140807 citynews

REVEALED The moment Mr Fluffy could have been stopped

MEDICAL CANNABIS

The dying should have access to pain relief

MICHAEL MOORE

It’s the thin end of the drug-reform wedge

NICK JENSEN

How Thomas scored stars for his awfully big charity rugby match

GOAL KICKER

TONY Abbott can’t make it for Thomas Campagna’s celebrity touch football game, but other local pollies, sports stars and businesses have accepted the 10-year-old boy’s challenge.

Thomas gamely wrote to the PM to see if he’d play in the charity game he’s organising, and while Mr Abbott wrote back saying he was too busy running the country to participate, he praised Thomas’ fundraising efforts.

Thomas has already raised more than $1300 for anti-human trafficking charity Project Futures and the Australian charities it works with – the Salvation Army Safe House and Child Wise. He’s been busy selling personalised Christmas stockings that his nanna makes, and asking for donations instead of birthday presents on his fundraising page.

“I realised that I have it pretty good here and I wanted to help people who don’t,” Thomas says.

The game will be on Sunday, November 9, at Greenway enclosed oval, Tuggeranong, from 2pm.

Celebs who’ve signed up include former Brumbies and Wallabies player Owen Finegan, Canberra Braves captain Mark Rummukainen, MLAs Jeremy Hanson and Andrew Wall, radio and TV veteran Greg “Robbo” Robson, local rugby league player Salesi Tuli and Lee Campbell, personal trainer to the stars.

There are also local business volunteers, including Tony Hercok (COO) and Justin Dowd (partner) from Watts McCray Lawyers, real estate agent Richard Keeley from Lutons, CEO of Menslink, ACT Martin Fisk, and Thomas’ teachers at Canberra Grammar School, Craig McMahon

Kathryn Vukovljak reports

(master in charge of junior rugby), and Jason Reilly (master in charge of senior rugby).

Thomas has made it all happen – with a bit of help from mum and dad behind the scenes, says his mum Alanna Davis.

“I did a bike ride for Project Futures in Cambodia in February, and I was deeply affected by the state of the country,” she says. “When I came back I told Thomas all about human trafficking, and he said he wanted to do something to help, too.”

Thomas says he has set himself a goal of raising $5000 in 12 months.

“My mum said I would have to do something special to raise that much, so I decided to organise a game of touch football,” he says.

“I’m really looking forward to the game. Me and my friend Tom are going to be the ball boys.”

Alanna says Thomas knew the sportspeople he wanted to approach, including his former coach Owen Finegan, but she helped with the others.

“We gave him a list of who he might like to ask, but he wrote all the letters himself,” she says.

Thomas has been nominated for a Rookie Stella Fella 2014 Award, which is issued each year by Project Futures in recognition of their top supporters.

“We have just found out that Thomas is a finalist in the top three – I couldn’t be more proud,” says Alanna.

For tickets, visit celebritysport.org buy-tickets. Prices range from $10 (Bronze) to $100 (VIP). Gates open at 2pm.

Since 1993: Volume 20, Number 29

Arts & Entertainment 27-29

Canberra Confidential 26

Cinema 28

Dining 29

Garden 30

Horoscope 31

News 3-11

Politics 6

Puzzles 31

Socials 13-16

Sport 8

contacts

CEO: Greg Jones, 0419 418196, greg@citynews.com.au

Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au

Journalists: Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au

Arts editor: Helen Musa, 0400 043764, helen@citynews.com.au

Senior advertising executive: Ernie Nichols, 0421 077999

Advertising sales executives: Graham Spencer, 6262 9100; Rebecca Dann, 0431 042087; Charlotte Cuttle, 6262 9100

Advertising sales co-ordinator: ad@citynews.com.au

Sydney advertising sales: Ad Sales Connect, 02 9420 1777

Production manager / graphic designer: Janet Ewen

Graphic designer: Paulette Leo

Photographers: Gary Schafer and Andrew Finch

Proof reader: Glenda Anderson

Accounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler accounts@citynews.com.au

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

Phone 6262 9100 Fax 6262 9111 GPO Box 2448, Civic 2601

Simon surprises, but dodges the data

NOT a lot of good news this week, and one big surprise when a Government survey showed 55 per cent approval of the light rail project. Well, the government commissioned it, but Minister Simon Corbell, who has led the charge, says: “People get the big picture”. Maybe so, Simon, but just as many people preferred their money to be spent on health and education. Why not say so up front?

HAD Katy Gallagher acted sooner to legalise medical marijuana she would not have been faced with that terrible dilemma over the treatment of little Abbey. Of course, she had to tell the authorities about the supplier; and of course the police had to confiscate the gentleman’s pipette and casserole dish. But honestly, where’s the harm?

BY comparison, when it comes to really harmful substances, the conservatives seem much more relaxed. Ms Gallagher reminded the Feds that despite warnings in 1968, they allowed Mr Fluffy to keep spreading his toxic asbestos for the next 11 years! Employment Minister Senator Abetz said he would do nothing until

The memorial service for the poor souls on the aircraft is the nearest the relatives and loved ones will come to closure. Time, perhaps, for the politicians to leave the stage.

“the whole issue is fully scoped both financially, legally etcetera”. Time, you see, is the great healer… unless, that is, you have terminal mesothelioma.

AND what about those irresponsible Canberra women who, it was revealed this past week, smoke through their pregnancy – one in 10 no less! The phrase “child abuse” leaps to mind, but at the very least they need serious help to break their lethal addiction.

THE media have been tiptoeing around that increasingly ghoulish MH17 crash site. The Dutch, it seems, have already come to terms with the fact that further collection of remains is no longer feasible (or perhaps desirable). The memorial service for the poor souls on the aircraft is the nearest the relatives and loved ones will come to closure. Time, perhaps, for the politicians to leave the stage.

IT’S been unsettling for most Canberra’s public servants who’ve been re-applying for their jobs, graduates are waiting endlessly for their applications to be processed and Treasury officers are now to run the interview gauntlet. I guess the politicians figure if they have to face the slipper every three years, their servants should do the same.

SPEAKING of Slippers, surely the former Speaker would never have had to face the court for his Cabcharge indiscretions had he not committed the greater sin of giving Julia Gillard that extra vote after the Libs declined to re-endorse him for his Queensland seat. For one brief moment the Parliamentary world was at his feet. That must now seem like it happened to someone else.

ONE can but hope that the South African turned Pommy cricketer Kevin

ROBERT MACKLIN

It starts with listening.

Pietersen gets the chance to play in the final of the Big Bash at Manuka next year after he reckoned the most exciting entertainment Canberra offered was “staring at walls and watching paint dry”. Our best barrackers should be out in force.

NOT sure why the sports commentators keep talking about our “triumph” in the Glasgow Games. The athletics coach was sent home, weightlifters got in trouble with the cops and we couldn’t even beat England in the medal count. And now the Feds are laying waste to the AIS and the Sports Commission. Ah, well, we had some very nice snow. That’s something, I guess. robertmacklin.com

Ron Friesen | Partner

Family Law is complex and you need an experienced law firm to guide you.

But what you need most is someone to listen to you. To hear your story. At Watts McCray, we understand that.

2 BEDS FROM $434,400

“A city is not gauged by its length and width, but by the broadness of its vision and the height of its dreams.”

– Herb Caen

We were quick to be judged, and although we still are, something is changing. We are showing the rest of the world that the Canberra they used to think was a country town, has vision, has dreams, and has height. Our town centres are becoming hubs of entertainment and as they densify and height becomes the necessary solution to urban sprawl, people will remember Wayfarer Apartments. The game-changer, the platform for future height and the first time the city realised the height of its dreams.

debate FOR: dying should have access to cannabis

MY mother died in pain. It was not necessary, but it was her choice. I understand her commitment to “offer up the pain for the suffering souls in purgatory” when she refused to take enough morphine to deal with the cancer and, at 92, she died. It was not a choice I would have made, not sharing her belief in purgatory. However, I respected her belief and her choice.

There are many tools in the bag of the palliative care teams who look after the dying, and no one should have to die in pain. However, there is room for one further item. It is clear that cannabis provides respite from pain for some people who use it. There is no reason that someone who is dying should not be able to have easy access to this drug. The community should be rallying support for Greens Minister Shane Rattenbury’s proposed private member’s Bill to provide cannabis for people who are dying. Of course, cannabis has side effects.

The community should be rallying support for Greens Minister Shane Rattenbury’s proposed private member’s Bill to provide cannabis for people who are dying.

However, issues such as addiction, a trigger for schizophrenia or the possibility of lung cancer as an outcome of smoking are simply irrelevant for the dying. Addiction to morphine is not considered an issue for people in palliative care, and the medical specialists deal with the other side effects.

It should be a no-brainer. People who are dying should have access to cannabis – even if they simply believe it helps.

For too long we have allowed our prohibitionists approaches to particular drugs to limit our ability to treat people. This is why Australian medical palliative care specialists, unlike their British counterparts, do not have access to heroin for people who are dying. As a community we should have enough compassion to recognise the irrelevance of long-term consequences and to do all we can to avoid stigmatisation and prosecution

(even in the form of an on-the-spot fine) for people facing death.

The issue is more perplexing for those with chronic disease. Although there have been numerous attempts to study the side effects of cannabis, it is challenging research because of the illegal nature of the substance. However, it is fair to say that there have been many more studies into health impacts of cannabis than those by pharmaceutical companies into some of the emerging drugs provided to regulatory authorities such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for licensing.

There will be the same cries of “opening the floodgates” as occurred when cannabis was decriminalised in the ACT in 1992. Nothing of the sort happened. With proper safeguards, it will be the same. This is why the Greens discussion paper suggests that

WHEN it comes to policy debates, it is always difficult to argue against emotion-based legislation.

This is certainly the case for the Medicinal Cannabis Bill suggested by ACT Greens legislator Shane Rattenbury, who introduces the topic in his discussion paper by saying: “This legislation will mean that (loved ones) who are dying and suffering chronic pain will be able to access medicinal cannabis without the risk of prosecution”.

Painting a picture of the incarceration of Canberra’s dying and suffering loved ones is unhelpful for a reasoned debate. Compassion always needs to be weighed against consequences, empathy with evidence, and political rhetoric with

In order to get some clarity on the issue, it must first be made clear that “medicinal

there are two doctors involved in supporting long-term use and final approval will be in the hands of the Chief Health Officer.

Some will prefer to avoid that process and take the risk of the small on-the-spot fines currently in place in the ACT.

However, there are those who rightly prefer to work within the law and avoid the stigmatisation and the risk of prosecution. They will go through bureaucratic hoops to secure relief from pain and other symptoms of their condition. The hoops proposed make it relatively easy for people who are dying, more difficult for those with conditions such as MS and HIV, where there is growing evidence of efficacy, and much more difficult for those wishing to use cannabis for unnamed chronic conditions.

Before jumping on a prohibitionist bandwagon, MLAs and other members of the community with concerns, should read

the ACT Greens Medical Cannabis Discussion Paper and pay particular attention to the considerable safeguards that have been proposed for this legislation. Like my mother, people suffering pain should have a choice. The legislation should be supported giving priority to compassion for those who are suffering.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.

The ACT Greens Medical Cannabis Discussion Paper is available at: scribd.com/doc/ 234549555/MedicalCannabis

It is no secret that there are many political groups pushing for the full legalisation of marijuana and other recreational drugs.

cannabis” is already legal and available. Dronabinol is a THC pill approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration along with an oral cannabis extract, Sativex. These have been clinically tested, distilled of negative chemicals, and are prescribed for specific medical conditions. I am not aware of any group in the country that opposes these drugs.

However, what we are talking about here is legislation that would make it legal for anyone with a “debilitating” condition, as long as two doctors approved, to grow their own marijuana plants and consume them in any way they see fit without any quality control.

I am not necessarily against the use of cannabis in legal drugs, but am arguing that this potentially very dangerous drug, with links to psychosis, cognitive damage, addiction and respiratory issues, needs to go through the same process that every other drug does – through the TGA and clinical trials.

NICK JENSEN

The Australian Medical Association recognises these risks, and has called for more research before any legislation is enacted. In particular, smoking raw marijuana can deliver 1500 harmful chemicals to the user. Although some may claim there are benefits, we need to be responsible and explore all the potential health and social consequences.

This legislation does not do this. It instead attempts to bypass all our processes that make pain-relieving drugs safe.

Although I’m sure a large part of the motivation of the legislation is based on compassion, it is plain that the larger agenda is drug law reform. It is no secret that there are many political groups pushing for the full legalisation of marijuana and other recreational drugs. This legislation allowing the personal cultivation of the drug for people who are “suffering” instead becomes the thin edge of the wedge.

Good policy should not be based on emotion, or used as stepping stones to broader agendas. The road to poor laws are paved with good intentions.

Nick Jensen is a director of the ACT Australian Christian Lobby

From the dim, dark dawn of the internet: hashtags

HASHTAGS keep popping up in ever more various places so it behooves us to swim at least a little against the tide of ignorance and explore what they are.

And why Canberra Raiders player Blake Ferguson came to have #YOLO tattooed on his hand (You Only Live Once, the hashtag of choice for people about to do something stupid).

Music teachers are even reporting students asking them how to play “G hashtag” having seen G# written down.

Even the usually reliable Urban Dictionary (based on what its users feel something means) is hopelessly off-beam on this one, fortunately just this June the “Oxford English Dictionary” has cleared things up somewhat (as above).

hashtag n. (on social media websites and applications a word or phrase preceded by a hash and used to identify messages relating to a specific topic; (also) the hash symbol itself, when used in this way”

Hashtags were born in the dim, dark dawn of the internet when nerds clustered on a service called Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and hopefully asked if any of the other chatters were women.

Yarralumla

Unhappy thousands sign petition

YARRALUMLA residents have gathered at the historic, but neglected Brickworks to present Liberal MLA and local resident Steve Doszpot with a petition of more than 4000 signatures calling on the Government to rethink its 1600 high-density unit development plans for the area.

The member for Molonglo subsequently presented the petition to the ACT Assembly.

After the first million or so users logged on, ways to break the conversation up by interest area (Star Wars or Star Trek?) became essential, and sweaty fingers would clunk out “join #StarTrek” into the text-based interface.

There are still a great many ageing IRC users furiously agreeing with each other on their mostly forgotten channels that IRC does everything Twitter does and more.

Twitter made things so simple any idiot could use it, and so of course any idiot did.

With the # symbol so rarely used (and even more rarely with letters)

– “Oxford English Dictionary”

it makes for a unique search string. This is handy when you’re trying to see what people are saying about a subject with minimal work.

The problem, of course, is getting a diverse group of people in multiple time zones and languages to use the same nomenclature, particularly in an evolving crisis.

It works reasonably well for the ABC’s “Q and A” program (although following the torrential raw #qanda feed on Monday nights does not leave much attention spare to actually watch the show).

#actpol (ACT Politics) and #Canberra are channels where there is some chance someone somewhere is actually watching (possibly not for

any benign purpose) and the ad agencies being paid to push Canberra’s “brand” desperately hope a normal person will one day use #CBR.

However, for the most part it’s just used by idiots as a weird form of parenthetical writing.

#worstdayever is not tweeted in the hope that the waiting throng watching #worstdayever search results on Twitter (or other social media) will burst into applause and tell the tweeter how funny, smart, and sexy they are (no matter how fervently this is wished for).

The misused hashtag resembles nothing so much as the colossal bore at a party shouting “everybody listen to me” because the rest of the partygoers have, up to that point, been managing to ignore them.

In a rare case, in which Twitter is better than real life, at least one can

The petition also questions the ACT Government’s plan to just “make safe” the heritage-listed Brickworks, starving them of the funds needed to preserve them, said Marea Fatseas, president of the Yarralumla Residents Association.

“Residents are not opposed to development,” she said. “We want to work with the ACT Government, the National Capital Authority, relevant experts and other stakeholders to come up with a plan that is in character with the existing suburb and addresses major concerns.”

Mr Doszpot said the petition calls for the plans to be reworked to address increased traffic flow, parking issues, green space and appropriate building heights and the impact of the additional influx of 4000 residents.

“The petition is also calling for information and costs for the safe removal of asbestos and other

quietly mute them and get back to more interesting conversations. However, the scourge marches on into more regular discourse. Just this week an astroturfer (fake grass roots) caught red handed in the “CityNews. com.au” comments section called me a “(#creep)” for daring to notice her IP address and email addresses were identical over multiple user names.

John Griffiths is the online editor of citynews.com.au

JOHN GRIFFITHS Canberra’s not ready to play Games

WITH Glasgow basking in the afterglow of one of the most successful Commonwealth Games, it’s worth asking if Canberra would be capable of hosting such an event.

contaminated materials and an explanation of how infrastructure could cope with truck movements,” he said.

“The ACT Labor government should go back to the drawing board and devise a sensible planning solution for Yarralumla residents concerned about proposed development in the suburb.”

Amazing Crace wins

THE suburb of Crace has won the ACT Property Development of the Year at the Property Council’s annual awards.

The award winners for 2014 are: ACT Property Development of the Year, CIC Australia for the suburb of Crace; ACT Property Business of the Year, Hindmarsh Development Australia; Allan Wylucki Property Professional of the Year, Archie Tsirimokos, managing director, Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers; ACT Future Leader of the Year, Chris Miller, national director of business development, Civium Strata and Executive Director’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Property Council Chris Collins, Principal, Point Project Management.

The simple answer is “no”. To start with, we don’t have a competition swimming pool able to cope with the crowd size; we are flat out hosting major school swimming events. Nor do we have a stadium capable of staging track and field… and the list goes on.

Which brings me to the point: Why doesn’t Canberra look at establishing itself as a centre capable of hosting more mid-level, multi-sports events such as the Masters Games or the Pacific Schools Games?

We have hosted them in the past, but it’s becoming obvious that other centres around Australia have realised there is a gap for multi-sport events and have established the facilities to match.

It’s fair to say that right now the community doesn’t have a mindset to host such an event; the budget is always tight and every time there is talk about a new sporting facility there is likely to be significant opposition.

But, as we have seen in Glasgow and no doubt will see on the Gold Coast in four years’ time, it’s essential to have a whole-of-community approach to stage such an event.

THE coaching duo of Laurie

Fisher and Steve Larkham is the most understated in the history of the Brumbies. Throughout the season there was little in the way of mind games. It was a “gettingon-with-the-job” approach but in the end injuries played a large role. The loss of David Pocock was also significant with no George Smith as a back up. Even more telling was the injury to Stephen Moore. But the players really stepped up as a team. Back to Fisher, the hope is that he won’t be lost to Australian rugby forever. The appointment of his replacement as forwards’ coach will be one of the most important in the Brumbies recent history, and having to fill big shoes.

THE crowds were not great for Brumbies’ matches this season.

Hosting a semi-final was a bonus, but the bottom line has taken a hit. The feedback from season ticket holders is that the Brumbies need to do things better and members shouldn’t face constant problems ranging from late membership packages because

NORDIC 60

Portsea 2 5 seater with standard and large Nordic 60 Chair and Ottoman

Choice of 4 Top Grain Prime Leathers, Latte, Havana, White, Black *Conditions apply

Nordic 60 Standard Chair and Ottoman $1599

Nordic 60 Large Chair and Ottoman $1699

Portsea 2 5/s $1499

Portsea 3.0/s Duo $1899

Stack Table. When you purchase 2 seats or more

Stack

When

Stack

2

When politics meets panic:

ON a winter day, the roar of a motor and rushing air disturbs the cool calm of suburban Canberra.

A man on the back of a truck cuts open a hessian sack and plunges his hand in, taking out a clump of loose, grey, fibrous material; dropping it into the beating metal blades of a hopper attached to a fan.

In 1991, the man responsible for Mr Fluffy insulation, Dirk Jansen, was asked if he regretted what he had done. He was unrepentant, uttering a single word… “why?”

www.eckersleys.com.au

*Conditions apply. See website for full terms & conditions.

Make up a team of know-alls, bigheads or friends and join us for an afternoon of trivia, fun and prizes at The Durham, Green Square, Kingston from 2pm on Sunday, August 17.

All proceeds go to help the work of Save the Children in Australia and overseas.

WHERE: THE DURHAM, KINGSTON

WHEN: FROM 2PM, SUNDAY, AUGUST 17

TICKETS: $10 adults, $5 students and $55 for teams of six or more.

Online bookings to: bit.ly/1rZsdV2

Breaking news, views, arts & socials every day…

In the roof cavity of a nearby home, another man holds a hose leading from the truck, directing a stream of the now fluffed up material across the surface of the void, creating a thick blanket that will weigh almost 120 kilograms.

The dust permeates the air and like his colleague on the truck, he wears a mask to avoid the unpleasant irritation it causes. The mask offers little protection; the inside of it coated with the grey fibres. Neither the men, nor presumably the owners of the home, realise the danger they’re in, or the lasting legacy this material will have.

Observing the men are two senior officials from the ACT Health Services Branch of the Commonwealth Health Department, accompanied by a scientist named Gersh Major who is concerned by what he sees. It was July 1968.

Earlier that year, an entrepreneur named Dirk Jansen launched Asbestosfluf, an insulation product he marketed to home and business owners as safe, affordable and long lasting. He went so far as to claim the CSIRO had approved it. It was in fact pure amphibole asbestos. Concerns quickly arose about Jansen’s venture, prompting the Health Department to investigate. It was at this early stage that a dangerous and expensive five-decade legacy could have been avoided.

Obtained in March this year, a report prepared for the Department by Major warned that the installers were being “unnecessarily exposed to a harmful substance” when alternatives existed.

ADAM SPENCE meticulously traces the sinister story of Mr Fluffy, revealing the moment it could have been stopped

He warned that Jansen’s conduct was “against the best public health practices,” that evidence now suggested exposure to asbestos fibres in the community was undesirable and that its use should be limited to “essential” purposes only. Prophetically, Major warned that homeowners would face a potential hazard from the leakage of fibres from the roof space into living areas. Major admitted the evidence was not yet certain about the danger posed to the wider community from asbestos, but his cautionary message to the Department was clear – consider dissuading or even banning Jansen from using it.

Wcompany called D Jansen & Co in July 1966 with his wife Thea. Primarily working in plastering and general trades, Jansen and his “gang” as he called them, worked on projects including the Woden Plaza, Woden Valley Hospital and the Lakeside Hotel. Between 1966 and the mid ‘70s, he sold industrial conveyor belts, leased construction machinery and was a wholesaler of home cleaning products to retailers including David Jones.

Growing evidence on the dangers of asbestos did nothing to dissuade authorities from allowing him and his successors to operate for another decade.

arnings then, and the growing body of evidence in the years that followed on the dangers of asbestos, did nothing to dissuade authorities from allowing him and his successors to operate for another decade.

Yet the Commonwealth did apparently accept the potential for harm. The ACT Health Services Branch made provision for free health checks including x-rays for the installers of the insulation, and went so far as to issue a public warning to installers in 1971 of its potential health effects. The danger was not ignored by Jansen’s rivals in Canberra’s insulation trade either; with Bradford Insulation advertising conspicuously from late 1968 that their Rockwool product was “free of harmful asbestos.”

For Dirk Jansen, Asbestosfluf was just another of the entrepreneurial endeavours he pursued from his luxurious home on Olympus Way in Lyons, itself insulated with Asbestosfluf.

A plasterer by trade, Jansen started a

It was in 1967 that Jansen began expanding into asbestos, becoming the ACT agent for Asbestospray Corporation of Australia. Specialising in fireproof, thermal and acoustic insulation treatments, patents suggest these products contained the same two types of amphibole asbestos, amosite and crocidolite, that Jansen would use a year later for insulating homes.

Sometime in the following months, Jansen purchased a second-hand insulation pumping truck in Sydney. In 1968, he established Asbestosfluf Insulations, a subsidiary of D Jansen & Co, employing a manager named Calder and his son Dirk Jr. to install the material. The material was usually amosite, produced by EGNEP, the South African mining subsidiary of Britain’s Cape Mining Company, that had tellingly closed its last British asbestos factory the same year.

The material was shipped in 45-kilogram hessian bags bearing the name EGNEP and the shipping mark of James Hardie, whose chief chemist in 1968 confirmed the product’s origin.

Jansen is also believed to have used crocidolite (blue asbestos), detected during the Commonwealth’s eventual audit of Canberra

How scandalous Mr Fluffy legacy lives on

homes between 1988 and 1989. A source familiar with Jansen’s legacy suggested he offered crocidolite as a “premium” choice to customers.

When and how Dirk Jansen came up with the idea to use asbestos as a loose insulation remains a mystery, one that Jansen’s family is thus far unwilling to shed light on.

Did his experience with Asbestospray inspire him to experiment? There is merit to this theory. In an exclusive statement provided by the British Health and Safety Executive, it can be revealed that a number of homes in the UK also contain loose-fill asbestos in ceiling cavities, installed by workers taking the raw material they worked with by day, to use as cheap insulation. The idea itself then was not unique.

It’s also possible another operator inspired Jansen, with newly revealed information casting doubt on the long echoed claim he was unique. A statement provided by NSW Health in May reveals another operator is noted as working in south-west NSW and potentially elsewhere in the late 1960s, though their identity is not recorded.

Gersh Major’s 1968 report reveals a company called Bowsers Asphalt in Rozelle had been using “asbestos in a similar manner in Sydney” for 13 years and was believed to be considering an expansion into Canberra at the time. Documents related to Asbestosfluf make reference to the length of time the material had been used and is consistent with when Bowsers was said to have begun using it. NSW Health provided a statement stating it was unaware of any residential dwellings in the greater Sydney area that contain loose-fill asbestos insulation.

Jansen’s Asbestosfluf subsidiary spent six years insulating homes in Canberra and regional NSW, chiefly Queanbeyan, Bungendore and Yass, before a new company coowned by Joseph Jansen, believed to be one of Dirk’s sons, took it over. In 1972 Joseph, of Buvelot Street, Weston, with business partner John Hetz, of Duffy, established J & H Constructions. In 1973, J & H expanded into insulation under the name J & H Insulations.

J & H rebranded “Asbestosfluf” as “Amoswool”, adopting advertising that was subtler and avoided reference to what the material was.

To customers though, the grand claims remained unchanged; an original quotation

obtained from a homeowner this year proudly described Amoswool as “completely harmless”, non-irritating and CSIRO tested.

By 1975 only Joseph’s address in Weston was still associated with the business. In 1979, reflecting changes to building regulations in the ACT, the material was finally taken off the market.

In 1991, Dirk Jansen reflected on the legacy two generations of his family were responsible for, speaking to the Nine Network’s Richard Carlton on “60 Minutes”.

Asked if he regretted what he had done, he was unrepentant, uttering a single word… “why?”

PANIC, POLITICS AND DISSENTION

BY 1989, anxiety and calls for action over Jansen’s legacy were coming to a head. For the past decade, awareness had been growing about the dangerous substance now present in potentially thousands of buildings in Canberra and the region. For much of that time, the Commonwealth’s position in Canberra had been one of identification and containment.

The Department of Territories issued public warnings and offered free insulation testing to homeowners from at least 1984.

A manual obtained from a Commonwealth departmental archive details the advice for homes containing Asbestosfluf; warning that the fibres would infiltrate the living areas of homes through paths such as vents

and lighting fixtures. Their concentration would increase over time and their presence would be stirred by every draft from a door or window. Removal, the manual warned, would usually not be feasible, with any attempts to do so increasing the contamination and being unlikely to remove all the pervasive material.

Despite the advice, more than 30 homeowners chose to have the asbestos removed professionally before 1989, while anecdotal reports circulated of others attempting to do it themselves. For the Commonwealth, facing a potential health crisis, mounting public pressure and uncharted legal territory, removal became an inevitability. For the agency charged with designing and implementing that removal, the Asbestos Branch, there were no ready plans, no guidelines and no examples to learn from.

material the Branch knew would inevitably remain, as safe as possible. A group of four external health experts was consulted, three of whom supported the Branch’s solution, with the fourth feeling it went too far. This innovative solution came at a cost however, with the only local firm eligible to tender, BRS, and interstate company Gardner Perrot, the latter described by former Branch head Keith McKenry in an interview in June as “much more professional,” providing estimates between $40,000 and $60,000.

Publicly, the ACT Government signed off on the Branch’s program, yet privately there was dissent.

Local asbestos removalists lacked the skill and equipment to meet the high standard set and feared losing business.

During 1989, the ACT became self-governing and new Labor Minister for Urban Services Ellnor Grassby became responsible for overseeing the Branch’s removal program.

The Department of Territories issued public warnings and offered free insulation testing to homeowners from at least 1984.

McKenry recalls the Minister being influenced by the advice of one removalist in particular, whose behaviour so concerned the Asbestos Branch, it reported his activities be investigated. This removalist argued the Asbestos Branch’s solution was too elaborate and too expensive, though he was not the only one in the community making that argument.

Academics, journalists and representatives of various industry groups labelled the Branch’s plans wasteful and extravagant.

option, arguing that safe demolition would require homes be cleaned first, negating any savings. McKenry recalls the option for demolition as a solution on health and safety grounds was not considered by the Branch.

The Asbestos Branch’s program eventually prevailed, but was not exclusive. Homeowners, particularly those wanting urgent removal and who were not eligible for the government’s priority list, were still able to hire a licenced removalist and seek reimbursement from the government. While these contractors were meant to abide by the same standards as the public program, the Branch knew they didn’t have the capacity to do it as safely or as thoroughly. Frustrating the Branch further, they were initially prevented from any oversight of the private contractors’ work, the jurisdiction belonging to Building Control.

Meanwhile in NSW, comparatively little was done. The Commonwealth did not see itself as having a role; its part funding of the ACT program uniquely born of its status as former Territory administrator.

The Branch adapted the Worksafe removal code to this unique situation, requiring all “visible and accessible asbestos” be removed. It developed a dual encapsulation method, allowing workers to remove the material within a negative pressure environment, while protecting the work site from the elements using a robust outer shell.

A PVA seal was chosen to make the

Grassby, who did not respond to a request for interview for this story, and Urban Services Department managers, agreed with the critics and questioned why this asbestos removalist could clean homes for $20k when the Asbestos Branch wanted to spend triple per home, despite larger economies of scale?

That this removalist used no containment structures, only rudimentary equipment, and was seen to enter roof spaces without a mask was the answer.

Seeking an alternative, the Department considered the idea of demolishing affected homes, purely to save on removal costs. However the Asbestos Branch opposed this

State and local authorities provided Queanbeyan residents with voluntary insulation testing programs between 1989 and 1996. Most of the premises in Queanbeyan known to contain Asbestosfluf were identified through these programs that analysed approximately 350 samples. Past requests by Queanbeyan City Council for Federal and State funding of an ACT-style cleanup have been unsuccessful. The prevailing advice from the NSW Government to all homeowners with asbestos insulation is that it presents a minimal risk if the roof space is kept contained and not entered, mirroring the advice abandoned by the Commonwealth more than 25 years ago. Yass Valley, Eurobodalla or Palerang Councils did not respond to enquiries.

Now almost 50 years since Dirk Jansen introduced Asbestosfluf, with the hazardous material still in the homes of Canberra and beyond, an end game for this legacy may be near as individuals, community groups, experts and lawyers push to find a solution.

Adam Spence is a Canberra freelance writer, features editor of the national law journal “Obiter” and a final-year law student at the ANU. His work has been published in “The Punch”, “The Canberra Times” and “The Australian”.

SONATA – CREATE A SYMPHONY IN YOUR HOME PACKAGE 8B IN PREMIUM KING FABRICS NEW DESIGN OFFER FROM ONLY $2,990* (Full Price $4,717) (This offer is not limited to this sale)

Social event of the week / Property Council of Australia, ACT Awards Night

IT was an era in Paris when ooh-la-la became glamorous, the Moulin Rouge and the Folies Bergère began and Tout-Paris was the signature for the whims of the elite. If everyone was doing it then it was a fad to follow.

LYN MILLS

For the Property Council of Australia ACT Awards Night, the executive director Catherine Carter slipped into her best black sequins, a whimsical feathery fascinator and hosted so elegantly her big night with its version of La Belle Epoque, as Tout-Canberra involved in the many and varied aspects of our city’s developers, property professionals, allied businesses and government celebrated, showing the kind of optimism that La Belle Epoque espoused.

Some dressed up – Rachel Evagelou, of Handmade, the best dressed – but most stayed safe. The night was fun with elegant gold ladderback chairs, sparkling chandeliers and a golden festoon curtain for the stage backdrop making the Great Hall at Parliament House quite intimate, exotic and just a little ostentatious.

The awards were short and smooth as the Carter team got them out of the way so efficiently and the partying, networking and schmoozing began. The Crace development by CIC the major award winner, rebirthing the ‘burb brilliantly.

www.facebook.com/canberrababyexpo

Canberra Region Cancer Centre

The new Canberra Region Cancer Centre, at Canberra Hospital, is now complete. Before it opens, you are invited to take a look through the new centre, including Radiation Oncology, during a community open day. Everyone is welcome!

When: 12 noon to 3.00pm, Saturday, 9 August 2014

New law firm keeps an eye on its heritage

LAWYER Angela Backhouse has taken over Rod J Barnett’s law firm in Fyshwick and, despite rebranding it, is sharply focused on looking after its existing, long-standing clientele.

“Rod has been operating in Fyshwick since 1996 and he was ready to start working towards retirement, but wanted to ensure his clients would still be well looked after,” says Angela, principal of A Backhouse & Associates.

“I was thrilled when the opportunity came up.”

Angela previously worked for the practice from 2001-2008 while she was studying law at ANU and after she became qualified, which meant she already knew a lot of his clients, many of whom have been with Rod from the start.

“My experience working here as a student was invaluable,” she says. “I found I was ahead of many of my fellow graduates, because I’d had real-world work experience and was already looking after clients.”

Angela left the practice in 2008 to work for another law firm in the city and in 2010 moved to an investment company, Rural Funds Management, to take on the role of in-house counsel.

“My role was great experience because I gained an insight into business management and was responsible for instructing other lawyers as the client, so it was interesting seeing that perspective,” she says.

“I found I really enjoyed the management side of things and it helped me decide what I wanted to do – work as a lawyer and manage a business as well, so when the opportunity came up it ticked all the boxes for me.”

Conveniently located in Fyshwick with free parking right at the front door, A

Backhouse & Associates offers competitive pricing and a highly qualified and experienced team to assist with legal requirements of individuals and business owners.

Their services include litigation, debt collection, insolvency, wills and estates, banking and finance, employment law, as well as property matters including conveyancing and commercial leasing.

With a new team in place, Angela says she’s working to streamline the firm and its practices and procedures. New staff include legal secretary Julie Devine, Rod’s support Wendy Price, and graduate Allison Clark.

“It’s great to have a fantastic team of people that you don’t have to manage –they just know what they’re doing and get on with it,” Angela says.

As part of the rebranding of the firm, Angela has also implemented improved computer systems, software and procedures, and an improved website. Angela is also in the process of upgrading the fitout in line with the new branding.

Country girl Angela, 31, says she grew up in the local pub in Araluen, near Braidwood, NSW.

“As well as running the hotel, my parents also owned a peach farm, so I would spend my summer holidays packing peaches,” she says.

“I grew up watching my parents work very hard and I now have the same work ethic.

“Both my parents came from a farming background, so they were very supportive of me finishing school and university.”

Beyond a Bachelor of Laws and Masters in Legal Practice from the ANU, Angela is currently undertaking her Masters in Business Administration at the ANU. She also holds an unrestricted practicing certificate with the ACT Law Society.

In her “spare” time, Angela tutors law graduates two semesters a year to help them with the transition from university to an office.

“The tutoring has a very practical aspect,

which is important for young lawyers to experience. I enjoy being able to give guidance to the students,” she says.

Mum to 15-month-old Dylan, Angela says she came back to work not long after her son was born because she missed it too much.

“I love being a mum, but I think I enjoy it more because I have a good work-life balance,” she says.

“I’m enjoying running the business – the client contact, working with people on their business ventures and being involved in what’s going on in Canberra.

“Fyshwick especially is a wonderful place to work. There are so many people who work and operate businesses in Fyshwick and there is a great sense of community amongst the business owners.

“The work is extremely interesting, especially with commercial law. There is such a variety of work in this area of law and I look forward to coming into work every day to take on new challenges.”

Motorcycle Posties

• Various Canberra locations

• Be Part of Your Community

Here’s your chance to become the face of Australia’s most reliable and trusted service provider. If you enjoy working outdoors and believe great customer service starts with a smile, we’d like to hear from you.

The position would suit someone who is looking for:

• Fixed term Full time or Part time positions

• Monday to Friday

• Early morning start

You will need:

• Current ACT unrestricted or provisional motorcycle licence

• Meet delivery deadlines and to lift up to 16kg

Our motorcycles have a safe working load limit which requires you to weigh 100kg or less when fully clothed.

Open air, a sense of satisfaction, lifestyle - if this is the role that suits what you need now, apply online at http://auspost.com.au/about-us/featured-jobs.html then click on the link under “Australia Capital Territory” section and complete the application form.

Australia Post values workforce diversity and is an Equal Employment Opportunity organisation.

IGA ROOFTOP HOUSE GALA DINNER!

The FIRST IGA ROOFTOP HOUSE GALA DINNER 2014

At Cirque du Canberräng, Albert Hall

This unique IGA Rooftop House program is a program that is much needed by the wider community, a program that will prosper through community, business and government participation, a program that will eventually be supported nationally with an IGA Rooftop House built near every major or regional hospital.

As a new initiative of Rooftop Foundation – a not for profit charity – The IGA Rooftop House Project relies on fundraising, community partners and the generosity of business and the local community to meet the needs of providing house and support families of individuals from regional areas who are experiencing serious illnesses requiring hospital treatment where accommodation is not available or too expensive to house the entire family where required. This years first ball promises to be an opportunity to raise funds for local people in our community who are doing it tough.

DATE: Friday 31st October, 2014

WHERE: Corinna Ballroom, Canberra Southern Cross Club Woden 92-96 Corinna Street, Phillip ACT 2606

TIME: 6.45pm for 7.30pm start

DRESS: Formal

PARKING: Open air parking directly opposite the Club

COST: $120 per person, tables of 10. Includes a three course meal plus beer, wine and soft drink

All about weddings advertising feature

Don’t dare say ‘I do’ until you read this!

Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting times in our lives, but getting there can be one of the most stressful!

“CityNews” talked to some of Canberra’s top wedding suppliers, from the people with fairytale carriages, gorgeous gowns, the ultimate beauty preparations and beautiful make-up on the day, to finding the right celebrant to officiate and a wide range of reception venues, from rustic to glamorous... it’s all here in this fabulous nine-page feature.

Hidden country treasure

DAN and Ben Luton, from the stunning 120-hectare venue Goolabri, promise to help you create a wedding that is awesome, without the glam.

“We tell it like it is, and people seem to appreciate that, and they like the fact that we can think outside the square,” says functions manager Ben.

“We want to create the best weddings, not necessarily traditional, but something special and memorable, with amazing food.”

A modern, rustic venue, with “an air of freedom”, Goolabri offers private, quiet manicured gardens surrounded by natural bushland, as well as several possible venues for weddings, both inside and out.

“For receptions there’s the Goolabri restaurant, which features the Iron Bar lounge,” says Ben.

“We try to make it a personal day for our wedding couples and encourage them to spend time with their guests, not just hours taking photos.

“We’ll also be upfront and say what we think when it comes to things like setting up the tables – if something looks good in a wedding magazine, it probably wouldn’t work in real life!”

Sublime in the garden

A HOLIDAY at the beach can be a lovely way to relax and unwind, says Angela Noakes, owner of Lilli Pilli Sublime.

The four-bedroom house is located just a 300-metre walk from the beach at Lilli Pilli, and features a rumpus room with a snooker table, a tropical-style outdoor garden and a fully-equipped undercover outdoor kitchen, says Angela.

“It’s a lovely place to get away from it all, perfect for a girls’ weekend before the wedding, where

Choices for every wedding

WHETHER you prefer a grand ballroom-style reception, an intimate inner-city location, a romantic winery setting or a glamorous celebration surrounded by beautiful gardens, Hellenic Premium Catering has the venue, catering and service to make your special day all it should be, says functions and events co-ordinator Jo Ashcroft.

“Offering five of Canberra’s most stunning wedding venues, we promise to make your special day an unforgettable experience,” she says.

There’s Gallagher’s Winery, which is a romantic, fun venue that caters for intimate weddings of up to 70 guests.

The Hellenic Club in Woden has the opulent grand

you can come and chill and get some pampering going,” she says.

“It would also make the perfect honeymoon location or romantic getaway – why go overseas with all the hassle of plane travel when you can drive to the coast and have a beautiful quiet holiday right here?”

Angela says the house has been popular for brides to come and get ready with their bridal party, and she can suggest local beauticians to do a make-up

ballroom with a theatre stage, and can seat up to 600 guests.

Floresco in the Gardens offers a fairytale setting and is ideal for couples who want to have the ceremony and reception in the same place. It seats up to 120 guests.

Hellenic in the City has an urban chic vibe in the heart of the city, for up to 100 guests in an intimate style.

Gold Creek Station is a working farm estate and has a rustic, country feel, with space for up to 250 guests.

Contact functions and events co-ordinator Jo Ashcroft on 6162 6707.

trial, wedding make-up or beauty treatments.

“We can also recommend caterers who can bring a platter of food,” Angela says.

“The garden is so beautiful that it has been used for photo shoots, and it would actually make a very special place for a small, intimate wedding ceremony.”

Call 0412 800857, email lillipillisublime@me.com or visit lillipillisublime.com.au

SPECIALISING IN WEDDING MAKE-UP FOR OVER 20 YEARS

•

•

“Riana’s Health Clinic uses only the finest makeup products so you will look and feel your very best”, says Riana Janse van Rensburg, owner and senior therapist.

Mystique Beauty

All about weddings

Catering for every moment

To new beginnings

Mystique Beauty is one of Canberra’s most successful and independent beauty salons.

Mystique has become the salon of choice when it comes to choosing all your beauty needs, come in and indulge by the serenity that Mystique Beauty has to offer.

• Massage

• Womens waxing/tinting

• Manicure/pedicure

• Bio sculpture gel nails

• Make-up

• Spray tanning • Body treatments • Eyelash enhancements

• Environ facials

Bridal special

Have your bridesmaids (min 2) receive an all over even tan by our expert staff and receive yours FREE.

Embrace health, wellbeing and sheer beauty with a full body scrub, express manicure and express pedicure for a special price of $130 with a saving of $45.

Present this coupon to receive our special offers.

Offer ends 30th November 2014.

109 Anthony Rolfe Ave, Gungahlin ACT 2912 6242 4542

CATERING for events before the wedding is an often overlooked part of wedding planning, says Jason Herbert, owner of Coyote Catering.

“We can cater all of your prewedding day meals, such as bridesmaids’ lunches or morning tea, groomsmen’s lunches or morning tea,” he says.

“Even the new in-laws can be catered for while you get ready.”

Jason says that Coyote Catering can also take the pain out of the time spent on photo shoots, with some platters delivered to you, making

the day pass without a growl in your tummy.

“We can cater for engagement parties, shower teas, bachelorette parties – whatever pre-wedding celebration or event you’ve got going on,” Jason says.

Coyote Catering has been Canberra’s Small Caterer of the Year three years running, Jason says, as

Create timeless memories

THE new Canberra Rex Hotel offers a personalised service, ensuring every aspect of your wedding epitomises you as a couple, says Jackie Gregory, assistant hotel manager.

“Our 2014-2015 packages at the Canberra Rex Hotel have been created to make your wedding day truly memorable,” she says. “Our selection of packages has a range of inclusions that offer exceptional value for money, designed to make your experience seamless.”

Choose from two stunning ballrooms for your reception, both with striking design elements and a sense of space and style.

The contemporary Great Room showcases high ceilings, a state-of-the-art coloured lighting system, and subtle detailing enabling the room to be adorned with your individual style. The Great Room can cater for 50 up to 350 guests.

The Grand Ballroom exudes old-school glamour. Marble detailing accentuates the light-filled space, which is the

perfect setting for your wedding celebration of up to 200 seated guests.

“We specialise in tailoring packages that are bespoke to each individual couple,” says Jackie. “During a meeting with our wedding team, including our executive chef, we will create a wedding package that will accentuate your style.

“Our menus have been designed with an emphasis on combining local and international produce ensuring your guests are privy to an indulgent dining experience complemented with premium beverages.

“We invite you to visit and experience the Canberra Rex Hotel for yourself and meet with our wedding team to create a grand or intimate celebration that will create timeless memories for you and your guests.”

The Canberra Rex Hotel, 150 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon. Call 6248 5311 or visit canberrarexhotel.com.au

WITH weddings being a bit more unpredictable these days, an elegant shoe with a modest heel is a must, says Gail Lubbock, of Escala Shoes in Manuka.

“It’s not as simple as a church and a reception venue these days, with weddings being held on beaches, in paddocks or in gardens,” she says.

“Many of the shoes coming in from Europe now are on a lower heel, and the kitten heel is still a very popular look.

“I’m delighted to see that platforms are also still around, which gives elegance and height, without that towering feel.”

Gail says that in store they have some gorgeous designs by Stuart Weitzman, Guglielmo Rotta and Peter Kaiser.

“We also have some beautiful espadrilles from Toni Poris that are perfect for the beachy, summery wedding, casual but still pretty and dressy,” she says.

Escala also stocks millinery from Cynthia Bryson, which Gail says lends a lovely edge to an outfit.

“Millinery is really the finishing touch, and it’s practical too, particularly for an outdoor wedding – it can save you from the sun,” she says.

Speaking of which, Gail also suggests a Doppler umbrella might be a worthy investment.

“They’re pretty enough for a wedding and they’ll protect you from the sun and unbidden rain showers,” she says.

Escala Shoes, Shop 1, 21 Bougainville Street, Manuka. Call 6232 7666.

Ready for summer Capturing the happiness advertising feature

WEDDINGS are wonderful things – it’s about the only thing left that we really dress up for, says Rebecca Fassone, owner of Bad Cat Photography.

“Everyone’s on their best behaviour and it’s just a really happy time,” she says. “A wedding is a day for people to put all their usual concerns aside and concentrate on feeling happy themselves and enjoying the happiness of others.”

Bec is a graduate of the ANU School of Art, and has been doing wedding and portrait photography since 2006. She photographs weddings and portraits in Canberra, Wollongong, the south coast and further afield by special arrangement.

Bec says she always seems to work with lovely couples.

“Taking great pictures depends on helping people to shed their self-consciousness,” she says.

“Often humour works really well, and most people are happy enough on their wedding day to laugh at my dumb jokes.

“But the really great thing about photographing people in love is that often all I need to do is have them look at one another – then the rest of the world disappears and they don’t care who’s looking at them (or how big the camera is).”

Bad Cat Photography, call 0407 905212, email bec@badcat.com.au or visit badcat.com.au

WEDDING FAIR

Sunday 17th August, 2014

Exhibitors to visit for all your wedding requirements

• Commences at 10am till 3pm • Free Entry • Fashion Parade at 12 noon

• Two Elegant Venues • Variety of Wedding Packages • Garden Ceremonies

• Up to 140 guests • Bar opens at 12 noon • Held at The Brassey ballroom

The Brassey of Canberra

Belmore Gardens and Macquarie Street, Barton ACT 2600

Toll free telephone: 1800 659 191

Email: conference@brassey.net.au • www.brassey.net.au

Brides Trunk Show

We

Bringing depth, meaning and joy to your wedding day

St John’s Anglican Church, Reid Celebrating weddings since 1841

45 Constitution Avenue, Reid 02 6248 8399 admin@stjohnscanberra.org www.stjohnscanberra.org

All about weddings

Lots of heritage elegance

CLASSIC and heritage-listed, The Brassey of Canberra is a beautifully traditional wedding venue, says Markus Gibson-Huck.

“The hotel is set on two and a half acres and has a private courtyard, as well as gorgeous gardens for photos or civil ceremonies,” he says.

There are two wedding venues within the hotel: the Barton ballroom and the Belmore restaurant, says Markus.

“Both have wonderful natural light and ambience, and the only difference really is size,” he says.

“The ballroom is a large, self-contained function room that can seat up to 120 people, and has an adjoining bar area and access to the private courtyard.

Skin care

to look your best

THE clarity of the skin is important for a bride to look her best on her wedding day, says Riana Janse van Rensburg, owner of Riana’s Health and Skincare Clinic in Monash.

Riana offers a series of bridal treatments, including trial make-up, bridal make-up at the venue, spray tan, manicure/pedicure, Shellac Hybrid colour, G5 cellulite treatment, eyelash perm and eyelash and brow tinting.

Riana also offers a special bridal package including facial, back scrub and massage, manicure and pedicure, and mother-of-the bride make-up.

“A week before the wedding, we recommend a facial to revitalise, rehydrate and rejuvenate your skin followed by a luxurious back scrub to soften and cleanse your skin, then a relaxing back massage to de-stress you,” says Riana.

“At the end of your visit I will select the best colour combinations for your trial make-up.”

The day before the wedding, Riana suggests indulging in a spa pedicure and manicure to nourish your feet and hands.

“And on the day, your wedding makeup will make you feel like a million dollars!” she says.

Riana’s Health & Skincare Clinic, 111 Clive Steele Avenue, Monash. Call 6166 2265, email riana@riana-centre.com.au or visit riana-centre.com.au

Ceremonies by Sharyn

I

“It’s been tastefully refurbished to bring alive the extravagant atmosphere of the 1920s.”

Markus says the restaurant is the original wedding reception venue and retains the old-world charm of The Brassey of Canberra.

“The restaurant can accommodate up to 95 guests so is ideal for a more intimate wedding,” he says. “We can arrange any package to suit any couple.”

The Brassey is hosting a wedding fair on August 17 in the ballroom, with a fashion show and bar from midday.

The Brassey of Canberra, Belmore Gardens & Macquarie Street, Barton. Call 6273 3766 or visit brassey.net.au

Expressing love through vows

CELEBRANT

Rosemary

Johnson loves wedding ceremonies, and says they always work best when they perfectly suit the couple.

“I perform weddings, commitment ceremonies and vow renewal, and how the ceremonies go depends entirely on the couple,” she says.

“Some people like to be very involved, and in those cases I just have to co-ordinate the process, while others look to me for a bit of guidance.

“Everyone is different and has their own particular style, so each ceremony reflects the couple’s personality and the way they want to express their love.”

Rosemary says that her background in management and client service has provided her with skills that are relevant to her role as a celebrant, with planning and organising being important attributes, along with an ability to listen to and understand clients’ needs.

“I became a registered civil marriage celebrant in 2009 after moving to Kangaroo Valley,” she says. “It’s such a beautiful part of the world, and with its proximity to Canberra, Sydney and the coast, it’s a popular spot for weddings that people are happy to travel to.”

Contact Rosemary Johnson on 4465 2197, or visit rosemaryjohnson.com.au

Celebrate an important commitment

MARRIAGE is one of the most important commitments a couple can make, says Vicky Moseley from St John the Baptist Church in Reid. St John’s has been celebrating weddings since 1841, and remains popular, especially for couples requiring a more intimate worship space.

“The beauty and ambience of St John’s Church, with its pipe organ, peal of bells, stained-glass windows and other works of art is a favourite for those wanting a more traditional wedding,” she says.

“At St John’s we use the services authorised by the Anglican Church of Australia, which includes options that

allow you to personalise the service for your special day, through the choice of readings, music and prayers.

“We are confident that you can be married on the day you choose, but we strongly recommend you book your wedding at St John’s before making any other arrangements, such as reception venues.”

Vicky says the church has a group of gifted organists and a fine organ, which can be complemented with soloists, singers and other musicians. The church provides flower arrangements, arranged by members of the church.

“You’re welcome to decorate the

pews, as long as decorations are fixed by ribbon or elastic only,” Vicky says. “Confetti, rice, flower petals etc are not allowed in the church or grounds.”

The church’s beautiful grounds, or the Robertson Room with its hospitality deck and adjoining kitchen, can be hired to serve refreshments between the church service and the reception.

St John the Baptist Church, corner of Constitution Avenue and Anzac Park West, Reid. Enquiries to weddings@stjohnscanberra.org or call 6248 8399.

Roscommon Carriages

advertising feature

Flawless look for a special day

Mystique Beauty knows how to create a look that is not only perfect for the big day but can be captured flawlessly behind the camera, says owner Karla Palombi.

“We offer attention to detail, comfort and pampering to our valued clients,” she says.

“Come in and relax, and enjoy the alluring atmosphere where every customer is given our VIP treatment.”

Karla says that Mystique Beauty is a modern, warm and professional salon.

“We can provide you with all your beauty

needs, including waxing, tinting, Bio Sculpture Gel nails, make-up, spray tanning, eyelash enhancement and relaxation massage,” she says.

“Our clients and hygiene are our first priority, we value every client and provide them with the best service. Our therapists are highly trained and provide exceptional treatments.”

Mystique Beauty, 109 Anthony Rolfe Avenue, Gungahlin. Call 6242 4542 or email mystique-beauty@hotmail.com

Designer gowns, the clever way

WHEN Mandy Daddia was looking for a wedding dress, she found an expensive designer gown that she loved.

“I tried to find the same one second hand but had no luck – so I decided to start Savvy Brides,” she says.

Savvy Brides specialises in designer wedding dresses, bridal jewellery and accessories, as well as affordable pre-loved wedding gowns made by top bridal designers including Gwendolynne, Jenny Packham, Steven Khalil, Karen Willis Holmes and Monique Lhuillier. The shop is based in Sydney, but Mandy is bringing her whole collection to Canberra’s Hotel Realm on the weekend of August 23-24.

“I’ve had so many brides travel to the shop from Canberra that I knew I had to come here with my gowns,” she says.

Mandy says she only sells dresses in pristine condition with absolutely no flaws, by top designers or upand-coming young designers. They range in price from $1200 to $8000.

“We have a luxurious boutique full of stunning designer gowns, in styles that are slimline, elegant and modern,” says Mandy.

“We’re also seeing a lot of beading and embellishment in dresses at the moment, which gives a really beautiful look.”

Savvy Brides, call 0468 962110, email enquiries@savvybrides.com.au or visit savvybrides.com.au

Where guests can ready and rest

PERFECT as a location for brides and grooms to get ready, or as a place to host out-of-town wedding guests, Manuka Park Apartments is conveniently located in the middle of everything, says Sarah Herring, sales and marketing manager.

“We’re a family-run business and we offer a range of one and two-bedroom executive serviced apartments,” she says.

“All apartments are fully self-contained, with well-equipped kitchens that have everything you could possibly need to cook with, so you don’t need to eat out every night – unless you want to!

“There’s also a laundry with washing machine and dryer, LCD TV with Foxtel, and every apartment has a private balcony or courtyard.”

The apartments are close to the shops, restaurants and nightlife of Manuka and Kingston, Sarah says.

There’s a pretty garden setting, a pool for

cooling off in warmer weather and secure undercover parking.

“There are churches and wedding reception venues nearby, so we are ideally located as a place for friends and family to stay,” says Sarah.

Manuka Park Apartments, 1 Oxley Street, Manuka. Call 6239 0000 or visit manukapark.com.au

Beachy weddings on the coast

ORGANISING a wedding can be overwhelming, and it can be hard to know where to start with the planning process, says Dean Burgess, owner of Mollymook Weddings.

Dean is a wedding planner on the south coast, and co-ordinates events and wedding hire.

“We believe everyone should be caught up in the love and magic that goes along with a wedding,” he says. “We can offer full wedding planning, from hair and make-up and wedding dresses, to stunning beach venues for ceremonies and receptions.”

Mollymook is about two and a half hours from Canberra.

“Whether you dream of a large celebration or a small intimate gathering; prefer a charming outdoor garden or a rustic barn; we can get you the place you’re looking for,” says Dean.

“We can also organise your special day on a white sandy beach or in an evergreen bush setting surrounded by wildlife and nature. We have access to private venues and many more locations that will take your breath away.”

Dean says Mollymook Weddings are able to provide a one-stop-shop for everything you could possibly need to create the perfect day.

Mollymook Weddings, call 0438 449 814, email info@mollymookweddings.com.au or visit mollymookweddings.com.au

Hispanitas, Guglielmo Rotta, Think! and many more of your favourites at the Escala Winter Sale. Sale ends soon!

Moroccan Bronze is Canberra’s newest glamour boutique, offering spray tanning, make up artistry and exclusive fashion and bridal jewellery pieces.

Moroccan Bronze also retails premium tanning, makeup, and skincare products.

Mention CityNews when you book a massage and get a FREE gift voucher for a one hour

Treat yourself before or after your big day with our special offer... Open 7 days a week  For bookings call 6257 0388 or visit our website to

Walk the red carpet

FOR traditional weddings, St Paul’s Anglican Church in Manuka is perfect, says the rector Brian Douglas.

“It’s ideal for a more traditional wedding, with a red carpet for the bride and bridesmaids to walk down, and the church has a lovely light to it, a pleasant atmosphere,” he says.

The large, prominent church is surrounded by beautiful gardens, which Brian says can be used for photos or even for a reception if the weather

Classic Clydesdales & Carriages

Specialising in horse drawn carriages for weddings, formals, funerals and special occasions servicing the Canberra and surrounding areas

At Classic Clydesdales and Carriages we can provide you with a wide choice of carriages and wagons to suit your wedding theme and make your special day unique and personalised.

We have full clydesdales and other breeds in singles and pairs available.

Incorporate your wedding theme and colour combinations with silk or fresh flowers, ribbons, and tulle adorning the horse and carriage.

www.classicclydesdalesandcarriages.com Bianca – 0468 697 097 • Lisa – 0409 606 890

is right.

“We attempt to meet people’s needs wherever we can, within the guidelines we have to follow,” he says.

“For example, we have to use the Anglican prayerbook in the service, but we allow photography or movies to be taken in the church.”

St Paul’s Manuka, corner of Canberra Avenue and Captain Cook Crescent. Call 6239 6148 or visit stpaulsmanuka.org.au

(c) engagingproductions.com.au

Have beautiful skin with a series of 3 Core Facials for only $190 (usually $285) Perfect for brides preparing for their big day!

Massage away the stress

just all about the bride, says Emma Hely, of Massage for Health in Ainslie.

“A relaxation massage is a great treat for the groom as well as the bride, and we’ve been seeing more of this, with grooms being encouraged to treat themselves as part of the wedding process, too,” she says.

“We have packages for couples, where you can both come and have massages side-by-side, before or after the wedding.” Emma says that Massage for Health offers weekend and out-ofhours appointments, and that you can book online. They also sell gift vouchers, which Emma says are ideal for bridesmaids’ gifts, or as a treat for the bride to give the groom.

“We have a beautiful range of aromatherapy skincare products that can be used in massages as well,” she says.

Massage for Health, Level 1/3 Edgar Street, Ainslie. Call 6257 0388 or visit massageforhealth.com.au

Make-up and styling for the big day

LOOKING and feeling your best on your big day is so important, says Vanessa Fernandez, owner of Moroccan Bronze.

“We are a glamour boutique offering basic styling, make-up artistry, Shellac and exclusive jewellery pieces,” says Vanessa.

“We also offer spray tans, and we stock Vani-T, Moroccan Tan, St Tropez and Solaire tanning solutions.

“I love to help my clients with their styling too, and I enjoy sourcing items that people are after. They might pick a dress and I can suggest the accessories

or costume jewellery that will look good with what they have chosen, and then track it down for them.”

Vanessa says Moroccan Bronze also retails Arbonne make-up and skincare and a range of tanning products. She has more than 10 years’ experience in the make-up industry, and specialises in weddings and special occasions.

Moroccan Bronze, call 0418 631946, email moroccan.bronze@gmail.com or search Moroccan Bronze on Facebook.

Cakes get a personal touch

WEDDING cakes tend to be less traditional and more personal these days, says Chris Griffin, owner of Cake Wizard in Goulburn.

“People still want the elegant wedding cake look but these days it’s about adding that personal touch,” he says.

“It could be in the cake toppers, people like to include their family or children, or the whole style and design of the cake.

“It’s not so much about the top tier being a fruit cake now. The most popular cakes are the salted caramel mud, orange poppyseed, choc jaffa or rainbow cakes, where each layer is a different colour.”

Chris started baking in 2010, after being inspired by American shows “Ace of Cakes” and “Cake Boss”.

“I’m a real estate agent and electrician, but I love baking and being creative,” he says. “I was making cupcakes for a local coffee shop, when someone asked if I could make a Parramatta jersey cake for a friend. I did a lot of YouTube and hit the books and it turned out well.”

Chris says he now makes cakes for weddings, engagement parties, christenings, birthdays and special events. “What’s also popular now is a groom’s cake, which the bride surprises him with,” says Chris. “It’s usually in the style of his hobby, like fishing, shooting or a favourite football team.”

Cake Wizard, call 0487 169029 or visit cakewizard.com.au

Classic Carriages

ROMANCE and adventure in a horse-drawn carriage can be a special touch for any wedding, and Michelle and Denis Ridley, who own Roscommon Carriages, say they have a passion for a beautiful and safe turnout of horse and carriage.

“We’re very proud of the professional turnout we provide, with our exceptionally well-trained Clydesdales,” says Michelle.

“We can offer a full red-carpet service, with the driver and groom dressed in top hat and tails, or arrange to dress more casually to suit the theme of the wedding.”

Michelle says their vehicles are maintained to a high standard, ready to go at a moment’s notice, and that they keep the

passengers’ and horse’s welfare in mind at all times.

They have a Landau carriage that seats up to six adults, which can be used with the roof up or down, and an 1890s Sydney lorry that can take a larger bridal party, and be set up with hay bales for an authentic look or some comfortable cushions.

“We can do weddings in the city or the country, and we see a cross-section of weddings, from garden and country styles to more formal, that suit the horse and carriage.”

Roscommon Carriages, call 0413 011128 or visit roscommon.net.au

Lilli Pilli Sublime is a destination unlike any other. We offer holiday accommodation in a spacious, delightfully decorated house nestled in the stunning surrounds of Lilli Pilli Beach Estate on the outskirts of Batemans Bay, NSW.

We specialise in honeymoons and romantic getaways, or a special pampering weekend away for the girls.

Have your engagement pictures or wedding pictures in the privacy of our serene tropical garden, or even hold an intimate wedding ceremony at the nearby beach or in our Bali-style tropical garden.

Luxury, comfort and style - these are the three principles upon which the hosts have built the Lilli Pilli Sublime experience.

Elaine Olsen MAKE-UP ARTIST

Specialising in:

• Airbrushing

• Bridal Make-up

•

• Photographic/Film Make-up

Email: elaine.olsen@live.com elaineolsen.wix.com/elaine-olsen

Whether you are getting

holding a commitment ceremony or renewing your vows, the ceremony is all about ‘celebrating your love’. Contact me for an obligation free quote for your ceremony in Kangaroo Valley and surrounding areas. www.rosemaryjohnson.com.au email: info@rosemaryjohnson.com.au phone: 02 4465 2197

All about weddings

Fairytale transportation

A FAIRYTALE horse and carriage is a beautiful touch for an elegant wedding, says Bianca Gillard, owner of Classic Clydesdales & Carriages.

“We provide a customised service of horse-drawn carriages for weddings, with a variety of different styles to choose from,” she says.

“There are two stunning Landau wedding carriages, in white and royal blue, that can seat up to six adults and two children facing each other. The Landaus are open carriages and can be partially or fully enclosed depending on the weather – with a roof like a convertible car.”

Bianca says they also have a Victorian wedding carriage, which is a smaller design that seats six, but is open. There is also a classic dray that seats six to eight people.

Bianca says the carriages are pulled by one or two of their Clydesdale, or Clydesdale cross horses.

“We offer single or a matching pair of horses to pull each vehicle, as well as having the choice of finerboned horses to the very popular traditional Clydesdales,” she says.

“We are happy to transport the bridal party in between venues, and the horses and carriages can create lovely rustic photos.”

Classic Clydesdales & Carriages services Canberra, Goulburn, Yass, Cooma, the south coast and

The make-up for you

USING only high-quality products, such as Kryolan, Napoleon, Ben Nye, Chanel, MAC, Temptu (for airbrushing), Graftobian and Arbonne, make-up artist Elaine Olsen can create a special look for your wedding day.

“My services include bridal make-up, photographic, television, film, special occasions, events and airbrushing, and I can come to you at any location,” she says.

“Arrangements can be made for one-on-one make-up lessons to teach you how to apply your own make-up to enhance your own natural beauty, or as a trial before your wedding if you would like.”

Elaine is an artist as well as a make-up

Beautiful Life Salon

Our salon staff pride themselves on providing great treatments in a friendly and comfortable environment.

We offer manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing, tints, and spray tans to get you ready for your special day, or to relax you before your honeymoon.

artist, and has produced award-winning ceramics, and sold commissioned and non-commissioned works.

“It seemed natural for me, with my love of colour, design and creativity, to become a make-up artist,” she says.

“My experience with all types of media and techniques means I have a steady hand and a great eye for detail and style.

“I am always looking for new and better ways to improve my skills and ensure that my techniques are approved and my tools and products are of the highest standards.”

Contact Elaine Olsen on 0417 265463, email elaine.olsen@live.com or visit elaineolsen.wix.com/elaine-olsen

surrounding areas, and Bianca says they are open to other locations upon request.

Classic Clydesdales & Carriages, call 0468 697097 or visit classicclydesdalesandcarriages.com

Beauty preparation is key

GETTING your skin ready for the big day starts in the months leading up to the wedding, says Lindl Rowe, owner of Natural Beauty Centre in Garema Place.

“We suggest that brides start coming in for facials a few months before the wedding, so their skin is in great condition,” she says.

“Having a program for skin health really helps, so it’s really glowing and looking lovely for the wedding.”

Spray tans are very popular for the bridal party, and Lindl says she offers three different brands with a range of colours.

“We have St Tropez, Naked Tan and Black Magic, which gives a very subtle, natural dusting of colour,” she says.

Lindl also suggests that brides and the bridal party come in to get their nails done a day or two before the wedding.

“We have a fantastic gel nail system called Jessica, which is

really long-lasting and won’t chip,” she says.

“It will give three weeks of great looking nails, so it will last for the honeymoon, too!”

The Natural Beauty Centre will soon be expanding its make-up services to include weddings.

Natural Beauty Centre, 1st Floor, Garema Centre, Garema Place, Bunda Street, Civic. Call 6248 0490 or visit naturalbeautycentre.com.au

advertising feature

Full of special moments

LIFE is a journey that has its special and wonderful moments, says marriage celebrant Sharyn Gunn.

“It is my passion and my promise that as your celebrant I will work with you to make your ceremony a memorable, special and loving occasion,” she says.

Sharyn is an authorised and accredited civil marriage celebrant, and conducts weddings, civil unions, baby namings, renewal of vows, funerals and commitment ceremonies.

“I work hard to make sure my clients have the celebration they prefer, be it spiritual, traditional, or even unusual. This is their special day,” she says.

Sharyn was one of the first celebrants to marry a samesex couple after the now-defunct Marriage Equality

Flowers to make brides smile

CONSULTING with brides and making their ideas a reality is a great part of the job, says florist Sue Burden, owner of Manuka Flowers.

“It’s really nice to be part of the process, from the beginning to the end result,” she says. “I like to go on that journey with them. Some brides know exactly what they want, and others need some inspiration, but it’s such an exciting time.

“I love getting the feedback after the wedding too, it’s always so nice to hear they loved the flowers and thought they were even better than they had expected.”

Manuka Flowers offers wedding flowers for any size wedding, for the bridal party, ceremony and reception. Established in 1995, Manuka Flowers was located in the Style Arcade for 19 years, but has just moved across the road to the M Centre.

“We now have a huge studio which is just fabulous, so it’s been a really positive move for us,” Sue says.

Act, on December 7, 2013 at 12.01am.

“It’s my belief that two people who love one another should be able to commit to each other in the presence of their family and friends, and it is my honour to perform commitment ceremonies,” she says.

“Unfortunately, at this point in time Australian law does not recognise commitment ceremonies or same-sex marriage in the legal sense. There is movement in that direction, however not fast enough and that is why I offer to perform civil unions.”

Contact Ceremonies by Sharyn on 0400 003425 or visit ceremoniesbysharyn.com.au

Manuka Flowers, Shop 11, M Centre, Palmerston Lane, Manuka. Email manukaflowers@netspace.net.au, call 6295 0713 or visit manukaflowers.com.au

Natural radiance for the big day

EVERYONE wants to have glowing skin at a wedding, says Emma Hely, owner of Beautiful Life Salon, and facials are a great way to bring out the best in your skin’s natural radiance.

“We use the Skin Juice range for our facials which is all-Australian and natural, using ingredients like rose hip oil and aloe vera, which doesn’t aggravate sensitive skin,” Emma says.

“It’s designed to balance the skin’s natural oils and replenish rather than intensively cleanse it, so the skin doesn’t get a bad reaction,

and it’s left feeling soft, nourished and hydrated.”

The Beautiful Life Salon also has a range of fume-free nail polishes that are ideal for people with allergies and sensitivities, Emma says, and can be done the day before the wedding.

“We also offer waxing, tinting, hot stone massage and spray tans that also use all-natural ingredients,” she says.

Beautiful Life Salon, Level 1/3-5 Edgar Street, Ainslie. Call 6248 8931 or visit beautifullifesalon.com.au

– Advance Personnel focuses on the skills, abilities and character of the individual, so you get the right fit for your needs, with quality long-term support at no cost to you.

– Celebrating 25 years this year in Canberra, Advance Personnel will help find you the right employee and you could also be eligible for government subsidies.

For more information on how Advance Personnel can help please call us on or visit the website

Canberra Confidential

Old Tony hasn’t loomed large

FAIR cop, I never done it… AFP Snr Constable Edwina Trollope is the great-great-great granddaughter of prolific English novelist and inveterate traveller Anthony Trollope. She is to launch a book in Manuka about g-g-g-grandad’s adventures in Australia and NZ in the 1870s, but admits light-heartedly: “I haven’t read any of Anthony’s books and am very ashamed!” Now she’s frantically trying to make amends. With the prospect of a 15-minute speech on August 28 at The Paperchain bookshop soiree, Edwina’s got her nose deep into SA author Nigel Starck’s book “The First Celebrity” (Lansdown Media, rrp $29.95).

Invisible man retires

Dr Starck, a former broadcaster and journalist, describes Anthony Trollope as the first celebrity in popular culture to visit the Australasian colonies and says the new book reveals, for the first time, the full story: the mix of acclamation and condemnation that Trollope provoked; his encounters with gold prospectors, the Aborigines, the Maoris, pioneers and convicts; his battles with the colonial press, and the ancient baronetcy inherited by Trollope’s Australian descendants after misadventure and misfortune elsewhere in the extended family.

Right: Edwina Trollope… “very ashamed!”

MARC Dawson’s 30 years of rising before dawn to read the local ABC radio news have ended with his quiet retirement after 38 years with the national broadcaster.

Praised by colleagues for having one of the most authoritative and reliable voices the ABC has produced, Dawson always shunned the limelight. And so it was when he read his last bulletin, signed off and slipped away without fanfare or fuss.

Author of 18 cricket books, he’s looking forward to sleeping in.

Clive takes a dive?

“SAS Insider”, the latest tome from “CityNews” columnist and distinguished author Robert Macklin, was published last week and its publisher marked the occasion with a very big tweet illustrated by the book’s cover, which features the subject, Sgt-Maj Clint Palmer, the regiment’s top parachutist.

However, the tweeters at Hachette managed to called him Clive Palmer. “The image of Clive descending from the stratosphere on a parachute (or two) was just too delicious,” chuckles Macklin. “My email account seized up with the response from friends and foes and more tweeters than I knew existed!”

Virgin on frustration

“DEAR Florian, your automated email is simply another reason why my family will think twice about travelling with Virgin in the future…”

And so begins a sorry tale of traveller woe that hapless junior Florian Ruiz , “guest relations co-ordinator” for Virgin, clearly couldn’t be bothered fixing.

One of CC’s mummy snouts took off with husband and baby for a long weekend with friends to the Gold Coast. First, Virgin gonged out their morning flight to late afternoon and had not seated them as family.

“When we pleaded our case to sit together, I mentioned that my husband is a Velocity [frequent flyer] member, to which the clerk replied that since we were ‘only red and not gold members’ that it didn’t count for anything,” our snout bemoaned to the unblinking Florian.

Homeward bound, with just over two hours’ notice, it happened again: the 3pm flight was bumped to 6pm. And to top it off, the pram hood was missing on arrival,

a baby-essential item Virgin still hasn’t replaced (nor responded to any calls).

Untroubled by all this drama Florian the Unflappable responded to a thoroughly itemised complaint with an all-sizes, hollow apology for the inconvenience and promises that the travellers’ misery will be shared with management. “This will ensure our team members receive further training and coaching where necessary.” Right, where necessary

She loves us not

CHIEF Minister Katy Gallagher seems more attracted to endorsing an American who barely pays any tax in Australia and has little interest in the welfare of the Canberra community than sharing the love with any digital locals who love this town.

In urging local businesses to attend a Governmentsupported series of free “Digital Business Capacity Building Workshops”, ostensibly to accelerate business engagement with the ACT digital economy, Gallagher says: “Tonight’s workshop will… [include] writing for social media, content marketing and how to advertise on Google.” As if there aren’t local digital advertising choices...

Rupert in his PJs

AT the staff knees up for “The Australian” newspaper’s 50th birthday in Sydney News Corp co-chairman, Lachlan Murdoch, retold a family story of his father Rupert and the paper’s early days in Canberra when, late at night, the page negatives would be loaded on a plane to be flown to printing presses across the country.

“What wasn’t exactly planned for was Canberra airport would often get fogged in, particularly in winter,” said Lachlan.

“There is a story of my father rushing out to the airport in his pyjamas, which I know well, they’d be light blue, old fashioned, a bit of piping around the collar, he’d rush out in the wee hours of the morning, convincing the air-traffic controllers that this was not fog, it was just low cloud.”

Speed of Justice

THE Justice and Community Safety directorate seems not to share its minister’s sense of urgency when it comes to keeping the community alert to real estate scammers having taken 14 days to post AttorneyGeneral Simon Corbell’s July 16th press release on to its website. Two weeks, really?

arts & entertainment

Singing, dancing and… devastation!

Arts editor HELEN MUSA previews an impending burst of Bollywood devised and directed in Sydney, and heading for Canberra Theatre

LIGHTS! Tinsel! Diamante-encrusted costumes! Songs! Dance! And a tearjerker of a plot so well known in India that 15 movies have been made from it in languages as diverse as Bengali and Telugu. Yes, it’s Bollywood, this time not on screen but on stage in a new 90-minute musical devised and directed in Sydney.

To be sure, the backdrops and the lavish costumes for “Devdas: The Musical” come from India, but the rest has been done in Australia, as I find, when I talk to the director, producer and choreographer, Ruchi Sanghi. Sanghi has been in Australia for 14 years now and has a studio in Parramatta, where she teaches Bollywood and the Kathak dance handed down to her from her famous Mumbai guru, the late Gopi Krishna. Kathak, also known colloquially as “Nautch”, is one of the Indian government’s official classical dance forms. Known for its fine footwork, it came into India via the Mogul empire, then into the courtesan networks of North India where the so-called “nautch girls” were as

notable for their affairs as their dance.

But “Devdas: The Musical” is less about sex and more a demonstration that the course of true love never did run true, though the narrator is a courtesan, Chandramukhi.

Briefly, the story concerns the wealthy Devdas family, whose son falls in love with Paro, a neighbour of lower socio-economic standing. Ruin and selfdestruction follow.

Sanghi has transferred the story from Kolkata to the holy town of Varanasi (Benares), maximising the romance and minimising the social commentary. So far, she reports, audiences in Sydney have been 50-50 Indian and mainstream.

“I’m a big fan of Broadway musicals and this is very similar to how Broadway would present a show,” she says. The music has been modernised, with 12 catchy songs composed by Aparna Nagashayana. Despite the songs and the dance, it is a devastating tale.

“We have had most of the audience in tears at the end of the show,” Sanghi says, so much so that someone asked her: “Couldn’t we have a bit of a peppy tune at the end? It’s so tragic”.

But in showbiz, tears are as good as laughter.

“Devdas: The Musical”, Canberra Theatre, 6.30pm, August 16, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

THAT ravishing oud player and double ARIA Award winner, Joseph Tawadros, is coming to town to mark the release of his 11th album, “Permission to Evaporate”. Percussionist brother James will be here too, along with jazz pianist Matt McMahon and double bassist Karl Dunnicliff. The Street Theatre, 8pm, on Saturday, August 16, bookings to 6247 1223 or thestreet.org.au

BUNGENDORE’S favourite duo presents “A Liberal Dose of Shortis and Simpson” at Smith’s Alternative, 3pm and 7pm, on Sunday, August 10. Bookings to trybooking.com/94348

GOOD news that “A Single Body”, a new film by former Canberran Sotiris Dounoukos, shot in France last year, was screened twice at Melbourne International Film Festival. Dounoukos is the man behind the big planned Joe Cinque feature.

FRIENDS of Chopin Australia is hosting a fundraiser for the 2nd Australian International Chopin Piano Competition at Teatro Vivaldi on August 16. Canberra pianist Andrew Rumsey will perform – Chopin, naturally – and there are prizes for the best dressed Chopins and George Sands. Bookings to 6257 2718.

ART Song Canberra’s next concert, “Woman’s Song”, will be given by soprano Judith Colquhoun, mezzosoprano Janene Broere, tenor Greg Wallace, baritone Peter Smith and pianist Colin Forbes. Wesley Music Centre, 3pm, on Sunday, August 10. Tickets only at the door.

CORO Chamber Music is staging an unconventional performance of the JS Bach and Arvo Pärt Magnificats interwoven with Pärt’s “Seven Magnificat Antiphons”, in All Saints’ Anglican Church, Ainslie, 7.30pm on Saturday, August 16. Bookings to corocanberra.com

-

arts & entertainment

Challenge hits the right note for choirs

By Helen Musa

“IF you love choirs like The Kings Singers and Kings College Cambridge, you will enjoy listening to choirs in the Australian Choral Challenge,” says artistic director of the Choirs Division of the Australian National Eisteddfod, Dianne Anderson, one of Canberra’s keenest champions of choral music.

ABC Radio host Genevieve Jacobs is hardly behind her in enthusiasm, as those present at a launch last week observed. To Jacobs, who spoke after a performance by a mixed-age choir directed by Tobias Coles, the joy of singing was enhanced by teamwork, the technique of melding together disparate voices and above all, by the fact that in

choral singing “we can have fun.”

Anderson, for her part, said she was standing down as director, but would continue to help sponsor the event, which is also supported by business people and choir lovers in Canberra.

The Eisteddfod is under new leadership this year with businesswoman Sylvia Tulloch taking over as president. In a classy act of rebranding, the finals have been restyled the Australian Choral Challenge, with a mighty first prize of $10,000 and a total of $18,000 in prizes all up.

Anderson is understandably over the moon at having found three choral experts to adjudicate –Julie Christiansen, from the Birralee Choirs, Brisbane; Andrew Hunter, from Concordia Choir, and our own

Peter Tregear from the ANU School of Music. Nine choirs will compete in the challenge on August 16, five of them from interstate. The primary sections on August 15 will see 600 children from Canberra, Jindabyne, Cooma and Sydney competing.

Saturday’s program will include the popular Sacred, Contemporary, Popular, Multicultural and Australia-Britain sections and the 12 Years and under and 19 Years and under championships.

The Australian National Eisteddfod Choirs Division, Llewellyn Hall: Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16. Bookings to 132 849 or tickets at the door. Full program at nationaleisteddfod.org.au

A towering valedictory

By Dougal Macdonald

“A

Most Wanted Man” (M)

“Lucy” (MA)

Doco with a twist of Canberra

By Helen Musa

THE history of cinema may well look upon Dutch director Anton Corbijn’s filming of John le Carre’s novel as valedictory for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s towering performance as German intelligence chief Bachmann whose underlying humanity in the conflict between the good guys (most of us) and terrorist bad guys (the rest of us) puts him offside with the plods.

HER boyfriend asks American-studentin-China Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) to deliver a locked briefcase to Mr Jang (Min-Sik Choi), the epitome of high-level, vile wickedness.

Before long, Jang has inserted a bag of a blue substance to carry in her abdomen.

GOOD documentaries may be all the rage, but they’re not exactly new and the ever-vigilant ANU Film Group will screen a very Canberrarelevant one on August 13.

Meanwhile in France, Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) tells students that we use only about 20 per cent of our brain’s capacity; what wonders might ensue if we learned how to employ the rest for mankind’s benefit?

The blue substance will do just that.

“Allies” is considered one of Australia’s great documentary landmarks. Directed by journalist Marian Wilkinson and first released in 1983, it’s been reissued and released as a DVD by Ronin Films.

The hero fights with cunning and hi-tech rather than fist or firearm. His small team is devoted to preventing another Twin Towers, the planning for which began in Hamburg. There, newly-arrived Russian-born Muslim illegal Issa (Grigoriy Dobrygin) is carrying a document identifying him as entitled to a large cash stash.

It’s wonderfully complex, deftly presented, low-key excitement for the mind. Australian Andrew Bovell has converted le Carre’s masterly logic into a fine screenplay that shuns cliché until the last minute and a half.

At Dendy, Capitol 6 & Palace Electric

The contents leaked from the bag in Lucy’s belly convert a feather-headed blonde into a merciless warrior working under Norman’s guidance while protected by police Captain Pierre (Amr Waked) from the pursuing Jang.

Flying bullets and dead bodies lead to the triumph of right and impressive CGI images distilling the universe on to a USB stick. Great fun.

At all cinemas

“The Keeper of Lost Causes” (MA)

MIKKEL Norgaard’s film about a cold case involving a woman mysteriously missing for five years stands proudly among crime thrillers based on Scandinavian novels.

After a stakeout goes bad, inspector Carl (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) gets transferred to Department Q and told to spend the next three years summarising 20 years worth of cold cases. Detective Assad (Fares Fares) is prepared to work with him.

The case file says that when MP Merete (Sonja Richter) jumped off an inter-island ferry her body was never found. Carl and Assad disagree. Indeed, Merete is alive and unwell, entombed in a plain air hyperbaric chamber where a disembodied voice tells her that he intends to increase the pressure by one atmosphere per annum.

A long, slow death. Will Carl and Assad find her in time?

This Danish thriller’s well crafted, familiar to fans of TV’s “New Tricks” but less comical. Worth a look.

At Palace Electric

Ronin director Andrew Pike says Wilkinson picked up on Bob Hawke’s unequivocal embrace of Australia’s alliance with America and involves sensational footage, as the story is told first hand by players in the game, including ex-CIA officials such as Victor Marchetti, Frank Snepp, Ray Cline, convicted spy Christopher Boyce (filmed in prison) and politicians including John Gorton and Clyde Cameron. And it’s no secret. Even Marshall Green, US Ambassador to Australia from 1973-75 once wrote: “President Lyndon B. Johnson always thought that Australia was the next large rectangular state beyond El Paso, and treated it accordingly”.

“Allies” looks at diplomatic relations between Australia and the US since World War II. In the 1960s it was “all the way with LBJ”, but when the Whitlam Government withdrew troops from Vietnam, relations between Australia and the US became strained.

Pike believes this film is particularly relevant in light of Malcolm Fraser’s recent book “Dangerous Allies”.

One of the key figures in the doco is ANU Professor Des Ball, “the man who saved the world” according to Jimmy Carter. Ball will be on hand for a discussion after the screening, which will be introduced by Pike, who helped start the ANU Film Group in 1966.

“Allies” (95 mins, PG), HC Coombs Building, ANU campus, 7.30pm, Wednesday, August 13, information at anufg.org.au

arts & entertainment / dining

Sensational pasta, by the book

“DON’T you just want to hug him?” asked the salesperson behind the counter at the bookstore where I picked up a copy of “Antonio Carluccio’s Pasta”.

If that was not enough, she continued in a rather dreamy tone: “He cooked up a storm while in Canberra, didn’t he?”

And that’s what 77-year-old Antonio did, with his cooking and by his very presence – his snow-white hair, the deep lines in his face reflecting years of good living, his broad smile and infectious personality.

Italians love food and they love Italian chefs – especially international celebrity chef Commendatore Antonio Carluccio who was here recently to celebrate the capital’s Truffle Festival.

Antonio wasn’t just celebrating his trip to Australia. He was celebrating the hot-off-the-press “Pasta”, a quintessential book for anyone who savours eating a sensational bowl of pasta. This is Antonio’s eighteenth book on Italian cooking.

Canberra has an amazing array of Italian restaurants, from the expensive to the cheap and cheerful. It’s challenging to track them, but my estimate is that there are well over 100 across the ACT, and that is not counting the pizza joints. As a collective, my gut

Superb Stoppard

theatre

“Arcadia”

By Tom Stoppard, directed by Aarne Neeme

At Theatre 3 until August 16

Reviewed by Len Power

SET in two time periods – 1809 to 1812 and 1993 – in Sidley Park, a grand English country house in Derbyshire, we follow the stories of the earlier inhabitants and the more recent group of historical researchers and current owners. As the play progresses, we are drawn into a world of ideas, history and science, order and chaos. It might sound heavy going, but it’s constantly entertaining and the character interaction is recognisable and very funny.

Director Aarne Neeme’s production works superbly. He has given the show a tension and pace that ensures an audience doesn’t get lost as the wealth of ideas tumble out.

The large cast give uniformly excellent performances. Especially notable in the larger roles were Pat Gallagher, Lainie Hart, Amelia Green, Matthew Barton and Sam Hannan-Morrow.

The excellent off-stage piano playing by Michael F Coady is quite haunting.

This is rightly known as one of the great plays of the 20th century and Canberra Rep’s production definitely shows why.

tells me that these eateries cover the 20 regions of Italy, each of which fiercely protects its own style of cuisine.

But back to “Pasta”. The short history is fascinating and the chapter on types of pasta is, too. But it is the 100 or so recipes that are the most inspiring, designed for fresh and dried pasta.

I started by making a simple and traditional dish – classic spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and chilli. This is inexpensive Italian “fast food” at its best. For extra flavour, Antonio recommends tossing through anchovy fillets in oil, which I did, and it worked a treat.

I have also made the classic trofie with a herb and nut sauce. These little twists of pasta origi-

nated in the northern Liguria region, famous for its herbs, and the sauce is super easy to make with a pestle and mortar. In a flash you have dinner. The next dish I will make is truly unusual. Antonio developed it as a tribute to Puglia’s conical-shaped stone buildings, built without cement so they could be taken apart, moved and re-created. The “Trullo di Zitoni” (meat and pasta pie) uses long tubular pasta, in honour of these ancient buildings, and you can create it with any of the 30 sauces featured in the recipe book, even the wild boar one.

The photos in “Pasta” are magnificent and each dish features a map of “The Boot” and marks the region the recipe comes from.

This is a great addition to a cookbook collection and a super gift if you know someone who adores Italian cuisine.

Shogun Restaurant offers superb Japanese cuisine. Combing the Japanese classic favourite of SUKIYAKI, SHABU-SHABU, SUSHI, SASHIMI, TEMPURA ETC, and TEPPANYAKI.

Phone: 6248 8888 1st Floor, Garema Centre, 70 Bunda Street, Canberra City www.shogunrestaurant.com.au

La Scala Italian Restaurant

Celebrating 25 years of excellence and welcomed as an accredited member restaurant to The Academy of Italian Cuisine for accurately displaying Italian culinary traditions and innovations. Centre Cinema Building, Garema Place, Canberra City 6248 8338 www.lascala.net.au

3rd ANNUAL

HOSTED BY ABC BROADCASTER

DIRECT FROM THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN GLASGOW

Join Tim and a distinguished panel of sporting personalities for a memorable annual lunch that helps support the dreams of people with disabilities.

BRASSEY HOTEL, BARTON from 12pm, Friday, SEPTEMBER 5

TICKETS: $75 (tables of 8, $575)

Bookings to Rose at info@brassey.com.au or to allankey.org

ACT COUNCIL OF SAVE THE

A fund-raising dinner at the acclaimed D’Browes Restaurant in Narrabundah with a special performance by contemporay, local folk singer Fred Smith

Smith is currently on a national tour presenting songs from his album “Dust of Uruzgan”, based on his experience of two stints as a diplomat and political adviser in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

All proceeds from the evening will assist Save the Children’s work in Australia and overseas.

WHERE: D’Browes Restaurant, 59 Boolimba Crescent, Narrabundah

WHEN: Tuesday, September 9 from 6.30pm TICKETS:

gardening In praise of lovely lavender

WINNERS are the theme this week, starting with one of the world’s favourite plants, lavender – used from Roman times for medicinal value and its magnificent fragrance.

Almost all female perfumes use lavender oil as a base to which the various perfume houses add their secret ingredients.

One of the world’s largest suppliers of essential lavender oils is Bridestowe Lavender, of Tasmania. Based near Launceston, its several hundred hectares of English lavender are a sight to behold in December.

BASICALLY, there is French and English lavender, with the latter surprisingly used by the perfume makers rather than the French. There are thousands of varieties of lavenders and you may have one that no other person has. If you have two varieties of lavender, the bees may cross pollinate the flowers and next you have a unique lavender growing.

Lavender grows well in Canberra and will blend with every type of garden from the bush garden with the mauve and violet flowers blending

perfectly with our Aussie plants. French lavender flowers early in spring and the English lavender later and into summer, giving an extended season of fragrance and colour.

For potpourri, the time to collect the flowers is just as they come into bloom, early in the season.

Lavender “Princess”, developed and grown by Plant Growers Australia, has just been named as the Plant of the Year in the 2014 Nursery and Garden Industry Awards. The award represents the pinnacle of PGA’s breeding success with a background of 15 years of dedicated lavender development.

“Princess”, a compact small bush that is less inclined to go woody and sparse at the base, is famed for its vivid electric pink flowers. Being a Mediterranean plant, it is drought hardy, although in prolonged dry periods appreciates a good deep drink.

I have been trialling a group in our

garden for the last 12 months and am impressed with their performance. It is available from most garden centres.

THE next winner is the Chelsea Flower Show’s 2014 Product of the Year, namely the Bosch Isio cordless shears.

The tool has an inbuilt, rechargeable lithium battery, which does not go flat in between uses, even after weeks of non use. With a cutting edge similar to sheep shears, the Isio will run for 50 minutes.

The clippers are available in Canberra, but I bought mine in Holland several years ago. I use them for deadheading perennials after flowering to shaping topiary, clipping box hedging and edging our small lawn.

There is also a mini 13cm hedgeclipping attachment as an accessory.

ANOTHER winner… congratulations to Jim Fogarty and the Australian landscape team for winning the Best in Show and Gold Medal at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Flower Show in London.

Their “The Essence of the Australian

Creating Sustainable Gardens

This follows Victorian

Jottings…

• Do not cut back frost-damaged foliage as it helps to protect the soft foliage underneath. Wait until the frosts are over.

• Keep picking lemons because if they’re left on the tree they slow down new growth.

• Time is running out to plant deciduous trees and ornamental blossom trees.

CEDRIC BRYANT

Joanne Madeline Moore

your week in the stars – August 11-17, 2014

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Rams are social creatures, and your current friendships are in a state of flux. Some close relationships will end suddenly, while others develop in wonderfully unexpected ways. Prepare for a fabulous Friday as mighty Mars aspects powerful Pluto, and you’ll be noticed wherever you go. Motivation and confidence levels are high, so make the most of the positive planetary aspects.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

One half of you wants to be sociable and take on the world, while the other half longs for some peace and quiet and privacy. The solution? Be a well-balanced Bull and juggle both sides! Focus on things that are working in your life, and solidify them – plus be proactive about partnerships. Under the influence of Venus, a family relationship is set to improve in leaps and bounds.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Joining a social group or sporting club in your local community brings mutual benefits, as you’re keen to connect with a diverse range of people. Don’t expect instant results though. Mercury moves into your domestic zone on Saturday, so it’s time to get talking with family members. You could also play gracious Gemini host to friends who come to stay from far away.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

It’s all about money honey, as Monday’s Full Moon stirs up trouble in your $$$ zones. Fortunately, Venus and Jupiter come to the rescue and if you’re a clever Crab you’ll pal up with a financially astute person who helps you find ways to develop a second stream of income. The more proactive, creative and collaborative you are, the more fabulous your financial future will be!

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Va-voom Venus vamps into your sign on Tuesday (where it stays until September 6). So smile brightly, flutter your eyelashes or flex your pecs, as you charm others and get what you want in the nicest possible way. You’re also in the mood for lashings of Leo extravagance and overindulgence. As birthday great Mae West declared: “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

The week goes slowly but then Mercury moves into your sign on Saturday, when you’ll be at your curious, studious fact-finding best and nit-picking worst. Aim to view the glass of life as being half-full rather than half-empty. Be inspired by famous chef Julia Child (born on August 15, 1912): “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Children and teenagers will blur the boundaries and test your patience this week. If you are firm and flexible – a tricky balance – then you can guide them through the constantly changing landscape. Don’t dismiss financial matters though. The devil is definitely in the detail, as you take the time to research, revise and re-do. Loved ones will appreciate your due diligence Libra.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Home is where the heart is, as you spend quality time with family members. You’re in the mood to fix something around the house – or to patch up a problematic relationship with a relative. Mars/Pluto aspects boost your ambition and focus on Friday, when you communicate with extra confidence and charisma. So it’s a fabulous day to make positive changes in powerful ways.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Be careful your spontaneous Sagittarian spirit doesn’t land you in unexpected trouble! You’re keen to communicate but, if you rush in and say the first thing on your mind, you could find yourself regretting your haste. With the Sun, Venus and Jupiter in your travel zone, many adventurous Archers will soon head off on an overseas trip, interstate interlude or weekend getaway.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Are money matters on your mind? With Venus visiting your joint finances zone (from August 12 until September 6) find ways to boost your cash flow via financial partnerships, joint ventures or creative collaborations. Avoid taking risks though, a cautious and conservative Capricorn approach is the safest way to go. Resist the urge to offer unwanted advice on Sunday.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

The Aquarian Full Moon amplifies your reckless nature but too much haste could lead to an argument or accident, so pace yourself. The stars favour expanding your social media connections, as teamwork and networking get you where you want to go. Look for a person you can collaborate with, on a project close to your heart. Your enthusiasm and innovative ideas win others over.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

This week you’re even more mysterious than usual as the Full Moon helps you ferret out fascinating secrets, keep mum about confidences, and charm others with your persuasive Piscean personality. You may experience mood swings but you can also expect artistic inspiration and spiritual insights, as your inner muse demands to be expressed in a variety of creative ways.

Daily astrology updates at www.twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2014

General knowledge crossword No. 464

Across

3 Name an amphibious, egg-laying monotreme (8)

7 What is a case for holding arrows? (6)

8 Which coffee is made by forcing steam under pressure through ground beans? (8)

9 What do we call the number of members required to be present to transact business legally? (6)

10 Name Banjo Paterson’s classic poem, the Man from ...? (8)

11 What are shrimplike decapod crustaceans? (6)

14 Which term is descriptive of also, or too? (2,4)

17 What is something that causes excitement to anger? (8)

18 Which people go on long walks for pleasure? (6)

19 What do we call one who keeps watch during a two-up game? (8)

20 Name the hard, aromatic seed of an East Indian tree (6)

Ling had been told she could put insurance into her self-managed superannuation fund and came by to check if this was right.

“There are some types of insurance that you can hold within your SMSF,” I told her. “There may be some advantages in doing this. It is possible to hold life insurance, total and permanent disability insurance and income protection insurance within your SMSF.

21 On which day did Solomon Grundy die? Solution

Sudoku medium No. 132

1 Name a large vein of the neck (7)

2 To have supervised, is to have done what? (7)

3 What is a proposition from which a conclusion is drawn? (7)

4 Which rulers use their power oppressively? (7)

5 What is the charge for the conveyance of a letter, etc? (7)

6 Which tube enables a person swimming face downwards to breathe? (7)

11 What are non-reigning male members of a royal family? (7)

12 Which downy yellow fruit somewhat resembles a small peach? (7)

13 To be unjust is to be what? (3,4)

14 Which Saint was the founder of Christian monasticism? (7)

15 In cricket, which frameworks do the bowlers aim at? (7)

16 What is an alternative term for trucks? (7)

“In the case of life insurance, it is now mandatory for the trustees of a SMSF to consider, as part of the fund’s investment strategy, whether the fund should hold life insurance within the fund for its members. Life insurance is paid to dependents on death or, in some cases, for terminal illness.”

“Total and permanent disability insurance pays the sum insured in the event you become totally or permanently disabled. However, in an SMSF you will need to have an ‘any occupation’ definition in order to meet the legislative requirements.

“If you have a policy that has the definition of ‘own occupation’ your SMSF will not be able to release the funds to you until you reach retirement age, in the event of a payout.

“Neither life nor total and permanent disability insurances are tax deductible. However, if you put these insurances into your SMSF they become tax deductible to the fund at the rate of 15 per cent. I should add that this might not be appropriate to your circumstances so they need to be considered first.

“You need to consider your needs in relation to insurance, your level of assets and liabilities and your cashflow. As the insurance is paid by the SMSF, it does not affect your personal cashflow, which can be advantageous. It does, of course, reduce the amount of money in your SMSF available to pay retirement benefits when you retire.

“I should also mention that if a life-insurance lump sum is paid to your beneficiaries and they are adults and not tax dependants, then lump-sum tax may be payable. If, however, the fund can pay an income stream, the amount of tax payable may be reduced by a pension tax offset.”

Looking shocked, Ling said she hadn’t realised it was so complicated.

“Yes, there are a lot of things you need to take into account,” I told her.

“Income protection insurance is tax deductible whether or not you hold it in your SMSF. There is one significant requirement which is that the benefit must be paid in the form of a noncommutable income stream. So not only can you not commute the benefit to a lump sum, but if the policy can pay you a lump sum then the trustee of the SMSF is prohibited from providing this type of cover to you.”

Ling said: “Thank you for that, Gail. I will go home and consider the best approach and then come back to finalise the best options.”

If you need assistance with your SMSF or any other superannuation or retirement matter, please contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS is my first apartment $331 PER

WITH 20 WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS, THERE IS NO NEED FOR A PIGGY BANK WITH GEOCON BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST HURDLES TO OWNING YOUR OWN HOME IS SAVING THE DEPOSIT.

NO DEPOSIT

No deposit may sound too good to be true but it’s as easy as securing your property with an initial $1000 deposit and making regular repayments towards your balance of 5%.

DID YOU KNOW?

It would be nice for mum and dad to gift you your deposit for a house but, did you know that when you apply for your home loan, some banks like to see a regular savings or payment plan. GEOCON can help get you on the right path so you are ready to apply for your loan.

WEEK

It’s just about getting your foot in the door and with GEOCON apartments priced from as low as $255,000, your mortgage repayments could be as little as $331 per week* and you could be spending your weekends selecting the perfect signature pieces for your new home!

How

We just have a commitment free chat to start. We can explain how everything works and have a look at your individual situation and find an apartment and a payment plan to suit your budget.