Canberra CityNews September 9-15, 2010

Fiona’s big race for a cure

By Megan Haggan

FOR Fiona McWhinnie, 1997 wasn’t a good year.

“At the end of 1996, my mum was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” she says. Fiona travelled to Newcastle to be with her parents, but had to return to Canberra only days later to continue her studies at the Australian Defence Force Academy, where she was in Navy officer cadet training.

In 1997, two days before her Chief of Defence Force parade (which takes place after the six-week initial training period for first-year cadets, and is seen as acceptance into the corps of officer cadets at ADFA), Fiona fell ill.

“The parade fell on my 20th birthday, and so my parents trekked down from Newcastle to spend the weekend with me. But I was too sick for the parade,” she says. “When I was a kid, I would throw up when I got excited. I thought that’s all it was.

“I ended up sitting on the sidelines with my family watching my colleagues march, and then I was admitted to hospital.”

A cancerous tumour had grown in her appendix – a type of cancer that Fiona says “doesn’t occur in people under the age of 40 apparently, so I’m in a number of medical journals!

“I was 52kg when I joined the Navy, and I was 42kg when they removed the tumour – and I’m five foot seven, so I’m not a small girl.

“I was horrendously ill for some time. And at the same time, my mum was terminally ill with cancer.”

Fiona’s tumour was removed in an operation at Easter; her mum, Janet, passed away that August at the age of 55.

Thirteen years later and after having a number of other tumours removed in the meantime, Fiona (now a contractor at the Department of Finance and Deregulation) will head to south-east Asia in

INDEX

November to take part in the Cure Cancer Foundation’s “Race for a Cure” challenge.

Alongside others from around Australia (she’s the only Canberran), Fiona will cycle and trek through Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia to raise funds to support Cure Cancer Australia in providing national funding to young early career researchers who are adopting fresh approaches to fighting cancer across all areas of research.

“Each leg of the trip has challenges to be undertaken: there are also points for fastest, most challenges complete and the biggest and most-creative fundraiser!

“I’m looking forward to the serenity of riding and walking through the temples in Cambodia, and the end of the trip, where we climb up the Sapa

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Track to the ‘Roof of Vietnam’ at Fansipan Peak at an altitude of 3143 metres,” she says.

“I think I’ll have a big cry when I get there, thinking about my mum and it being the closest I can get to her. I’m doing it in her memory. She was a remarkable person, heavily involved in the community. She would do anything for anyone – would buy birthday presents for a childhood friend of mine whose parents wouldn’t do so.”

Fiona still needs to be vigilant about her illness returning, and says she has had three scares since 1997.

“If you are told ‘you have cancer’, it would be so much better also to hear, ‘there is a cure’,” she says.

To donate, visit http://gofundraise.com.au/mcfi

Olympics remembered

MORE than 100 Canberra Olympic Games volunteers have registered for the 10th anniversary reunion at the Canberra Stadium on Monday, September 13. Liberal MLA Steve Doszpot, the ACT SOCOG event director invited auxiliary services members such as the police, ambulance officers, SES and ACT fire brigade members who were on duty during the games in Canberra. “All volunteers are urged to wear their Olympic uniforms and accreditation badges,” he said. Volunteers who wish to attend can register by emailing socog10years@ hotmail.com and further information from Steve Doszpot on 0404 868623.

Equestrian helpers

PEGASUS, the community organisation that provides equestrian activities for people with a disability, is seeking 25 new volunteers. Volunteers are needed for a couple of hours a week from Tuesdays to Fridays. Previous horse experience is not essential. Four-hour volunteer training sessions are offered on Tuesday, September 14 or Saturday, September 18. More information from www.pegasusact.com.au or 6254 9190.

Prostate promotion

THROUGHOUT September, local Commonwealth Bank branches are selling a $20 barbecue kit with all proceeds going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. The kits are on sale from branches in Civic, Belconnen, Dickson, Tuggeranong and Woden, and include tongs, an apron, a stubby holder and paper napkins. Visit www.prostate.org. au or call 1300 00 7232.

Stanhope hails bus service

What’s wrong with the buses?

Nothing, the Chief Minister tells ELERI HARRIS. It’s all a public relations crisis in confidence.

THEstorm clouds brewing over Canberra’s public transport service have burst with accusations and complaints hailing down on ACTION, the ACT Government and the TWU.

While the TWU calls for an overhaul of bus routes, the Auditor General slams ACTION management as the industrial dispute between Government and the union stagnates and, now, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has come out saying the real issue facing Canberra’s public transport provider is a PR crisis in confidence.

“Without a doubt the biggest challenge and problem and difficulty that ACTION faces is a negative perception within the broader community,” Stanhope told the “CityNews”.

“Overwhelmingly the perception for the continuing conversation is ‘oh, it’s a basket case’. It’s not basket case at all.

“Because so few of us catch the bus, I also have the concern it’s become a little intimidating, people don’t know how to catch a bus, they don’t know it’s as simple as waiting at a bus stop and walking on board and paying a couple of dollars.

“I’m sure most Canberrans, those who never catch the bus, would be stunned to know that there are 3000 services a day. We have a workforce of just under 1000. It’s a massive business running routes and services all over the city all day. And yet I don’t think people understand that and the negative perception that’s embedded there is becoming increasingly harder to crack as a result.”

The Chief Minister waxes lyrical about his “seasoned” experiences with ACTION, but he hasn’t been a regular customer since 1986 when the city’s population stood at 100,000 fewer inhabitants.

“There are some people for whom public transport would simply not

work,” Stanhope admits. “That’s an issue that can never be solved or resolved. What we can do though, I think, is to better attune people and educate on the nature of the services.”

ACTION told “CityNews” that of the 3458 bus stops around Canberra, only 816 post timetables. However, when questioned on the paucity of timetable information, Stanhope said: “I do not accept that bus stops do not have timetables”.

Perhaps the PR war Stanhope sees ACTION facing is more about media coverage than publicly accessible, bus-service information.

Newcomers to Canberra and those unused to riding buses might struggle to find paper timetables, they might be confused about where or when their local suburban bus is headed because few suburban bus stops are labelled with either times, routes, or destinations and there are only 189 timing points on ACTION routes.

In the 2010-11 Budget, the ACT Government committed $12 million to a real-time bus timetabling system,

when, after 87 years of public buses in Canberra, ACTION has not yet been able to provide accurate paper timetable posters on stops. Yes, there is a website and it is comparable to that of Hobart’s metro service, the only other remaining Government-owned public transport network in Australia, but its interactive timetables put it a cut above ACTION’s PDFs.

ACT TWU President Klaus Pinkus says the real obstacle ACTION faces in attracting customers is the network routes.

“The main problems with ACTION are where the buses run,” Pinkus said.

“Far too many routes are far too long. Fun as it is to ride the bus, people don’t want to spend an hour and a half getting to work.

“Industrial action is all peripheral to the redesign of all the routes, the expertise to do that is all there; we have drivers with 30 years’ experience in Canberra who are severely under utilised.”

The Chief Minister does not agree.

“We engaged the best transport planners that we’ve been able to engage and I have great faith in them,” Stanhope said.

“We are putting enormous energy and effort in, we’re being objective and looking for evidence. We’re doing what world’s best practice suggests we should be doing. That work is being done. It’s now just up to us to take the people of Canberra with us, we just need to imbue on them that this is a network that meets their needs.”

The Opposition parties say there are so many things wrong about ACTION it’s hard to point to any one issue that could see a patronage turn around.

“Obviously there’s been a lot of bad news lately about ACTION, but I don’t think any one thing is to blame,” the Greens’ transport spokesperson Amanda Bresnan said.

“It’s not that simple. The key thing that has to be invested in is infrastructure, we need to have continued infrastructure upgrades. Without bus lanes it doesn’t decrease time travelling and make people want to catch the buses.”

Liberal transport spokesperson Alistair Coe says a cultural change is needed to motivate ACTION management itself to address the issues.

“The minister really does need to step up and make a cultural change,” Coe said.

“This is going to take leadership to say we need some pride in this network. He needs to motivate ACTION to want to change the system and improve it. There doesn’t seem to be much desire within ACTION or management, just a lot of hot air about modal shift and getting people on to public transport. But what has happened in ACTION to make people get on the bus?”

The Chief Minister says the Government is investing to make ACTION better, $97 million this year alone.

“There’s simply no silver bullet, there’s no magic wand, there’s no one thing that can be done. We have to continue to invest in the fleet, we have to continue to grow the fleet, we have to grow the number of drivers, we have to increase the routes but most of all we have to increase their frequency,” he says.

Don’t start me

THE ATO, quality control and customer service should never be mentioned in the same sentence. Their etax system is a pain in the arse. They stuffed up bringing birth dates across to their new system, and I ended up having to print off the return and take it in, as the etax system couldn’t verify my identity, even when I used my bank account details.

Not so long ago, the ATO sent out about 150,000 letters with refund cheques missing. Their excuse: We were using a new system, so 150,000 mistakes are to be expected.

Gillard’s dopey Building the Education Revolution, Garrett’s insulation installation fiasco, 40kph speed signs everywhere in Canberra, the tax office and new IT systems, ACT Health and bullying health bureaucrats, traffic lights that take forever to change, bridges that collapse – when will people realise that the public sector is rubbish? A public education system churning out mediocre young adults. And don’t get me started on the socialists at the ABC! Complete waste of taxpayers’ money.

Yours in privatising the lot, John c leland, Latham

Dougal delights

YOUR cinema reviewer Dougal Macdonald has done pretty well with his review of “Cairo Time” (CN, September 2). He has written the sort of review we used to like to see when I was in the movie business. He says of Patricia Clarkson, the middle-aged heroine: “She offers delicious carnality without baring great areas of skin”. This will have all the blokes – however old – wanting to see it. And all the sheilas will want to go, too, to see how she does it!

Darrel Killen, Garran

Wrong camp

HARDLY a day goes by without “The Canberra Times” running articles promoting the homosexual lifestyle, therefore it is not surprising that Senator Bob Brown thought the matter was a huge election issue. He had obviously confused propaganda with public sentiment.

That sentiment can be better gauged from the swing towards the conservative side of politics, and the rise in informal and protest votes. Greens protest voters will soon realise they are in the wrong camp, so to speak.

Pam Lai, via email

Generous ladies who lunch

By Megan Haggan

THINGS have changed since the Canberra Committee, one of the first auxiliaries to support the work of the then-Children’s Medical Research Foundation (now Institute), started up in 1960.

“Women weren’t working, and so it was very easy to get young people involved,” says Barbara McPhillamy, who served as president from 1965 to 1967.

“It all started with young mothers: I was under 30! That just doesn’t happen these days; we’re an older group now.”

The Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) conducts research into childhood diseases and their consequences; it raises funds with the Jeans for Genes Day campaign each August. It’s supported by 27 fundraising committees around the country, of which the Canberra Committee was the third established.

“It’s a very worthwhile cause,” says Barbara. “Causes where children are concerned are very important, because every child is entitled to a whole and happy life.”

The Canberra Committee has always been a strong performer in fundraising: In its first year it raised £14,000 from a community of just 48,000 people. Its main annual activity is a fund-raising luncheon, held each November, which has evolved from a simple garden party to a gourmet dining and shopping activity for

Some of the Canberra Committee’s past presidents, from left, back row: Danielle Hyndes (1992-94), Bev Curlewis (1977-79), Maryanne Rossier (1998-2000), Maureen Cassar (1989-92), Marion Gillespie-Jones (2000-02), Gwen Wilcox (1983-84), Barbara Cater (1967-70), Celia McKew (2005-08), Meredith Nicol (2005-08), Lyn Cummings (1986-88), Marilyn Allen (2008-10). Middle row: Jenny McDonald (1996-98), Meg Morrow (1973-75). Front row: Barbara East (1975-77), Barbara McPhillamy (1965-67), Carolyn Forster (1984-86, 1994-96 and 2010-present). Photo by Silas

up to 750 guests, held at locations such as Government House or The Lodge.

“It’s incredible how much community support the cause has engendered,” says Carolyn Forster, who has just embarked on her third term as president (she also served 19841986 and 1994-1996).

“The first time I attended the luncheon we all brought a plate! These days it’s all catered.”

Barbara McPhillamy says that the committee has always worked hard to raise funds for the institute.

“We certainly didn’t sit there looking pretty! We did everything, even scrubbing the floors and toilets before we put on an event. We didn’t ever have catering; when we were fund-raising at the opening of Center Cinema in 1966 we served chicken sandwiches,” she says.

“During my time, Canberra was

the committee that raised the most money of all the auxiliaries around the country.”

She says the committee welcomes participation from all Canberran women, including young mothers.

More information on 1800 677260 – Carolyn advises interested parties to speak to Stephen Ryall, general manager, philanthropy and community development.

Fete time

THE Eastlake Junior Football Club’s community fete will be held at Kingston Oval, 11am-2pm, Sunday, September 19. It features more than 30 stalls including trash ’n’ treasure, face painting, second-hand books, homemade cakes, massage, jewellery, footy, arts and crafts, wine tasting, sponge throwing, prize wheel and a jumping castle. There’ll also the chance to sign up for EFC cricket, spring Auskick or footy season 2011.

Stories of miscarriage

LOCAL author Irma Gold is looking for stories to include in an anthology of real-life experiences about miscarriage titled “Mostly for Mothers”. She says stories may focus on any aspect of the miscarriage experience, but they must be vivid, engaging, compelling and beautifully written. More information at www.mostlyformothers.com/miscarriage.html

Phil heads Savills

COMMERCIAL property executive Phil Harding (pictured) is heading a new Canberra office of property advisory service Savills Australia. Mr Harding was previously the joint managing director of Knight Frank Canberra. The new companyowned office follows the decision to end Savills’ previous Canberra franchise office licence by mutual agreement on July 31.

‘Boughing’

to authority

ROBERT MACKLIN discovers that his disdain for nearby dangerous trees could lead him to a life of crime.

IT’S not that I actually hate and despise trees. They have their use – they breathe CO 2 – and their place: The bush.

But instead of leaving them out there to go about their business of breathing CO 2 , we import them into our cities and plant them around our homes.

In this foreign environment, they drop their waste and make a mess, and during storms and high winds they attract lightning, fall on houses, smash power lines and stop traffic.

Philistine developers use them to hide their ghastly creations – viz. O’Malley. And dogs treat them in a manner that puts their presence in perfect perspective.

However, I did not realise that my disdain for these alien invaders near my little shack was an actual crime. That is, until the arrival in my life of the eponymous Quinton Prendergast (honestly).

Mr QP is an apparatchik of the Eurobodalla Shire Council and he arrived at said shack in Tuross in response to a polite letter I had written to the ESC Kremlin in Moruya concerning a clump of trees between me and the sea. Some were dead, their branches hanging like Damoclean swords over the pathway to the beach. One had recently dropped a killer branch centimetres from a Kremlin picnic table. Others threatened the nearby power line. And together they not only harboured pestilential rabbits and vicious brown snakes but were an obvious fire hazard.

So I offered QP a cup of coffee which he refused, obviously fearing compromise, and we

walked down to the clump of ugliness and terror.

I was just beginning to explain the situation when QP cut me short. “The arborist,” he said, “has made an assessment. Since the passing traffic is intermittent, we will not be removing anything.”

This was a blow, but I rallied. “Okay, but the letter from the Krem… sorry, council said if you couldn’t do it then I could… at my own expense.”

“Oh, that,” he waved it airily away. “That was just a form letter.”

“Well I don’t care,” I said, “I am definitely taking away that overhanging branch that threatens the lives of my two beautiful little granddaughters who visit me constantly and we walk down here together and…”

“That,” said QP, “could be regarded as view enhancement.”

“View enhancement,” I laughed. “Is that a crime?”

“Yes,” came the dour reply. The fine would be $10,000 and they could even erect a screen in place of the dead branch to stop my view of the beach.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?”

I will draw a veil over what happened next, but a few days later someone from the council came and snipped the tip off the branch… and took away the picnic table. The evil clump remains.

At last, I have a mission in life.

robert@robertmacklin.com

Shameless Labor and the conflict of pokies

NEWLY-elected

Hobart MP Andrew

Wilkie has really put a spanner in the works for the ACT Labor government.

The agreement he has with the Prime Minister for action to minimise the harm associated with gambling, and pokies in particular, calls the bluff of our local government.

No matter how much Chief Minister Jon Stanhope maintains his poker face, he knows that he has a conflict of interest for whenever poker-machine revenue increases, the Labor Clubs make greater profit and there is more money to support the election of Labor members. There is a direct impact on whether or not Jon Stanhope gets elected as well as the odds of remaining as head of the government in the ACT. And he knows it!

Just a year ago he was as keen as mustard for the Labor Party to divest itself of the clubs.

But in recent days, when the Chief Minister took a stance against the proposed Wilkie/ Gillard reforms railing against the proposals using the same arguments Labor has been touting for 20 years: “This is a club town”, “people are able to have cheap entertainment”, “clubs make a significant contribution”. All true, but it is also true that Labor failed

By Michael Moore

to sell its four clubs in Belconnen, Civic, Ginninderra, and Weston Creek. Labor still has a stake in the game and should not be making decisions that protect or enhance its income.

Canberra has the only casino in Australia that does not have pokies even though the ACT now has the highest number of poker machines per capita in Australia with 5048 machines raising $34 million in taxes alone. Excluding the casino from pokies was a decision originally taken by the Labor Party and has been maintained by them.

Labor in the ACT is reliant on pokies for its election funds. Gambling is big money and big money has big influence. When Labor members participate in a vote on gaming they are in double-jeopardy – the taint that large political donations bring through their influence and the direct conflict of interest that directly or indirectly puts money into each of their election campaigns.

Alan Rosenthal writing in “Ethics and Political Practice” identified the problem of this sort of conflict for legislators as follows: “The fundamental prohibition applies to the legislator who would personally benefit from some piece of legislation in a way or to a degree that other people would not”.

It also applies to executive government in making decisions that result in personal benefit – such increased campaign funds to improve the personal and government chances of re-election. In fact, the Code of Conduct for Ministers in the ACT states that “in assessing whether a conflict of interest is material, the issue is the likelihood that the Minister possessing the interest could be influenced in the judgement... or that a reasonable person would believe that he or she could be so influenced”.

It is not just Jon Stanhope or his ministers, it is a full house of all the elected members of the Labor Party who do not stand aside on such decisions. The amazing thing is that the Chief Minister was not flushed or embarrassed when he appeared on TV arguing against the Wilkie/Gillard proposals.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health in the Carnell government.

Happy snappers

RAQUEL Bourne’s photo of the Australian War memorial (pictured) was one of last year’s winners in ActewAGL’s annual “Postcards from Your Town” competition. Amateur photographers are being encouraged to enter this year’s competition, which closes on September 24. The 12 winning images will be featured on ActewAGL’s 2011 calendar, which is distributed free to schools, community groups and businesses throughout the capital region from November and available from ActewAGL stores. For more information, including competition terms and conditions, visit actewagl. com.au/postcards

Heart appeal

CEO of the Heart Foundation ACT Tony Stubbs says that donations to its September doorknock appeal are vital in the work to help save families from the devastation caused by cardiovascular disease. In the ACT, 460 people lost their lives to heart disease in 2008 and 60,000 Canberrans live with the disease. All donations $2 and over are tax-deductible. Doorknock volunteers can issue supporters with a receipt.

Fair trade Salvos

THE Salvation Army in Civic has introduced fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate into its centre. “Our decision to only buy fair trade represents our belief that the most vulnerable people in our world deserve a fair and just reward for their labour,” says Capt Tim Gittins. The Salvation Army is also producing its own fair trade coffee. Order at http://salvos.org.au/brisbanestreetlevel/fairtrade-coffee/

Bank helps kids

THE Bank of Queensland branches in City Walk and Belconnen have helped raise $223,000 for the bank’s annual “Banking on our Kids” appeal. The funds, the highest raised since the appeal started in 2004, are shared between Australia’s five leading children’s hospital foundations, including the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, which treats thousands of seriously sick and injured kids from the ACT every year.

Confronting the ‘oldest oppression’

BEFORE the last ACT election in 00  , our local government responded to a question regarding Canberra’s prostitution industry with the following: “There is no illegal sex industry in Canberra due to our well-regulated legal prostitution system”.

I wonder if the response would still be the same today?

In the last couple of years reports have uncovered a strong illegal element to our Canberra industry. There have been various news reports about the common usage of underage girls, suspicious fires, people found to be holding sex slaves and, the most tragic of all, the death of a 17-year-old, who was discovered to have overdosed on drugs while working in a Fyshwick brothel.

As for “well-regulated”, before the recent spate of checking first-aid kits at the brothels, there had not been an inspection done in half a decade.

In what other industry are you worth more the younger and less experienced you are? What other workplace has a requirement of a panic button in each room (only high-security prisons and nuclear power plants spring to mind)? What other job would have as conditions of employment an acceptance of daily sexual harassment, occasional rape and abuse, and a willingness to give your boss sexual favours under the desk whenever requested?

There has been talk of an inquiry into the ACT industry as of early next year. We will, of course, see a number of “perfect prostitutes” being trotted out by the brothel owners, girls who love the work of servicing up to 10 men a night.

However, what they won’t show is

By n ick Jensen

what it is like for the many Canberra girls who are working as prostitutes out of drug dependencies, a fear of deportation, duress, and desperation. They certainly won’t bring forward the appalling situation of the girls who have been brought to Canberra under false pretences and are now caught up in what can only be considered slavery.

In Amsterdam, the largest legal red-light district in the world, the mayor has declared legalised prostitution as “a failed experiment”, and our leaders should now be doing the same.

In every country including our own, the illegal sex industry is flourishing. The only country that has seen any success in actually diminishing the industry is certainly not one of those which have legalised it to apparently “keep it regulated”. It is Sweden, which has in place what has now become known as the “Swedish model”. This model starts at the premise that all forms of purchasing sex are considered violence towards women, and rather than criminalising prostitutes, they are treated as victims in an industry that does so much damage to them emotionally, psychologically and physically. You may have heard the saying “Prostitution is the oldest profession”. Well it’s not, it is however the oldest oppression.

An inquiry in Canberra would be a welcome opportunity to thoroughly examine concerns about the way the prostitution industry is operating and to face up to the reality of what women are enduring behind the firmly closed doors of “legal” – and therefore “government sanctioned” – brothels.

Nick Jensen is the ACT director of the Australian Christian Lobby

Hamada, left, and Katsutoshi Miyakawa from the Japanese embassy, with Saharu Komaguchi, centre, give a mochi-pounding demonstration.

Konnichiwa! Here comes the Nara candle festival

By Eleri Harris

CANDLES, kimonos, calligraphy, rice-cakes and culture – the seventh annual CanberraNara Candle Festival on September 18 will celebrate the 17th anniversary of the sister city relationship, the 1300th anniversary of Nara, Japan’s first capital city, and the renaming of the festival grounds to the Canberra-Nara Peace Park.

Every year more than 2000 Canberrans gather to eat Japanese food, watch musical, martial arts and dance performances and, of course, see the lighting of the equally numerous candles at the park on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope says the festival is symbolic of the strong friendship and ties between Canberra and Nara.

“The Candle Festival brings a mix of free entertainment and cultural activities celebrating Japanese and Australian cultures that build on our sister city relationship and celebrate these important milestones,” he said.

Japanese economics and Asian studies exchange student at ANU, 21-year-old Saharu Komaguchi couldn’t agree more.

“I think it’s great because other sister cities with Canberra don’t have festivals like this,” Saharu said.

“A lot of my Australian friends know about Japan because of this festival.”

Saharu, who is from the island of Kyushu, has been to Nara on a school trip, but never seen their famous candle festival, called Tokae,

Japanese economics and Asian studies exchange student Saharu Komaguchi... “I think it’s great because other sister cities with Canberra don’t have festivals like this.”

Photo by Silas

where 20,000 candles are lit every August.

Last year’s Canberra Nara Candle Festival was nearly rained out.

“This year we just want good weather,” Sumie Davies, from the Japanese embassy said. “Then it will be perfect.”

This year will also see a new sculpture in the park, “Toku”, by Japanese artist Shinki Kato, commissioned by the ACT Government and installed earlier in the month.

The festival will kick off at 3pm on Saturday, September 18 with the official ceremony and candle lighting at 6.30pm.

Bedding down storage space

WHEN Paul Kuske and his partner wanted to install space-saving wardrobes into their O’Connor home, they went to Creative by Design – and soon found that there’s more to innovative storage solutions than just wardrobes.

“Originally we were going to just do three wardrobes, which we ended up doing as well, but Renee [Agapiou, one of the company’s designers] talked us through different concepts, and so we ended up doing much more,” he says. “We really needed to do something with our cluttery guest room. We ended up with some custom-designed objects, for example to store a huge musical keyboard I have, and a big A3 printer which now sits in a drawer below that.”

The room features a queen-size wall bed which folds away when not in use, with bifold doors which open up to display a mirror.

“Renee designed a lot of little trays which hold a lot of cabling, among

other things – and the whole room’s amazing, because we have so much packed in there and we’ve still got about 50 per cent of that storage space to fill. As we evolve into having more and more clutter over the years, we’ve got the space to grow into.

“At the time we also knew we were going to start a family, and the room is intended to be the baby’s room eventually – we didn’t know what we were going to do if there was a baby’s crib in there, and we had somebody over to stay.

“You can dedicate a whole room to the guest bed, but the problem with that is not being able to use the space for anything else. I think more and more people are finding they can’t waste space like that.”

Guest/spare rooms often pose a problem: it’s important for visitors to have a place to stay, but a permanent bed in that spare room takes up a great deal of space. Spare rooms often end up being used inefficiently for storage.

Susan Chowne, creative designer at Creative by Design, says pull-down

beds are “an innovative solution where you have the guest bedroom that doubles as an office, which doesn’t function as well as you would like.

“We are now able to custom-design an office area which will function well and incorporate the pull-down bed for guests.

“You don’t have to make do with the uncomfortable sofa bed: the pull-down bed enables you to use the mattress of your choice!”

Susan says the pull-down bed, when closed, takes up very little space, and

can be accommodated by a 450-deep cabinet. Storage for linen can be integrated into the design.

“With the pressure of wanting to have more multi-functional spaces, the pull-down bed is ideal for a children’s rumpus room or playroom, which then can double for the guests’ bedroom – no need to build on that extension!”

Bookshelves above the pull-down section can be incorporated into the design, she adds. “By simply looking at different finishes, our design can complement a contemporary-styled home or they can cater to a more classic or traditional look.”

More information on www.creativebydesign.com.au or call 6284 2759.

Falling in love, again

As the rampaging Raiders head improbably into the finals’ rounds, broadcaster TIM GAVEL welcomes them back to his affections

AS a sports commentator manufacturing genuine passion is one of the hardest things to do. I know it’s an act and so do the listeners.

Thankfully, I have only had to do it a couple of times in the past 22 years and that was during the days of Super League when I publicly defended the players and their right to sign with News Limited. Rugby league was being played by players with day-time jobs who trained at night. My belief was they were not being paid what they were worth.

I then became disheartened by the unabashed greed displayed by some people involved in the game; the fans became collateral damage.

During that period, calling matches involving the Raiders was a test. They weren’t playing the Dragons or the Tigers. They were playing sides such as the Hunter Mariners and the Adelaide Rams in a manufactured rivalry.

There were games during Super League when I knew my heart wasn’t in it and times when I thought about changing careers. The thing that kept me going as a commentator was knowing that the time would come when my passion for the Raiders and the code would return.

Before Super League I would go to as many training sessions as possible to cover injuries and team changes and so on, but for a couple of years struggled to attend more than one session a week. Some fans haven’t returned from the Super League days.

This year my interest has overtaken the feeling generated by the team in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and, in many respects, it is not hard to work out why.

Is it because of the emergence of the young players such as Josh Dugan, Joel Thompson and Jarrod Croker; it is the good, old-fashioned values instilled by Alan Tongue; the toughness of the forward pack led by David Shillington; the work ethic of Josh Miller and the fact that the team is being coached by one of the club’s former greats in David Furner? There is plenty to like about this team, not just for the present but for the future.

It is one of the reasons I came out so strongly in support of Furner and the players mid-season when they were struggling to find their rhythm and some fans were overreacting to losses, threatening to tear up their season tickets and calling for the sacking of the coach and the CEO.

But the Raiders fought back to become one of the most exciting attacking teams in the competition. Now that they’ve made the finals, the platform has been laid for the future.

If you are one of those who lost their passion for the Raiders in the wake of Super League, now might be the time to take another look because this team has the potential to be something special.

nostalgia

Shereen’s heart is in Canberra

AS I stood waiting at the bus stop at 5.03pm, every day I asked myself the same question: Is it worse to wait in the cold for the bus, or the sweltering heat back home? After eight weeks, I still haven’t been able to answer that question.

Nor have I been able to understand how fresh chilli costs $10 a kilogram, or that people leave work here at 5pm.

I come from a country where a cup of coffee costs 80 cents and where people eat two meals of rice a day. We typically work till the wee hours of the night.

And yet, despite the differences between my homeland and my adopted home, I have felt at home.

Some time last year, I decided that for a change of pace, environment, and to gain a deeper knowledge of writing, I wanted to pursue a journalism internship overseas. Endless research and a hundred emails later, I found myself at the doors of “CityNews” on a cold and frosty Monday morning.

I don’t think the change in seasons, nor street view on Google Maps were enough to prepare me for life in a completely foreign environment.

I’ve always had an idealised notion of Australia – blue skies, fish and chips, endless beaches, cheap Tim Tams; all of which flew out the window the moment I stepped off the plane.

Canberra has been nothing like I expected, and in no way close to the pictures I’ve seen, and yet, for so many reasons, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be!

It wasn’t just the weather that caught me

Work experience reporter SHEREEN CHARLES is from Singapore and despite our best entreaties about the cold of Canberra’s winter, spent her university summer holidays at “CityNews”. Here’s how she found our city...

off-guard but also the people. There have been so many of my cold days that have been warmed up by the smile a little girl gives me on the bus on the way home, or a simple “Good evening” that the bus driver throws my way, or even just the random conversations I have had with people in the aisles of supermarkets, as I try and find my all-important chilli powder.

As I covered stories in schools, mosques, restaurants and lakes, I found myself hungrily taking in every smell, sight and sound of Canberra. It feels like having a new pair of eyes and looking at a completely different world from the one that I’ve grown up in.

Over Iced Vovos and hot chocolate, I’ve listened to my colleagues talk about politics, share anecdotes on which bus stood them up, and told them a little bit about my homeland and culture. And, as a bonus, I’ve made firm friends with them, all of whom I will miss, dearly.

While people on the internet lament on how “boring” Canberra is, I have made the most wonderful memories in this city.

From just stopping for frozen custard at Rubees, or walking into a Salvos store and scoring some great finds and using self-checkout counters, to watching swing dancers dance on the lawns of Parliament

Shereen Charles... “While people on the internet lament on how ‘boring’ Canberra is, I have made the most wonderful memories in this city.”

House, it’s been unforgettable.

As I pack my bags, and stock up on tacky souvenirs for the family, I know that I will always find myself wanting to come back – unreliable buses and all.

There’s a charm about Canberra that I have slowly discovered and grown to love, and I know that when I walk through the gates at the airport and return to Singapore, I’ll have left my heart in Canberra.

A place that really matters

The Apart ments at NewActon is much more than just a place to live –it’s a lifestyle. Part of the NewActon art and design precinct at the exciting lakeside area of CityWest, The Apart ments are ideal for owner-occupiers and investors alike, according to key stakeholders…

the developer

THE Molonglo Group’s Nectar Efkarpidis says that the group set out to build “a place that matters” to all who live in and visit The Apartments.

“By ‘a place that matters’, we mean a place with award-winning design and architecture that reinforces strong social, cultural and economic values for Canberra at large, and seeks to represent a national and international prototype in the making of high-quality sustainable cities in the 21st century,” he enthuses.

Thought and care went into every aspect of the project: for example, the group commissioned Melbourne sculptor Heather Swann to work closely with the architect and builder to design and craft the interior foyer space, “which would have otherwise been factoryfabricated joinery units and carpeting.

“We commissioned local timber designer/makers to recycle hardwood flooring from a Canberra building being demolished to produce hand-fabricated, beautifully-textured, unique wall panelling which tells a rich abstract story of use and re-use,” Nectar says.

“Four national and international artists have just spent up to six weeks living and working on-site, painting four monumental murals, 18 storeys high, which will be installed in each of the 64-metre lift shafts of the building and will be seen through glass lift walls.

“Among other artists currently working on the site, NSW sculptor Robin Blau, who created the monumental Coats of Arms at the entries to New Parliament House 22 years ago, is currently fabricating three major site-specific sculptures by hand for NewActon.”

Among these are a giant building canopy in the form of a crow or raven, and a sculptural bower framing views of the massive heritage oak tree in the NewActon courtyard.

Nectar said the Molonglo Group’s decison to organise and fund these projects made perfect economic sense, “if we want an eminently good place”.

The Group has well and truly achieved its objectives in creating The Apartments, he says, “with evidence of this achievement being found in the wonder and delight on the faces of purchasers, occupants and visitors to the building, as well as all those who have made it their life to deliver the project over the last three years.”

t he architect

PROJECT architect Craig Baudin, from Fender Katsalidis (FKA) in Melbourne, architects for the entire NewActon project, says The Ap art ments are a pivotal piece of the precinct.

“The project encourages mixed use and 24-hour activity and life: it’s not a

space that’s dead when people are out of their apartments,” he says.

“We wanted to introduce to Canberra something that’s a bit different and new, that has a real sense of community within the precinct.”

The building works in with other building use and activities: commercial, residential, offices, restaurants

– it creates a lively precinct, as opposed to the usual outcome which is a monoculture.

“We’re very happy with the way the facade of the building works within the skyline and the setting: we feel it is elegantly proportioned and responds well to the surrounding context,” he says.

the owner-occupier

BUILDER Peter McCoullough bought two apartments, attracted by the unique location.

“We wanted a unit that would face north and never be blocked out by another building, and we were able to secure a beautiful north-facing sunny apartment that overlooks the Botanical Gardens and ANU,” he says.

“We didn’t want the average unit typically being built in Civic. We wanted one with a superior finish and my personal opinion is that this is the best building ever built in Canberra – a lot of thought was put into the building, especially with the Molonglo Group’s connections with the arts. They put a nice character throughout the entire complex.

“It’ll help with values, of course, and they haven’t let us down: there was real love, quality and care taken to deliver a well above-average product. They have a passion – The Apartments wasn’t built for price, it was built for liveability, and it shows.”

Nectar Efkarpidis says The Ap artments

“There are wonderful views to the lake and the mountains, and there are some really interesting apartment design features you don’t often find. Some of the larger apartments have both north and south aspects, which provides cross-ventilation not normally found in apartments of this type.”

is ideal for investors and owner-occupiers alike. “The objectives for investors and occupants are the perfectly aligned: award-winning design and architecture;

buildings of the highest quality; outstanding inner city locations and breathtaking views; and provision of excellent retail and hospitality amenity at your doorstep.

“Qualitatively, what does this mean? For example, the ability to walk to and from work is a far better solution than driving.

“The Apartments are set within the urban layers of amenity provided at NewActon, layers which provide the social infrastructure to ‘glue’ NewActon’s existing residents, office workers and hotel visitors into a cohesive community of like-minded people that care about living, working and visiting a place that matters.”

More information at Colliers International on 6257 2121 or www.theapartments.com.au

At exhibition openings, M16 Artspace, Griffith

At the opening of Fiore Garden Spa, Hawker

At canberra Short Film Festival launch, kingston At

all about Floriade

Where imaginations run wild

THIS year, Canberra’s spring flower festival Floriade, from September 11 to October 10, features many new events and activities in Commonwealth Park that its organisers promise will encourage imaginations to run wild.

Da Vinci Machines

SEE the incredible inventions of Leonardo da Vinci as they are brought to life at the Da Vinci Machines Exhibition. The ticketed event

features more than 60 machines based on the original drawings of da Vinci, including his amazing flying machines, nautical, hydraulic and architectural innovations, ground-breaking applications of civil engineering and war machines. Touch and handle the machines to gain a first-hand appreciation of how they work.

n

ightFest returns

FLORIADE’S after-dark extravaganza returns (September 22-26) with a spectacular new line-up of entertainment and activities, including comedy, acrobatics, shopping and films under the stars. Stunning new lighting will make this year’s NightFest more magical than ever.

transplant Games open

IMAGINE a brighter future for those awaiting organ and tissue transplants at the launch of the Australian Transport Games on Sunday, October 3, presented by Floriade charity partner, Transplant Australia. Participants and supporters will march amongst the blooms and enjoy a special DonateLife concert. Witness a moving tribute to the donors when live butterflies, representing the donor’s spirit, are released by donor families at the Opening Ceremony.

On Sunday, September 19 you can compete against transplant recipients when the lawns of Stage 88 are transformed into a pétanque playing ground or cheer on your favourite contestants in the celebrity table tennis competition. Other Transplant Australia activities at Floriade include the creation of a Thank You Garden on September 13.

Lindeman’s Open Garden

GET your creative juices flowing and enter the Lindeman’s hanging basket competition and gain expert advice from renowned gardener and horticulturalist Meredith Kirton and celebrity chef Dominique Rizzo.

Garnier World

THIS is a beauty paradise where visitors can be pampered with complimentary treatments including mini massages, facials or hair styling. There’s a chance to meet Joel Hurrey, resident horticulturalist on Channel Nine’s “Domestic Blitz”. Open day and night, September 22-26.

Once Upon a time…

Katie tops the bill

FIVE-TIME platinum recording artist Katie Noonan and her new band The Captains will headline this year’s Floriade entertainment program with a concert on Saturday, September 18.

Other feature activities and events include: Heat nine of the Telstra Road to Tamworth Competition will boot scoot into Floriade on Sunday, October 10, bringing some of Australia’s up-and-coming country talent with it.

The DonateLife concert will wrap up the opening ceremony of the 12th Australian Transplant Games at Floriade on Sunday, October 3 with an afternoon of music from artists, including The Big Ol Bus Band.

The ANU School of Music will present a series of lunchtime concerts to stir the imagination, including a classical concert on Saturday, September 11 and a jazz concert on Saturday, October 9. Both concerts will feature up to 40 musicians playing a mix of well-known and original works. Weekday concerts will be on Stage 88.

Carnival Stage at NightFest: Five nights of stand-up comedy, acrobatics and magic by renowned artists, Patrick McCullagh, the List Operators, Jacques the Cheeky French Waiter and Dave Thornton.

Empress Stiltdance: Everything will seem miniature in comparison as larger-than-life tulips and gigantic mantises roam the garden beds and delight the crowds with their spectacular costumes.

The Gigalees Crazy Circus Show at the Kid’s Corner: Physical comedy, acrobatics and musical mayhem for kids of all ages, especially little ones. Enjoy two 30-minute shows each night during NightFest. Street performers will bring an extra splash of colour to the festival with acts including magical comedy, airborne antics and acrobatics.

magination and i nnovation

THEATRE costumes by Ultimo College Theatre Costume students promise to transport visitors to bygone eras such as Victorian, Elizabethan and Tudor times. The creations will be matched with floral pieces created by Canberra Institute of Technology students. i

“CONCEPT to Catwalk” by CIT fashion design students, at the Interflora Exhibition Marquee, will demonstrate the start-to-finish process of creating fashion.

The fast guide to Floriade

Everything you need to know about Floriade, September 11-October 10.

When?

FLORIADE will be held from September 11 to October 10. Gates open from 9am until 5pm, Monday to Friday and from 9am until 5.30pm on weekends and public holidays. Last entry to the festival is 30 minutes before closing.

Where?

THE home of Floriade is Commonwealth Park in Canberra, on the northern banks of Lake Burley Griffin. The spot takes in views across the lake to Canberra’s other landmarks, including Parliament House, the High Court and the National Museum of Australia.

Getting there

GETTING to Commonwealth Park is easy. You can drive, walk, ride a bike or catch a bus. There is ample parking at sites nearby, including the main site across the road off Commonwealth Avenue. Just follow the tulip signs. Commonwealth Park is a five-minute walk from the heart of Civic and ACTION runs regular buses to and from the festival, visit www.action.act.gov.au or call 131710 for a timetable.

Access to the festival is through four entry points: at Regatta Point, off Commonwealth Avenue; off the Parkes Way overpass next to the Olympic Pool car park in Allora Street; at the south-western end

of the Nerang Pool where the ferry docks, and at Nerang Pool with access via the underpass off Constitution Avenue.

Entry and fees

ENTRY to Floriade is free, so visitors can attend as many times as they like throughout the season to see the beautiful blooms develop and change.

Tickets for Floriade NightFest (September 22-26) the five-night fiesta of music, movies, food and wine, are available from Ticketek at www.ticketek.com or by calling 132849.

NightFest tickets cost*: Adults (17 years and over), $20; child (5 to16 years), $10; concessions (pensioners, seniors and student ID card holders), $10; Family (two adults and two children), $50; children (four years and under), free.

*Price per night. Transaction fees apply.

What is Floriade?

FLORIADE is the largest flower festival in the southern hemisphere with more than one million blooms creating a colourful backdrop for Canberra’s month-long

celebration of spring.

The event boasts an exciting entertainment program with local, national and international performers on show, kids’ activities, garden workshops, exhibitions, displays and plenty of fine food and wine from across the Canberra region.

It also encompasses Floriade NightFest, five nights filled with outdoor movie screenings, music and more.

But while the music plays and the wine flows, it is always the flowers that are the star of the show, all planted out in eye-catching and unusual designs.

When did it start?

FLORIADE began in 1986 when the ACT Parks and Conservation Society dreamed up a huge floral display to celebrate the 1988 bicentenary and Canberra’s 75th birthday. Canberra’s Floriade is now the largest springtime festival of its type. It was inspired by the Dutch Keukenhof flower display and Holland’s Floriade, which happens every 10 years.

The name Floriade comes from the Latin word “florist”, which means to design with flowers.

this year’s theme

EACH year the Floriade team selects a new theme that guides the plantings for the festival as well as the entertainment program and other events. This year’s theme is “Imagination”. The displays involve more than one million bulbs and annuals, which bloom and change throughout the month-long event.

Floriade history

“IMAGINATION: Where will yours take you?” is the latest in a long line of exciting Floriade themes. Here’s a brief history of the past festivals:

2009: Mind, body and soul; 2008: Films that shaped our nation; 2007: Aussie icons, myths and legends; 2006: Carnivale – the world on show; 2005: Rock ’n’ roll in bloom; 2004: The wonder of water; 2003: The heavens in bloom; 2002: Poetry in flowers; 2001: The century in bloom; 2000: Games in the garden; 1999: Magic of the gardens; 1998: Gardens and gourmets; 1997: Colour by day and night; 1996: Floriade celebrates the arts; 1995: Carnival of cultures; 1994: Reflections; 1993: Kites, colour and movement; 1992: The art of horticulture; 1991: Music; 1990: Floral garlands, champagne bubbles and floral river; 1989: Floriade; 1988: Inaugural Floriade.

Imagination goes into the blooms and beds

EVERY year the Floriade team come up with new designs for the garden beds and this year they’ve been using their “Imagination”. Here is a guide to the themed garden beds and an insight to what visitors can look forward to.

the artist’s pallet

LOOK through the eyes of an artist and imagine yourself creating your own masterpiece with the bright swirls of colour that make up this garden bed. The bed features a giant 3D paintbrush elevated from within the colourful bulbs.

Beating drums

MOVE to the beats of the larger-thanlife drums that emerge from the bold colours and patterns of the flowers. The zig-zag lines represent the vibrations created when playing the drums. This garden bed is dedicated to the imaginative power of music.

Floral guitar

IMAGINE the music created by strumming the strings of the giant guitar that extends above the flowers. The rhythmic waves of colour surrounding the guitar represent the sounds radiating from this classic musical instrument.

Dancing ballerinas

Over the rainbow

SEE the three ballerinas rising from the vibrant flowers embodying the dancers’ tutus. This garden bed symbolises the expression of our imagination through the movement and styles of dance.

Digital creations

THE digital medium has opened the gates to a whole new world of creativity and imagination. See the 3D computer monitor, keyboard and mouse depicted in the flowers that represent the tools of the digital age.

through the viewfinder

DEDICATED to the art of photography and its ability to capture personal interpretations of objects, events and landscapes, this colourful design depicts camera lenses and studio lights.

Once upon a time

THIS garden bed features a giant pencil that rises above a dense sea of white button flowers representing paper. Ignite your imagination with memories of fairy tales that once swept you away to make-believe worlds.

Architectural masterpieces

REPRESENTING sculpture and architecture, two creative mediums that capture the imagina tion with 3D forms, this design features contrasting blocks of flowers which frame an architectural sand sculpture emerging from the garden bed.

Lollipop Land

PEER through the magic keyhole and visualise the giant lollipop flowers growing from this garden bed of sugary treats and lollies. Imagine yourself among the red and white candy cane trunks inspired by “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”.

cloud dreaming

GAZE across the blue and white hues of this garden bed depicting the sky scattered with magical clouds shaped like elephants and unicorns. What do you see in the ever-changing shapes of the clouds?

MEANDER along the yellow brick road and follow the brilliant rainbow to its end, where you might find a pot of gold. The vivid streams of flowers represent the colours of the rainbow that conjure up thoughts of natural beauty, hope and imagination.

Flying carpet

BRIGHT flowers arranged in bold geometric shapes form the pat terns of a magical carpet, nestled amongst soft white clouds. The flying carpet symbolises the boundless power of imagination and its ability to transport us to another place.

Butterfly playground

SEE this amazing, butterflyshaped garden bed filled with colourful flowers portraying the beautiful patterns of butterfly wings. Imagine the enchantment of the butterflies as they play among the flowers.

Wizard’s wand

BE spellbound by the giant wizard’s wand as it hovers above the rolling velvet that represents the drapes of a wizard’s cloak. Imagine the spells you could cast with a wave of the wand.

Alien landscape

SURVEY the curious translucent flowers as they emerge from the techno-coloured landscape and glisten in the sunlight. This garden bed encourages you to imagine what the unknown landscapes of an alien world would be.

Aladdin’s magic lamp

ENCOUNTER the magic of Aladdin’s golden lamp emerging from the garden bed. See the magical powers of the lamp come alive as the yellow stars surround the lamp and a stream of purple drifts across the bed, indicating that the genie is being summoned.

Floriade NightFest 2010 Transforming the park

FOR five nights only, Floriade NightFest will transform Commonwealth Park into an illuminated wonderland of beautiful blooms and non-stop entertainment with everything from movies, comedy, acrobatics, cocktails, bustling markets, food, wine and plenty more.

Take a ride on the 35-metre Ferris wheel and be captivated by the evening view of Commonwealth Park and nearby inner-city precincts.

Pack a picnic and head for the giant inflated screen where you can watch films under the stars. Visit the Carnival Stage & Bar where performers such as Patrick McCullagh, Dave Thornton, Mr Quirk, Jacques the Cheeky French Waiter and the List Operators will have you in stitches.

This year Floriade NightFest (September 22-26) adds a whole new ingredient with Garnier World, a beauty paradise where you can be pampered with complimentary treatments including mini massages, facials or hair styling. Continue to spoil yourself by dropping into the Butterfly Lounge for delectable cocktails and groovy tunes by a great line-up of DJs and musicians.

Watch renowned floral designers, Michael Woods, of the House of Holland Florist, and

Bernie Gadd, of Champagne and Roses Florist, create beautiful arrangements in the ActewAGL Look ‘n’ Learn Marquee.

There’s plenty for the kids as well, including the National Zoo & Aquarium’s Riveting Reptiles Exhibition and comedy and amazing acrobatics by The Gigalees Crazy Circus Show at the Floriade Kid’s Corner.

Tickets for Floriade NightFest are available from Ticketek at www.ticketek.com or by calling 132 849.

NightFest tickets cost*: Adults (17 years and over), $20; child (5 to 16 years), $10; concessions (pensioners, seniors and student ID card holders), $10; Family (two adults and two children), $50; children (four years and under), free.

*Price per night. Transaction fees apply.

Win free tickets

“CITY N EWS” has 10 double tickets, valued at $40 each, to be won.

Details at citynews.com.au/win

Lots to see and learn September 11-October 10

THIS year’s horticulture program has opportunities for visitors to learn how to create a kitchen garden or admire the endless possibilities of floral design with demonstrations, activities, displays and events.

Gardening experts offering tips include Graham Ross, Jackie French, Graham Williams, Frank Broersen and Judy Horton at the Floriade Kitchen Garden.

Garden competitors

LOCAL designers, landscapers, horticultural students and industry organisations have created beautiful gardens to compete in the ACTEW Corporation Showcase Garden Competition. The grand prize is $10,000 in travel vouchers, and the competition uses the concept of “outdoor living and entertaining” to reflect the “Imagination” theme while acknowledging water conservation and alternative energy use.

Fashion passions

FASHION is synonymous with spring and the 2010 “Passion for Fashion” student competition will bring the two together in a display of creativity and colour. Designers will battle to create the most original floral gowns based on the theme “Storybook”.

Snappers’ delight

THERE’S a photography workshop, run by the Australian Institute of Professional Photography, each Saturday morning during Floriade, followed by breakfast at Cafe Valenti. Bookings can be made by downloading booking forms from floriadeaustralia.com.

Riveting reptiles

AT the National Zoo & Aquarium’s Riveting Reptiles Exhibition kids can learn about the creatures that live in their garden and what to do if they meet one.

Haven for fine Indian cuisine

LOCATED in a large open-plan space along Genge Street in Civic, Blu Ginger is the capital’s modern haven for  ne Indian cuisine.

The restaurant’s high ceilings, ceilingto-  oor windows and edgy wallpaper add character to the dining experience.

The focus at Blu Ginger is on modern Indian cuisine, with an extensive menu that’s easy to decipher.

Each dish has a useful heat strength rating and information is provided about the various dishes’ origins. Blu Ginger is a stone’s throw from bars, cafe and boutiques and a good meeting point for a great evening out.

BLU GINGER 5 Genge Street, Civic. Call 6247 2228.

Focus on the freshest of seafood

BILL Stojanovic, from the Peppered Prawn in Woden, says the restaurant offers fresh seafood, the majority of which is sourced daily from the South Coast, with a focus on sustainable shing practices and using the freshest seafood available. “The menu contains a tempting array of fusion cuisine inspired by simplicity of avour,” he says, “in centrallylocated, modern, trendy surroundings.

We have non-seafood items and a lot of gluten free: we’re dealing with natural products, and so there’s not a lot of use for gluten products.”

The Peppered Prawn won Best Seafood Restaurant in the Restaurant and Catering NSW/ACT Awards for Excellence in 2009 and again in 2010, and also the Best Fish and Chips in the 2009 Lifestyle Foods Award.

Gluten-free treats at Florey shops

THE Perfect Bean Cafe is new to the Florey shops, owned and operated by the Robinson family – Geoff, Kelly and their two boys.

The cafe is perfect for people with Coeliac Disease or those who don’t like to eat a lot of gluten: Kelly is a Coeliac and says it’s important that people like herself

have access to a variety of snacks and sweet treats that are all gluten-free. There’s also a range of ordinary items on the menu, but gluten-free items are sealed separately as soon as they’re made to eliminate the chance of any cross-contamination.

PERFECT BEAN Florey Shops Keversteven Street FLOREY ACT Call 6156 0458 www.perfectbean.com.au

www.pepperedprawn.com.au

Italian favourite now at the Swinger Hill

SANTA Lucia is a traditional Italian restaurant – the rst Italian restaurant in Canberra, says its owner Pasquale Catanzariti. “It’s been around for 30 years.

We were in Kingston, but we’ve been at the Swinger Hill shops now for about 18 months, and it’s important that our interstate visitors know we’ve moved!” The restaurant offers traditional home-made pasta dishes and a wide

selection of veal, chicken and seafood. There’s also special menus for children, lunches and banquets.

SANTA LUCIA TRATTORIA Swinger Hill Shops 84 Ainsworth St, Mawson. Call 6286 2271. www.santalucia.com.au

all about living

Stories of tough survival

By Helen Musa

A “BRILLIANT and unconventional” exhibition is in its opening stages at the National Museum of Australia, and there’s plenty of beautiful art to look at, too.

“Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route” tells the story of the tough, remote 2000km route that runs from WA’s Hall’s Creek to Wiluna, from the Aboriginal perspective through stories, art and objects.

Dr Mike Pickering, head of the museum’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program, is keen for us all to know there’s much more than the cover to this “book.”

Beyond the colourful paintings, basketry and traditional boomerangs on show, there’s also film footage taken on the well-worn route, known for thousands of years as Yiwarra Kuju (“one road”).

This exhibition began with the NMA being approached by FORM, a senior cultural organisation based in Perth, which has nine partner art centres stretching from the Pilbara to the Kimberley. FORM was keen to highlight its major research project in the museum’s temporary exhibition gallery, to give prominence to stories and objects that might otherwise not be seen.

The aesthetic attractiveness of the paintings was not the NMA’s primary concern. Rather, as former director Craddock Morton swiftly recognised, behind the paintings lay fascinating stories that matched the social history objectives of the museum – stories of people, places, histories, both sacred and secular, the clash of cultures, survival and resilience. So in the end, what began as a WA venture became a true collaboration as the museum put in significant money, designers and curatorial advice.

“It was truly collaborative,” Pickering says. “It was a 50-50 partnership.”

The art is integrated with multimedia elements that include touch-screens and vocal material. Pickering says there are circular elements symbolising the life-giving indigenous wells and white cattle wells of the route.

And for an exhibition whose hero is a stock route, is the subject matter too obscure for the general public? Certainly not, he says. The art might be unfamiliar, but the Canning, one of thousands of such routes criss-crossing Australia, has become a popular destination for four-wheel-drive tourists.

“Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route” is at the National Museum of Australia until January 26.

Desmond Richardson… “I push the envelope in music.”

the street’s in his feet

By arts editor Helen Musa

DESMOND Richardson, founding artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, soon heading for Canberra, has had a complex life as a dancer. Obsessed by hip-hop and street dancing as a teenager from the age of 11, he got into the High School of Performing Arts in New York and trained classically, but first fell in love with Broadway musicals.

“I sing and I act,” he tells me by phone from New York, “and I did not let my street dance go.”

Since those early days, Richardson has enjoyed a heady career appearing on Broadway and in films as well as dancing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and performing the lead role in the American Ballet Theatre’s world premiere of “Othello”. Richardson is 41, usually considered old for a dancer. “I started early,” he says. “I’ve done so much in my career.”

Richardson won a place with Alvin Ailey at age 17. There he met budding artist Dwight Rhoden, beginning a 16-year “long journey”. Richardson directs the company he formed in 1994 with Rhoden, who is now resident choreographer at Complexions and responsible for all the dancers we’ll see in Canberra, including the work to premiere in Canberra, “Moon over Jupiter,” danced to the music of Rachmaninov. Music has always been intrinsic in their work, which has been created around the likes of Bach, Shostakovich, U2, the Rolling Stones and Billie Holiday. “I push the envelope in music,” he says. “I like to think that what we do comes across the footlights and breaks down the fourth wall.” Complexions Contemporary Ballet, The Canberra Theatre, September 16-18. Bookings to 6275 2700.

Gay comedy all about family

Dougal Macdonald

“THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT” (MA)

GYNAECOLOGIST Nic (Annette Bening) and landscape gardener Jules (Julianne Moore) are lesbian mothers of 18-year-old Jodi (Mia Wasikowska) and 15-year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson).

Jodi tracks down the kids’ biological father Paul (Mark Ruffalo), a hunky unmarried successful restaurateur in his late 30s. Paul doesn’t wish to dominate, but his presence pushes the family circle a little out of shape. Nic tolerates him. Jules, learning that his garden needs a makeover, persuades him to engage her. Jules loves Nic to bits but Paul is hard to resist. Paul and Jules see each other most days. Here are seeds of a conflict with wider implications.

Director Lisa Cholodenko’s warm, perceptive comedy-drama is mostly about family. Its sexuality may well polarise audiences. Given their objective for the plot, Cholodenko and co-writer Stuart Blumberg have validly portrayed lesbianism without excessively emphasising sexuality, although I wonder whether using gay male porn movies to energise lesbian lovemaking was for laughs or some more complex purpose.

The film sent me out with good feelings. The performances are all great. I accept its occasional structural shortcomings without

“TOMORROW,

WHEN THE WAR BEGAN” (M)

THE source for writer/director Stuart Beattie’s Australian actioner is John Marsden’s novel in the genre known as “young adult fiction”. My mate’s 10-yearold daughter reckons it’s a great read. While there’s not enough space to list the film’s shortcomings, they don’t derail its impetus. Books make readers imagine physical environments which in films have a constantly visible silent presence. Teenagers from a small coastal town camping in a riverside glade hear aircraft. In town, soldiers of Asian appearance wearing “Star Wars” helmets hold their families captive in the showground. From that point, the film abandons bucolic pleasures (no sex) to become a Holly-

objection. Films are often imperfect but this one is like those kids – all right.

At Dendy

“GOING

THE DISTANCE” (MA)

CALIFORNIAN journalism student Erin doing work experience in New York is playing a pub arcade game when Garrett, fresh from a broken relationship, wanders across to reserve the machine. Next morning she wakes up in the apartment he shares with two pals.

The film’s gently perceptive conflict structure presents the distance of its title with two branches. Erin and Garrett travel between cities on opposite coasts to

wood-style actioner.

The narrative examines a small collection of moral, social and emotional issues about which teenagers should be aware. The rest is progress toward a wish-fulfilment condition requiring them to make the transition from innocence to guerrillas determined to defeat the invaders. The film offers spectacular sequences such as Garbage Truck Road Rage 101 and Blowing Bridges for Fun and Pleasure. The best acting comes from a teenage boy discovered alone on his family’s farm with plenty of weed but no car keys. It’s a funny, poignant sequence.

But from grown-ups more savvy about life’s realities, the film demands suspension, willing or not, of disbelief. At all cinemas

overcome the physical distance threatening their relationship conducted perforce by telephone. You wonder when the plot will develop some bite unless you realise that it’s been biting from the outset. It’s a sweet film energised by Drew Barrymore’s performance as Erin, flashes and skeins of comic genius combining with inner toughness as she confronts a decision whether to take a precious job offer from the “San Francisco Chronicle” or move to New York and a waitress job to be with Garrett (Justin Long, wise enough to be Mr Nice and let Barrymore lead). The frank vocabulary and behaviour permeating this late Gen X rom-com provides an amusing, charming, credible good fun film experience. At all cinemas

Cabaret madness with lots of music

“THE Pleasure Society” is an eccentric cabaret coming up at Tuggeranong Arts Centre. Devised by popular singer-performers Simone Penkethman and Chanel Cole, it should be full-on madness with lots of music. According to Tuggeranong director Domenic Mico, the pair are “a law unto themselves”. According to Cole and Penkethman, Mico is “the Godfather” of the arts in Canberra, and an inspiration for the project. Bookings to 6293 1443.

GREAT news that Canberra artist Martin Paull was a 2010 Blake Prize finalist for his work “Death of a Swearword” (Stations of the Cross), seen fleetingly at Belconnen Arts Centre in February this year. Readers will recall that Paull’s work used bushfires

arts in the city

Helen Musa

as a motif for suffering.

THE National Gallery of Australia has announced a gift of $7 million from Melbourne philanthropists Pauline and John Gandel. This comes at a time when the NGA is about to open a new function hall which will be known as, yes, the Gandel Hall.

THE venerable (and tuneful) Llewellyn Choir of Canberra is turning 30 and will hold a celebratory concert “Thirty Years and Three Batons” with all three of its music directors playing a part, at Llewellyn

Hall at 7.30pm, September 18. Seats at the door.

ON September 10, 11 and 12 young artists from QL2 and dance graduates will be performing site-specific dance as part of the project “In the Public Domain”. Catch them from 10.30am to 1pm near Urban Food Store + Cafe (corner of Marcus Clarke Street and Edinburgh Avenue). From 7pm on September 10 and 11 they’ll be seen around the foyer of the Diamant Hotel.

SOPRANO Rachael Duncan and pianist Penelope Cashman, both originally from Canberra, will perform songs celebrating love and spring by Schumann and Schubert at the Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, at 3pm on September 11. Tickets at the door.

arts&entertainment

Going back to golden oldies

CON’S Seafood Restaurant at Mawson has been open for around 30 years (under new management since 2009). I had never been, although my dining partner, who has visited intermittently for decades, said that it could always be relied upon for a “decent meal”.

Going to Con’s is like taking a step back in time – fascinating in some ways and fun in others. I suspect that not much has changed with the décor and some menu items since the ‘70s.

The bar, in padded red vinyl, is “the centrepiece” (Brandy Alexander anyone?). The thick white curtains held back with fancy gold tassels, which match the decorative gold tablecloths, are somehow out of date but serve their purpose. The doilies placed carefully under the soup bowls are meant to add a special touch, as are the blue and white fabric roses sitting in small white vases on every table.

The menu items are typical Con’s with all the golden oldies – Coquille St Jacques, seafood cocktail (with avocado if you’d

Ravishing and uplifting

DANCE

“Of Earth and Sky” Bangarra Dance Theatre, Canberra Theatre, season closed

Reviewed by Bill Stephens

A TALL figure clad in a dusty possum rug appears out of darkness. Suddenly an arm, then a man’s torso, appear above the rug, and we realise that this is in fact two bodies (Daniel Riley McKinley and Leonard Mickelo), that intertwine in a series of striking images to commence Frances Rings’ remarkable “Artefact”.

Rings has fashioned a series of striking dances and her mesmerising, fluid choreography is superbly performed by the company in a work that is visually ravishing, theatrically satisfying and spiritually uplifting. There was considerable interest in the opening work, “Riley”, choreographed by former Canberra dancer Daniel Riley McKinley. Drawing inspiration from photographs by his cousin, Michael Riley, McKinley has fashioned a lovely work which also draws on familiar objects – a feather, a bible, locusts. His mastery of imaginative group movement was evident in the opening movement, “Boomerang”, while the achingly beautiful imagery of the duet “Angel”, danced by Waangenga Blanco and Leonard Mickelo, remains imprinted on the mind. Both works benefited from David Page’s brilliantly evocative soundscapes which have become so much a part of the Bangarra experience.

dining

Wendy Johnson

prefer), fisherman’s basket and surf and turf ($70).

On the lobster front, Con’s appears to specialise and a large lobster tank is positioned around the middle of the restaurant. Choose from lobster mornay, lobster thermidor, lobster Newburg, lobster Pernod – the list goes on for quite a while with most dishes definitely not for the weight conscious (think rich; think butter, cream, cheese, liqueurs, spirits).

We decided to try Con’s lunch-time special for $18 which includes soup du jour, a main dish, herb or garlic bread, fries, salad or veggies and tea or coffee. Firstly, we were greeted with lobster bisque and I was looking forward to the smooth, creamy texture I associate with this famous, well-executed French dish. Sadly,

the soup was lukewarm and gelatinous in texture. Not a lot of flavour, either.

My main of freshwater bass from Victoria was lightly grilled and the texture was acceptable although the fish was dry around the edges. My friend’s carbonara wasn’t a classic. While there was no skimping on quantity, wading through the large pieces of bacon and mushroom to find the pasta was overwhelming and the bits of raw green onion conflicted with the other ingredients.

If you’re not a seafood lover, do not fear. Con’s has plenty to choose from including, during our visit, veal scallopine, tuna mornay and chicken marsala.

If I went back to Con’s I would go for the lobster and ask the kitchen to just boil it and serve it up plain and simple so I could enjoy every bite.

Con’s Seafood Restaurant, open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner seven days. Southlands Shopping Centre, Mawson. 6286 3753.

Raw energy, talent and zest

By Helen Musa

FOR sheer enthusiasm and colour, you won’t be able to beat the 2010 Youth Dance Festival, coming soon to the Canberra Theatre. Evolving from the High Schools and Colleges Dance Festival, this popular event involves 34 secondary schools and colleges and 1400 dancers presenting 51 dance works, most choreographed by the students themselves. The artistic director this year is choreographer and contemporary dancer Amelia McQueen, who has been working with the teachers and all the dancers for two months to make sure the show is as exciting as ever.

The festival is always a celebration of raw energy, creativity and zest and if you look closely, you can try to “spot the talented dancers” who’ll soon be heading for the profession.

One of the best things about this particular festival is that, unlike some eisteddfods traversing similar ground, it’s non-competitive, giving a happy and relaxed note to the occasion. Each night, by the way, is entirely different from the others.

College

It’s been going since 1985. That means 26 years and 27,000 dancers linking dance, schools, youth and community. But just spare a thought for the lighting men at the Canberra Theatre, who have to cover 51 unique shows. Youth Dance Festival, Canberra Theatre, September 15-17. Bookings to 6275 2700.

In a tranquil country garden

Wo RDs: Kathryn Vukovljak

PH otos: s ilas Brown

MATURE trees, meandering grass paths and year-round bursts of colour abound in Yeumville, a wonderfully laid-back, well-established country garden in Hall that gives a sense of having slowly evolved over time.

Owner Wendy Zeitsh’s Nanima Road garden will be open to the public for the first time on the weekend of September 18 and 19, as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme to promote the knowledge and pleasure of gardening.

“There was no particular plan to the garden – it’s an ongoing labour of love,” says Wendy. “I primarily wanted it to suit our modest weatherboard cottage – anything we planted had to be in keeping with the country style or it would have looked out of place.”

The restful garden fulfils Wendy’s aim, with wide, curving beds, angel statues, a natural creek surrounded by winding walkways and featuring a cute blue bridge, repetitive planting to create harmony and plenty of colour – at the moment, abundant pink spring blossom is taking centre stage.

With fruiting plum trees, glorious pink violets, young roses, mature silver poplars, a small orchard and a productive vegetable garden, Yeumville is a predominantly relaxed space. Even the “lawn” was never planted, it’s just whatever grass appears, says Wendy.

“I believe in working with what you’ve got, and have figured out over the years what to plant and what thrives here,” she says. “Ground covers are allowed to self seed and are divided

to cover the large beds.

“There are tranquil open spaces to balance the mass of garden beds. Keeping a fine balance between the plants and the voids, or open grassed areas, has in my view made a more restful and harmonious result.

“The garden has always had a special feeling of being a haven, an oasis.”

“Yeumville”, 680 Nanima Road, Hall, will be open on Saturday, September 18 and Sunday, September 19, from 10am-4.30pm. Adults $6, children under 18 are free. Funds raised will go to the Open Garden Scheme and the Springfield Bushfire Brigade. More information at www. opengarden.org.au

The art of being radiant

By Megan Haggan

OUR busy lifestyles can take a toll on our skin, says Elena Afanasew, makeup artist at Benefit – but fortunately, good skin’s something we can fake.

“Many of us need to fake radiance due to stresses put on the body, such as fatigue, emotional and physical stress, exposure to pollutants and harsh environments, poor diet and exercise, and dehydration,” says Elena.

Taking good care of our skin is important, she says – not cleansing every morning and night, for exam

your week in the stars

With Joanne Madeline Moore September 13-19

ARIES

(Mar 21 – Apr 20)

You’re a whirling dervish of energy as you tackle challenges and take on additional jobs but don’t come on too strong or you’ll scare others away! With the Moon, Venus and Mars all in your intimacy zone this week, you’re full of ardent and romantic feelings. So make sure you spend time with someone special who makes your heart sing.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Are you desperately holding onto a romance or friendship that you should be letting go of? (The tighter your Taurean grip, the more they’ll slip away.) Be proactive about forgiving others and moving forward. You’ll feel especially creative and productive this week, so make sure you express your inner muse in your own particular way.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Thank goodness Mercury is moving forwards again, so domestic dramas should start to settle down. There’s a real streak of freedom activating your career zone so aim for the stars but keep your day-to-day plans grounded in reality. Attached or single, your love life is complicated and challenging at the moment – but it’s certainly not boring.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Come on Crabs! Have you been putting your head in the sand, afraid to face the facts? Stop side-stepping problems and start facing them head-on. With Venus and Mars both in your creativity zone, don’t underestimate the power of your imagination. As birthday great Lauren Bacall observes: “Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.”

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Your home is your castle, where you can wind down and relax after a busy day “performing” out in the big wide world. This week is the ideal time to clean and redecorate your domestic space, as you turn your Lion’s den into an oasis of calm. When it comes to relationships, diplomacy will get you a lot further than dramas.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

A tricky problem can be solved, as long as you keep things in perspective. Don’t expect loved ones to behave in predictable ways this weekend, as Jupiter and Uranus shake up your relationship zone. Single Virgos – when it comes to dating, it’s time to move out of your comfort zone and choose someone who’s not your usual type.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

It’s not a good week to hit the shops as you’re likely to buy expensive things based on fluctuating emotional desires. If you separate your wants from your needs, it will shorten your shopping list considerably. With Saturn moving through your sign, it’s time to be responsible and thrifty, as you live within your means – for a change!

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Prepare for a Jekyll and Hyde kind of week as the Moon, Venus and Mars all move through your sign. You’ll be at your passionate, proactive best, and your possessive and pushy worst. Sunday is the day when your special Scorpio magnetism really sparkles and shines. Your motto for the coming week? Don’t use love as a weapon.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Changes are brewing on the home front, which will bring more freedom and adventure into your life. You’re feeling restless but finish uncompleted tasks before you launch ambitious new projects. We all know you’re a smart-cookie but take the time to explain things carefully, otherwise you’ll just come across as a Sagittarian smart-aleck.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Capricorns are serious souls but, with Jupiter in your communication zone, it’s time to showcase your dry sense of humour. Be inspired by Roald Dahl (born on September 13): “A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.” Be on your toes on Sunday, when financial or professional opportunities may come your way.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Money is unpredictable at the moment and having a ridiculously positive “Pollyanna attitude” won’t help. If you think outside the square (and budget carefully) then you can turn your financial situation around. Don’t let your enthusiasm for a new project overtake your ability to knuckle down and get the job done. Patience is the key.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Are you feeling restless? With Jupiter and Uranus joining up in your sign, your wanderlust is probably switched onto high. So it’s the perfect time for a weekend escape – or to organise a heavenly holiday for later in the year. With Venus and Mars visiting your travel zone, love is likely with someone from another country or culture. Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2010.

all about property

INSIDE: 9 BIG pages crammed with allhomes listings

The thundering beat of Belconnen’s new heart

Wo RDs: Eleri Harris

PH oto : s ilas Brown

BEHIND the chipboard hoardings at Westfield Belconnen a post-apocalyptic construction site is bustling with 220 fluoro-clad tradies beeping, humming, thundering away at concrete and wires and scaffolding and timber, purposefully striding through stacks of bricks as they build the $125 million expansion and $15 million revamp of the 30-year-old shopping mall.

Set to open in stages from October 30 to March 31, Westfield’s new look will include a shiny bus interchange with an indoor, full-glass facade waiting area, polished concrete floor, fresh food market and designated fashion area.

A 2008 deal done with the ACT Government gave Westfield the interchange land and the right to use their in-house design team to renovate the aging suburban commercial mecca with maximum flexibility, provided they included a new bus station maintained by the mall cleaners.

In just over 12 months, the shopping centre giant will have added 60 new shops, bringing the total up to 260 on 150,000sqm.

Site manager Sean Nash said workers faced quite a challenge in the constrained area, which is bordered on three sides by Lathlain Street, Emu Bank Drive and Westfield.

“Westfield make high malls,” Nash said, “The structural work is now coming to an end and the site is operating 24-hours-a-day except

Centre manager Rick Morgan, left, site manager Sean Nash… “The structural work is now coming to an end and the site is operating 24-hours-a-day except Friday nights,” says Nash.

Friday nights.

“We mainly leave the public interface work for night time to minimise risk.”

The construction team are simultaneously

renovating the old mall and building the new section on two levels.

“The plans evolve constantly,” centre manager Rick Morgan told “CityNews”.

“We’re doing an ambient upgrade, too, with polished concrete and marble floors, columns of treated wood and feature lighting to tie the old centre into the new centre.”

While construction continues, the food court is doing a booming business in satisfying the appetites of workers, it’s the first real change at the mall since the main floors were resurfaced eight years ago.

Morgan says the trade off for existing tenants will be the modern appeal of the new-look mall to customers.

“Retailers hear the noise and see the dust, but they’re excited about the result.”

Pushing the right buttons property

c atherine c arter

THE ACT Government’s “Canberra 2030 – time to talk” initiative pushes all the right buttons for me. It uses a full range of media options to engage the community in a discussion about the kind of city we want to have by 2030.

“We don’t want to simply hear the views of the ‘usual suspects’. We want to hear from Canberrans from across the social spectrum, to find out what they value about our city, and what they would like to see Canberra become by the year 2030,” said Chief Minister Jon Stanhope in his announcement.

The conversation is an opportunity to make our wishes known and will centre around 10 themes: Population, water, Canberra homes, getting around, land use and planning, liveability and wellbeing, city form, environmental sustainability, living in the nation’s capital, and “who pays?”.

The “who pays” discussion is one I’m especially interested in. After all, more than 50 per cent of ACT taxation revenue comes from the property sector, including rates, fees and charges paid by homeowners.

Underlying all of these discussions is the really big one: We need to know what our future population will be so we can plan infrastructure.

Once we know what the population is likely to be and its demographic mix, we can plan for things such as water use, housing, transport, land use and environmental sustainability.

City form, liveability, wellbeing, and the correct balance between Canberra’s roles as local community and capital city, will all make sense when we have decided how many people should be here, living, working, visiting, attending schools and retiring.

The Property Council is, of course, one of “the usual suspects” referred to by the Chief Minister, with those who oppose population growth of any kind as another. We, and those who disagree with us, have worked out what we want in a future Canberra. But there is, no doubt, a large range of views held in the community and the Chief Minister is making sure that we know the Government welcomes input from everyone.

BELCONNEN

Canberra Region Property Summary

CAPTAINS FLAT

Canberra Region Property Summary

CHIFLEY

CHISHOLM

DEAKIN

DICKSON

DOWNER

DUFFY

Canberra Region Property Summary

GOOGONG

GOWRIE

HARRISON

GREENLEIGH ESTATE

KINGSTON

NGUNNAWAL

Canberra Region Property Summary

PHILLIP

THEODORE

TORRENS

TURNER

Canberra Region Property Summary

URIARRA

WAMBOIN