CityNews 201217

DECEMBER 17, 2020

Well written, well read

A CHRISTMAS

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NEWS

Jason races the clock to make cots for Christmas

By Danielle

NOHRA AN amateur woodworker is hoping to build some joy into the lives of underprivileged children, as he races against the clock to make doll cots in time for Christmas.

Jason Kirkland, 51, of the inner south, has been making doll cots, which have been given to the charity Roundabout Canberra to meet its Christmas deadline.

It’s something he wants to continue into the New Year.

Inspired by his own daughter’s doll cot and his dad, who’s been making toy boxes for children and donating them for about 20 years, Jason decided he wanted to do something for charity, too.

“What inspired me was my dad and my daughter. My dad has been doing this for years, he’s in his 80s now, and my daughter, watching her play with her toys, has made me reflect on how fortunate some kids are,” he says.

Also, Jason jokes that he’s finally got his own shed, which is a great excuse to buy more tools – something he keeps telling his wife!

Backed with a business and IT background, Jason moved with his wife, Joanne, and three-year-old daughter, Mia, to Canberra from Melbourne about two years ago to take up a job with SAP. Now, fortunate enough to have a shed, the full-time worker, part-time photographer, dad-of-one and, most recently, doll-cot maker, has been spending every spare moment he has – since October – in the shed working on the cots.

“It’s time consuming and subconsciously I’m thinking I should be spending this time with my daughter, but I still want to do stuff for other people and I think she needs to see that,” he says.

“I’m trying to show my daughter that leading by example and that giving is important without return.

“She also needs to understand that she’s very fortunate and, since starting the cots, she’s even said to me: ‘I want to give away some of my Christmas toys’.”

For many years Jason’s wanted to do something for charity and says being a father really made him realise how vulnerable children are.

“We all have a role to play in improving life for others, especially our most vulnerable,” he says.

The reason he chose to give to underprivileged children, through

INDEX Arts & Entertainment 19-21 Canberra Matters 7 Cinema & Streaming 20 Crossword 23 Dining & Wine 21 Garden 22 Horoscopes 23 Letters 10 News 5-11 Politics 8 Seven Days 6

Doll-cot maker Jason Kirkland… “Can you imagine a kid at Christmas time, not getting a toy?”

Photo: Holly Treadaway the charity Roundabout Canberra, which provides women and families experiencing hardship with essential items, was because a lot of parents and families aren’t as fortunate to provide

for their kids, he says.

“Can you imagine a kid at Christmas time, not getting a toy?” he says.

“I just think that would be devastating for a kid and devastating for a par-

Cartoonist Paul Dorin’s got Santas everywhere this week!

Well written, well read

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell.

Managing Director: James Anderson, 0404 077605, james@citynews.com.au Director: Kate Meikle, kate@citynews.com.au Senior advertising account executives: David Cusack, 0435 380656 Tracey Avery 0477 939999 Advertising account executives: Damien Klemke, 0439 139001 Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au Assistant editor: Danielle Nohra, danielle@citynews.com.au Journalists: Belinda Strahorn, belinda@citynews.com.au; Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au Nathan Schmidt, nathan@citynews.com.au Arts editor: Helen Musa, 0400 043764, helen@citynews.com.au Production manager: Janet Ewen Proof reader: Glenda Anderson

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CANBERRA CITY

ent not to be able to provide that.

“Our kids need to know that there can be happiness, joy, love and fun, even through the worst of times in their lives.”

Roundabout Canberra works with social service providers through its day-to-day operations and will work with them to decide where the cots will go.

Overall, Jason says he hopes the cots will bring fun, happiness and positive memories to children this Christmas.

His next challenge will be making cots that are boy-focused and he has ideas to make car-shaped ones.

The blankets and pillows can be customised, too, and Jason says he’s had a great response on Facebook with people wanting to help make them, with one woman making pillows and blankets for the cots.

Jason says he’ll prepare earlier so he has more to give next Christmas.

He has ideas to start a charity of his own, but in the meantime says he’s happy to accept any good-quality items to go towards the cots such as wood, paint, stickers, pillows, blankets, or if anyone is willing to make toys or cots, too, he’ll store them in his shed, ready to donate.

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williamcolefunerals.com.au | 60 Nettlefold Street, Belconnen, ACT 2617 CityNews December 17-23, 2020 5

SEVEN DAYS

Ain’t no mountain high, ain’t no valley low...

I WENT to a show that was sold out twice; firstly, as under the covid-safe four-square-metre rule, then as restrictions lifted before showtime, another burst of tickets were sold under the more relaxed twosquare-metre limit.

It was good to be out and it had been a while since I’d seen/heard any live music. It was the “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” show at the Harmonie German Club and dancing at the time was verboten. The 10-person ensemble could feel our pain and renamed one of the Motor City hits “Dancing in the Seats” instead of “in the Streets”.

We were seated in long, beer-festival tables that seemed about four steins wide with 14 seats apiece. I was in a party of eight and a couple of my free-at-last friends were decidedly twitchy at the number of people at the show and how close everyone was.

Not for a moment do I think the club was over the headcount for its front-door-to-backdoor total area divided by two square metres per person average limit. But at no time, save for a trot to the toilet, could I honestly say I had the mandated space around me.

At the end, the band foolishly said it was okay to dance and that they wouldn’t tell anyone. A third of the room sprung to its feet, including the promoter who dashed to the side of the stage, making throat-cutting gestures and brought the show to a discord-

ant halt, the house lights confirming that it was goodnight to Motown.

Amid a short ripple of sullen booing, one was left to wonder why the show’s management was more worried about being in breach of the no-dancing directive than the public health risks of concentrating so many people in the hall.

BALANCING the morality of things we used to take for granted has been the challenge of this whole crazy year.

The virus fear hangs over the city (every city) like the bushfire smoke of last December, but unlike that gagging, suffocating air, we are learning to live with COVID-19. Our public health and government response has

been a credit and while they’ve seemed slow to let us get on with things, we are a blessed community with so few cases and (and I hate to say only) only three deaths.

For many people in Canberra the virus upset has brought little more than inconvenience (the overseas holiday postponed, kids stuck at home, no going to the office).

For others in hospitality, tourism, retail and media the months since March have been an unparalleled purgatory. Our neighbours have lost their businesses, their jobs, savings, self respect...

And “CityNews” was heading down that laundry shoot, too.

Ironically, as the March phone calls chorused with advertising (our only source of

income) cancellations, the citynews.com.au website was being read like never before and the paper was never needed more.

We had a big audience, but little income.

The federal government’s JobKeeper program kept our brilliant team together. For that we are grateful.

Through the darkest days we also got valuable financial and moral support from readers. We got donations – large, small and all welcome – from people we knew and people we didn’t. It all went gratefully to the

frontline of maintaining our survival as staff hours were cut and salaries constrained.

We didn’t miss a single publishing deadline, but more importantly we didn’t lose a single staff member. We’re all still together.

This is a group of professional media people that stands very tall in this town. But I want to make mention of two to whom I am related and without whom I doubt we would have navigated the coronavirus storm.

My son-in-law James Anderson (as managing director) and his wife, my daughter, Kate Meikle (as a director) were an inspiration; James delicately keeping pressure off advertising clients in strife and arguing furiously with banks, and Kate tirelessly filling in forms and chasing federal government grants available to keep listing media afloat.

She was very successful and we finish this unprecedented (sorry) year with more journalists than we started it and more advertising consultants. We’re going to give 2021 our absolute best because… ain’t no mountain high, ain’t no valley low, ain’t no river wide enough.

Bloody Motown!

Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews” and can be heard on 2CC, weekly 9am-noon.

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6 CityNews December 17-23, 2020

CANBERRA MATTERS

Can the Greens rise to challenge on planning?

WANDERING down a street in Auckland, NZ, in early June 2016, we came upon a small group of people having a laugh about an advertising poster.

Photos were being taken. We crossed the street and joined in the laugh about the images of Baby Trump.

The world has now experienced what Trump’s election to US President in later 2016 meant to the world. Are we still laughing? There was already a dangerous level of distrust in governments. Trump played on this.

The ACT Labor/Greens government won government again in October. On planning issues, Labor was overdue to be hit hard. Instead it was slapped with a damp cloth probably because being safe from the pandemic was a major issue and the ACT Liberals completely blew it.

Sadly, people have realised that on planning and development the reality will be that not much is to change.

Minister Mick Gentleman continues to

It looks as though the politicians and their bureaucracies are taking the ACT election result as an endorsement of barbarous behaviour and outlandish decisions on development. pretend to be Planning Minister with decisions being made by the blokes in his agencies, being the Planning Directorate and the City Renewal Authority.

The promised new normal looks very much like the previous. Spin continues to be the order of the day, alternative facts are used to avoid dealing with reality, and many of the values the electorate hold dear (heritage, biodiversity, the environment, aesthetics) continue to be trashed. As the reality of the lack of change became evident, residents went through stages of laughter and despair.

When attending community meetings in the last few years, there were always mumbles and raised eyes when government bureaucrats or politicians made presentations on planning and development. Despite any criticisms from the floor, the bureaucrats always then report on how well things went.

PHILLIP MAZDA

Then there were the infamous media statements about how the latest developments are vibrant, bring no traffic issues, promote active travel, are sustainable, fit in with the local character and are sustainable.

If only! This form of alternative truth is unfortunately accepted as being how the government and its agencies, including the City Renewal Authority, conducts their relationships with the community.

How is it that bureaucrats and some politicians, who must seem to be reasonable people to someone somewhere, are completely unable to maintain credibility when dealing with residents?

When discussing the behaviour of politicians and planning bureaucrats, people make jokes as they did with Trump Baby. This is a sign of frustration, but should people be demanding a much higher standard of human values from those elected and those employed by the government in our name?

Trump did not simply show up unannounced. He was the product of decades of mischievous and extremist

“Baby Trump” advertising in NZ in 2016.

Photo: Paul Costigan

behaviour within the US political system. His rise to power and destruction was enabled by those who worked to undermine democratic processes and, more amazingly, by those who laughed, who watched and thought that surely things will be alright in the end.

Following the ACT elections, it looks as though the politicians and their bureaucracies are taking the result as an endorsement of barbarous behaviour and outlandish decisions on development (think West Basin, Dickson Land swap, lack of facilities in Woden, trees and shrubbery being reduced and more). It follows that things will carry on as before and most likely get worse. The bush capital was under threat in previous years. Does it have to get worse?

Maybe the ACT Greens in government could assist. Do the ACT Greens

still have an interest in humanity (do no harm) that they have not bargained away with their agreement with Labor? Do they have the willingness to change how planning and development happens in the bush capital? Could the ACT Greens insist on government communications not being based on very annoying use of alternative facts?

It is still possible that the ACT Greens in government could reset how government deals with residents so that the relationship is about values, honesty and about embracing biodiversity, greenery and respect for the city’s heritage. Let’s be optimistic.

Paul Costigan is an independent commentator and consultant on the visual arts, photography, urban design, environmental issues and everyday matters.

140 Melrose Drive, Phillip | Phone 6208 4444 | phillipmazda.com.au

CityNews December 17-23, 2020 7

POLITICS

It’s a tough ask to walk the talk MINISTER Rebecca Vassarotti, and first-time Greens MLA, explained in a casual conversation that writing her inaugural speech was seriously challenging.

This is because the most effective inaugural speeches to a parliament provide insights into personality, background and political motivation.

Having grown up in Canberra with a long family history in the region, on both the Italian and Irish sides, Rebecca saw herself as “privileged”.

This was despite having five siblings “one income and high interest rates”.

Her family fostered “hard work, community contribution, standing up for what is right, and not shying away from leadership” as well as “a sense of social justice and a passion for getting involved to make things better for individuals and the community as a whole”.

A “transformational” experience for Ms Vassarotti came as an ACT public servant when she was part of the first ACT inquiry into poverty. This was a joint inquiry between the government and the ACT Council of Social Service. Her description of how “immensely grateful I was able to contribute to a project that changed the face of our city’s understanding of poverty and disadvantage”, reveals as much about this new minister as about the inquiry.

Her reflections included sitting “with people as they shared their experiences about being poor in a city that did not acknowledge that there was much disadvantage at all.

It also included working with service providers who were fighting to access the resources”.

Her move to director of the YWCA in Canberra was a life choice that provided insights into broader issues such as guardianship, mental health, gambling and failures in health care. She engaged with political representatives who “were not bad people, but that often they were totally disconnected from the reality of most people’s lives”.

This was her political motivation, as “we needed people in public life who were connected to the communities they serve and had been exposed to the diversity of people’s experiences beyond the small circles that we usually travel in”.

Her appeal to the Assembly, perhaps a little naively, was to act collaboratively to deal with all of the crises facing the people of the ACT.

A similar stance was later reiterated by fellow Greens member Johnathan Davis, who proposed “an informal Brindabella caucus in this 10th Assembly – a non-partisan effort that sees all five of us working together and meeting regularly to discuss issues of concern to our constituents”. A reflection on Mr Davis’ speech will be a matter for a later column.

Greens Minister Emma Davidson began by acknowledging the contribution made by the same party MLAs of previous Assemblies. She also identified that the MLAs do not do this work alone and acknowledged success would not be achieved “without the work of committed staff and volunteers, especially Indra Esguerra, who has been a driving force within the ACT Greens since the very beginning”.

Talking about making Canberra a better place is not enough for Ms Davidson. The approach she will be taking also seeks collaboration. “What we do, that really matters. Words without action mean nothing.

Where there is common ground between what our Greens team committed to during the election campaign and what my Assembly colleagues from other parties said they wanted for our city”.

Returning to the farm area where she was raised to reflect on her election, Ms Davidson shared her background and motivation from “working in the community on housing affordability, economic inequality, women’s health and ending violence against women. I have campaigned to protect green spaces and for public education and health care”.

An even more interesting insight comes with: “I spent so many hours analysing data about economic inequality in Canberra, but when I look at the spreadsheets I do not see numbers. What I see are women working with no job security and for low pay in aged care, child care, disability care and the community sector”.

The inaugural speeches of our newest MLAs provide a clear insight into what is driving those we have elected.

There are other newly elected MLAs and in later columns I will reflect on their first speeches.

We need people in public life who are connected to the communities they serve and have been exposed to the diversity of people’s experiences beyond the small circles that we usually travel in.

8 CityNews December 17-23, 2020

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

NEWS

Hay, hay it’s Christmas

Nothing says Christmas like hay bales. This creative use of circular bales that welcome travellers as they enter Bungendore from Queanbeyan is the work of local butcher Paul Darmody.

MUMMY / living with kids

To hell with this year, I’m up for a big Christmas!

So this is Christmas And what have you done?

Another year over And a new one just begun And so this is Christmas I hope you have fun The near and the dear ones The old and the young…

THE late, great John Lennon’s prophetic war protest-Christmas song “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” always gives me a lump in the throat.

Never more than this year.

We have never more wanted to turn the last page on a year than 2020 and as our goal of kissing goodbye the “bin-fire” of a year nears closer, feelings of desperation, exhaustion and a desire to find meaning and lessons learnt from this year emerge.

Our experiences are diverse, but this year, we have all experienced worry for our loved ones near and far, worry for our children, our community and ourselves.

There may be a silver lining, but at the moment ending 2020 seems an accomplishment enough.

And besides, it’s Christmas and what do we all need this time round?

A bloody brilliant one.

I’m going all out this year. So turn up the Mariah. Pass me a mince pie.

Maybe I have lost the plot but, hey, it’s the end of 2020!

The Christmas tree has been up for weeks. I have dismissed the critics who chided me for breaking the “only-in-December” rule and went out early this time. I upgraded the lights and tree skirt, and my new shiny wreath on the front door that I’ve had snaffled away in the garage since October, looks fantastic.

I’ve started on the Christmas

movies, too. Thanks to all the streaming options, there’s a plethora of fantastically terrible Christmas movies, full of cheese. You can have romance, switching of twins, opulent winter Christmas scenes, marriage proposals from princes in disguise living in random fictitious kingdoms such as Montenaro. Don’t forget about Kurt Russell as The Best Santa. Perfect festive fluff.

I’ve locked in the gifts. This year I pledged to not shop for gifts in December so I went hard early and I’ve pretty much nailed that one, too. Christmas lunch is taken care of with kilos of prawns and plenty of bubbles.

It might sound over the top, but at the heart of my silliness of the season is actually the burning desire to connect with those I love.

The treadmill of 2020 is about to finally slow me down for a short holiday and I can’t wait.

I don’t expect life to magically change at the stroke of midnight on the first of January, and it’s frankly still painful to think back and reflect on the year that was, so instead I’m ready for some real joy.

Thankfully for me, joy is right in front of me, in the shape of the two most precious little humans – my son and daughter – who keep me both sane and drive me insane in good measure.

They are ready for the magic of Santa, the fun of the summer holidays and they deserve it all.

Parenting doesn’t stop, I have often lamented, but more than ever I can’t wait to spend precious downtime with those I love.

And that is what Christmas is all about.

NEWS / true crime

For Nichole, Keren’s murder is getting personal

By Belinda

STRAHORN THE unsolved murder of Canberra’s Keren Rowland has resonated with journalist and historian Nichole Overall in a very personal way.

Ms Overall was a young woman herself when Ms Rowland, 21, disappeared on the night of the Canberra Show, on February 26, 1971.

Ms Rowland’s body was found in the Fairbairn pine plantation near the ACT’s Air Disaster Memorial three months later, she was five months pregnant.

Fifty years on, the cause of her death is still unknown.

It’s a “harrowing” crime that has stayed with Ms Overall for over half a century.

“I first heard about Keren when I moved to this area, at an age similar to what she was when she disappeared that February night in 1971, only to be found in the most tragic of circumstances less than three months later,” says Ms Overall.

“Now I am at an age where Keren could be my daughter… these are the things that are on my mind as I work on all of this.”

The Queanbeyan launch of Ms Overall’s podcast, “Capital Crime Files”, coincided with what would have been Ms Rowland’s 70th birthday and the 50th year of her unborn child.

The young receptionist’s death is one of three longstanding Canberra cold cases, along with Elizabeth Herfort and Mary Bertram, featured in the podcast.

“Lost but not forgotten, my aim in all of this is to ensure that each of these women are remembered and honoured, and it’s my great privilege to be

able to do so,” says Ms Overall.

Mother of three, Mary Bertram, 28, left home in 1974 and never returned. Four days later her naked, strangled body was found in bushland on Canberra’s outskirts. Like Ms Rowland, the crime remains unsolved.

In 1980, Elizabeth Herfort, 18, disappeared without trace after an evening at the ANU Union Bar. Forty years on, her fate also remains unknown.

The podcast, presented by Ms Overall, documents her own in-depth and original investigation into each of these disturbing mysteries.

Over the years, Ms Overall has conducted her own interviews with the victims’ families, police, witnesses and journalists who reported on the crimes at the time.

She obtained court records, police statements, autopsy reports and combed through historical archives in an effort to create a “complete and more accurate picture” of these three crimes, for the “first time”.

“While my aim is to hopefully unearth a memory, a clue or a link that might reinvigorate and encourage reinvestigation, at the least, it’s also to honour the memories of those so lost and to fully impart the stories of lives and promise cut short,” Ms Overall says.

“These unexplained mysteries continue to weigh heavily on the Canberra region.

“Someone out there knows the truth and this is the chance to discover it.”

Breaking a fifty year silence, Ms Rowland’s younger brother Steven Rowland, spoke publicly for the first time at the launch, about his late sister and her disappearance.

“Keren was a normal girl, we were a really close family and everything was rosy up until she died,” says Mr Rowland.

Mr Rowland says he’s never stopped searching for answers over his sister’s death.

“You can’t change what’s

Investigative journalist and author Estelle Blackburn… “Something just might happen, you never know.”

Photo: Belinda Strahorn

Podcaster Nichole Overall and Steven Rowland at the launch of “Capital Crime Files”. Photo: Belinda Strahorn happened but we can do our very best to try and find out what happened,” he says.

“The police at the time did an incredibly good job and I don’t think you can take anything away from what they tried to do at the time.

“Today, some 50 years later, the police appear to be going out of their way to do everything they possibly can, so I am a little sceptical about the 40 years in between. I don’t think there’s been enough done, I believe there are some things that haven’t been fully looked at and that’s why I’m so pleased with what Nichole is doing.

“Hopefully things start to come to light, the more of us that talk about this, the more chance there is we will find out what happened.”

The podcast launch comes as ACT Policing undertook a fresh search of the site where Ms Rowland’s body was found.

Detectives searched the area with new technology, looking for a gold or silver bracelet that Ms Rowland was known to be wearing.

Walkley Award winning

Murdered… Keren Rowland, the young receptionist’s death is one of three long-standing Canberra cold cases.

investigative journalist and author Estelle Blackburn says the new search demonstrates the “power” of Ms Overall’s work.

“Part of Nichole’s efforts in doing this podcast is to find fresh evidence that may jog a memory, and I think she’s had success already with the police search at Fairbairn forest,” says

Ms Blackburn.

“This shows the power of the media, and the power of podcasts, that something just might happen, you never know.”

Ms Blackburn’s own research and book “Broken Lives” exposed an injustice which led to the exonerations of John Button and Darryl Beamish, who had

been convicted of murder in the 1960s, that were later proved to be committed by Eric Edgar Cooke, one of Australia’s most notorious and deadliest serial killers.

Ms Blackburn’s investigations are explored in Stan’s new four-part series “After the Night”, which depicts the horrifying, true story of Cooke, the last man hanged in WA in the Fremantle Gaol.

Ms Blackburn has supported Ms Overall as she researched and put together the podcast.

“Having turned 70 this year I personally know the span of life that has been stolen from Keren and her baby and stolen from her family, friends and community,” says Ms Blackburn.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child and so when a person is taken so tragically from that village it affects the village as well, we have all lost that person.

“But as much as she is important to the community, it does get lost over time, so I think it’s wonderful what Nichole is doing to make sure these women are remembered and honoured.”

Season one of “Capital Crime Files” can be found at capitalcrimefiles.podbean.com

CityNews December 17-23, 2020 9

OPINION

NEWS

Coronavirus scare takes Jess’ cattery to the brink

By Kathryn

VUKOVLJAK JESS Montagne could never have predicted the effect the coronavirus pandemic would have on her family’s cat-boarding business.

Let’s get physical... let me hear your body talk AS time marches on, we become more concerned about prolonging our lives – or at least I have.

When I was younger, I didn’t bother much with exercise, considering that partying energetically would suffice. I took up jogging in the late ‘70s because my girlfriend at that time jogged around the “Tan” (Melbourne Botanical Gardens) every day, but I can’t say I enjoyed jogging much and never passed through the pain barrier to achieve Nirvana (after we married, she gave up jogging).

A runner I decidedly am not. In the army one had to maintain a reasonable level of fitness, but the partying and work kept me fit enough to pass the army’s annual PT tests.

When I was in an infantry unit every workday started with an eight-kilometre run in boots, and every Friday ended with a timed 14-kilometre run with equipment, so we were kept reasonably fit.

I have been fortunate never to have had a serious health scare and perhaps have mixed prospects genetically as my mum died at 68 and dad at 94. I’ve nearly been killed many times, but largely through my own foolishness. Fortuitously, I have never been seriously injured, either.

About 10 years ago, I started using an indoor treadmill for 30 minutes a day and kept that up for a few years. I eventually decided I’d rather be in the open air, so walking alfresco became the preferred choice.

In Canberra, a daily brisk walk for five kilometres around Lake Burley Griffin is a good option. My wife and I have also done a few long walks in other parts of the world, such as Southwark to Canterbury Cathedral (the Pilgrims’ Way), coast-to-coast along Emperor Hadrian’s Wall and in other parts of the world.

Putting on weight is a common problem as we get older, presumably because we eat as much as we did when younger, but our bodies don’t need as many calories to operate effectively.

On the fitness front, I swim every day as my preferred option, but no amount of exercise will compensate for a poor diet. For example, a hard swim over one kilometre will only burn 275 calories – a bit less than one McDon-

If you aspire to have a long and healthy life, you need to know your own risk factors.

Much of the Australian population is now overweight and overweight kids usually have overweight parents. ald’s cheeseburger.

Exercise is good for you, of course, even if you’re overweight, but if you’re overweight and fit you’re probably stressing your body.

Ideally, the circumference of your waist should not exceed half your height.

Coronary heart disease is the leading underlying cause of death in Australia (about one in every four deaths). An adult’s pulse rate should be 60-100, and ideally at the lower end of the spectrum. When you exercise you should not push your pulse rate higher than 220 less your age – so for a 70-year old, not more than 150.

Blood pressure is also important; high blood pressure is a major risk factor for ill health.

The top number in a blood-pressure reading is systolic (the maximum pressure your heart exerts while beating) and the bottom number is diastolic (the pressure in your arteries between beats). The normal range is systolic 91-119 and diastolic 61-79.

You can buy a blood-pressure measuring machine online for under $50 – possibly a good Christmas present for someone you care about?

If you aspire to have a long and healthy life, you need to know your own risk factors.

Much of the Australian population is now overweight and overweight kids usually have overweight parents. It’s up to parents – not teachers – to encourage good eating habits for their children’s future health and wellbeing.

Being on a low income is not a valid excuse for having a poor diet.

In summary, a good diet and regular exercise will help reduce the risk factors for an early demise at any age – unless of course you’re like me and into extreme tourism and other foolhardy pursuits!

Clive Williams is a Canberra commentator and part-time fitness fanatic.

“I know it sounds naive, but we’d been in business successfully for more than 20 years and I never thought a time would come where people wouldn’t be able to travel,” says the director of Curtin Cat Care.

“Our industry relies on it, yet pet boarding isn’t considered to be a part of the travel industry.”

Jess, who started Curtin Cat Care in 1999 when she was in year 12, says the family had evacuated animals from their Mongarlowe facility because of the threat of bushfires when covid hit, and once lockdown was announced, they immediately had all remaining bookings for the year cancelled.

“It was demoralising and severe enough for us to feel the business may not survive,” she says.

With her mum Alice running Arcadia at Mongarlowe, sister Dindi managing Kismet at Nanima, and Jess at Curtin Cat Care, she says the family was in “stunned shock” as their income dwindled.

“We all rely on the business for 100 per cent of our income,” she says.

“We couldn’t even close, as we had several cats already boarding, whose owners weren’t able to get back from overseas.”

Some staff members had to be let go but JobKeeper, a covid grant and loan deferrals helped the business continue, Jess says, as well as the kindness

Director of Curtin Cat Care, Jess Montagne… “It was demoralising and severe enough for us to feel the business may not survive.”

Photos: Holly Treadaway of valued clients, one of whom “generously paid for five years in advance”.

So, inspired by the need to survive the challenges of 2020, she created Kismet Cats, an online store selling eco-friendly cat toys and accessories, which reflected her values.

“Some of what we sell doesn’t have the eco-credentials we’d like, as the pet industry isn’t quite there yet, but we are moving towards it, as well as looking to design our own felt products next year that will be handmade by a community of women in Nepal. It’s fair trade and the artisans are mainly

single mothers trying to make a go of it on their own. We already sell some of their designs, and it’s the complete picture for us.”

Jess, who has a young son, is also involved in land and creek regeneration at the Nanima site.

All three facilities are now open.

“Hopefully we’re coming out the other side now. People are travelling locally and we are seeing a shift,” Jess says.

“I can’t imagine not being surrounded by animals and nature all day and I love the sense of community. Our clients are like our family.” kismetcats.com.au

Capital Crime Files Podcast

KereN

Creator and host Nichole Overall

ROWLAND

LISTEN:capitalcrimefiles.podbean.com EMAIL:contact@capitalcrimefiles.com.au 10 CityNews December 17-23, 2020

LETTERS

Independent inquiry into Army chopper bushfire AT the time of the ACT’s bushfire crisis in January, an Army helicopter started a fire which wiped out 80 per cent of Namadgi National Park, destroyed several homes, nearly wiped out Tharwa and threatened thousands of homes in south Tuggeranong.

Bless the ABC for having conducted an investigation of the matter. Documents obtained by the ABC under FOI reveal a most unsettling state of affairs.

We are treated to an explanation from the Army that beggars belief. A helicopter crew that was supposed to be engaged in “aerial surveillance” decided it rather wanted to be on the ground. And not just anywhere, but in a location where the visibility was so bad they had to have their tail lights on.

The lights lit the grass and the crew got out of there quick smart. The Army then wants us to believe that the crew were so engrossed in their self preservation that they headed straight back to base without immediately informing the ESA of the location of their fire; a fire that quickly became a catastrophic inferno and that could have been attended to promptly with early location advice.

Some 45 minutes later, Defence owned up to the blaze it had started and informed

the ESA of the location. Another five hours later Defence informed its Minister and a day later the Prime Minister and Chief Minister.

So what was Defence doing from the moment the fire was lit? They were engaged in the time-honoured activity of getting their story straight, in a fashion which aimed to reduce the “reputational impact” to the Army.

This incident, and Defence’s treatment of it, demands an independent investigation. There are questions of Army culpability, reparations to owners of burnt properties and a public apology to the residents of southern ACT. Paul Varsanyi, Kambah

Scrap the ‘theme park’ plan THE physical arrangement of the National War Memorial, as a combined cenotaph and war museum, has never really been satisfactory.

The iconic central dominant section is a very fine cenotaph, with towering twinned portals, elevated colonnaded galleries, and reflecting pool, all culminating in the magnificent central dome. Their overall unified arrangement complies with the architectural principle of “form follows function”.

However, the two (east and west) side display components are not so successful in that regard, and public access to them is

confusing, and not clearly legible. However, they do participate in the overall symmetrical architectural arrangement.

The planned profligate demolition of the fine, new Anzac Hall component, and the installation of a massive “theme-park”, at the rear of the complex, is architectural vandalism and will not improve the existing circulation problems.

That scheme should be scrapped, and its funds allocated to a new purpose-built, indoor-outdoor National War Museum, including indigenous elements, and many items currently warehoused off site. It could be built at an evocative place elsewhere in the central national area.

Anzac Hall could be for a special namesake exhibition, directly linked to the iconic main memorial/cenotaph, say, below the elevated floor of the dome; and the confusing side sections simply closed off to the public, and put to say, storage or admin uses.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Self-interest rules JON Stanhope nails it (“Poor suffer as the land Barr bought stands idle”, CN, December 3).

The poor do suffer, but that is of no concern to the majority of Canberrans who elect Labor and the Greens.

Most electors in Canberra – already with the highest average incomes in Australia – are primarily interested in enhancing their own income and wealth, so they vote for the Labor/Greens coalition, which is more likely

to enhance taxpayer-funded wages and the value of Canberrans’ properties.

Policies that increase the role of the public sector – both in terms of expenditure and control – and drive up property prices by withholding supply are much more likely to get majority support than proposals to assist low-income households and provide them with more choice. Self-interest rules. That is why Labor/Greens will always win the votes of the comfortable middle class in Canberra and the philosophy of the Liberal Party will always be rejected.

Ian Wearing, Yass

Grasses and weeds galore THE median strip along the tramway is an unmitigated disaster with a collection of so-called native grasses and weeds galore, thistles over two metres tall and gum trees growing at all angles with some still dying.

All this causes visual problems for traffic at some intersections.

Whoa, hold on Cedric, this is part of the plan by our government to make visitors feel they have now arrived at the “bush” capital!

Although the worry is noted in last week’s “CityNews” story “Fast grass fires a big threat” says ACT Rural Fire Service chief officer Rohan Scott. Don’t worry, a discarded cigarette butt from a car on a windy day should fix the problem!

Cedric Bryant, Watson

ENQUIRE TODAY!

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Image: Mr Squiggle model made by Norman Hetherington, about 2005.

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‘The Griffin’, Cnr of Giles & Jardine Streets, Kingston maloneys@maloneys.com.au maloneys.com.au CityNews December 17-23, 2020 11

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

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Counting down, but there’s still time to shop The magic of live performance

The importance of choosing the right tree

THERE’S nothing like seeing a performance live, says The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts’ artistic director Jordan Best.

“After a year of Netflix, I want to be able to see the actors breathe, I want the exchange that only happens when you are seeing something in the flesh,” she says.

“When you’re there, in the theatre, with live performers, something magical happens. The show you are watching is just for you, no matter how many other people are there. Your experience is your own, and everyone’s is different.”

Jordan says The Q has something for everyone in the new year, with the centre scheduled to host tribute shows, dramas, musicals, morning melodies, children’s shows and comedy.

Starting on February 4, the “Battle of the Voices” will kick off the 2021 calender, followed by “Wolf Lullaby”, a dramatic play performed by Echo Theatre from February 18.

Currently, The Q has a 75 per cent capacity limit, but being an intimate theatre there isn’t a bad seat, says Jordan.

And, with the grand reopening of the refurbished Bicentennial Hall, The Q will soon be able to host larger crowds, she says.

For those searching for a gift idea, Jordan says a gift certificate to The Q makes a fantastic Christmas gift for anyone.

“Or why not a subscription so you can sample everything The Q has to offer,” she says.

IT’S important to choose the right Christmas tree, and the Christmas Emporium at Hang Ups has a range of trees to suit any space or anyone, says co-owner Mike Welch.

Located in Fyshwick, the Christmas Emporium has a vast range of trees in stock, including artificial trees of all shapes and sizes, where people can come and inspect them in person, Mike says.

“Buying one long-lasting good quality artificial tree from us costs less than buying a new real tree every year,” he says.

But he says there are a few things to consider, including space and other needs when choosing an artificial Christmas tree.

“Artificial trees can come with lights already arranged and attached,” he says.

“You can find trees with all the different arrangements and a number of lights.

“They can also come pre-decorated in a few different ways. It can be accented, meaning it can come with artificial pine cones and berries already attached.”

The Christmas trees at the emporium are environmentally friendly, come with a 10-year warranty, and make no mess, says Mike.

The shop also stocks Twinkly, which are LED light strings controllable via smartphones, that can create unique, magical light patterns, as well as other items such as beach towels and candles that can be bought as gifts.

The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 251 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6285 6290 or visit theq.net.au

Gift ideas to get the whole family moving ELECTRIC scooters, or e-scooters make an ideal present for everyone this Christmas, from the busy commuter to the weekend “speed junkie”, says owner of Cookies Cycles, David Cook.

Using an e-scooter brings so many benefits, according to David, who says they save on parking and make commuting more fun.

“Or, you can use them for fun and recreation [rather than commuting]. I even have one that does 60km/h,” he says.

Located in Franklin, David says Cookies Cycles stocks the best leading brands in e-scooters, such as Zero, Mearth and Emove.

David’s backed with about 35 years’ industry experience and not only stocks leading products at his store but has the knowledge about what they sell, too.

He says the store also stocks everything from balance bikes and three-wheel scooters, to larger scooters, skateboards, mountain bikes, electric bikes, road bikes,

BMX bikes for the racer, as well as street and park riders.

Cookies Cycles also has a fully equipped workshop, which David says offers services and repairs.

“We back up and service all products that we sell with our large range of parts and accessories,” he says.

Cookies Cycles, 227 Flemington Road, Franklin. Call 6242 0338, email shop@cookiescycles.com.au or visit cookiescycles.com.au

Christmas Emporium at Hang Ups, 72 Gladstone Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 0312 or email info@hangups.com.au

GRAB A BRAND NEW LARGEST ELECTRIC SCOOTER RANGE OF E-SCOOTERS FOR CHRISTMAS IN GUNGAHLIN

“COME IN AND VIEW OUR COMPREHENSIVE RANGE” 227 FLEMINGTON ROAD, FRANKLIN 6242 0338 12 CityNews December 17-23, 2020

ANOTHER FANTASTIC SEASON TO ENTERTAIN YOU IN 2021 GIFT VOUCHERS & SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS

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THE STORY & SONGS OF BILLY JOEL IF YOU ARE A FAN OF THE MAN HIMSELF, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED AS ANTHONY MARA PAYS TRIBUTE TO BILLY JOEL.

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Find us at South Point, near Big W. Phone Sandy on 0402 097 580

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FAST NEWS FREE

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS Treats to spoil the family pets THERE’S no forgetting man’s best friend this Christmas, says Charlie and Chums’ owner Sandy Borgo, whose range of products caters to pets and people alike.

Based in Tuggeranong, Sandy says Charlie and Chums sells a wide range of gifts for people, too, such as jewellery, cards, tableware, metal and ceramic figurines, as well as collars and leads for pets.

Sandy says she has a number of outdoor sculptures and figurines to dress up the garden, such as flamingoes, turtles, frogs and birds.

Operating since 2013, Sandy says she’s grown the business out of a love for the dogs and animals that bring so much joy and companionship into people’s lives.

Charlie and Chums allows family pets to join in on the festive cheer, with its pet-friendly gifts that range from advent calendars for dogs, to dog and cat stockings that can be stuffed with goodies such as reindeer “poop” snacks and festive squeaky toys.

“Our pets are part of our family.

We spoil them just as much as we spoil our children,” she says.

Charlie and Chums, shop 103, 1 South.Point Tuggeranong. Call 0402 097580, email charlieandchums@bigpond.com or visit charlieandchums.com.au

COME OUT TO THE CANBERRA WALK-IN AVIARY THESE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Aviary offers a great time amongst birds PARROTS, finches, doves and quail are among the birds ready to interact at the Canberra Walk-in Aviary this Christmas period, says owner and manager Mick Logan.

“The aviary is great fun for all ages, with the chance to get up-close-and-personal with a range of friendly, free-flying birds,” says Mick.

“While not all birds will interact with you, visitors get the chance to observe, up close, species of birds that otherwise would be hard to see in the wild.

“We provide a small plate of food and a tub of mealworms and you can wander around and feed the birds.”

The aviary is a 1000sqm planted walk-in enclosure that has more than 500 birds from about 65 different species from Australia and the world, Mick says.

“Providing the weather is fine you can have a great time feeding the birds, taking photos or just observing our feathered friends,” Mick says.

Gold Creek Village has three other attractions, as well as cafes, gift shops and a garden centre, so it’s a great place for a day out after visiting the aviary, Mick says.

Numbers are still limited for social distancing reasons, but the aviary is still open as usual and over the summer will be open every day including public holidays, except Christmas, from 10am-5pm, with the last admission at 4.30pm.

Collectible ‘bears’ from around the world

Festive figurines are sure to be a hit

FOR the young or young at heart, the teddy bears at The Teddy Bear Shop in Majura will make the perfect, quality gift, say owners Meg and Ian Cutler.

The shop features all sorts of bears, from flat bears, cute and cuddly bears, as well as christening gifts and children’s dinnerware, classics from Peter Rabbit, Paddington and Winnie the Pooh, and popular collectible brands such as Teddy-Hermann, she says.

“We’ve got something for everyone,” says Meg. The Teddy Bear Shop is “the destination” for teddy bears, according to Meg, who says “our bears are for a lifetime”. This is because The Teddy Bear Shop only sells quality products, including bears.

Although, she says, it’s the Charlie Bears that still attract the most attention.

IMPACT Comics’ festive-themed Funko Pop! figurines are sure to be a hit this Christmas, says co-owner Mal Briggs.

Whether it’s Groot dressed up as a Christmas tree or a Santa-themed Winnie the Pooh, Mal says the selection ranges from big and small, to novelty and collectible, and now includes everyone’s favourite Marvel heroes for under $100.

But if people aren’t sure what to get staff are on hand to help pick out the perfect gift, says Mal, who also has gift cards available which can be purchased in-store or online and emailed out as a PDF. Impact Comics has traditional comic books, graphic novels and manga, as well as young adult graphic novels that tackle relationships and coming of age, and, for the older reader, there are biographies, memoirs and even a graphic novel adaptation of the Mueller Report, he says.

The Teddy Bear Shop, shop 9, Majura Park Shopping Centre. Call 0418 303448, email hugs@theteddybearshop. com.au or visit theteddybearshop.com.au

Canberra Walk-in Aviary, unit 13, Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls. Call 6230 2044 or visit canberrawalkinaviary.com.au

Impact Comics, 16 Garema Place, Civic.

Call 6248 7335 or visit impactcomics.com.au

• • • • •

Come along and see the friendly free-flying birds that can be photographed and fed.

Manga, Comics, & Graphic Novels Funko Pops - Massive range Star Wars Comics and more All the superheroes Comics for the whole family

“Let the experts find the perfect gift for someone special!”

Walk amongst over 500 birds from 50 species from Australia and around the world!

impactcomics.com.au 6248 7335 Garema Place, Canberra City

FREE ADMISSION FOR KIDS UNDER 4

Open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm with the last admission 4.30pm

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Come bearing gifts for your loved ones Keepsakes, Classics, Collectables & More!

When accompanied by a full paying adult

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COME ALONG & VISIT THE WALK-IN AVIARY & THEN ENJOY THE GOLD CREEK VARIETY SHOPS & ATTRACTIONS Unit 13 Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls canberrawalkinaviary.com.au 14 CityNews December 17-23, 2020

Phone

6230 2044

Shop 9, Majura Park Shopping Centre, ACT

0418 303 448

hugs@theteddybearshop.com.au www.theteddybearshop.com.au

Hang Ups Christmas Emporium Visit our newly launched echristmas.com.au to see our wide range of Christmas must-haves and shop in-store at our beautiful Christmas Emporium

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EXPERTS OF WODEN

Valley’s home to a diverse range of experts LOCATED 10 minutes from the centre of Canberra, the development of Woden began in 1962, a year before its first residents arrived in 1963.

Planned as a series of 10 suburbs (there’s now 12), Hughes, Curtin, Chifley and Lyons were among the first built.

At the time it was estimated that 90,000 people would eventually live in the area but by 2016 the population had only reached 34,760, according to the census.

Separate from Civic, Woden Valley was planned as a satellite city, with its own shopping centre, employment opportunities and suburbs located around the town centre in Woden.

But that doesn’t stop residents from outside of the Woden Valley coming to explore the many and diverse experts spread across the region.

Lawyers take discomfort out of wills WHILE death can be hard to think about, Capon & Hubert Lawyers & Mediators help take the discomfort out of making a will, says wills and estate planning lawyer Ashilpa Khanna.

When death occurs, a common misconception, according to Ashilpa, is the spouse takes control of the estate and its assets, which is not generally the case.

Wills and estate planning lawyer Ashilpa Khanna.

“If you don’t make a will, the state’s law effectively does it for you,” says Ashilpa, who urges people to create a will to secure a plan for the future.

“For families, a relative dying without a will causes significant strife, since a will names the legal guardians of the person’s children.

“The last thing you want to have if you die is a fight over who’s going to raise your children.”

But to better cushion any sudden tragedies, Ashilpa firmly believes everyone should have an estate plan and it all starts with a will.

At Capon & Hubert Lawyers & Mediators, Ashilpa says great care is taken into providing expert and honest advice, ensuring each client is aware of the legal process and disclosing any upfront fees.

“Our staff are experienced in their fields and we take pride in knowing our clients,” she says.

“We will always use common sense, respect, courtesy and good judgement when dealing with clients.”

Capon & Hubert Lawyers & Mediators, first floor, 32-38 Townshend Street, Phillip. Email enquiries@chsol.com.au, call 6152 9203 or visit chsol.com.au

Customers love Siva’s home-style food SERVING traditional south Indian and Sri Lankan food, owner of Amirtham Tasty Food, Siva Kanapathippillai, says she enjoys creating all the home-style meals herself at the small restaurant and takeaway she runs in Phillip.

With dine-in available for up to 15 people, Siva says she mostly does takeaway and people tell her they love the food, including her dosas, kothu roti and biryanis.

“I make all the food in-house from scratch, with no ready mixes of spices at all,” she says.

“I have a range of curries, and always use fresh vegetables and ingredients, and offer gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free options.”

Having started the business in 2011, after leaving the public service, Siva says she enjoys her work because her customers tell her they find her food so “tasty”.

“If my customers are happy, I’m happy!” she says.

Amirtham Tasty Food, 6/67 Townshend Street, Phillip. Call 6162 4253.

Working with you for the best result Ken Hubert Family Law and Mediation

Ashilpa Khanna Wills and Estate Planning Lawyer

Daryn Griffiths Property and Commercial Solicitor

Experienced in all areas of Family Law, including adoptions. Ken is an accredited business and family mediator.

YES WE ARE OPEN FOR APPOINTMENTS For all client meetings COVID-19 adherence applies

A valid and up-to-date Will can help reduce stress for your family & friends, limit administration costs, and lessen the possibility for dispute over your estate.

Let us help to navigate the complexity of conveyancing laws in the ACT & NSW including stamp duty, identity verification, and tenancy laws.

For the best outcome when it matters how it’s done call Capon & Hubert on 6152 9203 Over

30 years

serving Canberra 16 CityNews December 17-23, 2020

First Floor, 32-38, Townshend Street, Phillip ACT

chsol.com.au | enquiries@chsol.com.au

advertising feature Centre covers all orthopaedic subspecialties WITH a team of orthopaedic surgeons, including paediatric orthopaedic surgeons and a pain management specialist, Orthopaedics ACT covers all orthopaedic subspecialty areas including management of trauma, says

practice manager Deborah Henry.

Based in a town-centre location, opposite Westfield Woden and close to the bus interchange, and in close proximity to both public and private hospitals, Deborah says Woden is geographically the centre of Canberra and a convenient, easily accessible location for patients with plenty of parking.

“We are co-located in a specialist centre with radiology, nuclear medicine and a physiotherapy practice,” says Deborah.

“Having multiple surgeons means we are able to assist from head-to-toe as well as being able to cross-refer within the practice.”

Orthopaedics ACT also has a three-bed, nurse-led clinic for all

post-operative care.

“Our surgeons treat in both the public and private systems, offering consultations, non-surgical and surgical solutions,” she says.

If needed, Deborah says Orthopaedics ACT’s trauma phone line is available between 9am to 5pm, seven days per week to manage trauma injuries that don’t require a visit to the emergency department.

Orthopaedics ACT will be closed for the annual Christmas and New Year break from December 24 and will reopen on January 11.

Orthopaedics ACT, Woden Specialist Medical Centre, level 2, 90 Corinna Street, Woden. Call 6221 9320 or visit orthoact.com.au

Runner reveals the importance of socks HAVING the right socks for running is just as important as well-cushioned shoes, says long-time runner and owner of The Runners Shop, Nick Walshe.

“Comfortable socks have become a runners’ essential item, providing breathability and offering blister prevention,” he says.

Nick says they sell a range of sock brands, including Balega, Swiftwick and Injinji, as well as lots of other accessories, from shoes and hats to watches.

“And, no one wants to leave their phones at home, so we sell a variety of running belts that can hold them safely, as well as wallets and water bottles,” he says.

Nick says more people have been heading out for walks and runs because of covid restrictions on many sports and gyms.

“Running is a good way to clear the head, and

Canberra has so many beautiful open spaces to explore in the fresh air,” he says.

“We find that as people are getting fitter, and starting to go beyond 10-15 minutes of jogging or running for more than a few kilometres, they need decent running shoes.”

The Runners Shop sells shoes by Brooks, Hoka, Saucony, Mizuno, On, New Balance, Asics, Nike, Altra and Topo, and Nick recommends replacing shoes after about 80km of running.

The Runners Shop, 76 Dundas Court, Phillip.

Call 6285 3508 or visit therunnersshop.com.au

Physiotherapists treat the person as a whole MANUKA Woden Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic, a practice that works with the patients to compile achievable goals, is accessible to all patients, says principal Greg Nash.

Conveniently located on Corinna Street, opposite Westfield Woden, Greg says the clinic has wheelchair accessibility and is also positioned near the bus interchange, for people who don’t drive. He also has a clinic in Manuka.

Backed with 35 years’ experience working in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, sports injuries and occupational health and safety, Greg says an important role the

physiotherapist has is creating realistic goals.

“We spend a lot of our time educating people about their injuries,” he says.

“Perhaps when they’re with the GP they don’t have time to do that sort of thing [but] in a treatment session [here] they have more time to ask questions and learn how to better manage their injury.”

When people come to Manuka Woden Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic, Greg says they treat the person not the condition. “[We’re] focused on the patient’s preferred outcome. We’re always

aiming to restore the injured person, whether it’s an athlete or an injured worker, to before-injury condition,” he says.

Also part of the team is Vera Chalneva, who joined the practice this year. Formerly involved in gymnastics and dance, as a participant and coach, she’s seen first-hand the specific injuries and problems that dancers and gymnasts experience, Greg says.

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therunnersshop.com.au CityNews December 17-23, 2020 17

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6124 2424 jax.com.au T&C’s apply. Details at jax.com.au 18 CityNews December 17-23, 2020

AFTER taking over JAX Tyres and Auto Phillip in April, just as covid shut everything down, its new director Brad Martin says the store continues to offer the same quality service it always has.

Backed with almost 40 years’ experience in the industry, Brad took the opportunity to lead the Phillip branch, which has been handling all tyre needs as well as minor mechanical repairs such as brakes, suspension, steering and log book servicing, for 18 years.

During that time the business has seen many customers continue to come back due to their quality service and reasonably-priced, quality products, Brad says.

Their leading, premium brands are often on sale, too, making them more affordable for customers, Brad says.

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do $100 cashback when you buy four,” he says.

Currently, Bridgestone tyres are available as a “buy four, pay for three” deal, but Brad says to give the garage a call to find out which brands are on sale at the time.

JAX Tyres and Auto Phillip also keeps up with new technology and has a new state-of-the-art wheel aligner, which Brad says “gives a more accurate picture” of the vehicle.

Brad recommends a wheel alignment after every 10,000km and says: “That would give you the best of longevity for your tyres”.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

INSIDE

With a Pike on the line

RICHARD CALVER

Portraits celebrate the outback, bush and coast

By Helen

MUSA AN exhibition of 56 photographs and stories from the outback, bush and coast, has opened at the National Museum of Australia (NMA) as part of a partnership between “Australian Geographic” and the Museum.

I caught up with the editor-in-chief of “Australian Geographic”, Chrissie Goldrick, who explained the nature of the collaboration which has led to this exhibition being staged not just in Canberra, but all around the country.

Back in 2016, with a strong focus on humans in rural and regional areas, the raison d’etre of “Australian Geographic”, Goldrick and her team had published a book, “A Portrait of Australia”, to celebrate 30 years of “Australian Geographic” magazine.

It covered ordinary people, the movers and shakers of Australia as seen by the magazine’s expert snappers’ and writers’ 30 years of reporting.

NMA staff had already seen the book and noticed a strong synergy between the work of “Australian Geographic” and the

“Up the Birdsville Track”, near Birdsville, Queensland.

National Museum.

The museum approached her with the idea of doing a single exhibition in Canberra, but it soon turned into something different, a touring show which can be ordered through the museum by anyone in Australia or beyond. Venues

around the country were able to select from a collection of about 60 photographs to tell their own regional stories.

Goldrick has seen the show in Toowoomba, on Bribie Island and now in Canberra and praises the National Museum’s interpretive storytelling skills.

Photo: Colin Beard “They have made the whole thing into something that is for all,” she says.

The show paints a varied picture of life in the bush and outback and on the coast, like the ageless picture of cattle in western NSW by Raffaele, Bill Hatcher’s picture of Silverton, 25km north-west of Broken Hill,

and an image by Mike Langford of a cattle yard in the East Kimberley region of WA on a station owned and managed by the local Gooniyandi people.

Even Canberra gets a look in, with a picture by Thomas Wielecki of Summernats 2013, where an official Guinness world record was created when 69 cars performed simultaneous burnouts.

After the museum and the magazine agreed to create an exhibition around this idea, Goldrick went through the back files of the magazine to make a shortlist of 230 articles, but found that the box-ticking process she first adopted didn’t work, as the story was the story of people, not categories.

Massive editing was required, and she became fascinated by watching how the staff of the NMA got the stories down to around 60 – “I loved watching them do it”.

“It was important to get out of the cities – city life gets plenty of coverage, so it’s the more remote and regional areas that are pictured in the book and in the exhibition.

It’s been so well received in the regions where people can see themselves and their own lives on the walls, shot in positive, bright primary colours by wonderful photographers.”

“A Portrait of Australia: Stories Through the Lens of ‘Australian Geographic’”, NMA, until March 8.

DANCE

Ballet enters ‘new era of artistry’

By Helen Musa

THERE was a sense of excitement afoot as American dancer and choreographer David Hallberg stepped into the shoes of the Australian Ballet director of 20 years, David McAllister, to announce the 2021 season for the flagship company, themed as “a new era of artistry”.

Hallberg, who while a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre had become the first American to join the Bolshoi Ballet as a principal in 2011, first visited the Australian Ballet as a guest artist in 2010. In 2016, after more than two years being treated by the Australian Ballet’s artistic health team for an injury, he relaunched his career, partnering the company’s principal artist, Amber Scott, in “Coppélia”, during which time he became deeply immersed in the life of the company.

“I’m eager to bring the experiences I’ve accumulated around the world and pass them on,” Hallberg said, adding that he’d programmed “a repertoire that exemplifies their versatility”.

Known very much as a “dancer’s dancer” rather than as a choreog-

New Australian Ballet director David Hallberg. rapher, Hallberg focused firmly on the artists and how they felt about their roles.

Something with a distinctive New York flavour to be seen at Sydney Opera House from April 6-24 will be “New York Dialects”, comprising “Serenade”, and “The Four Temperaments”, both choreographed

by George Balanchine, “the great game-changer of ballet”, alongside a new creation from Pam Tanowitz, described by Hallberg as “one of our generation’s most intelligent creators”, using the male dancers of the Australian Ballet. At the launch, principal artist Amy Harris and Hallberg discussed the emotions involved in dancing “Serenade”.

In a Q&A with Amber Scott, who will dance the title role in “Raymonda”, staged by Hallberg himself, he described the role as “languid and sensitive”. The ballet,

with choreography by Marius Petipa, will, with “Artifact Suite” by William Forsythe, form part of the double-bill “Counterpointe”, at the Sydney Opera House from April to May. A romantic note was struck when Hallberg introduced dancing couple, Ako Kondo and Chengwu Guo, who will dance the title roles in John Cranko’s version of “Romeo and Juliet” to the famous music by Prokofiev which was so detested

by Stalin’s officials. For Guo, it was the sword-fighting scene involving Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio, apart from the opportunity to dance with “my real-life Juliet”.

Serendipitously, Cranko’s popular ballet premiered in 1962, the year the Australian Ballet was founded.

It will be seen at the Sydney Opera House from November 5-24.

A combination of Italian subject matter with Russian artistry will be the 1900 Marius Petipa/Riccardo Drigo ballet “Harlequinade”, a co-production of the American Ballet Theatre and the Australian Ballet, playing from November to December at the Sydney Opera House. Hallberg had danced the role of Pierrot for the American Ballet Theatre in New York City.

Speaking to “Pierrot” dancer Adam Bull about the ballet’s characters from the commedia dell’arte, like Harlequin and Columbine, he hinted at some extraordinary sleeves for Pierrot which would bring the house down.

CityNews December 17-23, 2020 19

CINEMA / reviews

Strong acting sets bush drama apart “The Furnace” (MA) SET in WA in 1897, writer/director Roderick MacKay’s dramatic film tells a story about gold, camels, Islamist and Sikh cameleers, Chinese immigrants and crime.

Quite a mouthful of ingredients for the filmgoer to digest, but an example of Australian cinema at its best. The acting is top quality. The locations (shot around Kalbarri and Mt Magnet) are sere, dusty, with scanty vegetation, combining each in their unique way and despite lacking tenderness or gentleness, combining to give the film an ongoing beauty and emphasising the challenge that the outback throws in the face of all who seek to conquer it.

There aren’t many Australian films in which the actor playing one of the two principal characters is of an Egyptian family, aged 24 when he starred in this, his 23rd film. Ahmad Malek plays Hanif, a cameleer whose path crosses that of Mal, a white man guarding stolen gold bars carrying the Crown cypher. David Wenham is close to unrecognisable in that role – scraggly beard, lank unkempt hair, clothes needing a wash more than his body.

Police Sgt Shaw (Jay Ryan) with three troopers, one of whom is his son Sam (Samson

apparent target. That’s how Hollywood does such situations, with characters falling down on cue. We can do it better. But it’s a relatively small blemish in a very fine, strong, Australian film.

“The Witches” (M)

David Wenham, left, and Ahmad Malek in “The Furnace”.

Coulter) is trying to maintain law and order in the miners’ camp. And beyond the camp Zhan Mei (Amanda Ma) with her sons will stop at nothing to get control of the gold.

The tensions build as Mal tries to dominate Afghani Hanif whose camel is the only means of transport for the pair. It’s a well-trained animal with a future in movies, but no name credit in this one. There is also a large contingent of named indigenous Australians, predominantly men, playing characters who do as they’re told.

The film has only one significant shortcoming. In the sequence where Shaw and the troopers confront Mei and her sons, there’s a lot of shooting, none with any

‘TIS the season for bored children to go to the movies and this visual imagining of a Roald Dahl story is a movie for kids of every age.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, with a screenplay that he co-wrote with Guillermo del Toro, it tells how three mice confront and defeat – a convention of witches commanded by the most wicked witch of all. So what’s new, do I hear somebody say?

Novelty has no place in this film. It’s pure fun, as young Hero Boy (newcomer Jahzir Bruno) and his grandma (Octavia Spencer) confront the witches and win.

Getting from that to there involves many bits of filmic magic, some of which, the closing credits tell us, were created in Melbourne. Where they came from is relatively irrelevant. How well they work is all important. And its 106 minutes will, I have no compunction in telling parents, have kids from about seven to 77+ varying from delighted laughter to shrinking apprehension of situations that threaten children whom the Grand High Witch has turned, with the aid of a special potion, into courageous mice. Anne Hathaway’s

performance of the role is over the top, as befits the acme of wickedness.

Pundits may want to compare this version of Dahl’s story with the version that Nicolas Roeg made in 1970. Don’t waste your time.

Zemeckis’s version stands on its own merits.

“Words on Bathroom Walls” (MA) WHEN movie makers, novelists and other kinds of dramatists try to massage schizophrenia into plots for their magnum opuses, one of the difficult problems that they need to resolve is getting inside the head of a sufferer.

The title of Thor Freudenthal’s film about a schizophrenic adolescent boy is a coy American treatment of the common-or-garden variety of names for lavatories. This is no place for a catalogue of possible In his senior year at a Catholic high school, Adam (Charlie Plummer) lives with his widowed mother (Molly Parker) and her partner Paul (Walton Goggins). He’s being treated for schizophrenia but it’s not working well. At school, outspoken Maya (Taylor Russell) takes a shine to him.

School principal Sister Catherine (Beth Grant) isn’t as sympathetic as she might be about Adam’s condition. Father Patrick (Andy Garcia) tries to help the boy but predictably, follows a path through faith rather than medication.

Where this combination of characters might end up with Adam’s problems is not easy to guess and you’d probably get it wrong anyway.

The film is best viewed without expectations.

Stay in touch with the names making news on Sundays from 9am as 2CC and “CityNews” present Canberra’s only local weekend news and current affairs program.

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20 CityNews December 17-23, 2020

Contrasting views of the season ARTS IN THE CITY

By Helen MUSA

THE National Film and Sound Archive now has festive content viewable at nfsa.gov.au showing contrasting views of the season, from Nicole Kidman in 1983’s “Bush Christmas” to the destruction of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Day 1974. Its advent calendar of Australian Christmas music has Archie Roach and others serenading, while a nostalgic film, “Christmas In Australia”, directed by Richard Mason for the Commonwealth Film Unit in 1958 may be viewed at youtube.com/ watch?v=G9GM4Mp9uT4

Screen news, big and small

TEMPO Theatre, according to veteran member Mike Weston, has “not just sat down wringing our hands over shutdown and lamenting about no stage shows” and will go ahead with the company’s sixth annual Christmas radio presentation, “Captain Christmas: A Pirate Christmas Story”, co-written by Weston with Jo Jones. It will go to air at Radio 1RPH on Christmas Day, with exact times to be posted at facebook. com/tempotheatre

IT looks like it might finally be happening, perhaps the biggest shake-up in cinema history since the arrival of VHS.

FOUR Canberra artists from a record 1,200 entries – Justine McLaren, Martin Paull, Anna Madeleine Raupach and “CityNews” art writer Caren Florance – have made it to the finalists’ list for the 66th Blake Prize, coming to the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in February.

WATCH IT! / streaming and stuff

sundayROAST

A still from “Christmas in Australia” directed by Richard Mason… part of the NFSA’s festive content.

Warner Brothers Pictures has announced that its entire slate of 2021 movies will release not only in cinemas, but also streaming at the same time.

Its movies include some of the biggest films set for next year, including the new “Wonder Woman”, a fourth instalment of “The Matrix” as well as “Space Jam 2”, a sequel to the 1996 film that melded “Looney Tunes” with the National Basketball Association for some truly avant-garde stuff.

These films and more will premiere on the American streaming service HBO Max on the same day as the cinema launch and run for one month on the big and small screens.

Ann Sarnoff, CEO of Warner Bros, said: “No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theatres in the US will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.”

What’s it mean for Australia though?

Well at this point that isn’t quite clear as we don’t have HBO Max available. However, Foxtel Group’s Binge tends to be the platform that makes HBO content available Down Under, so we may see some of the big releases appear through there.

But it’s what the news means more generally for the entertainment landscape as a whole that’s really important.

Warner Bros’ plan for streaming releases is only supposed to last for a year, but a whole year is a lot of time to get used to having the new “Batman” or “Godzilla” film available to watch without leaving the couch.

The question is, if you weren’t overly bothered with going to the flicks to see a new release, would you stream it?

One of Warner Bros’ biggest releases is set to be part of this with “Dune”, an adaptation of the 1965 sci-fi epic novel by Frank Herbert. And as a bit of a self-confessed science fiction fanatic, “Dune” is certainly one I’m more than a little keen for though if it meant waiting for longer, I think it’d be worth it so that it can be experienced cinematically, the way it was intended to be.

I’m also not alone in that sentiment with many social media comments announcing their love for movie theatres and concern about their going out of business.

The cinema companies themselves, as you can expect, are more than a little panicked. AMC, one of America’s biggest cinema chains, was quick to enter an “immediate and urgent dialogue” with Warner Bros.

If HBO Max wildly succeeds in bringing in the streamers with this move, other top studios may try to follow suit, which in turn, may cause an entire shift in viewer expectations.

In the next few years it may very well become the norm to have a choice of watching the newest blockbuster at the movies or at home, and this move might just be the catalyst for that change.

It will be fascinating to see how the landscape has evolved come this time next year.

More of Nick Overall on Twitter @nick_ overall

PETER Coleman-Wright, director of our fledgling National Opera has announced that the company will at last open, with semi-staged versions at Llewellyn Hall and conducted by Dane Lam of Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito” in April, directed by Coleman-Wright himself and Puccini’s “La Rondine” in October, directed by Gale Edwards.

ACTORS are gearing up in Glenn Elston’s outdoor production of “The Wind in The Willows” at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens for the 18th year running. Head Chief Rabbit, Ratty and Mole join a dangerous mission with the Rat Pack and Badger Patrol to rescue Portly the Otter from the Wild Wood.

Royal Botanic Gardens, harbour side of the main pond, January 6-24, bookings at willowslive.com.au or 9011 7704 or at ticketmaster.com.au YOU know it’s the silly season where you hear of a new children’s picture book called “Grandma’s Knicker Tree”.

The book by Canberra writer Barbie Robinson and illustrated by artist and former school counsellor, Ian Robertson, focuses on the importance of families and the relationship of grandparents and their grandchildren.

Orders to forpitysake.com.au/store

WINE

Reeling in loyalty with a Pike there on the line Field burger… miso mushrooms, Asian veg and tangy pickled red onion. Other yum ingredients include ripe avo and a delish lime aioli.

Wacko taco… crunchy corn tortillas, house-spiced beans, charred spiced corn and a sexy tomato salsa.

Photos: Wendy Johnson

DINING / Tribe Café, Batemans Bay

At the secluded Tribe you’re in good company IT’S that time of year.

Canberrans will soon start heading to the south coast for summer.

To break away from the bustle, consider brekkie or lunch at a quiet, unassuming and secluded café about five minutes from Batemans Bay. A tribe of four businesses opened just over a year ago, and thankfully survived the worst of the pandemic.

The businesses, all housed under one roof, focus on community and wellbeing and include the Tribe Café.

Don’t be fooled when you first walk in the door. Although you can’t see it immediately, Tribe has a gorgeous indoor dining area (not big) and a stunning courtyard surrounded by lush greenery. It backs on to a tourist attraction that has been in “the hood” for yonks, Birdland Animal Park. Chances are, while you sit and have a cuppa or dine, you’ll hear birds enjoying their day and see fallow deer wandering

on the other side of the wire fence.

But back to the café.

This is a health food café but Tribe turns on the tastebuds for all diners.

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options feature, with Tribe having recently switched to its new-season menu.

We dined just before the new menu, impressed by the variety Tribe has on offer.

The “wacko taco” was loaded with colour and flavour and texture ($15).

Heaped on top of the crunchy corn tortillas, were house-spiced beans, charred spiced corn and a sexy tomato salsa. If that’s not healthy enough, the dish also includes fresh baby spinach, vegan cheese and a creamy aioli. It sure hit the spot.

I’m a big fan of miso, such a versatile ingredient. There was no doubt I was going to order the field burger ($17). Packed in between the bun was miso mushrooms (mini steaks in their own right), Asian veg and tangy pickled red onion. Other yum ingredients include ripe avo

and a delish lime aioli, with a bit of pucker power that took the other flavours to greater heights.

Little tribes will enjoy the $10 lunches, including a cheese toastie and egg on toast. Other all-day menu items for bigger tribes include light lunches like house-made pies ($8 and flavours rotate), a frittata ($9) and a “soul bowl”, which, as its name implies, is loaded with goodness ($16).

“Grab n Go” lunch packs are available and Tribe Café makes fresh cold-pressed juices, iced latte and iced coffee, all perfect for hot summer days.

Tribe Café is dog friendly and has plenty of free parking out front.

Under the same roof is a yoga and wellness hub, physiotherapy service and beauty spot.

Tribe Café, 57 Beach Road, Batemans Bay.

THERE are all sorts of reasons that marketers isolate as the rationale for purchasers to buy a specific product. I went trawling for ideas in this space.

One of the most important elements for wine is brand loyalty. Persons more learned than I am, define this concept as “a deeply held predisposition to repatronise a preferred brand or service consistently in the future, causing repetitive same-brand purchasing despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behaviour.”

The definition is cited in Bianchi et al “Antecedents of consumer brand loyalty in the Australian wine industry” (2014).

In other words, you keep buying the same brand despite other temptations.

This kind of loyalty is, for me, contextual. I rarely eat fish and chips these days, mostly because the fish type is undisclosed and I detest the profligate use of Basa with its cat-fish blandness and chemical taste.

But when it comes to a wine that goes best with excellent fish and chips, I turn to a solid performer that I first encountered at Stanley’s café in Gouger Street, Adelaide (now long closed): Pikes riesling.

Stanley’s served up large portions of King George whiting, superbly fresh and fine-textured, with house-made chips and a salad that often remained untouched, adorned with an orange slice.

My pescatarian Adelaide friends and I enjoyed the lunchtime splendour of this dish with a bottle of Pikes when I was visiting SA on business and would attach a day or two’s leave to the trip, lunching with them and visiting the McLaren Vale wineries just out of town. Headline: “Man has good time in Adelaide”.

With barramundi fillets and homecooked chips on the menu, I purchased a bottle of 2019 Pikes “Traditionale” Clare Valley riesling for $22 from Vintage Cellars Manuka.

It was as I had anticipated: crisp, clean, mouth filling and with grip on the finish, perhaps a little younger and more acidic than memory served, but still great value for money and a good match for the meal.

Yet in the Halliday guide it said there had been a changing of the guard at Pikes. How did they maintain this level of consistency if the daddy of the school, Neil Pike, had retired?

When it comes to a wine that goes best with excellent fish and chips, I turn to a solid performer that I first encountered at Stanley’s café in Gouger Street, Adelaide (now long closed): Pikes riesling.

I thought I’d ask the winery directly and called. I spoke with the charming Madison Pike, who has married into this dynasty and co-ordinates their marketing.

This wine is in its 35th year (exceeding Madison’s age!) and the consistency has been maintained because Steve Baraglia moved into the role of chief winemaker following Neil Pike’s retirement.

He has worked at Pikes since 2003 so the continuity required as a base for loyalty has been maintained.

For those who want to recollect the challenge of loyalty in the face of change, just revisit the “traditional” versus “new” Coca-Cola debacle, now an interesting documentary on Netflix.

I asked Madison about the seeming fact that young people seem to have turned away from riesling as a discernible trend.

Her honesty was encouraging: “Yes, I didn’t drink riesling, til I dated a Pike. I’ve just turned 30 and it’s my go-to wine.”

That honesty reinforced my loyalty, but also made me sad that the traditional Australian complex citrusy rieslings are being set aside for other white-wine choices such as pinot grigio.

It was good to get a Pike on the line and have a conversation about consistency in the face of change, netting some honest comments.

Loyalty is rarely scalable and it was a good day to see that a Pike remains a Pike (if my puns are a sinker, cast your reading elsewhere or just let minnow).

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Poinsettia is popular worldwide at Christmas.

Think Wollemi pine for the Christmas tree.

Think natives for Christmas SOME traditions never change when it comes to festive plants.

There’s lots of red and green, like in the popular British Christmas carol “The Holly and the Ivy”. In our climate we should be thinking cool colours at this time, but I don’t think the commercial interests will agree with me!

Poinsettia, with its brilliant red bracts, has been tied in with Christmas for centuries. Millions of these potted plants are sold around the world, including here. Particularly popular in its native Mexico, where it’s displayed in every home at this time for its religious significance, it’s known there as “Flores de Noche Buena” or Flowers of the Holy Night.

Poinsettias are not just for Christmas and can be kept as an indoor plant all year round, although they will not have red bracts all year.

Keep them out of direct sunlight and do not overwater. Fill a saucer with pebbles and sit the pot on top of the pebbles. If you’re away for a couple of days, place some ice blocks on top of the potting mix.

Flowering at this time, Aussie red-flowering natives, such as Callistemon or bottlebrush, can make a perfect Christmas table decoration.

Pine trees are usually cut down by the millions, although I prefer to see trees grow and enhance our environment. Why not consider the unique Australian Wollemi pine, which won’t shed heaps of pine needles and can be kept in a pot for several years. It will eventually grow into a large tree, too big for the ever-shrinking Australian backyard. Perhaps pass it on to a friend with more space when it gets too big?

Red Aussie native plants for the Christmas table.

I DON’T recommend plants as a Christmas gift, for several reasons. Firstly, folk might be going away for the holidays, leaving no one to water the plants. Small plants in pots need watering every day. Secondly, they might not have space in the garden for another plant. Avoid tools or gadgets as a gift, too... I ended up on one occasion with three pairs of secateurs; I only have one pair of hands! My suggestion is a gift voucher, one of the most useful presents you can give a gardening friend.

IF going away, ask a friend or neighbour to check in on your automatic watering system. Valves can

Beautify your backyard

stick, ends of fittings can pop off or there could be a power failure. I’ve known people coming home to a flooded yard and a huge water bill!

FINALLY, I’d like to extend to all my readers wishes for a wonderful Christmas with family and friends, especially now we can have gatherings again.

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Your week in the stars

By Joanne Madeline Moore

ADVERTISEMENT

General knowledge crossword No. 764

December 21-27, 2020 ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Jupiter and Saturn hook up in your hopes and wishes zone on Monday. So it’s time for proactive Rams to dream big dreams and take practical steps to make them come true. Then (courtesy of Mars and Pluto) your bossy side goes into overdrive, as you take charge of festive preparations. You want things done your way but, if you try to steamroll others into submission, then you’ll just meet with resistance and plenty of problems. Strive to be more consultative and inclusive.

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

Time to rest, reflect, plan and improve

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Taureans are in a festive mood, as you enjoy the Yuletide revelry. This week a streamlined approach is the key to successful preparations. If you plan carefully and prioritise, then you’ll get everything done without too much stress. But if you eat and drink too much on Christmas Day, then you’ll be a grumpy Bull on Boxing Day. Jupiter and Saturn link up in your career and life direction zone, so a combination of good luck and hard work will set you on a new professional path in 2021.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

Your adventure zone is activated by Jupiter and Saturn, so travel, holidays or business trips are likely in 2021. But you will also face restrictions about where in the world you can actually go. Don’t forget to make an extra special wish on Christmas Day, that will transport you into exciting new territory in the New Year.

Your festive season mantra is from birthday great, legendary writer Henry Miller: “One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.”

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Clannish Cancer – you are the sentimental keeper of the family flame, so be proactive about gathering the tribe together over the coming week. But there’s no getting away from intense interactions with recalcitrant relatives, as the MarsPluto square revs up your relationship zone. Don’t labour under the delusion that you can handle everything on your own! Delegating festive preparations (in a calm and organised fashion) is the secret to a cool Yule for clever Crabs.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Sociable Lions love to party and celebrate in style. With vivacious Venus visiting your entertainment zone, you’re ready to chat up a storm as you have fun with family members and close friends you haven’t seen for a long time. There’s so much to catch up on! Hopefully you’ll pace yourself so you’re not worn out before Christmas dinner is on the table! Your motto for the festive season is from birthday great, writer and artist Henry Miller: “Do anything but let it produce joy.”

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Worrying about all the things you have to do this week won’t help matters so do your best to prioritise tasks, delegate jobs and pace yourself. Then you’ll get everything done without having a veritable Virgo brain snap! Additional tact is required on Tuesday and Wednesday, otherwise you could find yourself smack bang in the middle of a feisty Christmas feud. Friday’s fabulous Mercury-Uranus trine favours friendship, communication, travel and coming up with a clever idea.

Down

3 What do we call one to whom money is due? (8) 7 Name a university with campuses in Melbourne and the Latrobe Valley. (6) 8 Which substance might induce hay fever? (8) 9 What is a relationship between two people who are not married to each other? (6) 10 To be depressed by solitude, is to be what? (8) 11 When one removes faults or errors, one does what? (6) 14 America is known as the United what? (6) 17 What is a strainer for draining off liquids, especially in cookery? (8) 18 Name a member of the clergy who has the charge of a parish. (6) 19 What is a respite from impending punishment? (8) 20 What is an account book of final entry? (6) 21 Which frames consist of horizontal bars fixed at each end to a pair of spreading legs? (8)

1 Name an alternative term for tungsten. (7) 2 Which vehicle is designed to be drawn by a motor car? (7) 3 Name the Prince of Wales, born in 1948. (7) 4 That which extends the furthest downwards is said to be the what? (7) 5 Which strongly built vessel with a powerful engine tows other vessels? (7) 6 Name the fastest shearers in the sheds. (7) 11 What is a passage taken out of a book, or the like? (7) 12 What is an obscuration of one celestial body by another? (7) 13 Which person is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of teeth disorders? (7) 14 What are light reddish-brown horses called? (7) 15 Name a tropical American fruit, green to black in colour, and commonly pear-shaped. (7) 16 What are demands, as by, for additional pieces? (7)

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LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

With Venus visiting your communication zone, you’re in the mood to socialise with close friends and enjoy convivial conversations. Then the Mars-Pluto square stirs up your domestic zone so additional tact is required mid-week, otherwise you could find yourself in the middle of a family feud. Do your best to help loved ones enjoy the Yuletide celebrations in a pleasant and peaceful way! When it comes to last minute gift shopping, look for Christmas presents that are fun and festive.

Solution next edition

Across

Sudoku hard No. 282

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Keep things in perspective this Christmas. If you prioritise tasks, then you’ll get things done without too much stress. When it comes to loved ones, expect the unexpected. Whatever you think they will do, they’re likely to turn around and do the complete opposite. So be flexible and try to have some fun. Your motto is from writer and raconteur Quentin Crisp (who was born on Xmas Day): “Treat all disasters as if they were trivialities, but never treat a triviality as if it were a disaster.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Enthusiasm and hard work will take you far on Monday, when Saturn links up with your ruler Jupiter. From Tuesday onwards, you’re likely to overdo the festive celebrations (again!) especially eating and drinking. If you slow down and pace yourself, then you’ll enjoy the week even more. You’re also keen to bag some bargains at the post-Christmas sales but (with impulsive Uranus activating your money zone) make sure you stay away from tempting buy now/pay later schemes.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

With assertive Mars squaring Pluto (in your sign) avoid being bossy and demanding, as you rush around trying to organise everything and everyone. Try to keep your perfectionist side under control and be smart enough to rise above silly family squabbles! Make it a priority to slow down and enjoy the festive spirit of this special week. You’re the sensible soul of the zodiac so it’s up to you to handle Christmas celebrations, mishaps and misunderstandings with Capricorn composure and style.

If there's anything in this article you'd like to know more about, please call me on 6295 2844 for further information.

Disclaimer This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please contact Gail Freeman or your professional adviser.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2020

Solutions – December 10 edition Sudoku medium No. 282

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

You love the tradition, fantasy and kindness of the festive season, which highlights your innate Piscean compassion, creativity and spirituality. So make sure you celebrate Christmas in a way that is extra special, magical and meaningful for you and your family. Your motto for the week is from singer-songwriter-activist Annie Lennox (who was born on December 25): “Ask yourself – ‘Have I been kind today?’

Make kindness your daily modus operandi and change your world.”

Solution next edition

Crossword No. 763

You’re in the mood for Yuletide cheer and holiday hijinks! But erratic thoughts could cloud your judgment, so enjoy the festive celebrations and leave important decision-making for later. It’s a momentous week because lucky Jupiter and hardworking Saturn link up in your sign, for the first time since 1962. So your mantra for the next 12 months is from British statesman (and birthday great) Benjamin Disraeli: “The secret of success is to be ready when your opportunity comes.”

THIS has been a year like no other. As we move into 2021, I hope you get a chance to relax and use the opportunity to think about how you can improve your business and your personal finances in the coming year.

Here are some ideas for you which might help: • Is your technology up to date? Do you need to upgrade? Is your security adequate? Remember, a cyberattack can be really expensive. Do you have cyber insurance just in case?

• Your business is probably using single-touch payroll. Changes are scheduled to start on July 1 that will result in more information being provided to the Australian Taxation Office. In addition, closely held companies that may only have one or two employees will have to report payroll using single-touch payroll. You may need to change your processes and programs so that you comply.

• Do you have a budget for your business and your personal affairs? You could prepare these over the break. In this abnormal year, anything you did previously will probably not apply in the future. So it's time to review where you are now and how to move forward.

• Do you know how much super you need to retire? Are you going to have enough? Maybe it's time to put together a plan for your future. Did you take an early release of super during COVID-19 and realise that you shouldn't have done this. You might need help to sort it out.

• If you received JobKeeper 1... but were not eligible for JobKeeper during the December quarter, you may be eligible to re-enter JobKeeper from January 1. So it's time to double check your eligibility for the final three months of the JobKeeper scheme.

• If you're creating additional jobs (after October 6)... there's a new subsidy called Job Maker Hiring Credit that may assist in putting on additional staff and get some government funding to assist.

• The tax rates changed after the Budget... so many people will be getting a refund next year because they've paid too much tax for the period from July to October, 2020. Have you thought about what you could do with this amount to make it work for you effectively? For example, you could get a tax deduction for making a contribution to super if you are eligible. Is it better to put it into super than to pay off your mortgage? Get some advice to check.

• Do you have too much stuff? I know I do. So what I've done for presents is to make a donation in the name of the person that I'm making the gift for. They can then claim the tax deduction for the donation in their next tax return. I feel so much better about this because I'm not giving people stuff they don't need, nor am I receiving it just through taking advantage of the tax system. Yes, I don't get the benefit of the donation but my friend or relation does.

I'd like to wish you a happy and prosperous 2021 and my best wishes for the Christmas break. I hope you'll have time to relax and I thank you for reading my tax and finance musings this year. I hope that they have helped you.

02 6295 2844

Unit 9, 71 Leichhardt Street, Kingston ABN 57 008 653 683

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(Chartered accountant, SMSF specialist advisor and Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892)

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