171109 citynews

Time to get cracking on affordable housing

JON STANHOPE

Nation awaits the word from Belco MIKE WELSH

Gordon’s got his head in the sand CHRIS COLEMAN

Terry’s sitting loosely in the saddle of success

TIM GAVEL

Well written, well read

JOEL WILSON

proud to be a man and proud to have been a woman

… for the everyday shopper

VINNIES KIPPAX

Our volunteers will make you feel welcome. We sell pre-loved clothing, bric-a-brac, shoes, linen, books and many other items. Also we accept donations of good quality.

Shop 2. Phone 02 6234 7422

URBAN CELLARS KIPPAX

Australian owned and operated, Urban Cellars outlets regularly serve tens of thousands of customers each week.

Shop 4. Phone 6255 1444

THE COFFEE CLUB

At the Coffee Club we provide good food, great service & excellent coffee. A welcoming relaxed meeting place. The answer to “where will I meet you?”

Shop 32. Phone 6254 4887

It’s all here @…

newsXpress

KIPPAX FAIR

Here at NewsXpress we sell a range of puzzles, matchbox cars, beanie boos, pop vinyls, as well as stationery, magazines, lottteries and more.

Shop 25-27. Phone 6254 2395

HAIR BY KELSEY JANE

We constantly keep up with the changing trends. Come meet the team. Let us use our knowledge to make you feel great about your hair & about yourself.

Shop 7. Phone 6254 8605

Fusion Op Shop exist to provide good quality, affordable recycled clothes, bric-a-brac and books at very economical prices.

Shop 28. Phone 6111 2959

HEALTH CO OP

This clinic has capacity for six clinicians including GPs, Practice Nurse and onsite pathology.

Shop 42. Phone 6258 0355

Shop 21-23. Phone 6160 3300 ST GEORGE BANK

BODY RESORT MASSAGE

St George is known for its exceptional service, innovative, award-winning product and specialist financial advice.

Treat your body with either remedial, relax or deep tissue massage, or treat your feet with a foot spa or foot reflexology.

Shop 9b. Phone 0424 202 646

Love Nail services include manicures, spa pedicure, acrylic and gel nails, nail art, shellac, massages, spray tanning, skin care and all waxing services.

Shop 10. Phone 6162 1503

NEWS / lung health awareness month

News that sent Pastor David’s world crashing

By Danielle Nohra

ABOUT six years ago Turner’s David McDonald was drawing up a will and power of attorney in hospital after he was told he only had one year to live.

He was 49, two of his four children were still in high school and he had just been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

It was unexpected, he wasn’t a smoker (yes, non-smokers can get lung cancer, too) and he was reasonably healthy.

Or thought he was, until the then-pastor of Crossroads Church became uncomfortable with numbness, as well as pain in his chest and back, while sitting with a group of friends at Tilley’s in Lyneham.

“A friend thought I was having a heart attack and it turned out to be lung cancer,” he says.

“I was devastated, it was like I had just been sentenced to death. I was given 10 to 13 months to live and was told there was nothing to do to remove it – it was incurable.”

David says you hear about side effects of cancer such as nausea and hair loss, but what people don’t often talk about is how cancer deprives hopes and joy and steals all expectations.

“I remember thinking I won’t walk my daughter down the aisle, or see my son graduate, or meet my grandchildren,” he says.

Grappling with these “side effects”, David, who is the founder of Crossroads

and was in the process of starting something similar in Darwin, was in a position where he could no longer preach.

“I’ve been the pastor of a church so I’ve been a regular communicator orally, and now I couldn’t so someone suggested I start blogging,” he says.

Using his blog titled “macarisms” as an outlet, David started to document his wavering faith.

In many ways David went back to the drawing board and asked himself if there was hope beyond death.

“It’s one thing to hold belief in your head but getting a terminal diagnosis tests the reality of those beliefs,” he says.

As his blog posts tallied up, David decided to write a book on the idea of “hope beyond a cure”.

With this in mind, he hired a cabin at the coast for two weeks and came away with the foundations of the book: “Hope Beyond Cure”.

“The question worth asking is whether life is all there is or whether there’s hope beyond,” he says.

“The book is particularly for people who have a terminal diagnosis but really for all of us asking the big questions about life, death and hope.”

For David, the fact he’s alive today is a miracle, not that he believes anyone really deserves one.

“I don’t think we deserve it, I think it’s the kindness of God,” he says.

An oncologist in Melbourne described him as a super responder to the drugs and

said he was “off the charts”.

“I don’t feel I’ve had this particular ex perience because I’m a better person, I’m just as selfish as anyone,” he says.

“However it’s come about, I certainly thank God for it. I think He can equally work through medicine and the skills of doctors.”

But David says his book isn’t about miracles, as he had clear evidence of can cer while writing it.

“There was no hope given of a cure. It really just felt like a matter of time and I was being told to expect to die,” he says.

“I was told I had a terminal illness but I think we all have a terminal illness, and that’s life itself, we’re born with limited time.”

And now, without any evidence of cancer, David is using his time to raise awareness towards lung cancer, which is the second biggest cancer killer in Australia.

During November, which is Lung Health Awareness Month, David hopes to change the stigma that people only get lung cancer from smoking, and he also wants to see changes to the treatment protocol.

“Australia lags behind some other countries. We’re a global community and we could benefit if we had quick access to drugs being used in other countries,” he says.

“Hope Beyond Cure”, $12.95, from hopebeyondcure.com

Since 1993: Volume 23, Number 42

Arts & Entertainment 23-25

Cinema 24

Dining 24

Crossword 27

Gardening 26

Horoscopes 27

Letters 11

News 5-13

Politics 13

Socials 14-15

Sport 10

Cover: Joel Wilson. Photo by Danielle Nohra. Story Page 12.

is taken by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell.

WHEN IT MATTERS

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

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

Journalists: Kate Meikle, kate@citynews.com.au; Danielle Nohra, danielle@citynews.com.au; Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au

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

Photographer: Maddie McGuigan

Advertising manager: Greg Jones, 0419 418196

Senior advertising account executive: David Cusack, 0435 380656

Advertising account executive: Liam Jones, 0400 092095; Damien Klemke, 0439 139001; Emily Lester, 0406 412462

Production manager / graphic design: Janet Ewen

Graphic designer: Paulette Leo

Proof reader: Glenda Anderson

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

GO TO DRAMA SCHOOL IN 2018

Looking

CUA40513 Certificate IV in Musical Theatre

Includes trip to West End in London Audition November 20

10197NAT Certificate IV in Acting for Stage and Screen Audition/info session on December 5

CUA60415 Advanced Diploma of Creative Product Development Study Scriptwriting or Directing

Acting 101 Fun, leisure course for beginners

Screen Acting 101 Leisure course in acting for camera

Register online now!

Nation awaits the word from Belco

FOR the second time in less than a month the nation will hold its collective breath and focus on Canberra for the outcome of a controversial issue.

ABS House in Belconnen has been confirmed as the venue for the announcement of the result of the SSM postal survey. The ABS press release says it “anticipates some media organisations will live broadcast the media conference”. The format of the November 15 revelation is not clear but clearly won’t resemble the traditional Tally Room setting with Kerry O’Brien heading a panel of experts skilfully unpacking voting trends.

TANYA Hennessy cried herself to sleep every

spending the past three months fielding a range of career options.

joining a breakfast crew on Perth radio.

Liversidge children from Higgins, Zac , Hazel and Jude, celebrated their third Halloween.

A STUNNING three-metre mural of the late John Hanna has added an extra dimension to an increasingly colourful Garema Place. Artist Christopher Toth’s “first in best dressed” painting on the wall of Bible House – commissioned by In the City – was unveiled recently. On hand for the official ceremony were Hanna’s wife Diana and daughter Melanie, both reportedly agreeing the menswear icon, who lost a battle with cancer in September, would be “chuffed” with the result.

NSW, Victoria, SA and even Tasmania rolling through. T-Birds from the original 1955 model through to 2005 – some valued at $120,000 – were polished up and presented for the prestigious Car of the Show award.

National prize for Terry’s horse park

TERRY Snow’s Willinga Park equestrian centre at Bawley Point has been awarded a national architectural award.

The stock and performance horse stud and equestrian centre took out the National Award in Commercial Architecture at the 2017 Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards.

months in Canberra but leaves

The Hit 104.7’s breakfast co-host said the wave of hate directed toward her after she and co-host Ryan Jon replaced breakfast stalwarts Scotty and Nige in 2016 was overwhelming, and “something I didn’t think I would be able to push through but 20 months on I not only did but I am about to take my brand to new levels”. While Hennessy was unable to go

RETAILERS have reported a broadening of the demographic buying scary costumes for Halloween. Apparently adults are now almost as likely as children to don the scary wigs and face masks and celebrate the pagan festival, which was All Hallows’ Eve (October 31). In one Belconnen street alone several groups of 8-10 children and a smaller bunch of teenagers observed the trick-or-treating tradition revered by Americans. The

ALSO in Garema Place, personalinjury-law-firm spruiker Mal Meninga was wearing his other hat to plug the Kangaroos v France game in the Rugby League World Cup at Bruce Stadium. The national league mentor appeared comfortable and relaxed despite questions from the assembled media pack on his coaching plans post World Cup.

THE Thunderbirds are gone but a convey of the classics they call the personal luxury car has left an impact on the capital. The recent Thunderbird Owners Club of Australia conducted its annual national meet with T-Birders from

STILL on high performance and classic cars. The Ferrari is long gone, replaced by a nice mid ‘90s Mercedes, but former Liberal Party leader John Hewson is still in top gear. The 71-year-old who lost the “unlosable election” to Paul Keating in 1993, cut an impressive figure in Canberra recently leaping from his German classic in the carpark of Parliament House. Later the economist unloaded both barrels on the Turnbull government over its handling of the Manus Island standoff, taking direct aim at Immigration Minister Peter Dutton whom he described as “uncompassionate”.

AND possibly one of the reasons why Canberra was rated as “Lonely Planet’s” third-best city to visit in 2018 – the local dinner party gossip, rumour and innuendo. Broadcaster and Kevin Rudd bestie Phillip Adams tweeted after his “Late Night Live” radio program special on political sex scandals: “Just said I know of 6-7 Oz PMs with secret and potentially scandalous sex lives”.

Designed by Cox Architects, the project was commended for features including its “series of overlapping folding roof planes designed to scoop in cool breezes and shield the spectators and dressage arena from the western sun”.

While only open to the public since March, the latest award is one of several for Willinga Park. Master Builders ACT named the horse park Project of the Year in June. In the same month, Willinga Park won two gongs at the 2017 ACT Architectural Awards.

Owner Terry Snow, who has developed the Canberra Airport and its precincts, praised the architects, designers, builders, landscapers and gardeners who have contributed to the project.

Page 10 – “Terry’s sitting loosely in the saddle of success”

With a brand new clubhouse, easy

to local

and medical facilities there is no wonder so many of our residents wish they made the move sooner.

100BARRIERSTFYSHWICK VIEWINGSFROM10AM-4PMFRIDAYNOV17TH SATURDAY&SUNDAYFROM10AM AUCTION12-PMSATURDAY&SUNDAY

OPINION / Community Housing Canberra

It’s time to get cracking on affordable housing

The ACT government has initiated a review of housing affordability but without, it seems, having first identified the problem it is seeking to address.

The paper released by the government to facilitate consultation claimed, for instance, that: “The government has kept up with Canberra’s growing population by releasing more land than needed”. It went on to assert that it had in fact released land for 7000 more houses than required to meet the estimated demand.

If that statement is true, i.e. that demand for land for housing has been more than met and there is in fact an oversupply, then what is the exact nature of the problem that the current review has been tasked with addressing?

The claim can of course be subjected to a simple test – a look at the prices. Around the same time that the discussion paper was released Canberra’s median house price surged, according to local media reports, to $723,299 in the June quarter, an annual increase of 8.9 per cent. Perhaps only the government can explain how such a massive increase is consistent with the basic law of supply and demand.

In releasing the discussion paper, the Minister for Housing “challenged” the community to consider three key questions: What is working well? What

Canberra’s median house price surged to $723,299 in the June quarter, an annual increase of 8.9 per cent. Perhaps only the government can explain how such a massive increase is consistent with the basic law of supply and demand.

do you think is not working? What could be done to improve the situation?

One worries that the government has not asked these questions of itself, but luckily it does not have to look too far for answers. A report published in October by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) titled “Government led innovations in affordable housing delivery: Inquiry into increasing affordable housing supply-evidence based principles and strategies for Australian policy and practice”, has examined the ACT government’s initiatives under its 2007 Affordable Housing Action Plan (AHAP), and compared it with strategies in a number of other jurisdictions.

The report provides a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of the various strategies adopted by state/territory governments and delivers a strong endorsement of the ACT Plan.

It notes: “The 2007 Plan was an ambitious strategy. The ACT is in a different position from other states in that it directly controls land supply

and hence has available a series of land supply levers not available to other states or territories.

“Nevertheless, even taking this into account, comparing the 2007 Plan with previous and current state government strategies, the breadth and depth of the plan was unusual. Moreover, the nature of the strategies were very action and outcome focused. There were very few ‘investigate’ or ‘consider’ strategies – they were predominantly strategies that required specific actions.”

Among the range of strategies evaluated by AHURI, development of the community housing sector in Canberra received particular attention and a glowing assessment. Under the 2007 AHAP, the government had provided support to Community Housing Canberra (CHC) by:

• Injecting $3 million worth of capital;

• Transferring the title of 132 public housing properties;

• Providing a $50 million revolving finance facility at government borrowing rate to enable 1000 new

affordable dwellings within 10 years; and

• Providing guaranteed access to suitable land (120 dwelling sites a year) through an MOU with the LDA.

In commenting on these arrangements the AHURI report noted that the “provision of cheap government financing to the CHC was unique in Australia [in 2007] and was one of the key reasons that CHC could produce so much affordable housing stock without significant direct capital contributions from government.”

The AHURI report concludes that “CHC is now one of the most successful not-for-profit developers in Australia” and that “ their growth has been a direct outcome of the AHAP, and is an excellent case study of how a reasonably small public investment can provide an enduring stream of affordable housing supply.

The ACT government has supported their growth which has also been the result of some very effective strategies led by the board and the two most recent CEOs of the company. They are an enduring legacy of the AHAP.”

In light of the unqualified endorsement by AHURI of CHC and the AHAP generally the government has no

reason to delay engaging again with CHC in setting an even more ambitious target than that set 10 years ago to deliver 1000 units of affordable housing in Canberra. There is nothing to prevent the government maintaining the revolving finance facility, transferring (say) another 150 public-housing properties to CHC and increasing the guaranteed number of dwelling sites per annum to at least 200.

For the government to do anything less will expose it to a rather more personal and unwelcome response from many in the Canberra community to the third of the “challenges” laid down by the minister in releasing the discussion paper, namely: “What could be done to improve the situation?”

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

SCREENS, PANELS AND CAFE BARRIERS

ONE MAN’S CANBERRA / dog racing ban

Greyhound Gordon’s got his

YOU may have heard me on 2CC defending the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club. A club that is – barring a victory in the courts – going to be shut down.

The club has never had any animal welfare breaches recorded against it. Even Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay, the man charged with driving this item on the “Green Agenda” through the Legislative Assembly, has said so.

Last week, it was with no small irony that the Green-led Labor government brought its Bills to ban greyhound racing into the Assembly. It was with no small irony because it happened on the same day the Liberal no-confidence motion based on allegations of corruption against Chief Minister Andrew Barr was debated.

Unsurprisingly, and justifiably, the no-confidence motion captured a lot of attention and dominated all reviews of the day’s proceedings in the Assembly. As a result, the greyhound Bills were invariably buried further down news bulletins and publications.

Do you reckon, given the timing of the no-confidence motion had been known for a week, that it was a coincidence? Or is it more likely that Barr and Ramsay conspired to schedule it for a day in an attempt to yet again hide from serious public scrutiny of the Bill?

Our Attorney-General refused to meet with the Australian Veterinary Association, who had come to town to dispute the ‘animal welfare’ reasoning the greyhound ban is supposedly based on.

Would they really duck serious scrutiny? Well, their record so far on this one isn’t great. Mr Ramsay gave an abysmal performance on ABC Radio that morning. Dan Bourchier repeatedly asked for ACT-sourced evidence to support the ban and Mr Ramsay couldn’t come up with any. All he did was to keep parroting his line about how the greyhound racing industries in NSW and the ACT can’t be separated.

A line he reportedly didn’t agree with in his one and only meeting with the Canberra Greyhound Club last year and a line that an official ACT government analysis presented to the minister also debunked.

I did invite Mr Ramsay to appear on my show but (and not for the first time) he declined, his office claimed there’d been a change in the legal landscape in the six hours leading up to my show. Indeed, I was told I wouldn’t get an interview with him as the CGRC had launched legal action, so Mr Ramsay couldn’t talk. That legal action had actually commenced more than a week earlier.

This is the same week that our Attorney-General refused to meet with the Australian Veterinary Association, which represents more than 6000 vets, who had come to town to dispute the “animal welfare” reasoning the ban is supposedly based on. The meeting was pushed down to a public servant, who in turn pushed it to the so-called Greyhound Transition Taskforce. So much for taking on expert advice.

The Bills were put a week after Liberal MLA Mark Parton took less than an hour to find 20 people (for disclosure, myself included) willing to stump up their own money to form a greyhound syndicate after one speech in the Assembly, a short radio interview with me and a social media video. Most of these people, if not all as far as I know, have never owned a racing dog before. There were dozens more who expressed interest. This suggests the “out-of-stepwith-community-values” argument is so much bunkum.

And let’s not forget

the recent incident in Canberra where a woman was tragically killed by a dangerous dog, and despite the government’s refusal to implement the same laws about dangerous breeds that exist in every state. Nobody has – so far as my searches have found – ever been attacked by a greyhound in the ACT. But sometimes, unwanted pit-bull pups are brought into the ACT from NSW. The RSPCA here sees nothing wrong with this.

This is the same RSPCA branch that refuses to deal with the CGRC. Again in NSW, Victoria and other jurisdictions, the RSPCA works WITH greyhound-racing bodies.

By now I hope you see a pattern. It’s the radical animal activists who are running the show, not the animal welfare organisations.

But this is not all. This government’s priorities are out of whack on other matters. It could be argued that it’s more actively taking on greyhounds than outlaw motorcycle gangs. Anti-consorting laws, which are in several states now, are still deemed unnecessary in the ACT.

Even though bikie-related violence, shootings, arson and other crimes are skyrocketing.

Instead the government has offered more prosecution options, which means instead of stopping the bikies from being here and assembling. In numbers, the cops have to chase them down after they’ve committed a crime and find people willing to testify. No prevention, only a half-baked attempt at “cure”.

And one other thing. The lack of union support for the 50 union members at the club who are going to lose their jobs has been a disgrace. I spoke with the AWU, but their lack of substantive action is deplorable. And UnionsACT? Well from their social media, they’re more concerned about Streets Ice Cream than chasing after their mates in the ACT government. Who gets rights in the ACT?

Chris Coleman presents “Canberra Live”, 3pm-6pm weekdays on 2CC.

CHRIS COLEMAN

/ Willinga Park

Terry’s sitting loosely in the saddle of success

Willinga Park is quite surreal. It is not just about horses; there are about 25 sculptures and the sweeping gardens blend into the landscape aspects, which are breathtaking.

AT 73 years of age, Canberra businessman Terry Snow is a man driven by his various passions.

Canberra Airport is the most obvious example of his ability to translate a passion into a commercial success. Terry flew planes, jets and helicopters, and had an interest in commercial development. The result is a combination of an airport and a business hub.

To say it has made him wealthy is an understatement; not that he makes a point of it in general conversation. In fact, he comes across as somebody who just likes getting things done and done well. It is not just the airport and surrounding buildings, it’s also the gardens, landscaping and the sculptures.

Terry’s latest passion is the sport of equestrian. This has been translated into the development of an equine and

world. Known as Willinga Park, it is suitable for dressage, showjumping, campdrafting and polocrosse. Having heard plenty about it, I decided to drive down to Bawley to see for myself.

On my way there I was thinking about the impact business people in Australia have had on various sports. Gina Rinehart is one who comes readily to mind with her support of swimming, rowing, synchronised swimming and volleyball. It is safe to say if it wasn’t for Rinehart some sportspeople wouldn’t have made it to the Rio Olympics. Another is Gerry Ryan, from Jayco Australia, and his financial backing of road cycling.

Willinga Park is quite surreal. The complex is at the end of a road and is announced with giant gates at the entrance. Walking through the facility, it is difficult not to focus on how much has been spent on the park.

gardens blend into the landscape aspects, which are breathtaking.

Chatting with Terry at the park it becomes obvious that this is just the start, and it is not being done for personal gratification.

In a rare interview he told me about the legacy he hoped to leave the sport.

“I think money is not necessarily important, but it is necessary to make sure we have the best facility to launch our equestrians in the best possible way to compete internationally,” he said.

“Hopefully we can do better than we have done in the past and encourage young riders by providing the facilities. I hope the sport will be better off due to my contribution.”

He also told me of his desire to secure wider exposure for the sport by staging major world equestrian events at the complex attracting sponsors, crowds and television coverage. In

other words, he has a strong desire to lift the sport into the mainstream.

“There’s probably three to four years work here yet, and when we do that maybe I will have a little bit more time to ride my horses instead of chasing builders and building facilities,” he said.

But it is not just unfinished business at Willinga Park that’s driving Terry.

“The big job at the airport has been done. Now we’ve got to develop strong freight links and our overseas networks,” he said.

“The biggest benefit we can make to the ACT is to bring tourism in from Asia in particular, but also from all around the world to share our fabulous city. It is truly a wonderful city. There is nothing like it in the world and we shouldn’t step

back from that. We should promote it, the region and the south coast.”

For Terry is not just about buildings at Willinga Park and the airport.

“We have fabulous gardens with wonderful landscaping, and it is important that people can come and walk through them and enjoy them; take a little time to reflect and enjoy the gardens,” he said.

He and brother George started the Snow Foundation in 1991 to provide funds to benefit Canberra’s disadvantaged.

“We thought that we were lucky. I had a wonderful father who got me on the rails, so to speak. My brother George and I started the Snow Foundation and it has grown to an incredible size. I think we distribute $5 million a year now, principally to local charities. That’s been very satisfying. It’s run by my daughter, and we are very pleased to be able to help others.”

So what’s next after Willinga Park is up and running? Is there another passion?

“No, this will probably take me out! There’s quite a bit of work to do yet and I think at 73 years of age I’m probably getting towards the end of my use-by-date,” he said

After spending some time with Terry, I am not sure that’s any time soon and I came away in the belief that Can berra is a better place because of his various passions.

LETTERS

Welcome to Leeton...

ON a visit to the Riverina recently we were welcomed with this signage. Maybe some of your readers may enjoy seeing it.

Kay Beagle, Weetangera

Failed strategy

THE UN’s 2014 World Drug Report showed Australia coming top of the global list for recreational drug use. This means our illicit drug strategy, which has harm reduction as its top priority, has failed overall to stop the relentless increase in drug availability and use over the past 25 years. An analogy for the sake of clarification: Australians would agree that the top aim and overriding priority in respect to deadly bushfires would be not to have any. But because some bushfires would still occur, the secondary aim would be to reduce

the harm caused by bushfires. However, this secondary aim would indicate a fall-back position whereby harm would first have to occur before harm could be reduced. And that is exactly what is happening in the presence of a drug policy that essentially tells children: “We know you may choose to use illegal drugs and if you do, try to do it safely. But remember, help is available if needed”. This puts harm reduction at the top of the drug totem pole and attracts youth like bees to a honey pot. Until governments make the overriding aim in drug policy the same as in our bushfire policy – that is to reduce numbers to nil – Australians will continue to die unnecessarily from drugs.

Colliss Parrett, Drug Advisory Council Australia, Barton

Big day for forest

THE cork oak forest at the National Arboretum turns 100 this year and everyone’s invited to celebrate between 11am and 3pm on Sunday, November 12 at a fun-filled day that includes demonstrations of cork stripping, music and singing, art and craft, story-telling, guided walks and family activities. A variety of food vans and stalls will sell gourmet barbecue food, nachos, pizza, wine, French crepes, coffee and gelati. The Friends of the Arboretum’s Harvest Group will sell homemade produce made from the arboretum’s fruit trees, including fig jam, fig conserve and fig chutney. Entry by a gold-coin donation and parking is free.

Cake book launch

EVERYONE’S welcome to the “Canberra in Cake” book launch at the Belconnen Markets, 10am11.30am, on Saturday, November 18. MLA Shane Rattenbury will launch the event and Senator Katy Gallagher will launch the full colour book. Every cake has been created by a local volunteer and the book represents 68 Canberra icons. The book costs $30 and all proceeds go to PANDSI (Post and Ante Natal Depression Support and Information Inc).

Melanoma is the most common life threatening Cancer in the 15 to 44 year age group.

At Morris Wellness, our Computer Assisted Skin Cancer Screening uses the latest in professional imaging systems for progressive early recognition of skin cancer.

Each mole is automatically analysed and a risk index generated.

Minimise the unnecessary excision of perfectly harmless moles and skin lesions.

Only 15 minutes to photograph and map all the significant skin lesions and moles on your body.

With melanomas, time is of the essence…

Joel’s proud journey between the genders

STARTING life as a girl, and then coming out as a lesbian, and then a trans man, and then a gay trans man has forced Joel Wilson to face some serious obstacles.

Serious enough that about four years ago he was pushed to the point where he wasn’t coping and ended up in hospital.

Now, stronger than before, Joel is proud to say he’s a trans man and he’s proud to says he’s been a woman.

After transitioning from a woman to a man at 19, Joel has a unique insight into the very different world of both genders.

As a young woman, Joel was con sidered to be “outspoken” and “bossy” but now, as a man, he is described as a “leader” and isn’t told he speaks too much.

“When I stood up as a young woman I was ‘complaining’ or ‘emotional’ but now people listen to me,” he says.

Joel, 23, who is studying for a bachelor of science at the ANU, is breaking transgender barriers in Canberra.

“Having conversations and allowing people to get to know me is the best way to break down those barriers,” he says.

“It’s really important for people to see that I don’t have three heads.

“In terms of work, generally speaking, it’s a lot easier to be a man. But when it comes to their mental health and building networks, it’s a lot harder.

“Being a young man it became much harder to create friendships. I hadn’t changed as a person and it was one of the things I really miss about being a women.”

because, at the time, he had large breasts.

But, aside from mental health, Joel believes women lose out the most.

While studying mathematics, as a woman, at a university in Adelaide, Joel says he wasn’t taken seriously because of his sex.

High school was a similar story, and there were always boys who were “better than” Joel even though he was the school dux and had higher grades.

“As a man, from the get-go, I’m competent until proven otherwise but as a young woman I had to prove otherwise,” he says.

Joel narrows these issues down to toxic masculinity and says that femininity shouldn’t be seen as bad.

“Just because the world says this is the way you should treat your son, doesn’t mean they should do it,” he says.

He says parents give their boys Lego, which teaches them to think structurally, and girls are given books, teaching them to think creatively.

“But it’s not just about little ones. We need to lift up feminine qualities,” Joel says.

“Imagine if we valued empathy like we value strength. Once you stop restricting certain gender to certain traits, people will stop devaluing feminine traits.

with what the women do around the home.

“There’s so many women in my life that I admire because they do so many things in their professional life and then run a home.”

Rather than continuing to see gender through society’s socially constructed gender differences, Joel would like people to recognise not everyone fits into the “boy” and “girl” box and instead people should respect how others identify.

‘

You’re going to hell’

IT’S been a long journey for Joel Wilson that started at the age of 17 in home town Adelaide.

It was there as a year 12 girl where Joel was grappling with his sexuality. At the time he was a youth leader and when his pastor found out Joel wanted to come out as a lesbian, the pastor would arrange weekly meetings to try to “help”.

“We’d have meetings and he’d say: ‘You’re making the wrong choice’,” Joel says.

“A lot of me at the time didn’t want [to be a lesbian] because I was worried about the implications it would have on my family and my faith. Basically at the time, the attitude was ‘you’re going to hell’.

“During that time I got in touch with two lesbian ministers from the Uniting Church who ran a queer Christian women’s group that formed the basis of a community, which says ‘it’s okay to be you’.

“By the end of year 12 I decided that I did want to be open about who I am and what I’m doing.”

When Joel came out as a lesbian he was told that he couldn’t be a youth leader and was “kicked out” of the church.

Luckily, he had supportive parents, friends and a community in Adelaide to help him get through.

But fast-forward a few years and everything was different. Joel moved to Canberra in 2013, joined ADFA as a female cadet and started training as an electrical engineering officer. By this time Joel had become more masculine in appearance.

“I had short black hair and was very butch to the point where people were first identifying me as a boy,” he says. But it wasn’t long before Joel realised ADFA had a heavily present “man” and “woman” box. And he didn’t fit into either.

Joel started living a double life, he would be “Joel” on the weekends and then by Monday morning would go back to being a “girl” again.

Eventually Joel grew tired of this double-life and decided he wanted to transition.

In late 2013 Joel became the first person to ever transition while at ADFA. But transitioning came with discrimination and little support, which pushed him to leave in the middle of 2014.

After ending up in hospital, Joel now speaks out about transgender discrimination, he speaks up for the mental health in men and he uses his experience to raise issues on gender equality.

BRIEFLY POLITICS Corruption watchdog will need real teeth

AN ACT Anti-Corruption and Integrity Commission is finally set to become a reality. An Assembly select committee chaired by Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury has tabled a landmark report to deal with “serious” or “systemic” corruption.

The majority report makes it difficult for the government to water down legislation or fail to provide appropriate funding in the Budget.

The corruption issue is not new for the ACT Assembly. Bernard Collaery, the leader of the Residents’ Rally, put the issue on the agenda even before the first sitting in May, 1989. By the 13th sitting day on July 6, 1989, the Follett Labor government provided unlimited time without interruption for Collaery to provide evidence to substantiate his accusations of corruption.

The idea was a “put-up-or-shut-up” motion. In that pressure cooker of the early Assembly Collaery failed to “put up”. However, the issue has never gone away with suspicions being raised again and again since that first year. After nearly three decades, a proper process has been established to consider the appropriateness and style for the ACT commission.

The committee has demonstrated just how effective Assembly committees can be by tabling such a substantial report. The 300+page report carries nearly 80 recommendations not only identifying the need for such an ACIC, but also examining in detail how it should deal with corruption

The remit is very wide. The ACIC will cover all public officials and parties delivering contracted work or services on behalf of government. It will include oversight of police working for the ACT. It will also include all MLAs, their staff and judicial officers.

The select committee suggests the ACT legislation use a definition of “corrupt conduct” based on that used by the NSW ICAC, which has now been in operation for decades. Additionally, they have made it clear that they want the ACIC to provide disincentives for corruption by being “visible” and “accessible”. The ACIC should also be open to “all citizens and public servants” to make complaints, report corruption concerns and require people in positions of power to report such concerns. As with the NSW ICAC, this body is not a

court. It should be able to carry out examinations in public or in private. On the public/ private issue, MLAs Chris Steel and Bec Cody considered the appropriate model would be to follow the Victorian test for fairness. Findings of innocence or guilt are appropriately dealt with in the courts. In this regard, the ACIC role is to identify the issues and refer concerns over breaches of legislation through judicial processes.

The real question is – will it really have teeth? An ACIC will only be as powerful as its investigative capacity. This will be the key issue for the legislation. On the one hand, the committee has not supported “coercive powers”. On the other, they have agreed that the ACIC may have other powers. It should be able to require attendance by witnesses and compel answers to questions.

The ACIC should also be able to search properties and seize evidence as well as engaging in “covert tactics – including [the use of] listening devices and optical surveillance”.

A number of those who submitted to the committee commented on the “inevitable tension that exists between civil liberties/personal rights and an anti-corruption type body’s use of investigative and coercive powers”. Appropriately, these latter powers ought to be subject to an appropriate warrant secured at arms-length from the ACIC.

The committee report has set the ground rules. It is now time for the recommendations to be turned into laws and to comply with the committee’s generous timeframe for establishment by the end of 2018.

The committee was not satisfied that the government would draw up legislation in complete compliance with the report. It was explicit in demanding that the legislation itself be the subject matter of yet another Assembly committee. Rightly so. Too often bureaucratic processes have watered down political intention. This cannot be allowed to happen with the ACIC.

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

Top day, eh, what, old chap?

THE 2017 Terribly British Day vehicle display will celebrate its 42nd anniversary in Queanbeyan Park this year.

Terribly British Day chairman Horst Kirchner said the TBD was one of the oldest car displays in the Canberra region and attracted British-made cars from Sydney, Melbourne, the south coast, the central west of NSW and the Southern Highlands.

They will join more than 300 other British marques on the day with every make from Austin to Zephyr represented.

The Eden/Monaro Cancer Support Group will benefit from fundraising at the gate. The display is open from 10am to 3pm on Sunday, December 3.

Surgeon saluted

GASTROENTEROLOGIST and trauma surgeon Phillip Jeans, pictured, is the ACT Academy of Surgical Educators Supervisor of the Year. He has been recognised by colleagues at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) ACT Annual Scientific Meeting in Canberra for his teaching and mentoring of students across Australia throughout his career. In 1992 he relocated to Canberra helping to teach modern laparoscopic surgical techniques to the next generation of surgeons and mentoring students from Newcastle University, the University of NSW, Flinders University, Queensland University, Sydney University and the ANU.

At the ‘Over Again’ exhibition opening, Kingston

At ‘Mexico’s Life with Death’ soiree, Yarralumla

sundayROAST

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. At the

Four Winds Music Festival launch, Acton

SCENE / around canberra

At St Francis Xavier College’s 40th anniversary

THE TRADITION CONTINUES...

HOI POLLOI, a casual dining venue located in the heart of Old Parliament House, overlooking the majestic House of Representatives Courtyard. It’s the perfect spot for business lunch meetings, to grab a drink at the bar, or simply park your pram and enjoy our fantastic food and drink offerings in peace, while your kids can play in the dedicated kids’ corner

True to our name, we believe dining out should be celebrated by everyone, so we’ve designed a menu that focuses on fresh produce and value for money.

OPEN DAILY 8:30am-2:30pm MONDAY TO FRIDAY 11:30am-2:30pm SATURDAY & SUNDAY Book a table today call 1300 870 433 or visit hoipolloioph.com

Lice Clinics Australia provides a revolutionary alternative to pesticides with a “one and done” treatment for the eradication of head lice and their eggs. Our lice treatment is non-toxic and kills eggs and lice through dehydration, killing head lice and 99.2% of their eggs. Up to 30% of all Primary school aged kids get lice at least once per year. Call Capital Chemist Calwell to book a single one hour treatment.

Calwell, the bustling CALWELL CALLING

THE southern suburb of Calwell, in the district of Tuggeranong, is named after Arthur Augustus Calwell, a leader of the Labor Party in the ‘60s. The Calwell Centre is a designated group centre located on Webber Crescent in the north of the suburb. The centre was developed in the early ‘90s to serve Calwell, Richardson, Theodore and Isabella Plains.

Before the development of the Lanyon Market Place in the late ‘90s, the Calwell Centre also serviced Conder, Banks and Gordon.

It is home for a variety of stores and services. Not only does it bring people together for food and shopping, but also offers services that teach life-long skills.

Medical Centre Calwell’s GPs can assist you in all aspects of women’s and men’s health, children’s health, chronic disease managment, sports injuries and dermatology.

Doctors

Dr Deirdre Clink, Dr Ram Vepuri, Dr Patryjca Car, Dr Nicola Murphy, Dr Muhammad Saidul Islam & Dr Deepica Amarasuriya

Determined to keep Calwell healthy

OCHRE Health Medical Centre, located in the Calwell Centre, is a family orientated health hub, where its patients’ needs come first, says practice manager Tamara King.

With a focus on community health, Ochre Health covers a range of areas such as men’s health, women’s health, children’s health, skin health, mental health and chronic diseases.

To help keep Calwell healthy Ochre Health has general practitioners, a psychologist, a dietitian, a physiotherapist and, new to the centre, a diabetes educator.

“In this day and age, all sorts of people are diagnosed with diabetes

on a daily basis and it’s important to have diabetes under control,” Tamara says.

“A diabetes educator can help support and educate people on how to deal with their diagnosis.” But regardless of what a patient comes in for, Tamara says it starts with reception and the team at Ochre Health will help match them up with the right practitioner.

“All our GPs and practitioners are wonderful and they’re caring for all of their patients,” Tamara says.

Ochre Health Medical Centre Calwell, 5/7 Webber Crescent. Call 6291 0045 or visit ochrehealth.com.au

centre of the south advertising feature

Calwell’s community learning hub

CALWELL High School has been providing innovative education and a community connection since 1991, and is now considered the hub of the Calwell community, says deputy principal Paul Van Campenhout.

As a community centred high school it provides a comprehensive curriculum that is rich and diverse, including mainstream and special education.

It has a balance of academic and vocational education, with additional pathways to further education training and work to meet differing student needs and aspirations.

“It’s a school that’s built on relationships and we understand that the students’ wellbeing has to be right before their learning can be enhanced,” Paul says.

To make sure of this, teachers are involved in their own action-based research projects so they are constantly learning to become better teachers.

“We’re proud of our school and we’re happy to share it, so come and talk to us or we can organise a time for a tour,” Paul says.

Calwell High School, 111 Casey Crescent, Calwell. Call 6205 6833 or visit calwellhs.act.edu.au

Jane teaches long-term academic skills

AT Kumon Tuggeranong Education Centre its instructor and owner, Jane Hiatt, is dedicated to helping all her students do their best academically.

While Kumon offers learning for all ages, Jane says prekindergarten and kindergarten children benefit the most from Kumon because it trains them to become good academic athletes for primary school, high school and university.

Offering maths and English subjects, Kumon is designed to encourage independent learning by providing students with worksheets, to be done for 20-30 minutes each day, which allow them to figure out how to solve problems on their own.

“Maths and English are the core subjects, and when students are good at them, it gives them the headspace to be able to focus on other subjects,”

Jane says.

Jane says the most important thing to give her students is confidence and self esteem.

“If we can help children have

that in bucket loads by year 1 or year 2, then they’ll be strong in classes,” she says.

“I am there to encourage children and lift them up. I genuinely want to see all students shine and do their best.

“I do this because I love my village and I want to be able to see the kids in the village do well.

“It’s important for our young ones to be prepared for their life journey.”

Kumon Tuggeranong Education Centre, Shop 4, Calwell Shops, Webber Crescent. Call 6292 3645 or 0419 134078, email jane@ kumontuggeranong.com or visit kumonsearch.com.au

Designed to teach children of all ages how to learn, the Kumon worksheets introduce young children to the world of numbers and words. In Kumon, children acquire a daily study habit and develop a love of learning that builds and strengthens their confidence to tackle future challenges ahead.

Give your child the Kumon advantage TODAY!

Preschoolers welcome, enrolling now.

KUMON TUGGERANONG EDUCATION CENTRE

Instructor: Jane Hiatt tel: 02 6292 3645

Every Student Matters

At Calwell we believe that:

• Everyone deserves a world class education with full access to the Australian Curriculum

• Learning happens best when there is a strong relationship between learners and teachers

• Every learner has the capacity to grow and reach their amazing potential

• Resources need to be devoted to learning. The student always comes first

• Student voice is an important determiner of student success. They need to have a say in their learning

• We are all lifelong learners and our teachers model that everyday

• There are no limits to learning at Calwell High School

CALWELL CALLING

Pharmacy focus on preventative medicine and lifestyle

CAPITAL Chemist Calwell strives to have the healthiest and most health-educated community in Canberra, says owner Elise Thornton.

Elise, who started working at Capital Chemist Calwell as a high school student before buying the business more than 10 years ago, has watched it grow with the Calwell community.

It’s been in the local community since the shopping centre opened more than 20 years ago.

“We love our customers and our community, most of our staff live locally and have kids at the local schools and we love to be involved as much as we can,” Elise says.

“At Calwell our focus is preventative medicine and lifestyle and keeping well people well.

“We have various specialty pharmacists who have their own ‘zone of genius’ be that immunisation, natural medicine or clinic practice and home medication reviews.

“We offer clinical services such as weight-loss programs, leave-of-absence certificates, blood-pressure checks and diabetes-risk assessments.

“Our latest offering is the new lice clinic. From personal experience it’s something that the community is crying out for and I only wish it had been around when my family was struggling with head lice.”

Capital Chemist Calwell, Calwell Shopping Centre, Shop 14, corner of Were Street and Webber Crescent. Call 6292 8200 or visit capitalchemist.com.au

Taking physiotherapy in their stride

STRIDE Physiotherapy is located at the Ochre Health Centre and is a multidisciplinary practice helping people with injuries, pre and post-surgical rehabilitation, mobility limitations and chronic pain.

Stride Physiotherapy is also connected to local sports teams, providing players’ pre-season screenings, advice and treatment during the season.

Principal Walter McIntyre describes his approach as patientcentric.

“We talk to our patients, we don’t rush, we take time to understand what they want to do and set

realistic goals,” he says. “We target rehabilitation towards the patient’s needs at the time.”

Walter also offers hydrotherapy treatment and Clinical Pilates exercises to help with chronic pain and injuries.

“I use my knowledge and training as a physio to adapt the Pilates exercises. People aren’t likely to do exercises when the movements irritate them, so I design and adapt them to suit the patient’s mobility.”

Stride Physiotherapy, located at Ochre Health Centre. Call 6291 0045 or visit stridephysio.com.au

Our physiotherapy clinic will help you learn to work with your body to restore mobility.

Our clients typically find their movement is vastly improved, without the need for surgery.

• Hydrotherapy • Exercise Therapy • Work Cover approved

Phone 6291 0045 or 6293 3413

Email stride@stridephysio.com.au • stridephysio.com.au

Two locations Ochre Medical Centre – Calwell Shopping Centre Tuggeranong Indoor Sports Centre at The Southern Cross Club

/ November 9-15

Home, work or school – we

NATIONAL Recycling Week, November 9-15, was founded 22 years ago by Planet Ark and its aim is to bring a national focus to the environmental benefits of recycling.

This highly regarded annual campaign continues to educate and stimulate behaviour change by promoting kerbside, industrial and community recycling initiatives and giving people the tools to minimise waste and manage material resources responsibly at home, work and school.

More information at recyclingweek.planetark.org LAST YEAR ACTSMART

ACCREDITED BUSINESSES RECYCLED

CUBIC

ORGANIC MATERIAL

16,500 CUBIC METRES PAPER AND CARDBOARD

*15,000 cubic metres of mixed recycling is equivalent to 62,500 domestic recycling bins

Team dedicated to recycling and re-using IT ‘waste’

TODAY E-Waste is recognised as a significant concern for future generations, which is why Reuse-RecycleIT is “doing it right” by recycling and re-using end-of-life IT, says Capital Easy Finance and Leasing managing director James Falzon.

Reuse-RecycleIT, which is a division in Capital Easy Finance and Leasing, has been operating for more than 20 years helping clients with their disposal needs.

Reuse-RecycleIT’s three major aims are to ensure that; privacy and security matters are formally addressed when recycling used and surplus IT equipment; that no used IT equipment ends up in landfill and that there’s a maximum dollars return to its clients on sale of the equipment.

James says it’s important to recycle IT because if it’s not recycled it can have harmful effects.

“Electronic waste affects nearly every system in the hu -

Purveyors of quality, second-hand furniture

RATHER than creating more waste, Ex-Government Furniture gets in second-hand items weekly, in an “almost new condition”, says co-owner and manager James Fullerton.

“It’s all high-quality, second-hand furniture that will last rather than something cheap that will be trashed the next week,” James says.

Ex-Government Furniture stocks pretty much all office and some home furniture, such as high-quality office chairs, desks, workstations, boardroom tables and shelving.

Ex-Government Furniture’s cabinet maker, Taylor, is an expert in repurposing and can talk with custom ers and give them ideas.

But mostly, all the furniture is repurposed and in top condition before being taken home by its new owner.

“We charge fair prices and are often able to source the best, no-nonsense, quality furniture available, always with an eye for good quality,” James says. James says Ex-Government Furniture turns over items very quickly and stock changes weekly. He recommends customers follow the company’s website, Facebook page and Instagram to learn about the latest stock in store.

Ex-Government Furniture, 6 Yallourn Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 6490 or visit exgovfurniture.com or via facebook.com/exgovfurniture/

man body because it contains a plethora of toxic components including mercury, lead, cadmium, polybrominated flame retardants, barium and lithium,” he says.

“As a community, our objectives are to ensure we protect future generations by ensuring eWaste can no longer pollute our water supplies.”

The services at Reuse-RecycleIT are designed for large e-waste disposals to organisations such as the ACT government, Federal and state governments, councils and large and small businesses.

“Additionally, Canberra residents are able to dispose of their old or unwanted television and computer products for free under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme,” James says.

Quayside Ground Floor G05, 50 Eastlake Parade, Kingston. Call 6282 7844, email RRIT@Reuse-RecycleIT.com.au or visit reuse-recycleit.com.au

Great time for businesses to think about recycling

NATIONAL Recycling Week is a great opportunity for businesses to celebrate their recycling involvement, according to the ACT government’s Actsmart Business Recycling Program.

It’s also a great time to think about furthering a business’ recycling and sustainable waste manage ment commitment.

“Whether you work in a restaurant, an office or in retail there are many ways you can recycle your waste instead of sending it to landfill, and the Actsmart team is here to help,” says Actsmart.

The Actsmart initiative provides free assistance and tailored advice to help businesses set up a recycling system in the workplace.

The program also provides online or face-to-face staff education, signage and stickers, ongoing support and recognition as an Actsmart accredited business.

An accredited Actsmart business sends an aver age of 50 per cent of its waste to recycling instead of to landfill, not only saving them money on waste bills but saving precious resources in the process.

“Implementing or improving recycling in the workplace is a simple way to do your bit for the environment,” says Actsmart.

Reuse Recycle IT are on the Commonwealth’s Department of Finance Whole of Gover nment ICT Hardware Panel, the Department of Human Ser vices Panel and are the sole contracted ICT Disposal Broker for the ACT Gover nment, having retur ned in excess of $4.0m.

RRIT utilises the Australian Gover nment Department of Defence Security Manual as a minimum standard for media sanitation; all ICT assets are processed in accordance with the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF) and Infor mation Security Manual (ISM).

CANBERRA BASED REUSE-RECYCLEIT SPECIALISES IN RECYCLING AND REUSING END-OF-LIFE ICT AND OFFICE EQUIPMENT NATIONALLY

Our clients ICT disposal needs are met quickly and simply –maximising financial returns and minimising environmental impact by:

• working in partnership with government, education and business ICT asset lifecycle programs

• collecting from locations across Australia

• meeting the strict ISO:140001:2015 Environmental Management Standard

• high standard of physical and media sanitisation

Actsmart Business accredited recyclers:

Banks

Beyond Bank

• City

• Manuka

• Mawson

NAB Canberra Business Bank

Service One Alliance Bank

Childcare Centres

Appletree House Child Care and Education Centre - Communities@Work

Belconnen Early Childhood Centre

Bruce Early Childhood Centre

Bruce Ridge Early Childhood Centre

Conder Early Learning Centre

Ginninderra Early Childhood Centre

Gold Creek World of Learning

Illoura Childcare & Education CentreCommunities@Work

Isabella Plains Child Care & Education Centre - Communities@Work

Kambah Child Care & Education CentreCommunities@Work

Koala Playschool

Lavender Lane Gungahlin Childcare

Macquarie Childcare Centre

Mini Miracles Early Learning Centre

Ngunnawal Child Care & Education CentreCommunities@Work

Nicholls Early Childhood Centre

Oxley Early Learning

Pinocchio Early Learning Centre

Richardson Childcare & Education CentreCommunities@Work

Springbank Rise Early Learning

Totom House Multicultural Early Childhood Centre

Wattle Early Childhood Centre

Woden Early Childhood Centre

Woden Valley Child Care Centre

Yerrabi Ponds Early Learning Centre

Clubs

Ainslie Football & Social Club

Labor Club

• Belconnen

• City

• Ginninderra

Weston Creek

Embassies

Embassy of Estonia

Embassy of Finland

Embassy of Hungary

Embassy of Ireland

Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Canberra

Royal Norwegian Embassy

U.S. Embassy Canberra

Federal Government

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander Studies

Australian Sports Commission

Comcare - Marcus Clarke Street

National Library of Australia

Hairdressers

Bond Hair Religion

Eden Hair and Beauty

The Hairdressing

Large Business

Canberra Airport

Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Crowne Plaza Canberra

Engineers Australia

IP Australia

KPMG

National Convention Centre Canberra

National Electoral Education Centre (NEEC)

Questacon

Shopping Centres

Canberra Centre

Canberra Outlet Centre

Cooleman Court

Tuggeranong Hyperdome

Small Business

4Data

A.G. Coombs

Accsys Consulting

ACT Companion Dog Club

ACT Property Inspections

Adelphi Digital Consulting Group

Ainslie IGA and Ainslie Cellars

Allbids.com.au

AMC Training Centre

Atlas Business Services

Australian Medical Association

Barmco Mana McMurray

Belconnen Concrete

Bentleys of Canberra - Garran

Biotext

Boston Consulting Group

Bottles of Australia

Calvary Health Care Bruce

Calvary John James Hospital

Canberra Audiology

Canberra Equine Hospital

Canberra FM Radio

Canberra Furnished Accommodation

Canberra Sports Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation

Canberra Veterinary Hospital

Capital Chemist Charnwood

Capital Region Farmers Market

Capital Waste Skips

Care Australia

CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn

City News

Claire Naidu & Co

Coffers Cafe

Communications Design & Management

Conference Logistics

Conservation Council - ACT Region

Continuity Capital Partners

Cord Civil

CTO Group

Delnas Metal Roofing

East Hotel

Focus ACT

GHD

Gillian Beaumont Legal

Ginger Catering at the National Arboretum

Canberra

Griffin Legal

Hobart Place Dental

HorizonOne Recruitment

Indigenous Community Volunteers

Instant Colour Press Pty Ltd

ISS Facility Services

JJ Richards & Sons

John James Foundation

KDN Group

Kowalski Recruitment

Kwik Kopy – Canberra

Lendlease Building

Lifeline Canberra

LJ Hooker Commercial Canberra

M & M Rolfe Cleaning Services

Michael Holmes Chartered Accountant

Mooseheads

Morgans Group

Much

National Rural Health Alliance

Norman Disney & Young

Norris Cleaning Company

One of a Kind Apartments

Onesteel Reinforcing

OPC IT

OzHarvest Canberra

PCA People

PELLE Architects

Physio Sport O’Connor

Power Protect

Promo Concepts

Pure Gelato ACT

Regency Knights Window Fashions

Reuse - Recycle IT

Riverview Projects

Rolfe Property Services

Schiavello

Sentinel

Serco Immigration Services

Shepherd Electrical Signs Letters N Lines

Solace Creations

SOS Recruitment

Sparke Helmore Lawyers

Spectrum Graphics

The Firm

The Green Shed

The Rehabilitation Specialists

Threesides Marketing

Trade Guardian

Turner & Townsend

Vivid Chartered Accountants

Vivid Print Services

Waste Away

Wisdom Learning

Xact Project Consultants

Canberra CBD

Sporting Facilities

Bikram Yoga Kingston

Canberra BMX Club

Canberra Netball Association

Manuka Swimming Pool

Netball ACT

Tennis ACT Limited

TRAVEL MAKERS TRAVEL FAIR advertising feature

‘The Fair is designed to give travellers a unique opportunity to interact with our suppliers and our own expert travel consultants.’

Travel experts ready to share the best advice

WELL-known for its innovative and individual travel itineraries, Travel Makers annual Travel Fair will be no different, with the best suppliers and resources around.

In its 19th year, the Travel Makers Travel Fair will be held at the Alliance Francaise Language School on Saturday, November 11, giving visitors a chance to interact with expert travel consultants.

“The Travel Fair is designed to give travellers a unique opportunity to interact with our valued suppliers and our own expert travel consultants,” says the Travel Makers managing director, Phil Dalley.

“With today’s information overload it is difficult to get first-hand, expert advice.

“There are so many options online, it is so time consuming to filter all the choices that seem available to you without valuable guidance from an expert and we choose the best in the industry to answer your questions at our travel fair.”

Travel Makers is an independent, locally operated agency, with a group of widely travelled international and Australian travel specialists, who have been all over the world from Patagonia to Iceland.

Phil says everyone in the office has their favourite destination, but his currently is Sri Lanka, France, the Kimberley region and the Northern Territory.

He says the Travel Fair will have a terrific line up of suppliers to speak with, such as

representatives from the two airline carriers who will fly out of Canberra internationally; Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.

“There should be something for every traveller from independent journeys to smallgroup tours, cruising, as well as a selection of specialised cultural tours,” Phil says.

On the day there will be representatives from all areas of travel such as cruising (ocean and river), world wide rail, car leasing and hire, individual touring and small-group touring.

There will also be specialist destination operators such as The African Safari Co, specialist in African travel; Swagman Tours, who runs tours in India and Australia; Back Roads Touring, Europe; Time Travel Chris Carter Tours, South America, Spain and Morocco.

“The venue this year will be laid out as usual with travel stands with the addition of a room for dedicated information sessions,” Phil says.

“Travel Makers will host 15-minute sessions throughout the day based on their 2018 smallgroup tours including the Kimberley, Spain and Morocco, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Africa.”

And, new this year, Travel Makers has partnered with Trip A Deal, which offers popular holiday destinations at unbelievable prices.

Returning will be local tour operator, the Italian Travel Bureau, which operates out of Travel Makers.

Product manager and international travel manager at the Italian Travel Bureau Michael Perrone says there’ll be some different Italian packages on offer at the fair.

“We will present a unique, wonderful

journey at the discovery of Sardinian longevity secrets and visiting some of the areas of the island where many residents live up to more than a hundred years,” he says.

“With guaranteed departures and escorted by a fully qualified biologist and nutritionist (with her PhD), this tour aims to introduce you to the benefits of genuine organic and locally grown food and wine, part of the diet of the inhabitants, but also to Sardinian traditions, prehistoric heritage sites, recipes, conviviality and, therefore, the local approach to life itself.”

Michael says often people are hesitant about group tours, which is why the Italian Travel Bureau specialises in putting together boutique packages for individuals, couples or

small groups.

No matter where the destination is Travel Makers and the experts at the fair will make sure every client has the best advice and gets the best experience.

And, for budding travellers who can’t make the fair, Phil says pop into his bright, comfortable office on the Kingston Foreshore for a coffee and a chat!

Travel Makers Travel Fair, Alliance Francaise Language School, 66 McCaughey Street, Turner, 11.30am-2.30pm, on Saturday, November 11. Free entry. Visit travelmakers.com.au, call 1800 838408 or email travmake@travelmakers.com.au

Travel companies available on the day:

• Abercrombie & Kent – Luxury vacations.

• Back Roads – Small group tours in Europe.

• Chris Carter’s Tours – Culture and history tours.

• Cruiseco – Ocean & river cruises.

• Driveaway Holidays – Car hire and motorbike rentals worldwide.

• The French Travel Bureau by Travel Makers.

• Italian Travel Bureau – Boutique packages.

• Renault Eurodrive – Peugeot leasing in Europe.

• Travel Makers Boutique Travel Agency.

• Wendy Wu – Asian travel.

• Railplus.

• Trafalgar Tours.

• Covermore Insurance.

• African Safari Co.

• Swagman Tours.

• Qatar Airways.

• Singapore Airlines.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Here we go again; my, my, how can we resist you?

By Helen Musa

MAMMA Mia! It’s the Italian phrase for “mum” that’s gone global via a show-stopping musical and now a new production of “Mamma Mia” will premiere in Canberra.

Scripted by British playwright Catherine Johnson around no fewer than 22 songs by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of the legendary Swedish group ABBA, it proved a smash hit in its first Australian outings in 2001 and 2009. This will be a fresh production and will debut at the Canberra Theatre before travelling on to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Gary Young is the director and his professional portfolio is formidable, including “Wombat Stew – The Musical!”, “The Mousetrap” and “Singin’ in the Rain”.

He was assistant director on the first show in Australia in 2001.

Young tells “CityNews” that second time round is “exciting”.

“It’s the same script, but it’s certainly not the same production,” he says.

“The lovely thing about it is that the show has been loved by Australians and indeed around the world and people who were kids when they saw it and as mums and grandmothers bringing their grandchildren, so it’s going full circle all the time.”

Natalie O’Donnell plays Donna – she played Sophie in 2001 – and Alicia Gardiner plays her best friend Rosie – she played the bridesmaid Ali in 2001.

Not so for Sarah Morrison playing bride-to-be Sophie. She played Lisa in “Ladies in Black,” seen at the Canberra Theatre early this year, and it’s all new to her.

A gift to Young is that he doesn’t have to follow a set formula and nor does choreographer

ARTS IN THE CITY

Movies, movies, almost everywhere!

MOVIES are all the go in Canberra as the weather warms up.

• CINE Latino, Australia’s largest festival of Latin American cinema, is in town November 15-29. The 26-title program includes an impressive nine films from Argentina. Opening-night film is Mexican director Roberto Sneider’s comedy “You’re Killing Me Susana”, featuring Latin superstar Gael García Bernal. At Palace Electric. Bookings to cinelatinofilmfestival.com.au

• IMB Bank Sunset Cinema is back again. Among family-friendly offerings is the kids’ movie “Captain Underpants”. At the Botanic Gardens, November 15 until Christmas. Bookings to sunsetcinema.com.au

• THE Fourth Brazilian Movie Cycle presents “food for thought”. Opening with “The Way He Looks”, the story of a blind teenager, which is included in the SpringOut program. At the Brazilian embassy auditorium, 19 Forster Crescent, Yarralumla, 6.30pm, November 16, 23, 30 and December 7. Entry is free and recommended for 18+ only. All films are subtitled in English. THE glass trophies for the state and territory recipients of the 2018 Australian of the Year Awards were designed and produced by talented students and lecturers from the ANU School of

Art and Design’s glassworks studios, cast into slabs of shaped glass diffused with a blue colour symbolising the Australian sky.

“SOUTH Coast Summer”, whimsical, seasideinspired, acrylic paintings by Wendy Macklin will be on show at Curves (top of the escalator) at Cooleman Court, Weston Creek, November 11-17.

THE independent Nancy Sever Gallery is moving from Kingston to the former Currong Theatre in B Block of Gorman Arts Centre. Familiar to the public as the long-time home to Jigsaw Theatre and

later the Embroiderers Guild, the space will reopen from November 15 with new works by legendary Canberra region artist, Michael Taylor.

THE NGA is staging three “Hyper Real” nights billed as an “art-after-hours adventure” on the Fridays of November 10, 17 and 24. Patrons can drink and eat “Hyper Real” creations and then be entertained by the Australian Dance Party, electric violinist Mr Michael and spoken-word poet Omar Musa. Bookings and details to nga.gov.au

“THE queen of the baroque violin”, Rachel Podger will lead the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment on its first, widely anticipated, full tour of Australia for Musica Viva. They’ll be at Llewellyn Hall, 7pm, November 16. Bookings to musicaviva.com.au

Teasing those tastebuds

Wendy Johnson

True story founded on impressive scholarship

“Loving Vincent” (PG)

THE amazing story of the creativity underlying this beautiful animation has been told elsewhere. Suffice it for me to say that its craft ensures for writers/directors Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman a unique place transcending all other animation and CGI in the annals of cinema.

The story’s main character died a year before the film’s events. Vincent van Gogh’s place in history is unshakeable. Art experts consider his more than 800 paintings in a short career are the foundation for modern art. In his lifetime, van Gogh sold only one painting!

To summarise a true story founded on impressive scholarship, I quote from the International Movie Database: “A year after the death of the artist … Postman Roulin gets his slacker son, Armand, to hand deliver the artist’s final letter to his now late brother, Theo, to some worthy recipient after multiple, failed postal delivery attempts.

“Armand meets many of the people of that village who not only knew Vincent, but were apparently also models and inspirations for his art” and “comes to realise that Vincent’s troubled life is as much a matter of interpretation as his paintings and there are no easy answers for a man

whose work and tragedy would only be truly appreciated in the future.”

The lyric of Don McLean’s hauntingly lovely song backing the film’s excellent closing credits (don’t leave until they finish) – encapsulates Vincent’s anguish.

And now I understand what you tried to say to me

How you suffered for your sanity

How you tried to set them free

They would not listen, They did not know how

Perhaps they’ll listen now.

At Palace Electric and Capital 6

“Bad Moms 2” (MA)

THOSE three kings who came looking for somebody to receive their gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense could have had no notion of the horror they were about to unleash on planet earth.

They became the progenitors of the plague of mercantile madness and behavioural excess that we now call Christmas.

Before Christianity, northern-hemisphere folk gratefully celebrated the winter solstice. Little did they know!

For movie writing/directing team Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, Christmas 2017 means an expectation of wealth big time. In 2016, their “Bad Moms” raked in a cool $US113mil -

lion+. Telling what happens when their mothers arrive unannounced a week before Christmas, “Bad Moms 2” is an unremitting parade of clichés and kitsch as the grannies inflict their ideas about the meaning of Christmas and how to celebrate it.

It’s billed as a comedy. I saw it among a mere handful of early-bird patrons without hearing a single laugh.

What did I like about it? Susan Sarandon as a wild child whose adult daughter was following her lifestyle example. Peter Gallagher as the long-suffering and generous-spirited husband of a woman whose unremitting insecurities had turned her into a sweetly-

cruel monster toward her daughter.

“Bad Moms 3” seems inevitable. Easter, 2018 perhaps?

At all cinemas

“Three Summers” (M)

FROM writer/director Ben Elton comes this amusing, entertaining and often confronting little film about Australia and its cultural and social foibles.

A folk music festival not far from Perth may not stand in the top rank of its ilk. The acts may be familiar. Who cares? Fans have been coming ever since it began. And enjoying it.

dad (John Waters). This year, the festival has a new act trying to introduce a new musical style. Roland (Robert Sheehan) performs on the theremin, an electronic instrument (like Maggie Gyllenhaal plays in 2014’s delightfully whacky “Frank”). Roland thinks Keevy’s music is outdated. She thinks he and his music are pretentious.

From the comfort of our seats, we quickly see that by the time the final credits roll, they will acknowledge that they are in love.

The film observes the festival over three consecutive summers. Michael Caton pulls out all the stops playing a bigoted Pom who yearly brings a troupe of Morris dancers and sees white settlement as the country’s salvation. Young Aboriginal dancers arrive in the care of a didgeridoo player with strong views about white domination. Reconciliation is inevitable after Caton’s character undergoes an epiphany and performs the emu dance.

Magda Szubanski plays the festival compere. Kate Box is great as a security guard controlling access to the toilets. Peter Rowsthorn is one of a two-couple group who arrive in Kombi vans and spend the weekend enjoying wine and each other oblivious to what’s happening in the world beyond their familiar routine.

It’s charming stuff, cleverly written, performed by skilled people prepared to submerge their dignity for the film’s sake. Like reality, it leaves issues unresolved. Which in the wider scheme of things is no

At Dendy, Palace Electric, Capital 6 and

/ punjabi junction, kingston

Teasing those tastebuds

With Punjabi food, onion, ginger and garlic are used extensively and spices range from mild to ‘on fire’.

Also on the menu are vegetable and lentil (daal) dishes and faves like Korma, which come with chicken, lamb or beef and mild to super hot. To cool down, enjoy accompaniments such as cucumber raita ($3.90) or a mixed salad tossed in lime juice, Indian spices and black

The interior décor has been revamped. The walls feature a strong black and white Victorian-style print. Tablecloths are a steel grey. Furniture black and grey. Menus are black, too. We found it a bit stark but that’s “so” a matter of personal taste. The most colourful part

We landed at Punjabi Junction on a quiet night, but the place has just recently opened and word is still

Punjabi Junction, 48 Jardine Street, Kingston, call

Free nosey around strangers’ living rooms

By Helen Musa

CRASHING into a complete stranger’s living room is a popular fantasy and now DESIGN Canberra is making this idea possible in a venture called “Living Rooms”.

Sunday, November 12, is the first week of “Living Rooms” and focuses on the inner south, with an open invitation to visit Canberra homes in Red Hill, Curtin, Yarralumla and Narrabundah, all architecturally outstanding but, just for the festival, also full of pop-up exhibitions by local artists, makers and craft practitioners. It costs nothing.

Similar events on the two following

homes designed by women architects. All three sessions will be followed by Sunday music sessions and a roving pop-up wine bar.

Canberra’s profile as a “city of architecture” means that this art form is to the fore, with the 52nd Griffin Lecture already delivered by journalist George Megalogenis, the aforementioned “Living Rooms” venture and the popular Australian Institute of Architects 2017 Awards Bus Tour on November 17, which this year looks at Canberra modernist architecture of the ‘50s and ‘60s.

But it would be a big mistake to see design as confined to architecture alone, as Craft Project manager Craft ACT Kate Nixon tells “CityNews”.

“This has become a major outreach program to promote our member designers and to get new audiences,” she says.

Craft ACT’s director Rachel Coghlan is once more at the helm, testing her view of Canberra as “a living design laboratory” while thrusting our best designers on to centre stage.

While acting as facilitator, Craft ACT will also stage its own exhibition, curated by Julia Greenstreet, titled “Women and Design”, a subsidiary theme of the festival.

The first in the Living Rooms programs... 24 Pelsart Street, Red Hill, open 10am-11.30am, Sunday, November 12.

Talk is an important part of DESIGN Canberra, with visiting “New York Times” design critic Alice Rawsthorn speaking at “Object Subject – the Inaugural National Design Writing Conference” in the Australian Academy of Science’s Shine Dome on Friday, November 10, then delivering the keynote address at the NGA the following day.

The unforgettable imagery of architect

be auctioned on the night.

This is the fourth year of the event, which has exploded from a modest four-day program in 2014 to a full month in 2016 and 2017. Audiences have grown from 24,000 in

where members of the public are invited into the working studios of Canberra region artists over the coming three weekends.

Some of the generous artists are even throwing in a cuppa.

DESIGN Canberra, until November 26, various locations in the ACT, details of all events and ticketing at designcanberrafestival.com.au

“Living Rooms”, inner south, Sunday, November 12, free event:

• 10am-11.30am, 24 Pelsart Street, Red Hill.

• 11.30am-1pm, 18 Ayers Place, Curtin.

• 1pm-2.30pm, 12 Maxwell Street, Yarralumla.

• 2.30pm-4pm, 102 Captain Cook Crescent, Narrabundah.

AS as I write, the temperature is predicted to be 27C in Canberra with snow in the mountains down to 1200m! However, it is fairly safe to start the summer veggies.

Veggies can be grown several different ways, either by making formal beds of timber, but never treated pine or corrugated-metal raised beds, which have benefits for older people and for anyone wheelchair-bound or with a bad back. There are numerous long-handle garden tools for such situations.

The easiest way of growing the above-ground veggies, ie lettuce and spinach, is to simply plant among the flower beds. I am sure no one can give me a good reason why not.

ANYONE with the smallest patch of dirt or even a large pot can grow their own tomatoes. In reality, almost all veggies can be grown in large pots or even reused polystyrene containers.

Many tomatoes just out of glasshouses have soft, floppy stems and need to be hardened off before planting. It is better to look for plants with thick stems. When planting, remove the lower leaves and dig them in deeper than in the pots they were bought in. We still need to be ever vigilant when overnight temperatures get close to zero.

Raised vegetable beds… great for gardeners with back problems.

LOOKING at the veggie calendar, it’s time to get serious for summer salads. It’s important to have prepared the ground some time ago so that fresh manures are not in too-high concentrations. With the ground rapidly warming, most veggies will take off. Water in with seaweed plant nutrient to encourage strong root growth immediately after planting/sowing.

Normally, English spinach and various types of lettuce are grown from seedlings, whereas cucumbers, French beans, carrots, pumpkins and radish are grown from seeds planted now. Don’t plant the whole packet at the one time. Sow a few each week over several weeks for a continuous supply.

Different soils are needed for the various veggies. For example, beetroot dislikes an acid soil and can be grown either from seed or seedlings. Similarly leeks, lettuce and onions like the same soil as beetroot, ie a well-limed soil. Onions need to go in without delay as seedlings, but feed with a low-nitrogen fertiliser.

If veggies and flowering plants in punnets are for sale at a local garden centre, it can be assumed it’s the right time to plant them.

All root crops need a rich, deeply dug soil. Often the problem with misshapen carrots is that they hit the deep-down hard soil deep that hasn’t been adequately prepared.

N=Nitrogen, P=Phosphorus and K=Potassium. Very simply, nitrogen provides plenty of top green growth, essential for lettuce, English spinach or all plants that produce their crop above ground. Phosphorus encourages root growth, ie carrots, beetroot, onions and radish. Potassium promotes flowers, essential for melons, marrows, cucumbers and sweet corn or where the fruit develops from flower pollination. Getting the balance right can be tricky, but don’t lose any sleep over it.

PEAS do best in new soil. Radish are for successive sowing of seed as they grow very quickly, great for children to grow in their own dedicated veggie plot. Starting children into gardening early is summed up by this anonymous quotation: “The love of gardening is a seed that, once sown, never dies”. How true.

A FUN thing to do later in the year is to show off and enter one of the Horticultural Society of Canberra’s shows. They are not only for experienced growers; anyone can enter with special sections for children who have grown their own veggies and flowers. I’ll keep readers posted when one looms.

fed last month, get on with it now without delay. If using pellets, keep back from the stem or trunk of plants. There are no feeder roots close to the stem of trees and shrubs. This is not important if using liquid fertilisers as these will be absorbed into the soil immediately going directly to the root zone. Liquid plant food will need to be applied more often than pellets.

Jottings...

• Watch out for caterpillars, which just love grapevines, both fruiting and ornamental. Yates organic Nature’s Way Dipel only kills caterpillars and no other garden pests.

• For fruit fly use Yates Nature’s Way organic Fruit Fly Control. Spray the trunk, surrounding ground and lower branches when fruit first starts forming before it changes colour.

• Trim Camellia sasanquas now as the new buds for next winter’s flowers will soon start to form.

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

The Venus/Jupiter connection promises lots of fun, love and laughter. Romance could blossom or a friendship be rekindled. But resist the urge to be extravagant and self-indulgent. On Tuesday adventure calls, as you tune into the Wild Child within. Saturday’s New Moon indicates a turnaround to do with a joint financial matter or an intimate relationship. So prepare to initiate some positive changes. But do so in a diplomatic way that doesn’t upset or antagonise others.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Lady Luck comes calling early in the week! But in order to achieve success, abstract ideas must be transformed into practical projects. (And remember there’s a fine line between divine dreams and disappointing delusions.) The current buzz words are companionship and cooperation, as you concentrate on the needs of loved ones. But is a close relationship stuck on auto-pilot? Saturday’s New Moon urges you to re-connect with each other in creative new ways.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Even routine tasks will be fun on Monday, as Venus and Jupiter help you enjoy each step along the way. Some vigorous physical exercise will also help you bounce through the week with extra enthusiasm. But if you don’t communicate clearly, then misunderstandings are likely. Friday’s fabulous Mercury/Mars connection gives you the motivation to initiate projects and walk your talk. Whereas Saturday’s New Moon signals a fresh start involving health, work habits or pets.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Monday’s Venus/Jupiter connection helps you pump up the Crab charm at home or at work. Colleagues or loved ones are hoping you’ll come up with some super creative ideas so dig deep. Saturday night’s New Moon signals a period of nurturing old relationships and establishing new ones. So it’s a wonderful time to focus on family, friends and having fun. As writer (and birthday great) Robert Louis Stevenson wisely observed: “A friend is a gift you give yourself.”

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Family life looks fabulous early in the week, when Venus and Jupiter bless relationships with your favourite relatives (and promise a temporary truce with your not-so-favourite ones). It’s not all fun and frivolity though! From Friday onwards the New Moon reminds you there’s a backlog of chores to do at home. So get your cleaning and de-cluttering skates on. Then you can start the following week in super organised style, from the spruced-up comfort of your Lion’s Den.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Venus and Jupiter encourage you to contribute more to your local community. Social media is also favoured as you text, tweet, post or publish your ideas to an appreciative audience. Mercury is in your domestic zone. So communicating your thoughts and feelings in a direct and honest way will help family relationships move in a positive direction. Aim for a mental spring-clean on the weekend, as you adapt to new ways of thinking and find fresh solutions to stubborn old problems.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

With party planets Venus and Jupiter linking up early in the week, it’s time to have fun, flirt, charm, socialise, create and collaborate. So jump in and make the most of it! Then the New Moon indicates a major turnaround to do with money matters or self-esteem issues. Keep an open mind, as you absorb fresh financial information or road-test a new fashion or beauty trend. But remember Libra… you are lovable for who you are (not what you look like or how much you earn).

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

It’s a wonderful week to zero in on your special unique talent, and make a promise to yourself that you will develop it to full capacity. As entertainer (and fellow Scorpio) Katy Perry says: “Find out what your gift is and nurture it.” From Friday onwards, the New Moon (in your sign) propels you forward with plenty of passion and purpose. But, with Pluto (your power planet) under stress on Sunday, resist the temptation to be a secretive and manipulative control-freak!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

This week, with lucky Venus linking up with prosperity planet Jupiter, you’ll be given the opportunity to make extra money. And you’ll also be in the mood to spend! So strive to show some restraint, otherwise you’ll go from princess to pauper in a flash. If you approach others with plenty of tact and charm on Thursday, then your efforts will be generously rewarded. On Saturday night, take the time to relax and appreciate the power and promise of the magical New Moon.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Don’t hesitate to grab lucky opportunities when they appear. If you maintain motivation and are passionately proactive, then your life will move in dynamic new directions. With the New Moon activating your hopes and wishes zone, it’s also time to review and re-imagine your goals and aspirations. Especially within a group, club or organisation. But, with Mars and Pluto at odds on the weekend, resist the urge to be possessive of loved ones and/or controlling with work colleagues.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

With Venus, Jupiter and the New Moon all stimulating your career zone, start thinking about strategic ways to create work opportunities and maximise your professional potential. It’s also a wonderful week to get positive feedback from your boss, colleagues, clients or customers. Or start looking for a fabulous new job. The only person who is likely to sabotage your efforts is you. So shake off lingering self-doubt, and buckle on your invincibility jacket. Confidence is the key.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

This week’s Venus/Jupiter vibes are wonderful for work and money. But don’t unintentionally mislead someone by giving them mixed messages. Do your best to keep communication crystal clear. On the weekend, prepare for a fresh start in an area involving legal matters, education, commerce, travel or international connections. The best time to take a holiday is up until December 3 (when Mercury goes retrograde). So start saving, planning, booking and packing ASAP!

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2017

(6)

9 Name a renowned large glass of beer. (8)

11 Which bituminous substance is used to cover roads, etc? (7)

13 What is another term for a non-professional person? (7)

15 Which large insects are noted for their shrill sounds? (7)

17 The Commonwealth of Nations was formerly known as which Empire? (7)

20 Which containers dispense sprays such as insecticide, lacquers, etc? (8)

23 What is a supervised place of accommodation? (6)

24 Which term describes an assembly of hearers or spectators? (8)

25 To rise to a higher point, is to do what? (6)

Down

1 What is another term for auricular? (4)

2 What, colloquially, is an awkward, silly fellow? (6)

3 Name a former NSW Treasurer, Michael ... (4)

4 Which motor vehicle mechanisms change motion? (5)

5 What is a particular kind of metrical form? (6)

6 Which cooked cereal is made by boiling meal in water or milk? (5)

9 Name the sacred beetle of the ancient Egyptians. (6)

10 Name a more familiar term for otalgia. (7)

12 What is a subject for a composition? (6)

14 Which representation is carved in stone or wood? (6)

16 What are passageways between seats in churches? (6)

18 Name the external upper coverings of houses. (5)

19 What is a dish of uncooked vegetables? (5)

21 Which poles are used in fishing? (4)

22 Name another expression for good fortune. (4)

Katy has been elected president of her local car club for next year and came to see me about arranging changes to its constitution because she said she had "absolutely no idea what to do”. I told her I was often asked for that kind of help at this time of year as many incorporated associations held their annual general meetings in November.

"It would be worth having a look at your current constitution to see if it accords with the ‘model rules’ set out in Schedule 1 of the Associations Incorporation Regulation 1991," I told her.

"If it doesn't, the easiest way of changing a constitution is to adopt the schedule in the model rules and to make the first rule the objects of the car club and then to use the rest of the model rules as suggested. "Sometimes the model rules don’t quite fit the way your association works so you may need to make a few changes, but it is much easier to make a few minor adjustments than it is to write a whole new constitution.”

However, I told her it was important to remember that the club couldn't put in any rules that were contrary to the requirements of the Associations Incorporation Act and prescribed regulations.

"For example, the model rules require that all transactions are signed by two authorised signatories. So you can require that all cheques are signed by three authorised signatories, but not by one," I advised her.

"Also cheques in this context includes any EFT transactions that are made.”

Katy said Greg, the treasurer, had been asking her about EFT transactions because the bank had told him that he couldn't have two signatories to sign the same transaction.

“Many of the banks have a process that allows for two officers to sign the transactions by use of a ‘token’," I said,

"If your bank won’t allow this maybe you need to look for a bank that does.

"But back to the constitution changes – when you are ready, I suggest that you circulate the new rules to the committee and any interested members to confirm that they are happy with the proposed rules.

"There is also a checklist of rules on the Access Canberra website. Once you are satisfied that the rules are okay you will need to ask the secretary to call a special general meeting in accordance with your existing rules.

"A special general meeting requires at least 21 days’ notice be given to the members as it requires a special resolution. The only business that can be transacted at that meeting is that which is shown on the notice of meeting circulated to the members. This will require a meeting that is not the annual general meeting.”

"The meeting itself can only proceed if a quorum is present. The number for the quorum will be shown in the existing constitution. Assuming that a quorum is present and the members agree, then the new rules will be passed.

"You will need to take a formal vote and at least 75 per cent of the members present including proxies must vote in favour of the new rules. "After the meeting you will need to notify Access Canberra on the relevant form and attach a copy of the new rules.”

Katy left my office a confident smile, certain of what she needed to do.

If you need any help with your incorporated association contact the