CityNews 230316

GOODBYE, CANBERRA

There are very few established suburbs that escape this cancerous growth that will tear away at the Canberra we know and love. Inner north and south, Belconnen and Woden are squarely in for a hammering.

Territory plans will provoke community anger – MICHAEL MOORE

Barr banks land as buyers flee over the border – JON STANHOPE

Why the planning chief has failed Canberra – PAUL COSTIGAN

map shows the government’s “relative suitability” rating of suburbs for development. Yellow being the most suitable.

The

Discover the story of Canberra – the people, places and history that make up this city and region. Canberra is a young city on ancient country – a place where nationhood found a home. Selected as Australia’s National Capital in 1909, Canberra’s history has a much older history and it continues to evolve to embrace new narratives of belonging and expressions of identity through its communities and places.

Share the stories of the people who have always been on this country and those who have come to make their lives here. Journey through these changes in this new major exhibition drawn from Canberra Museum and Gallery’s collection with moving images from the National Film and Sound Archives.

Studio Anna Ceramics, c.1960–1970

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Territory plans will provoke community anger

BE warned. The “yellow bits” in the Draft Territory Plan are going to cause community anger and political backlash.

There are very few established suburbs that escape this cancerous growth that will tear away at the Canberra we know and love. Inner north and south, Belconnen and Woden are squarely in for a hammering.

It looked as though the redevelopment of Canberra into high-density living was growing like uncontrolled metastases. No! The destruction is quite deliberate, very controlled and will have a similar impact to strategic bombing of currently liveable suburbs. Next week this column will examine the predicted political impact.

What is creating the problem? “New development in future should incorporate new social and affordable housing, including the 15 per cent target on residential land-release sites in the ACT Housing Strategy”. As the ACT aims for an additional 100,000 residences in the next 35 years, only 15 per cent will be on new residential land.

ACT Treasury predicts population growth in Canberra from the current 465,510 to around 700,000 people by 2050. By 2060 their predictions are 784,043.

This provides an excuse (or a driver) for urban infill.

Population

point? Environmentally, it will mean people have to travel further to commute. There will be lost revenue to the ACT.

Roads and urban amenity will be diminished in the ACT and enhanced for those who live in the surrounding areas. Great planning!

How is this justified?

Explaining “sustainable neighbourhoods”, the draft planning documents argue: “Creating sustainable places requires an integration of the right mix of land uses, urban density and local amenities such as accessible public

density that can be supported”. A brilliant piece of doublespeak straight out of George Orwell’s doublethink concept from the novel “1984”. The argument is that “new development is a means for sustainable transformation. It enables “urban improvement” including improving streets and public domain with more connections and greenery to encourage walking and local liveability, while also contributing to the zero carbon ambition”.

For Southside residents, if

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sweep through your homes, your green spaces, your streets and your general amenity. Not much is sacred.

The plan boldly identifies protection of heritage aspects. However, the yellow cancerous

as “the blossoms” (and is now owned by University of NSW) is slated for future development as “city”. This would allow up to six-storey, mixed-use buildings overlooking the protected areas.

This kind of development is

just a malignancy undermining amenity. Smack bang in the middle of the area identified is the path, lined with mature eucalypts, of the original railway track that went right into Civic. It is a fundamental part of urban amenity, providing a barrier between the Reid Campus and the suburban area.

Inner north is even more plagued by swathes of yellow pus than inner south. Watson, Dickson, Downer, Lyneham, Campbell, O’Connor and Turner are all besmirched by the same yellow that is designed to soften up the current residents to turn their suburbs into inner Melbourne, Toronto or Singapore. It is a similar story for Tuggeranong, Woden and Belconnen.

The initial work on the Draft Plan “involved a review of other national and international planning jurisdictions to identify best practice approaches”. Which cities did they examine?

Singapore, Toronto, Yarra, Ballarat, Parramatta, Newcastle, Adelaide, Minneapolis and London Borough of Camden!

So much for the pride we once had in bringing visitors to Canberra to show off the best planned city in the world!

There are very few established suburbs that escape this cancerous growth that will tear away at the Canberra we know and love. Inner north and south, Belconnen and Woden are squarely in for a hammering.

Draft Inner North & City District Strategy Plan… beware the “yellow bits”, the plan’s “future investigation areas”.

Draft Inner South District Strategy Plan… beware the “yellow bits”, the plan’s “future investigation areas”.

Barr banks land as buyers flee over the border

ONE of the more confusing policies adopted by the ACT government is surely that related to land supply.

The recent hoo-ha about the urgency of extending the ACT border into NSW is a prime example of that confusion.

The message being conveyed by Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury is quite explicit, namely: “We are just about out of developable land with few options available to us other than to abandon the construction of detached housing and concentrate on infill and high rise and to expand into NSW by moving the border.”

One has only to visit Jerrabomberra, Googong, Bungendore, Murrumbateman, Collector and Yass etcetera to appreciate the rate at which Canberrans, who have been priced out of the housing market, are opting to live in NSW.

Relevantly, I also understand that there may be as many as 1000 people a day commuting on a daily basis from Goulburn to Canberra, for work.

Thank goodness the greenhouse emissions generated by the thousands of additional kilometres being driven by these thousands of expatriate Canberrans are all attributed to

NSW and not to us.

But I digress. My confusion about land supply policy has recently been compounded by two reports I have waded through.

The first of these was an ACT Auditor-General’s report titled “Assembly of Rural Land West of Canberra”. The auditor-general reports, among other things, that between June 2014 and June 2017, the Land Development Agency, with the active support of Cabinet and pertinently the Treasurer, Andrew Barr, purchased nine rural properties located to the west of Canberra, which had a combined area of 3378 hectares.

To provide some perspective, the auditor noted that these nine properties when considered with other territory owned land that surrounds Stromlo Forest Park are similar in size to the whole of the districts of Woden Valley (2860 hectares) and Weston Creek (1580 hectares). The combined population of these two districts is 63,700.

We the people of Canberra paid a total of $34.6 million for these nine properties. The justification for their purchase and the expenditure of those monies was that they were required for housing and/or to facilitate residential development. Let me be clear, I fully support their purchase and congratulate the LDA

for having done so. Notably other land purchases, for example the purchase in 2013 of the 227 hectare Glenloch property, for $10 million, again for housing, are not only not included in the audit report but, despite the passing of a decade since their purchase nothing, as is the case with the nine properties reported on by the auditor-general, has been done to ready them for sale to Canberrans desperate to own their own home.

The other report is the portfolio brief prepared by the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) for the incoming Minister for Urban Renewal, following the last election. It’s a ripper of a report and contains the following gems: “The Planning and Land Management portfolio will continue projects to implement your priorities to:

• Dedicate at least 15 per cent of residential land releases to affordable, community and public housing;

• Maintain a strong supply of new homes.” (joke, Joyce) “Molonglo Valley is the newest

greenfield development front and at capacity, is planned to accommodate approximately 55,000 new residents. Progressing the concept planning for Molonglo is critical to provide for development of new suburbs.”

“When Gungahlin and Molonglo Valley are developed, EPSDD will continue to develop ACT’s next urban development front which is the western edge – almost 10,000 hectares of land bordered by the Murrumbidgee River and the existing areas of Weston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Belconnen.”

In light of the information contained in these reports I am at a loss to understand the basis of the repeated claims from within the ACT government that we have run out of urban-capable land.

One can also, of course, only hazard a guess as to the reasons that the government has not sought to prepare any of the land, the subject of the audit report, or other land it

owns, for sale. To be blunt the land has been banked.

As I note above the auditor-general concluded that the land area covered by the nine blocks purchased six to 10 years ago is similar to that of Woden Valley and Weston Creek together, the combined population of which is more than 63,000 people living, in the main, in detached houses.

On the basis of this one can assume that these nine rural blocks, if sold for detached housing, would provide a yield of a minimum of 30,000 dwellings. If one then further assumes that each of the 30,000 blocks sells for, lets say, only $250,000 then the return to the government will be $7.5 billion. That is, of course, before accounting for infrastructure costs.

The longer the government delays the sale of the land and exacerbates pent up demand, the greater the return. Or is that being too cynical?

Jon Stanhope was ACT chief minister from 2001 to 2011.

The longer the government delays the sale of the land and exacerbates pent up demand, the greater the return. Or is that being too cynical?

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Evening 30 March

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Be active… Be creative… Be inspired…

Why the planning chief has failed Canberra

WHEN

In April 2019 I used those statements to set out 10 performance indicators and then scored how he was doing.

The chief planner’s performance indicators included references to citizen focus; quality public spaces; environmental management; building trust; being genuine with key groups; involving more Canberrans earlier; engaging with residents; that residents know the area better than anyone; not lambasting those speaking up; no surprises; people to be involved earlier to make planning easier.

He failed with a score of 19 out of 100. People said my assessment was too generous. I now agree they were correct. After the directorate’s 2022 disingenuous consultations on the planning reforms, the only score possible today is zero.

Those performance indicators could be a theoretical list for a chief planner who genuinely wants to work with residents. By contrast, under the leadership of the ACT’s chief planner, the lack of respect for residents has increased and voices are ignored. Government ministers often

denigrate those that speak up.

Government politicians have spruiked that the chief planner’s reforms will magically fix almost every planning and development issue raised by residents. There is little in his documents that will deliver improvements to biodiversity, liveability, green infrastructure, good design, great landscapes and increase affordable housing.

The reform documents were drip fed to residents during 2022. They contained nasty surprises. They remain incomplete. The real intentions are now clear.

It is about the devastation of cherished suburbs in the name of compact city cramming as envisioned by the chief minister. These reforms are not about respect for residents

or the recognition of aspirations residents have for their homes, their families, their streets, their suburbs or their city. The proposals are a leap backwards from delivering good urban design and city planning.

Residents have made hundreds of submissions about planning and development. That time-consuming, volunteer work was ignored. The planning directorate is seen as having increased its disrespect of the voices of residents.

This chief planner has failed on trust, on engagement and on how to take seriously what people have said in their submissions.

The slow, disjointed and uncoordinated release of stuff complete with shocking surprises, confirmed people’s mistrust of the planning

directorate and the chief minister.

Having failed the residents of this city, the planning chief’s only remaining defence would be that he has followed the orders of the chief minister. Others before him have tried that line, but have since packed their bags. The chief minister remains in his job.

Given that this directorate has made a complete mess of planning, it is weird that the same cohort was tasked to improve the planning processes.

This same bureaucracy continues to this day with the inappropriate use of variations and consistently approves stuff outside its own rules.

Surely anyone sane would not have considered that this lot could deliver an innovative 21st century planning framework.

Community groups need to re-assess their dealings with this failed government planning agency, especially as its behaviour is getting worse.

They need to stop doing the same thing in response to the disingenuous calls for consultations. Those years of submissions have been a waste of precious volunteer time and energy. So why keep making the same mistake

over and over again?

Community groups need to think about what they value including key climate issues such as the need to increase the biodiversity and greenery throughout new and established suburbs. Residents need to change the way they advocate for good design in architecture and landscapes as well as ensuring that all residents have a 21st century designed roof over their heads.

In these quests the current chief planner and his directorate are the major blockage. They are working against the aspirations of the residents.

The planning chief’s only success has been to please the chief minister – so far. The voices of residents remain fundamentally important for this city’s future. Something has to urgently change in how community groups go about achieving what is good for the city now and for future generations.

Paul Costigan is a commentator on cultural and urban matters.

the ACT chief planner was appointed in April 2017, he explained his theoretical approach to planning.

The reform documents were drip fed and contained nasty surprises. They remain incomplete. The real intentions are now clear. It’s about the devastation of cherished suburbs in the name of compact city cramming

The planning directorate’s proposals are a leap backwards from delivering good urban design and city planning.

Photo: Paul Costigan

Dragon stoush takes off around airport road plans

By Lily PASS

THE Canberra grassland earless dragons are the “Goldilocks indicator” for a healthy grassland, which makes protecting the critically endangered species absolutely vital, says Friends of Grasslands president Jamie Pittock.

In 2009, the Canberra Airport Group proposed to build a road a “long way north” of Malcolm Vale Road – a closed, dirt road off Majura Road – to avoid interrupting the Canberra grassland earless dragon’s natural habitat, he says.

“But the Airport Group asked the federal government to change the approval in early 2020, to stick a two-lane bitumen road on Malcolm Vale Road, which would cut the dragon population in half,” he says.

“The airport was having an argument with the Department of Defence about where to put the road.

“The Department of Defence lets off things that go ‘boom’ and they didn’t want the road going through the middle of their training area, restricting where they can play with their toys –

the very end of the airport runway.

“Unfortunately, this causes the greatest ecological damage.”

The Canberra grassland earless dragons have been labelled the “Goldilock indicator” because they need their grassy environment to be just right: “not too much and not too little”.

“They need a bit of grass to hide from predators, but they need it to be open enough to hunt insects, and this also means there are gaps for wildflower species to grow, and where other threatened animals live,” says Jamie, 56.

“So, if the dragon is in trouble, the whole grassland ecosystem is in trou-

past year.

“Until recently, the dragons were regarded as one species that spanned from western Melbourne to this Canberra region and through to Bathurst.

“More recently, scientists have divided them into four separate species.”

Jamie says one of those species is only found in eastern Canberra and only in 26 square kilometres of remaining grassland.

“A lot of that is the military training area and the airport grounds, other bits are down around Symonston and Jerrabomberra, and that’s it.”

Jamie says the road proposal change

“In fact it’s bizarre, the ACT and federal governments have just funded a captive breeding program at the University of Canberra and Tidbinbilla, so it’s completely contradictory to then destroy the dragon’s habitat.”

Canberra Airport’s head of Aviation

Michael Thomson says the proposed works are an upgrade of an existing road.

“As part of our planning framework, airports must prepare master plans incorporating an environment strategy,” he says.

“Our plans include all the appropriate approvals, management plans,

protocols, pathways for continuous improvement of our practices and monitoring programs.

“Canberra Airport has also provided extensive funding for independent research of the Canberra grassland earless dragon and participation in a breeding program at Tidbinbilla.

“Our incremental on-the-ground experience gained over the past 24 years and ongoing consultation with experts is the backbone of our capacity to upgrade the northern road while mitigating any environmental impact.

“We continue to work with the Department of Environment to ensure the proposed road does not negatively impact any native flora and fauna at the airport.”

Jamie disagrees saying: “They keep saying they’re an environmentally responsible company, they’ve got a lovely mural of the Canberra grasslands earless dragon in one of their office buildings, and so I think it’s the height of hypocrisy for them to then turn around and build a road that will carve up the population that they are responsible for.

“We want to see the road cancelled. There’s no justification for it. There have been three reasons put forward for building this road, but there’s already a perfectly good road from Fairbairn Avenue to around the south of the airport. This road is completely unnecessary.”

The Canberra grassland earless dragon… the “Golilocks indicator” for grassland health.

Friends of Grasslands president Jamie Pittock.

Can we trust the judges to judge themselves?

A YEAR ago, before the last federal election, more than half of us no longer had faith in government or in the media.

We expected to be lied to both by those who had been elected and those who claim to hold the powerful to account.

But what do we think of our judges/ tribunal members (judges)? Do we trust them?

Their job is to filter and prioritise the facts put before them by the competing parties, and then to impose upon those facts an outcome of winners and losers that is derived from legal rules.

Those rules are just another kind of policy, the judges just another group of the powerful.

Aberrations, such as the Morrison government’s highly paid jobs on the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, seemingly for their mates, are being put right by the Albanese government.

That said, it seems likely that the present levels of respect for our legal system reflect “out of sight and mind” as much as any informed opinion.

It is true that we are blessed by not even having to consider the need to bribe a judge; however, there are factors other than money that can, and do, damage the quality of our legal processes.

you to one such factor and a possible solution.

The focus is upon one form of “conflict of interest”, a situation where someone who is offering advice or making a decision has divided, incompatible “interests”.

Typically, a personal interest competes with another required interest. An example is the professional sports player who lays bets on a game in which she/he is playing. Another example is the politician who makes planning decisions for the benefit of their friends or themselves instead of for the community.

When a judge may determine a case for reasons other than following the law, that too shows a conflict of interest. Examples include:

• A civil case in which the judge has shares in one of the corporate parties;

A criminal case in which the judge played weekly rounds of golf with the accused before the allegations of insider trading surfaced;

• A judge “bending” their decisions to ensure re-appointment;

• Allowing any of social or political connections, racism, sexism, to influence the outcome;

• A significant relationship between the judge and the lawyer/s for one party in the case, such as a long employment and mentor history. Judges and lawyers should reveal any prior relevant associations in open court, so that there can be open discussion among all parties as to whether the judge continues or “recuses” themself.

A failure to disclose and a later discovery by one party of that “association” or prejudiced thought pattern leads to a recusal application.

It may be necessary for another judge to rehear the case.

A key aspect of the legal test to stay or go is to ask whether the reasonable lay observer (ie, not lawyer, not judge) would have an “apprehension of bias” by the judge.

This requires judges to presume to know what such reasonable lay observers would think. This is impossible. They have developed their careers by avoiding the reasonable lay observer who we know as the person we see on the bus or tram, the weekend ref in the kids’ teams sports, or the non-lawyers at the community barbecue fundraiser.

Do I jest? Alas, no. “Recusal” is the right thing to do to ensure the continued respect for the office of judge by the lay users of the legal system.

The priority is the respect for the office, not the incumbent. But judges who have failed to declare an interest that the pub test marks as “sus” will resort to an inapplicable self-defence that uses the subjective approach of, “look at who I am and what I do – how could I be seen as possibly prejudiced?”

Therefore, if the issue arises of whether a judge should hear a case

then that issue – as with any complaint about judge conduct – should be decided by an “external” lay body: so not the judge and not their “mates”. We need a Judicial Commission because:

1. Judges are as fallible as the rest of us – especially when it comes to “self-interest” – be that advancing their own interests or defending themselves;

2. Collegiality and/or dislikes among judges in their daily working environment are inevitable;

3. Judges need to be accountable to their community; and,

4. To avoid recusal evaluations being self-justifying, three independent lay people should decide the issue by a majority: stay or go. Will this policy idea get up in our town or succumb to “same old, same old”?

Hugh Selby is a recently retired barrister who enjoyed appearing in criminal jury trials and teaching. about them.

It is true that we are blessed by not even having to consider the need to bribe a judge; however, there are factors other than money that can, and do, damage the quality of our legal processes.

“The priority is the respect for the office, not the incumbent,” writes Hugh Selby.

FAMILY FUN DAY

For ACT and Regional families with a child affected by chronic pain, fatigue or associated auto immune conditions. We welcome anyone else who would like to learn more about what we can do to help with your chronic pain or debilitating fatigue

• Fete -style market stalls

• Free face painting for the kids

• Free kids activities

• Sausage sizzle

• Information and support stalls

Shift workers eat more, face health risks

ROTATING shift workers eat more kilojoules, snack more on junk food and don’t eat as many nutritious foods, increasing their risk of diet-related illness, new research has found.

Published in “Advances in Nutrition”, the Monash University-led review of dietary habit and energy intake studies found rotating shift workers had higher average 24-hour energy intake than day workers.

For each recorded day of kilojoule intake, rotating shift workers ate on average 264 more kilojoules than regular day workers. An increase of just 100 kilojoules each day can lead to a .5 kilogram weight gain over a year.

Rotating shift work is regularly performed outside the standard 7am to 6pm work hours with shifts regularly rotating around the clock between different shift types with hours of work changing repeatedly.

Shift workers also reported unhealthier dietary patterns than day workers, including irregular meals, more snacking or eating at night, less core food consumption and more eating of discretionary foods.

In Australia, 1.4 million employees (16 per cent) have shift work as their main occupation. Rotating shifts, where schedules vary from week to week, are the most common form for

pay more, it puts workers at increased risk of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

A contributing factor to these increased risks is the timing of eating occasions. Consuming a greater proportion of daily energy intake at night has also been associated with weight gain and impaired glucose metabolism.

Someone who concurs with the challenges of shift work is Tania Whalen, 51, who has done shift work off and on for 20 years, and consecutively for the last six years.

Although enjoying her work in telecommunications, Tania said when she was tired it was “too easy to grab junk

“The good part of rotational shift work is having up to four days off at a time and the work has fitted in nicely with raising a family,” she said. “The bad part is the food and nutrition challenges, especially as I often work 12hour shifts. That’s a long time to prepare food for and keep it fresh at work.”

PhD candidate and research dietitian, Angela Clark, supervised by Prof Maxine Bonham, from the Monash Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, compared the total daily kilojoule intake of workers on rotating shift schedules with those on day work schedules.

For the first time, the study revealed that rotating shift workers may be eating more kilojoules with a large proportion at night, helping to explain why they

face increased risk of chronic diseases.

Ms Clark said understanding the impact of extra kilojoule consumption could go a long way towards much needed workplace support.

While the disruption to lifestyle that shift work causes could not be changed, improving diets and eating patterns could make a difference. “The study also found the diets of rotational workers tended to contain less protein and carbohydrates, and more fat than day workers,” she said.

“The foods and drinks typically consumed by rotating workers were more fried and fatty foods, confectionary, sweetened drinks and alcohol, with fewer core foods such as dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables.

“There was also a pattern of more meals per day and frequent snacking at night, with the majority of kilojoules being eaten in the second half of the day.

“Adding to the complexities of night time eating, shift workers don’t have the same access to healthy food as day workers and may rely more on vending machines, takeaway and convenience foods.”

Monash University, in collaboration with the University of SA, is now trialling the effectiveness of three weightloss strategies for night-shift workers.

“These workers are an important part of our society and are often working around the clock to keep our world functioning,” Ms Clark said.

a commendation

PASSIVE House designer Michael Drage, pictured, has been awarded a commendation in the Chris Reardon Memorial Award for Sustainable Buildings at the Building Designers Association of Australia’s national awards. The award was made to Mr Drage, founder of ACT-based Reimagined Habitat, for his renovation of a ‘60s brick-veneer, semi-detached house in Chifley.

‘Bargain’ prices for plants

THE Calvary Public Hospital Auxiliary is holding two plant stalls in coming weeks. Promising “bargain prices”, the fundraising stalls will be outside the front entrance of the Bruce hospital , 8am-4pm, on March 23 and outside Aldi at the Jamison Centre, 8am-4pm, on March 30. All proceeds will buy equipment to assist public hospital patients and staff.

BRADDON GUNGAHLIN MANUKA

BRADDON GUNGAHLIN MANUKA

Horizontal (260mmx71mm)

Scientists make electricity out of thin air

AUSTRALIAN researchers have worked out how to make electricity out of thin air with the help of an enzyme that could leave batteries for dead.

The hero at the centre of the Monash University discovery is a hydrogenmunching enzyme from a common bacterium found in soil.

And it brings the holy grail of battery-free, air-powered personal devices a big step closer to reality.

The discovery began years ago with the work of Prof Chris Greening, who worked out that some bacteria living in nutrient-poor environments use the small amounts of hydrogen in the atmosphere as an energy source.

“But we didn’t know how they did this until now,” Prof Greening said.

The “how” is an enzyme called Huc, which the researchers went looking for on the back of Prof Greening’s work.

The enzyme, from a soil bacterium called Mycobacterium smegmatis, was then isolated and extracted and tests have since shown Huc turns hydrogen gas into a current that can power a small electrical circuit.

The next step will be working out

how to harness the “natural battery” to power devices.

Dr Rhys Grinter, who leads the research team, says an obvious place to start is devices that need a sustained supply of low-voltage power.

“For stuff that runs passively on air we’d imagine it’s going to be devices like medical sensors, wearable exercise monitors or a clock – or perhaps a small computer circuit,” he said.

There could also be industrial applications, such as powering implanted medical devices and remote sensing equipment.

Dr Grinter doubts the enzyme will ever be a viable way to produce large amounts of electricity.

“If you’re talking about something like a power plant – town or city scale –I think the amount of enzyme we could make would be too small and there are other solutions that are more economically viable.”

But its applications could still be vast with more research and development.

One of the biggest potential benefits is a move away from batteries that eat up precious resources including rare earth elements.

Lab work by PhD student Ashleigh Kropp has also shown Huc has what it

takes to endure tough conditions.

“It’s possible to freeze the enzyme or heat it to 80C and it retains its power to generate energy... reflecting how it helps bacteria survive in the most extreme environments,” she said.

The bacteria that produce enzymes such as Huc are common and can be grown in large quantities, meaning ready access to a sustainable source of the enzyme.

And money – not time – will probably be the determining factor in how quickly the technology might appear in the market.

“It comes down to the amount of resources we can get to do this research,”

BRIEFLY

Prizes for writing a family story

FAMILY History ACT has opened entries for this year’s EM Fletcher Short Story Writing Competition, which selects the best short story based on a family history/genealogy theme. With a word limit of 2000 words, entrants are competing for a $1000 first prize and $500 for the runner up. Entries are open until July 15 via familyhistoryact.org.au

‘Fiesta’ of all things photographic

Dr Grinter said.

There’s been some federal government investment so far but rapid development will mean finding a keen investor.

“Once we’ve done a bit more work that’s definitely where we are looking –for an investor, or company, interested in the technology,” Dr Grinter said.

“If we could secure that I’d say within a decade we could probably have something.”

Dr Grinter likes to imagine the likes of Apple could see the technology’s applications for its wearable products.

“That’s something I like to think about,” he said. –AAP

THE Canberra Photographic Collectors’ Society will hold its “Fiesta” sale of photographic items old and new at the Canberra Irish Club, Weston, 10.30am-1.30pm on March 26. To sell equipment, book a table ($20) from 0422 981778 or email photographic. collectors@gmail.com, or arrange to sell from the Club Table. Parking and admission are free.

Catch-up time for multiple-birth parents

THE Canberra and Region Multiple Birth Association is holding a Multiple Birth Awareness Week event at the National Arboretum, 11am1pm, on March 19. More than 100 people from the Canberra multiplebirth community will be connecting over the shared joys and challenges of raising twins, triplets or more.

Scientists have discovered a hydrogen-munching enzyme that turns air into clean energy and it could leave batteries for dead, reports TRACEY FERRIER .

Scientists Ashleigh Kropp and Rhys Grinter hope the discovery can be used to power devices.

Photo: Simon Milder/Monash University

Keeping an ear out for news on the quiet carillon

PAUL Costigan’s column about the National Capital Authority (“What stops the NCA from doing a good job?”, CN February 9) has prompted me to ask what has happened to the National Carillon, which is managed by the NCA.

It seems to have gone quiet in the last couple of years or so. In fact, my wife and I on two occasions in the last six months have sat in our car with the windows and doors open in the car park just across from the bridge to Queen Elizabeth II Island and could barely hear the bells as a carillonist was practising. We gave up and went home.

I understand a large new bell was cast in – and brought from – England some time ago to be added to the existing bells but, as far as I know, that bell has never been heard. Why is that?

The carillon website indicates that no recitals are being presented because the carillon is closed for renovations. The website also indicates that COVID-19 is “delaying many of the works under way at the carillon”. What works?

Barrie Virtue, Hughes

Looking to find the ‘Missing Middle’

THE Missing Middle, what a great name for an association of developers, rent seekers, apparatchiks and handout merchants. Possibly the same marketing company that came up with the Trumpian “Greater Canberra”.

If they think there’s a “missing middle” go for a wander into any development built in the last 20 years and that’s all you get – dual occupancies, townhouses, medium density unit complexes.

It’s your only choice and it’s not cheap. A few big houses stuffed on to a tiny block costing over a million.

Truth be known, even the older suburbs have plenty of examples of duplexes, apartments and dual occupancies.

This group of vested interests is looking for business development opportunities and to cannibalise the existing RZ1 low-density Garden City areas. They don’t give a stuff about existing homeowners or community facilities. These zoning changes don’t do anything for retaining amenity, affordable

A sad face of Turkish suffering today

IT is true we have a significant number of issues to be concerned about in our city of Canberra. Nevertheless, I think it is a positive thing to think about the less fortunate here and in Ukraine and in Turkey. Regarding the terrible earthquake in Turkey, I constantly keep in mind my friend in Hatay. He has lost everything in this event – his home, possessions, his work and he has just moved from living on the

housing or the environment.

You simply have to compare the aerial photos of an existing RZ1 suburb with detached houses, garages, gardens and trees and the new denser suburbs to see the impact of up-zoning. There’s no space for gardens, cars, trailers, boats or caravans. Has the Australian dream become too expensive?

If the government was so interested in affordable housing or environmental sustainability why didn’t they retain some of the large public housing estates in the inner north and south to demonstrate what was possible?

Ian Hubbard, via email

What has Senator Price brought to the table?

ERIC Hunter (Letters, CN March 2) can be trusted to look at something with his leftwing glasses on while ignoring the facts.

He questions what good has Senator Jacinta Price brought to the table. Considering Jacinta is indigenous herself and was the former mayor of Alice Springs with its high indigenous population, I would say she brings a whole wealth of knowledge and experience to the Voice vote.

While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

streets with his family to his new home, a moderate-sized tent.

The tent accommodates my friend, his wife, four children aged from six months to seven years and, in addition, he has taken in his aged mother and nephew with a leg deformity. Sadly, this is the face of a part of Turkey today.

Ross Bridge, Florey

finds time for three days at the Australian Open tennis in Melbourne and, more recently, marching in the Sydney Mardi Gras and across the Harbour Bridge, he could only spend a small few hours in troubled Alice Springs listening to and seeing the troubles going on there with the mainly indigenous population.

As we have seen from both sides of politics, indigenous people have very differing views of the Voice, so it would be racist to think that all Aboriginal people think and vote the same.

For the federal government to offer tax concessions to organisations that promote the “yes” vote is both undemocratic and racist. If we are to vote in a democratic way, why is the Albanese government offering incentives to sway one side of the vote. Not very democratic at all.

Ian Pilsner, Watson

Questions about the Voice

AN examination of the media shows a level of comment higher on this than on any other single issue in recent times. It suggests a disquiet across population groups.

I feel answers to all of the following need to be known before any referendum:

• What will be the fully declared cost of a “yes” vote to the taxpayer?

• Will salaries be paid to indigenous Voice appointees and at what levels and superannuation entitlements?

What other benefits will be paid to or conditions received by indigenous Voice appointees?

• What safeguards will be put in place to ensure indigenous appointees’ salaries/ conditions do not fall behind their political partners?

John Lawrence via email

Ministers should ‘come clean’ on planning

WHEN wearing its developer hat, the ACT government has again shown it can’t be trusted to show leadership and be a good role model in our current planning and urban renewal environment (“Housing ACT loses another ‘wasteful’ Griffith DA”, citynews.com.au, March 3).

Yet it blithely pushes on with a new and complex “outcomes” focused set of planning reforms, without explaining or illustrating exactly how current “outcome” deficiencies in any of the private or public housing plans it ticks now will be avoided in the future.

In order to inspire far more trust and confidence in the government’s new planning regime, the planning and housing ministers need to come clean with the public. We need to know how they will be vastly be improving not only their own planning approaches and design and quality standards for the development of the ACT’s future public housing assets and also ensuring far better outcomes for all social, affordable and build-to-rent projects that the reform documentation prioritises as part of the government’s infill vision for many established suburbs.

How will ACT government housing policy and tender processes be revamped and resourced to deliver higher-quality and long-lasting built forms, landscaping and setting “outcomes”, for housing that everyone can be proud of?

Well before the new planning regime is finalised, both ministers could share with the public the lessons learned from numerous ACAT reviews and decision making on development applications, as one helpful means of injecting more transparency into

what needs to change for the better under the new planning system.

Sue Dyer, Downer

Talk to the community about growth

ACT Treasury observes caution should be exercised in the use of population projections which “should not be interpreted as precise predictions of demographic future, but instead provide an indication of population change.”

The current projection projecting an ACT population of 784,000 in 2060 is the outcome of expectations about natural increase and migration that may or may not be realised.

I am reminded of the 2003 population projections that, based on growth expectations of the time, projected the population of Canberra would peak at 388,000 in 2031. Its adoption contributed to school closures. The low growth during covid indicates the level of uncertainty in projecting population growth.

Underlying the estimates of growth by location are unspecified assumptions about the scope for development and redevelopment which, at best, are based on limited assessments of housing preferences, infrastructure capacity, infrastructure costs, development impact (privacy, noise, congestion, solar access, tree cover) and development potential (eg, no development in Kowen and west Murrumbidgee. Why?).

The projections of growth are not set in stone. The assumptions made should be made explicit and discussed with the community in the quest to determine how the future growth of the city is best managed.

Mike Quirk, Garran

Bring back common sense, please

SUCCESSIVE gutless governments of all political persuasions by pandering to minority groups for crass political purposes, has led to “political correctness” taking over from common sense.

This disgraceful state of affairs has been very aptly described as “when intelligent people are being silenced, so that stupid people won’t be offended”. When and where will it all end?

Mario Stivala, Belconnen

Reader Ross Bridge’s Turkish friend lives in a tent with his extended family in the earthquake affected Hatay.

Now we cross live to the ACT-cademy Awards…

AS the red carpet is rolled up and the last shattered corflute of champagne is swept into recycling landfill, KEEPING UP THE ACT reflects on this year’s winners of the ACT-cademy Awards…

WORST VISION – “Nothing

Nowhere All At Once”, Labor/Green Noalition

Once again, audiences were astounded by the sheer breadth of incompetence on show from directors Barr and Rattenbury as they embraced everything, everywhere, and delivered next to nothing.

From zany legislation for pet rocks to hounding downtrodden laundromat operators for unpaid taxes, they were all over the place holding a sausagefingered salute to ACT citizens.

Of course, their failure to do anything very well has been a recurring motif in their work, going back to “Bohemian Rapacity” and “There Will Be Duds”. But, led by an ensemble cast of truly underwhelming performers, “Nothing Nowhere All At Once” is sure to be their enduring disasterpiece. Well, until the next one, next year.

RUNNER-UP – “Lack Answer: Wander Forever”, Canberra Liberals

Not to be overlooked in aimless floundering, “Lack Answer: Wander Forever”, is director Elizabeth Lee’s latest effort

in the burgeoning Liberal Problematic Monoverse. Her heart-churning pitch for relevance is told through a series of dull press releases and a lot of clucking under her breath. Battling the political wilds of the ACT, Lee sorely needs a better machete to cut through. Unfortu nately, her overwhelming nihilism had viewers screaming: “Give us a positive alternative, for God’s sake!”

WORST ACTOR – “Barr”, Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett is no stranger to playing complex men. From Bob Dylan to Richard II, she has shown great talent in bringing out the nuances of extraordinary male figures.

But in taking on Andrew Barr in “Barr”, she has had to abandon all sense of nuance and depth in order to play an arrogant maestro who deludes himself that he is performing great art, while all the time causing great suffering to those around him.

Playing a communal narcissist like Barr, Blanchett explores what it means to use power in pursuit of cruel and misguided

objectives. Is Barr simply deluded or is he wantonly aware of his actions? As Blanchett dramatically poses: “To do or not to do? Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the self-inflicted slings and arrows of our outrageous policies, Or to take arms against a lake of troubles, And instead build a tram?”

RUNNER-UP – “No Women Talking”, Rachel Stephen-Smith and Yvette Berry

This ensemble piece puts nervous plodders Rachel Stephen-Smith and Yvette Berry out of the limelight as they try and avoid any dialogue with ACT citizens and the press.

Both women hole up in a barn awaiting a “High Noon” moment when a terrible ACT government health scandal is due to break in the morning news. With tin ears and gritted teeth, the two women must decide whether to stay and fix things or bloody get the frig out of there and hope the whole thing

blows over. There is no surprise in what decision they take.

WORST VISUAL EFFECTS –

“All Quiet on the Southern Front”, the Labor/Green Noalition

This timeless classic is still relevant, even after 23 years of government platitudes and promises. From the bustling hive of activity in the north, viewers are taken on a grim journey through the wasteland of run-down services and neglect in the war-torn south.

From Chifley to Calwell, it seems like nothing will ever stop the relentless cycle of ACT government inaction. War may be hell, but try getting something done on Fix My Street.

RUNNER-UP – “Have-A-Car: The Way of Torture”, Labor/Green Noalition

Funded by unobtanium, the crazed ideologue, Shane Rattenbury, stops at nothing to ensure Canberra is despoiled with mechanised tramlines. For the peaceful naïve with their cars, life is about to get tough. Best seen in 2D. Other notable award winners were “Mrs Cheyne Goes to Explain”, “The Babblemens”, and “The Parliamentary Triangle of Sadness”.

By George, a look behind a medal for bravery

DURING the Christmas holidays I read fellow “CityNews” columnist Robert Macklin’s excellent 2012 book “One False Move” about Royal Australian Navy mine defusers in World War II.

Four of them were awarded the George Cross (GC), as well as other medals, to make them Australia’s most highly decorated group of servicemen during that conflict.

The GC is not as well-known as the Victoria Cross (VC), but it’s the highest award bestowed by the British government for bravery in a non-military conflict situation.

In the British honours system, the GC has been considered equal in stature to the VC, the highest military “gallantry” award (gallantry meaning in the face of the enemy). No one has received both medals.

Australia introduced its own award system in 1975, with the creation of the Australian Bravery Decorations, Order of Australia, and National Medal.

The GC was then replaced by the Cross of Valour (CV) awarded “for acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril” and became the highest Australian bravery award for non-conflict situations.

The Australian (and British) VC is the highest ranked bravery award

in the Australian honours system for conflict situations. It takes precedence over the CV – although it’s unlikely anyone will ever receive both.

The British GC was awarded to 23 Australians – 11 military personnel and 12 civilians. Although Australia established the CV in 1975, it was not until 1992 that Australia officially stopped recommending Australians for British honours.

During the period 1975 to 1992, one Australian was awarded a GC.

(Constable Michael Pratt, of the Victoria Police who, unarmed and single handed, attempted to arrest two dangerous armed criminals, and was

seriously wounded in the process.)

Five CVs have been awarded since the introduction of our national honours system and five Australian VCs.

Are bravery and courage the same thing? Probably not. It’s said that bravery is a spontaneous act. It happens in the heat of battle or on the spur of the moment. By contrast, courage is about being afraid, being mindful of the risks, and making a conscious decision to risk one’s life anyway.

The courage displayed by Australian mine defusers was ongoing – one officer defused more than 300 mines. That was at a time when

Germany was developing a range of anti-handling devices to try to kill those defusing German mines. And many defusers were killed.

There are, of course, many who deserve awards but don’t get them. As eminent historian Michael Howard noted: “The important thing when you are going to do something brave is to have someone on hand to witness it”.

A lot also rests on the writing of the citation and its endorsement as it works its way through the approval system.

There have been quotas in the past on how many British gallantry medals can be awarded to Australians, irrespective of how many deserving nominees there were. This was probably to avoid a repeat of the battle of Rorke’s Drift situation where 11 VCs were awarded to British soldiers who had no option but to stand and fight.

The Order of Australia recognises Australians for “outstanding service and contributions” to the community.

The Order has four levels: Companion of the Order (AC), Officer of the Order (AO), Member of the Order (AM) and Medal of the Order (OAM).

Anyone can nominate an Australian for the Order of Australia. I

nominated one person for organising Missing-In-Action recovery work in Vietnam. My nominee, Jim Bourke, was made an AM.

Every year there are complaints about senior public servants nominating each other and receiving honours for doing their very well-paid jobs. But in any honours system there will always be inequalities. Inevitably, those who are deserving, but low profile, will miss out.

As British comedian Arthur Smith sadly noted: “I’m an award-winning comedian. Unfortunately, the award was for swimming.”

But never lose heart. Former President George Bush, a noted academic non-achiever, encouraged a graduating class as follows: “To those of you who received honours, awards and distinctions, I say well done. And to the C students, I say you, too, can be president of the United States.”

Clive Williams is a Canberra columnist.

★ Classes for children 5 months to 2 years of age

★ Independent Pre-Prschool program for 3 year olds

★ Preschool PLUS for 4 and over

★ Emphasis on development of motor skills, academic and social skills

★ Preparing children for formal schooling by introducing structure and routines in a play based fun and creative atmosphere

Photo: Henry Moulds The George Cross.

Dr Rebecca takes the time to connect with patients

DENTIST Dr Rebecca Sun, owner of rfg Dentistry, believes in taking the time to genuinely understand and connect with patients

“We have serviced the Canberra community for over 25 years, with a focus on delivering ethical, educational, and empowering care,” she says.

Throughout its history, r f has been owned and operated by female dentists who have a strong sense of empathy and passion for dentistry. As of 2019, Dr Rebecca Sun became r Dentistry’s principal dentist and owner.

“What I really enjoy about my job is the amount of social contact,” she says.

“People think dentistry is very clinical and science-based, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a very social and caring profession which is what I love about it most.”

“I care about my patients both in regards to their oral health and also as unique individuals. I try to remember them, especially things important to them, whether it be hobbies, significant life events, et cetera. I’ve had fantastic conversations surrounding philosophy

Relaxed

rfg Dentistry

for over 25 years and is proudly locally owned and operated.

Our services include:

• Emergency Dentistry

• Mouthguards & Nightguards

• Crowns & Bridges

• Root Therapy

• Preventative Dentistry

• Teeth Whitening

• Restorations

• Dental Extractions

We believe in taking the time to genuinely understand and connect with our patients as we focus on delivering ethical, educational and empowering care.

Dentist Dr Rebecca Sun… “People think about dentistry as very science-based, but it’s actually a lot of caring and looking after people, too.”

ALL ABOUT WESTON CREEK & MOLONGLO

Go west for a strong sense of care and community

TO Canberra’s west is a district with a strong sense of community and a variety of friendly businesses, Weston Creek.

The district is home to a population of 24,630 across its eight suburbs –Waramanga, Fisher, Weston, Rivett, Duffy, Holder, Chapman and Stirling –with Molonglo Valley linking Weston Creek to the south, and Belconnen to the north.

Gardening with a positive impact

BFG & Sun is a small landscaping business offering gardening maintenance and design, says head gardener of Big Friendly Gardener, Marty Moss.

“Our gardeners value the positive impact on people, communities and our environment that organic gardening provides,” he says.

“We offer everything from lawn mowing and clearing, to garden mentoring, design and gardening projects, and maintenance.”

Helen is the senior horticulturist and garden mentor. She has qualifications in horticulture and permaculture backed up with health education.

“Cecilija has a bachelor of visual arts, with first-class honours, and she is a horticulturist and designer,” he says.

“Cecilija loves to emphasise the natural beauty of plants through a thoughtful, collaborative design process.

“Helen and Cecilija can work with you to create a garden design that works for your lifestyle.”

Marty says BFG & Sun is an inclusive employer, and an LGBTQI+ ally, with neurodiverse staff.

“We have 13 staff, two trucks and three trailers,” he says.

“Social justice is what we’re passionate about.

“As well as looking after people’s gardens and giving people self-confidence, or helping to look after their mental health, so they are better able to look after their own gardens.

BFG & Sun. Call 0438 338552, or visit bfgandsun.com.au

Growing together for children’s education

DENMAN Village Early Learning Centre has been open for a year with five children’s rooms and outdoor and indoor play areas, says owner Lise Percival.

“I wanted to cater for the com munity,” she says.

“I have been an early childhood teacher for more than 20 years, and I wanted to create my own space and environment.”

Lise says the state-of-the-art centre not only provides high-quality educa tion, but also feels like an extension of family.

“It takes a (Denman) village to raise a child, and everyone grows here together, both children and staff,” she says.

Lise says she enjoys children and has been told she has a natural ability with them.

“I enjoy seeing the children develop,” she says.

“Developing essential relationships and shaping the growth of your child drives our core philosophies.

“Our values are open communication, learning community, children’s

Denman Village Early Learning Centre, 7 Felstead Vista, Denman Prospect. Call 6287 3648, or visit denmanvillagechildcare.com.au

Big Friendly Gardener head gardener Marty Moss.

Denman Village Early Learning Centre owner Lise Percival.

of each other,” he says.

“Unlike some other schools in the same area, we are reasonably old. With that comes tradition, wisdom and an openness to purposeful growth in everything we do.

“We are a high-quality, community-oriented Catholic educational environment, where students thrive, staff are happy and parents are engaged.”

Cameron says the St Jude’s community believes in educating spirit, mind and body to embrace today and

that St Jude wrote one of the Epistles found in the ‘New students to strive towards.

St Jude’s has an education support dog, named Judy, to help with student anxiety.

“She is calm, caring and loving, a fantastic addition to our school community,” he says.

Cameron says with Molonglo continuing to grow, they are always open for new enrolments.

St Jude’s Primary School, Mulley Street, Holder. Call 6288 7688, or visit stjudesps.act.edu.au

Primary School and Early Learning Centre (Preschool)

St Jude’s Primary School students with cavoodle, Judy.

Healthy choices for staying fit and getting around

WHETHER for ease, financial or fitness reasons, more people are seeing and enjoying the benefits of commuting on two wheels.

For cyclists Canberra offers an intricate network of cycle paths making the trip to work a scenic and inexpensive ride.

For motorcyclists, it’s the freedom to move through traffic and all for a fraction of the cost of a car.

Here are some leading businesses deeply committed to supplying and maintaining Canberra’s two-wheeled transport options.

‘Above and beyond’ motorcycle mechanic

HD Hospital has supplied and serviced Harley Davidson motorcycles for six years now, says owner Dave.

“I have been a mechanic since I was 15, but motor cycle apprenticeships weren’t available,” he says.

“So I’ve now serviced everything in the industry, from buses to motorcycles and everything in between, but I’ve always been passionate about motorcycles.

“I’ve hung around bikers since I was 14, and I owned my first Triumph at 19.”

Dave says he hasn’t received a bad review in his six years of running HD Hospital.

“My work is always in the customer’s favour,” he says.

“My reviews say it all, lots of customers say I go above and beyond.

“I have an open-door policy, I’m happy to help with anything and I give people a reason to come back.

“People aren’t intimidated by me, I’m friendly and I’m the most passionate motorcycle owner in the world.

“I also run Total Motor Service, with a full service and custom work. Just call.”

He also says he takes a lot of pride in his shop.

“It’s an old-school ‘70s vibe, a really good vibe,” he says.

HD Hospital, 15/18 Whyalla Street, Fyshwick. Call 0403 175304, or find them on Facebook. The HD Hospital workshop.

Flatten the hills and enjoy the ride

SWITCHED on Cycles is a local Canberra business that has been designing, importing, selling, customising, servicing and repairing e-bikes since 2008, says owner Simone

“That’s 15 years’ experience in helping people live healthier and more sustainable lives,”

“We sell a number of models, and our bikes are great for commuting because you can save on parking and petrol.

“If you are wanting to get on a bike, or stay on your bike for longer, but are worried about the hills, you need an e-bike.”

Simone says e-bikes flatten the hills and make riding fun.

“E-bikes are great options for people who want to reduce their reliance on cars,” she says.

“E-bikes are also great to combine with other modes of transport like getting to the tram/bus stop.”

Switched on Cycles offers a two-day trial, free of charge, and a seven-day trial for $70.

“We give your money back if you

buy a bike from us,” says Simone.

“We can also turn your existing bike into an e-bike.

“People are welcome, encouraged to come in, book a trial at a time convenient for both of us, and you can take a few models out to see if they work on your daily commute.

“I like that I get to do something I’m passionate about, which is active travel, getting people out of their cars and helping people to stay riding longer.”

Switched on Cycles, 62 Miller Street, O’Connor. Call 0450 960545, or visit switchedoncycles.com.au

One of the many e-bikes available from Switched on Cycles.

Make it a cost-effective commute

COOKIES Cycles has been operating in Franklin since 2015, says owner David Cook, and offers a large range of scooters, skateboards and bikes in analog and electric.

“With the current rises in the cost of living Cookies

Cycles have electric bikes for commuters that will save money on fuel and parking,” he says.

“With electric bikes starting at $1000, the cost to set yourself up to start commuting and improving fitness has never been better.

“We have bikes from Shogun, Smartmotion, NCM and XDS in stock and ready to test ride.

“If you would prefer to join the e-scooter craze we also have a large range of models from Shogun, Emove and Vsett.”

David says scooters for adults start at $850.

you will not pay any labour for repairs for 12 months. If there is a warranty problem you pay nothing, but if it is not warranty – a flat tyre or an accident – you only pay for parts and the team and I will fix your ride,” he says.

“You also get a free service at three and 10 months, and a 10 per cent discount on parts and accessories for 12 months.

“Cookies Cycles service and repair all products they sell, and will do mechanical repairs on most brands.

“The only thing we do not do is electrical repairs on brands that we do not sell.”

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

Colour bursts as autumn begins

AUTUMN colour in Canberra is spectacular this time of year.

The mature trees in some of the older suburbs are breathtaking and worth a drive around to have a look at in the next month or so.

The leaves in many deciduous trees and shrubs change colour from normal green to beautiful colours that can be a feature in any garden, big or small.

Autumn leaf change is a result of a chemical reaction. As the daylight hours diminish (as well as the temperature) there is less uptake of chlorophyll in leaves and other colours are more prominent as the tree prepares to drop its leaves. Pigments such as carotenoids produce orange and yellow hues in the leaves and the anthocyanins pigment displays the reds and purples.

These coloured leaves are compost gold to the home gardener. A wire circular cage with a few star pickets at least a metre tall and wide is all that’s needed to get started.

Layer leaves in the bottom of the circular cage and sprinkle manure or blood and bone and water it in. When more leaves have fallen, repeat the process. Try and aerate the pile every

now and then to let the air in and keep the pile wet, with moisture getting deep into the pile. Technically, it’s leaf mould, but it’s designed to decompose over the next few months, ready for garden beds in the spring.

Leaf mould is a soil improver and lightly dug into the soil will increase its water-holding capacity. It’s not as rich as compost and can be used on sensitive native plants and young, small plants.

Leaves of oaks, Manchurian pears and smaller leaves are easier and quicker to decompose, but if there are large, coarse leaves – such as plane trees or catalpas – the leaves can be shredded with the mower on the lawn, raked up and then put with other leaf mould.

Try not to add pine needles to the pile as they slow decomposition. They can be used for mulch on the strawberries or any acid-loving plants instead.

THIS season there have been many more caterpillars and butterflies, and none other than the orchard swallowtail, or more commonly the large citrus butterfly (Papilio aegeus).

This critter is native to all states, except Tasmania. It is known to eat native plants such as boronias, eriostemon and plants of the Rutaceae family as well.

While the caterpillar prefers to eat young leaves of natives, it also likes exotics such as citrus

trees and choisyas.

After eggs are laid and ready to hatch, the caterpillar will moult, change colour and then pupate to form a chrysalis before transforming into a butterfly that can live up to at least three months.

The citrus butterfly should not be confused with the dainty swallowtail butterfly (Papilio anactus), which is smaller than its counterpart and the smallest of all swallowtail butterflies. Both are a minor pest. It’s great to see them around knowing they’re not nuisance enough to remove.

Keep a look out for other bugs such as green vegetable bugs, vine hoppers and cut worms around the vegetable patch. Place sticky traps in the garden to monitor what insects are around before treating to ensure you’re not killing off beneficial ones.

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au

Jottings…

• Cut back hellebores hard and winter Iris leaves and feed with compost.

• Fertilise lawn as the weather cools.

• Clear summer crops out of veggie beds and put in a green manure crop.

• Keep watering dahlias and chrysan- themums as they are flowering.

Female swallowtail butterfly… the smallest of all swallowtail butterflies. Photos: Jackie Warburton

Autumn colour in Canberra… worth a drive around older suburbs to have a look.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

INSIDE When greediness gets in the way of a good story

Success is smiling on the kid from Kulture Break

By Helen MUSA

CANBERRANS got used to calling Tim Omaji by his hip-hop name Timomatic, but these days as a leading stage performer, he’s better known by his birth name.

Either way, he’s “our Tim” and with the announcement that he’s going to play the role of Ike Turner in “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical,” he’s bigger than ever.

I caught up with Omaji by phone to Sydney, where he says he’s been based for 11 years.

Well not quite. He had a solid 18-month run playing Toulouse-Lautrec in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”, which premiered in Melbourne last year.

But forget Sydney and Melbourne. Canberra is undoubtedly the place where he fine-tuned his art.

Arriving here as a 10-month-old from Nigeria after his dad got a scholarship to study sociology and criminology, he spent the first five years of his life in the ACT, later schooling in Perth and Darwin as he and the family followed his father‘s academic career. He landed back in Canberra at Narrabundah College in year 12 and immediately started dancing and teaching with Francis

Owusu’s youth empowerment organisation, Kulture Break.

“That nurtured me as an artist, especially in terms of entertainment and it also nurtured my love of stagecraft,” he says.

“Timomatic was my stage name for music, but Tim Omaji is my stage name for acting and my actual name.”

As Timomatic, he became well-known in Canberra as a break-dancer before branching out into singing, which had been part of his family life.

Omaji’s parents have now repatriated to Nigeria, but he tells me that because of his upbringing he feels that “my African heritage is part of me”.

“I grew up with music in a Nigerian household where music and the love of music is intrinsic to the culture. It makes you free,” he says.

With an academic father, it is unsurprising that on leaving school, he enrolled at the University of Canberra to study psychology and management, but dropped out after six months to pursue his interests with Kulture Break.

A move to Melbourne followed, after which in 2008 he did a diploma in vocal training at JMC Academy, then in 2009 auditioned for “So You Think You Can Dance”.

“That really introduced me to people in the industry and throughout Australia,” he says.

In 2010 he scored a role in “Fame: The Musical” in Melbourne, on the back of which

he got into “Australia’s Got Talent” in 2011, an intro to the Australian music scene. He has since become a four-time platinum recording artist.

Later he would become a judge on “Australia’s Got Talent”, for which he won a Logie nomination – “it made me easy with audiences,” he says.

But it wasn’t until he got a role at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre in the musical “In the Heights” in 2018 that Omaji fell in love with the craft of acting and went on to study screen acting in Los Angeles and Sydney.

A role as Sam Onatou in the Australian season of “Madiba: The Musical” followed, then the part of Monty, the disco MC in “Saturday Night Fever” in 2019 at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney.

“Madiba” was supposed to go to America, but then covid struck, but it doesn’t seem to have fazed Omaji much.

“I created music, played a role in the Netflix mini-series “Clickbait”, which was filmed during covid and fell in love – I got a girlfriend,” he says.

The role in “Moulin Rouge” followed and now he’s preparing for the part of a lifetime playing the intriguing Ike Turner.

“I play a character that has so much darkness, it’s a challenge to play a character like this,” Omaji says.

“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” Theatre Royal Sydney, May 4-31.

Tim Omaji… “I grew up with music in a Nigerian household where music and the love of music is intrinsic to the culture. It makes you free.”

When greediness gets in the way of a good story STREAMING

THIS month, Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal stars in a blockbuster series where he does anything and everything it takes to protect his young companion from a hostile and desolate world.

“The Last Of Us”? Actually, no. I refer to the newest season of “Star Wars” spin-off “The Mandalorian”, which has returned for a third instalment on Disney Plus.

Pascal is back as the bounty hunter who trots the galaxy far, far away with his incor rectly named and adorably puppeteered friend “Baby Yoda”.

It’s been more than two years since the last season of “Mandalorian” dropped, one that (spoiler alert) featured an emotionally charged ending which included the return of Luke Skywalker in a nostalgic, but slightly off-putting CGI form.

In it the show’s titular bounty hunter left the young alien with Skywalker in what was a heartbreaking goodbye and terrific way to draw their journey together to a close.

Or so some of us thought.

It seems the producers realised that without that core dynamic of Mando and Baby Yoda, the show would fall apart. Oops.

In what appeared as a panic move, they quickly reunited the characters in “The Book of Boba Fett”, (yet another “Star Wars” spinoff) in order to make sure they got more episodes out of “The Mandalorian”.

What a way to water down season two’s finale.

What’s the point of following a plot to its emotional climax, if Disney is just going to change things in order to milk the series dry?

It’s an example of greed getting in the way of a good story and even as an avid fan

of “Star Wars” it’s got me sceptical about coming back for a third season. Personally, the show is going to have to do a lot more to earn back my trust as a viewer.

WHETHER you’re a “Star Wars” fan or not, “The Mandalorian” star Pedro Pascal is certainly the man of the moment.

His performance of that other gritty, protective father figure in “The Last of Us” has helped to break viewership records for streaming service Binge, which has extended its deal to bring HBO content to

That means for the next few years shows such as “The White Lotus”, “True Detective”, “House of the Dragon” and more will continue to be found on Binge, giving it an almighty edge in the streaming wars.

Intriguingly, the no doubt eye-watering price of that content deal remains tight-

ON March 27 season four of “Succession” will be the latest HBO phenomenon to hit screens on the platform.

For those uninitiated, this wildly popular drama is about a fictional billionaire family called the Murdochs, sorry, I mean the “Roys” who battle and bicker over the media throne sat on by its patriarch.

It’s been confirmed that season four will be the last for “Succession”, news that has fans disappointed yet excited to see how things will wrap up.

Yes, it will be a shame to no longer see the Roys on TV screens, but “Succession” will secure a legacy by choosing to drop the curtain now.

I’D be remiss not to mention Netflix’s newest sensation “Emily The Criminal”, a movie which makes it easy to forgive its main character for turning to a life of crime. It’s the trick that makes this pacy thriller work.

At the centre of the story is Emily, a twenty-something woman saddled with crippling student debt and who is locked out of the job market due to a DUI she copped a few years earlier.

In her desperation to make some money, she stumbles upon the opportunity to get involved in a credit-card fraud scheme. What comes after is a spiral into Los Angeles’ criminal underworld.

Hot off the hype of “The White Lotus”, Aubrey Plaza takes on the lead role in this film and her performance goes a long way in making the film work.

Clocking in at a crisp 96 minutes, “Emily The Criminal” does a fine job in not outstaying its welcome. It’s an example of a concept that could easily have been turned into a series, but one that chooses to leave its audience wanting more, not less. Disney could take a page from its book.

“The Mandalorian” star Pedro Pascal… certainly the man of the moment with his role in “The Last of Us”.

Australian to play at coronation

By Liz Hobday in Melbourne

AUSTRALIAN violin virtuoso Madeleine Easton will play at the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London.

“I feel completely honoured and a bit starstruck, I just keep pinching myself thinking how could this have happened? How can little me be going to such an incredible event?” she told AAP.

“But strange and amazing things do happen.”

Easton will play her rare 1682 Giovanni Grancino violin with the English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir at the event on May 6 – news she has had to keep under wraps for several months.

The star violinist has played at Westminster Abbey many times and even Buckingham Palace, and expects the occasion will come with strict security protocols.

King Charles is a well-known classical music lover and the royal patron of the Monteverdi Choir and orchestra, the Royal College of Music, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra.

Probably the first monarch to be such an enthusiast since King George II in the 18th century, it is expected King Charles will champion classical music during his reign.

“Classical music is so much a part of him and his soul at a really very deep level,” Easton said. She will perform pieces by JS Bach and Anton Bruckner as people enter the abbey, conducted by her mentor Sir John Eliot Gardiner, who is a

friend of the king.

Easton has been working with the famous conductor and Bach expert since 2003 and has played on many of his recordings.

Sir John’s country property in Dorset neighbours the King’s Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, and the two share an enthusiasm for organic farming and animal breeding.

“So many times on tour John Eliot would say: ‘Oh yes, Charles and I swapped breeding cattle the other day… we got together, had a glass of

Justine’s world premiere as Julia

By Helen Musa

CANBERRA Theatre Centre joins forces with Sydney Theatre Company for the world premiere of Joanna Murray-Smith’s new play “Julia”. Australia’s first female prime minister is played by “Play School” star Justine Clarke. Expect to hear something of the famous misogyny speech. The Playhouse, March 18-25.

NATIONAL Opera has announced it will not produce a major production in 2023, but will announce mid-year an April 2024 production. However, coming up is “From Broken Hill to Bel Canto”, a recital concert by Canberratrained soprano Louise Keast, who has returned to town after treading the boards in Sydney and Germany. Wesley Music Centre, 5pm, March 19.

CANBERRA playwright Dylan

from Abba and the Beatles to FS Kelly, Kats-Chernin, Haas and Beethoven. Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Barton, 5pm, March 25. Unsuitable for children.

DANE Lam is back with the CSO to conduct Stravinsky, Beethoven, and the “Dances with Devils Percussion Concerto” by Australian composer Iain Grandage, performed by percussionist, Claire Edwardes. Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, March 22-23.

GOLD and silver-smithing maestro Johannes Kuhnen, who now works from his Carwoola studio, is a finalist for the 2023 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize for his work, “Vessel – Red Centre”, to be exhibited in the Noguchi Museum, New York, May 17-June 18.

wine and swapped the cattle’,” Easton said. She says she is “super proud” to be representing Australia at the coronation.

“Regardless of whether you’re a monarchist or not, Australia is part of the Commonwealth and it’s important the Commonwealth is represented at this occasion,” Easton said.

Easton is the founder of the Bach Akademie Australia, which launches its Sydney season in late March with a performance of Bach’s Missa Brevis in F. –AAP

The Sallys take centre stage

By Helen Musa

TWO of Canberra’s leading musical figures are taking centre stage at the coming Bowral Autumn Music Festival, held in the autumnal surrounds of historic St Jude’s church.

Sally Greenaway, festival composer for 2023, will see her work “Of Moths and Moonlight”, premiered on the Friday night concert by Sally Walker, billed as “Australia’s best flautist”. Pianist Vivian Choi Milton will accompany her.

Festival artistic director Myee Clohessy says: “Sally [Greenaway] is the warmest, most friendly composer, whose head is full of beautiful music… She takes inspiration from the beauty of nature, which reflects in her music’s delicate yet complex themes.”

For her part, Greenaway describes her commissioned work as “a delicate and poetic meditation inspired by the shimmering beauty and fragility of moths”.

Her first piano trio, “Le Parc Monceau” and a choral work, “If I Could (Have Given You a Note)”, with lyrics by Canberra poet and artist Sarah Rice, will also receive NSW premieres at the festival.

Two years ago, Greenaway’s mini-opera, “Da Vinci‘s Apprentice”, formed the centrepiece of the festival’s regular family concert, but this time Clohessy, known for working with musical children, is creating “Musica Floreat”, where the performers are young people such as Sienna Hagan, who will play a composition by Greenaway.

The festival will also include premieres of new works by Australian composers such as Andrew Ford and Elena Kats-Chernin.

The Highlands Music Collective, formed in 2019 to play chamber music among friends and colleagues, will play at the festival finale with solo violinist Cedar-Rose

Van Den Berg is once again on the shortlist for the $30,000 Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, part of the 2023 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, this time for his play “Whitefella Yella Tree”. He won it in 2021.

CHRIS Latham will join Musica da Camera and a star-studded cast of soloists to tell the story of the peacekeeping mission, complete with War Memorial projections, music

NEWLY-formed local early music ensemble, Apeiron Baroque, is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team John Ma and Marie Searles, who have recently returned after years performing in Europe. Their first concert included a sonata of wild-animal sounds by Heinrich Biber, a dance tune from Scotland and music from a cloistered nun trapped in a time bubble – as well as some Handel, Telemann, and JS Bach. Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, 5pm, March 25.

Madeleine Easton says she’s feeling starstruck ahead of her performance at King Charles’ coronation.

Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAP

piano trio by Elena Kats-Chernin and Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons”.

Bowral Autumn Music Festival, March 23-26.

By Richard CALVER

I WAS in training for the walking, biking and kayaking that I undertook in NZ recently. I was conscious of the need to eat well and

How much weight do I gain from the two glasses of wine I generally drink with my dinner (90 per cent of the time a red)? Is red wine healthy?

Cafe with healthy food at its core

By Wendy JOHNSON

EIGHTY Twenty has opened its eighth location at the corner of Giles and Tench streets in Kingston.

The café is spacious inside and

has a large outdoor dining area, surrounded by greenery and with umbrellas for days when the sun is intense.

It was brunch time and three of us headed to Eighty Twenty to give it a go.

Healthy food is at the core of Eighty Twenty’s philosophy, which espouses how life should be 80 per cent mindfulness and 20 per cent indulgence (my friends and I might

have to reality check our dining habits against this equation).

Coffee was good and the all-day menu covers breakfast options, pasta, burgers, bite-sized meals and salads. Smoothies, cold-pressed and fresh juices, hot and cold drinks, and acacia bowls also feature.

While ordering at the cash register (take a number and your food is served at the table), I was asked if I wanted a side of smoked salmon with

my Green Nourish bowl ($20). Why not?

This breakfast bowl deserves the “nourish” label. It was absolutely packed with colourful ingredients and a combo of textures – grilled zucchini, crunchy cauliflower, bright broad beans, crispy kale, asparagus and peppy pepitas. The semi-dried capsicum pesto added zing and the poached egg was cooked “just so” (not hard, not too runny). I loved the chilli salt. The smoked salmon was such a generous serve, I shared it with a friend (I hate food wastage).

From the bite-sized section of the meal came the smashed avo and Danish feta dish, on Three Mills sourdough ($15). Topping matters off was a poached egg and lemon wedge.

The avo with twist dish ($17) was well presented and loaded with goodness. Mounded on top of a thick slice of sourdough were chunks of fresh avo, lime salsa, diced bacon, tomatoes, slices of red onion and crumbled Danish feta. The free-range egg was an additional $5.

Those wanting something small and sweet can check the cabinets at the front of the café (prices vary). Oodles of options here, including choc-chip brownie, pistachio slice, banana bread and muffins. Pre-prepared wraps and sandwiches are available for something quick.

Eighty Twenty had only been open a short time on our visit and may have to work at its efficiency levels. We waited more than 10 minutes at a table loaded with dirty dishes from previous customers before heading inside to ask if some one could clear matters. It’s not that the staff weren’t outside often serving others… it’s just they hadn’t picked up on the smart idea that they could bring something coming out and take something in going back.

generally weigh more than women and have more of an unnamed enzyme that metabolises alcohol.

I looked up a technical, medical paper on how alcohol is metabolised by the body to establish that there are, in fact, two critical enzymes that I believe were being referred to: alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2).

I already knew that red wine is touted as containing anti-inflammatory properties although alcohol per se (ethanol) has the opposite effect. The Mayo clinic website says this about the ingredient in red wine, as well as in grape juice, known as resveratrol, that has been isolated as beneficial.

“Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a lower risk of inflammation and blood clotting, which can lower the risk of heart disease. But other studies found no benefits from resveratrol in preventing heart disease,” the website says.

Another website reminded readers that the benefits of red wine are only conferred when the consumption is moderate and there is an otherwise healthy lifestyle.

The Mayo Clinic’s recommendations are consistent with that proposition. They advise not to drink alcohol, but if you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. They say that for healthy adults, moderation means (one drink being 148 millilitres or five ounces):

Up to one drink a day for women of all ages.

• Up to one drink a day for men older than age 65.

Up to two drinks a day for men aged 65 and younger.

This recommendation is not a reflection of sexism. It seems that the

Plus each five-ounce glass of wine contains around 120 calories, so that’s 240 extra calories for the two glasses of wine with dinner that have to be taken into the reckoning when weight loss and fitness are on the agenda. You need to walk for about 50 minutes at a medium pace to burn off the calories from two glasses. There is also the factor that sometimes after drinking two glasses of wine, you get the munchies and decide that an extra chocolate bar is okay to consume. So there’s also your emotional control to think of: wine loosens inhibitions.

Nutritionist Michele Chevalley Hedge’s book, “Eat Drink and Still Shrink”, was the most helpful in planning my eating and drinking regime. It is plainly written and recommended three meals a day, with the occasional treat like a glass of wine. This advice holds where the food centres on being unprocessed and contains quality fats (avocado, nuts), protein and complex carbohydrates. Reducing sugar intake is key. While sometimes a bit too “jolly hockey sticks” for me, it’s worth a read.

On wine Chevalley Hedge says she enjoys two drinks a night as a maximum with at least two alcohol-free nights a week. She says that if you do occasionally binge, just ask yourself why, with the implication that the issue is way beyond looking for the healthiest food and wine options.

Every now and then we go just a little bit further than the two recommended glasses of wine a day. But, of course, that’s just about living life and sometimes reaching for as much pleasure as we can grab.

“Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the

How much weight from my two glasses of wine?

The Green Nourish bowl with a side of smoked salmon.

Photos: Wendy Johnson

The smashed avo and Danish feta… on sourdough with a poached egg and lemon wedge.

to reduce extraneous calories.

A tipple of red... each five-ounce glass of wine contains around 120 calories.

HOROSCOPE PUZZLES

Your week in the stars

By Joanne Madeline Moore

20-26 March, 2023

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Restless Rams are ready to charge off in exciting new directions as the Sun, New Moon, Mercury and Jupiter light up your sign. Time to percolate ideas, make plans and be proactive! Plus, Pluto shifts into your hopes-and-wishes zone, so it’s a wonderful week to set transformative goals and dream powerful dreams. Be inspired by Aries birthday great, actress Reese Witherspoon: “I believe ambition is not a dirty word. It’s just believing in yourself and your abilities.”

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

The New Moon lights up your seclusion zone so you’re keen to meditate, contemplate, ruminate and rejuvenate. But don’t use it as an excuse to hide away and escape the worries and challenges of the world. For the first time in 248 years, powerful Pluto transits into your career zone, so there are ambitious goals to set and lofty heights to reach. Which will require hard work, passion and plenty of persistence. No snoozing on the sideline, Bulls!

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

This week’s stars help you communicate your ideas with extra power and passion. You’re keen to link up with like-minded friends and influential people at work and within your peer group. But don’t get so stirred up and side-tracked that you lose sight of the authentic Gemini within. With Pluto transiting into your travel and aspirations zones, plan a life-changing trip for sometime soon – an adventure that will stretch you in transformative new directions.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Have you been avoiding a tricky person or a difficult situation? Crabs tend to sidestep problems (or just put their heads in the sand). With four planets in Aries and Mars charging into your sign, try a more direct approach as you face challenges head-on. Aim to communicate your ideas in positive and proactive ways. As birthday belle Reese Witherspoon observes: “Confidence is everything.” With Pluto powering into your loyalty zone, trust is also everything.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

If you’re trying to get a project off the ground, make sure you cover all bases – from loved ones to work colleagues and international connections. It’s also a suitable time to plan your next holiday as the New Moon activates your adventure and aspirations zones. Make your goals and travel plans as exciting as possible. Be inspired by birthday great, pioneering feminist Gloria Steinem: “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.”

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Research something thoroughly (with your Virgo X-ray vision) and then tell it like it is. Other people will appreciate your direct, no-nonsense approach. It’s also a good time to read a detective story, uncover a secret, solve a puzzling problem, or get to the bottom of an intriguing mystery. But the more you try to control others, the more they are likely to resist. So, if you want to avoid ongoing power struggles, learn to diplomatically let go and move on.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Is a close relationship stuck in a stultifying rut? This week the Sun, New Moon, Jupiter and Mercury encourage you to blast away the cobwebs and look at things from a fresh angle. But how well do you really know your nearest and dearest?

Powerful Pluto shifts into your romance, children and friendship zones – for the first time in 248 years! So, it’s time to dig deeper and gain valuable insights into the inner motivations of a lover, friend or family member.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Prepare for some big changes, as your ruler, Pluto, transits into adventurous Aquarius – for the first time since 1798! There’s also a New Moon in your wellbeing zone, so take a close look at your diet and fitness levels. Can you introduce healthier food choices, stop bad habits (like smoking) or reboot your exercise program? Avoid the temptation to operate on autopilot. If you shake up your daily domestic routine, it will put an extra spring in your Scorpio step.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Sagittarians can be selfish, self-indulgent souls. This week, with the Sun, New Moon, Mercury and Jupiter spotlighting your leisure and pleasure zones, you’ll be preoccupied with your immediate entertainment wants and personal pampering needs. However, over the next few years, you’ll gradually shift your focus further afield as Pluto teaches you that social responsibility and local community connections are just as important as individual priorities.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

This week – after over fourteen years in Capricorn – Pluto transits into Aquarius. And the New Moon activates your domestic zone. So it’s a good time to support a family member, get stuck into a DIY project or clean and declutter your living space. But how will you decide what to keep and what to discard? Draw inspiration from designer and birthday great William Morris: “Have nothing in your house which you know not to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Powerful Pluto transits into your sign – for the first time since 1798! So curious, quirky Aquarians are keen to ricochet off in transformative new directions. And don’t worry about making messy, complicated (or embarrassing) mistakes along the way. Keep stretching your wings, trying new things and being the authentic you! Be inspired by birthday great, soul singer Aretha Franklin: “Be your own person, and always be confident in what you’re doing.”

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

Tuesday night’s fiery New Moon lights up your cash zone, which signals a fresh financial chapter. So the more proactive you are about money matters, the better your fiscal future will be. The Equinox also falls on Tuesday, which favours meditation and contemplation, as you aim for more equilibrium and perspective at Casa Pisces. And then Pluto shifts into your solitude and spirituality zone, which further highlights the focus on peace-of-mind and strong self-esteem.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2023

General knowledge crossword No. 872

3 Which term displays the qualities of culture and learning? (8)

7 Name a Biblical performer of herculean exploits. (6)

8 Which European ruling house includes the royal family of Monaco? (8)

9 What is anything published, broadcast, etc, in many instalments? (6)

10 Name an island in San Francisco Bay, the site of a former US prison. (8)

11 To have fallen into disuse, is to have done what? (6)

14 What is the position or bearing of the body while standing? (6)

17 What is a large coloured handkerchief? (8)

18 Which European kingdom is bordered by Sweden, Finland and Russia? (6)

19 What is an act of cutting back or pruning? (8)

20 What, in cricket, are scores made from byes, wides, etc? (6)

21 Which term describes an open sports car? (8)

Solution next edition Down

1 Name an elaborate showy musical passage. (7)

2 What are Inuits also known as? (7)

3 Which country is bordered by Wales and Scotland? (7)

4 What is a small case containing a mirror, face powder, and a puff? (7)

5 Name a system of aircraft navigation. (7)

6 When rain falls gently, it does what? (7)

11 Name an alternative term for a navvy. (7)

12 What is a cure-all known as? (7)

13 When time passes by, it does what? (7)

14 Name another term for a wrench. (7)

15 Which blue mineral is an ore of copper? (7)

16 Name an aromatic seed used in cookery and medicine. (7)

FREE PUZZLES EVERY DAY AT citynews.com.au

WINNUNGA NIMMITYJAH ABORIGINAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

Winnunga Nimmityjah AHCS is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal community of the ACT. In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health. The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal people in the ACT.

Our aim is to provide a culturally safe, holistic health care service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding regions. The holistic health care provided by Winnunga AHCS includes not only medical care, but a range of programs to promote good health and healthy lifestyles.

Our services include:

• GP and Nursing

• Midwifery

• Immunisations

• Health Checks

• Men’s & Women’s Health

• Hearing Health

• Dental

• Physiotherapy

• Podiatry

• Dietician (Nutrition)

• Counselling

• Diabetes Clinic

• Quit Smoking Services / No More Boondah

• Needle Syringe Program

• Mental Health Support

• Healthy Weight Program

• Healthy Cooking Group

• Mums and Bubs Group / Child Health

• Optometry Service

• Psychology and Psychiatrist

• Community Events

• Groups

ALL OUR SERVICES ARE FREE OF CHARGE • WE MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH TRANSPORT

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.

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