CityNews 230406

WHEN PUBLIC SERVANTS FAIL TO BE FRANK AND FEARLESS MICHAEL MOORE

The flawed ecology argument of high-rise infill BEATRICE BODART-BAILEY

KEEPING UP THE ACT

The art of fobbing off ministers

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

7 BIG PAGES

Prima Facie

by Suzie Miller

This is not life. This is law.

presents:

FESTIVAL @GINNINDERRY

SATURDAY 15 APRIL 10AM-4PM

As Canberra’s Most Sustainable Community, Ginninderry is proud to present INSPIRE.

Be inspired to live sustainably and learn about the latest trends, products and innovations designed for a brighter future.

Take an EV for a spin, learn new gardening skills, sample food and products from local artisans and producers, and participate in workshops and activities designed for all ages.

Whether you want to learn more about a sustainable lifestyle or are simply looking for a fun day out with the family, Ginninderry’s INSPIRE Festival is an absolute must-experience event.

For the full program visit Ginninderry.com/inspire

SPECIAL GUESTS

DAMON GAMEAU

EMMA MACDONALD

MATTHEW EVANS

PAUL WEST

EDWINA ROBINSON

ANGUS STEWART

Bonthrone Street, Strathnairn

(follow the signs from Drake Brockman Drive Holt)

GX Display Village

A crack at the facts that are all about Easter

NOTHING says Easter more than chocolate eggs and double demerits!

While the driving penalties will apply from 12.01am, April 6, and run through until 11.59pm on April 10, tra dition has it that Easter eggs should be left intact until Easter Sunday. Good luck resisting that temptation.

ACT and NSW Police say double de merits will apply to drivers and riders who are speeding, using their mobile phones, not wearing a seatbelt and/or riding without a helmet.

Someone in the office wasn’t sure what Easter was really about – eggs? rabbits? Jesus?

The “Encyclopedia Britannica” says: “Easter is one of the principal holidays, or feasts, of Christianity. It marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion.

“For many Christian churches, Easter is the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence.

“The earliest recorded observance of Easter comes from the 2nd century, though it is likely that even the earliest Christians commemorated the Resurrection, which is an integral tenet of the faith.”

And the rabbits?

Wikipedia says the Easter Bunny is a folkloric figure and symbol of Easter, bringing Easter eggs.

“Originating among German Lu-

therans, the ‘Easter Hare’ originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether children were good or disobedient in behaviour at the start of the season of Eastertide,” the website says.

“As part of the legend, the creature carries coloured eggs in its basket, as well as candy, and sometimes toys, to the homes of children.”

Apparently the custom was first mentioned in 1682, referring to a German tradition of an Easter Hare bringing eggs for the children.

And the eggs?

Here’s “Britannica’s” take: “The egg was a widely used premodern and pre-Christian symbol of fertility and restoration.

“The tradition of dyeing and decorating Easter eggs is ancient, and its origin is obscure, but it has been practised in both the Eastern Orthodox and the Western churches since the Middle Ages.

“The church prohibited the eating of eggs during Holy Week, but chickens continued to lay eggs during that week, and the notion of specially

Since 1993: Volume 29, Number: 14

Managing director: Kate Meikle, kate@citynews.com.au

Sales director: Tracey Avery, 0477 939999

Senior advertising account executive: David Cusack, 0435 380656

Advertising account executives: Damien Klemke, 0439 139001 Tim Spare, 0423 381691

Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au

Journalist: Lily Pass, lily@citynews.com.au

Arts editor: Helen Musa, helen@citynews.com.au

Production manager: Janet Ewen

Graphic Designer: Mona Ismail

Proof reader: Glenda Anderson

Distribution manager: penny@citynews.com.au

identifying those as Holy Week eggs brought about their decoration.

“The egg itself became a symbol of the Resurrection. Just as Jesus rose from the tomb, the egg symbolised new life emerging from the eggshell.” The BBC says the first chocolate eggs appeared in France and Germany in the 19th century, but they were bitter and hard.

As chocolate-making techniques improved, hollow eggs were developed with Fry’s selling the first hollow chocolate Easter eggs in the UK in 1873.

Meanwhile, the Easter tradition of bunging up the price of petrol continues with local motorists being warned that petrol prices will creep up over the Easter long weekend, with prices likely to drift above $2 a litre.

The NRMA has the usual advice, shop around because there’s 14-cent difference between the highest and lowest prices for a litre of regular unleaded. But beware: Costco, Canberra’s leader in cheap petrol, is closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

There’s no garbage collection on Good Friday, but the Friday wheelies will be emptied the following morning, Saturday, April 8 instead.

Public transport travellers will also be affected over Easter with buses defaulting to a Sunday timetable on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday. Trams will operate at a public holiday frequency, with services run-

ning every 15 minutes between 7am and 11pm.

Something else to consider… the weather.

Easter usually signals the start of the cooler period in Canberra, with temperatures averaging a maximum of 20C and a minimum of 7C.

No surprises then to know this year is expected to be much the same. Weather25.com is forecasting a high of 22C and a low of 10C on Good Friday with, so far, no sign of rain.

Saturday and Easter Sunday look like reaching highs of 19C, but Saturday will reach a low of 9C and Sunday to reach 6C. Easter Monday should reach 17C from behind some clouds, with a low of 5C.

The ACT Libraries are all closed, including return chutes, but the national institutions are mostly all open, including on Good Friday.

Among the other stuff to get out and enjoy, there’s:

• The 2023 National Folk Festival at Epic, April 6-10, features headline acts Billy Bragg and The Waifs among the weekend spread of more than 145 artists.

• The Little Burley Markets on Lake Burley Griffin will open on Saturday from 9am with stallholders offering some Easter-themed specials and treats.

Research by Lily Pass

Cartoon: Paul Dorin

ACT government values at odds with residents’

THERE’S a huge gap in values between those of the residents of this city and those of the ACT’s planning authority.

Canberra’s community groups have been writing submissions about their aspirations and urban priorities for more than a decade.

However, what the chief planner proposed for planning reforms bears no resemblance to what has been a decade or more of clear communications from residents.

The last 12 months have been tiring for those who responded to the multiple calls for feedback by the ACT Planning Directorate. It has been a very frustrating and annoying experience.

How submissions are treated once received is horrible if the planning reform drafts are anything to go by. It has been hard to spot how feedback changed the directions of the reforms.

The directorate’s dealings are seen as being based on a lack of respect for residents, their homes, their families, their suburbs and their city. This was made clear with the recent chief planner’s proposed reforms, which were rolled out in an ad hoc, piecemeal and patronising manner – in fact some aspects are yet to be revealed.

The drafts as presented are more complex than and just as opaque as

which had themselves been complete ly messed up by this same planning directorate.

People responded in good faith to what seemed very haphazardly thrown together drafts on district planning and the planning bill. That good faith was not reciprocated by the bureaucracy.

With each stage of the roll out, the message was that the draft documentations were almost the final versions. Yet residents were encouraged to provide feedback and many did.

Spoiler alert: the reforms are not about planning, not about a city for people and not about biodiversity, climate, design and everything else to

enhance this cherished city in the landscape. The proposition is to deregulate developments to allow profit-making easier for developers.

For those who engaged honestly with the planning directorate hoping to have their voices heard, the end result was a nasty taste – a feeling that the community was being taken for a ride, as fools, to be not taken seriously.

Many people became more disillusioned with and distrustful of the Greenslabor government – thanks to the culture of this disingenuous planning directorate. They felt that this reform process was an insult to the dignity of residents.

It would have been far more civil

if the ACT’s elected politicians (of all colours) and the planning bureaucrats had taken the time to read and seriously consider the last decades of work by the community sector. They would then have come to understand the intelligence and expertise behind the list of the community’s aspirations and the priorities.

If dignity and respect for the community had been the basis for how the government conducted engagement, by now many changes could have been negotiated and implemented. It did not need these badly thrown together draft reforms to bring about change. What is required is a reform of the culture and a serious change of personnel within this directorate.

This “city in a landscape” should be enhanced to be a city for future generations to enjoy. It should not become less green and more like one massive heat island.

The people who live here have a clear vision for the city. It has been clearly articulated through their own suburban master plans, their surveys, their submissions, their own district strategies, their stories, histories, heritage and much more.

What the government’s planning

reforms illustrated clearly is that values that underpin the values and vision of the community as set out in their documentation are very different to those that inform the actions of the chief minister and his planning directorate’s bureaucracy.

Mutual respect, humane values, creativity, innovation, urban design and a mature approach to community engagement have been totally missing from how this Greenslabor government relates to the Canberra communities.

I suspect the people of the city are here to stay. That leaves the other option as the more viable – the culture and leadership of the government and the planning directorate need to drastically and urgently change.

Paul Costigan is a commentator on cultural and urban matters. There are more of his columns at citynews.com.au

For those who engaged with the planning directorate, the end result was a feeling that the community was being taken for a ride, as fools, to be not taken seriously.

Unheard… submissions from community groups that fall on deaf ears at the Planning Directorate.

Will the herpes virus kill off the carp problem?

ray create perfect conditions for carp because they give fish access to floodplains yearround.

WITH widespread La Niña flooding in the Murray-Darling Basin, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) populations are having a boom year.

Videos of writhing masses of adult and young fish illustrate that all is not well in our rivers.

Carp now account for up to 90 per cent of live fish mass in some rivers.

Concerned communities are wondering whether it is, at last, time for Australia to unleash the carp herpes virus to control populations – but the conversation among scientists, conservationists, communities and government bodies is only just beginning.

Globally, the carp virus has been detected in more than 30 countries but never in Australia. There are valid concerns to any future Australian release, including cleaning up dead carp, and potential significant reductions of water quality and native fish.

As river scientists and native fish lovers, let’s weigh the

benefits of releasing the virus against the risks, set within a context of a greater vision of river recovery.

A house of horrors for rivers

They cause dramatic ecological damage both here and in many countries. Carp were first in troduced in the 1800s, but it was only with “the Boolarra strain” that populations exploded in the basin in the early 1970s.

1970s, carp have since invaded 92 per cent of all rivers and wetlands in their present geo graphic range. There have been estimates of up to 357 million fish during flood conditions. This year, this estimate may even be exceeded. Carp are super-abundant right now because floods give them access to floodplain habitats. There, each large female can spawn millions of eggs and young have high survival rates. While numbers will decline

as the floods subside, the number of juveniles presently entering back into rivers will be stupendous.

The impacts of carp are like a house of horrors for our rivers. They cause massive degradation of aquatic plants, riverbanks and riverbeds

when they feed. They alter the habitat critical for small native fish, such as southern pygmy perch. And they can make the bed of many rivers look like the surface of golf balls – denuded and dimpled, devoid of any habitat.

Most strikingly, this feeding behaviour contributes to turbid rivers, reducing sunlight penetration and productivity for native plants, fish and broader aquatic communities.

Carp truly are formidable “ecosystem engineers”, which means they directly modify their environment, much like rabbits. Their design leads to aquatic destruction of waterways.

We know when their “impact threshold” exceeds 88 kilograms per hectare of adult carp, we see declines in aquatic plant health, water quality, native fish numbers and other aquatic values. At present, we expect carp to far exceed this impact threshold. For river managers, the challenge is to keep numbers below that level.

The carp herpes virus

The carp virus (Cyprinid herpesvirus 3) represents one of the only landscape-scale carp control options, although there are some exciting genetic modification technologies also emerging.

Mathematical modelling suggests the carp virus could cause a 40-60 per cent knockdown for at least 10 years, which may help tip the balance in favour of native fish. Certainly, there have been some well documented virus outbreaks in the US resulting in large-scale carp deaths.

The risks and benefits of a potential Australian release of a carp virus are transparently

Strategically lowering and removing weir pools to re-create flowing water habitats would be one solution to help Murray cod and other flowing-water specialists, such as silver perch, river snails and Murray crays. This is one of many integrated actions that could help tip the balance against carp.

Also, floodplain structures (which create artificial “floods”) generate static, warm-bathtub conditions that carp, being from Central Asia, prefer, contributing to huge numbers especially in dry years. Few medium or large native fish benefit from these conditions.

addressed under the federal government’s National Carp Control Plan, released last year. This plan provides some sorely needed leadership in the carp management space.

Risks the plan identifies include:

• Major logistic challenges in cleaning up dead carp

• Potentially serious shortterm deterioration in water quality

• Potential native fish deaths due to poor water quality.

On the other hand, the benefits of releasing the virus include:

• Recovery of aquatic biodiversity populations – fish, plants and invertebrates

• Major long-term improvements to water quality

• Improved social amenity of inland waterways.

As carp continue to destroy Australia’s riverine heritage, it’s time to lay our cards on the table and have a serious conversation about the carp virus.

Managing expectations is a key and the confidence of stakeholders and the community is vital for its success.

Like rabbits and other vertebrate pests, carp are emblematic of our inability to deal with entrenched pest animals. There are no silver bullets.

How else can we manage carp?

Rolling out the carp virus is only one potential pathway away from carp. If we truly want to reduce carp numbers and impacts in the long term then we need to examine all the roles humans play supporting them.

For example, the series of weir pools in the lower Mur-

Another pathway is to seek guidance from increasingly sophisticated environmental modelling, which can identify optimal population trajectories for native fish over carp. Now the floods have returned, we need to move away from local decisions at the site-scale and instead manage ecosystems across the entire Murray-Darling Basin.

The present flooding also reminds us of the huge potential increases in the numbers of golden perch, frogs, yabbies and water birds. Animals that eat carp (Murray cod, golden perch, pelicans, cormorants) should all be as fat as can be.

Looking beyond carp

Just like the huge numbers of dead native fish from the Darling River fish kills in 2018-2019, the huge numbers of carp is a big wake-up call on the poor state of rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin and how we’re managing them.

Perhaps what has been missing from the whole conversation is a vision for what our rivers should look like in 10 or 20 years’ time. We don’t want to leave a legacy of degraded rivers for future Australians.

River health is an issue all Australians, country and city, need to engage with. If we don’t identify a common purpose, then we will likely continue to remain in lockstep with the great armies of carp and rivers of fish kills for generations to come. We need to do better than this. The future of our rivers depends on it.

The authors are: fisheries ecologist Ivor Stuart, freshwater fish ecologist John Koehn, freshwater ecologist Katie Doyle and professor of fisheries and river management Lee Baumgartner, all from Charles Sturt University.

The common carp… now accounts for up to 90 per cent of live fish mass in some rivers.

Photo: WA Department of Water

Exploding carp numbers are “like a house of horrors” for our rivers. Is it time to unleash carp herpes? Fisheries scientists from Charles Sturt University take a look.

OPINION / ecology of high-rise buildings

The flawed ecological argument of high-rise infill

free-standing houses, but lower when calculated per person: 0.5 versus 0.6 for high-rise occupants.

SOME pesky perennial critics maintain that the motive for the government’s infill policy with high-rise housing is to increase rates without the cost of new infrastructure and fill the tram to show some return for the billions spent on it.

No, says Labor/Greens. It is to reduce our ecological footprint. This argument is backed by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) stating that: “Households living in apartment buildings with five or more units use about half as much energy as other types of homes.”

Rather ironically, a paper presented at the annual International Conference on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in Sydney in 2017 dropped the bombshell that a detailed study comparing energy consumption in Chicago high-rise and free-standing buildings showed that energy consumption per person in the latter was lower.

The EIA study ignores that a statistically significant number of apartment dwellers in the US are

of a lower economic status than single-house dwellers and forced to economise on living space, heating and cooling costs.

Attempting to avoid such distortion, the Chicago study compared the energy consumption of apartment and single-house dwellers of comparable socio-economic status and income.

In Canberra the gap between the socio-economic status of apartment and single-residence dwellers is much smaller than in the US and further reduced by the occupants of new luxury apartments. Hence the Chicago study is relevant.

The results are startling. As one would expect, the average Gross Floor Area (GFA) per household in freestanding houses is 53 per cent greater than that of high-rise flats (226sqm compared to 147sqm).

But when the GFA is calculated per person, free-standing homes show a greater GFA efficiency with 68.6sqm per person, compared to 77.4sqm per person in the high-rise setting.

The same applies to cars. Calculated per household, the number of cars per household is slightly higher with

Energy use, including heating and cooling, hot water and all other appliance and equipment operations show a similar result. Calculated per square metre, high-rise living shows a 5 per cent increase over single homes. With many of the single houses in this study of an older type and likely to have higher energy consumption than the more recently built energyefficient high-rise, this is again unexpected.

The reason is that beyond the space of individual flats, a considerable amount of common area, such as indoor pools, whirlpool spa and fitness centres with changing rooms and showers, as well as entrance halls, libraries and, of course, lifts and long corridors are part of the equation. With individual houses, savings can be made when all occupants are away or asleep, but this is not possible in the common areas of apartment buildings which are usually heated or cooled and lit 24/7, consuming a considerable amount of energy.

An important and often neglected factor is the so-called “Home Embodied Energy Cost”, the energy consumed in all on- and off-site activities necessary to construct and maintain the building, plus the embodied energy in the materials themselves.

Calculated on a 100-year life span, this resulted in an average annual value of 0.101 GJ per square metre for high-rise living and some 30 per cent less, 0.068 GJ per square metre, for free-standing homes (to convert GJ to kWh, multiply by 277.8).

Water consumption was, of course, higher for suburban single homes surrounded by gardens with 91,857 litres a year per person, as compared to 66,820 litres for high-rise occupants.

In Canberra where rainwater tanks connected to toilets, washing machines and garden taps are mandatory for all new houses, water consumption would be lower. An increasing number of solar panels is reducing electricity consumption for single houses, while the roofs of multi-story buildings frequently become entertainment areas and have little or no space for solar panels.

Similarly, saving energy by means of solar-passive design is problematic with apartment buildings. With freestanding houses, overhanging eaves and deciduous trees can protect the structure and its inhabitants from the heat of the summer sun while the low rays in winter can enter, warming the dwelling.

Thus, the claim that the ecological footprint of high-rise is less than that of free-standing houses is false. Moreover, the large amount of concrete of tall buildings and their surroundings

produces the urban heat island effect, the much-feared increase of temperatures when the sun heats up large amounts of concrete. Residents need air conditioners to survive in the heat of summer, emitting hot air, causing a vicious cycle.

This also happens with other infill, namely when additional homes replace the gardens of free-standing houses. The result is an increase in heat-related deaths which, according to the CSIRO, are much underestimated.

Rather than destroy WB Griffin’s world-famous garden city with infill housing, model suburbs using ecological building materials in gardens mitigating heat would add to Canberra’s reputation as an environmentally advanced city.

Columnist Jon Stanhope has established that the ACT government is banking urban-capable land for at least 30,000 individual blocks (CN March 16).

Further, a faster train to Sydney would permit the construction of satellite towns, reachable in less time than the outer suburbs of Canberra.

Historian Beatrice Bodart-Bailey is an honorary professor at the ANU School of Culture, History and Language and an emeritus professor of the Department of Comparative Culture, Otsuma Women’s University, Tokyo.

High-rise buildings reduce our ecological footprint, right? Not really, says BEATRICE

BODART-BAILEY, who offers proof that living in a house might be better for the environment…

A second opinion on hearing loss

An elderly woman with hearing loss came to my clinic for a second opinion, after she had recently been to a hearing aid sales person. I found the cause of her hearing loss was simply the fact that she had build-up of wax in her ears, the salesperson had failed to inspect them. You might be surprised how often this happens!

Here are some things to do to avoid getting ripped off:

1. A visit to the GP may save you from being ‘sold’ something when your only problem is wax in your ears.

2. Look for someone who is independent and can offer you unbiased advice, not just give you a sales pitch.

3. There are a range of hearing aid prices. Finding the right hearing aid might save you money and it will also give you the best chance of success.

4. Hearing aids can be expensive.

Recently I was told by two different patients that they were quoted $16,000 for a pair of hearing aids. This seems a ridiculous amount of money to pay and is most likely not appropriate for the majority of people (or possibly anyone).

5. If you are a pensioner or partpensioner, or a DVA gold or white card holder, you should carefully consider if you want to use the free-to-client government hearing aids or if you’d like to top-up to a different hearing aid.

The free-to-client hearing aids are appropriate for many people, however if you have great difficulty hearing background noise (for example in restaurants) then you might trial the top-up hearing aids, but only if you can afford them. There are a range of top up options and prices, if you are disappointed after a trial, you should return them and trial the free-toclient hearing aids.

If you get the feeling the person you’re dealing with is just trying to sell you something, then take a step back and get a second opinion.

“In an unregulated market there is a lot of opportunity to take advantage of people. Yes you have read correctly, there is no licensing of people who sell hearing aids.”

– Dr Vass

– you need professional advice, not a sales pitch

Can we please stop this bloody madness!

IN a world where Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”, Mao’s “Little Red Book” and even poor old Karl Marx’s “Das Kapital” are available – unexpurgated – with a couple of strokes of the computer keys, it seems a little excessive to find the politically correct censors at work on the delicious tales – beloved by children of all ages – from the mischievous pen of Roald Dahl.

Or to put it another way: Can we please stop this bloody madness!

And, as it happens, our family has a very personal stake in the issue.

The publisher, Puffin Books, a division of the massive conglomerate Penguin Random House – with the permission of Dahl’s money-hungry estate – decided to make his stories “more inclusive and accessible”.

Thus, in new editions of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, Augustus Gloop is no longer “enormously fat” but just “enormous”. In “Witches”, a supernatural female is no longer “a cashier in a supermarket or typing letters for a businessman” but “a top scientist or running a business”.

The terrible tractors in “The Fabulous Mr Fox” are no longer “black” but “murderous brutal-looking monsters”. This one really struck home.

At a time when Australia is engaged in a great movement to proudly enjoin our first “black” countrymen within our

Little wonder that some of my fellow authors who are published by Penguin Random have sent very sharp protests to their company hierarchy.

But for our own Canberra children of Grade 3 Red Hill Primary School in 1986 it goes even deeper.

That was the year they had Mrs Wendy Macklin as teacher and each day after recess she would read them – with suitably dramatic “voices” –Roald Dahl’s “Witches”.

They were entranced, especially,

she says, by the oft’ appearances of the scary Witch herself. In fact, she claims to this day that Anjelica Huston channelled her in Huston’s stunning performance in the 1990 movie!

“The kids absolutely loved it,” she says. “And when we finished it, they each wrote a letter to Roald Dahl which I sent off to him with a note of thanks”.

She didn’t really expect a reply, but the writing was good practice for the class.

However, to hers and the children’s astonishment, a month later, he actually replied; and she’s kept the letter in its envelope from Gipsy House, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire among her treasures:

“Hello gorgeous Wendy,” he wrote “and all the clever children in Grade 3. Thank you so much for sending your lovely letters”.

Dear children, far across the sea

How good of you to write to me.

I love to read the things you say, When you are miles and miles away.

Young people, and I think I’m right, Are nicer when they’re out of sight. He signed it, in crayon, “With love from ROALD DAHL”.

Now, no one is suggesting that Dahl is some perfect exemplar of correctness in the many and varied ethical challenges of our imperfect world where multitudinous religious, racist and nationalistic prejudices bedevil us all. As Salman Rushdie noted: “Roald Dahl was no angel, but this is absurd censorship”.

It is indeed. But more than that, it is a wicked attack on a writer’s hard-won artistry, his gift to posterity, and to the delight of generations of children yet to come.

How dare they.

robert@robert macklin.com

An impression of Garema Place looking from East Row-Mort Street.

Plan to green up Garema Place

THE City Renewal Authority is asking for feedback on plans it has to green-up for Garema Place.

The designs outline a less cluttered area with more greenery and dining opportunities, says CRA acting CEO Craig Gillman.

“This Garema Place upgrade will create a safer, more accessible and usable central meeting place for people,” he says.

“We consider Garema Place to be the community’s living room in the city centre – so we want input on what the upgrade should look like.”

Visit the YourSay consultation webpage to view the proposed designs and provide input. The consultation closes May 14.

It seems a little excessive to find the politically correct censors at work on the delicious tales – beloved by children of all ages – from the mischievous pen of Roald Dahl.

Trust takes an active role in Heritage Festival

Trust activities and ACT heritage issues.

We have all been looking forward to the 40th ACT Heritage Festival, which runs from April 11 to April 30. The Trust is running a dozen events – details below – and we look forward to seeing you at some of these.

We have all been dismayed about recent developments concerning the ACT Heritage Council and look forward to the expected imminent announcement of the membership of the Interim Heritage Council.

The Trust has made a submission to the in quiry into ACT heritage arrangements by the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity.

We also plan to provide a submission to the new inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories into fostering and promoting the significance of Australia’s National Capital.

Other heritage issues on which the Trust is currently working include the proposed multistorey car park next to the John Gorton Building in Parkes, the implications of the new ACT planning system, Light Rail stages 2A and 2B, the Heritage listing of Canberra, and proposed reform of Commonwealth environmental and heritage legislation.

We are about to commence our study into Mid-Century Modernist Housing, which we hope will result in a better community understanding of the heritage significance of these important parts of Canberra’s architectural legacy.

The Trust welcomes your views on current issues that you suggest we could take up.

Please write to me here: president@nationaltrustact.org.au

Protecting the heritage of our wonderful city requires constant vigilance and activism and

should you be interested in assisting the Trust’s work, please contact me to discuss how you can best make a contribution.

Gary Kent National Trust (ACT) President

ACT Heritage Festival 2023

• The National Trust Heritage Festival Open Day at Duntroon Dairy, April 15. This will feature a range of stalls, entertainment (including the Wiradjuri Echoes), refreshments and an exhibition of the Edlington family’s time at the dairy. ACT Heritage Minister Ms Rebecca Vassarotti MLA will open the Open Day at 10.30am.

• Hackett Heritage: A Mid-Century Modern Suburb on Show – an exhibition at the Hackett shops, April 11-30 (jointly with the Australian Garden History Society). The Heritage Minister will open the exhibition at 12.30pm, April 12.

• Blandfordia 5 Heritage Walk with local resident Brendan Preiss, on April 19, 9.30 am.

Heritage Oration

AS part of the ACT Heritage Festival, we are delighted to present the National Trust’s inaugural Heritage Oration in the Albert Hall, 6pm, on Monday, April 17, the day before World Heritage Day.

Our speaker will be Mr Max Bourke AM, who has had a distinguished career in the Australian heritage sector, including as inaugural Director of the Australian Heritage Commission.

The topic of the Oration is “Australian heritage at the crossroads – looking back and forward without breaking my neck”. The event is free, but bookings essential at trybooking.com/CFREV

Gary Kent.

• Hackett Heritage: A mid-century modern hub Heritage Walk with local resident Anna Howe (jointly with the Australian Garden History Society), 9.30am, April 22.

• Acton Peninsula – Canberra’s Forgotten Heritage Walk (jointly with the Canberra and Region Heritage Researchers), 9.30am, April 23.

• Dickson Dazzles: Canberra’s Original Aerodrome (1924-1926) Heritage Walk with Jane Goffman, 2pm, April 25.

• Kingston parks, gardens and windbreaks old and new (jointly with the Australian Garden History Society), 9.30am, April 29.

There are also several events in Tharwa on the final weekend of the Festival:

• Lambrigg – an opportunity to visit the gardens of the beautiful and historic private property on the Murrumbidgee River. It will be open 2pm-4pm on April 29.

• Tharwa Bridge, Cuppacumbalong Cemetery on the Murrumbidgee Heritage Walk with Peter Dowling, 9.30am, April 30.

• Cuppa (Cuppacumbalong) Woolshed, 1.30pm-3.30pm, April 30.

• St Edmund’s Church, Tharwa, noon-2pm, April 30.

All Heritage Festival events, with booking arrangements where necessary, may be found at environment.act.gov.au/heritage/heritage-festival

The National Trust receives support and funding from the ACT Government

The National Trust is delighted to be participating in this year’s ACT Heritage Festival and proud to be putting on these events. Please check online if bookings are required, details below

WELCOME to the first of an occasional National Trust column in “CityNews” on

The National Trust Heritage Festival open day at Duntroon Dairy, April 15.

Speaker Max Bourke.

When public servants fail to be frank and fearless

FRANK and fearless advice, as a key element of public service, has been whittled away for decades.

The Robodebt Royal Com mission hearings have exposed the failures of politicians and public servants involved with the scheme.

When Catherine Holmes AC SC was appointed the Royal Commissioner there was an expectation that a flawed system that resulted in huge pain, and even death for some people, would be exposed.

The hope was that lessons could be drawn to ensure that design of similar systems into the future would avoid such flaws.

However, the Royal Commis sion has exposed so much more.

The terms of reference for the commission included examin ing “the establishment, design and implementation of the Robodebt scheme, including:

i. who was responsible for its design, development and establishment; and

ii. why those who were responsible for its design, development and establishment considered the Robodebt

scheme necessary or desirable; and

iii. the advice, process or processes that informed its design and implementation; and

iv. any concerns raised regarding the legality or fairness of the Robodebt scheme.

Who will benefit from your will?

The Royal Commission will report its findings at the end of June. The community will not be at all surprised if the recommendations include criminal charges levelled at politicians and public servants.

Negligence that has resulted

in such misery and death is an extraordinarily serious matter.

Will the lessons that ought to be learnt really be applied? The most important of these is about the cultural failures around “frank and fearless” advice to governments.

The hearings revealed just how unfair the Robodebt program was in so many ways. Additionally, and more importantly, it became clear that there was advice about the lack of legality of the scheme that was suppressed, dismissed or concealed at a range of levels.

How could this happen? A culture of “can do” and “will facilitate” has become the norm across many of the senior elements of the public service.

Ministers insist on public servants delivering on their ideas and goals – sometimes

despite questionable processes.

Robodebt commenced under Scott Morrison who, as prime minister, secretly appointed himself as “lead” minister in a series of portfolios. Many have asked how this could happen. The answer lies, at least in part, in a public service culture that has developed into giving priority to delivering for Ministers.

There is a balance. In the Westminster system ministers are democratically responsible for what goes on in their portfolio. How often have we heard the term “the buck stops here”? A minister rightly sets the direction for the portfolio and expects the public servants to deliver.

However, public servants within the portfolio have the real expertise on issues, or they need to know where to find it.

It is in this context where frank and fearless advice is so important. If all the public servants appearing before the Royal Commission had said they had seen and heeded legal advice, the responsibility would have fallen on the ministers involved. The buck would have stopped there!

There was advice as early as November 2014 from the Department of Social Services that “the proposal to smooth a debt amount over an annual or other defined period may not be consistent with the legislative framework”.

There were certainly some public servants who attempted to deliver frank and fearless advice up the chain. However, others who ought to have known better, were part of

keeping such advice under wraps. They really ought to be in serious strife.

Considering that evidence before the Royal Commission explaining why laws were flouted included a departmental lawyer agreeing with counsel assisting “that it appeared pressure was coming from a clearance by Minister Morrison to have a new policy proposal developed to the point where it might be submitted to the Department of Finance”.

Mr Morrison was involved at the beginning of the scheme. Also revealed was further advice that was largely ignored during the continuing failures of the scheme under another Social Services Minister Christian Porter, and Human Services Minister Alan Tudge. Political pressure is not new. How public servants handle political pressure is the key to an effective and credible public service.

When the report is tabled later this year, it is to be hoped that it provides a serious wake-up call for senior public servants across all portfolios.

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

call for senior public servants.

Photo: AAP/Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme

Political pressure is not new. How public servants handle it is the key to an effective and credible public service.

BRIEFLY

Volunteer driver supervisors wanted

ANGLICARE is piloting a learner-driver program for a group of young people who would struggle to get access to a vehicle and suitable supervision to fulfil Access Canberra’s requirements of completing 100 hours of supervised driving. The charity is looking for volunteer driver supervisors. Interested? Call 6232 2488 or email reception@anglicare.com.au

Indigenous service

TUGGERANONG Day VIEW Club’s guest speaker at its next lunch meeting is Michael Bell, indigenous liaison officer from the Australian War Memorial. At the Town Centre Vikings Club, Greenway, from 11am on April 18. Visitors and interested ladies welcome. RSVP to 6193 5398 or email maleyjan@yahoo.com by April 18.

Materials market

THE Yarralumla craft destash market, a trash and treasure market specialising in craft materials – fabric, wool, papercraft, buttons, embellishments, ribbons, craft magazines and stamps, is at the Yarralumla Uniting Church Centre, Denman Street, 10am-1pm, April 29. Gold coin entry. More at artsandcrafts@yarrauniting.org.au

Quilting exhibition

CANBERRA Quilters together with Craft Alive, will hold a quilting exhibition at the former Transport Depot, Kingston (next door to the Glassworks), 9.30am-4pm, April 26-29.

Poverty blight government policies make worse

The light rail infrastructure and associated services are currently confined to a single corridor with the maximisation of property values in the corridor being a deliberately sought outcome of the project.

IT is simplistic, albeit convenient, for state and territory governments to view increasing income support, through the social security system, a Commonwealth Government responsibility, as the only answer to poverty.

This not only ignores the significant role and responsibility of state and territory governments in income redistribution, but incentivises them to not act to address poverty.

Broadly, the redistributive mechanisms available to state and territory governments are provision of services (and infrastructure), taxation and concessions.

For example, the provision of timely access to health care delivers a greater benefit to people on low-tomoderate incomes, who are unable to afford private health insurance or the costs involved in accessing care through the private market.

Conversely, as is increasingly the case in Canberra, a poor public health system results in inordinate costs for those who are least able

to afford it, through an inability, for example, to fully engage in the employment market because of illness, or the cost of access to health care in the private market.

The policy choices and priorities set by state and territory governments can have profound impacts on poverty. The right choices when allocating funds – progressive and fair choices – can alleviate or prevent people experiencing poverty.

Conversely, choices that exacerbate entrenched structural poverty or fail to address it, or push people into poverty, albeit transiently, are bad choices, both morally and economically.

In assessing the ACT government’s record in this regard, an obvious example is the light rail project.

The direct and opportunity costs of the project have been broadly and publicly discussed as has the decision to prioritise light rail over the expansion of hospital bed capacity and health services and the provision of public housing. However, the distributional impacts of the project have received relatively less attention.

The development displaced around 11 per cent of all ACT public-housing tenants who were rehoused in areas with relatively poorer access to services.

The proceeds of land sales, including all of the public housing stock along the route, were directed to the light rail project. Public housing stock has, as a result, suffered a major decline despite the creation of the euphemistically titled “Public Housing Renewal Program”, which was clearly and bizarrely designed to help finance light rail.

The bus network servicing the rest of Canberra was also scaled down. The negative distributional impact of light rail is clear and beyond dispute.

The taxation policy of the ACT government over the past decade provides a further vivid example of decisions that have had a disproportionate impact on poorer Canberrans. Having committed, for example, to abolish land tax on rental properties, the government has actually increased the land tax rate that, in the main, will have been passed straight on to renters.

In principle, we support the

s

taxation reform designed to abolish duty on conveyances. Unfortunately, the resultant revenue transfers introduced to general rates as a consequence of the decision to phase out stamp duty are regressive with little to no regard having been given to the distributional impacts.

In addition the taxation reform program has not been complemented by enhancement of the concessions regime.

Notably around a quarter of the recommendations of the taxation review panel were focused on the distributional impacts and they have largely been ignored. As a consequence, the value of concessions has in fact deteriorated in recent years.

A report from ACTCOSS in October estimated the poverty rate in the ACT as 9 per cent. It stated that with “over 38,000 Canberrans living below the poverty line, including 9000 children, it is beyond evident that the high cost of living in Canberra is unsustainable for those on low incomes.”

The report illustrates how, over the past five years, changes in the cost of living have hit Canberra’s low-income households the hardest.

In that period the costs of essential goods and services in the ACT have skyrocketed with increases to the cost of petrol of 34.9 per cent, electricity 28.1 per cent, gas 24 per cent, medical and hospital services 21.4 per cent,

housing 19 per cent and education 17 per cent.”

Dr Emma Campbell, then CEO of ACTCOSS, said: “The cost-of-living crisis combined with pressures of rising inflation mean many Canberra households cannot afford the fundamentals of a healthy life such as housing, food, transport, health services, and energy.

“We hear stories of parents going without [food] so that they can feed their children or older people going without medical care so that they can keep their house warm.” That is, by definition, absolute poverty.

The ACT government publishes, each year, the hypothetical impact of the budget on a range of household types. Unsurprisingly, the government’s claims in successive budgets regarding the impact of its budgetary decisions are at odds with the ACTCOSS analysis, which is based on the lived experience of real families.

We strongly support calls from the community sector, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, for an independent inquiry into the depth of poverty in Canberra, including entrenched intergenerational poverty, and how best to respond to this blight on our city.

Jon Stanhope is a former chief minister of the ACT and Dr Khalid Ahmed a former senior ACT Treasury official.

Alfresco

Peanut butter bacon donuts, peanut butter paws/bones & puppacinos

JON STANHOPE and KHALID AHMED reveal how ACT government policies hurt the 38,000 Canberrans, including 9000 children, living below the poverty line.

ACT government neglects critical social needs

“site” definition (Part G: Dictionary).

For the next-door block, this translates to a staggering 97.8 per cent plot ratio: developers could build two 547sqm houses. How does this help affordable housing and reduce greenhouse effects?

vote will remove all Aboriginal inequity by a certain date, a ‘’Yes’’ vote will occur. That is not going to happen.

One related to the Chief Minister touting about and shedding a tear on passing the first intersex legislation to protect vulnerable teens and hoping that the law would become an international model.

The other headline related to the record number of homeless youth in Canberra and the obvious conclusion that the Barr government was overwhelmingly neglecting this critical social needs priority.

This was moreover reinforced by Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed’s “CityNews” column, “Poverty’s not a word in the ACT budget lexicon” (CN March 23).

While the intersex law is no doubt a worthwhile initiative, surely it should not take priority over the desperate and ongoing daily needs of the increasing numbers of homeless youth in our city.

And no, Chief Minister, poverty including the circumstances of homeless youth is not just a Commonwealth government responsibility in terms of inadequate social security payments.

State and territory governments have a broad range of social responsibilities which complement the Commonwealth’s role. The ACT government is clearly neglecting these roles given the growing numbers of youth homeless in Canberra.

Ron Edgecombe, Evatt

Bigger McMansions coming our way

ANDREW Barr recently claimed dual-occupancy homes in existing suburbs would be 100-150sqm (and thus solve the affordable housing crisis). If this is the desired outcome it needs to be backed with specific planning provisions.

I did a case study of the Mr Fluffy block (RZ1) next door. Under existing dual occupancy rules, 35 per cent (single storey) plot ratio applies, so two 192sqm houses could be built.

Under new provisions, 45 per cent “site coverage” is permitted (Part E1: Residential Zones Policy: 1.4) and the only bulk/size limit in Technical specifications (Part TS1: 1.2:16) is 8.5 metres high (two storeys). Battleaxes are no longer excluded from the

I checked my case study with a town planner/architect who could not fault my logic. I also contacted my local MLA who said they’d asked the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate for case studies on the new planning system, without success.

The new provisions suggest outcomes for RZ1 will be much worse than the wellpublicised Darke Street, Torrens, Mr Fluffy development (“Canberra Matters”, Paul Costigan, July 20, 2022).

Caroline Wenger, Macgregor

Uncollected shopping trolleys everywhere

I AM in complete agreement with R Nano’s letter (“Graffiti blight makes me angry and sad”, CN March 23) regarding the rampant vandalism perpetrated by graffitists; it is another shameful example of how our once cared for city and suburbs have fallen into a state of ongoing decay.

Adding to all the widespread unsightliness is the large number of uncollected supermarket trolleys that are found almost everywhere.

If the various outlets won’t act responsibly and collect the trolleys which after all are their property then surely it’s time the ACT government forced them to do so. Locking devices on supermarket trolleys have been operative for some time in different parts of Australia; without question it’s now time to introduce them here.

Frank Reade, Macquarie

There should be two Voice questions

THE PM has got it wrong. There should be at least two questions: do you support recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Constitution? A no brainer. It’s time!

Second question: do you approve the establishment of a Voice to parliament for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders?

Most Australians would vote ‘’Yes’’ emphatically for question one. We have major reservations about question two. If parliament can guarantee that a ‘’Yes’’

The ‘’Yes’’ vote is about salving our conscience for 200 years of not getting it right. Also our First Nations people are but a small percentage of the population who need to be subject to the laws and behaviours as do the rest of us.

A third question: Do you support the constitution being amended to allow Citizens Initiated Referendums? More importantly, voters need to have a voice to parliament for matters that concern them. Overwhelmingly that would get the major ‘’Yes’’ vote. Importantly, and consistent with past messaging, the public wants to have both sides of the argument put to them, not the PM’s one-sided funded argument.

Russ

Morison, via email

Sadly mistaken, the Voice is not benign

ERIC Hunter’s letter (“Enough detail to satisfy the doubter”, CN March 23) claims, like the PM, his supporters and the indigenous industry, that there is enough detail to satisfy the doubters on the Voice referendum.

He is sadly mistaken in essentially making the same and only argument as the PM – “Isn’t it a great idea and the right, moral thing to do”.

I suggest Mr Hunter read in considerable detail the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which is far from an innocent and innocuous document.

The fact that the representative body on the Voice, reporting to the government, is adamant that the Voice must be able to make recommendations to the administrative arms of government and not just to the Parliament, on any aspect of government and on any matter, whether affecting only indigenous people or not, should send a shiver up his spine.

Max Flint, Erindale

‘Clear and concise’ article on the Voice

THANK you Peter Robinson for your clear, concise and most helpful article on the Voice (“Why it’s time for Albanese to throw in the towel”, CN March 23).

I have read the Uluru Statement from the Heart a couple of times, but if asked would be unable to recall anything.

Jacinta Price’s quote of her elders’ teach -

ings was so much more meaningful. Now if we could just change the national anthem to the Seekers’ “We are One” everyone could understand and agree with that.

Eric Lindemann, Greenway

For those who wonder or have doubts

THANKS to Peter Robinson for his opinion piece (“Why it’s time for Albanese to throw in the towel”, CN March 23).

A timely and comprehensive piece by Paul Kelly, “Albanese’s flawed voice fails the test” in “The Weekend Australian” (March 25-26) goes into greater detail and depth on the topic.

Both excellent articles for those who wonder what “this Voice business” is about and for those with doubts.

The outcome of the referendum will impose a permanent influence on our democracy. George Orwell’s masterpiece of 1945 is pertinent.

Ray Atkin, Gungahlin

The Voice referendum is all wrong

WHILE we are all supportive of a referendum on the Voice for indigenous Australians, isn’t this a waste in isolation?

It should have been coupled with a general election, a more sensible approach to good government. That way the government would be compelled to discuss complexities and remedies in much more detail, rather than the rabbit-down-thehole approach we see today.

Issues with the Voice are separate, but a government out of touch and left wanting can only be fixed by a general election.

John Lawrence via email

Renewables are not cheap to start with

DOUGLAS Mackenzie (Letters, CN March 23) claims that nuclear energy is too expensive and that energy experts and scientists are virtually unanimous that renewables are cheaper.

I think he will find there are just as many energy experts and scientists that disagree and state that, in the long run, nuclear power is far cheaper.

The so-called renewables are not cheap to start with and they have to be replaced every 10-15 years, yet modular nuclear power stations last for 60 years.

The renewables are not being recycled so they have to be buried. This is not only an added cost, but they will contaminate the ground where they are buried as well as the surrounding water tables.

As to the time to build the nuclear reactors, how long is it going to take to build enough solar power and wind turbines to give us 100 per cent reliable electricity?

Dr Mackenzie’s last comment: “Thanks to almost a decade of government inaction, we cannot afford to wait that long”. I think he will find it is a lot longer than a decade (from all sides of politics) that we have been having problems.

Vi Evans via email

In climate, common sense is overrated

CAROL Dunnet felt Max Flint’s thoughts on climate change (Letters, CN March 23) showed “common sense logic”. But common sense is overrated.

Stuart Chase, the American economist said: “Common sense is what tells us the earth is flat.” For Albert Einstein, common sense was “the collection of prejudices acquired by age 18”.

When it comes to climate change, the science of thousands must overrule the common sense of one.

For example, Mr Flint claimed global warming was slow. Yet science reveals that the planet is warming faster than it has in 10,000 years. It seems slow to us, but Australia is already halfway to 3 degrees of warming which, according to the Australian Academy of Science, would mean many of Australia’s ecological systems would be unrecognisable, the decline of our natural resources would accelerate and we would lose thousands of species.

This fast warming is caused mainly by land clearing, agriculture, transport and the burning of fossil fuels releasing greenhouse gases (more science). Anyone who views the NASA graph at climate.nasa. gov/evidence/ showing how CO2 levels have not been this high for 800,000 years and are rising fast will be shocked.

Common sense would not have predicted that.

Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Victoria

I WAS angered to see two contrasting headlines on the same day related to the ACT government’s priorities in social equity.

Improving health from lots of different angles

MAINTAINING health or going on a journey towards good health and wellbeing means different things to different people. Whether it’s rewarding exercise or effective treatment of conditions such as arthritis and chronic pain, Canberra is home to many experts passionate about improving health in all sorts of ways.

This week “CityNews” spoke with some businesses and organisations who are passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of locals.

A culturally safe service for indigenous people Gym takes a ‘different approach’

DIRECTOR of Evo Health Club Jason

Barry says their small, but expert team of trainers and coaches take a different

“We use sound methods and the latest technology to help you reach your goals,” says Jason.

“Focusing on your abilities and taking account of where you need development, we want to train your body so you have the strength to

Featuring an extensive variety of exercise facilities, including a 25-metre lap pool, Jason says Evo is a gym that brings people “life satisfaction beyond

“Coming into winter and those colder months, it’s nice to come inside to exercise in an indoor, heated pool,”

“We also have a sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy spa as part of that

can choose from to suit their goals.

“Some members do one on one personal training sessions once a month, other members do up to two or three a week, it’s really up to them,” he says.

“Our yoga classes are very popular and a great way to calm the mind and body.

referrals to. They include the social health team

Community Services, 63 Boolimba Crescent, Nar rabundah. Call 6284 6222 or visit winnunga.org.au

IT ALL STARTS HERE

Jason says members can book the pool at a time suited to them through a mobile app that makes the process much more convenient, and that there are many membership options that people

“Our group fitness classes are small and intimate, which is great because it means the trainers get to spend most of their time with the members, give them cues on form and really focus on each individual.”

Evo Health Club, Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton. Call 6162 0808 or visit evohealthclub.com.au

Extending into an active life and a sharper, fitter mind, we know that bodies are made to move. We want to train your body so you have the strength to sustain your busy lifestyle. Evo Health Club is a bespoke health club that will bring life satisfaction beyond your fitness goals.

CEO Julie Tongs.

Take a yoga class at Evo Health Club.

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.

CLINIC hours | MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9am-5pm

Ph: 6284 6222 | 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah www.winnunga.org.au

COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing for Winnunga Clients

Exercise options to suit all abilities

ARTHRITIS ACT can support people no matter what type of chronic pain condition they have, says CEO, Rebecca Davey.

“It’s important to remain active at all ages, to condition muscles that protect against injury”, and Arthritis ACT has solutions for people of varying abilities.

“We have Nordic Walking classes. We’re teaching people how to walk with poles, which is a great, low-impact aerobic activity for everyone.”

Rebecca says it’s also impor tant to build strength in different areas of the body.

“We now run Pilates from both locations, Pearce and Bruce,” and, as an added benefit for Arthritis ACT members, “we have free, online exercise classes every week from Tuesday to Thursday.”

That’s only the start, Rebecca says, with Arthritis ACT also of fering services such as exercise physiology, disability support and meal planning to help people in managing their pain.

“People come to us because we know the condition. About 50 per cent of our staff live with chronic pain, so we understand how chronic pain can affect all parts of a person’s life,” she says.

Arthritis ACT, Pain Support & ME/CFS ACT, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce. Call 1800 011041 or visit arthritisact.org.au

AN active lifestyle has many physical and mental benefits and is particularly important for seniors, according to Orthopaedics ACT’s orthopaedic surgeon Dr Nicholas Tsai, who specialises in the areas of spine, hip, knee and trauma.

“Activity promotes cardiovascular fitness and social interactions; it elevates the mood and also helps to prevent osteoporosis due to inactivity and lack of sun exposure,” he says.

“All joints benefit from moderate daily movements, whether the exercises are land-based or in water. Walking aids are also important for pain relief if you have arthritis in the lower limbs.”

Orthopaedics ACT strives to provide the best advice to all members of the senior community, says Dr Tsai.

“Patients will be assessed by experienced orthopaedic surgeons, and in most cases a conservative management plan will be provided,” he says.

“The goal is always to improve the condition and to return to an active lifestyle as soon as possible.”

Dr Tsai says patients with mild symptoms will be referred to a physiotherapist participating in the GLA:D exercise program, which helps people with hip and knee osteoarthritis manage their symptoms.

Patients undergoing private joint replacements are now provided with digital information videos to assist them with their surgery and rehabilitation planning.

“Surgical intervention is offered as the last resort, usually after conservative management has not been successful or if the condition is deemed so severe that conservative treatment is unlikely to improve it,” he says.

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

SIAN Medical Centre, which opened in October, provides a wide range of general practice services including, but not limited to, vaccinations (including for COVID-19), help with managing chronic disease, skin cancer excision and skin checks, men’s health and women’s health issues and mental-health issues, says Dr Sharin De Silva.

“We mainly focus on preventing chronic disease and improving community health to minimise unexpected presentations to emergency departments,” he says. “I have worked in different areas of medicine including anaesthesia, emergency medicine and IUC, and I’ve also worked as a rural general practitioner.

“I decided to provide these services, with my experience, to the local community through Sian Medical Centre.”

Sian Medical has just gained a new female practitioner, Dr Iranthi De Silva.

“She joined the practice on April 1,” says Sharin.

“She is a practitioner with 20 years’ experience and she has a special interest in women’s health and contraception.

“She is also an accredited contraceptive devices – intrauterine and subcutaneous – insertion and removal provider.

“She also speaks fluent Mandarin and Sinhalese, and has a basic knowledge of Tamil.”

Sharin says the practice is a private billing practice, but they bulk bill children under 16-years-old, and people older than 65 with a pension card, on most occasions.

Sian Medical Centre, 89/275 Flemington Road, Franklin. Call 6106 9166 or visit sianmedical.com.au

“No

task or question is

too big or small for us.”

Arthritis ACT CEO Rebecca Davey.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Nicholas Tsai.

Linda Clee – Physiotherapist

Linda is an experienced physiotherapist having worked clinically in private practice for over 20 years, in rehabilitation settings and in community based aged care. Having owned and operated her own clinic for over 10 years, Linda offered a range of different therapy options, and has refined her skills and service offerings to ensure a functional focus to therapy; that is holistic and promotes overall wellness. A dancer in a past life, Linda loves to add a bit of fun in her programs, often throwing in rhythm and co-ordination challenges that are good for the body and the mind.

Sophie Bullock – Exercise Physiologist

Sophie has post graduate qualifications in hydrotherapy, and as a non-sports centred Exercise Physiologist, helps clients who struggle with engaging in exercise due to a lack of sports participation. Sophie’s goal is to improve clients health via our hydrotherapy program, gym instruction and in-home visits. Sophie also is known for her passion for working with children.

Natasha Perry – Exercise Scientist

Tash takes a wholistic view of all her clients, considering their mental wellbeing as much as their physical needs. Tash delivers our Nordic Walking, Pilates and Tai Chi programs, all of which have a mental as well as physical component.

Tash also leads our strength and balance program, supporting those with lower levels of mobility or have concerns over falls to regain their confidence, whilst also meeting a great bunch of fellow exercise class participants.

Dorothy Johnston – Exercise Physiologist

Dorothy is our newest graduate Exercise Physiologist who we employed because she was such an outstanding student. Dorothy excells with us, having a soft spot for both older persons with pain, but also a long history of working in disability services with children. Dorothy loves working with people to improve their pain and function, and always has a bright smile for everyone in her care.

Blake Dean – Exercise Physiologist

Blake has expertise in improving clients mobility and decreasing their pain through appropriate exercise. Blake delivers our ‘My Exercise’ program, targeting the relief of lower back and sciatic pain, shoulder and upper body concerns as well as leg, hip and ankle interventions – for those who do not qualify for physiotherapy-led GLAD programs.

Blake provides individual & group exercise for younger people with a disability. Blake treats clients in-clinic or via our hydrotherapy program as well as attending your gym with you.

Jacqui Couldrick – Physiotherapist

Jacqui has a particular interest in hip and knee osteoarthritis. Jacqui delivers the GLAD program designed to reduce the need for joint replacements, or if a joint replacement is unavoidable, to prepare you thoroughly for surgery and recovery for day to day tasks. Jacqui is studying towards a PhD in the outcomes of the GLAD program.

Holly Hazelwood – Exercise Physiologist

Holly is a former sports journalist who believed so strongly in the power of exercise to heal and nurture that she undertook her 4 year degree in Exercise Physiology. Holly is be able to work with people directly to support them through their pain journey and regain independence and a joy for living again. Holly provides one on one and group exercise classes both on land and at our hydrotherapy centres to support people to gain freedom from chronic pain.

PILATES GROUP CLASSES ON NOW – NORTHSIDE & SOUTHSIDE

DON’T FORGET ABOUT ACCESSING OUR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS WHO HELP MAKE YOUR EVERY DAY TASKS EASIER

• Occupational Therapy – Assistance with the planning and modification of your home, workplace or car. Applications for NDIS, the Disability and Housing Support Pension, and also driving assessments.

• Physiotherapy – including the GLAD program for knee and hip osteoarthritis, sports injury prevention and rehabilitation, and pain condition support.

• Exercise Physiology – Individual exercise prescriptions, small group classes to increase strength and improve rehabilitation, strength and balance classes, hydrotherapy support.

• Dietetics – meal planning, weight management support, food intolerance support.

“You do not need to have any particular condition to utilise our services, just a desire to ‘Build a Better You.’

IMPROVEMENTS

Get expert help with that job around the house advertising

THE saying “there’s always room for improvement” is as relevant in the home as it is in many other areas in life.

A house is likely to be a person’s biggest single investment, so it makes sense to make the most of living in it and, at the same time, adding value through professionally guided improvements or DIY repurposing.

Here “CityNews” showcases the goods and services of local experts who can help you achieve those objectives…

Bringing a Modern and Sustainable Approach to Garden Design.

Using the philosophy that gardens can be beautifully designed, and re-designed, without necessarily resorting to expensive hard-landscaping.

Soft-landscaping can create an oasis of cool greenery, productive kitchen gardens, or bird attracting plantings. Whatever your goal for your garden is, soft landscaping can get you there.

Within your existing garden footprint, we’ll work with you to ensure your garden thrives in a changing climate and increasing temperature extremes.

• Fully qualified Garden Designer and Horticulturist.

• Designs can either be hand-drawn as an A3 scaled plan or as a 3D computer model.

• All designs are informed by Joel’s horticultural expertise, tailored to Canberra’s climate and your particular site conditions.

Bringing garden value to family and property

GARDEN designer and horticulturist, Joel Black says a well laid-out garden adds to the enjoyment and value of a property.

“But a well laid out garden doesn’t always need expensive landscaping,” he says.

“There is so much that can be achieved with good advice, well selected plants and a little know-how.

“I focus specifically on soft landscaping because it is so flexible and adaptable, and can be implemented right away.”

Joel says autumn and winter are the perfect times to revitalise a garden.

“It gives us time to design and plan before everything starts growing in the springtime,” he says.

“I do this work because I know how much pleasure a garden can bring to a home and a family.

“Whether you are setting up to teach the kids about growing vegetables, or you want to sit with your morning coffee watching the birds in the trees, or you just want to hide from the neighbours

behind a beautiful wall of green.”

Joel says he has structured the business to allow him to help people, from a simple one-off consultation to a full property garden design.

“I can help with establishing and maintaining plants, too,” he says.

“Sometimes this last step is missed by garden designers and landscapers, leaving a beautiful plan, but a client that is overwhelmed and doesn’t know how to care for the plants that then struggle and die.”

Joel Black Horticulture and Garden Design. Call 0409 832056, or visit joelstidygardens.com.au

• We also provide one-off consultancies, with a walk through of your garden, providing onsite advice on your current set up and options for re-design. You can then decide whether you take the ideas and run with them yourself, or we can help to create and implement a design.

Joelstidygardens.com.au

0409 832 056

joelsgardens@gmail.com

One of Joel’s Garden computerised plans.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS advertising feature

Home designs that make a healthy difference

REIMAGINED Habitat was opened in 2017 as a Passive House design business, says owner Michael Drage. Their aim is to “help people live in healthier, more energy efficient, sustainable homes,” he says.

“We incorporate energy efficient principles throughout the design process- without compromising on the aesthetic.

“We offer a complete interior and building design service for home improvements and new construction, with a team blend of experienced designers and graduates who bring fresh perspectives to the thinking and visualisation of our projects.

“This combination of experience and unbridled design thinking creates enviable results for our clients.”

when the building is finished they mainly speak of how much they love being in their homes, how comfortable and warm they are.”

The company has soft-launched a collection of one and two-bedroom units that can be used as granny flats, Airbnb spaces or retreats. They have a range of designs, with some achieving the maximum 10 star-rating for Canberra, meaning they use virtually no energy for heating and cooling.

“I am amazed to receive such a positive response to our recently launched collection” Michael said. “It has been incredible. It really shows just how much people want to be in beautiful, comfortable spaces.”

He says the business, which has been operating for more than three decades, has become a well recognised part of Fyshwick offering a wide range of dining, comfort, outdoor tables and wall accessories for any home improver.

“We’ve got a range of small-size workstations and some very cool, bright and colourful designer chairs,” he says.

“We also have plenty of lounge chairs and a selection of art prints just for something different.”

James says Ex-Government Furniture is a staple of

such as chairs, tables, bookcases and desks,” he says.

“We also have kitchen bins and bar fridges.”

“To make a house, a home, we provide furniture and accessories to help personalise any space. There’s a huge range and we can work with customers to their budget.

“We offer a range of quality and designer secondhand products, meaning that customers get the top Australian and global brands without breaking the bank.”

Ex-Government Furniture, 6 Yallourn Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 6490 or visit exgovfurniture.com

reimagined habitat

Designing Passive Houses for Australia

We aim to help everyone live in a healthy, beautiful, energy efficient and sustainably designed home. Specialising in energy efficient home design and renovations, we use the principles of Passive House, one of the world’s most energy efficient design standards, to inform our design thinking. Our belief is that a home should ‘live well’ yet touch the earth lightly and inspire through design.

Our team includes designers, energy analysts and engineers to ensure a holistic approach to your design. Whether for a new home, renovation, energy upgrade or even for a new granny flat out the back we would love to help you on your journey.

Phone Michael to book a free telephone conversation or an onsite consultation to begin reimagining how your home lives.

0419 391 282

reimaginedhabitat.com.au

michael@reimaginedhabitat.com.au

Reimagined Habitat | 18 Creswell Street, Campbell ACT

Colourful chairs at Ex-Government Furniture.

53 years of providing quality flooring

ENDEAVOUR Carpets offers the largest range of topquality floor coverings in Canberra and Queanbeyan, with options that help keep the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, says co-owner Taylor O’Brien.

Established in 1970, and still a family run business, Endeavour will this year celebrate its 53rd anniversary.

“To celebrate, we have a sale running until the end of May on selected carpet ranges, including underlay upgrades,” she says.

Taylor says Endeavour has maintained its original objective of displaying exceptional choices of carpet, timber, laminate and hybrid flooring, vinyl, vinyl planks and rugs.

She describes their Fyshwick-based showroom as Canberra’s “greatest floor show” with thousands of samples on display, and an experienced team of flooring specialists

to make the customer’s experience as easy as possible.

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

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

“This is what really sets Endeavour Carpets apart from any regular carpet store.

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

Endeavour Carpets, 33 Isa Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 6132, or visit endeavourcarpets.com.au

Decades of architectural experience

AWARD-winning architects Maria Filardo and Can Ercan joined forces two years ago to create their boutique firm, Filardo Ercan Architects, located in Griffith.

Renowned for their residential architecture, interior design, commercial and hospitality fitouts and heritage projects, Maria and Can’s combined expertise in architecture, interior design and heritage allows them to provide an experienced skill set and a holistic approach for clients.

“We chose to be a small firm with a big impact so we can always provide a personal service to our clients,” says Maria.

“Our work has led us to projects outside Canberra. We’ve worked at Haig Park in Sydney, in Victoria and across regional NSW.

Maria has more than 20 years experience in architecture and is also a lecturer at CIT in building and interior design.

Can has more than 25 years of experience in heritage conservation, having worked for NSW Heritage Office, ACT Heritage Unit as well as an associate and senior architect with leading firms in Canberra and Sydney.

“We complement each other, which lets our work stand out,” says Can.

“We have a mutual respect for each other which

moves the business forward, and we are aligned in what we want to achieve in keeping our customers happy,” says Maria.

“We always aim to offer something different and better in every new project,” says Can.

“We love what we do and the good relationship we have with our clients is reflected in the great end results we achieve,” says Maria.

Filardo Ercan Architects, visit feas.com.au or call Maria on 0421 342625 and Can on 0415 550801.

Award-winning architects Can Ercan and Maria Filardo.

Kim’s passionate about improving homes

AS the owner of Renovation Matters, Kim Persson says her love of renovating has seen her take her passion from a hobby to a successful business.

With more than 40 renovations under her belt, she’s got the experience and know-how to transform homes to the best effect.

“I can help people who are thinking of downsizing, or renovate to add in shower rails or seats,” she says.

“Or we can renovate a family home to get people money when moving into the next chapter of their lives.”

Kim says she’s noticed a change in the current market.

“Times are changing and it’s important to strategise, to give your house an uplift, making sure the home is well presented,” she says.

“I’m hearing from some real estate agents that houses that are unrenovated or needing repairs are sitting on

the market and not moving.

“It’s currently a buyer’s market rather than a seller’s market, so you have to be very strategic with the areas you renovate.”

Renovation Matters offers a “fix up, profit and pay later” process in which they can cover upfront renovation costs before settlement.

“If you’re struggling with tough times, or finding it harder to pay the mortgage, we can fund improvements until settlement,” she says.

“If we are needed to help a client, there’s nothing we can’t do to help make the renovation a stress-free experience.”

Renovation Matters, visit renovationmatters.com.au or call Kim on 0427 696662.

Knowledgeable staff with a range of natives

COOL Country Natives stocks the largest range of native Australian plants in the ACT and surrounds, says owner Karen Brien.

“Now that we’re in autumn it’s a great time to plant because the weather is cooling but the soil is still warm,” she says.

“Frost hardy plants will be easier to manage, and make it easier for watering.”

Her dedicated team of reliable and knowledgeable staff say they’re happy to talk to customers and help them with any queries.

“We go out of our way to help people find the right plant for the right spot; we’re attentive and we know what stock is in the nursery,” she says.

“We specialise in local species as well as hardy and cold-tolerant natives, and carry a large range of native plant varieties, ranging in size from tubestock to 200mm, plus a growing range of advanced stock.

“Shoppers can find groundcovers, grasses, ferns, climbers and small-tolarge shrubs and trees.

“We know how it grows and what it requires. The team do their best to help our shoppers wherever they can.”

Cool Country Natives, 5A Beltana Road, Pialligo. Call 6257 6666, email retail@coolcountrynatives.com.au or visit coolcountrynatives.com.au

Cool Country Natives has a huge range of tube stock and tree ferns.

Renovation Matters operation manager Amy Gannon, left, with owner Kim Persson.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

INSIDE Rowling puts case for the word ‘woman’ NICK OVERALL

Logie winner takes on the madness of ‘Macbeth’

By Helen MUSA

BELL Shakespeare’s excitement is palpable that the PalestinianAustralian actor playing the lead role in the coming production of “Macbeth” won a Logie in 2018.

But although Hazem Shammas has made himself famous in recent years for his roles in TV shows “Safe Harbour” and “The Twelve”, and will be starring in the upcoming Disney+ series “The Clearing”, he graduated in acting from the WA Academy of Performing Arts in 2001 and has been a regular working actor on the stage ever since.

As he tells me by phone from Sydney: “I’m grateful for my training with Gillian Jones… without that kind of craft, I don’t think I could’ve played Macbeth,” he says.

Born into a Palestinian community in Fassuta, a tiny village near the Lebanese border with Israel, Shammas came here when very young and was schooled in Sydney’s west. But he has never lost his sympathy for refugees, and became an ambassador with Settlement Services International.

“Macbeth” is, we agree, an incredibly famous play and share our remarkably similar experiences of formidable school English teachers who gave us a lifelong love

it has the perfect plot, complete with a clear moment in the play, when Macbeth realises he can’t turn back.

We take a moment to discuss the “Scottish” play’s reputation as being a dangerous one to put on or be in and theatrical superstitions prohibiting uttering the word “Macbeth” in a theatre.

“We are relaxed about it,” Shammas says, giving me a quick history lesson about the

Japan from Akira Kurosawa’s film “Throne of Blood” and seen during 2021 in a Noongar language translation called “Hecate”, spearheaded by director-actor Kyle Morrison, who has joined the Bell cast for this production.

There’s a particularly famous translation of “Macbeth” into Arabic, Shammas tells me, and many Arabic speakers believe that Shakespeare was an Arab.

“Our national heroes are all poets, and we

ethics and morality… Right from the start, he’s having a kind of panic attack about the thought of murder and the shame of it, about his sense of right and wrong.”

Sure, he goes ahead with actions that lead to murder, but that madness comes from a very deep moral code and in Shammas’s view, the audience is almost sympathetic with “the criminal couple”.

“Pure genius,” he says.

by Suzanne Hawley

In this production, the focus on the love relationship between Macbeth and his wife has been emphasised by director Richard Evans, who is a self-declared “Macbeth” obsessive.

Jessica Tovey plays Lady Macbeth and together they have interpreted the play as a love narrative with a kind of break-up story.

“Their love, even if it is narcissistic, is what takes them down – a childless couple, heading into middle age with perhaps a 30-year relationship behind them, but they’re still very much into each other,” he says.

Scholars have ruminated on their back story? How did they come together? Why do they love each other so much that it takes them to the edge of morality?

Whatever, it all comes to nothing, and when Macbeth hears of her death while in the middle of battle, he says apathetically: “She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word.”

“He’s lost the love of his life and his greatest fear has been to be without a legacy. He has nothing,” Shammas says.

So, in a play full of showstopping speeches, what is his favourite scene? It’s the scene in Act 3 where the ghost of his murdered friend, Banquo, appears to him at a banquet.

“Suddenly the world shifts and his mind crumbles,” Shammas says, “I’m thrown around the stage by a ghost that no one else can see – I’m told it’s a joy to watch.”

Bell

Shakespeare, “Macbeth”, The Playhouse, April 14-22.

Jessica Tovey and Hazem Shammas in Bell Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”.

Photo: Brett Boardman

/ ‘Reasons to be Pretty’

Mill’s ‘Reasons’ to be different

By Helen Musa

THE Mill Theatre in Dairy Road, Fyshwick, seems bent upon revising conventional Canberra approaches to theatre-making.

Its next show, Neil LaBute’s tough comedy “Reasons to be Pretty”, introduces the concept of the “shadow director”.

As well, instead of following the time-honoured Stanislavski technique, they’ll be using the Meissner process, where actors concentrate on the other actors around them through emotional preparation, repetition and improvisation.

I caught up with Tim “Timbo” Sekuless, brother of the artistic director Lexi Sekuless, who is directing the new production coming up in mid-April.

He’s embarking on a play by a writer he says is accused of misanthropy, of hating the very characters he creates. Not true, Tim says.

LaBute, better-known for “In the Company of Men”, the TV series “Van Helsing” and Netflix’s “The I-Land”, grew up in Michigan as the son of a hospital receptionist and a truck driver, so he knows a thing or two about coming of age in a small town, and wrote of people he really knew.

At the time the play was written

in 2008, Tim says, New York audiences and people in big cities had become very removed from what life in small-town, working-class communities was, culminating in Hillary Clinton’s famous depiction of them as “deplorables” in a 2016 election campaign speech.

“It’s relevant in Canberra today,” he asserts, citing attacks from outside the national capital about those living in the “Canberra Bubble”, with “no sympathy at all for people from smaller communities”.

Proof apparent that LaBute is sympathetic to his subjects comes in his comment: “I have profound respect for work and workers and communities who live from paycheck to paycheck.” But then again, he also said: “Everybody has

the ability to be manipulative, to be hateful and deceitful.”

If anything, Tim believes, LaBute’s cutting dialogue is levelled at the comfortable intelligentsia, not the young, working-class people in his play, who struggle towards adulthood.

Briefly he explains, “Reasons to be Pretty” involves two young couples, played by Alana Denham-Preston, Rhys Hekimian, Ryan Erlandsen and Lexi Sekuless, who are stuck together in a small town – at least two of them need to move on.

Without giving much away, he says what happens at the end is “bittersweet”, as LaBute strives to show that there is a possibility for the characters to move on in a cruel world. Everyone has a chance.

A fascinating aspect of the

production is the involvement of Kim Beamish as shadow director.

If the name sounds familiar, he was named “CityNews” Artist of the Year in 2018 for his exceptional work as a documentary filmmaker.

“Theatre and film are two very different things,” Tim says. In film, actors are asked to give the same performance no matter when the segment is screened, but quickly adds that Beamish has taken to the theatre with “great aplomb”, immediately adapting to the new genre and to the Meissner process.

As for Beamish, he’s long been interested in explaining the more fictional content of theatre than the factual scenarios he’s dealt with in documentaries, and once did a unit of drama at the ANU, where he first met Lexi.

“What’s different about theatre is that you can work with actors to get them to develop the audience’s experience more… in documentaries, I can’t play around, I just have to capture it the right way,” Beamish says.

Next year, Beamish will direct LaBute’s sequel to this play, “Reasons to be Happy”, where the four characters Greg, Steph, Carly, and Kent return a few years later.

“Reasons to be Pretty”, Mill Theatre, Fyshwick. Previews, April 12-15, season April 19-May 6.

Festival of indigenous art and kazoos

THE biggest commissioned exhibition of indigenous contemporary art in Victoria will be part of the Rising festival.

The “Shadow Spirit” exhibition will be installed in the upper level of Flinders Street Station as one of the 185 events by more than 400 artists.

One project puts 10,000 biodegradable kazoos in the hands of 10,000 people at Federation Square.

Another will see a heavenly cloud of lights floating above the city landmark like fireflies, in the installation “SPARK” by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde.

St Paul’s Cathedral will be home to a sound-and-video project titled “Anthem”, by Wu Tsang and Beverly Glenn-Copeland.

The already-announced centrepiece of the 2023 slate will be an immersive film project starring Cate Blanchett.

“Euphoria”, by artist and filmmaker Julian Rosefeldt, has just had its world premiere in New York and explores capitalism, greed and the effects of unlimited economic growth.

The Rising festival will be held across Melbourne June 7-18.

Arriba! It’s time for terrific tacos

By Wendy JOHNSON

ARRIBA! Arriba! Cartel

Taqueria in Queanbeyan is mad about tacos filled with curated, house-made fillings.

On the banks of the river, Ray Morton Park, Cartel Taqueria is owned by the Petridis family who invented the “freak shake” which they sold in the former Café Patissez, Manuka. No freak shakes are found at this new Mexican venue, but delish frozen margaritas and sangria are.

A taqueria specialises in tacos and the Cartel does it well. Each taco is $14 (one per serve) and accompanied by zesty lime and sweet coriander.

The Baja fish crispy tacos are stuffed with lightly battered flathead and come with a lime and garlic crema. For an extra kick, the Baja features zingy pico de gallo (tomato salsa) and pickled red onion.

Chilli and garlic butter king prawns are the main ingredient in La Gamba tacos, perked up with caramelised pineapple and chilli salsa, guacamole and spring onion.

My Mas Vaca centred around tender, spicy, slow-cooked and shredded beef, smothered with southern slaw (nice texture) and Mexican cheese which added another layer of flavour.

Kids will be happy with more simple tacos ($6 to $9) and a bowl of plain fries for $3.

Backtracking a bit… we shared the Queso starter (small $14, large

$18). This smooth, creamy Texan three-cheese dip is served with guac, coriander and sriracha.

We appreciated being able to order a small option since the large ($18) would have been overwhelming for our small party. We had fun dipping crunchy blue and yellow totopos (triangle-shaped tortilla chips) into the dip while sipping our drinks before ordering mains.

We road-tested the waffle fries and fritter bites (both $8 small and $12 large). The fries were light and crunchy. The mini corn and zucchini fritter bites were perfect morsels packed with flavour. They just weren’t as hot (temperature-wise) as I expected them to be.

Refreshing margaritas are made fresh daily with no premix ($19 each). Our designated driver enjoyed a deep ruby red coloured virgin margarita. Those who like it dirty can add a shot of tequila for $5.

My classic, authentic-tasting lime version reminded me of my trips to Mexico.

Sangria (rojo and blanco) is $16 by the glass and $80 for a jug, which equals up to six glasses. One of our party gave the thumbs up to his blanco, created with prosecco, tequila, triple sec, pineapple juice, cinnamon, lemon lime and bitters, apple and blood orange. Mexican beers are available.

Cartel Taqueria was busy and we lined up for a table. It didn’t take long, however, to land a seat under a magnificent mature tree in the outdoor dining area.

The music at Cartel Taqueria is Mexican-inspired, and the place explodes with colour – food, drink, picnic blankets and artwork.

From left, Ryan Erlandsen, Alana Denham-Preston and Rhys Hekimian… performing in “Reasons to be Pretty”. Photo: Martin Ollmann

Three tacos and waffle fries… accompanied by zesty lime and sweet coriander.

Photos: Wendy Johnson

Virgin margarita… for the designated driver.

Lime margarita and sangria… memories of Mexico.

Where drinking alone may lead

By Richard CALVER

I’M not usually a fan of country music, but I must give a big thumbs up to Carrie Underwood’s catchy “Drinking Alone”, about a lovelorn woman sitting in a bar staring at a man and then indicating that they should be “drinking alone (pause) together”.

This is a fine example of a literary device that is broadly labelled “contrast” but falls into a number of sub-categories. In this instance, there is antithesis because the statement in the refrain contains two opposite ideas.

There is also an element of paradox in this plangent song because the contrast between drinking alone and drinking together doesn’t make sense until we understand the context.

The projection of her own misery on the other person in the bar means she longs not to be drinking alone but drinking alone, together, with the other misery guts:

Drownin’ the pain is better

With somebody else who got problems

We ain’t gonna solve ‘em

But misery loves company

Tonight all I need is a stranger

This tune came to mind as I was pondering the fact that, as retirement has coiled itself around me, I often take one or two glasses of wine with my meal at night and find myself drinking alone. This usually happens when I use wine as a condiment: white in risotto, red in a beef casserole or in a spaghetti sauce, for example. These are usually foods that I can freeze or that I don’t mind eating at least two days in a row.

Wine categorically enhances the flavours of food. This does not mean drowning the food in a cascade of wine but, as with other condiments, finding an appropriate level of wine to add that gets the food to the next level. It’s a question of experimenting and, just as with the drinking of wine, finding out what best suits your taste.

The addition of wine in the food means that there is wine “left over” or, in fact, ready to drink with the meal that contains a glass or two of the same wine.

It is then a pleasure, an epicurean adventure, to ensure that the food and the wine complement each other. If they don’t, next time you make adjustments.

Having “left over” wine was not a principal reason for drinking alone that I discovered on a website where the main thrust of the messages seems to be that of helping alcoholics (alcoholrehabhelp.org/blog/drinking-alone).

It says the main reasons for drinking alone are: Stress.

• Anxiety or worries.

• Depression.

• Anger.

• Trauma.

• Reducing alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

And then further down from this confronting list is the point I was trying to make: you drink alone because you like the taste of the drink. Phew!

But then another admonition: “Drinking alone isn’t always a sign of alcoholism. However, if you find yourself drinking alone regularly or excessively, it could signify a more serious problem.”

That “serious problem” I possess of regularly drinking alone is apparently underlined by depressive tendencies.

The website proclaims: “Solitary drinking is associated with a higher likelihood of depressive symptoms. Depression can cause people to drink alone.”

So, if you’re depressed you’re more likely to drink alone and if you drink alone you’re more likely to become depressed. That seems to be a spiral that once you’re caught up in it’s difficult to escape, uh, just like drinking alone?

Oh well, I probably just need to find someone where I can share any misery that is engendered by solitary drinking (none palpable to date) and “drink alone… together.”

By Nick OVERALL

The tales of the boy wizard and his adventures at Hogwarts inspired a new passion for reading and pulled off a magical feat indeed by getting a whole new generation interested in literature.

For a long time author JK Rowling was considered a hero and feminist icon, but today her name is no longer one that reserves near universal respect and admiration.

In 2023 a furore swirls around Rowling. She has become the subject of a hate campaign, one that has gone so far as to compare her to a nazi and, in her words, fear for her family’s safety.

For those who aren’t tuned into the controversy, Rowling sparked this fire after a series of tweets where she challenged the views of the transgender movement.

She espoused the view that someone born a man is a man and someone born a woman is a woman and that fact cannot be biologically changed.

Since then many have looked at Rowling in an entirely new light.

Thousands have called for her cancellation and said her views have put transgender lives at risk. Some have filmed while they burn her famous books and uploaded it to social media (ironically, it should be mentioned, by some of the very people who have called her a nazi).

In some cases there have even been attempts to alienate her from her own creation like last year’s reunion of the cast and crew of the “Harry Potter” films.

The streaming event on Binge saw the actors, producers and directors of the franchise invited back to

ARTS IN THE CITY Hadfield shortlisted for painting prize

By Helen Musa

CANBERRA painter Margaret Hadfield has once again been shortlisted for the Gallipoli Art Prize, this time for her portrait titled “Reverence”, of Cpl Michael Munday from outback army unit Norforce, the first indigenous soldier to be involved with Anzac com memorations in Villers-Bretonneux. The $20,000 art prize was first awarded by the Gallipoli Memorial Club in 2006 – to Hadfield.

JAZIDA Productions has the “Haus of Fabulous” dancers flapping their feathers and slinking their silks in an extravaganza at Bom Funk Theatre, High Street, Queanbeyan, 7pm for 8 pm, on April 15. Then they’re heading to Hollywood and Las Vegas.

FORMER Luminescence Chamber Singer Jack Stephens is now director of music at St Paul’s College, University of Sydney. He’s bringing his choir to St Paul’s, Manuka, with a program of choral anthems, 3pm, April 15.

CANBERRA Youth theatre director Luke Rogers is brimful of ideas, the latest of which is the company’s “12-hour theatre project”, to take place from 9am to 10pm on April 22. Over the course of the day, a team of young artists aged seven to 25 will devise, rehearse, produce and perform a new piece of theatre. “Seize the day,” Rogers says. Sign up at canberrayouththeatre.com.au

word ‘woman’

goes deep into the controversy, challenging Rowling to explain her views in detail and share her experience of the last few years.

The podcast comes from American media company The Free Press, one that describes itself as built on “honesty” and “fierce independence”. All six of its episodes are available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and most Podcast sites.

While the podcast is in large part about Rowling and does position her as a victim, it’s certainly no

In its later episodes, the podcast includes the perspectives of people in the trans community that Rowling hurt with her views, some of those who say they were heartbroken after finding comfort in the “Harry Potter” books when they had no one else to turn to.

Rowling says her views on the issue stem from her passionately held feminist beliefs, believing the erasure of the word “woman” will hurt the hard-fought progress that has been made in securing women’s rights.

It’s no surprise Rowling is such a fierce feminist.

As she reveals in the podcast, she herself has been a survivor of domestic violence. She shares this not to garner pity but to draw more attention to the struggles women face.

reminisce on their time shooting the movie. However, the author of the universe that is the reason the films exist in the first place was sidelined, only given a select few lines that made it to the documentary in a pre-recorded video.

Almost three years on from when Rowling first announced her position on the issue and she hasn’t yet had the chance to have her say in an unedited public forum. That is until now.

“The Witch Trials of JK Rowling” is a new podcast that

LimitedSeats!

She’s also experienced sexism in its many forms, including the publishing industry. When “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” first released the name “JK Rowling” was recommended for the front cover out of concerns that boys weren’t going to read a novel written by a woman.

I won’t go any further in explaining her position, but instead leave listeners to decide themselves what they make of her appeal.

However, no matter what side of the argument one is on, “The Trials of JK Rowling” is one podcast that makes for worthwhile streaming.

The Mozarts, the Haydns & the Bear

7:30pm, Fri 28 April Fitters’ Workshop

A classic symphonic feast focussed on three of the 18th century’s most prominent musical families. This concert features forgotten works by Michael Haydn & Leopold Mozart and is bookended by two great symphonies showcasing the Australian Haydn Ensemble.

THE world would be a different place without “Harry Potter”.

JK Rowling… new podcast challenges her to explain her views in detail and share her experience of the last few years.

Margaret Hadfield.

Hardy Banksia hard to stop

COASTAL Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) is a hardy, fast-growing perennial that attracts native birds and encourages an abundance of habitat.

It grows well in our region and, if given a chance, can tower in a garden to 10 metres or more.

Widely grown along the east coast of Australia, it is suitable for sandy coastal soils to inland soils in the mountains. Fortunately, its root system is not known to be invasive and has shallow roots that do well in our hard, clay soils.

It matures at around five to six years and, as a member of the Proteaceae family, needs only native fertilisers that are low in phosphorus.

The bark has interesting and tessellated greyish-to-brown patterns and its flowers are fodder for bats or possums and a magnet for nectar-feeding birds such as the yellow-tailed cockatoo. Red wattlebirds are ferociously territorial when the plant is in flower and will guard the large, lemon-yellow flowers for themselves.

Coastal Banksia flowers on old

growth and the only pruning would be to snap off spent flowers to leave old-branch growth for next year’s flowering. A Banksia that’s not flowering needs more sunlight and a little native fertiliser will help with flowering in autumn and putting on good growth before the cold weather sets in.

If planting a Banksia this season, dig a hole double the size of the pot, ensure there is good drainage, add a little coarse sand and water in well.

THERE are about three to four weeks until we are due to get the first frost for the season. Anzac Day has always been the signal for my glasshouse doors to go on and indoor and frost-sensitive plants to be moved inside.

I have two large glasshouses that don’t get under zero degrees in winter and are a saviour for large plants that don’t fit into the house.

In addition, rearranging my plants indoors for winter, I always add a pot or two of Mexican Butterwort (Pinguicula emarginata), which act as living sticky traps. They are carnivorous plants and use their sticky leaves to catch small bugs and insects such as fungus gnats.

Fungus gnats breed in moist environments where fungi grows. If there’s an abundance of

them, then overwatering could be the issue. Monitoring the number of insects on the leaves of the Butterwort will indicate if there is an issue with indoor plants.

Butterworts are from the Americas and grow naturally alongside Agaves, succulents and Tillandsias. They are tropical plants and won’t survive in our outdoor winters, but a worthy plant to have indoors in a bright light and not in direct sunlight.

Most importantly, use tepid water to keep it moist but not wet, and limit overhead watering. Replanting should be done in spring or in the warmer months. Use 50 per cent sphagnum moss and 50 per cent sharp washed river sand, but no fertiliser.

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au

Jottings…

• Apples are ripe for picking when the stalk comes away easily from the tree.

• Green manure crops can be planted now in fallow, weed-free ground.

• Prepare the ground for growing garlic in full winter sun.

• Trim conifers and evergreens before the cold weather sets in.

Mexican Butterwort… carnivorous plant that use their sticky leaves to catch small bugs and insects such as fungus gnats.

Coastal Banksia… its shallow roots do well in our hard, clay soils.

Photos: Jackie Warburton

HOROSCOPE PUZZLES

Your week in the stars

10-16 April, 2023

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Prepare for one of the luckiest weeks of the year! The Sun and Jupiter link up in Aries, so confidence and self-belief will take you far. You’re also keen to make connections with other people, as Venus and Pluto highlight your communication and networking zones. It’s a terrific time to initiate ideas and make waves within your circle of influence. Powerful and positive collaborations are the keys to future success, so roll up your sleeves and get cracking, Rams.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

You’re in tip-top form this week, Taurus, as Mercury, Venus and Uranus all transit through your sign. With Venus and Pluto activating your career zone, creativity and confidence will take you far at work. The Sun and Jupiter also highlight your contemplation zone, so meditation, reading and relaxing are also favoured. Your motto is from actress and activist Emma Watson (who turns 33 on Saturday): “My greatest relaxation is to sit with a book.”

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

The Sun and Jupiter join forces, so open and honest communication is required, but make sure you don’t become the neighbourhood nosey parker. Passing on unverified hearsay could lead to unexpected consequences, so think long and hard, Gemini, before you spread secrets and garrulous gossip. What’s needed are kind words, helpful actions and noble deeds. Those around you can expect some amusing antics and manic moments from you and your peer group pals.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

On Tuesday or Wednesday a lucky opportunity could come your way, as the Sun and Jupiter join forces in your career zone. With Mars moving through your sign and Venus shifting into your spirituality zone, this week is all about listening to your inner voice and following your intuition. So, your motto for the moment is from actress and feminist Emma Watson (who turns 33 on Saturday): “All I can do is follow my instincts, because I’ll never please everyone.”

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Calling all restless, curious Cats! It’s one of your luckiest weeks of the year as the golden Sun (your ruler) links up with Jupiter, planet of prosperity and positivity. So fun times and fortunate opportunities are likely – especially involving education, aspirations, adventure, travel and/or tourism. However, when it comes to close friends and complicated finances, try to keep the two well-separated. At the moment, money and mates are a messy combination.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Venus transits into your career zone, so confidence and chutzpah will take you far at work. If you stop criticising others – and turn on the charm instead – then you’ll zoom ahead in leaps and bounds. You’ll also gain valuable insights into the hidden motivations of a loved one, but make sure you use such information discreetly. And don’t forget to laugh! Your mantra is from fellow-Virgo, Roald Dahl: “A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.”

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

With the Sun and Jupiter joining up in your relationship zone, the buzz words are communication, consultation and cooperation. Your natural Libran talent for negotiation will get you through! Heed the wise words of actress, activist, and birthday great Emma Thompson: “Any problem, big or small, always seems to start with bad communication.” It’s also a good week to catch up with family and friends from faraway places, either in person or online.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Stubborn Scorpios can too easily get stuck in a stultifying daily regime. This week it’s time to ricochet out of your usual routine and do something completely different. Variety is the spice of life as you experiment with exciting new activities and enjoy some spontaneous adventures. But the more you try to control others, the more they are likely to resist. So, if you want to avoid problems and power struggles, then learn to graciously let go and move on.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

It’s a wonderful week to let the good times roll, as the Sun and Jupiter join forces to put a sunny smile on your Sagittarian dial. The stars highlight entertaining, eating out, movies, concerts, parties, personal pampering, fashion, fun and more. You’re keen to indulge in pleasure and leisure in equal measure! But be careful what you say to a stressed family member. Deft diplomacy is paramount. If in doubt, just zip your lips and say absolutely nothing.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

This week your ruler, Saturn, squares Venus, which could crank up your controlling side and encourage ego battles with others. So, try to balance steely determination with a deft diplomatic touch. The Sun/Jupiter conjunction brings a welcome reprieve as you charm family members and close friends, plus influence important people with your can-do Capricorn attitude. If there’s a challenging job to tackle or a tall mountain to climb – you’re the one to do it!

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Sociable Jupiter links up with the Sun, so you’re keen to create, activate and communicate (especially within your local community). Some caution is required, though, otherwise you could be drawn into a power struggle with a child, teenager, business colleague or close friend. As actress, writer and birthday great Emma Thompson reminds us: “Children don’t need much advice, but they really do need to be listened to, and not just with half an ear.”

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

On Friday, Saturn (in your sign) squares Venus (in your domestic zone) so there could be a tricky problem with a frustrated family member or a stressed housemate. Patience and plenty of diplomacy will get you through. The Sun and Jupiter also link up in your money zone, which is good news for a possible pay rise, bonus, gift, major windfall or minor discount deal. Whatever happens this week – big or small – enjoy your wins wherever you find them!

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2023

Across

1 What, in snooker, is a rest on high legs, used when access to the cue ball is hampered by another ball? (6)

8 What is the outside of anything? (8)

9 Name an alternative term for summits. (6)

10 Which large floating masses are detached from a glacier, and carried out to sea? (8)

11 What describes short performances by celebrities? (6)

13 Which horses are bred and trained for harness racing? (8)

16 To pass across, is to do what? (8)

19 Who exercises ruling power during the absence of a sovereign? (6)

22 Which person or animal eats all kinds of foods indiscriminately? (8)

24 What is an hypnotic condition? (6)

25 Name another term for pertinent. (8)

26 Name some particular child’s playing marbles. (6)

Solution next edition Down

2 Name part of PNG. (5)

3 What is a mess tin also known as? (5)

4 Which device introduces opposition into an electric circuit? (8)

5 What is a swelling on the edge of the eyelid? (4)

6 Name an earlier term for silver. (6)

7 What is another name for a puma? (6)

12 Which prefix means great or huge? (4)

14 What is a short dramatic musical composition? (8)

15 What is a sharp-pointed duelling sword? (4)

17 Name a German field marshal, Erwin ... (6)

18 To be not openly expressed or declared, is to be what? (6)

20 Name a fruit tree, native to tropical and subtropical America. (5)

21 What is mother-of-pearl known as? (5)

23 What might we call a sportsground? (4)

FREE PUZZLES EVERY DAY AT citynews.com.au

Sudoku medium No. 338 Solutions – March 30 edition

Solution next edition Crossword No. 874 Sudoku hard No. 337

Restorations - Repairs - Remakes - Re-Setting Ring Re-sizing - 48hr Service Custom Design - for something Special Pearl and Bead Re-Threading and Knotting

Advance Jewellers

A Family Business: 55 years experience Southlands Shopping Centre – Mawson

10am to 4pm

Open: Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri. 0408 310 063

OPEN 7 DAYS • 6293 4677 songland.com.au Cooleman Court, Weston Creek