Canberra CityNews February 24-March 2, 2011

Barr seeks to stamp out homophobia in schools

EDUCATION Minister Andrew Barr has instructed his department to arrange an ACT schools anti-homophobia conference on May 17 to coincide with the International Day Against Homophobia.

The conference will be open to students and teachers in ACT public, independent and Catholic schools.

Writing in the “CityNews” blog, the minister says he has also asked the department to develop a new training package to help ensure school counsellors and pastoral care co-ordinators better work with their entire school to prevent homophobia and reform school anti-sexual harassment contact officer training to improve schools’ response to homophobia.

“The ACT Government is ramping up efforts to stamp out homophobia in ACT schools as a La Trobe University study confirms our schools are the most common place same-sex attracted young people suffer abuse, “ Barr writes.

“The ‘Writing Themselves In 3’ report was compiled by La Trobe University in 2010. It’s the third national study on the sexual health and well being of same-sex attracted and gender-question-

briefly

Troubled Times

THE argument to turn “The Canberra Times” into a tabloid must be mounting as its flagship Saturday edition continued its sales slump, shedding another 5.12 per cent to 52,182 copies in the December quarter compared with a year ago. The weekday edition slipped 3.42 per cent to 32,364 copies and the tabloid Sunday edition was down 3.31 per cent to 32,315.

Ball to help Hands

THE new charitable organisation Hands Across Canberra is the beneficiary of the “Ballets Russes Costume Ball”, to be held at Gandel Hall at the National Gallery of Australia, on Friday, March 4. Ticket are $150 and include dinner prepared by Fiona Wright and Jeremy Paul’s Ten and a Half Catering. “There will be a maximum attendance of 250 people and, we promise, no boring auctions, just a good fun night,”

INDEX

February 24-March 2, 2011 Since 1993: Volume 17, Number 07

Arts&Entertainment 21-24

Cinema 23 Crossword 30

Dining 24

Fashion 28-29

Home&Garden 25-26

Horoscope 30

Letters 12

News 3-14 Property 31-47

Scene 16-17

Sudoku 30

ing young people. In 2010 more than 3000 young Australians responded to the survey including 80 from the ACT.

“Like any form of bullying or discrimination, homophobia can have a massive and negative impact on the life of a young person. For example, the report shows there are strong links between homophobic abuse and feeling unsafe, excessive drug use, self arm and suicide attempts.

“There is clear evidence in this report that schools can make a major contribution to the health and safety of students by effectively addressing homophobia.

“I am determined that every ACT school will continue to make every student feel safe and valued.”

He says the key findings of the report include: Young people continue to suffer high levels of verbal and physical homophobic abuse particularly at school.

Education Minister Andrew Barr... ordered an anti-homophobia conference.

Bloated bus service needs action

By Eleri Harris

THE release of the Hawke Review on the ACT public service has made a range of recommendations to combat Government inefficiencies – and its take on ACTION buses is emblematic of its critiques.

Pointing to ongoing industrial disputes, the review says ACTION is overstaffed; Queanbeyan’s Deane’s bus service has 1.4 staff for each bus, while ACTION has four.

Hawke suggests the service be privatised to different operators on the north and south or opening weekend services to commercial tender to break the rostering battle with ACTION’s drivers.

In 2010, 61 per cent of young people reported verbal abuse because of homophobia, 18 per cent physical abuse and 26 per cent “other” forms of homophobia.

The most common place of abuse remained school with 80 per cent of those who were abused naming school.

As many as 37 per cent of young people described their school as homophobic or very homophobic overall. ó ó ó ó

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For more than half of the participants, homophobic abuse impacted negatively on aspects of their schooling.

40 per cent of young people surveyed said they wanted the Sexuality Education delivered by their school to be changed so that it was more inclusive of same sex attraction and gender diversity and Young same-sex attracted people who reported their school as having a supportive environment, were less likely to harm themselves or attempt suicide, demonstrating the importance of putting policy into practice.

citynews.com.au/blog/combating-homophobiain-schools.html

Outlining key issues with timetabling changes and PR, Hawke advocates an investigation of real-time information, for which the 2010-11 ACT Budget allocated $12.5 million, and a smart-phone timetable app, which some kids at ANU developed and TAMS rejected earlier this year.

Also on the table were options for free off-peak travel, free travel within communities and only charges for inter-town travel, free travel for students, or opening all school bus runs to a private operator.

Michael Moore on Hawke, Page 10

says HAC chairman Allan Williams. Bookings to 6240 6528 or special.events@nga.gov.au or ActewAGL shopfronts.

Helen replaces Herbie

HELEN Delahunty (pictured) has been appointed financial administrator for the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, replacing Herbie O’Flynn, who is retiring. She is currently CFO of Greening Australia Ltd. and will take up the position at the end of March.

The Truth experience

WOLLONGONG prog-rock/metal band The Sacred Truth, a top-five finalist in the MusicOz Awards for best hard rock/metal act, 2010, is playing at The Basement, Belconnen, on Saturday, March 5.

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Distribution and circulation: Richard Watson, circulation@citynews.com.au

When the humble barbie bites back

By Megan Haggan

THINKING of reheating that chicken or those sausages left over from the backyard barbecue?

Think again, says microbiologist Prof Bill Rawlinson, a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists – barbecues are a prime source for food poisoning in Australian homes.

Barbecues are a particular problem because “often the plates will go backwards and forwards a bit to and from the fridge, and that’s where problems arise.”

The classic example is where a spread of food sits out in baking temperatures for an hour or two at a backyard barbecue before leftovers are returned to the fridge for later use, he told “CityNews”.

“In restaurants, they’re very careful and dispose of what’s left over, but often people’s homes, where there’s not the same regulatory pressure or experience, is where problems happen.”

Food that still looks okay can easily become a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria if safe food handling practices aren’t followed, he says.

“When food is sitting outside, bugs can

grow. If it’s only for an hour before it’s eaten, that’s usually not a problem, but if it then goes back and forwards to the fridge those bugs will still be there. The fridge might slow the growth, but when it comes out again the bugs get a further chance to grow, and that’s when you run into problems.”

Uncooked foods such as oysters, as well as shellfish, go off rapidly, he added, and should

be kept on ice while on a buffet.

After seafood’s bought, it’s often brought home in a hot car and then placed in a fridge which often may not be the correct temperature (four degrees C for fridges, minus 20 for freezers).

“It is no exaggeration to say that seafood is potentially lethal if allowed to fester.

“Rice is another classic, especially fried rice. It’s often a cause of non-viral bugs like bacillus cereus: People think it’s pretty safe to reheat but it’s just another thing that will support bugs.

“There are many examples of outbreaks such as noroviruses causing diarrhoea and vomiting from foods as simple as lettuce and soup.”

The informal nature of gatherings can also be problematic when people don’t wash their hands.

“A number of viruses, like the norovirus, can spread very easily when people don’t wash their hands,” Prof Rawlinson says. “Whether it’s a home or restaurant buffet situation, you’ll often have someone who’s struggling on through a bout of something.

“Then you’ve got kids who might have rotavirus, which is a very common cause of gastroenteritis in kids, touching food on a buffet and sharing it with parents.”

Barriers to disorder treatment

COST and the fear they might not be taken seriously are key barriers to people seeking treatment for eating disorders, University of Canberra research has found.

Body image expert Dr Vivienne Lewis called for more services to treat eating disorders when she presented the research findings at the inaugural Mental Health Community Coalition ACT Conference.

“Eating disorders affect one in 100 Australian adolescent girls and they can be deadly,” Dr Lewis said.

The study found that the majority of patients found their treatment experience to be positive, with the best results coming from professionals who the patient felt they could trust.

Individual therapy was seen as the most helpful,

while family therapy was considered the least helpful.

“Professionals that patients perceived as interested, honest and respectful also provided a positive treatment experience. Being taken seriously whilst in treatment was also a key step to rehabilitation,” Dr Lewis said.

“Some patients also felt that some professionals needed to be more empathetic and more educated on eating disorders,” Dr Lewis added.

The study was conducted at the University of Canberra by honours student Megan Bishop and supervised by Dr Lewis, with results collected from 135 adults around Australia.

According to Dr Lewis, the study fills a vital gap in Australian research literature regarding the benefits of eating disorder treatments as perceived by current and former patients.

Who fancies some Mexican mango?

Quality control checks and chemical residue testing on imported food can only go so far, says food scientist AMANDA DOS SANTOS. How can we be sure that what we’re eating is safe?

WITH floods having ravaged the farmlands of Australia, supermarket shelves will be either empty, full of produce with blemishes or filled with an influx of imported items. The consumer is often wary of where their produce comes from, with food regulations being different all over the world. There are areas of grey and there are areas of concern, but with produce, the big supermarkets do try to have a stringent quality-assurance program in place to ensure that the products on the shelves are of the highest possible standard.

The most common theme among the sampling procedure for imported produce is that they are to be tested seasonally for chemical residues. These chemicals and their residue limits or allowances are controlled by Food Standards Australia New Zealand. The issue some groups have with the legislation passed by FSANZ is that often chemicals tolerable overseas for some produce are not tolerable on Australian produce and vice versa. This is due to scientific evidence that has or has not been carried out in Australia.

The real area of concern is that although all produce needs to pass chemical residue testing, this is often only done seasonally per product item and per grower. For example, if you are importing snow peas from China or mangoes from Mexico, it is generally satisfactory to submit a chemical residue test per product per season, per grower. These tests can be analysed on as little as a handful of snow peas, or a couple of mangoes. Of course, you would assume that these samples are taken randomly, but are they all?

The other contentious issue is: What is the half-life of a lot of these chemical residues, and would they, if present, actually affect you if consumed?

This is a debate among the hot topic of organics, but just as relevant with imported produce. A lot of the produce spends either months in transport, and then sometimes a couple more in storage. Garlic, for instance, if in good quality, can stay for a couple of months in a refrigerated warehouse. The fresh food people would be appalled. Therefore produce tested in September, may not be such an issue when you eat it in January or February of the following year.

With American oranges and grapes, Peruvian asparagus, Chinese snow peas, Mexican mangoes and Italian kiwifruit to name a few, let’s hope the suppliers of the big chains are doing the right thing to ensure that we are eating the safest and best-tasting produce from around the world.

To find out more about what the residue limits are of Australian produce, visit the FSANZ website at www. foodstandards.gov.au

In praise of favourite teachers

AT Garran Primary library, one grey afternoon after school last week, the Minister for Foreign Affairs put aside the worries of the world and schoolboy Kevin Rudd came to the lectern to share with the small, attentive audience fond, intimate stories about the teachers who had helped shape his life.

The former prime minister was warming the audience for Fran Hinton, chief executive of Teaching Australia, who was launching the new book “My Favourite Teacher”. She affirmed student Kevin’s reminiscences, saluting the role of teachers and saying everyone had memories of a favourite one (or two).

The book has been edited by Canberra author and “CityNews” columnist Robert Macklin who, with the help of teacher wife Wendy (his “favourite teacher”), has put together a cathartic compendium of school-day memories from 100 notable and ordinary Australians, all in praise of teachers who changed or shaped their lives.

Contributors include Governor-General Quentin Bryce, former High Court judge Michael Kirby, politician Tanya Plibensek, comedian Julian Morrow, authors Mem Fox, Kathy Lette and Max Fatchen.

“My Favourite Teacher”, published by New South (rrp $32.95)

Valentine donation

GUESTS celebrating Valentine’s Day at Manuka’s award-winning Saffron Restaurant felt their heart go pitter patter when the owners announced they would make a donation from the evening to the Queensland disaster relief appeal. On behalf of their guests, Max and Marven Azize have donated $2500 from the evening to the appeal. “Valentine’s is always special and we wanted to support those suffering in Queensland,” says Marven. “We thought it would be extra sweet to make the announcement a surprise for our guests at the end of the evening.”

Art dealers retire

ABORIGINAL fine art dealers, Carolyn and Roy Ryan, of Outback Art, will say goodbye to Canberra with a final exhibition Austrian

Australia Club, Mawson, on February 26-27. The couple is retiring after holding exhibitions in Canberra for almost 20 years. “I never thought this day would ever arrive. It’s amazing how much we’ve collected, but as we are selling our gallery we must reluctantly sell most of our art,” said Roy.

Appeal for Purple Day

PURPLE Day, an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy, will be celebrated for the first time in the ACT on March 26. Purple Day coincides with the national epilepsy awareness campaign from March 1 to 26. Epilepsy ACT wants to hear from any individual or organisation able to help raise funds and increase awareness. To register your interest and/or for more information, call 6287 4555, email epilepsy@epilepsyact.org.au or visit www.epilepsyact.org.au

Prizes for film makers

TRANSACT is offering cash and prizes worth more than $10,000 to local film makers to create a 30 or 60-second film that will be shown at this year’s Canberra International Film Festival and will potentially be used by TransACT for broadcast on TV. Entries to the MadAD competition can be submitted from March and there’s more information at www.transact.com. au/madad

Skydiver lands gold

ACT skydiver Simon Hayter has won a gold medal in zone accuracy at his first canopy piloting national championships at Sydney Skydivers, Picton, last weekend. He also won a bronze medal in the speed event and was awarded bronze overall.

NOW you see it (left), now you don’t (right)...

COMMONSENSE seems to have prevailed at a car park at Regatta Point. Late last year, snapper-at-large Silas Brown stumbled on a row of cars neatly parked between the lines in a car park that was signed, wait for it, “No Parking”! He returned in recent days to discover the sign had, appropriately, been removed, doubtless to the chagrin of parking inspectors everywhere. That’s one for the little people!

Pearls, curls and a mission for her girls

All pearls and curls and smooth English tones, newly appointed principal of Canberra Girls’ Grammar Anne Coutts talks to ELERI HARRIS

AFTER 18 years heading up three girls’ schools in the UK and spending seven before that as a science teacher, Canberra Girls’ Grammar’s new principal Anne Coutts has crossed the seas for the sake of change and a challenge.

“I am a passionate educationalist,” says Coutts, who first became a school head at 34 and was the youngest independent school headmistress in the UK.

“I’m really interested in change and improvement and making things the best they can be. I’m not a consolidation kind of person, I like to move forward.”

With a strong belief in the power of mind over matter, Coutts says she has a personal edict in attitude over knowledge.

“Anybody can learn facts, anybody can find out about things,” she declares. “We’re on an information highway, you can research anything. What you can’t learn is how you approach what you do, the way you invest time in what you’re doing.

“If we’re doing education properly we should be teaching educational approach. If the attitude and approach is right, the world is your oyster.”

The former medical researcher is enthusiastic about her new role, politely pointing out it took a big offer to leave her post at the elite

Headington School, Oxford.

“I was often approached by headhunters for positions in the UK, but because Headington was such a good girls’ school, it wasn’t at all tempting to move elsewhere,” Coutts says delicately.

“Then, one day, I got an email saying ‘would you consider putting your name forward for this’. I went home and said to my husband: ‘What do you think? Shall we give it a go?’.”

Packing up her Nikon, saxophone and Anglican minister husband Ian, Coutts has left her grown-up daughters Amy and Rachel behind in Britain.

“I totally understand that they’re embedded in their jobs with all their friends and everything. They were just tremendous, they both said: ‘Mum, if it was us, you’d say go for it’,”

Coutts says.

“I’m the kind of person who likes a challenge, I like doing new things.

“I’m a scientist, I like data.

“There’s absolutely no point in changing things by mistake, you need to know what’s happened before in order to make change effective.

And there’s no point in changing something that’s working effectively in the first place.

“I bring a lot of experience and a fresh pair of eyes.”

Thunderstorms: It’s raining asthma

THUNDERSTORMS and other changing weather patterns can be major triggers for asthma, says Dr Andrew Tai.

Dr Tai, from The Asthma Foundation ACT, says Canberra’s weather is not just something to complain about when it’s too hot or cold, it’s a health risk for people with asthma, particularly children.

“For some children with asthma, Canberra weather can be a major trigger,” he says. “In summer, people should be aware of changing weather patterns, such as thunderstorms, extremely hot conditions and smoke from bushfires.

“In winter, viruses and cold air are triggers. In spring, high pollen counts can also trigger asthma symptoms.”

There’s often a minor allergy peak in autumn, as well – not to mention the start of the school year. These first few weeks back are a time for parents of children with asthma to be more vigilant, Dr Tai says.

“There is a peak in asthma rates as children head back to school, which is likely due to increased exposure to viruses as potential asthma triggers from their peers.

“Other possible causes could be increased exposure to pollens in the environment, lack of vigilance with asthma preventer use over the holidays, and subsequent risk towards acute episodes.

“Stress and emotions can also contribute to asthma exacerbations when children are returning to school.”

One in nine Australian children have asthma, and it’s the most common reason for children’s

By Megan Haggan

trips to the doctor or emergency department, and hospital stays. It also has a significant impact on children’s quality of life, he adds.

“If a child is unwell with asthma they may be absent from school often. They may not be able to participate in sport, or be able to play with their friends.

“A diagnosis of asthma can be an overwhelming and worrying time for parents. There are new medications and devices to learn about, symptoms and triggers to look out for, asthma action plans to understand and asthma first aid to learn.

“In Canberra, there are services to assist families and schools with the primary goal of helping the child and family manage their asthma. If they do experience an asthma attack at school, teachers are trained in asthma first aid.

“The aim of good asthma management is to ensure that children can lead a normal, healthy life.”

“For some children with asthma, Canberra weather can be a major trigger,” says Dr Andrew Tai.

IN different seasons, families need to take different precautions.

Summer: Stay indoors if there is bushfire smoke in the air; monitor the amount of activity children engage in during extreme temperatures; and be aware of changing weather conditions such as thunderstorms, wind and dust storms.

Autumn: Monitor the child’s asthma symptoms as the weather changes and becomes cooler; have the child’s doctor review their medications and ensure asthma plans are up to date.

Winter: Avoid close contact with people who are sick; try to ensure the house remains at a constant temperature and isn’t too cold at night; make sure rooms are well ventilated to avoid mould growth.

Spring: Encourage the child to remain indoors when the pollen count is high, when there are thunderstorms, or when grass is being cut; and discuss symptoms if pollens are triggering asthma.

More information at www. asthmaaustralia. org.au or from the Community Asthma Support Service on 6207 9977.

Out of the cocoon and back to school

MANY professional footballers in this current generation of rugby league, rugby union, AFL and soccer players, have been cocooned from an early age believing their sole purpose in life is to be a champion footballer.

So to spend some time doing school clinics or visiting hospitals, albeit organised by clubs, should be a given for any professional footballer. Therefore, the assertion by former politician Peter Costello that AFL players shouldn’t go to schools to educate students on life skills because of off-field issues should be knocked on the head straight away. I think it would make the situation even worse by isolating players from the rest of the community.

Costello’s comments come in the wake of the horror off-season experienced by the St Kilda Football Club.

I have seen first-hand where footballers helping primary school students in Canberra overcome perceived barriers when it comes to reading.

Often the child has resisted all attempts to help them read, then a footballer provides some positive mentoring and this attention breaks down their resistance to reading. In some cases, the footballer has been able to empathise because he has been through learning problems himself

If ever there was a time for professional footballers to spend time in schools and with community groups, it is now, says TIM GAVEL

and has a greater ability to relate to the student’s situation.

I agree with Costello’s comments that clubs go into schools and other community institutions to promote their brand name. Of course, that is part of it but it’s not the whole picture.

So-called “highly paid sportspeople” need to engage with the community for their own self worth as well as for the purpose of seeking support for their club.

The Raiders’ and the Brumbies’ management will freely admit that when they go into the community they are promoting their brand, but they also recognise that they engage with their community because they need to “give back” and support those who have supported them. It’s the same in many businesses, not just football.

In my experience as a sports commentator, the best players are not necessarily the easiest to convince that doing a school clinic will help them remain “grounded”. They are also the ones that find it hard to maintain a perspective when the cheering stops and are constantly looking for

somebody to offer assistance because so much has been done for them since their teenage years. Suddenly, as adults in their 30s, when they are thrust into the real world, they find it hard to do anything for themselves. I am not saying that this applies to every player, far from it, but stepping out of the cocoon during the height of popularity as a footballer should help them in the future.

The last thing we want is for professional footballers, no matter what the code, to be shielded from the reality of day-to-day life and the reality of other people’s lives, which is what would happen if clubs took Mr Costello’s advice.

In saying that, I agree with him when he says that when footballers are asked to become much more than sportsmen they will learn from these broader, public experiences. But rather than mixing with the privileged in society, I would have thought they need to spend more time in schools doing clinics, teaching kids to read and performing community work, not indulging in less of this.

The former defence chief battles the ACT bureaucracy

T HE anticipated Hawke Review into the structure of the ACT public service, headed up by former Commonwealth Defence secretary Dr Allan Hawke, was commissioned in September by Chief Minister Jon Stanhope with the aim of ensuring the configuration of the ACT public service remains appropriate for Government needs.

Hawke was not commissioned to identify savings but to maximise achievements of the

Government, including an an analysis of structural and other impediments to performance.

Hawke consulted ministers, MLAs, current and former ACT public service officials, unions, stakeholders and academics.

He made 75 recommendations under five initiatives: Governance, structure, priority setting, capability, implementation.

The review concluded the ACT Government and citizens of Canberra would be better served

by a unified ACTPS agency, with directorates instead of departments all answering to one chief officer.

A key issue driving Hawke was the different and fragmented levels of bureaucracy dealing with land and development, as such the review recommended the LDA board was replaced immediately with a advisory board better suited to the mandate of the Economic Development Directorate.

Interesting recommendations included the abolition of the EPIC board, the merging of CIT and the University of Canberra, greater co-ordination of events with Canberra Racing Club, ACTEW taking responsibility for Lake Burley Griffin from NCA, iphone apps for ACTION buses, the privatisation to two different operators on either side of the lake and no changes to ACT Health.

–Eleri Harris

Giving Stanhope power without glory

IT would be irresponsible for the other cabinet members, the cross benchers and the opposition to allow Chief Minister Jon Stanhope to implement the fundamentals of Allan Hawke’s review “Governing the City State: One ACT Government – One ACT Public Service”.

It means a loss of accountability; the danger of the key recommendations is that they simply concentrate power in the hands of Mr Stanhope and his chief mandarin.

And don’t be tricked by analogies to local councils. As much as the Chief Minister would love to present it in a populist light, this has nothing to do with “council-style government”.

It is time for all members of the Assembly to have the spine to reject Stanhope’s haughty push for more power.

However, Hawke’s report has plenty in it that will prove useful in improving efficiency and getting better outcomes. A more co-ordinated public service has clear advantages. His recommendations include: Embedding “triple bottomline reporting”; “mandate the role of innovation in delivering government priorities” and “unless there is a clear reason not to, vest statutory decision making powers in public servants”.

But the dominant recommendations on governance and structure are fatally flawed. The proposed series of structures or “directorates” have a single “Chief Executive ACTPS” with all public servants answering directly to that position. Ministers are effectively bypassed. At best they will become pumped-up advisers. The heads of the directorates do not answer to ministers, but rather to the mandarin – who, in turn, answers to Jon Stanhope.

Having constant minority governments has

The Hawke Review transfers authority from the Assembly, takes responsibility away from Ministers and distances decisions from the people, warns MICHAEL MOORE

developed a culture of penetrative questioning of ministers and examination of their policies, directions and administrative decisions since self government in 1989. Although Hawke recognises great strengths (“the ACT [is] characterised by high standards of parliamentary debate, a legislative program covering a range of complex issues, and an active Assembly Committee process”), he delivers recommendations that effectively undermine the achievement.

Prof Stephen Bartos from the ANU explained to Alex Sloane on ABC radio the changing character of the Assembly suggesting the Opposition and the cross benches will “need to work in a more constructive manner”.

The structure proposed by Hawke will simply mean a more dominant and less-accountable bureaucracy, a distancing from the Assembly and a greater potential for faceless decision making which opens the Government to far greater potential for corruption.

The dominant recommendations on governance and structure are fatally flawed.

It was misleading for the report to suggest “the Pettit report also strongly favoured elements of the ACTPS being responsible to only one minister” when recommendation 25 of Pettit’s 1998 “Review of the Governance of the Australian Capital Territory” states: “... each such agency should have to answer to one, and only one minister”. There was certainly no implication that all elements of the public service be responsible to a single minister. In contrast, that 1998 report favoured increased accountability and no concept of bypassing ministers in favour of a senior bureaucrat.

The enthusiasm for such an approach should not be surprising. The more entrenched the government, the more arrogant the leader and the more they seek to solidify power. Remember Howard’s rampage pushing through conservative legislation when he finally gained control

of the Senate and Keating’s frustration with the upper house members as Labor approached the end of its term when he outrageously referred to the Senators as “unrepresentative swill”. As Dr Hawke stated in his covering letter: “The aim of the review was to ensure the configuration of the ACT public sector remains appropriate for meeting the Government’s needs and delivering its future agenda.” Not the needs of the Assembly or the people!

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

Voodoo likes to share its creative spell

IN 00, two graphic design graduates from the University of Canberra got together in a granny flat to figure out how they could make a living doing what they loved: Not just design and marketing, but finding refreshing, workable communication solutions for their clients.

Six years on, Adrian Stott and John Yanny, the directors of Voodoo Creative, have a team of 11 in their Phillip offices, they’re the recipients of two Print and Graphic Excellence Awards for Excellence in New Media: Multimedia/Web Development, and they count Tiger Beer, the University of Canberra, the Department of Defence, Beames and Associates, Damselfly Jewellery, Greening Australia and Coffee Guru among their diverse list of clients.

While Voodoo is a full-service agency, not everyone’s aware of the full extent of its capabilities, the guys say.

“For example, people who have come to us for web development might think of us as the web guys and get someone else for design, whereas we can do the design role and the advertising campaign and marketing strategy – the whole shebang,” says John.

The company’s growth and evolution to date has been strongly based on word of mouth, and was “100 per cent organic”, John says. “We just went with the flow.”

you’ – it’s about whether that’s the best solution.”

Business development manager Tim Perry agrees. “It’s working with people to think through their strategy,” he says.

“For any business or organisation out there, if they’re going to be spending money on marketing, they need to count every dollar. So it’s all about return on investment and achieving their objectives.”

John also describes Voodoo as a “no ego” agency.

“It’s not about whether something wins us awards,” he says. “It’s about what the client needs to achieve.

Voodoo also takes a transparent approach to business: “It’s full disclosure. We try to communicate every element of the job before we start.” Their enthusiasm’s grown exponentially over the years, they say, reflecting the growth in the company’s size and capabilities: “We’re just people who happen to really like what we do,” says John. “I think our success is based on that. The dream’s always been to get paid for doing what we love.”

Voodoo in action

Adrian says that key to the company’s success is its focus on value: “We don’t mean value in the sense of being cheap: we mean real, meaningful value, personal value, providing exceptional creative solutions that produce tangible results.”

approach, we don’t just do what people say at first and then leave it at that.

John says: “A big part of what we do is educating our clients as much as possible. It differentiates us from others: We don’t take a cookie-cutter

“We attempt, as much as possible, to discuss with them their options, and show them stuff that can potentially add value to the project they’ve approached us about.

“It’s not just a case of ‘we’ll do this press ad for

www.beamesandassociates.com.au (PAGE award-winning site 2010) www.damselfly.com.au (PAGE award-winning site 2009) www.pepespaperie.com.au

www.buildingincanberra.com.au www.aheda.com.au

More information on www.voodoocreative. com.au or call 6282 0888

opinion

Longing for the power of that country town feeling

I MUST confess something; I live in a McMansion. One of those over-sized, tiny-backyard, threestorey places which we see dotting Canberra’s fast-growing newer suburbs.

It is not because I am wealthy, quite the contrary, but rather the fact that I live with eight other people. The reasons are varied, everything from being able to live in a better location, cutting down on consumption and being more sustainable and, of course, financial benefit.

However, the main motivation was simply that we love community, and doing life alongside these people is, for us, a joyful way to live.

Don’t let me paint this as overly Utopian though. There are challenges and certainly times when you just need your own space, but when I look around Canberra, “community” is

THE fascination Australians have for bravery on the battlefield was borne home to me recently when SAS Cpl Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia while a few days earlier my book, “SAS Sniper” had gone to No1 on the national bestseller list.

Suddenly my co-author Rob Maylor (the sniper in question) and I were besieged by press, radio and television, all wanting to know more about Ben and the actions that won him the Medal for Gallantry in 2006 and the big one last year.

In fact, Rob Maylor had done the SAS selection course with him in 2002. They shared quarters at Campbell Barracks and, on the evening they made it through, Rob’s wife Georgina brought some beer, pizza and a packet of chocolate biscuits for a small celebration.

The pizza (and the beer) were welcome since both men had burned up a lot of calories on the course, but Rob put the biscuits in the fridge for later. However, when he returned from seeing Georgina off, Ben had scoffed the lot.

“I was annoyed,” Rob said. “He’s a bloody eating machine.”

However, while they operated

As individuals, we’re not the centre of the universe – we are part of a whole that must come first, says NICK JENSEN

what I see as the greatest need. So often we are so boxed into our brick dwellings and high fences that we become isolated from relationships with our neighbours and those people around us – relationships which bring such richness to life. It is true that there is a large section of Canberra that is transient, temporary and therefore does not feel a need to put roots and effort into our Territory, but there are many others who long for that country-town feel where you can chat to your local butcher for half an hour, and when someone dies the whole town mourns (as we have seen in some of the Queensland areas recently).

Why is Canberra this way? It is not the fault of planners or politicians, but rather I believe a result of the creeping individualism of the last 100 years. Our world view seems to have shifted to one where we see ourselves as the centre of our own universe and not realise that we are part of a whole which must come first. So often we are caught up with demanding our “rights” rather than thinking about our “responsibilities”. We demand our individual right to ride a bike without a helmet, to buy fast food while wagging school, to play excessively violent and sexual video games, to consume at an unsustainable rate, and, yes, even to die, without

Take the politics out of bravery

the gadfly

Robert Macklin

together on some patrols in Afghanistan, Ben was elsewhere when Rob fought in the 2008 battle of Kaz Oruzghan where Mark Donaldson won his VC and Rob had just left the regiment when Ben charged Taliban machine gunners, killing some and putting others to flight.

But the sudden interest did provide an opportunity to reflect on the flawed system that underpins the awarding of the supreme accolade for valour in the face of the enemy.

Two problems have emerged since the Hawke Government in 1991 abandoned the imperial system of military decoration, ignored the checks and balances developed by the Brits over the previous 135 years and devolved all responsibility for conferring the VC to a politician, the minister for defence.

The first derives from the fact that in this case the minister, Stephen Smith, is a West Australian, as is Ben Roberts-Smith (though no relation) and our continued presence in Afghanistan is increasingly unpopular. There have been suggestions that the

award has been used to rally support for the war.

Secondly, when Mark Donaldson won his VC other deserving soldiers whose gallantry on the day was truly outstanding were simply ignored. The politicians, it seemed, were only interested in the big one.

Now, some of the criticisms are misplaced. Unquestionably, Ben deserved his medal and it’s pure coincidence that the minister is from the same State. On the other hand, I do feel that gallantry medals should go to those who deserved them in both actions.

But the real point is that we should have a system that removes all possibility of political taint. And it’s not that difficult to design.

For example, a committee of two retired general staff together with two distinguished Canberrans – the ANU’s Prof Bill Gammage and the respected military historian Michael McKernan – could adjudicate on recommendations from the field, and send their decisions direct to the Governor-General in Council.

This would remove any suggestion of political taint and greatly assist the process of establishing as much respect for the VC for Australia as for its imperial predecessor.

robert@robertmacklin.com

thinking about the effect this has on our wider community and society at large. It is not simply a Christian idea to put others before oneself, but rather the logical conclusion to what a species like ours must do to survive in the long term.

I think Dietrich Bonhoeffer (hero to our previous Prime Minister and a pacifist who attempted to assassinate Hitler) describes the focus on community beautifully. He said: “The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.” I pray that Canberra can, as it grows, keep this communal vision at the forefront of our development.

Nick Jensen is ACT director of the Australian Christian Lobby

letters dose of dorin

Letters are invited from “CityNews” readers. Let loose to editor@citynews.

Here we go again

HOW many times do Canberrans need to be told – via expensive, repetitive, ad nauseam (and unnecessary) media advertising by the Actew Corporation – that we’ve managed to save “x” gigalitres of water?

If the cost of all that advertising is being added to our water bills, wouldn’t it make more sense for Actew to reduce their charges and pass the water usage information on to each of us when our bills are sent out? Hmmm.

M McGregor, curtin

Happy reader

I’VE just picked up your magazine and am so happy to see that you have Cedric Bryant as your garden writer. We were sad that he left “The Canberra Times” and are very happy that you have snapped him up so that we continue to get intelligent, Canberraspecific gardening advice. Well done! Megan Dick, via email

Evans and the role of good global citizens

By Eleri Harris

ANU Chancellor Gareth Evans is to deliver the 1th annual Manning Clark Lecture at the National Library on March  on the subject of Australia’s role as a global citizen.

Under the title “Idealism and Realism in Australian Foreign Policy Making” the former Attorney General and Foreign Minister in the Hawke and Keating Governments says he will pick up Clark’s themes on Australia’s place in the world and bring them into a contemporary context.

“What I’m trying to do is obviously use a very familiar phrase that a lot of people have quoted,” Evans told “CityNews”.

“If you go back the last 10 or 11 Manning Clark lectures, somewhere tucked away, you mark the ‘punishers’, the ‘straiteners’, the ‘enlargers’, but no one’s actually picked it up and used it as a theme to talk about Australian foreign policy.

“Manning Clark was famous for his great rhetorical contrasts, he talked about the ‘mourners and the mockers’, he talked about the ‘life affirmers and the life deniers’ and most famously he talked about the ‘straiteners and the enlargers’. ‘Straiteners’ meaning those with a narrow, constrained, pessimistic view of the world, no confidence in human nature or ideals and the ‘enlargers’, on the other hand, who have

an expansive view of the potential of the human spirit.

“He didn’t have an awful lot to say about international relations as such, but he did actually have views about Australia’s place in Asia and the world. Essentially, we ought to be enlargers in the way in which we approach the region and the world; we should be open in our minds about embracing Asia; we should be open in our minds about abandoning the White Australia policy.

“We ought to think of Australian interests, not just in traditional security terms or traditional economic terms, we ought to think of value issues as also as being characterisable in interest terms, not just as an add-on charitable goodwill to all mankind.

“Australia, like other countries, has an actual interest, a reputational interest, in being and being seen to be a good international citizen in terms of the way it embraces the UN, co-operative institutions, aid, compassion, all those kinds of things. It slipped out of the discourse and it hasn’t yet been put back in by current governments.

“What I do want to argue for is a restoration in centrality in Australian foreign policy and good international citizenship, which I helped to invent when I was foreign minister.”

Gareth Evans’ Manning Clark Lecture 6pm at the National Library of Australia Thursday, March 3, $15 ($12 for members). Bookings essential – contact Jenny Farrelly on 6295 1808 or info@ manningclark.org.au

Teach kids about mobiles, says research

NINE out of 10 parents want schools to play a part in teaching their children about cyber-bullying and how to use mobile phones and the internet safely, according to new research.

Of the parents surveyed by Sweeney Research for phone recycler MobileMuster, 65 per cent attempted to stay on top of their child’s mobile phone use by restricting their access to their phone and more than 50 per cent checked their child’s messages regularly.

However, most parents felt that educating children on safe mobile phone behaviour should be shared between home and school.

Meanwhile, research conducted by Dr Marilyn Campbell, of the Queensland University of Technology, recently revealed that 14 per cent of children in years six to 12 had reported being cyber-bullied in the previous 12 months, and seven per cent had admitted to being responsible for the cyber-bullying of another student.

At Raize the Roof’s ‘Sparkle’ gala ball, Hyatt Hotel

all about Village with a lot of local history

THE Gold Creek area is one of the oldest parts of Canberra.

Known until the 1990s as Ginninderra Village, this part of Nicholls was home to the Ginninderra Schoolhouse, built in 1883, and the former St Francis School of Ginninderra.

The area also featured the Gold Creek property from which the precinct got its name, including the Gold Creek Homestead.

Ginninderra Village was, until the 1960s, a small hub for people in the Territory’s north, until the school and other operations closed.

Eventually, Ginninderra Village became home to tourist attractions such as Cockington Green, which opened its doors in 1979. This was the first venture to signal the area’s rebirth, and in the early 1990s, Ginninderra Village was renamed Gold Creek Village.

Today, it’s a hub for tourists, but there’s plenty for locals to see and do as well. Gold Creek Village itself has a host of attractions, including not just Cockington Green, but also the Australian Reptile Centre, The Bird Walk and the National Dinosaur Museum.

Federation Square and the Gold Creek Cultural Centre adjoin a host of shops, restaurants and cafes, plus there’s the Aarwun Gallery and Aboriginal Dreamings Gallery, and for those who’d like a quiet drink, the George Harcourt Inn.

Gold Creek advertising

all about living

All in the (imaginary) family, says Bond

Back for a season at The Street Theatre, a former Queen of Canberra, Grahame Bond talks to arts editor HELEN MUSA

WELL, she promised she’d be back and now Aunty Jack is making good on that.

As I launched into an interview with Grahame Bond recently, the first thing that came to mind was, what a blast from the past! True enough, but to him, his show “My Imaginary Family” is something far more than that – it’s his life.

Bond is, of course, most famous as the tough “I’ll rip your bloody arms off” Aunty Jack who, together with Norman Gunston, turned staid old Aunty ABC upside down in the early ‘70s. He/she was everywhere – even on screen trying to hold back the transition from black-and-white TV to colour in February, 1975.

Aunty Jack was even named

Queen of Canberra, a title he is seriously thinking of reclaiming when he’s here with “My Imaginary Family” at The Street Theatre.

The only child of a dad from Braidwood and a mum from Mount Fairy, who moved to Sydney to give him a life, Bond always longed for siblings, so he decided to make them up. Now, far from looking upon that as a terrible drawback, he sees it as “an advantage… it helped me build a team of imaginary family”.

And who are those family members? He claims his family members are all Bs – battlers, boxers and butchers. Battlers like his monosyllabic builders who say “yeah… well, no”; like boxer extraordinaire, Aunty Jack, who owes something to Bond’s grandad Benny Doyle, from Bungendore, once a contender in the Australian heavyweight championship. And as for butchers, Kev Kavanagh is close to immortal.

Oh yes, just for the record, his many careers, all began with A – architect, actor, Aunty, ABC performer and archaeologist.

You can fairly bet that Bond’s show, written after his mother died and he suddenly realised he was “an orphan at 62”, will pack the Street Theatre. There’s a whole generation keen to revisit his heyday and to hear

of escapades with shows such as “Hamlet on Ice,” and “Boys’ Own McBeth”, to say nothing of his musical collaborator Rory O’Donoghue and producer Maurice Murphy.

Creating his imaginary family has pause to reflect on the good old days of the architecture revues at Sydney and NSW unis, complete with rock bands, fire, smoke and spectacle.

“I am such a competitive bugger,” he says proudly. “Intellectuals such as Albie Thoms and

Mungo McCallum were getting audiences of 14 people, while the architecture revues were getting 600.”

When first asked to perform one of his impenetrable scripts in a UNSW review, Bond was terrified. “I’d never performed before, but the moment I got up on the stage and people laughed, I thought, this is it.”

“My Imaginary Family”, The Street Theatre, March 4-26, bookings to 6247 1223 or www. thestreet.org.au

Datarock for Moo Two

By Eleri Harris

THE grassy sloping meadows of the University of Canberra are set to rock on May 8 with the second coming of regional travelling music festival Groovin the Moo.

International headliners include Norwegian electro crazies Datarock, US surfer pop outfit The Drums and the UK’s finest indie sensations The Go! Team and The Wombats.

This year’s GTM showcases an eclectic mix of Aussie artists from hipster diva Washington to old-school, Melbourne, cute group Architecture In Helsinki and include Art Vs Science, The Aston Shuffle, Birds of Tokyo, Bliss n Eso, Cut Copy, Drapht, Gotye, Gyroscope, The Holidays, Horrorshow, The Jezabels, Nina Las Vegas and Sampology.

Heather Shannon, 24-year-old keyboardist with Sydney quartet The Jezabels, is pumped to be playing the capital once more.

“I’m looking forward to Groovin the Moo. I know everyone seems to give Canberra a really bad rap, say it’s boring, but I really like it and I want to come back, I’d really love to go to Floriade!” she says.

Organiser Stephen Halpin says the raging success of last year’s Canberra GTM has secured the capital permanently in the festival tour.

Halpin says the GTM crew will be tweaking the festival layout and putting on a more spectacular light show and production display, but there will still be a double main stage and the Moolin Rouge circus big top, with 15,000 tickets (on sale now).

A stand-out change for the festival this year is a tailor-made iphone ap, which promises to add a tech savvy punch to your GTM experience with set times, news, videos and maps.

Tickets for the 2011 Groovin the Moo are on sale now at Moshtix.com.au

The fun of the pun

BUNGENDORE song-master John Shortis is also a master of puns, but he’s outdone himself this time with the title of his new show, “Short Is the Song.” His is a career worth celebrating, with 40 years of full-time music-making. It’s a retrospective of his songs, including one he wrote at age 13, performed by the whole gang – Shortis and Simpson, Jeannie Lewis, Kerry-Ella McAullay, Peter J. Casey and a band that includes his twin sons Yanto and Peter and his guitarist brother Mark. It’s at the Southern Cross Club on March 4. Bookings to 6283 7288.

FORMER Gallipoli Art Prize winner Margaret Hadfield will have “Branching Out in the Snowies” and other paintings on show at the Artists’ Shed in Queanbeyan until March 14. The “Shed” is now focused on exhibiting to out-of-town visitors. Hadfield and fellow-founder of the mini arts centre, Dennis Mortimer, have been splashing paint around the walls in preparation for this new phase.

COLOGNE’S Chamber Philharmonia ensemble will perform Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”, J.S. Bach, Mozart and Tchaikovsky at St. Christopher’s Cathedral at 8pm on March 1. Bookings to 136100.

VETERAN director and head of

arts in the city

Helen Musa

drama at the ANU in happier days, Geoffrey Borny, is staging Elizabeth Coleman’s wedding-night comedy “Secret Bridesmaids’ Business” at Theatre 3, March 4-9. At 10.30am the day after it opens, Borny is running a useful workshop for Rep called “Blocking a Scene”. Bookings to 6257 1950.

KYLIE Fogarty is holding an exhibition of mixed media artworks, at Strathnairn Homestead’s Fireside Gallery until March 4, where she explores the feeling of isolation. All the while, in Strathnairn’s Gallery 1 ceramicist Trenna Langdon will show larger works along with smaller contemplative pieces.

THE Gallery at Canberra Grammar School is holding a group exhibition of most media by artists with a connection to the school, until March 4, 10am-4pm, Saturdays 11am-4pm.

QUEANBEYAN City Council is running a photographic competition. Entry is free and open to all residents and visitors to the town, but photos must feature Queanbeyan’s recreational spaces. It opens on March 1 so be quick. Phone 6285 6553.

Play aimed to get you angry

THEATRE

“Look Back In Anger”

By John

February

PARIS Hat’s production of “Look Back in Anger” may well get you angry and talking.

The director and actors ensured a highly energetic and effectively paced work. Benjamin Williams approached the enormous central role of Jimmy Porter with certainty and confidence. Fiona Atkin found a depth of commitment to the role of Alison Porter in keeping with the play’s social realism. But whatever the success of the play as social commentary in 1956, the result now is that of malecentric, neurotic and abusive behaviour compounding female futility. The text is a barrage of smug pseudo-intellectual self conceits designed to silence and reduce all within hearing distance into submission. And by the end of the play, all have succumbed to the egoistic narcissism of Jimmy Porter.

We see a character totally without any personal insight other than self loathing. As an audience we can almost cry out to the women to stand and fight back and don’t submit to this abuse.

So while it might be fitting for men to feel the loss of empire and identity, a play that dismisses even the possibility of women’s questioning is seriously dated. Yet this is a very real reason for seeing the production.

Unusual art inspired by fires

WITH the recent natural disasters in Australia, it’s notable how the arts respond to such disasters.

The 2003 Canberra bushfires saw many such examples in memorials, concerts and performances that responded to the losses and now, at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, there is an art exhibition of an unusual kind inspired by our bushfires and those in Victoria.

“Rhythm Interrupted – Life Redirected” is an out-of-the-ordinary show, a collaboration between Canberra lacemaker Jenny Rees and fellow lacemaker Vicki Taylor, from Kentucky, near Uralla in NSW.

Rees lost her home in the Canberra bushfires, but wanted to signal a positive side to the resulting trauma. Taylor, who uses traditional bobbin lace to create almost sculptural works, uses unlacy materials such as raffia, plastics, metallic fibres and

VISUAL ART

“Rhythm Interrupted – Life Redirected”

The Australian National Botanic Gardens Visitor Information Centre, until March 8. Free Reviewed by Helen Musa

wire, a new idea for Rees.

The resulting exhibition is made up of 15 panels depicting the bushfire experience. Fine, almost translucent lacework in soft blue and green linen is overlaid with brightly coloured red and black raffia, suggesting charcoal and ferocious flames. Other materials create silhouettes of the firemen, women, counsellors and chaplains who helped out.

For this exhibition the artists created special cage-like frames so that you can see the three-dimensions and feel the power of the fires.

One of the 15 panels depicting the bushfire experience.

arts&entertainment

Gnomes take to the Bard

“GNOMEO AND JULIET” (G)

KELLY Asbury’s animation sets Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers in concrete on the lawns and in the gardens of an English suburban duplex.

In the blue Capulet home, Gnomeo is an upstanding young man proud of his family. In the red Montague house, Juliet’s hormones are beginning to fizz. She is a feisty little thing keen on adventure. The rivalry between the families finds its chief expression in racing ride-on reel lawnmowers along the lane behind the building.

The plot’s loose adaptation colours it with an affectionate grab-bag of Shakespearean quotes. The voicings, mostly by British actors, are more agreeable than if they had American accents. James McAvoy’s Scottish burr suits Gnomeo. Emily Blunt gives Juliet a tinkling voice well suited to the dialogue. Michael Caine is Lord Redbrick, of the Montagues.

Young folk seemed to be enjoying it even if some of the text might have resonated lit-

A COUPLE arrives in Berlin where he is to deliver a paper about a super maize variety, which the Saudi prince funding the research intends to provide free of charge to the third world.

Checking in at the hotel, he realises he has mislaid his briefcase. The cab taking him back to the airport is in an accident. When he returns four days later to the

cinema

Dougal Macdonald

tle in their comprehension. Harrumphs from grown-up Shakespeare aficionados about liberties taken with their hero’s oeuvre would be undignified and ungracious.

And they all live happily after, as garden gnomes do.

At all cinemas

WILL Nicole Kidman get a second Oscar for her portrayal of Becca in John CameronMitchell’s film of David Lindsay-Abaire’s stage play ?

A dog runs out into a suburban street in a middle-class riverside suburb. A fouryear-old boy runs after the dog. A teenage learner driver makes a bad judgement call.

Eight months later, Becca and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) are each suppressing their grief in their own ways.

The film’s title matches that of a cartoon

hotel, his wife does not recognise him and another man makes a convincing case for being her husband.

In its first half, Jaime Collet-Serra’s film of “Out of My Head” by Didier Van Cauwelaert annoyed me for its insistence that instead of proving his identity, Martin (Liam Neeson) just faffs around. Eventually, he locates the delectable Bosnian illegal cab driver (Diane Kruger) and gets the address of Jurgen (Bruno Ganz, always a joy to watch) a man

book that the teenager Jason (Miles Teller) is writing and illustrating around the idea of parallel universes. When Becca sees Jason on a school bus, she makes contact with him and they discuss it.

Becca can’t cope with a neighbourhood support group. Howie goes alone. Gaby (Sandra Oh) smokes cannabis to ease her emotional pain.

Becca’s unmarried sister is pregnant. A decade after, Becca’s mother (Dianne Wiest) is still grieving for her dead adult son.

These are only a nosegay of the film’s elements. The perceptive writing, occasionally presuming about emotional and behavioural causes and responses, is restrained, reflecting the drama’s theatrical origin. In an eventual fiery confrontation, Becca and Howie dump their anguish on each other in unrestrained self-exposure and bravura dialogue. It’s an impressive opportunity for actors to demonstrate their craft and Kidman and Eckhart take full advantage of it.

And that Oscar? It’s a tough call but Kidman is certainly a good chance.

At Dendy and Greater Union

good at finding people. Then things begin to untangle. Or do they ?

Sorting out who’s who, what’s what and why is it so packs “Unknown’s” last third with surprises. They’re routine for the genre, but Collet-Serra stages them with brio and energy. And hindsight’s wisdom confirms that those niggling early annoyances are merely oblique clues for informed cynics.

At Dendy

Priceless art from prints and fabrics

By arts editor Helen Musa

WEST Timor is one of our nearest neighbours. Less familiar to us than the crowded islands of Java and Bali and its other half, Timor Leste, it is one of the remotest provinces of Indonesia.

William Bligh navigated his way there during 1789 in an open boat provided by the Bounty mutineers, but now, it’s getting recognition as a centre of arts.

Now Nomad Gallery in Manuka is hosting a show that highlights the unique work of West Timorese craftspeople, and at the same time, in an unusual venture, turns it into high art.

Gallery owners Angus and Rose Stewart, from Darwin, were in town recently to help unpack the priceless prints and fabrics

which are on show until March 6 under the title “Ta Teut Amarasi – Awakening.”

Symbols from the ancient Amarasi kingdom, seen in ikat cloth and branding irons (“fetor”) have been transformed into limited-edition prints that could soon be seen hanging on Canberra walls, directly benefiting the village artisans.

Back in 2007, papermaker Winsome Jobling and printmaker Leon Stainer ran paper and printmaking workshops with a weaving collective in Baun, 28km from the city of Kupang.

Two exciting Amarasi artists surfaced – Robert Koroh and Zarid Baksuni. Both incorporated images derived from woven textiles and brands into the prints, while Jobling and the collective used king grass,

rice straw, banyan and sugar palm to make hundreds of sheets of refined hand-made paper on which engravings were printed.

“Ta Teut Amarasi”, Nomad Art Canberra, “M” Centre, Palmerston Lane, Manuka until March 6.

The best cup in town!

Win ‘A Year at Kew’

WIN one of five, just-released, double-disc DVDs of the acclaimed BBC television series “A Year at Kew”. Full entry details are at citynews.com.au/win

Where tiramisu is to die for!

BICICLETTA; what a cute name for a small, relaxed Italian café with a good spot in the New Acton courtyard, near fine-dining Flint and the Parlour bar.

It was a stifling hot day when we visited and a storm the night before had caused the much-needed air-con to seize. These things happen.

The key in hospitality is how staff deal with them and the staff at Bicicletta did well. Apologies all round, a promise that Mr Fix-It was on his way and then an invitation to just sit and “kind-of chill out”.

Indeed, the staff at Bicicletta really add to the experience. They’re knowledgeable, friendly and efficient, but never in your face.

Bicicletta’s menu specialises in antipasti, pizzas and pastas, all made with amore. The café prides itself on using local produce as much as possible and menus sensibly change with the seasons.

dining

Wendy Johnson

“just right” for lunch. The arrabiata had some kick with the chilli, but we found the tasty napoletana sauce almost too thick to evenly coat the pasta. My duck ragu was rich, as it should be, and the meat was tender.

We weren’t going to indulge in dessert, but by then the air-con was working and our waiter had told us – without a pushy sales pitch – that the tiramisu was to die for. He was right on the mark.

This sinful, Italian, layered dessert was made with strong coffee, sweet savoiardi biscuit and velvety marscapone. It is big enough to share and I can put my hand on my heart and say it’s one of the best I’ve had in Canberra.

Also on the dolci menu is a panna cotta with peach puree and a dark-chocolate mousse with caramelised orange. The gelati – an excellent summer choice – is $6 for two scoops (other desserts are $12).

Winners John Schumann tickets

WINNERS of the double passes to John Schumann’s show at the Southern Cross Club, Tuggeranong, on Friday, February 25 are Ian McKenzie, of Fisher; Rob Parker, of Richardson; and Michael McKenna, of Wanniassa.

Royal Show ride

WINNERS of the Royal Canberra Show Toyota V6 HiLux Heroes rides were Geoff Woodham, of Jerrabomberra, and Mandy Mahon, of Weston.

The pizze tradizionali are all made on a specially-imported pizza maker and there are 11 options ($20 to $25). The tried and true Margherita is featured as is the Gustosa – mozzarella, salami, ham, sausage, provola and cracked black pepper. And vegetarians are well catered for.

We both decided to settle on a homemade pasta – the penne arrabiata and the duck ragu tagliatelle – agreeing, when the dishes arrived, that the portions were

The interior of Bicicletta is rustic with some pronounced industrial elements, which suits its overall personality. The wine list has several reasonably-priced options by the glass and the café offers coffees and meals to take away.

Open breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days, 1/15 Edinburgh Avenue, New Acton, call 6262 8683.

Trevor Carroll’s the top Cat

By Helen Musa

CANBERRA Area Theatre awards organisers faced a bigger task than they imagined on February 19 when they moved for the first time to Llewellyn Hall for the glitziest night of amateur showbiz awards in the region.

That auditorium was purpose-built for classical concerts, not for feather boas and razzamatazz, but co-founder Coralie Wood and her team pulled it off with their usual chutzpah and satisfied the busloads of out-of-towners descending on Canberra for this night of nights.

The ActewAGL Gold Cat Award once again went to a non-Canberran, proving the strength of theatre in the region, with the multi-talented president of Orange Theatre Company, Trevor Carroll, awarded the trophy for his directing, acting and set-building.

The full list of winners is: Best set and costume designers: Andrew Kay, Saxon Reynolds, Matthew Aberline, Helen Symons and team, Louise Little, Judi Wemyss and team, and Deborah Cunningham. Best lighting designer: Adam Loughlin. Best technical achievement: Alan Stanger. “Magic Moment of Theatre”: Molong Players. Best original work: Canberra Youth Theatre Actors’ Ensembles and also Paul Dion and Spectrum Theatre Group, Merimbula. Best ensemble in a play: The cast of “My Place, Exposed 10”, Griffith. “Spirit Of The Community” award: Dawn Smith, of Billican Productions. Encouragement award: Ben Burgess and Isabel Clarke. Best ensemble in a musical: The seven male tappers in “Hot Shoe Shuffle”, by Moonglow

Productions, Wollongong. Best actors in a featured role (youth): Nasha Nyakuengama, Rebecca Attanasio, Corey Pickett, Theresa Buetre, Benjamin Kindon, Chelsea Needham, Cameron Gill and Chloe Dobbs. Best variety performance: Tom McKinnon. Best actor in a featured role (adult): Jim Adamik, Christa De Jager, Jason Parker, Pete Ricardo and Samantha Bartholomeusz. Best director (youth): Clare Blumer, Derek Walker, Ruth Waters. Best production of a school or youth musical: “Beauty and The Beast”, by Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts and also “Les Miserables”, by Canberra Grammar School. Best production of a school or youth play: “Retrieval”, by Canberra Youth Theatre. Best actor in a leading role: Michael Sparks, Andrea Close, Anne-Marie

all about home&garden

Cool, quiet, green and wild

By Kathryn Vukovljak

“I LOVE to sit by the waterfall, there’s a little foot-rest there, and it’s cool and quiet,” says Christine Reid, whose peaceful Pialligo garden, Tanbella, with its stunning lake centrepiece, mature trees and expansive lawns, will be open to to the public as part of the Australia’s Open Garden Scheme on the weekend of March  - 

“The whole garden has a park-like quality – it’s wonderful to stroll around; it reminds me of going to the local park and lolling about under the trees,” says Christine. “I love the greenness of it, and that there are lots of private spots.”

Tanbella was designed by Dr Terry Gavaghan, who created the garden’s “fantastic bones” and the man-made 50m lake, which is home to waterlilies, koi carp, several frog and dragon fly species and the perpetually hungry duck James (“he doesn’t know how to forage!”). The plantings around the lake, including metasequoia and casuarinas, are a mix of natives and exotics, originally chosen to follow a colour scheme for each season.

“Thanks to the design, the garden itself is not hard to look after, except for the weeds – I’ve never seen so many weeds!” says Christine. “The soil here in Pialligo is just wonderful, everything seems to grow and grow.

“Really you’d need a full day a week to keep it under control, but I don’t often do that much.”

Christine says she loves being able to run her accountancy firm from the purple-painted office in the garden. “Being at work is like being in a bird hide; we have little fairy wrens, parrots, magpies, and they come and play in the window – I don’t think they realise I’m in there,” she says. “They’ll come inside if I leave the door open. We’re forever trying to catch them and get them out.”

The 8000sqm garden is also home to 20 or so chickens, a veggie patch, a tennis court – “although none of us plays” and a spectacular range of fully mature trees.

“The trees are the real stars in this garden – we’ve got liquid ambers, magnolias, oaks, Chinese elms, persimmons, cedars and golden ash,” she says. “And I do enjoy coming home into the driveway, and seeing the fountain. It’s just lovely.

“I like the wildness of the garden; I don’t want it to be manicured and perfect. There’s nothing better than sitting in my favourite spot, having a cup of tea, with my feet in the waterfall.

“I just wish I did it more!”

Tanbella is located at 20 Beltana Road, Pialligo and will be open from 10am-4.30pm on Saturday March 5 and Sunday March 6 at an entry fee of $6. Children under 18 are admitted free. Funds raised will go to the Australian Open Garden Scheme. Tanbella Orchard will also be open for fruit picking.

Also open...

SCIENTIST Richard Stirzaker is hosting a day of practical water-wise workshops and demonstrations at Allsun Farm, Gundaroo.

Richard’s work has led him to examine the essential links between food and water on both a domestic and an agricultural scale. The workshops will provide an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how we can optimise our resources at all levels of agricultural production.

Allsun Farm is the garden and commercial vegetable-growing property of Joyce Wilkie and Michael Plane, and their scientific minds have combined forces with Richard’s to experiment and monitor outcomes at Allsun.

“The Story of Water and Food” will be held at Allsun Farm, Gundaroo, on Saturday, March 5, from 9.30am-4pm. Tickets are $90, which includes morning tea and lunch. Bookings are essential as places are very limited. Book online at www.opengarden.org.au/order.php or phone 6260 8002 during business hours.

Get ready for exciting time in the garden

NEXT week will be the start of autumn. I just love this time of the year with the weather more predictable than in spring.

The brilliant colours of autumn, raking leaves, great exercise and so beneficial for the compost heap. This is also one of the most exciting times in the garden preparing for magnificent spring floral displays. Between now and the end of April will be bulb-planting time and next week I will be discussing helpful hints on bulbs.

In the meantime, many perennials have finished flowering and it is a great time to collect seed such as agapanthus, aquilegia (columbines), paper daisies and poppies to name a few.

The easiest way to collect seed before it is scattered by the wind is to place a brown paper bag over the flower heads and tie around the stalk. The dried seeds will be collected in the bag. Seeds should be sown in seed-raising mix, never potting mix, which is too rich and often contains chemical fertilisers.

gardening

cedric Bryant

Try recycling disposable coffee cups, making drainage holes around the base and then place the potted cups in a tray filled with coarse river sand to prevent waterlogging. Garden centres also sell seed-raising kits with the right mix and mini-hothouses.

Wait until at least two sets of leaves appear before potting into bigger containers. It is vitally important not to let the seed mix dry out at any stage. While on the subject of perennials, now is a good time to cut back to ground level all the leaves of Helleborus and Iris unguicularis (syn. I.stylosa), the winter-flowering iris. This encourages flower production during the coming winter and eliminates a great haven for snails.

IT normally takes about eight to 10 weeks from the time autumn/winter flowering annuals are planted as seedlings until full flower. Primula, pansies and violas planted now will start flowering in April.

Rather than planting all at once, plant a few each week. Feeding is vital to encourage strong root development. I suggest using organic “Maxicrop” Seaweed Plant Nutrient weakly weekly (ie a weak solution once a week). This liquid seaweed specifically promotes root growth and reduces the effect of frost on plants. Lightly mulch around these seedlings with pea or cane straw or shredded lucerne hay. If you buy the latter in bales straight from the farm you can easily shred it by spreading on a lawn area and shredding with the mower.

DESPITE regular rain it is going to get hot and dry again and the wise gardeners are taking the opportunity to look at how they water their gardens. With this in mind Actew Water Conservation Division is continuing its free WaterWise Garden Workshops.

Austin Goodfellow, an irrigation consultant and I conduct these workshops discussing not only irrigation, but also dealing with clay soils, planting, feeding and mulching plants. Bookings are essential. Call Actew (business hours) on 6248 3131 for this Saturday’s workshop starting 9am at Rosary Primary School, Watson.

Win a book on kitchen gardens

I HAVE another great gardening book to giveaway. “Kitchen Gardens of Australia” by Kate Herd (Penguin H/Cover 222pp, rrp $49.95) with photos by Simon Griffith.

More folk are growing their own more than ever before and the increase in community gardens is indicative of the interest in kitchen gardens. Herd is a passionate kitchen gardener and has checked out 18 kitchen gardens around Australia. Some are by well-known gardeners such as Jeremy Coleby Williams from the ABC’s “Gardening Australia” to others who just love homegrown produce.

Gardening in containers is not forgotten for those with a small townhouse garden or only a balcony. Numerous plans are included to assist the first-time vegie gardener. For a complete vegie planting guide go to www.cedricbryant.

What’s cooking, kids?

FOLLOWING the success of “Masterchef” and “Junior Masterchef”, there’s a host of fun new cooking products for kids hitting the shelves; from utensils for helping mum or dad, to fun toys for playing at being a chef.

According to celebrity chef Stephanie Alexander, who’s just released a DVD featuring recipes aimed at getting kids cooking and having fun in the kitchen, children love getting their hands dirty in the process of creating food.

“My happiest childhood memory is learning how to cook delicious meals by my mother’s side, and sharing them with family and friends,” she says.

“Cooking with children at home can be an incredibly rewarding experience.”

kuhn Rikon cookie press, $35.50.

com and click on Cedfacts Information Sheets.

To be in the running to win this beautiful book simply write your name and contact details on the back of an envelope, with the name of the favourite plant in your garden and post it to Cedric Bryant Rose Competition, “CityNews”, GPO Box 2448, Canberra City 2601 by Thursday March 10. I will disclose the winner in my column on March 17.

The winner of my last competition for the book “The Rose” was R&V Buker, of Kaleen.

“Real k ids, Real Food with Stephanie Alexander” DVD, $19.95 from www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au or www.matchbox.com.au

and pastel whisk, $7.95, from Little Sprout, Canberra Centre.

Dedicated followers of fashion

The face of fashion is changing. No longer just the domain of glossy women’s magazines, fashion writing has become hands-on, with style mavens from around the world creating their own blogs (short for web logs, for the uninitiated) online.

Fashion blogging’s having a huge impact worldwide on the industry and, closer to home, Canberrans are part of the trend. MEGAN HAGGAN spoke to the creators of two Canberra-connected fashion blogs...

Blogger 1: Lian Hingee

WHEN she was a child, Lian Hingee would throw tantrums when her mother attempted to dress her in trousers.

“It had to have a skirt, and it had to twirl!” says Lian, 32, creator of the “Frocks and Frou Frou” blog, who grew up in Duffy and Fadden, but is now based in Melbourne.

“Frocks and Frou Frou” documents Lian’s finds in Melbourne, Canberra, the US, online and more.

“I started the blog in September 2008, after becoming frustrated by the limited resources online for Australian plus-sized girls,” she says.

“There were a number of ‘Fatshionista’ blogs that I read, but more often than not they were reviewing brands and shops that didn’t ship outside of the US.

“I knew that there were a lot of options for shoppers in Australia, but most of it was either

from internet shops or from small, independent boutiques.

“I decided to start Frocks and Frou Frou to try and take some of the guesswork out of shopping for women who were struggling – for whatever reason, whether it was dress size or not – to find clothes they liked.”

She says that at heart, the blog is “a style diary of one compulsive shopper’s wardrobe, with a focus on independent designers, individuality, colour and a hefty dose of whimsy!”

Fashion blogging is becoming increasingly popular because it’s seen as more “honest” than traditional media, says Lian.

“Bloggers are not constrained by labels, or by who’s advertising in their pages – they will pull together a look from many differing sources.

“I think for the readers of fashion blogs, there’s an appeal in being able to see what an item looks like on a ‘regular’ person, rather than a model, and also how the same item can be worn in different ways.”

Lian is a big fan of retro, classic and vintage styles, and says the full-skirted look currently coming into vogue is perfect for plus-size figures.

“A lot of bigger girls have been brainwashed into thinking they need to wear loose-fitting, shapeless clothing in dark colours to hide their shape,” she explains. “I think that the traditional “vintage” dress style – cinched waist, full skirts – is particularly flattering on curvy figures because it emphasises a womanly silhouette. And everyone deserves a bit of colour!

“The tide is turning – slowly – on plus-size fashion in Australia. A lot of stores are extending their size ranges, there’s more shops catering for women over a size 14, and a few labels that used to be exclusively straight size are taking the foray into plus sizes. It’s still nothing like the range in the UK and the US, though, which is why I still buy a lot of my clothes online.”

Lian’s blog is at www.frocksandfroufrou.com

“Lady Smaggle”... “People need to take more risks.”

Blogger 2: Carly Jacobs

CARLY, known by her “blogging name” Lady Smaggle, says she’d love to see Canberrans shaking up their wardrobes a little.

“I think the fashion scene is developing, and that’s really good, but people need to take more risks! Canberra people are a bit too conservative. Occasionally when you walk down the street in Civic you’ll see someone who looks stunning, and that’s a breath of fresh air. People can be a bit conformist here.

“There’s a lot of money in Canberra, but fashion seems to be something people don’t spend a lot of money on. I’m really supportive of people bringing high-end fashion, and boutique buying, here.”

She says she loves Material Pleasures in Fyshwick, the Bourgeois Pig in Braddon, and Bell’s Aviary in Manuka.

Carly’s a qualified jeweller, who “did arts and education at uni – and I teach children with special needs. I’m also a freelance writer. When I wake up in the morning I just do whatever people

are paying me to do that day!”

She defines her own look as “very monochrome... lots of white and grey and black. I really like playing with shapes. I also like to play with mixed media and recycled materials, especially in my jewellery.”

Carly, 27, started Smaggle in 2007 after becoming inspired by Susie Bubble, a British fashion blogger.

“I spent the next eight hours on her site,” she laughs. “When I got home, my partner said, ‘do you want to do that?’ and I thought, ‘I’m not allowed to just do a fashion blog!’ But he bought me the Smaggle domain name that day, and it went from there.”

She defines “Smaggle” as: “That kind of violent affection where you’re in a new relationship with someone” or “a cross between a smash and a snuggle”.

“The blog is kind of a little dose of happy. It’s style, and lifestyle, and how to live a beautiful life. I think people forget the importance of the little things in life.”

Carly’s blog is at www.smaggle.com

Fling with wings

FASHION’S love affair with all things winged, from birds to butterflies, is showing no sign of slowing down! It’s all part of the trend towards feminine, girly elements of style, whether it’s a necklace, demure cardy or artfully draped dress...

Cool looks for school

By Megan Haggan

IT’S that time of year again, and parents across the ACT are breathing a sigh of relief as the little ones get back to school! Safety’s an important consideration, whether we’re looking at the right size backpack, making sure lunch stays safe to eat or keeping out of the sun.

A sun-care study by Stubbies has shown that kids go to school less prepared for UV protection than they are at the beach: Only 34 per cent of parents reported applying sunscreen to kids for school, compared to 95 per cent at the beach. However, they are consistently good with hats, with 89 per cent sending their kids to school with them (compared to 92 per cent at the beach).

Various studies over the last 10 years have indicated that incorrectly fitting school bags are tough on kids’ growing bodies, so these need to be fitted correctly, according to Kathmandu.

your week in the stars

With Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 1 – Apr 0)

February 28 - March 6

Aries are very autonomous, and can be selfish souls. Saturday’s New Moon encourages you to do good deeds and assist others, as your humanitarian side is highlighted and you’re keen to help those in need. Rams to the rescue! With five planets in your dreaming zone, pay close attention to your nightly dreams – are they trying to tell you something?

TAURUS (Apr 1 – May 0)

Avoid getting stuck in a rut and being too safe. Keep what’s working in your life but don’t be afraid to discard people, possessions or projects that have passed their used-by date. The New Moon urges you to stretch yourself in dynamic new directions. You have much to offer in a group situation, as your Taurean tenacity inspires others to get to work.

GEMINI (May 1 – June 1)

Are you bored to bits at work? With the New Moon (plus four other planets) stirring up your career zone, it’s time to plan professional projects, apply for a new job, take on a second job – or completely change vocation. If you combine a positive outlook with a proactive approach, you’ll be unstoppable. For some singles, love and travel are linked.

CANCER (June  – July )

You love the cosy comforts of home but it’s time to crawl out of your Crab cave and explore the world outside your door. No side-stepping – be a confident Cancer and face challenges head-on. Your quote for the week is from birthday great Dr Seuss: “You’re off to great places, today is your day; Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!”

LEO (July  – Aug )

For lusty Lions, a revamp is due in the areas of sex or money. Perhaps a passionate new relationship – or a revitalised old one? Venus blesses all types of partnerships (as long as you are forward-thinking and flexible). If you are having problems with your long-term partner, it’s time to swallow your Leo pride and hold out the olive branch of peace.

VIRGO (Aug  – Sept )

Saturday’s New Moon zeros in on one-to-one relationships. Whether they are romantic, platonic or business partnerships, it’s time to reboot old patterns of relating and communicate in creative new ways. Single Virgos are looking for far more than a passing flirtation. Good looks aren’t enough – you need a partner you can really talk to.

LIBRA (Sept  – Oct )

This week you’ll be busy finding ways to attain a better life/ work balance, that includes plenty of healthy food and regular exercise. Mid-week onwards is the time to concentrate on creative pursuits, as Venus and Neptune inspire you to express yourself in magical ways. When it comes to close relationships, Jupiter is urging you to be more adventurous.

SCORPIO (Oct  – Nov 1)

Home sweet home is the place to be as the Moon, Venus and Neptune all activate your nesting instinct and you feel like cooking, cleaning, crafting, entertaining or gardening. You’re also in the mood to have fun with children as your inner child comes out to play. Friday favours intense communication but resist the urge to be possessive and jealous.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov  – Dec 1)

You’re in a sunny mood as you tackle domestic duties or work responsibilities with a spring in your step and a Sagittarian smile on your dial. It’s time to ring in some changes on the home front too as you move, renovate or decorate. Over the coming year you’ll take off your blinkers and start to see a family member in an illuminating new light.

CAPRICORN (Dec  – Jan 1)

The focus is on communication this week Capricorn, as you brush up on social small-talk and discussion topics. Conversing with a wide range of people broadens your perspective and makes you feel more connected. And don’t be too studious and serious! Be inspired by Dr Seuss (born on March 2, 1904): “I like nonsense… it wakes up the brain cells.”

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

With no less than five planets visiting your money zone, you’re at your innovative best – and impulsive worst. By all means take financial risks but make sure they are calculated ones. With Venus moving through your sign (from March 2-27) you’re emanating some serious charisma. It’s time to flirt up a storm as you chat and circulate; mix and mingle.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

It’s the best time of the year to break old habits and set inspiring goals for the future. Don’t rehash old ideas or tread over familiar ground – the stars favour starting projects from scratch. You’re the quintessential Piscean at the moment. Channel your energy into creative or spiritual pursuits, otherwise you’ll end up feeling overwhelmed and confused.

COPYRIGHT Joanne Madeline Moore 2011

Across

3 Which term describes that which is thoroughly excellent?

7 Name the US statistician who developed a particular poll, George ...

8 What is an oblique-angled parallelogram with only the opposite sides equal?

9 In which 1980 movie did Olivia Newton-John star?

10 To be lethargic, or unconscious, is to be what?

11 What are oil-covered areas on the sea?

14 Name another term for bullocks.

17 Which of the bones compose the spinal column?

18 What designates a dealer in textiles and cloth goods, etc?

19 Which telegraph line from Adelaide to Darwin was completed in 1872?

20 Name a term which describes a person who plunders or pillages.

21 To amplify vocal sound is to do what? Down

1 Name an alternative term for a sunshade.

2 What is another word for a calendar?

3 Name some evergreen coniferous trees with angular needle-shaped leaves?

4 What is a broad elevation of earth, raised as a fortification?

5 Which mineral opened up the northwest of WA (4,3)?

6 What are ingenious articles known as?

11 Name a title of Christ.

12 Who, in 1931, wrote "Lasseter’s Last Ride", Ion ...

13 Which citadel of Moscow formerly housed the Soviet government?

14 To bind a newborn infant

all about property Pains of population

WHEN asked the ideal population size for Canberra, delegates to last week’s ACT Population Symposium named figures ranging from a million to considerably less than the current 359,000 people.

Some believed a bigger population would stimulate infrastructure growth and raise living standards, others felt it would increase the strain on existing resources and lower standards.

But there were several significant points of agreement. For example, everyone agreed that considering population without also considering infrastructure was just plain foolish. Whatever the size of our population, we cannot have an efficient, environmentally responsible and pleasant Canberra without incorporating strategic infrastructure planning into the daily running of the Territory.

All speakers acknowledged Canberra’s large per capita ecological footprint and all acknowledged that the right population size and density were crucial to reducing it. The point of disagreement was whether we needed a larger, static or smaller population to improve the situation.

Another significant point of agreement was that it is pointless and irresponsible to consider the issue of the ACT population in isolation from the rest of the country, and indeed, the

By c atherine c arter

rest of the world.

The debate centred around what our responsibilities to the rest of the world are.

Some speakers felt it was a duty to share what we had. Others said it was our duty to provide a model of ecologically intelligent living for the rest of the world to see and emulate.

When the topic moved from absolute numbers to the amount of land space per person, delegates found a further agreement. Canberrans, they said, should enjoy choice.

The Territory should feature a range of housing options, a range of dwelling sizes, prices, locations and types. Those who want the convenience of an inner-city apartment should be able to have it in Canberra. And those who want a garden and suburban lifestyle should enjoy that, too. The proviso was that all lifestyle choices should be catered for with quality buildings, first-rate design and the greenest possible materials and construction methods.

Catherine Carter is ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia

Canberra Region Property Summary

BELCONNEN

CALWELL

CAMPBELL

CRACE

Canberra Region Property Summary

CURTIN

DEAKIN

DICKSON

FORREST

GLENEAGLES

FRANKLIN

Canberra Region Property Summary

HARCOURT

HARRISON

LATHAM

NICHOLLS

Canberra Region Property Summary

Canberra Region Property Summary

SYMONSTON

THEODORE

TORRENS

TURNER

WESTON

WANNIASSA