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A second opinion on hearing loss

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

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

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

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

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

4. Hearing aids can be expensive.

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

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

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

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

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

– Dr Vass

– you need professional advice, not a sales pitch

Why concerns are growing about heavy cars

As the NCA prepares to spend millions on strengthening Commonwealth Avenue Bridge against the increasing weight of modern vehicles, reporter JENNIFER DUDLEY-NICHOLSON it’s not electric cars to blame for the growing trend.

SUVs made up more than half of all vehicles sold last year, at 53 per cent, while substantial light commercial vehicles such as utes represented 23 per cent of vehicles sold in the country.

The average weight of cars in the country is rising, with the two topselling vehicles among the heaviest on the market and SUVs and utes making up more than three in every four cars sold in Australia.

The trend, partly fuelled by tax incentives, could impact on passenger and pedestrian safety, they say, as well as pollution and is likely to come under greater scrutiny as motorists transition to electric vehicles.

But others argue it is not passenger vehicles but a new generation of trucks that could do damage to roads and bridges, and need greater scrutiny and research before their wide adoption.

The physical burden of vehicles in Australia has been steadily climbing for more than a decade, with new vehicles now weighing an average of 2.05 tonnes.

Figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show heavier

An industry insider, who asked not to be named, said rising vehicle weights were not something many in the automotive industry wanted to address, even though some pointed a finger of blame at electric cars.

“Three quarters of Australia’s new car market is SUVs and utes and that didn’t happen overnight,” they said.

Griffith University lecturer Anna Mortimore said financial incentives had fuelled the trend, such as fringebenefits tax cuts for utes.

“We’ve had a huge uptake of large utes and that’s probably what’s going to be a difficult area to rein in,” she said.

“The popularity of utes needs to be addressed some time between now and 2030.”

Utes currently represent the two most popular new vehicles in Australia, the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger. Both of these vehicles are also among the heaviest on the market, weighing more than three

sellers weigh significantly less, with Tesla’s Model Y at 2.4 tonnes and MG’s ZS EV at 2.06 tonnes.

Australian Electric Vehicle Association national president Dr Chris Jones said both manufacturers and policymakers should take action to reverse growing vehicle girth.

German automaker BMW proved electric vehicles need not break weight records when it released the i3 hatchback weighing 1.2 tonnes and

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a challenge manufacturers need to embrace,” he said.

“There’s no reason manufacturers can’t keep pushing that boundary because we really do need lighter and smaller vehicles.”

He said another way to stem rising vehicle weight was to change the way motorists paid for roads.

The association had previously recommended a “mass multiplied” road user charge that sees all drivers

pay for how many kilometres they drove each year, multiplied by the

Under the scheme, driving a heavy ute or a large electric vehicle for long distances would cost owners more.

“You could still choose to buy a Toyota LandCruiser as the family car but it would cost you substantially more than if you bought a Holden

“People would have to think about weight when they buy a vehicle.”

A more pressing issue, iMove Australia managing director Ian Christensen said, would be how Australian roads dealt with even heavier vehicles: battery-electric trucks.

Australia’s bridges, roads and overpasses were not necessarily built to hold as much weight as some of the new freight vehicles and would demand immediate attention from transport researchers and policymakers.

“We will have to allow heavier trucks on the road otherwise there’s no way we can adequately decarbonise transport but we’ll have to be watchful for damage and get truck operators to avoid taking their heavier trucks over roads and bridges that are unable to bear their weight,” he said.

“Certainly, the adoption of electric trucks is more advanced overseas so we can look to other countries to see their experience.” –AAP

AUSTRALIA has a weight problem, experts warn, and it has less to do with what we put in our mouths than what we put on our roads.

The average weight of vehicles is rising in Australia and it’s not just electric cars.

One day there were trees, next there were none

The ACT’s Greenslabor government is locked into practices of questionable governance and decision making and has lost the ability to engage honestly and effectively with resident groups.

This government now resides behind a façade of disingenuous and facile spin. It is a government incapable of self-assessment.

There’s a long list of instances that illustrate the above, but for this piece the focus is on one that many may not have noticed, even though it played out in plain sight just off the parliamentary triangle.

In late March the local media reported that 160 heritage pine trees to the north of Albert Hall were removed by City Services because the bureaucracy claimed the trees were a weed species and had reached the end of their safe and useful life.

ACT City Services stated that the 160 trees were to be replaced sometime later this year with a reduced number of trees – 50, being a mix of a different pine and deciduous trees.

Given the reduction in the number of trees in this heritage precinct, the other 110 replacement trees were to be planted in nearby suburbs. Apparently, this weird way of wholesale

removal, the partial replacement of the Albert Hall trees and the offset planting of 110 somewhere else would help achieve the government’s 30 per cent canopy cover by 2045.

Think on that! The majority of the replacement heritage trees were to be planted elsewhere. This was an official statement by Chris Steel’s City Services directorate.

The statement was quickly followed through with what can only be described as a quick hit job. One day there were trees, soon there were piles of stumps and trashed branches, then woodchip and before anyone had time to react, all was gone.

It remains a mystery to those who cherish trees, our heritage precincts and the Albert Hall area, just what

was the hurry and how it was justified to remove everything at once leaving the area bare.

For a site in central Canberra it should have had a landscape and heritage management plan that included a succession strategy for the timed gradual replacement of trees. The conclusion is that such a heritage management plan does not exist – or was ignored. Others have questioned the false narrative used to justify the complete removal. While they agree that many of the trees were not in good condition due to the same City Services’ lack of care and maintenance, they know that that description of them all being in bad condition and unsafe was not accurate. Some should have remained

as part of a replacement program.

Given the prominent position of these trees on this significant landscape, the level of consultation was minimal – and that’s being generous.

It was reported that the ACT Heritage Council was consulted. This is a bit strange given that the ACT Heritage Council was dismissed by the heritage minister in August and a replacement interim council appeared on the books in April. Those associated with the Albert Hall commented that they were not consulted.

Then there is this horrible thought. This same Greenslabor government passed its Urban Forest Bill on March 30 to be enacted in January 2024. This new law would have made it more difficult for City Services to carry out the complete removal of the 160 trees.

So, it was done as quickly as possible because once they were history, it would be too late for anyone to raise objections. This would also explain the lack of planning around the replacements, what they will be and when they will appear.

And, as for being declared a weed, think on that given the manicured surroundings and busy roads and that they had been on that site for

decades and no infestations had occurred.

There are many other sites in Canberra with these pines. The managers of the Canberra Arboretum had better be on guard as the Chris Steel mob may arrive to wipe out some of their specimens – those declared to be weeds in the ACT.

Given the trees are gone, possibly removed illegally according to one source, there’s the opportunity for some serious engagements and possibly new ideas about what could be a great community site alongside the historic Albert Hall.

The trouble being a good landscape solution would require an intelligence, creativity, vision and an appreciation of heritage not seen recently within this ACT government.

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

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One day there were trees, soon there were piles of stumps and trashed branches, then woodchip and before anyone had time to react, all was gone.

And they’re gone… 160 heritage pine trees to the north of Albert Hall reduced to a pile of mulch Photo: Paul Costigan

Warrigal raises bar with new standard in nurse pay

IN a “ground-breaking and exceptional move”, nursing home leader Warrigal has announced a 15 per cent pay increase for all eligible staff engaged in direct care roles, surpassing the rates offered to nurses in the public hospital system, said acting CEO Alissa Walsh.

“This decision not only demonstrates Warrigal’s unwavering commitment to valuing and supporting their nursing staff, but also elevates the standard of care provided to residents,” she said.

“At Warrigal, our staff members are at the heart of everything we do. We deeply appreciate their commitment and tireless efforts to ensure the well-being of older people in our community.

“This pay increase not only acknowledges the invaluable work of our staff, but also underscores our dedication to attracting and retaining top talent within the aged-care industry.

“The increased remuneration reflects the value of the support they provide, giving families confidence that their loved ones are receiving the best possible

care and support they deserve.”

Yogeeta, a first-year graduate nurse at Warrigal, believes the 15 per cent pay rise will have a profound positive effect on her life, “instilling a new-found sense of

value and motivation”

She said she firmly believes that this would attract nurses from hospital settings to explore career opportunities in aged care, where their contributions

sector, where they can apply their skills in a fresh environment, discover a different

aspect of nursing, and build meaningful relationships with residents,” she said.

“This pay increase means a lot for us nurses. It makes us feel more ambitious, committed to the future of aged care, and dedicated to delivering quality services for our older people.”

Ms Walsh said the significance of the pay rise extended beyond its financial implications; it also impacted the residents and their families.

“Nurses like Yogeeta now feel a deep sense of recognition and gratitude for their contributions to the care of older people,” she said.

“Warrigal goes above and beyond to create a supportive and rewarding work environment for its staff, offering a comprehensive benefits package. This includes salary packaging, discounted gym and pool memberships and access to a health and wellbeing app.

“These benefits exemplify Warrigal’s commitment to fostering a positive work environment that recognises and supports its staff, promoting their overall well-being and work-life balance.”

More information about career opportunities at Warrigal and its commitment to employee wellbeing at warrigal.com.au

‘This 15% pay rise will inspire hospital nurses to genuinely consider joining the aged-care sector’

“This makes us feel more committed to the future of aged care,” says nurse Yogeeta.

“Our

staff members are at the heart of everything we do” says acting CEO Alissa Walsh.

Fire risks loom for a hot, dry El Niño summer

AN El Niño event has arrived, according to the World Meteorological Organization, raising fears of record high global temperatures, extreme weather and, in Australia, a severe fire season.

The El Niño is a reminder that bushfires are part of Australian life – especially as human-caused global warming worsens. But there are a few important considerations to note.

First, not all El Niño years result in bad bushfires. The presence of an El Niño is only one factor that determines the prevalence of bushfires. Other factors, such as the presence of drought, also come into play.

And second, whether or not this fire season is a bad one, Australia must find a more sustainable and effective way to manage bushfires. The El Niño threat only makes the task more urgent.

An El Niño is declared when the sea surface temperature in large parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean warms significantly.

The statement by the World Meteorological Organization said El

Niño conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years “setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns”.

The organisation says there’s a 90 per cent probability of the El Niño event continuing during the second half of 2023. It said El Niño can trigger extreme heat and also cause severe droughts over Australia and other parts of the world.

It’s important to understand what drives bushfire risks – and the influence of climate change, fire management and events such as El Niño.

While the global climate has changed significantly in the past, the current changes are occurring at an unprecedented rate.

In geologic time scales, before the influence of humans, a significant shift in climate has been associated with an

increase in fire activity in Australia. There is every reason to expect fire activity will increase with humaninduced climate change as well. Humans have also changed the Australian fire landscape – both First Nations people and, for the past 200 years, European colonists.

Changes brought about by indigenous Australians were widespread, but sustainable. Their methods included, for example, lighting “cool” fires in small, targeted patches early in the dry season. This reduced the chance that very large and intense fires would develop. Changes brought about by European colonists have also been

widespread – such as land clearing using fire, and fire suppression to protect human life and property. But this approach has been far from sustainable, either financially, ecologically or socially.

Australia has just experienced a period of high rainfall across the continent; now, we’re set to enter into a drying period driven by an El Niño. The abundant plant growth leading into a dry period is likely to result in widespread bushfires across Australia.

Initially, this is likely to occur in semi-arid inland areas where grasses have flourished in the wet period, but will dry out quickly. If the drying cycle persists for two or three years, then fires might become more prevalent in forests and woodlands in temperate Australia.

But an El Niño year doesn’t necessarily mean a bad bushfire season is certain.

In Australia, El Niño events are associated with hotter and drier conditions, leading to more days of high fire danger. But large and severe forest fires also need a prolonged drought to dry out fuels, especially in sheltered gullies and slopes. Soils and woody vegetation are currently moist following the La Niña period.

So El Niño and its opposite phase, La Niña, on their own are a relatively poor predictor of the number and size

of bushfires.

When it comes to fire management, Australia must be much smarter than it has been for the past 200 years. This means changing the focus to holistic fire management.

Throwing huge amounts of money and resources at controlling bushfires – such as purchasing more and larger firefighting aircraft – is not sustainable or sensible.

Fire is as fundamental to our environment as wind and rain. And the amount of energy released from a large bushfire will never be matched by any level of resources humans can muster.

Damaging bushfires will return to Australia in the near future. The expected return of another El Niño should heighten efforts to create a more considered and sustainable fire management regime – particularly in southern Australia. Australia, with its wealth of scientific knowledge and long history of indigenous land management, should be well placed to manage fire sustainably – even with the pressures of climate change. Changing our approach will not be quick or simple, but it must be done.

Kevin Tolhurst AM, hon. assoc. prof., Fire Ecology and Management, The University of Melbourne. This article is republished from “The Conversation”.

It’s official: Australia is set for a hot, dry El Niño. KEVIN TOLHURST explains what that means for our flammable continent.

“Aborigines Using Fire to Hunt Kangaroos”, by Joseph Lycett. Indigenous people have used cultural fire practices for thousands of years. Image: NLA

/ endangered gliders

Trackers give up gliders’ flying secrets

Ecologists have made death-defying tree climbs to catch greater gliders and fit them with trackers to understand how bushfires affect the endangered species, reports

TRACEY

FERRIER

.

BRIEFLY Come and pack a clean birth kit

ENDANGERED

greater gliders have been fitted with trackers to reveal how they move through fire-scarred landscapes, and there could be implications for the forestry industry.

Ecologists have scaled enormous trees to catch the gliders and attach small, lightweight GPS collars that will record their nocturnal movements every half an hour, for a month.

The gliders, from the Tallaganda State Forest in NSW, will be caught again and freed of the devices, which will give researchers an unprecedented level of detail about how bushfires affect their movement.

Conservation scientist Kita Ashman, from WWF-Australia, took part in the field work and says there are a few theories about impacts on the species.

“They could expand their home range as they’re forced to travel further to find food and nesting hollows, or they could remain in unburnt patches within the burnt forest, resulting in a much smaller home range,” Dr Ashman said.

Greater gliders live mainly in

treetops, and can cover up to 100 metres in a single glide.

When bushfires hit they can leave big holes in the canopy, making movement between trees difficult or impossible, and forcing the gliders to spend more time on the ground.

“How are they able to move in a canopy that’s quite open and burnt? That’s what we’re trying to understand,” said lead researcher Vivianna Miritis, a PhD candidate at the Univer sity of Sydney.

“We also want to know if moving in a burnt forest exposes them to a higher risk of predation.”

The tracking project involves 15 gliders. Eight are from burnt parts of the forest, with their movements to be compared with the travels of seven from unburnt areas.

The world’s largest gliding marsupial was a threatened species before the Black Summer fires wiped out almost a third of its habitat. Its status has since worsened and it is now listed as endangered.

Despite the damage done by the fires, state-sanctioned logging has continued in pockets of glider habitat.

WWF believes knowledge gained from tracking gliders in unburnt

forest could have implications for the forestry industry.

Forestry prescriptions for how much greater glider habitat can be logged are based on old data derived from manual VHF tracking with radio transmitters, which provide important but limited information.

“It is highly likely that greater glider movement and habitat requirements are being underestimated as a

result,” Dr Ashman said.

“Saving these special animals is really important because they’re an indicator species. The presence of greater gliders is a sign of a healthy forest supporting a diverse range of species, and that’s what we all want to see.”

The tracking project is a partnership between the University of Sydney and WWF-Australia. –AAP

THE Zonta Club of Canberra Breakfast is holding its annual birth-kit packing day on July 29 and, for the first time since 2019, the Canberra community is invited to assist. There will be two, one-hour sessions at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 102 Wattle Street, O’Connor, for packing the Clean Birth Kits, which will be sent to pregnant women living in rural communities around the world. To date 2.6 million Clean Birth Kits have been distributed to women in need. Tickets via Humanitix.

Bandannas back at Ziggy’s

THE relentless Bold Bandannas Relay for Life team is holding a stall at the Fyshwick Markets (within Ziggy’s shop) on July 29, 8.30am-4.30pm. selling its “trademark” range of preserves, pickles, chutneys, lemon butter and a range of sugar-reduced items. Proceeds are in aid of cancer research.

Friends take the plunge

FRIENDS of Canberra Olympic Pool are meeting to approve a constitution and elect office bearers at Civic pool, 4pm, July 29. All welcome. The group intends to apply for incorporation under the ACT Associations Incorporation Act 1991. Email friendsofcop@gmail.com

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Ecologists have scaled large trees to catch the gliders and attach small, lightweight GPS collars.

Authorised by Canberra Refugee Action Campaign

WINDOWS FOR THE PRICE OF DOUBLE

MICHAEL DRAGE, founder of Reimagined Habitat says: “Thank you to all who contacted me regarding last month’s topic on Passive House. It is not a building standard here in Australia yet, but using the science behind it provides the key to building for the future. Keep your questions coming in, we love helping people upgrade or build better homes!”

Passive House – part 2

High performance windows and doors

One of the key ideals from last month was highperformance windows and doors. I have touched on windows previously, but think it’s worth spending some more time on them.

Windows and airtightness are the two key drivers in the performance of a home.

Why? Airtightness will determine the volume of air that needs to be thermally maintained, and the windows and doors are the weakest points of the building from an insulation point of view. A house is only as good as the weakest points.

The best way I can illustrate this is a recent comparison of window quotes for a new home.

We were able to get triple-glazed windows at more than twice the energy efficiency compared to the specified thermally broken aluminium windows. The prices were virtually identical.

The modelling shows that the house will use around half the energy for heating and cooling throughout the year. We were stunned that we were able to source this at virtually the same price. Triple-glazed windows for the price of double glazed is an amazing outcome for the clients for ongoing cost, health and energy usage.

Tips, traps and a little science

TIPS: Check around as to what is available at what price. Companies such as Net Zero Plus are now offering triple-glazed windows at similar prices to double-glazed, at much higher performance levels.

TRAPS: Talk to your builders about options. Many have used the same companies for years and use them due to personal and business connections. Nothing wrong with this, but there are more options available now than ever before. Make sure you get the best quality window for your budget.

For more details on the triple-glazed windows go to the Net Zero Plus website netzeroplus.com.au

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, call me any time on 0419 391282. For questions, comments or queries, email us at info@reimaginedhabitat.com.au

reimagined habitat

Why French protest, but we’re passive at rising pension age?

SINCE July 1, Australians are required to wait until the age of 67 until they can get the age pension.

The original so-called “retirement age” of 65 for men dated back to 1909.

Women had their pension age lifted from 60 to 65 between 1995 and 2013. And all Australians have had it lifted in stages from July 2017, in a process that ended on July 1 2023.

It has happened with little protest – a stark contrast to the demonstrations and riots that rocked France earlier this year, when President Macron proposed and passed laws to lift the French pension age from 62 to 64.

French strikes and demonstrations over the retirement age aren’t new.

There were nationwide protests when France increased its retirement age from 60 to 62 in 2010, before that in 2003, and in 1995, when France tried to increase the pension age for public sector workers.

Just about anything you could want to know about public pension schemes in high-income countries can be found in the OECD report Pensions at a Glance, published every two years, most recently in 2021.

Public pension spending in France is 13.6 per cent of GDP, compared to 4 per cent in Australia.

In part, this is because France has an older population than Australia, but it is also because French pension payments are more generous than both Australia’s age pension and superannuation supports taken together.

The OECD finding that Australia provides a replacement rate of about 40 per cent and France of about 74 per cent is “forward looking”, in that it is based on what a worker on average earnings is estimated to be entitled to under the system applying in 2020, if she or he works from age 22 until that country’s normal retirement age.

For low-paid workers, Australia’s meanstested age pension makes the payments about as generous as those in France.

A separate 2018 OECD calculation

showed that the aver age after-tax income of a French household headed by someone 65 years or older was 99.8 per cent of the average income of all French households.

In contrast, the average after-tax income of an Australian household headed by someone of that age was 75 per cent of that of all households.

Given that French households receive about the same disposable income while retired as working, it is easy to see why they are keen to retire.

And the heavy tax contributions required to fund their retirement incomes give them little opportunity to save privately while working.

The level of median private wealth in Australia (converted at prevailing exchange rates) is nearly twice that in France.

Yet French public pension wealth is substantial. Calculating the value of the future pension income streams using life expectancies, the net pension wealth of French retirees amounts to 14 years of average earnings, compared to just over seven in Australia.

Because the value of these income streams is strongly influenced by how long the pensions are received, raising the French pension age by two years would cut the value of French pension wealth by around 8 per cent.

The phase-in of the Australian change after 2017 meant it didn’t affect the retirement incomes of Australian workers until many years after the change was first announced, and didn’t affect the incomes of those already retired at all.

And the Australian change legislated in 2009 was part of a broader program of reforms that included the biggest single increase in age and disability pensions and carer payments in Australian history. Yet it will have losers. Those losing the most will be those with the shortest

life expectancies. Indigenous men have life expectancies nearly nine years lower than non-indigenous men and indigenous women nearly eight years lower.

And the change has pushed a substantial number of Australians aged 65 and over who would have once received the pension on to the much-lower Jobseeker unemployment payment.

The number of people aged 65 years and over receiving JobSeeker climbed from zero in 2017 to 40,300 by May this year – and will climb further because of this month’s change.

These people are severely disadvantaged by this change, as the level of payment for an older unemployed person is more than $300 a fortnight less than the age pension, a gap that will only be slightly reduced by the increases announced in the most recent Commonwealth budget.

Relatively little attention has been paid to these people, who because of the low level of payment are among the poorest in the Australian population – with very limited prospects of being able to improve their circumstances.

In contrast, the idea of boosting tax on the earnings of superannuation balances over A$3 million attracted widespread criticism.

The very different institutional environments of Australia and France have created different lobby groups, with different interests to protect.

Peter Whiteford, professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. This article is republished from The Conversation.

Australia’s ‘retirement age’ just became 67. So why are the French so upset about working until 64? PETER WHITEFORD did the arithmetic.

French riot police face protesters in Paris during a rally against the government’s reform to the pension system. Photo: Oan Valat/EPA

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Rampaging rabbits mock Steel’s ‘action plans’

CHRIS Steel is our local government minister with responsibility for City Services and Transport.

His local government capacity portfolio goes further and includes the light rail, rates, roads, rubbish and rabbits.

Roadworks around Civic are playing havoc with traffic. We have been warned that this is a temporary inconvenience while the preparations for Stage 2 of the government’s light rail project is implemented.

Rubbish removal largely runs smoothly. Roads are often a challenge – but a bright light over the last few years is a much more effective and regular street sweeping of leaves where European trees are a feature of nature strip plantings. It is not all bad news – but City Hill is currently being demolished by rabbits.

One conspiracy theorist suggested to me that this will allow removal of trees after they have been undermined, their roots demolished, and the trees are allowed to die “of natural causes”. I am not quick to conspiracies. My experience has taught me that most stuff-ups are more commonly caused by incompetence, a lack of drive, or poor leadership.

It turns out that the city services minister has been working on the

issue of rabbits for years.

A “CityNews” reader responded to my last article on the destruction of City Hill by including a letter he received from Minister Steel in response to a warning that was lodged in December 2020.

The response informed him that he was “aware of the rabbits on City Hill and several other areas in the city and are currently developing an action plan for the management of rabbits across the city”.

Developing plans! Developing plans is a great strength of the ACT government. What about implementing plans? More than two years ago Chris Steel’s public servants were “devel-

oping plans” to control rabbits on City Hill. I observed during the late evening recently, that City Hill was simply blanketed in these animals. The same reader’s letter talked about its protection. The minister wrote:

“In the case of City Hill, actions must consider the preservation of heritage values as well as the other safety and animal welfare issues”. When rabbits are left to go out of control – they simply spread. They are already being spotted on the nature strips of inner-city residences and through to the suburb of Campbell. There are examples where action is being taken. Between the Defence buildings on Constitution Avenue and

Campbell houses there are warnings of poisoning and shooting to control rabbits.

The goal seems to be to deal with “degradation of native vegetation and impacts on native plant and animal species”. This is a high priority in the ACT’s best practice management guide for rabbits.

The history of the impact of rabbits in Australia ought to suggest a great deal more urgency for dealing with City Hill. The ACT rabbit control program identifies that the “ongoing maintenance of low population numbers is considered more humane than allowing populations to build up again (ie, lethal control is kept to a minimum)”.

This seems to be through shoot-

ing and the use of pindone poison phosphine gas fumigation.

This is where the conspiracy theorists start to make headway. The Roman Cypresses that are so prominent on City Hill were planted during the 1920s. They are not natives. However, City Hill is listed on the Register of the National Estate for its heritage value. This certainly includes the 12 oval-shaped groups of the Roman Cypresses that are being steadily undermined by rabbits. While shooting on City Hill is clearly out of the question, other humane techniques are available. It is mind-boggling that they have not been deployed by now. The delay has really put a significant part of our heritage at risk.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

Beware… taking on the rabbits with guns and gas. Signs on Vasey Crescent, Campbell.

Developing plans is a great strength of the ACT government. What about implementing plans? More than two years ago Chris Steel’s public servants were ‘developing plans’ to control rabbits on City Hill.

BRIEFLY Police target car hoons

TEENAGE street-racers are the latest to be caught speeding by police, as they target hoon driving throughout July. Following new dangerous driving laws in the ACT, introduced on June 22, at least six drivers have had their licence suspended on the spot.

Officers can now immediately suspend the licence of a driver who is caught speeding at more than 45km/h over the limit, as well as immediately seizing their vehicle.

Band for the birthday

THE Canberra Ukulele Band will entertain the ladies of the Gungahlin Day VIEW Club as they celebrate the club’s 24th anniversary at the Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club, Nicholls, from 11.45am on July 26. Lunch is $35 and visitors are welcome. RSVP by text or call 0413 923933 by 9pm, July 23.

High tea with Floriade head

ANDREW Forster, Floriade head gardener, is the guest speaker at the Friends of Old Parliament House Rose Gardens fundraising high tea at the Mercure Hotel, Braddon, 1.30pm-4.30pm on August 13. There will also be music by Canberra pianist Hildegarde Palafox Mendoza. Tickets are $45 (members $40) via trybooking.com/CjjNR until August 7. Enquiries to 0408 696109.

Historians shocked by ancestors behaving badly

standing of the past and its influence.

IN 1853, my great great grandmother Charlotte died giving birth to her 13th child, in a tent on the banks of the Yarra River in what is now South Melbourne – but was then an overcrowded, muddy hellhole known as Canvas Town.

The baby, William, died shortly afterwards. Researching Charlotte’s story made me both sad for her loss and angry at the powerlessness of women’s lives then.

I’m not the only one to have experienced intense emotions –both negative and positive – while researching my forebears.

On Facebook pages, in media stories and on TV, you’ll find a flood of hobby genealogists discovering shocking things about their ancestors – or even their own identity.

My recent research revealed about two thirds of family historians have experienced strong negative emotions such as sorrow or anger through their hobby.

And nearly all respondents had experienced strong positive emotions such as joy or pride.

Passionate ‘kin keepers’

In 2019, Doreen Rosenthal and I surveyed 775 Australian hobbyist family historians to examine their motivations.

They were adults aged between 21 and 93, but most were older and the median age was 63. The majority (85 per cent) were women. This seems to be typical of hobbyist family historians. Women often take on the role of “kin keeper” – and have the time to devote to it when they’ve finished rearing children and have retired from paid work.

Survey respondents described why they were passionately engaged with their hobby – and how it made them feel. Some 48 per cent “sometimes” felt strong negative emotions about what they found, while 15 per cent did “often”.

There were five common distress triggers.

1. Ancestors behaving badly

The first and most common distress trigger was the discovery of ancestors who had behaved badly –either as individuals, or by profiting from unjust social conditions. Finding these forebears made family historians feel confronted, shocked and sometimes ashamed.

They said things like: “[The worst thing was] finding the bigamist! He was horrific!! Very confronting thinking that I have some of his blood in my veins!”

And: “[It was] difficult finding that ancestors may have been involved in unsavoury behaviours or events. The problem is trying to understand the context of how they were able to do things that are socially and legally unacceptable today and not things I can be proud of.”

2. Ancestors treated cruelly

It was also distressing to discover ancestors who had been cruelly treated. This elicited disturbing, even “heartbreaking” feelings – and, at least implicitly, indignation at injustice. Many were deeply moved by what their ancestors experienced.

As one survey respondent put it: “What is unexpected is the relationships that can be formed with those who are no longer with us. That I can be moved by the plight of my paternal step great great grandmother who was incarcerated in a mental institution from 1913 to 1948 without review, without visitors, to get her out of the way.”

3. Sad stories

Sadness was often specifically mentioned. As in the case of my great great grandmother who died in childbirth, sadness was usually a response to the hardships and tragedies ancestors faced in more challenging times.

Women commonly did not survive childbirth, neonatal deaths were

“[It was difficult] discovering the tragedies encountered by my Irish ancestors who came to Australia and their struggles and heartbreaking stories of survival for the next three generations.”

“[It is distressing] to uncover particularly sad and desperate times in some ancestors’ lives. For example, a destitute widow who admitted her child to an orphan asylum for three years, only to have her child die of typhoid fever within two weeks of returning home.”

4. Family secrets and betrayal

The fourth distress trigger was a belief by the family history researcher that they had been betrayed by other family members: through secrets, lies and feeling their lived experience was ignored or denied.

This is particularly likely for those who discover “secrets” about their parentage – for example, the late-life discovery of adoption, parental infidelity or previously unknown siblings.

Trust is damaged. If family members can lie about these important things, what else might they lie about?

As one woman commented: “My mother’s half-sister did not accept that

great grandmother also lied. All these lies were very distressing.”

5. Moral dilemmas

Finally, several respondents expressed doubt and confusion at the moral dilemmas they faced on discovering information that could greatly distress other living relatives. Should they tell or not?

An emotional burden attaches to withholding potentially distressing information of this kind. Yet there is also guilt and fear about the possible outcomes of sharing it.

“I knew an aunt had an illegitimate child before she married. Through DNA I found her granddaughter. I have yet to inform this girl who she is. I don’t feel it’s my right as she has absolutely no idea of any adoption of her father.”

A really distressing find was that my great aunt’s husband had committed a terrible murder. I have not been able to speak about this with the descendants of the couple.

Healthy outcomes from bad feelings

Sometimes these distressing feelings can promote healthy, growthenhancing outcomes. After the initial shock, some traumatic genealogical discoveries lead to a greater under-

Placing ancestors’ maladaptive or distressing behaviours, or their misfortunes, into historical and social context can help with acceptance and forgiveness, and stimulate emotional healing and personal growth.

Initial feelings of distress about past injustices and tragedies are sometimes replaced by admiration for the strength and resilience of one’s forebears. This can positively influence personal wellbeing and resilience.

How can family and professionals help?

I processed my great great grandmother’s story by writing it down and sharing it with family members. We reworked our sadness at her fate into a positive family narrative, emphasising her bravery and the strengths her surviving children showed. Support can mean just disclosing these stories to family members, friends and other family historians. But for some, it may be helpful to discuss these topics privately with a counsellor or therapist, especially if they’ve led to a breakdown in family relationships or an assault on one’s sense of identity.

Counsellors and psychologists should develop strategies to support clients distressed by genealogical findings – and encourage them to use their new knowledge for personal growth and greater understanding of family dynamics.

Should providers of genealogical research products (especially DNA tests) educate their customers about their products’ potential to cause distress?

Trigger warnings might be overkill. But they could issue lists of support resources for those who are upset or disoriented by their findings. As more people gain access to more genealogical data – with the potential to challenge identity and uncover family secrets – it’s worth thinking about.

Susan Moore, emeritus professor, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology. This article is republished from The Conversation.

‘He was horrific!’: Nearly two thirds of family historians are distressed by what they find – should DNA kits come with warnings, asks SUSAN MOORE .

THE GADFLY

Give us this day our daily hypocrisy in parliament

UPON taking the speaker’s chair each sitting day, Milton Dick, the Labor MP for Oxley, makes the following declaration:

“I acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples who are the traditional custodians of the Canberra area and pay respect to the elders, past and present, of all Australia’s indigenous peoples.”

It’s a 2010 addition to the opening House of Representatives’ ritual and quite a nice idea. Trouble is, since the debate about the Voice to Parliament, it’s obvious that many of Mr Speaker’s fellow MPs – yes, I’m looking at you Peter Dutton and David Littleproud –don’t share his sentiments.

It’s a rite that’s supposed to make us feel good, but if it doesn’t reflect our MPs’ true sympathies, it debases the notion to a silly fiction and makes a mockery of the parliament.

But that’s just the beginning of the daily recitation. Mr Dick then intones something that, if you listen closely, can make your hair stand on end.

He addresses an imaginary entity he calls “Almighty God”, and he “humbly beseeches” said entity “to vouchsafe

Thy blessing upon this parliament. Direct and prosper our deliberations to the advancement of thy glory, and the true welfare of the people of Australia”.

If you didn’t know better, you’d

should it be bothered with the joint Matthew Flinders christened long before the Aboriginal people even heard of its existence.

Yes, I know it’s a version of the Christian “Lord’s Prayer” and there are shaky claims that it was “written” (in the unlikely event that he could write Greek) by the figure they call Jesus.

It found its way into the parliamentary ritual, I discovered, when researching “The Big Fella – the BHP Story”, which I wrote with Peter Thompson in 2009. It was introduced

former BHP accountant.

At the time, parliament had just passed the White Australia Policy thus alienating the Aboriginal people from the land they had occupied for roughly 60,000 years. So it undoubtedly reflected the views of the electors. And since paternalism was all the go, they were perfectly happy for the speaker to address the entity as, “Our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name”.

“Thy kingdom come,” Mr Speaker continues. “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven!” So, no need for an

never been Peter Dutton’s favoured policy since he became a police cadet straight out of high school and a Liberal candidate at 19, but Mr Dick has already moved on.

“Lead us not into temptation,” he

demands (respectfully), “but deliver us from evil.” And in anticipation of a lordly nod, he wraps it up with the diplomatic niceties: “For thine is the kingdom,” he cries, “and the power and the glory, for ever and ever, amen.” Okay, now it’s on with business as usual.

But wait a minute. Doesn’t the ritual offend the very basis of our democratic system which requires the clear separation of Church and State? And why exclusively Christian? What of all the other churches, mosques and temples?

What of the third of us who mark “no religion” on the census form?

Not good enough Mr Dick. Malcolm Fraser changed the national anthem. Perhaps it’s time for a nationwide competition for a new mission statement – one that not only inspires the parliamentarians but reflects the aspirations of the community they serve. What do you say, Albo? robert@robert macklin.com

House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick… “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven!” So, no need for an ICAC in those days. Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP

The first member for Kooyong, William Knox (1901-1910).

When the judge faces an ‘apprehension of bias’

MOST people expect the law to provide a clear answer to their problem.

As examples, a relationship breakdown, business misadventure, a dispute among siblings over their deceased parent’s estate, compensation after a workplace injury, or how the criminal law treats co-offenders who have different roles in the same crime.

Awareness that those expectations may be too high comes when the lawyer to whom they have gone for help advises that: “It all depends…”.

It all depends, because if there are competing stories as to what happened in the relationship, the business, the family, the workplace or the crime scene, then which story prevails will influence the path taken by the law.

A judge receives evidence and then evaluates competing versions by assessing the content of the messages and the believability of each witness.

This kind of multifaceted evaluation is a task that all of us do every day as we make decisions about where to shop, which friends to trust, what media to follow, etcetera.

To make most evaluations quickly we rely upon “useful prejudices”, these being thought patterns based on our direct experience or information from reliable sources.

Here is a telling example. When the governor of the Reserve Bank, an important organisation about which most of us know nothing, said that interest rates would not rise for quite some time, many Australians accepted that statement and purchased property.

Now they are in trouble, multiple interest rate rises entailing that rising loan repayments are a nightmare.

Not so long ago such a major gaffe would have meant that the errormaker, in this case the bank governor, would have taken responsibility and resigned.

But nowadays “toughing it out” and staying put on an enviably generous salary has become acceptable, despite a justification for the large salary being “the buck stops with you”.

Staying put and failing to accept responsibility entails that the error was not made by the decision maker, but by those who are adversely affected by relying upon the decision: all those

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When a party to a case, civil or criminal, has an apprehension of bias by the judge they can ask the judge to go off the case (called recuse) and have another judge appointed.

Most such applications fail because the applying party has a distorted concern that an independent, reasonable bystander would not have.

has distinct interests. Both cannot be served at once.

Despite that training, a judge is supposed to be able to resolve the inherent conflict of interest that arises whenever they are asked to rule upon an application that there is an apprehension of bias in their continuing to preside over a hearing.

home buyers who had misguided faith in the quality of messages coming from the Reserve Bank. Because we are lucky in Australia to have a legal system that usually appoints decision makers on merit, we have faith that our judiciary will bring an independent, prejudice-free, competent approach to their work. That unquestioning faith, as we had in the Reserve Bank, is also misplaced. The possibility of embedded prejudices adversely affecting a judge’s evaluation of competing accounts has long been recognised in our law as “actual bias” or the reasonable bystander’s (that is your) apprehension of bias by the judge. Judges, being like the rest of us, bring all their prejudices into the courtroom. The wisest are able not only to recognise them but to lock them away. The less wise, buoyed by arrogance and hubris, hide those prejudices behind closed lips and a poker face, then let them loose when giving judgement.

However, well-founded apprehensions – so the judge should go, not stay put – also fail for various reasons, including that:

• the judge complained about is the person who decides if the complaint is justified;

• the judge has such a self-absorbed view of their own importance and infallibility that they cannot see that others (especially non-lawyers) might not share that view; and,

• the judge’s “self-righteous” opinion is supported either actively or passively by their judicial colleagues. Judges and practising lawyers are often required to call out examples of “conflict of interest”, this being where a person has two or more duties that cannot co-exist.

Within legal work, a commonly given example is that a lawyer must not act for both parties, as each party

The conflict is between their sense of self-worth and capacity for impartiality, and how others – dependent upon that impartial judgement –assess those traits.

The wisest judges will always know when to turn the matter over to another judge. No numbing legal test is necessary. When an application for recusal is refused then wise lay people, not other judges, should decide if the judge stays or goes.

Former barrister Hugh Selby’s free podcasts on “Witness Essentials” and “Advocacy in court: preparation and performance” can be heard on the best known podcast sites.

Judges, being like the rest of us, bring all their prejudices into the courtroom. The wisest are able not only to recognise them but to lock them away.

Survivor’s mission to promote vital kits

BEFORE a screening kit changed the course of Melahat Kaymak’s life, it gathered dust on her bathroom shelf for months.

“My husband kept on saying, ‘when are you going to do it, when are you going to do it?’,’’ Mrs Kaymak told AAP.

“I said ‘one day we’ll get it done’.”

Four years later, the social support worker does not like to think about what could have happened had she never grabbed the kit off the bathroom shelf and sent some scrapes of her poo through the post.

The test was positive, sparking a call from her hospital for further screening and the discovery that, despite no obvious symptoms, cancer was affecting about 40 centimetres of her bowel.

Five-hour surgery and more than a dozen sessions of chemotherapy followed but the Wollongong woman is thankful she is in remission.

“When I had my colonoscopy, I had no symptoms, no nothing,” she said.

“I was just living my normal life, I never thought of cancer at all.

“(Without it) I would have just been too late, I wouldn’t be here now, I don’t know.

“I don’t want to think about that.”

And yet, the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program still struggles with uptake nearly two decades in.

The program targets people aged between 50 and 74, hoping to detect and treat Australia’s second deadliest cancer before it claims lives.

Unlike many other cancers, if detected early, bowel cancer can be treated successfully in more than 90 per cent of people.

But 3.5 million people sent screening kits in 2020 and 2021 did not complete and return them.

The resultant 40 per cent participation rate was down on the previous two-year period.

Engagement was even poorer in Mrs Kaymak’s age group – 50 to 54 – with fewer than one in three people involved.

The figures prompted a new $10.8

partnership with Cancer Council to boost participation rates.

“We know cancer screening saves lives – and not screening costs us lives,” Health Minister Mark Butler said at the time.

Mrs Kaymak is doing all she can to raise participation, following her husband’s lead and encouraging anyone she

More plastics get the boot

ADDITIONAL single-use plastic items are now banned in the ACT including the sale, supply and distribution of single-use plastic plates and bowls.

As well, the ban covers expanded polystyrene loose fill packaging and expanded polystyrene trays and plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care and cleaning products.

And from January 1, the ACT government will ban all heavyweight plastic and boutique shopping bags greater than 35 microns thick.

The National Retail Association’s director of policy David Stout said: “We are visiting 1600 retailers across retail shopping centres, malls and strips across the ACT, by December 31, to offer ongoing education and support to ensure businesses and consumers understand what’s banned and what’s not.”

A 12-month, single-use plastic hotline (1800 844946) is available during business hours to provide telephone advice to support businesses and other organisations that comply with the legislative requirements.

simple thing, I don’t understand why people delay things like this,” she said.

“It only takes a few minutes to set it up and do it.

“The kit does save lives.”

New kits can be ordered for free through the National Bowel Cancer Screening website.

can to act.

A woman diagnosed through an in-home bowel cancer kit is doing all she can to reverse the flagging use of the free program, reports LUKE COSTIN.

3.5 million people sent screening kits in 2020 and 2021 did not complete and return them.

Banned… polystyrene loose fill packaging.

The rice question that’s asked in every kitchen

Do you need to wash rice before cooking?

EVANGELINE MANTZIORIS has the science.

RICE is a staple food for billions of people in Asia and Africa. It’s also a versatile ingredient for many iconic dishes from around the world, including dolmades from Greece, risottos from Italy, paella from Spain and rice puddings from the UK.

Despite its universal appeal, the question asked in every kitchen, be it a professional one or your own home, is whether you should pre-wash (or rinse) your rice before cooking.

Culinary experts claim prewashing rice reduces the amount of starch coming from the rice grains. You can see this in the cloudy rinse water, which studies have shown to be the free starch (amylose) on the surface of the rice grain produced by the milling process.

In culinary circles, washing is advocated for some dishes when a separated grain is sought after. Yet for other dishes such as risottos, paella and rice puddings (where you need a sticky, creamy effect), washing is avoided.

Other factors, such as the type of rice, family tradition, local health

warnings and even the perceived time and effort required will influence whether people pre-wash their rice.

Does washing rice make it less sticky?

A recent study compared the effect of washing on the stickiness and hardness of three different types of rice from the same supplier. The three types were glutinous rice, medium grain rice and jasmine rice. These different rices were either not washed at all, washed three times with water, or washed 10 times with water.

Contrary to what chefs will tell you, this study showed the washing process had no effect on the stickiness (or hardness) of the rice.

Instead, the researchers demonstrated the stickiness was not due to the surface starch (amylose), but rather a different starch called amylopectin that is leached out of the rice grain during the cooking process. The amount leached differed

between the types of rice grains.

So, it’s the variety of rice – rather than washing – that’s critical to the stickiness. In this study, glutinous rice was the stickiest, while medium grain rice and jasmine rice were less sticky, and also harder as tested in the laboratory. (Hardness is representative of the textures associated

with biting and chewing.)

You may still want to wash your rice, though

Traditionally rice was washed to rinse off dust, insects, little stones and bits of husk left from the rice hulling process. This may still be important for some regions of the world where the processing is not as meticulous, and may provide peace of mind for others.

Rice is also known to contain relatively high levels of arsenic, due to the crop absorbing more arsenic as it grows. Washing rice has been shown to remove about 90 per cent of bioaccessible arsenic, but it also rinses out a large amount of other nutrients important for our health, including copper, iron, zinc and vanadium.

For some people, rice offers a small percentage of their daily intake of these nutrients and hence will have a small impact on their health. But for populations that consume large amounts of heavily washed rice daily, it could impact their overall nutrition.

Another study looked at other heavy metals, lead and cadmium, in addition to arsenic; it found that pre-washing decreased levels of all these from between 7–20 per cent. The World Health Organization has warned of the risk of arsenic exposure from water and food.

Arsenic levels in rice vary depending on where it’s grown, the cultivars of rice and the ways it is cooked. The best advice remains to pre-wash your rice and ensure you consume a variety of grains.

Can washing rice prevent bacteria?

In short, no. Washing rice will have no effect on the bacterial content of the cooked rice, as high cooking temperatures will kill all bacteria present.

What is more concerning is how long you store cooked rice or washed rice at room temperature. Cooking rice does not kill the bacterial spores from a pathogen called Bacillus cereus.

If wet rice or cooked rice is kept at room temperature, this can activate the bacterial spores and they begin to grow. These bacteria then produce toxins which can not be deactivated by cooking or re-heating; these toxins can cause severe gastrointestinal disease. So, make sure you avoid keeping washed or cooked rice at room temperature for too long.

Evangeline Mantzioris, program director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of SA. This article is republished from The Conversation.

Explore the

There’s lots to explore in the historic highlands

JUST over 90 minutes from Canberra, the Southern Highlands is home to stunning countryside, great wineries, fascinating heritage sites and more. From Mittagong to Moss Vale, Bundanoon and Burrawang, the region spans iconic Australian towns and landmarks and features a rich history.

Many people know that Bowral was the home of legendary cricketer Don Bradman, but it is also widely considered to be the “birthplace” of Mary Poppins. Famous author PL Travers first came up with the idea for the iconic character as a young girl while living there. That’s just the start. The Southern Highlands is packed with stunning natural scenery to explore, museums where visitors can discover the region’s history and on top of it all, many businesses that are proud to be at the heart of the community.

This week “CityNews” took a trip to the Southern Highlands to speak with some of them.

Fashionable, merino garments

BERRIMA’s Natural Australia promotes the Australian fine merino industry by showcasing the highest quality merino knitwear in fashionable garments, says owner Angela Rodgers.

“Berrima’s Natural Australia was opened in 1995 by my parents,” she says.

“Apart from Surveyor General Hotel, it’s the longest running business in Berrima.

“My parents were retired sheep graziers from south-west Queensland. In those days all garments in the shop were produced from Australian grown merino, and designed and made in Australia.”

Angela joined the business in 1996, excited by the qualities of Merino fibre and garments it created.

“As time has gone on, much of the Australian-made labels are no longer able to survive due to a move to cheaper labour provided from Asia,” she says.

“With that in mind, I now add to my fine merino knitwear – either made in Australia, NZ or Europe – merino/possum/ silk garments and accessories (NZ), cashmere from Italy and the UK, and Australian cotton in summer.

“It is a very exciting experience to discover

NEW WINTER STOCK IN STORE

Located in charming Berrima, in the Southern Highlands. We feature the highest quality knitwear and accessories from the finest natural fibres, Merino, Merino/Possum/ Silk, and Cashmere For men and women.

Home of classics and new favourites

THE big news at Lolly Swagman is Fantales are in stock, but they’re not sure how long for, says owner Ian Richardson.

“People are coming in and buying a 1kg bag, or just half a dozen, there’s no in between,” he says.

“It’s another example of big companies retreating, not investing in Australia, so we’re choosing to support locals wherever we can, giving opportunities to little businesses.

“We’re getting rocky road in from Just Sweets in Altona, working with Lagoon Lollies in Williamstown, and Blackebys Sweets in Adelaide.”

the only one who liked it.

“My lolly knowledge goes back to my grandparents. All our staff are filled with extensive knowledge too. We know a lot and we’ve been through the shortages and stories; we’re prepared to share that knowledge which gives us the advantage. It’s the story, the connection and the memories that make it more than just buying a lolly.”

beautiful knitwear made with a passion for perfection and detail. My customers often comment that it is a pleasure to walk into the shop and see such beautiful quality garments, made totally with natural fibres. “Berrima is the perfect location, as it’s a chilly climate inspiring warmer clothing, an easy drive from Sydney or Canberra, and a lovely respite from the Hume expressway.”

Berrima’s Natural Australia, 11 Old Hume Highway, Berrima. Call 4877 1598, or visit berrimawool.com

Ian says Lolly Swagman is home of the favourites you’ve always had, and the new ones you are yet to discover.

“Tastes evolve, your palate may change, so while it’s good to revisit your old favourites, it’s good to experience new flavours as well,” he says.

“We have also tried new choco late and traditional lollies from Scandinavia. We tried a Kexchoklad wafer bar, it’s vegan and not overly strong or rich in chocolate, but I’m

Lolly Swagman, 11 Old Hume Highway, Berrima. Call 4877 1137, or

Lolly Swagman owner Ian Richardson.

Explore the

Rural gallery with international draw

WHITEWALL Art Projects opened as COVID-19 restric tions started in 2020. “Great timing” says creative director Thomas Bucich.

“We saw the opportunity for the amazing, purpose-built gallery,” he says.

Thomas says he and wife Kylie have been creating pop-up galleries since 2012.

“We offer a unique curation of contemporary art from local, national and international artists includ ing painting, drawing, sculpture and photography,” he says.

“We saw a need in the market to bring internation al, quality work to a rural/regional gallery, although we attract clients primarily from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, and international collectors.

“We’ve been told our gallery and curation has an ‘international sensibility’. Along with our stockroom of local artists, we like to surprise our clients with a Henry Moore etching or a Robert Rauschenberg collage.”

Thomas says the world and business of art is a labour of love.

“I’m driven to create an environment that meets my standards and needs for quality and original ideas.

“My motto is if I couldn’t hang a work in my home, it won’t hang in the gallery.

“The Southern Highlands offers me space and natural inspiration, but there’s always a quality cup of coffee within 20 minutes. It has a high level of quality, and it’s a great mix to have some urban luxuries, and be able to go for a hike under a waterfall, all in one afternoon.”

Whitewall Art Projects, 10 Jellore Street, Berrima. Call 0420 718775, or visit whitewallartprojects.com.au

SOUTHERN Highlands Home Brew is not your average home brew shop, it’s so much more, says owner Robyn Denis.

“We are dedicated to supplying and educating customers in all the products we have, which allows you to do it yourself at home,” she says.

“Our main passion is home brew with a huge range of variants from simple wort kits through to brewing your own beer from grain.

“That, however, is not only what we are about. We also offer a wide range of wine, cider, kombucha, mead making kits and supplies, cheese and yoghurt kits, sourdough starters, meat smoking chips, pellets and chunks, jerky and sausage making kits, local raw honey, CO2 gas refills, kegerators so you can pour

your beer at home just like at the pub, and hydroponics to grow your own food at home, just like a farmer.”

Robyn says they also stock a huge range of replacement parts of kits and equipment.

“We thrive on sharing our knowledge with everyone that visits us and holding our demonstrations to teach you how to brew at home or how to make any of the products mentioned above,” she says.

“We love homemade, and teaching or starting others on this path as well.”

Southern Highlands Home Brew, 3/224 Old Hume Highway, Mittagong. Call 9052 9674, or visit southernhighlandshomebrew.com

An example of the many brewing kits available at Southern Highlands Home Brew.

Making the highlands feel like home

CAMPBELL Jones Property is a boutique, independent real estate agency covering all aspects of real estate in the Southern Highlands, says director Angus CampbellJones.

“The agency opened nearly two decades ago, making it one of Bowral’s longest established agencies,” he says.

“The business evolved when a group of long-term locals decided to build an agency based on their ethics and energy, wanting to create a ‘user friendly’ business for buyers/sellers, landlords and tenants that had transparency in its processes.

“The team have longevity with over 100 years’ experience collectively. We have seen everything from property booms to the GFC crisis and have been there to offer integrity and a steady hand with our clients’ property needs.”

Angus says his work would have to be one of the most interesting careers in the Southern Highlands.

“Meeting a wide and diverse range of people, helping them to navigate their real estate needs, not to mention the properties we as agents get to see on a daily basis!” he says.

“It’s home, where our heart is! But more than that it’s a spectacular part of the world, and offers everything you could need from fantastic education options with numerous schools to great medical facilities, shopping and sporting options throughout the district, wrapped into four distinct seasons, located between Sydney and Canberra with easy access to the coast.”

Campbell Jones Property, 350 Bong Bong Street, Bowral. Call 4861 2550, or visit cjpbowral.com.au

Vineyard of pride and passion

IN a very small but magical operation, Siobhan Maloy says she acts as owner, director, host, marketing and cellar door manager of Joadja Estate.

“Joadja Estate is the oldest vineyard and winery in the Southern Highlands,” she says.

“It was established in 1983. My parents Maureen and Paul, and my partner Matthew and I bought the business in 2016, looking for a new adventure.

“We pride ourselves on providing our customers with a relaxed wine-tasting experience. We offer tastings of our cool-climate wines in our rustic cellar door, and it’s also family-friendly, with a cubby house and giant chess board to keep the kids amused.”

Siobhan says before the winery, Matthew and her had experience in the retail liquor industry.

“Matthew has always had a passion for wine and wanted to share his knowledge with others,” she says.

“I enjoy talking with visitors to our cellar door and sharing our unique products with them.

“The Southern Highlands is a hidden gem! It has the community spirit and feel of the country without being too far away from the big cities.

“The Southern Highlands is the perfect place to experience all four seasons of the year, with roaring fires in winter, stunning colours of the trees in autumn, refreshing waterholes for summer and spectacular flora in spring – it truly is a magical place to live and work.”

Joadja Estate, 110 Joadja Road, Berrima. Call 0493 536053, or visit joadjaestate.com.au

177 Range Road, Mittagong Southern Highlands

featuring a large dam. Town water, bore & natural gas. (Agent interest)

Contact Agent

Angus Campbell-Jones 0400 300 444

Labor ignores members’ call for kangaroo inquiry

I AM deeply concerned about the oppression of democratic processes within ACT Labor and wish to reveal these concerns to Canberrans.

I am a member of the Gungahlin sub branch of ACT Labor, which passed a motion calling for an independent review into the kangaroo cull in early 2022.

The motion was presented at the ACT annual conference where it was supported by an overwhelming majority of delegates (over 260 attendees) and became a resolution (Resolution 0124G).

Myself and other party members have been seeking an update on the progress of the resolution from the ACT Labor leadership since January this year.

This has included referring the matter to the Labor caucus as well as the ACT Labor secretary.

We have been told since January that an update will be provided, however we are continually being ignored and stonewalled by our own party.

The ACT Labor leadership is wilfully ignoring the concerns of its own members.

It appears to be hellbent on killing kangaroos. Not only are the kangaroos dying, democracy in Canberra is dying also.

Rebecca Marks, Palmerston

Relieved to see hospital cross come down

MY heart fluttered with pure unadulterated joy as I looked at pictures of a crane removing a very large cross attached to the recently taken over Calvary Hospital.

The sheer relief was unmistakably a sign of progression within Canberra Health Services. And now, the takeover of the hospice simply compounds my delight.

My sincere hope is that people at the end of their lives will be able to die with dignity and respect on their terms, not on the sanctions of the Catholic Church.

Now, to bring on voluntary assisted dying – Tara Cheyne, you have my back all the way.

Janine Hoskins, Cook

All roads, and rail, lead to Lyneham

DEAR Andrew, good call regarding the stadium for Civic folly. However, you don’t need yet another expensive feasibility study

to state the bleeding obvious.

Give Katy a call, ask her to convince Albo to offload the AIS/Bruce stadium for free on the proviso that you will flog the land off to developers for medium-density housing (some of it to be set aside as “affordable”).

With the proceeds you can then build a decent stadium in the racecourse/EPIC area, which is easily the most suitable site. The tram might even come in useful for once (or even more than once on game days).

Forget about creating “buzz” in Bruce, all roads (and rail) lead to Lyneham!

David Jeffery, Cook

Avoid the demolition option for stadium

THE announcement that the Civic Pool site relocation option has been abandoned is overdue.

Refurbishment at AIS has always been pursued since its construction in 1977 to hold the Pacific Conference Games at a cost of $6 million for 8000 spectators in the west stand.

In 1985 World Cup soccer necessitated the removal of the athletics track and capacity was raised to 11,500. As a venue for Olympic soccer in 1997, the pitch was lowered by three metres, the east stand constructed over modified, stepped seating with corporate boxes and the west stand roof projection was increased. Accommodation was increased to today’s 25,000.

Issues with grass pitches in the Canberra climate were exposed during these extensive modifications. Caution in roofing such pitches was demonstrated at the Sydney

Football Stadium (now demolished), where a prototype of a proposed Space Dome was erected over the chosen turf to check response to Sydney climate use.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr is wise to remove the covered option at this early stage to avoid a similar fate as suffered by Kate Carnell on turf performance.

Our progressive government needs to avoid the usual demolition option in dealing with big footprint structures like Bruce Stadium, currently under consideration for engineering heritage, which have shown ability for adaptation.

Ken Murtagh (engineer of record, Bruce Stadium), Hughes

Biggest land-based slaughter of wildlife

IN response to Myriam Amar (“Kangaroo meat is a profitable enterprise”, Letters, CN June 29). While that is certainly what the kangaroo industry would want us to think, it exists mainly for the pet-food industry and those sports brands still using kangaroo leather in the manufacture of soccer boots.

As for those poor joeys, while their plausible predation from foxes may contribute to mortality rates, more likely is that they are decapitated or have their heads smashed in with the butt of a rifle or swung around by their tail on to the shooters’ truck.

While some countries have legislated protection of their national animal symbols like NZ (kiwi), the US (bald eagle) and China (panda), our colonial past simply encourages the biggest land-based slaughter of wildlife on

the planet, night after night, year after year in the name of commercialism or conservation.

Chris Doyle, Gordon

Coal-flavoured food, anyone?

VI Evans (Letters, CN July 6) really needs to learn a bit about technology before ranting. How do wind turbines exactly drop “toxins”? Let alone how do they stop people using the fields below?

And most solar farms are now being built in a way to allow the land underneath to effectively be still used for farming purposes.

Yes, there is a clear issue with management of impacts on arable land from renewable energy development, but sprouting made-up nonsense isn’t going to help make a positive change to practices to achieve an appropriate balance.

But I guess some people might prefer coal-flavoured food instead?

Ben Brackhurst, via citynews.com.au

If Voice fails, blame look-at-me Albanese

IF the Voice and the referendum fail, and it isn’t looking too good at the moment, I put much of the blame on Albanese.

He has pushed the issue so hard, and hitched his wagon so firmly to a “Yes” vote, that it politicised the whole issue.

This is an issue for the people, not politicians, sporting groups, big business, local councils and the like who risk getting people’s backs up at being told what to do.

Dutton was always going to vote “No” and Albanese’s “look-at-me, look-at- me” approach to not only this, but the visit of the Indian Prime Minister and numerous other appearances at sporting events and highprofile functions, make him an irresistible target for Dutton.

This could easily result in people voting “No” as a comment on Albanese’s pompousness rather than on the merits of the vote for First Nations People.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

Tram costs were clear, but not to the public

COLUMNIST Paul Costigan (“When trust runs dry and tram spinners take over”, CN July 5) says that in 2012 the business case for the tram was not clear.

The business case for the tram was not clear to the public, but it was clear to the government.

The government’s August 2012 submission to Infrastructure Australia included a strong business case for bus rapid transit between Gungahlin and Civic, and a weak case for light rail. Bus rapid transit would cost $249 million, and would deliver net benefits of $243 million. Light rail would cost $524 million, and would deliver only $11 million of net benefits.

The government kept that information from the public until at least June 2013.

Those figures indicate that stage 2A of bus rapid transit would deliver net benefits worth $30 million, and stage 2B of bus rapid transit would deliver net benefits worth $300 million.

The government’s August 2019 “City to Woden Light Rail: Stage 2A City to Commonwealth Park Business Case” estimated that Stage 2A would cost $268 million, but would deliver only $150 million worth of benefits (for a net cost of $118 million). It also estimated that Stage 2B would have net benefits worth $44 million, minus the cost of converting the existing light rail vehicles to dual energy operation, the additional cost of new dual energy LRVs, the cost of the extra LRVs that will be needed because dual energy LRVs will be slower, and the cost of replacing batteries every 10 to 15 years.

The government kept that information from the public until it was released by the Audit Office in September 2021.

Leon Arundell, Downer

Welcome to Canberra, you’re booked!

CANBERRA used to be known for its roundabouts. Now, it’s known by tourists for its speed trap cameras right in the centre of town, bound to catch all and sundry, even if they are going just a few kilometres over 40km, with fines around $300.

I’ve had two interstate visitors in the past week complaining about the very same thing, wondering how it can be?

Surely there’s no good justification for keeping these speed cameras at this stage when the risk to pedestrians is very, very low as traffic behaviour has changed so much in the past two years, but it sends a very wrong message about Canberra, right in the middle of a cost of living crisis. Not to even mention the financial effect on locals.

Danny Corvini, Turner

Luke Clews

dose of dorin

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

INSIDE Mikey faces history’s forgotten knuckleheads COLIN STEELE

Keeping fit, Pereira’s talents are tied up in a bow

By Helen MUSA

“RETIREMENT is death’s waiting room,” cellist David Pereira says, so there’s no prize for guessing the meaning of his coming series’ title, “70 Not Out” – he’s about to turn 70 but he’s not about to give up performing.

Already famous for his early performances with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, he has since 1991 been associated with the ANU School of Music, where he still teaches.

With his birthday coming up in September, he’s working out to make sure that he’s performing at his absolute peak.

When named “CityNews” Artist of the Year in 2010, Pereira was pictured by us playing amongst the vines of Murrumbateman, but these days he’s more likely to be seen driving to and from Bunnings while putting the finishing touches to the huge cubby house he’s been building, complete with ensuite, for his kids and grandkids, a project he describes as “an act like composing, or making a CD”.

Family life is very much on Pereira’s mind. His mother died at age 94 last year. He slept at the foot of her bed in hospital for five days. This had taught him that “being protective of others is essential” and his father, from whom he inherited his handyman skills, had died the year before.

The departure of a parent, he says, is “ something sacred”.

So is music, and when he perceived that his mum’s end was near, he found Beethoven’s “A Hymn of Thanksgiving” on his phone and played it to her – “music is at the heart of everything,” he says.

He has decided to present his coming cello-focused series of recitals from July to December at the Australian Centre of Christianity and Culture.

He praises the centre’s “true interest in humans of any age but also of its potent spiritual, emotional, and philosophic inquisitiveness” and adds that the chapel’s excellent piano is another strong lure.

As well, he will take the performances to the Epping Uniting Church in Sydney. He’s moved his grand piano to a private cottage adjacent to the church, from where he conducts his Sydney teaching practice.

“It Has to Sing,” is the name of the first of six recitals in “70 Not Out”. That will be a cello, piano and voice recital featuring Pereira on cello, pianist Edward “Teddy” Neeman and composer-vocalist Lillian Fromyhr performing works by Bach,

Gounod, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Ignaz Friedman, and songs by Fromyhr, Moya Henderson, Stan Getz and Jimmy Rowles. There’ll also be Pereira’s “Poem for Zoe”, a trio work for his daughter Zoe.

It is no secret that Pereira has experienced mental health problems in the past and, for a period, antidepressants affected his bowing. He weaned himself off them so successfully that he and Larry Sitsky were able to present a series of demanding pieces by Liszt, Busoni and Rubinstein.

He’s felt very well for the past 15 years, with weekly private training to strengthen his body and counter the inevitable effects of ageing on his muscles.

“I now feel fit to play the cello very well,” he tells me, so much so that he’s saying, “70 is the new 17”.

Later concerts in “70 Not Out” will in volve Steve Allen on guitar, multiple cellos, more of Neeman, and TS Eliot’s “The Waste Land” with original musical commentary by actor/scholar Julian Lamb.

Mysteriously, Pereira says, one concert will involve “a ‘secret’ concert ‘Which I am forbidden to see’.” That’s a quote taken straight from TS Eliot and, naturally, he can’t tell us what it will be.

Concert 1, “70 Not Out,” The Chapel, Austral ian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Barton, 1pm, July 23.

Cellist David Pereira… “I now feel fit to play the cello very well.”

Photo: Peter Hislop

Clancy’s cut-and-paste spy thriller with brains STREAMING

IT’S rare to see a spy thriller which has both thrills and brains but Amazon Prime Video’s “Jack Ryan” has proven that it’s still very possible to pull off.

This month, bowing out with its fourth and final season, the show stars John Krasinski of “The Office” (US) as the titular secret agent.

It’s an amusing thing to have seen Krasin ski go from playing mild-mannered paper salesman of Dunder Mifflin to globe-trotting super spy, but his effortless charisma is what has made the transition work.

For those who haven’t before encoun tered “Jack Ryan”, he’s the brainchild of bestselling action novelist Tom Clancy, whose famed oeuvre of espionage has included 19 books which together have sold more than 100 million copies.

But while the Amazon Prime Video series shares the name of the iconic CIA agent, it’s not based on any one novel.

Instead, it takes the best parts of Clancy’s books and sticks them together to tell an original story, one that follows Ryan as an up-and-coming agent who uncovers a terrorist plot that threatens the world. This decision is what has kept the series fresh after an endless list of adaptations of the author’s work.

Make no mistake, “Jack Ryan” doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it doesn’t have to. While the plot often borders on boilerplate, the show remains fun by playing to its

strengths and those are its thrillingly crafted action sequences engaging enough to even give 007 a run for his money.

The release of “Jack Ryan’s” final season comes at a heated time – mere weeks after Netflix’s Chris Hemsworth-led blockbuster “Extraction 2” – but for those in search of a straightforward spy thriller that delivers

on what it promises, “Jack Ryan” is certainly more bang for your buck.

MEANWHILE on Netflix, this month marks the return of popular legal romp “The Lincoln Lawyer”. Following in the footsteps of courtroom comedy-drama hits such as “Boston Legal”,

“Suits” and “Better Call Saul”, this series stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller, an overly idealistic LA defence attorney who operates his practice out the back of his car. Why, you might ask? Because Mickey hates the constraints of the modern-day

The conceit admittedly feels rather absurd, as does much of the show’s pithy script, but the first season of “The Lincoln Lawyer” still wrung out enough legal pulp to make it worthwhile for fans of the

At times, its first 10 episodes had some intriguing things to say about the nature of the modern legal system and who it benefits most, setting up Haller as something of an anti-hero for those most in need of justice. However, sadly, the show always felt like it was playing in the shallow end of the pool with its social commentary.

This is a well-crafted series and has the potential to make itself stand out if it commits more boldly to what it stands for, rather than relegating itself to a people-pleasing

As such, season two will be the make-orbreak for the series, with many returning viewers sure to pass their judgement on whether it’s worth continuing with.

42 YEARS since he first appeared on the

big screen, Indiana Jones is back for his fifth outing in the “Dial of Destiny”.

Now on in cinemas, it’s got many fans rewatching the original films before heading out to experience the newest instalment.

In light of the return of the iconic explorer, I thought it worth mentioning where people can catch the classic line-up of films that are strewn throughout the streaming platform.

The original trilogy, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Temple of Doom” and “The Last Crusade” can all be found on Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video and Stan.

Also available on all those platforms is the more recent and controversial film in the series “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. While by no means a must-watch entry in the Indy saga, the 2008 flick still has its highs, albeit not reaching those of its three predecessors.

You’ve got to give it to Harrison Ford. After more than four decades, he’s still able to bring his eye-catching A-game to the big screen.

Talk about a fair crack of the whip.

ARTS IN THE CITY Dancing the story of desert people

BANGARRA Dance Theatre is back in town with “Yuldea”. Marking Frances Rings’ inaugural season as artistic director. Inspired by her family’s connection to the area, “Yuldea” (Ooldea) tells the story of the Anangu people of the Great Victoria Desert. It features original music composed by the David Page Music Fellow, Leon Rodgers, and songs from the duo Electric Fields. Canberra Theatre, July 20-22.

THE Scandinavian Film Festival is screening new films from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland with the centrepiece, the historical drama “Godland” (Volaða land). It’s the story of a Danish priest who goes on a pilgrimage across Iceland in the late 1800s. Palace Electric, July 19-August 9.

CANBERRA indie folk, soul and blues muso Ben Drysdale has won second place in the Hawaii Songwrit ing Festival competition with his song, “Listen Now”. His track “I’m Flyin’ Now” also received an honourable mention in the folk/singer songwriter category of the 2022 Unsigned Only Music Competition.

MUSICA Viva’s director Paul Kildea has scripted a chamber music and theatre work to honour Chopin’s revolutionary 24 Preludes in “Chopin’s Piano”. Pianist Aura Go and actor Jennifer Vuletic will tell the story of the “pianino” (Chopin’s upright pianoforte in Majorca), through a performance of the preludes and storytelling. Llewellyn Hall, July 19.

NATASHA Bullock, assistant director, collections and exhibitions at the NGA, received the 2023 Australian Award for Excellence in Women’s

Leadership, of which she was the ACT winner at the Australian Women’s Leadership Symposium, largely for her part in the development and implementation of the National Gallery’s gender-equity initiative, “Know My Name.”

CANBERRA-trained pianist Ronan Apcar, now studying at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne, will be back in town to play in a concert centring around David Lang’s song cycle “Death Speaks”. AJ America will be the soloist, born-and-bred Canberran Donica Tran, also studying at ANAM, will play violin and Ethan McAlister electric guitar. Drill Hall Gallery, July 21.

John Krasinski in “Jack Ryan”... a straightforward spy thriller that delivers on what it promises.

Bangarra Dance Theatre’s “Yuldea”... Canberra Theatre, July 20-22.

Memory wrapped in the indescribable

STRANGE how conversations sometimes devolve to the best and worst of life. I think it’s an ideal to be like Disraeli: prepare for the worst but hope

Steph, my daughter who is the assistant manager at the Boat House, in Barton, adds: “Plus, lower your expectations and you’ll be less disappointed.”

“Hopefully,” he says, in a fatherly way, “not what you say to your partner.” Despite what he might say, she is the

DINING / The Statesman Hotel, Curtin Fresh, fun and pretty funky

THE Statesman Hotel has been servin’ up beers to blokes for more than 54 years. I’d never been in without feeling the place looked a little worse for wear and was a bit rough.

Not any more. The entirely revamped Statesman Hotel – which took about eight months to complete – is fresh, fun and funky. And the food offering is elevated to bistro level.

The interior shines with an upmarket ‘70s feel and cheeky artwork of female and male pollies adorn the freshly painted walls, including one piece of Bob Hawke with a beer and the famous “one for the country” line. The new Statesman Hotel is divided into multiple zones, with plenty of dining inside and out. We settled into the main dining area – with its massive open-concept kitchen – but first peeked at the Nancy B bar (named after Senator Nancy Buttfield), complete with cosy fireplace and its own inviting menu.

The Statesman describes its food as

“scandalously good” and we agreed.

The quality of the steak tartare is right up there, with the cubes of tender meat enhanced with salty capers, chives, and crunchy prawn crackers (only $17). The scal lops were sensational with potato cream and chicken jus (four for $22). For starters, we also shared the prawn cutlets, wondering about the pineapple and sweet and sour approach but the flavours worked (four for $18).

Mains were just as delish. The in-housemade meat pie was loaded with chunky beef encased in flaky pastry and smothered with gravy. The mound of mushy peas and the chips hit the spot ($22). Good to see this classic pub dish taken to new heights.

From the wood-fired grill, we selected the half-chicken ($28) from Bannockburn, south-west of Victoria. These free-range, chemical-free chickens are super tasty, and the accompanying veggies and bed of cherry tomatoes ensure the daily vitamin intake. Also from the wood-fired grill came the juicy Riverine T-bone for two ($70). The 600-gram, marbled steak was cooked to perfection and the red wine jus was smooth and silky.

We indulged in a side of chunky duck-fat potatoes with garlic confit, butter, parsley and

lemon ($10).

Desserts on the day we dined included a Basque cheesecake and chocolate tarte ($12). Kids have a special menu (each dish $15). Those who want to watch all the action on the telly should head to the Sports Bar for pub grub.

It wouldn’t be politically correct for The Statesman’s wine list to omit local drops. Nick O’Leary, Clonakilla and Lerida Estate all make star appearances.

We were finished with Sunday night dinner. The conversation called up the best of wines (we had decided to swallow bitterly our experience of the worst of wines) and the atmosphere of regurgitated memory was almost as powerful as the lingering smell of fried meat in the air.

Steph began with her reminiscence of the best of wines by mentioning a German riesling, Dr Thanisch Bernkasteler Kabinett (vintage not recollected), which

“A group at the Boat House were asking for the most expensive sweet wine after they didn’t meet their minimum spend. The wine at the time I offered, on the advice of my manager, was our sweet German riesling. It isn’t a dessert wine. Subsequently, I had the pleasure of a taste. At that time, I’d only tried Canberra rieslings and my palate was not developed, certainly a lot less than now.

“It was a gorgeous fresh apple finish that reminded me of Apfelschorle, which is German sparkling apple juice from when I was in Stuttgart on exchange, when I was 15, great days.

“It was memorable because the sweeter wines I’d tried up to then were syrupy and this wine had a brightness and freshness that I had not previously experienced in a sweet wine. It just felt right, it gave me a discovery of sweetness and complexity.”

“Yes,” I said pontificat ing, “context is important, maybe everything.”

“When I tried a nonvintage Veuve Clicquot at two in the morning with scrambled eggs made with cream and chives that the chef/owner had cooked because we’d got back from an outside catering function where he’d made a lot of money and wanted to reward us, I thought I’d gone to heaven.

“I was 20 years old, poor and hirsute and French champagne was otherwise a mirage. The wine had a clean finish that swept away, in the best possible way, the creamy lushness of the egg dish. Plus I was by then so hungry fried rocks probably would have tasted acceptable.

“I’ve since tried vintage champagne that hasn’t stuck in the memory the way that this first taste did, the way it exemplified success and reward.”

“Yes,” said Steph, “the first time you try good French champagne is generally memorable.

“A friend and I met in Liverpool and it was my friend’s 21st birthday where we had fries with cheese curds and a champagne that I had bought duty free. Quite weirdly, that was also a Veuve. Madame Clicquot has a lot to answer for,” Steph said laughing.

“It was such a contrast, fries and champers, so memorable, a captured beautiful moment.”

Yes, indeed. As the Irish novelist John Banville said: “I don’t think we remember the past, we imagine it. We take those moments of memory and wrap them in the indescribable; we don’t know at the time that these are going to be enduring moments but it’s only when we share those moments with those we love that they take on their essentiality. The best of most things in life endure.”

be... now maybe... It’s just old - and a bit worn out, or costs too much to fix... probably never be worn again... You keep the memories - perhaps, we could buy the goods?

used

Steak tartare… cubes of tender meat enhanced with salty capers, chives and prawn crackers.

Dr Thanisch Bernkasteler Kabinett… a sweet German riesling.

In-house made meat pie… chunky beef encased in flaky pastry and smothered with gravy. Photos: Wendy Johnson

Duck-fat potatoes… with garlic confit, butter, parsley and lemon.

Comedian faces history’s forgotten knuckleheads

MIKEY Robins is one of Australia’s best known comedians and broadcasters, following his years hosting Triple J’s “National Breakfast Show” and TV’s “Good News Week”.

In recent years, in addition to his media and comedy appearances, he has published three books exploring the idiosyncrasies of humanity.

His first book, “Seven Deadly Sins and One Very Naughty Fruit”, publicised as “an irreverent romp through the history of food”, was followed by ”Reprehensible: Polite Histories of Bad Behaviour”, a guide to “some of the most shameful behaviour indulged in by humanity’s most celebrated figures”.

Now comes his third book, “Idiots, Follies and Misadventures”, an eclectic 370 pages of the “great stuff-ups in history”, in which Mikey reveals that human stupidity has been our constant companion.

Mikey’s books combine his comedic roots with his love of history. Mikey calls himself “a history nerd”. At high school, he topped his year in history before gaining an arts degree at Newcastle University. He currently co-hosts a successful podcast series, “Heroes and Howlers”, with his friend, Oxford history graduate Paul Wilson.

Mikey reflects: “The overriding narrative of our species would be thousands of years of achievements… Yet there are times I’m sure we’ve all looked at our fellow humans and pondered, sure, harnessing fire was an earth-shaking achievement, but how did we ever make it out of the cave without spearing each other in the damn foot?”

The phrase “history is written by the vic tors” was popularised by Winston Churchill. However, Mikey bemoans the fact that history is rarely written about the stupid. He argues history books often omit tales of hu man fallibility, “we overlook the dubious and ridiculous contributions made by history’s tawdry parade of knuckleheads”.

Mikey doesn’t quantify stupidity. Instead, he cites Italian-born economist Carlo M Cipolla, whose 1976 article “The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity” offered defining laws of observable stupidity, which Mikey strongly affirms are still relevant some 50 years later.

His take on history is that “while the technology and the costumes have changed, the human impulses are the same”. He wrote his book during the covid lockdown, a time when “we had people who ended up in hospital because they took fish-tank bleach to ward off the virus… Right now, the net is responsible for the surge of a lot of stupid conspiracy theories”.

Mikey’s historical examples of stupidity

include pastoralist Thomas Austin who in 1859 released European “sports rabbits” on his Victorian rural property and we all know the consequences of that action.

In the chapter, “Pull my Finger’, he recounts how German romantic composer Robert Schumann’s use of a homemade finger-stretching device, allegedly ruined his ability to play a piano.

His chapter “Please Rewind, no seriously can we please rewind” documents how in September 2000 the directors of the huge American Blockbuster video chain turned down the approaches of a young company called Netflix. Blockbuster went bankrupt in 2010 with nearly $1 billion of debt.

King O’Malley told the Australian Parliament in October 1903 that “the history

of the world shows that cold climates have produced the greatest geniuses”, which he used in his push for Canberra as the national capital. Mikey criticises “a really European and imperialistic way of looking at the world”.

Mikey is someone who has struggled to control his weight since childhood: “I have to confess that I have occasionally grasped at weight-loss straws that I knew in my heart of hearts were nothing more than well-marketed folly”. He says turning 60 felt like winning a bet.

In the chapter, “Rub a Dub Dumb”, he reflects that even at his most desperate he would not have fallen for something as “fundamentally inane” as a soap that “promised to wash away fat and years of age… And reduce any part of the body desired without affecting other parts”. Yet this was a claim made by a company that traded in Britain in the early 1920s under the name La-Mer Laboratories.

Mikey says he has now “reached a very lucky phase in his life… It’s that rare thing, in the third act, I have found writing… Maybe that’s why I have mellowed. I have found my thing.”

He hopes his new book with its “rather ridiculous cautionary tales” will “hopefully amuse and add some perspective to our current rash of stupidity”.

Mikey Robins will be in conversation with Alex Sloan on “Idiots, Follies and Misadventures” at The Street Theatre, 6pm-7pm, July 19. Book at thestreet.org.au

found my thing.”

In his first review for “CityNews” COLIN STEELE journeys through a new book about stupidity by comedian Mikey Robins.

No watch, biro or even a cup of tea, just goodbye

“The paper has abandoned the arts community and the arts community will abandon the paper.” After 46 years reviewing for “The Canberra Times”, leading Australian art critic and author SASHA GRISHIN is sent packing as the paper dumps its reviewers.

LATE in January 1977, I received a phone call from Ian Mathews introducing himself as the editor of “The Canberra Times” and inviting me to pop into the office for a chat.

The chat was as rewarding as it was surprising. I had just been appointed to the ANU, after studies in art history at the universities of Melbourne, Moscow, London and Oxford, to set up a Department of Art History, initially called the Fine Art Program. Having a passion for contemporary art, it was an invitation too good to turn down, but being aged in my mid-twenties and with quite a bit on my plate, I asked if I could “appoint” specialist writers to write alongside me in dedicated areas such as crafts,

CRITICS THEATRE

photography and new media. Mathews, a man of great charm, intellect and integrity, readily agreed and my fruitful collaboration with “The Canberra Times” commenced. By fruitful, I mean it lasted for over 46 years and resulted in about 3500 exhibition critiques, articles, interviews and book reviews.

I have not researched the history of art critics writing for this paper, but I gather that it goes back about seven decades. Prof Donald Brook started writing for the paper in 1962 and my immediate predecessor was the distinguished painter and teacher Geoffrey de Groen.

On my watch, until very recently, there was an arts editor at the paper who fought on all fronts to give the arts a high profile in the nation’s capital and, within the paper, fought against the encroachments from

other interest groups.

The Canberra commercial art gallery scene, as well as the institutional galleries – tertiary, local government and federal –thrived on the public discourse. I have heard many times, artists telling me that they exhibited or performed in Canberra because they knew that they would be reviewed, unlike in some other cities. Arts critics, theatre critics, music critics, dance critics and book reviewers were all professionally trained in their areas of expertise and clocked up many years of experience.

The paper’s journalists were great in attending media previews and interviewing artists, curators, directors, authors and musicians and drumming up publicity for the various events, but they were certainly not part of the critical discourse.

They informed readers that an event was on or a book had been published or an exhibition was about to open, but they were not in a position to assess it, evaluate it and inform professionally the newspaper’s audience.

“The Canberra Times” was at the centre of the city’s cultural hub and was relevant to the lives of Canberrans interested in the arts and that was, and remains, the majority

of Canberrans.

My near annual trips abroad, to Europe and New York, meant that I was largely up to date with what was happening in the art world and writing for about 30 other art journals nationally and internationally did provide a critical context for what I was saying domestically.

On May 15 this year I received an email from “The Canberra Times” features editor that the paper is “cutting a lot of physical pages from the print product, and cutting down drastically on outside contributors across the board” and could I come in for a chat.

It sounded ominous and I had already heard of cuts in music, dance and theatre reviews. I anticipated that this would be the end of my career as an art critic for the paper. Friends debated whether after 46 years of faithful service and being paid only a symbolic remittance, I would be given a gold watch or some suggested a gold-coloured biro.

Both proved wrong and at our meeting I was told not to take it personally, that this was purely a cost-cutting measure. From now on, there would be no reviews published in the paper, except on exceptional occasions where

Important to revive classics, urges Pigot

By Helen Musa

WHEN Neil Pigot steps on stage at the Mill Theatre in the coming production of Nick Enright’s 1994 play, “Good Works”, it will be a flashback for many to a happier time when Canberra’s theatre scene was a hotbed of activity.

For Pigot, who began acting at the Lieder Theatre in Goulburn in 1982, joined Canberra’s Theatre ACT in 1984, acted around the traps, then established the Black Inc theatre company with Paul Corcoran.

All long before he worked with the Melbourne and Sydney Theatre Companies, Belvoir, Playbox/ Malthouse, Queensland Theatre Company, State Theatre Company of SA and many others here and in the UK.

A well-known screen actor with 16 feature films behind him, he has appeared in more than 150 episodes of TV, most famously as Insp Russell Falcon-Price in “Blue Heelers.”

He was seen with Chris Latham at The Street Theatre last year recording the “Changi Song book” – 24 of the songs by Slim De Grey and Ray Tullipan, originally performed by the AIF Changi Concert Party during World War II and in the POW Requiem in October at Llewellyn Hall.

Pigot had spent time with members of the concert party in the 1990s learning their performance style and has made this a life project.

Right now, he’s here in a kind of mentoring capacity (though he loathes the word) to young actors, along with his 30-year-long collaborator Julian Meyrick, who directs “Good Works”.

Pigot lives in Broken Hill with his artist wife, but shows he’s lost none of the fire seen in his many articles about arts policy for metropolitan dailies as he airs his views on the tendency of our politicians and funding bodies to pay attention to buildings than the people who really create the arts.

“If you want to turn this into an arts capital, money has to go into people, not buildings,” he asserts.

In fact, the petite Mill Theatre, where he’ll

government money, and is designed to create a space for actors.

When I catch up with him for coffee near the theatre, he tells me: “I sense that there’s a critical mass at the moment in the theatre here, and I am trying to be part of it.”

The play spans 60 years and “bounces around in time” between the 1920s, ’50s and ’80s, telling the story of two Irish Catholic families, the Donovans and the Kennedys. Pigot admits that he’s used to playing leads, so that playing four characters who support the narrative, is really a challenge to him.

“My character, Brother Clement, is probably representative of many people who were less following a calling than escaping into the clergy

“His decision to do that has consequences; all actions have consequences.”

He says that Enright, as a playwright, had a good grasp of the effect of childhood trauma. Pigot himself now belongs to the recovery community after having suffered the consequences of an abusive background, so he sees the play as “a beautiful fugue on legacy”.

“It’s important that we revive classics and ‘Good Works’ is an Australian classic, a play about what happens when you lose your moral thread, when bad decisions are made, when good people do bad things,” he says.

“Good Works”, The Mill Theatre, Fyshwick, previews July 13-15, season July 19-August 12.

they could possibly call on me. Otherwise, they would only be publishing previews written by the paper’s reporters. No watch, biro or even a cup of tea, not even a word from the editor.

If there is no widespread outcry and only a few hundred subscribers will not renew their subscriptions and a few galleries will withdraw their limited advertising, the matter may end there. If there is a major outcry and the paper’s existence looks as if it is under threat, decisions may be reversed.

The paper has abandoned the arts community and the arts community will abandon the paper as it has become a paper without a soul. Personally, I’m saddened by these developments when 70 years of tradition is discarded for very minor savings, especially in this digital age where column space is no longer expensive.

For myself, there are other publishing outlets that I will keep on using and I will look out for others. However, I feel sad that the Canberra art scene has lost an important cultural voice in “The Canberra Times”.

This is an edited version from Sasha Grishin’s art blog (sashagrishin.com)

The movers and shakers when it comes to dance COME DANCING

WHETHER

Developing the next generation of dancers

QL2 DANCE’s innovative, challenging and diverse programs help shape the next generation of dance artists, says artistic director Ruth Osborne.

“We’re a contemporary organisation with an extensive training program tailored for ages five to 26,” says Ruth.

“We value creative input and collaboration in a non-competitive environment where each dancer is supported in their individuality.”

Ruth says QL2 dancers are always sharing their talents with the community through a wide variety of performances.

“In May we presented our Quantum Leap project ‘COMMUNICATE’ at The Playhouse for dancers aged 14 to 26,” she says.

“Every year our Quantum Leap ensemble presents

DANCE WITH US.

a new work at The Playhouse choreographed by professional choreographers in collaboration with the Quantum Leap ensemble dancers.

“Our ‘Chaos Project’ for younger dancers aged eight to 20, also presented every year with a new work, will be presented at the Canberra College Theatre on October 13-14, and we also present works in festivals every year in Canberra and nationally.”

Ruth says that it’s QL2’s “holistic” approach to dance that makes them unique.

“Our programs allow creativity, confidence, collaboration and true leadership to flourish,” she says.

QL2 Dance, Gorman Arts Centre, 55 Ainslie Avenue, Braddon. Call 6247 3103 or visit ql2.org.au

Major Performances with professional dance artists

Creative Development Programs

Training Programs

More info: QL2.ORG.AU

Dancing for empowerment and confidence

KATY Eve, owner of The Brass Room, says she opened her own pole-dancing studio so she could teach the style she loved.

“It started slowly in 2015, but in 2016 we officially had our own studio,” she says.

“I love pole dancing, and in particular the sexy style. When I moved back to Canberra there weren’t many places doing that style, it was more fitness-based, so I started my own.

“We now have around 350 students and 23 instructors, and we’re always growing and learning, you can never know it all.”

Katy says she had a background in business and had worked in fitness previously, and having that experience helped.

“Now, the most important thing to me is seeing the confidence grow,” she says.

“Nerves are common, but knowing you’re in a beginner class helps, I want people to know you don’t have to be fit, you don’t already have to know how to dance, and you don’t have to be strong to start.

Creative Development Programs

Young Choreographers Programs

different person.”

Katy says The Brass Room offers a variety of group classes, from beginner to elite, competition levels, as well as classes in pole flow and flexibility.

“We do offer one-on-one classes though if you’re really nervous,” she says.

The Brass Room, Unit 13/151-155 Gladstone Street, Fyshwick, or Sydney Building, Level 1/30 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra. Call 0413 083387, or visit thebrassroom.com.au

DANCE WITH US. Major Performance Projects

• Quantum Leap Youth Ensemble (14-26 yrs-old) - create a new dance work, contribute your ideas, add your voice, work with industry leaders and choreographers from around Australia, perform on the Canberra Theatre Playhouse stage. Auditions in November each year. Rehearsals Jan-May. Performance season in May.

• Chaos Project (8-18 yrs-old) - create a new dance work, connect and share with other young people, work with professional choreographers, perform at the Canberra College Theatre. Auditions in August. Rehearsals SeptOct. Performance season Term 4 week 1

• YGen to IGen - an intergenerational project in partnership with Australian Dance Party

• Festivals & Touring - Australian Youth Dance Festival, Meet Up, DaCI. Touring within Australia and overseas each year.

• Giant Steps (9-12 yrs-old) - create your own work with support from QL2 mentors. Rehearse and perform in June in our QL2 Theatre to family & friends.

• Stepping Up (11-14yrs-old) - create your own work with support from QL2 mentors. Rehearse and perform in August in our QL2 Theatre.

• Hot to Trot (Quantum Leapers) - Quantum Leapers create their own work with support from experienced mentors. Rehearsals Sept-Nov. Public performance season in our QL2 Theatre.

• On Course (Tertiary dance students) - Tertiary dance students return to create and perform their own work over 2 intensive weeks in Dec.

Training Programs

Our training programs are tailored to prepare our young artists physically and creatively for our performance projects and for tertiary study in dance should they wish to follow that path. Each program has a set schedule, from one to six classes per week, that includes some or all of the following classes depending on the number of classes per week in each program: Contemporary, Classical, Stretch & Conditioning and Yoga. Plus several workshops and masterclasses each year.

In our classes you will work on your technique as well as develop your creativity and collaboration skills in a caring and non-competitive environment. Our teachers are experienced working professional dance artists. Training programs for ages 5-26.

Youth Dance Ensemble

Lorna Sim Photography

it’s folk, ballroom, belly dancing, hip hop, contemporary or something else, Canberra has no shortage of talent when it comes to dancing.

Besides the sheer fun of it, dancing can improve confidence, co-ordination and creativity, and is a great way for people of all ages to have fun, form friendships and get fit.

This week “CityNews” talks with some of Canberra’s movers and shakers who know how to teach their talent.

Rehearsals from QL2 Dance’s “Communicate” performance.

The Brass Room owner Katy Eve and group.

building on the main street of Hall Village,” he says.

“I’ve worked with elite sporting teams for over two decades and find the multidisciplinary model of care is the ideal set up for an athlete with different practitioners communicating and coordinating rehabilitation.

“At the moment we offer consultations with myself

to everyday life or to get back to their chosen sport.

“We all look after dancers of all descriptions either recreational or professional and I see dance as one of the most highly demanding sports,” he says.

“In my spare time I run a martial arts academy which performs as Canberra Dragon Dance, Canberra’s own

Dale Harris.

Chris’ Trees

Cone bush brings winter colour

A COUSIN of the cone bush is the South African protea (or sugarbush), which also has longlasting flowers, with colours ranging from whites, pinks to reds.

seaweed solution and plant about 40 centimetres apart on a mound of soil at the bottom of a trench, water in and mulch.

Unbothered by our frosts and cold winters, the Leucadendron salignum has thin leathery leaves and is great for windy and exposed sites. Its long stems make terrific cut flowers, fresh or dried.

They are dioecious, meaning they have separate male and female specimens. More commonly grown, the male plant has a “branchedout” growth, larger flowers, and smaller leaves and cones.

Cone bushes are evergreen and can grow up to about 1.5 metres in full sun. Once established, they don’t need a lot of water or care. Use only native fertiliser.

The only pruning required is tip pruning to keep the bush in shape. Hard pruning means the branches will not regrow, so only cut back to four-six stems maximum. They like a little space and grow well alongside Australian native plants such as banksia, hakea and grevillea because they like the same lowphosphorus soils.

The most common hardy protea that does well in Canberra is “pink ice” (Protea neriifolia). It grows up to three metres tall, attracts birds and is a perfect plant for under power lines or screening.

Another striking variety that grows well locally is the king protea (P. cynaroides). Its white or pink flowers have the largest heads of all the proteas. Proteas can be difficult to propagate and can take a few years to flower. King proteas can take up to six years to flower, so a little patience will be needed for this terrific plant for a water-wise garden.

ASPARAGUS crowns are a long-lived perennial in the vegetable garden. They can take three to four years to mature. They don’t like root disturbance, so choose a permanent spot where they won’t need to be moved.

There are male and female plants, but the male makes better eating. The female plants have smaller spears and produce berries in the autumn, which can be potted up, but will take a few years to mature. When you get your crowns home, sprinkle lime in the soil to have the pH about six, soak the crowns overnight in a weak

The first lot of edible spears should be at least three years old and the fatter, the tastier they will be. They should be picked when they are around 15-20 centimetres. Unpicked spears form into long, fern-like fronds and can be a striking feature in the garden with their lime colour foliage.

Harvesting asparagus is best with a commercial grower’s knife. It has a V-shaped head to cut spears underground two to five centimetres without damaging the crown. This knife also doubles as a good weeding tool for taproot weeds that are hard to dig out.

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au

Jottings…

• Spray stone fruit with copper oxychloride for peach leaf curl.

• Prune hydrangeas in half to a double bud.

• Protect peas and bean flowers from the big frosts.

do not seem to be bothered by frosts and cold winters.

Asparagus crowns… can take three to four years to mature.

Photos: Jackie Warburton

A CONE bush can be a real feature in a winter garden that colours up with vivid red bracts and flowers.

HOROSCOPE PUZZLES

Your week in the stars

By Joanne Madeline Moore

July, 2023

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

This week there are difficult Mars/Saturn and Sun/Pluto oppositions, so your bossy Aries side could take over (especially at home and/or work). If you sweat the small stuff, then you’ll end up feeling tired and emotional by the end of the week. Perhaps it’s time to de-stress, as you meditate, contemplate, ruminate and relax. You might just enjoy it! Plus pay close attention to a developing domestic situation, and the symbolic messages in your nightly dreams.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

With two oppositions and Venus slowing down (before it turns retrograde on the weekend) the intensity levels ratchet up, and issues involving relatives, friends, neighbours, travel or education could be complicated. Jealous thoughts and possessive behaviour are also a danger. If you’re not careful, you could find yourself embroiled in a fiery argument or a frustrating power struggle. Smart Bulls will step back and gain some much-needed perspective.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

It will be difficult to balance head and heart this week. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try! Loved ones or work colleagues will attempt to throw you off balance, scramble your sense of certainty, or press your emotional buttons. But it’s up to you to deflect their efforts with plenty of Gemini grace and good humour. Your motto for the moment is from birthday great Nelson Mandela: “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Sensitive Crabs are ruled by the silvery, changeable Moon. So, you can’t help but be affected by this week’s New Moon in Cancer, as it stirs up your emotions. Plus, the Sun and Pluto agitate professional partnerships or romantic insecurities. But becoming overemotional and unreasonable won’t help matters. Instead, tune into the magical promise of the new moonbeams as you learn to love yourself, celebrate your strengths and follow your dreams.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Thursday’s Sun/Neptune trine boosts your creativity. But Saturday’s tempestuous Sun/Pluto opposition highlights your inclination to jealous, possessive, bossy or overbearing behaviour. So do your best to loosen your intense grip on a loved one, otherwise you’ll just drive them away with your dramatic pronouncements and demanding diva-like antics. Then the fiery Sun shifts into your sign, when it’s time to sparkle and shine!

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Some Virgos will reminisce about an old love or experience a disappointment, as you discover you’ve over-committed energy and enthusiasm to a project (or relationship) that’s going nowhere. It’s time to reformulate your goals for the future, as the New Moon activates your hopes-and-wishes zone. But steer clear of dubious dreamers and manipulative schemers. Surround yourself with positive people who promote your talents and support your dreams.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

This week looks rather stressful, as Venus (your power planet) slows down before it turns retrograde on the weekend. Do your best to be patient and persistent. Your motto for the moment is from birthday great, Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” You could also become unsettled about issues involving home, work or finances. So, avoid making long-term decisions until you can view the current situation from a more objective perspective.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

The stars boost your personal magnetism – and your manipulative side. Pluto gives you an energy surge that increases your desire to be in charge. But, if you want to avoid unnecessary power struggles and unpleasant dramas, stop trying to control others. You can be powerful and passionate – or compulsive and controlling. If you’re a smart Scorpio, then you’ll choose the path of least resistance as you channel your energy in positive and proactive ways.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

You’re keen to expand your knowledge base, as you pick up ideas and inspiration from all corners of the world. Sagittarians are the cosmopolitan global citizens of the zodiac, so get connecting with your international buddies ASAP! But – with the New Moon and the Sun/Pluto opposition stirring up your $$$ zones – it’s not a good time to lend cash, borrow money or initiate a joint financial partnership. Instead, be patient and wait for a more auspicious week.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

This week (courtesy of transformative Pluto) an obstacle could be placed in your path. Or you could be drawn into a power struggle with a relative, friend or work colleague. Don’t stress and obsess! Sometimes hurdles help you slow down and see the path ahead more clearly. Then you can adjust your compass and tweak your plans. So keep going, Capricorn. Your motto is from birthday great Nelson Mandela: “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Monday night’s New Moon activates your work and daily routine zones so it’s a good week to start a job, launch a business, begin a new diet or embark on a rebooted exercise program. With Venus in your relationship zone, it’s time to harmonise, compromise and cooperate with the main people in your life. As birthday great Cat Stevens sings: “peace train soundin' louder… glide on the peace train.” Get in quickly before Venus turns retro on the weekend!

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

If you’re involved with a group, class, club or organisation, then expect power plays and personality clashes. A partnership could also be placed under temporary strain. When it comes to your social circle, aim to be much more discriminating. Don’t waste precious time on negative people who undermine your confidence. Surround yourself with stimulating new friends as well as trusted old mates. Thursday highlights compassion, creativity and spirituality.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2023

Across

1 Which tradesperson makes barrels, etc? (6)

7 Name the capital of the United Arab Emirates. (3,5)

8 What was an earlier term for silver? (6)

9 Which electrodes emit negative ions? (8)

10 Name a clasp or ornament for pinning on a dress, or the like. (6)

11 To convert plain language into cipher, one does what to it? (8)

14 Which term describes persons of learning? (8)

18 To carve a figure, one does what? (6)

19 Name a highly explosive nitroglycerine mixture. (8)

21 Which other term describes a cashier? (6)

22 What might we call a person forsaken or abandoned by society? (8)

23 What describes an aggregate of nations? (6)

Solution next edition Down

1 Name another term for bedrooms. (8)

2 Name the small rubber-headed hammer used by doctors. (6)

3 What are the toothed bars with which pawls engage? (8)

4 Which circular tent is made of felt or skins? (4)

5 What describes an idea that has not yet been proved? (6)

6 What is a visible or tangible thing? (6)

12 Name a particular type of tape recorder. (8)

13 Which rich sweet white table wine may be produced near Bordeaux, France? (8)

15 Name a colourless, odourless, gaseous element. (6)

16 What is paradise also known as? (6)

17 Name an alternative term for hessian or gunny. (6)

20 Who is the Egyptian goddess of fertility and nature? (4)

FREE PUZZLES EVERY DAY AT citynews.com.au

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

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

Our services include:

• GP and Nursing

• Midwifery

• Immunisations

• Health Checks

• Men’s & Women’s Health

• Hearing Health

• Dental

• Physiotherapy

• Podiatry

• Dietician (Nutrition)

• Counselling

• Diabetes Clinic

• Quit Smoking Services / No More Boondah

• Needle Syringe Program

• Mental Health Support

• Healthy Weight Program

• Healthy Cooking Group

• Mums and Bubs Group / Child Health

• Optometry Service

• Psychology and Psychiatrist

• Community Events

• Groups

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

Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services.

CLINIC hours | MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9am-5pm

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