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news / miss teen galaxy australia

Teen queen Chloe leads by example

By Lorna Morris

FADDEN teenager Chloe Granger hopes to raise $1500 for charity before she competes in the national final of Miss Teen Galaxy Australia next month.

The 18-year-old receptionist is among 12 others chosen to compete in the national beauty pageant in the Gold Coast and, if she wins, will compete in the international final in the US.

Chloe says: “At the state final, I represented my suburb Fadden and my official title is Miss Teen Galaxy Fadden NSW Finalist. I was so shocked when they called my name and I’m excited to go to the nationals.

“I enter pageants to have fun and meet new people. All the girls were really nice at the state final and it was a good environment.”

As part of her commitment to the pageant, Chloe will fundraise for Make A Wish Australia, a charity she holds close to her heart.

“As part of the competition you raise money for either Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors or Make A Wish Australia,” she says.

“I chose Make A Wish because the charity is closer to me. I knew a young girl from my dance school who passed

away from cancer, it’s a horrible disease. It is something I am passionate about.

“I hope to raise up to $1500. I will get the community involved by approach-

ing small and new businesses to take part in the fundraising. I want to do things like a raffle and a barbecue” she says.

In the national final, Chloe will be judged on five categories: photographic, fashion wear, swimwear, evening gown and interview.

The prizes include photoshoots, personal trainers, hair extensions and many more, but Chloe is more excited about representing her country and being a good role model like her mother.

“I think the main prize is to get the chance to represent Australia at an international pageant,” she says.

“My mum is my role model, she is super encouraging. She was surprised when I entered but she soon realised it wasn’t how it is on TV. Beauty pageants are portrayed in a bad way, but they’re not like that at all.

“I want to be a role model for younger teens, I have a lot of younger friends so I try to do the right thing.

“I really look up to the winner of last year’s national final, Brooke Cairns. Since winning, she has become an ambassador for bullying, she is a great role model.”

Chloe has been interested in modelling since she was in year 9 and is now represented by Victoria’s Models, a Canberra-based agency and is also sponsored by Power Kart Raceway. She hopes the pageant will give her some recognition to be represented by a Sydney agency.

Chloe says: “In the future I would like to compete in Miss World or Miss Universe, but I feel like I need to mature first. I would like to work and travel to get more life experience.”

- 29 MARCH 2015

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seven days

And in the blue corner, lonely Tony

FORMER Oxford boxing blue, Tony Abbott, looked to be going down for the count last week, the more remarkable as there was no one else in the ring.

Plenty of ringside hecklers from most of the media and lots of anonymous backbenchers from his own corner, but no one actually inside the ropes.

To be fair, the ghost of former leader Malcolm Turnbull could be briefly glimpsed dancing like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. And the silver-andgold-haired lawyer Gillian Triggs did run through and clip him with a short jab before leaping back to the bleachers. But as always, the bulky ref, Sir Public Opinion, would make the final decision.

THE war on drugs took a nasty turn with more players from the Gold Coast Titans joining the code-jumping Karmichael Hunt in a widening cocaine scandal. And Canberra athlete Janna Sladic succumbed to a heroin overdose. But while these phony glamour drugs grabbed the headlines, the national report showing the devastating effect of alcohol-related violence on our young people was virtually ignored.

The ghost of former leader Malcolm Turnbull could be briefly glimpsed dancing like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.

Funded by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, the report revealed that 140,000 children had been significantly affected by someone who drank and more than 10,000 were under child protection because of booze. What’s more, alcohol was responsible for nearly half the domestic violence attacks every year.

NICE to see Chief Minister Andrew Barr heading off to NZ on a mission to secure direct flights to and from the Shaky Isles. Canberrans are mercilessly slugged on the Sydney leg of any overseas flight. It’s so bad that thousands are taking the bus for a fraction of the cost.

Qantas boss Alan Joyce’s boast about turning the airline’s finances around went down like a lead 707 among those of us who have to pay through the neck. Coincidentally, this was the week I cashed in a credit of

$338 for a flight not taken. I transferred it to a Sydney-Canberra flight for $325, only to discover there was an extra “change charge” of $88! Outrageous.

WHY did it take so long for the ACT Government to give Comcare the flick? We all know that insurance companies are just money making machines who will take whatever the market will bear. And $100 million was way over the odds. But surely the Government knew there were at least 200 public servant claimants using it for years to suck at the public teat. And if not, why not?

ENOUGH of the darker side. This week saw the generous donation by Nick Georgalis’ Abode Hotel of a permanent two-bedroom family suite for the loved ones of patients in nearby Canberra Hospital. Lovely gesture, Nick.

JUSTICE John Burns put an end to former Speaker Peter Slipper’s political persecution by letting him off his conviction for rorting Cabcharge vouchers to visit our splendid wineries… some compensation for a life in ruins.

OUR favourite local thespian, Ian Croker, was fulsomely recognised in “CityNews” for his splendid set-design work on Philo’s forthcoming “Evita” production.

TONY Abbott’s bicycle was ensconced in the Museum of Australian Democracy (days before its rider?).

AND welcome to our very own Friday night noodle market in the parliamentary triangle. Huan Ying!

ROBERT MACKLIN

robert@robertmacklin.com

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Rita’s tough decisions take their toll

By Kathryn Vukovljak

NAVIGATING aged care is overwhelming at the best of times, but the emotional side of dealing with elderly parents’ frail years is rarely talked about, says Rita Merienne, author of “Tough… Tough Times… Tough Decisions”.

“It’s a hard time in anyone’s life, to have the roles reversed and take care of your parents as they have always taken care of you,” she says.

After Rita’s mother died, she says it naturally fell to her and her two older sisters to make sure their dad was okay.

At the time, Canberra-based Rita’s older sister Marilyn lived on the Gold Coast, near their dad, and their other sister Yvonne was in Adelaide.

“Marilyn took on the majority of his care as she was close by, while Yvonne and I supported her as much as we could over the phone and with visits,” says Rita.

“Dad had severe macular degeneration and became unable to look after himself at home, so we all agreed to move him to an aged care facility.”

Rita says they were relieved by the decision, and their dad settled in well, but shortly afterwards Marilyn passed away unexpectedly.

“It was hard enough for us all to deal

with the sudden loss of Marilyn; she was only 57 and had previously been so well,” she says.

“But it caused additional problems as she had been dad’s power of attorney –she held all his bank account details, all his doctors’ appointments, everything. It was hard to pick up all the loose ends, particularly from a distance.”

Rita would travel to the Gold Coast every four weeks to take her dad to his dreaded eye appointments, but she says it was difficult for them both.

“The appointments made dad upset; he needed a series of painful injections in his eyes and it was hard for me to see him suffering,” she says.

“Out of the blue I suggested he come to Canberra. I hadn’t discussed it with anyone else, but I knew there had to be a better way to manage everything.”

Rita moved her dad out of the Gold Coast facility and into respite for a month while she sorted out a facility for him locally and found a specialist that would take him on as a patient.

“It worked out well, but it was generally a tough time for our family – my 17-year-old son had recently been diagnosed with an eye condition, my fatherin-law had a triple bypass and my thenhusband had a heart attack – and it took its toll on me,” she says.

“I found the hardest part was doing all the things – keeping up with work, the family and everything with dad.

“One day I just couldn’t go to the office. I was dressed ready to go, but I started crying and I couldn’t stop. I knew something had to give.”

Rita took some time off work and started writing the book to share her experiences and advice.

“It’s important to note that no matter what route you go with aged care – a facility, your home or at-home support with a carer – it’s a lot of work,” she says.

“And it’s emotionally hard to see

your parent in a different light.

“You have to be kind to yourself – get out and have a coffee, see friends. You need support, too.

“Yvonne and I have learned so much –things like, have two powers of attorney!

“Dad has since passed away, but I wanted to share what we’ve learned so that no one else has to go through the pain we did.”

Buy the book at agedcarewithease.com

It

Keys to the chamber

ACT Australian of the Year, entrepreneur and philanthropist Glenn Keys, has been elected chair of Canberra Business Chamber following the integration of the Canberra Business Council and the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry under Tony Henshaw, who has stepped down from the role of interim executive chair. “Now that we have a single platform for Canberra business to be heard, I look forward to providing a clear voice from the business community on the direction for Canberra into the future,” says Keys.

Joining the Builders

KIRK Coningham will replace John Miller as executive director of the Master Builders ACT on March 11. Raised in Canberra, Coningham most recently worked as chief of staff to the CEO of global Leighton Holdings group.

Dementia study

AN ANU research group is looking to talk to people living with dementia or as a close relative of someone with dementia. Its study, “Caring for the Relationship in Dementia”, is aimed at helping advance understanding of interactions between carers, the carecommunity and people with dementia. Interested participants should call 6125 9599 or email besyde@anu.edu.au

Debra Parker | Partner

At Watts McCray we know how to listen. To hear your story.

As a family lawyer and a mediator with ten years’ experience as Registrar of the Family Court and the Federal Circuit Court in Canberra, Debra brings a wealth of experience to the Watts McCray team.

Debra can help you find the solutions you need.

Watts McCray welcomes Debra.

For a confidential consultation call 6257 6347 or visit www.wattsmccray.com.au

ZOO

Liberal power surge trips over Triggs

ANGRY at having to answer for his actions as Prime Minister, Paul Keating attacked the Senate as “unrepresentative swill”. Australian democracy has checks and balances that some Prime Ministers simply loathe.

The Abbott government’s dealings with Gillian Triggs illustrate just how much it wants to exercise unfettered power.

With mainstream media focusing just on leaders, prime ministers are actually believing they are elected by the people. As Tony Abbott is now realising, they are not. They are “the first amongst equals”, there with the “confidence” of the House of Representatives.

The upper houses of our parliaments, the cross-benchers, the parliamentary committees and appointed judicial inquiries and royal commissions, and the courts are just part of the process of accountability. As frustrating as these checks might be for governments, they go some way to ensuring we do not live in a fascist state.

The Ombudsman, the Human Rights Commission, environmental protection agencies and many other agencies are established through legislation to ensure governments are held accountable, to point out inconsistencies and to provide warnings when there are problems within their area of influence.

In some ways this explains the overt anger of the Prime Minister and the government, their attacks, their manipulations and their frustration over the report by the president of the Human Rights Commission, Prof Gillian Triggs.

It was hardly new information. Australians know that we have been putting refugee children in detention. Her report was levelled at human rights failings of Labor and Liberal governments. The difference is that the conservatives are now in government. And they are becoming more and more strident about criticism.

This was not one of Tony Abbott’s thought bubbles or a reactive comment. Attorney General George Brandis received the report from the president of the Human Rights Commission on November 11. The following month the Human Rights Commission had 30 per cent of its funding slashed.

In January, the Prime Minister and other senior ministers were lashing out at a commission ruling as “pretty bizarre”, “offensive” and “likely to shake confidence in the institution”. By early February, the

The representatives of the most vulnerable in our community seem to be most clearly on the government’s chopping block.

government sought Triggs’ resignation. Finally, it released the report on the last possible day under the legislation – February 11.

Funding cuts seem to be a favourite technique to undermine organisations playing a role as watchdog.

The Environmental Defender’s Office, Aboriginal Legal Service, the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia, Homelessness Australia and the Refugee Council are just a snapshot of other bodies that have raised the ire of the current government and have paid the price.

The representatives of the most vulnerable in our community seem to be most clearly on the government’s chopping block.

The importance of the separation of powers was brought to the attention of most Australians as long ago as the Fitzgerald Royal Commission into corruption in Queensland at the time of the premiership of Joh Bjelke-Petersen. Unfettered power simply leads to corrupt behaviour and ordinary citizens should always consider the Wendell Phillips’ warning about the price of liberty being eternal vigilance.

Sadly, the most concentrated element of the fourth estate, the Murdoch media, has largely sided with the government instead of providing critical analysis. At least we have a growing and more responsible alternative media.

Phillips, an abolitionist attempting to end slavery, was concerned about the human rights of the least powerful. Gillian Triggs should not be pilloried, but rather thanked.

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

sport briefly

Simply the best, take it or leave it

WE live in a world of opinions, so venturing into “best-ever” lists becomes problematic with so many different views about what really are the “best-ever” moments in a Canberra sporting event. This rules out monumental events such as the Raiders’ 1989 Grand Final victory, Rob de Castella’s 1983 world championship victory in the marathon, the heroics of Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon, Heather McKay’s 16 British Open squash titles, Ned Zelic’s goal to put Australia into the 1992 Olympics, the Olympic success of Petria Thomas and Simon Fairweather, and so on.

I am looking at the 10 greatest sporting moments that took place in Canberra, prompted by the success of Canberra’s hosting of the Asian Cup and the Cricket World Cup.

Chris Gayle’s 215 off 147 balls for the West Indies against Zimbabwe deserves a place in the top five moments in Canberra. The knock created plenty of records including the first double hundred in the history of the World Cup. Before this innings, Sir Donald Bradman’s final game of cricket was at Manuka Oval, when he came out of retirement to play for the Prime Minister’s XI against the MCC in 1963. This was regarded by many as the most significant Canberra sporting moment and probably still is to this day.

I would rank Gayle’s 215 ahead of Sir Donald’s last game, but both make

To

me, the greatest moment in a sporting contest in Canberra was in 1980 when the ACT took on the might of the Victorian VFL in possibly the biggest upset ever in the code.

the top 10.

The Asian Cup Football quarter final between Iraq and Iran at Canberra Stadium earlier this year is another I have put in the top 10. For outright drama it is hard to go past this game: one all at the end of regular time; three all at the end of extra time; Iraq winning the penalty shootout in a contest littered with yellow cards.

Also in the top 10: Canberra United’s unbelievable season in 2011/2012 in which they took all before them to win the National Women’s Football title.

Nor can the Canberra Capitals’ tense WNBL Grand Final victory in 2003 with the city emotionally fragile after the bushfires in January be overlooked. The Capitals, led by Lauren Jackson, beat archrivals Sydney Flames by two points. I would put this victory ahead of the others and the three title wins by the Cannons because of the timing of the victory and the importance it carried

within Canberra at the time.

Mal Meninga’s final game at Canberra Stadium in 1994 will live in my memory; the crowd being allowed to sit on the field during the game and Meninga’s tears when the grandstand bearing his name was unveiled. I would rank this game in the top 10 alongside the Raiders’ victory over the Wests-Tigers in the snow in 2000.

The Brumbies first Super Rugby title in 2001 at Canberra Stadium would have to score a mention. I would rank the 2004 win ahead of 2001 in terms of sheer drama, with the Brumbies leading 33 to nil in the first half against the Crusaders before it became a cliffhanger in the second half.

In 1978, the crowd wasn’t as big but the match between the ACT and Wales was probably more significant. The ACT side was very much local and it came up against the Five Nations Champions.

TIM GAVEL

Down 16-6 at halftime, the ACT kicked a late penalty goal to win 21-20. A great game!

To me, the greatest moment in a sporting contest in Canberra was in 1980 when the ACT took on the might of the Victorian VFL team, which included Brownlow Medalists, and some of the greatest players in the history of Australian Rules.

The ACT, led by Kevin “Cowboy” Neale, beat Victoria 95 to 82 in possibly the biggest upset ever in the code.

You might not agree with some of my top 10 selections, but lists like this provide the opportunity to reflect on the history of Canberra sport and revisit these great moments in our sporting history.

Jane Austen lives on

THE 8th annual Jane Austen Festival will be held at the Albert Hall over the weekend of April 10-12. The event, conceived by Aylwen Gardiner-Garden and organised by a group of volunteers from around Australia, will consist of dancing and sewing workshops, soirees and picnics, lawn games, theatre and talks. The main events will be the Battle of Waterloo Ball and the Promenade, Picnic and Jane Austen Cotillion Ball.

Bonnets and blarney

THE Tuggeranong Day View Club’s next meeting on March 17 is inviting members and guests to wear green for St Patrick’s Day – and a bonnet for the Easter Parade. At the Tuggeranong Vikings Club, Greenway, from noon. Lunch is $26 and any interested ladies are welcome. RSVP to 6284 8804 by March 13. View (Voice, Interests, Education, Women) is a leading women’s volunteer organisation and support network.

Call for volunteers

SAFE Shelter, which provides overnight shelter for homeless men during winter, is looking for volunteers to staff the shelters. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, have completed the two-night training course, hold a Working With Vulnerable People card and be willing to spend a minimum of one night a month helping at a shelter between April 27 and October 1. Volunteers sleep on the floor of the shelter, as do the guests. Training starts March 31. More details, email safeshelteract@gmail.com

Turn for old wheels

THE Council of ACT Motor Clubs’ annual trip down memory lane – the Shannons Wheels vehicle display – will be held at Kings Park on Sunday, March 8 where more than 1100 veteran, vintage, classic, historic and special-interest vehicles and motorbikes are expected to be on display.

Launch and Open Day

Please join SDN Children’s Services for the launch of our services for children with disability and developmental delays. The launch and open day is an opportunity for families to come and find out more about our Early Childhood Links service, delivered as part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

A word from above

THIS city of ours is truly beautiful.

Like most Canberrans, I’ve visited the national institutions, wandered the galleries, gazed through windows at the zoo, swum in our waterholes and walked many of our bush tracks and around our lakes. However, only ever at ground level.

Last week, courtesy of long-running Canberra company Balloon Aloft, I saw the city slowly waking to another day from a hot-air balloon as our central lake, memorials and embassies glistened in the early morning sun.

The seriousness of Mr Fluffy-affected residents, the on-going bickering around light rail and the increasing vacancy signs around some of our struggling town centres seemed far away as I floated over Parliament House at 100 metres (I’m certain this is the only capital in the world where you can do such a thing).

It occurred to me throughout the hour-long flight from Russell, via Dickson across Lake Burley Griffin to a safe, soft landing at Yarralumla, that despite all the issues affecting Canberra, our city’s clear natural beauty is the perfect solace from which to escape the grind of every day.

How wonderful Namadgi National Park is in winter, walking in snow at Corin or travelling the Murrumbidgee in the heat of summer, taking a dip in one of the cooling water holes.

Our lakes (well, most of them) are attractions in their own right and it’s no secret our bike tracks are some of the best in Australia.

Back in the air – from 1000 metres – it’s clear how much this city has grown. Looking south toward Woden and the valley, it’s easy to see the sprawl that has also engulfed Weston Creek. The construction sites that have dominated the Dickson waterfront precinct are nearing completion and, I have to say, it filled me with

Our city’s clear, natural beauty is the perfect solace from which to escape the grind of every day.

pride to see the Cricket World Cup logo adorning a beautiful Manuka Oval.

From the air you can clearly see our airport precinct’s new developments from international companies. All that’s missing are the international carriers on the runway that the government so desperately wants and this city needs.

The city centre stands proud and, yes, there are the new hotels and trendy boutique apartments that make up New Acton, but all in keeping with Canberra’s unique character, which has nothing overshadowing the institutions including Parliament House and the War Memorial.

So, as we move into autumn take a moment to reflect and enjoy what Canberra has to offer. Look up on Canberra Day and marvel at the spectacle of dozens of hot-air balloons filling the sky for the annual balloon festival and enjoy the relative ease in which we are able to get around our suburbs, and be proud of where we live.

Despite Canberra’s many problems, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

Marcus Paul is the drive announcer on 2CC

MARCUS PAUL

Contempt for our sacred place

AS we approach 100 years since Anzac Day, this year will be a day of huge importance for Australia. Commemorations will be held from cities to the smallest town in the bush.

Central to this is the commemoration at the Australian War Memorial on November 11.

The most sacred place at the Australian War Memorial is the Hall of Memories where the Unknown Soldier is interred to commemorate the sacrifice of those soldiers killed in World War I.

It is with deep sadness I see on visits the contempt that many visitors and, even more so, overseas visitors hold for this sacred place in Australia’s history. Especially when bus groups at busy times jossle to get a better position. I refer to the constant taking of photos with a never ending barrage of flashes. It is time that this practice was discontinued with very definite signs saying: “No photography of any description in the Hall of Memories” and staff policing this rule.

It is also relative to me as my uncle was killed in the Battle of Albert in France in 1918 just a few weeks before the end of the war and is buried in France. His father, my grandfather, would have been visibly upset to witness this show of disrespect for the dead, especially in the Hall of Memories.

Cedric Bryant, Watson

Joy Burch was wrong

IT would appear that Robert Macklin hasn’t been following the Joy Burch story very closely at all (Seven Days, CN, February 26).

No-one, no-one, is criticising Joy Burch for wanting to help her son. The complaint is that Joy used her of-

ficial position to influence the difficult situation that her son was in, an influence denied to every other parent in the ACT community.

Wearing her ACT Government minister hat, she made inappropriate contacts to secure a good outcome, something that ordinary Canberrans are not able to do. That’s the criticism, not the fact that she wanted to help her son, as we all do.

Geoff McLaren, Scullin

Peter did say thanks

I USUALLY ignore what Robert Macklin says, but I cannot let his paragraph on Peter Greste go (Seven Days, CN, February 12).

He says Peter did not thank the Government. On the contrary, Peter said several times his thanks to the government, Julie Bishop and all the embassy staff in Egypt and for the support his family had received from the PM. He even suggested they all get a knighthood, including the driver Mohammed. So come on Robert, get over the Labor bias and report/comment what actually happened.

Geoff Harding, Mawson

Write to us

Letters are invited from “CityNews” readers. Let loose to: editor@citynews.com.au or write to the editor at GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601.

www.canberraswingkatz.com

canberraswingkatz@gmail.com

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Jaimee’s race day tips

This Sunday Thoroughbred Park will be a buzz with racegoers enjoying the biggest day on Canberra’s racing calendar.

It sees the running of the Seppelt Black Opal Stakes and the TAB.COM.AU Canberra Cup.

Personally, I am so excited to be involved in such a wonderful race day. It also marks the first opportunity that Tabcorp, through ACTTAB, has had to be closely involved in the Black Opal.

There will be Fixed Odds betting available on all races from Thoroughbred Park, plus TAB will be coming to the party with $20,000 First 4 jackpots on the feature races – the Seppelt Black Opal Stakes and the TAB. COM.AU Canberra Cup.

Both races have produced noteworthy winners over the years, with Jaquinot Bay winning last year’s Canberra Cup for the late Guy Walter and Lucky Raquie taking out the Black Opal for Gerald Ryan.

This year’s Black Opal winner will be out to become the first horse since the Queanbeyan-trained Catbird back in 1999 to go on to victory in the Golden Slipper.

ATC Derby winner Criterion was the last horse to attempt the double, finishing 6th in the Slipper after his Black Opal success.

So be sure to check out the latest odds and have a crack at the huge First 4 jackpots at your local TAB or at ACTTAB.COM.AU

Jaimee Rogers – TAB Media Presenter

IT’S TIME Why Labor has to sell its clubs

THE ACT Legislative Assembly has passed amendments to the electoral funding laws to, among other things, remove the cap on donations and to provide for a fourfold increase in public funding from $2 per vote received to $8 per vote.

The changes will mean that, at the election next year, the ALP and the Liberal Party can expect to receive in the order of $700,000 each from ACT ratepayers.

Irrespective of what one’s views are about the nature of these “reforms” they certainly raise questions for the ALP about the continuing validity of the claims and arguments advanced by the party and its members for maintaining ownership of the Labor Club Group and their almost 500 poker machines.

The primary justification for maintaining ownership of the clubs is, of course, the party’s need for funds to support its operations and election needs. With public funding of almost three quarters of a million dollars now effectively assured, that argument looks a bit thin.

There are, of course, a range of subsidiary arguments that are regularly advanced within the party for maintaining ownership and control of the clubs. Some of these have undoubted merit, but many are spurious and fail to recognise the very real moral and ethical issues, let alone the political implications, implicit in a political party which is in government, being the owner of a major gambling empire and one of the largest operators of poker machines in the Territory.

There is no doubt that

The passage by the Legislative Assembly of the recent changes involving a massive increase in public funding for political parties is surely the signal that it is time to distance the party from this ticking time bomb.

the Labor clubs have over the decades provided enormous support to not just the Labor Party but to the broader Canberra community, in which it has disbursed millions of dollars in community contributions and sponsorship.

The clubs are also a major employer and have always sought to represent best practice in staff management and the management of licenced premises. The clubs are a very significant community resource. For this the Labor Club, the Labor Party and its members deserve recognition and can be justly proud.

At the heart of concerns about the ALP maintaining ownership of the clubs is the important and, at times, complex notion of conflict of interest and the importance of ensuring, particularly in respect of an industry as problematic as gambling, that all regulatory and administrative arrangements are transparent and that there is not and cannot be any suggestion of a conflict of interest, perceived or otherwise.

There is in addition, of course, for a progressive and socially responsible leftleaning political party such as the ACT branch of the ALP which prides itself on being an exemplar, the moral and ethical responsibility it bears for the crushing devastation that problem gambling wreaks on some people and their families.

However, it seems that there is currently no appetite among either the current Labor teams in either the Legislative Assembly or the federal parliament, in the party office and, perhaps most pertinently, from within the party

JON STANHOPE

factions to sell the Labor clubs or to break the party’s relationship with gambling or poker machines.

This has not always been the case. In 2008 the Labor Club board, with the full support of the party, began a process for the sale of the clubs. This resulted, by June 2009, in four detailed bids, all well in excess of $20 million, to a select tender process involving three of the major club groups in the ACT and a national union.

The board was in the process of finalising negotiations with the preferred tenderer, an existing ACT-based club group, when the ALP National Executive, faced apparently with an internal factional spat over the proposed sale, intervened in the administration of the ACT branch and took over responsibility for its management. Following national intervention the proposed sale was abandoned.

It is a pity that the National Executive has never thought fit to explain, particularly to ACT branch members, why it felt so strongly about the need for the ALP to remain a major player in the gambling industry. It would, I think, be an oversimplification to think it was just about the money.

Regardless of the motivation of the National Executive in its unjustified and spoiling intervention in the affairs of the ACT branch, the passage by the Legislative Assembly of the recent changes involving a massive increase in public funding for political parties is surely the signal that it is time to distance the party from this ticking time bomb.

Jon Stanhope was Chief Minister from 2001 to 2011 and represented Ginninderra for the Labor Party from 1998. He is the only Chief Minister to have governed with a majority in the Assembly.

New vision awakes the Brickworks

By Catherine Carter

IN Toronto, a down-at-heel distillery has become the city’s place to see and be seen.

Designer boutiques and hip cafes rest cheek-by-jowl alongside gorgeous art galleries and artisan shops. People flock to the Distillery District day and night, and it is considered Canada’s premier arts, culture and entertainment destination.

In London, the derelict Battersea Power Station on the bend of the Thames will soon be home to 4000 apartments, three hotels, more than 250 shops and restaurants,

a large riverside park and its own tube station – with the project generating tens of thousands of new jobs in construction.

And in New York, a run-down section of elevated railway tracks has been transformed into the two kilometre High Line Park, attracting investment, encouraging local start-ups and supporting vibrant new arts initiatives.

While not on the same scale, the ACT Government’s ambitious and exciting vision to revive the Old Canberra Brickworks can tick all the urban renewal boxes.

The revised masterplan, released by the ACT Government last week, will increase residential density along

a major transport corridor, increase our housing stock, present new commercial opportunities, and create a unique heritage destination.

More than $5 million will be spent on conservation and adaptation of the Brickworks itself – with new offices, studios, galleries and community facilities attracting activity to the area. The local community will also get five new parks amounting to seven hectares of green space.

While there are concerns about building height and traffic management still to be resolved, the Brickworks redevelopment is a perfect example of how investment in the right heritage development

can deliver economic and social dividends. Urban renewal can drive economic growth, provide employment opportunities and create exciting new places for people. In the case of the Old Canberra Brickworks, we can ensure Canberra’s valuable heritage is preserved for future generations.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has said he wants to steal the “Lonely Planet” Coolest Little Capital in the World Award from Wellington. With the redevelopment of the Brickworks, we could be well on our way.

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

Reducing the excuse for being plain wrong

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age 18”

– Albert

Einstein

IN the last five years between two different jobs in the area (and two different houses at the other end), I must have cycled the route between Civic’s East Row and O’Connor at least 1000 times.

And for all of those 1000 times I’ve bounced around Alinga, Moore and Rudd streets before joining a crush of cyclists to cross Barry Drive.

Pedestrians have sworn at me for being on the footpath and fat blokes in utes have sworn at me for being on the road, despite it being completely legal in the ACT for a bicycle to be on both the road or the footpath.

And then, this week, for reasons I don’t completely understand I asked Google Maps for what it thought was the best route.

Straight down East Row, straight up Barry Drive.

That can’t possibly work, I thought. But I gave it a go and it was a revelation. All the crossing traffic giving way to me, far less interaction with traffic and pedestrians, and in the order of three minutes carved off the 15-minute journey.

Now, I’m not stupid and over the years I’ve thought a lot about the best way to cycle home.

But Google put no specific thought at all into my route, the maps’ software though had access to more data and the ability to plan out the whole route rather than react to the specific moment, as one does when rubber is on road.

Having access to lots of data is something we’re really having to struggle with as a species.

For all of our history, up until 20 years ago, we roughly knew what was in our heads and that was about it.

Donald Rumsfeld was mocked for musing about known-unknowns and unknown-unknowns, but it’s a very important concept for our time.

It’s the work of seconds now to check any fact before we put it down in writing.

This is a mixed blessing for opinion column writers. Certainly, we can avoid making howlers more easily, but the risk of disappearing

for hours down research rabbit holes has massively increased.

However, it does reduce the excuses for being just plain wrong.

“I’d heard that...”, “When I was in school they said...”, “My grandad told me...”, a whole class of rhetorical justifications vaporised in the cold reality of: “Why didn’t you look it up?”.

However, for our political classes this is a bit of a problem. Overarching ideology used to provide a road map for policy in the absence of data.

But now we have data and it’s obvious, in all sorts of areas, that no single ideology has all the answers all the time.

Religion’s got some problems here, too.

The old religious books provided a pretty handy (and successful) guide to how to run a happy healthy society with the technology of their time.

The problem being that their time was thousands of years ago and now we have instant communications, fast transport, cheap manufacturing, refrigeration and effective medicine.

Hot running water wipes out half the societal utility of the Old Testament let alone the impact of the internet!

Sadly, I’m not here with any solutions. Except to say that any idea you’ve had for more than five years is well worth taking apart and scrutinising from first principles against the available data.

Also check your route home on Google Maps; chances are you’re missing a trick.

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

JOHN GRIFFITHS

CRUISE EXPO

Sunday, 15th March 2015

Albert Hall, Commonwealth Avenue (next to the Hyatt) • 10am – 3pm

Over 30 suppliers represented on the day, including Cruise Lines, Tour Operators, Accommodation & Travel Insurance. Prizes to be won, including two cruises. TP 15/04942

Canberra Confidential

Music to get your teeth into

NEW artistic director of Canberra International Music Festival, Roland Peelman, is opening his first festival with a “Chefs of Canberra” night of fine music and top nosh at the National Arboretum on Thursday, April 30.

It’s to be co-hosted by Mildura chef, restaurateur and telly star Stefano di Pieri

The four-course degustation will come from a team of top local chefs including Ben Willis, from Aubergine; James Mussillon, from Waters Edge and Courgette, and Clément Chauvin from Les Bistronomes.

Throughout the evening, guests will be treated to a selection of performances from CIMF musicians chosen by Peelman.

The $150 tickets (inclusive of food, wine and music) to the festival fundraiser are apparently limited, but the initial misguided tease – guaranteed to appeal to accountants – that “the entire cost of the ticket is tax deductible”, was quickly withdrawn by the chastened organisers.

Love on the straight and narrow

LOOKING for love in all the wrong places?

Then maybe “Romance on Rail” might be the thing. The Canberra Railway Museum is dragging out a lurve loco to turn on “a singles event unlike any other” on Saturday, March 28 from Canberra Railway Station in Kingston.

“As the wine flows in a classic railway carriage, the evening is but young for frolics

and fun,” the organisers tease.

“Later, silhouetted in the moonlight, you dance your way home, moving as one to the gentle sway of the carriage and your new friends.”

What one does with one’s swaying new friends during an hour-long layover in the romance-challenged wastes of Bungendore railway station may be a test to new love.

Tickets are $98 inclusive of food, drink and swaying. The dress code is ‘20s glamour and mainly targeted at the 25-45 age group.

Transformative transitioning

NOT satisfied with Canberra being the capital city of Australia, Planning Minister Mick Gentleman wants community views on “the big planning issues... as Canberra transitions into a significant major city”.

But the “significant major city transition”, CC suspects, will have something to do with the “transformative tram” that Minister Simon Corbell bangs on about.

Though Mick had our brains in a reef knot this past week trying to work out what a Ca-NUDF is.

From the labyrinth that is Minister Mick’s portfolio, he says that in order to respond to community comments and build upon the work that is being undertaken by the Capital Metro Agency (CMA) and the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate (CMTEDD), the Environment and Planning Directorate (EPD) is undertaking a City and Northbourne Urban Design Framework (Ca-NUDF).

“The Ca-NUDF will guide the strategic opportunities for development, renewal and revitalisation in the city centre and along Northbourne Avenue.” So they’re the ones chopping the trees down?

Stepping up for charity

GAIL Lubbock , of Escala Shoes in Manuka, took some charitable steps last month by donating a percentage of her February sales to Ovarian Cancer Australia. The charity will receive $1800 from her thoughtful gesture.

Golden wonder

HOT on the heels of the $5500 gold-plated iPhone is this racing bike in 24k gold and adorned with diamonds; yours today for a shade under $AU500,000.

UK firm Goldgenie’s “specialists meticulously applied a lustrous layer of 24k gold to the entire structure, from the tip of the drop handlebars to the wheel stays, and every other part in between, including every ridge of the gear chain. The gleaming gold model is offset with sophisticated accents in black in a limited edition soft San Marco suede saddle and SR4 racing tyres.” They’re waiting for your call on (44) 208 804 6200.

Wrongly counting sheep

SMARTPHONE apps that promise to track sleep may leave insomniacs so anxious they can’t sleep at all.

So says Dr Siobhan Banks, of the Sleep Health Foundation.

“If you’re one of the 1.2 million Australians with a sleep disorder like insomnia or sleep apnea these monitors might give you false reassurance or worse still, more anxiety about not getting ‘enough’ sleep that can lead to yet more troubles with sleeping,” she says.

And wrist sleep trackers can also give greatly varied results, according to recent studies showing that one leading brand managed to over-estimate and under-estimate a person’s sleep by more than an hour.

Dr Banks said for people just wanting to get a general idea of their sleep patterns, this won’t be a problem, but the influx of data may not be that helpful for an insomniac.

hyperdome.com.au

Before the sale, meet the stars!

Meet the stars of Home and Away and Skyfire’s headline band, Masketta Fall! Friday March 13, 4pm – 5pm in Centre Court. Celebrate Skyfire with huge discounts, giveaways and entertainment for ONE WEEKEND ONLY! For more information, visit hyperdome.com.au Plus, Skyfire’s Got Talent Live Finals.

Join 104.7’s Scotty, Nige and Knuckles LIVE as the finalists sing for the chance to perform at Skyfire. Friday March 6, 4pm in Centre Court

scene / around canberra

Social event of the week / ‘Out of silence; Marcel Marceau Photographic Exhibition’, Alliance Francaise

FOR a man who worked in the silent world of mime, Marcel Marceau liked a chat.

I interviewed him in the ‘70s on television and he settled in to stay the distance for the whole show. Never mind the other guests! But he was interesting and interested in a whole range of topics and I have fond memories.

But his stage presence was unforgettable. His performances the epitome of the consummate mime artist and that sinewy lithe body and the distinctive face make-up kept his audiences mesmerised and enchanted. His hair, on the other hand, was like a covering of steel wool.

The late Jan Dalman met Marceau in 1960 and five years later, in Adelaide, he sought him out after a show and asked to photograph Marceau performing.

That became a regular gig during Marceau’s seven tours to Australia and a selection is now on display at the Alliance Francaise in Turner in partnership with the Canberra Museum and Gallery.

Opened by CMAG’s director Shane Breynard, we learnt a little more of the great Marceau and toasted his return from the Dalman collection of slides to the limited edition prints now on sale.

SUNDAY ROAST

Stay in touch with the names making news on Sundays from 10am as 2CC and “CityNews” present Canberra’s only local weekend news and current affairs program.

It’s a revolving panel show that brings to the microphone great “CityNews” commentators and 2CC personalities.

Be part of the conversation and call 6255 1206 between 10am and noon.

WATERFRONT LAKE HOUSE

OVERLOOKING KOSCIUSZKO THE JEWEL OF AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL PARKS

THE EPICENTRE OF THE BEST TROUT & SALMON FISHING IN AUSTRALIA SWIM, FISH, PADDLE, WATERSKI OR LAUNCH YOUR BOAT RIGHT FROM THE SANDY BACKYARD BEACH

Lake Jindabyne and the 3 rivers are stocked with over a million trout and salmon. Kosciuszko National Park is a short paddle across the pristine lake where there are 4,287 square miles of hiking, mountain biking and snow sports.

• 60 second walk right out front to a safe sandy swimming and fishing beach.

• Direct access to the lake for easy launching of any size boat.

• Most private location.

• Paved road.

• No road noise.

• Town water and sewage.

• Heaps of room for cars, RV’s and large vegetable gardens.

• No fleas or ticks.

• The safest location from bush fires.

• Never run out of water.

• Can step right out the door for great walks or hiking, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing etc.

• Best mountain bike trails and road bike riding roads in the country.

• Cruise or sail down to Jindabyne town for lunch or shopping.

• Drive golf balls from your back steps.

Quality built 4 bedroom. 2 1/2 bath house of Oregon, cedar, and treated log construction. Large wrap around veranda / deck with gates – safe for children and pets and perfect for entertaining and watching those glorious evening sunsets.

Huge work area / garage under. Lots of potential for expansion or even a granny flat.

Pine paneling throughout. Hardwood floors in the lounge kitchen area with two fireplaces

– one two sided with fan. New kitchen with breakfast bar. Vaulted ceiling lounge dining room and upstairs with reversible fans. Lots of

room for a pool table etc.

Property located in quiet, friendly village of Kalkite on Lake Jindabyne. Within 10 to 20 minutes of the residence are schools, post office, supermarket, great shopping, pastry shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, movie theatre, new super clinic.

The Snowy Mountains has year round the most diverse range of sports and activities in the country. From all snow and water sports plus golf, tennis, horse riding and equestrian, lawn bowls, hang gliding, bike, rowing & sailing clubs, dragon boats, rock climbing, abseiling, white water rafting, shooting clubs, bush walking, 4WD driving – plus quilting associations and flying and RC plane clubs.

It’s all here for yourself, family or rental guests – be they honeymooners, corporate reward or a family just wanting to have fun and get away from the rat race or noisy crowded resorts.

Take another look at your life and get out of your sedentary rut. Perfect place to retire. This would have to be the healthiest, safest, socially cohesive region in the country.

Because of an imminent move overseas for family reasons, the price has been dropped from $645,000 to an incredible low $545,000. The buyer could receive a quick sale bonus with the choice of receiving an additional $10,000 off the price of the property or $10,000 in cash paid at settlement. This is an absolute bargain as the house only rebuild costing from NRMA Insurance is $545,000, so you get arguably the best waterfront property with best rental potential, best boat access and magnificent never built out panoramic views in the entire region for less than the house rebuild alone.

‘There simply aren’t that many opportunities available to secure such a

Huge urban development site

AN exceptionally unique, large urban development has become available for sale through independent real estate advisor Knight Frank, says associate director of sales and leasing, Daniel McGrath.

The property, at 2 Faulding Street, Symonston, is located on a massive land area of 32,000sqm, which could be subdivided or developed by a creative investor, Daniel says.

It will be auctioned at Eastlake Football Club, Kingston, 11am, on March 26.

“There is an 8449sqm building on the site, which was built in 1996 for a fibre-optic facility,” says Daniel. “It is a highly specified building.

“There is plenty of extra unused space within the building that could potentially be redesigned to incorporate other businesses.”

Daniel says that one of the major selling points of the property is the vast amount of land available in such a central location.

“It’s close to the inner south, Fyshwick and Canberra International Airport, and only 5km from Civic and the Parliamentary Triangle,” he says.

“There simply aren’t that many opportunities available to secure such a large site in Canberra that’s close to existing infrastructure.”

Daniel says he expects this property to generate strong demand from investors and owner-occupiers.

“The site opens up a range of opportunities for investors to diversify the land and existing building use, and to either develop or subdivide the site,” he says.

“At the moment the property is zoned for industrial use with IZ1 restrictions.

“Subject to planning approval, there is scope for developers to undertake their own

for auction

project or subdivide the land into various parcels.”

There are a number of development schemes open to urban developers for a property like this, which could include multiple delivery outcomes, says Daniel.

“The existing building could be converted

for alternate uses and potentially redesigned to attract a range of smaller tenants,” he says.

“With the sheer scale of the site, there is plenty of scope for developers to introduce a variety of their own concepts for both the vacant land and the existing building.”

Knight Frank is an independent,

global real estate consultancy providing an integrated prime commercial and residential offering, operating around the world.

Daniel says that evaluations are high for the property, based on its size and location.

“We are expecting a great deal of interest in this large, centrally located property,” he says.

“For the right investor, the opportunities are there to take a creative angle with the existing building and land and consider extension, development or subdivision.”

At the Raiders season launch, National Gallery

Catholic Schools Week, March 8-14

Week that showcases best in

CATHOLIC Schools Week is about celebration with the main aim of raising awareness and celebrating the strength and distinctiveness of Catholic schools.

One Parish, four schools

THE Holy Spirit Catholic Parish aims to serve the community of Gungahlin by making all feel welcome and included as well as empowering people to use their gifts to help the community grow.

The parish works with Good Shepherd Primary, Amaroo; Holy Spirit Primary, Nicholls; Mother Teresa Primary, Harrison and John Paul Secondary College, Nicholls. Each school provides a quality, happy, faith-led education for their students to represent the face of Catholic education in Gungahlin.

You

Good Shepherd Primary, kindergarten to year 6, is holding a breakfast on Friday, March 13, for Catholic Schools Week where children and parents are welcome.

Assistant principal, Ursula Jamieson says: “Catholic Schools Week gives us an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful community we are.

“We are all under the umbrella of one Holy Spirit. The schools are independent from one another, but all the leaders share information and religious educators meet regularly.”

St John Vianney’s Primary School is enrolling now. Open Day, 9am-11am and 3.30pm5.30pm slots on Wednesday, April 29. Call 6288 2383.

“One Community in God’s Love” is the theme at Holy Spirit Primary School during Catholic Schools Week.

On Wednesday, March 11, parents are invited to attend a value focus assembly and walk around the classrooms.

A display will show all the different cultures and faiths represented at the school.

Assistant principal Anna D’Amico says: “This week is a chance to highlight education and bring people into our community to realise the full capability of our school.

“We love our school and when we have the chance to share it with others, we take it” she says.

The week involves the communities of all 615 Catholic primary and secondary schools across NSW and the ACT by inviting the community in to experience teaching and learning at its best.

Holy Spirit Primary School Open Days, 9.30am2.30pm, May 4-22. Tours of the school will be on Tuesday, May 12, at 6pm-6.30pm followed by a 45 minute information session. Call 0262418640 or visit holyspiritgungahlin.org.au

Mother Teresa Primary School accept members of other faith traditions, as well as Catholic, who support their ethos: “Do Small Things With Great Love”. They believe that this motto provides them with the framework of service and grounds them in their mission to provide the best education possible for the children in their care.

The school, situated in Harrison, enrols all levels up to and including year 6.

Mother Teresa Primary School Open Day, 9.30am-11am and 4pm-6pm, on Wednesday, May 6. Call 6241 5604 or visit motherteresa.act.edu

St John Paul II College is a new Catholic co-educational college in Gungahlin that commenced in 2013 and caters for students from years 7-9.

It will be holding its Catholic Schools Week event “JPC Showcase” on Wednesday, March 11, where the community is invited to experience the school’s new facilities, including a performing arts centre and food technology and textiles technology facilities.

The Showcase will begin at 5.30pm with refreshments in the theatre foyer and the performance will start at 6pm.

Principal, Catherine Rey says: “Catholic Schools Week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our schools and our students. We are delighted to have this opportunity to share our students’ talents and our beautiful facilities with our community.”

St John Paul II College, Open Day, Tuesday, May 5, Tours at 9.15am-11am, 1.45pm-3pm and 4.30pm-5.30pm. Call 6163 4800 or visit jpc.act.edu.au

St Mary MacKillop College

ACCORDING to college captains Abigail Maminimini and Adrian Thomas, St Mary MacKillop College’s welcoming environment, diversity and skill of the teaching staff, and the wide range of opportunities are some of its greatest strengths.

“Everyone is welcome at MacKillop, and our teachers encourage us to do our best, be ourselves, and pursue our interests,” they say.

During Catholic Schools Week, St Mary MacKillop College will celebrate its mission to be a Catholic school for all.

Using the teachings and example of its patron, St Mary MacKillop, the college aims to be welcoming of students from different faiths, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as students with a range of abilities – from the most academically gifted to those who need extra assistance achieving their optimum.

“When we started at MacKillop we learnt very quickly that there’s something for every interest here, with a range of sports, gifted and talented programs, leadership opportunities, performances, a huge range of classes, and lots of different people to share the journey with,” say the captains.

As a co-educational school, boys and girls learn together, promoting a mutual respect for gender difference, cohesive intellectual energy, and a learning community that best reflects the society its students belong to and are being prepared to lead.

advertising feature learning and teaching

Merici College

THE teachers at Merici College are “building the futures for exceptional young women”.

The inclusive Catholic College for young women in years 7 to 12, situated in Braddon, provides a dynamic and welcoming community built on the tradition of best practice in girls’ education.

Merici College has a diverse co-curricular academic program, vibrant, cutting-edge, flexible learning areas, as well as a religious education program that bridges faith and life.

Principal, Loretta Wholley says: “Catholic Schools Week celebrates our commitment to academic excellence and the holistic development of every child.

“We seek for students to grow, learn and be confident young adults who contribute to our society through action and service.”

During the week, all students will receive a gold ribbon with the 2015 theme

“Serviam – I Will Serve” and music students will participate in the Combined Catholic Schools’ Concert on Wednesday, March 11, and Thursday, March 12.

To end the week, on Friday, March 13, Merici College presents its year 7 Transition program at the 2015 Catholic Expo at the Hedley Beare Centre in Stirling.

Visit Merici College, 9am-7pm, Wednesday, May 6. Call 6243 4100 or visit merici.act.edu.au

St Edmund’s College

St Edmund’s College was established as the first secondary boys’ college in the ACT in 1954.

The college, part of the Edmund Rice Education Australia network of schools, offers a school, curriculum and community that is caring, safe and rewarding and specifically designed for boys.

Boys learn best how to be leaders through practical experience, through student leadership roles or leading co-

curricular and sporting teams. The staff know the boys and are crucial to supporting their faith formation within the college to help the boys learn values of service, respect for others, inclusion and justice, drawing upon a rich experience of prayer and spirituality.

St Edmund’s College, 110 Canberra Avenue, Griffith. Open day, 4.30pm-7pm, on Thursday, April 9. Call 6239 0660. stedmunds.act.edu.au

St John Vianney’s Primary School

“THE three cornerstones of St John Vianney’s are that the children have the right to feel safe here, they have the right to respect and fair treatment and they have the right to learn,” says principal Vicky van der Sanden.

During Catholic Schools Week, the Waramanga school will hold a swimming carnival for years 2 to 6 on Tuesday, March 10, and the Freaky Friday disco on Friday, March 13.

Principal van der Sanden says Catholic Schools Week

is a chance to feel like a community.

“It is good for us to know that we are all part of a big faith community, not just Australia but globally. It is a nice feeling to see children and families learning together about the same faith across the world.”

St John Vianney’s Primary School is enrolling now. Open Day, 9am-11am and 3.30pm-5.30pm slots on Wednesday, April 29. Call 6288 2383.

One Parish – Four Schools

The four schools of, Holy Spirit Primary Nicholls, Good Shepherd Primary Amaroo, Mother Teresa Primary Harrison and John Paul Secondary College Nicholls work together to provide a Catholic education for the Holy Spirit Parish in Gungahlin, from Preschool to Year 10 (2016) with Year 11 and 12 being added in 2017 and 2018. Each school individually provides a quality, happy, faith led education for their students. Collectively the schools represent the face of Catholic education in Gungahlin.

Motto To Be Together The Heart of God

Open day Wednesday May 6th 9:30 – 11:00am and 3:20 – 5:30pm

Phone 62557888

Email office.goodshepherd@cg.catholic.edu.au

Holy Spirit Primary School Nicholls

Motto Our Spirit

Open day Monday 4th May – Friday 22nd May 9:30am – 2:30pm

Tuesday 12th May. Tours 6:00pm – 6:30pm

Information Session 6:30pm – 7:15pm

Phone 62418640

Email office.holyspirit@cg.catholic.edu.au

Mother Teresa Primary School Harrison

Motto Do Small Things With Great Love

Open day Wednesday, 6 May 9:30-11:00 and 4:00-6:00pm

Phone 6241 5604

Email office.mts@cg.catholic.edu.au

St John Paul II College Secondary College Nicholls

Motto Justice Peace Courage

Open day Tuesday 5 May

Tours 9.15am-11.00am, 1.45pm-3.00pm and 4.30pm – 5.30pm

Information Session at 5.30pm

Phone 6163 4800

Email office.jpc@cg.catholic.edu.au Good Shepherd Primary School Amaroo

Nestled on the escarpment overlooking the township of Merimbula the Hillcrest consists of 30 rooms in a double brick contemporary 1970’s style building. Surrounded by 1.6 acres of garden, the motel offers quiet & tranquil enjoyment of this beautiful part of the world.

• Large spacious rooms with glorious views

• Free WIFI

• Queen, twin, triple and family rooms

• Private Balconies

• Free gas BBQ & utensils + plates

• Picnic area overlooking town

• Toddler play area

• Pool • Pet friendly

T 02 6495 1587 E enquiry@hillcrestmotorinn.com.au W http://hillcrestmotorinn.com.au

Hillcrest Motor Inn - Motel 95-97 Merimbula Drive Merimbula, NSW, 2548

towards the south coast Autumn is the right

AUTUMN is an excellent time to enjoy the south coast without the summer crowds.

KANGAROO VALLEY

Here is some inspiration to making the most of your journey or your stay.

Freshest of pies promise a ‘good punch’

EACH week, when contemplating what his “Pie of the Moment” is going to be, John, the owner of Southern Pies, says: “We look for the freshest, in-season produce to give a good punch of flavour.

“Most recently it was beautiful, glossy ripe eggplant and capsicum that caught our eye at the markets, so we oven roasted them with garlic, tomatoes and basil with some chilli and feta and it was a bite of summer wrapped in pastry, it was delicious”.

John says that all of their pies use local produce where possible, with all beef sourced from Milton, on

MERIMBULA

Rooms with a view

SITUATED on top of a hill on Merimbula Drive, the family and pet friendly Hillcrest Motor Inn offers 30 rooms in a contemporary, ‘70s-style building.

Brendan Cavanagh and his wife Mel, the new owners for 18 months, believe that the Hillcrest Motor Inn is a family oriented motel that offers a quiet and tranquil enjoyment.

“It is a family run motel with a swimming pool, children’s play area, barbecues and free wifi. It has the best view of Merimbula with a one kilometre walk into the town” Brendan says.

The 3-3.5 star motel offers a range of rooms from standard, family to deluxe starting from $74.

Winner of the 2014 Guest Review Award for booking.

the south coast.

The local way to start the day is with the Epic Brekkie Pie, featuring a whole egg, bacon, hash brown and smoky onion relish, topped with cheese and onion.

As we say here, challenges John: “Are you ready to take on the Epic Brekky?”

Southern Pies, 146 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley, open seven days from 6.30am weekdays and 8am weekends, call 4465 2778.

com, the Hillcrest Motor Inn also offers discounts for long-term stays, loyalty customers and seniors as well as rep rates.

The Hillcrest Motor Inn, Call 6495 1587, visit hillcrestmotorinn.com.au/hc

Comfort and romance

THE Comfort Inn, Merimbula, is a romantic getaway for couples wanting to relax.

With 26 luxury rooms overlooking the Merimbula Lake, the Comfort Inn has an on-site restaurant and bar, outdoor swimming pool, guest laundry, and free off-street parking close to town. Owner Tanya Richmond says: “It is a great place for couples to relax. Everything is within walking distance, you can take a walk on the boardwalk, it is surrounded by beautiful beaches.” For Easter, The Comfort Inn is offering three nights for $375 over Easter, a saving of $100.

The Comfort Inn Merimbula, Call 6495 3077, visit comfortinnmerimbula.com.au

TILBA

Get lost, in luxury

THE Bryn at Tilba is a separate, elegant country house, providing a stunning rural-coastal retreat for discerning guests who seek the highest standards in style, cleanliness and service, say owners Sharon Perkins and Peter Hopkins.

“It’s just a short walk to historic Central Tilba village and only minutes to pristine beaches, lakes, walking trails, delightful coastal towns – Narooma, Mystery Bay and Bermagui,” they say.

“The Bryn is set on more than three hectares of tranquil, park-like grounds and boasts magical views across rolling green pastures to nearby Gulaga (Mount Dromedary), Barranguba (Montague Island) and to Najanuga (Little Dromedary).

“Linger over a sumptuous breakfast on the sunny wrap-around veranda or at the French farmhouse table.”

While The Bryn doesn’t accommodate children under 12 years of age, the separate, recently renovated residence, The Cottage, is fully self-contained and welcomes families with up to four children of any age.

The Bryn at Tilba, call 4473 7385. Website at thebrynattilba.com.au

BARLINGS BEACH

Peace, quiet and waves

BARLINGS Beach Holiday Park is a place to “get away to enjoy the peace and quiet while listening to the sound of the waves,” says manager Lisa Schrier.

Situated in Rosedale, halfway between Batemans Bay and Moruya, Barlings Beach Holiday Park offers 33 beachfront rooms with a twominute walk to the beach.

Lisa says: “It is a really safe beach for kids to swim in and it is also popular for fishing. People also take their canoes up the Tomaga river. “The palm villas have large balconies so couples can enjoy the peace and quiet while their children play on the grass”.

Barlings Beach offers a range of accommodation from tent sites to deluxe cabins. Prices start at $110 per night for a basic cabin and $195 per night for a regal spa villa that sleeps 10 people. With a swimming pool, play area, aviary and cafe there is much to do for the guests.

Visit the website for the “Sand & Safari” special where, for $325, guests can spend two nights in a luxury palm villa plus two adult tickets into Mogo Zoo.

Barlings Beach Holiday Park, 1939 George Bass Drive, Rosedale. Call 4471 7313 or go to barlingsbeach.com

Go Fish with Gordon Hansford is Australia’s only inclusive beach fishing tuition and accommodation experience.

Guests can step back in time and stay in a ‘60s beach house situated in Tomakin and enjoy the relaxation of the beach as well as learning the basics of beach fishing.

Gordon says: “It is a cost effective, team-building experience perfect for corporate and personal getaways.

“The trip helps people learn skills they will have for the rest of their lives”.

Gordon teaches the essential skills of concentration, planning, adapting, patience and teamwork, amongst others, in order to “hook that elusive client”.

There are a variety of packages available including the midweek, three days, two nights package from $399 a person and the three-day, long weekend package, from $445.

Guests have a chance to save up to $1040 with the March special getaway which includes beachfront accommodation, breakfast and dinner, beach fishing tuition and bait sourcing skills at $1810 for three days for a group of up to six people.

Go Fish with Gordon Hansford, call 0407 240372 or visit learnthebasicsofbeachfishing.com

on a belief in the power of natural ingredients and the many therapeutic benefits found in nature.

Using old-fashioned beauty recipes we create all of our products by hand in small batches to produce a range of decadent skin, bath and body care remedies that are good for you and your skin.

Visit our online store for OVERNIGHT DELIVERY to the Canberra region. 55 Princess Highway Cobargo NSW 2550 threewisemums.com 0411 711 849

2 Nights 3 Day’s for a group of up to 6 people only $1810

0407 240 372 Email gordonhansford1@gmail.com

• Imagine a 4.5 STAR Bed & Breakfast that’s a home away from home.

• Delight in a separate guesthouse offering privacy, luxury, space and views.

• Three luxurious guest rooms, a stylish, comfortable living room for all to enjoy and eight acres of tranquil, park-like grounds.

• Indulge in a romantic weekend away, a solitary retreat or bring friends and enjoy the exclusive use of the whole house.

• If you prefer to self-cater, try The Cottage – a separate, fully equipped two- bedroom residence with spectacular views to nearby Mount Dromedary.

• A short walk to historic central Tilba and just minutes to pristine uncrowded beaches, lakes, walking trails and delightful nearby coastal towns.

• Free Wi-Fi is available in both residences. Sharon Perkins and Peter Hopkins ph: 02 4473 7385 www.thebrynattilba.com.au www.facebook.com/TheBrynAtTilba

towards the south coast

Terrace apartments in the middle of town

KIAMA’S Terralong Terrace Apartments offer a range of one, two and three-bedroom, fully furnished, self-contained serviced apartments.

Relief manager, Sylvia Karschies, says: “We have a lot of return guests because they love the comfort of staying in the middle of Kiama. Everything is on your doorstep, restaurants, many coffee shops, it is great for a culinary trip.”

With 55kms of walking tracks and a 10-minute walk to the beach, it’s a perfect location to explore Kiama. Prices start at $220 a night for a one-bedroom, with discounted deals available during the week.

Terralong Terrace Apartments offer free wifi, free parking and fully equipped rooms suitable for families, couples and large groups.

Terralong Terrace Apartments, call 4232 3711 or visit terralong.com.au

COBARGO

Mum’s the word

AFTER years of fruitlessly searching for products that don’t contain artificial ingredients and chemicals, financial-planner-turned-entrepreneur Angela Clifford decided to create her own range and founded Three Wise Mums.

Selling a natural bath, body and skincare range hand-crafted from natural ingredients, Three Wise Mums has opened its first boutique store on the south coast of Cobargo.

Angela says her products are a “luxurious and nostalgic homage to a simpler time when skincare and beauty products were derived straight from Mother Nature”.

“The brand aims to empower women to reconnect with the natural world through the use of products that enhance rather than camouflage your natural beauty”.

Using only naturally-derived ingredients and oldfashioned beauty recipes, the Cobargo-based mother of two says she has always been passionate about

women feeling beautiful and confident inside and out.

“I use a holistic approach with all the products in the Three Wise Mums range to ensure every product is using each ingredient to its full potential so women can feel at ease that they are using only the best and most natural ingredients onto their bodies,” says Angela.

Three Wise Mums, 55 Princes Highway, Cobargo. Visit threewisemums.com.au

LILLI PILLI

Beach is the place to relax

FOR families, couples, executives or anybody who needs to get away from it all, relax and wind down Lilli Pilli Sublime offers holiday accommodation in a spacious, four-bedroom house (with rumpus/games room) nestled in the surrounds of Lilli Pilli Beach Estate on the outskirts of Batemans Bay.

Only 300 metres walk to beach, everything in the house is new including furniture, kitchenware, linen etcetera.

The Lilli Pilli Sublime vibe is very much

a tropical one with a Bali-style garden, an additional outdoor kitchen barbecue area with Asian-inspired stone sculptures and fountains that add a touch of paradise to the house’s already idyllic position overlooking natural bush.

Guests can enjoy the many beaches in the area and cool off in the outdoor shower.

Call 0412 800 857, email lillipillisublime@me.com or visit lillipillisublime.com.au

BODALLA

Eggs in the Nest

ARTISANS’ Nest is a three-year-old textile-inspired shop and gallery in Bodalla run by its members.

At Easter, visitors to the gallery will be invited to take part in the Eggs in the Nest project by making a donation and helping construct eggs of all colours and kinds to fill a one-metre diameter nest made by one of their members, Marian Webb, an accomplished basket weaver.

There will be artists on hand, starting on the Easter weekend and through the school holidays, to help with egg making and decorating; papiermache, felted, painted, printed, plant dyed, lace, patchwork, crochet, etcetera.

Artisans’ Nest, Bodalla, 10am-5pm, seven days a week.

BERMAGUI

Cottage with a passion

ENJOY a private getaway at the 4½-star

Cottage

and breakfast at Bermagui.

The tri-level cottage has a room with a private entrance and garden for guests.

Owner, Gretel Bodiam says: “It is a really unique experience, it is in a little pocket surrounded by woodland and amazing birdlife two kilometres from the harbour.

“Bellbird Cottage is a perfect place where guests can switch off, be it honeymooners, retirees or people just needing to get away. It is very intimate, this philosophy is different to usual B&Bs, but that works well for our guests.”

From $210 a night, guests can expect a unique room with an en suite, a quality home-cooked breakfast served in bed using local and seasonal produce, as well as indulgent spa treatments in the room.

The Bellbird Cottage B&B has won an award for excellence in B&B, South Regional Tourism.

“It’s more than just a business, it’s a passion,” Gretel says. Bellbird Cottage B&B, Call 6493 5274 or visit bellbirdcottage-bnb.com

Lilli Pilli Sublime is a destination unlike any other. We offer holiday accommodation in a spacious, delightfully decorated 4 bedroom house with rumpus/games room, and a Moroccan themed outdoor kitchen area with BBQ.

LPS is nestled in the stunning surrounds of Lilli Pilli Beach Estate in an idyllic position overlooking natural bush land on the outskirts of Batemans Bay, NSW. For families, couples, executives or anybody who needs to get away from it all, relax and wind down, LPS offers something special. We provide WiFi, Foxtel with all channels, playstation with games, Nespresso

Coffee Machine, linen including beach towels and baby items at no extra cost.

The LPS vibe is very much a tropical one with its hot and cold private outdoor shower. Its Bali inspired garden adds a touch of paradise and is pleasantly styled with Asian stone sculptures, fountains and bamboo. Guests can enjoy the many beaches in the area; Lilli Pilli Beach is just a 300 m walk. Take in the fresh ocean air and sounds of the wildlife.

Luxury comfort and style - these are the three principles upon which the hosts have built the LPSublime experiences.

• Big blocks from 810m to 1242m

• Prices from $270,000 to $310,000

• Share our Village lifestyle while enjoying our urban amenities.

• No building time limits (secure your block now and build whenever you like)

• Walking distance to existing village shops

• Adjacent to the new village centre with a wide range of facilities including child care

• Established community with recreational facilities

• Open between 12 and 3pm Saturday and Sunday.

A feast of French films

By Helen Musa

“TEAM France” is the way French Christophe Lecourtier likes to view the collaboration between the French State, industries and the Alliances Françaises across Australia as the 26th French Film Festival swings into action.

This is his first such festival, and director Lecourtier applauds the inclusion of a full 49 movies this year, especially highlighting films commemorating World War I, such as Jean Renoir’s 1937 movie “Grand Illusion”. As well, he notes that cinema critics David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz, the event’s new patrons, have been given carte blanche to choose their favourite films.

The good news is we’ll get to see all 49 films in Canberra.

The opening night comedy on March 6, “Gemma Bovery”, relates to “Madame Bovary”. In this case an English couple named Gemma and Charles Bovery move to a small Normandy town and encounter the local baker, a Flaubert fan.

The classic “Paris, je t’aime” is the closing-night choice on March 25. One of Stratton’s selections, it comprises 20 short

films inspired by the subject of love, from directors as different as Olivier Assayas and Joel Cohen. And it’s the only place in the festival where the ubiquitous Gérard Depardieu surfaces.

As if to make up for that, Catherine Deneuve appears in “3 Hearts”, “In the courtyard” and as real-life casino heiress Renée Le Roux in “French Riviera”, part of the “living history” section of the festival.

This year there’s an overwhelming preponderance of comedy, but the serious aspect of contemporary life in France is also seen in “Samba”, where Omar Sy and Charlotte Gainsbourg play a Senegalese dishwasher and his immigration caseworker.

Thrillers are almost as popular as comedy. Director Mathieu Amalric’s adaptation for the big screen of Georges Simenon’s novel “The Blue Room” about an illicit, small-town love affair between a family man and a pharmacist’s wife proves the enduring popularity of crime combined with a bit of sex.

The Alliance Française French Film Festival has always been ahead of the game in what they call “Kiddies’ Korner” and this year is no exception, with popular

animations such as the French-Belgian collaboration “Asterix – the Mansions of the Gods” and “Moomins on the Riviera”.

We knew Canberra film director and writer Simon Weaving had been invited to Paris by uniFrance films, but we didn’t know why. That part of the deal was to sit on the panel for the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2015 Critics’ Prize. That goes to “Girlhood”, director Céline Sciamma’s story of female empowerment set in the tough neighbourhoods of Paris.

2015 Alliance Française French Film Festival, March 6–25, Palace Electric Cinema, program details at palacecinemas.com.au

“Samba”... the story of a Senegalese dishwasher (Omar Sy) and his immigration caseworker.

Actress Liv goes from Hughes to Hollywood

By Lorna Morris

THE bright lights of Hollywood are calling actress Liv Hewson to star in an upcoming web series in March.

Nineteen-year-old Liv, from Hughes, has been training in Los Angeles through the Professional Actors Masterclass, an internationally renowned acting program she was recommended to apply for after attending classes through the Australian Institute for Performing Arts.

She has since signed with a top management firm and will star in a “tongue-incheek” web series called “Validate Me”.

“It’s an amazing opportunity and I’m honoured to be included,” she says. “The web series is a project in development driven by young actors creating content with a view to wider distribution in the future.

“We’re playing with the absurdity of the industry we work in and the anxiety that is rife in it, but also the joy of what we do.

“I’m really excited to be bouncing ideas off each other and supporting each other in getting material off the ground.

“The course teaches you a lot about performing and also prepares you for the reality of such a big and challenging workplace. It’s great to have space to learn about the specifics of how media is made in a place like Los Angeles, which can feel intimidating and scary if you’re not equipped with the right information.”

At the age of 14, Liv decided she wanted to pursue acting seriously and joined the Canberra Youth Theatre, a group she believes gives young performers the skills for a successful career in acting.

She has since done theatre and screen work and has won a Canberra Area Theatre (CAT) Award.

“One of the good things about Canberra is that it gives you the means to build your own opportunities,” she says.

“The Youth Theatre is wonderful in giving young performers the skill set required to generate their own work and survive as arts practitioners anywhere they choose.

Liv Hewson… “One of the good things about Canberra is that it gives you the means to build your own opportunities.”

“Festivals like ‘You Are Here’ and programs like The Street Theatre’s ‘First Seen’ are great opportunities for developing artists to get their work off the ground. You certainly have to put yourself out there and do the work, but I think it’s important to be able to do that”.

Liv, who credits Aussie actress Cate Blanchett as her main inspiration, hopes to use her own theatre training as a foundation for further screen acting and thinks moving to Los Angeles is a great opportunity.

“The chance to work and create new stories and characters with talented peers is just awesome,’ she says.

“It’s massive in terms of skill development and it’s a huge step forward for all of us.

“I would love to work on an independent film, they are beautifully complex and important stories are being told in that scene right now, which I would love to be a part of.

“I’m really passionate about the presence of complex and fully imagined women on screen. Ideally, I would love to be in a place of telling stories about real people who aren’t being represented.”

2 Phillip Law St. NewActon, Nishi Precinct. P: 6222 4900 Bookings & information: www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

Hysteria out as tension mounts

“A Most Violent Year” (MA) IN 1981, Hispanic businessman Abel (Oscar Isaac) signs a contract to pay $1.8 million for a business that will lift him into the select tribe of New York businessmen selling heating oil to a snow-covered city.

If Abel doesn’t pay in 30 days with no extension, the deal is off, the deposit forfeited. A weaker man than Abel might run away from such conditions. But Abel, about to move with three daughters and gorgeous wife Anna into a new up-market home, reckons he can meet them.

Writer/director JC Chandor begins piling obstacles in Abel’s path by hijacking one of his tankers and putting driver Julian (Elyes Gabel) into hospital. From that point, the film confronts Abel with broken promises, violent confrontations, the impending service of summonses for commercial crimes and domestic conflicts that, while they test Abel’s resolution, fail to overwhelm it.

Anna, a mobster’s daughter who’s seen criminal behaviour close up and understands how it functions, is a ferocious defender of home, family and the business, an electrifying performance by Jessica Chastain. Albert Brooks plays the firm’s loyal CEO. Sitting on the fence is FBI agent Lawrence (David Oyelowo) who perceives Abel’s strong moral foundation and is prepared to wait for matters to develop.

As the deadline approaches, the film delivers inexorable tension without hysteria or hyperbole, a paean to the American business ethic which, if you think about it, is probably little different from that of anywhere else.

At Palace Electric, Dendy and Capital 6

“The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (PG)

THREE years after delighting audiences with observations of a group of ageing Brit expats whose lives have followed varying paths, writer Ol Parker and director John Madden revisit them still living in the Indian hotel owned by Sunny (Dev Patel) whose business skills don’t match his ambition.

This time he’s in California seeking financing to renovate another run-down hotel. Much of the film deals with that ambition and the people sent by the financiers to review, clandestinely, the proposal on the ground.

The core cast remains unchanged from the original troupe. Maggie Smith, the former charlady who’s now assistant manager of the hotel; Judi Dench, now working for a merchandising company and Bill Nighy, the tourist guide yearning to take her in his arms; Celia Imrie the bundle of raging hormones in need of relief and

Newcomers are Richard Gere playing a writer whom Sunny believes is the undercover agent sent to evaluate his financial request and Tamsin Greig as a daughter waiting the arrival of her mother.

The film looks good. The plot is unburdened by insoluble issues. The dialogue is largely plebian with occasional one-liners of varying sharpness. The sparkle of the original has dimmed, its freshness has faded and its dramatic impetus has turned flaccid. In short, it’s a sequel showing the problems that bedevil most sequels.

At all cinemas

“Project Almanac” (M)

IN this debut feature by director Dean Israelite and writer Andrew Deutschman, five Georgia high-school kids led by David (Jonny Weston) playing around with stuff like mobile phones, camcorders, rechargeable batteries and various chemicals, crack the technical problems that hitherto have confounded hopeful time travellers.

That’s a fair-enough premise for a lightweight

movie about an unachievable fiction that might have been more impressive if it had been better recorded. It carries the five back a relatively brief distance in time. It acknowledges the ripple effect that time travel would encounter if it were practical. It makes somebody pay for screwing up the world’s events.

But the physiological effect on the viewer of cinematographer Matthew Lloyd using a handheld camera to record time changes and their events is discomforting to the edge of nausea. Lloyd deserves some credit for holding focus during camera gyrations that must have given intestinal ab-dabs to editors Martin Bernfeld and Julian Clarke. As they did me, damaging whatever small goodwill I might otherwise have found toward the film.

At Dendy, Capitol 6, Hoyts and Limelight

Come and try CALI-DANCE at Brindabella Calisthenics College! Your first class is FREE! We hold classes for all ages from 3 and up. Cali-dance is an exciting combination of both sport and the performing arts. It promotes team work, self-confidence and friendship. Music, dance, acting, strength and flexibility are all incorporated to create dynamic performance work.

In 2014 our senior team (17 plus) were the Cali ACT Champions! Brindabella is a fun and successful club and we would love for you to join us! For more information, check us out at brindabellacc.com.au or contact Donna Sullivan (BCC President) on 0416 010 810 Follow us on facebook.com/brindabellacc

Bookplate turns a new page

I’VE always loved Bookplate, the restaurant at the esteemed National Library of Australia. It’s such a beautiful setting with the marble foyer surrounded by the famous Leonard French stained glass windows and an outdoor dining area that can accommodate 60 and offers fabulous views of the lake and hills of Canberra. With a new owner, Bookplate now offers a proper full menu, not just blackboard options (although rotating specials are still available). In essence, Tracy Keeley has developed more of a “restaurant feel” to the place and has enhanced the dining space inside with books and decorative items relating to authorship and penmanship.

Four of us dined at Bookplate for lunch and thought the summer “modern Australian” menu was great. Big tick.

arts in the city

The small plates, on our visit, featured a chilled vichyssoise ($11.50), Tasmanian salmon gravlax with salmon, fennel and grapefruit salad with sweet mustard sauce ($17.50), and rustic pork rillettes ($15.50). Lovely, light dishes for hot weather. We shared the rillettes and found the flavours fabulous, but the rillettes a bit dry.

Salads are super interesting and generous enough to satisfy as mains. They included roasted carrot, freekeh (made from green wheat and roasted), date and almond ($16.50), and mango, coconut, peanut and red rice ($18.50).

Six large plates were on offer and we concentrated on these until we realised that Bookplate had run out of four of them even though lunch was still in full swing.

One of our party ordered the Dal Bhat –yellow lentil dal with rice, warm roti, yoghurt and mango chutney ($21). It was sensational and the winner dish of the day by far. It was an excellent combination of interesting flavours

and an excellent presentation on the plate. The second main ordered didn’t satisfy quite so well. The beer battered barramundi with steakhouse fries and tartar sauce for $24 was, well, ordinary.

I switched gears when told Bookplate was out of piri piri chicken and the soup du jour. Having seen the mango salad served to a table next to us, I ordered it. Although slightly dry, the flavours were super and the fresh mango packed a punch.

What I love about Bookplate’s new food approach is that the kitchen has shunned the approach of many national institutions here (and, indeed, around the world), which is to offer mediocre fare. There is concerted effort to be innovative and so Bookplate is well worth trying.

But I’ve said it often before, and will likely say so many times more; restaurants are like people, they have good days and bad days. On our visit, Bookplate must have been having a good day since they were out of most food. Or does that make it a bad day?

Bookplate, National Library of Australia, Parkes Place. Open seven days.

Handling the social media’s humiliation

By Helen Musa

WOLLONGONG drama academic Janys Hayes is the director of “Handle It”, a play soon coming to The Street Theatre, in which performer Laura Jackson plays seven Gen-Y characters facing their sexuality on stage against a backdrop of social media projections.

It’s theatrical, but it’s pretty confronting.

In the play, 18-year-old student Kelsey Armitage is very nearly destroyed when compromising pictures of her are posted on Facebook.

As part of her master’s degree in creative writing at the University of Wollongong, Jackson, who also wrote “Handle It”, studied the techniques of Swedish acting teacher Yat Malmgren.

The Malmgren method, Hayes tells “CityNews”, asks actors to go deeply into their every gesture, “even the movement of their eyes”. Heavily influenced by Jung, he suggested that characters’ inner attitudes can be divided into six different types, perfect for the story of Kelsey and her Facebook tormentors.

Hayes believes Malmgren’s intuitionbased approach to acting assists in showing Kelsey through the lens of the six other characters, especially when victims of rape and other attacks are frequently humiliated online by “friends” hiding behind a keyboard.

The subject matter, Hayes agrees, is of enormous contemporary public interest and yet, oddly, few plays have been staged about the question. As a person not from Gen Y, she uses Facebook sparingly, but knows that many younger people go into their account more than twice a day, often all the time, structuring their own images.

“Before this, I didn’t know how viral

Hollywood comes to Albert Hall

ALBERT Hall will be the setting for the Hollywood Glamour Vintage Ball from 7pm, Friday, March 13, when the Canberra Swing Katz, ConneXion Big Band and Canberra’s “very own Frank Sinatra”, Tony Haley, strut their stuff. Dress code is “elegant”. Bookings to Eventfinda.com

CANBERRA writers are joining Folk Dance Canberra for an evening of dance, story and horror, all over wine and cheese from 7pm, Saturday, March 14, in Folk Dance Canberra’s hall, 114 Maitland Street, Hackett. Author and folk dancer Gillian Polack will read, there’ll be a book stall and Canberra’s own horror-fiction queen, Kaaron Warren, will read, fittingly just after the dances from Transylvania! Tickets at the door.

PHOTOGRAPHER Margaret Kalms’ exhibition “Iconic Moon” will be opened by artsACT’s David Whitney at 6pm, Thursday, March 5, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, accompanied by poems written to 14 of her photographs by members of Canberra’s School of Music Poets. The exhibition, which continues until Saturday, March 28, shows the full moon portrayed in “playful association with Canberra’s iconic buildings”.

“YOUR sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace… After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well,” wrote Atatürk after Gallipoli, providing the inspiration for Australian Chamber Orchestra director Richard Tognetti and stage whizkids Nigel Jamieson and Neil Armfield to create “Reflections on Gallipoli” in music, voice and image. At Llewellyn Hall, Saturday, March 14, bookings to aco.com.au

A SIMPLE mass, “Eine Deutsche Messe”, composed by Franz Schubert in 1827 will be the centrepiece of a concert by rising stars Ensemble Nobiles, from Leipzig at 7pm, Saturday, March 14, Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest. Tickets are $35 and $25 (concession), $10 full-time student/child. Bookings to trybooking.com/GXAG

“MAGIC Happens” is an exhibition of artwork curated by John Pratt, who has been helping

run the Painting with Parkinson’s group since 1997. This year marks 20 years of the innovative art program founded by Nancy Tingey. In the Visitors’ Centre, Australian National Botanic Gardens until March 16.

POETRY at The Gods’ first reading this year will feature Geoffrey Lehmann, author of “Australian Poetry Since 1788” and Jeri Kroll, who wrote the verse novel, “Vanishing Point”. At The Gods Café/Bar, ANU Arts Centre, dinner 6pm and readings 7.30pm on Tuesday, March 10. Bookings to 6248 5538.

HELEN MUSA

photos could become,” Hayes says. Jackson, she says, has written “a challenging piece of work”, one that is strengthened by the method, as she places the different characters and interacts with others, even though it’s just her on stage.

Malmgren has been particularly useful in helping Jackson to play the part of Kelsey’s sister, Alexa, who swings in dream-like inconsistency, backwards and forwards, sometimes supporting her sister and sometimes reprimanding her for wearing provocative clothing and other perceived faults.

“Handle It”, in asking whether women can “handle” the humiliation of Facebook leaks, undoubtedly puts a feminist case, yet Hayes and Jackson are certain it will be an eye-opener to men, too.

“Handle It,” at Street 2, The Street Theatre, March 13-15, bookings to 6247 1223 or thestreet.org.au

Date: Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Creating Sustainable Gardens

Glenbog Nursery and Landscaping

The Canberra region’s largest range of

plants – grown on site for

• growers of drought tolerant and frost resistant plants

• new garden creations and garden makeovers

• sustainable garden design and advice

• providing a value for money solution

NURSERY OPEN: 9am to 5pm Wednesday to Friday 10am to 4pm Weekends

314 Plummers Rd, Burra NSW (20 minutes from Queanbeyan) Ph. 0402 024 204 – 0408 119 160

glenbog@skymesh.com.au Like us on Facebook

We grow them hardy so you can watch them grow

u

u

gardening Think small for modern gardens

THE concept of Canberra as the garden city or the bush capital is fast disappearing as house-block sizes shrink the space of suburban gardens.

The early parks and gardens directors, such as Weston, Hobday and Bruce, had such high aspirations. These leaders in horticulture planted a healthy blend of native and exotic street trees to give pleasure for all seasons.

This was combined with the promotion of residential gardens with free trees and shrubs.

But let’s look at the positive side and consider if there are small trees suitable for small blocks.

I consider a small tree being up to five to six metres with a spread of two to three metres. Admittedly, they’re not large enough to shade the house, but could provide shade for playing children.

Prunus “Versicolour” is an outstanding flowering peach with a mixture of pale and dark pink and white flowers appearing at the same time in spring. It grows to about three metres with a similar spread. A group of, say, three would look stunning on a larger block.

PROVIDING a spectacular display at

present is the Lagerstroemia indica of Crepe Myrtle, with its colours ranging from white to pink and purple. The blossom has been exceptionally good this season and its floral display has lasted for many weeks.

In winter, the bark sheds its outer skin, revealing beautiful shades of

greys and cinnamon colours.

Many varieties are ideal for the very small garden, growing to just four metres tall. For example, the L.I. indica x fauriei “Lipan” is a stunning, vase-shaped Crepe Myrtle with an abundance of lavender colour flowers and rich autumn-leaf colour.

For bigger gardens, there are larger varieties that grow to eight or nine metres.

Dwarf Crepe Myrtles grow well in a large ornamental container, ideal for balconies in units. An example being Lagerstroemia indica “Bourbon Street”, which grows to 60 centimetres with a one-metre spread.

THE Heritage Nursery in Yarralumla will be taking part in the national Garden RE LEAF Weekend (March 7-8) to highlight the health and wellbeing benefits of plants and gardens, and raise funds for beyondblue.

Between 2pm and 4pm, Heritage is hosting sessions in showing children how to pot violas and pansies to take home and grow. Other activities include a “Blue Plant Sale” with 20 per cent of the sales of blueberries, salvias, rosemary, convolvulus and brachyscome donated to beyondblue.

NEXT month’s Lanyon Plant Fair will feature about 30 exhibitors from all over southern NSW and Victoria with every plant imaginable – native plants to exotic, bulbs, sculptures, tools plus a host of activities for children. One of the last events under the Open Gardens Scheme, a series of garden experts will give free talks throughout the weekend.

Lanyon Homestead, 10am-4pm over the weekend of March 21-22. Entry is $10, under 18 free.

Jottings…

• Prepare the veggie bed for winter planting after removing the last of the summer crops. Adding wellmixed new compost from your compost heap, some garden lime and Neutrog Seamungus seaweed and chook poo fertiliser.

• It’s time to remove struggling roses because they are never going to get better. Thoroughly dig over the ground and prepare as above for the veggie garden. Then let it rest until the new rose-planting time in June/July.

• I advise against planting new citrus trees in the open garden as frosts can appear any time now. If in containers,

Joanne Madeline Moore

your week in the stars – March 9-15, 2015

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Hold onto your hat, it’s going to be a turbo-charged week as Mars (your ruling planet) dances with Jupiter and then tussles with Uranus and Pluto. Fabulous opportunities are ripe for the picking but if you are too hot-headed and hasty, then you could find yourself charging into a complicated situation. By all means be brave and bold, but don’t forget to employ some discrimination and discretion as well!

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Are you confused about which path to follow in the future? Pay close attention to your dreams. They are full of creative ideas and symbolic wisdom that can lead you in the right direction. Taurean painters, writers, musicians, photographers and performers will feel particularly inspired this week, as you tune into the magical muse within. Some Bulls will bump into a lover from the past, but do you really want to go down that road again?

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

You’re keen to connect with others as the planets kick-start your professional and networking zones. It’s time to mix and mingle; converse and communicate; innovate and inspire; text and tweet. People are waiting to hear what you’ve got to say. Brainstorm your creative ideas, then step up to the plate and start communicating! If you’re bored with your current peer group, be proactive about introducing some fresh new faces.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

The mid-week Mars/Pluto square can trigger intense experiences that aren’t necessarily pleasant. Avoid winding up a family member, pushing your partner’s emotional buttons, or getting into an altercation with an authority figure. Singles – you could find yourself strongly attracted to someone with a powerful personality. Pace yourself and remember there’s a fine line between fiery affection and obsession.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

This week Mars and Uranus detonate your dare-devil side and Jupiter jump-starts your motor, so it’s time for languid Lions to leap out of your usual routine and do something wildly different. Travel, education and publishing are particularly favoured, as you expand your mind to include adventurous new activities. But resist the temptation to embellish stories, tell tall tales or be bossy and bombastic with others – especially work colleagues.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Expect some friction mid-week as a child, teenager or friend becomes more entrenched in their opinions and less likely to be adaptable – avoid getting drawn into arguments over money! With Mercury (your ruling planet) moving into your relationship zone, the weekend is a wonderful time to sit down with loved ones and talk through sensitive issues that bother you. Clear communication is the key.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

There’s a heavy feeling in the air this week, as some family members get caught up in power plays. Attached Librans – take your partner for granted at your peril. If they feel neglected, they may go looking for love elsewhere. Singles – are you picking disastrous dates from the same-old places? If you’re searching for a satisfying soul mate, it’s time to catapult out of your comfort zone and cast your net far and wide.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

When it comes to a study issue, job application, work project or career move, don’t take the safe path this week. Mars and Jupiter encourage you to be bold and go for gold! But if a painful personal issue is dredged up, don’t be too dismayed. Use it as an opportunity to mine your unconscious mind, examine your inner motives, and then move on. Be inspired by birthday great James Taylor: “We all have to face pain, and pain makes us grow.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Sagittarians tend to go to extremes and you’re walking a fine line at the moment as you strive to get the ratio right between being expansive and exuberant in the outside world, and being personally disciplined and focused. Jupiter sends an awesome opportunity your way this week – but have you done the preparation required so you can capitalise on good fortune? With Saturn moving through your sign, there’s no substitute for hard work.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Travel and international contacts are favoured as you extend your local network to include influential people from faraway. Avoid handing out criticism, especially to family members, no matter how ‘constructive’ you think it is. Many people will be on the defensive and if you criticise their efforts, then expect the sparks to fly! Aim to be a cool, confident Capricorn rather than compulsive, controlling and condescending.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

When your ruler Uranus hooks up with mighty Mars, you go into crazy-brave mode as you set about demolishing any obstacles that litter your path on the road to more personal freedom. The future beckons and you’re in a mad hurry to get there, but don’t be in such a rush that you miss magical moments along the way. As birthday great James Taylor wisely observes: “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Pisceans have an uncanny sixth sense and you’ll be using it this week as you follow your gut instincts – especially involving love, lust or loot. Mercury moves through your sign from Friday until March 30, so it’s the perfect time to discuss your future dreams with family and friends who encourage you. Your motto for the moment is from Liza Minnelli: “Don’t listen to anyone who doesn’t know how to dream.”

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2015 Daily astrology updates at twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore

General

and will give up her job and do this kind of work full time.

“The business will make a substantial loss this financial year and I can claim that loss against my other income to get a bigger refund,” she said when she came to see me.

I told her that it was quite common for businesses to make losses in their first years of trading.

1 What, until 1933, was Alice Springs called?

8 For 37 years, Arthur Stace chalked which one word sermon through the streets of Sydney?

9 Which devices are worn as a sign of membership, etc?

10 Which message has been taken over by the email, SMS and the like?

11 Name a plant, native to Mexico, widely cultivated for showy coloured flowers

13 What are large drinking cups, sometimes with hinged covers?

16 Which device is used for plucking the strings of a guitar, mandolin, etc?

19 Name the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth ll

22 Who, in Greek legend, died when Paris wounded him in the heel?

24 What are substances composed of two or more metals?

25 Name the figure of a star, used in writing and printing as a reference mark

2 What is a jewelled ornamental coronet worn by women?

3 What, in theology, is an attendant to God?

4 Name a person who has died, leaving a valid will

5 Name a particular small freshwater duck

6 Which term describes something puzzling or inexplicable?

7 Which street in central London was at one time on the bank of the Thames?

12 Name a marine fish, related to the cod

14 What do we call a person who is deliberately named after another?

15 Name the capital of Latvia

17 Which grasshopper is often called a cicada?

18 Name a small bulbous plant that is used as a seasoning in cookery

20 In which division of the United Kingdom does Cardiff lie?

21 What is the agreement in the terminal sounds of lines of verse?

23 Name Superman’s girlfriend, ... Lane?

26 Which Christian festival falls from Good Friday to the following Monday? Solution next week Down

Sudoku hard No. 145

“However, the ‘non-commercial loss rules’ determine whether or not you can offset these losses against your other income,” I said.

“It is essential that your other income is less than $250,000 and this is true for you.”

I advised her that the first test is the assessable-income test, which requires that the assessable income of the business must be at least $20,000.

“I haven’t been in business for the full year and it started slowly so it is unlikely that I will reach $20,000 this financial year, but I will do much better next year,” she said.

I told her that if her sales didn’t exceed $20,000 this financial year then the loss must be quarantined unless it passed one of the other three tests. “You must carry the loss forward and claim it against your other income to the extent possible when you pass one of the tests,” I advised her.

“The next test is the profits test. To satisfy this test you need to have made profits, not losses, in three of the last five years.

“As this is your first year in business there is no history of profit making so you cannot pass this test.”

“The next test is the real property test. To satisfy this test you need to be using real property worth at least $500,000 in the business activity. So you won’t satisfy that test.”

Hayley said she wrote her blog at home, which was worth more than that, would that help?

“I am sorry, Hayley, but this test requires that you only count the area of the house that you use for the business. This is only a small percentage of the floor area and will not exceed the $500,000 threshold. So you won’t satisfy the real property test.

“The last test is the other-assets test. This test requires that your business uses other assets worth at least $100,000 on a continuing basis in the business. Your business does not satisfy that test either.

“You will have to quarantine your losses this year, but assuming that you do satisfy the profits test next year, you will be able to claim your losses then.”

Hayley said that wasn’t what she thought the position would be, but was now looking forward to a big refund next year.

If you require information on your business or any other business or tax-related matter contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 6295 2844.