Vale Lino Vella AM, MQR  —  1936-2022

Lino Vella, the editor of the Maltese Herald, top footballer, exemplary community leader and family man loved by those that crossed his path lost his battle with cancer on Saturday 15^th January 2022 at his home in Blacktown NSW at age 85.

He left the Maltese community the Maltese Herald, a lasting legacy that chronicles the life of our community for 52 continuous years. Lino was the owner/editor for 42 long years, perhaps the longest journalist to have held such a position.

Lino was born at Rahal il-Gdid the eldest of five sons and three daughters but lived most of his life at St Julian’s. He migrated to Australia in 1954.

His English wife Barbara died in July 2003. They have a son Paul and a daughter Annette. Lino was awarded the Australian Medal (AM) by the Federal Government of Australia in January 1999 and Gieh ir-Repubblika by the Malta Government in 2011.

Lino was one of the founders of The Maltese Welfare Group in 1977 and remained a member until his death. We extend our deepest condolences to his family.  Lino will be missed.  Rest in Peace.

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On behalf of the Committee and Members of the Maltese Welfare (NSW) Inc I wish you a Holy, Joyous Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

It has been a difficult year for everyone due to Covid 19.  Our association looks forward to next year to continue our work and serve our community.

Stay safe and enjoy your family and friends.

Nathalie Gatt

President

Maltese Welfare (NSW)Inc  

Christmas and New Year’s message

from the Hon. Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs – 2021

Bringing Maltese and Gozitans together

We might be a small country in size, but we have a big family spread all over the world and it is my pleasure to talk to you today and wish you a good year ahead, knowing full well that we will still be faced by the challenge of Covid-19 both to our health and livelihood. It has turned our lives upside down. Please stay safe and take all the necessary precautions to protect your health and that of those around you.

Maltese and Gozitans have been emigrating to all corners of the world for centuries. At first most of our people who had to emigrate because of unemployment and poverty, sought a better life in neighbouring Mediterranean countries.

Then since the 1800s they started venturing in faraway countries like Argentina, the United States and Australia. Today there are Maltese and Gozitans and their descendants in around 194 countries, practically in every country in the world. Like thousands of other Maltese and Gozitans I have relatives in at least three other countries on different sides of our planet.

There are about 120,000 first generation and 300,000 second and third generation Maltese living in other countries. This means that we have a diaspora of about 420,000, as many Maltese and Gozitans as we have in our islands.

A 2019 World Bank report shows that even today 24 per cent of all Maltese live outside Malta, putting the rate of emigration for the Maltese population as the highest out of any EU country. The destinations have changed as today we have new diasporas in Brussels and Luxembourg reflecting our membership of the European Union.

Despite all this I still feel that in our islands we are still not aware enough of the reality and history of emigration of our people throughout the centuries. I still feel that we still consider our history and reality of emigration as parallel to our history and reality on the islands.

I think that we need to address this and move towards becoming more aware and forging more links among the Maltese and Gozitans in the whole wide world and considering ourselves as one.

The technology of communication is at least making it more possible to have a closer community and to be more in touch with each other across the continents. We must strive to get even closer. May I wish you a healthy and prosperous 2022.

Evarist Bartolo

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs

BILATERAL HEALTH AGREEMENT Source Maltese Consul General NSW

Maltese Nationals travelling to Malta with a valid Maltese Passport can avail themselves of any Public Health Service at No Cost, and this includes services provided by the Local Public Health Centers and the Public Hospitals in Malta and Gozo.  If Maltese citizens visit Private Health Clinics situated all around the Maltese Islands, then since they are private, they have to pay for such services but if one is covered by a Travel Insurance, they would be able to claim such expenses with their Insurer upon their return to Australia.

If travellers go to Malta with their Australian passport and they do not possess a valid Maltese Identity Card, then, the below Bilateral Health Agreement provisions apply:

https://foreignandeu.gov.mt/en/Treaties%20Series/Documents/Australia%20-%2031st%20July%201988.pdf

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/reciprocal-health-care-agreements/when-australians-go-overseas/about-reciprocal-health-care-agreements/visiting-malta

Visiting Malta

The Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) we have with Malta may cover some of your medical costs in Malta’s public health system. To be eligible it must be:

• essential care that can’t wait till you get home
• within 6 months after the day you arrive.

What’s covered:

The agreement covers care in a government hospital which includes:

• operations
• medicine
• nursing care
• accommodation
• meals.

It also covers hospital out-patient care provided by:

• specialists in government service
• care at a health centre from a public doctor or nurse
• ambulance travel to hospital in an emergency
• necessary immediate dental care provided by government hospital.

The agreement doesn’t cover:

• dental work that isn’t urgent, for example fillings
• dental prostheses and appliances, your travel insurance may cover some of these and other extra costs.
• doctor or medical services obtained from private practices, private hospitals and private clinics.

NSW Interpreter Scholarship ProgramThe NSW Government is offering scholarships to residents of NSW to undertake an accredited interpreting course with UNSW and receive mentoring and employment with Multicultural NSW Language Services.Applications are currently open until 05 November 2021 for people who speak in-demand, established languages.People who speak Croatian, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Lao, Macedonian, Malay, Maltese, Nepali, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Swahili, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese are invited to apply. Please click here to read about the scholarship eligibility and how to apply.Further information is available on the Multicultural NSW website. Please click here to go to their website, or here to download a flyer with additional information. This course is 120 hours in duration to be delivered online and face to face at UNSW in Sydney. It is due to begin in February 2022 and will be both online (20 weeks) as well as face to face on 8 Saturdays at UNSW in Sydney. Please click here to download a FAQ flyer for additional information.

Join us Maltese Welfare NSW for the latest information and events on our facebook Group, Stay in touch with the Maltese Community in NSW.

Open facebook and in Search facebook type in Maltese Welfare in NSW and ask to Join.

or link https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.maltesewelfare.com.au

89.3fm 2GLF-fm – Sunday Mornings from 10:00am Join us the Radio Team of the Maltese Community Council of NSW this Sunday on 2GLF-fm 89.3 at 11:00am for a program from the Maltese community in NSW, news from the Islands of Malta and other interesting topics Tune in at 10am for an hour of Maltese Voices – music with Marthese Caruana Live 89.3fm 2GLF-fm https://893fm.com.au/listen-live/On Line 893fm.com.au https://893fm.com.au/show/maltese-community-council/On Demand http://ondemand.893fm.com.au/01/html/sun1100.php

Community Notice Please share to your friends in our community who are not tech savvy or don’t have a myGOV account but they need a *paper record/proof of their COVID-19 vaccination*They can call the Australian Immunisation Register on 1800 653 809, provide their details such as name, Medicare card etc. and they will post one out to you.Currently there is a 14 to 28 day wait for it to arrive in the post.

Source: The Voice of the Maltese

Llandilo Maltese Seniors
Meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Llandilo Community Hall, 257 Seventh Avenue, Llandilo 11am to 1.00pm. Group holds regular Information Sessions/Workshops & Bus Trips. Group Leader: Helen Azzopardi.

Daceyville Maltese Seniors
Meets the last Wednesday of the month in Meeting Room One, No. 3 General Bridges Crescent, Daceyville. Note: The
Groups also arrange regular Bus Trips. Join us and make new friends. Group Leader: Doris Scicluna

Merrylands Social Maltese Seniors
Meets every second Friday of the month. Miller Room, Memorial Avenue
Merrylands from 10.30am to 12.30 pm. Group Leader: Salvina Falzon.

Greystanes Maltese Seniors
Meets on the second Monday of each month at the George Preca Parish Centre Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP)
Church, 198 Old Prospect Road, Greystanes from 10 am to 12 noon. Group holds regular Information. Sessions/Workshops & Bus Trips. Group Leader: Frances Montesin.

Fairfield Active Maltese Seniors
Meets on the last Tuesday of the Month. Group meets in St Theresa’s Parish Hall, cnr of Stella Street & The Boulevard, Fairfield Heights from 10 am to 12 noon. Group Leader: Dorothy Gatt.

Maltese of Bankstown
Group meets 3rd Wednesday of month in the Bankstown CBD area. Every other 3rd Thursday an outing. Enquiries
call: Sam Galea 0410 269 519.

The Sutherland &St George Maltese Group
Meets First Wednesday of the Month from 10:00am-1:00pm. Meetings/Get Togethers are interesting, informative &
entertaining, so come join us and make new friends. For more information contact our Coordinator: Charles Mifsud JP
Phone (mb 0421 662 298.

*(All Groups are co-ordinated by The Maltese Community Council of NSW) with sponsorship from Multicultural NSW. Please
contact the MCC Welfare Officer: Marisa Previtera JP on 0414 863 123.
The MCC offices are at 59b Franklin Street (Cnr Young St) Parramatta West NSW (next to West Parramatta Primary School).