Full list of the latest, local Order of Australia award recipients.
Official: we lead the nation in locking up Aboriginals
JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED
Driving and technology, the things that annoy CLIVE WILLIAMS
Will we destroy the village to save the village?
MIKE QUIRK
A special orchid that’s easily missed
JACKIE WARBURTON
Canberrans VANESSA BRETTELL & HANNAH COSTELLO have been named Australian Local Hero for their social enterprise cafes
Physiotherapist Emil comes to us with a wealth of physiotherapy experience and knowledge from the public hospital system and also private practice. Emil works closely with our team of Exercise Physiologists on a coordinated approach to improving your pain and overall wellbeing. Emil has a special interest in neurology and improving the lives of people living with neurological conditions. He’s also mad keen on soccer and will support you with all sports related injuries and injury prevention.
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.
Sarah believes that exercise is the best medicine. She is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with her degree in exercise physiology and rehabilitation. Previously Sarah was a swim teacher, personal trainer and an allied health assistant in the hydrotherapy field.
Jarrod is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist who graduated from the University of Canberra in 2024.
He has a passion for wanting to help those in need and aims to provide the best possible treatment and advice to each and every one of his clients.
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.
By Elizabeth KOVACS
anced nutrients for babies.
“I wanted to give Harvey food that ticked all the boxes,” she says.
“It was a lot of work, I was spending hours researching, searching for those ingredients in the stores, cooking, steaming, pureeing, all the
Her research ground to a halt when baby Harvey was diagnosed with Global Development Delay at 18 months and was later diagnosed with Level Three Autism.
Janae threw herself into therapy with Harvey, going through speech
was getting the most nutritious foods to support his development while we were doing therapy,” she says.
“I started experimenting with super foods like bone broth, chia seeds, kale and flax in the purees I was making.
“Harvey is a fussy eater, so I wasn’t
Since 1993: Volume 31, Number: 4
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Cover: Local Heroes Vanessa Brettell, left, and Hannah Costello. Story Page 4.
Photo: Mick Tsikas/AAP.
General manager: Tracey Avery, tracey@citynews.com.au
Senior advertising account executive: David Cusack, 0435 380656
Advertising account executive: Damien Klemke, 0439 139001
Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au
Journalist: Elizabeth Kovacs, elizabeth@citynews.com.au
Arts editor: Helen Musa, helen@citynews.com.au
Production manager: Janet Ewen
Distribution manager: Penny McCarroll
Like many people on the Autism spectrum, Harvey was particular rees, which saw lots of trial and error in the kitchen to create the perfect
Now armed with some recipes for success, Janae dusted off her research
“I was new to the food industry and had no contacts or knowledge, I was
“[The pediatric dietitian] helped me tweak the recipes to make sure we were hitting all the right notes for
“It was really important that every
One thing that Janae stayed clear from was including fruits in her Little
In her early search for food that would help Harvey sleep, Janae was shocked to find nearly all baby food on shelves was overly sweet and made up
“Fruit is great… in moderation,” says Janae.
“Babies form their palate at a very young age and what they eat early on can affect their preferences later in life.
“We’ve found that by having more savoury flavours with superfoods,
kids are more likely to continue these habits as they eat solid foods.”
A statistic that shocked Janae during her research was the 30 grams of fats that the Australian Government recommended babies consume each day.
“The average pouch purees on the shelf contain one to one and a half grams of fat in them,” she says.
“Ours have five grams of fat in them.
“We’re really trying to make sure that we’re making a difference by giving babies what they need.”
Janae says every step of the way has been helped by Harvey, the namesake of their brand.
“Harvey has been my biggest guide,” she says.
“He’s my inspiration and has taught me so much about patience and determination, and I guess overcoming all the different challenges that life can throw at you.
“I’m really proud to give back, not only to him, but also to families across Australia.”
Launching her brand, Little Harvesters, in January, Janae says Canberra has been a huge support behind her.
“Canberra is so supportive,” she says.
“We have such an amazing community and I feel so lucky to be starting up here.”
The range of Little Harvester purees is available at littleharvesters.com.au
Canberrans Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello have been named Australian Local Hero for their social enterprise cafes helping migrant women gain jobs, reports ANDREW BROWN.
For Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello, their business Cafe
Stepping Stone is more than just a place to get coffee.
The two cafes – in Dickson and Strathnairn – are a gateway for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds to get a job, who otherwise face hurdles in getting employment.
Cafe Stepping Stone, which is run as a social enterprise, also allows for on-the-job training and qualifications through nearby organisations.
Through the cafes, the pair have since employed 50 women over the past four years.
Employment at the cafes have focused on women who are the sole-income earners in the house, new arrivals to Australia, those at risk of homelessness or those with limited English, while also helping them with training and job pathways.
The cafe’s co-founders have been recognised for their work by being jointly named Australia’s Local Hero for 2025 at the Australian of the Year awards.
Ms Brettell said her grandmother had experienced isolation in com-
ing to Australia and she wanted to minimise the experience for other migrants.
“We help women from war-affected areas who have experienced unspeak able trauma and loss and who arrive in Australia full of hope for a fresh start only to face new challenges,” she said on accepting the award.
“Finding economic security, commu nity, support, and a sense of belonging is hard, and often women can become very isolated and vulnerable.”
Ms Costello said the cafes had provided a place of stability for many in the community.
“When we lift others up, everybody benefits. As a consumer, every dollar you spend is an investment in the world you want. Choose social enterprise. You have the power to create change,” she said.
“Everybody deserves a fair chance to thrive, feel safe, and have access to meaningful work and be part of a community.”
Australia Day Council chair John Foreman said both women had helped to provide a community for countless other migrants.
“Vanessa and Hannah are empowering migrant women to find identity,
education and employment in a new country,” he said.
“Their empathy and ideas are creating bright futures and connection within communities.”
AFL legend and FightMND founder Neale Daniher was awarded the 2025 Australian of the Year for his work over a decade in raising more than $100 million to find a cure for the disease.
West Australian and Wheelchairs for Kids co-founder Brother Olly
Pickett was named Senior Australian of the Year, honouring his work in providing mobility aids to thousands of children in developing countries. Young Australian of the Year went to Queensland scientist Katrina Wruck , who was recognised for her pioneering work in green chemistry in indigenous communities. –AAP
Australia Day Honours: who got what in the ACT – Page 7
High tea funds for Love Your Sister
Samuel Johnson.
Gold Logie winning actor Samuel Johnson, co-founder of Love Your Sister, will join the International Women’s Day fundraising high tea at Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall, 2pm-4pm, on March 8, to honour the inspiring legacy of his late sister, Connie. Hosted by the Queanbeyan Evening Branch of the Country Women’s Association of NSW, Samuel will share the ongoing mission of Love Your Sister, a charity committed to advancing precision cancer treatment to vanquish all cancers. Tickets are $75 from theq.net.au
Money for jam (& pickles)
Cancer research fundraisers The Bold Bandannas will sell their trademark jams, pickles, chutneys, marmalades, lemon butter, and sugar-reduced preserves at Ziggy’s shop in the Fyshwick Markets on Saturday, February 15, 8am-4.30pm.
View club’s AGM looms
The Yerrabi View Club will hold its annual general meeting at the Eastlake Club, Gungahlin, from 11.30am on February 20. New members welcome. More from 0419 698091 or emailing dotric65@gmail.com by February 17.
Legal columnist HUGH SELBY looks at the dangers of being scammed while paying bills by email without first double-checking the banking details. Get it wrong and you could be paying twice!
If you send your bills by email, or if you have been paying bills received by email, then be warned. Here are a few examples of pending sorrow.
• Following an inspection at the seller’s home or dealership, you decide to buy a second-hand car. The seller emails you their banking details. You pay by EFT.
• You seek legal advice. You sign a hard-copy costs agreement. That agreement includes the law firm’s banking details. Following receipt of the legal advice, you receive an emailed tax invoice that includes banking details. You pay by EFT to the invoice banking details.
• You and your partner plan an overseas trip with a reputable travel agency. By email you receive the booking details for travel, accommodation and pre-paid tours. Another attachment is their tax invoice, which includes banking details. You pay by EFT. Sadly, criminal skills now include intercepting any email between seller and buyer and changing the
details that are in the email and any attachment. The banking details, the phone contact for the seller, even the contact emails can all be changed before the (now fraudulent) email hits the buyer’s email inbox.
Neither seller nor buyer knows about the interception. The buyer pays in good faith – but to a bank account that has no connection with the seller.
The principle that will apply in most such cases is: the buyer has been scammed, but the seller is still entitled to be paid for their goods, advice or services, so the buyer will be paying twice.
However, “most cases” does not mean “all cases”. Sellers must take steps to ensure that they cannot be found to have induced a buyer to rely on some representation from the seller that will shift the loss to the seller.
The convenience and trust that most of us may have had in emails and their attachments has gone. Instead, the prudent buyer, and seller, must assume that their emails and attachments can be hacked and altered.
Do as follows:
1. If there is a written contract signed by the parties then it should include the banking and contact details to be used by the parties. In the legal advice example above the hard-copy costs agreement should include such details. It is those details, not any details in a later invoice, which govern the relationship between the parties.
2. Because there is often no written agreement, just a spoken agreement as to what is to be done, by when, at what price, a buyer should not pay a seller’s invoice until they have verified the banking details with the seller (or the seller’s accounts
person). This means either checking face to face at the seller’s business or checking by phone when the buyer is confident that they have the seller’s phone number. Having to go back and check like this is a hassle; however, better to be safe than very, very, sorry.
Sellers who are using invoicing software should carefully check the software supplier’s terms and conditions. What, if anything, is said about the risk of the invoices being hacked and/or payments being made to scammer accounts? If anything is said it is likely to shift any risk away from the software supplier and on to you. Because you do not want to spend a lot of money in a court case chasing a scammed buyer who paid a hacked invoice on such a system (relying upon its apparent defences against scammers) be sure to require the buyer – in writing – to contact you (face to face, or by pre-agreed phone number) before they pay the invoice.
4. If your invoicing – sending and paying – practices are anything other than very straightforward and infrequent, then seek accounting/ legal/ cybersecurity advice about what practices you and your staff should be following.
5. Let’s be clear again – having to do this is a pain and a hassle. However, the plight of West Australian com-
pany, Inoteq, which has had to pay $191,000 twice, is such a dismal tale that the hassle seems necessary.
The case of Mobius Group Pty Ltd v Inoteq Pty Ltd was decided in Perth just before Christmas. Mobius had done work for Inoteq and invoiced them. A fraudster hacked Mobius’ email account and then sent Inoteq an email from the same email address telling Inoteq that the Mobius’ bank details had changed. Payment was to be made to the scammer’s “new” account. Inoteq called an expert who explained how the scam was performed. Everyone else should note:
1. the PDF original invoice was likely modified with a PDF editor and then resent;
2. it is possible to implement a system to prevent email impersonation, but the uptake to date in Australia is low; and,
3. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be required for email, banking, and all business-critical online services. However, it can be breached.
To “buyer beware” add, “…and sellers, too”.
Hugh Selby, a former barrister, is the CityNews legal affairs commentator. His free podcasts on “Witness Essentials” and “Advocacy in court: preparation and performance” can be heard on the best known podcast sites.
Australia has experimented with drug summits for 40 years. They’ve come with highs and lows, writes ROSS FITZGERALD.
Australia’s first official meeting referred to as a “drug summit” was convened on April 2 1985 in Canberra by Bob Hawke, the then ALP prime minister.
Officially known as The Special Premiers’ Conference, Hawke met with the six state premiers and the NT Chief Minister – the ACT was not represented as this meeting took place before self government.
This meant that the heads of five Labor governments met with the heads of three conservative governments (Queensland, Tasmania and the NT). It was the first time since World War II that the heads of all Australian governments had met to discuss any matter other than finance.
In December 1984, Hawke promised that, if his government was returned at the election, he would convene a drug summit early in 1985. The 40th anniversary of this important event falls in April.
As a result, a National Campaign Against Drug Abuse was approved, funding for drug treatment and
ranging governance structures were developed.
The ALP government’s commit ment to harm minimisation meant that responding effectively to the severe threat of HIV infection spread ing among people who injected drugs and from them to the general popula tion became a little less difficult.
While Australia’s first drug summit involved only senior political leaders meeting privately, subsequent summits have helpfully included people from diverse backgrounds discussing drug policy publicly.
In January 1999, two months before a state election, NSW ALP Premier Bob Carr announced that NSW would hold a drug summit if his government was returned at the forthcoming election. The Carr government was re-elected, and a 1999 NSW drug summit proceeded in May over five days in the NSW Parliament.
Members of parliament, researchers, clinicians, law enforcement, parents and some with lived experience, including myself, were involved. Appropriately, discussion about reducing the harms caused by alcohol was part of the agenda.
widespread media coverage, especially about a proposal for a medically supervised injecting centre, produced 172 recommendations. All except for three were approved by the NSW cabinet. These 169 included a recommendation to establish a centre in Kings Cross where people could inject drugs without risk of legal sanctions and with immediate health support if needed. This proposal attracted the lion’s share of media interest in the drug summit but many other sensible and effective reforms were approved and implemented.
In August 2001, with a state Labor government in power, WA conducted a community drug summit that
syringe program and approved modest reforms to legislation covering the recreational use of cannabis. However, these reforms were largely reversed by a subsequent conservative government.
In December 2024, on the initiative of ALP premier Chris Minns, a NSW drug summit was held over four days, with a day each in Griffith and Lismore, and two days at the Sydney Convention Centre.
Before the March 2023 elections, Minns, as opposition leader, supported a drug summit, pill testing, decriminalisation of drug use and possession of small quantities of drugs and reform of cannabis laws.
But after becoming premier, he argued he did not have a mandate for these policy changes.
After the summit, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park announced the approval of pill testing in time for it to become operational over the summer music festivals, which have yet to commence.
The two co-chairs of the meeting, Labor former deputy premier Carmel Tebbutt and Liberal former opposition leader John Brogden, are preparing a report including recommendations that is likely to be released in April, and will later be considered by cabinet.
Drug policy is an issue many governments still find difficult. This is because after many decades of
relying heavily on law enforcement to reduce drug supply, drugs are more available than ever and in increasingly dangerous new varieties.
Politicians remain terrified of a community backlash against even modest shifts in emphasis from drug law enforcement to drug treatment, social support and harm reduction.
The proven benefits of drug law enforcement are very modest, while the cost of customs, police, courts and prisons are extremely expensive. Community attitudes increasingly favour greater support for health and social measures, including harm reduction.
Veteran drug law reform advocate Dr Alex Wodak AM correctly argues that “the attraction of politicians to expensive measures intended to restrict the availability of drugs have not only failed again and again, but made a difficult situation much worse.
“Governments are addicted to failed policies, just as some people can’t stop using drugs that make their lives a misery.”
Importantly, in recent years, the ACT has moved effectively in a direction that other jurisdictions have either failed to follow or to persist in following, ie decisively towards harm minimisation.
Ross Fitzgerald AM is Emeritus Professor of History & Politics at Griffith University.
Australia Day Honours recipients embody the best of us, and we are grateful to all of them, says Governor-General Sam Mostyn AC.
“Congratulations to all of the 2025 Australia Day honours recipients. Thank you for your work of care and service to our
Ms Cassandra May Ireland, ACT, for outstanding public service in the delivery of significant legislative reform and legal services within the Australian Government.
Dr Ralph King, ACT, for outstanding public service as ambassador to Israel during the current Middle East crisis.
Ms Tracie-Ann Maher, Pialligo, for outstanding public service in risk management across the Australian public sector.
Mr Luke Mansfield, Braddon, for outstanding public service through advocacy to disability reform.
Ms Jodie Kym McEwan, Page, for outstanding public service in significant policy and legislative reform at the Australian Federal Police.
Dr Victoria Regina Ross, ACT, for outstanding public service to public health within the Australian health system and the Australian Defence Force.
Mr Edward Andrew Russell, ACT, for outstanding public service as Australia’s representative in conflict zones during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Ms Susan Marie Saunders, ACT, for outstanding public service in innovation, service delivery and outstanding leadership through the development and implementation of the Fair Entitlements Guarantee Act 2012.
Ms Gabrielle Tramby, Hackett, for outstanding public service in global customs practices for the economic and security benefit of Australia both domestically and internationally.
Ms Dyung Van Dartel, ACT, for outstanding public service in budget costings and the development of polices to support Australia’s most vulnerable people.
public service to industry and Australia’s start-up ecosystem.
Ms Jantiena Anne Batt , ACT, for outstanding public service in improving access and equity in education in the ACT.
Ms Elizabeth Hall, ACT, for outstanding public service leading the ACT government’s budget co-ordination function during COVID-19.
Ms Rebecca Kate Kelley, ACT, for outstanding public service to the ACT sport and recreation sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Elizabeth Lopa , ACT, for outstanding public service to improve the delivery of health services to the Canberra community and the region.
Mr Frank Marando, Pearce, for outstanding public service in executive and Ministerial services during the COVID-19 pandemic and 2019-20 bushfire season.
Mr Christopher Brian Roberts, ACT, for outstanding public service in establishing an emissions-based registration system for light vehicles in the ACT.
Ms Jennifer Mareer Sloane, ACT, for outstanding public service during the ACT government’s COVID-19 public health response.
Mr
Ms Margaret Elizabeth Burn, Hackett, for significant service to library and information science, and to the community.
Professor David Headon, Melba, for significant service to history preservation, as a historian, cultural advisor, and author.
Professor Paul Andrew Pickering, ACT, for significant service to tertiary education, social studies and to history preservation.
The Honourable Richard Christopher , ACT, for significant service to the community of the ACT and to the arts.
Dr Peter Andrew Sawczak , ACT, for significant service to international relations through defence and strategic policy
Mrs Sylvia Medlyn Tulloch, Queanbeyan NSW, for significant service to the renew-
able energy, innovation and technology commercialisation sectors.
Ms Annamaria Arabia , ACT, for service to science, particularly through organisational leadership roles.
Mr Jesse Bage Aungles, Canberra, for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024.
Ms Nikki Louise Ayers, ACT, for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024.
Mr Gregory Thomas Blood, Florey, for service to sports history.
Ms Stacey Elizabeth Campton, ACT, for service to netball, and to the indigenous
Mrs Valmai Lorraine Dempsey, Rivett, for service to community health.
Mr Michael John Dinn, Lyons, for service to engineering, particularly deep space tracking and exploration.
Mr Benjamin Charles Johnson, Michelago NSW, for service to social welfare.
Mr David Peter Luck , Holt, for service to people with a disability.
Mr John Henry Saxon, Kambah, for service to science, particularly deep space tracking and exploration.
Ms Lisa Stephan, ACT, for service to the German community of Canberra.
Ms Alice Tay, ACT, for service to the community of the Australian Capital Territory.
In the second of his two-part series on managing population growth, planning columnist MIKE QUIRK looks more locally and finds the ACT needs to lift its game.
In Canberra, as in Australia, there are divergent views on the merits of future population growth.
Opponents argue growth has to be curtailed as it depletes natural resources, reduces biodiversity and housing affordability and increases carbon emissions, soil degradation, pollution and deforestation.
Proponents argue a larger population drives the economy and is needed to counteract an aging population which is producing labour shortages, lower tax revenues and strains on community and health services.
The level of population growth in the ACT can be volatile. Major downturns were experienced from constrained federal spending in the Fraser and the early Howard years.
Since then, apart from 2020-21 and 2021-22 when covid border restrictions reduced growth, growth has been consistently strong. The population increased by 9650 in 2022-23 to 466,600 primarily from the rebound in Net Overseas Migration (NOM) associated with the removal of border restrictions. Of the growth NOM was 8500, natural increase 2700 while there
was a loss of 1600 from net interstate migration (NIM).
Given the potential variability in growth, housing strategies and infrastructure programs need to be flexible and guided by the detailed assessments of trends. Projections in 2002, influenced by low growth expectations, were a major consideration in school closures.
The 2022 ACT Projections (medium series), derived from assumptions of fertility, mortality, NIM and NOM, project an ACT population of 784,000 in 2060. NOM is the main driver of growth.
The future level of population could be lower than projected from constraints on federal government spending, lower fertility (the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) assumed in the projection was 1.5 babies per women; the 2023 TFR was 1.31), lower NOM from pandemics, to reduce environmental impacts or from the reduced availability of skilled migrants.
The level and composition of the population have major implications for the provision of schools, health, transport, housing and other facilities and services. Given the complexity of the
Per capita water and energy use of higher density dwellings can be higher than detached houses.
issues, it is concerning that the ACT has not had the benefit of an in-house demographer for almost a decade.
Whatever the level of growth, the ACT government is primarily responsible for its management. Like other state and territory governments, it has adopted a policy of developing a more compact city. The policy direction is to accommodate an increased proportion of housing demand in established areas to reduce travel, environmental and infrastructure costs and to respond to demands for housing close to facilities and services.
Some argue an urban growth boundary should be established to minimise the damage to the natural environment. Their manta is to “build up not out”. The alternative view is the policy has resulted in the loss of tree cover, increased congestion and housing costs in established areas, the impact akin to “we had to destroy the
village to save the village”.
While the greater emphasis on consolidation is appropriate, the policy implementation of the has been poor.
The efficacy of the policy would have been greatly improved if it had been based on analysis of infrastructure costs, travel costs and housing preferences and how these preferences could be met by better designed higher-density dwellings in established areas. Generally, detached dwellings are demolished to make way for a McMansion, two, maybe three townhouses, or a second dwelling added to the original house.
Block amalgamation would aid the development of better-designed medium-rise development, achieving higher density while preserving greenery, usable open space and reducing the amount of hard surfaces.
An ACT Housing redevelopment in Kambah, where four housing blocks were redeveloped to provide 10 two-storey units and two single-storey units, is an example of how better outcomes can be achieved through block amalgamation.
In the transition to a higher-density city there will be an ongoing need for new detached blocks until there are sufficient appropriate higher-density dwellings available.
Potential new supply areas are of varying environmental quality and have different infrastructure and
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travel costs. Analysis of the western edge area and other potential areas, including Kowen, may identify appropriate greenfield areas.
Any greenfield developments should have a range of facilities and services, good transport connections, employment and requirements that minimise runoff and promote energy efficiency.
While an inner-city location may reduce some emissions, the higher incomes of residents often results in a larger ecological footprint than residents in outer suburbs.
Per capita water and energy use of higher density dwellings can be higher than detached houses. Stormwater run-off is also greater. The energy efficiency of the building and transport sectors need further improvement as do strategies to reduce car use.
The National Urban Policy released in late 2024 by the federal government, after input from state and territory governments, aims to “enable our urban areas to be liveable, equitable, productive, sustainable and resilient”.
It can provide a useful framework for considering urban issues. Its success will depend on the ability of individual jurisdictions to apply the directions appropriately for the challenges they face. The ACT has to lift its game.
Mike Quirk is a former NCDC and ACT government planner.
“People
who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” –Isaac Asimov
I started off doing an article about what gave people pleas ure, based on responses from a range of people – and got predictable responses.
They included: enjoying family and friends, exercising, engaging in/ watching sport, having sex, eating and drinking, travelling, pets, TV and radio, making and spending money, doing puzzles, gardening, reading a good book, etcetera.
When I asked them what they found annoying or irritating, I got much more specific responses, such that I was able to categorise them into “Driving”, “Phones and Internet” and “Social and Behavioural”.
In fact, I got so many that I’m having to spread them out over two issues (this is the first) with “Driving” and “Phone and Internet” in this week’s column and “Social and Behavioural” in the next Whimsy in a fortnight’s time.
Anyway, here’s the first list of grievances: Driving
• Drivers who don’t acknowledge a courtesy, such as being allowed
into a line of traffic when they don’t have right of way.
• Slow drivers who sit in the fast lane.
• Inconsiderate drivers who leave a large space in front of their vehicle at traffic lights (meaning that drivers further back miss the lights).
• Indecisive drivers (a particular East Asian nationality was mentioned - but I won’t say which!).
Drivers at Metro Fyshwick who don’t move their vehicles forward from the pump (as requested) before paying for fuel.
Cyclists who ride on the road obstructing traffic when there’s a perfectly good bike track parallel-
Drivers who park across walkways. Reckless e-scooter riders. Drivers who speed past you along traffic lanes that are clearly closed ahead, then try to cut in.
Drivers who don’t dip their lights at night or who have dazzling
Ditherers who stop at the entrance to a roundabout when nothing’s coming, and those who don’t indicate when they’re leaving a roundabout.
• Tailgaters.
Phones and Internet
• Being put on hold for long periods without being given a callback option.
• People and organisations that don’t reply to emails.
• Not being able to get past a bot to reach a human to deal with an issue.
• Continual IT software updates “to improve security” and seemingly unnecessary design changes to charge plugs and cables.
• Delays by financial institutions in
crediting funds when the electronic transfer is instantaneous.
• Businesses that try to fob off customers with FAQs, “community responses” or generic answers.
• Businesses that tell you to listen carefully because their phone options have changed when they haven’t.
• Having to continually make “cookie” choices.
• Being referred to overseas call centres to deal with problems that should be resolvable in Australia.
• Theatregoers who use their smart phones in a darkened theatre.
• People who have loud phone conversations on public transport and in public areas. (Years ago, when mobile phones were just becoming available, I was at the Canberra Qantas Club and a pompous APS management type was striding about talking loudly into a mobile phone to underline that he was important enough to have one. Then it rang – showing that he hadn’t actually had anyone on the line. Everyone laughed to see such sport and the dish ran away with the spoon.)
• Managers who expect staff to be
electronically accessible 24/7.
• Cold calling and scam phone calls, emails and texts.
Well, there you have it. If you’re an offender, here’s your opportunity to modify your behaviour and annoy others less in 2025!
No doubt readers will have other pet “Driving” and “Phone and Internet” hates they could list in letters to CityNews (letters@citynews.com.au).
On a lighter note: The annoyed hotel guest eventually caught the eye of the waiter and said: “I’d like to order breakfast. I’ll have an overdone fried egg, a soggy slice of bacon, runny baked beans, a dried-out sausage, and mushrooms past their use-by date – followed by toast that’s slightly burnt.”
The waiter looked puzzled. “That’s a very complicated order sir; I’m not sure the chef can manage it.”
“I can’t see why not,” replied the guest, “that’s what he gave us yesterday.”
Clive Wiliams is a Canberra commentator.
The Fair Work Commission says employees must now be “properly trained” in policies about workplace conduct, “not through a tick-and-flick exercise”, reports Industrial Law expert RICHARD CALVER .
One of the workplace relations cases that is memorable from 2024 relates to a finding that employees must be “properly” trained in workplace policies.
This is in order for an employer to rely on them when dismissing an employee, even when calling out behaviour that seems entirely inappropriate.
It is common for workplace policies to be explained in what are known as “toolbox talks”. A toolbox talk is a meeting, formal or informal, held with employees to tell them about safety and operational matters and to introduce topics they should be aware of: such as standards of behaviour in the workplace.
But in the case that considers the necessary training in workplace policies that must be given in order for employers to rely on them, Deputy President of the Fair Work Commission Peter O’Keefe, said that employees must be “properly trained” in policies about workplace conduct.
He has set a high bar, one that seems to dismiss presentations about workplace policies at tool box talks as sufficient. This “proper training” was described as occurring “not through a tick-and-flick exercise but through a culturally and linguistically appropriate interactive training course that dealt with not just the “what” but also the “why”’ of policies introduced to deal with harassment and inappropriate workplace conduct.
The case in which these considerations came to the fore involved the termination of employment of a 62-year-old truck driver from Christmas Island Phosphates.
He was instantly dismissed for serious misconduct that involved an allegation of sexual harassment when he consistently accused another worker of “sucking the boss’s dick” and the evidence showed he had made this comment repeatedly and had also repeatedly joked with other employees in front of the bullied employee about making a harassment complaint.
The tension between the two em-
Fair Work has called for interactive training that deals with not just the “what” but also the “why”’ of policies introduced to deal with harassment and inappropriate workplace conduct.
ployees was such that the dismissed employee had threatened to hit the other employee during an altercation. Despite the employee making these offensive comments to his co-worker, O’Keeffe found the termination to be harsh and unjust.
The deputy president made it clear that an employer cannot, and indeed does not need to, have in place a
policy “for everything.”
He said: “There are some behaviours that are so extreme that they do not need to be codified and any reasonable person would know not to engage in them. It might perhaps be hoped that this extends to other unwanted behaviours such as bullying and sexual harassment, but experience teaches that this is not
the case.”
Against this background, the deputy president decided that lack of exposure to and understanding of the relevant policies “may have been a contributory factor” in the dismissed employee’s behaviour”.
This factor was in the mix of considerations favourable to the dismissed employee, despite the deputy president saying that valid reasons for termination existed.
But when combined with the employee’s length of service (circa 20 years), age and limited employment opportunities on Christmas Island, his termination of employment was considered harsh and unjust. In a subsequent decision, Deputy President O’Keefe declined to reinstate the truck driver, but awarded him just over $33,000 in compensation.
These findings stand as a reinforcement for employers to ensure that first they have workplace policies in place, especially to deal with harassment, and secondly that those policies are presented in such a way that they are “properly” explained and solid evidence of the training exists.
“I believe that working with good people matters because then the work environment is good. If there is a sense of respect and belief among the people you work with, that is when good work is done.” –Ranbir Kapoor
In the so-called “silly season” of December-January there’s not much happening in politics, so columnists the world over tend to reach back to their childhoods for inspiration.
If you’re lucky, the result is sometimes gently humorous and might even underline a current trend or a prospect for the New Year.
In fact, I just read a corker by my mate Rob Drewe in the West Australian on the ubiquitous “quicksand” that gave the bad guys that sinking feeling in the old Saturday matinee movies of our youth. It was right on the money.
I’ve been trying to write my new one, but every morning lately I’ve been driven nuts by millions of tiny black ants who have invaded the kitchen and destroyed every morsel of exposed food. But today I put a dollop of Buderim ginger cordial in half a glass of water, and they made a mad beeline for it.
Gotcha!
Anyway, New York Times readers – me included – were not as lucky as the West Australian’s when the deeply serious conservative columnist, David Brooks decided to relate his spiritual saga from woe to go. He began, he says, as an agnostic. “I grew up in a Jewish home where
we experienced peoplehood (sic) more than faith… I lived through decades of Jewish adulthood, but all that proximity still didn’t make me a believer.
‘Some people are spiritual but not religious; you could say I was religious but not spiritual. When faith finally tiptoed into my life, it didn’t come through information or persuasion but, at least at first, through numinous experiences.”
These occurred, perhaps not surprisingly, “at the foot of a mountain in New England at dawn; Chartres Cathedral in France; looking at images of the distant universe; or of a baby in the womb”.
Just whose baby David doesn’t say,
however, it seems, “faith” tiptoed out again, even though the experiences “opened up vaster mysteries”. These were accompanied by “wonder and awe” as well as a desire to be “opened up still further”.
That climaxed, he tells us, in April 2013.
“I was in a crowded subway car underneath 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue in New York, truly one of the ugliest spots of this good green earth,” he writes.
“I looked around the car and I had this shimmering awareness that all the people in it had souls. Each of them had some piece of themselves that had no size, colour, weight or shape but that gave them infinite value.
In the so-called “silly season” columnists the world over tend to reach back to their childhoods for inspiration. If you’re lucky, the result is sometimes gently humorous or deeply spiritual…
“The souls around me that day seemed not inert but yearning –some soaring, some suffering or sleeping; some were downtrodden and crying out.
“In that subway car it occurred to me that if people had souls maybe there was a soul giver. Once you accept there’s a spiritual element in each person it is a short leap to the idea that there is a spiritual element in the universe as a whole.”
Now, he says,: “I’m enchanted by both Judaism and Christianity. I
assent to the whole shebang.”
Golly. By chance I have travelled on that same subway, though I missed out on David’s numinous insight. One black guy was talking very loudly and his lady friend was telling him to “shut your mouth!”
But here’s the rub: that short leap doesn’t suggest to David that the other creatures of “this good green earth” have souls. Not the wondrous birds of the sky, the mighty whales of the deep, not the living rainbow of the Great Barrier Reef, and (thank goodness) not a mention of the ant population that outnumbers us humans by millions to one.
I can understand David’s overlooking the other living things in favour of the “yearning” subway travellers. I was yearning myself, for the black guy to take his lady friend’s advice and shut his mouth… and until today the same for those little black ants. Heh, heh, heh.
robert@robert macklin.com
JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED use three graphs drawn from ABS data to show a stark picture of the ACT’s nation-leading incarceration of indigenous people.
The rate of incarceration of Aboriginal men and women in the ACT is the highest in Australia.
According to new data produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), when compared to the rest of Australia, the ACT incarceration rate ratio of both Aboriginal men and women is simply stunning.
The ABS data, which was published last month, compares Aboriginal to non-Aboriginal incarceration rate ratios for men and women.
As illustrated at Table 1 Aboriginal women in the ACT are 76.5 times more likely to be imprisoned than nonAboriginal women.
By way of comparison the average rate of over-representation across Australia is 31.8, while in Victoria it is 16.1 and in NSW 26.9.
While it is a matter we are yet to pursue, we would not be surprised if the incarceration rate ratio of Aboriginal women in the ACT is not the highest rate for indigenous women in the world!
The ratio (if it is greater than 1) reflects the extent to which an Aboriginal person is more likely to be incarcerated compared to a nonAboriginal person. A ratio of 5, for example, indicates that an Aboriginal person is five times more likely to be imprisoned.
In a similar vein, Table 2 reveals that an Aboriginal man in the ACT is 25.7 times more likely to be imprisoned than a non-Aboriginal man.
Again, for the sake of comparison the average rate of over-representation across Australia is 19.1 while in Victoria it is 17.8 and in NSW 15.9.
It is also of concern that the dramatic levels of over-
representation of Aboriginal men and women in prison in the ACT is not a recent or shortterm aberration.
In fact, as revealed in Table , in 2014, before Andrew Barr was appointed chief minister, the incarceration rate ratio of Aboriginal men and women in the ACT was lower than the Australian average.
This begs the question: how could this occur in a progressive jurisdiction under the most progressive government in Australia?
Jon Stanhope is a former chief minister of the ACT and Dr Khalid Ahmed a former senior ACT Treasury official.
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Andrew Barr’s first hard-hat announcement for the year regarding the proposed new City Hill precinct development by Capital Property Group raises a few issues.
Is this development really consistent with Walter Burley Griffin’s master plan for the future development of the existing open landscape environs surrounding Lake Burley Griffin. On the basis of his government’s bastardisation of West Basin through the infill of parts of the lake and high-rise developments in that precinct, one would suggest that this is not the case.
His comment that the proposed City Hill development is needed to increase revenue for the ACT government is particularly telling. He claimed that the rates increase from the new developments would be used to pay for the light rail projects. I assume that this is stage 2a city-to-lake and phase 2b lake-to-Woden.
He claimed that the projected rates revenue would be $1 billion over the next decade. This raises the obvious question of how much these light-rail projects are really going to cost the ACT and whether this level of potential revenue for the current debtridden government could be better used for more pressing purposes in health, education, law and order, community services, public and community housing etcetera.
Lastly, his throwaway comment that the new development would result in more people living on City Hill than rabbits raises the obvious question of who are the real rabbits, Andrew?
Ron Edgecombe, Evatt
Sixty-six million dollars seems a reasonable price for arguably one of the best mixed-use development sites in Canberra, the newlycreated 19,000sqm south-west sector of the City Hill precinct (“City Hill land sold for $66m”, citynews.com.au January 20).
However, there was a hint of defensive concern about the price in the chief minister’s announcement of the sale of this territory land, when he went on to say that subsequent on-going rates income from the development would be substantial.
Did the chief minister want more, and is it a case of one rule for big developers and another for prospective new suburban
home owners when purchasing land?
An eye-watering $0.5 million is currently being asked for a narrow 400sqm singlehouse plot in Canberra’s new suburbs –including those developed by the purchaser of the City Hill site, and the ACT Government Land Agency.
The City Hill site has a plot ratio (permitted maximum floor space: site area) of about 4. The suburban block’s plot ratio is around 0.5. Reflecting the city block’s price, the suburban plot should then cost no more than about $120,000 retail to buy, after consideration of factors such as the suburban location, permitted land use, and increasing its footprint to a liveable, say, 600 square metres – yielding a reasonable profit of about 20 per cent.
That’s instead of, the current outrageous cartel-like profit of around 450 per cent, based on a published site development cost here of around $90,000 per new, minuscule, trickle-released suburban block, including the raw land cost, and all civic infrastructure elements required in the new suburb.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah
I recall as a child riding government buses into Newcastle city centre in 1963 on shopping days with my mother and grandmother.
There was apparently a lot less money thrown at buses 60 years ago, as the ‘60s buses looked for all the world like they were relics of the wartime ‘40s. In fact, many apparently were exactly that.
The back corner of the bus was open to the weather, and passengers sometimes stood there holding on to a single vertical pole – and the bus conductor would allow this as often as not!
One memorable shopping day, the bus was visited alternately by puffs of damp air and oily diesel fumes. It shook and shuddered quite remarkably as the wheezy, weak engine struggled (literally) to climb even modest grades.
And thus standing on the open platform at the back was actually less dangerous than it sounds, as a fully occupied bus would battle its way up to 40km/h between stops, and climb hills in low gear at barely jogging pace! And the ancient brakes were as gradual as the engine!
All of which brings me, meandering, to the point of my letter. We would never trade our
aircon, wifi, weatherproof Canberra buses of 2025 for the almost Dickensian buses of 60 and 70 years ago; but at least you could stand in those buses, make your way to find a seat, or get ready to disembark without being hurled backwards, forwards or sideways by engines with hundreds of horsepower and colossal amounts of torque.
As an elderly person, I am very dismayed at the happy-go-lucky attitude of some Canberra bus drivers with regard to exuberantly applying the accelerator, steering and brakes when today’s powerful buses are nearly empty and thus responding like a sports car to this ham-fisted driving style.
All jokes aside, the forces on a passenger making their way from, or to, the door can be excessive – and a real risk to the elderly and infirm.
If we really need those hundreds of horsepower for heavily-laden express bus routes along Tuggeranong Parkway, then – please, please – can we teach our bus drivers that full throttle must never be applied to an unladen bus for sake of the comfort and safety of vulnerable passengers, and that braking and cornering must likewise be kept in check?
Ross Kelly, Monash
Your article (CN January 16) looking at why reading rates in Australia are falling mentioned, among other factors such as competition from other media forms, that the cost of books now may be prohibitive.
Certainly one has to think twice now before purchasing amidst today’s cost-ofliving pressures.
But I was surprised and disappointed that our libraries were not mentioned as a way of overcoming this economic aspect.
Why not join your library?
I am an active member (no charge) and am impressed by the services they provide; how their collection includes keeping up with new releases. If available, a title can be reserved and sent to the branch of your choice. If not, a title can be suggested for purchase. And services go far beyond books to a wide range of community services. All provided in a very welcoming and stimulating environment.
A good New Year’s resolution might be to join your library.
And happy reading to all.
Marjorie Crombie, via email
I agree with Beatrice Bodart-Bailey and Dr Jenny Stewart (Letters, CN, January 23) on the issue of the tram, which is both dated and hyper-costly.
Its installation has turned the once beautiful “grand boulevard” that was Northbourne Avenue into unsightly “gardens” of what appear to be weeds either side of a heat-absorbing strip of concrete and steel.
The cost of the stage 2b extension to Woden has not been revealed, but, given the probable cost of stage 2a (about $1.5 billion), is likely to be about $10 billion. Just a new span of Commonwealth Avenue Bridge for the tram is likely to cost $1 billion or more.
On the issue of lessons to learn from the Los Angeles fires raised by Ms Bodart-Bailey, it should be borne in mind that the seasonal and geographic settings of LA are totally different to those of Canberra.
The catastrophic LA fires occurred in midwinter, and were fanned to blow-torch-like heat and power by the Santa Ana (“devil”) winds generated by the roasting heat of the Mojave Desert and “turbocharged” by the valleys and canyons on the western flank of the Sierra Nevada Ranges.
The Brindabella range west of Canberra does cause some katabatic acceleration of the prevailing westerly and north-westerly winds, and contributed to the disastrous 2003 firestorm, but they are trivial compared to the Santa Ana winds. However, there is no justification for complacency in alertness to fire, or for scrimping on fire-fighting capability.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
We have only dimly realised our rates have gone up by 100 per cent. How the ACT government can justify such a rate hike is beyond us.
In 2024, our quarterly rates bill was $1004.50. Now, magically, it is $2030.35 a quarter. Has the government paved Bandjalong Crescent with gold?
We have wondered if the government has a secret campaign to force older Aranda residents out of their homes by pushing up the rates. However a 100 per cent rate rise is ludicrous and an over-the-top-rate hike.
Julian and Karna O’Dea, Aranda
On the back of a solid, recent nine-year history of Coalition waste, missed opportunities, well documented rorting, program deficiencies, flim-flam policy offerings, growing inequalities and clear lurching to the right, Peter Dutton and co are using a lazy campaign approach that treats the voting public as unintelligent and easily misinformed (“Dutton’s ‘soft launch’ comes without answers”, citynews.com.au January 13).
Someone must have received a big bonus for crafting the Coalition’s newly announced “12 priorities” with their chains of broad “doing” words that are followed by nebulous descriptors. All of which can then be very selectively interpreted and minimally addressed by the two minority parties according to their always highly secretive governing agreement and expectations of shared post-election booty and useful pay backs, should they share power again soon.
The shortcomings in the priorities listing certainly provide quick and easy ammunition that can be rolled out in many oversimplistic and misleading ways by the conservative parties’ handy anti-teal and anti-Labor bedfellows, Advance, and Australians for Prosperity. The conservatives’ communications consultants will be angling for record bonuses, too.
Sue Dyer, Downer
In the debate on nuclear versus renewables it seems to be being forgotten that the Labor government in October launched a parliamentary inquiry into nuclear power, to report by April 30, and this was supported by the Opposition.
If this is inconclusive, or if there happens to be a federal election in the meantime, obviously we would all vote no to nuclear (and Dutton) as we would not know.
Richard Johnston, Kingston
Everyone is debating nuclear power versus solar and wind. Whatever happened to hydro?
Patrick Garratt, via email
On display will be the latest resort style developments, as well as established villages from many different organisations, offering a wide range of services & facilities, sizes, prices & locations, all under one roof. Don’t miss this special event!
Weddings can be a stressful experience, from finding the perfect venue to getting the right make-up.
Fortunately, Canberra is home to a selection of experts who are there to make wedding days as stress-free as can be.
Husband-and-wife duo George Karvounis and Rebecca Lee Bon are the owners and goldsmiths behind Bowral Fine Jewellery.
“We are extremely passionate about craftsmanship and the highest level of fine jewellery,” says Rebecca. Specialising in handmade jewellery, Rebecca says they make all of their engagement and wedding rings by hand, customised to each client.
“We also offer repairs, including resizing, detailing and polish to bring old pieces back to new ahead of the big day, and on-site rhodium plating for white gold.”
All work is done onsite by either Rebecca or George, who bring with them years of experience as former big-city jewellery designers.
George, a second generation goldsmith, and Rebecca have more than 50 years of combined experience, formally working and making pieces for
top designers in Sydney.
“We only work with natural stones and everything natural that comes from this beautiful earth,” says Rebecca.
“We have generational connections to others in the trade, offering the very best diamonds and coloured gemstones.”
All custom orders are completely handmade in the boutique, from melting fine gold to the finished ring.
“Handmade jewellery has many advantages as the metal is more dense and stronger from the work done to it,” says Rebecca.
“That’s the reason our grandparents’ jewellery lasts so long!”
Bowral Fine Jewellery, Grand Arcade, Shop 7B/295 Bong Bong Street, Bowral NSW. Call 0435 039111 or visit bowralfinejewellery.com.au
Getting married is more than saying “I do”, there’s lots of preparation that goes into making a wedding into the perfect day.
Louise McMahon, owner of Deziner Beauty, says she’s passionate about taking the stress out of making the big day an event to remember.
“I’ll be there – rain, hail or shine!” she says.
Working in the industry for 26 years, Louise says she loves everything about weddings.
“Everyone is so happy, I really do love being involved.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help out, I’m there.”
Louise’s services range from waxing, tanning, teeth brightening, facials, extensions, tinting and make-up.
“We have facials to transform the skin so that you’re glowing and fresh for your photos,” she says.
“They are nice and quick, which is perfect for the morning of a wedding.”
According to Louise, weddings can often be stressful, but she’s proud to work “above and beyond to make the wedding party’s day!”
Louise says her services aren’t just reserved for women, with many men coming in for eyebrow/face waxing,
“But make-up is one of those things that can always be fixed.
“I work with my clients and am super flexible, so it’s okay if they change their mind on the day.
“I’m there to make their day as special as it can be.”
Deziner Beauty, Shop 16/18 Cassidy’s Arcade, 72 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 5792 or visit dezinerbeauty.com.au
“It was a stunning day,” says Elizabeth McGrath, who was married at the Royal Hotel Queanbeyan in October.
“The staff and customer service were beautiful for everything, from the lead up to the day itself and then the day after.”
The Royal Hotel Queanbeyan is a popular venue for wedding parties and is a location that Elizabeth can’t speak highly enough about.
“It was the most comfortable experience,” she says.
“They were super accommodating and let us explore the space on multiple occasions.
“They answered every question I had and, as a first-time bride, I had many!”
Elizabeth’s dream day was entirely located at the hotel, with the groom and his groomsmen getting ready in one of its many suites.
“We had the ceremony and reception there,” says Elizabeth.
“It wasn’t just a venue, I spent the day feeling like I was among friends.”
After saying “I do” at the ceremony, staff completely flipped the room in 30 minutes, changing the decorations to make it feel like an entirely different venue.
“They were absolutely beautiful to work with,” Elizabeth says.
“They weren’t forceful on time and their food variety was amazing, catering to all sorts of dietary requirements.
“Throughout the process, we met the chefs, entire management team and staff, who all made our day and the lead-up a dream experience.”
Elizabeth says the venue was “great value for money” and came with “beautiful event management”.
“Our favourite part of the organisation was tasting the menu, where we got to see the entire space as well as the table decorations and wine/beer recommendations after meeting the chef.”
Royal Hotel Queanbeyan, 85 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6297 1444 or visit royalhotelqbn.com.au
Situated in the heart of Canberra, Braddon’s Midnight Hotel, Autograph Collection, is a perfect spot for weddings, says sales and marketing director, Gemma Turenko.
“Midnight Hotel offers everything for your wedding, from the ceremony, reception, honeymoon suite to recovery breakfast the next day,” she says.
“We take pride in the hotel’s exceptional service, breathtaking architecture and unique design.”
According to Gemma, the wedding party can expect exceptional service, food, bespoke drinks and a personal wedding co-ordinator.
“It’s all to make your day perfect,” she says.
“We have creative and unique add ons such as a champagne tower, personalised cocktails, a seafood station, oyster bar, lawn games and recovery brunch.
“We aren’t your average wedding venue, [it’s here that] unconventional meets elegance.”
The hotel offers a selection of indoor and outdoor
venues to choose from, each with a different design and “flair”.
“Additionally, on site, there are several beauty focused businesses to prepare you for your special day,” says Gemma.
Midnight Hotel is the only and first Marriott International Hotel in Canberra.
“This means guests, including wedding guests can earn Bonvoy points during their stay.”
Ahead of the upcoming autumn wedding season, Gemma says Midnight Hotel has a special offer.
“If you book your wedding and spend a minimum of $10,000 you will receive two free nights’ stay.”
Gemma says to redeem this offer, bookings must be made before March 31 and the couple must say “I do” before March 31, 2026.
Midnight Hotel, Autograph Collection. 1 Elouera Street, Braddon. Call 6220 0000 or visit marriott.com
Dancing in front of an audience can be nerve-wracking, especially at weddings, but Dale Harris, owner of Dale’s Ballroom, says she can help even the most timid of dancers.
“We do private classes by appointment and we can accommodate choreographing a dance for your own routine, to the music you have chosen,” she says.
“We teach everything, from how to walk on to the floor, how to present themselves and to really make it special by standing up and being confident in what they’re doing.”
Dale is an expert in many styles of dance including tango, foxtrot, quickstep, Viennese waltz, and cha cha, samba, jive, rumba and paso doble.
Dale, who has more than 25 years’ experience teaching dance, started dancing at the age of six, when she developed an interest in ballroom dancing.
Dale also offers plenty of scheduled dance classes, perfect for someone with many weddings coming up that wants some help with their dancing.
Dale says she encourages anyone to come and learn regardless of age or experience.
“We have people of all ages coming in for the classes,” she says, with adult classes on Wednesdays, starting at 7pm, and junior classes every Thursday from 5pm.
She says classes cover Latin, New Vogue and standard dances.
Dale’s Ballroom Dancing, 6/38 Reed Street North, Greenway. Call 0407 066110 or visit dalesballroomdancing.com
By Helen MUSA
Continuing its impressive run of refreshingly lesser-known musicals, Queanbeyan Players is about to present an unlikely show about a boy who grows up in a bubble, opening on St Valentine’s Day.
Bubble Boy is a 2008 musical with music and lyrics by Cinco Paul and book by Paul and Ken Daurio, and was based on the 2001 Touchstone Pictures’ film of the same name.
It introduces us to Jimmy Livingston, whose conservative, fearful mum is convinced that he has a deathly allergy to germs so raises him in a bubble-room for his own protection and educates him with nothing other than Better Homes and Gardens and the American Christian animated television series, VeggieTales. What could possibly go wrong?
The answer is that after a pretty girl called Chloe moves in next door and romance blooms to the infuriation of his mum, Jimmy hatches a plan to escape and see the world — adventures follow.
Sounds improbable? Not at all. There are many examples of this phenomenon, not just in the US, where the story originated, but closer to home, as close as Canberra.
But as I find when I catch up with the director Tijana Kovac and music director Tara Davidson, this show, which theoretically could have a serious edge, is being
presented as a fun night for all the family, a comic-book journey through love, laughs and self-discovery.
trained at Perform Australia, has been involved with 10 junior musicals for them but has never worked for Queanbeyan Players before and is enjoying directing what she calls “a surprising show”.
told chronologically when Jimmy meets a bunch of weird characters and weirder situations along his escape route.
Davidson says that the music is a lot more complex than you’d imagine, with some demanding guitar work in it. As for the subject matter, “it’s crazy, but after lockdown, it feels timely,” she says.
She has engaged a six-piece band, led by Adam Bluhm at the keyboard and while they’ll be creating the sound, Jimmy, played by Rylan Howard will perform on a cardboard cutout guitar designed, like most of the props, to suggest a comic-book style.
By day, Howard works as an administrative assistant at Blumer’s lawyers, well-known arts philanthropists who are very supportive of his extracurricular activities. He began dancing when very young at Dance Northside, later learning to play guitar after his grandfather won an acoustic electric guitar in a raffle and didn’t want it.
“Jimmy has a serious side,” Howard says. “While he’s trapped inside a room in a closed-minded environment, he wants to see the world. He wants to have a normal personal life, and it gets to him.”
There’s a happy ending in the show, but not before a catastrophe that shows how strong the power of suggestion can be, since his mum has convinced him, and herself, that he will die from germs – for a while, it
“I’m playing it straight,” Howard says, “although it’s a ludicrous situation, it’s up to other people to laugh.
“We’re being serious about being un-serious,” Kovac adds, “I tell the cast that we are finding the truth in the
By Helen Musa
One of Australia’s most articulate photographers has just released a 348-page book that traces the progress of Aboriginal activism in Australia mostly through photographs.
Junos Gemes is already a celebrated snap per, the subject in 2003 of a National Portrait Gallery exhibition of her portraits related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation activists and personalities. She was also one of 10 photographers invited to document the National Apology in Canberra in 2008.
Her book, Until Justice Comes: 50 years of the Movement for Indigenous Rights, will be unveiled at Kambri, ANU, in February with a conversation between Gemes and former minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, moderated by ANU historian Prof Ann McGrath .
Burney has written a foreword to the book, which she describes as “an incredible act, an important act, a seminal act of truth telling” and is herself the subject of many photographic studies by Gemes in the latter part of the publication.
Gemes has been documenting the progress of black activism in Australia since at least the 1970s and the book features images taken between 1970 to 2024.
When I catch up with Gemes, whom I had first met at the 40th anniversary of the National
Institute of Dramatic Art some years ago, she reminds me that after taking a production course there and staging The Zoo Story by Edward Albee, she had joined the Black Theatre in Redfern as its embedded photographer, a natural way of easing into presenting a positive image of Aboriginal people.
she says: “I knew what genocide was, we fled Hungary to save our lives.”
“My time at NIDA was helpful to me as a photographer, but when I got to the Black Theatre, I realised the plays they were putting on were the most important plays being written in Australia – a real wake up.”
Born in Budapest, she had arrived as a
She always felt like an outsider, but tells me that there was a positive side – “being an outsider gave me a terrific outside perspective and advantage – I was not carrying the burden of Australian history with me.”
As an outsider on the inside, Gemes would go on to work and live with locals on Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria for three years, returning with her two-year-
and to feel how the community moved,” she says. “It is totally different from photojournalism. I was embedded with people and shared my life with them in slow time.”
Inevitably, with her steadfast focus on Aboriginal communities, she was on hand for leading political events and she recollects as both exciting and dangerous the time of the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane during the Bjelke-Petersen era, while she was working for the first Aboriginal newspaper
AIM (Aboriginal-Islander-Message) and people were being arrested every day.
“Now,” she says, “I want to share my experiences with Australian people in a new context, so that those people who voted No in the Voice referendum can have a look at this and learn something.”
The book is massively ambitious. It features more than 220 photos, many of which will be screened at the ANU event, and has a useful timeline of Aboriginal activism by Prof Ann Curthoys.
There are sections on ceremony, culture and survival, on the civil rights movements in Australia and the US, on the Redfern Revolution, music and musicians, on the Uluru Handback ceremony in 1985, the walk across the Harbour Bridge in 2000, the Apology in 2008, election of eleven indigenous members to the 47th Federal Parliament, and the preparations for the 2023 Referendum on the Voice to Parliament.
While there are short essays and interviews by experts such as Larissa Behrendt, Djon Mundine, Fred Myers, Frances Peters-Little, John Maynard and Catherine de Lorenzo, an unexpected but welcome aspect of the book is the inclusion of poetry by Robert Adamson, Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Ali Cobby Eckermann.
She praises the wisdom of Noonoocal, who once said: “We don’t celebrate, we educate,” and when Gemes thinks about it, “until justice comes, that dictate continues.”
Meet the author – Juno Gemes, Kambri cinema, ANU, February 10.
Old rock memories will come flooding back when Gary Puckett and the Union Gap return with a show loaded with hits such as Young Girl, Woman, Woman, Lady Willpower and Over You. The B, Queanbeyan, February 5.
Screen Producers Australia has announced the appointment of former ACT chief minister Kate Carnell as the inaugural chair of its council. Carnell’s connection with the screen sector includes her participation in SPA’s Screen Export Council and her work as the inaugural Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman where she represented small businesses nationwide, including those in the Screen Industry.
Oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros will be back in town with his recital, The Oud Unleashed. A six-time Aria-winning composer, Tawadros weaves humorous onstage banter and storytelling, while his playing is influenced by jazz, flamenco, prog rock and even bluegrass. The Street Theatre, February 9.
Home grown band, Super Rats will be cranking out old and new Romanian favourites in the northern end of Glebe Park as part of the National Multicultural Festival, February 7.
Carl Dewhurst is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading
jazz and improvising guitarists. He’ll be here with bassist and composer Cameron Undy alongside drummer Alex Inman-Hislop to launch his latest album Avicennia. Smith’s Alternative, Civic, February 5.
The third Ovations Awards dinner will feature the announcement of 2024 award winners from the Canberra and Queanbeyan theatrical and dance communities. Not to be confused with the Cat Awards, which have a different geographic focus, they will be held at the Hellenic Club Woden, on February 7. All nominees are at
ovations.org.au
As part of the 46th conference of the Australasian Society for Classical Studies, Rome expert Prof Denis Feeney, from Princeton University, will give a free public lecture on the topic: “Reading books and oral performance in Rome”. Coombs Lecture Theatre, ANU, February 4.
By Nick OVERALL
Following the massive success of Yellowstone, acclaimed writer and director Taylor Sheridan has brought a new series to Paramount Plus.
It’s called Landman and this one takes audiences into the dangerous, hyper-masculine world of the West Texas oil industry.
Billy Bob Thornton plays Tommy Norris, a middleman for an oil tycoon who must negotiate with defensive landowners, cutthroat billionaires and ruthless drug cartels in order to keep the drills pumping.
This fixation on land and who lays claim to it will sound familiar to fans of Yellowstone. It’s the central theme here, too, and Thornton plays the leading role with just as much magnetic gusto as Costner did with John Dutton.
Landman’s cinematography is also just as immaculate. Trading the sweeping hills of Montana for the barren oil fields of Texas, there’s a markedly different feel here. Whereas Yellowstone had a focus on natural beauty and the relentless encroachment of industry upon it, Landman shows audiences a world that has already been transformed by greed and production. A landscape picked clean by roughnecks trying to get rich quick and the insatiable executives who take most of the profits.
To them there are no political or ecological qualms. They’re committed to the idea that the world runs on oil and until an alternative is found they believe they’re the ones keeping the world’s
lights on.
Landman doesn’t quite explore this side of its story as much as it should have, only dipping its toes in the politics occasionally. It’s more interested in what life is like out in the oilfields
Landman’s Billy Bob Thornton.
It feels like a glimpse into life in an industry otherwise unseen, albeit with some hyperbole and soap opera well mixed in.
Landman’s biggest problem is its side characters.
When the main players aren’t on screen, things feel like they can go in circles.
Often the audience is left to follow the antics of Norris’ ex-wife Angela (Ali Larter) who, to be figurative about it, digs for gold rather than oil. It’s supposed to offer some kind of levity to this series, which can feel heavy with injury and death out on oil rigs, but so much time is dedicated to inane side plots that the fast-forward button begins to feel very tempting.
When Landman does get it right though, it offers some of the most compelling TV drama currently around.
It seems like a second season is already on the way and with some tightened screws here and there this show might be able to give even Yellowstone a run for its money.
AS mind-bending television goes, it doesn’t get more out there than Severance.
The second season of this underrated sci-fi thought-experiment is now streaming on Apple
TV Plus, diving even deeper into the existential dread of working in an office.
In this alternate reality, people are able to undergo a surgical procedure known as “severance”, essentially splitting their brains and their identities into separate halves.
One half is entirely dedicated to work and is “activated” when arriving at the office. When 5pm strikes, the other half of the brain switches back into action with no memory of what happened for the last eight hours, essentially allowing employees to “skip” entire work days.
While for many it seems like a good deal on paper, it’s not long before the procedure starts to induce some frightening side effects.
Those who have undergone severance eventually have the work half of their identity rebelling against the play half, calling themselves “innies” and demanding the “outies” let them have time off as well.
The question also rises: when you don’t remember your work day, what work are you actually doing?
Such is the secret of Lumon, the megacorporation that uses the severance procedure to control its hundreds of employees.
Still with me?
The complexity of the premise here speaks to the fascinating psychological themes it explores. Season one was a cerebral slow burn that left audiences on a major cliffhanger.
Now season two promises to answer some of its biggest questions.
Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette and Christopher Walken lead a talented cast who bring this intriguing idea to life.
If there’s a reason to give Apple TV Plus a go, Severance is it.
By Richard CALVER
The first book I’ve read in 2025 is Wine for Normal People by Elizabeth Schneider, an American master of wine.
It was published in 2019, but still remains relevant, especially about the basics of wine.
It is a book that is a useful resource, but in places the tone is annoying. The distinction that the author seeks to make between “wine people” and “normal people” is never fully realised, although from the outset Schneider indicates that it is mainly an issue of language: “Wine has its own lingo. It’s annoying. It’s frustrating. Wine people use words that we know in regular life in completely different contexts.”
The book is palpably an attempt to enter the world of so-called wine people. Schneider is definitely not a subscriber to the notion that you should just drink what you like: a position where my sensibilities rest.
She says that this is misguided: “If you don’t push yourself, you’ll never appreciate why certain wines are so great. As written by Paulo Coelho in my favorite (sic) book The Alchemist:’If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it is lethal’.” Schneider urges readers to push through unpleasant taste experiences and to explore widely, even revisiting a wine region or grape variety you didn’t at first like to try a different vintage.
That’s a commendable outlook. But I’ll stick to the view that if people want to drink, say Moscato, the sweet wine often redolent with peachy sweetness, then that is their choice and I’ll judge them not.
I like to explain why other wines taste good to my palate but the decision is, in my view, entirely for the individual. Standard deviation keeps me in line. The book is also a window into seeing ourselves as
others see us in the context of an American’s view of the Australian wine market. Her analysis of Australian wines drips with disappointment. The main feature of the Australian wine industry that Schneider points to is that “Australia is at sea in terms of identity”.
She says that there are people who are excited about Australia’s “highend” wines. In addition, there are millions of people drinking at the “low end”: she points out that Yellow Tail sells around eight million cases of wine a year in the US. She laments that for those who shop in the $US15-30 range “it’s slim pickings”.
That’s indeed a disappointment given, for example, Canberra District wines that excel in that price range if given exposure in the US market.
Schneider puts this lack of good middle-range wines down to an oversupply of wine and once that is resolved, she says individual regions of Australia will feature more prominently and there will be a “push for organic and biodynamic farming to be a point of differentiation”, a trend that is, in my view, growing both domestically and internationally.
She also outlines her view of wines from other countries. Her view of NZ wines is of glowing praise, what she describes as a “love fest”; if disseminated widely it would up the ante on trans-Tasman rivalry.
From her tasting of NZ wines, they possess “a pure fruit flavor (sic)”. This leads to “a stunning clarity that lets you recognise and taste each flavor (sic) with nothing obscuring it.”
In her wrap-up of NZ wines she says that they are “some of the safest bets around – consistent, pure in flavour, and imminently drinkable”.
By Jackie WARBURTON
Among the native bluebells, everlasting strawflowers and other wildflowers to be seen growing in the hills in and around Canberra at this time is the Pink Hyacinth Orchid.
I have seen them growing wild over the years at Wee Jasper after good rains. They are small and can be easily missed among grass and shrubs.
The Pink Hyacinth Orchid (Dipodium roseum) is leafless and only the flowering stem can be seen this time of the year. They are unique in being the only semi-parasitic genus of orchids to be found in the ACT. They lack chlorophyll and depend on mycorrhizal fungus in the roots of specific species trees of
So, when seen, try not to touch them but take photos to add to the citizen nature map website naturemapr.org. This is also a good resource for identifying anything else you have found in nature.
Another good reference source to carry is the field guide, Orchids of the Australian Capital Territory by David Jones, Jean Egan and the late Tony Wood. This pocket-size edition has always been my go-to book and is available at specialist bookstores including the Australian Botanic Gardens.
GERBRAS, with their large, bold flowers, are cheery to grow. The colour range is vast and, if deadheaded, they’ll flower for many months.
From South Africa, they grow well as a perennial plant. They need a little shelter from winter frost but, once established, need very little care beyond a good compost
soil (they don’t like clay soils) and good drainage for garden planting. Surprisingly, they do well as a potted plant on the patio.
Over time they can be lifted and divided. They like full sun, but not the heat in the middle of the day.
They’re also easy to grow from seed, but take some time and good winter warmth is the key to get them big enough for planting out in the spring.
Gerbras can be prone to virus diseases which present as severe distortion of a flower and yellow mottling on the leaves. Remove infected flowers and place in the green bin. Unfortunately, once a plant has a virus in the leaves, it has it for the life of the plant and, in extreme cases, plant removal will be required.
To keep them flowering, foliar feed with a fertiliser that is high in potash and low in nitrogen or a general-purpose flowering fertiliser.
IT is preparation time for winter vegetables and, if using seed, they will need to get growing soon.
Seedlings can be planted, and the water will need to be kept up to them to get them growing strong.
Most winter vegetables are ready for harvest late winter. If planting is done periodically from now until May, you will have a yield right through the winter months.
Most brassicas are easier to grow in winter as the cabbage moth is not prevalent and, once planted, brassicas can be netted as they are self-fertile and don’t need bees to pollinate the flowers.
If you have a crop-rotation plan, then they can be planted after a high-nitrogen crop such as beans or peas.
If room is tight, still plant close to existing plants in the vegetable patch and when the cold weather comes the beans and peas can be cut at ground level leaving the roots in place to minimise root disturbance of the new crop.
Flowers to grow alongside brassicas for the winter colour are calendulas, pansies, cornflowers and nasturtiums.Try also cabbage moth repellent plants such as rosemary, tansy, thyme lavender and sage.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
• Prune lavenders that have finished flowering.
• Net apple and pear trees as they begin to ripen.
• Spray peppermint around the house to get spiders out.
• Summer prune stone fruit and berries.
By Joanne Madeline Moore
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Mars (your ruling planet) is still retrograde, so it seems you’ve got plenty to complain about. Projects and plans are delayed, you’re feeling lethargic, and people aren’t doing what you want them to do. But this week – with Venus transiting into your sign on Tuesday – try to focus on love in all its forms. Self-love, love for others, love of nature and love of life. As music legend (and birthday great) Bob Marley sang: “Overcome the devils with a thing called love.”
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
This week the Sun, Mercury and Pluto urge you to transform things on the career front. Some intrepid Taureans will change jobs (or take on a second job) but you could just jazz up your daily work routine. Whatever you do, avoid getting stuck in a boring rut! Expect a few relationship rumbles on the weekend, especially if you are being lackadaisical and lazy. As Venus (your ruling planet) shifts into action-sign Aries, smart Bulls will strive to be more proactive.
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
It’s a wonderful week for socialising with local friends and networking with international connections. But are you feeling rather restless? Is the green, green grass of home looking pretty predictable and boring? Blame it on the Sun, Mercury and Pluto stirring up your adventure zone. Which will activate your Gemini travel gene and leave you dreaming of tropical trips, heavenly holidays and exotic escapades. So you’d better start planning (and saving) ASAP!
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
Secrets and mysteries abound as the Sun, Mercury and Pluto visit your trust zone, so avoid fake news and be very careful about who you place your trust in. You’re also keen to show loved ones how much you really care. Avoid being too over-protective though. All relationships need room to breathe and there’s a big difference between loving and smothering. Be inspired by birthday great, writer Charles Dickens: “A loving heart is the truest wisdom.”
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
Many Lions have been feeling rather lacklustre. Fiery Mars is reversing through your solitude zone, so energy levels will be low, and you won’t feel like being the sociable life of the party. But this week the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter encourage you to catch up with family members and close friends in casual, low-key ways, where you can chat quietly and confidentially. Sunday’s stars particularly favour creative joint ventures and one-on-one conversations.
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
The Sun, Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto activate your work and daily routine zone. So it’s time to learn new techniques, reorganise your office, start a business or even change your job. You possess many versatile Virgo talents, but they won’t truly blossom until you nurture and develop them with the help of a wise mentor. When will the teacher appear? When the student is ready! However – courtesy of retro Mars – a friendship may feel as if it’s going backwards.
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
Creative partnerships and joint ventures are favoured, as you spark ideas off each other and pool talents to create something truly unique. When it comes to a romantic relationship, stop talking long enough to let your partner have their say. Jupiter could send a special friend along to help you out of a sticky situation. As music icon (and birthday great) Bob Marley observed: “True friends are like stars; you can only recognise them when it’s dark around you.”
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
With action-planet Mars reversing through your holiday/adventure zone (until February 24) travel plans may be disrupted or even delayed. So be extra patient and make sure you check everything (like flights and accommodation) at least twice! On Friday, Venus links up with Pluto (your ruling planet) which is fabulous for work partnerships, family relationships, friendships and romantic rendezvous, as you connect with others in deep and meaningful ways.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
Home sweet home is the place to be, as six planets light up your domestic and neighbourhood zones. Life is busy as friends and family members come and go, and expect plenty of stimulating conversations. It’s also time to be more proactive about improving your health and fitness via a more nutritious diet and a more flexible exercise routine. Some alternative therapies (like acupuncture, herbalism or hypnosis) could help shift a stubborn problem.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
The Sun/Jupiter trine encourages you to tweak your timetable, devise a new daily schedule or reboot a work relationship. It also suits projects that require a curious mind, self-motivation and flexible thinking. So don’t waste the opportunity to communicate with colleagues, power through paperwork or learn something new. But with Mars reversing through your relationship zone (until February 24) you’ll have to be extra patient with loved ones.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
The creative Sun, clever Mercury and powerful Pluto are all transiting through your sign. So don’t sit around waiting for magical things to happen or for other people to make your dreams come true. It’s all up to you, baby! As Aquarian writer (and birthday great) Alice Walker observed: “Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself… Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.”
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
With practical Saturn and idealistic Neptune both transiting through Pisces, you need to take your Neptunian dreams and spin them into rock-solid Saturnian reality. So your motto for the moment is from writer (and birthday great) Alice Walker: “Look closely at the present you are constructing – it should look like the future you are dreaming.” Sunday’s stars favour quiet meditation, peaceful relaxation, journal writing and thoughtful contemplation.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2024
4 Name a Polish-French pianist and composer, Frederic ... (6)
7 What is a sudden, violent or unexpected reaction? (8)
8 To be esculent, is to be what? (6)
9 What are nearly pure forms of carbon? (8)
11 When one climbs upwards, one does what? (7)
13 What, in mathematics, is a statement embodying something to be proved? (7)
15 What is a small abscess of the mouth? (7)
17 Which person lives apart from society? (7)
20 What might we call those who encroach? (8)
23 Name the pendulous fold of skin under the throat of cattle. (6)
24 To have joined up, is to have done what? (8)
25 What do we call one who cultivates land? (6)
1 In which West African republic is Timbuktu? (4)
2 To stand with hand on hip, and elbow bent outwards, is to stand how? (6)
3 To be boastful, is to be what? (4)
4 Name a game played on a chequered board. (5)
5 Who “asked for more”? (6)
6 To have done nothing, is to have what? (5)
9 What is a bypass or roundabout? (6)
10 Name the estimated money for injury sustained. (7)
12 What are weighing machines often called? (6)
14 Name a downhill skiing race over a winding course. (6)
16 What, in electricity, is a shunt? (6)
18 What is the effusion of serous fluid into body cavities? (5)
19 Which term describes high-octane petrol? (5)
21 To be repulsive, is to be what? (4)
22 To stagger, is to do what? (4)
Elated, Shane came running into my office. “Gail,” he said, “my offer to purchase the shop has been accepted and I take over on April 1.
"I am very excited but I don’t know much about registrations and the other things I need to do. So I welcome any advice you can give me.”
I said: “Shane, this is great news. I'll give you as much information as I can about that, then we will need another appointment to discuss the financial aspects of owning a business and the software requirements. “You need to consider your business structure. We already talked about the liability aspect and decided that operating as a sole trader was not suitable.
"You will have limited liability using a company and it is my understanding that you want to use a company rather than a trust structure.”
Shane replied that the company structure was best for him.
I told him I would register the company.
"The business name can be transferred to that company at settlement," I said.
"The lawyers will prepare the settlement statement and advise you of the cheques you need to draw. I will help you with the necessary registrations and provide general advice on running the business as well as specific taxation advice and assistance with business activity statements (BAS) and income tax return lodgments.
"It is a requirement of my professional body that I send you a letter setting out the terms of our engagement.
“As the business turnover exceeds $75,000 annually you will need to register for GST. We can help you with this registration for the Australian Business Number (ABN).
"You will also be required to register for Pay as You Go Withholding (PAYGW) so that you can pay your staff’s wages. You pay GST, PAYGW and any income tax in the quarterly BAS that you are required to lodge.
"GST is payable by your customers on all sales, when you purchase goods most of them will contain GST and you receive an input tax credit.
"At the end of each quarter, your accounting system adds up all the GST you have collected through sales and you offset the credits on all the items that you have purchased. You show both of these figures in the BAS and pay the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) the difference between the two or receive a refund.
“When you pay your staff each week, you deduct tax. As your annual tax bill will exceed $25,000, you will pay your tax for your staff monthly. For the months of July, August, October, November, January, February, April and May you will have to lodge instalment activity statements (IAS) and for the months of September, December, March and June you pay the PAYGW in the BAS with the GST. You also have to lodge your payroll with the ATO through single-touch payroll (STP)."
Shane said there was a lot to take in, but what about superannuation? I told him he would have to pay superannuation for his staff at 11.5 per cent of their gross wage.
"The legislated payment dates are September, December, March and June, but your fund may have different requirements, some funds require monthly payments. Effective from July 1, 2026 you will have to pay your superannuation at the same time as wages,” I said.
If you require any information on setting up a new business or anything tax or business related contact the expert team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 02 6295 2844.
Disclaimer
This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please contact Gail Freeman or your professional adviser. Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892.
