GET READY FOR YOUR ROAD TRIP! BOOK NOW FOR SAFETYSERVICESPRING+CHECKLog book service Brake & clutch General service & repairs 4WD service & repairs Steering & suspension Air Conditioning 02 6241 3011LOCATION 7 Baillieu Court, Mitchell, ACT BOOK ONLINE carservicecanberra.com.au SWOOPING SEASON STARTS AS MAGPIES HIT HARD ‘It chased me for a good 50 metres and kept following despite dismounting,’ says one cyclist. SEPTEMBER 8, 2022 Parents call for crossing on Watson ‘drag’ street BELINDA STRAHORN Thunder bolts to Manuka with mighty Warner SIMON ANDERSON No-one takes the mick out of Mikhail Gentleman, except for KEEPING UP THE ACT LAST LAUGH Funnyman JIMMY REES will end his national tour with performancesencoreinCanberra
“It’s interesting that some birds don’t swoop at all. It’s also interesting that some birds tend to swoop certain sorts of perceived threats,” he says. “They can concentrate on people on bikes or men or even people with Cyclists and dog-walkers are com mon targets for swooping magpies, with the birds considering them more dangerous threats due to them moving faster than other passers-by. So how can you keep safe from the black-and-white wrath? Hermes says the best option is to steer clear of areas where magpies are known to Resourcesswoop.like mag piealert.com will dis play where magpies are nesting and keeping an ear open for their distinc tive calls is another good way “Another thing you can do to dis courage a magpie from swooping is protecting yourself from behind. That can be wearing a hat and then even if they do strike you it’s not going to cre ate any injury,” says Hermes. “I would highly encourage people with young children to keep them away from known magpie nests. “If a child falls over and the mag pie gets better access, it’s easier for them to attack and potentially hit the child’s face.”
The capital has already seen more than 85 magpie attacks reported on magpiealert.com since July 27, five of which have resulted in injuries.
“It chased me for a good 50 metres and kept following despite dismounting,” said one cyclist who was attacked on Ca vanagh Street, Gungahlin, last month. “Very aggressive swooped twice. Made contact with side of head and cut to ear. Ended up at walk-in centre with cleanup of cut and tetanus injection,” wrote another person attacked on Charles Place, Gordon. One person in Ngunnawal reported they were persistently swooped from behind by multiple birds, while anoth er in Bruce said their small child was attacked while riding a balance bike. As the season of renewal sets in, the swoopings are set to increase. Last year the ACT saw more than 1000 re ported magpie attacks, and that’s not including the many also reported in Queanbeyan.Sowhatmakes magpies swoop and why particularly at this time of year?
An extra fun fact: look closely at a photo of a magpie bill front-on and you may just spot a seagull (see inset).
The Australian magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen… at its worst during mating time.
• Spread the word. Warn other people where the magpies are swooping locally and register swoops on the national magpie map. While Hermes says a swooping magpie can be an intimidating thing, there’s a lot more to the birds, who usually only remain territorial for around six weeks – or until around the end of “They’reNovember.awonderful bird and have a beautiful call,” says Hermes. “Once their young have dispersed the territorial behaviour goes away.”
The swooping season starts as magpies hit hard
If you find yourself face-to-face with a swooping magpie, here are some other tips from experts, according to magpiealert.com: • Cyclists beware. If you are swooped while cycling, get off of your bike and just walk (never run) and it may de ter a magpie.
CityNews September 8-14, 2022 3 02 6253 3655 williamcolefunerals.com.au | 60 Nettlefold Street, Belconnen, ACT Have you considered a pre-arranged funeral? Take the burden off your loved ones and pre-arrange your funeral. Pay today’s prices for the funeral you want, with a personalised payment plan. With 32 Coleexperience,yearsWilliamFuneralsprovideexcellenceinfuneralservice.WHEEL REPAIRS & ALIGNMENT P/L CANBERRA’S LOCAL WHEEL STRAIGHTENING SERVICE Rallimax has the latest wheel and rim straightening lathe, enabling us to successfully realign most damaged alloy wheels. Visit us at 1/184 Gladstone Street, Fyshwick Telephone 6280 5967 rallimaxsport.com.au INDEX Since 1993: Volume 28, Number: 36 Managing director: Kate Meikle, kate@citynews.com.au Sales director: Tracey Avery, 0477 939999 Senior advertising account executive: David Cusack, 0435 380656 Advertising account executives: Damien Klemke, 0439 139001 Tim Spare, 0423 381691 Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au Journalists: Belinda Strahorn, belinda@citynews.com.au; Nick Overall, nick@citynews.com.au; Lily Pass, lily@citynews.com.au Arts editor: Helen Musa, helen@citynews.com.au Production manager: Janet Ewen Graphic Designer: Susanne Boag Proof reader: Glenda Anderson Distribution manager: penny@citynews.com.au Arts & Entertainment 31-34 Canberra Matters 10 Crosswords & Sudoku 35 Cinema & Streaming 32 Dining 34 Gardening 30 Horoscopes 35 Letters 20 News 3-20 Politics 12 Sport 17 David Warner, signed with Sydney Thunder. Photo: Ian Bird. Story Page 17. Ph 02 6189 0777 Fax 02 6189 0778 9b/189 Flemington Rd, Mitchell 2911 Well written, well read Responsibility for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell. NEWS / magpie attacks
According to Canberra ornitholo gist Neil Hermes, it’s magpie-mating season, during which male magpies become more territorial to protect their“Whenyoung.they have eggs and whilst they have young, some birds get very territorial and protect their young from what they perceive to be potential threats to their nest,” says Hermes. “This usually [involves] a bird fly ing in from behind and calling at the same time to try and frighten you away. It can be very disturbing for people when it happens. “Because the magpie’s bill has a small hook on the end it can create a wound on your head, and in very bad cases this can lead to serious injuries including the loss of an eye. It’s not to be taken Hermeslightly.”saysthe intelligent birds can also be quite picky about who they swoop and who they don’t.
• Don’t aggravate them. Magpies will see you as a threat if you wave your arms, shout or throw things at them. Studies show magpies can remember dozens of people. Some birds can even remember a single face for years, more of a reason not to get on their bad side!
SPRING has sprung, but so too has Canberra’s infamous magpieswooping season.
• Protection is key. Wear sunglasses with a large, wide-brimmed hat to protect your head and eyes.
By OVERALLNick
CATT: “It is exciting to see a lot of start-ups, but these closures represent a huge amount of lost money, energy, and jobs. The message is clear – that the ACT needs to get much better at supporting small businesses to ensure their long-term survival.” You can stop spinning now, Minister. AND for something completely different: “CityNews” arts editor Helen Musa has been to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and spotted this local delicacy… haggis sausage roll. No lip smacking until after you know that haggis is a savoury pudding containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal’s stomach (though now an artificial casing is often used instead). There’s been no confirmation she ate one. Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews” and can be heard with Rod Henshaw on the citynews.com.auofnoon.program,newsSunday“CityNewsRoast”andinterview2CC,9am-Therearemorehiscolumnson to spin as Tara Cheyne.
4 CityNews September 8-14, 2022 TARA Cheyne, the Labor MLA from Ginninderra, was rewarded in her second term with a ministry or five in Barr’s debt-laden government.
I think she enjoys her role as arts minister and has certainly been on the front foot with helping an economically vulnerable community through much of the covid misery. More recently, she has hatched an optimistic plan for the future of arts in this city. Her pluck is a credit.
CHEYNE: During the lockdown in 2021, the ACT and Australian governments jointly funded more than $326 million in support to businesses through the Business Support Grants… The ACT government continues to support businesses through the Canberra Business Advice and Support Service and targeted measures to support the recovery of the tourism industry.
Since November 2020, the 37-year-old former public servant has held the portfolios of Assistant Minister for Economic Development and Minister for variously the Arts, Business and Better Regulation, Human Rights and Multicultural Affairs. She is a master of business administration, and a bachelor of journalism and of arts. The journalism came as a shock; given his animosity to scribblers everywhere, probably best not tell the chief minister, Tara.
As business minister, through the dark days of covid, I didn’t sense a presence. She seemed to acquiesce to the chief minister’s parsimonious indifference to small business and was mute as desperate business people all around her were wringing their hands.
I have interviewed Tara a couple of times on 2CC’s “CityNews Sunday Roast” program and her straight-bat responses to curly questions reminded me of Katy Gallagher when she was an admired local minister. On that basis, I had high hopes, but now, two years into her roles, I sense Tara’s fearless ness is fading.
CATT: Despite the impact of covid, lockdowns, inflation and a massive workforce and skills shortage, local entrepreneurial spirit has been strong. Overall, the local business population grew by a net 2400 over the previous year. The growth continues to be led by small business. Almost all of it occurrs in the micro and small-business sector – those with less than 20 and in many cases no staff,” Mr Catt said.
Talk to Tom Adam, from the Phillip Business Community, or Graham Catt , CEO of the Canberra Business Chamber, or to any one of the “CityNews” advertising sales team to know the long-covid “economic lockdown” is still being endured by many small operators.
CATT: With 63 per cent of Canberra’s jobs now in the private sector, the ACT economy is becoming more and more reliant on small enterprises for our job and wealth creation. Small business is big business, as far as the local economy is concerned, and we want as many of them as possible to grow into bigger businesses.
SEVEN DAYS Tara takes
CHEYNE: As our economic recovery progresses, the ACT government continues to look for more opportunities to make it easier for businesses to open and grow. To this end, the Better Regulation Taskforce that was established to review regulatory and process changes and business settings in the current environment is working with local business to implement additional reforms.
CHEYNE: “Despite a challenging year including a prolonged lockdown due to COVID-19, an additional 2419 new businesses have been created in the ACT in 2021-22, a 7.7 per cent increase – the second highest in the country of any state or territory. The number of Canberra businesses reached a record high in 2021, but in an uncer tain economic environment, the nation’s capital also recorded the highest business-closure rate Oops! Tara missed that. “These new businesses are creating more jobs in the ACT, contributing to the government’s efforts to grow our employ ment base to 250,000 local jobs by 2025.” “We must do more to ensure that new businesses survive… In the 2021 -2022 financial year 6700 new enterprises started, but over 4400 closed. And after five years, only 62.5 per cent of ACT businesses were still operating, the lowest rate of any state or territory.”
Look no further than the latest ACT Budget; there are few ministerial footprints around business initiatives. Catt labelled it “underwhelming”.Thepitywasinrecent days seeing Minister Cheyne succumb to the sort of spin that characterises this tired government. Here, laid bare, is the tale of two press releases; one from the Business Minister and the other from CEO Catt (in italics). It was in response to new ABS figures attesting to an increase in the number of businesses in Canberra.
CHEYNE: Since its two-year program was established in June, the Taskforce has delivered the Automatic Mutual Recognition of occupational licences on July 1, 2022 and a new supplier landing page and guide to doing business with the ACT government to make it simpler and easier for businesses offering services [whatever that all means].
her fearlessness fades
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“They said if they put a zebra cross ing here and someone gets hit they become liable,” he said. “So they are more liable if they do something than don’t. I was gob smacked by the comment.” The threshold test used by the ACT government to identify the need for a zebra crossing is “a minimum of 60 pe destrians crossing the roadway with at least 600 vehicles passing the site during the same peak hour over two separate one-hour peak periods.”
Photo: Belinda Strahorn
Nipperville centre manager Cas sandra Rijven has suggested a reduc tion to the speed limit in the vicinity of the centre from 50 km/h to 30 km/h as a partial solution to minimise the danger to parents and children.
Cassandra Rijven and Rob May… “It’s dangerous. The concern is that small children spill out on to the road every so often, while cars seem to use Gwynne Street as a drag strip,” says Rob.
The pedestrian safety assessment undertaken at the Gwynne Street site revealed that it did not reach that threshold, according to an ACT gov ernment spokesperson. May takes issue with the conclu sions the government has drawn from their study arguing that the require ments were unrealistic. “The requirement for 600 cars in two hours to justify a much-needed ze bra crossing is absurd for a suburban setting,” he said. “We could argue that any such study was always destined to fail, if not intended to fail.”
CONCERNED parents say children’s lives are at risk in the absence of a pedestrian crossing on a busy road outside a Watson childcare centre. For four years parents have been calling on the ACT government to install a zebra crossing on Gwynne Street, between the Nipperville Early Learning Centre and the Watson shops. But the parents’ campaign has been unsuccessful, with the ACT govern ment confirming there was no need for a crossing following a recent safety audit conducted at the location. Long-time advocate for the crossing Rob May – whose children previously attended Nipperville Early Learning Centre – believes that the absence of a safe crossing is an accident waiting to happen.“Weneed a crossing here,” said May. “Personally I have witnessed multiple near misses at this location over many years. It’s a small miracle that no-one has been Spearheadingsquashed.”the campaign for a crossing, May said Gwynne Street is difficult to cross during peak hours, making it dangerous for parents and children. fully unaware there is a childcare centre on that road,” he said. “It’s dangerous. The concern is that small children spill out on to the road every so often, while cars seem to use Gwynne Street as a drag strip.” Earlier petitions to install a cross ing lodged with the ACT Assembly have failed to change the govern ment’s position, said May. He believes the reasons cited by the government just don’t stack up. “We were told by ACT Roads that “It’s akin to a car without airbags, saying it hasn’t had an accident yet so it’s a safe car. “We all know airbags save lives, so why wouldn’t you put in a safety measure?”Maysaid he was dumbfounded when told that one of the reasons the govern ment was reluctant to place a crossing at the site was the liability it would incur should someone be injured.
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“Most childcare centres would 100 per cent support a better speed limit around their service,” said Rijven. That plea is likely to go unanswered with a government spokesperson indi cating that the average speed of vehicles travelling on Gwynne Street is 24km/h, according to the study. Rijven points to the apparent double standard applied to schools as opposed to childcare centres when determin ing safety “There’smeasures.noroad-safety standard for childcare centres,” she said. “We are not thought of the same as schools and I think that’s what needs to Shechange.”argues there’s a greater need to protect young infants from the dan gers of speeding traffic than primary school students who should have some road“Theresense.are lots of children who deserve the same amount of safety as primary schools, high schools and even colleges who have pedestrian crossings and reduced speed limits, and those children are very able to cross the road.” Rijven doesn’t want any parent to suffer the trauma of losing a child. She said the government needs to be a little more understanding of parents’ concerns about traffic safety issues at that“Welocation.havehuge support from parents who just want to see something done.” Here is a link to a site that lobbies for crossings and reduced speed limits around all schools: SafeStreetsToSchoolCanberrafacebook.com/
By STRAHORNBelinda
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“They’d been doing a show at the Kangaroos Rugby League Club and came for a swim,” she said. “We wondered why all the young girls were suddenly down one end of the pool. Then we saw the strippers rubbing oil over their bodies and jumping in the pool. “All the female staff were peering out the office window having a good look,Shetoo.”also recalls the regular troutfishing competitions held at the pool during the off-season.
“I have family on the Gold Coast, so I’d like to pick up and go if I want to,” she said. “But I hope to be back for some casual shifts.” Reflecting warmly on her time at the pool, Lewis realises the job has afforded her many privileges. “I’ve loved it here,” she said. “It’s been a real privilege.”
AFTER 27 years watching over Queanbeyan’s swimmers, lifeguard Julie Lewis is hanging up her whistle. With sunblock on her nose and a whistle between her lips, Lewis has clocked up almost three decades on patrol at the Queanbeyan pool. But the longtime lifeguard has decided to retire, leaving with “good memories” and stories of some close calls.“Ihave had to jump in a couple of times to rescue people,” said Lewis. “They weren’t desperate rescues where the swimmers had really gone down, but they were struggling so I had to get in and bring them to the side.”Lewis, 66, will call it a day in March, swapping the pool deck for a welldeserved break. Born in Bangalow and raised in By ron Bay, Lewis has always loved the water and, for a time, was a competi tive“Backstrokeswimmer. and butterfly were my thing,” said Lewis, who still swims most“Mydays.parents were swimmers, too, they were heavily involved in our lo cal surf club because we lived across the road from the beach at Byron Bay.”Lewis would later come to the Canberra region when she joined the Navy, serving at HMAS Harman as a leading seaman for eight years. “I used to swim in Queanbeyan and play water polo for the local side,” she said.“When I left the Navy and had my kids, they started swimming at Few know the Queanbeyan pool better than Lewis, who has held various roles at the facility over many years.
Photo: Belinda Strahorn
“Trout were released into the pool and all the kids would come and fish them out,” Lewis said. “It was a great idea, but it was a dirty job to clean up afterwards. “We had to empty the pool and get out all the slush… it was horrible.” Like any job it’s had its downsides.
By STRAHORNBelinda Pool lifeguard Julie Lewis… “I have had to jump in a couple of times to rescue people.”
“I started in 1995 as a sea sonal lifeguard, then I became a duty manager, and when the indoor pool was built in 2004 I became a senior pool atten Also a swim teacher and swim-club coach, Lewis has watched the council-owned facility change a lot over the “Once upon a time, everyone came to the pool,” said Lewis. “When it was just the out door pool, we had trampolines here, half a basketball court, “Families would come to have barbecues and play crick et, it was a lot of fun. The pool has always been a happy place, While Lewis has many fond memories, two things stand out forSheher. recalls the time that swimmers got more than they bargained for when a group of male strippers descended on the pool, and held a female audience captive.
“Some patrons abuse you,” she said. “But most people are pretty good. I have a good time with the pa trons because they all know me and I knowOncethem.”she’s no longer poolside for work, Lewis plans to spend more time with her grandchildren.
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The government says it will make things easier by putting more stuff online. This may seem logical but will do little to assist the majority of residents (who are not planners) and do little to promote good design, landscape design and appropriate developments.Theplanning chief needs to stop publishing DAs, complete with faults, as if it is up to residents to spend days/weeks identifying the mess made by others. Any DA that is placed into the public domain should be easily understood and should be thoroughly checked for faults and if necessary, sent back to the proponent to be resubmitted or binned.
Paul Costigan is a citynews.com.auofThereurbanoncommentatorculturalandmatters.aremorehiscolumnsat
Any DA that is placed into the public domain should be easily understood and should be thoroughly checked for faults and if necessary, sent back to the proponent to be resubmitted or binned.
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RESIDENTS shudder when they contemplate how much of their lives has had to be allocated to dealing with development applications that, according to the government’s own rules, should not have been approved. For some, their first experience starts with the DA notice appearing next door or an online announcement by the developer about their vibrant urban village – usually a massive over-development.Residentswanting to know what’s happening are expected to compre hend a mountain of DA documents. They must also take on the brainnumbing task of working out which rules have not been addressed. When they do lodge objections, residents then suffer the name calling and abuse by the developers involved as well as the criticisms from Greenslabor politicians and their followers. Usually the ACT Liberals say nothing much. Why does this have to happen again and again? This is supposed to be a civilised society with a transparent government.Wheretostart?
For larger develop ments, the proponent will usually employ planning consultants to get the DA through to approval. There should be the reasonable expectation obvious deficiencies. Some proponents state that particular requirements have been met despite it being obvious that they have not.
The big worry is that flawed DAs are being approved by the chief planner, being the sole bureaucrat legislated as being the ACT Planning Authority. The reality is that the chief planner usually devolves his author ity to make DA decisions to someone in the directorate – but retains the responsibility for decisions – includ ing the flawed decisions.
The ACT government needs to bring in a specialist to completely overhaul how DAs are written and to put in place accessible guides to allow residents (who are not planning professionals) to easily understand how DAs line up with the rules and suburban planning.
The anxiety, waste of time and money caused by faulty DAs could be avoided if the government had a focus on good architecture, great land scapes and the requirements of the 21st century. This government needs to be more serious about good design and planning. This is not happening within the disengaged culture of the planning directorate. Look at what is being delivered along Northbourne, in the Woden Town Centre, look at the new suburbs and the declining biodiversity within established suburbs. We can do better. A new style of design and planning leadership is urgently required.
Read all about it… an incompleted building notice.
Photo: Paul Costigan
The scenarios of why this happens may include: that the consultants work with the directorate to have through it goes for public comment; or the culture with the directorate is so disengaged with reality that while they tell politicians and the public that ACT planning rules are impor tant, they hope that no-one notices that they are approving questionable fault-ridden DAs. Who knows?
Into this mess of skewed DA assess ments, step residents concerned about the future of this city. Few residents have the professional expertise to deal with what the chief planner has varied over the years to become a complex set of planning documents and rules.
CityNews September 8-14, 2022 11 Every year we help hundreds of Canberrans with complaints and concerns about health services and health practitioners, discrimination, disability services, services for children or older people, elder abuse, sexual harassment, racism and more. We’re free. Get in touch! 02 6205 hrc.act.gov.auhuman.rights@act.gov.au2222 Got a complaint or Weproblem?canhelp. Commercial and Residential Conveyancing for ACT & NSW For successful results in a cost effective manner call 6281 0999 or email kjblaw@kjblaw.com.au Ground Floor, 10 Corinna Street, Woden These services include: • Off the Plan Purchases • Commercial Leasing • Business Succession Planning • Business Franchising • Retirement village entry & exit • Aged care entry BRIEFLY Mangoes with a mission WODEN Daybreak Rotary Club is taking orders for its annual, fundraising mango drive. Seven-kilogram trays of mangoes cost $25 and proceeds go to End Polio affected by stroke is invited to come. There is no charge. The group meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month. RSVP or enquiries to 0497 014769. Val Dempsey.
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POLITICS / Canberra Health Services
“It was also great to see some of our programs, such as Enhanced Recov ery After Surgery receive a special mention as an example of patients being actively involved in their care from pre-admission to discharge –reducing length of stay, post-surgery complications and improving patient satisfaction,” she said. In a similar vein, Mental Health Minister Emma Davidson, said: “The assessors noted how motivated our mental health team at Canberra Health Services is and highlighted effective systems in place, such as having mental health representatives based in the Emergency Department for prompt risk assessment and patientTheretransfers”.werealso some recommenda tions for improvement. One example was to ensure annual inspections of bio-medical equipment after noting, for example, that some “resuscitaire” machines in the birthing suite and the cardiology area were out of date. Additionally, there were some recommendations around the handling of medications. The asses sors considered that reviews were generally carried out effectively, but some areas, such as geriatrics, could beApartimproved.from the minor issues identi fied, this report should be a strong reinforcement of the level of care being delivered by health staff across our health services in Canberra. It is now time to address waiting times for the emergency department and for elective surgery. Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a since“CityNews”columnistpoliticalwith2006.
Offices in Kambah and Mitchell
You can find more information about our services when you visit our booth at either: Westfield Belconnen (by ALDI) on Thurs 15 September 9am to midday Westfield Woden (by Baker's Delight) on Fri 16 September 9am to midday
Staff lauded in positive report on health services
The ADACAS Older Persons Advocacy Team provides FREE advocacy for people aged 65 years and over residing in the ACT. Our specialist team also supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait people who are aged 50 years or older. ● maintain your independence ● connect with service providers that will meet your needs ● identify and take action on elder abuse ● express your values ● make decisions about things that affect your life ● have the dignity to take risks ● resolve problems or complaints about aged care services
The report identified that there is a robust risk andpolicies,frameworkmanagementthatissupportedbyproceduresguidancethatiswellunderstood.
Canberra Hospital… staff have always been the outstanding feature of ACT Health.
AT last, there is some good news on the health front in Canberra. Coming out of the mire of COVID-19 and its impacts on the health of all Canberrans, there is a positive report on our health system. Its greatest strength is the 8500 staff who work in Canberra Health Services. The Australian Council on Health care Standards (ACHS), has identified that Canberra Health Services is delivering on its goal of providing healthcare and patient safety to Australian standards. It was not long ago that these services fared very poorly in the assessment of the National Safety and Quality in Health Care Standards (NSQHS) as examined by ACHS. The report really identifies what most of us have known for decades. The dedicated staff at the Canberra Hospital and other health services have always been the outstanding feature of ACT Health. Now the organisation of staff has aligned with their professionalism and skill. This process was taken very seriously with 10 assessors carrying out the examination of the eight standards over five days in late June, visiting all clinical areas and many non-clinical support areas. The assessors found that change is in the air stating: “Many staff commented on the significant improvement in communications and staff morale since that last on-site organisationalwide accreditation assessment”. A reorganisation of health arrange ments in Canberra resulted in the Can berra Health Services being formed in October 2018 following a stinging report from the NSQHS in March of that year when 33 of the 151 actions failed to meet the requirements. What the report does not consider is the issue of timeliness in emergen cy and elective surgery. Timeliness remains a serious challenge, with waiting lists abysmal. The change has proved worthwhile. The 151 actions have been satisfac torily addressed across the eight standards. As an example, the report cited as a positive approach “inclu sion of patients and carers in care planning and delivery of care” and, more importantly, “delivery of quality comprehensive care through staff collaboration across all disciplines in the patient journey”. The assessment also commented on “authentic partnerships between staff, patients and carers, and strong documentation and patient handover procedures during the continuum of care”.How did Canberra Health Services get here? The report identified that there is a robust risk management framework that is supported by poli cies, procedures and guidance that is well understood. Robust frameworks across Canberra Health Services that are supported effectively are key in bringing about effective improve ments.What’s changed? “A positive workforce culture that closely aligns with the Canberra Health Services vision and values”. All this has been achieved despite the impact of the pandemic when staff were under incredible pressure and stress. Health Minister Rachel StephenSmith was happy to sing the praises of the staff.
Older Persons Advocacy
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Come and have a friendly, confidential chat or contact us at: Phone 02 6242 5060
How did Canberra Health Services get here?
Email: adacas@adacas.org.au
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CityNews September 8-14, 2022 13
Italian aged-care village welcomes all cultures
From left, Roberto Rizzo, of the Italian embassy with Villagio Sant’ Antonio chair Dominic DeMarco and general manager Alan Hardie. Resident Vincenzo Palmieri, left, with Italian embassy visitor Roberto Rizzo.
“And our residents very much enjoyed meeting Mr Rizzo.” Roberto says he was impressed by the quality and size of Villaggio Sant’ Antonio.
VILLAGGIO SANT’ ANTONIO advertising feature
VILLAGGIO Sant’ Antonio in Page is a multicultural agedcare community providing independent self-care villas, residential aged care and respite.
Independent Living and Aged Care Hostel
‘It’s always been a light-filled place, with easy access to courtyards and gardens’
Villagio Sant’ Antonio started around 40 years ago, when the Italian and Spanish communities in Canberra saw a need for a retirement village that was specifically created for the elderly members of their communities.“Originallyit was a Catholic institution, run by nuns from the Philippines,” says chairman Dominic DeMarco, who has been involved with Villaggio Sant’ Antonio since its early days.
Our Hostel will enable you to enjoy a relaxed and caring community environment with 24hr care. Located within a beautiful garden setting in Page, Villaggio Sant’ Antonio offers safe and secure living in both our Aged Care Facility and our Independent Living Retirement Villas. For all enquires please contact us on 62551794 or reception@villaggio.com.au
Villaggiowww.villaggio.com.auSant’Antonio
Villaggio Sant’ Antonio has been developed in stages over the years, expanding on its original site in Page. The improvements included the addition of a dementia wing and a wing to accommo date residents requiring more high-care needs.The facilities can accommodate up to 110 beds within the respite, residential and dementia wings, as well as 60 independent-living retirement villas, which feature two or three bedrooms and a private courtyard. her time at Villaggio Sant’ Antonio. “Being an older Italian person, she made friends and was as happy as she could be,” he says. “It’s always been a light-filled place, where residents have easy access to courtyards and gardens. “Our mission is to protect Villaggio Sant’ and to provide the best of care to our residents.”Dominic says that Villaggio Sant’ Antonio is now a multicultural community, with residents sharing their cultures, languages and customs from all over the world with each other. “As a not-for-profit, we work hard. We care about our residents from giving them the food they enjoy from our chefs, who prepare all the food fresh onsite, to organising theme days, activities and outings,” he says. There is a lifestyle co-ordinator on staff to ensure the residents are offered a wide range of activities such as bingo, musical performances and coffee mornings.
Volunteer carer, Italia De Angelis says she is proud to have been helping the residents for about 40 years to feel happy and comfortable. “I have been here from the beginning,” she says. “My job is to help make the residents happy.” Visits from the Italian embassy provide special morale boosts for the Italian residents of Villaggio Sant’ Antonio, with the Italian ambassador and other staff from the embassy having made regular visits over the years.
On Thursday, August 26, Roberto Rizzo, the newly appointed counsellor/deputy head of mission at the embassy, toured Villaggio Sant’ Antonio and met with some of the residents for morning tea. “We value our close association with the Italian embassy,” says Dominic.
Villaggio Sant’ Antonio, 35 Burkitt Street, Page, call 6255 1794, villaggio.com.au
“It is a relaxed environment and it was a pleasure to meet with the Italian residents,” he says.
“It’s good for the embassy to know what the Italian aged community here in Canberra has achieved.
EVER Canberra what the people the various flags and signs displayed on the median strip the Russian Embassy compound the Kingston Hotel doing? Wonder what motivates these peo ple? Wonder why you are being asked to honk your horn as you drive past? We protesters are standing with the people of Ukraine and people worldwide who cherish democracy, sovereignty, peace and the rule of law. We wish to send a loud and clear message to the Russians that the unprovoked war they have waged unjustifiably against Ukraine must stop. We are shocked and horrified by their barbarism and the carnage they are causing. Your toot, honk, hoot – even better, blare – of your horn amplifies our message. Our protests have evolved organi cally. The first was an impromptu, Face book-connected rally held outside DFAT the day after the invasion of Ukraine. The first Saturday protest occurred outside the Russian compound the next day. On March 1, a lone figure holding a Ukrainian flag initiated the weekday protests. Many of us met for the first time at the protests, but a core group of people knew one another when they moved in the ‘50s with their Ukrainian parents, who had been sent to Queanbeyan to start a new life after World War GovernmentII. and the community have continued to support our rallies. The Kingston Hotel, which often bar racks for the underdog, has hoisted the Ukrainian flag and also stores the repurposed “Open House” signs and corflutes two local protesters made. Another resident has a Ukrainian flag and a “no war” sign emblazoned on his trailer near our demonstrations. The AFP keeps us and others safe. You can see us in action most days. We are a motley group, recently ar rived Ukrainians, dual nationals and non-Ukrainians with no personal connection to Ukraine except our com mon humanity. Our ages range from our teens to our 80s. We are: married, divorced, single, separated, widowed; parents with children and those avow edly childless; former or current aca demics, business owners, jacks of all trades, overseas volunteers, skilled and unskilled labourers, soldiers, priests, public servants, students, teachers, traffic controllers – a rainbow con tinuum of different identities, political not new… They must be stopped and my mission is to get them expelled. These [people] aren’t diplomats –they are terrorists. They are enjoying our lifestyle while they are killing children. I am here to remind [the Russians] that we know who they are and that they won’t get away with it. I can’t fire a weapon, but I can hold a flag.”
• “I hate war, and I don’t understand it. This war is unprovoked and destructive. I am sorry for Ukrain ian and Russian deaths. I support
• “I’m Ukrainian/Australian. I support the freedom, democracy, and sovereignty of the Ukrainians. The Ukrainian invasion has global implications for the free world.” “I came here to show my support... Originally I am from Ukraine, which was invaded by the Russians eight years ago [referring to Crimea]. I haven’t seen my family for this long “I want to show my protest, support my country and I want the Russian people to go home to their country. I want to stop the war as soon as possible. I don’t want Ukrainians to be “Mykilled.”parents are Ukrainian, dis placed people who came to Australia in 1949… I am here because of my Ukrainian heritage and because I have relatives in Ukraine. I am here to get this place [the Russian embassy] shut down… and to sup port the [protesters] here.”
Join the protest opposite the Kingston Hotel, weekdays 12.30pm-1.30pm and Saturdays, 10am-11.30am.
Since late February, locals from differing walks of life have gathered almost daily outside the Russian embassy compound united in their disgust at Russia’s war against Ukraine.
drive down
are
with
Avenue and wonder
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between
“My parents will be turning in their graves. I’m glad that they are not here to see it. How can you not do something?”
and
• “First of all, I am Ukrainian. My parents are Ukrainian and I feel very strongly [about protesting] because my mother’s parents were arrested and sent to Siberia and died there…”
The most beautiful and peaceful people I’ve ever met are Ukrainians. They are too peaceful, which is maybe why they’re getting bashed up by the Russians.”
M J BROWN gives voice to their protest… Protesters brave the winter cold outside the Russian embassy in Kingston.
• “We all want to see the murder, rape and the molestation of children stop because that is what it is. It has to stop. [I don’t want] revenge on the Russians; it just has to stop.” We demand that the Russians learn to survive without Ukraine by stop ping this barbaric, unprovoked, illegal war. Russians, go home to Russia.
Our clients have the option to avoid investing in industries they don’t like, while also supporting companies doing good or themes they are interested or knowledgeable in.
The investment industry has evolved a lot in the past decade, and there is now a range of ethical and responsible investment options to suit every preference.
Disclaimer: This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please contact Phillips Wealth Partners or your professional adviser. Phillips Wealth Partners Pty Ltd ACN 624858420 is a corporate authorised representative of Insight Investment Services Pty Ltd AFSL 309996. Capezio, Aged Care Adviser Craig Phillips, Director, Principal investments with values, beliefs and
When managing these investments, we use the term "responsible investing" to describe a broad-based approach to investing that factor in people, society and the environment without ignoring financial performance.
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Photo: Tony Stokes
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“He caught my attention because he was always very interesting, he had a spirit of adventure.”
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“I’ve been caring for my husband, I’d say for 73 years, but he had open-heart surgery when he was 92 and I’d say the last five years particularly he’s gone downhill,” says Joy. “I did say for better or for worse.” Before meeting Norm, Joy grew up in Darwin and worked as a flight rigger in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) in World War II. Joy says she joined the Air Force as a stenographer, but the men were sent to New Guinea leading to a reluctant decision to let women maintain the Australian planes.
“Norm tries to help sometimes; hangs the washing out and does what he can, but he’s frail and you’re allowed to be when you’re nearly 101.”
There are many investment options that are reasonably low cost that give access, for example, to Australian-based and global businesses that are climate change and environmental leaders in industries such as transport, information technology, and healthcare.
Getting started
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Senior financial planner CRAIG PHILLIPS explains the ins and outs of responsible investing.
“I just can’t resist them, they’re so in teresting. I can’t be bothered with fiction because autobiographies and primary sources are more interesting to me.”
With a strong focus on performance and returns, investors can select businesses and industries that do not ignore, for example, the environment (eg pollution/water scarcity/climate change), who support social issues such as involving local communities and prioritise their employees.
JOY Wheatley, 98, still cooks, does a little cleaning and potters around the garden of her Mawson home, while simultaneously undertaking her role as possibly Canberra’s oldest carer, looking after her 100-year-old husband, Norm.
To start investing ethically, one approach is to consider an active index-style solution that screens out companies that are exposed to fossil fuels, gambling, tobacco, animal cruelty and human rights issues.Another approach is to screen in companies that are actively working to reduce greenhouse emissions in everyday life with solutions for residential homes and even office buildings.
To learn more, call us on 1300 10 22 33 or book a 15-minute call (at no cost) via our website phillipswp.com.au
“I went to the recruiting depot on my 18th birthday and they called me up two months later,” she says. “There used to be what was known as a firewall. The plane’s engine was at the front and the firewall was there in case the engine caught on fire, it wouldn’t spread to the rest of the plane. “The WAAAF were responsible for the rest of the aircraft, the wings and tail, we did“Atmaintenance.thetimeIcouldn’t wait for the war to end, but looking back it was an educa tion, and I never thought the day would come where I could work on a plane.” Norm moved to the NT after the war to escape Perth’s cold winters, and that’s where he and Joy met. They married on March 24, 1949. “We’ve been married 73 years, I knew him for 18 months before we got married,” says Joy.
As a senior financial planner at Phillips Wealth Partners, what I find most valuable is that responsible investing allows my clients to choose how and where their superannuation or savings are invested.
Canberra’s oldest carer?
Joy and Norm came to Canberra in 1963 and settled into studying. “I got my arts degree from the Austral ian National University,” says Joy. “We moved here so Norm could start an audit department because he’d studied economics, but then he very nobly switched over to arts so that we could study together. “We did one or two units of English, three units in logic and philosophy and I did a major in modern history.” Joy says now she’s Norm’s full-time carer, and he needs care for everything. “He’s forgetful, he has less strength, but we’re not going into an old people’s home.” Before being Norm’s carer, Joy’s fa vourite job was handling archives in the public“Readingservice.the original letters from peo ple like Burley Griffin, and looking at the original plans, I would’ve paid them to let me do it and instead they were paying me. “I was clearing documents to make available to the public, making sure se crets weren’t released and I did that for 20 years. It was the best job I ever had. Now, Joy says she would have about 1000 books at home.
Adviser Aligning
Savvy investors today know it is now possible to have their investments aligned with their values, beliefs and objectives.
Phillips Wealth Partners is a member of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) who have championed responsible investing for over two decades.
Joy also worked as a sewing lady at St Vincent de Paul for 27 years, she volun teered in an old people’s home for seven years with the Red Cross, and took part in her local Neighbourhood Watch. But, her volunteer work for the Red Cross made her reluctant to move out of home.
“Norm tries to help sometimes; hangs the washing out and does what he can, but he’s frail and you’re allowed to be when you’re nearly 101,” says Joy. “Norm will be 101 on September 28, and I’ll be 99 on March 20 next year, so I don’t know if that’s the secret to living so long but it seems to have worked for us so far.” “We’ve got a very nice doctor who comes to the house occasionally to keep an eye on us, and we have wonderful neighbours. People are hardwired to be kind to each other. “Do what you have to do, give it your best shot and go on learning until the day you die.”
“People die of boredom in old people’s homes,” she says, and she’ll support Norm in their Mawson home for as long as she can. Her mantra, she says, has always been “use it or lose it, mentally and physically.”
Norm and Joy Wheatley celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary…
CityNews September 8-14, 2022 15
Better or for worse, Joy keeps caring for Norm
Photo: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
Webb space telescope.
First Floor, Townshend32-38,Street, Phillip chsol.com.auenquiries@chsol.com.au
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it’s
Little to show for all that heavenly hope
But will it change the way we ap proach life on our own tiny blue planet tucked away in a corner of the giant conglomerate?Alas,ifthepast is any indicator, it’s not looking good. I remember the surge of expecta tion that swept the world when Neil Armstrong stepped on to the surface of the moon. This surely would weld us together as the custodians of our pre cious globe, and nationalistic nonsense would be the loser. That was 1969. Just think of the lives lost in the obscenity of war – and climate change – since then. I recall the Voyager spacecraft that gave us a couple of taxi rides through the solar system, and the possibilities they raised of “life” on Jupiter’s moon Europa or beneath the surface of Mars. I vividly recollect the wonder of the great Hadron collider, the discovery of Higgs Boson and how it gave vital clues to the possibility of a grand unified theory of the forces of nature. Indeed, only the other week I devoured a four-page article in “New Scientist” without understanding a single concept, but the newly minted “hope” for the latest theory. I, too, stared wide-eyed at the great Hubble pictures with the same optimism that they would lead us to jettison a few ancient absurdities such as a “Heaven” somewhere up there for the followers of some orthodoxy. So, I really can’t help but fear that the astonishing vistas provided by the James Webb pix will make not a jot of difference. Indeed, the scientists them selves are a case in point. Some 2000 of them have signed a petition to “cancel” James Webb himself on suspicion that he was prejudiced against people whose sexual preference differed from his own. It should be no surprise, therefore, that Putin will keep firing his artillery across the Ukraine border to smash more apartment blocks (and their resi dents) to pieces. Rugby League players will still look up to the night sky when they score the winning try to acknowl edge some ancestor whom they firmly believe just witnessed their achieve ment. Millions of American Christian evangelicals will still vote for a liar and borderline psychopath in the next presidential election. The Pope will still draw the crowds to St Peter’s Square to be “blessed” by waving his hand in some saintly manner. And politicians everywhere (with the possible exception of NZ) will inevitably fall prey to the “Canberra Bubble” disease that has them believ ing that “what’s good for me, is good for the nation”. But hope springs eternal. Maybe the new telescope will help uncover what happened before the Big Bang. Maybe it will discover life on hundreds or thousands of planets like our own. And they might well have solved the one big, outstanding scientific mystery – the 69 per cent or 96 per cent (no one knows which) of Dark Matter and/or Dark Energy, which we know is there, but that to date has eluded our instruments. That could really change theAndworld.itcould happen anytime, perhaps even next week! Gosh, I’d better check my horoscope in the back pages of my favourite magazine.“CityNews” comrobertmacklin.robert@ of experience in the not-for-profit sector, including housing, education, health, community care, sport, clubs, and animal welfare. Garage and plant sale MARYMEAD is holding its “Garage & Plant Sale” at 255 Goyder Street, Nar rabundah, 9am-1pm, on Saturday, September 17. Worm juice to beanies FROM worm juice to beanies, the Bold Bandannas stall at the Belconnen F&V Market, 8am-5pm, on Saturday, September 17 will have it all. A Relay for Life team, they sell produce and handmade items to raise money for cancer research. Also on sale will be homemade jams, pickles, chutney, lemon butter, sugar-reduced preserves and marmalades.
THE GADFLY BRIEFLY
Despite all the big international names signing with the Thunder after the draft, the most impressive name to be added to the roster for the upcom ing season is a home-grown talent. Australian opening batsman David Warner has signed with the Thunder on a two-year deal, nearly a decade after last playing in the Big Bash. It is a major coup for the club, the competition and Cricket Australia as Warner is believed to have turned down lucrative offers from other T20 competitions abroad to play the entire summer in FollowingAustralia.theconclusion of the Sydney test match in January, Warner will link up with the Thunder for the remainder of the Big Bash season.
Warner’s return to the club comes at a convenient time, as he will slot in at the top of the order replacing Alex Hales.The pair are both famous for their exciting power hitting against the new ball, with Hales known for sending the white kookaburra over the Manuka Oval grandstand on more than one “Unfortunatelyoccasion.Hales has to depart mid-January but he’ll be replaced by another quality opening batter in Warner,” said Gilchrist “As far as opening stocks go, we are looking really good for this summer.
FINANCIALNOCHECKS.
“If I was a fan in the stands at Manuka Oval, I would be keeping an eye on the ball because the way the
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Englishmen Alex Hales, David Wil ley and South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw will be on deck for the Thunder in the Canberra opener, while for the Stars NZ quick Trent Boult will join England duo Joe Clarke and Luke Wood representing Melbourne.
“Once the test series is done, we’ll have Dave,” said Gilchrist. “It is no secret we want the best players playing for the Sydney Thunder and if you are looking for the best T20 player in the world, it is tough to go past Dave Warner.
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SPORT / Big Bash League Thunder bolts to Manuka with mighty Warner
FOR the first time since the Big Bash was established the competition’s eight clubs gathered last week to take part in the inaugural draft.
Hundreds of players from across the globe nominated for a chance to be selected to play in the upcoming competition.Withnoprevious draft results to reference, head of Sydney Thunder Andrew Gilchrist told “CityNews” his club had to put together a thorough plan.“We had three players pegged pretty much from the start, but we did have a contingency, and then a contingency for the contingency,” said Gilchrist. “We had our planning done well before we walked into the room, but it was good to know that whatever happened in that first round we knew we would walk away with some worldclassCanberratalent.”cricket fans will get the first chance to see the draftees in action when the Sydney Thunder returns to its home away from home, Manuka Oval, to take on the Melbourne Stars in the season opener on December 13.
The club’s boss has confirmed that he will be available for their second match in Canberra against the Melbourne Renegades on January 19.
The Thunder trio provide no short age of experience, with all three previ ously representing their countries in various formats of the game. While many fans were disap pointed not to see high-profile names such as former South African Faf du Plessis or the explosive West Indian Andre Russell selected, many clubs opted for players who would be avail able for more of the season rather than those ducking in and out of the country for a cameo. “We value having players that are there for the duration of the tourna ment and that could play a role that we needed in the team,” said Gilchrist. “Alex Hales has opened the batting for us for a number of years. “With Sam Billings availability potentially limited, we looked to add another batter into that middle order with Rilee Rossouw and then the all-rounder David Willey will be an excellent addition to the team.”
“He has played for us previously and said himself he is looking forward to playing for the Thunder and being part of our set up. “He brings so much experience and he’ll bring so much of that team spirit to our group – the boys are really looking forward to having him. “I am glad the deal got done and that he’ll be in green this summer.”
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Big thank you to carers, but more foster homes are still needed
ANYA & STUART Foster and Kinship Care Week
Katie says that those interested in learning more about foster caring can call 1300 WEFOSTER or visit acttogether.org.au to get in touch with her team to register for an information session.
In the ACT there are 803 children in care due to issues of abuse and neglect. That’s 1 child in every classroom that will be in need of care and protection.* ABN 18 068 557 906 I A Company Limited by Guarantee I Registered Charity ACTT_19_01073 *AIHW 17-18 BECOME A FOSTER CARER TODAY. Call 1300 WEFOSTER Meet some local foster carers…
THIS Foster and Kinship Care Week (September 11-17), carers are being recognised and thanked for the invaluable contribution that they make in the lives of children and young people in our community, says Katie Martin.
Katie says that ACT Together works closely to support foster carers on their journey including a 24-hour support telephone line, a carersz al lowance, ongoing training led by the Australian Children’s Foundation, carer support for foster carers and case workers to support the child.
18 CityNews September 8-14, 2022
The types of care include crisis or short-term care, long-term care, respite and concurrent care.
“We were sent out an information pack and were directed to the website – we learnt about their philosophies and types of care,” says Stuart.“The training was a wonderful experience but it is also tough, too… It’s a reflective process, you take the time to understand how you were raised and you learn more about yourself and yourOncepartner.”given the certification to be foster carers, the process was quick for Anya and Stuart. They soon received a call about a brother and sister aged 10 and eight, requiring “We made a decision this to say no to kids,” While they admit that the deep end, looking have emotional and physical now have long-term children.Theysay that they family life together and the“Thechildren.rewards outweigh Anya.“We feel that we are portunity to enrich children’s experience.”“Ourapproach is to are our kids and we will together. It’s been wonderfully have completed us as
On Tuesday, September 13, 6pm-7pm, ACT Together is hosting a “Carer Information Panel” webinar where a range of foster carers and staff will be online to answer questions about fostering and share their experiences. “It’s a great way to have all your questions answered by people who have experienced fostering first-hand and learn more about it.”
Katie says that she wants to remind the community this Foster and Kinship Care Week that many local children require a safe and stable home, for as short as for one night to a “forever” home, if individuals or families have the capacity to “Anecdotally,help.weare hearing people say that they associate overseas adoption when they first think of children needing care, rather than thinking about local kids,” says Katie. “We have around 270 foster carer homes currently with ACT Together, but we need more carers across all types of care arrangements.”
Katie is the manager of carer recruitment and training at ACT Together, a Barnardos Australia-led consortium of agencies created to provide services for children and young people in out-of-home care in the ACT. ACT Together is calling on more people to consider becoming a foster carer. “The impact of covid over the past few years dramatically decreased the numbers of our enquiries for people to become foster carers in the ACT,” says Katie. “But the need for children to be placed into foster care has also increased. This June, we had our largest number of referrals for care. “The decrease of enquiries puts more pres sure on our existing foster carers to do more.”
Katie Martin… “The impact of covid over the past few years dramatically decreased the numbers of our enquiries for people to become foster carers in the ACT.”
ACT TOGETHER /
For Anya and Stuart, being foster carers was something they were always interested in, but Anya says they decided to stop putting their life on hold and made the phone call to ACT Together to enquire about fostering.
“Concurrent care can be the hardest type of care because we ask foster carers to provide care with the goal that the children return home to their parents or biological families in time,” says Katie. “This arrangement minimises the amount of shorter-term placements the children have to go to and the additional trauma of moving homes that they might experience, so it is the best care model for the children.”
To register your attendance at the webinar on September 13, and for more information on foster caring, call 1300 WEFOSTER (1300 93367837) or visit acttogether.org.au
ACT. caring adult to make a difference. It only takes A Step Up for Our KidsOut of Home Care Strategy 2015-2020 is an AC T Government funded initiative ACT Together is a consortium of: •Barnardos Australia •Australian Childhood Foundation •Oz •PremierChildYouthworksWEFOSTER or visit acttogether.org.au carers…
“ACT Together has been toisandsupportivesotheteamavailableleanon.”
requiring long-term care. decision that we didn’t get into kids,” says Stuart. that it was like diving into looking after two children who physical disabilities, they orders to care for the have enjoyed settling into and sharing lots of firsts with outweigh the challenges,” says are the lucky ones. The op children’s lives is a humbling to never give up. They will get through things wonderfully fulfilling. They a family,” says Stuart. Loren was approved as a foster carer in 2009 after her own children had grown up. She says she was inspired to become a foster carer following a discussion with her son, who worked with youth, about the need for safe and caring homes for children locally. He suggested that she consider foster care. After a few shorter-term foster care placements, Loren welcomed three siblings into her home aged 5, 10 and 12 years old, whose mother had recently died and there was no other family care option for the children.Nineyears later, the children are now teenagers and young adults and very much part of Loren’s family.Loren’s openness to taking on a sibling group has meant these children have been able to avoid be ing separated, which is a sad reality when there are not enough carers available to accept sibling groups. “It was hard work in the begin ning. The kids were grieving the loss of their mother and they really struggled,” she says. “Although it was hard to adjust, two of the kids are in their final years of high school and the eldest has moved to Sydney and started a new job,” she says. “It’s been so rewarding to see the children grow up and do so well, and get on to good paths.” Loren encourages others to consider becoming a foster carer: “If you have a home to offer a child and can give them a safe environment, I recommend people look into it.”
Clinton and Leanne say that, like a lot of children in foster care, she has experienced traumatic times including homelessness and abuse. “We knew we wanted to offer a long-term arrange ment and wanted her to be part of our family forever,” saysNowLeanne.aged 12, they say she is coming on leaps and bounds.“Sheenjoys school, has lots of friends and is learning who she is,” says Leanne. “She is really coming along as a person, she is no longer a shy girl.” Leanne says that while it was exciting bringing another sibling into their family unit, it also took time for their sons to fully adjust, too. But now their three children consider themselves as brothers and sister. Leanne and Clinton have also welcomed other children into their home for short periods including twin brothers and a teenage girl needing weekend respite care. “It is so rewarding, but you do need to be realistic as it can be confronting. ACT Together has been so supportive and the team is available to lean on with resources and help,” says Clinton.
“The training was tough,butexperiencewonderfulaitisalsotoo.”
LOREN
“We thought it was a good time for us to give back and help other children,” says Clinton. They say the application and training process was an important one for them, they were able to hear from other carers and learn how they would cope with some of the more confronting aspects of foster care. When they were told about a nine-year-old girl needing care, they felt she would be a good match with their family. “It was during covid lockdown in 2020, so we had a couple of Skype calls together to get to know each other before she came to live with us,” says Leanne.
advertising feature
CLINTON & LEANNE
“If you have a home to offer a child and can give them a safe environment, look into it.”
Children in care in the
CityNews September 8-14, 2022 19
With teenage twin sons, Clinton and Leanne decided they were in the right place in their lives to welcome a child into their family for a long-term foster care placement.
Kingston Natural Therapies LETTERS
Janine Haskins, Cook Millions shovelled into the tram THERE has been quite a bit of coverage recently in the media about public housing money lost to funding light rail, eg “Public housing money lost to funding light rail” (CN August 25). In the Smart Transport Canberra newsletter of July 26, 2017, I wrote: “There have been a lot of objections recently from various communities, especially from Weston Creek but elsewhere, too, to the rehousing of over 1100 public tenants from Northbourne Avenue to many locations around the city. “To save costs, the government is resum ing community spaces for this purpose. However, a government official has recently said that the cost of this program will be $600 million (about $500,000 per tenant), before the end of 2018, all in the name of selling Northbourne Avenue to help pay for the Gungahlin tram. “The government has never revealed how much it expects to claw back from the sale of Northbourne Avenue, assuming it knows itself, but even if it does, it still leaves the cost of the Gungahlin tram at $1.79 billion (auditor-general published figure).” From the “CityNews” article, it ap pears that most of the $600 million has been shovelled into the tram instead of re-housing tenants.
We can provide a safe and effective treatment for: • Anxiety or stress • Depression • Fatigue • Insomnia • Tension • Mood disorders WE DO TELEPHONE, SKYPE AND VIDEO CONSULTATIONS Eliminate illness: address the underlying cause of your poor health, not just the symptoms SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY? OVER 35 YEARS OF HELPING CANBERRA FEEL BETTER SAFE • NON-INVASIVE • EFFECTIVE • CHRONIC CONDITIONS ARE OUR SPECIALTY 49 Jardine Street, Kingston | kingstonnaturaltherapies.com.au | Phone 6295 6660
I don’t trust hygiene to fellow shoppers
Max Flint, co-ordinator, Smart Canberra Transport High time to sanction Myanmar
WHEN I started working in a regional office of the old Department of Social Security in the late 1970s, I was shocked to discover that many staff, rather than seeing their role as ensuring social justice in a compas sionate society, saw themselves as ruthless custodians of the public purse. The Robodebt debacle was the inevitable end result of that exact same culture of callous penny-pinching. All it took to go exponentially, was the advent of informa tionManytechnology.Canberrans do not know that the ACT government has its own first cousin of Robodebt, which is just as wildly inaccurate and even more cruel. It is a legislated and automated calculator of the number of kangaroos to be killed here every year. This year, it was revealed that the government’s kangaroo-killing program is gut-wrenchingly cruel, and routinely estimates that there are four times more kangaroos than are actually present on CanberraConsequently,reserves.the kill calculator requires that kangaroos are killed much faster than they can possibly replace themselves. It will continue to do so until the calculator is ditched and repealed, or until the last kangaroo is dead. The relationship between cruelty to hu mans and cruelty to animals has never been clearer than in the relationship between Robodebt and the ACT’s “Robokill”. Both are offspring of the same unholy marriage between a culture of cruelty and misguided faith in poorly constructed information technology. Frankie Seymour, Queanbeyan Roo slaughter just a numbers game WELL, I’m glad letter writer Michael Collins (“The roos are fed and out bush”, CN August 18) can sleep peacefully at night and not hear the lives of Canberra’s kangaroos being blasted away by the ACT government’s hired guns every year over winter. With one squeeze of a trigger the so-called “conservation cull” changes the kangaroos’ gene pool diversity and popula tion dynamics forever. The slaughter of these gentle animals is just a numbers game and it has nothing to do with environmental damage but killing them does. One only has to walk on Canberra’s urban reserves to see the vast number of invasive weeds. The ACT government has admitted there is a fundamental flaw with fencing the Tuggeranong Parkway. That is there is no overpass to allow wildlife and people to pass safely around Canberra’s Nature Park system.Instead, they push the cost of accidents with wildlife back to people in the form of increased insurance premiums and claims. The kangaroo is one of Australia’s unique icons found nowhere else in the world. In “the bush capital” kangaroos have always lived here and should remain free to continue to do so.
IN what I consider the golden age of immigration (1946-1980), I recall having conducted about 14,000 migrant interviews in five different countries involving more than 12 nationalities. In my view, the idea of opening our borders to about 200,000 new arrivals with the accent on “skilled” will disappoint many. I estimate between 4000 and 8000 only will arrive eligible as skilled to Australian standards.Mindyou, an unforeseen outcome may be that a majority of the new arrivals, skilled or not, may vote for the party that let them in.
I view this as very different from bringing a bag to other open-display areas such as fruit and veggies. Coles requires shopper-provided contain ers to be “clean and intact”. Begging your pardon, but I do not consider any container supplied from a shopper to be clean. I don’t trust the average shopper to maintain the same level of hygiene as service personnel do. At no time should a foreign object be introduced into a designated hygienic loca tion that involves the service or preparation of food – period. No thanks, Coles. If it comes to the ACT, I’ll still have to shop, but I’ll revert back to buying the prepackaged plastic-wrapped range. I won’t risk increased exposure to potential food poisoning.
SURELY, it was a typo regarding the sentencing of Mitchell Laidlaw, after he mowed Sue Salthouse down as she travelled on her Avenuemotorcyclewheelchair-accessibleonCommonwealthinJuly2020?
Surely, the sentence imposed by Chief Justice McCallum was three years, not three months?Amedia article stated that Laidlaw had entered guilty pleas to charges of culpable driving causing death and drug-driving, admitting he had methamphetamine in his system at the time of the crash. Following his release on bail (conditional liberty), Laidlaw failed to attend appoint ments with ACT Corrective Services, as well as receiving fresh charges of drug-driving and driving while suspended. He was released on bail again. Third time “unlucky”, Laidlaw re-offended again, and finally, his bail was revoked in JulyThis2022.also resonates with the sentencing of Jayden Mann on August 31. Mann was sentenced to a 14-month, non-parole period for the offences of dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, drug-driving and two counts of driving while disqualified. Yes, his offences were serious and could well have been life endangering, and the sentence appearsHowever,appropriate.noonedied, unlike Sue Salt house; Laidlaw will be a free man in a matter of weeks. Sorry, I simply do not understand. There appears to be absolutely no consistency in sentencing (ie stealing a car or two can equate to a lengthy prison sentence). However, killing a woman while having illicit substances in your system appears to be deemed at the lower end of objectiveFurther,seriousness.thislenient sentence does not lend itself to “deterrence”, a word often used by members of the judiciary when sentencing convicted offenders. Deterrence should be just that; a strong message sent to members of the community that offend ing behaviours will result in appropriate sentences. Pfft. My heartfelt condolences to Sue’s family and friends following the loss of such an outstanding woman. I am truly sorry that justice, in this instance, does not appear to have been delivered in an equitable manner.
Ric Hingee, Duffy Skilled migration push will disappoint many
editor@citynews.com.auWritetous Sorry, I simply don’t understand this sentencing
Surely, a responsible and transparent government has such information and will make it available.
Robyn Soxsmith, Kambah Let loose to:
Colliss Parrett, Barton Cruel, misguided faith in false facts
hostage taking, torture and crimes against Rohingya people, are also the norm. The ASEAN nations, of which Myanmar is one, seem powerless to exert any constructive influence and, of course, China and Russia veto any attempts to improve the human rights situation. Even South Africa voted with China and Russia. It is time Australia toughened up its response to what is happening on our doorstep.
COLES’ trial commencing in SA for shoppers to bring their own containers to the deli was something I wasn’t sure I was reading correctly at first. If shoppers are handing their own containers over the service counter, then they are clearly introducing an item which must be considered contaminated, in this case directly around open displays of fresh meat/seafood/salad (including uncooked).
Luke Clews
A THANK you to Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed for identifying how light rail was prioritised over public housing (“Public housing money lost to funding light rail”, CN August 25).
IT’S high time the government, first under Morrison and now under Albanese, stopped sitting on its hands about the situation in Myanmar, particularly after the recent execu tions carried out by the military junta. Sanc tions should now be imposed and extended on supplies to the military and its cronies and restrictions on international travel by its military personnel and supporters. It is obvious that the Australian professor, Sean Turnell, will not be released, even after our wimpy reaction to the military takeover, nor that Myanmar will turn away from support by China and India (shades of the SolomonCorruptionIslands).isendemic, slavery and hu man trafficking commonplace and the use of child soldiers a regular practice. Genocide,
Mike Quirk, Garran
The more cynical would suggest that Coles just had the simple idea to sell containers to shoppers rather than include them as part of the purchase. What next? Pay to rent a shopping trolley by the ¼ hr? Bjorn Moore, Gowrie Light rail a higher priority than health
The government should inform the community how this outcome is consistent with its social justice objectives and why light rail is a higher priority than education and health. It should also provide the evidence indicating why light rail is superior to transport alternatives.
Lellow Kids, 63/30 Lonsdale Street, Brad don. Call 6247 3679 or visit lellowkids.com
THE highly trained team of physiothera pists and exercise physiologists at Higher Function provide exercise classes to keep mums and mums-to-be safe and healthy, says CEO Janet Fabbri. “If we can get people doing prenatal exercise we can focus on stabilising their core and strengthening their abdomen and pelvic floor, meaning they are less likely to have problems after pregnancy,” says Janet.“One important example not talked about enough is continence. One in three women who have a typical delivery will get some form of incontinence and postmenopause one in two women who have had a typical delivery will have some form of incontinence.“Usingthelatest scientific research in our evidence-based treatments, we safely help guide women through during and after their pregnancy so they can be as healthy as possible.”
BEING a it’s to
FAMILY favourite store Lellow Kids has just unpacked their new stock ready for spring, says owner Jen Takiari. They’ve got more gift ideas than ever before, says Jen, from clothing and footwear to swaddles, towels, teethers, toys and more for newborns up to eight-year-olds.“Becauseit’sa small business you really get to know the customers and experience all the different life stages with them,” says Jen. “You’ll get parents coming in who are expecting, then they’ll come in with their baby, then they’ll come in and get their first shoes and then they’re getting things to start school. “I just love getting to know people here, it’s a really fun place.” Jen says she’s also proud that all the brands stocked in store come from Australian businesses. “Some of the brands we stock are unique to us, you’ll only find them here in Lellow,” she says. “A lot of people shop here for gifts because we’ve got something that’s that little bit extra special.”
Janet says that after giving birth many women are keen to exercise, but that it’s very important they seek advice from experts before doing so. “Physios have the best knowledge on how to provide exercises safely,” she says. “We can provide really easy exercises but we can also provide harder ones that are challeng ing for those who are really fit, all while doing so safely.”
hard
mums.“Mums can bring their babies in and we can involve the baby into the class. They love it because they’re with mum, and we can tailor the exercises so that both mum and their baby are safe.”
CityNews September 8-14, 2022 21 23 Petrie Plaza, Canberra City 6262 9664 higherfunction com au Safely strengthen your pelvic floor and improve core stability Classes are taught by an experienced physiotherapist A combination of Reformer and Matwork Claim from your Private Health Insurer Exercise during and after pregnancy is so important as it allows you to maintain (or improve!) your health, strength and fitness as you nurture your growing child and recover from birth Bring bub along! Prenatal and Postnatal Classes with a Physio hello@lellowkids.comwww.lellowkids.com The clothing, toy and shoe store for Canberra’s best dressed kids. 63/30 Lonsdale St 02Braddon6247 3679 NEW SPRING SEASON ITEMS HAVE ARRIVED! Tips to help with the hardest job you’ll ever love advertising featureMUMS & BUBS
find the right to-be.mumsandentertainmentproducts,experthandycompilinglittlemade“CityNews”Thisarises.whenserviceadvice,orproducttheneedweekhasthingsaeasierbythisguidetoservices,activitiesforandmums-
Higher Function CEO Janet Fabbri.
Higher Function Physio & Pilates, Suite 4, Level 1/23 Petrie Plaza. Call 6262 9664 or visit higherfunction.com.auMeadow top available at Lellow Kids.
Safe exercise for mums and their children
Family store has new spring stock
mum can be busy and demanding – and sometimes
Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services CEO Julie Tongs.
22 CityNews September 8-14, 2022 MUMS & BUBS advertising feature
Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, 63 Boolimba Crescent, Narrabundah. Call 6284 6222 or visit winnunga.org.au
Cloth Nappy Did you know? • Disposable nappies take 300-500 yrs to decompose in landfill • Each child uses approx. 5,500 disposable nappies • Cloth nappies reduce your environmental footprint • Conder House Cloth Nappy Service provides ongoing training and support Modern Service All items are washed to hospital grade standards Register online at: conderhouse.com.au Email us nappies@conderhouse.com.au Call us TODAY 0409 866 316
Jump! Swim Schools Fyshwick, 5/23-25 Iron Knob Street, Fyshwick. Call 0432 178133 or visit jumpswimschools.com.au/fyshwick
Life-saving swimming skills for kids
“We focus on the clinical, cultural and spiritual needs of Aboriginal clients, families and the community with the midwifery program welcoming 68 babies into the community in 2020 and 2021,” says Ms Tongs. “The midwifery team offers antenatal and postnatal care, community at home support, baby health checks, breastfeeding support, immunisations, and a range of women’s health services.
JUMP! Swim Schools Fyshwick teaches life-saving swimming skills for children aged three months to 11 years, says owner and manager Holly Singh. “The younger kids are when they learn to swim, the more comfortable they are being in water,” says Holly. “In our classes there’s an instructor in the water with mums and bubs for kids aged three months to two years and then it’s skill based from two to three. “For two-years-old and above we have an advanced option if they want to be in the water without a parent.” Holly says all their qualified swim ming instructors have received training from AUSTSWIM and Royal Life Saving Australia.Shealso says that there’s only ever a maximum of six children in their mums and bubs classes and a maximum of four in the independent swimming classes to ensure instructors get more time with each child. “It gives the teachers a lot of op portunity to form relationships with the child and their parents,” says Holly. “We’ve got a few specials going at the moment with some free trials being offered. Come with a mothers’ group and they’ll get two free lessons.”
“Our midwives work closely with ACT hospitals, and assist in ensuring continuity of care between Winnunga with postpartum recovery, and to assist them with any needs in relation to caring for their infants,” says Ms Tongs. “It is vitally important for high-risk clients to have access to Aboriginal specific, culturally appropriate mid wifery services, as many choose not to access mainstream services without support.”
The Midwifery Program has developed strong links with the Winnunga Australian Nurse Family Partnership Program. Both programs work together to provide holistic care for first time Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander mothers, or mothers having an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander baby, in the Canberra region. The programs complement each other and ensure mothers feel prepared and supported through their pregnancy and early parenting stages, up until the child is two years of age.
The Program maintains strong working relationships with each hospital which allows for seamless transitions of care.
Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services. Ph: 6284 6222 | 63 Boolimba Cres, www.winnunga.org.auNarrabundah
CLINIC hours | MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9am-5pm
ALL OUR SERVICES ARE FREE OF CHARGE • WE MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH TRANSPORT
The Midwifery Program aims to remove barriers that prevent women from accessing maternity care in mainstream services.
The ANFPP provides information and education to mothers using a strengths-based approach, which builds individual capacity to identify solutions to problems. Mothers feel empowered as they learn how to work with their strengths, realise the power of their own actions and gain a greater sense of control over their lives.
Following the birth of baby, the Program provides up to six weeks of postnatal care in the client’s home assisting mothers with feeding, weight monitoring, emotional wellbeing assessments and mother-crafting/health education.
ABORIGINALNIMMITYJAHWINNUNGA HEALTH AND SERVICESCOMMUNITY
Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services (Winnunga) is a multiaccredited Aboriginal community controlled and managed primary health care service located in Narrabundah ACT. We provide integrated client centric wrap around services, which focuses on the clinical, cultural and spiritual needs of Aboriginal clients, families and the community, including programs for Mums and Bubs.
24 CityNews September 8-14, 2022 Playschool for children aged 3-4 • play-based educational program • children gain independence and develop social skills in a safe, supportive ad stimulating environment • we focus on warm reciprocal relationships • play and learn in a rich, vibrant learning community • bright airy classrooms and a beautiful natural garden • only 22 children per session - Mon/Tue/Wed OR Thu/Fri enrol@koalaplayschool.com.au • 02 6251 9828 • www.koalaplayschool.com.au PLACES ELBALIAAVAILABLE•PLACESAV•2023!IN MUMS & BUBS Laundry services
Not-for-profit playschool offers ‘vibrant’ learning big laundries,” says Chelsea. “Then, in 2018, the modern cloth nappy service commenced and we started providing cloth nappies to early learning centres as well as in-home clients.” Conder House services six early learning centres and 14 in-home clients. “It is quite daunting to wash cloth nappies and prepare them yourself, so it takes the stress off an already pretty hectic time in people’s lives,” says Chelsea. “Our services include nappies, laundry, ironing and linen hire.” Chelsea says when Cathy started the business she wanted to create an employment opportunity for her son John. “Twice a week now he does the delivery run with the help of his carer,” says Chelsea. “Cathy has made it her mission to employ people who wouldn’t typically be able to work in a mainstream role. About 50 per cent of our staff have autism or other extra requirements. “They get such pride and happiness about being able to help and that’s my favourite part of being in this business, being part of such a diverse group of people.” Conder House. For general enquiries call Cathy 0427 929946, or Chelsea for nappy enquiries 0409 866316, or visit conderhouse.com.au
Program uses sport to develop important skills for kids
OWNER of the ACT chapter of Ready Steady Go Kids Leonie Collis says the goal of their multi-sport program is to get kids moving and interested in being active from a young age. Running over two terms, the program allows children aged one and a half to six to have a go at soccer, tennis, hockey, AFL, cricket, basketball, athletics, golf, rugby and tee-ball. “The program covers all the gross motor skills, so catching, throwing, bouncing, kicking, batting, running, all are covered,” says Leonie. “Getting their gross motor skills up means kids can gain confidence so that when they go to school they can get involved with sport knowing they understand it. “Term three enrolments open from September 16.” Leonie says parents are encouraged to get involved with the 45-minute classes and that each child is able to attend one free session to ensure it’s suited to them. She also says they can take the program to Early Learning Centres. “During the classes there’s lots of socialising going on through lots of group activity,” she says. “The kids get the opportunity to be amongst each other and make friends in the class which is always great to see.” Ready Steady Go Kids, call 1300 766892 or visit readysteadygokids.com.au A Ready Steady Go Kids coach with a young participant.
Multi-sport = Maximum fun AVAILABLETRIALFREE We are Australias largest mult-sport exercise program for 1.5 to 6yrs Learn the basics of 10 great sports Small, indoor Physio-designed,classesstructured and FUN! 6 locations over Canberra multi-sports for 1.5–6 year olds readysteadygokids.com.au BOOK NOW FOR FREE TRIAL OR ENROL 1300 766 892
KOALA Playschool is located in Cook and has a history of providing play-based learning for three and four-year-old children, for more than 30 “Weyears.are a not-for-proft com munity organisation and have a strong focus on warm, reciprocal relationships with the children and their families,” says director and teacher, Mel Wise. She says that Koala Playschool prides itself on having a vibrant learning program, including a natural outdoor playspace for the children to explore.“Playschool gives children their first chance to gain socialisation skills and independence. We have opportunities for the children to get involved in dramatic play, science exploration, enjoying the garden, nursery rhymes and art and craft,” sheWithsays.a term-based program that runs from 9.30am and 2.30pm for either three or two days a week, Mel says that enrollments are open for 2023, with a couple of spots available for term four of this year. “The main strength of Koala Playschool is our relationships with families. It’s beautiful to have parents, siblings and grandparents help out and be actively part of the community. We laugh, have fun and create a safe place for our young children.” Koala Playschool, 8 Rowan Street, Cook. Visit koalaplayschool.com.au or email enrol@koalaplayschool.com.au Chelsea Rogers.
Aviary offers a great time amongst birds
“We have a passion for providing a fun and nurturing environment for all of our little builders,” he says, “and it’s screen-free fun.” And, the workshops are customised to the age of the children and are educational. “Children will learn basic STEM concepts through the use of motors and gears with our LEGO Technic.”
PARROTS, finches, doves and quail are among the birds ready to interact at the Canberra Walk-in Aviary, says owner and manager Mick Logan. The aviary is great fun for all ages. Now is the best time to get up close and personal with a range of friendly, free-flying birds, he says. “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,” Mick says. “We provide a small plate of food and a tub of mealworms and you can wander around and feed the birds. “Provided the weather is fine, you birds, taking photos or just observing our feathered friends.” 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, MickGoldsays.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. The aviary is open every day, 10am5pm, with last admissions at 4.30pm.
Join us for amazing building with LEGO® for the Winter holidays! Incredible workshops inspired by: * Minecraft™ * Disney™ * Ninjago™ * And more! An Experience for Kids! @ LEGO HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS THIS LEGOSPRING!HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS THIS SPRING! The handy guide to having school-holiday fun advertising featureSPRING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS WHETHER it’s admiring schoolenjoywholeactivitiesregion’sofrounds“CityNews”Thisholidays.theseandtheactivitiesthere’swithevenanexperiencingartwork,airshow,orlearningLego,plentyoftokeepkidsengagedentertainedschoolweekupsometheCanberrabestthatthefamilycanoverthebreak.
Canberra Walk-in Aviary, unit 13, Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls. Call 6230 2044 or visit canber
Get kids creative and screen-free these holidays
BRICKS 4 Kidz is a Canberra institution that has entertained thousands of children since it was established in 2017, says owner Mark Jefferies. “Our holiday workshops are unique: we run full-day programs where children work at a number of different Lego stations to give them variety, which includes motorised Lego Technic and traditional Lego bricks with instructions and bags of free play where they are encouraged to use their own imagination.”WhatsetsBricks 4 Kidz apart, says Mark, is its amazing instructors who love teaching kids.
Bricks 4 Kidz. Call 0481 240311, or bricks4kidz.com.au/act-northsidevisit
THE National Museum of Australia’s new Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre is a fun, immersive play space for children up to the age of six, says a museum spokesperson. “Join us at the museum these school holidays for fun art and craft in our brand-new workshop,” the spokesperson says. “Imagine, create, explore and experiment with a range of different materials.”Theworkshop will be running September 26-30 and October 4-7. According to the museum, children must be supervised by an adult and bookings are essential as space is limited.Visitors can also take a journey through indigenous art and culture in “Connection”, which the museum describes as a breathtaking digital experience that brings life to the stories, art and culture of Australia’s FirstThePeoples.line-up of more than 500 im ages and 25 musical tracks from some 100 artists featured in “Connection” showcases art mostly from remote communities working in various art forms across the country.
The National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton. Call 6208 5000 or visit nma.gov.au Art and craft in the Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre at the National Museum of Australia.
“At Warbirds Downunder we will have a little under 60 aircraft displaying that will be coming in from as far as Queensland and Melbourne,” he “Thesays.Air Force Roulettes will also be here. They do a fantastic aerobatic routine, there’s six PC-21’s as part of that formation team. These guys are flying within metres of each other at high speeds. It’s a “There’llspectacle.beeverything from Tiger Moths, used to train the pilots in World War II, through to the F-35 which is the current frontline fighter.” Temora Aviation Museum, 1 Tom Moon Avenue, Temora. Visit aviationmuseum.com.au or warbirdsdownunderairshow.com.au
Air shows offer school holiday spectacle
Photo: Peter Morris
‘Imagine and explore’ at the National Museum
Helicopter view of Warbirds Downunder.
THE Temora Aviation Museum will host a series of air shows that have to be seen to be believed, says deputy CEO Peter Harper. On September 24, audiences can get up close to a collection of ex-military planes which still fly at the museum’s Aircraft Showcase event. “You’re not going to get any closer to aircraft than what you would here, you can literally smell the gas as they start up,” says Peter. “There’ll be an air show and a free-flowing Q-and-A session with one of the pilots. We get to learn about their background and what it’s like to fly these aircraft.” Peter says the event will be an intimate warm up for their Warbirds Downunder Airshow taking place on October 15 and 16.
26 CityNews September 8-14, 2022 SPRING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS advertising feature
Hotel Partner Accommodation Partner Media Partner Tourism Partner Songlines from Australia’s First Peoples in a spectacular immersive experience ON untilSHOW9October 2022 National Museum of Australia BOOK NOW nma.gov.au/connection V FROM THE CREATORS OF AN GOGH ALIV E Curatorial PartnerCreated & Produced by The creation of Connection is supported through the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, an Australian Government initiative.
28 CityNews September 8-14, 2022
OWNER John Grant reopened Granties Maze in 2015 after 30 years of closure. He says the maze, in Foxground near Gerringong, is only about two hours by car from Canberra. It features rides and attractions for people of all ages. “Over the years, I intend to keep adding new attrac tions,” he says. The main attraction is a maze consisting of 2000 trees that have been planted to create a network of paths and hedges. “It’s designed as a puzzle through which one navigates with the objective of solving the puzzle and winning a prize – an ice cream,” says John. There’s also mini-golf, pony rides, electric kids’ cars, archery and playground equipment. All rides are activated by coupons purchased at the office. All unused coupons can be reused on the nextGrantiesvisit. Maze is open every day except Wednes days, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Open 9am-4pm on weekdays and 9am-5pm on weekends.
1991
mrs.swag@lollyswagman.com.auwww.lollyswagman.com.au Hume Highway 02 4877 0407 284 888 25 Donovan Rd (Old Princes Highway) jbg1948@yahoo.com.augrantiesmaze.com.auFoxground
1137 A Giant Maze Consisting Of 2,000 Photinias Trees Angry Birds Bumper Cars Archery Range Bumper Boats Loads Of Toy Vehicles And ‘Giddie Up’ Animals For Kids To Ride We Cater For Birthday Parties!
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
Sweets, Treats, of All
Fabulous Fudge Open
Berrima
Featuring Mrs Swag’s famous Monday to Friday 9:30-4:00 & 9:30-5:00
11 Old
Granties Maze, 25 Donovan Road, Foxground. Call 0407 284888 or visit grantiesmaze.com.au
LOLLY Swagman has been excitedly exploring new tastes for nearly three decades, says owner Ian Richardson.Locatedin the heart of the Southern Highlands, the lolly shop stocks all-time favourite treats and the latest trending tastes from around the world.
Weekends
Public Holidays
LOLLY SWAGMAN Happiness since
SPRING
Granties Maze now has more than 100 attractions
“We’ve got American Reese’s, Hershey’s and candy corn, English bon bons and chocolates, sours and super sours, Dutch liquorice, Scottish tablet and our own Mrs Swag’s Fudge,” says Ian. “We lost count at 1300 different treats and we Ian says the store is a common stop on people’s trip to Berrima. “It’s a happy place with kids excitedly exploring for new tastes, older people reminiscing and sharing in the thrill of finding a favourite and the great stories that go with them,” he says.
“We often see people who’d come as children now bringing in their own children and sharing their experiences, which is lovely to be allowed to join in on. It’s nice to have that history.”
Lollies to share between generations
Bringing
& Indulgences for Kids
Lolly Swagman owner Ian Richardson.
Ages
CityNews September 8-14, 2022 29 VISIT THE GALLERY NEXT SCHOOL HOLIDAYS FOR ART ACTIVITIES AND SCANEXPERIENCESFORMORE KIDS & GALLERYATCONNECTCREATE,FAMILIESPLAYANDWITHARTTHENATIONAL Open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm with the last admission 4.30pm Come along and see the friendly free-flying birds that can be photographed and fed. Walk amongst over 500 birds from 50 species from Australia and around the world! COME OUT TO THE HOLIDAYSTHESEWALK-INCANBERRAAVIARYSCHOOLCOMEALONG&VISITTHE WALK-IN AVIARY & THEN ENJOY THE GOLD CREEK VARIETY SHOPS & ATTRACTIONSFREEADMISSIONFORKIDSUNDER4 When accompanied by a full paying adult BOOK VIA OUR 'BOOK NOW' BUTTON ON canberrawalkinaviary.com.au (Online bookings preferred but not essential) OPEN EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR (EXCEPT DEC. 25) Unit 13 Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls Phone 6230 2044 | canberrawalkinaviary.com.au advertising feature Our school-holiday activities and artist-led programs create fun learning opportunities to encourage creativ ity and curiosity for kids and families,” says Emily. Emily says everyone can engage in a mindful poetry activity at the National Gallery these school holidays. “In celebration of the National Gallery’s 40th birthday, join local artist Saskia Haalebos to find new ways of looking at the Gallery’s iconic building.” Or, gather around a table to observe, compose and draw the beauty in everyday life together with Cressida Campbell. art making,” says Emily. “Our programs for kids and families centre around intergenerational connection and encourage you to grow your knowledge and enjoyment of art through shared“Fosteringexperiences.alove of art from an early age, we inspire creativity, inclusivity, engagement and learning through art and artists. The National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes. Call 6240 6411 or visit nga.gov.au
Poppy seedlings don’t transplant well, so a little more care might be needed to get them going if in punnets.Keepthem watered and use a liquid fertiliser to have them growing strong and tall. The Iceland poppies are usually orange, and some varieties can grow up to 60 centimetres tall.
The most popular, the Flanders Poppy, has bright red colours that are used to honour Remembrance Day (November 11), but the Iceland poppy is my favourite. They have showy blossoms in late spring and early summer and are long lasting in the garden. To be sure of a poppy display for next spring, plant seed directly into the garden in autumn before winter turns the soil cold.
3pm-6pmWeekdays@CanberraLive2CC2cc.net.au
BULBS planted in autumn – daf fodils, jonquils and tulips – will be coming into flower and now’s the time to feed them while they are growing and absorbing nutrients for next year’s flowers. Floriade, in Commonwealth Park, September 17-October 16, is a way to see a world-standard display of bulbs.
A BEAUTIFUL, scented, pale-lilac plant flowering now is Syringa laciniata and looks terrific as a nar row fence screen in a shady spot. It grows to two metres by two metres and is deciduous. It flowers for many weeks and is attractive to bees.Most lilacs are vigorous growers and sucker if they are not on rootstocks to keep their growth at bay. The most common rootstock is privet, but make sure it doesn’t sucker, either.
By WARBURTONJackie
Poppies take a little planning
The scented, pale-lilac Syringa laciniata… looks terrific as a narrow fence screen in a shady spot. The Iceland poppy… showy blossoms in late spring and early summer.
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POPPIES are an ancient, flowering plant and there are many different types to choose from.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
Relatively pest free, Syringa needs a soil that’s not too rich and will grow in the hot sun. They are really tough and, when planting, add a little gardener’s lime to raise the pH if needed. They are mainly grown for their fragrance – the scent is a honey spice, and a single flower can fill a room.Another one of my favourites is “Sensation” (Syringa vulgaris). Its flower colour, as well as the fragrance, is a show stopper and a must-have for a large garden with fullCONTAINER-grownsun. plants can either be planted out into the garden or Replacingre-potted.potting mix is important for the growth of the roots. Spent potting mix doesn’t have any life in it and will need some additives to get the microbes working again. I make my own potting mix because I use a lot of it and my go-to products are pine bark, core peat and fertiliser. I sift different grades to what I need and store in buckets.
NOW’S a good time to use copper on fruit trees, particularly stone fruit to combat leaf curl and shot holes. If there are insect issues as well, an alternative product to use would be lime sulphur as a dual insecticide/fungicide.It’simportanttospray before the colour is showing in the flower buds (before the bud swells). If sprayed too late, it can damage the flower structure to fruit. Spray in the cool of the day and when bees are not present.Fertilise fruit trees with lots of compost. Mulch and keep them watered for the next few months while the fruit is forming.
LEON DELANEY
Photos: Jackie Warburton
CANBERRA LIVE
The recognition comes as part of a larger bilateral trade agreement between NZ and the European Union and sucks if you want to export Australian prosecco to Aotearoa.
So, while sparkling wine produced in Australia can’t be called champagne, because it doesn’t come from that region in France, we can say that prosecco is Aussie because it comes from grapes formerly known as prosecco and is grown here, mostly from the King Valley in Victoria.
*Physicist Erwin Schrödinger stated that by placing a cat and something that could kill the cat (a radioactive atom) in a box and sealing it, you wouldn’t know if the cat was dead or alive until the box was opened. So, until the box was opened, the cat was (in a sense) both “dead and alive”.
“The Barber of Seville”, Canberra Theatre, September 15-17.
prosecco
By MUSAHelen
AUSTRALIA is an island but at the same time it’s not. That’s not me going all Schrödinger’s Cat* on you, not yet anyway. It’s another way of saying we’re inexorably tied to the rest of the world; our reality is superimposed by the workings of other countries. Just look at how much the Ukrainian war has battered our fuel prices. Some time ago, I mentioned in a column that Australian winemakers are still permitted to call the wine made from grape variety prosecco, a prosecco even though it has been re-named the “glera” grape Producers of prosecco from the Veneto region in north-east Italy succeeded in protecting the geographic integrity of the prosecco name within the European Union but, until recently, not outside of that zone. In Australia, the protection would be reflected in the legal regime established here that distinguishes particular geographic regions as not being able to be used to describe Australian wines, as well as protecting certain Australian places and language.Ithasan amazingly pompous name: the Register of Protected Geographical Indica tions and Other Terms. It’s kept by Wine Australia (an Australian government author ity) in accordance with the Wine Australia Act The register contains a list of geographical indications and traditional wine terms that are protected under Australian law.
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But here comes the rub. A recent decision by the NZ government determined that the Kiwis would recognise prosecco as a protected geographical indication, a measure that the “Daily Wine News” in late August described as “disappointing” for representatives of the Australian wine industry.Theagreement means that only Italian prosecco from the Prosecco region will be able to be sold under that name in NZ.
I mentioned the Italian victory to John-Paul Romano, from Italian Brothers in Manuka, with whom I discuss all things Italian in our weekly Saturday afternoon coffee“Good,”chat.he said. “Prosecco is Italian. I have a Lamborghini Brut Prosecco that I sell for $90. It was the raging bull’s retirement hobby, to make wine, you know, the car guy. He’s dead now.” “Okay, I said, but the Australians in the King Valley who make the stuff are of Italian origin, De Bortoli, Dal Zotto and Pizzini are three that come to mind. Why should they be shut out from NZ?” There was a long sigh from JP: “To tell you the truth, I don’t really like prosecco. The sugars from the yeast just don’t appeal to me. I can’t get enthusiastic about Australian sparkling wine.” “Aha,” I thought; his defence of prosecco is both alive and dead.
Kiwis put kibosh on fair-dinkum prosecco
“I PUT the popularity of ‘The Barber of Seville’ down to Bugs Bunny,” tenor John Longmuir tells me as we discuss the forthcoming appearance of Opera Australia at the Canberra Theatre. It wasn’t exactly how I thought our dis cussion of grand opera was going to begin, but it led me to do some quick research. He was right. Bugs took up the baton to conduct the famous aria “Largo al factotum” in the cartoon “Long Haired Hare”, then later, more famously, starred in “The Rabbit of Seville”.Butit’snot just the rascally rabbit who’s had a go at the “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro” aria, but also Tom and Jerry, Woody Woodpecker, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester the Cat, Mrs Doubtfire and Homer Simpson. It doesn’t worry Longmuir one iota that the bubbly Rossini opera is so popular, and he loves it that, when in Griffith during their 30-stop NSW tour, the Italians in the audience were roaring with laughter at jokes people reliant on subtitle titles couldn’t understand.TheEdinburgh-born singer will not be performing that aria. Rather, he will sing the role of Count Almaviva, in which he made his debut with Opera Australia during 2016 in the Elijah Moshinsky production.
The decision is a blow for local wine makers of prosecco because, according to the Wine Australia website, Australia is the dominant exporting country to the NZ mar ket with almost 50 per cent of the import market by value. And wine exports land tariff free because of the Closer Economic Relations Agreement between Australia and NZ. According to an August “Decanter” magazine article, Australia produces 20 million bottles of prosecco each year and NZ is the biggest export market for the wine (but no numbers were quoted).
Bunnytomuchowes‘Barber’Bugs
The role is a contested one in the world of opera, because the very same count turns up years later in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” as a philandering swine, for which he drops a register and becomes a baritone, more suitable for villains. But in “The Barber of Seville”, where he is courting the beauteous young Rosina in a scenario drawn straight from the Italian commedia dell’arte, he is simply a petulant noble who gets what he wants no matter what“Allhappens.ittakesis the flip of a hat or an eyepatch and the trouble goes away,” Longmuir says. “In this opera he is sort of a hero, but I feel there’s a bit of the later philandererLongmuirappearing.”saysit’sbeen a long tour, but a lot of fun, especially since director Priscilla Jackman’s approach is quite non-reverential, matching a plot full of flippancy and horseplay.She’seven managed to set it in the Yarra Valley town of Seville (yes, there is such a place) known more for its wine than its oranges, he notes. So far they’re having a “quite good response,” due, he thinks, to the fact that it’s a vibrant, bright, fast-paced show. Longmuir can now count himself an OA veteran after having done about 30 roles and 500 “Singingperformances.CountAlmaviva has always been a favourite of mine, but I also loved doing Camille in Graeme Murphy’s ‘The Merry Widow’ and Tamino in Julie Taymor’s ‘The Magic“TheFlute’.”Barber of Seville” is full of famous tunes and he says he loves all the ensemble parts.“Most of my ‘big singing’ is done in the first 20 minutes,” he says, “I don’t really love the aria at the beginning because you have to be really well warmed up to do it properly, but I do love the trio with Rosina and Figaro right at the Althoughend.”travelling can be heavy work, no matter how many times he sings the music of the popular Rossini opera, “it’s always fun and pleasant to listen to,” he says.
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On Apple TV Plus AFTER years of feverish anticipation, Middleearth finally returns to screens around the world this“Theweek.Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” brings JRR Tolkien’s fantasy saga back into the cultural discourse with a big-budget bang, break ing the record for the most expensive television show of all time. That’s thanks to a five-season deal that Ama zon has shelled out more than a billion American dollars for (not including the $250 million spent on acquiring the rights alone). The series is set thousands of years before the events of Peter Jackson’s lauded film trilogy. The dark lord of Mordor, Sauron is amassing the power he’ll one day unleash on Middle-earth. All the while, the Elven Queen Galadriel senses the peril coming and sets out to bring him down. While it does take inspiration from the film trilogy that preceded it, this time there’s no involvement from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson himself, whose movies can be found on Amazon Prime Video, Stan, Binge and Paramount Plus. Jackson offered to run his eyes over the scripts, but Amazon gave him the cold shoulder, leaving some fans fearful for the quality of the show.
“Naples is almost like a character in the film –it’s very atmospheric,” she says.
John is nothing short of a monster; an emotionally abusive and controlling manipulator who brings suffering to all those around him. On top of his sinister attempts to coerce his wife and teenage daughter, flashbacks reveal his interference with the lives of his sisters-in-law.
“It has to be sourced from the best of the last year’s films and some years there are films that are too heavy to run on opening. “But our aim for opening night is just for people to be entertained – we all need a laugh after the last couple of years.”
Regardless, “The Rings of Power” is set to be one of Amazon Prime Video’s flagship series, one that for years the platform has wielded as a way to draw in subscribers. It hits streaming at an interesting time, releasing alongside TV’s other epic fantasy series “House of the Dragon”, the “Game of Thrones” spin-off which has got off to a thrilling start. Talk about a clash of kings.
BLACK comedy isn’t enough to describe Apple TV Plus’ newest Irish revenge fantasy series, “Bad Sisters”.
“There’s so much coming out of Naples,” she says, including her very favourite choice, Mario Martone’s “Nostalgia”, direct from the Cannes Film Festival and starring Pierfrancesco Favino.
She is proud of the documentary component of the festival, singling out “Ennio: El Maestro”, the life story of film composer Ennio Morricone. She was astonished to find that when he was studying composition, his lecturers looked down on him as film scoring was considered lowbrow, so much so that when working on the early “spaghetti westerns”, he used a pseudonym.
North-vs-south culture clash opens festival
It’s blacker than black, a show where the laughs and shocks hang in such a fine balance it feels like it’s all going to topple at any moment. The result is impossible to look away from. Inspired by a 2012 Belgian series named “The Out-Laws”, this revamp opens at the funeral of John Paul Williams, a man who the first episode – titled “The Prick” – also happens to be named after.Present are his wife, Grace, and her four sisters, who aren’t so saddened by the ceremony due to their plotting John’s death six months earlier. Why? The name of the first episode says it all.
Zeccola’s on to a sure thing this year with the opening night choice, “Belli Ciao”, starring the famous Italian comedy duo Pio and Amedeo as former friends who reunite in their hometown in Puglia after years apart, resulting in an entertain ing north-versus-south culture clash. That north-south divide has, over the years, been a never-ending source of opening-night movies and that, she says, is because it’s something people feel strongly about.
Zeccola says: “It’s just like Melbourne north of the river versus south of the river or Sydney versus Melbourne, or Australia versus NZ.” She has discovered that the queen city of the south, Naples, is the source of incredible film talent, to say nothing of its superb locations, so she’s created a sub-theme called “A spotlight on Naples, the heartbeat of Italian cinema”.
The southern city will also be seen in “The Great Silence”, “The Perfect Dinner” and the closing-night choice, Vittorio De Sica’s 1963 clas sic, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni playing different couples in three stories – first in Naples, then in Rome and Milan. “What better way to end the festival with Sophia and Marcello?”
She’s also secured two films fresh from the big international festivals. One of them, “Lord of the Ants,” a bio-pic about Italian poet Aldo Braibanti, jailed because of fascist-era homophobic laws.
The Italian Film Festival, September 14-October 12.
By OVERALLNick“BadSisters”,allfive of them… blacker than black, a show where the laughs and shocks hang in such a fine balance it feels like it’s all going to topple at any moment.
Bad sisters with murder in mind
Anotherasks.focus in this year’s festival is a retrospective on the notorious director Pier Paolo Pasolini through screenings of his films of adapted literary works: “The Canterbury Tales”, “Arabian Nights” and “The Decameron”.
Zeccola admits to having a few personal favourites with “The Code of Silence” high on her list. It’s about a young woman, played by Lina Siciliano, who has grown up in a Mafia family.
He mocks one sister’s infertility in public, attempts to sabotage another’s career, even threatens a third with blackmail. There’s no respite from his callousness. In one scene, at first seemingly more innocent, he goes out of his way to spray a neighbourhood cat with a hose.Theshow exerts itself trying to make us hate him, leaving little room for some ethical ponderance which could make it a more nuanced product.Still,the wicked premise of “Bad Sisters” means it’s never dull. It’s an odd experience to find yourself laughing at some of the show’s darkest moments, whether that’s a coffin collapsing into a grave or an unfortunately timed funeral erection. It works thanks to the sure hand of Sharon Horgan who both developed and stars in the series and who is also renowned for her work on the subversive sitcom “Catastrophe” (on Stan). There’s a lot of characters moving around in “Bad Sisters”, including two life-insurance agents who begin to investigate John’s death after smelling foul play, but each is memorable thanks to some truly energetic performances that make this series an amusing and intriguing experiment in catharsis.
“IT’S not easy choosing an opening night film,” curator Elysia Zeccola says as she prepares for the 2022 Italian Film Festival, opening in Canberra on September 14.
By MUSAHelen
Zeccola
The other, “The Hummingbird”, is based on the 2019 novel by Sandro Veronesi and has been honoured with a rare gala night at the Toronto Film Festival.
On Amazon Prime Video
“Meanwhile in Australia”, final shows. At Canberra Theatre, Saturday, September 24, 4.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets from canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Jimmy Rees… “Perhaps I have a random sense of what’s relatable to people.”
Jimmy, who lives on the Mornington Peninsula with his wife and three children, says he does his research and reaches out to his online community to help provide the local insights in order to hit the right relatable“Perhapsnote.Ihave a random sense of what’s relatable to people,” he says. “Over the past couple of years, you might have seen many random videos about many random things. This show will be just as random.”Theshow features favourite characters such as “The Ladies of Brighton” and the “Guy Who Decides”.Jimmy says he will keep going with creating characters and presenting his comedy online, with the plan to launch another live show next year. His debut book, “The Guy Who Decides” launches on September 27, bringing to the page his iconic characters in a sidesplittingly funny read for adults. “It all spawned from me creating comedy videos, creating them at my home to begin with and I want to keep going, ride the wave and see what comes.”
When an emotional genie offers three big wishes
CityNews September 8-14, 2022 33
“MOON in a Dew Drop” is a national touring exhibi tion by Australian Chinese artist Lindy Lee, opening at Canberra Museum and Gallery on September 17 and running to December 4. Curated by former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, it is the largest survey exhibition of Lee’s works to date.
CANBERRA Symphony Orchestra’s next mainstage concert is “War and Peace”, made up of Richard Strauss’
Jimmy will make a last stop of his national tour at the Canberra Theatre on September 24, following the success of three sold-out Canberra shows in July. He says that the response to the show has been so positive and he’s been asked by a lot of Canberrans to come back once again. “The tour has been amazing and really special. Who would have thought that through filming silly videos I would be selling out a national live tour!” says Jimmy. “Can’t explain how amazing that is… It’s certainly been a very weird time.”
Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton in “Three Thousand Years of Longing”.
Reaching a monthly digital audience of more than nine million people, Jimmy’s viral videos cover the relat able and ridiculous experiences we have lived through over the past couple of years.
THE ACT government will soon invite expressions of interest from suitably qualified artists to create a public artwork to commemorate the life of the late Susan Ryan and has committed $200,000 to this project. Email artsact@act.gov.au to be included on the mailing list.
“I HAVE always dreamed of having my own stage show… it all came about from me living my life and posting videos of my silly characters online,” says funnyman Jimmy Rees, who’s now-iconic online skits have been turned into a sold-out live comedy show. His one-man show, “Meanwhile in Australia”, brings to the stage Jimmy’s eclectic comic characters created over the past two years, covering topics such as parenting, packaging and the pandemic.
By Helen Musa SHORTIS & Simpson return with their latest edition of “Under the Influence”, based on the musical influences of a special guest, this time bluesy singer, songwriter and harmonica player DJ Gosper, whose musical journey spans folk, country, boogie, blues, ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll and vaudeville. Smith’s Alternative, 6pm, September 17.
Rees has spent more than a decade as an Australian household name, having entertained the masses as a beloved TV and radio personality, comedian, children’s performer and now a viral internet success. He is best-known as Jimmy Giggle, the host of the ABC Kids TV show, “Giggle and Hoot” from 2009 to 2020.
“Metamorphosen”, composed in the wake of World War II; Beethoven’s “Eroica” symphony originally dedicated to Napoleon (but the composer later changed his mind) and Australian composer Malcolm Williamson’s “Second Piano Concerto”, performed by Kristian Chong. Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, September 14-15.
You might have seen many random videos about many random things. This show will be just as random.
By popular request, funnyman Jimmy Rees will end his national tour at the Canberra Theatre on September 24, following the success of three sold-out shows here in July.
ARTS IN THE CITY
ACT Embroiderers’ Guild is celebrating its 60th birthday with its big annual exhibition, featuring work from members, a cafe, gift shop, recycled embroidery and crafting supplies. Albert Hall, 10am-4pm, September 16-18.
MUSIC for Canberra’s Mixed Ability Program was selected out of 171 grant applications to receive funding from the Snow Foundation. The program offers musical classes to people living with disability using music to encourage participants of all ages to develop skills in coordination, concentration, social interaction and to gain self-confidence.
By MACDONALDDougal
Another night under the influence
Denis avoids clogging the film with over-decorated locations, relying on novelist Angot to generate the characters that drive the Angot’sstory.own life could constitute a novel – and the best stories are those told by people who know because they have themselves lived them. A prolific and controversial writer, her novels focus on a variety of taboo topics, including homosexu ality, incest and sexual violence, presented in a way that obscures the line between autobiography and“Bothfiction.Sides of the Blade” won’t send you laughing all the way back into the real world. But its view of relationships, their strengths and their pitfalls has merit. At Palace Electric laughs for Canberra
Jimmy says he’s loved stepping on to the stage: “You can really feed off the audience in the live stage show,” he “Whensays. I’m recording videos online, I write some jokes, record them and wait for the comments. And if it’s no good, I can just delete it. “But it can be a shock when I’m in the theatre with an audience, we are all together and someone yells something out, or something goes a little wrong.”
Two men. One woman. The clas sic situation is waiting to explode. And with Juliette Binoche playing Sara, the explosion is a beauty. Metaphorically, that is. The film relies for its conflict more on dialogue than on visual images. Binoche is, quite simply, an acting powerhouse, scarcely raising herDirectortone.
CINEMA / reviews
“Three Thousand Years of Longing” (M) THIS modern take on the “Arabian Nights” directed by George Miller (maker of the Mad Max films among others), co-written with Augusta Gore and based on British novelist AS Byatt’s novella-length story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye”, owes more than a little to Australian inputs behind and inside theNarratologistcamera. Alithea (Tilda Swin ton) arrives in Istanbul to lecture on the shifting power of myth in the age of rational science. “All gods and monsters outlive their purpose,” she confidently opines, “and are reduced to the role of metaphor.”Beforelong, her hotel room is scarcely big enough to contain a djinn (or genie) whom she has freed from the bottle in which it has waited three millennia. Played with verve by Idris Elba and looming over Alithea, the djinn grants her three wishes, thereby opening a door to possibilities in her finite life and potentially freeing him from the seemingly endless struggle in Deliveredhis.in elaborate, colourful visuals evoking Hollywood fantasy, “Three Thousand Years of Longing” largely works because of the contrast and inevitable romance be tween Swinton’s rational academic and Elba’s emotional genie. Its 108 minutes were hardly enough for this Tilda Swinton devotee. Alithea has less of the story than the djinn, but that doesn’t diminish her presence in the story. She has been given three wishes to use wisely or otherwise – if she declares any of them, the djinn is obliged to turn it into reality. We know there are risks in having a wish granted, don’t we? At Palace Electric, Dendy and Limelight “Both Sides of the Blade” (MA) TWO people of one sex, one person of the other. Storytellers in all media know they can be on to a surefire best seller if they tell that story effectively and convincingly. “Both Sides of the Blade” depends for its story on director Claire Denis’ adaptation of Christine Angot’s novel “Fire, or With Love And Fury”. Sara, for a decade, has lived happily with Jean (Vincent Lindon). Until the day she passes Jean’s friend Francois (Grégoire Colin) in theHere’sstreet.the complexity on which the film depends. For when Sara began her live-in relationship with Jean, she perforce ended the one she was in with Francois.
CANBERRA Choral Society’s 70th anniversary concert, “Attune”, to be conducted by Dan Walker, will feature the world premiere of two new works for choir and chamber orchestra commissioned from Ella Macens and Michael Dooley. Canberra Girls Grammar School Hall, Deakin, 7.30pm, Saturday, September 17.
Jimmy describes the energetic live show as his “attempt to bring my stupid characters to stage. Some work out fine, some don’t as well as I change costumes andHischaracters.”viralvideo “POV you are from Canberra” is full of Canberra “in jokes’’ and the funny, relatable aspects of living in Canberra. He says he had people convinced that he was once a Canberra local.
Photos: Wendy Johnson
“CityNews” is keen to appoint a part-time, old-school copy editor. We strive to publish unblemished work to our thousands of readers who aren’t shy to tell us if something isn’t right! We are looking for an experienced news/ features sub-editor, capable of careful editing and imposing style to the work of our treasured writers. Bright headline writing is a must.
34 CityNews September 8-14, 2022 FreshFishCoisBest! 6239 fishco.com.au641519DalbyStFyshwick FRESH Fish & Seafood Excellent choice Free cleaning! OPEN 7 DAYS QUALITY MEAT, REAL BUTCHERS, PROPER ADVICE QUALITY MEAT, REAL BUTCHERS, PROPER ADVICE 21A Cooma Street Queanbeyan, 6297 1803 sinceourServingregion1928 Come in & say G’day! Butcher Apprentice&wanted DINING / Parbery Lane, Kingston Choice is pizza, pizza or… pizza!
My latest craving took me to the new Parbery Lane, The Causeway, Kingston, where there’s a massive white pizza oven shaped exactly like an igloo and a promise of good pizza and good times. The inside is bursting with colour. The place sports bright yellow, metal chairs and fun, cheeky artwork. Both tomato and “not tomato” bases are available on the compact menu that includes wood-smoked pizza versions with a difference. Prices range from $12 to $25, and we shared three pizzas, ordering one at a time so they stayed hot while we chowed down. We began with a garlic and rosemary oil-based pizza ($12). It was light and satisfying, but I recommend Parbery Lane be more generous with the rosemary to ramp up that woody aromatic flavour. The pizza dough was the right thickness and consistency on all pizzas, for our preference – not too thin, not too thick. The “Verde” caught our eye ($21). Parbery Lane creates this with a solid basil and pine-nut pesto base and loads it with rocket, thinly sliced salty prosciutto and fresh, rich, tangy parmesan. A heavenly combination.Weramped matters up with the “Inferno” ($25), perfect for those who love it hot. This pizza comes through with its promise, with red chilli, crushed chilli and homemade garlic chilli-infused oil. The slices of hot salami also packed a punch, and the soft, slightly sour mozzarella was melted perfectly. Parbery Lane is keeping matters simple with just pizza on the menu (no salads), and they deliver to nearby diamongforareOtherareas.optionsa“FourSeasons”thevegetariansus($24)–fiorlatte,mushrooms, artichokes, zucchini, eggplant, garlic, chilli and oregano. The “Four Cheeses” ($23) sounds amazing. It’s created with fior di latte, provolone, Danish blue and parmesan. Parbery Lane’s wine list is also compact, but well considered. Wines include a sparkling, rose, whites and reds. We’re fans of the Goon Tycoons 2020 Smoking Gun Chenin Blanc from WA, a super versatile wine that’s delightfully balanced and priced at $13 a glass or $63 a bottle. Bottled wines range from $63 to $76. Some Australian-made spirits are on offer, including Canberra Distillery vodka and Nosferatu Distillery blood-orange gin. Non-alcoholic drinks are available, and customers can grab their tinnies from the fridge. It’s all very relaxed at Parbery Lane and the staff are keen and fun. Order and pay at the bar. It was a chilly night on our visit and because the front doors were left open, we dined with coats on. Brrr.
The garlic and rosemary pizza. The “Inferno” pizza. The “Verde” pizza.
Editing will include contributing consistancy, style and accuracy to all aspects of the printed, weekly magazine and daily to our popular Thewebsite.ideal candidate will have an intimate knowledge of Canberra, its geography, history and political processes, plus a demonstrated experience in media Wesub-editing.areflexible with working hours (part time, full time, let’s talk about it) and work location (your place or ours).
SOMETIMES the thought of pizza just enters my brain. I can’t control it and must grab a group of friends to indulge.
OLD-SCHOOL SUB-EDITOR
There’s a deliberate typo in the advertisement, if you spotted it by the time you got here, send a cv to kate@citynews.com.au soonest.
"It will not apply to non-employee business owners including sole traders, partners in a partnership and independent contractors.
"The training can’t have commenced before March 29, 2022. Again, there is a period of consultation with the Treasury until September 19.”
TECHNOLOGY TAX FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
"If you have any cash flow problems it would be preferable to incur the technology expenditure this year and the training expenditure in the next financial year.”
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SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21) Mercury is retrograde and fiery Mars squares Venus, so do your best to avoid being hasty and hot-headed. And steer clear of argumentative people, especially at work. A goal or dream could also be delayed or derailed, so you may have to reboot your wish list or just be extra patient. Not easy for a spontaneous Sagittarius! Are you single and looking for love? Dynamic Mars is charging through your relationship zone, so you need to be proactive (but not pushy).
PUZZLES
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.
“The deduction will apply to expenditure incurred from 7.30pm on March 29, 2022, until June 30, 2023. There is a cap of $100,000 a "Ifyear.you incurred any eligible expenditure between March 29 and June 30, 2022, you will claim the expense as usual in your 2022 return and the bonus 20 per cent deduction will be claimed in your 2023 return. "The announced expenditure covered is 'digital-enabling' items such as hardware, software, systems and services that form and facilitate use of computer networks, digital media and marketing such as audio and visual content and e-commerce.
CHARTERED 02 6295 2844 Unit 9, 71 Leichhardt Street, Kingston ABN 57 008 653 683 (Chartered accountant, SMSF specialist advisor and Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892) info@gailfreeman.com.au | www.gailfreeman.com.au
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
If you need help on either of the above issues or any other tax related matter, please contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 6295 2844.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20) Capricorns are feeling frustrated and cranky! With Mercury reversing through your career zone, it’s not a good time to apply for a job, pitch your boss for a promotion or launch a professional project. Instead, focus your attention on a romantic relationship, business partnership or creative joint venture that has real potential. It’s also a suitable time to show loved ones how much you really care via a warm hug, a welcome gift or a thoughtful gesture.
FREE PUZZLES EVERY DAY AT citynews.com.au
“The training must meet certain criteria to be eligible. These criteria include that the training must be charged by a registered training provider and be for training within the scope of that provider’s registration, the registered training provider must not be the entity claiming the deduction and the expenditure must be deductible in accordance with tax law.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19) With taskmaster Saturn moving through your sign (until March 2023) you may feel as if you are failing to live up to your full potential. And this week, retrograde Mercury also disrupts travel or education plans. Don’t stress, Aquarius! Mistakes will just motivate you even more, and challenges will spur you on even further. Draw inspiration from blues legend (and birthday great) B B King: “The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.”
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
BREAK
"If you need to further update your technology, this bonus certainly makes it worthwhile to do before June 2023.”
"There is also another announcement. This one will enable you to claim 120 per cent of external training expenditure from March 29, 2022 to June 30, 2024. This also applies to small businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million and the expenditure must be incurred on external training for your employees.
"I would recommend that while you are preparing your 2022 information for finalisation of the financial statements and tax return that you provide the relevant invoices to facilitate the claim being made in 2023.
September 12-18, 2022
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
ACCOUNTANT
Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892. with me on Linkedin bit.ly/3bcXEZl Joanne Madeline Moore
I told her that on August 30 the Treasurer said that the 120 per cent deduction proposed in the last Budget by the previous government for expenditure on technology for small businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million was to be revived.
I told Wendy that these two additional deductions created a great incentive for her to improve her technology and also upskill her workforce in a tax-effective manner.
Wendy came in very excited and said: “I have just spoken to our computer consultant who has told me that I can claim 120 per cent of the cost of my new computer system. Is that right?”
"I should add that the additional 20 per cent is calculated on the GST-exclusive cost and not the GST-inclusive cost," I said.
Taurus is a fixed sign and Bulls can be a very stubborn bunch. And Mercury is reversing through your job, well-being, and daily habits zones for the next three weeks. So prepare for work chaos, health hiccups or disruptions to your usual routine. Flexible Bulls will learn to bend and adjust accordingly. On Friday and Saturday, Neptune scrambles communication and common sense. So avoid being extravagant with money and reliant on unreliable friends.
It’s a good week to review plans and complete tasks as you tick the to-do list. Professional projects and creative networking are also favoured. But retrograde Mercury is stirring up your domestic zone. So (over the next three weeks) prepare for a domestic drama or a family fiasco. Explain to loved ones that you need plenty of personal space, and pace yourself. Maintaining a disciplined daily routine and keeping up to date with domestic chores will also help.
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
Hold your horses, Lions! Mercury is in retrograde mode (until October 2) so, if you are too hasty, you’ll run into obstacles. You also need to be extra careful when you’re communicating with family, friends and work colleagues (in person and via social media). If you say or write something when you’re feeling rushed, then it could backfire on you later. On Friday and Saturday, resist the inclination to be rash with cash and thoughtless with friends.
CityNews September 8-14, 2022 35
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
edition General knowledge crossword No. 846 Solution next edition 845No.Crossword 323No.mediumSudoku
Beauty-loving Librans are famous for being natural fashionistas and the classiest sign in the zodiac. This week, with Mercury reversing through your sign, you want your innate elegance and sense of style to shine for all the world to see. But don’t become overly preoccupied with glossy outer appearances! Be inspired by legendary Libran fashion editor Diana Vreeland: “The only real elegance is in the mind; if you’ve got that, the rest really comes from it.”
The proposal was not law yet so there were still some points to be "Thefinalised.Treasury has announced a consultation period that ends on September 19 so the legislation will be finalised after that date and there will then be clarification," I said. "In the meantime, there are some interesting issues.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2022
Solution next editionDown 1 Name a function used to raise money for a charity. (4) 2 What is a simple narrative poem often adapted for singing? (6) 3 Columbus is the capital of which US State? (4) 4 What is the head or top of anything? (5) 5 In which lottery are the prizes usually goods, rather than money? (6) 6 Name a furnace in which metal is heated before shaping. (5) 9 Who was the Greek lyric poet living in Lesbos around 600 BC? (6) 10 What is another term for indigenes? (7) 12 What are baked dinners known as? (6) 14 Name a renowned US evangelist, Billy ... (6) 16 Name an ancient province in Ireland. (6) 18 What is a headland or promontory? (5) 19 To sample something, is to do what? (5) 21 What is a bed in a ship’s cabin? (4) 22 Name a particular woodwind instrument. (4)
Sudoku hard No. 323 Solutions – September 1
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21) A relationship with a child, teenager, friend or lover is about to go through a frus trating patch as Mercury (your boss planet) moves backwards. And is a cherished dream taking forever to manifest? Forget about airy-fairy fantasies! Jupiter and Saturn encourage you to set a solid and achievable goal and then work towards it in a patient and persistent way. On Friday and Saturday, resist the temptation to be over-indulgent with a selfish or spoiled family member.
Your week in the stars By
Across 4 What is a glass bottle for water, wine, etc? (6) 7 Name a figure of speech in which a term is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable. (8) 8 What is exertion of power? (6) 9 What are Australian white-naped hair seals? (3,5) 11 Name another term for an artist’s studio. (7) 13 What is a hanging ornament, such as a necklace or earring? (7) 15 What are spaces entirely void of matter? (7) 17 To perform surgery, is to do what? (7) 20 Name a fibrous amphibole, used for making fireproof articles. (8) 23 What are inward bends in seashores? (6) 24 What are hybrids, between tangerines and pomelos? (8) 25 To thwart or frustrate, is to do what? (6)
This week’s celestial salad throws some frustration into the mix, as your ruler, Mercury, is retrograde (until October 2) which slows things down, especially financially. So your stress levels could venture into the outer stratosphere. Calm down, Virgo! Your motto for the moment is the Serenity Prayer (from Reinhold Niebuhr): “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20) Expect some relationship rumbles this week, Rams, as Mercury reverses through your love zone and a partnership may feel as if it’s going backwards. Steer clear of being a selfish Aries who is too demanding! Generous Jupiter encourages you to get the ratio right between your personal needs and those of loved ones. So do your best to reset the balance between giving and receiving. On Friday and Saturday, slow down and take the time to get the facts straight.
HOROSCOPE
With Mercury reversing through your self-sabotage zone, the only person who’s likely to undermine your efforts this week is you! The best way to utilise the current Astro energy is to turn inward in positive ways, via solo activities like meditation, contemplation, prayer, yoga and long walks in nature. On Friday and Saturday, be careful a dubious fair-weather friend doesn’t lead you up the primrose path to trouble. Keep your bulldust detector set on high.
This week Mercury (planet of commerce, communication and transportation) is retrograde and Neptune (your ruler) opposes the Sun, which could rev up your restless side and amplify your tendency to become confused or distracted. So be extra careful when walking near traffic, driving, cycling or jogging, and don’t sign an important contract, open a bank account or lodge your tax return. Wait until after October 2, when Mercury moves forwards again.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
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