GunSmoke Issue 112

Gungahl in Community Council newsletter

www.gcc.asn.au

Gungahlin Smokesignals ISSUE 112

JUNE JUNE––JULY 2009

ACT MISSES LIGHT RAIL CHANCE

>QUIET SKIES

WHY WE NEED A CURFEW

>SOLAR FARM CO-OP CO CO-OP PROPOSAL

>LIFESTYLE CENTRE

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION

>BEATING DIABETES GunSmoke 112

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Distributed bimonthly to 16,500 homes & businesses throughout Gungahl in

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community news

Are you on Facebook?

Become a ‘fan’ of the GCC. It’s an easy way to keep in touch with what's happening.

In Facebook, just search on ‘Gungahlin Community Council’

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gungahl in community council

GunSmok GunSmokee

Gungahlin S m o ke s i g n a l s GunSmoke is published bi-monthly in each even-numbered month: February, April, June, August, October & December Deadline for submission of articles and advertising is 15th of each preceding odd-numbered month To advertise your business or organisation in GunSmoke, please visit our website gcc.asn.au Advertising requirements, costs and booking requests are all available online under the GunSmoke menu item Disclaimer: GunSmoke is produced to allow residents to keep in touch with their local community.

It enables people to express views on a range of topics that do not necessarily represent the opinion of the editor, or members of the Gungahlin Community Council Inc.

Gungahlin Community Council PO Box 260, Gungahlin ACT 2912 info @gcc.asn.au www.gcc.asn.au President Alan Kerlin 0408 771633 president @gcc.asn.au Vice President Matthew Connors 0422 237611 vicepresident @gcc.asn.au Secretary Vacant secretary @gcc.asn.au Treasurer Michelle Holmes 0411 030846 treasurer @gcc.asn.au GunSmoke Editor Hayley McGrath GunSmoke Advertising Diana Russell-Raward gunsmoke @gcc.asn.au Public Officer Kevin Cox 6241 0647 publicofficer @gcc.asn.au Web Administrator Dave Bockett 0414 352247 webadmin @gcc.asn.au Executive Estelle Sydney-Smith committee2 @gcc.asn.au

from the president Alan Kerlin Gungahlin Community Council

Welcome to Gungahlin Smokesignals Issue 112.

And welcome also to our new editorial team: Hayley McGrath and Diana RussellRaward. Both ladies are both professional graphic designers, so hopefully we’ll see GunSmoke looking even better over time.

Hayley will be focussing on articles and layout, and Diana will be the lead on advertising requests. Both are contactable via gunsmoke @ gcc.asn.au, although ads should only be booked through the form on our website.

The past couple of months have been very busy with airport meetings, the usual planning issues, parking at Nicholls shops, numerous consultations with us on behalf of various ACT Government agencies, and much much more. There is so much happening in our area as we power towards 40,000 people. So it’s a great relief for me to be able to hand over the GunSmoke production to some new people.

I have another call for help: we started a new area on our website called Fix My Street where you can lodge requests for action that we can pursue on your behalf with the ACT Government. This needs a volunteer coordinator who is keen to get tangible results for Gungahlin residents.

Are you keen to make a difference?

Also on making a difference, our meetings with the Land Development Agency are bearing some fruit, with significant changes to the plans for unit development along Flemington Road resulting, although we are concerned to make sure these gains are not lost through poor proposals and inability of developers to look beyond the current economic problems.

And the alternative entrance to Burgmann School proposed by GCC has now been built, with enough funds to also install pedestrian lights at the Valley Way crossing to boot! A great outcome.

We had a great turnout of about 30 people at our May meeting to hear about and workshop ideas for the Town Centre Master Plan. We also heard about CHC’s new affordable housing development soon to be built on Flemington Road, and Greens MLA Caroline le Couteur’s draft bill on hot water systems.

The June meeting has consultation on the planned $20 million Aquatic and Leisure Centre, and proposed sites for a new mental health centre.

Interesting presentations are being lined up for the July and August meetings too, but not locked in as I write this.

I urge you to come along and get involved.

Gungahlin Community Council next meetings > 10 June Gungahlin aquatic centre; sports facilities; psychiatric centre sites

> 8 July TBA

> 12 August Nudurr Road extension

Second Wednesday monthly except January from 7.30pm Venue:

Palmerston Community Centre

Proudly supporting the Gungahlin Community Council GunSmoke 112

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community news

DA lodged for Town Centre

T

he development application for a major bulky goods retail centre in Hibberson Street has been lodged with the ACT Planning and Land Authority.

The Marketplace Lifestyle Centre, similar to the popular ‘homemaker centres’ in other major cities, will be located between the Raiders Club and Magnet Mart.

Most Gungahlin residents would have seen the recent earthworks on this site.

The fill to allow underground carparking has been shifted over the road, to be used on the college and oval site.

However, Vinta Group’s Development Manager Phillip Knackstedt has told GCC that the uncertain economic climate means that, now the

earthworks are completed, the Lifestyle Centre development will be ‘on hold’ until the ‘GFC’ improves.

At least the development’s approval should be in place by then, so it can get under way as soon as possible. Having these bulky goods retailers located in Gungahlin will be most welcome and save a lot of tripping off to Fyshwick every other weekend.

Gungahlin Uniting Church A place of Christian faith and community for all people

Counselling & Therapy Services

Sunday at 9.30am at Ngunnawal Primary School (Unaipon Ave.)

Rev. Mark Faulkner. 62425001 www.gungahlinuniting.org

individual couple family stress anger sex depression grief Caring Confidential Affordable Adrian Adair QMACA Gungahlin 0414 813 461 CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN CHURCH Gold Creek, Holy Spirit Shared Campus Kellaway Street, Nicholls 02 6255 6087 SUNDAY: 10.00 am Worship and Children’s Church

NEW LIFE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 107 Wanganeen Ave, Ngunnawal Rev Mark Adams 02 6241 3750 m_adams@internode.on.net www.nlpc.org.au

GUNGAHLIN ANGLICAN CHURCH Bergmann Anglican School Valley Ave, Gungahlin Service times Sundays 9.30 am, 5 pm and 7 pm Rector: Rev Michael Dasey 02 6255 5022 Associate Minister Rev Andrew Taylor 02 62458 0005 admin@gungahlinanglican.org.au www.gungahlinanglican.org.au

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Photo & cover: Flexity Light Rail—Bombardier Transportation, Berlin

community news

ACT misses light-rail opportunity T

he recent major infrastructure funding announcements in the Federal Budget revealed what a halfhearted effort the ACT Government put into Canberra’s light rail bid.

Clearly the Federal Government was supportive of the light rail concept – they funded $365m for the first stage of one on the Gold Coast.

But the bid for Canberra went nowhere. Why? Many people suggested that the bid was merely a pre-election ploy to placate a movement that is getting a strong head of steam – if you’ll pardon the pun. Many pointed out that, rather than a staged approach and only asking for funding to kick off the first stage, the government’s bid was an ‘all or nothing’ approach that seemed designed to fail.

And fail it did. Moreover, the submission proposed not even starting until 2011, when the Federal Government clearly wanted projects that could commence immediately.

A look through the submission prepared for the ACT Government by Price Waterhouse Coopers (at great cost to ACT taxpayers) shows it to be a lightweight submission, full of broad motherhood statements, complaining

about the short submission timeframe, and a need for more work on bus options.

But the submission’s cost-benefit analysis does not even include likely increased land sale prices or rates revenue resulting along key routes! This one missing component would go so far towards paying for the Gungahlin link at least, and it didn’t rate even the most basic of costings? Truly amazing.

Putting aside that most critical omission, what did the cost benefit analysis find? That the whole network would cost, over a four-year construction period, $2012m. Over the 30-year appraisal period, total operating and maintenance costs would be $1222m.

Savings or benefits resulting from light rail over that same period included $1707m for highway savings, $543m bus system savings, $35m environmental savings, and a likely underestimated $376m savings to consumers – us.

PWC boiled all this down to a return on investment of 14.92% – not shabby at all. Factor in the crucial missing additional land sale and rates revenues, and we have something that says ‘if the ACT Government does not go ahead with light rail (with or without federal funding), it is

being grossly negligent with our funds.’

With many millions of dollars worth of land sales coming up in Gungahlin – including a lot along the key Flemington Road public transport corridor – it’s vital the ACT Government get serious about planning a staged approach to light rail.

Obviously, the Gungahlin to Civic route would be in the first stage, possibly with links to the airport and South Canberra/Woden, then to Molonglo when that development gets going.

And it needs to make a public commitment, so that it can start to reap increased land values along these routes.

Is this minority ACT Government prepared to show vision and foresight on Canberra’s public transport?

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community news

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CC has been campaigning to keep the day and night-time skies quiet over Gungahlin.

As the picture shows, there are already many flights passing over Gungahlin and, if the Canberra Airport owners have their way, these flights will include many airfreight movements in the ‘wee hours’ of the mornings.

Through partnering with the community coalition Curfew 4 Canberra, participating in numerous meetings about airport noise and operations, and our comprehensive submissions to the airport’s draft master plans last year and now, we have been pursuing the longterm goal of maintaining a quiet Gungahlin – especially during sleeping hours. Our full submission is available on our website www.gcc.asn.au, but here are our key points.

Flawed laws The legislation governing airports requires the airport operator to conduct the entire master plan consultation process – drafting, consultation, receipt of submissions, and redrafting to mitigate concerns raised in submissions. To expect completely objective handling of such a process by the proponent (a private business) is quite unreasonable – the inherent conflict of interest is unavoidable. It’s akin to allowing major development proponents to self-certify.

How would the Airport management feel if Bob Winnell was assessing his own Tralee rezoning application? GCC calls on the Australian Government to overhaul the Airports Act to introduce master plan assessment conducted by the government.

Respite curfew needed GCC, along with numerous other Canberra community groups, believe that

WATCH AND CLOCK REPAIRS Repairs to all mechanical and quartz watches and clocks Over 40 years experience and all work guaranteed Malcolm Scott 32 Grampians Street Palmerston ACT 2913

Phone: 02 6242 9636 Email: malar32@bigpond.com 6

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Quiet skies

airport operations should be subject to a form of curfew that would guarantee the public a nightly period of respite from jet aircraft noise.

This is especially important given the airport are planning to start a ‘freight hub’ that would bring numerous jet flights in and out between 11 pm and 2 am every night. Such a curfew should be established sooner rather than later, firstly because it is far easier to achieve earlier, secondly because it would give all related businesses complete certainty to invest in airportrelated operations without concern about the ‘goalposts being shifted’ at some point.

Noise Abatement Area changes We proposed changes to the Noise Abatement Area to encompass all of North Canberra and Gungahlin (including future suburbs). We are pleased to see the airport now supports our position, despite their previous opposition to it, but call for legislation changes to lock in the NAA requirements to give the community certainty.

Commercial expansion We object to further retailing and commercial developments at the airport that are not directly related to aeronautical endeavours. It undermines the sound town centre planning, and it has already had a direct and adverse impact on the economic and social development of the Gungahlin town centre.

...why Gungahlin needs an airport curfew

Flight tracks for northerly departures for three months in 2008 The red line is the current Noise Abatement Area line through the middle of Gungahlin

Sydney airport ‘wannabe’ The draft Master Plan proposes that Sydney’s second airport should be in Canberra, with high-speed rail linking it back to Sydney. GCC contends that Canberra is too far from Sydney to serve that function. Further, this would be a major off-loading of Sydney noise onto the Canberra community, which would be unwarranted and would be largely unrewarded – except for the airport owners.

Photo: thebreakthrough.org

community news GCC is keen to develop a proposal for a solar farm, to be lodged in response to ACT Energy Minister Simon Corbell’s call for expressions of interest. The ACT Government is proposing funding of $30 million towards the winning proposal.

Our concept is for a facility located in a highly visible site on the north side, such as near the Federal Highway in the area to be known as Kenny.

GCC's concept is that we want to leverage the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) to allow the community to invest in solar even if they can't afford their own rooftop installation. We wish to form a community cooperative (‘Gungahlin Carbon Neutral’) so people with as little as say $500 could buy a share in a solar income stream via the FIT.

Solar Farm Co-op proposal This EOI response would be a major undertaking for GCC, and to pull it off we would need help from interested people with expertise in the field or in

developing such engineering proposals.

Are you interested? Please contact Alan Kerlin at president @gcc.asn.au.

HAZY MOON BOOKS

Poor resealing will cause noise for residents

U

nfortunately the poor quality road resealing that has been getting rolled out across other parts of Canberra has now come to Gungahlin. A section of formerly smooth Horse Park Drive east of Forde has received the rough and cheap chipseal treatment—how much more will get it we don’t yet know.

GCC has been campaigning against this sub-standard road surface, which has been used this past year on everything from suburban culs de sac to major arterials such as Woden’s Hindmarsh Drive. It is harsh, noisy, and in suburban streets highly inappropriate, making for a hazardous ‘cheese grater’ surface for any of our children unlucky enough to come off their bicycle.

And it doesn’t last. At a recent GCC meeting Roads ACT head Tony Gill conceded that the surface would only last 15 years. Yet he also revealed that the Canberra road resealing program is based on a 20-year cycle. So we are on an unsustainable downward cycle?

Many of us have suspected the ACT Government is allowing Canberra's urban assets to gradually run down, and here was confirmation our suspicions are correct.

The ACT's ALP government needs to put an immediate halt to use of this unacceptable road surface on anything other than rural roads. Or the Liberals and Greens need to call them to account on it. This is a city - not a rural backwater.

(Second-hand) 6247 1462 Open Mon-Sat 11am-6pm

Ainslie Shops (down the laneway)

CALD-Mothers Stepping Out Together provides: • Exercise with qualify instructor • Free child minding • Lunch Where: Palmerston Community Centre When: Fortnightly Friday Meeting Time: 11.30am – 2pm For more information: Please call: 0422737751 or cald-mothers@hotmail.com GunSmoke 112

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Photo: Euphorbia dulcis ‘Chameleon’

home and garden

By Lisa Kaveney Dogtrap Design

EUPHORBIAS–TITANS OF TEXTURE

E

uphorbias are many and varied, elegant yet tough. Most of the nursery types we are familiar with are hardy perennials, but the genus also includes succulents like pencil cactus, tropicals like poinsettia and shrubs with wicked spines.

These plants make a wonderful mound of leafy stems, and fill a shrubby role, with predictable sizes and tidy forms.

Newer varieties have richly coloured leaves and flower heads, in burgundy, copper, creamy-white striped, eggplant purple and icy blue-green.

The flowers are an unusual arrangement and one of the commonalities of the euphorbia family.

The most obvious is the poinsettia, the showy red/pink parts are actually not flowers but modified leaves called bracts.

The real blooms are indistinct looking.

The main benefits being the bracts keep their beauty long after the flowers are finished. Another common factor of euphorbia’s is the milky sap that seeps when pruning, is poisonous and is a skin irritant. But what makes them toxic also makes them pest resistant, also add to that drought and heat tolerant, long blooming and low maintenance, and you’ve got a big winner in the garden.

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Euphorbias are easy and tough, with few problems. Some may be short lived, but still worth growing, and should be divided every two to three years in autumn or spring. Like many plants they thrive on being cut back hard, by about a third, after flowering. This keeps the promiscuous varieties under control and encourages a flush of new fresh foliage.

Don’t forget to wear gloves when handling them and wash hand thoroughly if any milky sap gets on your skin.

Euphorbias in general are sun lovers but some with tolerate partial shade. The plants with more intense colouring maintain their colour better in full sun.

One of the main benefits of growing euphorbias is their drought tolerance, so good drainage is the key. They seem not to be picky about the soil they reside in and most can handle sand through to clay.

Euphorbias hold their interest in the garden for months and will last for two weeks as a cut flower in a vase.

Euphorbia coralliodes ‘Coral Spurge’ is about 70cm high and what appears to be lime-green flowers are actually bracts. The beautiful lime-green provides a strong colour variation in the garden.

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. Robbiae is

smaller, growing 50-60 cm high.

Euphorbia polychroma ‘Cushion Euphorbia’ is smaller again with green-blue foliage and contrasting lime-yellow floral leaves.

It makes an ideal border plant, producing brilliant yellow bracts in late spring. Grow these plants together for effect.

Euphorbia dulcis ‘Chameleon’ grows well at the base of a tree, the purple-brown leaves of the make a fabulous contrast. It grows from an underground rhizome, so it spreads out and acts like a ground cover. Another attractive low-growing species is Euphorbia myrsinites, which usually reaches less than 20cm high, with trailing blue-grey stems. It is ideal to grow at the front of a garden bed or over a stone wall to soften its hard edges.

Euphorbia characias ssp wulfenii grows to about 1m high and has wonderful large heads of flowers. Its large form, lovely winter foliage and golden bracts make it a highly-valued garden plant. As with any Euphorbia, they look great when their lime-green foliage is framed by a purple foliage/flowering shrub close by.

community news

New Burgmann entrance

Ngunnawal Oval to get makeover After GCC's lobbying for restoration of Ngunnawal Oval, ACT Sports Minister Andrew Barr has advised that it will be sown with couch seed in early November this year. This will take advantage of the

2009–10 growing season.

It should be available for informal use

by Ngunnawal Primary in Winter 2010 but will not develop a full dense cover until the end of the 2010–11.

Wondering what’s happening at Crace?

THE new entry to Burgmann School is now complete. This alternative entrance should ease the traffic problems around the front of the school and drastically improve student safety.

GCC proposed this solution at a meeting with the school, Federal Police and Roads ACT back in 2007. The gate will only be opened during peak school start and finish times to limit impacts on Warwick Street residents, and the new arrangements should help the residents of adjacent Delma View, who have had problems for years with erratic parking by some school parents.

Roads ACT’s Tony Gill advised GCC that they also have enough funds left from the project to also install traffic lights at the pedestrian crossing in front of the school next holidays.

It’s a great example of GCC making a difference in your community.

T

he new demonstration village will open at Crace in September, heralding the official launch of sales there.

The village, which is already well under construction, will showcase a range of homes, including terrace homes for the suburb’s urban precinct and living options for its suburban precinct.

Project Director Ian Dawkins says builders have been working since early this year to prepare the site.

“Construction is well on the way to

completion, and feedback is very positive,” he says. “The building work is giving a real vibe to the suburb and the sense that things are happening.

“As we draw closer to September, the form of Crace’s urban precinct will become clear and everyone will be able see exactly how the vision of this suburb will be realised.

“We think people are going to be very happy when they see the outcomes.”

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heal th & f itness

Beating diabetes

T

he incidence of diabetes in Australia, particularly Type II diabetes is increasing rapidly. Type II diabetes is an insulin resistant form of the disease which manifests itself from obesity and has devastating cardiovascular complications.

Before developing diabetes, people almost always have ‘pre-diabetes’. People who are pre-diabetic have a one in three chance of developing type 2 diabetes within ten years.

You can have type 2 diabetes and not know it because there may be no obvious symptoms. A simple test to assess risk of diabetes is a simple waist circumference measurement. It is important to measure around the waist, about halfway between

By Alli Watson Exercise Physiologist, AEP, MAAESS Gungahlin General Practice the top of the hip bone and the bottom of the rib cage. Women should aim for a waist circumference less than 80cm and men should aim for less than 94cm. With an increase in waist circumference also increases the risk of becoming pre-diabetic. If you are worried about your risk of diabetes, simply take 2 minutes to fill in the AUDRISK tool.

Your GP or nurse will be able to discuss these results and referral options with you if you are at risk.

So what’s the good news? The risk of developing diabetes in pre-diabetic and healthy adults is reduced considerably through healthy eating and regular physical activity.

More often than not, we have good intentions to exercise and eat right, but life somehow gets in the way. Don’t be deterred, there are ways around these problems.

Instead of using the lift, take the stairs. Park a few extra metres away from work and enjoy the walk, instead of emailing or phoning the person a few desks away, walk and talk to them. By reducing our sedentary time throughout the day, means that our body is working harder for longer. Consequently allows us to use more energy and keeps us healthy, again reducing our risk of diabetes. Gone are the days of trying to fit in exercise sessions of 30min blocks, be creative with your incidentals, 10m blocks of moderately intense exercise, 3 times a day is all that we need for improved fitness and health.

The Australian government has recently initiated and is funding through Medicare, a pre-diabetic education program for people deemed to be at high risk of developing diabetes. This course aims to educate people on healthy lifestyle, including healthy food choices, physical activity and stress management, to reduce their chances of developing type 2 diabetes. This program is very supportive in helping people make realistic behaviour change and focuses on self management and taking control of your own health.

When we are busy it’s generally quicker to take the easy option. I have no doubt we can all think of things that may make it challenging to be more active and eat well, but if you think about the benefits for your health and well being, isn’t it worth it?

PALMERSTON MEDICAL CENTRE Palmerston Shops, Tiptree Cres Ph 6242 9464 129 Hinder St Gungahlin ACT 2912 PH: 62410888 Fax: 62410877 Are you suffering from pain caused by an injury or bio mechanical problem? If so you don’t need to suffer any longer. Ms Alli Watson, Exercise Physiologist, is now practicing from our clinic and can help you. Specialising in pain management, gym rehabilitation programs, chronic injury and diabetes management programs and assessing and fitting of orthotic devices all used to help manage your pain and get you feeling good again.

Why not ring today on 6241 0888 to make an appointment to have your needs assessed.

After hours and Saturday appointments available.

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Dr Prad Southi MBBS (Syd)

Dr Sandy Viketos MBBS (Syd)

Dr Michael Gan MB, BS (UNSW) DCH (NZ) D Obst (Otago) FRAC GP

Surgery Hours Mon – Fri 8.30am – 6.00pm Saturday 8.30am – 11.30am

heal th & f itness

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

By Emma Prime – Psychologist BSc (Psych Hons), Grad Dip Tech (Human Factors), AMAPS Gungahlin General Practice

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veryone is familiar with stress—we experience it in varying forms and degrees every day.

In small doses, stress can actually be beneficial to us by increasing energy levels and helping us rise to meet a challenge.

But if the pressure gets too great, stress eventually surpasses our ability to cope with it in a positive way. This is when stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.

Signs of Stress Listed are just a few of the common symptoms of stress. Your psychologist or GP can help you determine whether or not your symptoms are stress-related: disturbed sleep; feeling overwhelmed; constant worrying; low mood; irritability; poor concentration & memory.

There are many healthy ways to manage and cope with stress, but they all require change. When deciding which option to choose, it’s helpful to think of the four As: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.

• Avoid unnecessary stress—learn how to say no, avoid people who stress you • Alter stressful situations—develop

assertiveness and time management • Adapt to the stressor—change your expectations and attitude, look at the big picture, focus on the positive • Accept the things you can’t change • Rest & relax—do something you enjoy every day • Adopt a healthy lifestyle—exercise, eat well, improve your sleep While we often think of stress as something negative, it is important to remember that stress can be stimulating and helpful. Think of how boring life would be without challenges to push you along, giving you opportunities to learn and grow, and to provide the impetus for accomplishing your goals in life. Too little stress leads to boredom and lethargy; too much stress leads to physical and emotional breakdown. The right balance leads to a productive, healthy life.

Ngunnawal Medical and Skin Clinic Family Practice Specialising in Skin Care No Referral needed Tel 6242 0029 Ngunnawal Shops Wanganeen Avenue

SOLUTIONS for Hair & Beauty Salon Ph 6230 4949 Dickson Shopping Centre Primary $15 Men cuts $23 Wax $10 Ladies $28 Foils: Buy 4 get 4 Free

GP SUPER CLINIC 129 HINDER ST GUNGAHLIN

Ph 6241 0888 OPEN 7 DAYS

SERVICES PROVIDED TO PATIENTS:

• • • • • •

GUNGHALIN GENERAL PRACTICE GUNGAHLIN SKIN CLINIC GUNGAHLIN VASECTOMY CLINIC

• • •

ACCIDENT & CASUALTY CHIROPRACTOR – DR SHANE COLLINS PRACTICE NURSES – IMMUNISATIONS

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PSYCHOLOGIST – EMMA PRIME SPEECH PATHOLOGIST EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST – ALLI WATSON (ORTHOTICS, HYDROTHERPY, GYM PROGRAMS) EXPERIENCED ADMINISTRATION STAFF (APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE)

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gungahl in regional community service Gungahlin Community Markets 27th June and 25th July

English Conversation Classes GRCS conducts English classes for residents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds every Friday during school terms at the Gungahlin Community Resource Centre 1pm-2.30pm.

These classes are free.

Please ring 6123 4422 or 6123 4400 for more information. ***********************

Walk and Talk

A walking group for everyone!

All ages & capabilities welcome.

9am -10.30am Thursdays Ring 6123 4422 for more information. ************************

COFFEE BREAK A women’s discussion, craft and coffee Group meets on Thursdays 10am– midday.

Cost is $4 per week. Childcare is available at $3 per week for 1 child : $4 per week for 2 or more children. Bookings essential, please call 6123 4422 *************************

Gentle Exercise Classes

Join our exercise classes.

All you need is comfortable shoes and casual clothes. These low impact classes are suitable for the over 50s. The cost is $50 for a ten week term or $6 per class.

When: Mondays 11am – 12midday 12

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Held monthly in Linear Park (opposite the Central Café) between 10am and 2pm on the fourth Saturday of each month weather permitting.

If you would like to become a stallholder please ring 6123 4422 for details. The stall fee is $10 per month (you must have insurance). **************************

Parent Expo March 2009

GRCS participation in the Child and Family Centre Parent Expo held in Gungahlin Linear Park on 21st March 2009.

ACRYLIC ART CLASSES GRCS runs a range of different art classes. The classes cater for beginners through to advanced painters.

The courses cost $60 or $50 for concession card holders.

TUESDAYS Beginner Classes with Morag 1pm-4pm for 6weeks Commencing late July Ngunnawal Neighbourhood Centre

Chess Class April School Holidays

Dr Stephen Mugford, President of the ACT Chess Association Inc. hosted chess classes for young people during the April School Holiday Program.

Classes were held at the Gungahlin Community Resource Centre. Dr Mugford is being challenged by Tim Dutton.

THURDAYS Advanced Classes with Morag 1pm-4pm for 6 weeks Commencing late July Ngunnawal Neighbourhood Centre Beginner & Intermediate Classes with Tonia 12.30pm– 2.30pm for 7 weeks Commencing late July Palmerston Community Centre To book a place in any of the above classes please ring

Art Classes held at Ngunnawal Neighbourhood Centre

One of the three very popular art classes hosted by GRCS. The three groups held a combination in-house exhibition in December 2008 to share their experiences