PERTHNOW.COM.AU SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2016 A TELETHON … · 2017-09-12 · PERTHNOW.COM.AU SUNDAY...

1
PERTHNOW.COM.AU SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2016 NEWS 29 70-odd Beanie Boo soft toys. Hailey said she was excited to be this year’s Little Telethon Star. “I’ve been in the paper before, but never on TV,” she said. Hailey’s older sister, So- FOR the first year of her life Hailey Ardagh could not hear, but she has been making up for lost time every since. The seven-year-old is now rarely without a ukulele in hand and has built confidence by public speaking. Hailey’s next challenge will be impressing WA audiences after today’s announcement she will be one of this year’s Little Telethon Stars. She was born with pro- found bilateral hearing loss and joined the Telethon Speech and Hearing Early Intervention Program. Around her first birthday she re- ceived bilateral coch- lear implants – and the gift of hearing. “When they ‘switched on’ her hearing, Hailey responded straight away,” her mother, Jo Ardagh, said. “It wasn’t an over-the-top reaction. It was almost as if she went, ‘Oh, great, I can hear that now’. She wasn’t startled at all.” Now a thriving Year 3 stu- dent, Hailey admits she still enjoys a bit of quiet during her favourite school activity, silent reading. When she is not at school, she enjoys working on her clay sculptures, doing gymnastics and adding to her collection of JOEL KELLY LET’S HEAR IT FOR A TELETHON STAR Bright spark: Little Telethon Star Hailey Ardagh, 7, is excited to be playing a big part in this year’s charity event. Picture: Ross Swanborough ONE in five electrical safety switches in public housing are defective – yet a program to check and fix them is not due to be completed before 2020. A WA Housing Authority inspection of “residual-current devices” or RCDs, which in- stantly break an electric circuit to prevent serious harm from electric shock, at 305 properties found that 66 electrical safety switches were defective. The authority also con- firmed that just 305 out of 42,000 government-owned properties had been inspected as part of the $26 million Elec- trical Safety Device Program, which is not due to be finalised until December 2020. In addition to the program, routine inspection of govern- ment properties also occurred – involving a “simple check to en- sure the (electrical safety) devi- ces are working as expected”. In the past two years, these routine checks resulted in 207 new safe- Safety switch shock ty switches installed and almost 3000 safety switches being re- placed. The Opposition wants the more thorough checks under- taken as part of the Electrical Safety Device Program to be done sooner than the 2020 deadline. Labor housing spokesman Fran Logan said the Govern- ment was inspecting properties so slowly that at the current rate it would take “more than 50 years to complete the safety checks”. “It’s disgraceful that thousands of people are no doubt living in potential death traps,” he said. Housing Minister Brendon Grylls said it was the start of a four-year process. “This first segment was al- ways intended to be a pilot pro- gram with just two regions targeted,” he said. “The inspections to date have provided valuable insights that will ensure the successful rollout of the full inspection program to commence later this year.” JOE SPAGNOLO public speaking or speak as well as she does,” Ms Ardagh said. “When your child is diag- nosed with a disability like this you sort of think the worst, but to see her excel at all these things makes me very proud.” Cody Colmer, 6, who was born with a spinal condition that requires him to wear a torso brace, is also a Little Tel- ethon Star for 2016. Telethon is on October 15-16. phie, also has profound hear- ing loss and cochlear implants. Hailey said her family, es- pecially her big sister, were the most important people in her life, “because I love them so much and they always look after me”. Hailey’s mum said the little battler had come a long way in overcoming her disability. “I would not have expected she would have been able to do Valid until 8 October 2016. Add up your Cashback with $200 per Series 8 oven and compact appliance. Conditions apply, available in store and online at www.bosch-home.com.au. Get $200 Cashback for each Bosch Series 8 oven and compact appliance. + For example... + = $ 600 CASHBACK

Transcript of PERTHNOW.COM.AU SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2016 A TELETHON … · 2017-09-12 · PERTHNOW.COM.AU SUNDAY...

Page 1: PERTHNOW.COM.AU SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2016 A TELETHON … · 2017-09-12 · PERTHNOW.COM.AU SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2016 NEWS29 70-odd Beanie Boo soft toys. Hailey said she was excited

PERTHNOW.COM.AU SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2016 NEWS 29

70-odd Beanie Boo soft toys.Hailey said she was excited tobe this year’s Little TelethonStar. “I’ve been in the paperbefore, but never on TV,” shesaid.

Hailey’s older sister, So-

FOR the first year of her lifeHailey Ardagh could not hear,but she has been making upfor lost time every since.

The seven-year-old is nowrarely without a ukulele inhand and has built confidenceby public speaking.

Hailey’s next challenge willbe impressing WA audiencesafter today’s announcementshe will be one of this year’sLittle Telethon Stars.

She was born with pro-found bilateral hearing lossand joined the TelethonSpeech and HearingEarly InterventionProgram.

Around her firstbirthday she re-ceived bilateral coch-lear implants – and thegift of hearing.

“When they‘switched on’ her hearing,Hailey responded straightaway,” her mother, Jo Ardagh,said.

“It wasn’t an over-the-topreaction. It was almost as if shewent, ‘Oh, great, I can hearthat now’. She wasn’t startledat all.”

Now a thriving Year 3 stu-dent, Hailey admits she stillenjoys a bit of quiet during herfavourite school activity, silentreading.

When she is not at school,she enjoys working on her claysculptures, doing gymnasticsand adding to her collection of

JOEL KELLY

LET’S HEAR IT FOR ATELETHON STAR

Bright spark: Little Telethon Star Hailey Ardagh, 7, is excited to be playing a big part in this year’s charity event. Picture: Ross Swanborough

ONE in five electrical safetyswitches in public housing aredefective – yet a program tocheck and fix them is not due tobe completed before 2020.

A WA Housing Authorityinspection of “residual-currentdevices” or RCDs, which in-stantly break an electric circuitto prevent serious harm fromelectric shock, at 305 propertiesfound that 66 electrical safetyswitches were defective.

The authority also con-firmed that just 305 out of42,000 government-ownedproperties had been inspectedas part of the $26 million Elec-trical Safety Device Program,which is not due to be finaliseduntil December 2020.

In addition to the program,routine inspection of govern-ment properties also occurred –involving a “simple check to en-sure the (electrical safety) devi-ces are working as expected”. Inthe past two years, these routinechecks resulted in 207 new safe-

Safety switch shock

ty switches installed and almost3000 safety switches being re-placed.

The Opposition wants themore thorough checks under-taken as part of the ElectricalSafety Device Program to bedone sooner than the 2020deadline.

Labor housing spokesmanFran Logan said the Govern-ment was inspecting propertiesso slowly that at the current rateit would take “more than 50years to complete the safetychecks”. “It’s disgraceful thatthousands of people are nodoubt living in potential deathtraps,” he said.

Housing Minister BrendonGrylls said it was the start of afour-year process.

“This first segment was al-ways intended to be a pilot pro-gram with just two regionstargeted,” he said.

“The inspections to datehave provided valuable insightsthat will ensure the successfulrollout of the full inspectionprogram to commence later thisyear.”

JOE SPAGNOLO

public speaking or speak aswell as she does,” Ms Ardaghsaid. “When your child is diag-nosed with a disability like thisyou sort of think the worst, butto see her excel at all thesethings makes me very proud.”

Cody Colmer, 6, who wasborn with a spinal conditionthat requires him to wear atorso brace, is also a Little Tel-ethon Star for 2016. Telethonis on October 15-16.

phie, also has profound hear-ing loss and cochlear implants.

Hailey said her family, es-pecially her big sister, were themost important people in herlife, “because I love them somuch and they always lookafter me”.

Hailey’s mum said the littlebattler had come a long way inovercoming her disability.

“I would not have expectedshe would have been able to do

Valid until 8 October 2016. Add up your Cashback with $200 per Series 8 oven and compact appliance. Conditions apply, available in store and online at www.bosch-home.com.au.

Get $200 Cashbackfor each Bosch Series 8 oven and compact appliance.

+For example...

+ = $600 CASHBACK