Health incompetence? Don’t worry, says minister
We may need a hipster replacement
now the Chief Hipster’s turned 50
How 36 randoms changed the face of Canberra
MIKE QUIRK
Local links to a stowaway story
HELEN MUSA
When a child goes missing
ANNA CREER
Praise for the mighty Manchurian
JACKIE WARBURTON
Playwright RACHEL PENGILLY shares some family secrets
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Columnist ROBERT MACKLIN finds himself disempowered and struggling amid the condescension bordering on contempt from staff amid the daily chaos that is Canberra Hospital’s emergency department. Until he makes a break for it…
Midnight: A blue plastic curtained cubicle among the “beds” beyond the public reception chaos of Canberra Hospital’s Emergency Department.
THE white light of the vast room has become almost unendurable. The machines that go “ping” are spearing into the brain, as they have for the past three hours.
Suddenly, from the adjoining cubicle, comes a woman’s heart-rending burst of sobs.
My son Ben and I had met her briefly in ED chaos central, a short, slim lady (whom we’ll call Estelle) from Canberra’s inner south, a daily walker who that day had suffered a pain in the chest. She had followed us an hour later into the emergency “ward” and her story was similar to my own – ordered by a GP to the ED for symptoms of possible pulmonary embolism – that’s a blood clot that can kill you instantly or reach the brain to deliver a stroke that leaves you permanently disabled.
Estelle sobbed again. No staff was available to respond, so kindly Ben went to the gap in the plastic blue curtains and asked if he could help, perhaps find a nurse…”They just left me here,” she wept, “no one has said a word to me; and my husband is away on a fishing trip. I didn’t want to worry him. I just did what my GP told me to do…”
Same here, I thought, though my symptoms followed a “procedure” at Calvary Private the very night it became “Bruce” which tickled
me no end at the time. Ben and I had reached the ED with my GP’s referral letter at 5pm. We then waited four hours in the Monday chaos before the call to the cubicles and, dressed in work clothes from the waist down with a gown on an otherwise naked top, we inmates occupied the movable bunks that would occasionally ferry me to the various X-ray and scanning installations. There was no rhyme nor reason given for the wait. Asking questions is frowned upon by the triage staff, and the nurses are given no information from the all-high panjandrums, the doctors who dispense their opinions only to junior doctors. The juniors very occasionally call by the cubicle and take some pleasure, it seems, in withholding the results of the various tests.
“The doctor (panjandrum) is looking at it now,” they say. But there is no “now” in Canberra Hospital ED.
At least I had Ben to chat with as the minutes turned to hours of tortured pings (in clashing musical keys) and the hours to the very edge of human endurance. Then from the blue cubicle, “I’ve had enough!” Estelle cried. “I’m getting dressed and going home”.
Ben had attracted the attention of a nurse – a kindly Filipino-Australian named Paul who did his best to calm Estelle and promised to get a doctor to at least speak to her.
However, such was the apparent busyness in Panjandrum Land that Estelle had reached the end of her tether. Only the panicked
decision to stay because they had decided to admit her. The only problem was they didn’t have a bed in any of the wards on the sixth floor where us pulmonary embolism folk were headed. Oh, yes, I had a similar message from a different but equally non-committal emissary.
He said the “Bed Manager” would organise it. But just at the moment there weren’t any available. There is no “moment” at Canberra Hospital ED, only a flat line with no ending. However, said the emissary, “Bed Manager” is doing his (or her) best so… “ping, ping, a-ping, da-ping… ing, ping…da-da-ping…”
My watch said it’s well after midnight. I sent dear Ben home to his own family and the big job he was handling in the APS. On went the pings; on went the minutes until at 1am Estelle cracked. “I don’t care,” she told Paul tearfully, “I’ll find my car in the parking lot and that’s it.”
A shadow passed on the other side of the blue plastic curtains. At least the sobbing stopped. Still, I raised the Bed Manager issue with another
to mention?”
“I wish I could be more helpful,” she said. “But I just don’t know.”
“So really, I could stay here all night with the machines that ping and the white light and the absolute exhaustion that is becoming very bad for my health?” I said.
“I’m afraid so.”
Well, I thought, if Estelle could make a break, so could I.
at the mobile (2am, almost out of charge), I called Paul. And he did his level best to keep me, even promising that the boss panjandrum herself might be along “soon”. But by then I knew, there is no “soon” at Canberra Hospital ED. And so, I suspect, did he. In fact, kindly chap that he is, he finally put me in a wheelchair and off we went. Marvellous, it felt like a scene from “One Flew
Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”.
A quick stop at the now deserted reception room to call a cab, then out into the freezing cold just as it arrived. Paul promised to have them send the test results to the GP later that morning.
Ten minutes later down empty streets and home.
I take a charitable view, that the panjandrums really are terribly important and incredibly busy making life and death decisions.
But does that excuse the condescension bordering on contempt they show to the Canberra folk who, with their Medicare card and a lifetime’s contribution to the Medicare levy, expect a health system worthy of the name?
Sadly, I discovered, there is a great gap between the well-staffed facilities of Bruce Private and the condescending chaos of Canberra Hospital. The British call it the “class” system; we pretend it doesn’t exist. Canberra Hospital ED laughs in our faces.
robert@robertmacklin.com
PAGE 4: Health incompetence?
Don’t worry, says minister
“Don’t worry, they say things will improve when the North Canberra Hospital (formerly Calvary) is fully embedded in the ACT Health System,” writes MICHAEL MOORE , tongue firmly in cheek.
A SIGNIFICANT example of the incompetence of ACT Health has been exposed by Liberal MLA, Leanne Castley, the Shadow Minister for Health.
Her frustration about eliciting waiting-list information on elective surgery and the emergency department is palpable.
Accountability is fundamental to good governance. Although question time in most parliaments may seem like a farce at times, it does assist in holding governments to account. Less well known is the system of “questions-on-notice”, where questions and answers are in written form and do not feature as strongly in the public eye.
Answers to such questions-onnotice are often much more revealing than those delivered with flamboyance and theatre on the floor of the parliament, where both sides work hard to score points.
It was through an answer to questions-on-notice that Ms Castley discovered that any details of outpatient waiting-list data may not be available until Christmas.
This is despite claims in February by Health Minister Rachel StephenSmith that such information would be available “in a month or so”. And again, in May the Minister suggested that the data set that would provide such information would be available “before too long”.
It turns out that the $327 million Digital Health System that was introduced in November to replace the ACT Patient Administration System (ACTPAS) will not be able to be interrogated until the end of 2023!
Waiting until Christmas is too long. Much too long!
The question-on-notice put by Ms Castley on the notice paper on June 9, asked about outpatient waiting times in the areas of (a) elective surgery, (b) medicine and (c) women, youth and children. She requested separate details of category one patients, category two patients and category three patients.
A perfectly reasonable request that ought to be regularly published as a matter of course and as a matter of accountability. She wanted to know about those in each category waiting over 90 days, over a year, over two, three, four, five, six and seven years.
Are there really people waiting that long? Surely not!
The question-on-notice was not the first attempt to find such information. On February 9 a motion had been put in the Assembly by Ms Castley to understand waiting times. Instead of voting against the motion, the government modified the motion to present a positive spin.
Positive spin or not, there was still a requirement to respond to the motion. When the report was tabled in May by Ms Stephen-Smith, there was interesting information provided on waiting times. In a number of cases, as the Assembly was informed, people were waiting more than three years for their first appointment.
In amending the February motion,
the minister boasted: “Canberra Health Services has actively reduced outpatient waiting times with there being more than 30,000 patients with significant long waits three years ago compared with a total waitlist for outpatients of 30,000 as of July 2022”.
Continuing the spin, she added: “Canberra Hospital Emergency Department, when compared against peer hospitals across Australia, performed better than its peers in WA, SA, Tasmania and the NT on percentage of patients seen on time in 2021-22”.
This cherry picking spin excludes the more sensible comparison of our immediate east coast neighbours of Victoria, NSW and Queensland who are doing better than the ACT on this narrow comparison. A more sensible comparison would employ the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) categories of emergency, urgent, semi-urgent and non-urgent.
Don’t worry, was the attitude of the minister in February, “when fully embedded, the Digital Health Record will support automation processes, timely reporting and improved visibility of patient needs in relation
to outpatient referral and waitlist management”. An excellent goal if the Digital Health Record finally lives up to its promises.
From Ms Castley’s perspective: “The Auditor-General has written several reports on data issues at Canberra Hospital and I find it astounding that there is still no priority given to public reporting of performance, given the financial and reputational implications.
“The Minister owes Canberrans an explanation as to why she made the decision to bulldoze ahead with the DHR system when she was briefed that standard performance benchmarks could well not be reported on.”
Don’t worry, they say things will improve when the North Canberra Hospital (formerly Calvary) is fully embedded in the ACT Health System. Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an in dependent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.
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LANYON Homestead reopens on July 29 after three months of conservation work that focused on the historic homestead’s structural integrity and weather protection, and repairing damaged building fabric.
One notable aspect of the conservation included the replacement of roofing iron, which had been laid over the original shingles on the main homestead around the turn of the 20th century. The new corrugated iron, along with gutters and downpipes, have been fabricated to match the original materials as closely as possible.
Elsewhere ceilings, masonry, timber and joinery, including the verandahs, have been conserved. The interiors have been repainted based on earlier colour schemes and areas of rising damp and salt activity addressed.
Kim talks wills
KIM Adam, CEO of legal firm MV Law, will speak on the importance of wills and of understanding retirement-village contracts at the next meeting of Narrabundah Probus Club, at the Harmonie German Club, from 11am on August 8. Anyone with an interest is invited to “just come along”. More from 6295 7836.
THE sticker price of electric vehicles is falling in Australia, with one-third slipping under the $40,000 barrier and one of the country’s most popular models reduced to its lowest cost to date.
But according to research and experts, the lower prices do not reveal the full savings the technology can deliver for motorists.
Price parity with petrol and diesel vehicles could be less than four years away, a study shows, and potential fuel and maintenance savings means some owners are already cutting their transport costs “from day one”.
And with electricity from the right source, they say EV drivers could save more than the studies estimate.
The latest research into the cost of electric vehicles, prepared by Mandala, found introducing a fuelefficiency standard in Australia could deliver yearly savings of $1200 for electric vehicle owners or $10,000 over the life of a vehicle.
Climate Council advocacy head Dr Jennifer Rayner says lower running costs could quickly close the gap on the higher initial cost for electric
vehicles, with most savings made by avoiding service stations.
“The primary saving for people who buy an electric vehicle is in their petrol costs,” she said.
“We know that filling up an EV with clean, renewable electricity, for example, is significantly cheaper than paying for fuel at the petrol pump.
“The biggest saving people will make is no longer being reliant on high and volatile petrol prices.”
The study’s findings are similar to those made in Finder’s 2023 Green Report, in which senior money expert
Sarah Megginson says the company compared average petrol costs to the cost of charging an electric car at home and in public.
“We based it on the number of kilometres an average Australian drives – 15,000km a year – and we picked a petrol price of $1.85 a litre, which was the average for May this year,” she said.
“The petrol car came in around $3100 in petrol costs and the electric car came in around $1900 so drivers saved about $1100 a year.”
Electric vehicle drivers with solar power at home have the potential to make bigger savings,
Ms Megginson says. A second factor investigated by both reports was the lower cost of maintaining an electric vehicle. Unlike petrol and diesel cars, automakers often recommend servicing electric vehicles every two years rather than every six months.
MG, for example, quotes a two-year service period for its ZS EV SUV, while market leader Tesla recommends testing a vehicle’s brake fluid every two years and changing cabin air filters every two to three years, depending on the model.
Good Car Company co-founder Anthony Broese van Groenou says electric cars need fewer visits to the mechanic because they have fewer moving parts. Even the cost
of replacing batteries – a major concern for some potential buyers – was falling, he says, and lasted years longer than anticipated.
“Four years ago, the price of replacement batteries was around $20,000 and now they’re coming in around $12,000 with double the capacity,”
“If you’re getting 10 to 15 years of life out of a battery, imagine how affordable those batteries are going to be by the time that comes around.”
The Mandala research, commissioned by the Climate Council and Electric Vehicle Council, also found a strong fuel-efficiency standard could reduce the price of electric vehicles by 2.8 per cent each year, and raise the price of petrol and diesel vehicles by 0.3 per cent.
Price parity between the two vehicle types, it found, could occur in 2027 under an ambitious standard.
GWM has lowered the price of its Ora electric car to make it the third model available for less than $40,000, alongside the MG4 and BYD Dolphin.
Tesla also reduced the price of its entry-level vehicle, the Model 3, to its lowest price to date in Australia
Mr Broese van Groenou says the growing trend meant savvy buyers who could afford the up-front price could cut their transport costs quickly.
“Even before cheaper vehicles started arriving, a Tesla Model 3 was at price parity with a (Toyota) Corolla after five years,” he said.
“Now you’ve got the purchase price being near parity with an equivalent diesel vehicle, you’re saving from day one.”
Dr Rayner says Australians could unlock greater savings for motorists when a fuel-efficiency standard encouraged brands to import more zero-emission models to the country.
“We’re seeing prices for electric vehicles come down rapidly but we’re still not getting the range of options in Australia that are available elsewhere,” she said.
“In our analysis, there were 200-odd electric models available in the European Union and only 50 in Australia.”
The federal government has committed to introducing a fuel-efficiency standard draft to parliament by the end of the year. –AAP
The ACT government has devised a new cost-comparison web tool designed to make it easier to better understand the running costs of EVs at energy.act.gov. au/owning-a-zero-emissions-vehicle
The falling price of some electric cars is making more Australian motorists move, but potential savings come from more than the price tag, reports JENNIFER DUDLEY-NICHOLSON.Entry prices for electric vehicles, including the MG4, have fallen in Australia. Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAP
BIRDWATCHERS searching for the lesser-spotted Spangled Drongo, Masked Booby or Hoary-headed Grebe will be excited to hear a new development in artificial technology could make their task a little easier.
Google Australia, Queensland University of Technology and the Australian Acoustics Observatory have come up with an AI model that uses automatic audio detection to identify and monitor local bird species.
The tech will make it easier to track threatened birds, helping researchers produce high-quality range maps for Australian species and enable conservationists and ecologists to more readily locate species of interest.
Traditionally, experts have manually reviewed recordings captured by a national network of recordings of raw audio to identify bird sounds, which can be painstaking and time-consuming.
But the collaborative project – part of a five-year investment in Australian infrastructure, research and partnerships by Google’s Digital Future Initiative – has captured more than 17 million hours of raw audio since 2019 to collate a library of sounds that has been filtered through by
AI technology.
Researchers developed the tech by analysing recordings of the Glossy Black Cockatoo – a threatened species found along the entire east coast of Australia, as well as Kangaroo Island in SA.
The model automatically separates, enhances and completely isolates the species’ sound, filtering out surrounding noise such as wind and insects.
“Knowing the presence of certain birds, like the threatened Glossy Black Cockatoo, helps scientists understand and monitor their movements and how they are adapting,” says QUT’s Professor Paul Roe, adding the model was producing impressive results.
“This helps those responsible make more informed decisions about land management and biodiversity protection.”
The model was even picking up very faint calls that would often be missed by traditional methods of identification, he said.
It would help measure the risk of invasive species, climate change, human development, deforestation and bushfires, fellow QUT researcher Dr Daniella
Teixeira said.
“As a nation, we have a responsibility to understand how our species and environments are impacted, and what else we can do to protect them,” she said.
“Birds are often considered indicators of ecosystem condition because many species respond to changes in the environment.”
Google said it was excited to highlight the potential for AI to help tackle complex challenges and explore new territories “with the shared goal to better understand and protect Australia’s biodiversity”.
Researchers want to extend these tools to identify other threatened species such as koalas and invasive species including cane toads and Asian house geckos. –AAP
Australian ornithologists will get a helping hand from new AI technology designed to identify birds across the country from collated audio, reports KATELYN CATANZARITI.Knowing the presence of birds such as the Glossy Black Cockatoo helps monitor how they are adapting.
A grumpy looking Tasmanian fish with flashy Broadway features is the poster child for an extraordinary battle against extinction, reports TRACEY FERRIER
ON two tiny patches of reef in Tasmania a bizarre walking fish with over-sized jazz hands and a fluffy pom-pom on its head is barely hanging on.
With just 100 or so left in the wild, the aptly named red handfish makes Australia’s other critically endangered species seem positively abundant. But a team of dedicated researchers has been toiling for years to ensure the survival of the grumpy-looking creature, about which little is known.
Threatened species ecologist Tyson Bessell says it’s a complicated busi ness attempting to unravel the secrets of an animal while simultaneously trying to save it from extinction.
But the work he has done for his PhD, including efforts to establish a baseline estimate of how many are left, is helping plug some of the gaps. His conclusions are sobering. It’s estimated there are roughly 10 red handfish at one of the sites and 90 at the other.
“The site that has 10 fish left... back in the ‘90s was quoted to have hundreds of red handfish to the point you had to be careful where you
The other two are the spotted handfish, thought to now number fewer than 3000, and Ziebell’s handfish, last seen in 2007.
Mr Bessell says there are many reasons the three species – and handfish worldwide – are in trouble.
In the case of the red handfish, primary threats include climate change, pollution and overgrazing of its habitat by the short-spined sea urchin, which has flourished thanks to the decline of its predator, the lobster.
The red handfish also has some intrinsic challenges that prevent it making new homes in new places. It can swim but lacks a swim bladder to aid the process and prefers to use its hand-shaped pectoral fins to “walk” across the seafloor.
As one might imagine, it can be slow going and Mr Bessell’s research has shown they really don’t move very much, making the species extremely susceptible to any changes in the small areas they inhabit.
within my study was 100 metres but that was in 540 days,” he says. “The smallest distance... was 30cm in 500
stages drifting as larvae within the water column, like other species. Essentially, they stay where they hatch.
So everything considered, what’s the best way to ensure the visually spectacular and charismatic species doesn’t vanish from the face of the
Currently the focus is on a helping human hand, something Mr Bessell sees as a moral obligation given human pressures have landed it in hot water.
For some time, researchers have been carefully harvesting clutches of wild red handfish eggs and rearing them in captivity before returning Henry Bay.
It’s hoped that will greatly increase the numbers that will survive long enough to reproduce.
Biologist Rachelle Hawkins has been breeding seahorses for research, public and private aquaria for the past 25 years.
The owner of Seahorse World, north of Launceston, has helped rear red handfish in captivity and treasures a sense of achievement at handing 18 of them back to research-
ers for release a few years ago.
She and the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium recently received some new wild spotted handfish and will both attempt to breed them in coming months.
She’s hoping for success, having also done this in 2017.
Back then there was no way to tell the sexes of the fish they had, so it was a case of hope, wait and see.
“For years we were guessing what sexes we had in the tanks. But then the Melbourne aquarium employed the use of ultrasound technology.
“If you get them at the right time you are able to see the eggs or sperm in there, through ultrasound. That was quite revolutionary, so then we could sex them and make sure we had a male and a female.
“Now that technology is available, and we have another 10 and Melbourne has got another 10, we’re going to try again, starting from a better knowledge point.
“Hopefully we’ll have some spotted handfish to release in the not too distant future.”
The national handfish recovery team is co-ordinating research for the three handfish species in line with their recovery plans.
It includes experts from government, the CSIRO and Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania. –AAP
being offered by the Suburban Land Agency and the demand for cardependent dwellings in surrounding NSW, has contributed to increased housing costs in the territory.
INFILL is increasing Canberra’s density. Its underlying rationale –lower infrastructure costs, reduced travel, widening housing choice and lower ecological impact has formed the basis of planning policy since the 1990s.
Since 2018 the government has pursued a higher 70 per cent infill target arguing it is crucial for Canberra to be sustainable, compact and well-connected.
The policy was adopted without an adequate consideration of housing choice, land economics or the city’s multi-centred urban structure.
The outcomes of the 2018 Housing Choices Collaboration Hub are sometimes referenced as justification for the target. It consisted of a group of 36 (Yes, 36!) randomly selected individuals, stratified by age, gender, household type to discuss, deliberate and receive information on housing.
While participants indicated a preference for infill over greenfield, particularly along transport corridors, they did not recommend
an infill target. There was some support for extending dual-occupancy development into the RZ1 zone.
In determining the policy, the government ignored the findings of the 2014/15 Housing Choices Community Survey undertaken by Winton Sustainable Research Strategies. That survey found, of the 60 per cent of respondents anticipating to move in the next 10 years, 91 per cent expected to move to a detached dwelling. Some 48 per cent of households wanted a larger dwelling; of post or no-children households, 56 per cent wanted a larger dwelling.
The survey found that dual occupancies and town houses had greater community acceptability than apartments, particularly those of four or more storeys.
The market response to the policy has been to construct flats. Flats represented 74 per cent of higher-density dwellings provided between 2016 and 2021. Only 14 per cent had three or more bedrooms compared to 48 per cent of medium-density dwellings. While some households will trade off space for a central location, it is unlikely flats meet the needs of other households,
attractiveness of flats to a wider range of households a better understanding of requirements – number of bedrooms, storage space, quality of community space etcetera is needed.
Given high housing costs and the inadequate supply of social housing, some households would have had to occupy dwellings inappropriate to their needs.
The policy has not resulted in the provision of sufficient affordable town house and dual-occupancy dwellings to meet the needs of families with children or those wishing to downsize in a familiar location to a more energy
provision of secondary residences (dwellings of 45sqm to 90sqm on residential blocks of over 500sqm, but not separately titled) which potentially could meet the needs of some older and lower-income households.
The efficacy of the policy has been reduced by the poor building quality and design of many redevelopments including overlooking, parking blight, increased congestion and loss of tree cover.
The policy has resulted in inadequate greenfield supply, reflected in the high number of bidders and high prices paid for the trickle of blocks
Despite planning inadequacies –limited employment, delays in the provision of transport infrastructure, schools, shops and other facilities and reduced scope for soft landscaping – the greenfield areas of Gungahlin and Molonglo have met the housing preferences of many households.
Greenfield residents in Canberra do not experience the poor accessibility of residents in larger cities. The city’s size and multiple centres, linked by high-quality transport, enable most Canberrans good access to employment, services and amenities.
The accessibility reduces the relative price premium for scarce inner-city land by making new suburbs a more attractive alternative to established suburbs.
The government should review its strategy as it is not achieving its planning aims. The infill target should be reduced and greenfield releases increased pending the outcomes of the review and evidence flats are meeting the needs of a wider range of households and medium density infill and secondary residences are viable.
Former planner MIKE QUIRK explains how the ACT government adopted an infill target without an adequate consideration of housing choice, land economics or the city’s multi-centred urban structure.
Linda is an experienced physiotherapist having worked clinically in private practice for over 20 years, in rehabilitation settings and in community based aged care. Having owned and operated her own clinic for over 10 years, Linda offered a range of different therapy options, and has refined her skills and service offerings to ensure a functional focus to therapy; that is holistic and promotes overall wellness. A dancer in a past life, Linda loves to add a bit of fun in her programs, often throwing in rhythm and co-ordination challenges that are good for the body and the mind.
Sophie has post graduate qualifications in hydrotherapy, and as a non-sports centred Exercise Physiologist, helps clients who struggle with engaging in exercise due to a lack of sports participation. Sophie’s goal is to improve clients health via our hydrotherapy program, gym instruction and in-home visits. Sophie also is known for her passion for working with children.
Tash takes a wholistic view of all her clients, considering their mental wellbeing as much as their physical needs. Tash delivers our Nordic Walking, Pilates and Tai Chi programs, all of which have a mental as well as physical component.
Tash also leads our strength and balance program, supporting those with lower levels of mobility or have concerns over falls to regain their confidence, whilst also meeting a great bunch of fellow exercise class participants.
Dorothy is our newest graduate Exercise Physiologist who we employed because she was such an outstanding student. Dorothy excells with us, having a soft spot for both older persons with pain, but also a long history of working in disability services with children. Dorothy loves working with people to improve their pain and function, and always has a bright smile for everyone in her care.
Blake has expertise in improving clients mobility and decreasing their pain through appropriate exercise. Blake delivers our ‘My Exercise’ program, targeting the relief of lower back and sciatic pain, shoulder and upper body concerns as well as leg, hip and ankle interventions – for those who do not qualify for physiotherapy-led GLAD programs.
Blake provides individual & group exercise for younger people with a disability. Blake treats clients in-clinic or via our hydrotherapy program as well as attending your gym with you.
Jacqui has a particular interest in hip and knee osteoarthritis. Jacqui delivers the GLAD program designed to reduce the need for joint replacements, or if a joint replacement is unavoidable, to prepare you thoroughly for surgery and recovery for day to day tasks. Jacqui is studying towards a PhD in the outcomes of the GLAD program.
Holly is a former sports journalist who believed so strongly in the power of exercise to heal and nurture that she undertook her 4 year degree in Exercise Physiology. Holly is be able to work with people directly to support them through their pain journey and regain independence and a joy for living again. Holly provides one on one and group exercise classes both on land and at our hydrotherapy centres to support people to gain freedom from chronic pain.
• Occupational Therapy – Assistance with the planning and modification of your home, workplace or car. Applications for NDIS, the Disability and Housing Support Pension, and also driving assessments.
• Physiotherapy – including the GLAD program for knee and hip osteoarthritis, sports injury prevention and rehabilitation, and pain condition support.
• Exercise Physiology – Individual exercise prescriptions, small group classes to increase strength and improve rehabilitation, strength and balance classes, hydrotherapy support.
• Dietetics – meal planning, weight management support, food intolerance support.
“You do not need to have any particular condition to utilise our services, just a desire to ‘Build a Better You.’
IN a recent TV interview, former PM Tony Abbott claimed the outcome of the 1838 Myall Creek Massacre was “normal” when seven white men were sentenced and hanged for murdering 28 Aboriginal men, women and children.
In truth, it was the only known case where any justice was handed out.
Furthermore, no subsequent killings were investigated because of the public outcry over the Myall Creek hangings. The facts of this and other misrepresentations, such as ignoring the context of what Anthony Albanese actually said about governments being “very brave” if they went against the Voice, are readily accessible for anyone who cares to look. Why hasn’t Mr Abbott?
No wonder lesser mortals think it’s okay to repeat unchecked, misinformation, contradictions and sometimes outright lies, all clearly designed to denigrate indigenous Australians. Don’t we have a right to expect our political leaders and media especially will check the facts? And that brings
us to the elephant in the room.
The “Yes” campaign has steered away from it, but some on the “No” side now claim they’re being accused of “racism” by “Yes” advocates. Since they’ve raised it, could it be a case of self-identification? The often vicious trolling only fuels the fires of suspicion. Perhaps it’s time to let in the light behind the elephant.
I was born before World War II and grew up in both country and city.
Some of my earliest memories are of frequently hearing the “n” word around our kitchen table in rural Queensland. Later, in suburban Melbourne, the pejorative was “Abo”. We claimed, “It’s only a joke”, and were annoyed when the subjects didn’t see it that way.
In the ‘50s, in the country Victorian town where I worked, the local Aboriginal community lived on the river bank (they were rarely allocated public housing). Some caring townspeople helped out with food and second-hand clothing, while the local police sergeant spent many hours helping build and maintain a camp vegetable garden. But he was sneered at: “they’re all bloody useless, so why
man’s search for an office receptionist turned up an ideal candidate. But she was Aboriginal and it soon became clear to him that if he gave her the job, there would be an outcry and probable loss of business. I knew him very well; a man of great integrity who always deeply regretted having to reject her in favour of a white applicant.
What we rarely ask is how many times that young black woman and others like her still don’t get the job simply because of their colour, and how much it’s impacted their lives?
Stan Grant showed us that, despite
his success, he has been badly affected by a lifetime of racist attacks. Yet, he has been the one vilified for “speaking out of turn”. We should be asking “why”? Instead, we persist with the cry, “they’ve only themselves to blame” or that “we’re all equal now and the Voice will create inequality”. Authoritative evidence to the contrary is, as usual, right in front of us.
Racist attitudes don’t disappear overnight – they’ve existed for millennia. Even today, I have to remind myself who and what I am – a privileged, old, white man whose black contemporaries, if they’re still around (and most probably aren’t because of their lower life expectancy), were highly unlikely to have had similar opportunities for a healthy, reasonably well-educated and comfortable life. Closing the gap data continues to show many still don’t.
Voting “Yes” in the referendum won’t immediately provide all the answers – it could take another generation. However, there’s evidence that when disadvantaged people are listened to and their lived experience acknowledged through appropriate action, positive results come faster and more effectively than when they are ignored (and can result in monetary savings). The “No” advocates seem eager to ignore the billions wasted on non-local, white-inspired non-solutions that have too often
ended up scapegoating local indigenous workers (as with ATSIC).
The referendum is simple: constitutional recognition of our unique indigenous heritage, allied to an independent legislated advisory body whose sole job is to gather and consolidate on-the-ground knowledge from indigenous Australians about what they think will best help them.
It will go to the executive government and parliament for consideration, just like any other advisory body. Parliament, through the government, will decide which recommendations are taken up. Critically, the constitutional amendment provides a strong obligation to justify all decisions publicly, whatever they may be.
Surely we now have a duty (and the decency) to erase any lingering sense that white Australians are superior to a particular minority because of different skin tones and heritage, not to mention the scientifically refuted and offensive perceptions of differing levels of “inherent capability” that still lurk in some minds.
I wonder: would we be enduring this unjustifiable acrimony if, when the British turned up, they had discovered our First Australians were also white skinned?
“CityNews” welcomes all opinions. Respectful letters to editor@citynews. com.au, please.
“Surely we now have a duty (and the decency) to erase any lingering sense that white Australians are superior to a particular minority because of different skin tones and heritage,” writes ERIC HUNTER , of Cook.Eric Hunter.
“Are we not entitled to know why the billions of dollars spent rectifying Aboriginal disadvantage has failed before being asked to spend billions more?” asks reader MICHAEL BOYLE , of Chapman.
ON March 2, “CityNews” published questions from me to help clarify issues surrounding the Voice. So far the questions have not been answered.
The Uluru Statement, from which the Voice emanated, also advocates for a treaty/treaties, truth talking and an unspecified form of sovereignty. It is reasonable to see constitutional acceptance of the Voice as preparing the way for treaties and sovereignty that may have their own constitutional implications separating the Aboriginal communities from mainstream Australia.
While being pushed by activists as a logical progression to compensate Aborigines for past wrongs, the debate on those issues has barely surfaced. There is a strong argument that all matters flowing from the Uluru Statement should be addressed as a “package”, not singly.
Arguments over the Voice have become increasingly heated, even vituperative, and highly emotional on the “Yes” side, whose disagreements over the nature of the Voice between
activists and proponents remain unresolved, confusing further how a constitutional Voice would operate.
The Voice, once added to the constitution, would decide its own priorities and how it would function.
In organising the operation of the Voice the parliament/executive may make administrative decisions based on the advice from the Voice, but the functions of the Voice would be protected by the constitution. At present there is neither knowledge nor decision on how the Voice will be organised to perform its yet unspecified functions.
Given the range of Aboriginal interests and concerns across Australia, dissent from the view of the Voice across some communities is inevitable. Presumably, those opposed to the advice of the Voice will have the same rights as everyone else to make their views known and have them processed by parliament and the executive in the same manner as would be accorded to the Voice.
If this is the case, why does the Voice become a constitutional necessity, unless advice from the Voice is to take precedence over all other advice
on indigenous concerns including those Aborigines who present dissenting views? What the rest of us think may not be a consideration.
A major appeal of the “Yes” case is for Australians to do the right thing, get on the right side of history, protect our international reputation and remedy the wrongs of the past. These emotional appeals might have weight if they reflected the whole story. Australians for generations have done the right thing as legislatures, institutions and individuals sought to overcome identified forms of disadvantage intended to “close the gap”. The allegations in the Uluru
Statement do not reflect the situation of today.
Any successful attempt at permanently overcoming Aboriginal disadvantage must be based, firstly, on a realistic appreciation of the cause of the problems, and secondly, a practical appreciation of what can be done to overcome them.
The Voice campaign is strong on emotional, rhetorical assertions presenting a one-sided picture, but less enthused about debating material inimical to its argument. This, plus the extended agenda of the Uluru Statement that is very much to the fore in the minds of “Yes” activists, has damaged the “Yes” case significantly.
In these circumstances the procession of public figures endorsing the Voice is as likely to increase people’s doubts about the Voice as it is to reassure them.
There are other factors that cause doubts about the veracity of the “Yes” case. The question of who qualifies as an Aboriginal is becoming an issue following the inexplicable rise in the indigenous population revealed in the last census.
Attempts to inculcate the referendum with an ambience of guilt flowing from deeds long past as though the current situation concerns only Aborigines and Celtic-Anglo-Saxons is dubious, especially as Australian citizens of today come from all over
the world and are sympathetic to the plight of those Aborigines still disadvantaged. They are not associated with the persecution of the Aborigines yet they will, as far as equal representation to parliament is concerned, experience discrimination.
In the present circumstances, where there is continuing, legitimate doubt over so many core issues of the referendum, it is common sense to vote “No”, even if only to send the proposal for the Voice and all its implications back to the drawing board.
Are we not entitled to know why the billions of dollars spent rectifying Aboriginal disadvantage has failed before being asked to spend billions more? Ironically, the activists already have a powerful voice.
Julius Caesar, more than 2000 years ago, said it best in the Catiline conspiracy when he told the Senate: “All men who decide on difficult issues ought to free themselves from the influence of hatred, friendship, anger and pity. For when these intervene the mind cannot readily judge the truth, and no-one has ever served his emotions and his best interests simultaneously”.
The principle is as true now as it was then.
“CityNews” welcomes all opinions. Respectful letters to editor@citynews. com.au, please.
USING interest rates to control inflation is unfair as the burden falls disproportionately on the households with mortgages, especially those who have bought in the last few years.
To date, interest rates have not greatly reduced consumer spending, because they have a lower impact on the twothirds of households (with the exception of low-income renters) that don’t have a mortgage.
As the aim is to reduce spending, consideration should be given to alternatives including increased taxes, only funding infrastructure projects with a strong business case (light rail?), compulsory super contributions or other mandatory savings measures.
Such approaches by reducing the reliance on monetary policy to manage the economy would reduce the likelihood of a repeat of the explosion in house prices largely caused by very low interest rates. The increased prices benefitted existing property owners.
These alternatives should be assessed as part of a broad review of housing policy. However, unless the major parties have the courage to reduce concessions to property owners and greatly increase the construction of social housing, little will change and inequality will continue to grow.
Mike Quirk, GarranI WAS saddened by Janine Haskin’s letter (CN July 13) rejoicing that the cross at Calvary Hospital was taken down so that a culture of death could prevail in the ACT.
The truth is that Calvary Public Hospital was taken over by the ACT government because the Catholic Church stands for life and protection of the most vulnerable, the sick, aged and handicapped.
That someone could take delight in the end of a hospital that has provided such a high level of care to the wider community is a sad sign of the times.
The ACT government could not let Calvary Public Hospital stand as a beacon of love for the community it cared for when the government wants to implement a culture of death, where I believe dementia patients and children as young as 14 can be euthanised. Heard of elder abuse anyone?
Rachael Nano, via email
A PERENNIAL challenge for Christians is exemplified by the “pure unadulterated joy” expressed by Janine Haskins at the removal of the cross from Calvary Hospital (Letters, CN July 13), when we believe that the cross is the sign of the power of God in the world.
Once you believe in God you believe in an ultimate reality and an objective truth about
what is real. Life has meaning. The famous atheist, convert to Christianity, CS Lewis said: “I was not born to be free; I was born to adore and to obey.”
There is a natural law. Thus, the Catholic Church does not accept moral relativism.
John L Smith, FarrerJANINE Haskins (Letters, CN July 13) celebrates the removal of a large cross from the former Calvary Public Hospital with pure unadulterated joy.
I wondered if she would feel the same way if we removed other religious organisations that benefit our society such as Marymead and the Wayside Chapel.
Ian Pilsner, WestonI LOOK forward to reading “CityNews” each week and find it certainly “well written, well read”.
This is why I was appalled that you would publish Robert Macklin’s piece (“Give us this day our daily hypocrisy in parliament”, CN July 13). It was extremely offensive, blasphemous and inaccurate. Who is he to suggest Jesus was illiterate? Based on what?
Then there is the put down of Peter Dutton regarding forgiving trespasses – I am
sure Albo and co are above reproach and Mr Macklin himself must be a saint.
I don’t suppose this letter will make any difference, but to say nothing is to condone this disgusting outburst.
Joan Monteith, via email
MUCH has been written recently about our failure to “Close the Gap” for our indigenous brethren.
I am afraid that much of the media falls into the same old mantra trap that the ongoing, seemingly intractable problems of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples are all the fault of the colonists and their descendants to the present time.
But where is any discussion on the responsibility of the ATSI people themselves for their lot? Where is discussion of the genetic realities of 60,000 years of isolation from the rest of the world. Do they bear no responsibility for their poor health, lower mortality rates, poor education, incarceration rates etcetera?
Quite some years ago, when I first researched the “gap” problem, I reluctantly came to a few conclusions that, unfortunately, still hold today. The first was that closing the gap by any significant measure was basically intractable while these people remained in a welfare-dependent state.
The second was that their situation would not change much unless they integrated
with the rest of the population through education and work. In any modern society, education and work are essential to wellbeing and self-respect.
In short, unless the ATSI peoples integrate the “gap” will never be closed.
Max Flint, Erindale CentreDRIVERS who complain bitterly about the 40km/h zones should just look in the mirror before they leap into their vehicles, and remind themselves to be more alert to everything around them when in the driver’s seat (especially the speed limit signs). When you get a parking fine, you only have yourself to blame.
Kit Huang, YarralumlaIT was sad to see “single mother” included as a possible ancestor behaving badly in the July 13 cover picture of “CityNews”.
Why would anyone be disappointed to learn that an ancestor had been a single mother?
And what of the men who caused the misery that single mothers endured in the past? I suppose many of them became “ancestors to be proud of”, fine upstanding citizens.
Deb Edwards, WestonAS I sat in the gallery of the ACT Legislative Assembly on July 18, listening to an Estimates hearing regarding ACT Corrections, I became confused – I was watching what appeared to be a highly fictional and somewhat comical production.
Some of the characters were well rehearsed, others may have only prepared to be “understudies”.
So many questions were taken “on notice”, which made me feel that some of these characters had not studied their lines to a satisfactory standard to earn the right to be on stage.
But I was listening to what I perceive to be several mistruths. For example, the Acting Commissioner for ACT Corrective Services stated that the Transitional Release Centre (TRC) at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) accommodates 20 detainees. In fact, he said this a couple of times (thanks Hansard).
As a previous visitor to the AMC (I’m not prepared to visit there any more due to being somewhat outspoken about the treatment of detainees, and fear of retribution), I can unequivocally state that while the TRC may have the capacity to accommodate 20 detainees, this is not what is currently occurring.
The TRC was designed and built for 20 detainees, however it can only accommodate 15, as one wing was taken over to accommodate custodial and non-custodial staff.
I won’t bang on any more, but mark my words, this one example is merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
In short, this Pandora’s Box needs to be opened and unpacked in a professional and transparent manner, importantly for both detainees and the ACT community.
Janine Haskins, Cook
I DON’T see Ric Hingee complaining that Peter Dutton has “hitched his wagon” to a “No” vote and thus politicising it (Letters, CN July 13). Why does Ric also suggest it’s “an issue for the people, not politicians, sporting groups, big business”?
It’s still a democracy I thought and
open to anyone or any group to become involved. Does Ric include the Murdoch “big media businesses” in his complaints about who’s involved? Is he also concerned about them spreading mis-information and denigration every day of the week? Is that not “telling people how to vote” and worse, by using unethical journalism?
Eric Hunter, Cook
I HOPE when letter writer Mike Prunty (“Roos rollicking in the sand bunkers”, CN July 6) is relaxing over a coffee that he has actually counted the number of kangaroos on Red Hill golf course.
Otherwise he has simply fallen victim to over-estimating what he thinks he sees. On one occasion, when counting kangaroos on nature reserves, a walker exclaimed he had seen hundreds of kangaroos over a nearby ridge.
When we went to investigate we counted 29!
What people who oppose the “cull” have always known is that killing Canberra’s urban kangaroos is all about mass-developer sprawl.
As far back as 2004, Googong’s population of kangaroos was decimated to make way for the suburb of Googong; in 2007, Canberra’s kangaroos were slaughtered to make way for the suburb of Lawson and on it goes.
In Red Hill the killing of Canberra’s kangaroos is to make way for a 152-unit development around the golf course.
Instead of wasting hundreds of thousands
in public money every year on killing kangaroos, Andrew Barr (Chief Minister) and Rebecca Vassarotti (Environment Minister) are deliberately ignoring the humane and viable alternative. That is to build a series of wildlife corridors to connect Canberra’s Nature Reserve system and allow wildlife and people to move around the city safely without being hit by speeding vehicles.
Robyn Soxsmith, KambahTHE Save Our Kangaroos folks have really ramped up their media campaign this year. This includes full-page ads, a bombardment of letters to editors and international correspondents.
Canberrans do love our kangaroos, but are not taken in by emotive language and hyperbole. If only there were more facts in between all the fiction. The letter by Chris Doyle (“Biggest land-based slaughter of wildlife”, CN 13 July) is a prime example.
Can we seriously compare 50 million kangaroos to the endangered Giant Panda and American Bald Eagle. We need to have a factual and balanced debate.
Yes, kangaroos are cute and a national icon, but not when in the headlights on a busy, high-speed, two-lane road.
Opponents of the cull use highly inflammatory language to talk about cruelty and trauma. However, the cull does alleviate
the daily carnage on Canberra’s roads. We must take action to prevent the trauma caused by these accidents and the significant associated expenses.
Until other measures are agreed then culling seems the best fit.
Terry Mowle, Bruce
IN response to my views on slaughtering kangaroos, Chris Doyle (Letters, CN July 13) wrote that “while that is certainly what the kangaroo industry would want us to think, it exists mainly for the pet-food industry”.
As a matter of fact, Europe is the top destination for kangaroo meat as 50 per cent of kangaroo meat is exported and used for human and pet food.
Belgium is the largest importer of kangaroo meat for human consumption. And in France, kangaroo meat is being offered in supermarkets around Christmas time.
Also, not far from Canberra, one can purchase kangaroo skins as well as sheep skins. In view of these statistics, I maintain that those responsible for the slaughtering of Australia’s native animals are carried out for commercialisation purposes.
Dr Myriam Amar via email
I DO like Jack Kershaw’s suggestion (Letters, CN July 20) of taking the tram along Griffin’s original railway alignment between Russell and Sturt Avenue, Narrabundah, and not just because I happen to live on that route.
I’m not so sure about his concept of a cafe-lined “Pontev-Eco”. It needs to be remembered that the original railway bridge was washed away in a flood in about 1920 and never rebuilt.
Richard Johnston, Kingston
IN his July 20 column “30 Liberal pledges shape an alternative to Barr”, Michael Moore makes some compelling points about the desirability of replacing the Barr “Greenslabor” with the ACT Liberals.
In my view, the strongest argument is the abandonment of the light rail stage 2B project, which has been estimated to cost at least $3 billion. By the time work has begun,
the cost will likely have blown out to at least $4 billion – perhaps even $5 billion.
Such sums could pay for a fleet of electric buses; ideally a rubber-tyred electric tram network; and upgrades to Canberra’s dated and failing hospital system.
However, being very concerned about global heating (look at the record heatwaves in southern Europe and North America), I could not support the Liberals’ proposals to reverse the cessation of Canberra’s gas supply, the retention of fossil-fuelled cars, or the proposed housing development on CSIRO land in West Belconnen.
Like my father, I have been a Labor voter all my life. Despite my disapproval of many Greens-Labor policies and actions, the ACT Liberals have a lot of work ahead of them to win my vote.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, DeakinVI Evans (Letters, CN July 6) has been misinterpreted by renewables supporter Ben Brackhurst in Letters on July 13.
Turbines are not manufactured in Australia due their toxic nature, allowing us to pretend we are saving our planet. The carbon fibre blades are the main source, both in production and difficulties of disposal, for which we have no policy.
The energy footprint is enormous, which requires more than half its life before useful electrons are generated, even before the environmental cost of access roads and transmission lines to remote sites are considered. A recent audit found, already, 600 Australian turbines are approaching the end of their useful life.
The very comprehensive, now released Batterham Report on renewables, has their cost to 2050 at a colossal $9000 billion together with a trashed landscape. Canada will have a Small Nuclear Reactor, BWX300 in service this decade, more in 2032 and 2036. We have our own uranium supply! Urgent action is needed not talk. Australia will also be forced to follow for AUKUS commitment compliance. Tough choices but imperative.
Ken Murtagh, HughesIT seems the Voice has developed laryngitis. Colliss
Parrett, BartonWhether for health care or accommodation, therapy or cybersecurity, there are businesses in Canberra with a focus on indigenous people.
“CityNews” spoke with successful Aboriginal business owners who are making life easier or more accessible for communities far and wide.
WILLYAMA Services was established in 2016 and is a 100 per cent Aboriginal and veteran owned cybersecurity services company, says founder and CEO Kieran Hynes.
“Willyama is committed to the advancement of opportunities for indigenous Australians through our vocational education and training program,” he says.
“The program is designed to empower indigenous people and break entrenched cycles of disadvantage by providing training, work readiness and a potential career in cybersecurity.
“This is achieved through the successful delivery of services to our clients within the government, commercial and not-for-profit sectors.”
Kieran says Willyama assists customers with all aspects of cyber security.
“Including penetration testing, security governance, risk and compliance, vulnerability assessments, certification and accreditation, information-security registered assessors
program assessments and ‘build to requirement’
businesses across Australia.”
Kieran says he is a Worimi man from the Port Stevens area, who grew up in Broken Hill.
“In 2020 we were just three blokes operating out of the back of a bottle shop,” he says.
“Now we have 75+ full-time staff across Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Darwin and Adelaide.
“We’re working with the community to promote indigenous employment opportunities wherever we can. That’s why Willyama works with its clients to identify indigenous employment opportunities in on-going and new commercial engagements.”
Willyama Services, Level 1, 12 Albany Street, Fyshwick. Call 6235 5885, or visit willyama.com.au
BURBIRRA is a company with a strong mission to help people overcome their past and embrace a thriving future, says CEO Dr Karen Demmery.
“We are driven by an unwavering commitment to fostering positive change, we pride ourselves on having designed innovative programs tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals and communities that actually make lasting change,” she says.
Burbirra is a member of the Canberra Indigenous Business Network.
Karen says she is Wiradjuri from Dubbo and Barkenji from Bourke, so a lived experience is at the core of Burbirra.
“Burbirra takes great pride in offering services that cater to the unique needs and aspirations of indigenous people,” she says.
“Our company recognises the importance of cultural sensitivity and the significance of preserving and honoring indigenous traditions, knowledge, and values.”
Karen says she has been doing this work for more than two decades.
“I got kicked out of school in year nine. I was told that I would never amount to anything, and for a long time I believed it,” she says.
and was on my way to an early death, but my son changed everything when he asked: ‘Who are you and what have you done with my mother?’
“I knew I had to change or his future would be the same as mine, and that wasn’t acceptable.
“We care about people, we love supporting those who are just like I was, not believing they’re worthy or they matter.”
Burbirra. Call 6189 1244, or visit burbirra.com.au
Winnunga Nimmityjah AHCS is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal community of the ACT. In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health. The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal people in the ACT.
Our aim is to provide a culturally safe, holistic health care service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding regions. The holistic health care provided by Winnunga AHCS includes not only medical care, but a range of programs to promote good health and healthy lifestyles.
Our services include:
• GP and Nursing
• Midwifery
• Immunisations
• Health Checks
• Men’s & Women’s Health
• Hearing Health
• Dental
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Dietician (Nutrition)
• Counselling
• Diabetes Clinic
• Quit Smoking Services / No More Boondah
• Needle Syringe Program
• Mental Health Support
• Healthy Weight Program
• Healthy Cooking Group
• Mums and Bubs Group / Child Health
• Optometry Service
• Psychology and Psychiatrist
• Community Events
• Groups
ALL OUR SERVICES ARE FREE OF CHARGE • WE MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH TRANSPORT
Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services.
CLINIC hours | MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9am-5pm
Ph: 6284 6222 | 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah www.winnunga.org.au
COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing for Winnunga ClientsINDIGENOUS Allied Health
Australia (IAHA) is a national not-for-profit, community controlled and member-led workforce development
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation, says CEO Donna Murray.
“We have members across allied health disciplines working with public, private and community sectors,” she says.
“IAHA has been based in the ACT since 2009, and the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Academy (the ACT Health Academy), is one of the five sites nationally formed as part of IAHA’s longterm commitment to the territory.
“In 2021, IAHA launched the ACT Health Academy in partnership with the University of Canberra and Canberra Institute of Technology, which supports students through a Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance, while undertaking their year 12 certificate.
“Participating students, in years 10-12, spend three days at school and two days on their apprenticeship, where they meet their qualification requirements,
and a range of host employers across Canberra.
“Some of the host employers and partners include the University of Canberra, Canberra Health Services, and the ACT Education Directorate.”
Donna says IAHA’s first three Health Academy graduates completed the program in December 2022, and have put their qualifications into practice.
“One of the graduates has secured
Canberra Health Services,” she says.
“Another graduate has continued to study a Certificate III in Community Services, and was recently recognised as ACT NAIDOC Young Person of the Year.
“The third graduate is now undertaking a Bachelor of Midwifery at the University of Canberra as an inaugural recipient of a new scholarship.
Donna says she knows the program has already made a difference to their
past and existing students and it will continue to make a difference to our
“The more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people we have working in health, and across a broad range of sectors, the more sustainable and culturally responsive the local workforce will be across the ACT, and therefore, working with our people to live long healthy
“IAHA is working with key stakeholders and employers to build their knowledge, understanding and practice to support our young peoples’ success.
“IAHA also works towards promoting health careers more broadly, and is active in the ACT community, hosting and participating in careers days, sponsoring NAIDOC events bringing national events
“IAHA provides its trainees and members with support and mentoring to ensure more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are entering the allied health workforce.”
Donna says IAHA’s work goes beyond getting more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to work in health: but strengthening the mainstream health sector to understand their role in
providing culturally safe and responsive care to meet the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“IAHA also delivers group training services, cultural education and training, workforce development consultancy services and other wraparound supports for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health workforce, along with other work in community engagement, advocacy, research and policy and program development,” she says.
“In a display of cultural responsiveness and working with and for the community, our organisation has pioneered in creating a culturally safe, school-based traineeship program in the ACT to improve the health, education, and employment outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
“Through these programs, IAHA demonstrates a first-hand impact on the immediate wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT as well as setting up sustainable change into the future.”
Indigenous Allied Health Australia, Alia House, Ground Floor 9-11 Napier Close, Deakin. Call 6285 1010, or visit iaha.com.au
‘We have members across allied health disciplines working with public, private and community sectors’Students are being supported through IAHA ACT Health Academy’s Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance.
Laurie McDonald’s journey to becoming a successful business owner is indeed remarkable, showcasing her resilience, determination, and commitment to continual improvement. Starting with just one property in 2003, she has grown Canberra Furnished Accommodation. Her ability to balance family life with her husband, Matt, who is a licensed builder, and their two children, Connor, an apprentice carpenter working within the business and younger son, Bailey also actively involved in the business, highlights her dedication to both her personal and professional life.
Laurie’s Indigenous heritage holds a special place in her heart and serves as a source of pride and strength. As an Aboriginal woman living on her traditional Ngunnawal lands, she feels a deep connection to her ancestors, believing that they watch over and support her on her journey. This cultural connection has likely played a significant role in giving her the fortitude to persevere through challenges and contribute positively to her community.
Laurie’s recognition and multiple awards, such as the 2019 ACT Indigenous Business Woman of the Year by Canberra Women in Business, induction into the
Australian Business Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017 and the prestigious 2013 Telstra ACT Micro-business Award reflect her dedication and impact in both her industry and community.
Her commitment to continual improvement, inspired by the Japanese philosophy of “Kaizen,” sets her apart as a business owner. This dedication to learning and adapting has been crucial in maintaining her business’s longevity and success.
Canberra Furnished Accommodation is 100% Indigenous owned with 60% Indigenous employment. Family plays a central role in Laurie’s business, with her husband, Matt, actively partnering with her in running the business, and her children, Connor and Bailey, contribute actively as well. The family’s strong work ethic and support have undoubtedly been instrumental in Laurie’s achievements.
As the business celebrates its 20th birthday, Laurie can look back with pride and gratitude for her family’s unwavering support. From her challenging beginnings as a homeless teen to her thriving business that not only supports her family but also gives back to the community, Laurie’s journey
serves as an inspiration to others.
Additionally, Matt McDonald, Laurie’s husband, is an accomplished individual in his own right. As the founder of Baicol, a multi-disciplinary company offering construction and regulation consultancy, building maintenance, and new construction services, Matt has made his mark in the industry. Baicol is also 100% Indigenous owned, and 50% of its employees are Indigenous, showing his commitment to supporting the Indigenous community.
Matt’s qualifications, including a Bachelor Degree in Building Surveying and an Associate Diploma in Building Inspection, further highlighting his expertise in the field. His success is evident in the recognition of Baicol’s “People’s Choice Award” at the Australian Institute of Architect’s award in 2016.
Together, Laurie and Matt McDonald have shown that hard work, determination, family support, and a strong connection to their Indigenous heritage can pave the way for personal and professional success, leaving a positive impact on their community and industries.
Ngunnawal Country, always was always will be www.ngunnawal.org
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ONPOINT 365 is a proud indigenous business making a big difference with passion, integrity and trust, says operations director Susan O’Neil.
“Our connection to country is to the Larrakia Nation, in Darwin in the NT, we are Cubillo/Lee
“Onpoint 365 was established in 2016, encour aged by the IPP initiative and wanting to create a
“Onpoint 365 is a recruitment and profes sional development business. We are a 100 per cent Aboriginal owned and managed company.
“We are certified suppliers with Supply Nation, and 30 per cent of our core staff are
Today, Susan says onpoint 365 has a head of fice in Canberra, and provides national coverage, with more than 100 employees across Australia.
“Onpoint provides quality candidates for labour-hire, temporary, fixed-term, permanent placements including ICT,” she says.
“We are experienced in executive search, candidate assessments, recruitment process and scribe services.
“We work with non-indigenous clients too, and we were Canberra’s first indigenous recruit
Susan says she is excited to work with such an outstanding group of professionals with
“Leading a team of people who strive their utmost every day is a real pleasure and
Onpoint 365, Suite 1, Level 7, 15 London Circuit. Call 1300 111365, or visit onpoint365.com.au
Willyama Services is a 100% Aboriginal and Veteran owned and Supply Nation certified information technology and cybersecurity professional services business.
INDIGENOUS BUSINESS ad feature
“All First Nations (AFN) provides a digital platform for indigenous suppliers to market their offering to the online community,” she says.
“AFN will be used by individual consumers, businesses and government departments to source indigenous sellers to provide services and products.
“Knowing my heritage, my mob and how I felt when I finally understood my bloodline, I believe in this project and will be a humble Kamilaroi woman that stands proud in the success of AFN.”
Julie says culture and heritage are very important to her.
“I am constantly working to elevate my First Nations community and encourage growth and expansion within the Australian economy,” she says.
“There are many benefits to balancing business and motherhood as it is how we have done it for thousands of years.
“Trade and bartering were where many of our women’s talents lie. My business has taught me compassion, and a greater level of empathy when understanding the challenges and fears that many indigenous ‘Ausmums’ must overcome during the growth of their dreams and self-identity – which is generally the case when it comes to most entrepreneurial peoples.
Willyama assists government and private sector business clients by delivering high-quality service outcomes.
• Managed Print Services
• Staff Training & Education
• Education & Training Academy
• Strategic Indigenous Business Engagement
• Technology Supply, Deployment & Management
• Hardware & Software Fulfilment (Willyama ICT Marketplace)
“It can be challenging to be a successful businesswoman whilst raising a family, but don’t wait for tomorrow, there will always be time in today to start your dream!”
All First Nations. Visit allfirstnations.com.au
All First Nations owner Julie Okely.
All
Willyama Cyber is our full-spectrum cybersecurity subsidiary providing industry-leading cybersecurity services to Australian government and businesses clients nationwide.
Willyama Cyber also offers Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) compliance as a packaged service, ensuring a streamlined path to obtaining DISP membership.
• Enterprise Cybersecurity Governance, Risk & Compliance
• Security Testing & Assurance
• Cybersecurity Consulting
• Cloud Security Solutions
• Managed Security Services
willyama.com.au
willyamacyber.com.au
All First Nations is an 100% Indigenous owned platform for everything First Nations trades - services - businesses - Artists - employment - eventseducation - fasgion - food - accommodation - consultancy - designs - NFT’s products - AFN awards - AFN magazine Partners and more...
“Yaama, AFN is where we can see a diverse range of First Nations sellers, and appreciate their knowledge of an ancient and beautiful heritage. Do business, buy products or spend some time together on AFN, the meeting place.
- Julie Okely Founder and CEO” allfirstnations.com.au
“IF you’re a teenager wondering what career path you should aim towards, or someone looking for a change, then the Canberra CareersXpo just might help you find something that’s right for you,” says a CareersXpo spokesperson.
“It’s running on August 9 and 10, presented in association with the Rotary Club of Aurora Gungahlin in two pavilions at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC),” they say.
“There’s over 140 local and interstate exhibitors ready to help you find a suitable job.
“We’re full to the brim with numerous exhibitors offering training or jobs in cy bersecurity, childcare, teacher training, flight training, defence, hospitality, the disability sector, horticulture, building, electronics, surveying and the police force.”
The spokesperson says career advisers will be located in the corridor between the Coorong and Budawang buildings.
“They are keen to help you with your
EMPLOY For Ability opened in 2019 to support people who are on the autism spectrum and transitioning into work, says managing director David Smith.
“We are promoting our School Leavers Employment Support Program for students on the autism spectrum with an NDIS plan that is self managed or plan managed,” he says.
“Eighty per cent of our school-leaver clients gain award-wage work within 12 months of commencing our programs.
“Ninety-five per cent are still employed 12 months after gaining employment. We are a specialist in neurodiversity, so we have tailored courses that are holistic, looking at the whole person.
Canberra CareersXpo… more than 140 local and interstate exhibitors ready to help antendees find a suitable job.
so stop for a chat and discover your potential,” they say.
“Seminars will be held throughout the whole CareersXpo. Topics include medical entry myths busted, security industry, MSS Security and scholarship, discover your exchange, neurodiversity advantage, and helping your teenager with career planning.
astrophysicist and cosmologist at the ANU. He will be presenting stories about his research into supernovae and his cosmic career trajectory.”
CareersXpo, Exhibition Park In Canberra. August 9 from 9am-3pm and 4pm to 8pm, August 10 from 9am-2.30pm. Visit careersxpo.com.au
“We offer training as well as social group programs, including time management training, finance skills, employment pursuit programs and work-ready social groups, as well as Dungeons and Dragons, chess and a garden group.”
David says he did not realise it at the time, but his journey began when his third child, Ollie, was born.
“Annie and I knew he was different. He was diagnosed with autism at four, and we went through a roller coaster of emotions,” he says.
“As a family we have grown to understand autism and to see the strengths Ollie has, his de -
lightful attitude, his sense of equality and justice. He is a blessing and intrinsic part of my life, and the reason I purposely started my neurodiversity employment journey in 2016.”
Employ For Ability. Call 1300 619768, or visit employforability.com.au
We specialise in providing training programs for School Leavers on the autism spectrum in finding pathways to work.
My Autistic friend was having trouble securing a job in his desired field of Information technology it was having a negative impact on his mental health, he felt he was always turned down because of his Autism. After 5 years of searching, we reached out to Employ for Ability for help -my friend has now secured a job in IT! I am so happy that Employ For Ability exists! Couldn’t recommend it enough.
‘WE TURN UNIQUE SKILLS INTO CAREERS’ CONTACT US TODAY ON 1300 619 768
Lani - Canberra
THE Victorian Department of Education is taking its immersive classroom experience on tour as part of its teacher recruitment campaign – Teach the Future, says a spokesperson.
“This month we are travelling to the Canberra CareersXpo 2023, to illustrate to aspiring teachers what their future as a teacher in Victoria could look like,” they say.
“At the classroom activation, you can learn about pathways into roles as educators and teachers in early childhood, primary and secondary education, and speak to real life educators about their own experience in the profession.
“The Victorian government is investing in making sure its teachers have better pay, greater professional development possibilities and more diverse career
opportunities.
“Victoria is a wonderful place to live and work, especially if you’re a teacher. With a wide range of positions available, as well as employment incentives for recent graduates, there’s never been a better time to make the move.”
Working in Victoria provides the perfect opportunity to grow a career and progress teaching skills, says the spokesperson.
“Drop by booth 137-140 at the Canberra CareersXpo 2023 and learn how rewarding a career as a teacher in Victoria could be,” they say.
Victorian Department of Education. Visit vic.gov.au/ teachthefuture
and are high achievement focused; and because we know how to have a good time whilst getting the job done.”
Rebecca says at the CareersXpo, MSS Security is offering a fully funded training-to-employment pathway into the security industry.
“This includes the cost of a nationally recognised qualification and cost associated with obtaining an ACT Security Licence,” she says.
“The MSS Security Scholarship Program began in September 2021, with 160+ graduates commencing employment.
“MSS Security is passionate about growing our team and providing long-term employment opportunities for anyone wishing to join the security industry.”
MSS Security, visit msssecurity.com.au/ employments/scholarships
People from all walks of life:
• School leavers & jobseekers
• Seeking a career change
• Parents wanting to re-enter the workforce
• Females and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
People with transferable skills:
• Good written and verbal communication
• Professional presentation
• Excellent customer service skills
People who hold or can obtain the following:
• Security licence
• Drivers licence
• First Aid Certificate
• Birth certificate or passport
• Citizenship Certificate (if not Australian-born)
• National Police check
If you don’t have a security licence, join our scholarship program.
Ask us about the perks!
How to apply
To learn more, search for “Teach the Future”.
1300apprentice Academy of Interactive Entertainment
Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA)
ACT Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office
ACT Community Sector Careers Gateway (ACTCOSS)
ACT Education Directorate
ACT Greens
ACT Health Chief Allied Health Officer
ACT Human Rights Commission
ACT Policing
ActewAGL
Adecco Australia Pty Ltd (ADF Careers)
Apprenticeship Careers Australia
Australian Catholic University
Australian College of Physical Education
Australian Federal Police
Australian Signals Directorate
Australian Training Company
Bond University
Brick and Block Careers
Campion College
Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)
CEA Technologies
Charles Sturt University
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
Communities at Work
Core Training
DDR Australia and Duratec Limited
Dentsu Creative PR – Department of Health and Aged Care
Department of Defence – Graduate Program
Department of Defence – Intelligence
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Dubbo Regional Council
Dunmore Lang College
Employ for Ability
Evo Energy
Excelsia College
Flight Centre
Hungry Jack’s
HVTC Appreticeships and Traineeships
Icon Water
Indesco Pty Ltd
International College of Management Sydney (ICMS)
JMC Academy
Kirra Services
La Trobe University
Learn2fly Canberra
Legal Aid ACT
Life Pharmacy Group
Luton Operations
Macquarie University
Marymead Catholicccare Canberra Goulburn
Mas National
Master Builders Australia
McDonald’s
MedEntry UCAT Prep
Monash University
MSS Security
National Art School
National Farmers’ Federation
NetApp
Open to all students, career changers and parent/carers.
Discover hundreds of career options and study pathways.
Attend the Wednesday evening session with your parents from 4-8pm. Includes a public lecture by Dr Brad Tucker, Astrophysicist. Get help in Career Planning and check out exhibitors who are looking for you.
We have over 150 local and national exhibitors, including universities, businesses, handson experiences and career placement organisations all under the one roof!
Scan
OPEN TIMES
Wednesday 9 August 2023 9am to 3pm and 4pm to 8pm
Thursday 10 August 2023 9am to 2.30pm
Visit
Nexus Human Services
NSW Department of Education – Teach NSW
OCTEC Employment Services
Omnia Inclusive Employment Solutions
Perform Australia
Qantas Group
Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council
Real Estate Training Solutions Pty Ltd
Sarina Russo Job Access Australia
Screenwise
Skills Canberra
Southern Cross Athletes
SSI – Home Care Workforce Support Program
St John’s College within the University of Sydney
Students of the World Limited
Surveying Careers
Sydney Actors School & Sydney Film School
TAFE NSW
The Australian National University
The Disability Trust
The National Institute of Dramatic Art
The Personnel Group
The University of Canberra
The University of Melbourne
The University of Queensland
The University of Sydney
The Women’s College within The University of Sydney
The Y Canberra Region
Department of Education – Teach in Victoria
Three Mills Bakery Tocal
Transport Canberra and City Services Trinity College University of Melbourne
– Beauty Therapy & Makeup Artistry
Build Like a Girl – Women in Construction
CIT Culinary – Hospitality, Hair & Beauty
CIT Photography, Media & Fashion
CIT Car Craft – Automotive & Metal Fabrication
CIT Landscaping
CIT Horticulture & Floristry Clubs ACT – Hospitality
G.E.T.S – Electrotechnology
HIA – Construction
Murray Mallee Training Co Ltd/Reece – Plumbing
NAWIC - Non-Traditional Trades for Women
O’Neill and Brown – Plumbing Transport Canberra – City Services
CIT
CIT
TRAINING program manager of Kirra Services Trish Young says in recent years there has been a growing recognition of the need to break down traditional education barriers that have long hindered students from achieving their full potential.
“This is particularly true in rural areas and within indigenous communities,” she says.
“Kirra Services Cyber Career Starter Program seeks to provide students with a more personalised and flexible learning experience, tailored to individual needs and learning styles.”
The program aims to address the shortage of cybersecurity specialists in Australia by facilitating increased participation of indigenous and regional individuals in the information and communications technology and cybersecurity industry, says Trish.
SARINA Russo Apprenticeships (SRA) works with apprentices and trainees to give them an opportunity to earn income and gain skills and qualifications that are beneficial for their future, says business relationship manager ACT, Sue Black.
“As well as on-the-job training in a workplace, apprentices learn under the guidance of a Registered Training Organisation (RTO),” she says.
“By the end of your apprenticeship or traineeship, you will have earned a nationally recognised qualification that will open up multiple career pathways.
FOR more than 40 years, HVTC Group has supported more than 30,000 people through skills training and employment opportunities in NSW, says CEO Sharon Smith.
“We have over 750 current apprentices and trainees employed across a network of over 200 host employers,” she says.
“Vocational education and training pathways provide the foundations for people to excel in their career and education journeys and are key to creating a pipeline of skilled workers for Australia’s future.
“HVTC Group’s regional footprint includes the northern rivers, north coast, north-west, mid-coast, Hunter, central coast, Sydney, Illawarra, Shoalhaven, southern tablelands, and southern NSW regions, as well as the ACT.
“This allows us to provide opportunities across a wide range of industries for both urban and regional communities.”
Sharon says through the Registered Training Organisation, the Central Coast Community College, HVTC delivers nationally accredited programs both face to face and online, including full qualifications and customised training packages.
“HVTC apprenticeship and traineeship pathways offer a valuable opportunity to gain real on the job experience with a host employer while also completing a qualification,” she says.
“You’ll also earn a wage and receive ongoing mentoring and support from HVTC to ensure you successfully complete your training.”
HVTC. Call 1800 247864, or visit hvtc.com.au
The pathway program developed by Kirra Services aims to address the shortage of cybersecurity specialists in Australia by facilitating increased participation of Indigenous and regional individuals in the ICT and cybersecurity industry.
Boasting partnerships with both (ISC)2 and Cisco Networking Academy, the program is backed up with tailored learning support services, mentoring, optional vendor training and an Intern program, designed to build practical skills within the workplace.
The Cyber Career Starter Program is designed to provide culturally appropriate support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to overcome barriers to gaining and maintaining ICT Cyber Employment.
The 24-week program includes:
• Workplace skills training
• ICT Security and Networking
Fundamentals – cybersecurity
• Learning support and mentoring from industry experts
• Access to Career Coaching & Professional development, including recruitment services.
• 8 Week intern program – with leading industry professionals
• Ongoing access to industry & Vendor training
• COST: $2200
SCAN FOR MORE PROGRAM DETAILS
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST AT CYBER@KIRRASERVICES.COM.AU Cyber Career Starter Program – Kirra Services Academy START YOUR CAREER IN CYBER NOW!
“At Kirra Services, we understand the need for community and the importance of the connections it brings. Part of our aim is to ensure that the needs of community members are kept first in mind,” she says.
“Boasting partnerships with both (ISC)2 and Cisco Networking Academy, the program is backed up with tailored learning support services, mentoring, optional vendor training and an intern program designed to build practical skills within the workplace.
“The program specifically targets regional areas and emphasises the inclusion of indigenous participants, women and neuro-diverse individuals.
“By providing practical training, career coaching, mentoring and internship programs, the program aims to empower indigenous and regional individuals to pursue successful careers in cybersecurity, contributing to the growth of the industry in Australia.”
Kirra Services, Unit 1/19 Barry Drive, Turner. Call 6210 1096, or visit kirraservicesacademy.com.au
“No matter what industry, SRA has extensive employer networks across the ACT from construction to corporate business to care and support services.”
Sue says SRA will support apprentices and trainees through their entire apprenticeship and will assist them with finding the right fit for their career path, “through locking in the right RTO and helping them to lodge paperwork, manage all government incentives and keep them on track with mentoring services.”
“One apprentice who has benefitted from partnering with SRA is named Bethany,” she says.
“With assistance from SRA, she signed up to a carpentry apprenticeship with Blue Eco Homes.
“After starting her apprenticeship, she found some male tradesmen still didn’t believe that construction was a place for women. She started an Instagram account to advocate for women and show them that a trade is a career path for everyone.”
Sarina Russo Apprenticeships, 15 Wiluna Street, Fyshwick. Call 1300 178776, or visit sarinarusso.com
THERE’S a whole world of new experiences beyond the snowfields for visitors heading south to the Snowy Monaro district. Its regional council was established in 2016 and comprises the former Bombala, Cooma-Monaro and Snowy River Local Government Areas. The Monaro region is a plateau area lying about 1000 metres above sea level, and is home to about 22,000 people.
“CityNews” spoke to some of the district’s leading businesses and attractions, who bring history and community together.
ski fields, it is easily accessible and perfect for a behind the scenes exploration of one of the biggest engineering feats the world has ever seen,” they say.
“Learn more about the Snowy 2.0 mega-project, view a scale model of a tunnel-boring machine and discover Snowy Hydro’s role in Australia’s renewable energy future. Immerse yourself in our national story, or take a virtual flyover of the Snowy Scheme in our state-of-the-art theatre.
“Complement these experiences with a stroll through our interpretive display area and discover great innovation and ingenuity in our proud history, leading the way for our exciting future.”
The spokesperson says people can explore the interactive diorama of the Snowy Scheme and see how pumped-hydro and the National
IN 2003, Wildbrumby Distillery first opened its doors, says director Brad Spalding.
“This remarkable establishment was founded by myself and my passionate wife, Monika,” he says.
“Our story began when I was a ski instructor in the picturesque Alps near Kitzbühel, Austria, and I crossed paths with Monika. It was then I also developed a profound fascination with the traditional art of crafting schnapps.
cakes and other sweet treats,” they say.
“We serve great barista-made coffee, organic teas, ‘infamous’ milkshakes and a range of iced and cold drinks. Enjoy your cafe experience inside or outdoors, where there is space for kids to run around.
“Our Discovery Centre shop has something for everyone with a range of books, clothing, local produce and souvenirs.
“There’s plenty of free car parking, bus parking, plus additional caravan and trailer parking. There is also a Chargefox Electric Vehicle charging station onsite. Disabled parking and wheelchair access is also available.”
Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre, 1 Monaro Highway, Cooma. Call 1800 623776, or visit snowyhydro.com.au
“In the early 2000s, we acquired a plot of land on the Alpine Way, ideally situated halfway between Jindabyne and Thredbo, with the added convenience of being only 10 minutes away from the Perisher Ski Tube.”
Brad says at the heart of Wildbrumby Distillery stands the original 150-litre Kothe Still, imported from Germany.
“The distillery has access to pristine Alpine water, organically grown fruit and native botanicals, which have become the inspiration behind our staples,” he says.
“Customers are treated to complimentary schnapps tastings
at our distillery door, and they can indulge in a delightful Austrianinspired lunch menu featuring dishes like veal schnitzel, spinach and ricotta dumplings and freshly rolled apple strudel.
“Our winter special is baked apple schnapps. This warming, seasonal schnapps embodies the sweet spirit of our home-grown pink lady apple. As a winter variety, our ladies snuggle up with cinnamon, cloves and star anise to create a sumptuous fireside schnapps.”
Wildbrumby Distillery, Alpine Way and Wollondibby Road, Crackenback. Call 6457 1447, or visit wildbrumby.com
“People should come and visit us as a big-city museum in a rural setting, we’re only slightly off the main road.
“We have a working gallows, people can use a real trap-door, but we also have fire trucks and tractors from history.”
Andrew says they have serving minimum-security prisoners working as guides.
“We have done risk assessments with them, and they
years, having previously worked as a senior prison officer in the UK and in Canberra.
“My passion is the privilege I have been given to tell Australia’s history,” he says.
“I also set up displays in the reception area of some other correctional facilities too.”
Cooma Correctional Museum, 1 Vagg Street, Cooma. Call 6452 5974, or visit correctiveservices.dcj.nsw.gov.au
See and learn about:
• Officers, marines and convicts of the First Fleet
• Life and living conditions of convicts over the past 250 years
• Chains, manacles, tools, weapons, uniforms, prisoner clothing, and artefacts from more than 120 years ago
• Displays of escape attempts, prison revolts and riots
he says.
“‘I didn’t take the decision to stand again lightly.”
Steve says after a much publicised and difficult start to the Monaro campaign, he spoke with many people about the state of NSW needing a different vision going forward.
“Once I decided to run, many local residents told me they wanted a local member who listened to people, and put issues like retaining and attracting teachers, nurses, paramedics and other essential workers at the top of their agenda,” he says.
THE Michelago General Store offers a bit of everything, says owner Belinda Hayes.
“We’re a general grocer, liquor store, cafe and we offer stock feed, too,” she says.
“Our cafe has a very simple menu, but it’s all made on-site with bacon and egg rolls, cakes and sweets.
“We stock and use a range of local products, too. Whenever we can buy and supply or use local, we do, from honey and chocolate to candles and giftware.”
Belinda says the store has been open since 1989, as a hub for the community, acting as a post office as well.
“It’s also a great stopover for people travelling by,” she says.
“I took over in April. I was a public servant for ACT Health for 14 years, and my family decided to move to Michelago a few years ago.
“I decided it was time for a job change, and it was an opportunistic purchase.
“I still wanted to help the community, and this store was perfect for me, it really is a true hub for everyone.
“We have eight other staff, and we’re open seven days a week. My husband helps out and my eldest child helps, too, during the school holidays.
Michelago General Store, 50 Ryrie Street, Michelago. Call 6235 9017, or search Michelago General Store on Facebook.
“Being in touch with issues from the Victorian border in the south to Queanbeyan, Bungendore and Braidwood in the north means a lot of driving (listening to my favourite music and sport), quiet on-the-ground listening, and providing representation when needed,” he says.
“My office is the first stop for people wanting to get a state issue addressed.”
Steve Whan, 213 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 4899 or visit stevewhan.com.au
Serving coffee, milkshakes, burgers, delicious loaded fries, house made cakes, pies and sausage rolls (Locals and travellers say they are the best pies and sausage rolls!)
Including a Liquor store and general grocerConvienient for travellers to grab snacks, milk, bread, eggs, or whatever you need!
We also stock a range of local and artisan goods such as chocolates, fudge, soaps, teas, and local raw honey
50 Ryrie St, Michelago Ph: 02 6235 9017
JINDABYNE Escape Rooms opened in September, bringing something new and exciting to do in town, says owner Judy Brown.
“We have two escape rooms, The Temple Room and Baker Street Mystery,” she says.
“All of our escape rooms are family friendly, and they are a perfect activity to do indoors as a change up from the snow or to keep you occupied on bad weather days.
“We recommend booking online so that people aren’t left waiting for the room to become available, but we have other puzzles and games to keep you occupied and to test your brain.
“We also have a treasure chest to break into, if you don’t feel like breaking out of one of our rooms.”
Judy says the staff and environment is welcoming and pleasant.
“Customers have said they’re becoming addicted, they keep coming back again and again,” she says.
“We’re encouraging visitors from Canberra, too. You’ll get bored of going to the same escape rooms in Canberra over and over again so come try out ours.
“We love hosting and the entertainment of running an escape room, and the rooms are very fun and exciting.”
And, Judy says attached to Jindabyne Escape Rooms is Jindabyne Lolly Shop.
“We have plenty of variety in store and we’re still stocking up,” she
“We’re getting stock in from local suppliers wherever we can.” Jindabyne Escape Rooms, Shop 4/19 Snowy River Avenue, Jindabyne. Call 6456 1015, or visit jindabyneescaperooms.com.au
SNOWY Mountains Helicopters has been offering unforgettable experiences for almost 20 years now, says charter manager and pilot Tyronne Fitzgerald.
“We give people the opportunity to see the vastness in and around the Kosciuszko National Park from an aerial perspective,” he says.
“No one knows the park from the air better than our pilots, so no one is better placed to show it to you.
“On top of scenic flights, we also offer experiences. One is a wilderness picnic, where we fly to a private hut where there is a sense of serenity, a cheese platter and wine, some waterfalls, flowers and beautiful snow.
“Or, we have a Snowy Hydro Scheme experience, where we fly people around and show them how it’s set up.”
Tyronne says he’s always had an interest in aviation, and he got his licence in 2018.
“I’ve never looked back, it makes me so grateful to be able to show people around such an incredible area,” he says.
“While our main office is Jindabyne Airport we can pick up from Canberra Airport. Weather plays a huge part, but we do our best.
“On a really clear day you can see halfway to the coast.”
Snowy Mountain Helicopters, Jindabyne Airport, 56 Tinworth Drive, Jindabyne. Call 1300 950718, or visit snowyheli.com.au
A
MANCHURIAN Pears are probably one of the most planted mediumto-large trees planted in Canberra.
They like hot summers, are drought tolerant when established and getting the right tree for the right spot will lessen the maintenance and aesthetics of the tree’s overall shape.
Many Manchurian Pears (Pyrus ussuriensis) are planted as street trees
It is good value for its blossoms in spring, autumnal colour and glossy green leaves in summer.
Ornamental pears come in many shapes and sizes. The smallest is Capital, which grows three metres wide. Cleveland Select is wider at six metres. Both have a columnar upright growth and make a good choice for smaller gardens. Bradford is good for larger gardens with more branches growing to a width of eight metres.
The largest is the 10-metre Manchurian, which is suited only to park-like gardens. It can be pruned down to any desired height, but may require summer and winter pruning. However, hard pruning in winter can reduce the flowers in spring.
Summer pruning is more desirable as the regrowth will not be as prolific. Careful pruning in the first few years will strengthen the tree’s framework and maintain its future shape.
While Manchurians are in dormancy, it’s a good time to look at the crown of the tree and remove any branches rubbing on one another or growing in the wrong direction.
If there are any branches above three metres, then call in an arborist to remove high branches. This job should not be attempted by the backyard gardener.
NOW the wet weather is drying out and the big frosts are here, a topped-up water bowl in the garden will keep the birds and insects hydrated and close by.
Whereas frogs need moisture, food and shelter with about 70 per cent shade and 30 per cent sun. The Eastern Banjo Frog is the most common living in backyards, sandpits and waterways in Canberra. Its distinctive “bonk call” is apparent during the breeding season from August through to April.
All frogs are sensitive to chemicals used in the environment and will not stay in the garden if the conditions are not right.
To keep frogs around, create a pond with varying depths that gradually deepen to a maximum of 60 centimetres so the frogs can move in and
out of the water safely. Habitat plants around ponds for shelter are Tussock grasses, Sedges and many aquatic plants such as Lythrum salicaria, purple Loosestrife. These plants are important at the water’s edge where frogs can tuck their eggs under water plants, protected from predators and away from fish. Tadpoles can take up to 16 months to metamorphose into frogs and are vulnerable throughout that time.
If there are fish in the pond, it’s highly likely they’ll eat the spawn or tadpoles, so choosing an area where fish can’t reach the tadpoles is the best chance for their survival. Frogs like to eat worms, insects, snails, slugs and mosquitos.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
• National Tree Day’s on Sunday, July 30. Plant a tree.
• Sow broad beans in the vegetable garden.
• Spinach and silverbeet can still be planted in a protected area.
• Prune or divide hydrangeas.
AN extraordinary historical story of adventure and tragedy with a local link is the basis for an original play coming up at The Q in August.
“Legacies”, by Rachel Pengilly, is part of the “Q the Locals” season and tells the true story of the so-called “Arran Stowaways”, a group of young lads from Greenock in Scotland who, keen to test their emerging manhood, stowed away on a boat on a cargo ship, the “Arran”, bound for Quebec.
They were abandoned to their fates by the captain, Robert Watt, in the icy wastes of Newfoundland. Most were rescued but two died.
Watt and his first mate, James Kerr, booed by angry crowds, were later tried at the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh.
Pengilly is not the first person who has thought of turning this yarn into art – there have been a podcast, two novels and a graphic novel.
I caught up with Pengilly for coffee at The Q recently, where she presented herself as a natural storyteller who had hardly stopped talking since age two.
“Exactly,” Pengilly says. “Not all survived [two had died], but the generosity of the Newfies came to the fore.”
By no coincidence at all, the cast was treated to a backstage visit to “Come From Away” at Canberra Theatre. They’d also enjoyed an excursion on board a tall ship at the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney.
“The story is so theatrical, that only a few little things are tweaked and some parts are taken verbatim from the court transcription and the newspapers,” Pengilly says.
She’s done a lot of research and says her biggest help was chatting to descendants, including Newfie Don Macinnes, a descendant of Catherine, whom Pengilly calls “our hero” – she’ll be played by Heidi Silberman.
It’s a largely chronological telling, with occasional flashbacks and physical theatre, but Pengilly attributes its appeal to the story itself, the alluring nature of the ocean, and the idea of running away to sea, with its modern-day equivalents of running away to the circus or to be an actor.
It’s not her first show, but praises the “very experienced actors, who trust me enough to share their thoughts” and she is optimistic that the show will look good, with Mel Davies as set designer, costumes by Helen Wojtas and Shannon Purnell having composed the original score.
“Legacies”, The Q in August, 2-5.
next month.
“My idea is to bring classical music out of the concert hall,” violist Tahlia Petrosian tells me by phone from Germany, fairly brimming with excitement as she outlines her plans.
She’ll be here for a week-long residency during which she will hold workshops for ANU string performance students and the CSO Kingsland program participants, present the CSO Llewellyn Series Concert Talks on August 16 and 17 and play in a chamber concert performance with the ANU Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Canberra’s top violist, Tor Frømyhr.
Known in Europe as the founding director of the Klassik Underground club series, which has redefined the boundaries of classical music performance, she was born in Sydney of Armenian and Chinese parentage but is now based in Leipzig, where she plays with the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
Serendipitously, Gewandhaus, to which she has belonged since 2012, is the very same orchestra where ANU School of Music flute senior lecturer Sally Walker performed from 2003 to 2005, and although the two have never met, it is Walker who was behind the initiative in bringing Petrosian to Canberra.
“Our time in the orchestra did not
of chamber music.
After winning multiple university prizes, she moved to Berlin to study viola with Tabea Zimmermann and Wilfried Strehle, also studying law at nearby Humboldt University.
Her resulting academic work was published in the “Australian Journal of International Law”. So after being headhunted, she returned to Sydney and worked for a legal firm, but soon decided to go back to Germany to pursue music professionally.
But, she tells me, there are parallels between the law and performing. Having been an advocate in mock trials where she was obliged to present an argument, for instance, was rather performing, though in a trial you’re presenting yourself, but in musical performance you’re presenting someone else’s work.
“The artistic side is more personal and less steeped in intellectual rigour, but I’m not saying it’s not intellectual.” She says, “It’s just that the legal scene is more objective.”
But there have been many other strings to her bow and in 2019, Petrosian developed music projects for the Tate Modern and the BBC and was the producer for “50 Years in a Day” concerts at Southbank.
Her choice of instrument began at age 14 when there weren’t enough viola players for a Sydney concert, but she believes it has given her the opportunity of a richer music experience.
“Being in the middle of the action is super-interesting,” she says, “the role of the viola is less defined and more nebulous –
Mozart and Beethoven played the viola.”
Klassik Underground had begun life in 2016 in an underground venue near the concert hall after she asked whether they’d like to do a club-style, after-show guest spot involving leading international artists.
“It’s much more drawn from the classical canon… but in a context that is modern… the music is always classical,” she says, “but it’s more a conversation between the musicians and the audience, getting them to listen in a more personal way.”
The format sees classical music combined with other art forms, drawing on the club scene and sometimes mixing in theatre, so she has combined Shostakovich with live street art and classical music with a screening of the horror film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”.
“That’s the kind of thing we’re doing in Illuminate Adelaide, where there’ll be two different Klassik Underground shows,” she says.
In “Reverberating Rhythms” she leads an ensemble of flute, viola, harp, and four percussionists through a program of John Cage, Tōru Takemitsu and Sofia Gubaidulina, matched with visuals by Tim Gruchy. And in “Shifting Sounds”, she and Gewandhaus Orchestra members perform works by Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók and Iannis Xenakis to a video installation by VFX artist Joli Boardman on a wraparound LED screen. “Modernity and traditional musical forms collide,” she says.
Tahlia Petrosian chamber concert, Larry Sitsky Recital Room, August 18.
“BE afraid… entertained, excited, confused… and delighted,” the promo goes for the ever-popular deadpan group, the Spooky Men’s Chorale, who are coming to Llewellyn Hall on August 5. Originally from the Blue Mountains of NSW, they’re now world famous. The “Spookies” have spiced up their list of favourites with a Ukrainian section and a rabble-rousing rendition of Yothu Yindi’s “Treaty”, but otherwise it will be more of the same – “as sly as a wagonload of Spike Milligans and as sonorous as a cloister of monks”.
MARION, formerly called ACT Writers, has announced the appointment of well-known local artist Katy Mutton to the role of CEO. Previously the organisation’s strategic design manager and interim CEO, she replaces Meg Wilson in the job.
AS part of National Poetry Month, the ACT Live Poetry Showcase will be held in the Fairfax Theatre, National Gallery, on August 5. Featured poets include “CityNews” writer Barrina South and Andrew Moss, both commissioned to write poems in response to a work in the NGA collection. South has selected Eugene von Guérard’s “North-east view from the northern top of Mount Kosciuszko” and Moss will respond to Fiona Foley’s “HHH”.
AUSTRALIAN Romantic & Classical Orchestra is on a mammoth national tour and Canberra violist John Ma is in the orchestral lineup. They’ll be at Albert Hall performing “Midsummer Dreams”, works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn, on August 1.
ANCA Dickson’s annual “PIN” show where sculptors, printmakers, painters, ceramicists, silversmiths, machine-makers, photographers, woodworkers and glass artists created wearable pins and brooches is back – August 9-19 – after a break of five years.
PIANIST Edward “Teddy” Neeman explores the
origins of the piano ballade in two of Chopin’s groundbreaking works. The concert also includes the Grieg Ballade Op. 24, late Romantic ballades by Amy Beach and Ignaz Friedman, and premieres by American composers Michael Ippolito and Reinaldo Moya. Wesley Music Centre Forrest, 2pm, July 30.
THE NGA continues to highlight the contribution of Australian women artists with “Know My Name: Making it Modern”, celebrating the works of pioneering women artists such as Margaret Preston, Grace Cossington Smith and Clarice Beckett, with a focus on the period between the 1920s and the late 1940s. Opens August 5.
THE CSO Chamber Ensemble presents the Australian premiere of Simon James Phillips’ composition, “Perto Do Ar” (Close to Air). Premiered in Lisbon’s Panteão Nacional, it will now get an airing in the Gandel Atrium, National Museum of Australia, July 27.
ART Song Canberra’s next concert, “Expressionist Impressions”, will be given by soprano Sarahlouise Owens (soprano) and Katherine Day (piano). It will feature works of Strauss, Marx, Zemlinsky, Jentsch, Debussy and Franz. Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, 3pm, July 23.
ONE of Australia’s most innovative musicians working on the European stage is heading for Canberra
reviews crime novels by two Australian women writers, one established, the other on debut.
TWO crime novels, two Australian women writers, one an established best-selling author, the other with her debut novel, but both, although in completely different ways, explore the devastating impact of the loss of a child.
In Los Angeles, in Candice Fox’s “Fire with Fire”, Ryan and Elsie Delaney refuse to accept that their five-year-old daughter, Tilly, died two years earlier. They believe she was abducted. They invade the HertzbergDavis Forensic Science Center, taking three hostages. They demand the police find their child within 24 hours or they will destroy vital DNA evidence that could convict violent, dangerous criminals.
Detective Charlie Hoskins (Hoss) has spent five years undercover in a bikie gang, The Death Machines, and the hard-won evidence he has collected is in the lab. He tells Saskia Ferboden, the Chief of Police, that he will investigate the truth of the Delaneys’ claims and, if necessary, find Tilly.
He’s told: “The Tilly Delaney case is irrelevant right now… we’re treating this as a hostage crisis.”
Despite the fact he’s just released himself from hospital, with a plate in his head and other injuries, Hoss decides if the police
won’t look for Tilly, he will. Even more unlikely, he teams up with the disgraced young policewoman, Lynette Lamb, whose carelessness revealed his identity to The Death Machines, putting his life in danger.
Hoss and Lamb race against time, and the pursuing Death Machines, as the Delaneys start to destroy evidence. The end result is a mission impossible mixed with shades of “Lethal Weapon”.
Fox, however is an established awardwinning author, having won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel twice and perhaps her best novel “Crimson Lake” (2017) was adapted into the disappointing TV series “Troppo” (2022). All her thrillers have been best sellers and no doubt this one will be, too.
HOWEVER, “Lowbridge”, is Lucy Campbell’s debut novel. Campbell, who lives in Canberra, is a journalist who has worked as a sub-editor across magazines, newspapers and non-fiction books.
Campbell sets her novel in the fictional town of Lowbridge, which she says is “very loosely based on a town in the Southern Highlands of NSW, where I lived for 10 years”. She wanted “to be able to look at the difference between people from varying backgrounds: city and country, progressive
I NEVER thought a corporate board meeting could put me on the edge of my seat.
That was until I watched the finale of “Succession”, which finished just weeks ago on streaming service Binge to resounding applause.
First pitched as a version of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” for the modern media age, this comedydrama about the battle for a Murdoch-esque media empire delivered a tragic, unexpected and fitting ending in its fourth and final season.
Now, the show looks set to sweep the Emmy Awards with a whopping 27 nominations, including one for best drama. The show has also received 14 nods for the cast – notably Brian Cox as cut-throat media mogul and patriarch Logan Roy.
The actors who play his three children who compete for his throne, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin and Aussie star Sarah Snook, have also been acknowledged, marking the first time three cast members from the same show have nabbed a nomination for best lead actor award.
So “Succession” has broken records and continues to generate talk, but does it really deserve this amount of hype?
I must confess that back when the series first dropped I was somewhat sceptical of its potential, but having stuck with it and seen it through to the end, I’m convinced it deserves the top gong this year.
It’s no easy thing to admit as a long-devoted fan of “Better Call Saul” (on Stan), which has also been nominated for best drama in its final season.
Over its 63 episodes the famed spin-off of “Breaking Bad” achieved a feat indeed making a slow burn just so thrilling, but despite delivering some of the best moments of modern television
“Saul” has racked up 53 Emmy nominations and never been able to pull off a single win.
That includes six swings and misses for best drama and six times star Bob Odenkirk has lost out on the outstanding acting prize.
While “Succession” has indeed earnt best drama, it’s high time Odenkirk received the acknowledgement he deserves for his performance as sleazy and charismatic lawyer Saul Goodman.
His co-star Rhea Seehorn is also up for best supporting actress in a drama series and has more than earnt the prize after dialling up her acting to a whole new level for the show’s ending.
Also breaking records this year is HBO’s “The Last of Us”, which has scored 24 nominations. This post-apocalyptic thriller about a man and his surrogate daughter who journey across a decrepit and monster-infested US marks the first time a video game adaptation has been nominated for an Emmy.
Stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are up for acting prizes, and while the competition might
be a bit too stiff to see them take out a win, it’s exciting to see the video game and TV mediums brought so vividly together into the spotlight for the first time.
Another surprise, though a welcome one, is Disney Plus’ “Andor” getting a nomination for best drama series.
This is the first time a “Star Wars” spin-off show has been nominated for television’s top award and deservedly so. “Andor” represents a much darker, more mature entry in the galaxy far, far away and proves when done well blockbuster sci-fi and fantasy can exist in the upper echelons of TV drama.
There’s no shortage of talent in the comedy categories either, with “Barry” (Binge), “The Bear” (Disney Plus) and “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+) all frontrunners for the category.
While my money’s on “Ted Lasso” to take out the best comedy prize for its final season, Bill Hader’s emotionally charged performance in the ending of “Barry” merits the trophy.
HBO’s second season of “The White Lotus” (Binge) has also dominated the game, taking out an impressive total of 23 nominations.
It would be great to see Jennifer Coolidge’s baffling and hilarious performance of neurotic heiress Tanya McQuoid take out the prize for best supporting actress. Four of her co-stars have also been nominated in the same category, showcasing just how well this show balances its many different characters.
In any other year “The White Lotus” would likely sweep the ceremony but a truly actionpacked year of TV means it’s got some tight competition indeed. The calibre of quality on display means this could be the most exciting Hollywood awards ceremony for some time –whether anybody gets slapped or not.
Margaret Graham, an impeccably dressed, no-nonsense country woman in her seventies and she decides to help, offering her expertise in marketing, as the women work to mount their first exhibition.
During her research she discovers a photo of Tess Dawes, a schoolgirl, who went missing in 1987. She “walked out of Lowbridge shopping centre and was never seen again”. Katherine becomes obsessed with the mystery of Tess’s disappearance.
“For the first time in a year, [her] own grief was swamped by something larger”.
Campbell interweaves the story of Tess and her friends with that of Katherine, bringing to life vividly the friendship of three Year 11 girls at Lowbridge High in the summer of 1987, as well as the controversy over a proposed wome n’s health centre which divided the town. The authentic teenage voices breathe life into a novel which otherwise could have been a totally dark exploration of grief and loss.
“Lowbridge” promises much but, as Katherine’s investigation falters, so does the novel. Campbell has admitted in interview that she “always knew who did it, but I had no idea how. There were many endings, some more plausible than others”. It’s unfortunate that, after an impressive start, the ending she chose is both unpredictable and overly sentimental.
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NARRABUNDAH shops are blessed with some great eateries – XO, D’Browes, Kita and, newish, Du Sel. One that’s been on the scene for a whopping 14 years is La Cantina.
The first thing you notice when walking into this Italian restaurant is the bricks – 80,000 hand-cut, Roman-style bricks to be precise, which are about 140 years old and were used to build a residence for the French embassy in Ho Chi Minh City.
When La Cantina’s Dom Celestino heard the embassy was being demolished, he made a pitch for the bricks and after cleaning and fumigation, transported them here to be laid by seven bricklayers trained in old-school techniques.
Dom’s aim was to create a cellar feel to his then-new restaurant, perfectly given “la cantina” means cellar in Italian.
Dishes feature traditional and modern Italian fare, updated with seasonal produce.
From the antipasti section of the menu, we began with burrata, a beautiful texture and yum with pesto bursting with basil and ripe, colourful heirloom tomatoes ($19). What a magnificent cheese, firmer on the outside and softer on the inside.
Next up was carpaccio, thinly sliced beef eye fillet seared just so and featuring tastes of puckerpower lemon, salty capers and shavings of hard,
sharp, bold pecorino cheese ($24). Pieces of crispy kale danced on top.
For my main, I chose the handmade ravioli packed with a combo of orange duck confit, sultanas and ricotta ($32). It’s a decadent dish served with burnt butter sage sauce, shaved Grana Padano and crispy sage. The pasta was al dente and the serve was exceptionally generous (so much so, I couldn’t finish it all). A masterpiece in its own right.
My friend was delighted with his fish en papillote (in paper). The catch of the day was Jew fish ($42). Also wrapped in the paper for steaming were white wine clams, leek and thinly sliced potatoes. The juice created was divine and the herbs served on top, alongside a wedge of lemon, presented additional fresh flavours. Cherry tomatoes and olives added punch.
Insalata di Arugula. The peppery rocket was decorated with pear, crunchy candied walnuts and Grana Padano cheese ($14). The dressing was a perfect blend of tart lemon juice and quality olive oil.
While too full for dessert, we admired the line-up – panna cotta, tiramisu, burnt cheesecake, sorbet and cannoli (all $16).
La Cantina has an intriguing and reasonably priced wine list and tips its hat to Italian wines as well as top drops from Australia, NZ and France. Staying with the Italian theme we enjoyed the Otto Soave Classico, with its savoury finish ($13/ glass and $60/bottle). We also enjoyed the Vouvray Chenin Blanc from France ($12/glass and $56/bottle).
At La Cantina, it’s service with a smile…
Sigrid Thornton loves a challenge, which is why the perennial actor signed on to play an eccentric mother in an unconventional black comedy murder mystery, reports CASSANDRA MILLER
WHEN audiences first meet Sigrid Thornton’s character Vivianne Verity in the upcoming feature film “Slant”, she’s reaching for a box of bright red hair dye on a supermarket shelf.
“Don’t rush me, I need a change,” she tells her son, Billy Verity.
“What do you think? I’ll stand out in my audition, won’t I?”
Thornton, like Vivianne, has never shied away from reinvention, instead embracing it and seeking out new challenges as a way to explore her creative boundaries.
A fixture of Australian TV and cinema, the actor is drawn to that which lies outside of the orthodox, and “Slant” is anything but.
“I’ve tried to always keep moving in new directions because it’s more interesting, and I get to find out more about what I can do and who I am,” Thornton told AAP.
“I’ve been very fortunate because I have been given the opportunity to really play with quite a wide range of different sorts of characters.”
The feature film debut of director James Vinson, “Slant” pitches itself
as a black comedy thriller which Thornton notes is not a genre “lining the shelves”.
It leans into the camp with Edgar Wright-esque whip-pans, heightened drama, cracking dialogue and loud costumes paying homage to the late 1990s when the film is set.
Thornton’s wine-skolling Vivianne is mother to main character Derek Verity, an unhinged journalist played by writer and producer Michael Nikou.
Thornton… fortunate to play a wide range of characters.
Derek is determined to publish an expose on a Melbourne murder mystery as the Verity family contends with their own dark secret, wading through deception and trauma in the process.
Thornton was drawn to Vivianne’s strength and neurosis when she signed on to the script.
The film comments on the media’s ability to take a “slant” or angle on any topic or situation quickly, as well as the ephemeral nature of the news cycle and the sensationalism within it.
“I read (the script) and thought, ‘it’s so hard to make a film or to write a film that’s genuinely unconventional’, and this was that,”
Thornton said.
Thornton lauds the film’s creators for pulling it together on a tight budget, and points to Nikou’s mother, a legal professional, who did the catering for “Slant’s” weekslong Melbourne shoot.
“There’s a lot in the film to take away, but I really genuinely hope people are just entertained,” Thornton said.
“That’s the best result, if people can be entertained, intrigued, charmed and have a laugh. It’s got all those possibilities.”
The Queer Screen Completion Fund helped fund “Slant”, which is slated for national theatrical release in August.
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Are you procrastinating about which project to pursue? A bored and unengaged Ram is a recipe for trouble. With Tuesday night’s Full Moon activating your aspirations zone (and your power planet, Mars, trining Jupiter) it’s time to act with plenty of energy and enthusiasm. However – with Saturn opposing Mercury – too much haste could land you in hot water. So do your best to get the balance right between thinking things through and being proactive.
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
Expect professional problems or domestic dramas, as the Full Moon and retro Venus stir up old grievances. Use your diplomatic talents to help find solutions. However, if you just sit back and let others make decisions, you’ll feel powerless. So, strive to be more self-sufficient, especially at home and work. Getting the ratio right between your public and private lives is challenging. But if anyone can juggle conflicting commitments, it’s a well-balanced Bull!
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
Many Geminis have a wandering gypsy gene, and this week your travel zones are activated by the Full Moon. You’re feeling restless but holidays and adventures could be thin on the ground, as retrograde Venus frustrates plans and slows things down. Don’t despair! Have fun closer to home and plan to explore further afield after Venus turns direct on September 4. Plenty of patience is required on Wednesday when Saturn opposes Mercury.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
Do your best to avoid being a snappy Crab on Tuesday night, when the unpredictable Full Moon magnifies mood swings and heightens your emotional sensitivity. Clear communication is the key. If you’ve been burying your head in the sand, then a problem could come to a head and demand to be addressed. The planets encourage you to be direct about dealing with challenges, especially involving finances, intimacy and trust. No side-stepping allowed!
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
Hey, Cats – avoid getting stuck in a comfortable but complacent and boring rut. With the Sun and Venus both visiting fiery Leo, it’s time to be bold, take a chance and strike while the iron is hot! Remember Venus is reversing through your sign (until September 4) so not everything will run smoothly. But don’t worry – press on and be patient. As actress (and birthday great) Lucille Ball said: “I’d rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven’t.”
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
Have you been selling yourself short? Stop being a critical fusspot who engages in negative self-talk and sabotages success. Mars and Mercury (your ruler) are both transiting through your sign, so it’s time to be the confident and clever Virgo you were destined to be. Your motto for the week is from birthday great, actress and producer Lucille Ball: “I have an everyday religion that works for me. Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line.”
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
Venus (your patron planet) is in retrograde mode until September 4. If you are attached, the two of you will be under increased stress due to doubt, illness, money problems or career pressures. Don’t panic! Use the time to work on the relationship in a patient and productive way. If you are single, don’t expect much from the dating scene during this period. If you do connect with someone special, there’ll be plenty of roadblocks before the romance takes off..
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
Slow down, cool down and calm down, Scorpio! Don’t make major mountains out of minor molehills and waste precious time worrying about annoying problems, especially at work. Things won’t run according to plan and, if there are complications, then clever communication will help you get through any temporary turbulence. The Mars/Jupiter trine is terrific for setting ambitious goals, organising group projects and pursuing cosmopolitan friendships.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
The terrific Mars/Jupiter trine blesses a career move, professional idea, business matter, start-up or side hustle. There’s one proviso though… your heart must be in it. If you’re just going through the motions, then it will affect the quality of your work and success will be fleeting. So do your best to find a challenging project that you can really sink your Sagittarian teeth into. But – with Venus reversing through your travel zone – a trip (or visitor) could be delayed.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
Tuesday night’s Full Moon highlights financial matters. And Saturn (your ruling planet) opposes Mercury on Tuesday and Wednesday. Which could increase your predilection for criticism and perfectionism to the max. Calm down, Capricorn – and don’t take everything so seriously! Jupiter encourages you to sit in the sun with a drink (or two), read a book, play beautiful music, indulge in some birdwatching… just relax. You might learn to like it.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
Tuesday night’s Full Moon lights up your sign. So, it’s time to tap into the essence of what makes you the quirky and avant-garde Aquarian you were born to be. Don’t let retrograde Venus, relationship rumbles, work worries or financial fiascos diminish your idiosyncratic style. Be contrary! Be different! Be inspired by birthday great, pop artist Andy Warhol: “I like to be the right thing in the wrong place and the wrong thing in the right place.”
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
The Full Moon’s stimulating your seclusion zone, so slow down and reflect on where you’re going and where you’ve been. A health issue needs to be revisited and medical or dental appointments booked. When it comes to a much-needed local or interstate holiday, be patient and plan carefully. Tuesday and Wednesday favour education projects and community activities, as Mars and Jupiter encourage you to patch up problems and be positive about the future.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2023Across
3 Which small animal and plant organisms float in the water? (8)
7 What was a given name of the composer, Berlioz? (6)
8 Name an animal of the Proboscides order. (8)
9 What is any of a group of steroid alcohols derived from plants or animals? (6)
10 To be too young, is to be what? (5-3)
11 What is one thousandth of a kilogram? (6)
14 What are sacred songs of hymns? (6)
17 Which term describes the dying of tissue as from interruption to circulation? (8)
18 Name a socialist society favouring the gradual spread of socialism by peaceful means. (6)
19 To recover or regain, is to do what? (8)
20 What are short appearances by celebrities? (6)
21 To be the poorest, is to be the what? (8)
Craig Phillips, Senior Financial Planner | Luisa Capezio, Aged Care Adviser
Solution next edition Down
1 Which legendary monster is part man and part horse? (7)
2 Name another term for the breastbone. (7)
3 What is the overture to an opera? (7)
4 Who are the sons of one’s sisters? (7)
5 What is a physical or mental toil, especially when painful? (7)
6 Which hard aromatic seeds of the fruit of an East Indian tree are used as spices? (7)
11 Who made the first flight in space, Yuri ...? (7)
12 What is the second given name of Sandra Bullock? (7)
13 Name a cocktail made of gin and vermouth. (7)
14 Which senior pupil has the authority for maintaining order? (7)
15 Montgomery is the capital of which US State? (7)
16 Name the principal bullfighter. (7)
It is well-known and reported that Australians underestimate how long they will live by about five years. More concerning, Australians tend to underestimate the costs of living as they age, generally forgetting about needing extra supportive care in the home or in aged care.
For people over age 65 today and a member of a couple, your life expectancy is approximately 93 years. Having a plan to 'outlive your money' and giving you enough retirement savings or investments is critical.
Have you planned for your frailty years? The concept of running out of funds between your retirement to the end of life is a pretty grim thought but worthy of serious attention while you are young enough to do something about it. Planning for your frailty years, (e.g living with more than one comorbidity) warrants careful thought about whether your savings will last the distance.
What to do? Work out how much you think you will spend each year for 25+ years after full-time work stops. Consider how will you pay for supportive care if your or your partner’s health fails.
If you need help, an adviser will calculate the amount of superannuation and/or other assets you will likely need for your retirement – based on your short, medium and long-term goals –and they will help tailor a personalised strategy for growing your nest egg while you’re still working.
There are sensible, simple and widely used solutions to help support your other income sources that can even improve or enable eligibility for some age pension without the worry about share market volatility.
Acknowledging and proactively planning for the financial realities of aging is a vital step towards ensuring a comfortable and secure retirement. Embrace the knowledge that Australians tend to underestimate both their lifespan and the costs associated with aging, and take action to understand and plan for your later years. By devising a well-informed strategy and seeking the guidance of financial experts, you can look forward to a worryfree retirement.
To learn more, call us on 1300 10 22 33 or book a introductory meeting via our website phillipswp.com.au
Disclaimer: This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please contact Phillips Wealth Partners or your professional adviser. Phillips Wealth Partners Pty Ltd ACN 624858420 is a corporate authorised representative of Insight Investment Services Pty Ltd AFSL 309996.
