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Vol. 17 No. 30
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HOW OLD? Carolyn Baird shares a moment with Billie, the female cockatoo she and husband Garry have cared for at their Horsham home since the 1980s. Estimates suggest Billie, who started life as a pet of northern Grampians pioneer Walter Zumstein who died in the 1960s, is celebrating her 96th birthday this year. Billie spent many of her years at Zumsteins picnic ground but moved to Horsham aged in her 60s when rules prevented people from keeping caged birds in national parks. Her favourite expressions are ‘pipe down you lot’ and ‘come again’. Horsham Historical Society’s Rod Jenkinson hopes to release a book Zumsteins – a Century of Memories later this year. Picture: MICK SHANNON
Course for concern BY DEAN LAWSON
H
orsham community leaders fearing Federation University is scaling back nursing education in the Wimmera will spearhead a move to secure critical third-year face-to-face training in the region.
Horsham Rural City Council, Member for Lowan Emma Kealy, Wimmera Development Association and Wimmera Health Care Group will invite the university’s vice-chancellor and council to discuss the issue. Member for Mallee Andrew Broad also wants a meeting
with the vice-chancellor. Horsham councillors expressed anger and disappointment at a meeting on Monday night in response to a report from chief executive Peter Brown outlining changes to a nursing degree at the university’s Horsham campus. Mr Brown said that course changes had caused community concern and needed to be ‘discussed, clarified and if necessary, lobbied for change’. He outlined in his report that the ‘third year of the nursing course was no longer being offered in Horsham, the number of Horsham lectures was being reduced and more of the course
was being offered online’. “This is a significant change for many students in the Wimmera. The establishment of the nursing degree was driven by the regional community, in response to skill gaps in the region. Locally-trained nurses have been employed locally, augmenting the significant numbers of overseas-trained health professionals. “The need for trained nurses is continuing and moving the training will jeopardise the opportunity to fill vacancies from locally-trained nurses. “There is no doubt education delivery is changing and desires of students is changing.
“For example, student preferences are moving away from nine-to-five classroom learning to more online study. Federation University needs to respond to the changing world but changes need to be flagged well in advance and well articulated to the broader community.”
Face to face
He said after the meeting: “There still needs to be faceto-face contact – it’s an essential part of learning and many Wimmera people don’t have the capacity to travel to Ballarat regularly.” The university’s Wimmera campus head Geoff Lord
stressed that nurse training in the Wimmera would continue. “We remain firmly committed to providing nursing studies in the region,” he said. “We have a strong cohort of nursing students, 72 students undertaking Diploma of Nursing Studies right now and about 55 involved in Bachelor of Nursing studies. “I believe that will continue. “What we’re promising for 2016 is an upgrade to course delivery. It’s about using 21st century technology and using 21st century delivery methods. “Some of the changes have come through consultation through industry and identify-
IN THIS ISSUE • Wimmera River rehabilitation • Ararat Ride to Remember • Willaura harvest cut-out Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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ing that delivery modes weren’t the most flexible. “One thing that is causing concern is the practical component of the course which has been delivered here. “There is a question whether funds needed to upgrade facilities would be better spent in hospitals instead of facilities used only for training. That’s why we’re looking to establish partnerships with various health care groups.” Regional health service and university officials are in discussions involving the proposal. • Continued on page 5. • Editorial, page 7.