Tech expo the smart way to learn
GUARDS at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre will work an extra four hours each shift from the end of the month.
A guard, who did not want to be named, said the decision to increase shifts from eight to 12 hours was not welcomed by many of the casual staff.
He said there were concerns surrounding fatigue and dealing with troublesome young offenders at the end of a long shift.
“Morale is pretty low,” the guard said. “There is the fatigue issue and staff are extremely worried.”
A Youth Justice spokesman said a ballot to move to the 12hour shifts was conducted earlier in the year and resulted in the majority of staff voting for the change.
The move to 12- hour shifts brings Cleveland CYDC into line with Queensland’s other youth detention centre, the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre, which has been operating with 12hour shifts for more than 15 years.
A Youth Justice spokesman said the switch meant fewer staff handovers, resulting in more consistent management of young people and improved workplace health and safety. FORMER Australian of the Year Ian Frazer is close to starting clinical human trials on a new vaccine that could be used to treat head and neck cancer.
Admedus Immunotherapies is working with Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital on the breakthrough, which is based on the use of Professor Frazer’s human papillomavirus ( HPV) vaccine.
Professor Frazer said HPVassociated cancers made up 20 per cent of all people diagnosed worldwide.
“Harnessing the immune system is a new way to treat these virus- associated cancers,” he said yesterday.
Admedus Immunotherapies chief executive Neil Finlayson said the new HPV vaccine had already successfully treated tumours in mice. REID Park will tomorrow be a showcase of gadgets and gizmos for a new tech expo.
The two- day NQ Tech Expo is the brainchild of local businessmen Darryl Byrne and Simon Greenwood.
Mr Byrne, who is the technical sales and design manager for NQ AV, said the event would be the biggest technology showcase held in North Queensland.
“We’ve run smaller versions of this before but that was NQ AV only and now it’s expanded,” he said. “We have cutting edge technology available right here in Townsville and North Queensland.
“My biggest frustration is when people in- vest in technology and then don’t know how to use it. That’s where buying locally is beneficial to your business.”
Mr Byrne said industries including retail, agriculture, education and tourism could probably find extra ways to use technology.
“This is about just informing people there’s some technology out there that you may not even know about that can improve your bottom line,” he said. “Everyone who goes will learn something, I’ll be learning new things myself.”
The NQ Tech Expo will run from 9am to 6pm tomorrow and Wednesday at Reid Park Pit Complex.