Info Vic Newsletter January 2011

EPA Beach Report

EPA's Beach Report water quality forecasting and monitoring has begun and runs from December 2010 through to Labour weekend March 2011.

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FireReady Roadshow

FireReady truck The FireReady Roadshow will be visiting around 40 community events around the state across ten weeks.

The Roadshow truck will set up in the 52 most at-risk townships from 2 December 2010 - 12 February 2011, providing the community with one-on-one 'face time' and the opportunity to ask questions and get localised information.

Events will be quite informal and give people the chance to discuss their fire risk with CFA and other relevant agencies.

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Australia Day

Australia Day logo Australia Day in Victoria is a day for people from every walk of life to celebrate the things we love about our country. It is a time to celebrate our freedom – as individuals and as a nation; our lifestyle and culture; our land and its beauty, across beaches, forests, and the outback; our history and Indigenous past; and our opportunities and future.

From the smallest barbecue with friends right up to the thousand-strong People's March down Swanston Street, the Australia Day Committee encourages all Australians to take pride in their country on January 26 and reflect on who we are as a nation.

Visit the Australia Day website to find out what's happening in your area.

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Open Day at Government House

Professor David de Kretser Governor of Victoria and Mrs Jan de Kretser invite all citizens of Victoria and visitors to the State to visit Government House, one of Australia's finest buildings, on Australia Day Wednesday 26 January, 2011. Gates are open from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. (last entrance to the house, 3.00 pm).

Entry is free.

Visit the Governor of Victoria's website for further details.

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Paid Parental Leave Scheme

The Paid Parental Leave scheme starts on 1 January 2011 and is fully funded by the Australian Government. From 1 July 2011, businesses will be responsible for providing parental leave pay to working parents who meet the eligibility criteria.

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Law Week poster competition 2011: call for entries

Law Week 2011 Victorian secondary school students are invited to enter the Law Week secondary school poster competition.

The winning design will be used on the official poster to promote Law Week 2011 throughout Victoria. The prize-winning entries and other commendations will be displayed at the Magistrates' Court of Victoria in Melbourne during Law Week, 16-22 May 2011.

There are major cash prizes to be won for both students and schools, and the finalists will be presented with their prizes during Law Week Courts Open Day on Saturday 21 May.

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The Summer Read 2011

The Summer Read 2011 The Summer Read is back on, so turn off the TV and pick up a book. Choose from a list of ten books set in Victoria or written by Victorian authors including, fiction, memoir and crime. Books in The Summer Read are:

Animal kingdom: a crime story, Stephen Sewell
Below the Styx, Michael Meehan
Book of lost threads, Tess Evans
The Diggers Rest Hotel, Geoffrey McGeachin
Flying with paper wings, Sandy Jeffs
Into the woods: the battle for Tasmania's forests, Anna Krien
Piano lessons, Anna Goldsworthy
Rocks in the belly, Jon Bauer
The sleepers almanac no. 6, anthology
Stealing Picasso, Anson Cameron

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Working with Children Check - are your details up to date?

Victorians who have passed or apply for a Working with Children (WWC) Check are being urged to update any change of details via a new online facility or risk committing an offence with financial penalties, your card expiring or being invalidated.

Since the scheme began in 2006, more than 643,000 Victorians have passed the WWC Check but many cardholders are not aware they have ongoing responsibilities with the Check.

Of critical importance is cardholders' responsibility to inform the Department of Justice of any changes to personal details such as address, phone number and employers or voluntary organisations where they perform child-related work. Keeping personal details up to date is important as it means cardholders can be notified of a change in the status of your card and when it is due for renewal.

It is also a legal obligation under the Working with Children Act 2005 for cardholders to inform the Department of Justice within 21 days every time they change employers or voluntary organisation.

The WWC Check is a mandatory screening requirement for any Victorian who undertakes child-related work described in the Working with Children Act 2005. It is an offence to begin or continue to perform 'child-related' work without holding a current Working with Children card or application receipt.

Cardholders can ensure they comply with the Act at all times, by informing the Department of Justice of:

changes in employer or voluntary organisation within 21 days;
new relevant charges, offences and findings against them within 7 days.

Cardholders can be confident of being informed about changes in the status of their card and being able to renew their card before it expires by:

keeping their address and phone numbers up-to-date with the Department;
obtaining a replacement card for a lost or damaged one.

Cardholders and applicants can now update their details online at the WWC Check website: https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/wwccu or call the WWCC Information Line: 1300 652 879. For further information go to: www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren

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Asbestos Landfill Map

A map of landfills licensed to receive asbestos has been generated to assist with identifying the closest disposal option in Victoria. The landfills are identified as Domestic (householder DIY), Commercial & Domestic, and Commercial only.

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Popular Baby Names 2010

Jack and Ruby top 2010 baby names and Jack is the name of the noughties. The most popular boys' and girls' names for 2010 suggest modern Victorian parents still favour traditional names.

Attorney-General Robert Clark said the most popular girls' names this year were Ruby, Charlotte, Mia, Olivia and Chloe, according to figures from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

The top boys' names were Jack, William, Thomas, Oliver and Joshua.

The most popular child's name of the decade was Jack (7,085 boys since 2000), followed closely by Joshua (6,816). Olivia was the most popular girls' name of the decade (5,217).

Top 20 boys' and girls' names of 2010 registered in Victoria:

BOYS: 1. Jack; 2. William; 3. Thomas; 4. Oliver; 5. Joshua; 6. James; 7. Ethan; 8. Cooper; 9. Noah; 10. Max; 11. Lucas; 12. Benjamin; 13. Lachlan; 14. Samuel; 15. Xavier; 16. Alexander; 17. Liam; 18. Charlie; 19. Riley; 20. Jacob.
GIRLS: 1. Ruby; 2. Charlotte; 3. Mia; 4. Olivia; 5. Chloe; 6. Lily; 7. Ava; 8. Isabella; 9. Ella; 10. Emily; 11. Sophie; 12. Sienna; 13. Amelia; 14. Grace; 15. Zoe; 16. Matilda; 17. Lucy; 18. Jessica; 19. Hannah; 20. Emma.

Top 10 boys' and girls' names of the decade:

BOYS: 1. Jack; 2. Joshua; 3. Thomas; 4. Lachlan; 5. William; 6. James; 7. Benjamin; 8. Ethan; 9. Daniel; 10. Matthew.
GIRLS: 1. Olivia; 2. Emily; 3. Chloe; 4. Ella; 5. Isabella; 6. Charlotte; 7. Jessica; 8. Mia; 9. Grace; 10. Sarah.

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