets about nuclear submarines (that we’d love to know!).
More Hard Truths: Dealt this week by one of Australia’s greatest leaders and optimists, John Howard, to the country’s current Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese and his Foreign Minister (Penny Wong) over the excruciatingly slow and uncommitted response to the atrocities committed by Palestine’s Hamas against Israel👇
Councillors’ Corner
Div 6 | Southport | Cr Brooke Patterson:
Upcoming Events
AFLW Season Round 7: October 14, Gold Coast SUNS v Brisbane Lions
Fight Cancer: With the Gold Coast’s October Relay For Life
World Title Boxing Blockbuster: October 15, Tim Tszyu is back for more
GC 500 Supercars: 27-29 October with tickets and details here
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