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U-turn the tram to spend on health and housing

PAUL COSTIGAN

What happens when good teachers get a go

MICHAEL MOORE

Be prepared not surprised when it’s time to die

BELINDA STRAHORN

CAT FIGHT VANESSA PARTON is leading the charge to save the lives of Canberra’s homeless cats

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NEWS / planning for death

Be prepared not surprised when it’s time to die

By Belinda

STRAHORN WE will all die eventually, yet few of us are happy to talk about it; and, according to one intensivecare specialist, that avoidance is doing us harm.

Prof Imogen Mitchell spends every day supporting people who are dying as the senior intensive-care specialist at Canberra Hospital.

Prof Mitchell, who is also dean of medicine at the Australian National University’s medical school, said we need to talk more about death, and acknowledge that it is inevitable.

“It’s something we are blocking out and don’t want to talk about,” said Prof Mitchell.

“No one wants to die in a busy and noisy emergency room with other patients when you could have had a much more peaceful dying journey if planned in advance.

“We need to be brave and courageous and start talking about what we want our dying days to look like.”

Prof Mitchell’s comments come on the back of a recent national study she authored revealing that most hospital patients die without suitable end-oflife care.

INDEX

The study, which examined care in the ward and intensive care units (ICU) across nine Australian hospitals, found only 41 per cent of dying patients will ever see a member of the palliative care team.

Most patients were recognised as dying only late in their hospital stay, predominantly within the last 48 hours, and only 12 per cent had an advanced care plan, which outlines their wishes for when they die.

What’s clear from this study, Prof Mitchell said, is that very few of us understand the dying process and what it involves.

“We often don’t know what the patients or the families are thinking, are the patients getting adequate relief of symptoms, are they getting pain relief and indeed are they even dying in the right place?” said Prof Mitchell.

The study which followed 1693 dying patients, also showed that while most of us want to die at home, many of us won’t get the chance.

Having a good plan for a good death is important, but too often talking about death is put off until the final weeks or days of a person’s life.

“It’s really important to know what kind of interventions a person would like should they get to a point where they are critically unwell; do they want intravenous antibiotics? Do they want to be fully resuscitated and have CPR? Do they want to go to ICU?” said

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Cover: Canberra Street Cat Alliance president Vanessa Parton with tabby cat Archie.

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Prof Imogen Mitchell… “No one wants to die in a busy and noisy emergency room with other patients when you could have had a much more peaceful dying journey.”

Photo: Belinda Strahorn Prof Mitchell.

“It’s also important to think about who you want to be surrounded by, what music you want playing, what pets you want or what favourite blanket you want with you, all the things that matter to people.”

With no advanced care plans or early end-of-life care conversations, families are often left to make decisions when patients are too confused or physically unable to communicate meaningfully.

Sadly, Prof Mitchell talks to many families who are unaware of their

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loved one’s wishes and, even worse, of just how unwell their loved one is.

“Frequently when I review imminently dying patients in the ward environment, it feels as if it is the first time they are being told they are dying,” Prof Mitchell said.

“Decisions to involve palliative care or initiate a comfort-care pathway are often left very late, often in the last 48 hours of life.”

Researchers found a range of factors contribute to suboptimal end-oflife care, including failure to identify patients in their last months of life,

failure to link medical teams and sub-standard communication with patients and families.

“I remember a young man in his early twenties who was dying and I became aware that being in ICU wasn’t going to help him so I asked him what he wanted and he wanted to go home to be with his brother,” Prof Mitchell said.

“No-one had asked him what he wanted or where he wanted to go and, thankfully, we were able to honour his wish.”

Prof Mitchell graduated from University of London and undertook her physician’s training in the UK before moving to Australia to complete her specialist training in intensive care.

Moving to Canberra in 1999, she took up the directorship of ICU at the Canberra Hospital.

Prof Mitchell, who has practised medicine for three decades, said people facing their last days, and their families, are often in a very fragile and emotional state.

Dealing with people confronting their final moments involves empathy, dedication and skill; it takes a special kind of person to help them through their journey.

“It’s a privilege to be allowed into people’s lives,” Prof Mitchell said.

“Sometimes I think we don’t appreciate that enough or the trust that people place in us.”

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SEVEN DAYS

Unforgettable committee for memorialisation BLINK and you missed this: the grandly titled ACT Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Economy and Gender and Economic Equality is seeking submissions to its inquiry into memorialisation through public commemoration.

First question: what?

“This inquiry seeks to examine the promotion of equality and diversity in the people recognised through public commemoration (places, monuments, streets, and suburbs) in the ACT,” says committee chair and Liberal MLA Leanne Castley.

Churlish, I know, but the second question: really?

This is clearly not the one Leanne wants to hear, saying: “An important question to ask is whether there is a balanced representation in those individuals that are recognised and celebrated.

“For example, in Australia, statues and monuments recording the achievements of men outnumber those recording the achievements of women.”

[In a heartbeat, goodbye Meikle Street in Kenny!]

“The committee is inviting the community to nominate women and non-binary people who could be commemorated in the ACT, and other suitable nominations, and

suggested location sites.”

But no more “memorialising” heterosexual men, Leanne?

Fellow travellers on this committee are Suzanne Orr (Labor) and Johnathan Davis (Greens) and written submissions close on November 30 with public hearings next year.

OVER the comfort of a Sunday afternoon lunch with some chums the table was reminiscing about the household skills of our fathers, including cobbling shoes on (what subsequent research tells me was) a cobbler’s shoe last, typically a cast-iron form shaped like two or three different sized feet.

In answer to the rhetorical question of where did all those lasts from all those years ago go, my friend David went rummaging and found his dad’s. Here’s a picture of it.

We also mused about our dads’ ability to fix things. And anyone with the misfortune of having to empty a father’s shed knows they had the tools to do the job. Mine did.

So, I was buoyed by the news that a group of volunteers are preparing to open the

ACT’s first tool and equipment library come spring.

The not-for-profit Community Toolbox Canberra hopes to open its inner-north doors in September with the support of local sustainability organisation SEE-Change.

How does it work? They say for the equivalent of buying one tool a year, members will be able to borrow a range of tools and equipment for DIY, craft, gardening and home projects, and recreational activities as the library collection grows.

They’re crowdfunding to raise the initial funds needed to launch at startsomegood. com/community-toolbox-canberra.

WHAT’s in a name? Nothing and a lot, it seems. From Queanbeyan: a council spokeswoman says its No Name Lane could be renamed after the QPRC bagged a NSW government grant of over half a million coconuts to rejuvenate and “artify” No Name Lane and Blacksmiths Lane. However, one reason to keep the No Name is that Canberra’s No Name Lane was named after, not before, Queanbeyan’s. Let’s move on…

SUE Dyer, my Downer snout, wrote in high dudgeon at this column’s revelation last week that ACT Greens leader and multi-pronged minister Shane Rattenbury chooses not to read “CityNews” and, she says, “uses tired, old, age and gender lines to dismiss some of those who deliver its articles week after week with professionalism and aplomb, as do their female colleagues”.

Go, Sue: “He should try to keep up with

what the intelligent and curious female component of the ‘CityNews’ readership finds useful and informative, particularly in relation to matters affecting his electorate of Kurrajong.

“Ignoring or taking these voters for granted could be perilous for the Kurrajong Greens team in 2024.”

So there, Shane. Shane?

JEANNE O’Malley has written complaining of the loneliness of facing “an electronic wall of resistance” in managing the mandatory covid app sign into business premises.

Here’s her problem: “I do not own a cellphone. I do not want to own a cellphone.

I shop by myself. So how can I shop?

“The ACT government website offers me no alternative. They say I can travel with a family member (if they have a cellphone) and have them sign me in. I don’t

want to do this. So how can I patronise ACT businesses?”

I wrote back and said I was sure there was a manual check in option.

“Young, Ian, it ain’t! A stunned look, a wait-while-I-check-on-this (at Coles) or they rather thought they could sign me in (The Public),” she replied.

Anyone else having issues? (editor@citynews.com.au) Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews” and can be heard on the “CityNews Sunday Roast” news and interview program, 2CC, 9am-noon.

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COVER STORY / homeless cats

Street cats of Canberra are running out of lives

By Nick

OVERALL CANBERRA’S street cats deserve to live a healthy life, not be killed under laws being introduced next year, argues the Canberra Street Cat Alliance.

From July 1, 2022, the ACT government’s cat containment plan will involve “controlling feral cats where feasible” in an effort to protect the vast amounts of wildlife hunted by the animals.

But the Canberra Street Cat Alliance, an organisation that feeds and cares for Canberra’s street cats, says the legislation will involve an inhumane, and ineffective means of reducing their population.

“The truth is that under these laws, cats that aren’t deemed suitable for fostering or adopting will be trapped and killed,” says president of the alliance Vanessa Parton.

“It’s unfair labelling. These cats aren’t ‘feral’, they are homeless. They all have their own story, many have been abandoned by people.”

Canberra’s major industrial hubs such as Hume, Mitchell and Fyshwick serve as a home for many of Canberra’s street-cat colonies, and Vanessa says

business owners and employees often have emotional connections with the cats that live near their buildings.

“These cats have their own names, have their own personalities, and we know many businesses are not going to call the government or relevant organisations if they find out there’s even a chance the cats might be exterminated,” she says.

While the alliance agrees the streetcat population must be reduced, they also believe there’s a better system than what the cat plan will implement.

“We take ownership of street cats by desexing, microchipping and vaccinating them, before relocating them to an indoor-only foster home,” says Vanessa.

“If the cats are unable to be adopted they are returned to their original location through a trap, neuter, return (TNR) system, where they continue to be fed daily by caretakers from the alliance.

“Last year we took in 351 cats, 89 of which were desexed and returned, and this year we have taken in nearly 200 alone.

“We are extremely proud of the work we achieve and the huge number of kittens we prevent from being born to a life on the streets.”

As the legislation will enforce all newly acquired cats to mandatory containment, from July next year the alliance will be unable to carry out TNR, a move that Vanessa says will

Canberra Street Cat Alliance president Vanessa Parton with Sassy, a Himalayan cat.

Photo: Holly Treadaway lead to an “explosive” amount of kittens being born.

“While we support cat containment and only adopt our cats to indoor homes, for cats that live at businesses in industrial areas containment is not possible,” she says.

“As a consequence we see a significant number in the increase of kittens being born on the streets which is the exact opposite of what the government

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is trying to achieve.”

She believes it’s just one of many factors the cat plan overlooks.

“Cats are territorial, if you are euthanising them you’re creating a void, which allows cats in the outer areas to move in,” she says.

“You’ll never get on top of it because a cat has moved in while you’re working on another area so you’re just going to continue to have a cycle of cats

through that territory.”

She says that under the care of the alliance, colonies rarely travel far from their home location.

“One of our carers named Kath comes every day of the year, Christmas, Easter, or New Year’s, and the cats know exactly who she is,” says Vanessa.

“They’re fed, looked after and provided for every day for the rest of their lives.”

Without the care from people like Kath, and the inability to conduct TNR, Vanessa says the alliance is devastated as to what impact the plan will have on the organisation and on the street cats of Canberra.

Over the coming months, they’ll meet with relevant parties to discuss strategies they believe better address the issue, one of which will include recommending an exemption for cat containment in industrial areas.

“In the meantime, we will go as hard as our resources will allow us over the next 12 months to ensure we can desex as many cats as we can,” says Vanessa.

“I just ask people to be open minded in relation to an additional, humane program for cat management that is effective.

“I’d challenge anyone to see these animals in person and still call them feral.”

More at canberrastreetcatalliance.org

NEWS

Footballer Cynthia Hamilton… “As soon as I played AFL I fell in love with the sport.”

Cynthia kicks her way into the top team

By Nick

OVERALL QUEANBEYAN Tigers player Cynthia Hamilton, 17, has secured a spot in the AFL Women’s (AFLW) All-Australian Team for players under 19.

Described by AFLW as a highly skilled forward with a sharp competitive edge and a possible draft prospect for the game’s top league, Cynthia, of Macgregor, was named MVP for the Eastern Allies – a team made up of players from NSW, ACT, NT and Tasmania – at the recent national competition, AFLW U19 Championships.

Outstanding for her side in both matches of the championships, she averaged 21.5 disposals (13.5 contested), 10 tackles, five inside 50s and kicked two goals.

It was that competition that got her the spot in the AllAustralian champion team.

“It was an amazing experience to be able to play against the top talent,” says Cynthia.

“It was a real challenge, but it was an honour to be amongst these players and to be selected for the side.”

Both a dexterous midfielder and forward for the Queanbeyan Tigers, Cynthia began her footy career at 11 when she joined her brother’s team in need of players. By 12, she had already placed third in the boys’ competition.

“As soon as I played AFL I fell in love with the sport,” she says.

“I played with the boys until I was about 13 or 14. Ever since women’s footy had become a future option, that’s all I’ve wanted.”

“In Canberra, women’s footy is growing so rapidly, it has a long way to go but it’s also amazing to see how far it’s come.”

She says much of her passion comes from her family, where talent runs in the blood, being one of six children who all love the sport.

“My dad played footy when he was younger so he was like our little coach on the sideline, always kicking the footy with us and because there were so many of us we could all practise with each other,” she says.

The Lake Ginninderra College student trains three times a week and plays every Saturday, all while fitting in her school work.

“You’ve got to find the right balance, you’ve got to eat right, get the right exercise, train, really watch what goes into your body,” she says.

And now she’s made the U19 All-Australian Team, her focus is on securing a spot in the AFLW, with her heart set on playing for the GWS Giants or Sydney Swans.

“It would be a dream come true, I’ve been waiting for this my whole footy career and it would mean the world to me,” she says.

“I’m getting nervous as time goes by, but it’s so exciting to think about the new experiences that could be there.

“I just want to do my family and myself proud.”

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CityNews July 22-28, 2021 7

CANBERRA MATTERS

U-turn the tram, spend on health and housing AS the West Basin foreshore fills with expensive rubble, and a huge chunk of money is being spent taking the tram west around London Circuit to the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, how does anyone justify such excessive expenditures given so many other priorities are being neglected?

Have they completely lost the plot?

The concept of having trams throughout the city is a great idea.

The former NCDC should have got this done in the ‘50s and ‘60s instead of putting the emphasis on cars and roads (Big Petrol won that one).

The tram from Gungahlin to Civic is popular with those living and working near enough to use it. This next stage is a political statement and damn the consequences for other priorities – health, housing and education, for instance.

All this massive spending on West Basin and the tram is sidelining the outstanding priorities such as the need to address the sad state of the hospitals, to reduce homelessness, to urgently increase the social housing stock by significant numbers, to deal with the increasing issues with schools, and address the lack of community and cultural facilities.

For instance, when questioned about the inner-north schools being full beyond capacity, the directorate says it is monitoring the situation.

My monitoring of the inner suburbs

This next stage of light rail is a political statement and damn the consequences for other priorities – health, housing and education. is as good as any overpaid interstate consultant. My observations and recommendations are simple. The place is full of kids and more are arriving daily. The schools are bursting. The place needs more schools.

As so does Woden with that forest of apartment towers. Surely that advice is worth a consultant’s fee – $250,000 should do it!

The list of priorities is obvious to most residents and yet they are not being attended to by the Andrew Barr and Shane Rattenbury ivory tower circle of playpen politicians. They have our money to throw around on pet projects and allocate the minimum on where the needs really are. There have been no consequences for such shameful and child-like behaviour.

Which brings us to the Andrew Barr West Basin and North Curtin land swap. Former chief minister and now “CityNews” columnist Jon Stanhope had asked to no avail about the value of the lands being exchanged.

The West Basin foreshore… being filled with expensive rubble. Photo: Paul Costigan In the NCA’s annual report it lists the 31.6 hectares in North Curtin as being valued at $4.9 million. Think about that.

And while you are doing that, the value of the land under the lake was valued as having no value until a huge bucket of money has been spent filling it in and the tower developments plonked beside it. Think about that.

The North Curtin land was for horse agistment and that $4.9 million value is dramatically lower than were the land more accurately valued as central location prime real estate. My estimate (another fee to me?) would be that 31.6 hectares would be worth $120

RACISM I S

N E V E R

O K

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million plus to the ACT government – that is the taxpayers – if the Suburban Land Agency sold it off. Instead, it was gifted to the NCA. Nice. When those unnamed embassies do not show up, will the Commonwealth sell some of this off at a later date? Great deal. Thanks, Mr Barr! Any price to pay for the toy foreshore development at West Basin!

Barr’s habit of throwing away money includes millions on that container pop-up heap on the west

side of Commonwealth Avenue a few years ago, his generous tax discounts to club developments as well as whatever he gave away with the Dickson Land Swap.

Meanwhile, the former master plans and budget allocations for the Canberra hospital were scrapped, housing run down and community facilities only when there’s pressure from friends – there being few friends in Woden.

One day the city should have a tram network, but not yet. The real priorities need to be back to where they used to be – at the top of the spending allocations. This may require adult politicians to replace the present immature clan who have convinced themselves that they can play as they like in the sandpit of our taxpayers’ resources.

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

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POLITICS / education

When good teachers get a good go

By Michael

MOORE THE ACT Auditor-General has dealt yet another blow to the perception that the ACT is doing well in educating the next generation.

Early last year Education Minister Yvette Berry was making excuses after the ACT education system was identified as doing poorly through the NAPLAN scores. It seems things have not improved and it is time for action.

In a series of recommendations in the report “Teaching Quality in ACT Public Schools”, the Auditor-General has set out a framework for improving education through better support for teachers.

Recognition is given for many of the outstanding teachers in our system although appropriate support for our teachers is seriously lacking.

The report begins with: “Teaching quality is acknowledged as the single most important factor influencing student performance within the control of education systems. The quality of teaching practices has cumulative and residual impacts on student outcomes. Contemporary research demonstrates that students taught by highlyeffective teachers learn at twice the rate of their peers.”

This should come as no surprise. We can all remember the impact one or two special teachers have made on our lives. The AuditorGeneral quotes the evidence: “Studies showed that students who are taught by a succession of three high-performing teachers scored 49 per cent higher on school assessments compared to students assigned to teachers with ineffective practices over a three-year period.”

The ideal would be that all of our students have a series of effective teachers. If this were the case, our NAPLAN scores would be higher than other jurisdictions, rather than lagging so far behind when adjusted for socioeconomic advantage.

The Australian Curriculum, Reporting and Assessment Authority (ACARA) takes into account four factors

to allow the best assessment of the quality of education for all children regardless of advantage or disadvantage.

Last year Minister Berry argued that comparisons are unfair in such a highly educated population saying, “65 per cent of ACT students have a parent with a bachelor’s degree or above, compared to the national average of 35 per cent”.

However, ACARA is right to take this into account and, with this significant advantage, Canberra should be way ahead of all of the other Australian jurisdictions.

The Auditor-General drew conclusions from a close examination of six schools and how they fit into the structure that facilitates support for teachers. The report identified glaring gaps in this support and proposed a series of recommendations if teachers in public education are going to have the appropriate support to optimise their skills.

While the Auditor-General focused specifically on support to improve the skills of teachers, Liberal education spokesman Jeremy Hanson has been calling for a full and thorough examination to explore how the education of our children can be improved.

In June, Mr Hanson released “Bringing Out the Best in Every Child”, a Liberal Party strategy to tackle the problems. It details how the ACT government is failing school children and outlines a vision for the future while calling for an independent review into the ACT school system.

The strategy “outlines a way ahead” across the areas of academic standards, equity, bullying and violence, school funding and overcrowded schools with ageing infrastructure.

It calls for an appropriately high level inquiry looking at all of the factors that have resulted in such a decline in standards over the last decades. Despite strategies and plans, things have not improved greatly in the last five years that Ms Berry has been Education Minister.

Labor should step on to the front foot and open its own inquiry. It’s never too late for a serious and comprehensive investigation to lay down a positive structure and direction to improve the education of our children.

CityNews July 22-28, 2021 9

POLITICS / prison strip searches

Shane pips Mick when comparing strip searches RECENT revelations that Aboriginal women detained in the AMC are being strip searched at a far higher rate than non-Aboriginal women has elicited an interesting response from the ACT government.

The government response followed publication of data gleaned from an FOI request lodged by the Melbourne-based Human Rights Law Centre. What was revealed was that in the period from the beginning of October 2020 to the end of April 2021 of 208 strip searches carried out on women detained in the AMC almost 60 per cent involved Aboriginal women despite them constituting just over 40 per cent of the women detained in the prison. A disparity of this order raises, of course, an obvious and disturbing question.

Rather than address or seek to answer that question the government chose in its response to ignore concerns expressed publicly by Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah, and other community leaders that the AMC strip-search data while odious of itself also raised the spectre of racial bias and instead released a different set of data to that provided by it to the Human Rights Law Centre.

Notably, it released data covering the 12 months from October, 2019, as well as for May and June 2021.

This shows that in the period from October, 2019, to June 30, 2021, there were a total of 796 strip searches

10 CityNews July 22-28, 2021

Data released by Mick Gentleman reveals that since he became Corrections Minister women in the AMC are strip searched at the rate of roughly 30 a month, while under predecessor Shane Rattenbury it’s closer to 50 a month. carried out on female detainees in the AMC of which 408 or 51 per cent were perpetrated on Aboriginal women while 388 or 49 per cent involved non-Aboriginal women.

It is moot to query why the government chose to do this. One explanation might be that it was keen to include, as it did, the data that reveals that on June 30 this year there were only 21 women detained in the AMC of whom 11 (or 52 per cent) were Aboriginal.

However, the government did not, unfortunately, advise on the average number of Aboriginal women incarcerated in the AMC over that entire period so it is simply not possible to calculate the relative rates of strip searches of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal detainees.

It is also possible that the Minister for Corrections, Mr Mick Gentleman, was concerned that the first set of data released by ACT Corrective Services applied only to the seven months since he became Minister following last year’s election and that it reflected poorly on him.

By extending the period back to include the whole of the last year of

the eight-year term of his ministerial predecessor and ACT Greens leader, Mr Shane Rattenbury, he has illustrated that the strip-search regime under his leadership, while unarguably appalling, was not nearly as bad as that of Rattenbury’s.

What the data released by Mr Gentleman reveals is that since he became Minister women detained in the AMC are being strip searched at the rate of one a day or roughly 30 a month while under Mr Rattenbury, in the period that he was Minister for Corrections and happily building communities not prisons, an average of closer to 50 women a month were being stripped naked.

The government also advised that of the 796 occasions of women being stripped in that period (incidentally while being filmed) a total of only 12 or 0.015 per cent were found to have contraband on their persons. In other words, in 784 of the 796 strip searches no contraband was discovered and the consequent trauma, humiliation and degradation suffered by the women was unwarranted and unjustifiable.

What is also revealing about the

data made available by the government is that as of June 30, 2021 (ie in the last few weeks) 52 per cent of the women detained in the AMC are Aboriginal. I understand that as of the last census 1.9 per cent of the ACT community identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

It is notable that the 2020 Productivity Commission’s “Report on Government Services” reveals that the rate ratio of indigenous incarceration in the ACT is the highest in Australia at 1 to 21.3. In other words, an Aboriginal person in the ACT is 21 times more likely to be imprisoned than a non-Aboriginal person.

Unfortunately, the Productivity Commission, as far as I have been able to determine, does not disaggregate the indigenous incarceration rate by gender. It was helpful, therefore, of the ACT government to publish the data I mention above, on the number of women incarcerated in the AMC, on June 30.

What the information reveals is that since Aboriginal women constitute just 1.9 per cent of the female population of the ACT and on June 30 comprised 52 per cent of the ACT prison population, that the crude in-

carceration rate of Aboriginal women in the ACT on that day (not adjusted for age) is 57 times higher than the rate for non-Aboriginal women.

Confirming the scandalous over-representation of Aboriginal women in prison in the ACT, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported in December on the crude rate of imprisonment of women in all Australian states and territories in 2019-20. It reported that the crude rate of imprisonment of Aboriginal women in the ACT was 632.7 per 100,000, compared to a non-indigenous rate of 9.4. The ratio of the rate of Aboriginal to non-Aboriginal women incarcerated in the ACT is reported by the ABS as being 67.3, which is nearly three times higher than the next highest jurisdiction. The ratio in NSW is 18.5 and the average across all jurisdictions is 21.4.

Jon Stanhope was chief minister from 2001 to 2011 and represented Ginninderra for the Labor Party from 1998.

LETTERS

Tram plans should not proceed unquestioned MANY supporters of the Canberra tram, at least those I have spoken to, actually know very little about it. Sure, the new glossy looks and smooth ride are seductive, but beneath the surface some facts are worth considering.

It is expensive. Stage 2 will cost some $4300 per Canberran: man, woman and child. We haven’t yet paid for stage 1. For how long will Canberrans be financially compromised by the tram?

It is slow. 30 minutes Woden to Civic with no opportunity for a full tram to go express for the rest of the journey. By comparison an express bus takes half the time.

It locks us into 19th century transport technology for decades to come. As long as future transport developments involve steel wheels on rigid fixed tracks, we should be alright!

The construction causes more pollution than is ever saved. The tram does not stack up environmentally and, despite “motherhood statements”, the proponents have not supplied justifying environmental data.

It is not good enough for the ACT government to say that because people voted for them, and knew the tram was part of their policy, it should proceed unquestioned. Let us revisit the matter. The ACT government should give a present-day, realistic financial and environmental justification for stages 2a and 2b before proceeding.

Penleigh Boyd, Reid

Which ‘original design’?

PAUL Costigan in his column about the NCA (at least some of which I agree with) in the July 8 edition of “CityNews” mentions West Basin and “the values of the foreshore’s original design”. I question: which “original design”?

Does he mean Griffin’s design, which was a formal circular arc, similar to what has recently been recreated?

Or does he mean NCDC’s design, which was a regular horseshoe shape (see Lovell Chen Heritage Impact Statement on the lakeshore reclamation work)?

Surely, he doesn’t mean the foreshore after blasting Parkes Way through this area (and Commonwealth Park), which completely changed the lake edge into an awkward irregular shape?

For better or worse, the National Capital (Planning) Authority has been floating (sorry) proposals to get back to more like Griffin’s design since the early 1990s and these were included in a major amendment to the National Capital Plan in 2006.

minimisation, reduction, and supply measures.

A sad diatribe from Zed with no empathy or regard for the handling of a health and community issue.

David Templeman, chair Karralika Programs ACT

Not second-class citizens MICHAEL Moore’s column on drug reform (CN July 8) suggested Senator Zed Seselja’s poll was to help federal authorities pre-empt Michael Pettersson’s Drugs of Dependence (Personal Use) Amendment Bill 2021 and that it made Canberrans look like second-class citizens.

In my view that is a derogatory statement to make about his fellow Canberrans.

Tens of thousands of Canberrans may not agree with Michael’s views on illegal drugs – including his support for decriminalisation/ legalisation of some – nor that Canberrans look like second-class citizens because they responded as they wished to a drug poll.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Richard Johnston, Kingston

Zed’s ‘amateurish’ views THANK you, Michael Moore (“With Zed’s poll, Canberrans look second class”, CN July 8) for exposing Senator Zed Seselja for his well-known amateurish views on drug policy with no appreciation of proven management approaches through harm

Passengers can take a hike THE hard, exposed stretch of West Basin walkway currently under construction does appear to fall into the “folly” category (“Patronising NCA couldn’t care less about locals”, CN July 8), since the plans do not suggest it will be comfortably functional, attractive and welcoming for either Canberra residents or visitors.

While columnist Paul Costigan also wonders “how having the nuisance of seaplanes landing will add to active travel and make a useful link to the tram”, it is now clear that although the western end of the walkway ends abruptly at the water’s edge, it will bring wide pathing a bit closer to the NCA’s suggested landing area for its proposed lake-based, seaplane service at Museum Point.

Should this latest lake activation idea be approved, Transport Canberra could require the NCA and the service provider to deliver a new active travel promotion and signposting program that encourages seaplane clients to walk or use an e-scooter to get to and from the new Stage 2a rail stop planned for way off in the distance, near the start of Commonwealth Ave Bridge. Or to use the every-half-hour weekday bus service that runs from the other side of the Museum to the main rail interchange in Civic.

After all, a long hike or local bus use is expected of many locals, since these are the ways light rail is made accessible under the ACT’s “active travel” policy settings and public transport network.

Sue Dyer, Downer

Time to ban wood heaters HOW much more will it take to make this slow-learning ACT government finally apply a total ban on the use of wood-fired heaters in the ACT? An ACT Air Quality Report for 2020 re-

vealed a 550 per cent increase in hazardous emissions exceeding national standards, yet demand for wood is surging after a record demand in 2020.

Putting up with emissions from bushfires is inevitable, but to deliberately add to the emissions by allowing the use of wood fires is beyond belief.

The wood-heater replacement program initiated by the government in 2004 for the purpose of phasing out the heaters has proved useless.

Mario Stivala, Belconnen

Skin’s the thing DAVID Jones (“Letters”, CN July 8) takes exception to the terms “vegan leather” and “pleather” and calls for the use of accurate terms to describe products.

Perhaps we could start by referring to leather as “animal skin”.

Deborah Edwards, Weston

Hard to forgive the editor ONE might forgive Jack Kershaw, of Kambah, for writing the same letter every week.

Perhaps he’s getting old and forgetful.

One finds it harder to forgive the editor for printing it.

John Noble, Braddon

Write to us

Let loose to: editor@citynews.com.au

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CityNews July 22-28, 2021 11

FAMILY BUSINESSES

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Meet the people with skills that span generations THERE’S something special about a family business, where skills and legacy are passed between generations.

Canberra has no shortage of family businesses either, with some having started as far back as the 1920s and are still operating today.

Meet some of the family businesses and family-friendly businesses who proudly share expertise both in their family and with the Canberra community.

Three generations of selling shoes

Tattoo shop where everyone’s welcome THE family at Canberra Ink is proud to run a tattoo shop where everyone feels safe and comfortable, says owner Gabrielle Riley.

“We have a range of female and male artists who create a safe, clean and friendly environment,” she says.

“Whatever your background, sexuality, race, everyone is welcome here.”

At the family-friendly business, many of the artists are parents, so Gabrielle says they understand the balancing act of having children.

“We have artists who do hours around school so we strive to make it flexible for customers who are parents, too,” she says.

“We’re a child-friendly studio, people are welcome to come in and have a chat with us and bring their children.”

Adding to the flexibility, she says the store

offers free consultations both in-person and online.

“We’re not one of those ‘get people in and out’ places, we want to provide a personal experience in addition to the piece they get,” she says.

“We have a chat with people about what they want to achieve and how we can help them achieve that, and we’re always happy to offer suggestions or advice.”

Canberra Ink is also passionate about giving back to the community, Gabrielle says.

“We’re all Canberra locals, we’re always trying to support local charities and other businesses and put the money back into Canberra,” she says.

Canberra Ink, 2/68 Emu Bank, Belconnen.

Call 0455 899766 or visit canberraink.com.au or facebook.com/canberraink

HAVING operated for almost a century, Frawley’s Shoes is one of Canberra’s oldest family businesses.

It started with brothers Thomas and Joseph Frawley who were selling shoes from a truck in 1927 when Canberra was building Parliament House (now Old Parliament House) before establishing a store in Garema Place in 1958.

Staying in the family, brothers John and Ted Frawley took over from their dad and uncle, and now Lisa, Ted’s daughter, is the third generation family member to run the store.

“Between the staff here we have over

150 years of combined experience selling shoes,” Lisa says.

A provider of footwear for a huge range of purposes, Lisa says Frawley’s Shoes has a July sale where everything in the store is between 10 and 50 per cent off.

“Just some of the brands on offer include Ziera, FRANKiE4, Rieker and Remonte and we also specialise in orthotics,” she says.

“We’re incredibly proud to still be selling shoes to the district after all this time.”

Frawley’s Shoes, 26 Garema Place, Civic. Call 6247 9104 or visit frawleysshoes.com.au

The team at Frawley’s Shoes, from left, Lisa Mudge, Gillian Rumball and Antoinette Nestler.

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26 Garema Place, Civic | 02 6247 9104 | frawleysshoes.com.au 12 CityNews July 22-28, 2021

Belconnen’s Family Owned Tattoo Studio

Cover Ups

Custom Designs

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Not all artists and tattoo shops are created equal.

Here at Canberra Ink we offer a clean and comfortable haven, in great company during your visit. Hygiene and sterilization is of the upmost importance to us and we only operate single use disposable equipment ensuring safety and upholding the highest quality code of practice for skin penetration procedures.

We provide professional guidance and care with a combined skill set and years of experience that surpass the standards set in this Capital. Making every tattoo count whether big or small we invite variety and individual creativity with the drive to form Canberra Ink into a Legacy.

CANBERRA INK 2/68 Emu Bank Belconnen | Phone - 0455 899 766 | www.canberraink.com.au canberraink@gmail.com

FAMILY BUSINESSES

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Offering quality flooring since the ‘70s ENDEAVOUR Carpets Fyshwick offers the largest range of top quality floor coverings in Canberra and Queanbeyan, according to an Endeavour Carpets spokeswoman.

Established in 1970, Endeavour Carpets says the business has maintained its original objective of displaying exceptional choices of carpet, timber, laminate, cork floating floors, vinyl, vinyl planks and rugs.

Endeavour Carpets says their Fyshwick-based showroom is known as Canberra’s “greatest floor show” with thousands of samples on display, and an experienced team of flooring specialists to make the customer’s experience as easy as possible.

“Our showroom is so great other retailers send their customers to view our huge range of top quality floor coverings,” the spokeswoman says.

“As a family business, Endeavour Carpets appreciates that customers are spoilt for choice in a competitive market place, and so maintains an objective to offer the best service and products available and for the best possible price.”

When customers visit, Endeavour Carpets says they experience good old fashioned service from a long-standing, local family business.

“This is what really sets Endeavour Carpets apart from any regular carpet store,” she says.

“At Endeavour Carpets, we don’t just endeavour, we do.”

Endeavour Carpets, corner of Isa and Newcastle Streets, Fyshwick. Call 6280 6132, email info@endeavourcarpets. com.au or visit endeavourcarpets.com.au

Owner Pat Seears, right, runs the business with his son Shane.

Pat’s got more workwear than ever before SEEARS Workwear has recently extended its floor space to cater for its largest range of winter workwear stock ever – the biggest in the region, says owner Pat Seears.

With more than 30 years of providing quality work clothes to the Canberra region and a team that’s backed with more than 90 years’ combined industry experience, Seears Workwear knows what working people are after, says Pat, who runs the business with his son Shane.

The store also has workwear for chefs, paramedics and firefighters, says Pat, who knows the needs of local businesses and supplies many Fyshwick businesses with their work uniforms.

Stocking work apparel such as high-vis workwear, jackets, jeans, shoes and hats, he says: “Everything is

We don’t just endeavour, we do!

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What floor covering makes your house a home?

the best quality from the best manufacturers.”

Located on Barrier Street, he says their stock includes safety work boots, leather shoes and steel-toed canvas shoes, from brands such as Puma, Rockport and Dunlop.

Seears Workwear can also assist companies through their corporate uniform services, which provides customised embroidery services for promotional clothing and business uniforms.

Seears Workwear also has stores in NSW and Queensland, and Pat says they deliver all over the country.

Seears Workwear, 60 Barrier Street, Fyshwick.

Call 6280 4111 or visit seearsworkwear.com.au

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FAMILY BUSINESSES Taking the stress out of moving HOUSE to Home co-owner Renee LeGrande says their team of experienced packers have been saving Canberrans hours of time and stress by helping get their property ready for sale, renovations, insurance work, downsizing or relocating.

“We specialise in packing up all your treasured possessions and can sort, pack, style and remove all items whether they are going with you, or to the local charity stores,” says Renee.

“We meticulously pack and label all goods to minimise the impact and disruption of moving home.”

Renee says the team offers a personalised service, where they recognise every client has different needs and expectations.

“Some literally just want the kitchen, bathroom and wardrobes packed, or the fridge and pantry,” she says.

“Others want everything that needs boxing up, so that is everything that is in a cupboard or behind a closed door.”

Renee says they also offer a full “walk-in, walk out” service, where clients can give the team the keys and they’ll completely clear the existing property.

“We remove the furniture, take the gifted items to the charity store and get the property cleaned, we can even pop the garbage bins out that final time,” she says.

“Then, at the new home, we can set everything up, pop the clothes in the wardrobe, make up the beds and ensure the milk is in the fridge!”

House to Home. Call 0457 456767, email info@house-tohome.com.au or visit house-to-home.com.au

Furniture sale has up to 50 per cent off TIMBERLAND Furniture is having a store-wide sale where its quality furniture is between 20 and 50 per cent off, says owner Tony Purdy.

As part of the sale, Tony has a range of Tasmanian Blackwood, one of Australia’s most beautiful and soughtafter timbers.

“Tasmanian Blackwood is a prestigious hardwood with a warm and natural colour,” he says.

“It can adorn different rooms of the house, and can be complemented by any piece of furniture. You can’t beat it as far as I’m concerned.”

With lots of the furniture in store being Australianmade, Tony says people get value for their money with beautiful materials used to make the furniture.

“We have families in the store all the time looking for furniture to help bring their home to life,” he says.

“There’s almost anything a home needs: bedding, dining suites, TV units, coffee tables, buffets and more.”

Timberland Furniture, 7/17 Iron Knob Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 7411, email timberlandfyshwick@gmail.com or visit canberracustomfurniture.com

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UNIT 7, 17 IRON KNOB STREET, FYSHWICK | OPEN 7 DAYS E: timberlandfyshwick@gmail.com | www.canberracustomfurniture.com 16 CityNews July 22-28, 2021

DOWNSIZING

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AND DECLUTTERING

Principal and founder, Peter Tolhurst.

Innovative agency embraces new technology WHEN Peter Tolhurst started Real Estate Australia, an ACT real estate agency, in 2001, people were still connecting to the internet with dial-up and backing up to floppy disks.

Real Estate Australia has been embracing new technology since, and Peter, a real estate agent with more than 30 years’ experience, says they now have amazing technology to provide better care of their properties.

Peter, who’s also a licenced auctioneer and a licenced builder, says when he first started the company, he secured the name Real Estate Australia so clients could remember them amongst all the big franchises and larger agency names.

“Little did I know how valuable these keywords [would be with some of them being the] most searched words on Google,” he says. “[It’s] become such a great asset to our business and clients.”

Peter says the agency has always focused on innovation.

“We have a great tech team headed by Mike Tolhurst who has overseen the move to the cloud and the introduction of secure owner portals where owners can access their property details 24/7 from anywhere,” he says.

“With almost 50 per cent of our owners living overseas, they find this a great way to keep informed about their property and communicate with us.

“When selling it’s all about making sure your property is exposed to the right buyer as they search for their next property by using all the portals, Google optimisation and analytics, with more information that includes video and virtual tours.”

Real Estate Australia, 39 Brierly Street, Weston.

Call 6287 4577 or visit realestateaustralia.com.au

Whether you are preparing for sale, renovations, or making your home safe our expert packing specialists can pack and clear rooms or whole houses quickly and efficiently.

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E: info@realestateAustralia.com.au | P: (02) 6287 4577 CityNews July 22-28, 2021 17

FAMILY BUSINESSES

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Father-son duo improves health naturally

Your Canberra Celebrant Jennifer Nagy

KINGSTON Natural Therapies focuses on identifying the cause of people’s health problems, not just treating the symptoms, says naturopath of 40 years, Guy Clews.

“The thing that distinguishes naturopathy from mainstream western medicine is addressing Guy Clews. underlying causes of poor health,” says Guy. “We use only natural remedies including vitamins, minerals, herbal medicine, nutrition advice, allergy detection and more. We never prescribe drugs.”

Running the business with his son Luke, who’s also a naturopath, Guy says the therapy has a very wide range of applications.

“We can help people with issues like poor immunity, insomnia, anxiety, depression, problems with the gastrointestinal tract and allergies, to name a few,” he says.

“Jen is an amazing celebrant!

We knew she was the perfect candidate from the first time we meet her.

She is warm and friendly and really knows what she is talking about, which made the process so much less daunting.

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“Everyone is quite different and we focus on each individual in finding treatment that helps them.”

Guy says it’s “tremendously rewarding” to see the difference their clinic makes in the lives of their patients.

“The majority of our people Luke Clews. come to us with problems that have been chronic. They’ve often been elsewhere to get therapy and it hasn’t worked,” he says.

“When we’re able to identify the underlying cause and remove the symptoms, our clients are eternally grateful, and it’s enormously fulfilling to see their lives improve.”

Kingston Natural Therapies, 49 Jardine Street, Kingston.

Call 6295 6660, email info@kingstonnaturaltherapies. com.au or visit kingstonnaturaltherapies.com.au

Helping couples create the perfect wedding JENNIFER Nagy of Your Canberra Celebrant says she’s passionate about helping couples make their wedding day one they’ll remember forever.

Having been a professional photographer for more than 28 years, Jennifer says she’s seen many weddings in intimate detail and now as a celebrant she’s turned that experience into helping couples organise their perfect ceremony.

“It’s so wonderful to be part of these special days,” she says.

“I can help every step of the way, whether it’s settings, rehearsals, legalities and paperwork, helping with ideas for vows, taking photos and more.

“I’m also a keen gardener and studying floristry so I can offer beautiful fresh cut flowers, I can make bouquets and make button holes.”

While she’s very comfortable celebrating big weddings, Jennifer says she particularly specialises in helping craft more intimate occasions to help those

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who might not have a lot of money to spend.

And she says she’ll be fully vaccinated by the end of July to ensure that couples can feel extra comfortable during these strange times.

“I really like to get to know the couple as much as I can so Jennifer Nagy. that I can centre the day around them and their love story,” she says.

Jennifer’s also proud to offer her experience and passion as a funeral celebrant, where she can help people farewell their loved ones.

Your Canberra Celebrant, call 0435 119981, visit yourcanberracelebrant.com, email jennifer@ yourcanberracelebrant.com or visit instagram.com/ yourcanberracelebrant

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A qualified roofer with more than 15 years’ experience, Rory offers a wide range of services such as work on downpipes, skylights, verandah roofs, patio roofs, leaf guards, gutter cleans, roof leaks and old-to-new gutter replacements.

Rory’s work has inspired his 11-year-old son, Lucas, to want to follow in his footsteps.

“Lucas gets into it where he can, he’s keen to be a tradie so he comes and helps me with certain jobs,” says Rory.

“He’s very good at carrying stuff and certainly holds up the team some days.”

Rory says it’s vital to get on top of roof maintenance and repair before any bigger issues can arise.

“If there are leaks in the roof or problems with the gutters then it can just cause a knock on effect where other parts of the house become badly damaged,” he says.

To stop that from happening, Rory says he can provide a full inspection and quote and works with customers to get a result they can put their trust in.

“If I start a job I’m there to the finish, I don’t come and go during,” he says.

“At the end of the day if the client is happy, I’m happy.”

ISL Home Maintenance and Repairs. Call Rory on 0431 556307 or email rorymartens13@gmail.com

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49 Jardine Street, Kingston | kingstonnaturaltherapies.com.au | Phone 6295 6660 18 CityNews July 22-28, 2021

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

INSIDE

Urged by the universe to write

RICHARD CALVER

Arts czarina Elvin steps back from the spotlight

By Helen

MUSA ARTS czarina, classicist, business leader, chorister, philanthropist and playwright, Harriet Elvin is a woman of many parts.

In surprise news recently, the long-time and only CEO of the Cultural Facilities Corporation announced that she would be moving on.

The corporation is responsible for the Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra Museum and Gallery, the Nolan Collection, Lanyon Homestead, Calthorpe’s House and MuggaMugga Cottage and Elvin has been its CEO since its creation in 1997.

A noted figure in Canberra’s arts scene, her awards have included an AM, a Centenary Medal, the 2001 Telstra ACT Businesswoman of the Year and 2001 Shell ACT Community and government awards.

As she steps down from the corporation, Elvin says that in her view it draws together disparate arts and provides a structure that allows them to flourish, which could be difficult if each had to run its own board.

“It’s greater than the sum of its parts,” she says.

“We have created program linkages, for instance between Calthorpe’s House and the

museum and children’s theatre initiatives which have been linked to CMAG.” “The job is unique in Australia, that’s what makes it so attractive,” she says.

As for the CFC’s hopes for a new lyric theatre capable of holding more financially viable shows than at present, under her watch that is no longer a pipedream but quite a defined priority for the ACT government.

“It’s been formally adopted as a major project – ahead of a stadium,” Elvin notes with some jubilation.

“And it’s good that we recruited someone [the new director of the Canberra Theatre Alex Budd] who can source and bring in large-scale acts to the ACT,” she says.

Happily, she reports, they won’t be replacing the “old” 1965 theatre as some people imagine.

“It is, after all, heritage-listed… it will have a future and part of its future will be its ‘town hall’ capacity… it’s very flexible and could be a multi-use venue for events like rock concerts.”

Unusually for a Canberra administrator, Elvin is steeped in the classics, with an honour’s degree in classics/law from Cambridge and postgraduate qualifications in international law, business administration and art history from the ANU. Elvin first came to Canberra from the UK in 1983 and before joining the CFC, worked in the ACT Electricity Authority, the ACT Chief Minister’s Department, the Office of

Harriet Elvin… “I love working with a director and actor, seeing how they interpret your words, inevitably they will improve the script.” the Environment and the ACT Bureau of Arts and Heritage where she hit her straps and decided, “I knew I wanted to stay in the arts”.

Something of a Renaissance woman, she has sung in SCUNA, Canberra Choral society and Saint Cecilia’s choir, of which she says, “the first time we sang in harmony, I was in tears”.

Since 2012 Elvin has also been a playwright, originally in the “Short + Sweet” 10-minute play festival, where she has

presented gently satirical plays directed by former CFC board member and friend Evol McLeod and “CityNews” arts writer Bill Stephens.

During covid she joined Bart Meehan and Stephens in airing her play “Shopping For Underwear”, featuring Canberra actor Liz St Clair Long, on Artsound FM and says: “Actors love radio, they don’t have to memorise the words.”

Notable among the plays was “Four

Letter Words”, entirely comprised of, well, four-letter words and now, egged on by arts identity Michael White, she’s having a go at writing the sequel, “Three Letter Words”.

As she looks back on her time at the CFC, favourite moments include a joint ribbon-cutting occasion with the Mayor of Nara in Canberra’s sister city that involved white gloves, scissors, velvet cushions and her own accidental choice of a green silk suit in exactly the Nara colours.

Another fashion moment involved Edwardian costumes to mark the Centenary of Federation in 2001 where Canberra Philharmonic’s black-and-white “My Fair Lady” hats came to the rescue.

On her retirement, Elvin plans to establish a philanthropic fund to support professional development opportunities in cultural leadership and says her model is “CityNews” craft writer and arts donor, Meredith Hinchliffe.

“I’m not in the same league as Meredith, but she is my inspiration…she is the longest-standing donor to CMAG,” she says.

She has already supported work by glass artist Ruth Oliphant which combines art and social history.

Another plan is to study for a master of philosophy, looking at leadership of cultural organisations and how different they are from corporate models, where she perceives a turning of the tide with more social awareness. If the topic proves fruitful, she might move on to a doctorate.

ARTS IN THE CITY Helfgott plays for ‘Shine’ anniversary

By Helen Musa PIANIST David Helfgott will perform to mark the 25th anniversary of the Oscar-winning film, “Shine”, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Since the film’s release in 1996, Helfgott has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall.

Canberra Theatre 7.30pm, Friday, July 30, book via canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

MORE piano in a 100th birthday celebration of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla and Argentina’s Independence Day, where pianist Marcela Fiorillo will perform his revolutionary and passionate “New Tango” works in the Senior School Hall of Canberra Girls Grammar School at 6.30pm on Friday, July 30.

Free but book at humanitix.com “HOW to Vote”, a new commission

by Canberra Youth Theatre from Sydney playwright and screenwriter Julian Larnach, is set amid the treacherous political landscape of campus life. The play was aired in a behind-closed-doors reading at the Museum of Australian Democracy on July 19. It’s a large-scale work created for tertiary-aged actors about young people’s engagement with politics, democracy and activism and will, we hope, be staged by CYT soon.

THE 2021 edition of the National Portrait Gallery’s popular annual

Pianist David Helfgott… Canberra Theatre, July 30.

National Photographic Portrait Prize, themed to reflect the events of 2020, has seen more than 3000 entries, shortlisted to a whopping 80 by judges Nick Mitzevich from the NGA, Karen Quinlan from the NPG and Australian photographer Bill Henson. The winners of $50,000 in prizes will be announced on July 30, then the show runs from July 31 to November 7.

CANBERRA children’s author Gina Newton’s book “Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish” has made it to the 2021 final shortlist of the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature from 100 entries. Newton is a trained

marine biologist, science communicator, zoologist and author and her picture book revolves around a quirky little fish known for walking on its hands.

AFTER securing $505,701 from the NSW government’s “Your High Street’’ grant program, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council plans to rejuvenate and artify No Name Lane and Blacksmiths Lane with upgraded paving, dedicated public art, increased lighting, greenery and seating. A council spokeswoman said No Name Lane could be renamed, while noting that Canberra’s No Name Lane was named after, not before, Queanbeyan’s.

CityNews July 22-28, 2021 19

CINEMA / reviews

Here’s a well-crafted, violent waste of screen time “Gunpowder Milkshake” (M) “GUNPOWDER Milkshake” films blood and violence against distinctive backdrops, in an art deco Anywhere that sets it apart from the herd, with every camera angle, every mise en scene, carefully crafted to make it as blood-soaked an example of vengeance and survival as any.

Which raises the question, is it worth the ticket price? The answer to that may depend on the viewer’s gender. For its underlying message seems to be that women have an innate capacity to be as violent as men.

That makes it the second movie currently screening, alongside “Black Widow”, to propose that rather scary idea.

It’s Israeli director Navot Papushado’s fourth movie and his first to be screened in Australia. It’s the first written by Ehud Lavski. They make a formidable team. Let’s see if they team up again. But until then, we’ve got to be content with “Gunpowder Milkshake”, which I judge to be a wellcrafted waste of screen time.

So what’s it about?

When Sam (Karen Gillan) was 12, her elite assassin mother Scarlet (Lena Headey) abandoned her to be raised by The Firm, the ruthless crime syndicate her mother worked for. At 27, Sam has grown into a fierce hit-woman employed to clean up The Firm’s most dangerous messes.

As efficient as she is loyal, when a high-risk job goes wrong, Sam must choose between serving The Firm or protecting innocent eight-year-old Emily (Chloe Coleman).

“Gunpowder Milkshake”... its underlying message seems to be that women have an innate capacity to be as violent as men.

Sam’s only survival prospect means reuniting with Scarlet and her lethal associates The Librarians (Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh and Carla Gugino).

The three generations of women must now learn to trust each other, stand up to The Firm and their army of henchmen, and raise hell against those who could take everything from them.

So as well as having to prove itself by its feminist theme and the quality of its fundamental film craft, “Gunpowder Milkshake” needed to do only one thing during its 114 minutes run time. And that was, and is, to convince its audience that it’s worth the ticket price. Fortunately, I have passes to see movies at no charge.

And my judgement is that I could have spent those minutes better.

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THIS documentary was made in 2018 shortly after Sir Alex suffered a brain haemorrhage.

Directed by his son Jason, the film conveys a sense that he was striving to preserve memories that might otherwise be lost to further brain injury or death.

At this remove from Glasgow, Aberdeen and Manchester, Canberrans’ interest in the film may focus on soccer enthusiasts and, in particular, fans of Manchester United, which team Sir Alex managed from 1986 to 2013.

The film may intrigue viewers interested in the history of those cities, as well as appealing to football fans. Sir Alex makes his passions clear and doesn’t give any indication that he feels a need to be liked, though it’s clear that respect and fairness are important to him.

Jason, who has done no previous film work, has done his father proud. It’s a strong character study full of lively anecdotes and a strong vein of humour.

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JAPANESE/Brazilian writer/director Edson Oda’s feature-film debut after a series of highly acclaimed and award-winning short films and music videos is a heartfelt and meditative vision of human souls in limbo, aching to be born against unimaginable odds, yet hindered by forces beyond their will.

“Nine Days” is a fantasy message film that proposes a vetting procedure to evaluate the suitability of as-yet-unborn children to replace people whose lives have recently ended. That’s a challenging function.

And when you think about it, it wouldn’t stack up against people such as Adolf Hitler, Stalin, Vlad the Impaler, Pol Pot, Heinrich Himmler, or, on the distaff side, Elizabeth Bathory. But such a comparison serves no useful purpose

“Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In” (M)

WATCH IT! / streaming and stuff

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“Nine Days” (M)

and, heck, this is a mere movie.

It’s a movie without a plot, a truly breathtaking and inventive stroke of cinematic poetry.

Will (Winston Duke) spends his days in a remote outpost watching people live their lives. When one of his subjects dies, Will judges candidates to replace them on their merit before living a single moment of life.

Only one candidate will be born, the rest will simply cease to exist. Will is charged with making this colossal choice by asking candidates how they would respond to hypothetical situations.

He exists outside everything and everyone else around him. His best friend Kyo (Benedict Wong) has never been alive. The candidates are souls whose existence is measured in hours and days.

“Nine Days” forces the characters and their audience to ponder larger life choices, while revelling in the joy, pain, significance and irrelevance of quiet, everyday moments. The questions that Will asks reveal his perspective of humanity and life.

Winston Duke’s performance is quietly powerful, portraying Will as a melancholic, duty-bound man burdened with the responsibility of choice and tormented by his choices.

NO cow is being spared from Disney’s serial-milking spree.

Its formula of turning popular films into TV spin-offs has worked a charm, as evidenced by the continued success of its Marvel superhero shows.

“Loki” has certainly been the hot streaming success of the moment, with Disney+ subscribers having tuned in week in, week out for the “God of Mischief’s” time-travel themed escapades.

That comes on top of the newest Marvel film, the Scarlett Johansson led “Black Widow”, which is also available to be streamed on Disney+ at the same time of its release in cinemas.

However, those wanting to watch “Black Widow” at home will have to fork out an obscene $35, even if they have a Disney+ subscription. The price, considerably more than a standard movie ticket, is marketed as “premier access”. More like premier rip-off!

The film will become available to all Disney+ subscribers for “free” on October 6.

I think the power has gone straight to the corporate mouse’s head, especially when even 20-year-old kids’ movies are starting to get their own spin-offs.

This month, the 2001 classic “Monsters Inc.” also got a television sequel called “Monsters at Work”, a six-episode follow-up to the film that this year turns 20.

That’s on top of the prequel film “Monsters University”, which came out in 2013. Isn’t it time to leave it alone?

Perhaps I’m wrong, perhaps a new generation of kids will enjoy the show the same way I did as a kid, but Disney is a creative company, why not come up with a new concept for kids?

entertainment, how does a hospital that people never return from sound?

That’s the premise of Stan’s big streaming piece this month: “Dr Death”, which is based on a terrifying true story.

It’s about an American doctor who maimed and even murdered his patients while hiding behind his profession where “things go wrong every day”.

This is another example of a true-crime podcast being brought over to a television series, a trend which has proven wildly successful with how popular true crime remains to be.

Some like it hot… Mike Vogel and Sarah Shahi in “Sex/Life”.

ON the more original side of streaming news, Apple TV+ is finally releasing season two of “Ted Lasso’’ on July 23, a comedy series about an incompetent American football coach thrown into training one of the English Premier League’s top soccer teams.

The idea of a doofus coaching in the EPL makes itself believable barely by the skin of its teeth, but in the scheme of things it doesn’t really matter. It’s easily overlooked in what’s a pleasantly surprising comedy, one that offers wholesome laughs while not trading out a satirical bite.

Jason Sudeikis plays the lead and brings a “Clark Griswold-esque’’ energy to the character, but the show also times its emotional beats with finesse.

Fingers crossed season two can keep up the pace.

FOR viewers wanting less happyclappy in their

AS for Netflix, they’ve got some caper called “Sex/Life” that’s been trending in its number one spot.

The show operates on not much more than the titillation of its previews and its wiseacre title, something most viewers have seemed to realise pretty swiftly into the first episode.

For Netflix subscribers looking for something a little risqué, there’s a good chance of finding more of it in “Too Hot to Handle: Brazil” than there is in “Sex/Life”.

“Too Hot to Handle” is the reality show where contestants are eliminated if they get it on with another contestant.

The twist of this version, could you guess, is that it has contestants from Brazil!

Come on Disney, you’re getting beaten at your own spin-off game here.

WINE

Urged by the universe to write

By Richard

CALVER Three conspiracy theorists walked into a bar.

You can’t tell me that’s a coincidence.

A SERIES of events led me to reconsider synchronicity. This is a concept developed by Jung to describe circumstances that appear meaningfully related yet lack a causal connection. It’s a fancy name for coincidence. Let me explain.

First, when recently in Adelaide, my friends took me to the Cube. This is the d’Arenberg winemaker’s folly become manifest, a five-storey monument to a vision of splendour amongst the vineyards of the McLaren Vale, now an icon to SA wine tourism. It reminded me of a giant Rubik’s Cube but in black and white and its homage to surrealism is captured by the Dali exhibition it houses and the eerie music that accompanies your journey from pathway to the entrance of this magnificent building.

After visiting the quite marvellous Dali exhibit, we tasted a flight of d’Arenberg red wines with my friends saying: “I can’t wait to read what you’ll say about the wines,” an almost curse on putting down any sort of narrative. And when you visit the male toilets, why that just scares any creative

The d’Arenberg Cube… a five-storey monument to a vision of splendour amongst the vineyards of the McLaren Vale. thought from the mind of man. The movie “Jaws”, without the shark, resonates.

Secondly, I walked home from work on a cold Canberra afternoon to watch the popular “Chase Australia” show. The final chase had been reached.

I saw the chaser stuff up the answer to the question: “In which Australian wine region is the Cube located?” He answered the Barossa; close, but no cigar. The contestants’ response was no better: they guessed the Margaret River. I refrained from yelling the answer at the television.

Thirdly, a mate wanted to create an Australia v France event; old world against new world; my cooking, his wine. I made slow-cooked beef casserole and he brought to dinner two 50/50 grenache/shiraz blends.

He brought a “Max” Cotes-du-Rhone Grenache-Syrah 2018 and, as a comparator, a

d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original, 2017. There was no prior discussion about the brands he would bring to dinner. I was being urged by the universe to write about the d’Arenberg winery.

These coincidences are meaningless but, it seemed to me, all were directed towards this shootout. It was a close call but the four guests all agreed that the French wine, albeit younger than the Aussie, was a better drinking experience.

The d’Arry’s had a very complex nose with strawberry overtones that belied the acidity you got on first sip, something that ameliorated with air and as it was paired with the food.

The French wine was much cleaner and had a less robust mouth feel but a full red fruit honesty that made great drinking.

The reverse of what happened with the Aussie occurred: the wine was better on its own than when matched with the slow-cooked beef. And there was none left by the time I served the cheese course.

The d’Arry’s has been marketed since 1969 but was relaunched with its current name in 1993 to honour Francis d’Arenberg Osborn. He was a pioneer of this august family winery and I’m sure that he would have revelled in the fact that his grenache shiraz was more robust, more food friendly and in your face when compared with the delicate French equivalent.

If you tie two pieces of string together, it just so happens that they are both touching each other. Coincidence? I think knot.

DINING / Super Bao and Pasta Artigiana at Verity Lane

Where they know how to bang out a bao

By Wendy

JOHNSON EXCITEMENT hit when Super Bao arrived at Verity Lane Market, the boutique food hall in the Sydney Building, Northbourne Avenue.

These folks know how to bang out a bao so it’s no surprise they decided to open a second venue (the original’s in Dickson).

Verity Lane describes itself as “gastronomic ground zero”. Food vendors can change, with current kitchens operated by Ramen Daddy, My Sabor, Uno Tapas, Pasta Artigiana and Pizza Artigiana. The aim is to offer something for every appetite.

Order at individual kitchens, grab a buzzer, order a drink at the long, beautiful bar and settle in. Reservations aren’t necessary but Verity Lane can get busy, especially at peak periods, so online bookings are available for groups of eight or more.

But back to the bao. We got stuck into the battered eggplant which had a delightful chilli lime mayo to add creaminess, pickled cucumber for crunch and fresh mixed leaves for some additional vitamins. It was absolutely delicious and the chilli – while not hot – stays on the palette for a bit (which we love). Our bet is that this bao would be a winner even for those not entirely enamoured with eggplant. Give it a go.

and Teriyaki tofu, all guaranteed to get your taste buds dancing.

After doing just that, we wandered about Verity Lane and decided on Italian for mains. Pasta Artigiana has opened since our last visit (a Pizza Artigiana is also on site) and the pasta selections sounded delish and are good Bao selection… the battered eggplant had a value ($15 to $21). delightful chilli lime mayo to add creaminess, Two of the five pastas pickled cucumber for crunch and fresh mixed on offer caught our leaves.

Photo: Wendy Johnson eye – ravioli ($18) and Super Bao sells bao for $7.50 gnocchi ($15) – because they both each or three for $20. Also on the featured truffles (‘tis the season). menu was crackling pork, Korean The ravioli was stuffed with creamy fried chicken, Angus beef brisket ricotta and an earthy mushroom

bisque. The truffle wasn’t overbearing and the ravioli wasn’t overcooked.

The combo of flavours was ‘pleasant enough’, according to my friend, but the dish wasn’t exactly hot even though we reacted immediately when our buzzer buzzed.

My gnocchi was a bit heavy for my liking. The truffle, pecorino and pepper sauce was scrumptious but the pasta wasn’t piping hot and so the texture of the gnocchi quickly became gluggy. A bit of a shame, since I always love gnocchi for its lighter, more pillowy personality.

The Verity Lane bar is a visual masterpiece and well-equipped with a curated range of spirits, craft beer and exceptional wines. Bartenders are all too happy to shake and stir if a cocktail tickles your fancy.

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CityNews July 22-28, 2021 21

GARDENING

Yellow gives a lift on drab days

By Cedric

competing with their neighbours.

Folk go for walks in the evening to view both those tiny small front gardens and window displays.

BRYANT YELLOW is almost certainly my favourite colour when it comes to spring flowers – daffodils, naturally, and our cheerful native wattles.

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I love Forsythia for its abundance of blooms, perfect for floral arrangements, and Abelia “Kaleidoscope” for its year-round, sunny yellow foliage.

Wander through the garden centre now and see what’s in flower, to give the garden a lift on those drab, cloudy days.

YOU’D be amazed how often I’m stopped in the street and asked, “Excuse me, are you Cedric? Do you mind if I ask you a question?” I’m only too happy to oblige.

One thing I’m hearing a lot lately is: “I’ve pruned many of my shrubs and am concerned at the amount of sap that is bleeding from the cuts”.

This needs to be taken seriously.

Don’t worry about the loss of some sap. Certain trees lose sap at a more rapid rate than others, such as silver birch. Pruning in early winter is pos-

Abelia “Kaleidoscope” for sunny yellow foliage and winter colour. sibly the best time, when the leaves have just fallen. Early autumn, from the first week in September to the last week in October, is the worst time, when sap is rising rapidly for leaf production.

If you do have trees or shrubs bleeding excessively, allow nature to take its course. Do not cover the wound. There are various proprietary products on the market, usually bituminous based. Covering the wound can seal in possible fungal problems and/or possible diseases. The best solution is pruning at the right time, which will minimise the problem.

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THE lockdowns we’ve been having can cause enormous stress. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the UK undertook a major four-year study on the effect of stress on people’s lives, and found that just a few plants in the front garden can be uplifting and motivational, particularly for the elderly.

As part of her PhD, Postdoctoral Wellbeing Fellow at the RHS and the University of Sheffield, Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui also found there were benefits to getting children involved in the garden when schools were closed.

I had the thought that any garden is just a series of small gardens.

Until covid hit, we were frequent visitors to Holland, where many homes only have a miniscule front garden and no back garden.

It is amazing what they can do with those front gardens. These combine with serious displays in front windows of indoor plants, all

ONE fruiting plant with many culinary uses and which grows very well in Canberra is Actinidia deliciosa, or kiwifruit. Despite the name, it did not originate in New Zealand; having been grown in China for centuries.

It was first introduced into New Zealand in 1904, when the principal of Wanganui Girls’ College, Isobel Fraser took seeds back to NZ from a school trip to China. It was known as Chinese gooseberry until 1959. Then as late as 1984 it was changed to kiwifruit, after the native flightless bird of New Zealand.

It soon became popular worldwide with its properties of vitamin C, antioxidants, potassium and folate. Today it is worth over a billion dollars in exports to the New Zealand economy.

Kiwifruit has a multitude of culinary uses and grows very well in Canberra.

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Your week in the stars

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General knowledge crossword No. 791

By Joanne Madeline Moore

July 26-August 1, 2021

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

This week gung-ho Mars (your power planet) opposes Jupiter (which transits back into rebellious Aquarius). So Rams are feeling restless and you’re keen to kick up your heels/hooves! But resist the temptation to be rash with cash and careless with relationships. Do your best to be (uncharacteristically) patient, as you look for crucial information that is hidden beneath the surface. Then you’ll understand current complexities better, and the path ahead will be much clearer.

WHAT TIMEFRAME DO I NEED TO GET TO THE MARKET?

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Are you behaving like a Bull on steroids? This week, aim to be smart and sexy (rather than self-indulgent and extravagant). Mercury and Venus give social media a welcome boost, as you communicate with family members and close friends, and make influential connections online. But are you stubbornly sticking to old ways of thinking, especially at work? Jupiter encourages you to put aside preconceived ideas and examine your beliefs in a mature and philosophical new light.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

Restless Twins aren’t usually particularly house-proud. But pleasure-planet Venus and proactive Mars are both visiting your home zone so it’s a terrific time to spruce up your domestic abode, enjoy Casa Gemini, and entertain in style. Good food, fresh flowers and relaxing music are a must! Jupiter transits back into your travel zone until December 29 (where it joins Saturn) so your desire for adventure is strong but an overseas trip could be delayed until 2022.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Monday’s Mercury/Pluto opposition boosts your temperamental tendencies, which could end up alienating an authority figure (like your boss) or a loved one (like your partner). Hopefully you won’t put too many noses out of joint, as Venus encourages you to be more diplomatic and consultative when communicating with others.

Sometimes you need to lose a minor battle in order to win the war! For the next five months, Jupiter favours financial partnerships and business transactions.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

With the Sun, Mercury and Mars all charging through your sign, you’ll go to extremes this week as the planets press your ‘Let’s overdo everything’ button. So your motto for the moment is from uber-Leo (and birthday great) Mick Jagger: “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.” But resist the temptation to be a right royal bossy-boots on Thursday and Friday, especially when you don’t get your way.

Rather than being pushy, try being charmingly persuasive instead!

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Mercury (your ruling planet) transits into Leo (from Wednesday until August 11) which boosts creativity. And with Mars and Venus both moving through your sign, it’s also time to be bold and beautiful! Don’t let other people (including the media) set your individual agenda and dictate your personal style. So your motto for the moment is from birthday great, Yves Saint Laurent: “Fashions fade, style is eternal.”

The weekend is a wonderful time to follow your true destiny.

Down

1 Which European river is said to be blue? (6) 8 What is a woman of exemplary meekness and patience? (8) 9 William Tell was the appropriately named sire of which dual Melbourne Cup winner? (6) 10 What is a way in? (8) 11 What are grassy surfaces of land called? (6) 13 Macbeth is superstitiously called which play? (8) 16 What are conflicts between competitors? (8) 19 Name another term for a rubber. (6) 22 In which month does Australia experience one of its longest days? (8) 24 What is a whirling movement, or mass of water, as a whirlpool? (6) 25 To talk informally with another, is to do what? (8) 26 To tell, is to do what? (6)

2 Name another term for a slender missile. (5) 3 Who escorts persons to seats in a theatre? (5) 4 What are ways out? (8) 5 Japan’s parliament is called a what? (4) 6 Name a person who occupies a house for rent. (6) 7 What are decrees issued by a sovereign? (6) 12 Which term is used after a prayer? (4) 14 Who accompanies an aeroplane pilot to maintain reconnaissance? (8) 15 Name a wading bird allied to the heron or stork. (4) 17 Who was Shakespeare’s king of the fairies? (6) 18 What is the square root of 144? (6) 20 In which month did Easter Monday fall in 2010? (5) 21 To build something, is to do what? (5) 23 Who was Australia’s first woman commercial pilot, Nancy ...? (4)

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LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Creative inspiration and intuitive insights are highlighted this week, as Venus and Mars stimulate your generosity and spirituality. But romantic and platonic relationships look rather shambolic, especially towards the end of the week. Despite the frantic pace, put aside some special ‘me time’. Solitude is soul food for you at the moment. As singer-songwriter (and birthday great) Kate Bush reminds us: “There’s an awful lot you can learn about yourself when you’re alone.”

Solution next edition

Across

Sudoku medium No. 296

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Communication looks all-consuming on Monday, when Mercury and Pluto ratchet up the intensity levels. Try to keep your cool. Some Scorpios will feel rather restless at work (especially on Thursday). Domestic changes are on the way, as Jupiter jumps back into your home zone until December 29. Expect a renovation, extension, house move, new housemate or the arrival of an unexpected family member.

Home sweet home is the busy place to be over the next five months!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Have you been waiting in the wings or sulking on the sidelines, Sagittarius? This week Jupiter (your boss planet) reverses from meek and mild Pisces into the bold and adventurous sign of Aquarius. So it’s time to wake up; explore; experiment; take a calculated risk and make some noise! Inspiration for the week is from fiery actress Helen Mirren (who was born on July 26, 1945): “If you want to go make your mark in the world, you’ve got to go out and do it. Don’t be shy, be adventurous.”

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

This week Jupiter joins Saturn (your patron planet) back in the adventurous sign of Aquarius. So you will be balancing the tried-and-tested, comfortable status quo with the need for change, expansion and growth. Plus – sometime over the next five months – a lucky opportunity is heading your way. The question is… will you be brave enough to take it? Your motto is from birthday great, actress Helen Mirren: “You write your life story by the choices you make.”

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2021

Solutions – July 15 edition Sudoku hard No. 295

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

Family relationships and close friendships look complicated, as loved ones debate a wide range of topics and your daily routine goes out the window. If you have a problem that’s bothering you, don’t over-think things. Instead, let your intuition be your guide. Wisdom for the week is from Leo psychiatrist Carl Jung (born on July 26, 1875): “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.”

Solution next edition

Crossword No. 790

Positivity planet Jupiter transits back into your sign until December 29. So make sure you capitalise on fortuitous opportunities, which could come from unlikely people and inspirational places. When dealing with a loved one or a business partner, hold onto your seat and prepare for a rollercoaster ride. You’ll find the less open you are to change, the more dramatic these disruptions will be. The weekend stars suggest a fated connection with someone special.

The short answer is there is no exact timeframe! As a minimum, agents need 2 weeks from signing the Agency Agreement to get the building report or energy rating together for your solicitor. If you’re in NSW or selling an ACT apartment, the Section 119 from your ACT body corporate or Section 10.7 from QPRC could take longer to get the contract together.

Many of my clients make contact 6 or 12 months ahead for me to do a list of what needs to be done, to present the home at its very best in order to get the optimum price. It’s a lot easier to do 30 little jobs across 6-12 months than squashing those jobs into three weeks. Some clients, like last night’s call, say they’re selling as is and we are launching in two weeks. Both timeframes are fine.

The home we live in day-to-day is never usually how we present the home for sale – so decluttering is often needed. If you do have the luxury of time, I always find the coloured dot system is great to break things down into categories: • What is going with you?

• Any items that family would like?

• Do you want to sell any items?

• Can you gift anything to the not-for-profit community groups for those needing items for their first home? (please contact me for a list who will help remove items, or contact GIVIT and Roundabout Canberra).

• Anything left over? Call ACT Skip Hire (SkipBins. com) on 6292 8187 who have been supporting Camp Quality for over 13 years.

For a great decluttering service, call Alison Abernethy on 0412 299 359 at Declutr.com.au to help you through the decluttering process!

Owners are forever telling us that when we style their home prior to sale, they can’t believe how fresh and enjoyable their home is. Some even regret not doing the makeover a bit earlier to have more time to enjoy the difference. Outside of the sale process, stylists can be employed at an hourly rate – and slight changes can make an incredible difference. Lynda Cheng of Elements Property Styling can be contacted on 0436 000 230 and elementspropertystyling.com.au for a one-on-one property consultation for your home.

Before becoming an agent, and before Andrew, Shayna and Charlie came along with Selling Houses Australia, I’ve helped so many friends and clients turn their homes around prior to sale. The one thing to make sure is that you are never overcapitalising, and I’ve helped many clients with that aspect as well.

I look forward to chatting if you are thinking of selling.

Phone 0405 135 009 cshaw@blackshaw.com.au #christineshawproperties CityNews July 22-28, 2021 23

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