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Spring is in the air. The landscape is awash with brilliant yellow wattles as we celebrate Wattle Day on 1 September, and pink and white blossoms dress naked trees. Bulbs are blooming, daylight hours are lengthening, maximums are nudging 20 degrees, and even the birdsong sounds brighter – or is that just me?
I love the variety of Canberra’s four distinct seasons – and spring happens to be one of my favourites. After those long cold winter months, I can almost feel the earth beneath our feet pulsating with the promise of new growth and the air around us humming with renewed energy. My heart sings.
Reasons to be grateful this past week include a family birthday celebration, an uplifting night of delicious food and interesting company at Daana’s Karma Kitchen for Prisoners Aid ACT at The Abbey on Saturday, a stellar night of live theatre in Tim at The Q, a delightful evening of Tango and Uruguayan wine tasting at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra, blossoms, and spring-like weather. And to all the loving dads and father figures in our community, we wish you a happy Father’s Day on Sunday. Take care,
early 30 years ago, Thor Diesendorf, horrified by how much oldgrowth timber was being wasted from house demolitions, set up a company to turn that timber into furniture and architectural products. Today, Thor’s Hammer is a thriving business, recycling more than 1,500 tonnes of timber every year.
“A really great example of the circular economy in action in the ACT,” Chris Steel, ACT Minister for Transport and City Services, said. And a fitting place to launch the government’s final Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan 2023–2030 earlier this week.
Nearly one year in the making, the document sets out, Mr Steel explained, “how we build a circular city – one where we value resources and want to make sure that those resources are used time and time again at their highest value, but also making sure that we design out waste from the very beginning so that it doesn’t end up in landfill, and the resources that we do have to use are used to their highest value.”
The circular economy, the document states, is “a cyclical, regenerative system that minimises resource inputs, waste, emissions and energy.” It aims to achieve sustainable consumption and production, avoiding negative impacts on the environment.
“The circular economy is going to be
really important for the ACT for reducing pollution, reducing waste, reducing energy use, and also potentially solving material shortages,” Mr Diesendorf said.
The Strategy focuses on six main areas, including making sure food and garden organics are composted and used in agriculture and gardens; sustainable building; and emerging and problematic waste streams, like batteries.
Large numbers of these are coming into the waste stream, Mr Steel said. “This is a problematic material that can create safety issues for workers when they are disposed of in the wrong way.” As the December fire at Hume’s Materials Recovery Facility, sparked by lithium batteries, showed. But valuable materials can be recovered from batteries, so they can be safely disposed of.
Nationally, the ACT Government will advocate that the Commonwealth establish product stewardship schemes for larger batteries; if the Commonwealth fails to act, the ACT may establish its own product stewardship scheme legislation.
The ACT Government will ban materials from going into landfill where they are already covered by a product stewardship scheme.
The government intends to set up innovation hubs for recycling and reuse of materials, providing space for the circular economy to grow in Canberra, Mr Steel said. “We could continue to send all of our materials for processing and
recycling interstate, or we could do more here and create local jobs, local businesses.”
In this week’s Legislative Assembly session, the government introduced a legislative framework for the Strategy. This includes mandating food reduction plans for ACT food businesses, and making sure that businesses separate the different streams of waste they have.
This will, Mr Steel said, “incentivise businesses to do the right thing, set a level playing field for businesses who are doing the right thing, and encourage new sustainable buildings to be built through the planning system”.
On Tuesday, the government released a tender for the new Materials Recovery Facility, replacing the one at Hume, and asked suppliers to develop interim solutions to manage material from yellow-topped recycling bins.
The government also intends to build new recycling facility for food and garden organic waste, which will open around 2026. This was announced last year, but the Materials Recovery Facility takes priority. In the interim, Mr Steel said, the FOGO pilot, which began running in Belconnen suburbs in 2021, will continue.
The ACT has already introduced bans on single-use plastics, a container deposit scheme, and uses recycled content in its infrastructure projects, Mr Steel said.
The ACT has “many fantastic” recycling and circular economy businesses, he said.
“More jobs are created when we recycle products, when we reuse products – it’s estimated that for every 10,000 tons of material produced, 9.2 jobs are created when we recycle that material, compared to just 2.8 jobs when we send it to landfill.”
Mr Diesendorf would agree. Since Thor’s Hammer began in 1994, he said, the business has added one employee every year, employing more than 30 people making building products like flooring, decking, joinery and furniture. In the last four years, the business has doubled in size, moved to a new facility, and put in new equipment and machinery.
Thor’s Hammer supplies recycled timber products to 360 Building Solutions, 35 Degrees, Green House Architects, Light House Architecture & Science, and Classic Constructions. Likewise, Mr Diesendorf remarked, Capital Brewing reduced their water and energy use, and have gone carbon neutral, while GoTerra and Capital Scraps turn food waste into protein, fertiliser, and compost.
“Canberrans are also demonstrating leadership in growing the circular economy, with some great initiatives such as repair cafés, Community Toolbox Canberra, Lids for Kids, and thriving second-hand markets,” Mr Steel said.
- Nick FullerThursday, 14 September 10am – 2pm
21 Snodgrass Cres, Kambah
To find out more, visit marigalgardens.com.au/events/
At Marigal Gardens our homes aim to support you to live a happy healthy lifestyle without the worries of home maintenance. Our location, visiting practitioners and activities mean Marigal Gardens residents have access to a host of local health and wellness experts at their doorstep, and we’d like to extend that opportunity to you.
Come and meet the experts who can offer advice and services on the day, including:
•Free hearing and blood pressure checks
•Home meal delivery service and tasting
•Financial Advisors, Aged Care Planners and other downsizing experts
• Services to support living with pets including a mobile veterinary clinic
• Local Physio services including advice on falls prevention and nutrition
• Travel and tour information
• A local over 55’s community group. While you’re here, wander the village grounds, visit our apartment display suite, and sip on a free barista coffee
Please note, we have limited parking reserved for those with a disability on-site due to the construction of our apartments. Instead, we have a complimentary shuttle bus running regularly from Action Indoor Sports Kambah car park, home to Aqua Harmony Swim School and Inflatable World at 6 Jenke Circuit, Kambah.
RSVP on 1300 884 784
or email tehmi.summerfield@hindmarsh.com.au
Alternatively, just turn up on the day
Much like ‘Turkey
Teeth’, ‘Turkey
Hair’ has seen a mass surge in popularity over the past two years, as Aussies plan their overseas trips around the hair transplant surgery known as Follicular Unit Extension (FUE).
In fact, the Forbes Advisor Cosmetic Tourism Report named ‘Hair Transplant’ in Turkey as the most searched for cosmetic procedure in 2022.
“Many Australians are taking what we call ‘cosmetic holidays’ to Turkey in order to have major hair transplantation sessions,” says Dr Wen-Shan Sung, cosmetic physician and medical director of the R Clinic.
“More and more practitioners are o ering their services here in Australia, which benefits people who no longer have to travel overseas to access minimally invasive techniques.”
Until now, Canberrans, in particular, have needed to budget for some form of travel when seeking the hair loss treatment, whether that be overseas or interstate.
This is what led Dr Wen to
forming the first medical aesthetic clinic o ering FUE in Canberra.
“We can now provide the service right here, saving Canberrans the time and expense of travelling,” says Dr Wen.
R Clinic opened in January this year, among the hub of shops and restaurants below the sleek residential towers of Grazier Lane, Belconnen.
With extensive experience in aesthetic medicine and general dermatology, Dr Wen integrates mainstream medicine into the delivery of minimally invasive and advanced cosmetic procedures.
We find that after a week, patients can go back to their day-today activities, while avoiding anything too strenuous."
“Hair transplantations are one part of the services o ered at the R Clinic,” says Dr Wen.
“We’re an integrated medical aesthetic clinic, incorporating four institutes – varicose veins, women’s health, hair loss treatments, and other skin treatments.”
Dr Wen explains that much of
“There are many di erent methods of doing FUE procedures, some manual, some more advanced,” says Dr Wen. “Overseas, they do have fully automatic robotic hair transplant machines.”
The myriad of benefits of state-of-the-art hair transplant technology is what drove Dr Wen’s decision to introduce NeoGraft Hair Restoration at R Clinic, bringing the innnovation to the ACT for the first time.
“The NeoGraft hair restoration
device is relatively new technology, particularly in Australia,” says Dr Wen. “It’s what we call a semi-automatic machine.
“It helps us to streamline the process, providing more predictable and reproducible results every time.”
How hair transplant technology has evolved
Dr Wen explains, “Strip hair transplants are the traditional method of transplantation, in which a strip of skin is cut from the back of the patient’s scalp.
“While a lot of practitioners still utilise this method, we are now
Dr Wen-Shan Sung, cosmetic physician and medical director of the R Clinic in Belconnen, o ers patients the latest in hair loss technology.
seeing a shift away from traditional techniques, which we know are more aggressive, require more downtime, and are more at risk for complications.
“In this newer method of FUE, we utilise devices to make micro skin biopsies in the back of the scalp. It’s less painful and involves a quicker recovery, often less than two weeks,” says Dr Wen.
“With strip transplants, patients sometimes develop numbness around the large linear scar tissue. Whereas with FUE, we extract each follicular unit individually, and by doing so, create tiny, nearly undetectable scarring, meaning patients are still able to wear their hair short,” he says.
“While traditional techniques
relied on hand dexterity, the NeoGraft leaves less room for error.”
When you think about how long it took to grow your current head of hair, it won’t come as a surprise that growing a brand-new mane takes patience. However, it may not take as long as you think. Dr Wen walks us through the hair transplantation journey.
“We find that after a week, patients can go back to their day-to-day activities, while avoiding anything too strenuous,” says Dr Wen. “They usually have less swelling, less pain, and less discomfort.
“One month after the
transplantation is when we reach the awkward phase. Patients tend to see some shedding, and patches of their hair may be growing unevenly. They usually notice that has evened out three to four months later,” Dr Wen says.
“Then in nine to 12 months, they see their final result.”
Dr Wen emphasises it is important to note that for anyone who su ers from hair loss, “surgery is likely not your only option”.
He estimates that 80 per cent of his patients who come for an initial consultation have non-surgical options they can explore before being suitable candidates for hair transplants.
“Not everyone will benefit from transplantations. It’s important that
we are thorough and selective in what we can o er each individual patient,” says Dr Wen.
Non-surgical hair loss treatments available at R Clinic include:
• Growth Factor Injection, also known as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
• Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT)
• Medication Therapy
To find out how the R Clinic can help you, call 5119 3898 or email contact@rclinic.com.au to make an appointment.
Dr Wen’s medical aesthetic clinic is the first in Canberra to o er the highly sought-after Follicular Unit Extension (FUE) treatment.
R Clinic o ers a range of non-surgical and surgical options for patients seeking treatment for hair loss.
WITH BILL STEFANIAK AM RFD FORMER ACT OPPOSITION LEADER
Neil Gaughan, ACT Chief Police Officer and Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner, is a decent man who has tried to be a loyal servant of two masters, the ACT government and the federal government, but enough is enough.
In a blistering attack on the ACT government and its decriminalising of hard drugs –especially ice (crystal methamphetamine) and heroin – the CPO said:
“We legalised cannabis in 2021, and there was a 20 per cent increase in usage, so it’s safe to assume we are going to see an increase in other drug usage, and Canberra already has a fairly strong use of coke [cocaine] per head of population. The nation will be watching us – we are the first to go this far.”
He went on to say that one of his main concerns was the relaxation of the possession of ice.
“You will be allowed 1.5 grams, which is 15 hits, which costs about $1,500. Not many users will have that money, and that could see other crime problems. Meth (ice) is highly addictive, so the
worry is people will go on four- or five-day meth benders, go out and drive, and kill someone.
“Last year, we had 18 people die, a 300 per cent increase on the rolling average, and most of those people had meth or cannabis in their system.”
I know from bitter personal experiences how right he is there. My youngest son Joe died in January 2018 in a car accident where the driver was on meth.
Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith says the idea behind decriminalisation is to send people to rehab, but former Detective Sergeant Jason Taylor [the Belco Party’s candidate for 2024] has found out it is only mandatory for a referred user to go to ONE session – hardly effective rehab.
Neil Gaughan is also worried that the ACT might turn out to be like San Francisco, Portland, and Vancouver, where personal use of hard drugs has also been relaxed.
He said: “From what I saw over there (in February this year), it is not working … What I saw was not pretty. I saw in the States people
smoking crack in the streets, and the cops are turning a blind eye to that usage. Cops are walking around giving people a nudge to make sure they are not dead … A city like San Francisco has entire blocks that are literally nogo zones. Whole neighbourhoods are boarded up with people walking around zombified.”
Naturally, the ACT government will ignore these comments from its own top cop. However, I am confident from what he says that over the next couple of years a number of ACT parents will, like me, lose a son or daughter as a result of drug driving accidents – who may not have been lost if we didn’t have these disastrous dangerous laws.
All that decriminalisation will do is encourage more young people into becoming users – with tragic consequences. The first duty of a government is to protect its citizens, not encourage dangerous practices that put them in harm’s way.
In the heart of Canberra’s close-knit community, there’s a local family dedicated to redefining homecare. Meet Niesa and Josh, the friendly faces behind Right at Home ACT & Queanbeyan.
Right at Home’s legacy stretches back to 1995, originating in Omaha, Nebraska, and has been enriching Aussie lives since 2016.
“It’s a long-established network across Australia, and now we’re bringing it to the Canberra, Queanbeyan and surrounding NSW areas,” said Niesa, who, with the help of their team, opened their much-anticipated Mitchell o ce last June.
For Niesa, who grew up in West Belconnen, making sure Right at Home ACT & Queanbeyan is rooted in the community was a top priority.
“We know every single one of our clients and every single one of our caregivers,” she smiles.
“Canberrans support Canberrans in a really lovely way. No one supports local better than us.”
As approved providers under the Aged Care Act, Right at Home can provide quality care under government-funded homecare packages for levels 1-4, providing clients with continuity of care as their needs evolve.
Josh and Niesa also help serve private pay clients and provide disability support to plan-managed and self-managed NDIS participants.
“Our sta range from care companions to personal care workers, to enrolled and registered nurses,” says Niesa. “We’re reliable, were
consistent and we’re 24/7.”
What inspired you to get into the business?
“My first career was as a carer in the Canberra community,” says Niesa. “It was an amazing first job after I finished college.
“After that, I moved into the community sector, and worked in the domestic and family violence space, specialising in men’s behaviour change and intervention.”
When Josh, whose background is in financial planning, and Niesa decided to start a business together, the couple spent over a year researching the aged care and disability support sector.
“We came across Right at Home, an incredible network all across the country,” says Niesa. “It’s all about improving quality of life, and we just fell in love with that.
“We felt that the way Right at Home approaches homecare was missing in Canberra.”
What do you love about your job?
“My favourite part of the job is the face-to-face contact,” says Niesa. “I think there’s a real privilege to being able to get out and about, meet di erent people, and hear their life stories.”
Josh and Niesa provide free in-home visits, to help their clients navigate how to access funding through homecare packages or NDIS.
“There are so many amazing humans in our community,” says Niesa, who strongly believes that “improving quality of life” is not a one-size-fits-all approach.
“For some people, that means having those homecooked fresh meals, while for another person it’s being able to get out and about.
“Right at Home o ers everything from Companion Care, to do some shopping or get out in the garden, to Personal Care, which helps with things like showering and medication prompts,” says Niesa. “We o er domestic assistance with household duties, all the way through to skilled nursing.”
What has been your biggest highlight so far?
“For me, the proudest moment was when I received a photo from one of our families. It was a picture of their dad, in a hospital bed that they could wheel outside. He was in his beautiful garden, surrounded by birds,” Niesa smiles.
“It was a joint e ort from the family
and our team, helping to bring him home. He was a palliative care client whose dying wish was to go home for the last two weeks of his life.”
With the help of their care coordinator, whose nursing background is in palliative care, Josh and Niesa were able to grant that wish.
“A lot of services had turned them away,” says Niesa. “There is a huge gap in the market for homecare providers that are comfortable providing palliative care.
“I definitely shed a few tears. I was just really proud of the team, but also that beautiful family who were brave enough to help their dad return home, because that’s where he wanted to be in his last moments.”
With an open-door policy, care
plans developed by skilled nurses, Zero Package Management Fees, and client-directed service, Josh and Niesa are committed to bridging the gap between quality care and the comfort of home.
“We’re not there to take anyone’s independence away; we’re there to complement their independence,” says Niesa.
Right at Home ACT & Queanbeyan is a 24/7 service. Visit us in person at 1/68 Dacre St, Mitchell Monday to Friday 8.30am–5pm or, if you’d like to make an enquiry outside of these hours, we can be reached on our 24-hour phone line 02 5127 5198.
You can also meet Josh and Niesa at the ACT Senior Expo at EPIC on 21 September.
Right at Home ACT & Queanbeyan: “We know every single one of our clients and every single one of our caregivers,” Niesa says.
Right at Home ACT & Queanbeyan provides free in-home visits to help clients navigate applicable funding packages.
Canberra is home to more than 110 diplomatic missions, but none are more resolute in continued diplomacy than the Embassy of Afghanistan, operating without government guidance or financial support since the country fell to the Taliban in 2021.
Afghanistan ambassador Wahidullah Waissi has stayed at his post “to support not just the land of Afghanistan but the soul of his nation”.
“There were some difficulties at the very beginning after the collapse, we really didn’t know what to do in terms of who should tell us what to do,” Mr Waissi said at the National Press Club recently. “Diplomats solely receive directions – that direction is no longer there.”
Around the world, 40 diplomatic missions for Afghanistan have developed their own governing system, the Council of Ambassadors. They collaborate on agendas for running each mission and they pool their resources.
“Some embassies had their resources continued but some embassies have scarce resources,” Mr Waissi said. “It depends on the diaspora community; the more you have the diaspora community, the better you can generate
revenue [the embassy offers 25 types of services]. The model we continue to approach is the cost efficiency model, which allowed us to utilise the revenues for our expenses, while downsizing our staff, keeping our expenditures very low. Other embassies applied to other embassies for more resources to help.”
The Afghanistan community in Australia numbers about 100,000.
In Canberra last year, volunteer construction workers from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra worked over three weekends on the Embassy of Afghanistan, carrying out repairs and maintenance that would have otherwise cost tens of thousands of dollars.
“This act bolstered the morale of myself and my team,” Mr Waissi said. “The steadfast commitment of Afghan diplomats is of utmost importance. Many diplomats, like myself and my team, have remained abroad.”
Mr Waissi was speaking in Canberra as part of the recent Canberra Writers Festival – a luxury when you consider a writers festival held in Kabul last year was closed down by the Taliban and
books confiscated.
He said his embassy in Canberra was not just a building but a symbol of hope, connection and sovereignty.
“Despite challenges, we have managed to keep the doors open,” Mr Waissi said. “Often those who visit us are not only here for consular services. They arrive quietly, park their cars, and stand tall to take a selfie with the flag. It’s not just a simple photo, it’s a profound act, each selfie captures more than just faces; it encapsulates memories, shared histories, respect for their ancestral land and aspirations for a brighter and more promising future.”
Mr Waissi said he had remained at his diplomatic post because the embassy represents the idea of the country that has been lost and the dream of the country that could be. His country’s national day was 19 August.
“Our national day is our pride; it is not given to us, we earned it,” he said. “We use any available opportunity to celebrate that. Celebration of national day is an act against what is happening in Afghanistan.”
- Georgia Curry
Once a month, no matter the weather, food charity HelpingACT holds a night-time barbecue for homeless people and vulnerable Canberrans outside the Early Morning Centre on Northbourne Avenue, a community hub for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and social isolation.
In August, HelpingACT marked the one-year anniversary of the program.
So far, the charity has held 12 monthly barbecues, and a baker’s dozen of ‘feel-good’ lunches at the Early Morning Centre. The guests come from low-income housing at Ainslie Village or Havelock Housing, or from the streets.
While HelpingACT provides tasty food (mostly curries and biryanis), the meals are as much a social outreach program – an opportunity for the ‘vulnerable guests’ to “feel that someone is here to listen to them, and share a table with them”, Mohammed Ali, the charity’s chair and founder, said.
On one occasion, one attendee brought his guitar and sang songs – “That was a
fantastic evening,” Mr Ali said. “I’m looking forward to hearing that guitar again.”
For the past eight months, Christine Murray, a public servant by day, has had a small table with dental and female hygiene products, beanies, and gloves – items homeless people need. She also stocks street pantries in Weston Creek, and holds fundraising barbecues at Bunnings for struggling rural people.
Prominent Canberrans volunteer at the barbecues; on Friday, Canberra Liberals MLA Mark Parton and Canberra Royals rugby club president Jim Taylor were among those cooking meals.
“You don’t have to spend much time with the Helping ACT crew to understand that not all heroes wear capes,” Mr Parton said.
“What Mohammed and his band of helpers have managed to achieve in such a short space of time is truly remarkable. This is what the beating heart of Canberra looks like up close, and it’s always a pleasure to lend a hand.”
But Mr Ali is not one to rest on his laurels when there is work to be done. He intends to make the barbecues weekly, holding them in different parts of Canberra where there are pockets of people in need. Full story online.
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Two sustainable ACT homes were awarded at the 2023 HIA Australian GreenSmart Awards, announced on Friday 25 August.
Local businesses, Light House Architecture & Science and 360 Building Solutions, won both the HIA Australian GreenSmart Sustainable Home Award and the Renovation and Addition Project category.
Their winning home project was a compact, 7.9-star energyefficient dwelling that cleverly adapted to an awkwardly oriented and sloping site to optimise solar passive gains.
The second accolade went to a thoughtfully executed renovation that refreshed an outdated and uncomfortable 1960s Canberra duplex into a modern, energy-
gains on a sloping site. Image supplied.
and water-efficient living space.
The GreenSmart Awards recognise the best in sustainable housing. Winners from around Australia were recognised for their contribution to sustainable building practices.
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The desired traits of the perfect colleague include strong people skills, good manners, being supportive and a team player – and possibly having four legs, fur and a wagging tail. The search for Australia’s Top Office Dog saw one Canberra pooch in the finals, and while he didn’t secure the top spot, he is still a winner to us.
Recently celebrating his first birthday, Bernie the border collie has been brightening the Dogs ACT office with his infectiously fun personality. From greeting customers and ensuring the grounds are free from rubbish and pesky birds, Bernie quickly became a valued member of the team.
“Usually, the first person that greets you at the counter is his beautiful little black and white ears and face,” says Vanessa March, Bernie’s mum and colleague.
From a line of working and sporting dogs, Bernie was one of a litter born to Vanessa’s border collie, Erin. Although she hadn’t planned to keep any of the pups, Bernie quickly won the dog lover over, showing his special personality from just three weeks old.
“Whenever I picked him up and handled him from his litter, he would just hang in my hands like a limp noodle – his nickname is noodle,” Vaness smiles.
Each day in the office, Bernie’s schedule includes greeting customers, a few toilet stops, and long naps. He also ensures he focuses on relationshipbuilding with his colleagues, particularly the biscuit lady, Linda, who brings him a treat from the kitchen each morning.
“Her prerequisite for it was we must sit politely and very, very straight. This didn’t take Bernie very long to work out how this works,” Vanessa says.
Part of Bernie’s job is to ensure the grounds are clear of rubbish, a role he takes seriously. Proud to show off his finds, like a Ziploc bag of cigarette butts, or trying to steal a sip of coffee from a discarded cup, a quick ‘ta’ from Vanessa will see Bernie surrender his loot.
“I’ve copped a couple of choice looks from him when I’ve taken something that he really loved, like a piece of dirty old thong after Summernats,” she smiles. Full story online.
- Jessica Cordwell
There are things we take for granted in Australia. Free beach access, universal health care, and that jar of coins next to your dad’s bed.
But like our beloved Fantales lollies whose demise was credited to a lack of demand, could Dad’s coins and our colourful notes be the next thing to go?
With the wave of a device, could we be unwittingly sending a message that we no longer want our cash?
It seems we are.
According to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) most recent Consumer Payments Survey (CPS), over the three years to 2022, “Australians halved their share of cash payments by number, from 32 per cent to 16 per cent of in-person transactions”.
Should we be worried about that?
Kim, from Canberra, is.
Kim, 35, is on a low income due to health challenges and has been asking people for cash help outside Canberra shopping centres. “People comment now that they don’t carry cash anymore and that means that sometimes I don’t eat,” he says.
And Kim is not alone; 123,000 Australians have signed a petition asking for a cash and banking guarantee in Australia.
Peter Gordon, CEO of Hands Across Canberra says that this is not surprising.
“Changes that create difficulties impact the vulnerable the most,” Mr Gordon says.
Certified Practising Accountants Australia (CPA) spokesperson, Elinor Kasapidis, Head of Policy and Advocacy, agrees.
“The pressure to adopt digital financial services is likely to be
felt the hardest in regional and remote areas, as well as among disadvantaged groups and the elderly,” Ms Kasapidis says.
“In emergencies, like natural disasters or fleeing domestic violence, cash can be critical to enable people and businesses to pay for goods and services.”
Canberra GP Dr Anita Hutchison, from Doctors Against Violence Toward Women, and herself a domestic violence survivor, says, “Cash can’t be traced and so may be used to access a lawyer and psychologist or to develop a plan to escape or stay in alternate accommodation”.
What about Australian businesses?
In March this year, an RBA article suggested that “half of merchants that accepted cash in April 2022 planned on actively discouraging cash payments”.
The merchants who plan to move away from accepting cash, however, “were more likely to have higher turnover and be in metropolitan areas”.
Unlike smaller regional businesses.
Georgina Kounnas, owner of The Allergy Centre in the ACT is one of those.
“Cash is indispensable for small business as it reduces the costs related to electronic transactions, which is around $2,000 a month for us,” Ms Kounnas says; a lot for those struggling to make ends meet.
Recently, the UK parliament passed a new law which protects the use of cash and ensures they must provide fee-free local access to cash withdrawals.
The UK joins a growing number of jurisdictions protecting the role of cash, including Austria, Spain, and parts of the US.
So, is Australia doing enough to protect the interests of Kim, Georgina, and Anita?
“Australia must follow other countries and move to protect our right to access and use cash,” says Jason Bryce, spokesperson for the Cash Welcome campaign.
The senate’s Rural and Regional Affairs Committee is currently investigating the issue of ongoing bank closures, however, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has also begun a process of modernising Australia’s payment system.
And the RBA?
Professor Gigi Foster from the University of NSW School of Economics reports that she recently asked the RBA whether the public should fear that Central Bank Digital Currencies and other digital currencies will be allowed to replace cash.
“I was told verbatim that the RBA is committed to making cash available for as long as people demand it,” she says; a sentiment confirmed by the RBA in its 2022/23 Corporate Plan .
But is it solely up to the RBA and our government to ‘keep cash alive’?
Professor Foster believes that ‘we the people’ need to demand it.
“We can do that through hoarding it, but we can also do that through using it ... at shops, at school fetes, or for donations to the homeless and other charitable causes,” she says.
“One thing I make a point of is not giving my business to stores that do not honour cash.”
Professor Foster encourages Australians to “use our voice and our financial decisions to keep cash filling that default role of fairness in our society”.
Australians may be lamenting that they did not continue to buy those Fantales. However, it appears that the consequences of complacency when it comes to our cash are far more significant. Use it or lose it.
- Bernie Ryan
I totally agree with John Lawrence regarding ‘Shameful Northbourne Avenue’ (CW 24 August 2023, p18). However, the problem extends further than this once pleasant approach to our city. I will not venture along this thoroughfare any more but find that I also do not want to visit other areas where there were once attractive homes sheltered by lovely tree-lined streets. Remember Torrens Street in Braddon? These have been erased to make way for more boxes on boxes on boxes in the same style as those in the new outer suburbs and they are popping up all over with barely enough space between buildings to breathe let alone have play areas for children and a decent garden. Beautiful? No. Charming? No. This present government is endeavouring to strip Canberra of its once unique personality and create ugliness en masse where once was charm
and individuality. Even the oncemaligned government housing was much more appealing.
- Daphne Harding, FarrerThe Referendum is not extreme According to opinion polls, I am in a category expected to vote no in the referendum. A white, septuagenarian male living a comfortable suburban life, my demographic is apparently opposed to people who are not me seeking recognition that I don’t have.
I don’t know why. The Voice will open opportunities for Indigenous Australians without taking anything away from the rest of us. Life as we know it for the rest of us will not change. We will continue to live, work and play as we did before.
We have to get away from thinking one person’s gain is another person’s loss, more so when those who might gain are in the most disadvantaged group in the country. With this
important decision we can do something to improve their lives, which must benefit our nation.
The referendum is a simple request for two things: recognition that Aboriginal people lived here before 1788, and setting up an advisory Voice to Parliament and the Government to address the disadvantage they have faced for generations. It is not about budgets and structures. That will be decided by the Government of the day, as it should be.
This is not an extreme proposal. We have nothing to lose and so much to gain by voting yes. If the referendum fails, I fear we will be seen as a country that does not want to listen to its first people. That would be a loss for all of us.
- Brett Gray, MonashFeral animal control options
I have been following many letters for and against feral animal control options, seeing commendable passion being displayed both sides of the argument. In the midst, much is lost in the heat of the moment. The reality is there’s a problem that needs to be fixed, in a tight timeframe in a professionally sound manner. I suggest, firstly, we hand responsibility to Indigenous experts on a “performance proven” reductionper-head-fee basis, and secondly, as a failsafe, through our tourism organisation, we establish a visit to Australia hunters program, boosting tourism numbers and generating much valuable dollars. The concept could better enhance the reduction in the numbers of kangaroos, buffalo, camel, pigs, goats and
horses presently destroying our environment, and kick-start a newly devised eradication of the cane toad through a search and destroy family bonding program.
Local sportsmen could set up new guiding ventures to support the tourists, similar to what’s already occurring in Africa.
The tourism improved control option at minimal cost to the taxpayer would be beneficial. However, we need to be responsible by banning them from bringing unsuitable weapons into this country for the program, such as the Glock18, MAC 10, AR 15 and 50 calibre sniper rifle with a one-kilometre kill range, or similar military rated weapons. Our preference would be for visitors, unarmed, to travel with Indigenous Australians to see close up the unique professional way Australia handles its problems.
- John Lawrence, FlynnI am a winner of the elho ocean collection pots. Thank you very much for this opportunity, and, as a regular reader, it was an absolute joy to not only collect the prize but appreciate the work environment that produces the magazine. In addition, considering it happened to coincide with a birthday made this win ever so special.
Ironically, I was about to send a letter to say that the magazine has improved consistently over time, and this presented an opportunity to thank you and congratulate your success.
I, for one, appreciate your magazine and have so for many years.
- Chris McGrath, Yarralumla
GIVIT is working with an organisation in the ACT that supports families experiencing hardship. They are requesting the donation of baby swaddles or muslin wraps for families with babies from newborns to six months of age. These are essential for ensuring a safe and comfortable sleeping environment and allow families to follow SIDS guidelines for sleeping arrangements. Generous Canberrans can donate new swaddles or wraps or fund their purchase with 100% of money received by GIVIT used to buy this item. To donate or fund, visit givit.org.au/whats-needed, search Category: ‘Swaddle/muslin wrap’; Location: ‘ACT’. GIVIT supports more than 400 charities and community groups across the Capital Region by matching your items with people who need them most.
The next Kangara Waters Retirement Village Mini-Market will be held at the Community Centre, 2 Joy Cummings Place, Belconnen on Saturday 2 September 8.30am-12.30pm. There will be homemade cakes, jams and preserves, jewellery, handmade cards and craft items, as well as lots of donations for our White Elephant and Treasures stalls. The markets help bring together the residents and build community spirit, fund community activities at the Village, and provide great value goods for the wider community.
Check out our trash & treasure, books, pre-loved clothes, crafts and jewellery, cake stall, and free morning tea/coffee at Christ Church Hawker, corner Beetaloo Street and Belconnen Way, Hawker on Saturday 2 September 9am-12pm. All welcome. Enquiries: 0428 266 658.
The next monthly Red Dove preloved clothing is on from Thursday 31 August to Saturday 2 September 9am-1pm at Tuggeranong Uniting Church, Comrie St, Wanniassa. Lots of clothing for women, men and children and new summer stock plus books, DVDs, jewellery, linen and bric-a-brac, plus coffee and cake in café. Easy parking and spacious auditorium. More info: Jenny 0409 306 031.
Good Shepherd Community Church, Chisholm run a Community Garden every Tuesday 10am-12pm. Every second Wednesday 10am-12pm we hold a Cuppa and Craft morning. BYO craft to work on. More info: call Cheryl on 0416 030 323 or email communitydev@mygoodshepherd.org.au
Upcoming Thursday Talks by Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens include: 7 September – ‘Wattle Days are Here Again’ by Dr Suzette Searle, a CSIRO Forest Research scientist; and 14 September – ‘The diversity of Australian alpine plant pollinator communities’ by Dr Francisco Encinas-Viso from the CSIRO Australian National Herbarium.
Canberra Branch: We will host a jewellery lesson on Friday 8 September 10am-12pm at our rooms, 8 Barry Drive, Civic. Enquiries: email cwacanberra@gmail.com
Saturday 9 September 9am-1pm at St Ninian’s Uniting Church, Lyneham. Pre-loved winter clothing for all ages, jackets, suits, footwear, plus blankets, doonas, towels, linen, and bric-a-brac including glass, china, appliances, sport and camping gear. Kitchen will be serving freshly baked scones.
The Harmonie Club’s beloved German markets return on Sunday 10 September 9am-1pm, 49 Jerrabomberra Ave, Narrabundah. With lots of stalls, live entertainment, great food, German deli, and a jumping castle for the kids, it’s a wunderbar way to spend a Sunday morning! Free entry and free parking.
Come and experience an afternoon of song, with hits of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rogers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Stephen Sondheim and more on Sunday 10 September at St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 108 Sternberg Crescent, Wanniassa. The Marymead CatholicCare Auxiliary will have raffle entries and goodies available for purchase after the concert. Proceeds go to Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn to support children, young people and their families in the ACT and regional areas. Tickets: $25; children (0-16) free; revenue-aus.keela.co/showtunes-classics
Women of all ages are invited to attend this free workshop presented by a Physiotherapist from Canberra Health Services on Wednesday 6 September 9.30am-12pm at Phillip Community Health Centre. This workshop will provide information, education and self-help strategies for women who are experiencing continence problems or wishing to prevent them. Bookings are essential via Community Heath Intake Team on 5124 9977.
Curtin Primary School and the Parents & Community are holding a raffle. Tickets are $2 each with a prize pool of $7,959. Prizes include: Bethany Beach House, Vincentia NSW (3 nights RRP $2,700); Heartstrings Photography (RRP $895); Beach Pad Holiday, Tomakin NSW (2 nights RRP $700) and many more. The raffle will be drawn on Wednesday 20 September 3.30pm at Curtin Primary School. You do not need to be present at the draw to win. All recipients will be contacted to coordinate prize collection by Wednesday 27 September by telephone or email. All funds raised support Curtin Primary School to purchase new readers for both the junior and senior school, with additional funds going towards new playground equipment. Purchase tickets via raffletix.com.au/curtinpstriviaraffle
Celebrate the start of spring at the first Canberra Festival of Nature launch. Join co-hosts Landcare ACT, Suburban Land Agency and Woden Community Service for the Community Day on Saturday 9 September 11am-2pm at Whitlam Display Village. This is a great opportunity for the whole family to learn from local organisations and individuals about our region’s natural environment. This event will be the first of many held throughout spring to connect the community with nature by celebrating and exploring the diversity and beauty of our native flora, fauna, and unique local ecosystems. More info: visit landcareact.org.au/festival
ACROSS
1 Pauses before acting (9)
6 Stamina; supports (4)
10 Nothing (3)
11 Ancient civilisation centred in Italy (5,6)
12 Single-reed woodwind instrument (8)
13 Mouse or rat, for example (6)
14 Graze (4)
15 Spirit whose wailing presages death (7)
20 Shouts (7)
21 Variety of tomato (4)
25 Rouse (6)
26 Layabout (coll) (8)
28 Arouses interest (11)
29 Zodiac sign (3)
30 Reverentially fearful (4)
31 Absorbs (9)
canberraweekly.com.au/puzzles
VIRGO AUG 24 – SEPT 23
The Pisces supermoon offers the chance to turn a corner in your personal life, especially if you were born in August. All Virgos will gain the chance to be more productive at work, which will lead to a sense of accomplishment.
LIBRA SEPT 24 – OCT 23
The supermoon will shine a light on your work or health. You’ll enjoy a reunion, romance or return to an old haunt. You may like a mystery, but if it contributes to feeling disorientated, you must get your feet on the ground.
SCORPIO OCT 24 – NOV 22
This will be a sociable week, which you’ll enjoy. It may also represent the start of a new phase regarding your family or a friend. Be sure to avoid forgetfulness and overindulgence. You’ll receive key news from a group or organisation.
1 Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk in which city’s patent office?
DOWN
1 Manacle (8)
2 Saved (8)
3 Lethargic (6)
4 Self-restrained (9)
5 Carol (4)
7 Prepared for publication (6)
8 Detective (6)
9 Authorise (7)
16 Friendly but insincere manner (9)
17 Make an error (coll) (5,2)
18 Short novels (8)
19 Dissenting groups (8)
22 Sickness (6)
23 Deep narrow gorge (6)
24 Slowly (mus) (6)
27 Garden tool (4)
2 In which year did trampolining debut as an Olympic sport?
3 Is Full Moon Creek in Tasmania or the Australian Capital Territory?
4 For which US TV series was Rose Byrne nominated for a Golden Globe in 2008?
5 What year did television broadcasting officially begin in Australia?
SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 – DEC 21
As a new chapter begins, get set to turn a corner at home, with family or a property. For some, news at work and regarding your general direction will impact your home life. You’ll gain the option to move into new circles.
CAPRICORN DEC 22 – JAN 20
The Pisces supermoon and blue moon points to an excellent week for success with your projects and interests if you are prepared to enter fresh territory, such as via travel or self-development. Meetings and talks will kickstart a fresh venture.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 – FEB 19
The supermoon shines a light on your personal life and finances. Saturn will help you to configure an airtight budget and to make a commitment. You may simply need to commit to a particular – and realistic – course of action.
PISCES FEB 20 – MAR 20
The Pisces supermoon is also a blue moon and it aligns with Saturn. This will spotlight a particular commitment in your personal life, especially for end-of-February Pisces. Changes at work or health-wise are likely for March fish as news arrives.
ARIES MAR 21 – APR 20
It’s a good week to build wealth and stamina and this weekend is ideal to find ways to relax, as you may feel restless. The Pisces supermoon offers the chance to turn a corner with a key work, family or personal matter.
TAURUS APR 21 – MAY 21
The supermoon will spotlight an area of your work or general interests that you enjoy. You may feel inspired and must be prepared to invest hard work in a particular project. A domestic matter or trip is likely to go well.
GEMINI MAY 22 – JUN 21
The Pisces supermoon will put the focus on broadening your horizons through travel, study and, for some, a legal matter. You will gain the chance to pinpoint your goals. A domestic or family matter brings news, and you may enjoy a financial boost.
CANCER JUN 22 – JUL 22
The Pisces supermoon will refresh the areas of life you share, such as duties, finances and space at home. It may also bring increased responsibilities. If you’re making financial decisions, avoid wishful thinking and rely only on the facts.
LEO JUL 23 – AUG 23
The supermoon will bring focus to a relationship that could be more restrictive than you’d prefer. A parental matter may require more attention. Take practical steps to boost circumstances. You may receive good news financially.
IN THE STARS with PATSY BENNETT
For personal readings, contact Patsy through her website to make an appointment, or call 0448 808 333. Facebook: facebook.com/patsybennettpsychicastrology Instagram: instagram.com/patsybennettastrology www.patsybennett.com
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I get plenty of calls from people who ask, “is my project too small to engage a designer?” And plenty of people can’t tell me why they need help and want me to “just come out and tell me where to start”. If you knew what you needed, you wouldn’t need a designer, right?
The truth is, as much as it thrills me to see whole magazine-worthy rooms come together like the projects you’ll see in our portfolio, not everybody has the budget to commit to whole rooms in one go. Many of you have stuff you just can’t part with.
If your decorating project has stalled because you are overwhelmed and just can’t seem to pull it together, now you can access help on just the parts you need. I am offering an a la carte design service, where you can choose from a menu of the different design tasks that I can help you with. I won’t lie, you will still need a small budget to work with as I can’t build it with matchsticks after all. If you book
in a free 15-minute chat I can guide you about budget and the process to success.
I am an expert in making your home feel like home, so if your project covers these areas – carpets, rugs, paint, wallpaper, furniture, upholstery, curtains and blinds, cushions, lamps, lighting, and art – I’m your woman.
Narrowing down decisions is my superpower!
If your home is bursting at the seams, I can also help you audit your furnishings and show you how you might better arrange your furniture. Downsizers find this part very useful. A furniture plan is a fundamental for successful design, so my advice is to always start there.
We’ll pull your ideas together and make recommendations so you can confidently take action.
Avoid big ticket mistakes with a holistic plan to guide you to achieving your forever home. To get started, I invite you to visit my website to grab my free guides.
Shop 8 Manuka Village, Griffith ACT
T: 02 6170 2176
E: studio@journey-home.com.au
W: www.journey-home.com.au
Dash and Albert Rugs’ Australian distributor is closing down.
Journey Home is helping clear stock with a 1-day sale in our store. Prices are never to be repeated. While stocks last.
Kitchen mats
Runners
Indoor Outdoor rugs +++
Sale in store this Saturday 2nd September 11.30am - 3.00pm at Manuka Village
6170 2176
Shop 8 Manuka Village, Griffith ACT
www.journey-home.com.au
Your Air Conditioning system is a household essential, o ering relief from scorching summer days, chilly winter nights and providing you and your family clean, healthy indoor air to breathe.
Like any appliance, it can develop issues over time and eventually stop working. Determining whether to repair or replace your air conditioner can be a di cult decision. Alliance Climate Control, your dedicated Air Conditioning specialist, o ers this helpful advice.
If you are having frequent and costly repairs, this is a clear indication that a replacement system is necessary, especially if the warranty has expired and the unit is over 15 years old. Other signs include incorrect air temperature, reduced airflow, moisture leaks, short cycling, strange noises, odours, outdoor unit vibrations, excessive dust, acid formation or corrosion, and slow cooling. Ignoring these signs can lead to worsening underlying issues and increased energy bills.
A recent study has shown that replacing your air conditioner with a newer, improved, energy-e cient
model can result in up to 46 per cent savings in energy costs. Upgrading to a new unit can yield substantial savings compared to repairing an old one. Additionally, a properly sized air conditioner ensures better temperature control, improved ventilation, and enhanced air quality. Advanced features like Wi-Fi connectivity and occupancy sensors add convenience and e ciency to your daily life.
When deciding between repair and replacement, consider the extent and cost of the issues, repair frequency, unit e ciency, and size. Minor repairs and a unit with minimal repair history may make repair the better option. At Alliance Climate Control, we say the general rule of thumb is if the total repair costs for the air conditioner are not more than 50 per cent of the price of a brand-new unit, and your unit still has plenty of life in it, then repairing it can be the coste ective solution for you.
Ultimately, replacing your air conditioner is a wise decision if your current unit consistently malfunctions and fails to deliver comfortable cooling. Improved
technology, cost-e ectiveness, better ventilation, and enhanced air conditioning performance make it an investment in home comfort and wellbeing.
By paying attention to subtle signs and considering the benefits of replacement versus repair, our team of qualified technicians can help you make an informed decision. If you experience any of the mentioned indicators or are contemplating a more e cient system, it might be time to replace your air conditioner.
Speak to our team today, and don’t get caught out with a broken system this Spring-Summer season.
Unit 2, 86 Townsville Street, Fyshwick ACT
T: 0488 816 771
E: o ce@alliancecc.com.au
W: www.alliancecc.com.au
Spring is a season of rejuvenation and renewal. What better way to embrace this season of growth and change than by transforming your home into a bright, stylish haven to enjoy? Whether it’s creating a backyard oasis, managing light and climate inside or something else, there are indoor and outdoor solutions to enhance any home.
With spring comes the end of winter and more opportunities to immerse yourself in the great outdoors. Indoor and outdoor blind, curtain and awning solutions can help you seamlessly integrate the outdoors with your interior living spaces.
Curtains and blinds can brighten your rooms, keep the costs of cooling and heating down, provide privacy when you need it, and add the personal touches that make a house a home. There are blinds, curtains and shutters in an exciting suite of colours, fabrics and materials with a focus on features such as energy-efficient and child-safe options. You might even like to indulge in luxury offerings or explore innovative technology with the latest in motorisation. Head outside to savour the spring breeze – rain, hail or shine. Shutters, roller doors, retractable roof solutions and more can help protect your house against the elements and
create comfortable outdoor spaces where you can be outside year-round.
Whether you have a spacious patio or a cosy balcony, outdoor blinds and awnings can create comfortable, shaded spaces where you can relax for your morning coffee or host an alfresco dinner party. We believe quality and function go hand in hand. Discover UV and weatherproof fabrics, contemporary styles and innovative products.
A visit to the Canberra Blinds Centre display centre is the perfect way to explore all your options. Book a free design consultation! The team will get to know your space and tailor the perfect indoor or outdoor option for you and your budget.
Spring is not just about new beginnings; it’s also an excellent time to rejuvenate your existing living spaces. If your existing blinds and curtains are showing signs of wear and tear from the harsh winter months, Canberra Blinds Centre has you covered. Our cleaning and repair services are designed to breathe new life into your window coverings, making them look and feel as good as new.
Cleaning and repair services mean you can work with what you already have, which will
save you money, contribute to sustainability by reducing waste and you get to enjoy benefits including reduced allergies, improved longevity and a cleaner, brighter looking home.
At Canberra Blinds Centre, we understand that every home is unique, and your window covering needs are specific to your lifestyle. That’s why we offer a free home design consultation. Our experts can establish your requirements and provide personalised recommendations to enhance your spring living experience.
Spring is all about transformation and Canberra Blinds Centre can help make your home spring-ready. Whether you want to bring the outdoors in, revitalise your existing window coverings or simply need expert guidance, we have the solutions for you.
Visit our Fyshwick display centre, or book a FREE design consultation with a member of our experienced team.
Call 6147 5757 or head online to book a FREE design consultation and get the right window treatments for your needs at www.canberrablindscentre.com.au.
2/8 Townsville Street, Fyshwick, ACT
E: info@canberrablindscentre.com.au
Are you ready to revamp your home and give it a fresh new look for spring? Look no further than Dirty Janes Vintage Emporium in Fyshwick!
If you love vintage, midcentury, or retro style, you’ll love browsing through the incredible collection of items at Dirty Janes. You will uncover everything from sideboards to antique mirrors and vintage suitcases, each packed with character and charm.
Whether you’re looking for a statement piece to complete your living room or want to add some distinctive touches to your dining, you’ll find everything you need to transform your space for spring, including beautiful plants, butterfly domes, and fresh or dried flowers.
Within Dirty Janes vast warehouse, you’ll discover a
variety of unique retro, vintage, and artisan-made furniture, homewares, art, tableware, and outdoor living options that fit every style and budget. Lamps, books, jewellery, kimonos, vinyl records, and oneof-a-kind artworks; every visit will reveal another gem. Wonderments and curiosities are everywhere you look, and with over 90 stallholders showcasing an ever-changing variety of eras and styles, each trip to Dirty Janes is di erent.
After you’ve found your treasures, drop into onsite café Salters for lunch and Canberra’s best co ee, and rest easy knowing that when you buy vintage, it’s not shopping; it’s saving the planet!
So why not head over to Dirty Janes and breathe new life into your space this spring? Your home and the planet will thank you for it!
Open seven days 10am-5pm T: 0411 827 488
@dirtyjanes_canberra
Bliss Air Con is locally owned and operated with over 20 years’ experience in the industry. As the seasons change, ensure your comfort with our range of services – from ducted heating and Inverter AC to central air conditioning and reverse cycle systems, we’ve got you covered. We also specialise in refrigerated AC systems, multi-head AC systems, and packaged AC
systems. We provide supply and installation services and repair and replacement services for ducted heating systems. We work with top brands like Mitsubishi, Rinnai, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi Electric.
With the ACT Government programs, as well as $15,000 interest free loans and rebates up to $5,000 for pensioners, we’re able to
help homeowners install energy efficient air conditioning systems to reduce the carbon footprint of your units and/or appliances. With a super easy application process that our friendly team can assist with, it’s easier than ever to keep your family warm all winter and reduce the humidity in your home over summer. Contact us now to book your free quote and find out if you’re eligible for government support.
T: 02 6140 3273
E: mark@blissaircon.com.au
W: www.blissaircon.com.au
It’s a daily slog to get the recommended amount of veg into every mouth in the household. These meat-free recipes o er a zerotolerance approach to bland.
WITH TASTE EDITOR, ANJA DE ROZARIO
Serves 4
1/4 cup (70g) white miso paste
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup (60ml) honey
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped, whites and greens separated
8cm piece of ginger, peeled and julienned
1 large cauliflower, cut into 8 wedges
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups (440g) white rice
1/2 tsp Chinese fi ve-spice
1/2 tsp fine salt
1 tsp sesame seeds
Blanched greens (optional)
Serves 6
6 large brushed potatoes
Butter and extra virgin olive oil, to serve
For the curd dressing
2⁄3 cup (150g) goat’s curd
1/2 cup (125g) sour cream
1/2 tsp finely snipped chives
1/2 tsp finely chopped dill
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp garlic powder
For the salsa
1⁄3 cup (60g) pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped
1 cup (200g) chopped tomatoes, seeds removed from large ones
1/4 red onion, finely diced
2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, seeds removed, finely diced
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
Preheat the oven to 230°C fan forced. Wash and scrub the potatoes and pat dry. Wrap each spud in foil and place
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan forced. Blend the miso, garlic, honey, soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, spring onions (white parts only) and a quarter of the ginger in a food processor until smooth.
Toss the cauliflower through this mix, making sure to coat it really well.
In a large roasting tray big enough to fit the cauliflower in a single layer, combine the olive oil, rice, remaining ginger, Chinese five spice and salt.
Cover with 3 cups (750ml) of water and gently shake the pan to level out the rice. Place the cauliflower into the water, then cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 25 minutes, basting with any remaining marinade for the final 5 minutes.
Serve with sesame seeds and the green parts of the spring onions.
them on a baking tray. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, using hand-held electric beaters, beat the goat’s curd and sour cream on medium speed until smooth and flu y, around 2 minutes. Add the chives, dill, lemon zest and garlic powder and beat on high for 2 minutes. To make the salsa, combine the olives, tomato, red onion and cucumber in a small bowl and dress with the olive oil and white vinegar. Season with salt and dried oregano.
Once the potatoes are cooked and soft to the squeeze from a pair of tongs, remove the foil and place them on a serving platter.
Slice the potatoes lengthways, but not all the way through. Give them a gentle squeeze to push the flesh upwards towards the opening.
Top each potato with a big swipe of butter and then a dollop of curd dressing and splash the salsa all about. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve as is.
Climbing on the Centurion Tank was one of the perks for youngsters visiting the Australian War Memorial in the 1980s, and for two Canberrans, it helped spark a lifelong interest in military tanks. Sharing that passion with a community from across the globe, the pair co-host the Totally Tanked podcast.
Friends since high school, John Griffiths and Robert Dunne get together once a month for a couple of beers and a chat about tanks. While the subject of an armoured fighting vehicle may make for a niche podcast, it has created a loyal and spread-out fanbase.
“They’re interesting objects; for a significant number of people they are very exciting objects,” John says. “We have listeners from all corners of the world … from provinces in India that we never knew existed; the Finns are very keen on us – that has been a fun part of the journey.”
Each episode is designated to a particular tank from history or those that are in active
service. Collecting their information from various articles, historical documents and YouTube videos, the pair set themselves apart in the military history world for their laid-back approach. Their accessible lessons have struck a chord with their audience.
“We’ve heard a few times that ‘we just like listening to you two have a bit of a yarn’ because we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” says Rob. Wanting to tell the what and why of the vehicles, John says that tanks fundamentally represent an endpoint to a lot of social, economic and political factors. If you don’t cover the whole scope of their history and purpose, then you sell their story short.
“Why they were built, how they were introduced, who made the decisions around them. We want to make sure those discussions are happening … There are a lot of reasons for tanks being out there, some good, some bad, but you need to be able to discuss both sides of it,” says Rob.
Appreciating that the military history community is comprised of both conservative and progressive points of view, they have found the love of tanks often stems from childhood.
“The classic thing we find with our guests is it all comes down to being exposed to climbing them on them about age 10,” smiles John. Full story online.
Find the Totally Tanked podcast at totallytanked.libsyn.com
- Jessica Cordwell
“This phenomenal ensemble, is outperforming seasoned professionals… and it’s mostly made up of teenagers!” BR-KLASSIK GERMANY
A brand-new competition is calling on musically inclined public servants to share their skills and battle it out for the top spot in Dept of Rock
Founded by Leanne Thompson, in collaboration with Nigel McRae, co-owner of Smith’s Alternative, the musical showcases will extend over three months and shine a light on the lesser-seen side of our government workers.
“It’s not really the first thing you think about when you think of public servants,” says Ms Thompson. “Usually there’s that ‘oh, they’re very quiet, risk-averse, bean counter people,’ not in their spare time out playing rock music, but lots of them are. Lots of them are amazing musicians and very cool and creative.”
Coming to Smith’s Alternative in heats from early October, bands will have three songs and a maximum of 15 minutes to impress a panel of judges with their original or cover songs. Expecting a mix of established and new bands, the judging criteria will be based on originality and audience engagement more
than technical skill.
Aiming to showcase the creative side of the public service workforce in Canberra, the competition encourages new and established bands to sign up. Ms Thompson says that Canberra is a unique public service town and many employees in the sector have a deep connection to their creative outlets.
“I’m hoping it’s going to give some new musicians and bands the opportunity to get up on a stage,” she says.
With 18 heat spots available, semi-finals will be held in November before the finals in early December. The winners will receive a trophy, the right to brag in the office, and prizes (yet to be announced), while the four finalists will all receive a live set recording from Mr McRae and the team at Smith’s. A portion of ticket sales will go back into the community through charities; Ms Thompson is working with Hands Across Canberra to determine the beneficiaries.
During much of her 25 years in the public service,
Ms Thompson spent decades not touching a drum kit – that was until some colleagues in her department were playing together and the drummer put up her hand to join.
“It was the most fun thing I had done at work for a long time,” she smiles. Full story online.
Entries close 15 September. For more, find the Dept of Rock on Facebook.
- Jessica CordwellThe Lifeline Canberra EPIC Bookfair
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• • • • •
textbooks
puzzles, console & board games
computer software & games
lego, war gaming, models & miniatures
magazines, pamphlets & comics
maps & atlases
cds, records & sheet music
talking books
DVDs & blu-ray
calendars & postcards
note books & diaries
bookmarks, posters & prints
stamps & trading cards
sets & encyclopaedias
Friday 8 September
Saturday 9 September
Sunday 10 September
9am - 6pm 9am - 5pm 9am - 4pm
Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC)
Cnr Northbourne Av & Flemington Rd, Mitchell ACT 2911
Supporting an idol, odes to cats, and recognition as a disability ambassador, this year has been an exciting one for Canberra singer-songwriter Ruth O’Brien. Gently, the singer has carved out a place in the music scene with her fun, engaging, story-driven melodies.
Growing up shy with a desire to be more self-expressive, Ms O’Brien found her pathway to confidence when she switched PE lessons for a vocals class in school.
“The feeling that I got immediately from performing was this sense of that I was good at it and that was really important for me. Knowing there were a lot of things in my life that were
challenging, and to be kind of naturally gifted in some way, I used that as a bit of anchor,” she says.
In the years since that life-changing class, Ms O’Brien’s career has gained her a following of local and national fans. Earlier this year, she supported her music hero, Katie Noonan, in a few shows during the artist’s national tour.
Ms O’Brien also released an EP inspired by a great love, her cats. Songs for Abby is a fun, folk-infused album, perfect for cat or music enthusiasts.
Born with Thrombocytopeniaabsent radius (TAR) syndrome means that Ms O’Brien has to put a bit more thought into how she logistically plans for a gig. There
might be challenges with equipment, so the artist ensures someone is there to help with set-up and set-down, and she performs with either a backing track or other musicians.
“It affects me more in a positive way than anything; because of my physical appearance, I’m quite memorable and that is an advantage in a sea of people wanting to do music and be noticed,” she smiles.
According to Ms O’Brien, performers with disabilities are more common than people realise as many conditions are invisible; for example, some impact energy levels, others mobility. She says a lot of venues around the country
don’t consider the varied needs of these performers.
“There’s not a lot of stages that are wheelchair accessible, they all
require you to be able to lift your body weight off the ground … Then for people who have conditions that affect arms and hands like me, it can be hard to set things up. There are a number of things that need to be changed to allow more people with disability to even get on stage.”
A shift in attitude in what is expected of performers would be a great step in the right direction, Ms O’Brien says.
“All the other things, the logistical things, they can be adjusted. You can invent new things, you can make adaptions and bring in extra help when you need; it’s around creating a sense of equity. Disabled people are just as able to do things as everybody else, there does need to be removal of a lot of barriers for that to happen,” she says.
Heading to Exhibition Park for the Canberra Disability Expo this week in her role of ambassador, Ms O’Brien says the event is a great way to find resources. Attending the expo previously, she found people who were genuinely passionate about working in the sector.
“There’s such an overwhelming amount of information on the internet and it’s hard to know where to go for what service. To just to get a feel for the company as well, it really makes a difference in making that choice about whether you want to even go with them,” she says. Full story online.
Catch Ruth O’Brien at the Canberra Disability Expo at Exhibition Park, 1-2 September, and keep up to date with her via ruthmvobrien.com
Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), Nora (Greta Lee), and Arthur (John Magaro), are at a bar where a couple of voyeurs guess their relationships with each other. Twenty-four years earlier, Na Young announces to her childhood crush Hae Sung her family’s plans to emigrate from South Korea. Twelve years later, the two reconnect over Skype.
Star-crossed Romeo and Juliet experienced bad luck due to external obstacles and Ross and Rachel’s will-they-won’t-they unconsummated romance kept a generation tuning in to watch Friends. Unlike On Chesil Beach and One Day’s emotionally manipulative plot contrives, Past Lives delivers a realistic, well-rounded, and complex exploration of a romantic relationship simply and authentically.
The ‘ordinary’ Hae Sung has not
gotten over the potential relationship he might have had with the girl who got away, while the ambitious Nora is drawn to Hae Sung due to the potential of the life she might have lived had she chosen to return home to South Korea. Like Your Name, our duo is separated by space and time. The grass is greener on the other side, with our would-be couple holding on to a tenuous digital link to each other in the twilight hours at the cost of the life in front of them. It is when Hae Sung finally confronts Nora that what has been left unsaid for so long may at least be broached, one way or the other. Verdict: A palpable chemistry between two charming leads. A universal and timeless story delivered poetically and effortlessly. 5 stars.
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Luke McWilliamsthemovieclub.net Viewed at Dendy cinemas.
The 1960s have been remembered for flower power, go-go boots, miniskirts and the amazing performers who got their big breaks, like Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin. While many of those stars have been immortalised, many of the women making a splash on our airwaves throughout that decade have been forgotten; I am Woman shines a light on these songstresses at The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre on 8 September.
“These are really lesser-known girls, who had the first number-one hits back in the ‘60s and quite remarkably, they were all 15 to 16 years old,” says writer and performer, Amelia Ryan. “Their names have been lost to the course of time because they might have had one or two hit songs but
then got married or had children.”
The era wasn’t one that encouraged success for women in the entertainment industry, says Ms Ryan. She was inspired to write the show by her father’s partner who told her about the forgotten women. Researching the artists, Ms Ryan felt a sense of duty to honour the women who paved the way for performers like herself.
“The more I dug in, the more I thought ‘Why don’t we know these women?’ Sometimes I think we’ve been much more interested in overseas success stories like Dusty Springfield and all the girls from America, but we haven’t celebrated our own girls as much.”
Hitting the road in 2019, the pandemic put a halt on touring until
2021 when the show was picked up by an agent and the women have been travelling ever since, hitting the Canberra region for the first time next week.
Performing the hit songs of The Seekers, Noeleen Batley, Helen Reddy and other influential Aussie women, Ms Ryan also wanted to show what life was like for them. Helping her on this mission is Libby O’Donovan; the two women bring their own personalities to a bit of a history lesson, musical showcase and all-round good time.
“We very much acknowledge that the audience is there, and we have fun with them, we ask them questions. It’s sort of this hybrid of comedy, cabaret, storytelling and music … It’s incredibly nostalgic because they’re hearing songs that they haven’t heard possibly since the ‘60s,” Ms Ryan says.
See I am Woman at The Q –Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre on Friday 8 September 11am and 8pm; theq.net.au
Where: Mosaic Baptist Church, 18 Dallachy Street, Page
When: Saturday 9 September from 7pm
During the evening there will be an opportunity to donate to Baptist World Aid’s “Standing with Ukraine” appeal. Additional donations can be made via the Mosaic Church office 02 6254 6565.
Supper Provided.
You are invited to come and hear Dr Vladimir Ivanovich Franchuk Enjoy Ukrainian folk music, dancing and hear the story of God at work in Ukraine through 2022-2023.
This week, Michael Popple reviews excellent novels from three of Australia’s best female authors. You can find more of Michael’s book reviews on his blog, unseenlibrary.com
Hachette
Australia $32.99
Rainier is a dying regional town, kept alive by its notoriety as the site of the Rainier Ripper’s infamous killings. Seventeen years after witnessing the Ripper’s third and final murder, Gemma Guillory is forced to relive her trauma when a tour operator is killed in copycat fashion. As the new investigation begins, Gemma needs to uncover all her town’s dark secrets, no matter the cost.
Ripper is a well-crafted and captivating murder mystery that will have you hooked from start to finish. An exceptional sequel to Burr’s debut novel Wake, Ripper has an amazing and addictive plot loaded with numerous brilliant twists.
Allen & Unwin Australia, $24.99
After resetting the world and saving her family, reluctant monster Joan tries to forget her traumatic experiences and the hero she was forced to destroy. But her success has come at a terrible cost, with the entire timeline damaged by her actions. Soon, she is once again forced on the run, this time alongside her beloved monster-slaying hero who no longer knows what he is.
Vanessa Len follows up her incredible debut with this impressive young adult fantasy novel. Blending an elaborate time-travel narrative, with complex and tragic character arcs, Never a Hero proves impossible to put down and is such a great read.
Michael Joseph, $32.99
Famed true-crime podcaster Rachel Krall finds herself drawn into another chilling case when she is brought in to help investigate the disappearance of a famous Instagrammer. Forced to search for clues at an influencer convention, Rachel needs to navigate the cut-throat world of social media fame before a deadly killer strikes again.
Goldin continues to showcase why she is one of the leading Australian thriller authors with this captivating and memorable novel. Making full use of its unique influencer focus, Dark Corners is an outstanding crime novel with a powerful story and fantastic mystery.
The winners in Canberra Weekly’s latest round of competition draws are:
Luk Beautifood: G Norton, Deakin; N Baczynski, Deakin; C Pinkas, Lyons; K Kendal, Kingston. Winnie the Pooh: R Tan, Belconnen; L Lee, Canberra.
Past Lives: N Preston, Kambah; G Kispeti, McKellar; F Jorgensen, Lyneham; J McKenzie, Fisher; J Campbell; S Rodriguez,
Across two days, you’re invited to discover the best products, services and information to help people with disabilities, along with live entertainment and food.
Exhibition Park in Canberra, 1-2 September; canberradisabilityexpo.com.au
Peek inside the Australian War Memorial’s storeroom and discover hidden gems not currently on display – from G for George to new acquisitions. Bookings (online) essential.
The Treloar Technology Centre, Mitchell, Saturday 2 September 9am-4.45pm; awm.gov.au/ bigthingsinstore
In this exhibition, artist Hilary Warren employs various topics using three rich tonal qualities a orded by the photopolymer photogravure printmaking process to explore the concepts of light and shade. All are welcome to the opening on Saturday 2 September 2pm and Artist Talk on Sunday 3 September 12pm.
Humble House gallery, Fyshwick, 2 September-1 October; humblehouse.com.au
Googong’s utterly uplifting kite festival is back with a host of flying friends including dragons, bunny rabbits, a stingray, and a flying pig! Falling on Father’s Day, come and treat Dad to a gourmet beer and burger, or bring along a picnic. Take flight with a BYO kite or relax and enjoy the spectacle while our DJ provides inflight entertainment. This is a free event, and everyone is welcome.
Rockley Oval, Googong, Sunday 3 September 11am-2pm; googong.net/ news-and-events/events
Enjoy Ukrainian folk music and dance, and hear from Dr Vladimir Ivanovich Franchuk; supper included.
Mosaic Baptist Church, 9 September 7pm; 1wayfm.com.au
Learn more about Canberra’s natural environment, biodiversity and the beauty of our native flora, fauna and unique ecosystems in this community event.
Whitlam Display Village, Saturday 9 September 11am-2pm; landcareact.org.au/festival
Experience the timeless sounds of Bach with Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt (The Lord is my Faithful Shepherd ), Saturday 2 September 7.30pm and Sunday 3 September 2pm.
St Christopher’s Cathedral; canberrabachensemble.com
In the wake of a man-made disaster, a pair of retired nuclear engineers are visited by an old colleague whose motives are not entirely clear.
ACT Hub, Kingston, 31 August-9 September; acthub.com.au
Books presents a celebration of manga with giveaways, gift vouchers, cosplay competitions and manga/anime standees.
Westfield Woden, 7-10 September; qbd.com.au
Experience a double dose of musical brilliance. First, let Alder Wild’s dreamy pop captivate you, then let loose as The Decideds bring soulful dance vibes to close the night. Join us, with tickets just $20-$25.
Smith’s Alternative, Tuesday 12 September 7.30pm; smithsalternative.com
Still don’t have the perfect present for Dad, three days out from Father’s Day? Here are nine gift ideas that you may not have thought of – all of which can be picked up in-store or o er express shipping to Canberra, in a pinch.
WITH FASHION & BEAUTY EDITOR, ANJA DE ROZARIOHemp is one of the best kept secrets in the haircare industry, rich in vitamins, proteins, and healthy fatty acids that hydrate the hair and skin underneath. This particular range comes in bar format, for extra eco-friendliness.
If Dad enjoys fishing, rowing, or will otherwise be spending an inordinate amount of time around water this summer, polarised shades will protect his eyes from the harsh glare o the water and improve depth perception if he has fish to catch (or avoid).
For the dads who schlep, a backpack that protects your spine and can carry all your devices is essential. This one from Bellroy has a padded laptop sleeve for devices up to 15’’ and comes B Corp certified.
For the transitional months, heat-tech provides a lightweight layer of warmth without the bulk. Uniqlo is o ering home delivery before Father’s Day in metropolitan areas if you order by Friday 25 August.
Many of us will be returning to the gym or walking tracks around Lake Burley G as the weather warms. If Dads old sports watch needs an update, this sleek model from Adidas easily transitions from gym wear to casual-cool.
If you have the kind of dad who permanently lives in flip flops during the warmer months, this purchase could quite literally save his back. These podiatristapproved thongs provide proper arch support to reduce knee, hip and back pain.
When dusting out our white tees for summer, we may notice they have fallen victim to sweat stains or moth holes since the last time we saw them. This one from Sardine Supply is Australianmade, with a graphic that is crying out for a dad-joke.
If he’s a sneakerhead or streetwear aficionado, you can always add to his ever-growing collection. Puma recently relaunched their 1980s ‘RS’ collection, updated for the 2020s.
This spring is going to be a wet one. A pair of wellies that won’t look out of place with his regular clothes may be the perfect gift for dad.
Local podiatrist and owner of Happy Fit Footwear, Jane Earl, will be taking one step forward when opening the doors of Happy Fit Manuka this Saturday, 2 September, and another giant leap for the comfy shoe movement.
The launch of the supportive shoe staple’s second ever store proves that comfort footwear has earned its place among fine fashion boutiques.
Fear not, southsiders; Happy Fit Footwear’s flagship store in Tuggeranong isn’t going anywhere. This expansion to Manuka is all about sharing the love and providing better accessibility to the central and northern regions of Canberra.
“We know when you’re living in Belconnen, it can feel like you need your passport and a packed lunch to come to Tuggeranong,” laughs Jane. Her goal of bringing Happy Fit Footwear closer to the heart of the Capital has been in the works for 18 months.
The new store is located in Manuka Court,
delightfully placed among the ring of boutiques facing L’Orange Patisserie. For weeks now, passers-by curiously peep through the windows and eagerly anticipate the moment they can step into Jane’s colourful world.
“We’re being bold with our Manuka store,” she says. “Bolder colours, steering away from the plain.”
The store will continue to o er classic options, whilst introducing bright Manuka exclusives and experimenting with colour.
“We’re getting in some new brands as well, including Perth-based comfort footwear brand Klouds and their line for younger customers, Silver Linings,” says Jane.
In the year of 2023, even Barbie is trading in her stilettos for a sensible pair of Birkenstocks. Now more than ever, Jane emphasises that comfortable and supportive footwear isn’t just for people who already have foot problems.
“It’s for people who want to help their feet feel
All the latest in fashion, health and beauty.
Following over 12 months of construction, Marketplace Gungahlin opened their new retail precinct earlier this month above the Kmart mall. The $60 million expansion, titled ‘Level Up,’ has added an additional 6500sqm of shopping area, as well as a pedestrian Skywalk Bridge over Hibberson Street, connecting Marketplace’s north and south malls. It brings an Aldi Supermarket, the largest Chemist Warehouse in
Canberra, a Daily Market Asian supermarket, a Desi Bazaar Indian supermarket, and an array of speciality retailers including Espresso Room, Chatkazz Authentic Indian Cuisine, Bed Bath N’ Table, Miniso, Sushi Hub and more. Level Up also features an indoor children’s playground, ‘MarketQuest,’ inspired by the region’s iconic bogong moth and its migration from Queensland to the Snowy Mountains each year. This
good and look good. The shoes in our shop are for everyone. The sooner we convert out of our stilettos into some decent shoes, the better,” she smiles.
Jane welcomes northsiders to “come and find out about the Happy Fit Footwear di erence. As soon as they put their feet into some of our shoes, they will never shop anywhere else.”
Find Happy Fit Footwear’s new boutique at Manuka Court, 11 Bougainville Street, Manuka.
new expansion coincides with the centre’s 25th anniversary, opening with 30 retailers in August 1998.
Take some plastic bottles, mix them with coffee grounds, and what do you get? Scrubs! Australian-based brand Sustainable Scrubs is making waves in the healthcare industry with its latest line of 100 per cent recycled scrubs for healthcare professionals and other scrub wearers. The brand’s proprietary fabric, GreenThreads™, is made from recycled polyester derived from plastic bottles and coffee grounds. A women-led company founded by Nat Lippiatt and Kim Lee, Sustainable Scrubs recognises that healthcare workers are acutely aware of the volume of single-use plastic they use, along with the importance of sustainable solutions that do not compromise patient safety. As well as reducing waste by using recycled polyester, the brand’s fabric is made without any virgin materials. Sustainable
Post to offset carbon emissions generated during the production and shipping of its products. And when your scrubs are at the end of their life, their program, Operation Green Scrubs, enables the company to take back its preloved garments to use the fabric to create new items, reducing its environmental footprint and closing the loop on waste.
1 . Acupuncture promotes a state of relaxation
Do you ever feel there are just not enough hours in the day to meet the demands of work, family, and self-care? Are you operating in a state of chronically high stress? Acupuncture can switch on your body’s relaxation pathways and retrain your body and mind to access deep states of relaxation.
2. Acupuncture can help improve sleep
Acupuncture can restore restful, reliable sleep patterns by treating the root cause of insomnia as well as benefitting your overall health.
3. Acupuncture can boost your energy
Most people are burning the candle at both ends with fast-paced, high-stress lives. Instead of turning to another cup of coffee, consider increasing your energy in a balanced and sustained way with acupuncture.
4. Acupuncture can decrease musculoskeletal pain
Acupuncture is one of the best options to consider for both acute and chronic pain. It helps to decrease pain and promote tissue recovery.
5. Acupuncture can treat headaches
Acupuncture is an excellent therapy for headaches of all types including migraines, tension headaches and
hormonally triggered headaches.
6. Acupuncture can improve your mood
Acupuncture has been found to be an effective treatment for anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges and can be used as a standalone treatment as well as in combination with mood supportive medications or supplements.
7. Acupuncture can boost your immune system
If you get sick frequently, with colds and flus, suffer from allergies, or if you’re dealing with autoimmune disorders, acupuncture could help.
8. Acupuncture can help improve digestion
Digestive conditions like gas and bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, IBS, inflammatory bowel disease and abdominal pain respond well to acupuncture. In Chinese medicine, a healthy digestive system is the basis for good health. If the digestive system is not functioning optimally, it trickles down to all other aspects of health and lays the groundwork for disease.
9. Acupuncture can help with disorders related to menstruation and menopause
Many women suffer with hormonal imbalances that manifest as conditions such as absent, painful, or
WITH WESLEY SMITH, DIRECTOR LIVE WELL HOLISTIC WELLNESS CENTRE MANUKA LIVEWELLNATURALLY.COM.AUheavy menses, infertility, fibroids, endometriosis, peri-menopausal and menopausal symptoms. Acupuncture and herbs are incredibly beneficial in treating the root cause of these conditions as well as providing symptomatic relief.
10. Acupuncture can help keep you healthy Many acupuncture converts come in for preventative acupuncture ‘tune-ups’ that promote better energy levels and an increased sense of wellbeing. So, even if you’re not feeling sick, consider using acupuncture once a month or so, to help give your system a boost.
Editor’s note: This wellbeing column provides information that is general in nature. Please always refer to your preferred health professional for advice suited to your personal healthcare requirements.
As we start to edge out of winter, improving diet and boosting our exercise may appear more and more on the agenda. A recent study published in Nature Digital Medicine has revealed that chatbots can be an effective tool to significantly improve physical activity, diet, and sleep.
Specifically, chatbots, also known as conversational agents or virtual assistants, led to an extra 735 steps per day, one additional serving of fruit and vegetables per day, and an additional 45 minutes of sleep per night.
“When we think of chatbots, we often think of simple applications such as daily news notifications or Uber orders,” says lead researcher, University of South Australia’s Dr Ben Singh.
“But in recent years, this technology has advanced to the point where it can sometimes be hard to determine whether you are chatting to a machine or a real person.
“For health, this capability presents tremendous
opportunities for chatbots to promote effective interventions that support wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle.
“Interestingly, we found that text-based chatbots are more effective than speech or voice-based AI, which suggests that, at least for the time being, text-based communication is more conducive to achieving positive outcomes in health-related interventions.
“Our study found chatbots were effective across different age groups, dispelling the notion that they are useful only for younger, tech-savvy users,” Dr Singh says.
Senior researcher, UniSA’s Professor Carol Maher, says that while chatbots present an innovative approach to lifestyle-related health issues, caution is also needed.
“This field of research is young, and there is potential for chatbots to give inappropriate advice. For now, using chatbots to supplement human
coaching could be the best solution, offering the best of both worlds – retaining the unique value of a human coach combined with round-the-clock support from a chatbot.
“While more research is needed, this study suggests that chatbots could help address certain modifiable factors in lifestyle diseases, such as obesity, alleviating pressure on our health system.”
Do you really need another to-do list? I am sure you can look around and spot a million things that need doing around your home before spring. If, like me, you are a master of creating lists, but not always a master of completing them, you may have found that exhaustive list-making is often the cause of overwhelm and can make it harder to start.
My advice is to ask yourself what the most important project for your home is this spring and start there. The rest of your list can be actioned by setting aside a few hours over the course of the next few months.
As the weather warms, I encourage you to potter about and enjoy the season, rather than rushing through it. Whilst it can be very satisfying to see the fruits of your labour after a big spring clean and declutter, completing it in stages can lessen the overwhelm and make tasks feel like more of a pleasurable project than a tedious chore.
During weekends, it can be fun to involve the whole family. Kids enjoy being a part of home-based projects. Whilst it may take longer to complete certain tasks, with a little fun and patience, working together can be a memorable family exercise.
Allowing your kids to help is a wonderful way to teach them how to care for and value their home environment. It can help them to understand the work that is required to keep a home maintained and operating well, which is an invaluable life skill. I have fond memories from childhood of being involved in home maintenance projects, stopping for morning tea, and eating Sao biscuits together, topped with tomato and cheese ...
Tip one: Air it out
On sunnier days, I have started to air out our home, opening doors or windows to encourage airflow. The energy of a space can feel stale after being closed up throughout winter, so dusting, decluttering, and inviting airflow can provide an instant burst of new energy.
Tip two: The great outdoors
Landscaping, lawn mowing, weeding, planting, and fertilising are all excellent spring projects. If you have a small space, clustering pots on a balcony with fresh spring blooms or planting a herb garden is a wonderful way to bring life to a small outdoor area. Gardening can be a cathartic experience and children love it, too.
Tip three: Crystal clear
Window washing is an often-overlooked task, but the results are terrific. Sparkling clean windows and dust-free flywire instantly invigorate your home by letting light in. In time, I will also wash and put away additional blankets and heaters, but not too soon, as spring can be crisp in Canberra.
Seasonal decorating: Should you or shouldn’t you?
The usual advice for spring decorating is changing your interior colour palette to lighter and brighter cushions and throws, decorating with fresh blooms, or switching your art around to lift the space, inject colour and add vibrancy. These options can help, but consider purchasing quality, timeless items to bring out each year, rather than buying cheaper trending items that require annual replacement. Adding softness to hard outdoor spaces through the application of outdoor rugs and soft furnishings can create an enticing outdoor entertaining space, which is a worthwhile investment given the time we spend outdoors during the summer months.
Another little tip is to mix fake flowers into the garden for a bigger impact. To achieve pink impact en masse, I had to take all the stock at the $2 shop and ask if there was more out the back. One or two here and there does not cut it, so my advice is to shop big.
Here’s a local shopping recommendation: For vibrant, eye-catching cushions, visit Luxe & Beau in Fyshwick or online at luxeandbeau.com.au. It’s a new store with a fresh focus on colour, and well worth a visit.
If you have bigger projects planned for your
home or are cost-conscious, prioritise spending on more important long-term design projects, or invest in stages rather than updating with trending seasonal dressings each year.
Whilst purchasing cheaper décor can be enticing and feels good short-term, my motto is always “buy quality, buy once”. So, if you are looking to update your style for spring, make décor decisions with longevity in mind and invest in more premium pieces that you will love for many seasons to come.
Showcasing stunning architectural flair with fluid contemporary design, this four-bedroom residence is positioned in a serene pocket of Forde, close to the local shops, Yerrabi Pond and Mulligans Flat. CW spoke with the previous owners of this ex-display home to learn more about what lies behind its creeping fig façade.
“Our favourite parts of the home include our three outdoor sitting areas: the alfresco, with its bench seat under the Chinese Elm tree that looks into the garden; the front patio outside the main bedroom is perfect for a co ee break; and the area near our shed, which we call the Summer Area, is the ideal place to relax in the warmer months,” they said.
The formal entrance greets you with an open-stead timber staircase and double-storey void. The home is light filled, with high ceilings that peak at four metres, and fittings that reveal its previous life as a showcase piece.
The previous owners note that it is a house
designed with families in mind. “With four living areas, there is plenty of room to do activities without being disturbed,” they said.
“From a design perspective, the cathedral ceilings and the windows, with their environmental overhangs, allow for sunshine in the winter and shade in the summer, making the house pleasant to be in all year round.”
Its rooms are designed for versatility. Areas can be closed o to create more bedrooms, and the lounge transforms into a media room by closing the doors and pulling down the blackout curtains. The owners’ baby grand piano once lived there, creating their ideal music room.
“The house is thoughtfully designed,” they said. “The communal areas, like the kitchen and family room, overlook the alfresco and grass areas, accommodating gatherings to entertain family and friends with ease while keeping an eye on children in the yard.”
Finally, the location further elevates the
property’s appeal.
“We are close to Gungahlin but far enough away from the hustle and bustle,” the previous owners say.
Living here means that you are never far from nature, whilst also placing you within five minutes from local shops, cafes, restaurants, and Frankies – “a great place to catch up with friends and neighbours at the end of the working week”.
4 2 2
EER 5.0
Auction Sat 9 Sep 12.45pm
View Sat 26 Aug 10-10.30am
Agent Sam Taylor
Mob 0451 158 887
Agent Sam McGregor
Mob 0401 097 907
MARQ Property | 6123 8000
17 Myrtle Close, Jerrabomberra $1,940,000 Belle
2 Lamington Street, Deakin $1,909,000 Belle
16 Peacock Place, Curtin $1,750,000 Hayman Partners
43 Foveaux Street, Ainslie $1,650,000 Ray White
25 Archer Street, Dickson $1,502,000 LJ Hooker
20 Shewcroft Street, Watson $1,276,000 Suburbia
12 Coleman Street, Pearce $1,225,000 Belle
23 Must Circuit, Calwell $1,170,000 Property Collective
1/15 Tompson Street, Garran $1,141,000 Ray White
33 Enderby Street, Mawson $1,130,000 Ray White
72/46 Honeysett View, Kingston $1,100,000 Blewitt
19 Grigg Place, Richardson $1,096,000 Paul & Robyn
54 Scottsdale Street, Lyons $1,060,000 Suburbia
25 Elizabeth Crescent, Macquarie $998,000 Luton
8 Mayer Court, Bruce $980,000 Belle
82 Burdekin Avenue, Amaroo $980,000 Blackshaw
7 Haverfield Place, McKellar $970,000 Ray White
39 Cumpston Place, MacGregor $930,000 Catherine Halloran
201 Chuculba Crescent, Giralang $920,000 Ray White
58 Harbison Crescent, Wanniassa $920,000 Ray White
6 Cameron Street, Farrer $910,000 Blackshaw
8 Simonetti Street, Dunlop $910,000 Town Residential
3 Andrew Crescent, Calwell $901,100 McCann
27 Diamond Street, Amaroo $900,000 Stone
6 Mertz Place, Mawson $890,000 LJ Hooker
49 Spica Street, Giralang $875,000 HIVE
1/34 Hollingsworth Street, Gungahlin
124 De Little Circuit, Greenway $860,000 LJ Hooker
28 Olary Street, Amaroo $854,000 LJ Hooker
1607/161 Emu Bank, Belconnen $838,000 Property Collective
58 Erskine Loop, Googong $825,000 Ray White
8/30 Blackall Street, Barton $820,000 Belle
143 Lawrence Wackett Crescent, Theodore $820,000 Real Estate Shop
44/50 Wilkins Street, Mawson $820,000 Independent
10 Wambaya Crescent, Waramanga $820,000 Home by Holly
96/56 Printers Way, Kingston $820,000 Ray White
18 Baddeley Crescent, Spence $800,000 Michael Potter
64 Lawrenson Circuit, Jacka $785,000
OUT
- Super-sized fully serviced lots ranging from 850m2 to 1,547m2
- The largest lots at the lowest prices within 30 mins of Canberra’s CBD
- Spend less on your land leaving you more $$ to build your new home
- Freehold Land with no time limit to build (save now, build later)
- Less than 30 mins to Canberra’s CBD and under 20 mins to Queanbeyan
- Coming soon: New $70M High School and $2.5M Sports Hub
Aster is a contemporary mix of townhouses and apartments. Located in North Coombs, one of Canberra’s most nature rich suburbs, Aster provides picturesque vistas and outdoor opportunities all while being ideally located only minutes to local shops, parks and restaurants.
Be inspired by an attentive selection of spacious 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom layouts, designed to improve your lifestyle. Featuring open plan living, large courtyards, balconies, and well considered inclusions, these alluring residences will be a place you can call home.
Apartments from $430,000. Townhouses from $799,000.
Display Suite Now Open Saturday & Sunday 11am - 3pm
Cnr John Gorton Drive & Southcott View, North Coombs
For more information contact Andrew Ligdopoulos 0408 488 148
4 BEDROOMS
1 STUDY
3 BATHROOMS
3 CAR SPACES
AUCTION
Sat 23/9/2023, 10am onsite
VIEWING S at 2/9/2023, 12-12.30pm
Sun 3/9/2023, 12-12.30pm
Tue 5/9/2023, 5.30-6pm
CONTACT Michael Potter 0413 830 598
It’s home at first sight mpotter@mpotter.com.au
Nestled in the desirable pocket of Willcock Place, Number 8 is defined by a very versatile design offering stylish statements and an unbeatable location.
A long list of ‘must haves’ include a sleek ‘chef’s delight’ kitchen, well-proportioned renovated bathrooms, separate living areas and a choice of parking and heating/cooling options.
A complete offering with studio apartment/ teenager’s retreat, private deck area and established gardens. A ‘must see’. EER 4
Welcome to this stunning and luxurious five-bedroom house located at 22 Hicks Street, Red Hill. This magnificent property offers the perfect blend of elegance, comfort, and style. From the moment you step inside, you will be captivated by its grandeur and attention to detail.
This spacious house boasts a modern design with high ceilings and an abundance of natural light flowing through every room. The open-plan living area is perfect for entertaining guests or simply relaxing with your family. The gourmet kitchen features top-of-the-line appliances, sleek
countertops, and ample storage space.
One of the standout features of this property is the pool which has been converted into a granny flat. This versatile space can be used as an additional living area or guest accommodation – perfect for extended family or visitors.
Brand new 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments selling now. We believe a home is more than just bricks and mortar. It’s a place where you feel you belong. At Marigal Gardens, you’ll enjoy access to great facilities and feel part of an already established and thriving community, exclusive to over 55s. Where family and friends are always welcome.
When you’re ready to unwind or entertain in the privacy of your own home, you’ll enjoy:
• generous open plan living areas designed to be practical and inviting
• well-appointed kitchens with all the modern conveniences
• reverse cycle air-conditioning
• double glazing
• abundant light and ingenious use of space
• sophisticated neutral palette and subtle textures create a timeless canvas to add your own personal touch
• internal access to a secure car space
• 24-hour emergency assistance at the push of a button. Experience convenient and comfortable living, many with breathtaking views, in your choice of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments at Marigal Gardens.
Display Suite open. Book a private tour or join us at our Open for Inspections every Wednesday, 10am to 2pm.
HQ Fiction has four Eva Scott fiction book packs to giveaway in this edition of Canberra Weekly. The pack includes Home to Echidna Lane and While You Were in the Country
With Eva Scott’s trademark warmth and wit, Home to Echidna Lane is a rural rom-com about friendship, family, failure and finding the place you truly belong.
Inspired by While You Were Sleeping, While You Were in the Country is a rural romantic comedy that asks what happens when The One isn’t quite who you expected ...
Enter for a chance to win this month’s most soughtafter women’s fiction titles. For more information on any of these titles, go to romance.com.au
To enter, scan the QR code or visit canberraweekly.com.au and click on the ‘Entertainment’ tab to ‘Competitions’, find the competition you wish to enter and follow the entry instructions.
Entries close 9am Friday 8 September 2023 and winners drawn same day. One entry per person per giveaway. Entrants must be aged 18+.
From the producers of Non-Stop and The Commuter, Retribution (M) stars Liam Neeson as a successful Berlin based American businessman in a race against time to protect his family and solve the mystery that plays out over the course of one day. In cinemas 21 September.
CW has 10 x Retribution (M) in-season double passes to be won.
The Spot Sensory Shop ensures there’s something for everyone. Find a captivating range of sensory products in a warm and supportive environment including soothing tactile items, visually stimulating gadgets, calming auditory aids, and more.
With a team of knowledgeable experts, we provide valuable resources and educational materials on sensory processing disorders, sensory integration techniques, and sensory development.
The Spot Sensory Shop empowers customers with the knowledge they need to thrive, regardless of age.
Open 8:30am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday Suite 1/6b Thesiger Court, Deakin
(02) 6189 4850 | sales@spotsensoryshop.com.au
www.spotsensoryshop.com.au
