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a 99.85 ATAR.
Since then she has made it her mis sion to help other students find suc cess.
“I didn’t mean to start Excel Aca demics, it just started almost impul sively,” says Sreeya, 19.
“I had a lot of resources that I cre ated during my time in college and I just wanted to share that with stu dents, free, but then I realised that students are looking for more than just resources, they’re looking for sup port, too.
“So, I didn’t initially plan on Excel Academics, but it was just a natural path to take after I created and shared those resources.”
Excel Academics was officially founded in March 2022, offering per sonalised online tutoring for students from year 5 to year 12.
Free resources that Excel Academ ics offers include thousands of revi sion questions, ATAR study guides and a study guide put together to help students ace their exams.
But, for students looking for a more guided approach, Excel Academics is
very challenging and pushed me to my limits, but it was good in the end.
“The other students were quite competitive which pushed me too, and encouraged me to do my best. I’m quite proud, my ATAR was more than I was expecting, I was only aiming for a 99.”
Throughout college Sreeya’s favourite subject was chemistry, and she continues to do well in further study.
“I have since finished a CS50 coding course, and I started university last
“I am now continuing my university studies online. I’m studying a bachelor of computer science.
“I think I work well under pressure, but it has been interesting to balance Excel Academics with my studies now. All of my hard work is definitely worth it, especially in terms of my personal development through challenges.”
Sreeya says the success of Excel Academics still seems a bit unreal.
“I am very proud of how much it has grown, and it’s actually still growing
“I didn’t really expect much when I first started it, and so I’m very sur -
“We are now focusing on improving the quality of our resources and content as much as we can. In October, we expanded to the whole of Australia, so we are not so much worried about further expansion.
“There definitely have been some
challenges though this year in terms of operations, but we’ve managed to work through them so far.”
The initial tutors in Excel Academics were Sreeya’s college friends.
“Unfortunately, some of them got a bit busy with university and life, but a lot of them have rejoined again this year which is really exciting,” says Sreeya.
“My title usually tends to be founder, but I’m a learning adviser more so now because I’m very heavily involved in actually communicating with students.
“It’s an awesome feeling knowing I can help so many people through their studies. My goal was to create something that my friends and I would have benefitted from during our time in college.
“Our team of tutors has walked the exact same path as our students, graduating from the same curriculums and dealing with the same obstacles. With our experience and knowledge, we are motivated to help students achieve their academic goals as we have a strong sense of relatability and empathy for their journey.
“Especially also helping with the mental side of things and education into the real world, because we now have courses that educate students on productivity and mental health, which are completely free, and financial literacy as well, so we’re definitely just creating things that we would have liked to have.”
Their well-paid spin doctors constantly write talking points to exploit the tendency that a lot of people take false information as being correct if untruths are repeatedly promoted as the truth.
Their use of this strategy is assisted by the media, who repeat the politicians’ dubious statements regularly so that it is taken as the truth. Many in the local media are very good at repeating Greenslabor-supplied propaganda as fact.
The above came to mind when reading a statement attributed to the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr.
He said: “Reform of the planning system will deliver outcomes and shape Canberra’s liveability and affordability for decades to come. The bill will contribute to the government’s objective of a more affordable, sustainable, liveable, diverse, interesting, productive and economically efficient Canberra.”
The other false narrative being touted about the new planning changes is that the reforms will be out-
comes based. This has been said with a straight face as if people will accept that any planning of the city previous to Barr and his planning directorate was not focused on outcomes.
For those in the established areas and those who spend time around the central areas of Canberra may be a little surprised to learn that the former designers and planners of this city did not do their job and failed to deliver a liveable city in a landscape.
All that good urban design and the planning of community facilities, transport, parks and liveable suburbs did not happen – apparently.
The message is that in the decades
Before Barr the city planning chiefs were not capable of delivering a city with affordable housing, social housing and one that was diverse and interesting and functioned efficiently.
The truth is that all those things were happening before Barr and his barbaric bureaucrats messed up the planning of the bush capital.
This city was doing fine until the development industry was encouraged to do their own thing with many development applications being approved despite not meeting the ACT government’s own planning requirements. On top of that there has been at least a decade of variations on top of variations, resulting in what is now a hard-to-fathom planning mess. Barr and his spin doctors actually think the people of Canberra believe their stupid efforts at propaganda.
At the end of last month, the combined voices of the city’s seven community councils published a second media statement that seriously questioned the reforms being proposed by the Greenslabor government.
The combined community councils’ statement was well written and is very clear in its assessment of the chief minister’s planning reforms as
being a failure.
The benchmarks used to assess this failure include statements about governance, community consultation, liveability, affordability, environmental protection and climate change mitigation/adaptation.
The community councils have read the mess of documents produced by the planning directorate and have found them to be not capable of delivering against the government’s own targets it set for the planning reforms to address. They also know that the documentation is still incomplete.
The community sector is well informed and knows better than to fall for the constant flow of rubbish statements. They also know that this city had decades of the benefits of pretty good planning and design. The community sectors know that the so-called planning reforms are not about planning but about wholesale deregulation to favour the development industry. The well-paid spin doctors have failed.
However, the bad news is that despite the efforts of the community to speak out about their aspirations for the city and to have written a mountain of submissions expressing
the community’s desire for real planning and for good design, Barr, his ACT Labor cohort and the ACT Greens are intent on having the deregulation reforms actioned well before the October 2024 elections.
Wonder why?
Previous decades of good planning, design and research delivered this very desirable city.
Barr and his chief planner need to do some reading to understand that good stuff happened and that the former planning systems could deliver again for the future – with updating to deal with the complexities of climate change.
The Combined Community Councils’ statement is available on its website: www.cccact.org
Paul Costigan is a commentator on cultural and urban matters. There are more of his columns at citynews.com.au
The message is that in the decades Before Barr the city planning chiefs were not capable of delivering a city with affordable housing, social housing and one that was diverse and interesting and functioned efficiently.
THE legislation to change the planning parameters of Canberra has now passed the Legislative Assembly. However, it is not too late for the development of Canberra to proceed in a manner that retains the character and best elements of the world’s best planned city.
Cities in Australia are not alone in wrestling with the issues of retaining character while expanding to allow for population growth. Guidance for this sort of development can be found through the principles of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
As Waikato University professor Alexander Gillespie explained in “The Conversation”, ICOMOS is the only global non-governmental organisation of its kind dedicated to promoting the conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage.
ICOMOS updated “The Valletta Principles for the Safeguarding and Management of Historic Cities, Towns and Urban Areas” in 2011 to deal, interalia, with questions around the way urban planning changes the character of cities.
Internationally, those involved with ICOMOS recognise the role of landscape as common ground, where “the
townscape, including its topography and skyline, as a whole, seem more important than before”.
Of particular interest in Canberra is the focus of ICOMOS on fast-growing cities. These need to consider the problems of large-scale developments, which have the potential to undermine “the authenticity and integrity of historic towns”.
The concept includes the “urban patterns, the green spaces and the relationships between buildings and green and open spaces”.
ICOMOS has defined the “Valletta Principles”, which identify elements to be preserved when a city is expanded. Unfortunately, many of the proposals presented by the ACT government during this round of planning consul-
tation and the facilitating legislation simply fly in the face of the Valletta Principles.
In March, during the consultation period on the draft plan, I wrote about the importance of choice – noting that the fundamental problem with the document is that it does not look through the lens of choice.
Ordinary people make choices about where they want to live and how they wish to live. For some, high-density living as found in inner Melbourne and many cities worldwide fits this choice. For many others –they simply do not have the choice to live in the way that the vast majority of Canberrans already choose.
In that article I pointed out that Canberrans overwhelmingly choose to live in a single house, in a diverse suburb with small shopping centres and access to local schools. The Y-plan of half a century ago delivered on these preferences and choices. At the time higher-density living was
also facilitated. It was not forced.
The Val letta Principles emphasise the importance of good governance. The ACT government will claim that they did meet the aims of good governance in accordance with ICOMOS that suggests “Good governance makes provision for organising broad orchestration amongst all stakeholders”. It goes on to list the sorts of organisations involved in cities.
However, good governance is not just going through the process of consultation. The real test will be to see what has changed in the planning of Canberra through such consultation.
It does not stop at the point of legislation but remains a responsibility of government. “Direct consultation and continuous dialogue with the residents and other stakeholders is indispensable”.
When the Valletta Principles were updated in 2011, ICOMOS recognised that urban redevelopment was changing rapidly and now needed to “reflect a greater awareness of the issue of historic heritage on a regional scale rather than just confined to urban areas; of intangible values such as continuity
and identity; of traditional land use, the role of public space in communal interactions and of other socioeconomic factors such as integration and environmental factors”.
Planning issues have been controversial in Canberra even before self-government. This is because so many Canberrans are rightly proud of their city, enjoy its unique character and love living here. They fear the key elements being undermined by greed and misconceptions by blindly copying the worst features of other cities.
The final word comes from the Valletta Principles: “Historical or traditional areas form part of daily human life. Their protection and integration into contemporary society are the basis for town-planning and land development.”
Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an in dependent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.
Good governance is not just going through the process of consultation. The real test will be to see what has changed in the planning of Canberra through such consultation.
be key, Rachel,” he said, as he left me
And what of the staff at Calvary?
SINCE the government’s announceamacallit that Calvary Public Hospital would be pulverised sometime after lunch next Tuesday, a lot of people have asked me, “What’s the rush?” Well, that, and some things best left to a sailor’s bar.
These “citizens”, I think you call them, look at me with teary eyes and say things like, “Please, for God’s sake, Rachel, can’t you just leave a perfectly fine hospital alone?”
After they blubber on some more, I usually have to get my Health CEO, Dave Peffer, or some underling to wrench their clammy hands off me, so I can get back to my scheming.
Don’t these people know that there’s an election next year? With our parlous health system, we desperately need to hoodwink voters that we are super busy in the health space. Plus, who doesn’t love kicking the Catholics these days? It’s not like we’re going to lose any votes in the ACT over that.
I’ve outsourced a lot of my caring to the saintly people at PwC and have asked Dave to erect a bronze statue of me in the Calvary foyer so that patients can rub my holy clipboard for good luck. Good luck, of course, being our more cost-effective alternative to management in the new hospital.
And what of the name, Calvary? Well, obviously that will need to be
ditched for something more progressive and in keeping with rubbing those Catholic bastards’ noses in it. I met with the Chief Minister about this the other day over a peach-noted civet coffee in Kingston. As the chief was checking with the wait staff that his coffee was properly flash-brewed to 90°C, he said that he’d leave all the
healtho stuff with me but was excited to be hands-on with the new Calvary name.
Then he bolted to the airport to get a flight to New York so he could quiz the top marketing mavens about the most “boss” name. “In a tricky transition like this, making sure people have a good name to go to will
Doctor-and-nurse types, I think. How will they face our randomly-inflicted uncertainty, you ask? Or is that the voice of my conscience giving me a Well, Calvary staff will now need to lower their game to fall in line with the nation-trailing standards of Canberra Hospital. Dave Peffer and the Canberra Health Services team will be standing by with their phones on voicemail to assist all staff in this transition. Dave has even promised to update his “Clinical Governance Rap” (google it) to include Calvary.
Yes, I have every confidence that before long, Calvary staff will either be driving to work in Goulburn Hospital or hiding in a supply closet as bedlam breaks out across their ward.
So, the debate with Calvary is over, people. It finished after you all first saw it on the news. Our fully integrated destruction of the Canberra hospital system is happening whether we understand what we’re doing or not.
Now, let’s all work together to ensure all Canberrans are well served with positive press releases between now and the election.
“Calvary staff will now need to lower their game to fall in line with the nation-trailing standards of Canberra Hospital, writes the Services.
‘Let’s all work together to ensure all Canberrans are well served with positive press releases between now and the election’
Construction and Management
was created by Steve Milutinovic in 1983 and, four decades on, he and his family are celebrating the contribution they’ve made to the building, renovation and refurbishment of homes and businesses in Canberra and the region.
What started out as primarily a kitchen and cabinetry business, Bordeaux has expanded over the years and grown into specialising in home renovations, extensions and new homes.
Bordeaux also specialises in commercial fitouts and joinery and is fully licensed as a builder in NSW and ACT.
For Steve, family has always been a big part of the success of Bordeaux. His wife, Sue, joined him in running the administrative side of the business 36 years ago and Steve says that they continue to be great business and life partners.
All three of their sons – Michael, Jamie and Mark – are now also working in the business and bringing their own sets of skills.
Serbia born and Canberra bred, Steve started his apprenticeship in 1977 in carpentry and joinery. He also learnt cabinet making with his apprenticeship with ACT Builders and Interior Joiners. Steve says he has always loved working with his hands: “There’s a joy about working with your hands and bringing a design to reality,” he says.
Steve worked on large projects, such as the National Gallery and the High Court, which gave him great experience in working with natural timber and creating detailed furniture for these iconic public institutions.
Two years later, he says he went out on his own thanks to his dad who spruiked Steve’s
up, so in 1983, I started Capital Cabinet Making,” says Steve.
Steve fondly remembers working alongside some great designers and architects, creating high-end furniture, cabinetry and also refurbishments to mainly kitchens and bathrooms.
Quickly, Steve created a name for quality workmanship and was awarded several Master Builders’ awards for both bathroom
to reality. We have to make sure to work structurally and how to deliver the job.
“Of course it’s been a big drawcard to have gained the recognition of my peers and when you win multiple awards, it shows that you are at the top of your game.”
Steve says he enjoys being a trendsetter with the designs they create and the complexity of the craftsmanship they pride themselves on.
in France is an easily recognisable name that conveys quality and timelessness. He says the family felt it was a fitting name for the business that prides itself on excellence in everything they do.
And, inspired by the luscious Bordeaux red-wine hues, in their Queanbeyan showroom there is an iconic red kitchen.
“This kitchen has become a classic design. It’s about 25 years old now, but people
think it is new when they come into our showroom. It really stands out and captures
Steve says he’s proud to have played a role in the careers of many apprentices and up-and-coming tradespeople who now have moved on to run their own businesses.
“It makes me feel extremely proud and I enjoy keeping in touch with former staff,”
With his family by his side, Steve says that Bordeaux Construction and Management is going from strength to strength. Their focus on the construction side of the business enables them to become a “one-stop-shop” for clients seeking the total renovation package.
“Our eldest son, Michael, holds an unrestricted A-class builder’s licence and has more than 17 years of industry experience, and heads up the project management side of the business. Jamie is a B-class builder and runs the joinery arm as well as manages many of our rural jobs. And Mark, who is an ex professional football player, has more recently joined us and is assisting in running the joinery shop as well as learning
Steve says he’s working more in “quality control” these days, ensuring the Bordeaux excellence is evident and on track on every project no matter the size or scale.
“The success of our business is thanks to our ability to meet the task and deliver projects with excellence from design to
A proud grandfather of Mateja and Luka with another grandchild soon to join the family, he describes being a grandfather as the “absolute pinnacle” and Steve says fondly that the next generation of CEOs of the business have come into the world.
Bordeaux Construction and Management, visit bordeauxbcm.com.au, 8 Aurora Place, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 4642.
Showroom Hours: Monday-Friday 9.00am-4.00pm, Saturday 9.00am-12pm, or by appointment
‘There’s a joy about working with your hands and bringing a design to reality’
LAST week, America’s President Joe Biden, 80, fell over.
He was handing out graduation certificates to US Air Force students when his feet became tangled on stage and down he went. He was quickly up and about and later tried to make a joke of it.
Alas, it too fell flat.
So, here’s a confident prediction –something similar is going to happen again – probably more than once – in the lead up to the presidential election in November 2024.
Each time it does, Biden will lose support, and the closer we get to the election the more he will dig in and press his case for re-election; the less chance a Democrat alternative will have to establish herself as a viable option to the Republican nominee, now almost certain to be Donald J Trump.
Already Biden trails the Republican front runner. Unless something totally unexpected occurs (always a possibility in gun-mad America) in January 2025 Trump will resume his chaotic, narcissistic governance from the White House, backed by a rabble Congress and a compliant Supreme Court.
I have been inspired to point this out by the thoroughly admirable efforts of John Menadue, who does Australia a great favour by publishing each week a collection of erudite
articles in his “Pearls and Irritations” website journal.
This week he featured a 5000-word analysis of Australia’s need for a defence and security policy and the formula for arriving at the best possible result.
It was written by retired Maj-Gen Mike Smith who, we’re told, was deputy force commander for the UN Transitional Administration in
East Timor. He covered all the bases – the American alliance, the role of intelligence, parliamentary oversight, public engagement and debate, as well as the obvious involvement of diplomacy and collective regional bodies.
But here’s the thing: it presumes that America will stay the same. All the old Biden policies of moderate
Chinese containment and “status quo” for Taiwan will remain.
Gen Smith is not the only oracle to dip his toe into that murky stream of consciousness. There’s an entire platoon of pundits parsing the same story, from Hugh White and John Blaxland to more retired generals than you could poke a swagger stick at.
They gather like the witches of Macbeth around the stewpot crying, “Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble”, and into which they load all manner of ingredients from “eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting, Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing”. Trouble is, their analyses might
well be tasty and logical, but the world is full of surprises. Perhaps it’s unlikely that Pretend Emperor Xi Jinping, say, will be struck down by some deadly disease; or that North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will mistakenly drop a missile on Tokyo. But some shining Australian VC hero might be revealed as a murderer who drinks beer from a victim’s prosthetic leg, or Australian defamation law actually delivers a fair judgement.
Either way, doddering Joe Biden fell over his own 80-year-old feet, and that’s a fact. Americans don’t want a doddering president, and many will stay home rather than vote for him. Trump’s people by contrast would walk over hot coals to the voting booths.
It’s not yet inevitable, but chances are that Trump is on his way back to power. And not all the eyes of newt or toes of frog in the oracles’ cauldron will prepare us for the chaos awaiting.
robert@ robertmacklin. com
Unless something totally unexpected occurs, in January 2025 Trump will resume his chaotic, narcissistic governance from the White House, backed by a rabble Congress and a compliant Supreme Court.
This year the ACT government will slaughter more than 1042 kangaroos on six nature reserves.
The kangaroos being targeted are on Mt Ainslie, Mt Majura, Red Hill, Mulanggari Grasslands, The Pinnacle and Molonglo River Reserve (Kama section).
Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti is the minister responsible for a program that has already killed nearly 30,000 adult kangaroos, bludgeoned or decapitated about 10,000 pouch joeys, and orphaned thousands of older, dependent joeys.
Ms Vassarotti recently made the following claim which is worthy of the torturers employed by George Orwell’s “Ministry of Love”:
“Culling operations are undertaken with the deepest respect to the animal’s welfare and their connection with the land.” In fact, many of these kangaroos will not be killed instantly. They will die in agony. Many others, fleeing in panic, will impale themselves on barbed wire fences or collide with traffic.
Hundreds of struggling, terrified pouch young will be bludgeoned to death or decapitated. Uncounted older joeys will be orphaned to die of cold, hunger, thirst and the painful form of stress known as myopathy.
An open letter published this year by 32 ACT medical specialists describes the scale of the cruelty witnessed during last year’s slaughter. These specialists are trained in the methods of scientific evaluation, critical thinking, and empathy. They conclude:
“There is no science, no compassion, no accountability and no transparency in this annual kill – and it is time the ACT government and the Environment, Planning, Sustainable Development Directorate were called to account.”
Last year, the government was exposed as vastly overestimating the number of kangaroos on the reserves. Despite these overestimates, the number to be killed is legislated under a calculating program which
Ms Vassarotti and her predecessors claim that kangaroo grazing is a threat to other native species. Nothing could be further from the truth.
A CSIRO analysis of the government’s own data shows that kangaroos are present on Canberra reserves in numbers that actively benefit other native species.
Kangaroos have long been recognised as a keystone species – a species without which other species cannot survive.
Kangaroos are vital for ecosystems. Killing them destroys ecosystems.
A topical example of a species that cannot survive without kangaroos is the Earless Dragon who thrives in “areas with a more open structure, characterised by small patches of bare ground between the grasses and herbs”. This is exactly the kind of habitat that is maintained by kangaroo grazing.
In the absence of kangaroos the ACT reserves are now covered in head-high overgrowth. It is scarcely any wonder that the Earless Dragon has recently been promoted to the ACT’s critically endangered list.
As we move from a long, wet, high-growth period into another long, hot, dry spell, the overgrown reserves invite a repetition of the 2003 fires. Such fires would pretty much guarantee the promotion of the Earless Dragon and other species from the “critically endangered” list to the “locally extinct” list.
The government now plans to expedite its kangaroo extermination program with fertility control. Under such pressure, kangaroos will soon be following many other local species into extinction in some areas of Canberra.
Please email your objection to the cruel treatment of Canberra’s kangaroos to:
ACT Chief Minister at barr@act.gov.au
ACT Greens Leader at rattenbury@act.gov.au
ACT Environment Minister at vassarotti@act.gov.au
And contact Save Canberra’s Kangaroos at canberrakangaroos@optusnet.com.au
ENNIO Morricone was a bit of a bugger.
He wrote that unbelievable music for such films as “The Mission”, “Cinema Paradiso” and a slew of the Greatest Cowboy Movies of All Time (growing up in Sicily in the ‘70s, my family and I all knew that Clint Eastwood was as Italian as “The Good The Bad and The Ugly”, right? Right!)
He didn’t work any harder at his lessons with the Salesian Brothers and priests than kids like me.
He didn’t get better grades in his music tests (the week before any such tests us boys would get a fearful motivational session from Don Gregorio about what happened if we failed. Pretty sure that Satyrs were involved and other minor cast members of Dante’s inferno. Over the years I’ve sometimes wished he’d come over and do his motivational schtick with the Brumbies).
Morricone didn’t even get the 10,000 hours, I’ve heard. He just had whatever you want to call it – genius, the gift. A few other things, too –charm, intellect, supportive family, opportunity, a thriving Italian film industry (God and Hollywood both knew that the punters couldn’t wait for a little escapism). And when the opportunity came, he grasped it. And more – when he got to the top, unlike so many others, he had the work ethic and genuine spark of brilliance to
stay at the top for over five decades.
This came up yesterday, when I was entranced, bizarrely, by an unremarkable Foxtel ad for a boxing bout.
Why? The music! Ennio’s stunning “The Ecstasy of Gold” from one of the spaghetti westerns’ symphonic climaxes almost drowned out the narration and turned the boofhead advertisement into art.
How do some people get brilliant?
Why are gifts so unevenly distributed? And for those with talent, why are so many denied the opportunity to turn those gifts into a rewarding career, or at least a lovely hobby? Why do so few get recognised, and so many get to catch the 8am bus to Civic with a sandwich in their briefcase?
Well, first of all, I’ve come across many artists and sportspeople and celebrities over the years, and what so many of them most desire is a steady job with a briefcase in Civic – no problem there.
But what of those who are just close enough to almost taste it? Some departed because they were almost good enough, some because they were but not judged correctly. Paul Gallen and Cam Smith captained opposing State of Origin and Grand Final teams in 2016, later that year playing for Australia together. Many years before, both had been sacked by their respective teams at age 20 and advised that they would never make it in sport.
Others just lack chances, born
the wrong colour, gender, shape or in the wrong decade or country. I know I could have opened the batting for Australia with just 400 years of intense training and a spectacularly corruptible selection system.
This is what I know to be true, and it’s important in case you are wasting a second of your time thinking the slightest negative thought about getting stuck at the lights when the car of your life (mine’s a 1974, dung-brown Datsun 200B from Macksville Motors) reached the crucial crossroad of Talent Street and Opportunity Avenue. Don’t worry about it.
I’ve never met a star of any kind who didn’t feel that the most important thing in their life was what we all share – love, family, respect of self and others. And the things in life that matter seem to descend upon all of us
in similar quantities anyway – and, fairly obviously, in greater quantities when we all treat each other better.
I love Morricone’s music, the gifts he left the world. But I don’t want his life, not for a minute.
What could make me happier than the family I have, this lovely, ugly, brilliant, dumb, melting pot Canberra. This life. Even the soaring majesty of Gabriel’s oboe will never move me as much as hugging my family and mates when somebody blows into that massive Viking horn as the Raiders run on to a cold Saturday pitch.
I’m not calling for an acceptance of mediocrity, quite the opposite – I just mean that there is brilliance and wonder in every person I’ve ever met. The tragedy is never when a celebrity star falls, but when a single ordinary person fails to recognise how special they are themselves.
Antonio Di Dio is a local GP, medical leader, and nerd. There is more of his “Kindness” on citynews.com.au
I’ve never met a star of any kind who didn’t feel that the most important thing in their life was what we all share – love, family, respect of self and others.Composer Ennio Morricone… died in Rome at the age of 91 in 2020.
Sciatica is caused by nerve pain that originates from the lower back and can cause pain from the point, right down through your bottom and down one leg to your calf.
Not the entire area may be causing you pain at any one time, but what the pain will certainly do is cause you frequent extreme discomfort that is often not relieved by pain medication. Exercise is a key to dealing with sciatica. People who have lived with sciatica for some time will generally have some weakness of the
muscles, tendons and ligaments surrounding the joints and bones that support the sciatic nerve. This is largely due to not having used their body to the fullest extent due to the sciatic pain.
Sciatic pain will generally respond well to rebuilding the support structures surrounding the sciatic nerve. For some people surgery may be the only solution, but in most cases, even if surgery is required, building up the support structures either prior to or following surgery will still be necessary.
Arthritis ACT has a team of exercise physiologists that can improve your quality of life in relation to your sciatica. Both hydrotherapy and land based exercise techniques are useful, and for those who do not like water exercise, land based exercise is just as effective.
MANY people suspect that the main motivation for the ACT government to take over the Calvary Hospital is religious –Labor hates Catholics and their opposition to abortion.
However, if you have had any real understanding of behavioural economics, you will realise that if you analyse the most powerful interests in the health industry, here and abroad, it is not the doctors and the nurses, or even the politicians, it is the hospital administrators.
As has been shown in the US and the UK, hospital administrators control and run health systems for their own interests. They even control the fortunes of the general practitioners.
In the ACT, the administrators of Canberra Hospital must hate the competition from Calvary. Not only does Calvary show them in a bad light, but also Calvary Public Hospital takes resources from Canberra Hospital that Canberra Hospital feels should be theirs.
The administrators of Canberra Hospital are a very powerful pressure group, and have worn a deep groove between Woden and Civic making representations.
Like all pressure groups, they have eventually come to own the minds of their supposed masters, and make their masters make decisions not in their own interests.
Upsetting the status quo by this takeover of Calvary Public Hospital is
from the political, administrative and cost point of view plain silly, and ACT Labor has nothing to gain from it.
But like the tram, now they have started, they will continue onward regardless until they come to a stop, and sanity descends.
As for the Canberra Hospital administrators?
A large-scale purge is long overdue. In modern management terminology, a re-org.
Tim Walshaw, WatsonMINISTER Vassarotti is failing to protect wildlife and the environment in the ACT.
The bush capital is being covered in housing. Habitat and natural spaces are disappearing at an alarming rate.
The Grasslands Earless Dragon has had its status upgraded to “critically endangered”.
More than 29,000 kangaroos and 70009000 joeys have been killed in inhumane circumstances over 15 years. Ironically, the rationale given for “conservation cull” is the protection of endangered species such as the Grasslands Earless Dragon.
Clearly, the kangaroos are not to blame.
Rather it is the destruction of their habitat which the government is allowing. Twohundred-and-thirty species of birds are in decline in the ACT.
The nature reserves are badly neglected, overgrown and full of weeds.
Only 3 per cent of the ACT budget is allocated to the environment, the lowest
allocation of the portfolios. Wing has been allowed to undertake many thousands of delivery drone flights over the nature reserves that are ecologically sensitive areas.
Minister Vassarotti is a disgrace to the Greens movement. She should resign and join the National Party. With her love of killing kangaroos and passion for agriculture, they would welcome her with open arms.
Rebecca Marks, Palmerston
THE tenor of articles and letters in the local press demand the head of Ben RobertsSmith.
As a long-standing veterans’ advocate to DVA, I have had the occasion and privilege to listen to some of their stories about the war in Afghanistan. From what I have been told of the two combatants, Australia and its allies are the better guys!
I do not condone the actions that Roberts-Smith has found to have committed, but I can understand the mentality that brings them to a head. We must remember, Australia trained him and others in the SAS regiment to be killers.
Soldiers in this cadre group have no idea who is or is not their enemy in the absence of uniforms, especially when mothers have allegedly been known to sacrifice their children to kill “friendly” soldiers.
Afghanistan has been a filthy war and many atrocities have been committed, but to single out one soldier is not the answer. Before we condemn, we should think about how we might have acted in the same circumstances and perhaps try to “walk a mile in their shoes.”
Dave Jeffrey, Farrer
YES, Paul Costigan, this city in the landscape “urgently requires a new form of leadership, being one with professional experience and expertise in landscape, design and urban environment issues” (CN June 1).
When will we be given the opportunity to vote for you as an ACT Legislative Assembly candidate and hopefully a future minister for planning?
Karina Morris, via email
MIKE Quirk (“Why the bus offers the best lift to the future”, CN June 1) makes some good points, but overstates the importance of public transport.
Quirk cites public transport mode shares of 9.9 per cent in 1991, 7.1 per cent in 2016 and 6 per cent in 2021. Those figures apply only to journeys to work. The 2017 ACT and Queanbeyan-Palerang Household Travel Survey showed that public transport
provided only 5.4 per cent of total distance travelled. Cars provided 89 per cent.
The Climate Council’s “Switching Gear” report recommends that all public transport operate on renewable electricity, and that public transport increase by 250 per cent. That would reduce local transport emissions by about 19 per cent.
In 2004 the ACT government set a target to increase the public transport journey to work mode share to 16 per cent by 2026. Following several transport plans, Quirk reports that by 2021 it achieved only 6 per cent. The ACT government seems to be incapable of achieving even a 50 per cent increase in public transport.
The Climate Council’s “Switching Gear” report recommends that 20 per cent of car trips be made by cars running on renewable electricity. That would reduce local transport emissions by about 18 per cent.
Neither Quirk nor the Climate Council consider the emissions reductions potential of increasing car occupancy. Increasing average car occupancy to one and two thirds people, from its current level of one and a third, would also reduce local transport emissions by about 18 per cent.
Leon Arundell, DownerWILL artificial intelligence (AI) wipe us out?
Nah, we’re too disorderly.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah
THE ACT government clearly has a short memory. It is reported to have said the planning bill is the most significant change to the territory’s planning system since self-government began in 1989.
In fact, the incoming Labor government launched a major “Planning System Reform Project” in 2004, resulting in the Planning & Development Act 2007 and the Territory Plan 2008.
These were closely based on the nationally agreed “Leading Practice Model for Development Assessment in Australia” which included that there be “objective rules and tests that are clearly linked to stated policy intentions”. I was there, as a senior executive in ACTPLA up to 2006.
So why change it? Sure the system has been allowed to get over-complicated and the community has a low level of trust in ACTPLA’s decisions. These issues have not been addressed. But the developers complain of being hindered in their desired outcome, which is of course to maximise development. And who does this government listen to?
The solution proposed by ACTPLA? Abandon the “rules and tests” in favour of something called “outcomes-focused” planning. Whose “outcomes”? Obviously, the developers’. The community just gets in the way.
Labor and the Greens have done their deals and the Planning Act 2023 was passed
by the Assembly on June 6, notwithstanding much of the community’s concerns have not been addressed and all the necessary accompanying material has not been presented or properly scrutinised.
As a life fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia, I am appalled by this outcome, presided over by a tired, arrogant and ill-advised government. It will be a disaster.
Richard Johnston, president, Kingston & Barton Residents Group Inc
IF, as the ACT government claims, Canberra’s centre of gravity is moving northwards, a justification for a replacement hospital to Calvary, why spend billions on a southbound tram to Woden?
Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla
ROBERT Macklin’s article “Step up, Albo and do what a PM does” is a drawn out quibble.
Noel Pearson is a serious lawyer with a good understanding of and respect for the Australian Constitution.
Mr Macklin needs to engage with Mr Pearson’s substantive ideas, rather than critique his choice of words regarding Mr Gooda.
Mr Grant’s travails have little to do directly with the Voice. It seems Mr Macklin sees Mr
Grant as bringing his problems on his own head. Regardless, this is just a diversion from the main game. Mr Macklin needs to engage with that main game, not these side issues. By the way, respectfully I suggest that the words “and the Executive Government” are necessary.
Andrew Morris, Kingston
COLUMNIST Robert Macklin (CN June 1) wants Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step up to the plate, so to speak. I hate to be the one to burst his bubble, but Albo has shown time and time again he is not up to the task of being PM.
In opposition his only contribution to the pandemic, lockdown was to throw $6 billion of taxpayers money to get people to get the jab and to extend jobkeeper payments, but when in power his government stopped them. He did nothing about the alleged bullying of the late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching by his “mean girls”, but was quick to call out anything on the opposition side. He promised to reduce electricity prices, bring 24-hour nurses to aged care, not touch our superannuation and have a clear and transparent parliament.
He has refused to call out any bad behaviour from his own side of politics and done nothing about perennial pest Lidia Thorpe.
He gets rid of the cashless debit card that was working so well in the NT, which leads
to more violence in outback towns such as Alice Springs.
He then reluctantly flies into the outback, spends a few hours there, then flies out to the Australian Open tennis to spend a few days hobnobbing from private box to private box and attends the wedding of shock jock Kyle Sandilands, whose best man was a convicted drug smuggler. Albo claims he did not know who was on the guest list. Really.
Amazingly this all seems to escape the mainstream media and people like Robert Macklin, who keep wanting to blame ScoMo for Australia’s present-day woes.
Ian Pilsner, Weston
JUNE 6 saw Labor tabling 106 amendments to the draft planning bill in the Assembly, with the Greens having already agreed to these unpublicised changes and tabling 19 more of their own.
The “debate” process was designed to give Labor and the Greens an opportunity to showcase claims of responsiveness to some of last year’s feedback on the legislative foundation for its still contentious swag of complex new planning reforms.
But when and how will the wider public be given an informative and honest analysis and assessment about how substantively these changes will, singly and collectively, address the considerable community concerns that have been expressed frequently
over a long time now? How exactly will the amendments change the current draft Territory Plan and nine draft district strategies?
Much more plain English documentation, substantial public forum or “town hall” style communication, and genuine consultation opportunities are still required.
What many perceive as a long-running charade needs to be turned into a credible, comprehensible and positive planning denouement that satisfies many more than just the ACT treasurer, the planning, housing and light rail ministers, the development sector, all their internal political and financial agendas, and their largely singleissue-focused cheer squads.
Sue Dyer, DownerTARA Cosoleto reports on a finding that garlic extracts can dramatically reduce the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza type A viruses (“Garlic could ward off covid and flu”, CN June 8).
However the research, conducted by the Doherty Institute, took place in a laboratory using in vitro (Petri dish) techniques, and was commissioned by Australian Garlic Producers. It seems to me that this apparent breakthrough by an organisation highly regarded by medical science must be treated with caution until and when human trials are completed successfully.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
FOR the first time since the Order of Australia was established in 1975, the majority of recipients in the first King’s Birthday General Division honours are women.
Similarly, Governor-General David Hurley said there was gender parity or better at the three highest levels in the Order. Women were recognised with 465 awards (50.6 per cent).
“While we can take a moment to acknowledge the significance of achieving gender parity in our honours, it should not be a cause for pause. We reflect on our progress, and then recommit our efforts to ensure nominations reflect our diverse and strong community,” he said.
There were 919 recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia (6 AC, 46 AO, 246 AM and 621 OAM). The youngest recipient was 30 years old, the eldest living recipient, 97.
“The list includes 73 Australians recognised for their contribution in support of Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These individuals will also be included in an ongoing and permanent COVID-19 Honour Roll,” the governor-general said.
Here is the list of ACT and region recipients:
IN the ACT, Horak was awarded an AO for her distinguished service to entomol ogy, to taxonomic and phylogenetic research, and to philanthropic endeavours.
“Unravelling relation ships between, and the life histories of, the unique and wonderful Australian fauna has been exhilarating,” says Dr Horak.
“I am driven by curiosity, a love of nature, the excitement of field work throughout Australia, and the pleasures of exploring some of nature’s puzzles. It’s what brought me to this country.”
Her detailed and collaborative research into unique Australian species of moths –including one group that lives in koala scats and another group whose larvae bore within the bark of some eucalypts (the scribbly bark gums) – revealed novel and typically Australian Lepidoptera life histories. “Crucial taxonomic studies led to biological control of serious fruit pests without
pesticides, a greatly desired outcome with significant impact. And probably most gratifying was encouraging and supporting citizen scientists to publish high-quality taxonomy and to help augment the national collection. We need more people to study taxonomy to record and monitor our natural systems, so being able to train and mentor young scientists is deeply satisfying.”
Dr Marianne HORAK , ACT. For distinguished service to entomology, to taxonomic and phylogenetic research, and to philanthropic endeavours.
Ms Rosemary Therese HUXTABLE PSM, Ainslie. For distinguished service to public administration through leadership roles in the areas of health and finance, and to strategic policy reform.
NGUNNAWAL Elder Caroline Hughes was awarded an AM for significant service to the indigenous community of Canberra.
“The greatest thing for me is empowering others to discover what they have within themselves to achieve their dreams,” she said.
“Being able to empower thousands of indigenous people to achieve their own success through education has been rewarding. Education encourages them to raise their own voices to break down barriers – creating positive ripple effects for society.”
Professor Emerita Berwyn CLAYTON, Waramanga. For significant service to the vocational education and training sector.
Mrs Caroline HUGHES, ACT. For significant service to the indigenous community of Canberra.
Dr David Charles HUGHES, ACT. For significant service to sports medicine as an administrator and elite athlete physician.
Dr John Thomas KIRK , O’Connor. For significant service to oenology, and to professional associations.
Ms Jill McINTOSH, Charnwood. For significant service to netball, particularly as a coach at the national and international level.
Ms Margery Anne NICOLL , ACT. For significant service to the law, and to the legal profession.
Mr Peter James STRONG, Turner. For significant service to the small business sector, and to the community.
Ms Hiroe SWEN, Queanbeyan. For significant service to ceramic art as a teacher and an artist.
SINCE coming to Australia from Ghana more than 30 years ago, Ebenezer Banful has contributed to our community by improving understanding of African culture and values. He has been awarded an OAM for service to the African community, and to health.
“I want to continue the advancement of multiculturalism,” he said.
“I enjoy helping people to achieve their potential. This comes from a deep sense of giving back to the community. When I see positive results such as people successfully meeting some of the challenges of settling into a new country – like finding affordable accommodation and employment – it gives me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment knowing I have helped some people.
Ms Rowena Alisa ABBEY, Yass. For service to local government, and to the community of Yass.
Mrs Gillian BAILEY-GRAHAM, Forrest. For service to the performing arts, particularly through music.
Mr Ebenezer BANFUL , CURTIN. For service to the African community, and to health.
Mrs Catherine Margaret BOHM, ACT. For service to the community, particularly through the church.
Mr Lesley Martin BOHM, Red Hill. For service to the community, particularly through the church.
Mr Barry Leonard CAMPTON, Deakin. For service to veterans and their families.
Mr Robert Peter CLYNES, Yarralumla. For service to the law, and to the legal profession.
Mr John Joseph CROTTY, ACT. For service to taxation reform.
Dr Sunita Siddhu DHINDSA, ACT. For service to the Indian community of the ACT.
Mrs Jaishri Patricia FALCETTA, ACT. For service to the community through social welfare organisations.
Dr Fergus William GARDINER, Flynn. For service to medicine.
Ms Penelope Jane GRIST, Curtin. For service to community history, and to the arts.
Mr Mainul HAQUE, Nicholls. For service to the multicultural community of Canberra.
Mrs Elizabeth Harrison HARDING, Mawson. For service to youth.
Dr Stephen James JAMIESON, ACT. For service to medicine through a range of roles.
Mr Barrington Frederick JARMAN, Gordon. For service to Australia-Japan relations.
Mr David Bruce KERR, Stirling. For service to conservation and the environment.
Mrs Beverley LEAHY, Lyons. For service to the community of Canberra.
Mr Geoffrey Lewis MOORE, ACT. For service to athletics.
Mrs Belinda Jane MOSS, Deakin. For service to education.
Mrs Heidi Joy PROWSE, Higgins. For service to community health.
Mrs Nishi PURI, Denman Prospect. For service to the Indian community of Canberra.
Mr Muhammed SadarudDean SAHU KHAN, North Lyneham. For service to the community, and to interfaith relations.
Mrs Margaret Larraine SHADFORTH NICHOLLS, Deakin. For service to women, and to the community.
Mr Arun VENKATESHA, Gowrie. For service to the Indian community of Canberra.
Federal
Mr Graham Roy ARCHER, ACT. For outstanding public service through leadership to deliver nationally significant measures and reforms.
Ms Amanda-Lee CHARLTON, Braddon. For outstanding public service through leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Sarah Jane CHIDGEY, ACT. For outstanding public service through policy development and law reform in integrity frameworks, criminal justice and national security.
Ms Greta Elizabeth DOHERTY, Downer. For outstanding public service to women’s safety policy and programs.
Ms Justine Elizabeth GREIG, O’Connor. For outstanding public service with the Department of Defence, and in senior policy roles.
Ms Margaret Ann HAYES, Torrens. For outstanding public service in providing culturally safe access to aged care for First Nations people.
Mr Dac Huan HO, Calwell. For outstanding public service in providing data extraction for reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Elspeth Sarah KAY, ACT. For outstanding public service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Virginia LEITCH, ACT. For outstanding public service in developing the business case for rehabilitation of the former Rum Jungle uranium mine.
Mr Grant LOVELOCK , ACT. For outstanding public service through contributions to the APS Workforce Strategy and the Australian Public Service Academy.
Mr Gerard David MARTIN, Weetangera. For outstanding public service in delivering advice and support to the Prime Minister and his Office, and to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Ms Melissa Jane RYAN, Farrer. For outstanding public service through leadership and
implementation of complex reform and policies to assist vulnerable Australians.
Mr Robert Barry RYAN, Belconnen. For outstanding public service through excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy development and engagement.
Dr Andrew John STEVENSON, Amaroo. For outstanding public service through leadership and stewardship of Australia’s astronomy capability.
Ms Cathy Anne TOZE, Bonython. For outstanding public service in leadership and commitment to support Australia’s COVID-19 response.
Australian Capital Territory
Ms Bobby ANTONIOU, Chifley. For outstanding public service to public health, as the Liaison Officer for the ACT COVID-19 Clinic Health Emergency Centre.
Mrs Vanessa Lee HOBAN, Banks. For outstanding public service to public health in the ACT’s clinical response to COVID-19.
Mrs Lana Carol JUNAKOVIC, Hackett. For outstanding public service in developing improved workplace arrangements within the Office of the ACT Government Solicitor.
Mr Daniel James LALOR, ACT. For outstanding public service to public health as the Director of Pharmacy at Canberra Health Services.
Ms Margaret Anne McMANUS, Farrer. For outstanding public service to public health as the nursing lead for the ACT COVID@Home program.
Mr David Andrew MATTHEWS, Kaleen. For outstanding public service in leading the ACT Education Directorate’s transitions to remote learning and back to face-to-face learning.
Ms Stacey Narelle MATTHEWS, ACT. For outstanding public service in supporting the ACT’s Whole of Government COVID-19 response.
Mrs Melissa Kate O’BRIEN, Calwell. For outstanding public service to public health through leadership and practical assistance to the ACT’s COVID-19 response.
Mr Joshua Leonard RYNEHART, ACT. For outstanding public service in leading Access Canberra’s COVID-19 response.
Mr Ajay SHARMA, Theodore. For outstanding public service to finance, and in strengthening accountability and transparency throughout the ACT Public Service.
Ms Emily SPRINGETT, ACT. For outstanding public service in leading Access Canberra’s COVID-19 response.
Mr Howard Douglas WREN ASM, Jerrabomberra. For outstanding public service to public health and leading the ACT Ambulance Service through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anyone can nominate any Australian for an award in the Order of Australia. If you know someone worthy, nominate them now at www.gg.gov.au
WHEN learning a new skill, running a training session or hosting a conference, it’s important to get the setting right.
From a professional atmosphere, to quality catering, to accessible audio-visual capabilities, an event is made all the more memorable when all the details fall into place.
Here’s the “CityNews” guide to quality training and conference spaces available here in Canberra that are suitable for any upcoming event.
CROWNE Plaza Canberra is a premier meeting venue and deluxe hotel accommodation, says director of sales and marketing Tim Bruen.
“This hotel opened in 1989 and has been operating under the Crowne Plaza brand for over 20 years,” he says.
“It offers eight meeting spaces, six with natural light, perfect for education and training seminars, workshops and board meetings. It also has Canberra’s largest single-hotel inventory – 296 rooms – to accommodate visiting delegates and facilitators.
“We have quality food, with a healthy-menu ethos, break-out spaces with natural light, hot buffet lunches served in Redsalt restaurant overlooking Glebe Park, video conferencing and high-quality audio-visual product and service, and secure undercover parking for delegates/attendees.”
Tim says the Crowne Plaza enables people to get
AS the industry leader for emergency response training, Ferst Training Solu tions has a focus on safety throughout the whole year, says director Gary Cheeseman.
“Our training gives people the skills to not only keep themselves safe, but anyone who visits their workplace or facility,” he says.
“People first” is the catchphrase that drives the team behind Ferst, which offers specialised emergency response training to workplaces in the ACT and NSW.
bar by Estate for that well-earned, post-meeting refreshment,” he says.
“Crowne Plaza has bookings open for Christmas buffet lunches, available for small and large groups, from late November to early December.
“And, if you book any meeting or group accommodation prior to November 3, go in the draw to win a trip to Fiji,” he says.
“Crowne Plaza Canberra makes business meetings work. Our ‘Meet How You Meet’ offer currently offers a fourth meeting free when you book a series of meetings, whether that be regular training, workshops, training or strata meetings.”
Crowne Plaza, 1 Binara Street, Canberra. Call 6274 5500, or visit canberra.crowneplaza.com
Since 2007, the family-run business has offered a range of courses to workplaces including: Training of Emergency Response Teams; Emergency Response Chief Wardens and Wardens; General Staff Training; Fire Extinguisher Use Training; and Building Evacuation Training.
“We endeavour to give people the skills so when something does go wrong, they have the tools to get out of that situation safely,” he says.
All trainers have been in operational positions, in fields including the military, fire services or emergency services, meaning they have real-life
experience in dealing with many situations, Gary says.
“Our training is practical and procedural,” he says.
Ferst Training Solutions. Visit ferst.com.au or call 1300 333778.
W h e n i t c o m e s t o p l a n n i n g a n e v e n t , n o o n e k n o w s b e t t e r t h a n y o u d o , s o w h y h a v e i t a n y o t h e r w a y ? W h e t h e r i t ' s a c o n f e r e n c e , C h r i s t m a s p a r t y , o r t e a m - b u i l d i n g e v e n t , C r o w n e P l a z a C a n b e r r a h a v e g o t y o u c o v e r e d .
P l u s , b o o k & d e p o s i t y o u r e v e n t w i t h u s & g o i n t h e d r a w t o w i n r e t u r n f l i g h t s w i t h F i j i A i r w a y s f r o m C a n b e r r a t o N a d i , F i j i & 4 n i g h t s a t t h e I n t e r c o n t i n e n t a l F i j i G o l f R e s o r t & S p a !
ASCENT Training Services offers a 16-day course that enables people to complete their Certificate IV in Motor Vehicle Driver Training (TLI41222).
CEO Steve Lake says it’s a satisfying experience to be a driving instructor and help students, predominantly young people, become safe drivers.
“It’s an important and responsible role in our community, as well as a flexible job where you can choose your own hours,” says Steve.
Steve says the industry is calling out for more instructors, particularly female instructors. Anyone who has had their full licence for at least 12 months can start their training.
Steve says the course is about ensuring instructors are safe drivers themselves and have the skills to teach others in a one-on-one setting, according to the ACT’s regulations.
Topics covered in the course include understanding the
ESTABLISHED in the late 1920s as Canberra’s original cricket ground, historic Manuka Oval now boasts a contemporary events facility, where GEMA Group offer their services, says events manager Lucy McLennan.
“Manuka Oval is one of Canberra’s most unique function venues, and GEMA Group can provide spaces at Manuka Oval for conferences and events with a variety of options available,” she says.
“A multitude of catering options are available at Manuka Oval. Choose from one of our day-delegate packages, cocktail packages or gala dinners.
“Otherwise, you can work with your dedicated event manager to create a bespoke menu best suited for your event.
“Function rooms have large windows with views of the field and extensive natural light.
“It’s located in the Parliamentary Triangle, close to the CBD, and there are a range of hospitality and accommodation options nearby with Manuka Oval being within walking distance of the Kingston and Manuka precincts.”
GEMA Group, Manuka Oval, Griffith. Call 0420 941572, or visit manukaoval.com.au
comply with, safe driving, training skills, teaching others safe driving, how to teach a learner, and other general topics.
Steve says that Ascent is a premier road-safety training company that has designed and delivered training since 2000.
“We offer four courses a year for instructor training, which includes a mix of classroom and on-the-road training,” says Steve.
“In the future we will be bringing some of the units online so students can complete these in their own time and pace.
“It’s a nationally recognised qualification, which once completed, gives students the opportunity in the future to add a motorcycle and heavy vehicle qualification, by just completing these vehicle specific units, with an RTO that offers them.”
“No matter how big or small, our dedicated team will
The Federal Golf Club is Canberra’s number one public golf course in the prime location of Red Hill. Our function rooms comfor tably seat up to 200 people or split into smaller venues. Each event is tailored to your needs including high-quality catering options from our exper t chefs and a brand new spor ts bar area for those less formal events. federalgolf.com.au
With free parking available, we are the perfect venue to deliver a tailored and well-executed experience for you, your colleagues, friends, and family.
Keeping your workplace safe, adhering to industry standards, and saving lives in the event of emergency is our passion at FERST.
In the last decade we have proven ourselves to be the emergency response specialists, having worked with corporate, community and government.
Call the Experts in Safety today: 1300 333 778
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OAKS Ranch is a luxury, 14-room boutique hotel, restaurant, bar, event and conference facility and golf course, says general manager Josh Tyler.
“We are situated on the south coast, five minutes from Broulee Beach on 300 acres, flanked by the Tomago River and Candlagan Creek,” he says.
“The Oaks Ranch first opened in 1970. The current owners closed the hotel in June 2021 to renovate and elevate the property’s offering, before we reopened in February 2022.
“Our conference and event facilities offer everything from boardroom-style to cabaret conferencing, weddings and events with a large alfresco breakout area, stunning views west across the property to the Deua mountain ranges.
“The venue has high-speed, reliable wifi, a dropdown data projector with audio surround, flipcharts
The Oaks Ranch located on 300 acres in Mossy Point on the South Coast, 2 hours drive from Canberra and only 10 minutes from Moruya airport.
$77 half day delegate packages
$88 full day delegate packages
14 boutique bungalows
Boardroom meetings from 8 to 30 and cabaret up to 60 guests.
Dine in our Arlo restaurant, play golf on our 9 hole golf course
Book your next team building retreat or conference at the Oaks Ranch.
To enquire, contact our Events Team at events@oaksranch.com.au
and a whiteboard.”
Josh says the restaurant and bar, Arlo, is a refined casual eating experience, influenced by Australian, Asian and European cuisines.
“For conferencing we offer full or half-day delegate packages, a selection of house-made sweets and savoury snacks for our morning and afternoon teas,” he says.
“Our conference lunches range from gourmet sandwiches on local artisan breads to dining in Arlo. We also offer barista-made coffee, specialty teas, and in-house breakfast for overnight guests.
“Oaks Ranch is a Spanish mission-style property, a rural oasis with a sense of tranquility, and the sunsets are truly amazing.”
Oaks Ranch, 340 Old Mossy Point Road, Mossy Point, NSW. Call 4471 7403, or visit oaksranch.com.au
We protect your most important asset, people
PARROTS, finches, doves and quail are among the birds ready to interact at the Canberra Walk-in Aviary, says owner and manager Mick Logan.
The aviary is great fun for all ages. Now is the best time to get up close and personal with a range of friendly, free-flying birds, he says.
“While not all birds will interact with you, visitors get the chance to observe, up close, species of birds that otherwise would be hard to see in the wild,” Mick says.
“We provide a small plate of food and a tub of mealworms and you can wander around and feed the birds.
“Provided the weather is fine, you can have
or just observing our feathered friends.”
The aviary is a 1000sqm planted walk-in enclosure that has more than 500 birds from about 65 different species from Australia and the world, Mick says.
“We accept student and senior concession cards,” says Mick.
Gold Creek Village has three other attractions, as well as cafes, gift shops and a garden centre, so it’s a great place for a day out after visiting the aviary.
The aviary is open every day, 10am-4pm, with last admissions at 3.30pm.
Canberra Walk-in Aviary, unit 13, Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls. Call 6230 2044
in Cooma to experience the mighty Snowy Scheme in-person, says a Snowy Hydro spokesperson.
“People of all ages will enjoy a virtual flyover of the Snowy Mountains, archival photos and displays from the Scheme’s construction era, 1949-1974,” they say.
“The virtual flyover takes place in our state-of-theart immersive theatre, with a 14-metre wide curved screen and floor projections.
“The new immersive theatre feature ‘Snow to Switch’ explores the unique way we generate electricity at Snowy Hydro, and how we are enabling a renewable energy future.”
The spokesperson says whether you walk, drive or fly to the region, the Discovery Centre is easy to get
“Visitors are encouraged to stop for lunch at the Discovery Cafe, for gourmet treats, pies, sausage rolls, delicious cakes, sandwiches, barista-made coffee or milkshakes,” they say.
“There’s plenty of space for the kids to stretch their legs outside and activities to keep them occupied and having fun.
“There are books, clothing and an extensive range of local products available at the Discovery Shop. The knowledgeable team at the Discovery Centre can also assist with information – just ask!”
Snowy Hydro, Monaro Highway, Cooma. Call 1800 623776, or visit snowyhydro.com.au
WHETHER it’s enjoying the outdoors, getting indoors and learning something new or just sitting back and enjoying a show – keep the children busy with our winter schoolholiday guide.
LAVENDER Art Studios offers fully staffed and supervised holiday art workshops for kids aged between five and 13, says owner Elita McKay.
“Book for the whole 20 school-holiday sessions, or attend on a casual basis,” she says.
“Either way, your child is assured of a fun, wholesome, culturally diverse and enlightened art experience.”
From July 3 to 7, young artists will explore and create works of art relating to the dynasties, kingdoms and periods of the Egyptian timeline, says Elita.
“In all its magnificent glory, Ancient Egyptian art, culture and everyday life will be the focus of these 10 vibrant and customarily inspired drawing, painting, sculpting and printmaking art workshops.”
From July 10 to 14, Elita says Lavender Art Studios will present their very popular and in demand dinosaur art workshops.
“Looking at the three dinosaur periods; Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous and set in the Mesozoic Era, these workshops will artistically and creatively investigate the natural world and the particular dinosaurs of each period,” she says.
“Our experienced staff will give both demonstrations and one on one support to all those who enrol in the program. These artistically fun and exciting workshops will give both tuition and guidance in a caring and supported environment. All art materials are provided, and costs include morning and/or afternoon tea.”
First Floor, 42 Townshend Street, Phillip. Call 0412 649770, or visit lavenderartstudios.com.au/ school-holiday-program
LOLLY Swagman has been exploring new tastes for nearly three decades, says owner Ian Richardson.
Located in the heart of the Southern Highlands, the lolly shop stocks all-time favourite treats and the latest-trending tastes from around the world.
“We’ve got American Reese’s, Hershey’s and candy corn, English bon bons and chocolates, sours and super sours, Dutch liquorice, Scottish tablet and our own Mrs Swag’s Fudge,” says Ian.
“We lost count at 1300 different treats and we know it’s more than that.”
Ian says the store is a common stop on people’s trips to Berrima.
“It’s a happy place with kids excitedly exploring new tastes, older people reminiscing and sharing in the thrill of finding a favourite and the great stories that go with them,” he says.
“We often see people who’d come as children now bringing in their own children and sharing their experiences, which is lovely to be allowed to join in on. It’s nice to have that history.”
Lolly Swagman, 11 Old Hume Highway, Berrima. Call 4877 1137, or visit lollyswagman.com.au
LUMINESCENCE Children’s Choir is Canberra’s premiere program for young singers, says artistic director AJ America.
“Mentored by professional artists from the Luminescence Chamber Singers, the choir is dedicated to excellence,” she says.
“In recent years, the choir has collaborated with the National Gallery of Australia, performed at the Sydney Opera House, The High Court of Australia and numerous festivals.
“Our holiday program opens our leading programs to singers aged seven to 12.”
Ms America says since 2016, Luminescence has offered young singers a safe and creative space to express themselves through song, while providing holistic and high quality musical experiences and education.
“Our annual Winter Holiday Program began in 2021, and provides young singers with the opportunity to explore their voices and the magic of singing together,” she says.
“Participants will spend the week with myself, composer Rebecca Hilliard, and members of the Luminescence Children’s Choir, learning a brand new choral work (Our Pale Blue Dot), which explores pollution, climate change, and our solar system.
“Luminescence Children’s Choir gives young people who love to sing the opportunity to learn from leading musicians, meet like-minded friends, and explore music through singing, games, and play.
“We believe every child should discover the power of their voice and the magic of singing together. All young singers are welcome at the holiday program – there is no audition or application required, simply enrol online.”
Luminescence Children’s Choir, 30 Elouera Street, Braddon. Call 0401 770130, or visit luminescence.org.au/holiday-program
WINTER holiday programs provide a great introduction to theatre and are also ideal for performers who want to develop skills intensively, says owner and founder of Budding Entertain ment, Kirsty Budding.
Kirsty says Budding Entertainment provides high-quality, themed holiday programs (and term courses) which encourage creativity, confidence and practical skill development and culminates in a performance for family and friends.
Budding Entertainment school holiday programs have something for all ages.
ment is also opening enrolments for semester two.
OWNER John Grant reopened Granties Maze in 2015 after 30 years of closure.
He says the maze, in Foxground, is only about two hours by car from Canberra.
It features rides and attractions for people of all ages.
“Over the years, I intend to keep adding new attractions,” he says.
“For teenagers over the school holidays we’re offering an English accent masterclass,” she says. “It is two days of watching and interacting with plays, films and historical speeches, and at the end of the two days there will be a performance.
“We’re also offering three children’s themed workshops. These are ‘Myth and Legend’, ‘Magic, Music and Comedy’, and ‘Heroes and Villains’.
“Kids can come dressed up and create short theatrical performances.”
Kirsty says Budding Entertain -
“For semester two we’re running ‘The Magical World of Fairytales’ for kids between five and 10, ‘The Little Lion King’ for kids seven to 12, and ‘A Christmas Carol Goes Horribly, Terribly Wrong’ for kids between nine and 12,” she says.
“Then we have ‘A Christmas Carol Goes Horribly, Terribly Wrong’ for teens and ‘The Crucible’ for advanced performers.
“I enjoy seeing young performers feel empowered in their roles and develop a love of performing even if they were initially shy,” Kirsty says.
Budding Entertainment, 45 Ainslie Avenue, Braddon. Call 6153 0007, or visit buddingentertainment. com.au
The main attraction is a maze consisting of 2000 trees that have been planted to create a network of paths and hedges.
“It’s designed as a puzzle through which one navigates with the objective of solving the puzzle and winning a prize – an ice cream,” says John.
There’s also mini-golf, pony rides, electric kids’ cars, archery and playground equipment.
All rides are activated by coupons purchased at the office. All unused coupons can be reused on the next visit.
Granties Maze is open every day except Wednesdays, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Open 9am-4pm on weekdays and 9am-5pm on weekends.
Granties Maze, 25 Donovan Road, Foxground. Call 0407 284888 or visit grantiesmaze.com.au
IT can be challenging for pet owners to know which plants are poisonous and which are safe for pets.
Many familiar household plants are toxic to cats and dogs, such as philodendrons, lilies and even aloe vera. There are also many outdoor plants, such as rhododendrons, grapes and tomato plants, that are toxic to pets.
If pets are eating plants, they could be tasty to them or they are bored. Keeping pets busy can discourage eating plants, and keeping plants out of reach is the best solution.
Unfortunately, potting mix can be used by cats as a natural product to use instead of a litter tray. Dogs also need to be discouraged from ingesting potting mix as it could make them unwell.
There are many plant options to choose from for indoor pets that are non-toxic, and easy-care. The first ones to look for are spider plants, parlour palms and ferns.
Indoor cats could benefit from a bowl planted with catmint, catnip and cat grass. Cats adore catnip, although it can trigger strange behaviour spells.
Cat grass is easy to grow in shallow bowls and although not a dietary requirement, it’s a source of environmental enrichment for
cats who enjoy eating it.
There are many dog-friendly plants to choose for the garden. Start with rosemary, camellias and magnolias, but most of all dogs love a patch of grass outdoors and somewhere to run.
RIGHT now, around Canberra, there are buds starting to swell on a variety of bare, deciduous trees. They are prunus trees, flowering apricots and almond trees. Apricots (Prunus mume) flower in the coldest winter months and are not bothered by frost. They most commonly have pink flowers, but a white-flowering “Alboplena” is also available.
Flowering apricot is a long-lived tree and can be used for shade. It grows to about six metres.
The flowering almond (Prunus triloba) is a multi-stemmed tree and will sulk when pruned, so give them room to grow to have a natural open canopy with minimal pruning.
Apricots and almonds need full sun and a good amount of potash in spring to improve water retention and encourage strong flower development.
When planting, choose a space that has some protection from winds and build up the soil with good, rich, organic matter over winter. Plant the tree in late winter or early spring.
Further into the late-winter season, the plum and cherry trees will start to flower. A welldesigned garden can have blossom trees from
July to October.
Some ornamental cherries and plums have brilliant double flowers and weeping prunus trees are one of the showiest spring flowering trees.
One that does well in our climate is prunus “Snow Fountains” with long, cascading branches and leaves in the summer that are glossy and have lovely yellow-orange colour in the autumn. If there’s space, a mass planting of cherry trees can look spectacular.
There are still some delightful groves of prunus trees around Canberra that let us know spring is around the corner.
The flowers attract bees and pollinators to the garden in early spring. Prunus tree pruning can be done after flowering when the weather has warmed, and the sap is flowing throughout the tree. Never prune plums or cherries in the winter.
A smaller tree is an “Oakville Crimson Spire” (Prunus cerasifera)
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
• Look out for flowering camellias and plant them when the worst of the frost is over.
• Liquid feed cyclamens or any annuals in the garden.
• Plant deciduous shrubs, fruit trees and vines.
FROM time immemorial, horse riding has been equated with sex, but in Eloise Snape’s topical new play “Pony”, the connection is drawn a bit further, into parenthood.
“Pony” has been a hit at Sydney’s Griffin Theatre whose audiences, especially women, have responded to the 95-minute show starring comedian Briallen Clarke (think TV’s “The Heights” and “Doctor Doctor”) with the laughter of recognition.
Told simply, 37-year-old Hazel, a “reality TV-obsessed fantasist who swears like a sailor”, is pregnant and not quite sure that she wants to be. For her, impending motherhood holds the threat of turning her into a mindless feeding machine for some time to come.
The glitzy set is dominated by an oversized pink rocking horse and the costuming of Hazel in a “Calamity Jane” Wild West outfit that links to the Ginuwine 1996 bump ‘n’ grind song of the title “Pony”, which Hazel heard at a bachelo rette party and whose lyrics, “I’m looking for a partner, Someone who knows how to ride”, carry an obvious meaning.
I catch up with NZ-born director Anthea Williams by phone to her hometown, Christchurch, where she’s directing former Canberran Melanie Tait’s play “The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race” while catching up with her large family.
Williams has called Australia home for a long time and is a graduate of both UNSW and the Victorian College of the Arts, whose productions garnered top awards in 2017 and 2018 at the Sydney Theatre Awards.
Living with rheumatoid arthritis, she is a noted disability advocate and directed Canberra actor Will Best in the film related to the subject, “Safety Net”, released as part of the 2020 Sydney Film Festival.
After returning from a stint at London’s Bush Theatre as associate director, Williams was literary manager then an associate director with Belvoir Theatre in Sydney, fine-tuning her skills in the art of play-making so that she is now the go-to
QUEANBEYAN Players are “having a blast” busy rehearsing the dance musical “Footloose”, made famous in the 1984 movie where Kevin Bacon played Ren, a teenager from Chicago who moves to a small town where the local minister has placed a ban on dancing. At The Q, Queanbeyan, June 23-July 2.
WITH a seasoning of rock standards, Dianna Nixon will reprise her solo cabaret show created in celebration of the cocktail, “The Gentleman’s Companion”. Yazzbar, Comur Street, Yass, 4pm6pm, June 18.
CANBERRA writer Ayesha Inoon’s debut novel “Untethered” will be launched in a conversation event with Barbie Robinson at The Book Cow, 2pm, June 18. Born in Colombo, Inoon worked as a journalist in Sri Lanka before migrating to Australia. She was a recipient of the inaugural 2019 Penguin Random House “Write It Fellowship” and last year won a fellowship from the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers’ Centre in WA to work on her second novel.
director for developing new work such as “Pony”.
While she praises Clarke as “a fantastic actress… pretty amazing in the way she talks to audience members,” in this case, she’s performing a fully scripted play, with no improvisational elements.
Snape says she started the play when she was 37 weeks pregnant and jotted down notes about how she felt, later developing it into a show through lockdown with Williams, who says that while it was a long gestation period for a play, “we always knew there was going to be a happy ending”.
“Eloise is a talented comic actress. It’s her first play and I think she’s going to be writing a lot more,” Williams says.
On stage, Hazel’s experiences are familiar as she tells us the backstory of how she met her husband, her relationship
with her mum and her grandma and her fears about becoming a mum, while doing the right thing by attending “rhyme time” sessions at the library.
“At first we think she’s a larrikin until we find out that there are deeper feelings and fears that she might become like her own parents,” Williams says, “but the show is very heart-warming, funny and naughty”.
While it does sound like one for women, Williams points out that Hazel’s husband, Patrick, is completely comfortable with prospective fatherhood, it’s Hazel who doesn’t feel ready for such a big life change.
“We’ve found the show has had a really warm response from men,” she adds, explaining that depicting a male in Patrick’s position is rare as he tries to provide comfort to his partner and plans to be at the birth – “a lot of men have become quite tearful,” she says.
When the show arrives at The Playhouse, there’ll be a couple of firsts. It’s a much bigger stage and auditorium than Griffin Theatre’s tiny home at The Stables in King Cross, and they’re staging a tryout “mother and baby” session with pram parking, change facilities and a quiet room available. For this matinee they plan to keep the lights on and the sound at a low level so not to shock the little ones.
But, the theatre warns, “this show features adult content. It is recommended that only babies under 12 months attend” and Williams, noting the “naughty” content, says: “We are assuming that the babies are being breastfed or cooked and will not be watching the show.”
“Pony”, The Playhouse, June 22–24. Babesin-arms performance, 10am (starts 11am), June 22.
BASS-baritone David Greco will sing arias and flautist Melissa Farrow will play two flute concertos with the Australian Haydn Ensemble in “Die Stille Nacht” (The Silent Night), a recital of works by Vivaldi, Telemann, Hasse and Biber. Wesley Music Centre, June 22.
SHOWMAN Greg Andrew will pay homage to the music of Elton John in the concert “Rocketman”, which he was invited to perform at the UK festival “Tribfest”. At The B, Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall, June 24.
AUTHOR Maura Pierlot, well known for her play “Fragments”, will launch her new book, “What Will You Make Today?” in front of the sculpture “Less”, Dairy Road, Fyshwick, 2pm, June 24 as part of the Play Dairy Road program, which involves competitions, prizes, food, author readings and book signings.
LLEWELLYN Choir’s “A Winter Concert: Durufle and Boulanger” is a program of French music featuring Maurice Durufle’s “Requiem”, with three pieces by World War I era French prodigy Lili Boulanger. Wesley Uniting Church, June 24.
JAZZ vocalist and songwriter Liam Budge, one of Canberra music’s greatest success stories, is changing direction and, under his stage name Creswick, is about to stage a theatre work on the subject of fatherhood at The Street Theatre.
If your birth name is Liam Sydney Creswick Pepper Budge, you’re spoilt for choice when choosing a nom-de-theatre. Budge chose Creswick, which is also the name of a photography and video business he shares with his wife, Canberra visual artist and photographer Abbey Mackay.
“In His Words – Voices of Fatherhood” is an exploration of fatherhood based on video interviews between Budge and nine fathers.
While not featuring a formal narrative, the stories are linked through visuals screened above and musical elements backed by the sophisticated combo of Brett Williamson on keyboard, Chris Pound on bass, Ben Hauptmann on guitars and James Hauptmann on drums.
Budge appears singing his own new
songs while playing piano and guitar.
Budge tells me when we catch up for coffee at The Street that his play is “a meditation on fatherhood”, rejecting the idea that it’s inherently gendered. Parenting is universal, he says and he hopes the show will be a “catchall for people who love music, cinema people and those who love live narratives.”
Schooled at Canberra Grammar, Budge studied at the ANU School of Music, where he was one of their star jazz students, then after a career whizzing between Canberra and Sydney, in 2014 he took off for Manhattan, where he sang and played with musicians including Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Kris Bowers and Brad Williams, also studying with jazz vocalist Kurt Elling.
Then fatherhood struck when, living in Brooklyn, Abbey gave birth to their son, Julian, and it quickly occurred to them that they were in the wrong place to bring up a young family.
Canberra being famous as a child-friendly capital and with their own families here, they arrived back in time for Budge to play the leading role at The Street in “Flight Memory”, Sandra France’s song cycle about the Australian scientist David Warren, inventor of the black box.
He slipped back into the Canberra scene very easily, because he had
always been deeply embedded in it, calling it “a healthy environment even if a transient one, bubbling with creative vibes”.
He was soon able to reconnect with old muso friends such as jazz pianist Wayne Kelly, sax player John Mackey and dance artists Alison Plevey and Sara Black and now enjoys a busy life teaching voice in the jazz and contemporary stream at the School of Music while writing songs and running Creswick Collective.
An academy-trained musician, he happily admits to being self-trained in photography and videography and says, “that means when it comes to photo and video, I’m not burdened by things that burden me musically.”
Arriving back just in time for the bushfires and the pandemic, he and Abbey set about parenting and shooting visuals, while he ran an “early phase” program at The Street open to applicants with just the seeds of an idea which, once developed, could progress into their “First Seen” program.
The program allowed him contact with mentor Campion Decent, the writer of “Embers”, a theatre piece about the 2019-20 bushfires.
With the idea of creating a verbatim stage work (created from transcripts of real-life reporting) around nine fathers, he embarked on
the process of collecting interviews and deciding which ones would work with an audience.
“It was a huge task… I spoke with 100 fathers from a broad range of cultures and ages and ended up with nine in the play,” he says. Budge developed his own process of 45-60-minute interviews, always asking his subjects towards the end whether they had anything they’d like to add.
There was, he reports, “a beautiful vulnerability in these interviews” as the men talked to him of their own fathers as role models, sometimes revealing bad relationships, which meant they were fathering despite themselves.
Budge is most definitely not a member of any kind of men’s movement, but rather hopes he has created “a very new interrogation of the topic of fatherhood”.
It’s a universal topic, he says, so he hasn’t gone for arty fathers, although Canberra’s Michael Sollis and Sam Martin from Candelo, both very well-known musicians, are there. But, he stresses, he’s interviewing them as fathers, not as musicians.
The conclusion of the show features his own son Julian, but it would be a spoiler to say exactly how.
“In His Words: Voices of Fatherhood”, The Street Theatre, June 23-June 25.
“THE Betoota Advocate” has become its own force of nature in Australian journalism.
Over the last decade the satirical news website has become insanely popular, with hilarious, viral articles about the most controversial of current affairs racking up hundreds of thousands of views. With almost a million Facebook likes, the publication that prides itself on being “Australia’s oldest newspaper” has even managed to spread its content to international audiences.
Now it’s taking a step into the world of streaming, with a new show premiering on Paramount Plus this week.
“The Betoota Advocate Presents” is set to cover Australia’s most polarising news stories and features both editors of the now famous site, Errol Parker and Clancy Overell.
“Finally, Paramount+ and Warner Bros Australia have agreed to let us make the TV show we wanted to make, and one that everyone else was too afraid to go near – as well as lining our pockets in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis,” said the duo.
“So, with the universe aligning, we present the modern history of Australia that nobody really talks about… for a reason. This series tackles four pillars of Australian history. Corruption, money, religion and tribalism.”
It looks like Betoota’s no-holds-barred style of news is being transferred straight from their website to the new TV show.
STREAMING on Stan this month is the oscar-winning and conversation-starting film “The Whale”.
Star of “The Mummy”, Brendan Fraser made headlines in March when he took out the best actor gong for his leading role in this depressing but compelling experience.
But with a limited cinematic release, many haven’t yet had the chance to see the film, which has put Fraser back on the Hollywood map and led to the internet coining the term “Brenaissance” – marking a new era that showcases the actor’s talent.
In “The Whale” Fraser plays Charlie, an
extremely obese English teacher who hides away from the world in his unit and tries to eat himself to death. Before he can get there, he wants to reconnect with his estranged daughter who may be his last chance at
Needless to say, “The Whale” doesn’t
It comes from director Darren Aronofsky, who’s behind cheery affairs such as the “Requiem For a Dream ‘’ and the more modern horror thriller “Mother!”.
Aronofsky’s style and choice of subject matter has seen his controversial oeuvre often hit with the label “misery porn”. It would be a lie to say “The Whale” doesn’t at times fall under that classification, but this is still an enthralling watch for those who can stomach the melancholic premise and that is entirely made possible by Fraser’s remark-
Donning a metamorphic suit in order to embody this character (complete with make-up that took around six hours of work every time they had a shoot), Fraser commits to this character without an inch held back, more than earning that best-actor prize.
Without going into spoiler territory, one of the key ideas “The Whale” tries to expose is the breakdown of authenticity in an age where it, sadly, seems more and more rare.
“The Whale” has a lot of faults, but one
can’t deny it is authentic – excellently and excruciatingly so.
FROM “Too Hot To Handle” to “Love Island”, the reality dating show has consistently proven itself a ratings winner, both in the world of free-to-air TV and streaming.
Now, Binge is the latest to dish up a new guilty pleasure in the form of “Fboy Island” (what is it about islands?) where a roster of beautiful women must try to work out which of the men in this tropical paradise are the “nice guys” and which ones are the self-proclaimed “Fboys”.
For those who don’t know what an “Fboy” is, yes, the “F” does stand for what it seems like it stands for.
The bawdy concept might just be enough to pique the interest of many subscribers, but sadly any steaminess to be found in the set-up is quick to wear off.
Those looking for some sudsy streaming to kill a bit of time may find some entertainment value here. For everyone else, this is one “romantic” getaway not worth booking a ticket for.
INDONESIANS worship eating in good company, connecting with family and friends. It’s the best way to enjoy soulsatisfying dishes and Aussies are bloody good with this philosophy, too.
Rasa Rosa celebrates the spicy and fragrant flavours of the island of Lombok. Rosa decided to open her compact food outlet at Verity Lane Markets in Civic to fulfill her dream to inspire people to love Indonesian cuisine.
She first learned to cook at the tender age of eight, during a famine. Despite times being tough she remembers the kitchen as her happy place.
Verity Lane Markets has five vendors. The long, attractive bar is where you order wine, bubbles and beer. Then you choose what you want to eat and order as you please so everyone in a group gets exactly what they want. Grab a table and when the buzzer goes off you pick up your food.
On our visit was the newest vendor, Lim Peh Wan Tan Mee, creating authentic Singaporean noodle dishes (long line and a waiting time of 30 minutes for food
to be delivered, but I bet it’s worth the wait). Other vendors have been at Verity Lane for a while, including long-standing Pizza Artigiana and sister vendor Pasta Artigiana. Also, SuperBao with its fluffy white bao buns.
But back to Rasa Rosa.
My friend ordered the Nasi Kuning ($26), jam-packed with complementary flavours, a myriad of textures and a rainbow of colour. The yellow rice was
soft and fluffy, and the turmeric married well with the chicken curry. Exploding with spice and heat was the boiled sambal egg (not for the faint-hearted) that sat beside a small pile of crunchy, almost candied peanuts.
Also adding to the punch were anchovies and crispy beef fried noodles. More texture was created by decorative crackers, a popular
snack in Indonesia.
From the two daily specials, I was convinced to try the $22 beef ribs, which I was assured were slowcooked (and, in my mind, therefore stunningly tender meat falling off the bones).
The dish featured a mound of plain rice and big chunks of carrot and cauliflower (just par cooked). I had more bone than beef and most pieces were tough and chewy. It quickly became obvious that a lot more slow cooking was required, although the garlic, onions and sweet soy sauce combined for excellent flavour. Decorative crackers adorned my dish also, shaped like stars, with colourful edging. I should have – in retrospect – played it safe with Indonesia’s famous Gado Gado ($20), but dining out is about experimenting, right? In the end, I suffered food envy, wishing I was my friend, and remembering that in the food review game you win some and lose some.
IN my thirties, I took a trip down the Colorado River, paddling, rowing and camping on glorious white sand beaches that framed many a twist and turn on the journey through the Grand Canyon and beyond.
At the time, the guides warned us about drinking the water. It was always boiled or treated before we drank it (unless we fell out of one of the boats). The river had, more than 30 years ago, been affected by the parasite giardia.
The parasite is now in waterways and supplies here and in NZ. It is bothersome to humans to say the least. It causes the diarrheal disease giardiasis.
Giardia is found on surfaces or in soil, food or water that has been contaminated with faeces from infected people or animals. A trusted medical research website told me that there are up to 600,000 cases of giardiasis in Australia each year, and more than 280 million cases worldwide. The disease has a high impact on children in impoverished communities, including in remote indigenous communities in Australia.
It is not the only issue with water quality that has declined over time but, for me, is symbolic of the deterioration in quality of our waterways, brought home after my February trip to NZ where drinking out of free-flowing streams was not recommended because of giardia.
What has this to do with wine you say? There was only one historic figure who could turn water into wine. Well, these thoughts were triggered by a recent “Daily Wine News” article where the NZ wine industry is pushing back against an initiative to assist to make that country’s waterways cleaner.
In NZ, freshwater farm plans will be rolled out from mid this year and will be required for all farms (including vineyards) above five hectares; they will need to be certified in the first instance
and then audited annually to ensure compliance with government requirements.
The objective is to make sure the primary production sector plays its part to improve freshwater quality in NZ’s lakes, streams and rivers.
The CEO of NZ Winegrowers Phillip Egan has argued that the regulations should be risk-based and that the cost to the NZ wine industry will be disproportionate. This has sparked my ambivalence. The industry makes a good point in saying that regulations should be risk-based.
According to NZ Winegrowers, in 2021 there were 1342 vineyards over five hectares in NZ. In addition the likely cost of developing a freshwater farm plan would be between $3000 and $15,000 per property.
This means that the cost for the wine industry to implement the regulations will be between $4.03 million and $20.13 million, which is a cost burden that can only add to the retail price of NZ wine.
In the view of the growers’ representative, this cost is disproportionate to the risk to water posed by the wine industry. He also says that, given the wine industry’s low impact on water quality, this cost will result in negligible environmental gain.
My mind is not yet made up about the utility of the government’s plans. It’s clear that the wastewater from winemaking facilities has the potential to contaminate groundwater, but that is obviously a risk that needs to be managed at each and every winery. Growers seem to have a good point in that all laws should be proportionate to the “mischief” that they seek to avoid.
But my ambivalence arises because unless NZ and Australia can maintain our clean, green image, agriculture, including wine grape growing, will ultimately be worse off. Thoughts?
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
You’re keen to jump in and act with lightning speed, but other people may need some time to adjust. Smart Rams will aim to get the balance right between being spontaneous and thinking things through. Then – with the Sun transiting into your home zone (on Wednesday night) – it’s time to focus on home and hearth, domestic matters, your blood family or your family of choice. Venus and Mars also highlight creativity, as you connect with your inner muse.
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
It’s a good week to entertain family and friends at home, as Venus and Mars stimulate your domestic zone. Convivial conversation is a bonus. But has an old relationship finally run out of steam? Or is a fairweather friend criticising your behaviour and holding you back? The planets urge you to review your partnerships and peer group and discard negative influences. Surround yourself with positive people who encourage your talents and support your dreams.
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
Are you impatient for adventure, excitement and success? Awesome opportunities are circling around you, but they’re not immediately obvious. They are hidden in unexpected places, waiting for you to discover them. Gung-ho Geminis love to spring into immediate action but, at the moment, some of your best work will be done quietly, behind the scenes. Others may not notice what you’re currently doing, but your efforts will be rewarded in the months ahead.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
On Monday, don’t let your Crab curiosity (and fertile imagination) cloud your better judgment. Step back and view a complex situation from a wider perspective and a more realistic angle. If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is! This week, strive to get the balance right between your public persona and your private self. Some quiet time for rest and relaxation is just as important as networking with colleagues and socialising with friends.
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
Lions can appear to be brazenly bold but sometimes (on the inside) you feel like a much less confident kitten. With Venus and Mars both visiting Leo, it’s time to talk up your talents, promote your accomplishments and tackle life with plenty of charm and chutzpah. If you don’t believe in yourself; why should anyone else? As birthday great Nicole Kidman observes: “Life has got all those twists and turns. You’ve got to hold on tight and off you go.”
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
Adventurous Virgo – this week the positive Jupiter/Saturn link is terrific for educational matters, travel arrangements, creative partnerships and joint ventures. But don’t let yourself be deceived by fake news, sidetracked by dubious friends, or distracted by empty promises. Keep your eyes wide open and your feet firmly planted on the ground! Wednesday and Thursday favour proactive pronouncements at work and lively conversations at home.
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
This week Venus and Mars favour romance, friendship and fun. It’s also a terrific time to network and socialise with colleagues, as you mix business with plenty of pleasure. Librans are clever and capable but are you confident enough for big-time success? The Sun shifts into your career zone (on Wednesday night) so step up and assume a leadership role. And remember that your deft diplomatic skills are constantly required at home and at work.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
If you’re looking for a promotion or a new job, now’s the time to strike, as lucky Venus and proactive Mars enhance your professional persona. Communicating with work colleagues, clients and customers will also improve, as you initiate contact and relationships run more smoothly than usual. The positive Jupiter/ Saturn link should also benefit partnerships, of the romantic and platonic variety. So, stop sulking and stewing, and start mingling!
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
Early in the week, Jupiter (your power planet) makes a rare positive link with karmic taskmaster Saturn. You’ll find enthusiasm and luck combined with hard work and persistence will lead to success. So, roll up your sleeves, put your shoulder to the wheel, and get to it! Your motto for the moment is from prolific inventor and businessman Thomas Edison: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
On Monday, Saturn (your power planet) makes a rare positive link with prosperity planet Jupiter. So, you’ll find enthusiasm and luck combined with hard work and perseverance will take you far. But you need to be your own cheer squad as you keep on keeping on with passion and persistence. Your mantra is from inventor and businessman Thomas Edison: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up.”
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
There’s a Sun/Neptune square on Monday, so steer clear of a smooth operator who could lead you up the primrose path to trouble. Check all news and information carefully. If something sounds too good to be true, then turn around and start walking in the opposite direction! Plus, with peacemaker Venus and fiery Mars activating your partnership zone, do your best to turn up the charm as you smooth over problems with an impatient friend or a cranky colleague.
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
Venus and Mars both stimulate your job zone, so socialising with clients or colleagues will help improve workplace relations. If you’re looking for employment, then put the word out amongst close friends and within your wider peer group. But your carefully planned week could be turned upside down when the Sun/ Neptune square throws some confusing factors into the mix. Especially involving a personal project, a family member or a domestic matter.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2023
MICHAEL DRAGE, founder of Reimagined Habitat says: “Thank you to all who contacted me regarding last month’s topic on ‘dressing your home’. This one seems to have generated the most interest of all – or maybe the cold weather is focusing you all on keeping warm. Keep your questions coming in, we love helping people upgrade or build better homes!”
An outline, a graphic and a video
Passive House is a German building standard that now has global acceptance and is growing exponentially in Australia.
When followed, this methodology will provide some of the most efficient homes in the world. The science behind it is particularly applicable to this region.
Across
1 What is the vital principle in humans? (6)
8 Name a French Protestant. (8)
9 Which tablet of metal is set on a wall for ornamentation? (6)
10 What is another name for an arthropod? (8)
11 What is a formal opinion given? (6)
12 Name the capital of Fiji. (4)
13 Name one of the species of diminutive beings said to inhabit the interior of the earth. (5)
16 What is a long lock of hair? (5)
19 Asana is a pose in what? (4)
21 What is an Australian banded anteater? (6)
22 Name the 2011 Brownlow Medal winner. (4,4)
23 Which term describes resources available? (6)
24 A chipmunk is a type of what? (8)
25 What is a set of correlated members? (6)
Solution next edition Down
2 What is a knightly or heroic champion? (7)
3 Name a celebration of a particular mass. (7)
4 What are subjects of discourse, discussion, etc? (6)
5 Name a small roundish citrus fruit used chiefly for preserves. (7)
6 To belong to former times, is to be what? (7)
7 What are sudden interruptions to the supply of blood to the brain? (7)
13 Name a branch of applied mathematics. (7)
14 That which is inauspicious or threatening, is what? (7)
15 What is something unpleasant to look at? (7)
17 Which were the names of twelve kings of ancient Egypt? (7)
18 To disturb or agitate suddenly by surprise, is to do what? (7)
20 What describes historical records, generally? (6)
The origin is a research assignment from the German government to create a building methodology to reduce the heating and cooling requirements of homes by 70 per cent. Why? To reduce reliance on the grid and help reduce climate change effects of homes.
The research team then used general building physics principles to work up a system and some targets to achieve a standard, which they termed “Passive House”. To me, this standard should have a different name, as it applies to any building type – homes, offices, schools, sporting facilities, anything. In fact, in some jurisdictions in Europe it is the standard for all civic buildings.
Understanding the building physics and how to practically work this into your build is the important part.
The graphic below gives an idea, but the principles required to reach the standards are:
• Continuous insulation around the whole house.
• High-quality windows.
• Airtightness.
• Continuous ventilation.
• Design – solar optimisation for the seasons.
• Reducing thermal bridging through design.
For a 90-second video and some other explanatory videos, please check out the resources page on our website reimaginedhabitat.com.au/resources
Over the next months we’ll delve into the different elements of the science and help you understand what the key drivers are to making an energy efficient home.
As an FYI, we have four certified Passive House designers in our team, making us one of the largest cohorts in Australia. If you’d like to discuss, please call me on 0419 391282. For any questions, comments or queries, please email us at info@reimaginedhabitat.com.au
