150702 citynews

Week of open and closed hypocrisy

MICHAEL MOORE

Eternal September lives on and on JOHN GRIFFITHS

Better than all the rest TIM GAVEL

Blossoms don’t mean it’s spring CEDRIC BRYANT

Bangarra returns to Canberra

Playing politics with some very kooky cats

A CAT café with a distinctly Canberran vibe is in the pipeline for the capital, with all resident cats named after politicians and a mini Telstra Tower and Carillon for them to play on.

Sisters Carolyn and Andrea Sewell say they are hoping to open the Capital Cat Café in Braddon by September, and already have nine cats lined up.

All nine are currently taking over their home while they get to know them, and the sisters are aiming to have up to 20 cats by the time they open.

“It’s a bit crazy having all the cats at home, and we’re definitely at capacity until closer to the time,” says Carolyn.

“It’s a great way for them to get to know each other though, and for us to see how they interact. There’s a definite hierarchy with all the different personalities.”

There’s Maggie, named after the first female appointed to cabinet, Margaret Guilfoyle; Joanie, named for the first female speaker of the House of Representatives Joan Child; Vida, named after early feminist politician Vida Goldstein; Tash, named for former Australian Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja; a ginger cat called Julia (Gillard); Eddie, Australia’s first PM Edmund Barton; Quennie for former Governor-General Quentin Bryce and former PMs Harold (Holt)

and (Robert) Menzies.

“We don’t have any currently serving politicians, except we wouldn’t mind maybe a Bronwyn Bishop, as she’s the longest-serving female

federal parliamentarian,” says Andrea.

“We want visitors to learn something about our political history in a kooky way.

“We’re also hoping to get a Rudd or a Howard

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before we open, but it has to be the right cat.”

Carolyn says that all the cats have been rescued or rehomed, but none will be up for adoption, and will instead live at the café full time.

However, she says they do hope to facilitate adoptions once the café is up and running.

Carolyn says the café will have several themed rooms – a Lake Burley Griffin room, a Cabinet room and a Prime Minister’s office – where visitors can pay to hang out with the cats, and take their coffee and food in there if they wish. The front of the café will be a cat-free zone.

“We won’t be able to actually serve food in the cat rooms, but people are more than welcome to take it through – we just suggest they watch out for certain furry overeaters who may want to share!” she says.

“We love all animals but cats are so unique and they do unusual and stupid things – they climb on things they shouldn’t; they fall off things.

“Quennie and Joanie are the friendliest. Julia can be a bit unpredictable!”

The sisters say they are attempting to crowdfund the venture, following the popularity of Carolyn’s cat Zanda on social media.

“Given the support we’ve had on our Facebook page we had hoped the crowdfunding would do better, but we’re not worried, there’s still time and we’re looking at other avenues,” says Carolyn.

The Capital Cat Café Indiegogo campaign finishes on July 9.

Visit indiegogo.com/projects/capital-cat-cafe#/ story, and facebook.com/CanberraCatCafe for more information.

Thickly spreading the bread-and-butter news

When it comes to dumb ideas it’s hard to go past the latest ACT number plate slogan, ‘Age Friendly City’. It’s not only meaningless, it’s boring.

THIS past week was absolutely dominated by our own local breadand-butter news – especially the sort we buy from those huge supermarket chains that bestride our shopping centres.

Woolworths came under fire from all sides, much of it well deserved. As our family’s shopper, your columnist long ago abandoned the nearby Woolies for a Coles outlet in the next suburb. The prices were comparable, but the Coles experience was much more pleasurable – wider aisles, a good range to choose from, but most important, a happy and helpful staff. However, Coles’ performance in its own stores doesn’t mean their takeover bid for Supabarn is a good thing. Competition rules! And let’s hope the proposed David Jones outlets come our way, too.

OUR Mr Fluffy nightmare really hits home this week with the release of addresses showing that 30,000 Canberrans might have been exposed to the toxic insulation. But exposure doesn’t mean you’ve contracted mesothelioma. In fact, while the government

really had no choice but to release the info, given the incurable nature of the disease you have to wonder what it will achieve.

NOBEL Prize winner Brian Schmidt , the next ANU vice-chancellor, told the ABC’s Leigh Sales he’s set his sights on making it “comparable to Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford”. Excellent ambition. Mind you, an Oxford education is no guarantee of a good result. The dreaming spires have produced three of our last seven Prime Ministers – Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke and Tony Abbott . Oh well, I guess two out of three’s not bad.

SPEAKING of “our ABC”, what a lot of silly fuss over the “Q&A” appearance of Zaky Mallah, “a one-time terrorism suspect”, who actually asked a question at the tail end of the program. Tony Abbott used the incident to label the broadcaster “a lefty lynch mob” and to call for “heads to roll”. This is the same Tony Abbott who the previous week publicly applauded the ABC for its marvellous documentary series “The Killing Season” that scarified Labor Party Prime Ministers Rudd and Gillard Freedom of speech, it seems, is okay as long as it’s directed at his political enemies.

dose of dorin

Happily, MD Mark Scott had the bottle to hit back. “The A in ABC is for Australian,” he said. “It is the ABC’s independence from government that shapes [it] as a public broadcaster, not a state broadcaster [like] North Korea and Russia, Vietnam and China.”

A MUCH friendlier side of China was highlighted locally with the announcement by Chief Minister Andrew Barr in our sister city Shenzhen of a 10-year deal to co-produce a range of movies with AustraliaChina themes. Local Silver Sun Pictures CEO

Andy Marriott , who co-signed the deal with partner Cindy Li, of Jia Films, said: “We expect the first production will be ‘Aodaliya Gold’, a $15 million feature film based on the life of Australia’s only Chinese bushranger.” Really? Whoever could have thought of such a wacky idea?

[Macklin, himself, actually – editor]

BUT when it comes to dumb ideas it’s hard to go past the latest ACT number plate slogan, “Age Friendly City”. It’s not only meaningless, it’s boring. If we must have a slogan on our number plates, then surely “Heart of the Nation” says it all.

robert@robertmacklin.com

ROBERT MACKLIN

politics

Putting the car space into play

By Catherine Carter

WHEN a car space can add an extra $30,000 to the cost of an apartment, not everyone puts secure parking on top of their house-hunting wish list.

A recent survey of apartment renters – admittedly in Sydney – found that the most important feature they were looking for was not parking or swimming pools, gardens or views, but a balcony. In fact, only half of those surveyed rated secure parking as a “must have”.

And this is why Chief Minister Andrew Barr’s recent promise to establish a parking offset policy could be a good idea.

The policy, which would enable developers to make a payment to the ACT Government instead of providing a prescribed number of car spaces, may improve housing choice and put downward pressure on house prices.

The Chief Minister has promised to use the funds collected to construct separate structured car parking and to invest in sustainable travel initiatives, such as better public transport and active travel facilities.

The scheme, which would be introduced next year, would probably work best within our inner-urban areas such as Braddon and the Kingston Foreshore, where space is at a premium and where flexibility in design can make a big difference to cost.

Such a move would also be good news for Canberra cyclists. Accordingly to Pedal Power, Canberra’s $5.79 per capita spending on cycling infrastructure is well below cycling cities such as Amsterdam (around $40) and the “cool, little capital” of Wellington ($19). Pedal Power wants more money for active travel and this may be a way to get it. While the property industry is generally supportive there is one caveat: the money raised from the scheme must not disappear into the black hole of “consolidated revenue”. Funds from the offset must be used to boost public parking and active transport in the relevant community.

As we look for incentives to reduce car use in Canberra, boost public transport and encourage healthy, active living, while also addressing the challenge of housing affordability, a parking offset fund may help tick a lot of boxes.

Week of open and closed hypocrisy

OPEN government and free speech are the hallmarks of “electionspeak” and the decision to open the books on the Mr Fluffy houses and the Abbott government’s attacks on the ABC illustrate, in the same week, the complexities around these hallmarks and highlight some of the hypocrisy.

An incoming government with a different ideology invariably finds the opposition screaming about secrecy and interference of government just as it did while in opposition.

The reality is that there are many reasons for not having completely open government – the most significant being the protection of personal privacy, such as medical records. Similarly, freedom of speech is modified to limit calumny, slander, libel vilification and defamation.

letters

It was a week when the smell of hypocrisy permeated the political agenda. However, the distraction was politically brilliant.

But Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced in January that the list would be made public and now it has been. He explained the conflict when originally announcing the decision as balancing “the need to respect the privacy of homeowners as well as obviously a community interest.”

At the time he was not offering a completely open publication, arguing “there’s an important distinction between those that need to know, such as tradespeople and those associated with emergency services, and those who might be interested to know in the broader community” and that “my primary concern is for the privacy of those affected households”.

Things change. Last week his concern extended to well beyond just privacy with the revelation that around 10 per cent of all Canberrans may have been affected in some way or other with the Mr Fluffy houses. With just over a thousand homes identified as Mr Fluffy residences, there are 4000 people directly impacted. Add those adjacent to

the homes, the tradespeople that have worked on them and others who may have been former owners or have rented the properties.

Barr has danced through the complexities of the Mr Fluffy politics with the opposition, recognising the suffering and pain, taking a bipartisan but “not enough” stance.

Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson has argued for “a fairer and more flexible” approach including a $5 million emergency fund to provide immediate assistance to those affected.

Hanson has also put pressure on his Federal counterparts calling on them to recognise their responsibility and “stump up” with “the hundreds of millions of dollars” needed to help the households. He is on solid ground as the Federal Government was managing the ACT at the time when, despite the dangers being known, this toxic insulation was installed in Canberra homes.

Meanwhile, the champion of free speech, Attorney-General George Brandis, who

attempted to remove the racial vilification sections of the human rights legislation, is part of a government lambasting the ABC for allowing someone with whom they disagree to present his view on the Islamic State. The argument levelled again and again by senior ministers was that giving Zaky Mallah a voice undermined their work on national security.

While I disagree with Mallah and his violent approach, I have also objected to the Brandis approach on racial vilification. Interestingly, sitting in my comfortable middle-class lounge with an Anglo-Saxon heritage I find it hard to believe that Mallah’s very few words would have done anything other than get up the noses of almost all Australians and harm his own cause.

Tony Abbott’s blistering attack on the ABC asking “whose side are you on?” seems to have lost sight of the push by Brandis for free speech. It was a week when the smell of hypocrisy permeated the political agenda. However, the distraction was politically brilliant. In general, the media completely lost sight of what was happening in parliament in the last sitting week before the winter break while pandering to the Prime Minister’s greatest strength – the political attack.

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

Potholes from ‘poor’ road

IN the last three years I’ve driven from Belconnen to Fyshwick on Parkes Way almost every day. Recently the road has been extended to three lanes in both ways so traffic flows easier especially in morning and afternoon hours. Despite the fact that Parkes Way is a relatively new road its quality is very poor. The number of potholes is growing daily and the combination of frost and rain makes them

I AGREE with Michael Atwell (letters, CN, June 25) that there are more pressing issues in Australia than marriage equality. Legalise it or not, but stop discussing it ad nauseum with politicians, on TV and other media.

deeper and wider. In addition, potholes increase a risk of damaging cars and collisions.

I would like to invite Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Minister for Roads and Parking, Mick Gentleman, to inspect the road and save Canberrans expenses on car repairs as well as their lives.

Evgeniy Zagrebelny, via email

I am deeply concerned about every issue Michael mentioned, all of which have huge implications now and will have in the future for our dear country.

Therese Jourdan, Holt

I WRITE on behalf of Able Australia – the not-for-profit organisation helping people who face the huge challenge of deafblindness in our community – to ask readers if they could kindly support a new campaign. We are appealing for anyone who has an old smartphone (and charger) to donate that device to Able Australia, which we will pass on to the many deafblind people we

support. By using the Bluetooth connectivity of the device and then connecting the device to a Braille reader, these people can independently connect to family, friends and the wider community. You can’t imagine how powerful that gift is. It’s so simple and so effective. All the details about how you can help are at ableaustralia.org.au

Kaye Collard, CEO, Able Australia

Eternal September lives on

IT’S hardly revolutionary to suggest that popular culture has been stagnating for the past few decades.

A Bush and a Clinton are running for the White House, a “Jurassic” movie is rampaging through the world’s box office and a new “Terminator” movie is soon to arrive.

Even such a new seeming arrival as “Game of Thrones” (a pretty generic European Medieval fantasy) needs to be taken in the context that the first book was published in 1994.

Perhaps coincidentally, but 1994 was the same year Kurt Cobain died ending arguably the last band to truly dominate the cultural landscape.

While the timing of Kurt’s death had more to do with his own demons than the broader cultural zeitgeist it serves as a useful marker. What happened at the same time, of course, was the widespread rise of the publicly available internet.

The “Eternal September” began in September 1993 and we are still living through it.

Before 1993 the internet was largely made up of people on university campuses. Every September a new crop of northern hem -

briefly

Champ to talk

HAWTHORN champion Shane Crawford is the guest speaker at the Eastlake Football Club’s 2015 Business Luncheon, Friday, July 24. Crawford, who played 305 AFL games for Hawthorn is a former Brownlow Medalist, premiership player and AFL Hall of Fame member. Tickets are $120 and available from 6228 0999 or the club’s website, eastlakedemons.com.au

I truly feel for the dumb young men of today. Stupid things said in the pub used to disappear without trace. A record of all the things we said back then would get us banned from the ‘Q&A’ audience. Maybe even stripped of our citizenship.

isphere, first-year students would arrive, misbehave in the public forums of the time, get slapped around by the old hands, learn how to conduct themselves civilly, and life would return to normal.

In 1993, America Online started offering internet access to the general public (remember the beebly-boops of all the modems of yesterday?), all hell broke loose and, in large part, it has never calmed down.

At least in the mid-‘90s getting online still had some barriers to entry. Computers cost thousands of dollars and access to the internet meant setting aside time to sit in front of one. Setting up even an AOL account was not technically trivial.

When I moved house this year I had the internet running within five minutes of walking through the door. It’s become a lot easier.

Of course, for many internet users now, a computer need not even enter the equation, they get it with their phone like it or not.

And while this may seem like the cry of the snob for a more genteel age (I’ll confess I didn’t have a proper email address until 1997) the bigger point is what this interconnectivity is doing to the fabric of our culture (beyond allowing young men to say regrettable things to ever broader audiences).

I truly feel for the dumb young men of today (and I say that as someone who was as young and dumb as they come). Stupid things said in the pub used to disappear without trace. A record of all the things we said back then would get us banned from the “Q&A” audience. Maybe even stripped of our citizenship.

In the process, the shared cultural experience was lost along the way. Freed of the radio we find music we personally like and it doesn’t matter if no-one else in our geographic community likes it.

TV making has been liberated from the lowest common denominators of free-to-air broadcasting and has blossomed into a dominant dramatic art.

It’s great that I don’t have to even consider watching “My Voice Kitchen Wedding” or whatever other crap transiently passes for mainstream pop culture these days.

But as a society we might have lost something in that we no longer share those unifying moments.

More worrying, in the light of multiple recent controversies we’ve all gone so far down our narrow cultural rabbit holes that we’ve lost the capacity to listen to unfamiliar voices saying disturbing things.

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

School dinner

VIEW (Voice, Interests, Education, Women) club national councillor Jan Roberts will address the Tuggeranong Day View monthly lunch meeting, at Vikings Town Centre Club, Greenway, from noon, on Tuesday, July 21. All ladies and guests are welcome to attend. Lunch is $26 and RSVPs by Friday, July 17, to 6293 1720.

Tanisha on ice

EMERGING ice-skating star Tanisha Jory (pictured) plays the lead role in “Snow White” in a series of matinée performances at Skate in the City.

She joins members of the ACT Ice Skating Association at 12.30 pm, July 13-17. Tanisha was among 32 students in the ACT awarded the Pierre de Coubertin Award by the ACT Olympic Council last month based on her display of leadership, achievement and being a strong ambassador for her sport.

We need people who can share their knowledge!

University of the Third Age ACT needs people who are willing to share their passion, expertise or interests with its members.

U3A ACT, an entirely voluntary organisation, has been highly successful in arranging over 200 courses and activities for its ever expanding membership. We need people to be presenters to meet our growing demand for a variety of topics but especially people to lead courses in languages and current affairs – our most popular courses.

If you have an idea for a course or activity, we’d like to invite you to an Information Session for new course presenters at: Hughes Community Centre • 14 July 2015 at 2pm

They’re simply the best... better than all the rest

I WAS recently asked which sportsperson I find the most inspiring.

There is no easy answer because, during any particular sporting moment, I extract an element of inspiration.

Some, though, live on in my memory as highly significant moments, such as George Gregan’s tackle on Jeff Wilson; Jason Croker, almost playing on one leg for the entire second half at Canberra Stadium because the Raiders had no replacements; Nick Kyrgios overcoming the odds to defeat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon and Lauren Jackson contributing to the Capitals titles (and near-titles).

When it comes to athletes that inspire as “people”, it’s usually an athlete or a team that has had to battle to achieve success.

Eighteen-year-old Cameron Hill is a case in point. A year out of Radford College, he currently leads the Australian Formula Ford series after winning at Winton in the third round.

What gives this story an edge is that Cameron and dad Colin do everything themselves, including the mechanics in a garage in Queanbeyan; they fund it and do all the transportation themselves before Cameron even steps into the car to race.

Race after race they come up against teams with either direct factory backing or funded support. Their win at Winton is the first by privateers in many years.

Cameron started in karts at age nine before progressing to the National Formula Ford series. He finished sixth last year; this season he leads with three rounds to go. There is an element of the Mark Webberstyle progression so far.

To make ends meet, Cameron works at Coles with a dream of eventually becoming a full-time driver. Once he gets there he will be better for the experience in doing it the hard way.

The Gungahlin Football Club is another source of inspiration. This club has been in the men’s Premier League only for this season, yet it has made the final 32 in the National FFA Cup after defeating Belconnen United one-nil in the Canberra final of the knockout tournament.

days.

Mighty Quinn

IN the ‘60s and early ‘70s Paul Quinn was a particularly tough rugby league player. He played in the country, at Gerringong, before making the 1963 Kangaroos team. Paul also played for NSW Country, NSW and Newtown. He moved to this region and played in the local competition. He was also a radio co-commentator who stated things as he saw them, having come through an era of no-holds-barred football; there was no sugar coating with Paul. He worked for 2SM then the ABC for Raiders’ games for many years at Seiffert Oval then Bruce Stadium. He had a distinctive gravelly voice that commanded attention. He was a guiding hand to many a young commentator, myself included. Paul passed away in Canberra last month following a lengthy illness. His influence will long be remembered.

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Out from the doona, it’s time to get moving

KEEPING fit shouldn’t be neglected in the colder winter months. Whether you want to learn a new sport or attend an individually targeted gym workout with a personal trainer, this feature will help get you started.

And if it’s been a while since you exercised, start out slowly with Pilates or dive straight in with dynamic self-defence or cheerleading.

ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR

WHEN it comes to finding the perfect shoe, “knowing which ones fit and function is critical for comfort, durability and for maximising exercise,” says Paul Bennett, owner of The Athlete’s Foot at the Canberra Centre.

The store sells athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with a team of knowledgeable staff on hand to provide a personalised service.

Paul says: “The majority of our staff are completing degrees in sports and human sciences or physiotherapy.

“Before they even go on to the shop floor they do 20 hours of training where they learn about basic anatomy, biomechanics and more.

“They know what they are talking about and will be able to provide suitable footwear for the customer.”

The Athlete’s Foot Canberra Centre has launched a new fitting technology, FITZI.

Exclusive to the store, the state-of-the-art technology uses video, pressure and a fitting screen that all work together to give a better assessment of the customer’s foot type and shoe requirements.

“There are thousands of different styles of shoes that fit differently and people have different foot types,” says Paul.

“Using the FITZI, we find out the customer’s foot type and match the footwear that fits.

“We have a variety of brands available, including Merrell, which are perfect for hiking and getting outside into the countryside.”

The Athlete’s Foot, shop EF21, Canberra Centre, Bunda Street. Call 6262 8344 or visit theathletesfoot.com.au

FEMALE FITNESS

ACCORDING to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, women are attending gyms in increasing numbers, but despite 17 per cent of women choosing the gym as their preferred exercise, only one per cent incorporate weight training into their fitness regime.

Among the list of benefits, weight training can aid weight loss, improve muscle tone, aid better sleep and reduce the risk of chronic illness and depression.

From August 20-26, Australia’s largest full-service, women’s-only gym, Fernwood Fitness, is launching “Lift the Nation”, a nationwide initiative to get women lifting weights for better health.

“Being able to bring every woman the benefits of strength training in a safe and supportive environment has been Fernwood’s goal since we started back in 1989,” says Di Williams, Fernwood Fitness CEO and founder.

“Women typically perceive cardio as the best way to lose weight, but regularly training with weights can be much more effective for weight loss.

“The muscles you build from strength training are more metabolically active in your body, helping you to burn more kilojoules – even while you’re resting.”

There are a variety of ways women can

get involved in strength training at Fernwood. From one-on-one personal training, unlimited group fitness classes, and small group functional training – there is something for every woman at Fernwood. During “Lift the Nation” week, all women will be able to experience the benefits for themselves with free access to Fernwood clubs and free strength-training workshops. As well as receiving free access to Fernwood from August 20-26, every woman who registers will also receive a free “Lift the Nation” eBook filled with expert information and advice on strength training, including a basic step-by-step guide to exercises they can safely complete at home and at the gym.

Fernwood Fitness. Find your local club at fernwoodfitness.com.au Register for ‘Lift the Nation’ at liftthenation.com

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PILATES

“Pilates is an exercise program that is focused on building strength without bulk, improving posture, flexibility and agility. It involves a series of controlled movements that engage both your body and mind,” says Jennifer Kellett, principal practitioner at Hawker Place Physiotherapy and Pilates

The Pilates instructors at Hawker Place have graduated from the Australian Pilates and Physiotherapy Institute – the peak body, worldwide, for teacher training for rehabilitation therapists – which has developed courses specifically designed for those working in the field of rehabilitation and injury prevention.

Jennifer is the only Australian Physiotherapy & Pilates Institute certified clinical Pilate’s instructor in both matwork and equipment in Canberra.

“All practitioners have in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, and this combined with small classes to maximise personal attention, means that you can be certain you are in the right hands,” she says.

Hawker Physiotherapy and Pilates, 108 Hawker Place, Hawker. Call 6255 2033 or visit hawkerplacephysio.com.au

GYM & SWIM

“At AIS Aquatic and Fitness Centre, our aim is to provide programs and services that can make a substantial difference to customers’ lives,” says fitness centre manager Jesse McConaghy.

The award-winning fitness centre provides a fullyequipped gym and a world-class swimming pool, all supervised by fully-qualified staff.

While open to all ages, AIS Aquatic and Fitness Centre also provides services to people 55 and over.

“More than half of our members are over 55 and we have classes tailored to that demographic, for example, tai-chi, yoga and aerobics,” says Jesse.

“We also offer a specialised recovery program for people recovering from injuries or surgery, this is mainly hydrotherapy based and participants receive

close personal attention. We aim to provide an improved quality of life”.

AIS Aquatic and Fitness Centre is offering a “Gold Class” premium membership package for this age group that provides facilities and services, but with a social element.

Jesse says: “The membership package involves morning tea, group walks and more. It is a holistic program that enables the members to create a social network.

“It is a very welcoming environment that can positively impact their health and fitness.”

AIS Aquatic and Fitness Centre, Leverrier Street, Bruce. Call 6214 1281 or visit ausport.gov.au/visit/swimfit

WALKING SHOES THAT GO THE DISTANCE.

Tough and streamlined, the mighty MEN’S MOAB is the fearless adventurer’s best friend. Climb and clamber ‘til your heart’s content – the Moab will keep you comfortably surefooted.

The MEN’S MOAB ROVER is the original Moab’s neat and tidy cousin. It features the same sturdy construction – but it sports a street-smart style, so now you can wear your favourite shoes to the park as well as the party.

If you’re looking for a lightweight, flexible, trail-friendly shoe, look no further. The sleek range provides protection across uneven landscapes, so you can unleash your inner explorer.

Hit the trails in the WOMEN’S AZURA; it’s lightweight, waterproof and durable available in both high and low cut. Perfect for your off road adventures.

ONLY $49 per week* for unlimited sessions!

Lose weight, increase strength, improve your fitness or rehabilitate your injuries.

Phillip 6285 1122

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E weightloss@flatmesfitness.com.au

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KARATE

THE Kodokan Cummings Karate Dojo, in its seventh year of operation, is the only full-time karate school in Gungahlin.

It offers programs that focus on developing fitness, confidence, co-ordination, reflexes, self discipline, respect and effective self-defence skills.

Matsubayashi-ryu karate is characterised by natural and whip-like techniques that use the body to deliver and block blows. It is a form and drillbased system with a focus on practical and realistic self-defence training.

All classes are taught by head instructor Reece Cummings, an internationally qualified instructor who has trained extensively in Okinawa, Japan, and is a 4th degree black belt.

“Martial arts are not only a great way to get fit, but also a lot more enjoyable than just working out on your own”, says Reece.

“Karate is suitable for any ages, and we have separate classes for adults and children from ages six and upwards, as well as options for parents to train alongside their kids.

“It is not just simply a form of physical exercise, it is a way to continue to grow one’s self through training the mind and body.”

With all programs suitable for beginners and those with experience, the school uses a systematic approach to learning to ensure everyone can learn at their own pace.

Classes are small with the aim of providing students with the highest quality of instruc-

tion of martial arts and self-defence. All programs are less than $10 a class.

Kodokan Cummings Karate Dojo, Unit 2, 38 Hoskins Street, Mitchell. Call 6100 4148 or visit karatecanberra.com.au

BODY SCAN

“IF you don’t measure it, you can’t improve,” says Kimberley Ellis, owner and director of iBodyScan

Whether an athlete monitoring their training or an everyday person hoping to lose weight, iBodyScan provides a safe, accurate and non-invasive measure of their body composition in under 60 seconds.

Kimberley says: “It is an exceptional tool that can help you understand how your muscle, fat and bone react to lifestyle changes.

“It will allow you to improve weight loss, create a targeted exercise program and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity”.

The iBodyScan is fully mobile and can travel to organisations across Canberra, where people may be undergoing a 12-week challenge or a health and wellbeing program.

As a qualified personal trainer, Kimberley also provides dietary and exercise advice.

“The scanner measures muscle mass and bone density as well as visceral fat,” she says. “You can be skinny but unhealthy on the inside, or have thin bones, which can increase risk of falls.

“Extra-lean muscle mass

keeps us strong and protects bones, while visceral fat wraps around the organs and can cause diabetes. It is important to know this in order to improve your health.

“I tell all my customers that once you grow muscle, you are on the way to dietary freedom”.

iBodyScan. Call Kimberley on 0430 274033 or visit ibodyscan.com.au. Email enquiries to info@ibodyscan.com.au

iBodyScan is the provider of choice for Body Composition testing, analysis and advice

By understanding how your muscle, fat, and bone react to lifestyle changes, you’ll be able to improve weight loss, create a highly targeted exercise program, and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

GYM

OPEN 24/7, SNAP Fitness Fyshwick is equipped with state-of-the-art cardio equipment, with Digital TV and SNAP Video Channel installed on all of the machines.

Offering a three-week free membership if people join in July, SNAP Fitness members will have access to a full range of pin-loaded machines, dumbbells up to 45kg, power rack, smith machine and a multi-station cable machine; as well as flat, incline and decline benches.

Director, Paul D. Patti says: “We are the only gym in Fyshwick offering complimentary group general personal trainer sessions three times a week for all new members and their guests.

“Our qualified personal trainers work for you, keeping you on track, motivated and dedicated to reach your fitness goal.”

Membership includes a gym induction, guest privileges and access to Facebook updates on nutrition, what is on and member-of-the-month prizes.

SNAP Fitness Fyshwick has an open group fitness area used for boxing, boot camps and one-on-one training as well as a large, outdoor covered training area.

SNAP Fitness Fyshwick, 17 Iron Knob Street, Fyshwick. Call 6112 8556 or visit snapfitness.com.au/fyshwick

winter fitness

COSMECEUTICAL TREATMENT

WHETHER it’s for a wedding, party, holiday or date, the Ionithermie “Body Melt” is a worldwide, established, French instant slimming and anti-cellulite treatment.

Shapemaster Feel Good Studio says that the Ionithermie is the only cosmeceutical treatment to detoxify the body at a cellular level and the treatment gives immediate sustainable inch-loss of up to eight inches per treatment.

With no injections required, the Ionithermie works by using two kinds of electrical stimuli, algae, conductive clay and Les Complexes Biotechniques product range. This treatment incorporates these elements to maximise the results on cellulite.

The Ionithermie Body Melt detoxifies and remineralizes the body, firms and tones muscles, improves and smoothes skin texture, raises energy levels and metabolism, improves blood and lymph circulation and reduced fluid retention.

The Ionithermie can also be used for spot reduction on the thighs, abdomen, love handles, hips and upper arms or is excellent as a kick start to a weight-loss program. Also perfect for those who have lost the weight but need to improve the stubborn areas.

Shapemaster Feel Good Studio, 11/5 McKay Garden, Turner. Call 6247 6267 or visit shapemastercanberra.com.au

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CHEERLEADING

SIRENS Cheerleaders teach recreational and competitive classes to people of any age and gender in a fun and friendly atmosphere.

Established in 2011, the Mitchell cheerleading program has since expanded and now owns a fully equipped gym.

Coach Rianna MacDougall says: “We are a competitive cheerleading program with 200 athletes aged 1-50+, boys and girls. At one stage we had the oldest and youngest cheerleaders in Australia. We teach American stunts, tumbles, jumps and pyramids.”

With a mix between dance and gymnastics, the cheerleaders learn a routine that works their whole body as well as being part of a team.

“It’s a team sport, it builds confidence and friend -

EXERCISE & MASSAGE

THE Vibrosaun is an Australian invention that simulates the effect of exercise and massage without putting stress on the body.

Owner of Shapemaster Feel Good Studio, where the Vibrosaun Canberra clinic is located, Natasha Lukin, says that anyone can benefit from the Vibrosaun. “Especially if you suffer from arthritic, rheumatic and other muscular and joints aches and pains, whether you need to lose those unwanted kilos fast or if stress, hypertension, insomnia or acute anxiety are a constant in your vocabulary,” she says.

“It also provides therapeutic aid to lymphatic circulation and eliminates body wastes.”

SWING DANCING

LEARN to swing dance with the Canberra Swing Katz at Majura Community Hall in Dickson.

With the motto “All the cats join in”, Canberra Swing Katz focus on fun, friends and great dancing, bringing the ‘20s-’50s alive with vintage dances and music. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm, visitors can take part with no partner or experience required.

Canberra Swing Katz specialises in Charleston, Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag and related swing dances and offers classes, performance and social dancing.

At $12 on the door, the next beginners’ round starts on Tuesday, July 7, and Thursday, July 9, with a six-week integrated course available for $65 that teaches the basic steps and fundamental leading and following techniques.

The Canberra Swing Katz will also be at the Albert Hall on July 4 for the “Rockabilly By Day, Swing By Night” event.

ships,” says Rianna.

“The kids love to perform. We have just come back from our first competition of the year, the AASCF Winterfest NSW in Sydney.

“We had 110 athletes at the competition with many routines, so we brought home lots of trophies for first, seconds, thirds and so on.”

A school holiday program will be held on July 14 and July 16 for children aged seven and up. Attendees will do stunts, tumbling, pyramids, dance, games, craft activities and more with accredited cheer coaches.

Sirens Cheerleaders, 5 Pelle Street, Mitchell, cheerleadersaustralia.com.au, email enquiries to rianna@cheerleadersaustralia.com.au

Providing the benefits of a sauna, the Vibrosaun allows the user to relax while the head is not enclosed, the built-in fan supplies cool air, charged with negative ions that does not subject the brain to excessive heat.

Natasha says: “When being used after Shapemaster’s Powertone plus Pilates exercise, the Vibrosaun provides a total wellness experience leaving a person invigorated, rejuvenated, refreshed, de-stressed and relaxed at the same time.”

Shapemaster Feel Good Studio, 11/5 McKay Garden, Turner. Call 6247 6267 or visit shapemastercanberra.com.au

A vintage market will be held from 10am-4pm in the day and a vintage ball on the night at 7pm-11pm where, for $35, attendees have the chance to take part in a taster class to learn how to swing dance.

Canberra Swing Katz, Majura Community Hall, Dickson. Visit canberraswingkatz.com or email canberraswingkatz@gmail.com

There’s no easy way to say this...

There is no easy way to tell someone their livelihood and identity is about to vanish.

IF you have ever been fired or terminated or punted or dismissed, it’s likely the initial shock momentarily muted the words used to convey the message that your services were “no longer required” or whatever limp-wristed, lily-livered line the “executioner” employed.

In the wake of the recent mass sackings at radio station in Sydney and Brisbane, I experienced some mildly traumatic, but mostly amusing flashbacks of being sacked from radio stations (but not my last one, I resigned).

There is no easy way to tell someone their livelihood and, likely, their identity is about to vanish. It is not a good idea to begin with: “There is no easy way to say this”. Many still try.

Telecommunications giant Nokia reportedly once used the phrase: “We are freeing you up to meet new challenges” when sacking a bunch of people.

It was a Friday and I had just wrapped up my breakfast slot, broadcast mostly to dairy farmers, and the manager of the small station that had employed me for three weeks before wanted to see me. He wasn’t happy. Earlier, a listener took affront to a tasteless joke I told and rang me to have a whinge.

I was a bit busy so I gave the caller, on air, a bogus

home number for the manager who nearly cut his throat shaving.

“What you did this morning was totally reprehensible,” he told me. I instantly recognised “reprehensible” as probably not good.

Mr Manager also was uninspired by the music I chose to play. Apparently it upset the output of the milking cows listening to the program. My fate was sealed. Ostracised by cattle and unemployed, but at least I left with an enhanced vocabulary.

In the mid-’90s, I was called to a meeting just minutes after coming off air. Another of those ominous Friday morning meetings.

A scrum of five grim-faced, grey-suited men filled one side of the room. Four sycophants stood silently around the one man who was sitting. The seated one delivered the news that I had been anticipating for weeks.

It was 20 years ago, but I’ve yet to hear such an original, yet massively weak, mealy-mouthed management method of sacking someone.

Seated Management Type: “Mike, good news, we have a new and exciting format starting on Monday and we’ve thrown a lot of cards in the air. Unfortunately, when they came down your name wasn’t on any of them.”

I was offered some pathetic

“casual” options, but I belligerently demanded: “Just give me the cheque”.

A simple, “You’re fired!”, would have done.

Mike Welsh is an announcer at 2HC, Coffs Harbour.

school holiday inspiration

Lots of ideas to beat the

THE cry of “I’m bored” isn’t possible with the variety of school-holiday options showcased on these pages. Inspiration includes acting in a play, walking with birds, a pop-up petting zoo and a teddy bears’ picnic.

World comes to Belconnen

GEOCON, the biggest developer of apartment space in Canberra, has bought Section 200 at the Belconnen Town Centre at auction for $22.1 million. MD Nick Georgalis says the company will develop a mixed-use precinct from the 16,314sqm block that will combine residential apartments with a new hotel and commercial, retail and public use offerings. “We’ll be researching some of the most advanced and successful precincts operating nationally and internationally to inform our design and planning,” he says.

Horses for courses

THE ACT’s University of the Third Age is so popular among retirees that it’s seeking more people to deliver courses and activities. The voluntary organisation has more than 4000 members and runs more than 200 courses and activities each year in Canberra, Queanbeyan and Yass. John Warhurst, chair of U3A’s Program Development Working Group and a course presenter, says: “Right now, the most pressure is for more courses on current affairs and languages.” There’s an information session for potential new presenters at U3A’s HQ, Hughes Community Centre, 2pm, on Tuesday, July 14. Registrations to communications@u3acanberra. org.au or call 0407 917133.

School dinner

THE Sophan Kith Education Fund, which raises money to build schools in rural Cambodia, is holding its annual fundraising dinner at Phnom Penh Restaurant, Belconnen, on Saturday, July 11. Tickets are $80 and bookings to skef.org.au

Trading hours

• Winter – 10am to 4pm (last admission 3:30pm)

• Open every day except Christmas Day (weather permitting)

Meet Farmer Keegan and his animals

KIDS will be kept busy and entertained with a variety of animals at the pop-up petting zoo situated in Majura Park Shopping Centre.

From ducklings and chicks, to kid goats and lambs, visitors will be able to pet, hold and feed the animals from 10am to 3pm on Monday, July 6 to Sunday, July 12.

Jason Costa, from Majura Park Shopping Centre marketing, says: “The petting zoo will be outside Big W and there will be 20-25 animals in the petting zoo all supervised by a farmer who is from Sydney.

“Farmer Keegan is the best farmer we have had, he is very knowledgable about the animals and has a great persona with both the kids and the parents”.

Children will have the opportunity to enter a colouring-in contest held by the Coffee Club. The prize is a free Coffee Club kids’ meal. The five winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 15.

Majura Park Shopping Centre, 18-26 Spitfire Avenue, Majura Park. Call 6275 2252.

advertising feature holiday boredom

Wandering in the colourful company of birds

A TRIP to the Canberra Walk-in Aviary at Gold Creek involves strolling through 1000 square metres of gardens filled with about 400 birds from more than 50 different species, natives and their beautiful cousins from overseas.

Visitors can spend time in the colourful company of free-flying wrens, finches, doves, quail, pheasants and parrots, including cockatiels, budgerigars and every type of Australian lorikeet.

Owner Mick Logan says the crowd favourite is the big flock of rainbow lorikeets that flash around the spacious enclosure.

“They’re obviously very bright, but it’s also their personalities; they’re pretty outgoing and boisterous,” Mick says.

“We give you a small plate of apple and some of the birds will come and take the food from you.

“Babies are fascinated by all the squeaks and squawks, bright colours and flapping of wings, and the aviary is a safe environment where slightly older kids can run around and have fun.

You’re sure of a big surprise…

IF you go down to GymbaROO this school holidays, you’ll be sure of a big surprise...

From Monday, July 6, to Friday, July 10, GymbaROO will be holding a teddy bears’ picnic theme for its holiday play sessions where up to 20 children aged five and under can bring their favourite teddy and join in with activities.

Owner, Kristie Ryan, says: “The children love bringing in their teddies and Fairbairn is such a beautiful place, it will be great to sit outside and have a picnic.

The thrill of when the curtain rises

“A CONSTRUCTIVE way to occupy the kids is by enrolling them in the Child Players ACT children’s theatre group production,” says production manager Kathy Thomas.

The Child Play program provides 40 children aged between 10-16 the opportunity to learn all aspects of theatre, on stage and backstage.

“Participants are formed into two casts and while one cast is on stage the other cast is backstage,” says Kathy.

These holidays it is Roald Dahl’s classic “The BFG”, which will be performed at theatre@bcs in Belconnen Community Centre, 10.30am and 2pm on July 9-11 and July 15-18.

Kathy says: “We love Roald Dahl and the kids really enjoy playing the different characters. They love playing the seven nasty giants.”

The play runs for two hours; tickets are $18 with reductions for families and groups of 10 or more.

More information at childplayersact. com.au; tickets at the door an hour before (cash only); bookings to 6257 1950 (10am-4pm, weekdays) or canberrarep.org.au

“It’s an interactive experience and it’s suitable for all ages; some of the birds will come and land on you, but others are more interested in having a taste of what you’ve got to offer!”

Canberra Walk-in Aviary, unit 13, Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Gold Creek Village, Nicholls. Call 6230 2044 or go to canberrawalkinaviary.com.au

ment and the children will be able to participate in what they want.”

GymbaROO is a motor-sensory program that provides active and appropriate movement opportunities enabling children to explore, develop, practise and refine skills essential for healthy neurological development, she says.

“The first five years of a child’s life are the most important for development and it is usually when they are the most keen to learn,” says Kristie.

“The day will be similar to our party sessions, it will be a mix of structured and unstructured activities in a relaxed environ -

“We know the crucial importance of the correct stimulation during this period to improve a child’s development intellectually, physically and emotionally.”

The sessions will be held from 9.30am-11.30am, and priced at $20 per child, $50 for three days and $70 for the five days.

GymbaROO, 25 Richmond Avenue, Fairbairn. Call Kristie on 0422 312457 or email kristie@gymbaroocanberra.com Visit gymbaroocanberra.com

Brudine Veterinary Hospital

Homestead to busy suburban hub

Personalised service from Dr. Fiona & Dr. Deb or their associates

We have a comprehensive, fully equipped veterinary hospital offering all services including:

• consultation • surgery – soft tissue & orthopaedics

• digital radiography and ultrasound • endoscopy • thorough dental services • puppy classes • weight control service • full pathology lab in-house

Monday-Friday: 8am-6.30pm Saturday: 8.30am-12pm The personal practice for your fur family

Phone: 6258 1668 or 6258 1664

Email: reception@brudinevet.com.au Unit 4-5/6 Charnwood Place, Charnwood

FAST NEWS FIRST

FOUNDED in 1973, Charnwood is named after the Forest of Charnwood in Leicestershire, England, and was the name of the homestead for the district’s first landholder, Henry Hall, who obtained a grant of the 3492 acres of land in 1833. The suburb, which is situated in Belconnen, is now a place where more than 3000 people call home.

Charnwood Shopping Centre provides locals and surrounding suburbs with a ºwide range of businesses from supermarkets and chemists, to fitness centres and technology repair services.

Pharmacy pledges to help with health

“OUR commitment is to improve the health and well-being of the community,” says Samantha Kourtis, owner of Capital Chemist Charnwood.

As the only pharmacist in the ACT region to have allied health referral rights, Samantha and her team were recognised as Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s 2014 pharmacy of the year.

She says: “All staff are fully-qualified and have certificates in mental health first aid. As a healthcare provider, we work to meet the needs of the community, to make sure we are not duplicating services or letting people slip through cracks.”

Capital Chemist provides a wide variety of services from standard medication management to unique services such as a free baby clinic and medical compression garment clinic.

Encouraged by the head of Calvary Hospital’s lymphoedema services, Samantha undertook appropriate training to deliver an alternative to the long waiting times for patients needing

lymphoedema (swelling in the arms and legs) garments fitted at the local public clinic and at other healthcare providers.

With a midwife and nurse on hand to help throughout the day, Capital Chemist provides a personal service that improves customer satisfaction.

“The pharmacists are on the shop floor, so customers have immediate access, which improves health outcomes. Not all pharmacies can provide this level of care,” says Samantha.

‘We also provide a Painwise management program, which only two pharmacies in Canberra offer. Persistent pain can affect all aspects of your life, mentally and physically, and people often resign themselves to the fact that they will be in pain for the rest of their lives.”

Capital Chemist, Charnwood Shopping Centre, 7-8 Lhotsky Street. Call 6258 4949, visit capitalchemist. com.au or facebook.com/CapitalChemistCharnwood

Pelvic diagnosis without surgery

“GINNINDERRA Labor Club is a relaxing place for members and their guests to enjoy a quiet lunch or a night out,” says venue manager, Adam Bush.

Located behind the Charnwood shops, the modern club offers such facilities as a bar lounge with a big-screen TV for sporting events and a bistro with meals starting from $7.90. For the children, each meal comes with a free activity pack as well as access to electronic games consoles.

There is also a covered outdoor area with large-screen televisions.

“Our club has a great community feel and is very family-oriented,” says Adam.

“We hold ‘The Bunker’ comedy night every second Saturday of the month where guest comedians from around Australia perform with local support acts.

“We have Joel Ozborn performing next and we will have Ray Badran, Al De Bene and Sparrow Folk for upcoming events.”

Ginninderra Labor Club supports various local sporting and community groups including the popular Charny Carny. It also offers a complimentary bus to Raiders and Brumbies’ games.

Ginninderra Labor Club, corner of Lhotsky Street and Charnwood Place. Call 6258 8618 or visit laborclub.com.au/ginninderra-labor-club

Tech Shed would love you to drop off your unwanted computers and other hardware

We also offer a pick-up service for large donations

Through our trained community volunteers, Tech Shed provides affordable computers to pensioners and low-income earners.

Our range of products and services includes:

• Refurbished computers, displays and accessories

• Computer repair and maintenance

• E-waste recycling (large and small)

Bring all your unwanted IT Equipment to the Tech Shed in Charnwood during normal opening hours Tuesday to Friday between 10am–4.30pm Canberra City Care 20 Cartwright Street, Charnwood (Life Unlimited Church)

Phone: 6178 1050 Email: reception@canberracitycare.org

AT Junic, a community based specialist women’s health centre in Charnwood, Dr Uche A Menakaya provides a “one-stopservice” that is time and cost-effective.

As a trained specialist obstetrician, gynaecologist, sonologist and laparoscopic surgeon, Dr. Menakaya aims to improve the quality of care for women in Canberra, in particular the diagnosis of endometriosis (a condition resulting from the appearance of endometrial tissue outside the womb and causing pelvic pain).

He says: “We want to create awareness for women in the ACT that they don’t need to have surgery to be diagnosed with endometriosis. At Junic, we have a unique service that allows us to diagnose the disease with an ultrasound in one hour rather than having up to three different visits at other gynaecologists.

“We have a ‘HEST’ approach – we look at the patient’s history, perform an examination, a sonographic and then discuss relevant treatment. The woman is able to leave with a clear mind after knowing all of her options.”

Junic, 20 Cartwright Street. Call 6178 0470 or visit junicimaging. com.au. Enquiries: infor@junicimaging.com.au

NOT everyone needs or can afford the latest computer on the market, so The Tech Shed provides affordable computers and technical support to pensioners and low-income earners. With packages from as low as $100, the non-profit organisation recycles, refurbishes and repairs secondhand computers.

Operations manager, Danielle Bate says: “We have a variety of volunteers from the local community, some come from IT backgrounds but the volunteers who don’t, get the chance to learn valuable and employable skills.”

The Tech Shed accepts donations of computers and hardware, working and not working.

“We are always looking for donations. People can drop off their donations or if it is a large donation, we can send a van out to pick it up,” she says. “We can guarantee that we always wipe all of the data first.”

The Tech Shed, 20 Cartwright Street. Call 6178 1050 or visit facebook.com/Thetechshed949

all about Charnwood advertising feature

Personal care for family pets

B RUDINE Veterinary Hospital says it is the “personal practice for your family friends.”

After moving from Melba, the clinic has been settled in Charnwood for a year, providing families in the community with quality animal care.

Whether the animal is a domestic pet, an exotic pet or a wild animal, the team of veterinarians provide such services as dentistry, radiology, in-house pathology and can refer animals to specialists within the Canberra region, as well as various Sydney Specialist Hospitals.

Brudine Veterinary Hospital also offers a puppy pre-school, the classes are aimed at socialising puppies in a safe environment, providing social skills while having fun.

The courses are run over a five-week period, in one-hour sessions that cover a variety of topics from socialisation to diet and behaviour issues.

A home visit service is also provided for clients who have no means of bringing their pets to the clinic, or in some cases their pets get too stressed in the car trip to the vet.

Opening hours are from 8am6.30pm, Monday to Friday and 8.30am-11am on Saturday, consultations are by appointment.

Brudine Veterinary Hospital, unit 4/5 6 Charnwood Place. Call 6258 1664 or visit brudinevet.com.au

Anytime’s the right time to get fit

WITH 24-hour access, seven days a week, Anytime Fitness is perfect for people with a busy, on-the-go lifestyle.

Situated on Cartwright Street, the family-run gym offers state-of-the-art equipment, a personal training service, fully-equipped security system, all within a supportive atmosphere.

Owner Tim Kanellopoulos says: “We are very family-oriented, it is just me and my wife and we want to give something back to the community.

“You don’t have to be a gym junkie to feel comfortable here, we have people of all shapes and sizes from ages 16 and upwards.”

With affordable memberships, Anytime Fitness offers boxing classes, circuit-training classes and a

Ridding computers of viruses

FOR 15 years, EBM Computers has provided Charnwood and the surrounding suburbs with a range of IT services suited to the customer’s needs.

With a fully-equipped workshop on-site to diagnose and repair the majority of issues with laptops, PCs, tablets and more, EBM Computers also offers specialised advice, repairs, upgrades, refurbishments, maintenance and installations as well as virus removal.

Owner Nathaniel Jones says: “The most common problems are computer viruses and infections. More and more people have come to us for help over the last few months, viruses are getting smarter, pop-ups that may seem innocuous can compromise the computer.

“We say to people to stay vigilant and to force updates every few days and do a full scan each week. If people notice their computers are getting slow, we advise them to come into the store either every

personal-training service and each new member receives a one-hour free orientation.

“Our qualified personal trainer is always in the gym and is there to give you everything you need,” says Tim.

“When you join, the free one-hour personal training orientation allows you to talk about what you want to achieve and different diet plans.

“If you don’t turn up for a session, our trainer will contact you.

“We want to make sure people make the most of their membership.”

Anytime Fitness, 26 Cartwright Street. Call 6259 1633 or visit anytimefitness.com.au

three, six or 12 months (depending on the problem) to receive a full service.

“Backing up your computer is so important as well, we have customers who have lost photos of passed relatives or newborns because they haven’t backed up their device. The files must exist in two places at any given time and we advise people to do this with an external hard drive or flash drive.”

EBM Computers also supplies a range of accessories, parts and both new and used laptops and desktops.

Nathaniel says: “We try to get the parts that other computer repair stores don’t sell. We are a long-staying computer shop and we have watched Charnwood improve in leaps and bounds over the years, our customers are very loyal”.

EBM Computers, Shop 6/7 Charnwood Place. Call 6253 2668 or sales@ebm.net.au, visit ebm.net.au

Dr Uche A Menakaya FRANZCOG

The Ginninderra Labor Club

Canberra Confidential

A Face for forgotten children

NATALIE Hargreaves, of Dunlop, is a national finalist for the ACT in The Face of Confidence Australia 2015 pageant.

She put her hand (and her face) up because, she says, she wants to make a difference in children’s lives. She’s organising a fundraising high tea to raise money for Autism Australia.

“It’s close to my heart as my youngest son is autistic and I know how often these children are not understood or completely forgotten in the community,” she says.

“I want to change this, so if I can raise money to help them, then that’s a great start.”

The high tea’s at the Raiders Club, Belconnen, 2pm-4pm, Saturday, July 18. Tickets by emailing her at nattyfotga15@outlook.com

The Face of Confidence is an Australia-wide pageant “for all ages, sizes and races” with the aim of bringing awareness to domestic violence and learning difficulties. The finals are on the Gold Coast in September.

Face of Confidence aspirant

a

• Quality custom designed chairs, sofas and bedheads

• Re-upholstery of dining chairs, sofas, chairs and ottomans

• Window seat cushions, outdoor cushions and scatter cushions

• Upholstered wall panels for warmth, peace & quiet

• Free consultation with an experienced designer in store

• A local business that has been in Canberra for 30 years

6 Yallourn Street, Fyshwick Phone: 6280 4464 www.dreamdesignfurniture.com.au

We love our roads

OUR thoughtful government is purring with satisfaction at the municipal love we have for them and all they do for us ungrateful plebs.

They have surveys, you see, of delighted ratepayers who have, a recent telephone poll of 1000 people says, rated satisfaction with the overall management of the ACT’s road network at 90 per cent.

And despite the recent Budget mauling on parking costs, the ACT was ranked first in the nation for traffic and parking management.

“Canberra has long been renowned for the state of our transport infrastructure, and we have been able to uphold this position due to the major investment in the integrated transport network,” enthused Roads and Parking Poobah Mick Gentleman, pictured.

If it’s so good and so popular, Minister, makes you wonder why we need a tram.

We love our TAMS

AND that magical 90 per cent number recurs in Shane Rattenbury’s annual telephone survey of another 1000 harassed townsfolk who clearly rate TAMS as the bee’s

knees.

It has emboldened the Green One to conclude that: “While we always aim to improve our work, this survey shows that the community is happy with our local services.”

Buses also got a leg up with ACTION satisfying 76 per cent of its passengers, up from last year’s 65 per cent. Disappointingly, despite having the nation’s best-paid drivers, it could only rank higher than 67 per cent of other public transport providers across Australia.

The top five highest satisfaction areas are: the National Arboretum, library services, recycling services, waste collection, and access to walking and cycling paths.

We love not exercising!

AND while we’re banging on about research, Medibank says they’ve got some that says while half of us regularly view health and fitness posts on social media, 70 per cent of Canberra isn’t regularly exercising enough to break into a sweat.

The research shows 90 per cent (there’s that number again) of ACT residents believe being healthy is more than just food and exercise – it is also about achieving day-to-day happiness.

Seen sawing

THE cold weather brings out the need to keep warm and with it the annual warning to stop filching wood from

public land. The latest finger wag is from Queanbeyan City Council reminding residents that trees on public land are not to be chopped down for firewood, though the $220 fine wouldn’t get you trembling with fear.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Bungendore, nearby cockies and landowners have been on a town chat site grumbling about thieves coming on to unattended private land and knocking down entire trees.

One enterprising land owner has set up discreet digital cameras to keep any eye on their tree stock.

Win a flight to...

DEFENCE is paying a Melbourne PR company to send cheery emails to “CityNews” inviting us to draw attention to the Ultimate ADFA Open Day Experience competition that will give its three winners “return flights to Canberra, overnight accommodation, a merchandise pack and will take part in a range of exclusive activities, which aren’t on offer to the general public at the ADFA Open Day.” Imagine that, return flights to Canberra.

You have to be between 16 and 22 and entries to defencejobs.gov.au/ADFAOpenDay before July 20.

scene / around canberra

Social event of the week / Snowy Hydro SouthCare’s Women in Business Lunch, Barton

SNOWY Hydro SouthCare’s Women in Business Lunch is an annual event where there’s some fundraising of the “experiential” kind, meaning eating, walking, painting and canoeing packages, a significant raffle and fine food and wine.

There’s always a story from someone who has been a recipient of the expert care of the Snowy Hydro SouthCare team, with this year Virginia Berger’s “aortic dissection” emergency occurring while she was painting her toenails. It felt like she’d been stabbed in the neck and the pain started to move down her body. Luckily, her neighbour was home to take her to hospital and after diagnosis she was off in the chopper to Royal North Shore

It was almost enough to turn us off our lunch, but Virginia is alive and well, and still paints her toenails.

Kate Lundy and Kate Carnell went back to their 16-year-old selves to tell us of the choices they made and why, judge the best and worst of themselves and divulge a few secrets. Virginia Haussegger was probing and eliciting some gems.

For the Snowy Hydro SouthCare team, with new CEO Chris Kimball at the helm, it was a winning combination of indulgence, stories and salutary lessons in life.

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.

arts in the city

Michael gets a kick out of musical

COMPOSER and director of The Griffyn Ensemble, Michael Sollis, is game. A proud member of the Gungahlin Bulls, he’s combined his love of music and footy in a muchpraised show, “The Dirty Red Digger”, to be reprised on Sunday, July 5, at 5.30pm after a match between the Gungahlin Bulls and the West Belconnen Warriors at the Raiders Club, 155 Hardwick Crescent, Holt. Bookings via iwannaticket.com.au or 0466 480104.

PIED Piper’s musical “The Magical Land of Oz” sees Dorothy, Toto and their friends Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man on the Yellow Brick Road to Oz in a production full of toe-tapping music and great costumes. At St Paul’s Anglican Church Hall, Manuka, at 6pm, on July 4 and 10; 11am and 2pm, on July 7 and 9, and 2pm, on July 8. Bookings essential for groups to bookings@pied-piper.com.au or 0402 409435.

CONDUCTOR and “CityNews” music critic, Ian McLean, is off to Switzerland again to be artistic adviser to the Basel Tattoo. He’ll be home once the show is up and running – what a life!

CANBERRA Youth Theatre’s “Dead Men’s Wars” will premiere at The Street Theatre and tour to Wellington, NZ, with young Canberrans aged 15-25 years. Written by Ralph McCubbin-Howell, the play provides a perspective on the place of young people in the ANZAC legacy in Australia and NZ, and has been developed between CYT and Long Cloud Youth Theatre in NZ. Auditions will be in C Block Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre, 10am-2pm, Tuesday, July 7. Bookings and info to cytc.net

CANBERRA-based artist Wayne Kelly plays solo jazz piano as well as with his own trio. Bassist Ben O’Loghlin tells me the trio is enjoying a residency at the very warm (in winter) Old Canberra Inn with free gigs on Tuesday nights from 6.30pm-8.30pm.

NISHI Gallery in NewActon is a chic space with white walls and natural light. It’s inviting applications for 2016 shows, but presenters must be happy for external events to happen in the space after gallery hours. Proposals by July 3 to newacton.com.au/nishigallery/ propose

TERENCE Maloon is curator, art historian and director of the ANU Drill Hall Gallery. He’s giving a series of six lectures, “The Fabulous Adventure of Cubism”, at Manning Clark Centre, ANU, 3pm, on Sunday afternoons to help raise funds for the refurbishing of the Drill Hall. Maloon begins on July 5 with Picasso and Braque. Bookings via onestop.anu.edu.au

“IMPROVENTION” is Australia’s international festival of unscripted theatre and comedy. Brave theatre professionals from 10 countries create 35 shows, from short-scene comedy to drama and performance art, to a fairytale on ice and a version of Eurovision where none of the songs are written until the musicians start playing. Opening with the “Improvision Song Contest” on Saturday, July 4, at ANU Arts Centre, the festival continues through the week at The Street Theatre, Casino Canberra, NewActon, and the Garema Place ice rink. Details at improvention.com

Turning old into new dance

COVER STORY

By Helen Musa

EACH year, Bangarra Dance Theatre brings entirely new works to Canberra. This year it’s “Lore”, which comes straight from its world premiere at Sydney Opera House.

How do artistic director Stephen Page and his composer brother, David, keep coming up with such original works so quickly?

One of Stephen’s tricks is by cleverly giving the following year’s work a generic title – in this case “Lore” – allowing time for them to decide what they really want to do.

Another factor is, as he puts it: “Our culture is so strong – night after night, our dancers and artists bring you their stories, passion, dedication and physicality to the stage.”

Equally significant is that Stephen has consistently employed new choreographers, most of them from the ranks of Bangarra.

For instance, this year, choreographer and former Bangarra dancer Frances Rings returns to the company with “Sheoak”, a tribute to the ageless Casuarina tree and a comment on the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities today.

But Rings is by now a veteran choreographer, so Page has ensured that the tradition continues by having two new choreographers step up from the company, as Waangenga Blanco and Deborah Brown create a contemporary dance work around the Torres Strait convenience store, I.B.I.S.

Seven of the company’s 16 dancers have Torres Strait Islander heritage, including Blanco and Brown.

I’m talking to two dancers, Nicola Sabatino and Kaine Sultan-Babij, with vastly different heritages.

Sabatino was raised in Weipa, in Far North Queensland, but is a descendant of the Kaurareg and Meriam peoples of the Torres Strait Islands.

“When I was a kid in Weipa I was a bit disconnected from my mob, but there was a lot of dancing,” she tells me.

Her later formal training was grounded in ballet, where she found a change of bodily focus. But, she says: “I’m a big believer in cultural memory in the body and having a kind of the genetic thing that comes naturally… dance is a fire that gets wakened.”

Torres Strait dance movements, she says, are inspired by birds and the sense of taking off, so it’s amusing that the new work is called “I.B.I.S.”, even though actually I.B.I.S. is the cooler where women gather in the hot weather. And the dance is concerned not with flight but with issues such as global warming.

Kaine Sultan-Babij’s background is strikingly different. His name bears witness to his Afghan cameleer ancestry, but he also inherited Croatian and Aboriginal culture.

Sultan-Babij talks of the sheoak tree and its potential for dance.

“Choreographically, we tried to visualise the roots, tree trunks and the branches,” he says.

“Sheoaks have a lot of significance in Aboriginal culture… you cut them, you can get medicine from them. The patterns of the bark can be painted on, that sort of thing.

“We found the characteristics of the sheoak and related them to ourselves and our bodies.

“Some of these trees are also a very old trees, so no wonder it’s called the grandmother tree.”

“Lore,” Bangarra Dance Theatre at Canberra Theatre Centre July, 9-11, bookings to canberratheatrecentre. com.au or 6275 2700. Pre-show forum (with “CityNews” arts editor Helen Musa), 6.30pm, Thursday, July 9. Parliament House talk with Stephen Page and creatives, 2pm, Sunday, July 5.

Remixing the ink in Chinese art

By Helen Musa

“INK Remix” is an exhibition of new Chinese art that brings to the Canberra Museum and Gallery more than 35 works by 14 artists from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The very term “ink” is reinterpreted, with one artist making his own ink by boiling down Coca-Cola, in a cheeky tilt at cultural imperialism and Western art.

Another uses tea as ink, and the key image, “Yao’s Journey to Australia” by Yao Jui-chung, is a mischievous work in Biro with a traditional Chinese art background, but a central focus on an elevated map of Australia.

You can expect to see inkjet and lithographic prints, photography, video and animation, too.

And it’s all pretty new. These younger artists (the oldest were born in the ‘60s) grew up with unprecedented exposure to new materials and resources.

Chinese video artist Feng Mengbo recalls being one of the first artists on the mainland to buy a computer in the early 1990s.

Visitors will see ink-art on sculptures, on boots and inside a pair of slippers decorated with erotic images. It’s a sexy show and one CMAG director Shane Breynard correctly sees as one of the gallery’s biggest projects.

When vulgar Ted wants a baby

“Ted 2” (MA)

COARSE humour has been around for millennia and only prudes would gainsay it. Satire of public institutions, human frailties and cultural habits has nourished literary invention throughout written history. Consequences of a mating of these styles can be fun, not necessarily with high aesthetic or moral values but confirmation that laughter is indeed a good medicine.

Filmmaker Seth MacFarlane has once again convened his repertory group to continue the life of Ted, the soft teddy bear that has lived as John’s (Mark Wahlberg) buddy for six years. This time, Ted marries Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth), a woman of many experiences, mostly on the edge of decency and taste. Ted wants a baby. He’s not equipped to sire one. Adoption is the way to go. Adoption involves bureaucracy and paperwork. Ted finds himself deleted from every database.

We don’t want to go away feeling deprived of emotional comfort and indeed we don’t.

But by heaven, it’s a close run thing.

One bean curd-hating art critic friend of mine is particularly impressed by Charwei Tsai’s video work “Tofu Mantra”, where you see ink calligraphy on tofu blurring and fading as time goes by, not just a good use of the medium but a nod to the Buddhist and Daoist theme of impermanence.

The “Ink Remix” curator, Sophie McIntyre, has been a Chinese art-watcher since when she lived on the mainland and the 1990s when she researched her PhD on identity politics and cross-strait relations in Taiwanese contemporary art.

Social and artistic change is normal for these rising artists, she says, noting that “when the economy is booming, the arts flourish”.

During earlier times in this postCultural Revolution era, overt nationalism may have been to the fore but now, with massive art fairs and biennales sprouting throughout the region, McIntyre believes artists in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan have joined the global village and have concerns for global matters like the environment and generational change.

With four artists from Taiwan, seven from mainland China and three from Hong Kong/Macao, showing “distinctive accents in different regions.”

“Ink Remix: Contemporary art from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong,” at Canberra Museum and Gallery, until October 18.

American films and TV series adore judicial disputation. Hiding in a murky underworld is Donny (Giovanni Ribisi) who has a plan to kidnap and eviscerate Ted to learn what makes him tick. John engages Samantha (Amanda Seyfried) fresh out of law school to represent Ted in an action to prove that he is a person, not an object. The court finds for the respondents. Ted’s future looks bleak. Famous civil rights attorney Meighan (Morgan Freeman) refuses to represent him, saying an appeal cannot succeed.

Out of those plot fundamentals MacFarlane has crafted a film with few cultural, sociological or artistic niceties but with one saving grace. Not exactly graceful, but I’ve covered that in the opening paragraph.

At Hoyts, Capitol 6, Palace Electric, Dendy and Limelight

“Far from the Madding Crowd” (M)

IN 1967, John Schlesinger directed Julie Christie as Bathsheba Everdene and Terence Stamp as Sgt Troy in a 157-minute adaptation of perhaps the least gloomy of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex novels.

The dramatic emphasis in Thomas Vinterberg’s 118-minute, 2015 version focuses more on the relationship between Bathsheba and stolid, reliable Dorset sheep-farmer Gabriel Oak, whose function from first to last reel is to take a firm grasp on our sympathies by enduring a string of disappointments. That works as effective entertainment.

The innocence of a beautiful, intelligent, cultured 26-year-old never-kissed virgin provides Bathsheba with no protection from unfortunate consequences of her impetuous decision to marry the venal, mercurial soldier Troy who wants not a warm satisfying enduring relationship but the pleasures of her body and the wealth that under 19th century English law devolved to him to spend as he chose.

Four principal characters. Matthias Schoenaerts as Gabriel. Tom Sturridge as Troy. Michael Sheen as Boldwood, the middle-aged bachelor whose adoration of Bathsheba knows no limits, even to the certain consequences of protecting her by eliminating Troy in an era when such an act inevitably led to the gallows.

And Carey Mulligan, bringing a wondrous combination of strength and delicacy to Bathsheba in a thoroughly convincing portrayal that is a delight to the eye.

Thomas Hardy’s fourth published novel lends itself admirably to dramatisation. The farming sequences shot in Dorset project an innocent era with quite delightful and wistful imageries.

At Palace Electric, Dendy and Capitol 6

“Love and Mercy” (M)

IF you seek a soft-bodied film with comfortable dramatic values, “Love and Mercy” will not meet your need. Which is not to say that you should shun it.

Of all the songs by ‘60s band The Beach Boys, I have been aware only of “Good Vibrations” and “Sloop John B”, a tiny fraction of the 384 they recorded on more than 30 albums.

Bill Pohlad’s film tells how the group’s creative wizard Brian Wilson endured dreadful abuse by the unscrupulous psychiatrist Eugene Landy until the ‘80s when intervention by Melinda Ledbetter, to whom Wilson is now married, got that monkey off his back. The story moves between the 1960s, when Brian Wilson (Paul Dano) was writing the songs that brought the band its fame, and the 1980s, when Landy had taken possession of Wilson’s (John Cusack) mind, body, soul and musical skill.

Oren Moverman’s screenplay allows Pohlad to make seamless and credible time transitions between the two periods and provides Cusack with the film’s most dramatic discomfort. Discomfort indeed, but necessary to allow the conflict and its resolution to develop as faithfully on the screen as it did in reality.

Matching Cusack’s convincing portrayal are Elizabeth Banks as Melinda, emotionally scarified to the point at last of confronting Landy’s malevolent influence, and Paul Giamatti as Landy. In any film, Giamatti’s presence is a plus. In “Love and Mercy”, playing a despicable apology for a human being, he hits the mark again.

At Palace Electric and Dendy

A little bit of Nepal in Manuka

MOUNT Everest, on the border of Tibet and Nepal, is also known as Chomolungma, Goddess Mother of the World. And Chomolungma is the name of a new restaurant in Manuka that celebrates Nepali cuisine. It’s worth a visit.

The location is Palmerston Lane. The venue has changed hands several times over the past few years with subsequent owners not lasting very long. A big part of the problem seemed to be the structure of the restaurant. It was “odd” – divided into two, with one side closed off from the other and both dark and foreboding.

The new owners have ripped the place apart, opening up the venue, adding clear glass, brighter-coloured paint, better lighting and neutral brickwork. It works a treat and is much more inviting. Foodie friends introduced me to it – they had already been several times – and I’m delighted they did.

The menu at Chomolungma is small, but the food packs a punch and is not expensive by any measure. Except for the entrees, the mains are not designed for sharing. They are Thali-style and so come on metal TV-dinner-type trays with segments that hold your main meat, rice, soup, vegetables and condiments. One suggestion I have is to provide placemats to stop the trays from spinning about on the wooden table tops. Although I’ve never been to Nepal, my bet is that the steamed momos (dumplings), which we shared at the start, are authentic tasting and would make Nepalese people proud. I bet they make head chef Raju Tamang proud, too. Options are chicken, pork and vegetables. The momos, soft on the outside, come with one

Although I’ve never been to Nepal, my bet is that the steamed momos (dumplings), which we shared at the start, are authentic tasting and would make Nepalese people proud.

bowl of clear soup, which isn’t easy to share but at least the momos were great ($12).

The menu features four chef suggestions, which you can order mild or hot. I decided in a flash to have the braised goat meat on the bone ($18), which came with a rich, spiced gravy, fluffy rice, dahl, some crunchy veggies and pickle. The meat was tender and full of flavour. I could have used a bit more, however.

Another of our party enjoyed the garlic chilli prawns ($20), also served with lentil soup, rice and other small dishes. The braised lamb was

equally yummy.

Salads on offer include chickpeas with rice, lemon juice, onion, cucumber, chilli and coriander ($10) and a tandoori chicken with lettuce, onion, tomato and cucumber ($12). We didn’t go for the desserts but one day it would be fun to try the hot millet pancake served with banana, strawberry and honey ($9).

The service at Chomolungma is cheery and it’s the kind of place you can visit often without breaking the bank. BYO wine only (corkage $2 a person).

Chomolungma, Palmerston Lane, Manuka. Call 0450 317346.

gardening Blossoms don’t mean

BLOSSOMS from the flowering apricot are tricking some people into believing spring has come early this year.

The trees in blossom over the last few weeks are almost certainly the flowering apricot, Prunus mume, which always flowers from early to mid-winter.

Prunus mume flowers on the new season’s wood, so it is best to prune immediately after flowering. If the tree is pruned in spring it will bleed profusely with sap, which can cause other problems.

It can also be pollarded, which is cutting back the branches almost to the main stem. This produces a mass of new growth and subsequently more flowers the following season.

I also recommend this process for Mop Top Robinias to keep them

under control.

When the garden is rather drab, these flowering apricots brighten up winter with a splash of colour. There are two main varieties; Prunus mume “Rosebud”, which

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We grow them hardy so you can watch them grow

grows to about 4m x 4m, making it eminently suitable for most gardens. Its large semi-double soft pink, delicately fragrant flowers are up to 2.5cm across and its leaves turn to a rusty-bronze in autumn. And there’s Prunus mume “Splendens”, which has an abundance of double, deep-pink flowers with yellow stamens in clusters along the bare stems. The delicate fragrance is particularly evident in the evening.

Jottings...

• Prune new roses at planting time: firstly prune any damaged roots, then cut stems back to 20-25cm above ground level.

• After the recent rain it is an ideal time to hoe weeds. Also to loosen up mulch that may have compacted to allow better rain penetration.

• Plant the amazing new Daphne “Perfume Princess”, a cross between two greats, Daphne bholua and Daphne odora

• Paul Tyerman will talk on summer bulbs at The Garden, Parkwood Nursery, 10.30am, on Wednesday, July 15. Book at 6254 6726.

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Relationships will be challenging on Monday and Tuesday. Expect loved ones to be defensive and colleagues, clients or customers to be more demanding than usual. Then the mid-week Mars/Neptune trine encourages you to help a family member who’s going through a rough patch, as you focus on improving communication at Casa Aries. So your motto for the moment is from birthday great the Dalai Lama: “A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation of your life.”

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Busy Bulls – the stars favour contributing your talents and helping out within your local community, as you assist someone in need. If you pace yourself and prioritise, then you’ll get things done without feeling frazzled. It’s also a wonderful week to socialise with family and friends and participate in some lively and stimulating conversations as Mercury joins the Sun and Mars in your communication zone. A creative and proactive approach to social media brings immediate benefits.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Money matters look mighty complicated this week Twins – especially if your paperwork is chaotic or you’re behind with paying bills. Incoming funds are in a state of flux so the more disciplined, flexible and proactive you are, the more manageable your finances will be. With Mercury (your ruling planet) moving into your cash zone, it’s a terrific time to improve your financial literacy through study or via the mentorship of someone who is smart and savvy with money.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Calm down Crabs! You won’t get far with others if you are needy, moody or overemotional. Instead, do your best to balance head and heart; intellect and intuition. Things improve mid-week, when Mercury moves into your sign (until July 23). You’ll feel more rational and less subjective than usual, so it’s a fantastic period to enrol in an educational course or complete a study project. And the week will certainly progress better if you are more proactive, and less reactive.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

With Venus and Jupiter both visiting your sign, you’re in the mood to mix and mingle; text and tweet; socialise and circulate to the max. But will others be happy to hear what you’ve got to say? Monday and Tuesday’s tempestuous stars highlight your inclination to jealous, possessive or overbearing behaviour. You must strive to loosen your intense grip on a loved one Leo – otherwise you’ll just drive them away with your dramatic and demanding Diva-like behaviour.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Relations with a child, teenager or friend may be strained. The more you try to organise them, the worse things will be so avoid getting drawn into pointless power-plays. The best way you can help loved ones ATM is to support them in practical ways, as they pursue their ambitions and follow their dreams. Criticism is out, and encouragement is in! From mid-week onwards the stars favour networking with a wide range of acquaintances, in person and via social media.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Expect some dramas as the Sun and Pluto stir up old grievances with a family member or work colleague. By all means use your diplomatic talents to help find solutions but, if you sit back and let others make decisions, then you’ll just feel paralysed and powerless. Strive to be more self-sufficient – especially at work and home. Getting the ratio right between your public and private lives is challenging, however, if anyone can juggle commitments, it’s a well-balanced Libran!

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

The stars boost your personal magnetism – and your manipulative side. Pluto gives you an energy surge that increases your desire to be in charge but, if you want to avoid power struggles and unpleasant dramas, then stop trying to control others. You’ve got a choice! You can be powerful and passionate – or compulsive and controlling. If you’re a smart Scorpio, then you’ll choose the path of least resistance as you channel your energy in positive and proactive ways.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

There may be some stress involving money or intimacy, as the stars stir up your lust and loot zones. So be patient with your partner; be careful with cash and credit; and think things through before lending money to others because you may not get it back! When it comes to a current project, don’t take short-cuts. Success will come if you do all the rigorous research that’s required, as you look for the facts and subtle undercurrents that are hidden beneath the surface.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Conscientious Capricorn – your perfectionist side is likely to go into overdrive early in the week, as the stars amp up your obsession with perfection. But others may find your standards far too demanding and, if you push too hard (with a current or potential partner) then you’ll just end up pushing them away. Things improve from mid-week onwards, when Mercury shifts into your relationship zone and you’re more inclined to keep the lines of communication open.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Hey Aquarius – avoid getting drawn into pointless disputes with family and friends. This week will work best if you keep your nose out of others people’s business, and concentrate on pursuing personal projects. The mid-week Mars/Neptune trine is terrific for experiencing fiery bursts of creative inspiration. But fabulous ideas on their own won’t get you far. You must also work on streamlining your daily routine so you are more proactive, productive and persistent.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

If you’re involved with a group, club or organisation, then expect power plays and personality clashes. Your creativity and intuition fire up mid-week, as you take an abstract idea and turn it into a golden reality. But, if your inner voice tells you something or someone isn’t the real deal, then make sure you act on that information. Inspiration for the week comes from Henry David Thoreau (born on July 12, 1817): “This world is but a canvas to our imagination.”

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

General knowledge crossword No. 507

Solution next week

1 What is a sailor’s song called?

8 Name a chain of islands in the West Indies

9 To challenge as false is to do what?

10 Which animal appears many times on Australia’s one dollar coin?

11 To be false or incorrect, is to be what?

12 Which term relates to the Celts in the Highlands of Scotland?

13 To fuse ore in order to separate the metal contained, is to do what?

16 Who held the Empire middleweight boxing title in 1952, Dave ...?

19 What is the smallest part of an element?

21 To which animal group does the spider or centipede belong?

22 Which device is used for plucking strings of a guitar, mandolin, or the like?

23 Name a tribe of the Iroquois confederacy

24 What are districts enclosed within larger ones?

25 To give support, is to do what? Down

2 What is a namesake also known as?

3 Which term describes those who refrain from taking part in a war between others?

4 Name an inhabitant of a northern state of the US.

5 What do we call Australian wild dogs?

6 The Bach trumpet is more readily known as a what?

7 What is the diffusion of fluids through porous partitions?

13 Name the governor-general of Australia 1982-89, Sir Ninian ...

14 What is the intrinsic nature of something?

15 Which term describes that which relates to touch?

17 What is a localised collection of pus in any part of the body?

18 Periods of ten years’ duration are known as what?

20 What, loosely, is a species of acacia?

“Help, Gail!” Sybil came to see me very concerned that, having intended to make withdrawals from her superannuation at 55, she’d been told she couldn’t.

“Sybil, there are changes to what is known as preservation age,” I told her.

“This is the age at which you can start to draw your pension and is known as a condition of release.

“From July 1, if your birthday is before July 1, 1960, the preservation age is 55; if it’s between July 1, 1960-June 30, 1961, the preservation age 56; July 1, 1961-June 30, 1962, it’s 57; July 1, 1962 until June 30, 1963, it’s 58; July 1, 1963 until June 30, 1964, it’s 59 and on or after July 1, 1964, it’s 60.

“To start a pension of any kind after you have reached preservation age you have to satisfy a condition of release; if you’re under 60, the condition of release is that you have permanently retired from the workforce and the trustee of your superannuation fund is reasonably satisfied that you do not intend to ever become gainfully employed in the future for 10 hours or more each week.

“Between ages 60 and 65 the condition of release is slightly less onerous in that you have retired from gainful employment after that age and you had attained age 60 before you retired or the trustee of your superannuation fund is reasonably satisfied that you do not intend to ever become gainfully employed in the future for 10 hours or more each week. If you are over 65 you do not have to satisfy a condition of release.”

Sybil was clearly annoyed. “I was born on July 17, 1961 and I had planned to start a transition to retirement pension straight after my 55th birthday,” she said ruefully. “Now I will have to wait for two years.” I confirmed that was the only option and reminded her that she would still have to satisfy the transition to retirement condition of release at that time.

“You must draw a specified minimum pension that must not exceed 10 per cent of your account balance,” I advised her.

“It may be possible to apply for release of your superannuation on hardship grounds, but I don’t think that would apply to you.

“I should also advise that, until you are 60, the transition to retirement pension is taxed at your normal marginal tax rate with a 15 per cent tax offset. From age 60, under the current legislation, you will receive that pension tax free.”

Resigned to her fate, Sybil was keen to know if there were any other particular tax changes.

“The removal of the medical expenses offset is confusing,” I told her. “From July 1, the medical expenses tax offset will only be available for expenses that relate to disability aids, attendant care or aged care.

“That, too, will be phased out in 2019. In the current financial year you can only claim for medical expenses if you had a claim in the two prior years. So there is no point keeping your medical receipts in future other than for making claims from your health fund.”

In saying thanks, Sybil said: “I don’t know how you keep up with all the changes!”

If you need guidance on tax law or retirement changes, please contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 6295 2844.