180412 citynews

COVERING CANBERRA years

/ ‘our role in the community is not valued’

Youth Week crimped as Federal funding dries up

By Danielle Nohra

HAWKER College student Courtney is one of many young people who have been treated with doubt or belittled because of her age and with National Youth Week coming up (or what’s left of it) things don’t seem to be improving.

In fact, it’s been getting worse since cuts were made by the then-Abbott government, in 2015, which progressively cancelled funds to Federal National Youth Week activities, awards, the committee and Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies (ACYS).

The ACT government has put some funds towards the week but director of policy and development at the Youth Coalition of the ACT, Hannah Watts, says.

The loss of Federal funding means that the amount available for Youth Week in the ACT has decreased, which adds weight to the concerns of many young people who don’t feel valued in our society.

“We will be looking out for this in the ACT Budget, and are hoping for an increase in the funds available in the ACT over the next few years.

“The decreased funds this year have meant less events are being held, and limited promotion of youth week across the community.”

Courtney, 17, says the Federal cuts to National Youth Week give young people further reason to feel displaced in the community.

“It very clearly shows that our role in the community is not valued,” she says.

One area in particular where Court ney believes ageism is most prevalent is in the workplace.

“I think it’s very easy for employers to exploit young people,” she says.

“I can confidently say that a major ity of my peers have been paid below the minimum wage.

“It’s so common that I think young people don’t see it as big a problem as it is.

“The problem is, if you do have the knowledge that you’re being exploited, there’s always a risk that your job is on the line.”

Even if the employer is in the wrong,

Courtney says young people don’t want to risk having a bad reference on their record because they have stood up for themselves.

“Young people need to know their rights but bosses need to know what they can or can’t do,” she says.

Hannah says one issue, which is often raised by young people, is a lack of public spaces.

Just recently she heard from a group of teenagers who were using some play equipment one evening, when there were no children around. She says

they

were still told off by members of the community.

“I think in town planning we need to have a real, genuine conversation

“If we want people to stay in Can berra we want them to feel like they have a place where they belong and are valued.”

But, with uncertainty around youth platforms such as National Youth Week, Courtney says the overarching stereotype and stigma towards young people will continue to slide into all aspects of a young person’s life.

“It’s very evident that when we’re given a platform, that we can contribute so much to the community,” she says.

“The capability is there, it’s just we’re not given the chance.”

While the Youth Week events are a great opportunity for celebration and fun, Hannah says they are also an opportunity for young people to engage with youth support services in an

“Young people can meet youth workers, check out services, and meet other young people outside their usual social circles,” she says.

“If these opportunities continue to reduce, young people and youth services become less visible in our community, particularly in ways that highlight the great contributions they make to the Canberra community.”

National Youth Week runs from April 13 to 22 and features Black Mountain School’s Youth Arts and Music Festival, ACT Youth Week expo and barbecue at Dickson College, East African Community youth sports and game day and a Sunset Festival with the YWCA. More details at facebook. com/NationalYouthWeekACT/

Arts & Entertainment 27-29

Cinema 28

Crossword 31

Dining / Wine 29

Gardening 30

Horoscopes 31

News 3-9

Politics 9

Socials 12

Since 1993: Volume 24, Number 12

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WHEN IT MATTERS

SEVEN DAYS

Dazzling Green Machine that’s not the Raiders

THERE was at least one Canberra “Green Machine” that was dazzling crowds at a weekend show and shine.

One hundred and fifteen Holdens that rolled off the GMH production line between 1956 and 1959 turned the Hall showground into “Holden Heaven” for the bi-annual FE-FC Holden Nationals.

Among the meticulously restored and immaculately modified machines was the “Trilogy”, a multi-award-winning 1959 FC Holden owned by Canberra couple Peter and Michelle Fitzpatrick

MEANWHILE, while the better-known “Green Machine”, the Raiders, might have turned a corner with a convincing victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs, a pothole has appeared involving fullback Jack Wighton Fox Footy commentator Paul Kent’s early predictions that “charges will be laid” are proving accurate. He also believes the NRL will stand the 25-year-old down for the season “and the Raiders might end up

sacking him”.

At the time of writing, Wighton was scheduled to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court to face charges arising from a preseason Civic nightclub incident.

HIGHRISE heavyweight Geocon is spruiking even loftier structures for Canberra as being fit for those employed in Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Belconnen is to be home to the city’s tallest building. The second stage of the construction company’s Republic precinct, the 27-storey “High Society”, has been described by managing director Nick Georgalis as a “first-class property” where “James Bond would feel right at home”.

AS Cricket Australia scrambles to hold on to lucrative sponsorship deals, a local roller derby team has nailed a high-profile backer. Canberra Roller Derby League (CRDL) team the Surly Griffins has announced Blumers Lawyers as sponsors. The Surlys make up the four-side CRDL roster, which includes the Black ‘n Blue Belles, The Red Bellied Black Hearts and the Brindabelters.

The team, which proudly boasts players Anne Thrax , Harlot O’Scara and One Hit Pony, cryptically posted: “It’s exciting to find a team (Blumers) who take injury events more seriously that we do.”

STILL on red bellies, local reptile experts fear there is a thriving, illegal, exotic snake-breeding industry operating in the territory. The concerns come after a second

exotic reptile (a pet milk snake native to the Americas and illegal in Australia) was caught at the Braddon McDonalds.

Last month Alex Borg, operator of the Canberra Snake Catcher service, removed an albino corn snake from outside a house in Calwell. Borg says of the snake: “It clearly wasn’t imported, someone must be breeding them here.”

THE newly created southern ACT electorate of Bean, named after war historian Charles Bean , has already been trivialised. Former NSW Labor senator and now media “mouth for hire” Sam Dastyari ,

dose of dorin

THE Barr government is under mounting pressure to install a set of traffic lights at what has been described as one of Canberra’s worst black-spots, the intersection of Tillyard Drive and Ginninderra Drive.

Charnwood resident and Liberal MLA Elizabeth Kikkert apportions some of the blame for the frustrating inaction at the site on retired Labor MLA Mary Porter. Kikkert says she contacted the then member for Ginninderra after each accident in 2015 (a year in which there were 16 crashes at the site) but nothing was done.

who dines out on a “questionable” resemblance to the Rowan Atkinson character Mr Bean, tweeted that he was “being trolled by the electoral commission.”

Surely the relevance-deprived Mr Dastyari is aware of the Wikipedia description of Mr Bean as “a childish and selfish buffoon who rarely speaks and when he does it is generally only a few mumbled words.”

APRIL 1 usually belongs to wacky breakfast radio types testing their credibility and the gullibility of their audience. But this year the “Yass Tribune” took the lead and ran with the clever story that the Yass Valley Council was “considering a petition from a local tourism group to rename the town Yaasss”. The paper rounded off the gotcha, reporting that a new slogan “My Yaasss” was also being considered for the town.

Ridiculous, but Nick gave bike polo

By Danielle Nohra

SIX years ago when Nick DixonWilmshurst heard about bike polo, a game played on bikes with mallets on an enclosed, hard court, he thought it sounded ridiculous but was keen to give it a go.

And it seems like he isn’t the only one.

The sport started in Canberra informally eight years ago and has since taken off with 200 players around the country and 12 in the ACT.

The game involves two teams of three players, each with a mallet, which is used to hit a ball into the goal. Nick, 35, of Braddon, who is also the Canberra Bike Polo secretary, says as much as it’s a sport it’s also a community of many people who travel around the world to play.

It has taken Nick to places such as Seattle, Malaysia and Singapore but he’d really love to play in Latin America one day and see countries such as Colombia and Argentina.

“You get there and join a club with locals and they show you their city,” he says.

Nick first got involved when a friend of his said: “You like bikes and you like hockey, you should try it”. He was hooked from there.

“At bike polo you get good at controlling the bike and your spacial awareness,” he says.

“It’s good for general bike skills and there’s a lot of people who ride bikes in Canberra.”

But, Nick says, no matter a person’s skill levels, they’re all part of the polo family.

“I like the idea of the sport as a community as much as it is a sport,” he says.

Nick fell into a position as the Canberra Bike Polo secretary and as Australasian Hardcourt Bike Polo Association (aka Jedi Council) representative for Canberra, after he started asking questions about how bike polo is run.

From this, he has helped initiate community-focused bike polo events such as the annual Polo Camp in Pambula, on the NSW south coast, where they teach each other skills and socialise with people coming from as far as Singapore, NZ and San Diego.

“The word is spreading internationally about what we’re doing,” he says.

“People overseas are keen to know what we’re doing and are looking to attend.

“It’s a co-ed sport and we’re welcoming to anyone, any gender, any age, any sexuality, we’re very accepting.”

In recent years Canberra Bike Polo has put all its efforts into building the

sport in Canberra.

“Rather than being content to play with just the people we have, our play ers are inviting their friends down to play,” Nick says.

In 2016 the club received a grant from the ACT government, which helped it buy equipment for new play ers to try the sport without investing too much money upfront.

The grant allowed the club to get extra mallets, which initially started as ski poles with a pipe attached to the end, but now that more players have gravitated towards the sport, they’re custom-made, polo-specific shafts with golf grips.

This means anyone interested can come to a game or, Nick says, the up coming annual winter tournament, borrow a mallet and try the sport, which surprisingly has fewer injuries than people think.

“It’s a great opportunity to show the players who start here what the polo scene is like in other cities – because the players from those cities come to us and play alongside our players,” he says.

“It also allows us to show the people in Canberra what a polo competition looks like and how amazing some peo ple are at the sport.”

Winter Tournament, Lyneham High, June 2-3. Email canberrabikepolo@ gmail.com

Legacy’s annual Anzac concert

THE Duntroon Military Band, opera singer Louise Page, Colin Slater and James Mustafa conducting a nine-piece, string ensemble, are the stars of this year’s Anzac Legacy Concert. The concert is free for Legacy widows, their carers and dependants, and legatees and their families. At Royal Theatre, Civic, 2pm-4.15 (door open at 1.15pm) on Sunday, April 15. General admission is $10 with tickets available from Legacy House, Geils Court, Deakin, call 6285 1800, or at the theatre door. Assistance is available in getting patrons to and from the event.

awareness.” Photo by Ana Stuart

Bush dancing for little people

THE Monaro Folk Society is hosting a kids’ bush dance with experienced dance callers teaching bush dancing to children and parents. Experienced musicians will provide the music. The dance is aimed mainly at primary school-aged children, but all ages are welcome. At All Saints Hall, 9-15 Cowper Street, Ainslie, 2.30pm-4pm, Saturday, April 14. Admission by gold-coin donation. More information at monarofolk.org. au/kids-bush-dances/

Tricks, half-truths and misinformation

RESIDENTS in and around Dickson dealing with the government have had to continually deal with a raft of tricks, half-truths and misinformation.

Three issues are hot topics. There is the proposal for a supermarket complex to be built on the car park next to Woolworths; the infamous land swap deal between the government and the Tradies (and loss of government funds); and the saga to have residential developments plonked on to a community site – the Dickson Parklands – bureaucratically titled Section 72 Dickson.

Following the 2016-2017-marathon ACAT appeal, residents were informed on the Thursday before Easter that the supermarket development application, as approved by the Planning Directorate, had been overturned. The real surprise was the depth of rejection by ACAT.

For a chief planner to state that they would simply look at this slap in the face to see if there was anything that needed to be addressed was a stunner. What words could have been harsher and clearer than those that indicated that the development assessment was a complete failure.

Residents have endured inappropriate proposal after proposal about how to develop the parklands site. There was the plan to plough down trees to make way for a car park; then a proposal to sell off land

These major sites within Dickson are being dealt with through a culture within ACT government that has gone off the rails.

(following the land swap) to allow a developer to build an enormous number of apartments; that didn’t work, so in 2014 the government carried out an expensive series of workshops to identify needs – or to be more precise to get an answer to justify apartments; but people wanted green spaces, open spaces and community/ cultural facilities.

This year residents were invited to participate in a new engagement process to identify needs for the parklands site (didn’t we do that in 2014?).

As the first stage came to an end in March it was obvious that residents were repeating what they said before (surprise!). But the context had changed. Late in 2016 and again in 2017 this government realised that by selling off land along Northbourne, and despite promises to the contrary, there was no social housing allowed for along the Northbourne Avenue corridor. Whoops!

Following a quick technical change, the government targeted the open spaces and community land around Dickson. Sadly, the pesky residents were not

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agreeing to this through this latest consultation.

The solution was to have someone in the Community Housing section ring a number of associations and “suggest” that they put in a proposal for aged housing, social housing, co-housing – anything to get those needs registered. No public call for such proposals was announced.

The result is that residents are now already hearing that while many said the obvious (enhance open spaces and provide better community/cultural facilities), the planners have other voices requesting apartments and/or social housing. At last – a balance!

As for the Tradies/LDA land swap, while it is not directly linked, there are of course linkages given the sites and the players involved.

Most important in all of this is not just the dubious proposals to ruin the urban fabric around Dickson, but it is the bureaucratic culture that

has continued to make life difficult for residents interested in the area not becoming built out with badly designed and inappropriate developments.

Residents are not fighting development, but have seen no proper planning processes and have experienced a lack of transparency and respect for community aspirations.

These three major sites within Dickson are being dealt with through a culture within ACT government that has gone off the rails. We were promised changes following the 2016 elections. Some deck chairs were shuffled. But so far nothing substantial has changed and the official reaction to the ACAT decision points to more of the same.

Dickson resident Paul Costigan is an independent commentator and consultant on the visual arts, photography, urban design, environmental issues and everyday life matters.

PAUL COSTIGAN

Big risks on the zebra crossings

Reader JENNIFER HOLMES, of Weston, is very grumpy about having had two close calls on pedestrian crossings

I’VE been nearly run down on pedestrian crossings, not just once, but twice in as many weeks!

The first incident occurred on March 13 and the most recent on March 27.

In the first, I was halfway across the pedestrian crossing on Corinna Street, Woden, just near the Chemist Warehouse and ACT Health Centre, when a car on my left failed to stop.

The male driver was of Middle Eastern appearance and appeared to be in conversation with a passenger on his left in a car with DC registration plates. I reported this criminal offence to the police and I await a call.

The second instance was at the pedestrian crossing on Townshend Street, Phillip, near Colbee Court, when a car approaching on my right showed no sign of stopping and the elderly male Caucasian driver looked curious about my outstretched hand indicating that he had to stop. But I was the one who had to stop or I would have been run over. Unfortunately, I did not manage to get his registration plate number. I would have reported him to police, too.

These two instances of unlawful driving are two too many, aren’t they?

Grumpy is an occasional column dedicated

BRIEFLY

Fruits of the forest

The Friends of the Arboretum will have a market stall in front of flag poles before entering the Village Centre offering fig jam, pickled figs, dried figs, basil/pine nut pesto, parsley/pine nut pesto, tomato relish, dogwood fruit glaze and jelly, dried English lavender, dried chocolate mint, dried chamomile, dried sage – all produce of the arboretum. At the National Arboretum, 9.30am-11.30am, on Saturday, April 14.

The nature of birds

• Fashions selected by Debbie Maree’s Fashion Boutique

• Champagne and Canapés

• Raffle Prizes

• Corporate, Cocktail and Casual Wear

Entry: Gold coin donation

All funds raised to: Country Woman’s Association

RSVP by April 16

Phone Debbie on 0405 774 549

FAST NEWS FIRST

BIRD illustrator and teacher Peter Marsack will talk on bird illustration in Australia and the importance of art and science in contemporary society at a free, public presentation at Workspace A, M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, 6.30pm-8.30pm, on Thursday, April 26. Guests will see Marsack demonstrate his techniques and view a display of his original artworks and sketches. Bookings to natureartlab.com.au/events

Hundreds of dogs

AN upcoming dog show at Epic will feature breeds rarely seen in Award winners Prescott and Amy Pym… the best of neighbours.

Neighbours who take the prize

FORDE couple Amy and Prescott Pym are this year’s ACT Good Neighbour Award winners.

The annual Neighbourhood Watch award recognises ACT residents who have made a positive difference to their neighbourhood by making a special effort towards people around them; by offering to assist in practical or special ways or for volunteering or supporting the local community.

In their citation, the Pyms are

lauded for actively promoting community spirit, inclusiveness and engagement through the work they do as events manager and president of the Forde Community Association.

“Amy and Prescott selflessly dedicate many hours of their own time to connecting families of Forde and supporting ACT Neighbourhood Watch through invitations to partake in their events and sharing many of the messages ACT Neighbourhood Watch publishes through social media,” the citation says.

POLITICS / new boundaries for ACT seats

Next election battle lines start to appear

CANBERRANS will no longer be so severely disadvantaged by a lack of representation in the House of Representatives. However, the proposed new electoral boundaries for the ACT provide significant opportunities and some great political challenges.

Changes proposed by the Electoral Commission have been drawn strictly within the parameters set by legislation. And there is still a month to comment on the names of the electorates and exactly where the boundaries should be drawn. However, the arguments put in the Electoral Commission’s nearly 80-page report provide a strong rationale.

The Greens were very upbeat in welcoming the boundaries of the new electorate with ACT Greens co-convenor Emma Davidson declaring the seat of “Canberra is now one of the greenest in the country. Finally, Canberrans have a chance to send someone to parliament who will truly represent them”. Three seats in Canberra certainly raises the idea of Canberra being able to have a broader representation.

Senator Zed Seselja represents the Liberal Party, Senator Katy Gallagher for Labor and there are two Labor members of the House of Representatives for the ACT. A fifth member representing the Greens would have some merit.

However, considering the Greens have an eight per cent representation in the Legislative Assembly, it is a tall order to triple that for a quarter representation for the ACT in the Federal Parliament that is not elected on proportional representation.

In marked contrast to the Greens was a more measured response from Labor MP Gai Brodtmann, who welcomed the changes along with renaming her area the electorate of Bean. She noted “the strong connection” to the World War I historian Charles Bean “to the Tuggeranong Homestead and the Valley”. She immediately launched a claim arguing “subject to preselection, I plan to stand in the southernmost seat”. This seat has been Brodtmann’s heartland and she will be hard to shift.

The seat of Canberra may be “one of the greenest in the country”. This does not make it an electorate ripe for their pickings with a significant fly in the ointment.

The member for the electorate of Fenner, Andrew Leigh, will have a choice between the electorates of Canberra and Fenner.

The better choice for Andrew Leigh is to run in the seat of Canberra… this is very much Leigh heartland – inner city, academic, socially conscious and environmentally responsible.

Fenner takes in all of Gungahlin and most of Belconnen. The better choice for Leigh is to run in the seat of Canberra. The new boundaries for this seat are largely North Canberra and South Canberra with some Belconnen suburbs. This is very much Leigh heartland – inner city, academic, socially conscious and environmentally responsible.

Leigh is simply one of the most competent Members of the Federal Parliament. He appeals strongly to Canberrans with his understanding of equity issues and his drive for a much fairer Australia. His strong academic background as a professor of economics at ANU and his high public profile defending “battlers” and the environment means that many voters who might otherwise have been tempted by the Greens will not abandon him. This leaves the electorate of Fenner, made up of Gungahlin and most of Belconnen. Assuming Andrew Leigh runs for Canberra a whole new contest opens. This area has not elected a Greens MLA since Meredith Hunter was defeated in the seat of Ginninderra in 2012. However, with masterful campaigning by Alistair Coe in Gungahlin and Vicki Dunne in Belconnen the Liberals have been quite successful in Assembly elections.

The reforms to the electorates have been carefully thought through. It is likely the distribution and names will remain. There are now preselection and then election struggles ahead and battle lines are already being drawn up.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legisla tive Assembly and an inde pendent minister for health in the Carnell government. He has been a columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

ANU honours Omar Musa

THE Australian National University has named Queanbeyan author, rapper and poet Omar Musa as its Young Alumnus of the Year.

Omar Musa’s three books of poems and four hip-hop albums address the ways racist and misogynistic language impacts marginalised communities.

The son of two ANU graduates, Mr Musa uses his work to mentor young men, help them find a voice and change the way they express themselves. He is a winner of the Australian and Indian Ocean Poetry Slams. His debut novel, “Here Come the Dogs”, was published in 2014. In 2015 he was named one of the “Sydney Morning Herald’s” Young Novelists of the Year. His mother is “CityNews” arts editor Helen Musa.

sustainable home advice workshops

“I was able to halve my gas bill after implementing the advice offered in two of these outstanding workshops. I highly recommend attending if you want to save on energy costs.” Mark from Bruce

For more information and bookings: visit actsmart.act.gov.au email actsmartadvice@act.gov.au or phone 1300 141 777 All workshops are free with limited places available. Bookings are essential.

This year’s full list of winners is: Alumna of the Year: Susan Ryan, AO Indigenous Alumna of the Year: Prof Megan Davis

International Alumnus of the Year: Andrew Harper, AM

Student Volunteer of the Year (Postgraduate): Dr Francesca Maclean

Student Volunteer of the Year

(Undergraduate): Jackson Bursill

Young Alumnus of the Year: Omar Musa

Nominations for the 2019 ANU Alumni Awards open in August.

BEAUTIFUL YOU advertising feature Top options to looking good

EVERYONE can be beautiful. From decadent massages and personalised jewellery to accessorising with a tan, “CityNews” introduces some of Canberra’s best beauty specialists…

Make a tan an everyday accessory

A LOT of people think that spray tans are an add on, but according to the owner and operator of Faux Tanning Studio, Jasmin Moore, spray tanning is an important accessory for day-to-day life and events.

Special occasion? Let us design and make your unique engagement or wedding ring exactly how you’d like it.

Need or desire a new piece of Jewellery? We can design any piece of jewellery to your specifications and custom-make it in-house.

Complex repairs? Difficult repairs are not a problem –bring your repair in and we’ll discuss what can be done.

Feel like a change? We do remakes using your existing jewellery to give you an

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Jasmin has done extensive research to give her clients the best knowledge and best tan possible.

“We focus on our clients knowing all about pre-tan and post-tan care so they can get longevity out of it,” she says.

“We don’t want it to last for one to two days, we want it to last for seven to 10 days.

“The staff are very non-judgemental to their clients no matter what their shape or size is.

“Everybody deserves to feel and look the best they can.”

Faux Tanning Studio, shop 7, Andrew Arcade, 42 Giles Street, Kingston. Email fauxtanningstudio@gmail.com or

OVER a year old, Hale Spa, which is part of Hale Gym + Spa in Barton, is everything people have ever wanted from a spa and more, says spa manager Delia Waites.

Delia has been to many spas and salons around the world and says Hale Spa is like no other – “It’s in its own league”.

“Coming in with 17 years’ experience, and most of that time in my own business, I make sure all of our therapists are fully equipped with knowledge of what they are doing behind closed doors,” she says.

“They go through intense one-on-one training before they start treating clients.

Manuka’s handcraft and

CLOVER Jewellery has an on-site jeweller and designer so anyone looking for something uniquely beautiful can have it tailor-made, says jeweller James Oh.

Clover Jewellery is a family-run business that has been in Canberra for more than three years after it was in Japan for more than 25 years.

“We provide a range of high-end and unique handmade jewellery as well as fancy and beautiful silver jewellery,” James says.

“We have lots of samples for customers to try or they can bring in their own design and we can make it on-site by our fully qualified jeweller. We have wedding rings and engagement rings for custom ers to try on, too.

and then some

“We also try other salons to know how we can do it even better.”

Delia suggests people come in and try their treatments such as a quick eyebrow tidy, manicure, pedicure or leg wax or, she says, stay longer and enjoy hours at Hale focusing on whole-body treatments such as body exfoliation, wraps, advanced facials, peels and omnilux light therapy facials.

“All types of massage are available with our highly experienced massage therapists,” she says.

Hale Gym + Spa, 10–14 Macquarie Street, Barton. Email enquiry@halespa.com.au, call 6273 3101 or visit halehealth.com.au

platinum

specialists

“We are a handcraft and platinum specialist and we offer a laser-engraving and laser-soldering service, you can put a message in the ring along with a birthstone. It makes it very special and one of

Clover Jewellery... “We provide a range of high-end and unique handmade jewellery,” says jeweller James Oh.

on Facebook.

Canberra’s most luxurious day spa

Hale Spa provides a full complement of day spa treatments. Immerse yourself in the cave-like spa pool, or dissolve away your stress in the steam rooms and infrared saunas. Take a seat in the Scandi-style lounge in front of the fireplace with views onto a landscaped courtyard and water feature while you prepare for your facial or body treatment in one of the nine private treatment rooms.

CANBERRA INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 27 APRIL – 6 MAY 2018

Ten days of glorious music with performers from Australia and around the globe

Featuring Bach Akademie Australia, Orava Quartet, Roger Woodward, John Bell and Simon Tedeschi, Dapper’s Delight, I Bassifondi, Festival exclusive performances of Beowulf and Israel in Egypt, and much more.

Go to cimf.org.au and start your music adventure.

At the 2018 ACT Young Professionals Ball, Parkes

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.

25 YEARS COVERING CANBERRA

The local rag that captured the world

THIS year “CityNews” celebrates its 25th anniversary of providing news, views and information to Canberra.

Started tentatively as a tabloid-sized, weekly paper printed on newsprint in 1993, it suffered initial setbacks in the health of its original owner, before being acquired and renamed the following year as “CityNews”.

Over the following years the paper rode the economic highs and lows of Canberra, necessarily changing its publishing cycle to meet the times and at one point appearing only monthly.

But it prevailed and the decision to change the format to a glossy paper in the early 2000s seemed to anchor the emerging magazine to a weekly presence.

The early editions on file at the “CityNews” office in Mitchell reveal a busy paper with issues of small business prevalent in its editorial columns matched by support through advertising.

There is a steady mix of advertising features from local shopping centres and a gutsy editorial voice that bemoaned the collapsing circulation of the “Canberra Times”, thundered that Chief Minister Kate Carnell had to go and featured a mysterious, un-bylined column of political mischief called “The Whip”.

The paper clearly moved forward with technology and, after a change in ownership to Macquarie Publishing, in the mid-2000s settled into a consistent typography and editorial style, with a strong creative emphasis on producing interesting and inspiring covers. Columns were introduced, the arts coverage boosted and the daily news moved to the website, citynews.com.au

“When I took over editorial control in 2005, the paper was a bit rough and ready,” says editor and owner Ian Meikle, himself the former editor of “The Advertiser” in Adelaide and “The Australian” in Sydney.

“But the joy in crafting the editorial voice though news, informed commentary, great photos, super arts coverage and beautiful social photos was the supportive reception from our readers.

“My objective was to provide a ‘paid paper’ experience in a free magazine by raising the writing and presentation standards to rival the daily paper. The more we did it, the better the response from our readers. And remember, our readers are articulate and affluent people who keep us on our toes.”

The paper’s biggest story went around the world and was

Editor Ian Meikle, left, and CEO Greg Jones… “Print is still a relevant area for people to not only source news but also as a way of sourcing new customers and informing current customers,” says Greg.

Photo by Danielle Nohra

“Time” magazine.

“It was astonishing,” says Meikle. “It was the June 11, 2015 edition in which our occasional religious columnist Nick Jensen announced that if the same-sex legislation was passed in Federal parliament he and his wife would divorce.

“I knew it would get national attention, but nothing prepared me for the social media firestorm that came from it. We were pilloried for doing our job and Nick was assailed for having a belief.

“Would I run it again? Absolutely! While I didn’t agree with Nick’s stand, as a journalist, I would defend his right to say it to my last breath.

“Anyway, not a bad job for a little, local rag from Canberra!” Greg Jones is the paper’s long-standing CEO and a former advertising sales specialist, who being a salesman at heart, is always optimistic about the future of print.

“Basically it’s still relevant because there’s still a lot of people out there who read print despite what people say about ‘print dying’,” he says.

“Print appeals to a lot of advertisers because they’re still print-orientated themselves, so they respond to the fact that a lot of people still read it.

“Based on research, print is still a relevant area for people to not only source their news but also as a way of sourcing new customers and informing current customers.

“We have the capacity and reach to meet customers, who don’t even know they’re a customer.”

Overall, Greg says it’s about informing a potential customer in a way that they can learn much about what the product is, which print advertising, according to research, is better at doing compared to advertising on radio and television.

• Prevent Injuries

• Correct Muscle Imbalance

• Improve Sports Performance

• Strength & Toning

Hearts that beat behind the news

By “CityNews” editor and owner IAN MEIKLE

TRADITIONALLY, when newspapers celebrate big moments in their own history, they ask a political leader for a congratulatory few paragraphs of blah blah. Given our chief minister’s view about journalists and traditional media, we didn’t trouble him.

Notching up a quarter of a century, especially the past quarter century, in media is no mean feat.

“CityNews” has borne witness to most of the territory’s period of self government, regaled the national sporting victories of our local teams, snapped the city’s beautiful people at parties, balls and first nights, reported the news, profiled achievers and characters, covered all manner of arts and artistic endeavour and provided insightful, authoritative commentary from some of Canberra’s most informed and brightest minds. Not to mention the informative gardening page, before Cedric Bryant growls at me.

Quite a history and quite a weekly package that lands into our thousands and thousands of readers’ hands absolutely free. Not a bad effort for 25 years.

But to get into that basket or coffee shop takes enormous dedication and, in these digital times, determination.

Advertising is the lifeblood of our paper. It pays the wages, the overheads, the printing and the distribution. But there is a nobler role: through a decision to advertise, businesses keep an active and independent community voice alive and heard in Canberra.

I dips me lid to them, all of them, large and small for their faith in our paper’s being able to effectively deliver their messages, their advertising “news” as it were, to our large, affluent, educated and motivated readership.

Advertising, like editorial, doesn’t come out of thin air. It is hard fought for in a competitive market with lots of distractions

and bent truth.

Our sales team acts always with integrity and our customers’ best interests uppermost. Setting that rare gold standard is our CEO Greg Jones who is, by a country mile, the most experienced print advertising executive in the ACT. He understands the power of our paper and appreciates deeply its importance in the community.

He is utterly committed, as I am, to producing the highest-quality publication every week. Be it the advertising, the reproduction or the distribution, Greg keeps an eagle-eye on ensuring our standards don’t slip.

Contributing to that high standard are the unsung printers of Spotpress, who expertly produce our magazine every Tuesday night in suburban Sydney and faithfully have it back to us for distribution across Canberra by Wednesday morning.

No standing still

BUT you can’t stand still in the media business and, like other leading publishers, “CityNews” is in a constant state of evolution.

Eight years ago we created the news site citynews.com.au and since then it has grown to command a large audience of readers keen to keep up with the daily twists and turns of local news.

The website has a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where we also enjoy loyal and large followings.

Three years ago we built a fond relationship with Canberra’s principal commercial talk radio station 2CC and each week we share two hours of news and views on the “CityNews Sunday Roast” program from 10am.

I have edited “The Advertiser” in Adelaide, “The Australian” in Sydney and run “The Canberra Times” for nearly a decade.

And yet it wasn’t until I took up the ownership of “CityNews”, partially in 2005 and fully two years later, that I properly felt connected to a community.

Over this period I have been proud to start the careers of some bedazzling young, local journalists who have always gone on to bigger, better things, confident I hope that they take with them the virtues of honest, balanced and fair reporting.

Continued Page 14

• Balance & Functional Movement

‘CITYNEWS’ SAYS THANK YOU TO ITS ADVERTISERS

Hearts that beat behind the news

Continued from Page 13

THE paper’s early history was a beleaguered one. It began being printed on newsprint as a tabloid and chopped and changed its publishing frequency, including at one time being a monthly paper. The move to glossy paper wasn’t until the early 2000s.

Despite our not having the best of working relationships, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the paper’s founder, Michael Hawke. He came from a sales background and used all his guile and charm to keep the paper afloat where lesser men would have crumbled.

So, the “CityNews” you hold in your hands today is the product of the skills and dedication of forgotten and remembered true believers; believers in print, in news, arts, opinion and truth. And the gardening column, of course.

A few years ago I coined a tagline to our masthead that says “Well written, well read”. Despite the chief minister’s misgivings, in our 25th anniversary year, I reckon we can confidently add “well regarded”.

My favourite part of being a journalist is regularly meeting new people from many parts of the Canberra community, hearing their unique and sometimes personal stories and then having the privilege to share them with everyone. journalist

Treatment options aimed at ideal health and wellbeing

NOW in its third year at Higgins shops, CARM Therapies continues to provide people with treatment options to create their ideal health and wellbeing.

Founder and co-director Emily Avery says CARM Therapies is dedicated to offering its clients evidence-based treatments for chronic pain, pregnancy and general wellbeing.

“All of our staff are highly trained, dedicated to further education, and motivated to provide every person that comes into our clinic with the best possible care and treatments to suit their individual needs,” she says.

“We have grown a little bit over the past 12 months, starting with acupuncture and remedial massage then expanding to offer yoga and meditation, and now we are beginning to offer some mat Pilates classes, too.

“We also have a naturopath working from our space one day a week and are just taking on a couple of new massage therapists to cater for our growing client base.

CARM Therapies. Shop 5, Higgins Shops. Call 6278 7302 or visit carmtherapies.com.au

Keep training through the cooler months, says Sven

PILATES classes can help with bone density, strength, flexibility, blood flow, maintaining a good posture and quality of life, which is why Core Essentials Pilates owner Sven Smith says it’s important to keep training through the cooler months.

With many classes, such as “Circuit Pilates”, “Mat” and “Reformer Pilates”, Sven says Core Essentials Pilates keeps its classes small and personalised.

But if these classes don’t suit, Sven says Core Essentials Pilates can tailor something for the individual.

One class in particular, “Move”, run by Anita Markey, is a full-body workout, designed for anyone who wants to challenge their strength and co-ordination, balance and stability, while calming and focusing the mind.

This movement-and-dance-inspired class is grounded in controlled Pilates principles, fusing low-impact Pilates with dance cardio and small apparatus.

“Move” emphasises the connection of the body and mind, appealing to a student’s physical and mental wellbeing.

As well as the “Move” classes, Core Essentials Pilates has a range of Pilates classes taught by its owner Sven Smith and senior instructor Cathie Raymond.

Core Essentials Pilates, Level 1 / 14 Barker Street, Griffith. Email admin@coreessentialspilates. com.au, call 0410 598542 or 0488 349747, or visit coreessentialspilates.com.au

CARM Therapies has treatment options for every body.

• Acupuncture • Remedial Massage

• Yoga & Meditation • Pilates • Naturopathy

Our team of highly qualified and dedicated practitioners work with you to get the best health outcome. Whether you want to run a marathon, cope with chronic pain on a daily basis or are nurturing new life, we will match the treatment to your individual needs.

NEW! Therapist CARM Therapies is happy to welcome Ross Angel to our team; Ross is qualified with a Cert IV in Relaxation Massage Therapy He will be treating on Wednesday & Friday afternoon/evenings. Special introductory discounted rate only $70* this April & May

NEW! Pilates Small group Beginners Mat classes on Wednesday mornings

Limited spaces available – bookings essential. Book your spot today!

NEW! ‘Massage for Home’ small group Workshops

Take your humble back and shoulder rub to the next level!

Designed for attendance in pairs and are hands on.

Next workshop will be Back, Head and Face Massage Sat 21st April 9am-1pm. Only $125 pp (includes workbook.)

Bookings Essential. Contact Emily at CARM Therapies via phone or email.

(*Conditions apply - No Health Fund Rebates Available)

Kitchens • Bathrooms • Interiors • Exteriors

… by Bordeaux

BORDEAUX KITCHENS

(Associated with Capital Cabinetmaking)

Specialise in custom-built design and joinery

• Kitchens • Vanity and laundry units

Commercial Joinery

• Shop/office • Home office

• Experienced tradesmen and full trade co-ordination available

BORDEAUX BATHROOMS

• Designed with you with your budget in mind

• High standard of workmanship

• High quality finish

• Completed on time, every time

BORDEAUX CONSTRUCTION & MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Total design consultancy

• Home • Office • Shop

• Commercial premises

• Extend or Renovate existing homes

• Build your new dream home

Showroom Hours: Mon-Fri: 9.00am to 4.00pm, Sat: 9.00am to 12pm, or by appointment

CITYNEWS’ SAYS THANK YOU

Giving young kids an educational head start

ESTABLISHED in 1996, Kidstart Education has been teaching children a love of learning for 22 years.

Director Kristen O’Connor often hears parents say they wished they knew about the programs at Kidstart Education and Activity Centre sooner.

“We are finding that children have not developed a love of learning or the skills to embrace the learning opportunities presented to thrive in the structured classroom environment of school,” she says.

To change this, Kristen says they’ve developed age-appropriate programs to prepare children socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually for school.

“I felt that the right program could provide children with the academic and social skills required for formal schooling by introducing structure and routines in a play-based fun and creative way,” she says.

Children from five months to five years can benefit from programs at Kidstart.

“From the ages of five months to three years children attend with a parent or carer for a onesession-a-week educational playgroup program,” Kristen says.

As for the three-year-old pre-preschool program, Kristen says it’s one of the only ones in Canberra that has a combined letter recognition and letterland phonics-based literacy program.

“This program kickstarts each child’s lifelong educational journey by providing a fun, structured, positive, empowering program that gives children the head start they deserve.”

Kidstart Education, 65 Sternberg Crescent, Wanniassa, at kidstart.com.au or call 0422 406622.

Window fashion experts keen to listen

WITH a strong emphasis on quality, Regency Knights Window Fashions has been in the community for decades. It has been operating under the name Regency Knights Window Fashions selling curtains, blinds, awnings and shutters since 2009 after two well-established Canberra businesses merged.

Husband and wife team and co-owners Blandine and Martin Smith understand purchasing window furnishings for a home is personal and says the staff are sensitive to this and are there to listen and achieve the customer’s desired outcome.

“This means asking a lot of questions and listening to what the customer is wanting,” he says.

Once the staff have asked questions and established the customer’s desired outcome then, Martin says, they are in the position to offer advice and provide the pros and cons of each product.

The newly renovated showroom, which they believe is the best in Canberra, is a great place for customers to see ideas come to life.

“We get a lot of good feedback about the showroom and it gives people a good idea of what the end result looks like,” he says.

Regency Knights Window Fashions, Unit 1, 60 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick. Call 6147 0426 or visit regencyknights.com.au

★ Parent classes for children 5 months to 2 years

★ Independent Pre-Preschool for 3 year olds

★ Preschool PLUS for 4 and over

★ Providing children with the academic and social skills required for formal schooling by introducing structure and routines in a play based fun and creative atmosphere

★ Led by university qualified & experienced teachers

★ Fun and stimulating activities that provides both enjoyment and learning

★ Sessions include music, movement, dance, fine & gross motor activities as well as literacy and numeracy

★ Emphasis on development of motor skills, academic and social skills

EXPERIENCE, EXCELLENCE AND INTEGRITY

• 18 years serving the community

• Specialists in Hand Therapy

• General Musculoskeletal

• Sports Injury management

• DVA Patients welcome

• Pensioner Discounts

“We pride ourselves in delivering enhanced management care”

’ SAYS THANK YOU

Cabinetmaker Steve has a flair for special care

STEVE Milutinovic started his cabinet making business in 1983 and 35 years on, the company has grown into specialising in home renovations, extensions and new homes.

Bordeaux Construction offer commercial fit-outs and joinery and are also fully licensed builders in NSW and ACT.

“We pride ourselves in achieving the highest standard for our customers in design and workmanship,” Steve says.

“Our prices are competitive and we work with you to achieve your desired outcome.

“We offer full trade co-ordination and have our own experienced and reliable tradesmen and expert staff

to assist you in your project. Our custom-built, cabinet making workshop can also build joinery items to suit your needs whether for home or office.

“We also recently received an MBA commendation award for ‘Special Care’ residence as we specialise in housing needs for the aged. Come and talk to us about alternative living such as granny flats or self contained units,” says Steve.

Bordeaux Construction and Bordeaux Kitchens offer obligation-free quotes.

Bordeaux Construction, 8 Aurora Place, Queanbeyan, call 6299 4642. Visit bordeauxbcm.com.au or facebook.com/ BordeauxBCM

February 13, 2011. September 4, 2014.

6286 6467 Southlands, 1/43 Mawson Place, Mawson ACT admin@hands-onphysiotherapy.com.au www.hands-onphysiotherapy.com.au

You’re Invited

You’re invited to attend a one hour complimentary Information Session at Calvary

The information sessions are designed for you to learn more about either independent living or residential aged care.

Learn what’s involved, what you need to do to make the process as smooth as possible and enjoy a tour to view the offerings at Calvary Haydon Retirement Community.

Held on 19 April 2018 at at 2 Jaegar Cct, Bruce:

There are two sessions 11am and 2pm. Spaces are limited and bookings essential

How to register for this special offer:

Register on our website: calvarycare.org.au/retirement-communities/locations/canberra-act or please call 02 6264 7400

I think I have the most exciting job in the office –designing advertising, preparing the editorial pages and getting the paper off to the printer on deadline.

Safe and relaxed communities

WITH an upcoming information session on April 19, people can see for themselves how Calvary Retirement Communities provides a safe, secure and relaxed environment through its residential aged care, respite accommodation and retirement villages.

Surrounded by nature, Calvary Haydon Retirement Community is a fully accredited, residential, aged-care facility providing quality aged-care accommodation (including palliative and dementia care), independent living apartments and villas in South Bruce.

Each room has been finished with interior designer co-ordinated furnishings and is surrounded by fully landscaped gardens. Spacious dining areas and separate lounge rooms are located throughout for residents and families to relax in.

Calvary Haydon offers:

• Qualified care staff, guided by its 125-year history of caring.

• Access to medical coverage when required.

• Dedicated physiotherapy assistants who facilitate specialised physiotherapy care designed to maintain mobility.

• Recreational activity officers who design individual and group activity programs.

• Qualified pastoral care staff who care for residents’ spiritual and emotional needs.

• Catholic Mass and Ecumenical church services.

• Ministers of various denominations who can visit on request and minister to residents’ particular spiritual needs.

• Hairdressing salon plus a qualified hairdresser who is available by appointment.

• Indoor/outdoor cafe.

• Specialised menu catering to varied tastes and offering a wide choice of meals.

Calvary Retirement Communities, 2 Jaeger Circuit, Bruce. Call 6264 7400, email retirement@ calvarycare.org.au or visit calvarycare.org.au

Audiology expert with an ear for his patients

WITH 40 years in the industry Dr Vass of Dr Vass Hearing continues to stress the importance of patients before profit.

As an independent owner not bound by any hearing-aid companies, doctor of audiology, Dr Vass, bases his practice on reaching the best outcome for each patient, regardless of whether they need a hearing aid or not.

In an industry where price is no indication of the quality of products, Dr Vass has established his practice on honesty, integrity and ethical standards.

“A high price could mean a clinic is overcharging or overselling, whereas a lower price point may result in poor or no aftercare,” he says.

This isn’t the case at Dr Vass Hearing, which promises a strong focus on patient treatment and aftercare at a fair price.

“In today’s social media environment it’s important to be transparent in your approach in the hearing industry,” he says.

To help, Dr Vass’ new website has a library of informative articles and resources on hearing health, as well as Dr Vass’ thoughts and views on the hearing industry.

As the sole practitioner of Dr Vass Hearing, Dr Vass focuses on building a rapport with his patients and has had clients with him since 1997.

Dr Vass, Suite 14, John James Medical Centre, 175 Strickland Crescent, Deakin. Call 6282 2717, email williamvass@bigpond.com or visit drvasshearing.com.au

Hands-on approach to pain and injury

THE New Year can inspire people to become a lot more active, which could lead to aches and pains, says Hands-On Physiotherapy’s practice manager Liz Kell.

With the team’s “hands-on” approach, Liz says they’re committed to helping people manage acute and chronic occupational, musculoskeletal and sports injuries.

But, being one of Canberra’s original hand specialists, it also offers hand therapy following injury or surgery as well as management of Occupational Overuse Syndrome (RSI) and chronic conditions, including pain, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

“We can treat or manage injuries including sports injuries, wrist and finger fractures, elbow fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, joint replacements in the hand, wrist or elbow, nerve entrapment syndromes and osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritic conditions,” she says.

“We also fabricate static and dynamic splints for our clients as required by their treating surgeons or condition management.

“We have experience with Graded Motor Imagery in the management of phantom pain, chronic pain, CRPS and post trauma.”

Hands-On Physiotherapy, 1/43 Mawson Place, Mawson. Call 6286 6467, email admin@hands-onphysiotherapy.com.au or visit hands-onphysiotherapy.com.au

There is no such thing as free hearing test

You know the old saying: ‘If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.’

2018 marks my 40th year in the hearing industry (it’s hard to believe), and when I reflect on my days as a young graduate I am reminded of just how much the industry has changed over that time. The past ten years has seen the number of retail hearing providers in Canberra skyrocket. As a result, competition is fierce, the tricks and tactics are more strategic than ever. The invasion of people’s privacy and, the offer of a ‘Free hearing test’, ‘free hearing screening’, or ‘limited time offer’ are common advertising techniques used to draw people into store fronts. You may have experienced the cold-calling telemarketers asking about your hearing status. Prime targets are retirees and those reaching the average age of hearing loss, yet it’s easy for anyone to be drawn in by these offers.

they need to sell their products. No matter the lure, the end goal is the same – sales.

“In an unregulated industry it is important to speak up and keep exposing these sales people.”

– Dr Vass

As an independent professional and Doctor of Audiology with 40 years’ experience in the industry, I am amazed that this approach continues to grow, and I feel for the number of clients who fall into this trap. My practice receives phone calls weekly from people who didn’t realise what was happening or understand what they were signing. This approach reflects badly on my profession and I feel something needs to be done. In an unregulated industry it is important to speak up and keep exposing these sales people.

So, why would these clinics offer you a free hearing screening? It’s simple:

As an advocate for the hearing industry, I am offering no strings attached, complimentary second opinions. If you, or a loved one has had a recent hearing test and you have a copy of your results, then please contact my office on (02) 6282 2717 or you can book via our website drvasshearing.com.au to make an appointment. I am happy to look over your results and provide you with a highly qualified opinion.

EX- GOVERNMENT FURNITURE

I enjoy working with a fun and productive team, and also thrive on helping hard-working business people effectively spread their message to our

Irish pub with a big, community heart

NEARLY two decades on and the first pub of the new century, King O’Malley’s, has cemented its spot in the Canberra community and in its history, says managing director Peter Barclay.

“Many people have had celebrations at O’Malley’s, many people have found their partners here, celebrated birthdays, important milestones and we’re very privileged to be a part of that,” Peter says.

“O’Malley’s is loved by the Canberra community and that’s because it’s open to everyone.”

Designed in collaboration with a Dublin architect and a local one, King O’Malley’s takes the best elements of a true Irish pub but ultimately is something that is uniquely Canberra.

“It’s a warm and inviting pub, filled with artefacts and artworks that have been collected from the Canberra region,” he says.

“We’ve been a great supporter of local charities and events over the years such as Movember and the World’s Greatest Shave.

“And, we have a wide range of food, which uses local and fresh Canberra ingredients.”

King O’Malley’s, 131 City Walk, Civic. Call 6257 0111 or visit kingomalleys.com.au

High quality and almost new

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.

“At the moment we have a number of contemporary ergonomic sit-to-stand desks which are all the rage these days,” he says.

“We’ve got everything from ‘ergotron’s’ to modify an existing desk into a sit-to-stand workspace right through to both manual and electronically adjustable sit-stand workstations.”

James says all furniture is repurposed and in top condition before being taken home by its new owner.

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

“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.

“We get weekly shipments of furniture, with everything from the vintage to the modern, so there’s always something interesting coming through our doors.”

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

been the accounts manager at ‘CityNews’ since 2009 and I love being part of such a great,

The best thing about working with ‘CityNews’ is meeting and working with my many varied clients to help them achieve their marketing needs, while being a real part of the Canberra community. advertising consultant

Terry’s one-stop hobby shop

MONARO Models and Hobbies supplies a face-to-face expert service on model aircrafts, radio-controlled cars, boats, planes, helicopters and drones.

Owner Terry Griffiths has been an aeromodelist since 1962 and invites customers to come and talk to someone who has experiences with the products.

“We do anything for the hobbyist who actually wants to do something with their hands and not sit at a computer,” he says.

“We stock all the leading brands of drones from photography through to racing.

“We’re open six days, we have easy accessible parking and a bright, new premises, so come on down.”

Monaro Models and Hobbies, 1 / 57 Kembla Street, Fyshwick. Call 6239 3623, email info@monaromodels.com.au or visit monaromodels.com.au

Women supporting women in good health

BEGINNING with a small club in Bendigo in 1989, Fernwood Fitness has grown into a bona fide health and fitness destination for thousands of Australian women.

Lisa O’Brien, from Fernwood Fitness, says the Fernwood Fitness Group now has more than 70 clubs throughout every state and territory of Australia and is recognised as the leader in women’s health and fitness in Australia.

In Canberra there are five clubs – Belconnen, Civic, Gungahlin, Tuggeranong and Woden.

“We’re not just a gym; we’re a whole support network,” Lisa says.

“Fernwood is the only Australian gym with an online program to complement your experience in-club.

“Every new member receives our ‘28 Day Breakthru online program’ ensuring your first 28 days are successful.

“Our ‘Food Coaching program’ offers personalised meal plans, while our personal trainers are trained to deliver 30-minute power strengthening sessions to tone up your trouble areas.

“We are women supporting women so drop in to your nearest club and say hi.”

Fernwood Fitness, visit fernwoodfitness.com.au

I started in distribution, delivering the paper across Canberra more than six years ago, before moving into the advertising group, where I manage internal processes that leaves the sales team with more time to spend with clients.

EMILY

LESTER

advertising consultant

The best part of working at ‘CityNews’ is being part of an amazing team with a strong passion for helping a wide range of clients to achieve the best marketing results.

Enjoy the best of birds

GET up close and personal with a range of birds at the Canberra Walk-in Aviary.

The aviary is a 1000sqm planted walk-in enclosure that has about 550 birds from about 60 different species.

“The aviary is great fun for all ages. You have the chance to get up close and personal with a range of birds,” says Mick Logan, owner and manager of the aviary.

“While not all birds will interact with you, you get the chance to observe, up close, species of birds that otherwise would be hard to see in the wild.

“We give you a small plate of food and a tub of mealworms and you can wander around and feed the birds.” Mick says that people are welcome to take photos of the birds.

“Providing the weather is fine you can have a great time feeding the birds or just observing our feathered friends,” Mick says.

Canberra Walk-In Aviary, 8 O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls. Call 6230 2044 or visit canberrawalkinaviary.com.au

Visitors

Visitors

TRADING

Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, NICHOLLS

‘CITYNEWS’ SAYS THANK YOU TO

Financial expert who keenly keeps up to date

SPECIALISING in areas such as tax, superannuation and financial planning, Gail Freeman & Co prides itself on keeping up-to-date with any changes in these fields.

“We’re always able to help our clients with making sure they have the best and most up-to-date information,” says director Gail Freeman.

“This year there’s a benefit for people in that they can claim super as a tax deduction for making payments to super.”

As for businesses, Gail says claiming items that cost up to $20,000 is set to expire on June 30 and there is no information yet as to whether it will continue.

“If businesses are thinking of making large purchases they should think about it now and would be wise to talk to an adviser before the May 8 Federal Budget,” she says.

“It’s always good to think about the future before the Budget so you can make sure you can still execute your plans in the face of any changes.

“And if you own a rental property or you recently bought a rental property, now is the best time to check if any changes affect you.”

Gail Freeman & Co, 9/71 Leichhardt Street, Kingston. Call 6295 2844, email info@ gailfreeman.com.au or visit gailfreeman. com.au

Proven long lasting results with MonaLisa Touch

Mona Lisa Touch is a non-surgical, nonhormonal alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the treatment of symptoms related to vaginal atrophy such as-vaginal itching & burning, vaginal dryness, loss of lubrication, vaginal laxity, some incontinence symptoms and painful sexual intercourse.

It is a five minute, pain-free procedure.

The benefits are:

• Low Risk with little or no side effects

• Long lasting improvements

• No recovery time, normal activities can be resumed

• Suitable for Breast Cancer patients (not suited to HRT)

Health practice dedicated to women

STARTING with one doctor in 2002, Women’s Health on Strickland has grown and now has two doctors, one physiotherapist, three midwives and a team of reception staff.

The practice began with Dr Elizabeth Gallagher who was later joined by Dr Omar Adham. Together they look after a broad range of gynaecological conditions such as those requiring complex surgery. They also offer a comprehensive private obstetric practice and a service for Urodynamics studies.

“We always have midwives in the practice because we have obstetric patients, so women can talk to them any time during their pregnancy,” says practice manager Anne Gallagher.

And for pre and post-natal musculoskeletal conditions, the practice’s physiotherapist can help women with incontinence-related issues and pelvic-floor dysfunction.

“Most problems women experience after childbirth or through menopause can be fixed,” Anne says.

“Women don’t have to suffer in silence or put up with the problem.”

The practice’s Mona Lisa Touch treatment is a non-surgical, non-hormonal alternative to hormone replacement therapy, which since being introduced more than two years ago has been very successful, says Anne.

“This treatment is a non-invasive procedure for women suffering from the symptoms of vaginal atrophy,” she says.

Women’s Health on Strickland, Suite 3-7, John James Medical Centre, 175 Strickland Crescent, Deakin. Call 6282 2033, email reception@womenshealthonstrickland.com.au or visit womenshealthonstrickland.com.au

The music streaming must-haves

ESTABLISHED more than 40 years ago, Duratone HiFi in Phillip continues to supply the very best high-end audio systems and components, surroundsound systems and televisions to the Canberra region.

Two popular items, which audio consultant Tony Magee says marries the latest technology with traditional amplifying speakers, are the “Piega Classic 3” speakers and the “Bluesound Powernode 2” music streamer.

He says the craftsmanship for the “Piega Classic 3”, one of Duratone HiFi’s top selling bookshelf speakers, is second to none as it’s beautifully made in a boutique factory in Switzerland.

With an LDR ribbon tweeter, Tony says the “Piega Classic 3” delivers incredible quality in sound, which is particularly noticeable on instruments

such as the acoustic guitar, piano and vocals.

As for the “Bluesound Powernode 2” music streamer, it has a built-in, 60-watt-per-channel amplifier, so when speakers are added it makes up an entire system.

“This unit will stream the new MQA (Master Quality Audio) files from ‘Tidal’ as well as other streaming services, plus internet radio, which is global, as well as streaming your own music files from other devices in the house,” Tony says.

“Music streaming is becoming the new way of listening to music for a lot of people.”

Duratone Hi-Fi, corner of Botany Street and Altree Court, Phillip. Call 6282 1333 or visit duratone.com.au

Where landscaping materials are a family affair

FROM a humble beginning with a few trucks in 1954, Corkhill Bros, Landscaping Supplies Canberra, has since grown and now provides wholesale landscaping materials to the public and green waste recycling services.

The family owned business started with co-founder Brian and his brother Patrick, who both decided to establish Corkhill Bros after losing the family dairy farm to Lake Burley Griffin.

Brian says Corkhill Bros aims to incorporate the family ethics and values in day-to-day business operations.

“We strive to create a workforce of hardworking, committed, trustworthy and loyal employees that promote this culture,” he says.

Through its multi-faceted operations Brian says the

company’s intention is to successfully extract, process and deliver its products to meet the needs of varied target markets; both residential and commercial.

Corkhill Bros’ commercial operations include chipping, screening, grinding, processing, bulk production and special blend production as requested.

Then its waste side has services such as the hire of skip bins of various sizes and recycling of drop off and kerbside garden organics.

Corkhill Bros’ landscaping supply outlets are located at Mugga Lane, Symonston and Darling Street, Mitchell.

Corkhill Bros, 33 Darling Street. Call 6241 8860 or visit corkhillbros.com.au

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By Helen Musa

“BLANC de Blanc” is the very finest of dry champagnes, but it’s also the name of a glamorous adultonly show coming to the Fortuna Spiegeltent, a kind of mini-festival on Civic Square that looks set to become an annual event.

It’s not just a wine, we are told, but “a place where the champagne sparkles, eyes glimmer, the salacious and delicious combine for an evening of unparalleled pleasure.

“A blend of vintage glamour, high-end spectacle and titillating acts to infatuate, illuminate and delight.”

It is also said to feature “big moves, great tunes, lots of skin and more than a few surprises”.

There’s a big ‘Blanc’ spot coming to Civic Square

In reality, “Blanc de Blanc” is a showcase spectacle of cabaret and acrobatics that will, nightly, head up a broader program of comedy, music and dance by performers as varied as Dan Sultan, Trevor Ashley and Gretel Killeen.

It is the brainchild of choreographer Kevin Maher and director Scott Maidment, who developed their working method while working together on Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” album tour.

“CityNews” caught up with Hollywoodborn Maher by phone to Los Angeles. He’s danced with Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston,

choreographed music videos, television performances and tours for Justin Bieber, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, and he’s coming here.

Uniquely for a choreographer, Maher’s background is in architecture and he says: “I don’t think I’ve come across anyone else who took that path – my first love was for buildings, I went to a private high school then to college to study architecture.”

But at age 18, Maher realised that his studies involved more computer programming and little creative activity, so he looked elsewhere.

“I pushed myself through physically to become a dancer, but it came full circle when

ARTS IN THE CITY

architecture taught me how to put a piece together,” he says.

He moved east, worked at cleaning mirrors in Broadway and got access to shows, but soon went to community college and immersed himself in dance classes, starting with hip-hop, ballet, jazz ballet, African and Latin.

“I threw myself into anything with it with movement so, effectively, I had five or six years of training and small jobs,” he says.

Maher passed videotapes of his work around, asking if choreographers were wanted. He taught, put on shows and staged little charity events.

Then 10 years ago as an assistant on the first New Kids on the Block reunion tour, its

Burlesque star off to Las Vegas

CANBERRA burlesque artist and dance teacher

Rachel Reid, who performs as Jazida, has been accepted as one of only three Australian acts to perform at the Burlesque Hall of Fame “Movers, Shakers and Innovators” showcase in Las Vegas on May 31. Local performers have come together to put on a fundraising show called “Faraway Fever” at The Abbey, Gold Creek, on April 20. Bookings to eventbrite.com.au

EMMA Holland has been announced as the ACT finalist in the 2018 RAW Comedy National Grand Final, at the Melbourne Town Hall, April 15. The winning prize is a trip to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

THE new “Flash Fiction Fun Weekend” is a writers’ festival for writers only (emerging and established) to turbocharge their writing skills. East Hotel, Kingston, April 20-21. Details at aussiewriters.com.au

THE 21st Spanish Film Festival will open with a fiesta and screening of the street dancing musical comedy “The Tribe” and close with Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece “Pan’s Labyrinth”. At Palace Electric, April 18-May 6. Details at spanishfilmfestival.com

CRAFT ACT’s Craft + Design Centre has exceeded its goal of raising $10,000 to fund the pilot of the contemporary indigenous craft and design residency and workshop program. Creative Partnerships Australia agreed to match dollar-for-dollar all funds raised up to $10,000.

MANDOLIN superstar Avi Avital is coming to Canberra for Musica Viva, performing with the Giocoso String Quartet at Llewellyn Hall on April 19. Book at musicaviva.com.au

THE “Not Very Quiet” journal poetry fundraiser will present women’s perspectives on refugee experiences of cultural transition and resettlement. Smith’s Alternative, 76 Alinga Street, Civic, 7pm-9pm on Monday, April 16. All proceeds to Canberra Refugee Support.

performing in Las Vegas on May 31.

THE globe-trotting trio, The Celtic Tenors, will perform Irish songs such as “Danny Boy” and “You Raise Me Up” with other favourites at The Q, April 17-18. Book at theq.net.au or 6285 6290.

A PHOTOGRAPHIC exhibition by Kingsley Herbert focusing on coastal scenery and wildlife from SA to Tasmania will be seen at Kangara Waters Community Centre, 2 Joy Cummings Place, Belconnen, 10am-4pm, on April 14-15. All welcome.

If Maher was free he’d visit Maidment to “connect with ideas, to test how they could work under pressure”. In one number he transformed a ‘50s slapper into a female warrior. Maidment was impressed and offered him a job. Maidment came up with the idea of “Blanc de Blanc”, saying: “Champagne opens

your eyes, you go to have champagne and everyone gets excited, just the name gets people excited… just pouring a glass of champagne is classy – Scott and I played with that concept.”

To them, champagne glasses were always flutes, suggestive of the male organ. “CityNews” suggested googling the Marie Antoinette coupe variety.

Maher joined Maidment, who doesn’t choreograph, but founded the production company Strut & Fret, which has brought the show to Australia.

“I showed him some music that I saw fitted very well,” Maher says.

“I showed him a possible opening song and dance number that a friend had composed and I told him: ‘I think this is cheeky, naughty, and sexy enough to set the tone’.” Maher got to edit songs used in a “Moulin Rouge” track, and they constantly experimented, switching numbers around.

“Scott brings people in who are ideasdriven, he knows he needs to get brand consistency,” he says of his colleague.

Maher never really tells us exactly what we’ll see. But he does report that when they went to London, Madonna saw it once or twice and absolutely loved it – and to him, that should be good enough for us.

“Blanc de Blanc”, headlining the Fortuna Spiegeltent season, Canberra Theatre precinct, April 26-May 20. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

Duratone Hi-Fi Pty Ltd

Phone 6282 1333 | www.duratone.com.au

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Rambunctious genius...

Super fun

– a brilliant mix of clowning and grossout humour, general mischief with manic theatrical surprises the kids will go nuts for.

The Age

A ListeR not easy to ignore

By Dougal Macdonald

“Have You Seen the Listers?” (M) ON completion, a creative work in whatever medium – painting, writing, hewing stone, composing concertos, working with fibre or metal, the list goes on – must sink or swim not necessarily on its merits but certainly on how its consumers judge it.

Much never emerges into public view because, having toiled on it, the artist is dissatisfied. The artist may some day revisit it – some of history’s most enduring creations have experienced that treatment, for which let us be thankful.

I offer this brief homily about the relationship between artist and consumer because the common element in the relationship is taste. I review films which I find distasteful. You, dear reader, are free to disagree with what I write about films that I consider meritorious but you don’t.

many unprintable in a family newspaper.

Watching him at work is a breathtaking experience, putting lines and spaces to work that seem not to follow a plan yet become designs that say things that, while perhaps not needing to be said, are not easy to ignore or overlook.

Anthony ListeR is at heart a street artist, producing images and designs best appreciated from a distance in an open space. The film spends much time watching him making images that have something to say. Are they art? Graffiti? Disfigurations of public spaces or large wall areas? Is their message worth knowing? Brisbane City Council spent a lot of money rolling paint over them. And everything he puts on public view is signed in block letters beginning and finishing with a capital. Just like in this review.

At Palace Electric

7 DAYS

A case in point is Eddie Martin’s feature-length documentary about Anthony ListeR. Is Anthony an artist or merely a painter? Those two classifications are not synonymous. Collectors here and overseas obviously regard his work as worth putting significant money down to get a piece of. People have published books about him and his work. He must have slipped my attention. Martin’s film has rammed Anthony ListeR into my brain. He’s not easy to ignore once you’ve seen his work.

Martin pulls no punches in his observations of the artist – life, persona and work. He’s a Brisbane boy who despises Brisbane yet keeps returning there. He has sired three lovely kids with his wife Anika, now divorced. He radiates energy. He indulges his senses with substances that if not illegal are dangerous. He is a man of few words,

“A Quiet Place” (M)

AT the core of this strange little supernatural thriller is John Krasinski, who co-wrote the story and screenplay with Bryan Woods and Scott Beck before going on to direct it and play the principal role. The trio and nine others co-operated in producing it, perhaps crowd-funding that seems to be used increasingly often nowadays to get movies made that might otherwise not have got produced.

“A Quiet Place” is for most of its length exactly that, a sort of throwback to the childhood of cinema before “The Jazz Singer” broke the sound barrier. Why? Because if any animal, human or quadruped makes the slightest sound, a monster will appear more swiftly than might have seemed possible, eviscerate the unfortunate creature and move on.

That’s an amazing skill in a biped with more and bigger teeth than, for example, a great white shark, that’s somehow reached Planet Earth from somewhere out there and which cannot see but can hear the teeniest noise. Not bad for a creature that as well as being blind, has no visible ears, thus giving the lie to one of the most important scientific books in human history, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life” and its theory of evolution and survival of the fittest.

It’s 470+ days since the nasties appeared on earth. Humankind cannot defeat them. The papers were full of that shortcoming before they ceased to exist!. Only the Abbott family has survived.

Father Lee (John Krasinski) is enough of a whiz at electronic stuff to have filled the basement of the family’s rural house with audio gear that would initially seem not to have much utility in a world where survival depends on silence. SPOILER ALERT. As in all the best thrillers, it’s in the last reel.

Mother Evelyn (Krasinski’s wife Emily Blunt) is pregnant. That’s enough to send the film’s credibility index skyrocketing. Babies cry.

Daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) is on the cusp of puberty, which does destabilising things to a girl’s emotional stability. Son Marcus (Noah Jupe) is younger than Regan. Toddler Beau (Cade Woodward) doesn’t survive the first reel, as we quickly foresee will be the case.

Intentionally or otherwise, much about “A Quiet Place” defies credibility. If it’s a must-see movie for you, leave your rationality sensor at home and enjoy the monsters.

At Palace Electric and Dendy

ICKYPEDIA ICKYPEDIA

by Richard Higgins & Matthew Kelly

“

That was the best show I have ever seen” said my 11 year old. So, said I –5 stars?

‘No, 10!’

The Age

THE LISTIES ARE AUSTRALIA’S PHENOMENALLY SUCCESSFUL KIDULT COMEDY DUO.

They’re back! Australia’s fave kid’s comedians, The Listies, are bringing their best-smelling book Ickypedia: A Dictionary of Disgusting New Words to the stage! Icky-pedia Live is a seriously silly show that answers all of life’s unimportant questions. It’s a mix clowning, slapstick, and improvised chaos stitched together with a bucket load of theatrical invention that everyone will enjoy!

What friends know about you

By Richard Calver

FRIENDS tend to know your likes and dislikes. We are sitting at an outside table at the Highgate Hotel in Green Square, Kingston. It is a gorgeous autumn afternoon.

This is the post-exercise drink (I just burned 1200 calories – I forgot the pizza in the oven at home!). My mate says: “I know you’ll want to drink that Italian red but I want a shiraz.”

We order a glass of Nick O’Leary 2016 Canberra District shiraz. It is pleasant and, for a youngish shiraz, has real body just as we sought to achieve through the desultory weightlifting we had endured that afternoon.

But, as he presaged, I would rather have ordered the Pizzini Nonna Gisella Sangiovese, 2015 from the King Valley that caught my eye on the hotel’s wine list.

And, like a true friend, he let me prattle on about why I liked this Italian varietal. I even dropped that I have tried many Pizzini wines and stayed at their accommodation at Whitfield in the heart of the picturesque King Valley. The Nonna Gisella is named for one of the winemaker’s grandmothers and is described by the Pizzini family as “warm and humble just like its namesake”.

taken off somewhat by Hannibal Lecter’s famous line in the 1991 movie “The Silence of the Lambs”: “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”

Australian wine makers are not able to call their sangiovesebased wines chianti: to get that appellation the wine must be produced in the Chianti region and be made from at least 80 per cent sangiovese grapes.

While most chiantis are 100 per cent sangiovese, some winemakers in the region blend the sangiovese with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc or merlot to soften the taste. But the real deal with this grape variety is that it tends to be very driven by terroir or the district where it is grown.

DINING / winifred’s place, fyshwick markets

Place for fresh, market food

SHOPPING at the markets always makes me hungry. Hungry for dishes created with fresh produce. So I was delighted, when last at the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets, to discover Winifred’s Place.

This is the “sister” to Chez Frederic in Braddon and when we rocked up, owner Sara Pouget was buzzing about in the massive and gloriously laid out kitchen (a dream for any chef).

To say that the food is fresh is an understatement. Winifred’s sources daily from the markets, including free-range and organic meats and ethically sourced seafood.

Pasta, made in-house, is a specialty and thumb’s up to Winifred’s for its great range of gluten-free dishes. They even have two pasta machines and can 100 per cent guarantee no cross contamination.

To say that the food is fresh is an understatement. Winifred’s sources daily from the markets, including free-range and organic meats and ethically sourced seafood.

happened. It’s the way hospitality handles these types of issues that inevitably arise on occasions that counts. Gold star to Winifred’s. We’ll

Winifred’s is licensed with a reasonably priced selection of wines.

vintage sangiovese.

James Halliday in his “Wine Atlas of Australia” says that Pizzini wines “rank high among the many King Valley producers and it is not surprising that their wines should span both Italian and traditional varieties.”

He rates sangiovese as their signature wine.

This grape variety’s name derives from the Latin meaning: “the blood of Jove”. Jove, or Jupiter, is, of course, the king of the gods in Roman myth. The nomenclature is said to have fuelled theories that the variety has been around since Roman times. But it is best known as the principal grape in Tuscan chianti wines.

In the 1970s chianti was offered up in a straw basket named after my love life – a fiasco. The bottles tended to be used as candle holders and the Italian soft reds went well with a bowl of value-for-money pasta in a dimly lit café that offered romance based on the affinity between chianti and tomato-based dishes. Perhaps the romantic edge was

In the Canberra district Four Winds offers a very pleasant sangiovese. But my favourite is the Ravensworth produced by the Martin family, a wine I first discovered when I had dinner at Abell’s Kopi Tiam in Manuka where they offer it by the glass at $10 a pop. Ravensworth has just released the 2017 vintage and stepped up production, their website saying: “There’s six different vineyards from Hall, Murrumbateman, Hilltops and Gundagai contributing this year. A beautiful medium-bodied wine that carries fragrant cherry and spice aromas with a fine textural palate.” I can’t wait to taste the vintage but perhaps not in the company of my shiraz-preferenced friend.

“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” – Bernard Meltzer

Winifred’s is located upstairs from a seafood shop, which is super because if you’re lucky enough to grab a seat near the railings outside you get to watch the happenings below.

Unlike Chez Frederic, Winifred’s has table service.

We visited on the weekend and were chuffed that Winifred’s serves breakfast all day. It was breakfast for my friend and lunch for moi. Both menus are refreshingly different, so much so that we struggled with what to order. So many dishes cried out “pick me”.

I (eventually) zeroed in on the duck ravioli which was heavenly. The duck (free range) is slow roasted and packs a punch with flavour. Caramelised veggies, leeks and a pink sauce top it off ($25.50). You cannot go wrong ordering this dish.

My friend selected the green barbecue prawns with fresh lime, hommus and avo on rye ($23.50). The prawns were big and juicy, the hommus delish and the avo ripe and creamy. It was a hugely generous serve, so much so my friend couldn’t finish it.

We’re keen to return to road test other mains such as the kangaroo and chipotle bolognese ($24), the chicken and chilli jam

Gelato Cakes

Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, closed Sunday and

meatballs ($24) or the fried gnocchi with miso roasted eggplant and tofu jerky ($25).

Parking isn’t a problem. As the folks at Winifred’s say: “From Tuesday to Sunday evenings, the whole car park

(393 spaces) is free for you to use.”

Winifred’s is refining some service elements. We had a couple of mix-ups but Winifred’s corrected the matter quickly and made a special effort to apologise and explain what had

Winifred’s Place, 12 Dalby Street, Fyshwick. Open Tuesday to Sunday. Call 6260 6185.

GARDENING

Divide perennials once they stop flowering

AUTUMN is the perfect time to divide perennial plants after they have finished flowering.

Most perennial plants are suitable for digging and dividing and include Asters or Michaelmas Daisies, Campanula, Echinacea, Salvias, Ajuga, Penstemon and Phlox to name a few.

Dividing plants provide not only extra plants to fill in gaps in the garden, but for distribution to gardening friends or potting them up for school or church fetes.

By digging perennials up and potting at this time they will be ready by spring. That is, besides regular watering they have been regularly fertilised with a liquid plant food such as certified organic Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient. This fertiliser specifically promotes strong, extra root growth.

Always use premium-grade potting mix.

MANY perennials will be setting seed at this time. The most reliable way of collecting the seed is just before it ripens. Place a brown paper bag over the seed head and tie around the stem of the plant. Don’t use plastic bags as the seeds will sweat and rot. Write the name of the plant on the bag with a waterproof

Texta pen. Shake the bag every now and again to see if the seeds have separated from the seed head and are rattling in the bag. Spring is the preferred time to plant seeds.

ANOTHER way of propagating plants is layering. This can be used for larger shrubs. As they grow, many shrubs will have low branches close to the ground. These branches often get covered with soil and mulch and develop roots. Gently lift the low branches and cut the shoots from

the parent plant, lightly trimming any scraggly roots and pot up in good potting mix and fertilise as described above. Make sure they’re labelled if they are being offered for sale at fetes.

Loropetalum “Plum

frost-hardy evergreen (or I should say “ever-purple”), growing to about a metre high and wide; a truly versatile solution for any garden.

ONE vital aspect of winter gardening is not to neglect watering. When the ground is covered in frost or a thick fog it is natural to

shrubs that are dormant in winter with no rising sap needing moisture.

The first indication of lack of soil moisture is when leaf tips start to brown, indicating insufficient moisture is getting to the extremities of the plant. This is equally applicable in summer. If sufficient moisture is not quickly applied, the whole leaf will turn brown and by that time it is too late.

DURING frosty mornings, due to arrive at any time, I suggest you apply a fine spray of water to camellias and other late autumn and winterflowering shrubs. Do this early in the morning before the sun hits the frost-covered flowers and they get sun scorched. Of course, you will not be able to do this if you forget to put the hose away overnight or the outdoor tap and water pipe does not have any insulation round them to stop them freezing!

OF special mention is Iris unguicularis (syn. Iris stylosa), the winter flowering iris. Usually this iris is not grown to its full potential as the flowers and buds are hidden in a mass of thick, grass-like foliage. Or they are attacked by snails or slugs.

This is a real toughie with its home

ranging from Algeria to Greece. As such, it is happy in full sun, although equally happy in dappled shade. The best way to get the benefit of the flowers is to cut back all foliage to ground level at this time. This is before the buds and flowers start to appear and snails will have little protection. The lavender-mauve blooms have a unique fragrance and are an excellent cut flower, lasting for quite some time. When picking, pull the flowers from their base rather than cutting.

Jottings...

• Give the lawn one last feed now before winter. I vary the plant food and this autumn used Multicrop Ecofish organic plant and soil nutrient. Like us, I am sure plants enjoy a variety of plant foods rather than the same food all the time.

• Plant Erica (Heather) and Calluna for winter colour. Anyone who has seen heather in flower in the Scottish Highlands will need little persuading.

• Plant Cyclamen in pots or hanging gardens for winter colour. When they have finished flowering in late spring plant them in a shady spot in the garden.

• Spray peaches and nectarines with Kocide or Bordeaux to guard against leaf curl just before leaf fall. Another application will be required in spring.

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Restless Rams are ready to fire off in exciting new directions! Mercury is now moving forwards in your sign, and Monday’s New Moon is also in Aries. So it’s action stations for adventurous Aries. And it’s the best week of the year to set intentions, hatch ideas and take steps to initiate bold new projects. But (with Jupiter opposing Venus) don’t get carried away; promise the Moon and the stars; and then fail to follow through (especially involving friends and finances).

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Are you stubbornly holding onto outdated ideas? Are you sticking to obsolete ways of thinking, as if you’re on auto-pilot? This week the New Moon, Pluto and Uranus encourage you to let go of an old grudge; put aside preconceived notions; and examine your beliefs in a philosophical and spiritual new light. Then the Sun shifts into Taurus on Friday, which will help you focus on practical projects that need to be completed. And don’t forget to have some fun along the way!

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

After three long weeks, thank goodness Mercury (your patron planet) is finally moving forwards. Communication, conversation, business, education and travel should all gradually improve as the week progresses. But the New Moon and unpredictable Uranus could still throw some chaos into the mix! Especially involving friends, groups, clubs or organisations. So think before you speak and – if you find yourself compelled to spread secrets – just zip your lips and say nothing.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

The New Moon and Uranus shake up your career/reputation zone so prepare for a few surprises. But the more you try to control those around you, the more they will tend to push back. So take a good long look at your motives. Perhaps you need to be less possessive? Perhaps you could give someone more freedom, so they can fight their own battles and make their own mistakes? Food for thought, as you transform the way you connect with family, friends and colleagues.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

With the New Moon, Uranus and Mercury all in fellow fire sign Aries, you’re feeling feisty and ready for adventure! But hubris and over-confidence often come before a fall. So the buzz word this week is humility. If you’re a clever Cat you’ll be kinder towards others, and more tolerant of their individual idiosyncrasies. Your motto for the week is from birthday great, actress Jessica Lange: “Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.”

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Avoid getting into ‘Very-Stressed Virgo Mode’! Your ruler Mercury is moving forwards, which will help an intimate relationship or a joint financial project that has been somewhat stalled over the last three weeks. As the Sun moves into steady Taurus, you’ll find focus and a practical plan will take you far. So your motto for the moment is from fashion designer Victoria Beckham (born on April 17): “I believe you can achieve anything if you work hard enough to get it.”

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Are your relationships stuck on auto-pilot? The New Moon, Jupiter, Pluto and Uranus encourage you to blast away the cobwebs and look at things from a fresh angle. Attached Librans – are you doing all the giving, while your partner is doing all the taking? Singles – you could fall for someone who’s not your usual type. But how well do you really know your nearest and dearest? It’s time to dig deeper and gain valuable insights into the inner workings of a family member.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

On Monday (courtesy of the New Moon) it’s a fabulous time to review your emotional wellbeing and physical fitness levels, introduce healthier food choices, and reboot your exercise routine. Don’t have one? It’s the best week of the year to start! Tuesday’s Venus/Pluto connection intensifies platonic partnerships and adds extra passion to a romantic relationship. Some single Scorpios will experience a strong attraction to someone who is sexy and rather mysterious.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

The planets precipitate a romantic or friendship shake-up, as you reassess your relationship priorities. But, under the influence of extravagant Venus and Jupiter, you could blow your budget with a spontaneous spending spree. Or commit yourself to an ambitious project that you really don’t have the energy or enthusiasm for. So think things through before you make promises! You’ll find short-term big talk is no good if it doesn’t translate into long-term dynamic action.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

All work and no play make Goats grumpy and difficult to live with. Monday’s New Moon encourages you to adjust your home/work ratio so it’s much more balanced and family friendly. Communicating with other people looks very intense on Tuesday, as you share a favourite sport, hobby or activity with someone special. Make sure you keep the lines of communication open, plus use your personal power (and Capricorn charisma) in positive and productive ways.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

This week the New Moon, Mercury and Uranus activate your marvellous Aquarian mind. Wednesday looks crammed full of electric energy and exciting possibilities as the Sun/Uranus connection leads to a brilliant light-bulb moment when you solve a problem, think up a stunning idea or do something wildly different. But you’ll also feel extra impulsive, which makes you more accident-prone than usual. So slow down, calm down and look (twice) before you leap!

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

Monday’s New Moon lights up your cash zone, which signals a fresh financial chapter. You’ll find the more proactive and informed you are about money matters, the better your fiscal future will be. Venus and Pluto also send an important message your way this week. When it comes to your peer group and social circle, don’t waste precious time on fickle friends who sabotage your dreams. Instead, nurture relationships with positive people who make you feel powerful and special.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2018

Across

4 Which title describes the supreme ruler of an empire? (7)

8 What is a body of troops in close array? (7)

9 What do we call a stately procession? (7)

10 Which alkaloid is obtained from opium, and is used in medicines? (7)

11 Early London policemen were known as Bow Street ... (7)

12 What is a private, in the Royal Australian Engineers? (6)

14 Which term refers to something being free of cost? (6)

18 What do we call the rural districts, as opposed to towns or cities? (7)

21 Name a kind of large sailing vessel formerly used by Spain. (7)

22 What is a formal speech called? (7)

23 Which word describes that which is without beginning or end? (7)

24 Name another term for a gift. (7)

Down

1 Geronimo was the leader of which group of American Indians? (7)

2 Who was the first Australian to break the four-minute-mile, John ...? (5)

3 What do we call the diameter of a bullet? (7)

4 Name a person who has special skill in a particular field. (6)

5 Which term describes an irreligious person? (5)

6 Which reactive substance is used in chemical analysis? (7)

7 What are ceremonial acts known as? (5)

13 Name the entire feathery covering of a bird. (7)

15 What are answers also called? (7)

16 Which horse won the 1996 Melbourne Cup? (7)

17 What is a young swan called? (6)

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Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

Retirees wrestle with tax-return decision

I hadn't seen Shirley and Doug for a while and they called by to tell me things had changed since we last saw each other.

"We have both retired and I don’t think we need to lodge returns any more but Doug doesn’t agree," said Shirley, asking what they needed to do.

I told them I recalled that Shirley had a CSS pension and Doug had a PSS pension, and wanted to know if tax was being deducted from them.

“Yes, that's correct," said Shirley. "I also receive a small tax exempt pension from Veterans Affairs and no tax is deducted from my other pension.”

I said told Shirley that may prove to be a complication.

"Your CSS pension is about $25,000 and you receive a non-taxable pension of $5000 from Veterans Affairs," I said.

"For the 2017 financial year if you are older than 65 and earn adjusted taxable income of less than $28,974 you don’t need to lodge a tax return. As your adjusted taxable income is greater than $28,974, you still need to lodge a tax return but will not pay any tax.

"I know this is slightly confusing, but does cover your situation.”

Doug said his pension was below $28,974 and he expected that he shouldn’t need to lodge a return.

“Yes, that's right, Doug," I told him.

"I remember you telling me that you don’t claim your health fund offset as you prefer to get it back at the end of the year.”

Doug confirmed they always did that.

I told him that if he was not lodging a return, he couldn't do that.

"However, there is another mechanism you can use if you still don't wish to claim the offset each pay.," I said.

"Shirley can claim your share of the offset in her tax return as well as her own. For this to work effectively you both have to be in the same health fund."

Doug said that was fine by him on the basis he liked to get a refund at the end of the year rather than a few dollars a week.

"I probably should also mention that I have been offered employment for the next six months and then for six months in each year. I haven’t decided whether to accept it yet. I expect to earn about $80,000 a year from this and I want to know about the tax,” Doug said.

I told Doug it was wise to ask.

“I see a number of people in your situation and it is a bit confusing," I said.

"Both incomes will be added together so your taxable income will be approximately $105,000. No tax is being deducted from your PSS pension and tax is being deducted from your $80,000 salary. You will need to complete a TFN declaration so that tax is deducted from your pension.

"A word of caution; most of your income should be taxed at 39 per cent including the Medicare levy. Whereas just using the TFN declaration you will be taxed at about 30 per cent.

"I recommend that you ask your superannuation provider to deduct tax at 40 per cent so you won’t owe tax at the end of the year and, of course, Shirley won’t need to claim your health-fund offset.” Doug was pleased with my advice and said it would help him decide about accepting the employment offer.

If you require tax, retirement or superannuation advice contact the experts at Gail Freeman & Co 6295 2844.

THE GROVE NGUNNAWAL