Several Australian businesses have found success navigating through the uncertain period of COVID-19.
Australia’s economy decreased by 0.3 per cent in March, meaning Australia is heading into its first recession in 29 years, according to the Bureau of Statistics.
While small businesses faced the brunt of financial hardships, some start-ups were able to launch successfully.
Suzy Leys and Susan Beardsley launched The Everydae to bring a sense of community and love through lockdown. Picture: SheStarts
Suzy Leys is the co-founder of the B2B gifting business Style Bundle which works predominantly in the property and real estate space. In the wake of COVID-19, her and her business partner decided to start up The Everydae, a direct-to-consumer online gifting platform.
“The Everydae has brought in another revenue stream for us using the same logistical framework we already have. We can utilise the same warehouse, a lot of the same packaging [and] some of the same products,” Ms Leys said.
“I think we’ve hit on something in being a really happy, vibrant expression of joy in a time where everyone’s feeling a bit unsettled and uncertain.”
Sales have reflected this mindset, with The Everydae team reordering their stock to keep up with demands.
“The two brands can easily co-exist. We’ve turned what could be a really crappy time into something that could be more positive; it could actually strengthen our business,” Ms Leys said.
Cofounders Larissa Lewis, Nick Lewis and Lyndon Galvin launched Cookaborough to encourage neighbourhood bonding over food. Picture: SMH
Launched in April, Cookaborough is a technology platform that enables food businesses to operate direct to consumers.
Due to COVID-19, estimated 441,000 Australian hospitality jobs disappeared, according to April’s IBISWorld report.
Co-founder of Cookaborough Lyndon Galvin recognised this urgent unemployment concern and said, “it was fortuitous in timing”.
“Our focus was on home cooks and then when COVID came along, it identified the need to address also other profiles that were getting impacted – chefs,” Mr Galvin said.
High profile chef Andrea Vignali was stood down from Grossi Florentino due to COVID-19 restrictions.
He then joined Cookaborough and created his own restaurant, Al Dente.
“Within three weeks, he was doing $10,000 a week in sales. He’s back at Grossi now but he has 3,000 people following him on Cookaborough,” Mr Galvin said.
As restrictions ease, Galvin believes people’s eating habits will change for the long term.
“There’s a changing of the guard with how people spend their money on food. Restaurants will still be down on their in-dining income. Cookaborough allows these businesses to bolt on an extra 20 or 30 per cent to help make up for what they reduce.”
An increase of crime sparks questions about the thieves’ identities. Picture: Unsplash
BY MAGGIE ZHOU
A rising number of petty crime cases have been reported in Bentleigh and its surrounding suburbs over the past few weeks.
The south-east suburbs have allegedly had an influx of car break-ins and residential non-aggravated burglaries during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
Many victims of car break-ins acknowledge their own carelessness when leaving their car unlocked.
Bentleigh resident Jeanne Zhan said her car was broken into in early May after her husband left their car unlocked for four days.
“Fortunately, nothing was damaged. Two pairs of sunglasses, credit cards and a little bit of cash were stolen,” Mrs Zhan said.
She reported it to the police who investigated the scene. They discovered that the thief used their debit card to purchase petrol and Xbox games online.
“I guess he or she is probably not very mature, maybe a young kid. I think now because a lot of people [have] lost their jobs, maybe the criminal rate will increase.”
Mrs Zhan initially felt “very safe” when she moved into the area last September.
“However, when I talked to neighbours or Facebook groups, there’s some similar things happening around the neighbourhood. So obviously it’s not as safe as I thought.”
Now she makes sure her car’s locked and that her front yard sensor cameras are working. Fellow neighbours have encouraged her to join a neighbour watch group.
A screenshot from a local community Facebook group of residents sharing their crime experiences. Picture: Facebook
An East Bentleigh resident, Walter Spivak, said a thief broke into his unlocked car and stole three pairs of sunglasses in May.
“Look, to be fair, they were very conscientious thieves… it’s not like they actually defaced anything. They just took what they came for and that was that,” Mr Spivak said.
Mr Spivak said he doesn’t “feel less safe”, but he now double checks if his car is locked and has installed a video footage system, something he was intending to do before the incident.
In late March, Bentleigh citizen of 18 years, Lori-Ellen Behnk, had her caravan stolen.
Then again at the beginning of May, Mrs Behnk said a bike was stolen from her front garden behind a six-foot fence and gate.
“I feel safe in Bentleigh, but there’s been a rise of this sort of stuff, it’s a bit spooky,” she said.
According to Crime Statistics Victoria, in 2019 Bentleigh East reported 939 criminal incidents, in comparison to 851 in 2018.
Similarly, Bentleigh reported 815 criminal incidents in 2019, an increase from 2018’s 638 cases.
Crime Statistics Victoria reveal that the number of reported criminal incidents in Bentleigh East and Bentleigh increased from 2018 to 2019. Picture: Maggie Zhou
A teddy bear sits in the storefront of Linda Black Vintage Store. Picture: Maggie Zhou
Residents and businesses in Melbourne’s south-east have taken part in a teddy bear hunt to entertainment children during the coronavirus lockdowns.
Stuffed toys are being placed in windowsills and on fences as a bid to preoccupy children on their daily walks. Hand drawn posters and pavement chalk drawings are other ways kids have connected creatively while social distancing.
Stuffed toys are occasionally paired with hand drawn posters. Picture: Maggie Zhou
Glen Eira Council’s co-ordinator of media and communications Sarah Finlay praised the community’s collectiveness.
“In these unprecedented times, a collective commitment to kindness is more important than ever as we face a new global challenge – and even the smallest gesture can make a difference,” Ms. Finlay said.
“We think the teddy bear hunt has been a great community initiative to engage families during these difficult times and lift community spirit.”
Bentleigh resident Cassandra Ferrito was similarly inspired by this show of camaraderie.
A letter was sent from neighbouring children, encouraging her household to put teddy bears out the front of their house. Ms Ferrito said the children had drawn rainbows on the piece of paper and was urged to display it alongside some stuffed teddies.
Bentleigh resident Cassandra Ferrito poses with her stuffed bunny outside her house. Picture: Maggie Zhou
“It’s good to know that the rest of the community is in on it and wants to do good in a time where there is so much bad going on,” she said.
“My primary school aged siblings think it’s great. They love seeing all the other kids’ teddies.”
The hunt is inspired by the 1989 children’s picture book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by English author Michael Rosen.
Information has been circulating in local community Facebook groups, such as Melbourne’s very own We’re Going On a Bear Hunt page.
POLICE are urging truck drivers to slow down after three truck-related fatalities in less than a year in the Yarra Ranges.
Two of the incidents happened within the same week, on February 10 and 15.
Victoria Police corporate statistics show the Yarra Ranges reported 47 road fatalities between 2009 and 2013.
In the three truck-related incidents, each of the truck drivers was exceeding the advisory speed limit but not the enforceable speed limit.
Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol Sergeant John Morgan said this made it difficult to combat heavy vehicle accidents, meaning the highway patrol must instead rely on appeals and other methods of deterrence.
“We want to put as many police cars as possible out on the highways for maximum visibility, with the aim of getting truck drivers talking,” Sgt Morgan said.
As part of Operation Highway Patrol the Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol will be monitoring the Melba and Maroondah highways at least twice daily with reinforcement from the Knox and Maroondah units.
Sgt Morgan has suggested senior police personnel adopt a national media strategy to bring the issue to truck drivers’ attention.
The strategy would include proposals to make advisory speed limits enforceable and to limit heavy vehicles to 80km/h on rural roads.
Sergeant John Morgan has truck drivers in sight on daily patrols of the Melba and Maroondah highways. Picture: Vanessa Ciccotelli
“It is important to generate discussion and change drivers’ perceptions and attitudes towards driving,” Sgt Morgan said.
“The vast majority of heavy vehicle drivers are responsible and professional, but complacency can creep in and they need to be reminded of the capacity for damage when they are driving 40-50 tonne
Evelyn state Liberal MP Christine Fyffe said other drivers also needed to be more careful when sharing the road with trucks.
“The truck drivers I know and have observed are very careful in observing the road laws and their responsibility,” Ms Fyffe said.
“Everybody on the road has a responsibility, but I think a lot of car drivers tend to make life difficult for truck drivers by cutting in and those sorts of things.”
Truck driver Alan Gamble drove 40-70 tonne trucks in the Yarra Ranges for 30 years and said the varied conditions of Yarra Ranges roads called for particular caution.
“Most motorists do the right thing around trucks, but many have no regard for the breaking and start-up times off a fully laden truck,” he said.
Daily patrols of the Melba and Maroondah highways are set to continue until December.
Family and dog at the beach. Photography: Unsplash
Strong community opposition forces Kingston councillors to rethink the proposed 24 hour off-leash Edithvale beach.
Physical and psychological injury, dog excrement, damage to vegetation and parking issues are common concerns for residents, raised in various council meetings.
Deputy Mayor Councillor Georgina Oxley said “a lot of [the feedback] has been ‘we’re not wanting any changes to the dog rules,’” in a community drop-in session on October, 16.
South Ward Councillor David Eden said, “I won’t be supporting a 24/7 dog beach in Edithvale.”
South Ward Councillor David Eden consulting the public at the community drop-in session on October, 16.
Council Officer Neil Sheppard advised councillors to not proceed with the off-leash area and to promote existing off leash areas instead, in Kingston’s Ordinary Meeting of Council on September 24.
During the meeting, the decision was deferred due to the absence of Cr Eden and South Ward Councillor Tasmin Bearsley, sparking community outrage, with many members feeling unlistened to.
Concerned Edithvale resident Yvonne Slater speaks out against the proposed 24 hour dog beach.
Yvonne Slater, Edithvale resident of three years and creator of a change.org petition against the proposal, said, “this has revealed that they don’t listen to Council Officer’s recommendations [or] to the local community.”
Cr Bearsley later said, “I was disappointed that it got deferred, I think it just added to people’s angst. When you get a clear recommendation from the Officer and then continue to defer it, that scares people.”
Councillors all agreed that the feedback raised another concern, the need for law enforcement. Council staff have said they want another local law officer who would be designated to the section of the beach between Somme Parade and Bristol Avenue.
Ms Slater said, “[I]’ve never seen a council enforcement officer on the beach at any time… I’ve never seen anyone be fined.”
Cr Bearsley said, “People don’t feel that they see the presence of local laws enough and therefore people aren’t following the rules.”
Irresponsible dog owners are another cause of concern as the Council have said that the “onus [is] on dog owners to ensure they maintain effective control of their dogs.”
Ms Slater said, “We live here, we know that’s not what happens. People who just come for a visit, they leave a mess. We residents are the ones picking it up.”
Physical and psychological damage also pose a common threat. “[Residents have] been bitten or scratched in some way. I have gotten a jacket ripped and gotten bitten and scratched,” said Ms Slater.
The proposal was first introduced at an Ordinary Council meeting on May, 28. Edithvale resident Greg Fergie said, “we are all putting so much time and effort into something staying the same. It shouldn’t have gone this far.”
Over 1800 people voted in the “Kingston have your say” survey debating the future of Edithvale foreshore. 51.8% of submissions were against the proposition. The change.org petition against the 24 hour off-leash area contained signatures of 518 residents.
Edit: The Kingston Council decided against the proposed off-leash beach on October, 22, with restrictions unchanged.
Do you remember re-watching your favourite movies on DVD when you were younger? And having the option of scene selection so you could instantly skip to the best parts? And if you were lucky, there’d be the “Special Features”section with gag reels, deleted scenes, audio commentaries (a yawn for younger me) and, if you were really lucky, games and quizzes! That basically formed the extent of interactive media for me. While it allowed me to further my love for a particular film and engage deeper with the storyline, (and find out which character I would be BFF with!) nowadays, digital interactivity has escalated to a higher degree.
Interactivity is paramount in enhancing understanding and learning. Debra Beattie, documentary maker, backs this improvement of interactive documentaries. She states that users are able to “understand more fully, more deeply, the layers of the truth”.
Interactivity allows audiences to participate with media through a myriad of different mediums. Technologies have evolved so storytelling is no longer linear but can be visualised as a network. This new, digital territory is a place for innovation and experimentation.
Henry Jenkins describes these multimedia stories as “a bundle of related content”all on the same platform – think text, audio, images, video – to create an “integrated experience”. The actions of interactivity are quite endless. Kate Nash lists that audiences could be “reading, watching, commenting, sharing content, talking to others [or] filling in a quiz.”
Where this all collides is this production of webdocs – “documentaries re-mediated for the digital age”(Nash). As the name suggests, it shares similarities with traditional documentaries. Nash notes that there are interviews, observational sequences, sound and images on location and commentary (think anything David Attenborough and you’re on the right track.)
While a typical documentary has a structured flow, webdocs’ temporal organisation is less linear and rigid (Bolter and Grusin). Here, the viewer is no longer passive, but active and in charge. To paint this clearer, we’ll look at an example webdoc: The Shore Line.
The Shore Line was created to spread awareness of the impact humans have on shorelines. Here, we see that the creators are trying to educate and illicit change from their viewers.
With webdocs, storytelling is still of utmost important. The structure is created so there is often a central narration that accentuates the connection between events. But they’re usually created in such a way that chronological order isn’t paramount. So while users navigate the website in their own way, it will still be coherent (Nash). With The Shore Line, they couple videos and text to enhance the experience.
From this newfound freedom of navigation, new modes of interactivity are in place. One form of this is when the user is able to interpret and evaluate fixed content. With The Shore Line, it immediately captures the feeling of a story book; the website folds out like a map, there’s the use of an old-timey, classic font, there’s billowing smoke and the background is made up of a gently moving sea. As you progress through the chapters, the pages move like you are physically turning a book. Coupled with the background that looks like old paper, the collaged imagery of photographs and soft ocean sounds, it transports you to another sensory world.
This webpage has been so customised to suit the user that the screen size does not hinder the experience; it self-adjusts and is just as effective on mobile as it is a laptop. There are three ways to navigate the page – chapter by chapter, an interactive atlas map and a database for easy access to the videos.
Another level of interactivity is the contribution aspect. On their page, there are Facebook and Twitter buttons which allows you to instantly share the project. On Facebook, it prompts users to “say something about this”and engage in conversation. Similarly with Twitter, the automatic hashtag of #shorelineproject encourages like-minded individuals to converge.
There is a debate about whether interactivity is effective. I think that in this day and age where users have a lot of power and choice about the media they consume, they do not want to sit passively and watch from the sidelines. Jenkins seems to agree and noted that “publics want the media they want, when and where they want it.”
People all learn and ingest knowledge in different ways, some are visual learners while others prefer audio. This evolution of interactive media gives users the individualised choice about the way they want to use media. It’s a less cookie cutter approach than everybody sitting down and watching the exact traditional documentary. Now, it’s multi-faceted, multi-layered and multi-medium.
In turn, I really do think it enriches the documentary experience. When immersed in a story and being stimulated through multiple senses, it amplifies the understanding of the stories and subjects involved. At the end of the day, stories are needed to tell of the varying human experiences. That’s what transcends any kind of media – digital or otherwise.
References
Beattie, Debra. “The Wrong Crowd: Theory and Practice in Producing Documentary Online.”Saarbrucken: Verlag Dr Muller (2008)
Bolter JD, Grusin, R. “Remediation: Understanding New Media. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. (2000)
Corner, J. “Performing the real: documentary diversions”Television & New Media(2002): 255-269
Lashley, Mark C. and Brian Creech. “Voices for a New Vernacular: A Forum on Digital Storytelling.” International Journal of Communication (19328036)(2017): 1061-1068.
Nash, Kate. “Modes of interactivity: analysing the webdoc.” Media, Culture & Society(2012-03): 195-210.
Patty Etcell, a Melbourne high school wellbeing coordinator, promotes the improvement of drug education. Photography: Maggie Zhou
Young people’s use of alcohol and other drugs has significantly dropped, statistics say. Effective drug education in schools is helping to combat it.
Australian secondary school students’ use of drugs is at an all-time low this century. 68% of people aged between 12-17 used either tobacco, alcohol or drugs in 2014, showed White & Williams’ 2016 survey of 23,000 students. In 1999, this figure was 89%.
Last week, it was announced by the Australia Bureau of Statistics that alcohol consumption in Australia had dropped to its lowest levels since the 1960s.
Patty Etcell has noticed the positive change in drug education.
“It’s shifting from just throwing information and risks and harms at young people to actually looking at values and decision making,” Ms Etcell said.
She said the acknowledgement of young people experimenting with alcohol or drugs is an important foundation for safe and accepting education.
Laura Bajurny, a spokeswoman for Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF), advocates Australia’s guideline practices for drug and alcohol programs which schools should adhere to.
She recommends Climate, an evidence based, online learning program, meaning it is low-cost and accessible regardless of location.
Building drug education into the health curriculum framework is highly effective, she said. By having a regular teacher run the program and incorporating it into their broader approach to health, it creates a “health promoting school,” Ms Bajurny said.
“It’s not just about what you learn about in the classroom but having a welcoming, connected school environment where people feel supported and they enjoy school; there’s opportunity for pro-social involvement.”
Ms Etcell also suggests that the growing number of health-conscious teens may be behind reducing alcohol intake.
“It’s becoming more socially acceptable to choose not to drink. I think there is less pressure in some situations and settings and some peer groups,” she said.
For the whole duration of our digital lives, we’ve had the privilege of being able to utilise social media as a platform for self-expression. It’s heightened to a point now where it seems that there are ‘influencers’ and ‘content creators’ wherever you turn, swipe or scroll.
So why? Why are so many people turning to this seemingly egalitarian and accessible medium? The widespread usage of Instagram, where there are nine million monthly active Australian users (Cowling), has fed into the obsession of visual consumption.
From the outlook, it appears to be democratising – everyone can put up photos, right? Yet there is this increase of inequality (Wacquant, 1639). The self-indulgent values encourage luxury, success and attractiveness above more intrinsic traits.
Individuals are expected to present a ‘perfect’, filtered version of their life – they themselves are the “subject of value” (Skeggs, 139-143). Instagram account @richpeopleflex, whose feed consists of regrammed photos that ooze wealth and status, allows us to gain an insight into the more extreme end of the spectrum.
Their bio states “Real rich, real people only” and their posts mainly consists of expensive vehicles, designer brands, luxurious settings and literal stacks of cash.
One such regram is a post by user @daiseyodonnell, whose bio describes her as a singer, model and fashion influencer based in the UK. One particular post features her outstretched, fake nailed arm with gold jewellery holding a set of car keys to her Range Rover. On the hood of the car are six shopping bags – two of which clearly state Gucciand Louis Vuitton. Her caption reads: “Made my own inspo 🤣”. This feeds into the narrative of combining extreme wealth with the illusion of everydayness. Is it effective? Are audiences captivated?
The comments section show a cross section of conflicting views. While one user comments “My inspo all day every day! BOSSS!🙌🏽🥇“, others question the source of her wealth. To one particular comment who suggested she has a sugar daddy, O’Donnell replies, “im done 🤣🤣🤣sugar daddy tho 😩😩😩😩im 19 and have worked my arse off since I was in school”. This again reinforces that need to prove oneself as hardworking, not just lucky or wealthy through inheritance. (Marwick, 137-160)
But enter another vital aspect of Instagram: the relatability it can foster between creator and their audience. For current influencers, it is important to be able to “synthesize the personal and the generic for an imagined audience” (Kanai, 302). One such user doing this is @jadetunchy, a fashion and lifestyle influencer from Sydney.
What I want to draw attention to is her second account @therealjadetunchy, where in the bio she says, “here’s what my life looks like without a filter and without me trying to be cute.” Straight away, we begin to break down Instagram’s so-called ‘rules’ that are usually strictly implemented; here, there are no filters and edits in place and no active ‘trying’ to emit a certain kind of persona. Her feed is a mixture of badly timed selfies, funny videos and posts about self love.
Her self-deprecating and self-aware humour is highly relatable to her audience. A recent video captioned “I wanted to take a cute vid of me eating pasta in Italy but it turned into this” features her messily eating spaghetti and laughing throughout it. These individuals have a “heightened competency in singling out minute, slightly awkward situations for the amusement of others.” (Kanai, 297)
A post shared by Jade Tunchy (@therealjadetunchy) on
Many other posts feature a close up of her face captured at an untimely and unflattering angle – a situation most viewers have similarly shared. Comments shared include, “HAHAHA relatable” and “why did this make me think of us” while tagging a friend. This further proves how the relationship between influencers and their audiences on Instagram can actually be built upon the similar feelings and emotions experienced, not purely because of the Instagrammers themselves. (Kanai, 301-302)
Our digital landscape is changing and the way we tell our stories changes with it. The values we promote and the lifestyles we boast of are telling of the society we live in. While there is this thirst for luxury and status, there is also a growing hunger for authenticity and genuineness – which are you feeding?
Year 11 student Katie Zhou in front of the incomplete VCE Centre.
Ongoing construction and delays for the opening of McKinnon Secondary College’s new VCE Centre is an annoyance, said year 11 student.
The $9 million building has been under construction for 15 months and is a disruption for classroom learning. The constant noise is of concern for students.
“They’re always building, there’s always noise,” said McKinnon Secondary College’s year 11 student Katie Zhou.
Classrooms are relocated weekly, some even in the open-spaced hall. Due to the fenced off areas, footpaths are cramped.
“The other day, the walkway was so narrow that I got cut on my arm from the wire fence,” said Ms Zhou.
Construction of the VCE Centre began in May last year with funding received from the 2015-16 State Budget. Students were scheduled to move in approximately two months ago.
“We were supposed to go in end of last term, but we’re still not in. Every week they keep saying that we’ll be there but it never happens,” said Ms Zhou.
The new three story facility will hold science laboratories, general purpose classrooms, student wellbeing services and amenities.
“It may be a bit of an inconvenience now, but it will be worthwhile in the future.”
Molder Sayrao at AuMake’s Daigou Hub in Sydney. Source: news.com.au
An International student who makes close to $90,000 a year sending products to China from Australia said “it’s actually not that hard”.
Molder Sayrao, who moved to Australia to study at Macquarie University in 2014, has over 1500 regular customers and ships nearly 1000 parcels to China a week.
The 31 year old currently works full time on weekdays.
“I just use weekends to communicate with customers,” said Ms Sayrao.
Originally purchasing from Chemist Warehouse, Ms Sayrao now buys from AuMake. This Daigou Hub helps speed up the process and even packs and ships the orders.
Australia’s first Daigou Hub opened in Sydney in March this year. The concept allows Australian suppliers to send products such as vitamins, skincare and baby formula direct to China.
“It makes it quicker and easier so I can have more time to communicate with my clients.”
Maggie Zhou 