180607 citynews

Co-housing to disrupt the developers

By Danielle Nohra

A CANBERRA group is disrupting profit-driven developments with a proposed housing project in Dickson aimed at being socially supportive, economically viable and environmentally sustainable.

Rather than the typical model, where a developer sells units for profit, Cohousing Canberra’s project is initiated, designed and managed by the tenants.

“The design will come out of the group,” says Allan Spira, founding Cohousing Canberra group member and principal of Allan Spira Architects.

Seeing a need for alternative hous ing, the advocacy and resource group has submitted a discussion paper to the ACT government’s “have your say” on Housing Choices, which is currently in Stage 2 – “The Collaboration Hub”.

Allan, who has been in the industry for about 40 years, says as a professional it would be irresponsible not to work from sustainable designing principles. He started a Facebook group about 18-months ago, which has since merged with another group set up by a SEE-Change staffer, both seeking to start a conversation with others looking for alternative housing options.

developers, this innovative project is a way where citizens can live without being trapped.

When Mark and his wife started to have a family in their late 20s they were weighed down by the amazing financial burden of paying off a house.

leadership trainer is to facilitate a conversation with potential residents and look at some of the key issues.

“We need a process where people listen to each other respectfully,” he says.

ages and renters and buyers.

“Most co-housing developments have a range of different types of housing,” Allan says.

“We want multi-generational and houses of different sizes.”

It’ll typically have some shared facilities such as laundries, gardens, grouped car parking, a common room and a shared workshop or art space.

“The other aspect we’re looking to accommodate is affordable housing,” he says.

“Twenty per cent of the housing will be available to people from the lowest two income brackets.”

But, Mark says any tenants need to be comfortable fitting into the culture of everybody else.

That’s not to say that tenants need to be social, Allan says that’s up to them, but they do need to be open-minded and share ideas respectfully.

“You’ve got your own townhouse but you can also access the common facilities such as a workshop,” he says.

“There are very few townhouses developed to offer a socially supportive environment.

Sex Party slips off the register

THE Australian Sex Party’s ACT registration has been cancelled from the register of political parties from June 1 on the grounds that the party did not have at least 100 members who are electors, says ACT Electoral Commissioner Damian Cantwell. Nine parties remain registered. They are: Animal Justice Party; Australian Labor Party (ACT Branch); Canberra Community Voters; Liberal Democratic Party; Liberal Party of Australia (ACT Division); Sustainable Australia (ACT); The ACT Greens; The Community Alliance Party (ACT); The Flux Party – ACT.

‘Treasure’ hunt

A FLOOD earlier this year set back the Canberra Seniors Centre’s annual fete from autumn to winter and the club is seeking help through donations of “unwanted treasures” such as clothes, toys, books, jewellery, plants, ornaments. Donations can be left at the centre, 10 Watson Street, Turner, on weekdays. The fete will be held there, 9am-2pm, Saturday, June 23. Enquiries to 6248 9509 or cseniors@bigpond.com

Leadership trainer, Co-housing Canberra member and SEE-Change chairman Mark Spain says in an economy

“I have three kids and don’t think they’ll be able to afford their own in this economy,” he says. “It needs to be transformed.”

In the proposed community, which

“We’re trying to move away from the trend of fear and fear of ‘the other’ because a society like that becomes more costly.”

The proposed development will have about 22 to 25 units with about 40 to 50 people, which will make up a range of

Since 1993: Volume 24, Number 20

“People can enjoy living in a communal lifestyle where we can maintain a more neighbourhood feel.

“It’s been shown that people in a co-housing environment support each other and reduce government costs.”

yoursay.act.gov.au/housing-choices

Page of poetry

POET and author Geoff Page will entertain the ladies of the Gungahlin Day VIEW Club at their next lunchtime meeting in Nicholls, 11.30am, on Wednesday, June 27. Visitors and interested ladies welcome. Lunch costs $35 and bookings to 6262 2556 before noon, Monday, June 25.

Arts & Entertainment 27-29

Cinema 28

Crossword 31

Dining 29

Gardening 30

Horoscopes 31

Letters 11

News 3-11

Politics 8

Socials 12-13

Sport 6

Cover: Brave guys Warren Apps, left, and Jamie Wilson. Photo by Ana Stuart. Story Page 6.

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

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WHEN IT MATTERS

SEVEN DAYS

Loneliness of the long-distance cull protester

DESPITE a relatively unremarkable-to-date annual kangaroo cull, an animal rights activist is spooking Canberra motorists.

The protester sets up on Mugga Lane most afternoons between 3 and 6, complete with corflutes and a lifelike kangaroo mask, urging passersby to “stop the kangaroo massacre”, which is “cruel and catastrophic”.

Some motorists toot in approval, others give a lengthy blast to show displeasure and occasionally yell obscenities.

While our intrepid activist is cullcampaign toughened, one recent experience left the protester blindsided.

The driver of a large black, four-wheel drive pulled in after dark one night, then quickly left. The driver returned the following night armed with a portable light and a supply of batteries, “to make sure people see your sign”.

LRVs are coming and they are fast. Posters are popping up in shopping centres warning that LRVs (Light Rail Vehicles) are “approaching” and posing the question: “Are you Rail Ready?” Canberra-metro.com.au has begun training commuters to “only cross at designated intersection crossings”, pointing out that LRVs move quickly and that “earphones and other distractions can put you at risk”.

Meantime cynics who scoffed at a 2018 Stage 1 deadline may have a glimmer of hope with the wriggle room that appears to have been applied to the latest update.

The word is that the project will be completed on schedule by the end of 2018 with the first passengers carried in the first quarter of 2019.

As for Stage 2 it appears to be way ahead of schedule, given there is no schedule.

A large “light rail stops here” banner is plastered across the facade of the site of Geocon’s skyscraper, the Grand Central Towers at Woden.

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IF there was a Walkley Award for weasel words Nationals’ leader Michael McCormack would already have his name engraved on one of the prized gongs. Attempting to drown out predecessor Barnaby Joyce’s noise on decentralisation, the former journalist said: “Whilst there is always more work to do, any initiatives which enhance the government’s strategic policy focus on decentralisation – to not only grow regional communities but also decrease congestion in our cities and improve the quality of life and share economic opportunities more broadly –are always welcome.”

DESPITE the ongoing debacle surrounding Barnaby Joyce’s relocation of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to Armidale, the decentralisation sword of Damocles continues to hang over some Canberra public servants.

At a recent estimates hearing Nationals Senate leader Nigel Scullion admitted “seven agencies were being considered by cabinet for decentralisation away from Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne”.

The former Deputy PM continues to mock the concept after reports of staff being moved from Sydney to Parramatta suggesting: “You can’t decentralise to the centre. You have to decentralise from the centre”.

IN 2013 Belconnen was proud that a local pizza shop was consistently topping its franchise’s nationwide chain. Florey Domino’s dominated the chain’s 550 outlets nationwide winning its 13th straight annual sales award. At the time Domino’s Florey was knocking out a pie every two minutes. Now Domino’s languishes at the bottom of the just published Deakin University’s Global Obesity Centre study.

STILL on nutrition and the University of Canberra is trumpeting the appointment of health and fitness guru Michelle Bridges’

dietitian Lisa Donaldson

Diagnosed with coeliac disease and other intestinal issues more than a decade ago, Ms Donaldson, who holds a Bachelor of Education degree from UC, returned to the institution to undertake a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics graduating in 2011. Donaldson, who has also worked with Channel 9 nutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan , returns as UC’s dietitian in residence.

FORMER Ainslie transgender footballer Hannah Mouncey apparently has made giant steps in handling her “potty mouth”. The athlete who came to prominence after being banned by the AFL from playing in the AFLW recently appeared on Fox Footy’s “Open Mike” with the doyen of Melbourne AFL scribes Mike Sheahan . Mouncey tweeted that she had “recorded Open Mike without swearing… seriously, it’s a big f&*%@$g achievement”.

CANBERRA MATTERS / domestic rubbish dump

Pollies fail the smell test on Fyshwick dump

WHEN you would have thought that this Chief Minister’s government could not have any more dubious goings-on to be exposed, including those misplaced papers on the infamous Dickson Tradies land swap, yet another has been dumped in front of us.

On Thursday evening (May 31), a meeting of 120 plus southside residents patiently discussed a proposal to place Canberra’s major garbage facility in the centre of Fyshwick, a suburb zoned for commercial and light industry. The zoning does not allow for anything resembling a garbage transfer facility.

I really admired these residents who managed to stay polite in the face of such a stupid idea that has progressed through most of the ACT government’s planning stages. Are you surprised? It seems that as with all the current planning disasters, the story is generic – just insert the name of any suburb. Now it is the turn of Fyshwick’s traders and their customers.

Most of Canberra’s

I really admired these residents who managed to stay polite in the face of such a stupid idea that has progressed through most of the ACT Government’s planning stages.

domestic rubbish will be dumped here instead of at Mugga Lane. To understand the impact, please Google “Wiluna Street, Fyshwick” and look at the large block between Allbids and the railway. Yep, that’s it, right in the middle of an area where people shop for furniture, white goods and a lot more.

The local businesses are worried sick – and for good reason. Think about the smell and environmental pollution for any distance depending on the wind and the large number of garbage trucks coming and going most of the day. The traffic is already bad at times in and around Fyshwick. Now consider the impact on shopping in Fyshwick when all the city’s garbage trucks are lining up to enter and exit this centrally located site.

The presentation on the night was very measured considering the scale of stupidity with this project having progressed beyond any initial thought bubble.

The main spokesperson, who was

lucky enough to have spent the time reading a 700-page report on this thing, highlighted so many things that are wrong. All this was great for those of us who probably have been doing the garden, going to work, fishing or spending time with loved ones, instead of reading such mind-bending documentation.

But before anyone considers the many things that are technically wrong, how do you get past the fact that any caring politician could have embraced such an idea in the first place. Could it be as simple as another land deal and another case of ignoring the reality of the consequences – just like so many things in Dickson and elsewhere at the moment?

Fyshwick is in the ACT electorate of Kurrajong that has five politicians supposedly representing them. As reported on the night, none have been showing up at meetings on this topic and all received a roasting from the residents for their lack of commitment to such basic electorate issues.

One cannot imagine how anyone in this government, especially our Greens member, Shane Rattenbury, could be so proud of this rubbish proposal that they are looking

In red, the Wiluna Street site of the planned domestic rubbish dump at Fyshwick… right in the middle of an area where people shop for furniture, white goods and a lot more.

forward to the day when they cut the ribbon for a smelly waste facility in central Fyshwick. To be efficient, they could then slip around the corner to assist local traders shut up their businesses, close down their livelihoods and assist the many staff with their unemployment claim forms.

Those traders who are being vocal about this thing being plonked into the business environment will now be branded as NIMBYS – like the rest of Canberra’s citizens!

People at the meeting were definitely not against such a facility being built for Canberra. Just why

now when the Mugga Lane tip has at least 30 years life in it – and why on this site? There is no doubt that our ACT politicians are failing the smell test on the Fyshwick traders – and the rest of Canberra.

I urge all to comment before June 21: Google “Materials recovery facility – Fyshwick” and email EPDCustomerServices@act.gov.au

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

In the business of making a success of sport

By Tim GAVEL

FOUR years ago, advertising executive Warren Apps had no involvement in ice hockey before he and partner in Coordinate, Jamie Wilson, moved to invest in and secure the licence of the Canberra Brave.

He says he and Jamie became ini tially involved through their passion for Canberra rather than a love for ice hockey, which has now grown into a passion.

“We didn’t want to see another na tional sporting team depart and we threw our hat into the ring as part of that community campaign to provide some assistance to get the team back up and running,” he says.

When Mick Spencer was in the early stages of setting up his global custom design sportswear company On the Go he had no inkling that six years later he would be involved in a Canberra bid for an A League team.

Meanwhile, Michael Wallace and the IT company he works for, Netier, moved to secure the financial future of the National Capital Rally.

All three people come from completely different backgrounds yet all three have reinvigorated sport in Canberra using their business expertise.

THE Canberra Brave sits on top of the national league, four years after the team faced possible extinction. For Warren, the formula is simple; what is required is “the injection of some commercial acumen and a transformation in the way various stakeholders think about their role in the team”.

“Little did we know that within a few weeks we would actually hold the licence and be operating and running the team.

“I think it taught us a lot as well. It has actually improved us as business people, so the learning runs both ways”.

MICK

Spencer and On the Go col league Michael Caggiano, joined the Canberra bid team for an A League side late in the piece but their influence has been significant, particularly with their ability to tap into a vast business network. Their clients include the Australian men’s and women’s hockey teams and English football club Shef field Wednesday.

Michael says he often harboured a desire to be one day involved in a bid for an A League team.

“My passion is football, I am a foot ball fanatic,” he says.

“The opportunity with the business Mick and I have built at On the Go is sort of an intersection between sport

of dollars in venture capital and we know how to raise capital. We know how to build profitable, sustainable businesses and sport needs to be run

FORMichael Wallace, his entry into sports sponsorship emerged from his involvement in rallying for 20 years in Canberra as an official. His company

Netier dipped its toe in the sports sponsorship water three years ago.

“Netier had reached a size where we wanted to become more involved in the Canberra community and support Canberra community groups and Canberra people,” he says.

“We had a look around and I suggested to the director that maybe Harry Bates, who at that stage was an up and coming rally driver, might be a good person for us to start with. So we sponsored him for a couple of years.

“Then last year the director wanted the Netier name on all the cars so we stepped up to become a sponsor of the rally. This year there was a risk that the rally may not go ahead for financial reasons and we felt as though it was an important event for Canberra. We didn’t want it to go, so we stepped up to be the naming rights’ sponsor and as part of that we also took on all the marketing and communication for the rally and I became the event manager.”

What is fascinating about the insights provided by three different companies is how sport can so obviously benefit from the involvement of people who are successful at running a business not necessarily related di-

More often than not sporting groups are reluctant to embrace the business community. But as Michael Caggiano points out: “Sport is a business and we play it every day”.

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When value is lost to counting costs

GOVERNMENTS concentrate on counting costs. They are much less sophisticated at measuring value. Examples proliferate across political parties and at the Federal, state and territory level.

The great porkbarreller, Barnaby Joyce, may have got his comeuppance recently. His first appalling intervention was to move the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) from Canberra to Armidale within his own electorate. He neither counted the costs of the impact on the APVMA nor the impact on Canberra. Perhaps Joyce had a value in his own mind: his votes and his own political future. This lapse of judgement was just the start compared to the landslide of recent times.

Recently Gai Brodtmann, the member for Canberra, launched a blistering attack in the Parliament on the government “making a hobby of cutting jobs in Canberra”. She touched on “all costs and no benefits” over the APVMA. It did not stop there. She went on to broaden arguing

Not recognising value for money, not recognising long-term community contribution of members of Rotary, not recognising the risk to those in hunger, the ACT government decided to put Foodbank to tender.

the Budget means losing “98 jobs from six agencies” but not to regional Australia.

Brodtmann continued her passionate appeal for over “50 people with disabilities that will lose their jobs from the Department of Human Services”. Heartless. And, oh, the irony, from a department with that name. It’s a simple failure to understand the value thanks to a myopic view on costs.

The Federal Liberal government’s 2014 Budget slashed 16,500 jobs from Canberra. These cuts came on top of public service freezes over multiple Budgets. The impact on Canberra’s growth and on the local economy was dramatic and recovery a long time coming. Later, as Minister for Regional Development, the Nationals’ Senator Fiona Nash argued for much greater regionalisation of the public service. Unlike Barnaby Joyce, she at least declared an appropriate procedure of assessing which departments, or sections of departments, would be

suitable for moving to regional areas. It is not just the Federal government. The ACT government also loses sight of value for money. As just one example, Community Services Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith chose a path of confrontation on the work of community organisations. Fifteen years ago Canberra Rotarian, the late Jim Ritchie, found people, young and old, going hungry and did something about it. He contacted Foodbank NSW in Sydney and arranged to transport cheap, good food into the ACT. His efforts have grown so the Foodbank service has moved about 10 tonnes of food into Canberra each week. Over the last five years alone the Rotary Foodbank program delivered close enough to four million meals comprising two million kilograms of fresh, frozen and packaged food. Rotary co-ordinates the show, Roadmaster provides transport at a huge discount, charities distribute the food and the ACT government pays less than $100,000 for the transport – a third of the commercial costs. Not recognising value for money, not recognis-

ing long-term community contribution of members of Rotary, not recognising the risk to those in hunger, the ACT government decided to put Foodbank to tender. As a service club the Rotary Club of Canberra refused to tender. In the end Rotary will work with the successful tenderer to ensure as far as possible that people will not go unnecessarily hungry. What a program to put at risk? Hardly value for money!

As another example, the Victorian government is about to privatise the land titles registry providing a 40-year lease to the commercial operator.

Land Use Victoria is responsible for the registration of all land and property and holds data on mortgages, restrictions, leases and rights of way. Transactions approach $400 million a year. They are not the first. SA sold its registry for $1.6 billion and NSW is selling its registry for $2.6 billion.

The only reason that private funds invest is because they can measure a return on investment that is now lost to the public purse. It is a similar story in Canberra with public buildings sold to investors on the promise of a rental return. Across the spectrum, balancing this year’s budget trumps long term value for money.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health in the Carnell government. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Canberra.

It’s all about governance

MICHAEL Moore’s column “Democracies at a crossroad” (CN, May 24) in contrasting selected aspects of US, Iranian and Chinese government behaviour reflects on the state of “democracy” in getting things done. But is “democracy” what he is actually talking about?

Government comes in many types: autocracies to democracies, and democracies themselves come in different models. Evidence suggests that it is good governance that delivers good outcomes rather than type.

On balance though, democracy delivers good governance more often. Within democracy types, consensual models deliver better outcomes more often than majoritarian models. The UK and the US are majoritarian and the Nordic nations more consensual. Australia is in between.

Real democracy is about those affected by decisions making them. Or perhaps representatives you trust making them for you with your input.

So Moore is actually talking about quality of governance. China shows good governance on climate change (but not human rights) while the US is showing a failure of governance at the executive level.

So governance is at a crossroads and if we want others to adopt a democratic type of governance we need to demonstrate that democracy delivers better government.

Peter Tait, O’Connor

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Dickson

Jump rope team skips to Orlando

By Danielle Nohra

COMING from a family of skippers, former teacher Lisa Buchanan introduced jump rope to a group of primary students at Amaroo School as a “bit of lunchtime fun”.

It wasn’t long until its popularity picked up and the lunchtime group turned into a demonstration team with the Heart Foundation, which then saw them perform around Canberra and compete nationally.

In 2010 the club Jazzy Jumpers was formed and now, a group of skippers from it will fly to two overseas locations in July and compete internationally.

Jazzy Jumpers’ coaches Lisa Buchanan, 37, of Bonner, and her sister, a multiple worldskipping champion Nicole Brown, 28, of Jacka, are excited to see 18 of these athletes heading to Orlando, to represent

Canberra at the World Jump Rope Championships from July 1-10.

Another further five ath letes are then heading to the FISAC World Rope Skipping Championships in Shanghai in late July.

Fresh into skipping retire ment, Nicole moved to Can berra to help start the Jazzy Jumpers eight years ago.

“A lot of my childhood was skipping and training around the world, so it’s nice to see so many kids have that opportunity as well,” Nicole says.

Her and Lisa are two of four sisters, who each grew up with skipping, or in Lisa’s case, creating choreography for the girls.

At the age of 12, their fam ily moved to Brisbane where Nicole joined Cleveland Air Magic, which, she says, is one of the strongest clubs in the world.

Nicole skipped with them for about eight years and during that time travelled the world representing Australia.

She competed in Junior Olympics Jump Rope and four Rope Skipping World Championships, which is the big one out of the two.

In 2004, she was part of the 12-14 girls team, which won the Rope Skipping World Championships in the Gold Coast and then, in 2006, won in her age group again.

In 2010, Nicole was part of the only Australian team in the open women’s age division to place at the championships.

roo, who is currently training for World Jump Rope.

Ella says she was hooked after watching her sister, who started six months before her, skip.

“I thought it was something new and different that I hadn’t seen much of before,” she says.

“As well as being exciting and fun I also knew it was a very good sport to keep your fitness up and your heart healthy.

“The thing that I most enjoy about skipping is going to training and working with the lovely group of people that I do. Everyone is so encouraging and kind. We have an amazing little community.”

Orlando.

Ella and the 17 others will take part in categories such as single speed and freestyle events, pairs and teams speed and freestyle events as well as double dutch, which might include skills such as gymnastics and push ups.

“There’s so many different types of skipping you can do,” Nicole says.

“It’s really good fitness, strength and it’s also really good for rhythm because a lot of skipping is done to the beat of music.”

Until then, the Jazzy Jumpers will have their last performance practice at this year’s

More parks will be needed as Canberra densifies

PROSPECTIVE visitors to Henry Rolland Park

should not be too deterred by columnist Paul Costigan’s statement that it is a 15-minute walk to the toilets near the West Basin boat shed (“Lovely, new park where you can’t spend a penny”, CN, May 24).

By my timing, the walk from the farther end of the park is half that.

At least Mr Costigan is open about his underlying agenda of hostility to the government’s “so-called” City to the Lake project.

I prefer to hope that the park represents a recognition that as Canberra densifies, as it will, it is important that precincts such as the Northbourne corridor have spaces set aside for small parks and green spaces such as this to maintain the amenity of the area.

Wetlands such as those in Dickson, Lyneham and Campbell are a step in this direction, but additional “micro-parks” should also be considered.

Helmut Simon, Watson

Why do we need Reconciliation Day?

THE question needs to be asked: why do we need Reconciliation Day?

Australia has been colonised for more than 200 years. Surely there should have been integration before now – so why is there still a problem? The Maori in NZ are very well integrated in the community (whilst maintaining their heritage and culture) so why has that not happened here?

Africa was greatly criticised for its

apartheid and rightly so. We are all human beings and it should not matter what race, colour or religion we are, we should all be treated as equal, yet the Aboriginal people are treated as a separate race. Aboriginal funding through ATSIC was abandoned but there is still separate funding for Aborigines and separate public service departments. Why do they need an indigenous housing policy?

Instead of treating them as a separate race, treat everyone the same, after all, we are the same. Gifts of land, buildings etcetera are given to the Aborigines and they lie idle – buildings such as Scarborough House

dose of dorin

that they are not trying, not going to school, not getting jobs or some other reason?

Vi Evans via email

A dose of laughter

MY compliments to cartoonist Paul Dorin – always good but this week gave me a real belly laugh! (Dose of Dorin, CN, May 31).

I also liked Paul Costigan’s piece on the Dickson parklands. The current developer-driven push for high rise at all cost everywhere in Canberra is creating soulless precincts and destroying the pockets like Dickson with any charm. Even Singapore have realised they need to retain some areas with character.

Cathleen Timbs, Latham

years ago as president of the Yass Chamber of Commerce I lobbied hard for the Barton Highway to be made a four-lane link to the Hume Highway, including a bypass for Murrumbateman. All these years later a measly $70m has been allocated for “improvements” to this “killer road”.

This is a matter for the NSW and Federal government, combined with the shilly shallying of our local government, to come together NOW!

Cedric Bryant, Watson

No mention of train travel times

in Woden. Scarborough House belonged to the Aboriginal Corporation for a number of years remaining derelict and going to ruin and nothing was done with it until the then Federal government did a total refurbishment on it for the then Department of Health and Ageing.

Columnist Jon Stanhope (CN, May 24) listed a number of things that the Aborigines do not get and quoted figures of how many are living in poverty.

He states that Aboriginal children in the ACT are two years behind non-Aboriginals and quoted percentages on illicit drugs. The question that needs to be asked is WHY? Is it

Barton Highway is a national disgrace

THE Barton Highway is not just a local issue, but a national disgrace.

Two more tragically killed and six with serious injuries in hospital, when will it ever end?

We have lost numerous friends over the years when we lived in Yass and since.

The nation’s capital has no direct link to Australia’s second city, Melbourne, except for no better than a country lane to connect Canberra to the Hume Highway. In the last few years a token improvement with a short overtaking lane.

This has been going on too long. Over 30

THE Friends of Canberra-Sydney Rail Group is pleased with the recent announcement by Transport NSW that three potential suppliers have been identified for building new passenger trains to operate regional services in NSW and the ACT.

However, the group is concerned that no mention has been made of the critical need for improved travel times on the CanberraSydney services.

Increasing the train speed will require the introduction of tilt trains or sufficient upgrade of the existing track to eliminate many sharp curves that currently impede sustained fast running.

The group will continue to press for these issues to be adequately addressed.

William J. Fraser, co-convenor, Friends of Canberra-Sydney Rail Group

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Photos by ANA STUART

Infrastructure Support and Cloud Services for Business

BluePackets offer a range of support services and tailor our support agreements to suit your business. The broad skill set of our team means we can provide you with a total IT solution or complement your existing IT resources.

CONFERENCES & TRAINING

The who, what and where of getting ahead

SOME of the best venues and providers in training and education are right on Canberra’s doorstep.

From management training to customised event packages, check out what’s on offer when looking to upskill or organise a corporate event.

Real-life experience behind emergency training

“FERST in … Safely out!”, is the catchphrase that drives the team behind Ferst Training Solutions, which offers specialised emergency response training to workplaces in the ACT and NSW.

Since 2007, the family-run busi ness has offered a range of courses to workplaces including: Training of Emergency Response Teams; Emergency Response Chief Wardens and Wardens; General Staff Training; Fire Extinguisher Use Training; and Building Evacuation Training.

“We endeavour to give people the skills that when something does go wrong, they have the tools to get out of that situation safely,” says Gary Cheese man, director of Ferst Training Solutions.

“Our business is people safety, we give people the skills to make critical decisions to keep themselves and others safe.”

All trainers have been in operational positions, in fields including the military, fire services or emergency services, meaning they have real-life experience in dealing with many situations, Gary says.

“Our training is practical and procedural,” he says.

CREATE your own home-awayfrom-home at the Manuka Park Serviced Apartments.

Conveniently located between Manuka and Kingston, the 40-apartment complex accommodates a variety of guests, social and tour groups, corporate, government and business guests to families and wedding parties. With a passion for hospitality, hotel manager, Joel Smith, has worked in hotels across the world and intends to create a homely feeling for his guests.

He says: “I have worked in hotels across Canberra, as well as Canada and America and I really enjoy what I do.

“We have employed new staff and renovated the rooms. A few of our guests travel to Canberra for corporate events and they stay here for months out of the year. We try to make it like home for them so they feel comfortable during their stay.”

All apartments are fully selfcontained, with well-equipped kitchens, a laundry with washing machine and dryer, LCD TV with Foxtel channels, as well as a swimming pool, undercover parking and each apartment contains a private balcony or courtyard.

Ferst Training Solutions. Visit ferst.com.au or call 1300 333 778.

Contact: 02 6239 0000 www.manukapark.com.au reservations@manukapark.com.au Welcome to beautiful Manuka Park Serviced Apartments, your preferred accommodation in Canberra

Multi-purpose, multi-venue park

AS the capital’s premier, purpose-built facility, Exhibition Park in Canberra holds hundreds of events, conferences and exhibitions a year. Its refurbished spaces have room for business meetings, functions requiring a theatre setting, celebration gatherings, exhibitions and tradeshows. As a multi-purpose venue, EPIC is fully accessible with many spaces offering natural light and free line

Spaces can be configured for stylish, intimate areas to massive areas accommodating hundreds.

The many other benefits of EPIC include its events team, who are on hand to help plan and execute an event, and also the location of EPIC.

The venue is only eight minutes from the city and easily accessible to public transport and plenty of

EPIC is set on 70 hectares with multiple pavilions, centres, an arena and plenty of outdoor space for team-building activities.

Packages are available for full-day, half-day or multiple-day events.

The events team will tailor a package to suit any size, style and budget.

Exhibition Park in Canberra, Flemington Road and Northbourne Avenue, Mitchell. Call 6205 5230 or email infoepic@act.gov.au

CONFERENCES & TRAINING advertising feature

Seamless service and top technology

WITH world-leading technology, a designated event co-ordinator and a refined catering service, running a conference at Dialogue in Barton couldn’t be more seamless, says acting centre business manager Natalie Stone.

“Customer service is key,” she says. “Every booking gets their own dedicated events co-ordinator to assist and guide them through the whole process from enquiry to post-event.”

Natalie says the purpose-built modular space can be segmented to suit any requirements.

“Your event may take place in one

large space or in up to three smaller spaces, and with a host of different seating configurations,” she says.

“We’ve got a wide range of rooms to choose from, from small meeting rooms up to large conference centres, fitting up to 150 people.

“We have state-of-the-art AV and facilities, but what sets us apart is our level of customer service.”

Dialogue, 4 National Circuit, Barton. Call 6269 5700, email bookings@ dialoguebusiness.com.au or visit dialoguecanberra.com.au

LOCATED in the Parliamentary Triangle, Doma Hotels has spaces suitable for any type of conference or training event, says director of conference and events Marricel Watt. And it’s centrally located, with Marricel saying the Realm Precinct is minutes away from most government departments and only 10 minutes from the airport and city. Hotel Realm, one of Doma Hotels’ conference locations, is practically on the steps of Parliament House and several government agencies, and has spaces suitable for any type of conference, training or event,

Marricel says.

“From our state-of-the-art, purpose-built boardrooms, which can host one to 22 delegates, to our architecturally unique and versatile High Courtyard venues, which provide an exciting alternative for an event,” she says.

“The National Ballroom, currently under full renovation, is perfect for larger events and can seat up to 550 for a dinner or lunch or up to 800 for a conference.

“We have a dedicated banquet concierge service whereby your dedicated supervisor is

on call at all times.

“We also allocate a dedicated event co-ordinator to confirm the event order and logistics in the lead up.

“For larger events, we host a preconference meeting with all operational staff involved in which the client also attends to run through all event details the day or two prior.”

Doma Hotels, 1/18 National Circuit, Barton. Call 6163 1888, email marricel.watt@ domahotels.com.au or visit domahotels.com.au

CONFERENCES & TRAINING

Tailoring events for all sorts of needs

WHETHER it’s for a handful of colleagues or a few hundred friends and family, The Tradies in Dickson is able to tailor an exciting event to suit anyone’s needs.

Based in the Canberra community for about 50 years, The Tradies has elegant, modern and versatile spaces for all occasions.

“Combine our ideal location with your very own dedicated team to guide you every step of the way,

custom catering packages to suit any budget and taste, and bundled on-site accommodation rates at our award-winning four-star Quality Hotel, it’s easy to see why you can expect the best with events at The Tradies,” the club promises.

The Tradies, 2 Badham Street, Dickson. Call 6162 5656 or visit thetradies.com.au

Versatile venue that’s steeped in history

WHETHER it’s for a conference, for training or for an event, Restaurant Associates, at Old Parliament House, provides a unique experience at a classic venue steeped in Australian history, says event sales co-ordinator Kate Carroll-Fajarda.

“Decades of politics echo through the walls of Old Parliament House, making it one of Australia’s most iconic and unique, heritage-listed buildings,” Kate says.

From royal banquets and official state receptions, to corporate conferences and galas, Restaurant Associates offers seven spaces, restored to their original grandeur.

“The Members’ Dining Rooms, Private Dining Rooms, the Members’ Bar, King’s Hall, the Senate and the House of

Representatives Chambers, and separate courtyards, the renowned, heritage-listed venue provides a sophisticated and elegant backdrop for events of all styles,” she says.

“Our team will work tirelessly to ensure all requirements are met, and make your vision a reality.

“At Restaurant Associates, we are dedicated to providing a world-class service and ensuring your event runs smoothly.”

Restaurant Associates at Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes. Call 6261 7200 or visit restaurantassociates.com.au

EVENTS AT THE TRADIES

CONFERENCES & TRAINING advertising

New program for aspiring young actors

CANBERRA Academy of Dramatic Art has just announced a new program for aspiring performers in years 7-12.

Starting in 2019, the drama school will be offering a special program during school hours, which will allow students to study acting under the tutelage of industry professionals, while completing their academic work by distance education.

“Canberra has some great talent, and we’re looking to nurture it,” says the managing director of the Academy, Elizabeth Avery Scott.

“This unique program, called ‘Thrive’, gives vocation ally talented students the opportunity to advance their skills quickly.

“It has an acting focus, but will also have elements of song and dance included.”

Elizabeth says the program is similar in scope to models used by elite dance schools, which prepare young performers for industry.

“We’re looking for those young people who are passionate about performing and who will benefit from an immersive experience.”

Students in years 7-10 will consciously develop and refine their skills as actors, while those in years 11 and 12 will complete a Certificate IV in Acting for Stage and Screen and an Advanced Diploma of Performance.

“We have elite sports programs, so why not elite arts programs?” Elizabeth says.

Canberra Academy of Dramatic Art is taking applica tions for study in 2019, and auditions will be held on June 25-26.

Canberra Academy of Dramatic Art, 11 Whyalla Street, Fyshwick. Call 1300 908905, email admin@cada.net.au or visit cada.net.au

Inspiring, educating and lifting the standards

ROD Wark is the new owner and operator of Australian Security Education & Consulting Pty Ltd after 15 years of being run by Carl and Norma Rees. Rod, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the security industry, says ASEC remains a locally owned and operated Registered Training Organisation (RTO 88065).

Playing an integral role in education for the security industry since 2003, Rod says ASEC’s instructors are highly experienced and trained in their respective fields.

“Jim, Geoff, Andrew and Ron are all dedicated trainers who are more than capable of directing you into your chosen path,” he says.

“The security industry is one that has received some negative perception.

“ASEC is committed to inspiring, educat-

ing and improving the calibre of security guards across the board.

“Some exciting opportunities exist in the government sector, airport, medical, patrol, military, retail, special events, embassy and crowd control sectors, just to name a few.

“Equal opportunities exist for male and female officers – ASEC welcomes female students.”

Rod says for people considering a career in the security industry, for people over 18 looking for a career change, for retired police or military officers, or for mums who now have time to dedicate to a career, “ASEC can help you”.

SCORE BIG WITH YOUR NEXT EVENT!

Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), the capital’s premier purpose-built centre, has everything you need to run an unforgettable event, function or conference.

EPIC is home to hundreds of events per year. Our flexible, functional spaces suit every need and budget.

Book your next conference with the Executive Briefing Centre and enjoy the best view of Canberra from over 42 metres in the sky!

CONFERENCES & TRAINING

Any menu, any size, any budget

FOR people looking for something a bit more than a standard four-wall event space, the GEMA Group has them sorted.

GEMA is a catering group that runs events out of GIO Stadium and Manuka Oval.

The family-orientated business is built on core values, which means that its staff are highly accommodating and flexible to suit any event, says territory venue manager Brett Boulton.

Offering a choice of 6 conference rooms, theatrette & a break-out area, the Executive Briefing Centre is Canberra’s premier conference centre with Canberra’s best view! All rooms are equipped with state of the art AV, catering options and free parking.

p: 02 6248 8846

w: telstratower.com.au

e: bookings@ telstratower.com.au

Level 3, Black Mountain Tower, 100 Black Mountain Drive, Acton ACT

“So if you need lunch in the office or in a boardroom, or if you have a gala event, we can do that, too,” he says.

“We can do anything from two-people meetings through to conferences with thousands of people.

“Basically, we have the flexibility to do any menu,

for any size, to fit any budget.”

Brett says GEMA Group has been providing contemporary, adaptable menus to some of Canberra’s largest venues for more than 20 years.

“At Manuka Oval we can cater to 300 people in a space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the picturesque oval,” he says.

“GIO Stadium has one of the largest amount of spaces with upward of 100 different spaces to utilise for events.

“We can set up and organise boardroom meetings through to large-scale conferences.”

GEMA Group. Call 6251 5484, email canberraevents@ gema.com.au or visit gema.com.au

Up the Tower and far away

EVEN though it’s centrally located with 360 degree views, the Executive Briefing Centre in Telstra Tower still feels far away from the busyness of the city, says business manager Vesna Jovcic.

Vesna describes it as Canberra’s most unique destination for conferences and business meetings because people can see all of Canberra.

Located on Level 3, which is 42.7 metres above the summit of Black Mountain, Vesna says the spaces offer spectacular views.

“So you and your guests can enjoy free, easy parking at a unique facility in a great location,” she says.

There’s a choice of six conference rooms and a breakout area, which are all equipped with state-ofthe-art AV.

“Of the six rooms available the smallest room can be used as a day office for personal use or conducting interviews with the largest room available capable of holding a presentation or lecture for up to 70 people,” Vesna says.

Executive Briefing Centre, Telstra Tower, Level 3, 100 Black Mountain Drive, Acton. Call 6248 8846, email bookings@ telstratower.com.au or visit telstratower.com.au

WHERE CANBERRA MEETS, PLAYS &

CATERING EVENTS

GEMA GROUP

With our unique flexibility, commitment and reputation for industry expertise, GEMA Group delivers inspired catered experiences and events to remember.

An Australian owned and operated business with dedication and strength at our core, GEMA Group has been creating memories for over 30 years. With the capacity to cater everything from intimate indoor events to large scale outdoor festivals and sporting events we have a reputation for flexibility, efficiency, professionalisn and passion.

- Capacity 200 Seated, 300 Standing

- Multiple Event Rooms

- New Event Space Coming Soon!

- Meeting Packages

- Conference Packages

- Dinner Packages

- Free Parking

- Centerally Located

VENUES

GEMA Group has a variety of venues to fit any event . The crafting, creation and delivery of award-winning catering is in our blood.

- Competitive Pricing

- Flexible Spaces for Groups of 20 to 700

- Free Parking

- 10 Minutes from City

- Award Winning Catering

- Natural Light

- Technical Equipment/Support

- Fully Accessible

Jayson Hinder & Associates is now part of the Concorde Legal Group.

Continuing to service the West Belconnen Community with the same service ideas that made the late Jayson Hinder a fixture in the local community.

Conveniently located in Kippax with free parking at the door. We can assist with all areas of law.

EXPERTS OF BELCONNEN

The best people who

COMPRISING 25 suburbs surrounding the Belconnen town centre and Ginninderra Lake, Belconnen is the most populated district of the ACT.

Originally farming land, Belconnen was developed in 1966, with Aranda as its first suburb.

Now, Belconnen as we know it is a thriving hub for North Canberrans, with so much to offer residents and visitors.

Adrian never tires of tyres

FOR the past 43 years Transtate Tyre and Suspension Services has remained one of Belconnen’s most enduring businesses in the area.

“We’ve been here forever and we have a huge amount of repeat customers and new ones, too,” says owner Adrian Heffernan, who started the business about 45 years ago as a mobile tyre service.

He’s since watched Belconnen and Transtate Tyres and Suspension Services evolve throughout the years.

As well as being the biggest independent tyre supplier in Canberra, Adrian says the mechanical side has increased dramatically over the last couple of years.

“We have qualified mechanics who can do most jobs,” he says.

Transtate Tyres and Suspension Services provides a wide range of services such as tyre fitting, wheel alignment and balancing, suspension servicing, brake servicing and more.

It also stocks a wide range of tyre and wheel brands such as Pirelli, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Michelin and Toyo.

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“We pride ourselves in providing a high-quality and professional service towards our customers, all at an affordable price that won’t break your wallet,” Adrian says.

“We focus on the right advice for the right price,” Adrian says.

Transtate Tyre and Suspension Services, 2 Egan Court, Belconnen. Visit transtate.com.au or call 6253 2244.

serve the thriving hub of the north

Education and care for babies and children

SET in a professional, yet homely environment, Cooinda Cottage in Charnwood provides high-quality education and care for babies to children aged up to five years.

Part of the North Belconnen Community Association, a not-for-profit, community-based organisation, Cooinda Cottage offers 80 places a day across six rooms.

“We program for each child individually, based on the Early Years Learning Framework,” says a spokeswoman at Cooinda Cottage.

School thrives on community links

SITUATED on Lhotsky Street in Charnwood, the parish school of St Thomas Aquinas West Belconnen shares its strong community feel with its surrounding suburbs, says principal Cameron Johns.

“We’re an inclusive school, open to all students and we’re all about raising students’ achievements, whether they’re academic, social or sporting,” he says.

“We have a very diverse learning team and the teachers work with all students, whether they’re gifted, find learning hard or are somewhere else on the spectrum.”

And, as part of St Thomas Aquinas’ “community feel”, it does its best to engage the parent community and give them a say, too.

St Thomas Aquinas is modelled after its patron saint of the same name, who is the saint for education and learning.

This is why St Thomas Aquinas caters for a diverse range of learning needs and offers lunchtime clubs such as STEM clubs, book clubs, chess clubs and art clubs.

With a strong art focus, St Thomas Aquinas has a specialist sports teacher, a guitar teacher for years 4 and 6 and a Spanish teacher for all years.

St Thomas Aquinas Primary School, 25 Lhotsky Street, Charnwood. Call 6258 4077 or visit staquinas.act.edu.au

back in to the service.”

Cooinda Cottage has been operating in Charnwood since 1977 and is located in the Charnwood Shopping Complex, which provides free parking.

She says their outdoor play environments include natural and sustainable elements for children of all ages.

“We have lower than legal ratios in many rooms, which provides more opportunities for small group and individual interactions and learning experiences,” she

Celebrating more than 40 years of education at St Thomas Aquinas

Serving the community of West Belconnen including Charnwood, Dunlop, Macgregor, West Macgregor, Flynn, Fraser and Latham, the Parish School of St Thomas Aquinas seeks to live out our faith in response to the needs and challenges of the times. Our faith is important to us and underwrites all that we do.

At St Thomas Aquinas we will:

• Provide a stimulating and safe learning environment

• Challenge your child to be his or her best

• Cater for your child’s stage of development

• Teach values – Christian and caring attitudes

• Encourage collaborative learning & cater for different learning styles

• Make effective use of Information and Communication Technologies

• Teach Spanish Language and Culture

• Encourage leadership development

• Provide enrichment, through Sport, Music & Dance

• Provide the fullest potential for each child – spiritual, intellectual, physical and cultural

Bulk billing with a private-practice feel

the need for quality yet affordable health care in Canberra, My Medical Practice in Charnwood is a bulk-billing service with a private-practice feel, says assistant director Amanda Coulton.

The practice opened over a year ago after Shravan Bolli, a trained pharmacist, and his fiancee Amanda saw the need for more bulk-billing services in Canberra.

“So many pensioners, families and students are struggling, and if we can ease that burden a little bit, then we’re happy,” Amanda says.

“My Medical Practice in Charnwood is locally and family owned, we live locally and we genuinely just want to help our patients.

“We’re unlike other bulk-billing practices, we pride ourselves on our customer service and putting our patients first.”

Amanda says the practice sees the development of continuing doctor and patient relationships as an essential part of effective, positive treatment.

But, if the patient’s regular doctor is not available within the time desired the receptionists will offer the patient an appointment with an alternate doctor who may be available.

My Medical Practice in Charnwood is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6pm.

My Medical Practice, 7 Charnwood Place, Charnwood. Call 6258 0006 or search @MyMedicalCharnwood on Facebook.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Dance back to the ‘Beginning’

IN THE CITY

“The Beginning of Nature”... another of director Garry Stewart’s fiendishly difficult yet breathtakingly beautiful pieces of choreography.

Dance Theatre’s Stephen Page. To be sure, the dancers are seen holding plants, sticks and rocks in their hands and there is the use of Aboriginal language, but their style is quite non-traditional.

“It has been challenging for the dancers,” he says. “Typically, I train my dancers in contemporary dance, ballet, yoga and breakdance elements.

“My dancers are all quite forceful in the way that they dance; they have extraordinary power and mobility as well as technical expertise.”

An important element in “The Beginning of Nature” is the restitution of an Aboriginal language, that of the Kaurna people from the Adelaide Plains, which has been revived in the last two decades.

Kaurna and Narrunga man Jack Buckskin has collaborated with ADT to develop the score and libretto, which will be sung in Canberra by

directors, writers, designers, screen and stage technicians. Entry is free but registrations essential to nida.

Voices Music Theatre has a script in development; “Camelia” is written and composed by Ian Batterham with music arrangements by Daniel Brinsmead, Patrick Baker and Leonard Weiss. Set in post-World War II Egypt, it’s a musical play based on the true story of an affair between King Farouk and an actress/singer. There’s a crowdfunding campaign to help the project get to the stage at

ceramicist and printmaker Margaret Dimoff is hosting a sale and party to celebrate her Deakin gallery’s fifth anniversary on Sunday, June 24, from 10am. The art space was purpose-built in the 1980s as the Solander Gallery. Margaret was offered it for up to six months in 2013 and, after five years, is still there. Margaret says everyone’s welcome to drop in for a drink and meet the

indigenous classical singers Karen Cummings and Heru Pinkasova in the Kaurna language. Composed by Brendan Woithe, the score will be performed by the Zephyr Quartet, recently seen here with “The Aspirations of Daise Morrow”. Stewart says Buckskin, with the help of Rob Avery from Adelaide University and using 2000 words written down phonetically by German missionaries, learnt the Kaurna language and is still the only person who has fluency in it.

While the production resonates with Adelaide and its environment, it is also universal and it has been seen so far as far afield as Bogotá and Amsterdam, with plans to tour Europe and New York City.

When four dames take tea and start talking...

“Tea with the Dames” (M)

THE Sovereign needs good reason to confer titles, usually following peer group recommendations.

Unless you were in Britain and lucky enough to see any of four titled English actresses on stage, only in a cinema or on TV could you have become acquainted with Dame Maggie Smith, Dame (actually, already a Lady since her husband became Lord Olivier) Joan Plowright, Dame Eileen Atkins and Dame Judi Dench.

Hip hop dancers take on the world

By Helen Musa

A LIVELY crew of young Canberrans have made it into the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Phoenix, Arizona, where they’ll be representing Australia in the World Battles from August 5-11.

“CityNews” catches up with two motivated movers from the “Project One” crew, Ryan Telfer and Amanda Vanderkleij and their manager/choreographer/teacher Chip Lo, who directs a thriving hip hop business, Project Beats, in Civic.

Telfer and Vanderkleij are both 17-yearold, year 12 students. He heard about Project Beats through his best friend, now also a crew member, who found it online in 2014. Vanderkleij’s older sister took a casual class and told her about it.

They’re busy saving up and later this month will be on stage for a benefit show at Erindale Theatre to which they hope hundreds of fans will come.

It’s been a gruelling process. Project One first competed against other crews in Canberra, then at the nationals held in Brisbane during May, where it was chosen according to strict scoring rules, which tally up points for “breaking”, “popping”, “locking” and the more aggressive “krumping”.

In Phoenix there’ll be 4000 dancers from 50 countries in a truly international event where, as well as the main competition,

presented by celebrated hip hop dancers and choreographers, and a lot of fun activities, too.

Lo describes “the right moves”, the tried-and-true styles of hip hop dance, but says he’s not averse to incorporating other styles such as the “down-down” dance of the 1980s.

He is quick to point out that the term “hip hop” spans not just dance but a number of different practices – MCing/rapping, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti art. But what Project One does is a sophisticated version of the urban street-dancing which he began years ago. Lo himself never danced in studios, but rather in car parks, later moving into competition. He was also part of the crew that performed at the 2012 World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas.

“There are different opinions about what hip hop should be,” he explains.

“Some groups do urban street jazz but there are also heavier dance styles related to rap… people get confused by the labelling.”

At the Project Beats studio he aims to focus on dance, but says that many young people who come to him are troubled. “This place is an outlet, a community when you can be heard,” he says.

“Some people have had a rough period, but we’re not judgemental and we have lots of people with expertise here to help.”

Amanda agrees, saying: “There’s a family here, you can explain yourself no matter what you’re feeling… I come into the studio and immediately there’s a smile on my face.

“What we do definitely brings a lot of changes, we put positive energy into people, it doesn’t matter what your

So will it be a lifelong commitment for Vanderkleij and Telfer? She intends to continue dancing, but says: “My main passion is dance but I do want to go to uni and maybe study journalism or psychology.”

Telfer is interested in video and editing as

It all seems to support Lo’s theory that “dance is a metaphor for life…you can grow

On an afternoon in an English garden in 2017, Roger Michell filmed “Tea with the Dames”, in which those dames talked among and about themselves, each other, their triumphs and their occasional goofs. Its only other people are production crew and Lady Joan’s guide (her eyes have failed her). There’s no screenplay, no apparent direction from Michell, only total freedom for a quartet of octogenarian women who’ve travelled the same fascinating, often uneasy, path in public view to give the world pleasure, satisfaction, comfort and great memories to recall. They were having fun and we may not see their like again. There was a fifth Dame, Edith Evans (1888-1976, in film from 1915) immortalised by, if nothing else, her classic delivery of two words from Oscar Wilde. Yes, from “Starlight TV” in 1960, it’s Lady Bracknell (often played by a man but not in this case) asking Mr Worthing about a handbag. It’s moments like that when the moving image comes into its own. Without it, we couldn’t enjoy that or any of the other great theatrical moments that Michell’s film remembers.

Screening in the US as “Nothing Like A Dame” (a cultural barbarity presumably to avoid frightening the natives!), “Tea with the Dames” is charming, informative, intimate and great fun. It includes TV clips from visits to the Queen to receive their titles. I saw it at a preview. I intend to see it again just ‘cos it’s here!

At Palace Electric from June 7

“Gringo” (MA)

REVIEWERS in other media are downplaying Australian-born director Nash Edgerton’s comedy thriller actioner as a copy, remake, imitation of other movies. You must look far and wide to find another film in that genre to which that description wouldn’t apply.

The screenplay by Anthony Tambakis and Matthew Stone (who also has a separate story credit) applies imaginative inputs making it more flavoursome than most of its pot-boiling predecessors.

“Gringo” conforms neatly to the structural obligation of its genre, a good guy enduring vicissitudes poured over him by as many bad guys as the budget will allow before emerging triumphant in the last reel.

It’s genuinely funny. “Funny” swings both ways.

I found myself smiling much and laughing more than usual for its comic moments. And it’s funny peculiar, what Alfred Hitchcock called the MacGuffin when he needed one for “Psycho”.

In “Gringo”, it’s a demand for money that a Mexican drug lord has imposed on an American pharmaceutical company that is in the middle of launching a cannabis-based tablet with wide-ranging values. Company head Richard (Joel Edgerton) is using a public position for personal gain. His immediate subordinate is bosomy blonde biz-whiz bitch Elaine whose gutter vocabulary and body orifices are weapons to get what she wants from men. It’s not a demanding role for a skilled actress, which Charlize Theron very much is.

Confronting the bad guys is Harry (David Oyelowo) from lower down the corporate ladder, assigned to travel to Mexico to handle whatever is necessary to further the company’s objective. It might just also be that Richard wants a clear field to get up close and comfy with Harry’s wife Bonnie (Thandie Newton).

Nash Edgerton’s management of the storytelling is deft, pacy, vigorous. The tensions flow unceasingly. Its deployment of “funny” delivers a clever yet uncomplicated mix of wit and dramatic energy. Oyelowo and Theron act their heads off for our benefit. Good stuff if you want to escape from the cares of the day to a contemporary fantasy that doesn’t give a damn about who its ancestors might have been.

At all cinemas

“Gauguin” (M)

IN 1891, aged 43, former stockbroker, husband and father of five, artist with strong connections in a number of the

revolutionary artistic movements of the late 19th century, impoverished French artist Paul Gauguin left France seeking an exotic locale that would be both inspiring and affordable.

Writer/director Edouard Deluc’s film, after a brief prelude exemplifying what Gauguin later bitterly castigates as a France full of faces and places too boring to paint, is a leisurely telling of his two-year first visit to French Polynesia and his relationship with the Tahitian girl-child Tehura (Tuhei Adams) and his friendship with the youth Onati (Teiva Monoi).

The film unrolls along a thread spun from significant moments in the man’s life, emotional turmoil, happiness, artistic discovery and frustration. The locations are interesting, although Deluc, perhaps wisely, spends little time looking closely at the islands whether in long shot or close up.

Vincent Cassel plays Gauguin with an ennui consistent with a diabetic. The two young islander characters are a continuing influence on his actions, Tehura never really explaining why she would agree to live with a man more than three times her age, Onati seeing him as a teacher instructing him in wood-carving techniques.

There’s evidence that Gauguin was not notable for his capacity to form ongoing friendships. The film ends with his 1893 return to France, before returning to the Marquesas in 1895 to paint many of the works that brought him posthumous fame before succumbing to syphilis in 1903. I doubt that a line on a graph describing audience emotions generated by ”Gauguin” would show much upward movement but it may well exercise the curiosity of people seeking to discover the state or states of mind driving an artist. As if we could! At Palace Electric and Dendy

“Canberra native” Emily Williams in New York… “Moving to NYC was a huge step for me.”

Emily’s dancing in the right direction

By Helen Musa

CANBERRA has an extraordinary record when it comes to producing elite dancers.

Elsewhere, I have written about the principal ballerina with the Australian Ballet, Lana Jones, and now news has arrived from 20-year-old, self-styled “Canberra native”, Emily Williams, about her successes in New York.

In 2012 “CityNews” reported that Williams, a student of Canberra Dance Development Centre director Jackie Hallahan since age three, had been accepted into New York’s Joffrey Ballet School. Before that, at age 11, she had joined CDDC’s full-time vocational course and was only 15 when she took flight for New York.

Williams has now been living in NYC for the past five years and tells us: “As one of the few dancers to move internationally from training in Canberra alone, moving to NYC was a huge step for me”.

But she reports she has no regrets, knowing it was the right move for her career and that it opened the doors to a wider range of opportunities.

Those opportunities have included attending a cultural festival in Shanghai and performing in the Dance in Italy festival.

While at Joffrey, she performed the principal role in the restaging

DINING / sweet bones, braddon Wholesome, home cooking

Sweet Bones promises that it sources as much local and organic ingredients as possible. All menu items are vegan and most items can be made gluten free.

By Wendy Johnson

SWEET Bones, a vegan café and bakery, first opened its doors in 2011. It grew out of its first home and it now has a bigger possie at 18 Lonsdale Street in Braddon.

Owners Emily and Russell Brindley have a passion for no-frills whole foods… and a bit of rock ‘n’ roll if the eclectic décor is anything to go by.

Sweet Bones’ menu is inspired by the couple’s travels over many years and love of wholesome, cruelty free, home cooking. Emily and Russell are both vegan and believe in the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet.

The menu features all-day breakfast, light meals, burgers and salads and items from “South of the Border”. This is where I headed, quickly deciding on the warm burrito bowl ($16.50). It was bursting with flavour and loaded with ingredients such as brown rice, queso Mexican beans, corn salsa, grilled veggies, hot-as-they-come jalapeno peppers and marinated kale. Everything worked well together and I loved the crunchy corn chips on the side.

of choreographer Bill T Jones’ “Power/Fu” and, combining musical and dance abilities, she also worked as a repetiteur there and helped stage Robert Ray’s “The Nutcracker” for three of her four years before graduating, earning the praise of Joffrey artistic director, Era Jouravlev, who has described her as “an exceptional artist”.

Williams is now a company artist with the Ajkun Ballet Theatre, also located in the Big Apple and led by innovative teachers Leonard and Chiara Ajkun. She is one of our proudest cultural exports.

The shape of the bowl was pretty but the bowl itself was too small to manage the salad gracefully, at least for me. Stuff kept falling all over the place as I tried to dig through to the bottom. Hardly a big deal in the scheme of things, I know, but sometimes I’m not in the mood to fuss with my food.

The Buddha Bowl salad was equally loaded with goodness ($15). Heaps of marinated tofu, beetroot, sprouts, quinoa, lentils, greens and more. You can choose a dressing, either tahini, balsamic vinaigrette, chipotle aioli or cashew tamari. My friend opted for balsamic. The salad is a healthy option for sure – the kind that makes you feel righteous when dining – but it was light on with flavour.

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

Other items on the menu that caught my eye were the organic granola ($16.50), the raw chia cup (coconut water-soaked chia porridge for $11) and the wildwood salad with tahini dressing ($15).

My coffee was disappointing. I get that coffee is a personal thing, but it was weak, super-duper milky and on the coolish side. Still, Sweet Bones takes care to order locally roasted coffee from Red Brick Espresso (the Cypher blend).

Sweet Bones promises that it sources as much local and organic ingredients as possible. All menu items are vegan and most items can be made gluten free.

The café doesn’t accept reserva tions, stating they’re too busy most days. There’s a 10 per cent surcharge on Sundays and public holidays, which they say goes directly to their “kick-ass” staff. The outdoor area out front is quite large.

Sweet Bones, 18 Lonsdale Street, Brad don, open seven days (7.30am opening time except Sundays, 8.30am).

GARDENING

Here come the lovely roses!

WINTER can be an exciting time for gardeners; an opportunity to take out dead shrubs or those that have been struggling for possibly years.

Get rid of them now, I say, and give a new plant a chance in life! Roses are starting to arrive in garden centres with many exciting new varieties and it’s worth remembering to look for strong, two-year old roses. They’re the ones with stems as thick as an adult little finger. Avoid any with stems no thicker than a pencil.

Supermarket roses may seem cheaper but they are subject to artificial light and air conditioning. It only takes a couple of minus 4C nights and you’ve done your money. Garden centres store roses in the open in the sort of natural conditions as they would experience in a garden.

When planting roses, dig the hole slightly larger so roots don’t have to

be bent round in the hole.

If the ground is heavy going with clay use a liquid ground breaker rather than gypsum. This soaks down and sideways, whereas gypsum stays only in the hole.

Keep all artificial chemical fertilisers well away from the hole; they can cause severe burning of young, new roots.

In preparing the soil, use old cow manure or rotted leaves and if planting roses where they were grown before it is vital to remove a barrow load of soil and replace with new soil. Roses are susceptible to a root virus that can stay in the ground for years.

Finally, plant with the roots spread over a slight mound of soil in the bottom of the hole. Lightly compact the soil as the hole is filled and form a bank around the new rose to hold a bucket of water mixed with Maxicrop Certified Organic Seaweed Plant Nutrient; this specifically encourages new root growth.

AND a little more about growing persimmons; there are two types –astringent and non-astringent.

I’m not keen on the former as it takes until the fruit is squishy soft to eliminate the astringency before being edible.

Whereas, the non-astringent variety is similar to an apple with its firm flesh. I cut out the hard stalk in the top of the fruit, peel it like an apple and chop it up. I store it in plastic boxes in the freezer for later use.

The non-astringent Persimmon varieties include “Fuyu” or “Jiro”. Both grow into small, rounded trees. The ornamental value of persimmons, with their fabulous autumn colour of both the leaves and bright orange fruit, make them a wonderful addition to any medium-sized garden. These varieties are grown by Victoria’s Fleming’s Nurseries,

Jottings...

• Now’s the time to plant asparagus, rhubarb crowns and herbs.

• Feed winter veggies with Neutrog “Seamungus”, a certified organic fertiliser of composted seaweed, composted manure, fish and humic acid. The unique properties of seaweed provides the catalyst for providing higher yields.

• Although spring is best for mulching, I recommend a layer of mulch around tender perennials to reduce frost damage.

PUZZLES PAGE

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

You relish your independence and freedom but don’t be a lone Ram! Wednesday night’s New Moon encourages you to find fresh ways to connect with others –both in your local neighbourhood and your online community. With Venus zooming into your entertainment zone, you’ll also have fun fraternising with family and friends. So why not dress up and let your party animal persona run wild? As writer Emile Zola (a fellow Aries) declared: “I came into this life to live out loud!”

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Wednesday night’s New Moon is stimulating your money zone so it’s the best week of the year to take stock of your financial situation and find fresh ways to boost cash flow. The more creative and innovative your thinking is, the better the outcome will be. But the planets could also agitate your jealous side, or you could become increasingly demanding towards a child, friend, lover or family member. Uranus reminds you to give loved ones room to move and express themselves.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

With the New Moon in your sign (plus Mercury connecting with sparky Uranus) you’re in Gemini gadfly mode as you converse, communicate, socialise and circulate. It’s the best week of the year to refresh your physical appearance, update your wardrobe or review your personal beliefs. And it’s a terrific time for entrepreneurial Twins to launch a website, blog, book or social media campaign. Just make sure your playful chatter doesn’t denigrate into gratuitous gossip.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

You’re keen to retreat into your cosy Crab cave as the New Moon moves through your contemplation zone. So solo activities like meditation and yoga are favoured. But a close relationship could veer off-course and shake you out of any sense of complacency. Your inner voice will help you to navigate your way home. Be inspired by Princess Diana (who had Sun in intuitive Cancer and Moon in rebellious Aquarius): “I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head.”

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

This week you’ll feel your Lion’s roar returning! With va-va-voom Venus sashaying into your sign, you’ll be at your lively best as you charm the cynics, dazzle the doubters, and flirt up a storm. The New Moon encourages you to talk about your grandiose goals, divine dreams and spectacular schemes for the future. But make sure you also walk your talk, and actually put those plans into productive action. Plus – if you rush communication – then you could end up in hot water.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Virgos are clever and capable. The question is - are you confident enough for big time success? The New Moon charges up your career zone, but you won’t get ahead if you waste time making mountains out of molehills. Networking is favoured, as you expand your local and international connections. A wonderful opportunity is heading in your direction but you must grab it when it appears or it will pass you by. So stop over-thinking things and instead, start doing!

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Wednesday’s New Moon activates your travel zone so a heavenly holiday is likely sometime over the coming year. But it won’t happen if you’re a lackadaisical Libran! Take action ASAP via a spontaneous booking (if you’ve got the money) or a smart savings plan (if you’re currently cash-strapped). Plus take a long look at your hidden hopes and wishes for the future. Do they need a radical shake-up? Make sure your dreams are creative, innovative, flexible and fun.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Venus moves into your career zone. So socialising with colleagues will help improve workplace relations. If you’re looking for employment, put the word out amongst family and friends. The New Moon encourages you to be financially knowledgeable and proactive. But your carefully planned week could be turned upside down, when Uranus upsets the apple cart and throws some messy surprises into the mix. Especially involving a romantic relationship or a professional project.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Under the influence of the magical New Moon, it’s a fabulous week to join a dating site, start a romance, propose, get married, reboot a rickety relationship or launch a joint venture. Attached Archers – take the time to talk through problems with your spouse. Singles – look beyond the exterior package that a potential partner presents. Killer curves or bulging biceps may seem enticing but if the two of you can’t communicate really well, then it’s just not going to last.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Wednesday night’s New Moon encourages you to adjust your home/work ratio so that it’s more balanced for your body, mind and spirit. But loved ones won’t behave in predictable ways this week, so don’t even try to anticipate what they will do next. And avoid butting in, being a bossy Goat, and offering (well-intentioned) advice. Loved ones need to make their own mistakes and follow their own dreams. So smart Capricorns will calm down and be open to change.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

The New Moon encourages you to build bridges with a child or teenager, initiate a fabulous new friendship, start a romance or take up a hobby you’ve always been interested in. But has an old relationship finally run out of steam? Or is a fair-weather friend questioning your behaviour and holding you back? Uranus urges you to review your partnerships and peer group; discard negative influences; and surround yourself with positive people who support your dreams.

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

It’s a wonderful week to entertain family and friends at home with a special meal, as the New Moon stimulates your domestic zone, convivial conversation is a bonus. Being of service to others (with kindness, compassion and style) also brings much joy and satisfaction. Plus take the time to savour and enjoy the simple things in your everyday life… like a kiss from a child or a walk in the park. But avoid making a rash comment (in person or online) that you later regret.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2018

Across

4 Which member of the clergy is employed as the assistant of a rector or vicar? (6)

7 What is a more common term for a tyro? (8)

8 Which dish is served at dinner before the main course? (6)

9 Name another word for a firebug. (8)

11 Which colloquial term describes any small amount? (7)

13 Which style of art was developed in Italy in the 16th century? (7)

15 Name an Australian explorer 1818-48, Edmund ... (7)

17 Who, in Roman mythology, was the god of the sea? (7)

20 What might we call one who seizes a person by legal authority? (8)

23 Name the positive particle present in every atomic nucleus. (6)

24 Lincoln is the capital of which US state? (8)

25 Which US singer was noted for his crooning style, Harry Lillis ...? (6) Down

1 What do we call one who inherits the estate of a deceased person? (4)

2 Name a wide-sleeved robe, characteristic of Japanese costume. (6)

3 Which term describes one who is opposed to a particular practice, etc? (4)

4 Name a mountainous Greek island in the Mediterranean. (5)

5 Name the innermost coat of the posterior part of the eyeball. (6)

6 What is the practice of larceny known as? (5)

9 What is a golden-brown colour? (6)

10 Name the presiding officer of the House of Representatives. (7)

12 Who was the friend of Huckleberry Finn, Tom ...? (6)

14 What is the relative rank or social standing of a person? (6)

16 Name the capital of the Bahamas. (6)

18 Which expression implies a deviation from accuracy? (5)

19 What do we call a nurse for children? (5)

21 Which red variety of corundum is highly prized as a gem? (4)

22 What is a portable icebox? (4)

Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

What to look for as June 30 looms

Sensing the end of the financial year, Julia and Peter came to see me to check whether there was any new legislation that would impact their business.

“There are a few things that I'll let you know about and then you can decide what's most useful for you," I said.

"In the Federal Budget the Treasurer announced that the immediate write off for items costing less than $20,000 will continue until June 30, 2019.

"As your business is looking profitable this year, you should think about buying that new computer system we've been talking about. I recollect that the cost was about $17,000.

"If you do need to borrow to do this you can still do so and, provided you don't lease but do hire purchase or take out a loan, you will be able to claim the interest and 100 per cent of the cost as tax deductions. You will still be able to do the same thing next year.”

I told them there were a couple of things in the superannuation area they might find helpful.

"As you may remember, earlier this year we discussed that each of you can now contribute up to $25,000 a year to your superannuation fund," I said.

"As your employer will have contributed about $10,000 for each of you, you could each make a further tax-deductible contribution of $15,000. You could either make a personal contribution or the company could make the extra contributions for you.

"As the company tax rate is lower than your personal rate, you would get a higher tax deduction if you pay the superannuation personally. I estimate that on $15,000 you would each get a tax deduction of about $5700.”

I also alerted them to a helpful change for their self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF).

"There is a proposal that, from July 1, 2019, the maximum number of members in a SMSF will be increased from four to six," I said.

"This could be useful for you if your youngest son joins the company as he can be in the same superannuation fund as your other working family members. We are still waiting for this legislation. I will keep you posted when it is enacted.

“The last proposal I will mention will probably benefit your father when he finally does retire. If he is between 65 and 74 and has a superannuation balance of less than $300,000 at that time he will be able to contribute to superannuation without having to satisfy the work test. Again we will need to keep an eye out for this piece of legislation.

“As usual at this time of year, it's wise to purchase anything that you need for the business. You must write off your bad debts before June 30 by holding a formal directors’ meeting and confirming the debts that are to be written off. Also do a formal stocktake on June 30 just to make sure that your stock figures are correct.”

If you need any help with year-end tax planning contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd.

WINNUNGA NIMMITYJAH ABORIGINAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

Winnunga Nimmityjah AHCS is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal community of the ACT.

In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health.

The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal people in the ACT.

Our aim is to provide a culturally safe, holistic health care service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding regions. The holistic health care provided by Winnunga AHCS includes not only medical care, but a range of programs to promote good health and healthy lifestyles. Our services include:

• GP and Nursing

• Midwifery

• Immunisations

• Health Checks

• Men’s & Women’s Health

• Hearing Health

• Dental

• Physiotherapy

• Podiatry

• Dietician (Nutrition)

• Counselling

• Diabetes Clinic

• Quit Smoking Services / No More Boondah

• Needle Syringe Program

• Mental Health Support

• Healthy Weight Program

• Healthy Cooking Group

• Mums and Bubs Group / Child Health

• Optometry Service

• Psychology and Psychiatrist

• Community Events

• Groups

ALL OUR SERVICES ARE FREE OF CHARGE • WE MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH TRANSPORT

CLINIC HOURS | MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9am-8pm

Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services. Ph: 6284 6222 | 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah