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Wheels turn for PCD
PCD Foundation president Catherine Kruljac with eight-year-old Tyson, both of whom have been diagnosed with PCD. (Damjan Janevski) 249641
Since being diagnosed with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) at the age of 11, Sunbury resident Catherine Kruljac has come to intimately understand the debilitating nature of the condition. “It’s very similar to cystic fibrosis, it affects the sinuses and their ability to move properly so you get a build up of mucus in your lungs,” she said. “PCD sufferers battle with daily chest physiotherapy, taking medications and recurrent chest infections that require hospital visits to have IV medications to get them back to their baseline every day. For kids it can be particularly difficult to navigate, because when you’re very young it’s hard to take instruction to cough up phlegm.” Ms Kruljac said another major issue facing PCD sufferers is a basic lack of awareness for how to treat the condition. In 2013, Ms Kruljac founded the PCD Foundation in order to provide support for the more than 600 known sufferers across Australia. October is PCD awareness month and this year the community is encouraged to donate or participate in the PCD Foundation’s 55 kilometre challenge. Visit: https://pcdfoundation.org/
Call for council monitor By Oliver Lees A Hume councillor has called for a monitor to be appointed to oversee the council in a bid to resolve “deep cultural issues among councillors”. It comes as eight arbiter’s reports were presented to a council meeting last week, costing ratepayers $49,500. The reports follow an earlier arbiter’s report, which was tabled at the July 12 council meeting, and cost ratepayers $3000. “What everyone has observed tonight ... is that there are deep cultural issues among councillors at Hume,” Cr Jodi Jackson said. “For the benefit of our ratepayers, I think that it’s entirely appropriate for a monitor to
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be appointed here to Hume City Council as a matter of urgency.” Eleven allegations of breaches of Hume’s Councillor Code of Conduct were investigated as part of an internal arbitration process into the conduct of Cr Trevor Dance. This arbitration process was instigated by a group of councillors who were represented by Cr Carly Moore. The arbiter’s report found Cr Dance contravened eight clauses of the Code of Conduct. Cr Dance submitted seven applications instigating internal arbitration processes against mayor Joseph Haweil and councillors Moore, Jack Medcraft and Karen Sherry. The arbiter ruled that none of those
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councillors had breached the Code of Conduct. Speaking at last week’s council meeting, Cr Haweil said it was a “very, very sad day for Hume council”. “I take absolutely no delight in the fact that one councillor has been found to have breached the Code of Conduct on ... eight allegations by the arbiter,” he said. Former Hume councillor Ann Potter said calls for the appointment of a monitor were “outrageous”. “In all my years on council… we had, I think, two councillor conduct issues,” Ms Potter said. “They were unfortunate, but to now have seven in six months, with most of them being dismissed, is just horrible.”
Sunbury Residents Association president Graham Williams said it was “devastating” that ratepayers’ money had been used in this way. “It’s unfortunate the council has to invest those dollars and also officers’ time into those sorts of matters, which could be allocated to other imperatives,” Mr Williams said. A Hume council spokesperson said training had been given to councillors to support strong working relationships. “Training sessions in relation to creating safe and respectful workplaces were conducted in July and August,” the spokesperson said. ■ Cr
Dance responds: Page 7.
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