Port Macquarie News – Tuesday, November 26, 1968
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“Little people” tackling big problems
As happy as any group of conventioneers to come to Port Macquarie, forty-two dwarfs here this week are discussing their problems, medical and social, in an atmosphere completely lacking discomfort. They come from New Zealand, Hobart, Victoria, Queensland, and many parts of New South Wales. More than seventy people, including doctors from Melbourne and Sydney, and several parents, are involved in the convention.
Yesterday, at the RSL Club, the “little people” had an exclusive session devoted to themselves and their problems. From this session, several questions were presented to the medical practitioners here for the occasion and were considered by them yesterday afternoon.
Today, the doctors meet them to discuss the matters raised. Jean Ryan, of Frankston, Victoria, is the smallest mother in Australia. She is three foot one, but is seeing as much of Port Macquarie as the rest of the party. Youngest of those present is four months, and the eldest 70 years. Ted Archer, 70, comes from Sydney, and the four-month-old babe is Kathy Foy, born on July 26, at Queanbeyan.
Questions raised at the convention will include as well as health problems, family matters, and a request for medical assistance in setting out for employers how improved facilities for little people in factories would enable more of them to undertake employment.
The mayor, Alderman C.C. Adams, and mayoress, Jo Gott, welcomed the conventioneers. Yesterday morning, at the council chambers, the mayor welcomed several medical people here for the convention. With its temperate climate, picturesque setting and first-class facilities Port Macquarie was an ideal location for medical and other conventions, Professor Charles Kerr, Professor of Public Health at Sydney University said.
Port Macquarie moteliers are donating the accommodation. East-West Airlines have given return air fares at no cost to more than 20 of the conventioneers.
Effluent purer than drinking water
Mr M. Mitchell, from The Health Department, feels that ponding will overcome any problems caused by the discharge of sewerage effluent into Kooloonbung Creek. The inspector said this effluent would be purer than drinking water. Mr. Mitchell visited Port Macquarie on Wednesday afternoon to investigate a complaint by Peter Vaggelas who claimed that sewerage was polluting the creek. Vaggelas had written to the Minister for Health and the Newcastle inspector was appointed to make a report on the matter. The complaint was aired in the Sydney newspapers.
During his visit, Mr. Mitchell discussed the sewage position for two hours, inspected the areas under discussion and saw photographs. Mr. Vaggelas, developer for the Kooloonbung reclamation project, claimed the sewerage being pumped onto Sandy Flat was streaming into the creek. He said this effluent did not filter through the sand, but tended to run over it, going into the creek in a raw state. Mr. Mitchell said that any problems with sewerage not being fully treated before discharge would be overcome when ponding is implemented.