July 2021 newsletter #73

Dear reader,

In this month's newsletter:

Consulate General Closure Extended
Vacancy Senior Policy Officer Trade and Economics
Dutch Police Officers Honoured for MH17 Contribution
Plastic Free July
Update: The Barefoot Dutchman
Shapes: a Composition by Marike van Dijk
The Tasman Map
Consular Know How

Consulate General Closure Extended

Today the NSW premier Ms Glady Berejiklian extended the lockdown in Sydney until midnight on the 16th of July 2021. The Consulate General will be closed during that time.
All applicants with an appointment until this day have been notified.
If you are in an emergency situation, you can contact us via telephone 02 8305 6800 or via email syd-ca@minbuza.nl.

For the latest information follow us on Facebook: Netherlands Embassy and Consulate General in Australia.

Stay safe!

Vacancy
Senior Policy Officer Trade and Economics

The Consulate-General in Sydney is looking for a knowledgeable, pro-active team member with a keen eye for business opportunities. The Netherlands and Australia enjoy long-lasting and strong bilateral relations. Sustainable trade and investment, innovation, competitive businesses are trademarks of the economies of both Australia and the Netherlands. The Netherlands is in Australia’s top 5 of Foreign Direct Investors and is one of Australia’s major trading partners among the European Union member states.

The new policy officer should be flexible and a team player. He/she has a university degree (MA or MSc) and relevant experience in economy and trade policy/promotion. He/she has a good understanding of the Australian and Dutch political and economic landscape or is able to acquire that knowledge quickly. Applicants have to be eligible to work in Australia. Applications close 21st of July.

Interested? Read the vacancy on https://bit.ly/3qSc2h1

Dutch Police Officers Honoured for MH17 Contribution

On 20 May 2021 Dutch Police Officers Sylvia van Braak and Theo Vermeulen were presented with Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Certificates of Appreciation as part of the Commissioner’s 2020 Foundation Day Honours Awards. The police officers received the commendations in acknowledgment of the provision of support they both provided to all MH17 families.

When Malaysian Airline flight MH17 downed on 17 July 2014 the police officers commenced their roles as National Family Liaison Officer Coordinators for the National Police Netherlands (NPN). They coordinated the deployment of a large group of NPN Family Liaison Officers to assist the grieving families of the victims of the MH17 tragedy, including Australian families. From day one, they worked tirelessly alongside all MH17 families up until the announcement of their retirement late last year.

Sylvia and Theo received their awards from Detective Superintendent David Nelson at a formal ceremony.

Plastic Free July

The Netherlands, EU and the majority of Australian states have taken progressive action to ban single use plastic items including single-use plastic cutlery (forks, knives, spoons and chopsticks), single-use plastic food containers, plastic straws and plastic stirrers. The ban on single use plastics in the Netherlands and the EU came into force on the 3rd of July, 2021.

This Plastic Free July, think about what other changes you can make to reduce the use of single-use plastics in your life – through switching to reusable everyday items such as water bottles, travel coffee cups, fabric shopping bags and bringing your own cutlery or container when buying takeaway.

The Netherland’s Minister for the Environment Stientje van Veldhoven said when the EU plastic ban was introduced that the ban was a good step towards tackling the so-called plastic soup (plastic soep) in the world's oceans.

Want to know more, check the website: https://bit.ly/2Vj1got

Update: The Barefoot Dutchman

Anton Nootenboom, or by now better known as the ‘Barefoot Dutchman’, is in week 9 of his challenge to set a Guiness world record by walking from Cairns to Sydney, barefoot. He has now walked app 900 of the 2600 kilometers.
By setting this challenge Anton is raising funds and awareness for men’s mental health. Being a Dutch war veteran and working in construction, he has seen and experienced men’s mental health issues first hand and he knows how dangerous the wrong perception of ‘masculinity’ can be. In Australia on average 8 suicides happen daily, last year 3,328 people died by suicide, of which 75% were men.
During his trip Anton has gained the support of Aussie movie star and entertainer Hugh Jackman. You can follow and support Anton via Instagram @thebarefoot_dutchman

For more information and donations: https://www.thebarefootdutchman.com/

Foto: Anton Nootenboom

Shapes: A Composition by Marike van Dijk

Dutch jazz saxophonist/composer/arranger Marike van Dijk has divided her time working and living between Brooklyn and Amsterdam over the past years. She is currently pursuing a PhD in composition at the University of Queensland.

Over the past few months she was ‘Artist in Residence’ of the Museum of Brisbane. During her residency, Marike composed Shapes, a series of seven movements, featuring a six-piece ensemble, based on geometric and organic shapes inspired by the Bauhaus Now exhibition.

The Shapes suite initially started out as a small-scale exploration, translating graphic shapes into music. This exploration was part of the preparation for the development of a larger-scale work: a collaborative work with a visual/light artist, based on a graphic score. A graphic score is a composition that uses non-traditional music notation.

Eventually, the Shapes suite became a 30-minute work for a string quartet, piano, saxophone and visuals by the Farbenlichtspiele.

If you're interested and want to take the time to listen to part of the composition please visit the website: https://www.museumofbrisbane.com.au/whats-on/artist-in-residence-marike-van-dijk/

Photo credit: Lily Chen

The Tasman Map

If you still think Captain Cook was the first European to map Australia and that Matthew Flinders was the first to circumnavigate…… think again! Abel Tasman was the first European to circumnavigate Australia despite the fact that for much of his travels he was not in sight of land.

The story of the first Dutch voyages to discover Australia is set against the background of the struggle of the newly formed Dutch Republic to gain its independence from the Kingdom of Spain and the struggle of the Dutch East India Company for trade supremacy in the East Indies against its Portuguese, Spanish and English rivals.

On the 14th of August at 2pm the City of Sydney Historical Society presents historian and author Ian Burnet who will tell the fascinating story (venue Sydney Mechanics School of Arts).

For more information and tickets: http://www.sydneyhistorical.org.au/

Foto: ‘t Duyfken

Consular Know How

Did you know that when you call the local number of the consular section (02 8305 6800) of the Consulate General in Sydney, your call is being transferred to and answered by our colleagues of the 247 call centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague? They are available 24 hours, 7 days a week. So even if you call the consulate after office hours your call will be answered. All consular enquiries via email are also being processed by our colleagues of the 247 call centre in The Hague.

Have you got a question?
You can call us on 02 8305 6800, chat with us using whatsapp on +31 6 82388055 or send us an email using the contact form: https://bit.ly/3xowpF5