THE Abbott “Nanny State” is upon us. Governments should be protecting our privacy –not attacking it.
The very people who have been vigorous in their arguments for freedom are in the process of introducing more surveillance of ordinary people.
The role of government should not just be about checks and balances on their own agencies. They also need to protect ordinary people from a further insidious, creeping blight on our freedoms that is permeating the lives of millions of Australians.
Additionally, they are failing to protect us from attacks on our privacy by international entities such as Facebook. Freedom of speech was the justification Attorney-General George Brandis provided when he moved to remove Section 18 people to speak their mind – even though the impact was devastating on those who suffered discrimination. It is ironic that the same Attorney-General now puts that on hold to interfere with the freedom of ordinary people.
Loss of freedoms is a gradual, step by step process. Metadata information is already being gathered according to the government and reiterated by ASIO Chief, David Irvine. He argued ASIO is targeting suspect individuals and not embarking on a “great mass surveillance exercise or mass invasion of privacy”. The real issue for protection of privacy is around checks and balances.
Irvine has a tough job. He recently said: “My organisation is working in overload at the present time to deal with the way in which the terrorist threat... is suddenly starting to impact on Australian citizens and on the
briefly
More homeless men come in from the cold
THE Safe Shelter project for homeless men has experienced greater demand for its services so far this year than it did during the whole of its pilot trial in 2013. The Shelter, a combined churches and community project, is staffed by about 60 volunteers and operates in St Columba’s Uniting Church, Braddon, with support
Future Vision
ANYONE transitioning to the National Disability Insurance Scheme is invited to attend one of two information sessions explaining the support and services that Vision Australia provides. The sessions, at Level 2, 22 East Row, Civic, are on August 19 (6pm-7.30pm) and August 20 (1pm-2.30pm). Call 6132 5800 or email canberra@ visionaustralia.org
Helping the men
LAW firm Watts McCray is hosting its networking drinks at As You Like It Café, The Street Theatre, Childers Street, to raise funds and awareness for the local charity, Menslink, 5.30pm-7pm, on Friday, September 12. More information from 6257 6347 or adavis@wattsmccray.com.au
Discussing Dame Enid
THE life of Dame Edith Lyons, the first woman elected to Federal parliament in 1943, is the subject of Gina Hall’s lunch talk to the Woden View Club at the Southern Cross Club on Tuesday, August 26. Lunch cost is $24 and rsvp by August 21 to 62812022. Visitors and interested ladies are warmly welcomed.
security of Australian citizens.”
He was supported by Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Andrew Colvin saying that retaining data is “not a new power” for law enforcement or security agencies.
Perhaps it is not really a new power. But are there appropriate checks and balances for such extensive powers? Use of these powerful tools should require case by case approval by courts.
The role of government should not just be about checks and balances on their own agencies. They also need to protect ordinary people from a further insidious, creeping blight on our freedoms that is permeating the lives of millions of Australians.
A previously voluntary Facebook app is now being made a requirement for users wishing to send messages to their “friends”. Even when it was voluntary, people such as Sam Fiorelli in
from Rotary, the Knights of St John of Malta and a number of welfare agencies.
Safe Shelter accepts up to eight guests each night, on a first-come-first-served basis, welcomed by two or three volunteers who sleep on the hall floor with the guests. It opens Tuesday-Thursday, 7pm-7am.
Controlling eczema is so much more than dabbing on a bit of cream.
Your skin needs to be nourished—naturally.
The Psoriasis and Skin Clinic helps by tackling the triggers of your eczema, not just the symptoms. No cortisone needed.
We also treat psoriasis, acne, dermatitis, rosacea and nail problems.
the “Huffington Post” were vigorously warning the billion or so users worldwide who had already adopted it to get rid of the app.
The detail was in the fine print of the contract. Who really checks the contract when downloading apps when it won’t download if you do not tick the “agree” box? However, the contract on the Facebook Messenger’s Mobile App delivers extraordinary powers of surveillance to that company. The app was voluntary. Now it is the only way to send messages in Facebook from mobile devices.
Fiorelli points out the conditions. These are powers that simply should not be allowed with agreement or not. When downloading the Facebook app the user allows it to:
• Take pictures and videos with the camera and to record audio with the microphone. This permission allows the app to use the camera at any time without confirmation.
• Call phone numbers and to send SMS messages without user intervention. This may result in unexpected charges or calls.
• Read the phone’s call log, including data about incoming and outgoing calls. This permission allows apps to save call log data, and malicious apps may share call log data without users’ knowledge.
• Read data about contacts stored on your phone, including the frequency of the calls, emails, or communications in other ways with specific individuals.
The government has a role to intervene. The permission a user gives does not just interfere with the user’s privacy and those around. Facebook Mobile Messenger also facilitates the app getting a list of accounts known by the phone. This may include any accounts created by applications the user has installed. Bank account apps are not excluded. Governments argue for more power to protect people from terrorism. It is a strong argument. However, the power must not be unfettered. Just as the government has rights, it also has responsibilities. Checks and balances are critical to avoid sliding into George Orwell’s world of “Nineteen Eighty Four”. Perhaps the title should be adjusted thirty years.
Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.
Sam Fiorelli. “The Insidiousness of Facebook Messenger’s Mobile App Terms of Service” (12/01/2013) at huffingtonpost. com/sam-fiorella/the-insidiousness-offace_b_4365645.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
Attorney-General Senator George Brandis, after making an ass of himself trying to explain the new metadata laws, had to call in the ASIO and AFP heavies to ‘clarify’ his gobbledygook. seven days
SOMETIMES it’s a toss up whether you laugh or cry. When Senator Eric Abetz , Government Leader in the Upper House, firmly defended those who say there’s a link between abortion and breast cancer, Australia’s collective mind boggled.
And though he later denied (sort of) that he personally subscribed to the view, Channel 10 viewers were left in no doubt. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised from a Government that abolishes the ministry of science and pays lip service to climate change.
HIS leader, Tony Abbott , was also caught out when he linked the decision to junk the repeal of the bigotry provisions of the Racial Discrimination Act to the new counter-terrorism measures. Wouldn’t want to offend the Muslims, said Tony. Trouble is, Muslims aren’t a “race” and are not covered by the Act. Truth is, that awful Budget and his own missteps have so weakened the Government’s standing that everything’s up for grabs, even his “signature” paid parental leave.
AND how risible that AttorneyGeneral Senator George Brandis,
after making an ass of himself trying to explain the new metadata laws, had to call in the ASIO and AFP heavies to “clarify” his gobbledygook. Turns out not much has changed at all.
TWITTER went wild on all counts; and we’re told Canberrans are the biggest tweeters in the country. No surprises there to anyone who’s worked in journalism in our fair city. We’re a community of strong opinions, usually soundly based in my experience… until, of course, it comes to Israel.
“SYDNEY Morning Herald”
columnist Mike Carlton fell victim to a concentrated fusillade of hate when he dared question the propriety of PM Netanyahu’s bombing Gaza and killing 1800 Palestinian men, women and children. He then, perhaps unwisely, responded. When Fairfax management intervened, I’m not surprised he re -
signed. But I bet they’ll go back to him on bended knee.
IT’S not just Twitter among the social media that intrigues us. The YouTube video of a Canberra man stabbing himself was an encore to that appalling fight in Canberra’s jail. Both went “viral”, an entirely appropriate description for that nasty virus we might call violent voyeurism.
ANOTHER symptom of the same syndrome is the seemingly endless memorialising of World War I. Our TV screens have been filled for days with the cliché-ridden banalities of the madness that chewed up and spat out a generation of young Australians for no good purpose.
And they justify it with that most specious of entreaties: “Lest We Forget”. Depends what we’re supposed to remember.
ROBERT MACKLIN
Canberra Region Cancer Centre
EVERYONE’S up in arms about the NSW Liberal MP and veterinarian Andrew Cornwell who took $10,000 for a relatively worthless painting from a building developer. But what about the poor dog he left on the operating table to collect a second 10 grand from the back of a Bentley? What happened to Fido?
ON a warmer note, the highlight of a visit to Tuross this week was the cavorting of two huge whales leaping right out of the water, in unison! Alas, they’re a month earlier than ever before. I wonder why?
robertmacklin.com
Canberra’s
(02) 6174 8088
Cover: After 50 years, it’s farewell to rocker Suzi Quatro. Story Page
comment is taken by Ian Meikle, Level 1, 143 London Circuit, Canberra.
$255,000
A guide to perfect herbs APARTMENTS
1. PLANTING SEEDLINGS
Kick start your garden without having to make the extra effort to plant seeds. Balconies and smaller areas are the perfect place for herbs and edible plants because you can begin to use them as soon as you’ve planted them! Choose what you would like to plant, select the soil appropriate for that seedling type and give your seedling the room it needs to grow by selecting a pot that is five times the size of the plant.
2. LOOKING AFTER YOUR CROP
Researching what types of plants will be best for your apartment garden will result in the best success. Vegetables usually require six to eight hours of sunlight to thrive, so make sure they get it and don’t forget the required amount of water and fertiliser!
3. STORING YOUR PRODUCE
Growing herbs at home will be perfect for home cooked meals and barbecuing around Observatory’s firepit. To make your crop last longer, try drying out your herbs and storing them in airtight containers or jars for prolonged use. Learning more about what produce is best throughout the year will help you enjoy fresh and delicious meals all year round.
opinion / Yarralumla
Thousands challenge poor planning impost
CONGRATULATIONS to the 4181 Canberrans who signed the petition calling for the ACT Government to rework the plan for the Canberra Brickworks and environs. It shows Canberrans are prepared to challenge poor planning.
Local MLA Steve Doszpot presented the petition in the Legislative Assembly on August 6, and the Assembly passed a motion calling on the Government to consider the issues raised.
The petition was not about opposing development. It was about very real issues associated with the Land Development Agency’s proposal for a town centre scale development of 1600 dwellings in buildings up to eight storeys high.
The petitioners called for a reworked plan more in character with the existing suburb, that addresses significant traffic issues, enables preservation of the Brickworks, provides information on the safe removal of asbestos and other contamination, and deals with infrastructure and other impacts.
People from all over Canberra and elsewhere enjoy the shops and cafes, green spaces, walking trails and amenity in Yarralumla. There is a mix of housing, with more than 20 per cent townhouses, duplexes and dual occupancies; significant provision of public housing; and a growing number of apartments.
Canberrans are very much aware of the iconic heritage sites in the vicinity of the proposed Brickworks and environs development. They are integral to the birth of Canberra as Australia’s national capital.
We are alarmed there is only $1.5 million for ‘making safe’ the Brickworks, which have been left to decay for more than 35 years. This is less than half what the Government proposes to spend on a bus stop on Adelaide Avenue.
adaptively reuse the Brickworks, which have been left to decay for more than 35 years.
The funding is less than half the amount the Government proposes to spend on a bus stop on Adelaide Avenue. Yet 2015 will be the centenary of the construction of the famous Staffordshire kiln at the Brickworks, the only kiln of its kind left in Australia and one of only a few in the world.
There is a better way to proceed. Through good planning, we can preserve iconic heritage sites for current and future generations, while providing for additional residential development. There must be a balanced approach to development, which is less about a “cash grab” and more about creating a genuinely vibrant and sustainable community.
Marea Fatseas is president of the Yarralumla Residents Association
Mark Parton opinion
CANBERRA’S a great city unless you happen to find yourself out of a job.
This is a city that seems to define people not by who they are, but by how they earn a living.
I was unemployed in Canberra for a few months in 2008 and can remember calling a business connection to discuss a proposal I had for him… let’s say it was Bill Bloggs.
I didn’t have his mobile number so I rang his office.
The call went like this:
“Hello Bill Bloggs Enterprises.”
“Hello, I’d like to speak with Bill if I could… is he in the office?”
“I’ll have to check, can I say who’s calling?”
“Sure, my name is Mark Parton.”
“…and where are you calling from Mark?”
Tough question to get when you don’t have a job.
“Ummm, I’m actually calling from the lounge room, but I may move to the kitchen during the call.”
“No, I mean which company are you calling from?”
“Well….I arrr…I’m unemployed at the moment.”
The tone of the call changed from that point.
The century old Westbourne Woods, with their ex perimental plantings by Thomas Weston, extend west from the planned development site, towards the ridge buffer (between South Canberra and Woden), Dunrossil Drive and Government House. The heritage-listed Canberra Brickworks, brickpits/quarry, and Brickworks railway remnants; as well as archaeological remains of previous Brickworks housing, and a section of the old Uriarra Track, lie within the proposed development site. North of the site are the heritage listed CSIRO Forestry Precinct, Yarralumla Nursery, and Weston Park.
We are alarmed that the current development proposal provides only token funding of $1.5 million (less than 1 per cent of likely land sale revenue from the development) for “making safe” the Brickworks buildings.
This is not enough to conserve, let alone
MAREA FATSEAS
Figures out last week showed that unemployment is on the rise in the ACT. The July figure from the ABS has us up 0.1 per cent to 3.9 per cent and it may well get worse. Now it must be said that jobs were lost in almost every State and Territory, but you’d have to suggest that the worst may still be ahead in public service land. I’m one of the few who believes that we have just about bottomed out and that better times are closer, but maybe I’m just a crazy optimist. I’m a Raiders fan, so by definition I am a crazy optimist.
If you’re job hunting at the moment, good luck with it. Thank your lucky stars that you don’t have to apply for 40 jobs a month to stay in the system. I think Eric Abetz is going to get rolled on that one, which must be a good thing.
Mark Parton is the breakfast announcer on 2CC.
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The future calls, just Google it!
OLDER politicians are having a lot of trouble with facts these days. It used to be that if you heard something it was reasonably safe to repeat it, particularly if it seemed to advance your cause.
Now, not only should they have spent five seconds Googling that tidbit but, as sure as God made the little fishes, everyone else will be giving it a once over. If the “fact” was based on old and discredited research a great deal of embarrassment will ensue.
After some initial awkwardness with plagiarising Wikipedia (anti-plagiarism technology having marched further and faster than dull-witted copyand-pasters) school students now have opportunities the rest of us could only have dreamed of.
Twenty years ago a student had to trudge to a local library and hope the book they found was vaguely current. It was not a process that encouraged an enquiring mind, especially when the trudge home in time for dinner was in the dark and a settling frost.
Now anyone can become a subject matter expert given the slightest motivation and a spare hour.
The effects of all this vast access to knowledge are still raining down on the landscape all around us.
Have you tasted just how good coffee has become? Cheerleaders gasp about “Canberra coffee culture” but it’s going on everywhere.
Now
anyone can become a subject matter expert given the slightest motivation and a spare hour.
Here Coffee Lab, the Cupping Room, Tonic, Harvest, Two Before Ten and, of course, Lonsdale Street Roasters (to name but a few) are turning out coffees today that were undreamed of short decades ago, not just in Canberra but in Paris or Rome, in large part because knowledge is flowing harder and faster than we ever dreamed.
Small beer makers are now able to find niche audiences for specialist styles and the dreary homogeneity of Australian lager is being shattered.
Canberra now has three thriving breweries in the Wig and Pen, Bentspoke Brewing and Zierholz.
Thanks to knowledge gained entirely from the internet I now operate a hot smoker with astonishing precision and make hot beef sandwiches better than I, or my friends, ever dreamed of.
I needed to join two pieces of sheet metal the other day to fix my partner’s watering can. Twenty minutes watching YouTube videos and I was ready to tackle a pop-riveting job.
No-one who knows how to operate a modern mobile phone will ever be lost in a city ever again (incidentally, governments could probably axe the budget on street signage at this point).
Importantly, very smart people can mix
with their peers online which means two things:
1) They won’t be as lonely.
2) When they realise they aren’t unique snowflakes any more they’ll hopefully stop being such arrogant jackasses.
Boredom, like cold, hunger and immunisable diseases, will largely be a thing of the past. While we can’t yet know what a hyperstimulated population will be like in the long term at least the unplanned pregnancies caused by chronic boredom will be a thing of the past.
It is, without doubt, a terrifying future, but so are all the best roller coasters.
John Griffiths is the online editor of citynews.com.au
JOHN GRIFFITHS
Emotion is not evidence
MICHAEL Moore has my sincere sympathy in having lost his mother at 92 years. I, too, lost a relative, but not for refusing to take enough morphine.
Under the national illicit drug policy she was given indifferent advice about choosing to take drugs but told, if taking them, do it safely. Mr Moore says there are safeguards in the ACT Greens Medical Cannabis Paper. But there were supposed to be “safeguards” when my relative died. Mr Moore says side effects like addiction, schizophrenia and lung cancer are “simply irrelevant for the dying”.
The persons dying may live for some years. What happens if they get lung cancer or emphysema? Are they just additional “side effects”? How is the additional pain handled then? Do we put a bong alongside the bed and allow them to smoke themselves to death?
The TGA and AMA must be allowed to conduct their inquiries, because emotion is not medical evidence.
Colliss Parrett, Barton
Sharing the little victories
NATIONAL Brain Injury Awareness Week ends on August 17. Some 1.6 million Australians live with a brain injury.
The challenges that people with brain injuries experience should not be understated – in many instances people have to start their lives over, including relearning things others may take for granted, like tying up shoelaces or buttoning up a jacket. These small victories are hugely significant.
Through my work, I see the everyday impact of brain injury and urge our local community to get behind Brain Injury Awareness Week, whether through supporting initiatives such as “Bang on a Beanie” to help fundraise for brain injury (bangonabeanie.com) or through supporting our Small Victories campaign.
Maurice Blackburn would also love to hear from people who have a story, photo or video of hope with their recovery from brain injury at facebook.com/ smallvictoriesau or email smallvictories@mauriceblackburn.com.au
Walter Hawkins, Maurice Blackburn, Civic
property
A light on laneways
By Catherine Carter
LET’S bring our city’s laneways into the light. Imagine turning the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings inside-out to reveal laneways lined with restaurants and holein-the-wall bars. Imagine the central spine of Manuka dotted with carts selling books, art and antiques. Imagine Bunda Street’s graffitied walls transformed by Banksy’s art and a bohemian vibe.
Laneways haven’t always been places for garbage and garages and many cities are seeing their potential.
Anyone who has ever been lost down the alleys of Paris, the labyrinthine streets of Florence or Venice, or the peculiar passages of London will understand the pleasure of wandering through laneways that were laid out long before the motor car.
Melbourne is famous for transforming its gold-rush slums into hidden gems of retail and restaurants, art and architecture in an atmosphere that is anything but mainstream.
In Detroit, a block-long outdoor art gallery spans fences, garages and other surfaces. In London, five laneways are now an edible garden. Closer to home, Geelong has recognised that activating laneways at night is a simple way to improve safety and cultivate a vibrant nightlife. The Laneways and Linkages Project is encouraging micro businesses and alfresco areas that interact with lanes, introducing WiFi hotspots and fitness tracks and enhancing blank walls with artwork and vertical gardens.
Catherine Carter is ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia
scene / around canberra
Social event of the week / The Great Debate for Women in Management
THE Australian Institute of Management’s Great Debate for Women in Management, with the much-loved Paul McDermott at the podium to keep these feisty, fabulous women in line, was a subject dear to the hearts of many women wondering if equality is likely in their lifetime.
LYN MILLS
Yes, girls, ladies, grandmas, and all who proudly aspire to be equal, were judging a debate on quotas, filling the Convention Centre to the max and thoroughly enjoying this annual event.
“Quotas are a girl’s best friend” was the subject and our own Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, an epitome of a Labor quota, was there for the affirmative.
Accompanied by former Ambassador of Zimbabwe Jacqueline Zwambila and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Rona , her team put forward a cogent argument.
On the negative team, Megan Dalla Camina, Lynne Pezzullo and Avril convinced the majority determined by a McDermottorchestrated cacophony of yelling, screaming and clapping and the debate went to those who believe all should be judged on merit – except for the domestic arena, where Avril Henry determined we should apply quotas for men (and the crowd agreed). A great debate, indeed!
• Quality custom designed chairs, sofas and bedheads
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• Window seat cushions, outdoor cushions and scatter cushions
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• Free consultation with an experienced designer in store
• A local business that has been in Canberra for 30 years
The affirmative team... Katy Gallagher, Jacqueline Zwambila and Rona Mellor
Helen Winslade, Susie Smith, Sue Sinclair and Julie Prater
Emma Williams, Lisa Evans and Amber Gale
Jacinta Crabtree, Drew Baker and Zoe Piper
Lynne Thomson, Susan Davidson, Emily Davidson and Sara Davidson
Kylie Declifford and Christina Valdamis Di Fielding and Virgina Shaw
The negative team... Lynne Pezzullo, Megan Dalla-Camina and Avril Henry
Michele and Andrew England Betty Pearson, Bronwyn King, Kate Berg and Marilyn Nelson Luke Robbie and Brendan O’Brien
Rachel Cousins, Lenny Scott and Jess Phillips Gabrielle Harris, Michael Lynch and Alice Monocle
Luke Ashe, Liam Bourke, Owen Skelly and Tiernan Kelly
Louis Proctor and Giacomo Paganelli
Judith and Tony Roper
Erica Wrigley, Juliet Crossman and Annie-Mei Forster
Lee Thompson and Timeke Charls Joy Arblaster and Jane Hardy
Mimi Fairall, Madeleine Ward and Sophie Bishop
Michael Molly and Jason McCormack
Daniel Harrison and Della Jackson
Photos by Andrew Finch
Michael Moore
Ian Meikle
Mark Parton
Marcus Paul Robert Macklin
Chris Mac Pete Davidson John Griffiths Helen Musa
Janet Lynch and Marilyn Ward Jan Addison and Cassie Carson
Jacqui Thorpe, Sue Keunen Doris and Suzie Hoitink and Carrie Leeson
Suzie Gikas and Rhiannon Cooper
Kevin Pathinather, Georgie Philpott, Silvina Moro and Sam Stapleton
Lara Ollquist-Medway, Marcus Paul and Louise Gautrey
Susan Blain and Stephanie Lynch Kate Fisher and Jill Mallam.jpg
Alisha Tarrant, Penny Leemhuis and Mandy Larsson
Geoff Adams and Eleanor Heffernan
Silvia Bottari, Kristin Chhabra and Rebecca Sostarko
Maddie Blackmore, Carly Spencer and Danielle de Groot
Bernice Ellis, Alisa Taylor, Chris Hodgson and Hugh Chalmers Sylvie Malapa with Dianne and Jules Tarrant
Canberra Confidential
Ian’s Tattoo surprise
“CITYNEWS” music reviewer
Lt Col Ian McLean, pictured, is just back from an extended holiday that took in Basel, Switzerland, where he and his wife Lynne planned to volunteer for the annual Basel Tattoo (he took an Army Band there some years ago).
win a seat.
“I was certainly keen to support a women’s campaign but was genuinely surprised when I was asked to stand by the ‘faceless women’, which I agreed to on the clear understanding that my role was to fill the ticket and that I wouldn’t win.
“I was guaranteed that that would be the result.
That result didn’t eventuate. I won my seat by about 70 votes – fast forward 10 years and I became the eighth Chief Minister of the ACT.”
Night of consenting science
But on arrival, he found himself catapulted into the role of artistic consultant and co-ordinator for the whole 15-show sellout shindig when the previous director pulled out. “It was a terrific job,” McLean says, “fantastic and so unexpected.”
What Katy did next...
IT appears our eighth Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, is a happy accident of democracy – she first stood for election on the encouragement of the “faceless women” with no expectation of winning, as she told the recent ALP Women’s Conference in Canberra.
“Labor was on track to win government locally in 2001 under Jon Stanhope’s leadership but with the serious possibility of no women MLAs, as all sitting ALP members were men,” she said.
“This was an embarrassing prospect for the party of affirmative action – perhaps even the leading branch of affirmative action.
“It was clear to women across all of the various groups within the party that in order to address this we needed to put women forward as candidates and more than that, once women were preselected, support them in their campaign to
IT’S adults only at Questacon when the next SciNight explores the science behind sport.
A curtain raiser for National Science Week, Questacon describes it as a “geeky night for grown-ups, where visitors can battle against a robot in a game of air hockey, compare their baseball pitch to that of a professional player or discover the science of power lifting.
DJ Alex Carder will play and there’s a bar and special menu at the cafe.
Questacon, Friday, August 15, 6pm-10 pm.
Tickets are $10 at the door.
The government ute stuck to the axle in a government paddock.
Landcare in action
DOG-walking Chris Klootwijk came across an abandoned government ute, stuck to the axle in a self-dug rut.
“I would not have taken much notice, were it not stuck in a government paddock next to Wanniassa Hills Reserve, about a furlong [201.17 metres] from where I came across a kangaroo slaughter two years ago,” he writes.
“It is one thing for TAMS to send inexperienced drivers into the field, another to cull kangaroos on the
pretext that they do damage to flora and fauna.”
Vicki’s out there
VICKI Collins has left the cloisters of TAFE, where she has been nurturing budding journalists for some years, to take up the role of marketing and communication manager at Goodwin Aged Care Services. “Really enjoying getting my hands dirty again as opposed to just talking about comms as a teacher,” she told CC.
Hmmms
THE self-absorbed tram spinners have spun themselves into laughing stocks with this tweet: “#CBR #lightrail aims to add benefit to the day-to-day lives of Canberrans beyond simply a mode of transport”.
MASTERFUL understatement from Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson: “Even by the Government’s own figures light rail will carry less than one per cent of the population during peak periods and knock about a minute off travel times from Gungahlin. Not a sensible way to spend over $600 million.”
SUNDAY’S “Canberra Times”, top of the front page: “August 10, 2013”.
“THE countdown until Floriade 2014 is officially on…” they breathlessly announced. “Officially”? Was there some doubt it was going to happen this year?
SOME droll comfort as we shiver… CC’s Campbell snout reports from Denmark that the Scandinavian country is enduring its hottest summer with the mercury tipping 22C.
DOES anyone else think it’s odd that Ginninderra, which saved the Labor Government’s electoral bacon by delivering three of the five seats (Chris Bourke, Mary Porter and Yvette Berry) doesn’t have any representation in the Assembly’s front bench?
Find it in Phillip advertising feature
The suburb of Phillip is named after Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of NSW.
As the commercial and geographical centre of Woden, Phillip contains many of the district’s key facilities and has its own commercial area located along Botany, Townshend and Parramatta Streets, including Colbee Court, Dundas Court and Altree Court.
BETTER Music is a vast, two-storey shop selling musical instruments in Salamander Court.
The 2500-sqm store has Australia’s largest range of brass and woodwind instruments, pianos, guitars, keyboards, drums, amps, effects, sheet music and orchestral instruments, says managing director Greg Soulsby.
“There’s nothing like this shop anywhere, it’s a unique place and a one-stop destination for musical instruments,” he says.
‘Unique’ place for instruments Best in digital and offset
Better Music moved into the purpose-built store in April 2013 and now employs more than 20 musicians, offering a level of expertise that’s second-to-none.
Locally owned and operated, Better Music guarantees to have the lowest prices Australia-wide, and offers friendly and reliable after-sales service over the phone, online or in-store.
KWIK Kopy offers corporate design and print solutions, from websites to apps to graphic design, says Emilio Park, graphic designer and owner of the Phillip Kwik Kopy centre.
Emilio has been the owner at Phillip for eight years and says he does still get to be creative while running the business.
“I like that we have a small print shop, with three graphic designers on staff, so we work with our clients face-to-face every day,” he says. “We can offer advice and ways for
them to get more bang for their buck.” Kwik Kopy utilises the best in digital and offset printing technology, and can incorporate a variety of extra services into any print job including variable data printing, laminating and embossing. Emilio says they aren’t restricted to paper-based printing, and are able to create promotional mouse mats, pens, umbrellas and coffee mugs.
Unit 2, 10 Townshend Street, call 6281 7700.
18 Salamander Court, call 6282 3199.
Governor Arthur Phillip.
Rudi Zarka at the piano in Better Music… “There’s nothing like this shop anywhere,” says MD Greg Soulsby.
Owner of Phillip Kwik Kopy, Emilio Park… “We work with our clients face-to-face every day.”
Diamond service… Paul “Bowser” Hughes, Michael “Choca” Taylor and Mal Dragila.
Taking a big shine to cars
DETAILING is more than just a job to the team at Diamond Detail, says owner and detailer Michael “Choca” Taylor.
“We enjoy what we do,” he says. “I’ve always had a passion for cars, and we all put a lot of heart into what we do here.
“It’s great to be able to work on a variety of nice cars.”
Based in Dundas Court, Michael says Diamond Detail has been trading since December.
“There are a lot of caryards nearby, so we find the location really suits us,” he says.
Diamond Detail offers different levels
of detailing, from Minor to Diamond, which includes wash, vacuum, windows, tyre shine, shampoo seats and carpets, engine bay, wheel arches, door jams, three-stage buffing process, fall-out removal, glass polish, polish and paint sealant.
The team – comprising Paul “Bowser” Hughes, Mal Dragila and Michael – specialises in protection packs, with leather and vinyl protection, fabric protection, paint protection and ceramic coating available.
3/29 Dundas Court, call 0438 088584.
Service in the suburb’s heart
THE heart of Phillip is the ideal place for offering car services, repairs, tyres and exhausts, says Carl Botha, owner of Woden Tyre & Exhaust.
“We like the location because we have a large area out the front, proximity to other caryards and easy parking,” he says.
“We offer ACT and NSW regos, and carry a range of tyres, with access to some of the best brands from around the world.”
Woden Tyre & Exhaust also has access to a large range of standard replacement, European, performance and heavyduty exhaust solutions. “We can provide over 5000 standard replacement parts,” says Carl, who runs the business with his wife Johanna.
“We also do alloy wheels, batteries, brake inspection and replacement, logbook service, puncture repairs and roadworthy certificates.”
Woden Tyre & Exhaust has been servicing the region for more than 20 years, and Carl and Johanna took over in 2009.
“If you need tyres, mechanical servicing or expert advice, talk to our friendly and professional staff,” says Carl.
The sound of success
DURATONE Hi-Fi has been in the same spot in Phillip since 1968, says owner Fay Cull.
“We’re a group of hi-fi enthusiasts, and our staff is a mix of people who have retired from their main job and come to work here because they know us, have a passion for hi-fi and were Duratone customers over the years,” she says.
“We also have some part-time uni students who are across the newer equipment.
“This means that everyone who works here has a long-term interest in music and equipment, and has this as a hobby.
There’s a huge amount of expertise here.”
Fay says the industry has changed, with less specialist stores around now.
“People go online now and it’s a
different market, but we offer a strong service angle and advice, as well as help with installation,” she says.
“We like customers to call and make an appointment, so that we can ensure they will be able to speak to the right person.”
Duratone also has a vast collection of vinyl LPs, Fay says.
“We have literally thousands of records for sale that we’ve obtained from people who had huge collections in pristine condition, and then needed to downsize as they have become older,” Fay says.
The shop can also sell on consignment.
Corner of Altree Court and Botany Street, call 6282 1333.
Solace
Hi-fi consultant Allan McFarlane… “There’s a huge amount of expertise here,” says owner Fay Cull.
6-8 Botany Street, call 6282 3410.
Woden Tyre & Exhaust owner Carl Botha.
Whisk takes the cake
WHISK is the only bakery in Phillip, says owner and chef Darrell Morton. Run by husband-and-wife chef team Darrell and his wife Renee, the bakery sells birthday cakes, small and large cakes, flans and tarts, macarons, breakfast pastries, chocolate croissants, and all kinds of bread, from focaccia, ciabatta and wholemeal, white or seven-seed sourdough to glutenfree varieties – including fruit, plan and soy and linseed.
Darrell says they also offer lunch items including 10 varieties of pie, sausage rolls, vegetarian options, quiches, sandwiches and spinach and feta rolls.
Everything is baked on the premises, and their own breads are used in all lunch options, says Darrell.
“There’s great people traffic here in Phillip, with the dance studio above us, tradespeople in the area and, on weekends, the hardware shop nearby keeps a steady flow of people coming
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Painting strokes for different folks
MARGARET Hadfield offers art classes and art supplies from her gallery space in Colbee Court, which is full of her restful landscape paintings.
“I use the gallery primarily for my own canvases, and I exhibit a variety, including my Gallipoli series and regional landscapes,” she says.
“I also do portraiture, and have painted Helen Reddy, Geraldine Cox, Natasha Stott Despoja, Dr Fiona Wood, Lauren Jackson and local elder Matilda House-Williams, for the book ‘Inspiring Australian Women’ by Dr Kathryn Spurling.”
Margaret is organising a 14-day art tour from Amsterdam to Paris.
Margaret says she uses all mediums, including oils, acrylics, watercolours and pastels. She runs seven classes a week teaching her craft.
“People want to learn from me, and I was asked to run classes,” she says. “I run six regular classes and one for absolute beginners.
“It can be quite emotional, as people often put aside their artistic side to earn a living, and when they retire they pick it up again.”
Phillip works well as it’s a busy place with lots of people passing through, says Margaret.
“I have a wonderful sunny position here; it’s a good size, and there are lots of arty things happening nearby, we’re surrounded by picture framers, for example!”
53 Colbee Court, call 6282 3886.
though,” says Darrell.
“The dynamics here are good – all the local businesses support each other well.”
Court,
BAKERY - PATISSERIE
WE PROUDLY PRODUCE
• Artisan Breads
• Cakes
• Large tarts
• Small tarts
• Viennoisirie products
• Macarons
Opening Hours: Mon to Thurs 730am to 430 Fri 730 am to 4pm Sat 8am to 1pm
• Sausage rolls
• Pies
• Large special occasion cakes
…and light lunch items with bread made on the premises.
The highest quality locally produced cakes and pastries
Artist Margaret Hadfield prepares to take a painting class at her gallery.
There has been a bakery in the same spot for 27 years, but the name changed to Whisk when Darrell and Renee took over two
and a half years ago.
25 Altree
call 6281 1100.
Whisk bakery owners and chefs… Darrell and Renee Morton.
IT’S important to be able to make something – creativity is good for the soul, says Kate English, owner of Bead Street.
“Everything else seems to disappear when you’re creating, and that’s not a bad thing sometimes!” she says. Bead Street has been based in Dundas Court for more than 10 years, and Kate is one of the original owners. It sells all jewellery-making equipment – beads, findings and string, and Kate also runs workshops.
“I get a thrill from teaching people how to make jewellery, and they tell me it’s a lot easier than they thought it would be,” she says. “There are so many different aspects to beading, that it doesn’t have to be perfect
and intricate to look wonderful.”
Kate says she likes being based in Phillip, as it’s fairly central, with so many businesses around.
“We have fantastic business neighbours, parking is easy and the coffee is good,” she says.
As a community fundraising project, Kate is making a unique beaded chandelier to be auctioned off for Bosom Buddies ACT.
“We’re asking for a donation of $5 per ‘drop’, but we’re happy to string the drops for anyone who would like us to,” says Kate.
61-63 Dundas Court, call 6282 9441.
Laura English and the Bosom Buddies chandelier.
Coffee break turns into a business
IF you need a coffee break in Phillip, make the Chocolate Olive your first port of call, says owner Lily Liu.
Lily bought the business in December after she went there as a customer while waiting for her car to be serviced.
“I was thinking to buy a business in the future, but not yet, as I have a two-year-old daughter,” says Lily.
“But my old manager was working there at the time, and he told me he wanted to sell up and move on – it was too good an opportunity to pass up!”
The cafe offers breakfast, lunches, a sandwich bar, coffee, cake, cookies and a wide range of Deek’s gluten-free bread.
The also do catering for offices, working lunches and social gatherings, and can provide fresh food platters and sandwich baskets.
“I think it’s a great location because there are so many other thriving businesses in the area,” says Lily.
Passionate about saving energy
SOLACE Creations is passionate about energy efficient and sustainable homes, says owner Karen Porter.
“I can’t understand why we have a code in place that says we must insulate our walls and ceiling, yet there is no rule to insulate our windows and doors,” she says.
“Windows and doors make up about 30 per cent of our wall space and putting in a single piece of glass does not provide any insulation value.”
Solace Creations recently won the 2014 ACT Telstra Micro Business Award and was rated in the top eight Australian Micro Businesses.
Phillip is a good location for the business, says Karen, because it is a busy hub central to Canberra.
Karen has a vision for all homes in Canberra to be double-glazed, and is currently working with owners of
blocks in Wright, Casey, Crace, Bonner and Googong to improve their insulation.
“If you incorporate double glazing into your design, the investment that you make upfront will be about $450 a year in mortgage repayments on a standard home,” she says. “Your energy savings will be about $1400, which provides an annual savings of $950 from the first year.”
In addition to new homes, Solace Creations offers a full replacement service for homeowners who would like a more comfortable home and to save money.
Solace Creations works with more than six preferred suppliers from Melbourne and all its products are Australian-made and tested.
79 Dundas Court, call 6260 1621.
2g/22 Colbee Court, call 6282 6828. Chocolate Olive owner Lily Liu… “Too good an opportunity to pass up!”
After 30 years in the business there are now over 100 Kwik Kopy Centres operating throughout Australia.
Having worked in the design industry over 25 years, I understand business needs.
Solace Creation’s double-glazing display.
The day that set India free Shared views on global challenges
India’s Independence Day, observed annually on August 15, commemorates the nation’s independence from the UK on that day in 1947.
India attained independence following an independence movement noted for largely non-violent resistance and civil disobedience led by the Indian National Congress.
On August 15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, who had become the first Prime Minister of India that day, raised the Indian national flag above the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi. On each subsequent Independence Day, the Prime Minister has raised the flag and given a speech.
Ancient university of nine million manuscripts
CHINESE travellers of the seventh century have left detailed accounts of the magnificence of Nalanda, an ancient higher-learning institution in Bihar, India.
The site is about 90 kilometres southeast of Patna, in Bihar provence, and was a religious centre of learning from the mid fifth century AD to 1197 AD.
Hieun T’sang, the scholar-monk, spent 12 years there and wrote admiringly of its “soaring domes and pinnacles, pearl-red pillars carved and ornamented, and richly adorned balustrades and roofs covered with tiles that reflect the sun in a thousand ways”.
Nalanda was a monastery of the Mahayana Buddhist order. As one of the world’s oldest residential universities, it attracted students and scholars from all parts of Asia.
As per belief, it is built on a site which has been visited and blessed by the Buddha. The monastery flourished under the benevolent patronage of the Pala kings and at its apogee boasted a library of nine million manuscripts.
Today green grass whispers softly over the temple mounds and orderly brick ruins of the residential halls, but seven centuries ago the pillared halls echoed the sounds of scores of footsteps and the murmur of a dozen different languages.
Nalanda’s famous water clock marked the hours of the working day for scholars, sages and the saffron-clad monks, and the careful cadence of the Buddhist chants mingled with the everyday chatter of a bustling university.
A row of nine monasteries faced four temples along a long north-south avenue. The imposing remains of the largest structure reveal a stupa more than 31 metres high.
Approached by a broad flight of stairs, the main central stupa is surrounded by four small stupas at the four corners. This panchratna (five-towered) style of design became the standard for subsequent Buddhist architecture in South-East Asia.
Horizontal friezes on the outer walls, divided into niches, contained stucco images of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas and related figures. The three other
temples were smaller in scale, though similar in style, to the large stupa. The remains of a carved torana (gateway) stand before one, while another stupa has a brick-making furnace on its north.
Located side by side in military precision, the viharas (monasteries) were several storeys high. Each upper floor was stepped back from the previous one to create an open-air terrace on every floor. This particular style of receding storeys can be seen many centuries later in the Panch Mahal at Fatehpur Sikri, built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
In the days of Pala munificence, Nalanda was a centre of the arts in eastern India, producing stone, metal and terracotta images in its workshops. The basement structure of what are the remains of a seventh-century temple, features elaborately carved dado relief, with more than 200 panels set between decorated pilasters. Ram, Sita and a host of divinities, as well as maidens, dancers, amorous couples, birds, lions and mythical beasts are interspersed
with foliate patterns and motifs.
With the increasing authority of Muslim rule in North India, Nalanda declined, as did other centres of Buddhist learning and prayer during the 11th and 12th centuries. A Tibetan pilgrim in 1235 records just a single teacher and a class of 70 students at Nalanda, existing on the support of a local Brahmin.
By Biren Nanda, Indian High Commissioner
ON behalf of the High Commission of India in Canberra and the Government of India, I would like to convey my heartfelt good wishes to Indian nationals and people of Indian origin on the occasion of India’s Independence Day 2014.
India and Australia have several commonalities including the shared values of a democratic system, a free press, an independent judiciary and a vibrant civil society.
These elements have served as a solid foundation for close co-operation and multi-faceted interaction between our two countries. Today it is on the basis of shared interests that India and Australia are witnessing a robust development in their bilateral ties.
High-level visits on both sides are promoting engagement across a wide range of areas and creating new opportunities for both countries. Our newly elected Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, is expected to visit Australia in November to participate in the G20 meeting.
We have shared perspectives on global challenges like international terrorism and are partners in regional cooperation in the context of our dialogue partnership with the ASEAN, participation in the East Asia Summit and the Indian Ocean Regional Association.
As the centre of gravity of the world economy shifts to Asia and the Indian Ocean region, India and Australia are cooperating more closely in areas like combating piracy, disaster management, food and energy security and the prevention of drug trafficking.
Particularly important for our relationship are the supply side constraints of the Indian economy’s narrative of catch up growth including energy, water, food, infrastructure, education, skills training and science and technology. It is no surprise, therefore, that these supply side constraints are the driving force behind the rapid growth in ties between India and Australia.
There has been a significant expansion of trade and investment between our two countries. The Comprehensive Economic Co-operation Agreement negotiations, which we have embarked upon, will strengthen institutional connectivity and accelerate the rapid expansion of our commercial ties.
The celebrations of India’s Independence Day are an occasion to reflect upon the diversity of Indian culture and the contributions of the Indian community to multiculturalism in Australia. Indeed, the Indian community in Australia has a unique role to play as a bridge promoting relations between India and Australia.
This year has been of particular significance to India. We have just witnessed the largest democratic elections on the planet. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the BJP and the NDA won a landslide victory.
The elections have been described in India as an election of hope. They mark the turning point in the evolution of our democratic polity. The surge in aspirations and the belief that these can be realised through democratic processes has been amply reflected by the record participation of voters and a clear verdict in favour of one political party after a gap of 30 years.
The electorate voted decisively for development through good governance. The new government in India announced an extensive economic program for reviving the economy and promoting investment in infrastructure, health, education and energy amongst other areas.
These sectors will provide ample opportunity for Australian and Indian companies to promote trade and investment linkages between the two countries. Stronger economic links between the two countries will strengthen the Strategic Partnership between them.
The Indian flag flies above the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi.
As one of the world’s oldest residential universities, Nalanda attracted students and scholars from all parts of Asia.
So it’s goodbye from her… After 50 years, rocker Suzi Quatro talks about her final tour with Arts editor HELEN MUSA
“I’M a strange gypsy,” Suzi Quatro tells me by phone from Spain as she reflects on her mixed origins.
You know Suzi Q – one of the rock world’s hard-rock tomboys and one of the first female rock stars to make it to centre seriously on her own talents.
And what titles for her early hits
– “Devil Gate Drive”, “Little Bitch Blue”, “Your Mamma Won’t like Me” and “Shake My Sugar”. They don’t make ‘em like that any more.
“I come from Detroit, it’ll always be my home town,” she says, “but then, England is where I raised my children and I travel so much I leave little pieces of me behind wherever I go.”
As well, she’s an American citizen, but her lineage is half Italian and half Hungarian.
This is Quatro’s 50th year on stage, and she’s determined to go out rocking with a blockbuster final tour.”
Hers is a multi-faceted career that began in 1964 performing in her sister’s band The Pleasure Seekers before heading to England in 1971 for a huge UK reputation.
Quatro adamantly denies that she was just a natural.
“No, no, you’ve got to learn the craft… I had a nine-year apprenticeship before 1971, but in those reality shows on TV, people seem to come from nowhere,” she says.
Raised in a musical family, she played the bongo drums, classical piano (“I still play now, I love classical music”) and percussion in the school band, until her older sister told her she’d better play the bass and her dad gave her “the best
long-necked bass ever”.
“That was when I discovered my instrument – it was absolutely correct,” she tells me, “I was always a little tomboy, a bit of a rocker with a high level of energy.”
Nothing has changed.
“I am blessed with a lot of energy… I was the most energetic of the kids in my family and the family doctor said: ‘Don’t ever give her vitamins’,” she says.
“My children find it hard to keep up with me and my husband says I’m exhausting.”
Readers may not be aware of Quatro’s considerable acting career on TV and in film, in series such as “Happy Days”, “Minder”, “Ab Fab” and “Midsomer Murders”. She’s even played Annie Oakley on the West End.
“I’m a jack-of-all-trades girl,” she says, “and I call myself a real artist… I like acting, hosting TV and radio shows and writing poetry.”
Quatro has had a long association with Australia, describing it as “a very big part of my heart,” so wanted to do the first concerts in her last tour ever in this country.
She laughs when I tell her how Dame Edna Everage asked audiences to return for her next “last ever” tour, and says that won’t be the case with her.
But since it’s her final show, she’s been “toiling” over a commemorative four-CD box in the hope that it will be very special for the audience, “with lots of hits and other nice things… I want to leave my mark – oh, I can hardly say it, I hope there won’t be a dry eye in the house, including mine”.
Suzi Quatro… “I am blessed with a lot of energy… my children find it hard to keep up with me and my husband says I’m exhausting.”
Suzi Quatro, at the Canberra Theatre, 8pm, February 12. “VIP Meet and Greet” available to 40 only. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.
Earnest importance of the right accent
By Helen Musa
PROFESSIONAL accent coach
Simon Stollery astonishes me in the first minute of our interview.
“No, no, I’m not English,” he laughs, “I was brought up on the central coast of NSW – in Gosford.”
“The rest of the family don’t speak like me, but I have equated articulate speech with the kind of character I wanted to be.”
Good, because Stollery has been engaged by the State Theatre Company of SA director Geordie Brookman to whip actors such as Nathan O’Keefe and Nancye Hayes into shape for Oscar Wilde’s scintillating comedy,
“The Importance of Being Earnest”.
“I have lots of other accents, but I don’t necessarily have them on tap,” he tells me. Last year he had to coach two actors in Sudanese accents, a tall order.
I ask Stollery what he thinks of the theory that Australian actors don’t have a good ear for accents, especially American ones.
“I think it’s the opposite,” he replies.
“I think Australians are far more adept at doing an American accent than the other way round.
Stollery very nearly baffles me with technicalities. You can teach accents phonetically, or by sound shifts, or by placement – what’s happening with the mouth, lips and jaw.
Most important is the application of energy. In teaching an Australian accent you coach actors to have a fairly immobile jaw and lips. “I feel like a ventriloquist,” one actor complained.
Trained in acting at Theatre Nepean, Stollery quickly realised he had an almost obsessive love of accents. Then after filling in for an accent coach friend, he studied voice at NIDA and was on his way.
Before his time, NIDA students all sounded uppity, but with the development of the Australian film industry,
actors – he cites the late John Hargraves – had to be taught how to speak their own accent well.
Stollery has been hard at work teaching the actors in “Earnest” how to speak Received Pronunciation English.
“It’s heightened language, you wouldn’t do a David Williamson play with RP, so you don’t do Oscar Wilde in an Aussie accent,” he says.
Actually, he’s teaching “Advanced RP” for “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and with the energy level necessary for Oscar Wilde, it’s not necessarily the standard British English you hear today. Stollery enthuses to me about wonderfully clipped words, stopped ‘r’s, and restrained “y” endings.
But how will Nancye Hayes say “a handbag?” in Lady Bracknell’s famous scene?
“Geordie’s made some brilliant directorial choices around her lines that give quite a different reading,” he replies.
Alas, he agrees, the “Macquarie Dictionary” may be right that accents change with use. Still, there have to be standards and there is no way he’ll allow his students to say “noo” instead of “new”. That’s going much too far.
“The Importance of Being Earnest”, The Playhouse, August 19-23, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.
John Worthing JP (Yalin Ozucelik) and Algernon (Nathan O’Keefe).
Photo by Shane Reid
arts & entertainment arts in the city
Science of art and the art of science
By Helen Musa
AS Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and astronaut Rick Hieb open Science Week (August 16-24) amidst fire and ice, Canberra’s premiere chamber music group The Griffyn Ensemble is asking the question, “Science – Do You Believe?”
The ensemble of Kiri Sollis on piccolo,
Chris Stone on violin, Meriel Owen on harp, Holly Downes on double bass, Susan Ellis, soprano and Michael Sollis, composer and director, will join with choreographer Liz Lea and five dancers to take a journey going through mechanical evolution and ancient prophecy, exploring the essence of faith, science, and human understanding. They’ll play music by George Antheil, JacobTV, and John Cage, ancient Greek poets, Radiohead, Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein and Sollis, with recorded voices from unscientific sources such as 20th century French surrealists, American
fundamentalist preachers and former US president George W. Bush.
Further afield at Strathnairn Homestead, artist Michael Winters takes on the world of astrophysics, astronomy and cosmology.
An old hand at the intersection art and science, he is sceptical about using art to make the world better, but suspects science might provide a much-needed new source of inspiration.
For Winters, disillusionment set in when the Turner Prize was won for an installation of six bricks and later a room with a light on – “as if we’ve stopped imagining,” he says.
Seized by scientific inspiration, the artist has now turned to the space-time continuum in his new show, with each work conceived in three dimensions and installed inside boxes.
“I call them sculptural landscapes that refer both to this world and a more cosmic one,” Winters says.
“Science – Do You Believe? The Three Futurists”, at Belconnen Arts Centre, 7pm, August 23 and 2pm, August 24, bookings to griffyn. iwannaticket.com.au
Michael Winters’ “Dissected By Time and Space”, Strathnairn Arts, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt, until September 7.
Widower with a problem
“And
So It Goes” (M)
THIS is a re-jigging of a 1991 rom-com of the same title by the same writer, Mark Andrus.
Michael Douglas plays real estate salesman Oren, an all-round curmudgeon and widower for a decade, father to an adult son who asks Oren to care for his nearly-10-year-old granddaughter Sarah (Sterling Jerins) while her pop does time for a crime that never occurred and that he didn’t commit!
Oren is trying to sell the house where he lived with his late wife for a grossly excessive price to fund retirement to go fishing in Vermont. Oren is so sorry for himself that it’s impossible to feel sorry for him.
Living in the adjacent ground floor apartment is Leah (Diane Keaton) who sings in a local tavern and is inclined to burst into tears when singing a love song because she’s not over her late husband.
Oren doesn’t want to look after little Sarah; childless Leah offers to have her.
Readers with filmgoing experience will by now have worked out where the film is headed. Its best elements are Keaton, Jerins and the little movie that Sarah
Cool, digital Monteverdi
By Helen Musa
MONTEVERDI’S opera “L’Orfeo” (Orpheus) will never be the same after the ANU School of Music stages it soon with a cool, interactive digital set designed by Andrew Quinn, who has worked on “The Matrix”.
The opera’s conductor, Peter Tregear, has also lured in as partners the School of Art and the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, with Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt hovering in the wings, too. Direction is by Cate Clelland, lighting design by Alessandro Chiodo, with British tenor Nicholas Mulroy in the title role and Paul McMahon as Apollo. At Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, August 21 and 22, bookings to ticketek.com.au or 132849.
Dougal
Macdonald cinema
makes on her mobile phone showing a butterfly’s development from larval stage to flight. And to be fair to Michael Douglas, he brings credibility to the role of Oren.
At Palace Electric and Hoyts
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (M)
BEHIND me watching this twohour futurist fantasy actioner set somewhere within a galaxy, presumably ours, were three young men who looked as if they might be fans of films from the same conglomerate that made the film, Marvel, which has read the tea leaves about where to make big money from moving images as well as printed pages of cartoon frames.
As the film dug its heels into a plot about a bad guy’s ambition to rule the known galaxy by getting possession of a powerful orb, giggles from behind me developed into frequent laughter. Director and co-writer (with Nicole Perlman) James Gunn’s film is funny both ha-ha and peculiar.
The ha-ha is a welcome change from most other movies in the spectacular mindless genre.
I took comfort from this. I too was laughing internally at a film that’s noisy, violent, big on design of the toys with which tyrants fight battles, low on intelligent dialogue for a second-level cast to growl, shriek or otherwise utter.
I can’t tell you how it all works out. About 10 minutes before the final credits, another young man just in front of me suffered an epileptic seizure, causing management to stop the film and clear the cinema. I doubt that many of a small audience felt deprived.
At all cinemas
IT’S good to hear that national finalists at the 2014 Art Music Awards, to be held in Melbourne on August 26, include The Street Theatre for its nine-day mid-winter jazz festival “Capital Jazz Project” and also composer Sandra France for “From a Black Sky”, her bushfire opera. Fingers crossed.
THE next concert in the High Court’s popular free Sunday series will be Canberra City Band, conducted by Geoff Grey, performing “Strike up the Band” at 1pm, Sunday, August 17. The band recently won the Open A-Grade Band section of the Australian National Eisteddfod for the sixth year in a row, so get there early.
HUNDREDS of potters across Australia will be opening their studios to the public on August 16 and 17, ceramic artist Sarit Cohen tells us. She will show works both old and new from 10am to 4pm on those dates at the house on the corner of Catchpole and Fulton Streets, Macquarie. Enter at the blue fence. All welcome.
QUEANBEYAN City Council has announced the inaugural Clearwater Sculpture Prize and exhibition, to be held over three days during the inaugural Queanbeyan River Festival in October. There will be a major award of $3000, and a $1000 “Re-Use” award. Artists should be inspired by the river. Applications to qcc.nsw.gov.au or inquiries to culturalservices@qcc.nsw.gov.au
AN exciting program by young guitarist Callum Henshaw is coming up at Wesley Music Centre from 12.40pm to 1.20pm on Wednesday, August 20. He’ll play “From Kakadu”, by Peter Sculthorpe, BWV 1003 by JS Bach and Vicente Asencio’s “Collectici intim”. Entry $5 minimum, concession $2, no bookings required.
PRIZEWINNING Canberra sciencetheatre ensemble Boho Interactive hopes to take an interactive theatre performance based on Systems Science to the first season of “Best Festival Ever” at the London Science Museum from November 10-21, before bringing the work back to Oz in 2015. To find out more, and maybe chip in, visit bohointeractive.com
M16 Artspace, in Griffith, has a workspace equipped with tables, chairs, easels, a sink and an urn available for casual and regular hire for workshops, classes and meetings. Inquiries to Bettina on 6295 9438 or visit m16artspace.com. au/hire-spaces.
Of beer, bikes and having fun
IT’S fun drinking beer where beer is made. Truth be told, I only had a sip of a friend’s beer, being more of a wine lover myself, but it’s still fun. Especially on the last day of the weekend when you get to enjoy Sunday roast or grazing dishes.
BentSpoke Brewing Co. is cool. Very cool.
It’s a microbrewery offering 18 varieties of beer and cider, all brewed on site. There are regulars – called the “Straight Six” – such as the Barley Griffin, Morts Gold and the Braddon Bitter I tasted. And there are brews that pop up to celebrate the changing seasons. You can enjoy a small glass or a large glass with BentSpoke, including the alcohol by volume content on the menu.
The fitout is about beer making and bikes – both loves of the owners. So you have massive, shiny silver equipment, such as humungous beer tanks and lots and lots of pipes, some thick and some thin. The handrails gleam also and at least one has a site glass so you can see beer flowing through it. Fermentation stuff is downstairs and brewing stuff upstairs.
Priscilla
WINNERS
WINNERS of the “CityNews” tickets to see the special anniversary screening of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” at Dendy Cinema on August 25 are: Anthony Bean, of Aranda; Michele Nicolazzo, Casey; Amy Hanson, Bonython; Danielle Harvey, Casey; Beck Givney, Captains Flat; Margaret Macpherson, Red Hill; Irena Dickinson, Fadden; Trent Hammond, Braddon; Priscilla Chiswell, Evatt and Jean Young, Nicholls.
We settled in upstairs. The menu isn’t extensive on Sundays, but it’s all tasty. Roast is from noon to 3pm and 6pm to 9pm.
Three options were available on our visit. Thyme and lemon rubbed Burrawong chicken ($20), Spent grain loaf to keep vegetarians well fed ($18), and rosemary and garlic roast lamb ($20). All dishes came with French peas, broccoli, roasted chat potatoes and gravy
The dishes are high on flavour and the top-quality chicken was succulent. Our lamb was tender, although we prefer it slightly pink.
The peas were fabulous, made with onion and mint to perk matters up considerably. It was all very yum and inexpensive when you consider you can pay $10 for a lousy bowl of plain-Jane frozen chips in some pubs these days.
BentSpoke also offers all-day grazing. Think interesting hop and malt dusted potato chips with barbecue sauce ($9), braised pork ribs with corn bread ($14 half rack;
$20 full) or a roast chicken or roast lamb baguette with more of that gravy and a side of chips (around $15 and the French-style crusty bread hails from Autolyse). If none of that tickles your fancy you can chow down on cheddar cauliflower mac ‘n cheese.
The “not beer list” at BentSpoke is as impressive as the beers and celebrates the top drops our darling region offers, with reds from Murrumbateman and Collector and whites from Murrumbateman and Majura. Good on ya, BentSpoke. Spirits ($8 to $14) are from countries including Scotland, America, Japan, and Poland.
BentSpoke, open seven days from 10am to midnight.
38 Mort Street, Braddon. Call 6257 5220.
ACT COUNCIL OF
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.
WHEN: Tuesday, September 9 from 6.30pm TICKETS: $65 each, bookings to: bit.ly/1rUWvJv
BentSpoke Brewing at Braddon… a microbrewery offering 18 varieties of beer and cider, all brewed on site. Photo by Gary Schafer
gardening A fortnight to spring fever!
WITH just two weeks until the official start of spring and planting fever starts in earnest for gardeners.
It’s that time when you get excited about that new plant covered in flowers at the garden centre and simply must have it.
At home, you wander the garden trying to decide where to plant it. Then it sits in the pot for weeks until you settle on a spot – or it dies.
It’s always best to look at the vacant spaces in the garden and then decide how big a plant will fit there, and even then think of groups rather than individual plants. This will always be more effective in colour, leaf form and shape.
Often plants grow considerably larger than the information on the label. David Young, one time presenter on ABC Saturday morning radio in Canberra, used to say: “Look at the plant size on the label and double it”.
When I am considering plants for clients’ gardens, my approach is based on the Royal Horticultural Society’s plant list of 85,000 plants. The UK-based RHS is a perfect place for garden information, but remember to add six months to compensate for the difference in seasons. The website is at rhs.org.uk
briefly
FRUIT TREES
WE have had some wicked frosts of late, which are capable of killing the flowers on fruit trees with the result of no fruit next season. But, please, don’t cut the frost-affected leaves on evergreen shrubs and trees – they are protecting the softer leaves underneath. Wait until all frosts are over.
Some deciduous plants are starting to shed their winter coats.
I just love this picture of Magnolia stellata or Star Magnolia with the flower buds emerging out of hibernation. In a few weeks the single, pure white, star-like flowers will burst forth.
POLYANTHUS is one of the great winners for a floral display in winter and are not affected by frost. Planted in groups, they can make a colourful display that will last well
Breaking news, views, arts & socials every day…
Creating Sustainable Gardens
Glenbog Nursery and Landscaping
into early summer. AVID beekeeper David Purdie fell in love with bees in 2009 when he read about the battle bees face in the environment with widespread disease and the use of pesticides. He now manages more than 70 beehives on city rooftops, community gardens and backyards.
Inevitably, this led to his book “Backyard Bees” (Murdoch Books, rrp $35).
It describes, with coloured illustrations, every step of the way for keeping bees. They take up little space and are great for pollinating plants for greater production, especially fruit trees.
Jottings...
• Crack the ice on the bird bath before going off to work.
• Check out garden centres for potted crocus and cyclamen for inside colour that can be planted out after flowering.
• Just a few more weeks to wait before pruning roses, especially with these severe frosts.
• Deciduous summer flowering shrubs such as Buddleia can be pruned quite hard now. Remove some of the older wood in the centre.
THE Horticultural Society of Canberra has a trip to the Forbes Festival of Flowers planned for the long weekend of October 4-6 that includes visits to town and country gardens in and around Forbes. Open to the public, booking details are at hsoc.org.au
AUTHOR and well-known radio garden broadcaster in Victoria, Penny Woodward, will talk on “Pest Repellent Plants and Other Organic Solutions” at The Horticultural Society of Canberra’s August 18 meeting at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest from 7.30pm. All welcome with supper provided.
PROF Elizabeth Minchin will discuss “Exploring ancient Roman townhouse gardens, in particular the atrium gardens at Pompeii” at the next Australian National Botanic Gardens lunchtime talk, 12.30pm, on Thursday,
Magnolia stellata... shedding its winter coat.
An example of the effect of plants in a group.
Joanne Madeline Moore
your week in the stars – August 18-24, 2014
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
This week impulsive Mars and Uranus boost your ‘devil-may-care’ attitude, but too much hot-headed hastiness could lead to an argument or accident. Rams are always butting in with advice but don’t offer help unless you are asked. If you try to convert others to your point of view, you’ll meet with resistance from all directions. Try fixing problems, rather than creating them.
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
Are you having money hassles? Some lucky Bulls will be thrown a financial lifeline by a generous family member. Others will have to think of creative ways to increase cash flow and boost dwindling funds. And are you being super stubborn about an ongoing domestic matter? This week’s stars encourage you to solve the problem in a cool, calm and cooperative way.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
If you spread misleading information on Tuesday, you could find yourself in trouble with a worried work colleague or a furious family member. Whereas Friday should be fabulous when the Mercury/Pluto trine focuses your quicksilver mind and deepens your concentration. Your powers of persuasion are also high, as you combine business acumen with your natural gift of the gab.
CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
This week is complicated Crabs! Friendships and finances are highlighted but steer clear of power plays and mind games. Are you in a career rut? Is a change of approach needed at work? If you shift the stale old energy and get fresh ideas moving, it will lead to an exciting new professional chapter. On the weekend, persuade others to work with you rather than against you.
LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
Venus and Jupiter boost your Cat charisma, so stop trying to impress everyone and just have the confidence to be yourself, warts and all. Be inspired by birthday great Coco Chanel: “How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.” When it comes to contracts and financial deals, do all the research thoroughly before you sign on the dotted line.
VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
Don’t make major mountains out of minor molehills, and waste precious time worrying about inconsequential problems this week. Things should run reasonably smoothly and, if there are complications, then clear communication will help you sail through any temporary turbulence. Friday’s Mercury/ Pluto trine is terrific for rigorous study and research … Virgo heaven!
LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
Group activities are favoured early in the week, and you can expect an easy flow of feelings between you and loved ones. Single Librans – crank up your computer because love is waiting online. Have you been pulling your weight around the house? With Pluto in your home zone, the more you resist domestic responsibilities, the more problems you’ll have with housemates.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
The more proactive you are professionally, the more successful you’ll be. Looking for work? Think outside the square and find creative ways to present yourself. Thursday’s stars increase your frustration levels and your control-freak tendencies. Friday is the best day to have a deep and meaningful conversation with someone special, as confidences are shared and secrets spilled.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Hold on to your seat Sagittarius! The week begins well, as the Venus/Jupiter hook-up highlights social shenanigans and romantic hijinks. Travel and education are also favoured as you start a study course; extend your international connections; or plan a heavenly holiday. Don’t rush business and financial matters on Friday. The stars encourage you to be focused and thorough.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
The big lesson to learn this week is how to delegate. No one (not even a capable, conscientious Capricorn) is indispensable! And others are happy to step in and help if you give them the chance. Friday’s marvellous Mercury/Pluto trine sees you focus on the big picture, without obsessing too much. It’s also time to get up-close-and-personal with a good friend from faraway shores.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Attached Aquarians – the stars encourage you to make a bold romantic gesture that knocks your partner off their feet. Are you unhappily single? Love is in the air this week, as Venus and Jupiter join forces in your relationship zone. So prepare to capitalise on a big romantic opportunity with a lusty Libran, a sexy Sagittarian – or someone from another country or culture.
PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
Are you a Piscean procrastinator? Or are you living in a Fish fantasy world? This week’s Mercury/Neptune opposition heightens creativity and spirituality, but it also blunts your reality radar and makes you more susceptible to selfdelusion. On Thursday and Friday, Mercury encourages you to tackle personal problems pronto as you get talking with your nearest and dearest.
Daily astrology updates at www.twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore
General knowledge crossword No. 465
1 Who was a renowned US evangelist, Billy ...? (6)
8 Which style of bowling is used in softball? (8)
9 Name the seventh major planet in order from the sun? (6)
10 What is another term for dregs? (8)
11 To be well alight, is to be what? (6)
12 Name the W Indian batsman who became the highest scorer in test cricket at Adelaide on 26.11.05, Brian ...? (4)
13 To put away, as for safekeeping, is to do what? (5)
16 Which language was spoken in ancient Rome? (5)
19 To leave out, is to do what? (4)
21 Name another term for a funeral vehicle (6)
22 One who advances the soccer ball by a series of short kicks could be called a what? (8)
23 What designates a type or printing in which the letters slope to the right? (6)
24 What is a temporary prevalence of a disease? (8)
Sudoku hard No. 132
Solution next week
25 Name particular periods of time as marked by distinctive events, etc ? (6) Down
2 What is melted cheese, etc, on toast, Welsh ...? (7)
3 In which buildings are aeroplanes housed? (7)
4 Name a particular bivalve mollusc (6)
5 Which currency commenced in Australia on 14th February 1966? (7)
6 Which word describes an elaborate showy display? (7)
7 What designates an indefinite, immeasurable number? (7)
13 What do we call one engaged in military service? (7)
14 Which type of tablet is used to relieve the pain of headache, etc? (7)
15 What are spare-time activities, pursued for pleasure? (7)
17 Which tribe of N American Indians now dwell in Oklahoma and Wyoming? (7)
18 Name a SE Queensland city, to the west of Brisbane (7)
20 Which term means “on three occasions”? (6)
PORTOBELLO ROAD
Property Council ACT 2014 Awards Building success: property salutes its best
RISING stars and industry stalwarts, local heroes and new national benchmarks were recognised at the Property Council’s annual ACT Awards Night and Gala Ball at Parliament House.
The awards, sponsored by Brookfield Johnson Controls, honour the achievements of the ACT property sector’s outstanding companies and individuals.
Property Council ACT executive director, Catherine Carter, says: “From CIC Australia’s extraordinary achievement at Crace, which reinvents the Australian suburb, to Hindmarsh Development’s four-decade commitment to building places for the people of Canberra, and from an up-and-coming property professional to two established leaders, this year’s winners remind us of the contribution that the property industry makes to the ACT.
“These awards celebrate an industry that is the ACT’s second largest employer, the single largest contributor to ACT taxes and a key driver of economic growth.”
The winners for 2014 are:
ACT Future Leader of the Year (sponsored by King & Wood Mallesons): Chris Miller, national director of business development, Civium Strata.
“A STRONG advocate for improving industry standards and practices, Chris has an outstanding work ethic, exceptional knowledge of his specialist areas and a knack for building long-lasting relationships,” says Catherine Carter.
“As a strata industry professional, Chris has consulted on many of Canberra’s iconic new developments, such as the NewActon and Realm precincts, the Kingston Foreshore, and the redevelopment of a number of blocks within Braddon’s Lonsdale and Mort streets.
“One of Chris’ recent notable achievements was working with the Molonglo Group to successfully establish the owners’ corporation for Nishi – a move that blazed a
trail for complex subdivisions in air space in the Canberra market.
“Chris was a key industry contributor during and after the review and amendment local strata legislation, and authored a number of submissions to the ACT Government on behalf of industry.
“The judging panel was impressed with Chris’ rapid career progression and his contribution to the industry and to building a dynamic and world-class city for the people of Canberra.”
Allan Wylucki Property Professional of the Year (Sponsored by Hays Property): Archie Tsirimokos, managing director, Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers.
“ARCHIE is well-known and respected within the industry, and has a long-standing reputation for his business acumen, strategic thinking and exceptional depth of knowledge about the local property industry,” says Catherine Carter.
“No one knows the ACT’s unique planning and development environment quite like Archie.
“He has acted for numerous property developers on the acquisition of land, project structuring, construction contracts, tax considerations and sale of residential and commercial property developments.
“Archie has an abiding commitment to the Canberra community. As Chairman of Communities @ Work, Canberra’s largest
not-for-profit provider of services to the community, Archie has expanded the organisation’s turnover by $26 million a year.
“Earlier this year, Archie was appointed as the Australasian chair of the ALFA Network, the regional arm of Meyer Vandenberg’s worldwide referral network of independent law firms representing some 10,000 lawyers.”
ACT Property Development of the Year
(Sponsored by Rider Levett Bucknall): CIC Australia for the suburb of Crace.
“CRACE sets a new benchmark for industry innovation, and CIC has been awarded for delivering the highest levels of community, sustainability and amenity,” says Catherine Carter.
“CIC Australia has demonstrated how the development industry’s commitment to innovation, creativity and design excellence can create a community that enjoys the best of both urban and suburban worlds.
“When outlining its vision for the new suburb of Crace, CIC Australia went back to the drawing board, looking to create a community that had an ‘urban buzz’ as well as spacious suburban homes and tranquil, tree-lined streets.
“Crace is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Crace Joint Venture, consisting of the ACT Government’s Land Development Agency and Crace Developments – a consortium of which CIC Australia is the lead partner and project manager.
“Crace sets a new benchmark for industry innovation, and CIC Australia has been rewarded for delivering the highest levels of community, sustainability and amenity.
“The judges applauded CIC Australia’s efforts to retain the best elements of suburbia – such as space, safety and serenity – and aligning them with most desirable elements of inner-city living – short walks to cafes and culture, and easy access to public transport and services.
“This award is not the first for the team behind Crace, having won the RPS Award for Best Master Planned Community at the Property Council of Australia’s national awards in May.
Archie Tsirimokos:
Rider Levett Bucknall congratulates all the winners of the 2014 Property Council of Australia ACT Awards.
We are the major sponsor of the 2014 ACT Property Development of the Year Award. We are proud to recognise projects that exemplify creative thinking and challenge and improve our industry.
We share with the 2014 ACT Development of Year award recipient CIC Australia’s suburb of Crace, with a focus on quality in everything we do and a push towards a vibrant and community driven Canberra.
Chris Miller, left, receives his award from Chris Wheeler, of King & Wood Mallesons.
Archie Tsirimokos, left, with his award sponsor Matthew Kelly, of Hays Property.
“The suburb was the first in Australia to achieve GreenSmart accreditation in recognition of its sustainability initiatives, including leadingedge water-sensitive urban design.
“Affordability was a key driver at Crace, with 15 per cent of homes sold under the ACT Government’s affordability threshold. A mix of housing types, including terrace and semi-detached houses, deliver housing choice.”
ACT Property Business of the Year (sponsored by GHD): Hindmarsh Development Australia.
A 40-YEAR commitment to quality, customer service and the people of Canberra has been recognised and rewarded.
“In a highly-competitive field of outstanding developers, Hindmarsh stands tall for its enduring commitment to Canberra and for delivering high-quality properties that enhance urban living,” says Catherine Carter.
“Hindmarsh has defied the current economic climate, successfully completing two residential subdivisions and almost 1000 residential apartments, retirement units and commercial
tenancies during the past five years.
“Some of Hindmarsh’s recent projects include the four-stage Bellerive retirement village in Lyons, 18-storey Altitude apartments in Belconnen, Avoca apartments at Woden Green and the mixed-use Creswell and Penrose developments, currently under construction in Campbell.
“In a tough economy, Hindmarsh has continued to grow, strengthening its business by focusing on key locations of significant existing amenity and adapting its product to market demands.
“The judges were impressed by Hindmarsh’s ability to deliver high-quality projects that yield solid results in a softer market. A commitment to competitive pricing combined with high levels of fit and finish have proved a winning formula.
“Hindmarsh gives back to the community through active sponsorship of charities and support of the arts. Despite its lean team, Hindmarsh is an active member of the Property Council, through membership and division council representation, and through staff participation in committees.”
Executive Director’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Property Council: Chris Collins, principal, Point Project Management.
“AFTER serving as an engineering officer in the Royal Australian Navy, Chris transitioned to the private sector. Today, Chris is a highly-skilled technical project manager who works on extremely complex projects for the public and private sectors in the ACT.
“Chris combines his smarts – he’s a qualified mechanical engineer with an MBA in technology management – with exceptional people skills.
“This is a formidable combination, and explains why Chris is recognised as a trusted advisor for many in the industry. He is a valuable sounding board for everyone from his clients and colleagues through to his friends in the Property Council network.
“Chris has contributed as passionate and proactive member of the Property Council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee since 2008, and we are very grateful for his positive, practical and thoughtful input.”
Congratulations Chris Miller Winner of the 2014 Future Leader of the Year Award!
Since embarking on his career in the property industry in 2008, Chris Miller has worked tirelessly to build a reputation for excellence.
As a Strata industry professional, Chris has consulted on many of Canberra’s iconic new developments, such as NewActon and Realm precincts, the Kingston Foreshore, and the redevelopments of a number of the blocks within Braddon’s Mort and Lonsdale Streets.
The judging panel were impressed with Chris’ contribution to the industry and to building a dynamic world-class city for the people of Canberra. Chris has an outstanding work ethic, exceptional knowledge of his specialist area and a knack for building long term relationships.
Melanie Andrews, of CIC Australia, with award sponsor Mark Chappe, of Rider Levett Bucknell.
Chris Collins with his award… “A trusted advisor for many in the industry.”
Brett Smith, of Hindmarsh, receives the award from Jo Metcalfe, of GHD.
Malcolm Snow, Emma Thomas and Deputy Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Médy Hassan, Catherine Carter and Rowan Hindmarsh.
Why GEOCON is the only choice when selecting an apartment
INCLUSIONS TO MARVEL AT
GEOCON properties offer exceptional inclusions such as dream kitchens at Wayfarer, by Electrolux ambassador, Tetsuya Wakuda, and 6000sqm of expertly landscaped gardens at Observatory, designed by Australian icon, Jamie Durie. Our apartments at Newtown feature spacious balconies and oversized courtyards and Chelsea in O’Connor has a shared vegetable garden that would inspire any green thumb.
WHAT BUILDING CANBERRA MEANS
Building places to live, places to stay and communities to be a part of is what we’re all about. We champion inclusions, sustainability, client service and project execution plus great prices because we want to ensure the capital continues to grow and keep our title as Australia’s most liveable city.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
GEOCON build homes in town centre locations, so that you have everything you need at your doorstep. A report by the Real Estate Institute of Australia, has shown a 6.7%* growth in house prices in the most recently published quarter, throughout the north and west regions of Canberra; where you will find GEOCON’s Chelsea, Observatory and Wayfarer developments! You could be making money right now!
SAVE YOUR $$$
GEOCON offers payment plans that are designed to provide you with a helping hand if you need a little extra time to come up with the cash for your new home. Just speak to the team on 6108 4949 and find out what we can offer to help you save.
NO HIGH DEPOSIT PRICE TAG!
You read correctly! We want to make securing your new home as easy as possible, so there is no large upfront deposit required when you purchase your property at our developments at Newtown at Crace or Chelsea in O’Connor! All you need to secure your property is a $1000 deposit and make regular repayments towards your 5% balance and it’s all yours.
