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8 AUGUST, 2023
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Hunting for wild treasure Dotted along the trail of Kororoit Creek is a wildlife treasure hunt, where locals are able to discover and learn about all the creatures that call the creek home. Photographer and ceramic artist Ursula Dutkiewicz has captured 19 images of local wildlife that have been placed onto metal stakes which poke out along the creek, encouraging locals to try and spot the wildlife in action. With help from metal worker Peter Hinton and jeweller Jason Patterson, each stake is adorned with a ceramic tile that has a photograph and a corresponding label of the featured creature. Dutkiewicz said the new installation was inspired during lockdown, when she spent much of her time photographing the local birdlife at the creek. “This installation is to help make people aware of what is actually at the creek, and show that there is a treasure trove of wildlife that lives there,” she said. “It is also an exciting treasure hunt for children as the installation is near the adventure playground, kids can discover and learn about all the local birds, lizards and insects.” Jeweller Jason Patterson, Friends of Kororoit Creek president Jessica Gerger and photographer Ursula Dutkiewicz. (Damjan Janevski) 350428_01
Public dental tooth ache By Hannah Hammoud The wait time to access public dental care in the west has continued to grow, according to data obtained by the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch (ADAVB). The ADAVB obtained data under freedom of information from Dental Health Services Victoria shows the wait time to access general dental care at Western Health was 22.7 months in the 12 months from July 2022 – June 2023. ADAVB president Jonathan Teoh said long waiting times for dental care can lead to
worsening problems resulting in the need for emergency care. The ADAVB reports that one third of all courses of care are for emergency treatment rather than routine and preventive care. “A lot of dental diseases are progressive in nature, and so we know that the longer people are waiting for care, and the longer you leave it, the worse it is going to get,” Mr Teoh said. “If you leave a hole in your teeth for a long period of time, it is only going to get bigger. If we get to things earlier, then we might be able to save … teeth instead of having to remove them. Losing teeth is going to impact not just
people’s dental health, but it will also impact their wellbeing and more broadly their ability to participate in society.” Mr Teoh said that without further ongoing investments into the public sector, he predicts that the waiting time for public dental care is only going to rise. “We had some injection of funding in the public sector post-covid that has certainly been welcome. However, inevitably waitlists are going to creep up after that point as the system does not have enough capacity to meet the needs of the population“ he said. Western Health prioritises the next available
appointment to those needing emergency care or people who are priority clients such as people experiencing homelessness, pregnant women, children and young people, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Western Health deputy chief medical officer Associate Professor David Smallwood said despite a 14 per cent increase in presentations at Western Health’s dental clinic, the team has brought down wait times and provided care to more than 9000 patients in the past year. “Those needing urgent or emergency dental treatment don’t need to join the waitlist and are able to access walk-in care,” he said.
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