CityNews 190214

The shame of our mistreated trees

PAUL COSTIGAN

Calling out bad ‘good blokes’ KATE MEIKLE

Five stars for Zain’s pain

DOUGAL MACDONALD

Lovely flowers for late summer

CEDRIC BRYANT

REEL SUCCESS

DANIELLE NOHRA meets a prize-winning Queanbeyan animator (and her mum) with grand plans

Injured in a motor vehicle accident?

Injured in a motor vehicle accident?

Don’t delay call MEJ.

Don’t delay call MEJ.

It’s okay to love your phone, says Michael

By Danielle NOHRA

AS more days about switching off technology gain momentum, sociologist Michael Walsh questions some of their messages.

There’s “The National Day of Unplugging” in March, “Social September” and coming up on February 24 is the seventh year of “MoodOff Day”.

With a 2019 motto of “Talk to Your Children Before Technology Does” the campaign is all about connecting with people rather than a phone.

It asks people to turn their phones off for five hours on the morning of the day.

But Michael, who is an assistant professor of social sciences at the University of Canberra believes it’s more complicated than saying: “Nope, it’s all bad.”

“There’s a more complex picture that these ‘turn off’ campaigns don’t show,” says Michael, 35.

“It should be about having a conversation and not about framing social media as a so cial ill.”

“In some ways I think it pathologises phone use in a manner that is not very helpful to this issue.

“[And] it fails to acknowl edge how phones have changed social life for the better in other respects.”

According to “MoodOff Day”, when adults use technology too often it has negative impacts on younger generations.

“There are studies that show there are negative impacts (more so in the psychological sciences), but these tend to be framed in a way that only looks at the negative dimensions of phone usage,” Michael says.

“They are normatively predisposed, rather than trying to take a balanced view of the impacts of phone usage.”

While it may cause some people to reflect on their phone use, he says it shouldn’t only see technology as a negative.

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing to reflect on the use of technology,” he says.

“It gives that space to allow people to think that the world didn’t end [while their phones

were switched off].”

But, he says, there are a lot of positives in mobile phones and social media, too.

“In emergency situations mobile technology is fundamentally important,” he says.

“It’s also something that allows us to micro co-ordinate.”

For example, Michael says it allows people to text and say they’re on their way, or for many it’s a way to connect with others.

Since 1993: Volume 25, Number 5

“You might have an interest in cooking and come across a local cooking class through social media,” he says.

“I have friends who don’t like turning off their phones because they have children.

“It’s not necessarily that they’re on their phone the whole time but it’s accessible.”

Michael says NSW schools are also sending a “phones-arebad” message after they were banned from classrooms.

“Phones become a vital part of a young person’s network,”

“[So] focusing on addictive behaviour isn’t seeing the full

There’s smarter ways of handling it, according to Michael, who says people should be asking: “How do I use my phone in a way that’s actually constructive?”

“Social media is something people use as another way of socialising,” he says.

“There’s studies that show people who use their phone on a regular basis tend to communicate with people in a 50-kilometre radius, which is in addition to seeing those people face-to-face.”

When it comes to phone usage, Michael personally tries to be reflective of his usage and often thinks about how he’s using it.

“Phones are quite intelligent and can give you infographics and information on how you can use your phone,” he says.

“I think becoming aware of your phone use is important.

“[And so is] carving out space and time to actually have face-to-face connections with people.”

BRIEFLY Auxiliary urgently needs members

THE Calvary Hospital Auxiliary urgently needs new members to assist in its fundraising activities. It holds events such as a book fair in March, an Easter raffle, plant stalls, cake stalls and more from which all funds raised go towards equipment for Calvary Public Hospital patients and staff. Volunteers can be men, women, tertiary students, part or full-time workers and new retirees. To explain the work of the auxiliary, a membership drive will be held in the foyer of Calvary Public Hospital, Hayden Drive, Bruce, 10am-4pm, on Thursday, February 21. More information from 0407 835846.

Volunteers for schools

THE School Volunteer Program of the ACT is looking to recruit mature-age adults to work with students who are struggling at school to become confident learners. The program provides training and induction. “By engaging with a student regularly in their school environment you will provide nonjudgemental support and friendship that can make a significant difference to a young person’s life,” says program president Nola Shoring. More information at svpact.org.au or call 0434 537555.

Arts & Entertainment 18-22

Canberra Matters 9

Cinema 20

Crossword 23

Dining 21

Garden 22

Horoscopes 23

Letters 9 News 5-12

Politics 12

Rd, Mitchell 2911

by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell. Cover: Filmmaker Marisa Martin and her writer mum Geraldine Martin. Photo: Holly Treadaway. Story Page 19.

WHEN IT MATTERS

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It matters to us that your compensation claim is settled fairly and quickly.

Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers can win you compensation and secure your future.

When it matters, contact Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND?

Nominations for the 2019 Positive Ageing Awards are now open.

The Positive Ageing Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding older Canberrans and the people and organisations that work with, or for, them.

For more information, or to nominate, go to: www.cotaact.org.au/go/2019PAA

AND DON’T MISS THESE FEATURED EVENTS DURING ACT SENIORS WEEK

CHIEF MINISTER’S CONCERT TUE 19 MARCH, 11AM AND 1PM

ACT SENIORS WEEK EXPO THU 21 MARCH,10AM-3PM

Love later life

18-24 March 2019

A quiet word to Tony about the leaking ‘Bubble’

THE “Canberra Bubble” may have the same questionable soundproofing qualities as Maxwell Smart’s “Cone of Silence”, and former PM Tony Abbott may need to get smart over his loose lips.

“The Australian Financial Review” reports a diner seated near Abbott and journalist Simon Benson at the Kurrajong Hotel, “listening intently” and taking “comprehensive notes”. Journalists Myriam Robin and Joe Aston , write the member for Warringah freely shared opinions on several colleagues, including PM Scott Morrison , and enemies within his local branch.

MANUKA Oval – and Canberra – have passed the cricket Test test. Fans lavished praise upon the venue and its surrounds with “boutique” popping up across social media. @SamRoggeveen evoked an idyllic English village green, tweeting: “can’t be too many venues left where you can hear the batsmen calling and church bells on a Sunday afternoon”. Fans also appreciated the old-school, Jack Fingleton scoreboard and wanted to know why there was a Sir Donald Bradman stand but not a Sir Robert Menzies stand. Others queried the pronunciation of Manuka.

TIGHT security saw even former captain

dose of dorin

Greg Chappell bodily scanned by a metal detector outside the ground. And for the foolhardy fan wanting to be the first to streak at a Manuka Test, staff had “modesty” blankets on hand to cover the privates of pitch invaders. But the ultimate Australian sporting credibility thumbs up was the fact that the nearby Kingston Hotel was reportedly drunk dry by thirsty cricket fans.

THE international Year of the Pig may end up being the year of the dog in Canberra

with the local greyhound industry refusing to let go of the bone after being put down last year. Canberra owners and trainers are still focused on being able to race on their home track and are heading to the High Court in March. And the dangerousdog issue is set to again come under the microscope.

A PHOTO of a political dog with several election campaigns under its collar has made the shortlist of a national

photographic competition. Canberra photographer Jamila Toderas’ snap of would-be politician Steven Bailey and his faithful black lab Bruce is one of two local entries to make the final cut of the 2019 National Photographic Portrait Prize. Bruce gained notoriety assisting its master as he campaigned for elections as a Katter Australia Party and Sex Party candidate. Wouter Van de Voorde also made the final 40 .

HIGHLY regarded commercial radio man George Mihalos has died. The dual ACRA winning announcer/producer who spent many years with the Capital radio network in Canberra succumbed to cancer after a decade-long battle. Tributes from across the radio industry flooded in after the news of George’s passing. He was 47.

THE damning findings of an investigation into Canberra’s public health sector will come as no surprise to many who have worked in and around the system. But the “worrying and poor culture” which the review found “exists within ACT Health” would surely shock former

Katy Gallagher.

chief minister and health minister Katy Gallagher. The ACT Labor Senate candidate assured me on many occasions during her tenure there was “not a serious bullying problem in the ACT”.

THERE would also be few around Yass who would be surprised to learn the “palatability of Yass water is a major issue to be addressed”. Yass Valley Council explained in a press release that “due to current climatic conditions, water catchment experiences excessive levels of manganese and iron” which oxidises and causes “discolouration and an unpleasant smell”.

In mitigation, the council says, had it not made the “difficult decision to prioritise water security over aesthetic appearance and taste” by raising the dam wall in 2013, residents “may presently have better-tasting water but would also be experiencing severe water restrictions”. Kind of damned if you do and damned if you...

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NEWS / Canberra Mustang Car Show

The men in their mighty Mustang machines

HENSHAW previews the upcoming Canberra Mustang Car Show from a 1965 convertible, red of course!

IT takes only a few minutes sitting with a group of proud Ford Mustang classic car owners to realise they’re not just enthusiasts; they’re firmly committed to – and I suspect, obsessed by – their treasured boys’ toys.

The Canberra clan of the Mustang Owners Club of Australia (NSW) can’t wait to parade their gleaming classics at Erindale this weekend. And their unabashed glee is somewhat infectious. I can’t even get a rise out of club member Warwick Elliott when he drives up in his impeccably groomed 1965 Mustang convertible, red of course.

Why would you drive a 50-year-old car? Can’t you afford a new one? I jokingly ask. Warwick doesn’t laugh. Just a benignly tolerant grin.

Ironically, the money it cost Warwick Elliott and his club mates to rebuild their cars “from the ground up” would represent a very sizeable contribution towards the cost of the soon-to-be-released 2019 Mustang.

“I’ve got a huge jar crammed full of

receipts which I’m too scared to add up,” says Warwick. And a guesstimate?

“About $80,000.”

It’s all about touchstones, apparently.

“Mine is a 1965 car. That’s a touchstone to 1965 for me,” he explained. Other club members agree. Their cars might evoke memories from those years and retain a link with that era of their lives.

For John Perryman, Mustang madness was a comparatively latent interest. Wisely, he consulted his wife before any serious commitment.

“She said: ‘Fine, as long as you don’t try to be 25 again. Get a car befitting your age’.

meetings and she’s enthusiastic and loves the cars as I do,” John says.

I learn that Mustang owners fall into several different categories. At the high end is the Concourse group. They are obviously well heeled and delight in spending “millions of dollars” making their cars better than when they came out of the factory.

“Then there’s our group. A sort of middle group who do the cars up to make them good and fun – and safe to drive as well as good to look at,” says

engines because they never get started up. If they go anywhere, it’s on the back of a truck and pushed manually into place when they get there.

For the Canberra Mustang owners, an occasional outing is obligatory and you simply can’t ignore their grace and beauty.

“Everybody you go past when you’re driving an old classic car says ‘hey, cool car’,” says Warwick.

“It makes them remember something, too.”

classic-car owners can drive the cars up to 60 days a year for a concessional rego fee.

“If that was introduced here, you’d create a lot more interest in the community and you’d have a lot more of these cars out and about,” says John Perryman.

The biennial Canberra Mustang Car Show, Viking Park, Erindale, Sunday, February 17, 9am-2.30pm, with proceeds to Menslink.

DON’T MISS THESE FEATURED EVENTS

CHIEF MINISTER’S CONCERT

TueSday 19 March, 11am and 1pm

Join the Band of the Royal Military College for an unforgettable show.

Albert Hall, Commonwealth Ave, Yarralumla.

ENTRY BY GOLD COIN DONATION

Bookings via www. cmc19.eventbrite.com.au or 6282 37677

ACT SENIORS WEEK EXPO

ThursDAY 21 March,10am-3pm

One big day – entertainment and info on retirement, aged care, community and government services, legal, finance, travel and more!

Exhibition Park in Canberra.

ENTRY BY GOLD COIN DONATION

Positive Ageing Awards

Friday 22 March, 2:30pm

Recognise and celebrate the groups and individuals that contribute to the older Canberra community.

Weston Ck Labor Club, Teesdale Cl, Stirling. Bookings required - call 6282 3777

CANBERRA MATTERS

The neglect and shame of our mistreated trees

IN November, MLA Caroline Le Couteur asked probing questions on the future of Canberra’s trees. She is to be congratulated for her timely actions. She promptly received and circulated some devastating data.

The message from the statistics was that the ACT government has failed to care for Canberra’s urban forests. We are constantly losing trees. Ms Le Couteur is spot on when she says that the facts point to a climate emergency given the thousands of trees lost each year – around 3000.

Reports on the government’s shelves have previously identified problems with the management of our trees and point to the obvious links with climate change, heat islands, biodiversity and factors relating to the health of the city and its population.

For instance, urgent action was called for in a comprehensive 2011 report titled “Investigation into the Government’s tree management practices and the renewal of Canberra’s urban forest”.

The shocking

The ACT government inherited a fabulous urban forest. Our beloved trees are now being slowly and randomly squandered away. This is a national crime.

reality is that, having accepted the report, the government has done almost nothing about the key priorities.

When it did not like a recommendation it stated that it “agreed in principle”. This was the response to the majority of recommendations. The reason given was that those recommendations would involve a Budget decision. So, you guessed it, the monies were not allocated and the trees continue to disappear.

However, the government did find funds for the expensive City Renewal Authority that specialises in urban distractions. So much for any priority to save trees.

The 2011 report highlighted the lack of co-ordination between agencies concerned with trees and green infrastructure. To deal with this bureaucratic maze it placed a high priority on the establishment of a senior executive position, the tree curator. That was in 2011 and in 2019 this position is urgently required (I’d

Constigan is right to call out the Dickson mess LETTERS

COLUMNIST Paul Costigan is right to question the ACT government’s ability to not only satisfactorily manage the public’s ongoing accessibility to the Dickson commercial area and its adjacent recreational precinct for over two years while the new Coles supermarket and apartment complex is constructed, but also mitigate major negative impacts on existing businesses (“How does the planning minister keep his job?”, CN February 6).

Potential disruptions to the new public transport services that will operate next to this massive development site will also need to be addressed and avoided on a day-to-day basis, given the many passenger connections that will need to be made, stress-free, between bus and rail at the new nearby Dickson Interchange. In 2011 the government sought community feedback on two supermarket options for Dickson. The only choices presented to the public were having two on the large carpark site opposite Woolworths or having one there and another on the only other carpark in that shopping precinct, east of the library. The public opted for the former. The government formally

advised all consultation participants that, regardless of which option was pursued, “appropriately managing the impact of any development on car parking in the Dickson Group Centre will be a priority”. There is no evidence of workable solutions and reassurance for the public on this to date for the lengthy construction phase.

In addition, over the much longer term the impacts of having a constant stream of slow-moving vehicles winding their way past the complex forecourt much of the day and night will also require innovative management in order to “put people first” and support “active travel”. Unfortunately, the artist’s impression of the new complex suggests that the wide roadway expanses around the forecourt might support a pleasant pedestrian precinct. This is misleading – the one and only roadway shown needs to support all traffic linked to the one entry point into and out of the complex’s two-level, basement carpark, that is near the forecourt. The resulting noise and vehicle pollutants at ground level in that “public” area will be neither inviting nor healthy.

Sue Dyer, Downer to

prefer the title green infrastructure commissioner).

Just as with sustainability and heritage, issues around trees and green infrastructure are compromised by the planning minister on advice from his planning chief and directorate. Trees are the constant low priority and the consistent compromise in most planning and development decisions.

Despite all the rhetoric, brochures, strategies and colourful “place plans”, trees and related environment matters are yet to be treated seriously by this Greens/Labor government in an appropriately integrated manner.

The more established suburbs are losing their urban forests to bad planning and development decisions. As for residents in newer areas, they can dream of having the green infrastructure to assist with climate change.

Canberra was known internationally as the bush capital. The greenery has historically been its cherished profile. The ACT government inherited a fabulous urban forest. Our beloved trees are now being slowly and randomly squandered away. This is a national crime.

The city desperately requires the

Thank you for Paul’s pieces

THANK you for the continued inclusion of Paul Costigan’s articles. There needs to be a constant drive for accountability, transparency and efficiency in town planning in general to ensure community-wide best outcomes are achieved. Paul’s articles importantly contribute to this vital issue.

Mark De Bortoli, Deakin

At least they’re giving it a go

COLUMNIST Mike Welsh writes (CN, February 7) that, in a small jurisdiction like ours, Liberals Alistair Coe and Mark Parton “have no hope of making a difference to petrol prices”. Mudgee, an even smaller jurisdiction has cheaper prices than Canberra, as I witnessed on a recent holiday trip! At least this duo is trying to do something rather than accept the obviously biased status quo. Is it any wonder that a great majority of Canberrans fill up at Costco or in Queanbeyan, with the obvious exception of Mike Welsh.

Robert Kerby, via email

agency/authority as recommended in 2011 and for it to be totally independent of the other directorates, especially planning.

The tree curator needs to have legislative authority to immediately cease the destruction of our urban forests and to require the relevant agencies to work in an integrated manner to improve the future of the city and its trees.

This will take leadership that recognises that these matters are as important as the host of other top priorities – someone to overcome the tree-skeptic senior bureaucrats in this government who are skilled at protecting their silos.

While I congratulate the ACT

Greens for bringing notice to this pending disaster, I am puzzled by their approach. The ACT Greens are part of this government; they have someone in cabinet.

The ACT Greens were elected to be socially progressive and to be GREEN – to care for such matters as the future of our trees. Yet when Ms Le Couteur talks about dealing with these matters it is as if the ACT Greens were in opposition. To save our trees, their agreements with Labor need to be reconsidered immediately.

Information links are available with the online version of this article at citynews.com.au

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

It’s about respect for the rule of law, Minister

IT is a pity that only seven people, comprising two members of the family of the deceased, a journalist, myself and three others attended the recent inquest into the death, by drug overdose at the AMC, of inmate Mark O’Connor.

Mr O’Connor died after taking a combination of ice, buprenorphine and an antipsychotic drug, all of which it is assumed he obtained from the AMC’s active black market. His death is a tragedy.

The hearings provided an interesting and uncensored insight into the raw reality of life as a drug-using prisoner in Canberra’s so called human rights, rehabilitation-focused prison. It is a pity that no senior members of the ACT public service or members of the Assembly were in attendance.

On the second day of hearings, the pre-sentence reports of Mr O’Connor and his cellmate were examined. What these revealed was that both Mr O’Connor and his cellmate had long histories of substance misuse and that neither had successfully engaged in rehabilitation programs, including while detained at the AMC.

It was noted that while the cellmate had a drug addiction he was not at the time of the death of Mr O’Connor a sentenced prisoner so did not have a case plan or access to rehabilitation for dealing with his addiction.

We

An issue raised was whether it was usual or desirable for two drug-dependent inmates, neither of whom was engaging with a drug rehabilitation program, to be placed in the same cell. The coroner was told that the decision was not based on “rehabilitation need” but was a custodial management decision. However, no evidence was advanced about precisely which custodial management priority informed the decision to house drug-addicted detainees together. It may, of course,

Mr Rattenbury, the minister with primary responsibility for maintaining the rule of law in the ACT, needs to reflect on whether he should, in all conscience, continue in his present role.

simply be that there are so many detainees with a drug addiction that there is no other option.

The cellmate was advised by the coroner of his rights in relation to the giving of evidence that might incriminate him and asked him if he had been offered legal assistance. The cellmate responded that he had not been offered legal assistance. That is clearly unacceptable.

were locked in the cell all day except for the one hour a day that we get off. It was a normal day – just like any other day.

The cellmate was asked by counsel for the ACT government, as he began his evidence, if he could recall the day on which Mr O’Connor died and describe what sort of day it was. He answered that it was a normal day which he described in the following way: “We were locked in the cell all day except for the one hour a day that we get off. It was a normal day – just like any other day.”

It was noted as an aside by counsel that a consequence of locking two inmates with a chemical dependency in a cell for 23 hours a day, day after day, was that it might stimulate their desire to access drugs to help get

through the day. It would have been instructive had this line of questioning been pursued.

One other aspect of the evidence presented by the cellmate was interesting. Video footage, which must have been deeply distressing to Mr O’Connor’s family, was shown of the attempts made by corrections officers to revive Mr O’Connor with CPR after his collapse from the drug overdose. During the CPR, which involved four or five officers, the cellmate is seen bending over Mr O’Connor. He appeared, however, to be interrupted by corrections officers and directed to an adjacent cell.

When asked by counsel what he was doing in the video he said that he was attempting to provide mouth-tomouth resuscitation to his cellmate because he was aware that corrections officers had adopted a policy of not undertaking mouth-to-mouth on detainees.

Coincidentally, at the time of the coronial hearings a gaggle of members of the Legislative Assembly, for reasons not entirely clear to me, publicly disclosed their personal use of illicit drugs.

This included the Minister for Justice and Minister for Corrective

Services, Mr Shane Rattenbury, and City Services Minister Mr Chris Steel who were reported as having confessed to the possession and use of MDMA, known as ecstasy.

These are serious criminal offences. Under the relevant ACT legislation, most notably the Drugs of Dependence Act 1989, they carry a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment.

That the minister responsible for the administration of justice, the operation of the prison and management of prisoners in the ACT, including a cohort of prisoners who have been imprisoned for committing a drug offence, including potentially the same as that he has admitted to committing himself, raises serious questions of principle and propriety.

Call me old fashioned, but I believe that Mr Rattenbury, the minister with primary responsibility for maintaining the rule of law in the ACT, needs to reflect on whether he should, in all conscience, continue in his present role.

BRIEFLY

When: 28 February 2019

6.00pm – 8.00pm Cost: $50 non-members

Seniors with spirit

THE Canberra Seniors Centre says it’s conducting an awareness campaign to let locals aged over 55 know what it can do to help them get more out of their lives. It offers IT training on computers, phones, tablets; exercise options such as yoga, table tennis, medical tai chi, jazzercise and strength; dancing; painting in oils, watercolour and acrylics and porcelain painting. The centre is at 10 Watson Street, Turner and there’s more information at canberraseniors.org.au or call 6248 9509.

Wheels galore

UP to 1000 vehicles from the days of early motoring to the latest vehicles will be on display at the Council of ACT Motor Clubs’ 37th annual Shannons Wheels show at the Queanbeyan Showground, 10am-3pm, on March 3. Vehicles from more than 90 clubs around the region from Goulburn, Yass, Cooma, Cootamundra, the south coast and central west of NSW will be on display. The

The question is not whether the law he breached is a bad law or that his offending occurred when he was young and silly. It is not even the breathtaking hypocrisy flowing from the fact that as Minister for Corrections he is responsible for the implementation of policies that result in people who conceivably did little more than he has admitted to doing being locked in cells for 23 hours a day. It is about respect for the law and the rule of law and ministerial responsibility.

The least that Mr Rattenbury could do in light of his revelations is drop into the City Police Station and volunteer to make a formal statement.

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

event will also raise funds for Technology for Ageing and Disability ACT and the ACT Cancer Council Research Centre. Entry for participants and visitors is by gold-coin donation.

Order aims to help

THE local branch of the Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem is dedicating the proceeds of its annual dinner to supporting the L’Arche charity, which runs seven households in which people with an intellectual disability are supported to live fulfilling lives. The dinner will be held at a club in Yarralumla on Friday, March 29. The three course meal, including table wine and pre-dinner drinks, costs $145 including a $45 donation to L’Arche. Book via johndonovan@ozemail.com.au

Correction

LAST week’s “CityNews” (February 7) referred to Robert Valk, from The Pod Canberra, as an architect, and while he owns an architectural business he is actually a designer.

Torrien’s new job comes with some ‘surprises’

By Danielle NOHRA

WHEN Torrien Lau took on the position as YMCA Canberra’s new CEO he was surprised.

To him, like many other Canberrans, he associated YMCA Canberra with one or two “things” such as childcare or gymnastics, but never realised its wider reach.

“The community isn’t aware of it either,” he says.

Torrien, of Canberra’s south, has always lived in the ACT but only ever experienced YMCA Canberra through a holiday program in the ‘70s and, in more recent years, its swimming pools.

Now, he wants to share all the other great things the not-for-profit does.

“One of the things I’ve realised since I started is that the touch of the YMCA within the Canberra community is deep and wide,” he says.

Established in 1941, YMCA Canberra’s vision was to serve the community and has since done so through areas such as health, sport, children’s programs, disability, accommodation, hospitality and youth services.

“We see a gap and we go forth and

provide a solution,” Torrien says.

He’s joined YMCA Canberra after five years with disability accom modation support group Focus ACT, more than three of which as its CEO.

Torrien says he started at Focus ACT at a time when the disability sector was forced into change from the NDIS.

“We had to transfer from being government funded to a client-funded environment,” he says.

“The key challenge in that space was becoming financially viable while still maintaining the vision. We managed to do that really well.”

Torrien says Focus ACT became one of the best financially perform ing organisations in the country, delivering customer satisfaction rates of 96 per cent, with staff engage ment rates of 92 per cent.

And when he achieved what he’d set out to achieve he knew it was time to move on to something new.

“I resigned because I thought it was time for somebody else to come in and bring new energy and life into it,” he says.

Which is what he’s hoping to do at YMCA Canberra.

“I felt that I needed a new purpose, something that had greater value,” he says.

Drawn to what he says is the YMCA Canberra motto of “body, mind and spiritual development of

New YMCA CEO Torrien Lau… “I don’t believe that the Canberra community is actually aware of how much we do in bringing people together and filling needs in the community.”

people in the community”, Torrien felt there was a strong alignment with his own personal views.

Photo: Danielle Nohra

“There has been potentially hundreds of thousands of people who have engaged with YMCA,” he says.

“I want to bring more awareness around what the YMCA brings to the community and how it helps people become connected with the com-

“I don’t believe that the Canberra community is actually aware of how much we do in bringing people together and filling needs in the

This year, as an example, Torrien says YMCA Canberra is opening a youth space in Civic.

“As a community, it’s widely recognised that our youth can use some help,” he says.

“We’re opening a youth centre at a time when youth centres are closing.

“We’re getting no funding for it at all, but we see it as something we believe is important to provide and we would love to work with other organisations to provide ongoing support in this space.”

Another part of YMCA Canberra is its social clubs, which Torrien says are really important for connecting people in the community.

But he’d especially like to see a more unified YMCA community in

“At the moment there’s a little bit of YMCA here and a little bit there,” he says.

“I want to see people improve their body, spirit and mind in a unified community.”

Greedy snouts in the nation’s water troughs

WE are being ripped off. Water is yet another community asset being used to line the pockets of a small number of corporations.

Nowhere is it more obvious than in the management of the Murray Darling Basin. Recently, while driving across the Hay Plains between Narrandera to Balranald in NSW, I was struck by the hundreds of kilometres of flood-irrigated crops.

The price signals are simply not doing the job. More strident political decision making is needed. Profiting from huge water-using crops such as cotton and rice may have a place – but only if those making the profit are paying a fair price. There are other irrigated crops in the region that are much less water demanding such as grapes, nuts, stone fruits, citrus and vegetables.

A fair price takes into account social and environmental issues such as salination, the health of the rivers and the impact on communities. And locally is not enough.

A fair-pricing mechanism and regulation have to be considered across the

Water is a natural resource belonging to all Australians. Fair distribution of water is proving to be one of the great challenges for our nation.

length and breadth of the system from the headwaters in the Snowy Mountains or Queensland to the Coorong in SA.

It does take more than price signals. It requires agreement from a series of governments to use their powers to protect the environment and to ensure, through multiple jurisdictional legislation, appropriate distribution to farmers and others throughout the system as well as to the environment. This is the intention of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. If only it was also the outcome.

Water is a natural resource belonging to all Australians. Fair distribution of water is proving to be one of the great challenges for our nation. How many reports do we need? How many Murray-Darling Commissions until we can get this

right? Helen Vivian pointed out in the “Sydney Morning Herald” last year that: “Water is rigorously metered throughout Victoria, nearly 75 per cent of farms in the headwaters of the Darling are unmetered”. NSW “relies on an honesty system”.

It has been a hot year and a particularly hot summer. Millions of dead fish provide an indicator of mismanagement. The facile comment by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian was “we cannot control the weather” suggesting they could do nothing about the situation. Years of neglect and failure to fully implement the

Murray Darling Basin Plan over the last five years could be a major factor.

No wonder the SA Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission found that the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was “illegal” with an unsustainable diversion limit. Suggestions to limit or ban cotton farming by independent Senator Rex Patrick provoked a vigorous attack from irrigators. The senator argued that cotton sales are equivalent to exporting 20 per cent of the river system’s water to China and India.

Steve Whan, CEO of the National Irrigators’ Council, accused him of a “ridiculous suggestion” and that it was

“more in keeping with a Soviet-style command economy than an outwardlooking, modern democracy”.

Whan, a former NSW minister, argued: “Cotton is just one valuable crop grown in the Murray Darling Basin – when water is available. It makes no difference if the water extracted is used for cotton or for tomatoes or hemp.

“What matters is getting the extraction levels right. That is what the Basin Plan is trying to do”.

However, it is not enough. Greed and the search for big profits by large corporations, overrides the interests of Australian taxpayers.

For long-term planning, most of Australia should consider itself in a constant state of drought and enjoy the good years in between. With this sort of an approach there would be a reasonable chance for our nation to have regenerative, sustainable farms. The current approach by many results in recurring demands for drought support. It rubs salt into the wound to see the shearing sheds across the Hay plains falling into disrepair to be replaced by unsustainable farming practices.

Putting yourself in another’s shoes is pretty challenging. The challenge does not seem popular across the Murray-Darling system. Even more challenging is putting yourself in the shoes of the environment.

OPINION / good blokes

Calling out bad ‘good blokes’

A “GOOD bloke” – we’ve all met him. Maybe you’re him?

The salt-of-the-earth kind of man who is fair, funny, a bit of a larrikin, easy going but successful. A relatable “bloke”, liked by colleagues and mates, who would give you the shirt off his back.

It’s good to be a good bloke, don’t get me wrong. It’s a badge of honour that recognises men for being good and doing good deeds, but funnily enough I have never heard of a woman being called a “good sheila” in quite the same way.

There’s just not an equivalent title for women. I suppose being beautiful or nice can give women some extra social currency, but it’s not the same stamp of approval as being a “good bloke”. And being nice tends to be a doubleedged sword.

My friend, who is cutting her corporate teeth in a New York posting at one of the Big Four accounting firms, has been told that she’s “too nice” by her male colleagues. It’s certainly not a compliment and my friend is certainly not a pushover. Women are expected to be nice but not “too” nice as they won’t be taken seriously.

Do the good bloke’s fun, boys’ weekends away still seem like a great idea when his wife is stuck at home with two tiny children?

But it’s when being a good bloke allows men to get a free pass on behaviour, actions and words towards women –that’s when being a good bloke just doesn’t cut it for me.

And I’m not just talking about the horrific acts of violence and abuse that are perpetrated where time and again the “good-bloke” defence comes up to support them and in some cases helps to get them off the hook. This is indeed a terrible reality.

The less extreme, more everyday examples have recently tested my definition of a good bloke. Can the criteria change as we grow older?

For example, are you still a good bloke if you have always been such a fun friend to hang around when you were in your twenties, but in your thirties have proved to be an emotionally and responsibly absent husband and father?

Do the good bloke’s fun, boys’ weekends away still seem like a great idea when his wife is stuck at home with two tiny children?

Recently, I kept standing up for a male friend, in disbelief that his good-bloke status was becoming shaky. I even caught myself say: “But he’s a good bloke”. Just the once. That was the moment I realised that I was using the very same “good-bloke” defence that I have found so appalling.

Time for a rethink on the good-bloke definition to include being a good partner and father as well, I think.

KINGSTON & MANUKA

Centre of prestige and history in inner-south

THE prestigious, inner-south centres of Kingston and Manuka are rich in the history and early days of Canberra.

Kingston, named after Charles Cameron Kingston, the former Premier of SA and minister in the first Australian Commonwealth government, is one of the oldest and most densely populated suburbs.

It has undergone enormous transformation over the years and now features a blend of high-rise units, boutique shops and cafes.

Adjacent to Kingston is Manuka, which was originally named after Manuka Circle, the street that forms the northern boundary of the precinct.

Manuka Circle was on Walter Burley Griffin’s initial plan for Canberra and the NZ tea tree “Leptospermum scoparium” inspired its name.

When Griffin drew up his plans in 1912, there was still some optimism that NZ might join the Federation of Australia.

On December 12, 1925, the first business lease was let, making it one of Canberra’s oldest shopping precincts, which today is alive with vibrant restaurants, cafes and bars and a raft of professional services.

Revelation in store for hair and beauty

SARAH and her husband Giovanni Marchetti opened Revelation Hair and Beauty in Manuka four years ago to offer the community a one-stop hair and beauty shop at affordable prices.

Between Sarah, Giovanni and staffer Emily, Revelation Hair and Beauty delivers all barber and hairdressing services such as colouring, foils, styling, cuts and blow-drys.

And when it comes to hair Sarah, who has been working as a hairdresser for almost 22 years, loves using the brand DNA Organics for hair-care, which she says uses organic ingredients, isn’t tested on animals and is 100 per cent Australian-owned.

On the beauty side, there are services such as face and body waxing, manicures, pedicures, facials, spray tanning and eyebrow and eyelash tinting.

“We always have 20 per cent off beauty services and we have a product-of-themonth as well,” Sarah says.

“And we do make-up on request.”

As a Plexus ambassador, Revelation Hair and Beauty uses Plexus products for in-store skin care.

“Plexus is gut health, nutrition, weight loss, natural mood stabilisers, pain management, skin care and so much more,” Sarah says.

“Plexus is health and happiness. All natural, all plant based.”

Pharmacists wake sleeping issues

SINCE Capital Chemist Kingston moved into a new and bigger space last year, it’s now able to provide its services to more people, says managing partner Sandra Ferrington.

Located on Jardine Street in Green Square, Capital Chemist Kingston has three consultation rooms which, Sandra says, means there’s more space and availability for services such as sleep apnoea consulta tions and whooping cough and influenza vaccinations.

“We have sleep apnoea tests you can do in the comfort of your own home,” she says.

“They take the monitor home overnight and bring it back and then we’re able to send it off to a doctor for analysis.”

Sleep problems are not always obvious, and Sandra says a lot of people wouldn’t know they have it.

“Often people put it down to children or being too busy,” she says.

results.

For people interested in Plexus, Sarah has a health and wellbeing room for consultations.

Revelation Hair and Beauty, Shop 10, Palmerston Lane, Manuka. Call 6295 8695 or visit Revelation Hair and Beauty on Facebook.

SARAH GIOVANNI EMILY

Sarah; Health and Well Being ambassador. Giovanni; Barber. Emily; Hair Stylist/Colourist.

Phone: 6295 8695

Text: 0405 777 772

Email: info@revelationhairandbeauty.com.au

“It’s a good test for people who are constantly tired. Having the test can show people that there’s an obstructive sleep apnoea.

“If that goes untreated it can cause other health problems. It’s important to know.”

On top of the extra rooms, Capital Chemist Kingston also has more pharmacists ready to serve customers and answer any questions about medication and their health.

checks, hearing tests and lung function tests.

Capital Chemist Kingston, 62 Jardine Street, Green Square, Kingston. Call 6295 9146 or visit capitalchemist.com.au

Shop 10, Palmerston Lane, M Centre, The Colonnade, Manuka

Do you suffer from:

Snoring?

Always feeling tired?

Waking up with headaches?

Struggling to concentrate?

Diabetes, depression or high blood pressure?

These are possible symptoms of sleep apnoea.

KINGSTON & MANUKA

Tradition rules jewellery creations

AFTER 25 years in Manuka, the family-owned business Creations Jewellers now has the largest jewellery workshop in Canberra, according to manager and family member Natalie Alegria.

With five on-site jewellers and a diamond setter, Creations Jewellers specialises in designing new jewellery and remodelling existing jewellery.

Natalie says this sometimes means combining numerous pieces to convert customers’ jewellery into a new design that better reflects their taste and lifestyle.

She says it’s all about making a piece that will stand the test of time so it can be passed on for generations.

“At Creations, we prefer the traditional method of hand making rather than opting for computeraided design and casting,” she says.

“We believe that the traditional methods of crafting jewellery result in a quality piece of jewellery - a one-off, bespoke piece. When we can, we like to recycle the customers’ metal and stones.

“Many of our clients at Creations also come into the shop via our strong Instagram and Facebook presence.

“It gives them the opportunity to gain some insight and inspiration into all the possibilities of what can be created for them.”

Aside from the workshop, Natalie says Creations has a retail

pieces designed and made in their workshop.

It’s there where customers can see South Sea pearls, Australian coloured diamonds and coloured gemstones featured in their jewellery.

“We also have a large range of unique, handmade engagement rings for the discerning couples that

she says.

“[They’re] something different from what you may find in the chain stores.”

Creations Jewellers, Shop 5, Style Arcade, Franklin Street, Manuka. Call 6295 1763, email enquiries@ creationsjewellers.com.au or visit creationsjewellers.com.au

Couple love meeting customers’ needs

LAST year Prohibition: The Bottle Shop moved into a bigger location on Eastlake Parade so it could fit more local wines, craft beers and premium spirits, says Michelle Cains who owns it with her husband Paul.

“We wanted to better meet our customers’ needs,” Michelle says.

“We had a great range before but people couldn’t see it easily.”

Prohibition: The Bottle Shop has a following for alcohol that’s quirky and Michelle says they pride themselves on sourcing unusual and uncommon items. At the mo ment, she says Japanese whiskey has been huge.

“We also strive to have a good range of local wines, beers and spirits to support the local wine makers, brewers and distillers of the region,” she says.

Across the street is Corner Store, which was recently opened by Michelle and Paul after local demand for a convenience store.

Their two young children also inspired the couple to open up a second independent, family-owned business.

“We want our kids to grow up and watch us working hard to meet our community’s needs,” she says.

At Kingston Corner Store Michelle says they go beyond all the essentials.

“We have Pialligo Estate small goods, we have locally produced jams, we stock a range of gourmet biscuits and a range of interesting cheeses just hit the store.

“[But] we’re always looking to expand the range and meet

Clover Master Jeweller

people’s tastes and budgets.”

Prohibition: The Bottle Shop, 148 Eastlake Parade, call 6295 0864. Kingston Corner Store, 6/81 Giles Street, call 6262 8102.

MORE THAN JUST YOUR LOCAL STORE

Prohibition The Bottle Shop

We stock all the mainstream gems you expect to see – but we offer way more than that! Call in to see our great range, featuring:

• A curated collection of spirits

• Boutique gins and Japanese whiskeys

• Our range of craft beers and ciders

• Local products from the region’s winemakers, brewers and distillers

Prohibition The Bottle Shop and Kingston Corner Store are independently owned and operated retailers at Kingston Foreshore.

Providing a great customer experience and supporting local producers.

Kingston Corner Store

Come in for a great range of the everyday essentials – but also an ever growing selection of gourmet and boutique foodie delights.

We can:

• Help you plan for your upcoming event or party

• Put together a hamper for a special gift

• Pack you a picnic to enjoy by the lake – or even on a Go Boat

KINGSTON & MANUKA advertising

Handcraft and platinum specialists

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 customers to try on, too.

“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 a kind.”

Based in Manuka, Clover Jewellery makes custom and unique pieces and also offers a free quote for its design services.

Clover Jewellery, 16 Bougainville Street, Griffith. Call 6295 8545, email clover.j@hotmail.com or visit

Dr Alex Parragi

BDS (Syd)

&

Dr Anne Henchman

BDS Hons (Syd)

& Dr Rami Hussain

BDS (Adelaide)

Unit 6, Kingston Manor, 10 Kennedy St, Kingston Excellence in quality care

“So it’s time to look at your business statistics and work out what you can do

Expert legal advice on property matters

PROPERTY impacts everyone, says Susan Proctor, which is why she established the specialist property practice law firm, Proctor Legal in 2017.

“I wanted to build a specialist boutique property firm based on my significant expertise and experience in property matters,” she says.

Having practised exclusively as a commercial property lawyer for more than 20 years, Susan says she’s a specialist in ACT property matters.

She’s also a NSW Law Society Accredited Specialist in Property Law.

going forward so you can ride these times of

planning, budgeting, cash flows and “waste”

rubbish and Gail says it could be as simple as

Kingston. Call 6295 2844, email info@gailfreeman.com.au or visit gailfreeman.com.au

“Property impacts everyone, be it a home, investment, business premises or commercial enterprise,” she says.

“The complexities that can arise need to be communicated and addressed in an effective and pragmatic fashion, which is what I do.”

Although some property matters will become more automated into the immediate future, Susan says there will always be a need for specialists to work through the ever-changing legislation and case law to identify and communicate effective and practical solutions to the complex and out of the ordinary issues that commonly arise.

“I continually enhance my skill set by understanding the current trends in the marketplace,” she says.

“I challenge both my own views and traditional views when necessary to provide innovative and appropriate legal solutions for my clients.

“My clients get a personal, focused and experienced response to their property issues.”

Proctor Legal, Unit 2, 35 Murray Crescent, Manuka. Call 5104 0750, email susan@proctorlegal.com.au or visit proctorlegal.com.au

A boutique specialist property law firm

As a Law Society Accredited Specialist in Property Law, Susan Proctor can assist with;

• Complex property issues;

• Commercial Leases for both Landlords and Tenants;

• Titling and easement matters for developments over rural, mixed use and standalone titles;

• Commercial transactions involving property;

• Development, building and construction matters;

• Owners Corporation Governance Issues in ACT and NSW;

• Strata Management issues in ACT and NSW; and

PL PROCTOR LEGAL

• Sales and purchases in ACT and NSW.

Phone 02 5104 0750

2/35 Murray Crescent, Manuka ACT www.proctorlegal.com.au

“Helping

“Sunshine

“Sherry

“Treading

“Vic wants facts before taking the package”

“Shawn’s in strife for late super payments”

“Two

“Joyce

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Zain’s heartbreak in five stars

DOUGAL MACDONALD

It’s politics and cricket, the Bald Archies are back

By arts editor Helen Musa

“THE whole country is getting political indigestion,” complains Peter Batey, founder and director of the notorious Bald Archy Prize and exhibition, now in its 26th year.

“CityNews” joined Batey and Watson Arts Centre staffers Sara Hogwood and Karina Leske this morning as entries for the 2019 edition were being hung.

The Bald Archy Prize is judged by Maude, the sulphur-crested cockatoo from Coolac, who has very strong opinions about this year’s entries, “but she won’t tell you yet,” says Batey.

That’s because the canny Maude knows the announcement of the $10,000 acquisitive first prize will be made at Sydney’s Darling Harbour Sofitel during autumn – watch this space – and she’s not about to upset her munificent sponsor, millionaire plastic surgeon and hotelier Jerry Schwartz, himself once the subject of a Bald Archy entry.

Batey walked “CityNews” through this year’s 54 entries, noting that they were still waiting on the arrival of Vincent de Gouw’s portrait of the late conductor Richard Gill to make it 55.

He stopped in front of an extraordinary work, “Unveiling” by Mark Tippett, which puts together portraits of our most recent prime ministers, including, he assured us, a bit of Julia Gillard “in there somewhere”.

“Australians are politically alert,” but he said that doesn’t always make for sophisticated satire, so there was “not a lot of nuance” to be found in present-day satirical portraiture.

“In the early days, artists were keener on being humorous,” he said with a touch of nostalgia.

This year’s portraits are largely political, bookended by “Where Have all the Good PMs Gone?” By James Brennan and “The Exasperation of Saint Robert” By John Skillington, which suggest what earlier PMs Bob Hawke and Robert Menzies might have thought of this day’s bunch.

As for the most popular subject, Batey says: “Don’t ask me how many Tony Abbotts there are, and they’re all the same; hate, hate, hate.” In one portrait, “Tony Abbott – Cokehead” by Cassandra Brooker, both the border and actual painting include real petroleum coke.

There is another exotic frame for the Gladys Berejiklian painting “Our Gladys on the Light Rail Express to Nowhere” by Dave Ross, who endured danger to source the iridescent blue fur when he ventured into a fancy dress shop in Oxford Street to purchase it.

If politicians are “in” this year in the artistic sense, in the other sense, Batey says “this year it’s cricketers who are out” and “Ball Tampering” by Phil Meatchem is painted on real sandpaper. Other portraits we viewed border on the scandalous, just what Batey likes, though he does give a little legal advice from time to time. And for the first item ever, Maude has banned one portrait that showed Barnaby Joyce with a bevy of dancing sheep.

Batey and his colleague Maude (Dr Maude these days, he says: “She’s got an online doctorate from a university in Arkansas”) usually agree on most matters artistic, but regarding the 2019 obsession with politicians, they have radically different views. Batey is over this trend, saying: “Why would you even want to be a politician, everything is attacked by the media.”

But Dr Maude can’t get enough of political art – “watch out politicians!” she warns.

COVER STORY

Flickerfest win gets Marisa closer to reel success

By Danielle NOHRA

COMING out from under the desk, filmmaker Marisa Martin’s recent win at Flickerfest Short Film Festival brings her closer to her dream of producing featurelength films.

Her background in multi-media produc tions means she’s an expert in making sure computer graphics are “doing what they’re meant to”, and Marisa’s spent a lot of time under Harriet Dunkley’s desk in the Canberrabased political thriller, “Secret City”.

Now, the 39-year-old Queanbeyan resident is being recognised for her own work after winning Best Australian Animation for the 17-minute, short film “Della Mortika: Carousel of Shame”.

“This is my first really important win [because] it’s an important festival in the short-film circuit,” she says.

For it she teamed up with her mum Geraldine Martin, who wrote the script, which was inspired by a past family cat Charlotte.

The film, which isn’t actually about a cat but three sisters who search for their parents in a “steampunk” world, took about seven years for the mother-daughter team to make.

Set inside a pop-up book in Melbourne in 1888, script writer Geraldine, 67, of Bungen dore, says it’s about innovation and inventions.

“We want girls to feel inspired,” she says.

Marisa says all three sisters are inventors in their own right.

“Beatrix is the more emotional one and is more connected to people, whereas Zarah likes complex and crazy machines,” she says.

And Abigail, Geraldine says, is thoughtful and highly intelligent.

“She’s into encryptions and codes,” she says.

Marisa, who wishes she was an Abigail but thinks she’s probably a Beatrix, says the sisters follow their interests and create things that are helpful to the world.

“They tinker and tinker until their inventions are right,” she says.

After seven years of knowing the characters, which includes writing two novels about them, a TV series and the short film, Geraldine says she loves them for all their strengths and weaknesses but has a special soft spot for Zarah.

When it came to working together, Marisa

Filmmaker Marisa Martin and her writer mum Geraldine Martin… “We usually sit and we chat and mum goes off and writes it.”

and Geraldine says they loved it.

“We don’t argue, there’s nothing to argue about,” Geraldine says.

“We have common goals and similar ideals,” Marisa says.

“I’m not a words person, I’m a pictures person – mum’s the writer.

“We usually sit and we chat and mum goes off and writes it.”

But the post-production wasn’t as smooth sailing as their relationship and Marisa confesses it was intense.

“Paper puppets are much harder to work with than clay ones,” she says.

On top of that, the filming had to be fitted around paid work. In the beginning Marisa and Geraldine were granted development funding by ArtsACT to develop the film.

Holly Treadaway

“We did the bulk of it in 2010 and 2011,” Marisa says.

“We recorded the voices and then after we had to shoot in sporadic chunks. There was a year where we didn’t touch it at all.”

When the Della Morte sisters finally hit the screen at the festival it was such a big achievement for Geraldine and Marisa.

Even though the filmmaking is over, the three sisters will continue to live on as Geraldine writes their adventures in a third novel.

As for Marisa, she’ll be working with her Sydney-based sister on a horror film.

“Della Mortika: Carousel of Shame” will screen at the Canberra leg of Flickerfest, Palace Electric Cinema, Thursday, April 4.

CONVERSION SERVICE

MUSIC / Mother Language Day recital

Bells and songs to welcome walkers

By Helen Musa

“YO, heave ho! Yo, heave ho!” the 55 bronze bells of the National Carillon are chiming out as senior carillonist Thomas Laue and singer Tobias Cole check out likely songs from around the world for their Mother Language Day recital on February 24.

The National Capital Authority, which manages the Carillon, already slots in concerts for Christmas Eve, Anzac Day, International Women’s Day and even “Star Wars” Day, but this is a new, untried venture marking the UNESCO-designated day that, since 2000,

has marked the right of people all around the world to speak their own mother tongues.

The day’s origins are in West Pakistan, now Bangladesh, where a group of students were gunned down by police in February, 1952, for using their native Bangla (Bengali) language and, with this in mind, Laue and Cole have been preparing a carillon and voice version of the famous “February Song” which Bangladeshis sing in memory of their language martyrs.

That, alongside favourite folk songs from around the world, will be performed on the carillon, accompanied by Cole’s vocal group, the Lyneham High Singers, as hundreds of

colourfully-clad Canberrans walk across Kings Avenue Bridge to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity.

What is more, the UN General Assembly has declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages so Laue and Cole have come up with two lively songs by Chris Sainsbury and Brenda Gifford, indigenous Australian composers based at the ANU. Sainsbury’s song in the Dharug (Eora) language of the Sydney region is “Juljul” (jumping ant) while Gifford’s “Galaa”, meaning “summer”, is in the Dhurga language of the NSW south coast. But voice and carillon together?

CINEMA

Zain’s

“Capharnaum” (M)

Cole wants to know how that works. Easy, says Laue, as he shows off the state-of-the-art, $75,000 amplifying equipment that gets around elements of time-lapse and other prob lems. He believes this technology hasn’t been used as much as it should be and welcomes the chance to test out its capacity to balance with the human voice.

Mother Language Day recital, National Carillon, Aspen Island, Lake Burley Griffin, 11am-noon, Sunday, February 24. Helen Musa is a member of the International Mother Language Movement committee.

heartbreak in five stars

“CAPHARNAUM” has several meanings, of which the one that seems most apposite is “monstrous” in the sense of ugliness or cruelty.

The 2018 Cannes Film Festival jury, presided over by Cate Blanchett, thought Lebanese writer/ director Nadine Labaki had made a film worthy of selection as the Festival’s best, an accolade second only to the Palme d’Or.

And “Capharnaum” is a nominee for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, for which its main competitor might be the Japanese “Shoplifters”, which examines a similar theme in a rather different environment.

My hope is that “Capharnaum” carries the day on February 24. My feelings as I watched it were profound and quite discomfiting.

I did not, but wished I could, weep at the heart-breaking plight of Zain, who knows noth ing about himself in any sense that a bureaucratic search might confirm. He might be 12. We first see him in a Beirut court after being convicted for taking a knife to the landlord who, to offset unpaid rent, has bought his beloved 11-year-old sister Sahar who has just begun to menstruate.

a landmark judgement in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Scientific guides for wine making on a micro scale are now available. Written by a successful local boutique winemaker, the Guides provide a step-by-step approach to wine making - from the picking of the grapes to bottling the wine. Red and White/ Rosé Guides $30 each

Zain is asking the court to punish his parents for giving him life. The middle of the 139-minute film tells us why.

I felt anger toward a civilisation with such historical lineage that allows a child to grow up illiterate, his only wisdom being in survival.

I felt deep sympathy at how Zain, when the young Ethiopian woman Rahil who has given him shelter in return for babysitting her daughter Yonas while she goes out looking for work, must, after she fails to come home, become a parent for Yonas whose previous food had all been from Rahil’s breast.

With a cast of people who have never acted in any film, I watched “Capharnaum” with awe and respect for its uncompromising cinema craft, knowing that it was showing its dreadful reality to tell the world how things were, but did not, could not bring brightness to its people.

At Palace Electric and Dendy

“On The Basis of Sex” (M)

MIMI Leder’s biographical film written by Daniel Stiepleman dealing with the early life and burgeoning career of RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) is a re-enactment of a young wife and mother, determined to become a lawyer, from the 1959 class at Harvard Law School to winning

The two-hour movie canvasses significant events in Ginsburg’s early private, academic and professional lives to a climax telling how the Tenth Court of Appeals overturned a Taxation Court decision denying her male client the right to funding that would have been made available to a woman in the same circumstances.

English actress Felicity Jones carries “On The Basis of Sex”, standing front and centre in virtually every sequence in the film. Armie Hammer plays her husband and Justin Theroux is American Civil Liberty Union boss Mel Wulf. Sam Waterston plays Erwin Griswold, Dean of Harvard Law School at the time when Ruth, already a Cornell graduate, began her law course. Griswold, an ultra-conservative, later US Solicitor General, noted that the US Constitution makes no reference to women whom he believed belonged at home, and that success of the ACLU campaign would rip the fabric of American society to shreds. After a year at Harvard, Ruth transferred to Columbia Law School.

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

“Cold Pursuit” (MA)

THE foundation for Hans Petter Moland’s actioner is a 2014 Norwegian film “In Order of Disappearance”.

Memorialising that title is a series of slides during the course of “Cold Pursuit” telling us the gang nicknames of the bad guys whose demise we have just witnessed.

That’s just one of the many subtle moments of humour in a film in which a lot of bad guys get their comeuppances at the hands not of the police force in Kehoe in the Colorado snow country but of Nels, who operates the snow-plough clearing the road between Kehoe and the luxury hotel nearer the slopes thus saving well-heeled skiers and snow bunnies from having to go far for après ski frolics.

Liam Neeson plays Nels, who gets angry when his son gets shot by a goon employed by drug mogul Mister Big. The film is about how, to the confusion of the cops and the neglect of any kind of conventional morality, Nels goes on the warpath.

The shoot-out resolving it all is spectacular. The winter landscapes make the exterior scenes almost resemble brilliant black-and-white photography. It’s well-made escapism untrammelled by message or morality.

At all cinemas

DINING / howling moon, braddon

IT wasn’t a full moon but seemed to be. Our first visit to Howling Moon, the totally glassed-in rooftop bar at the top of The Rex Hotel, was chaotic to say the least.

But it’s a new year and my first review of 2019 so let’s start out with the positive.

The panoramic views are amazing and, unlike anything else in Canberra, it’s so worth a trip just to watch the sunset.

The décor is relaxed and tropical. The bar selection is impressive, with more than 25 whiskies and a large number of gins on offer. The cocktails are split into classics and signature options. The menus we were initially given by waitstaff featured some intriguing options for sharing, which is what we were after.

Then we stopped howling with pleasure.

The Howling Moon bar was actually closed and so one of our party headed down the glass staircase to the Swan and King bar hoping to get some attention. The rest of us studied the two menus provided – a red-coloured one for Howling Moon and a blue for Swan and King.

The bar was congested but eventually wine was purchased. Then one of our party had to head downstairs to order food.

By Helen Musa

THE National Film and Sound Archive is screening “Carriberrie”, an immersive, 14-minute, virtualreality film introduced by actor David Gulpilil and Uncle Jack Charles, 11am-2pm, February 22-June 1. It features 156 dancers and 36 performances celebrating indigenous song and dance. It’s free, headsets are provided and no bookings required.

JAZZ and blues diva Mary Coughlan, dubbed “Ireland’s Billie Holiday” for the extraordinary depth of her emotional expression, is back at Canberra Irish Club, Weston, on Wednesday, February 20. Book at trybooking.com or 6288 5088.

worn by official town crier and local arts identity, Joe McGrail-Bateup.

JUDITH Clingan and her recorder group The Wayfarers will test underground acoustics in a concert called ”The Beauty of the Earth” in Carey’s Cave, Wee Jasper, at 5.30pm on Saturday, February 23. A highlight will be the premiere of “The Mystery of the Cave”, written for recorder quartet by “CityNews” music writer, Robert Kennedy. Tickets at the gate.

AD Hoc Baroque will perform Scarlatti’s “Il Giardino d’Amore,” the love story of Venus and Adonis at St Paul’s Church, Manuka, 2pm, Sunday, February 17. Book at trybooking.com

We couldn’t get the attention of any waitstaff and so headed downstairs for a third time to order the salmon gravlax served with citrus cream and capers ($45) and the Pork (belly) Royale, served with apple and celeriac slaw ($40).

This is when we became convinced that it had

The Carnivore’s Antipasto platter ($35) was reasonable enough with prosciutto, salami, cured meats, grilled vegetables and mozzarella. For a share plate it howled out for problem is that the brie wasn’t baked enough to be nice and oozy.

order from the hotel’s in-room dining menu. Huh?

I took the in-room dining menu to our patiently waiting party. We had a squiz but decided that sharing a ham and cheese toastie or a vegetable wrap wasn’t going to cut it, especially when sitting in what The Rex says is a sophisticated cocktail bar.

So we up and left, heading to the inner-south for a lovely bite to eat. Will we return? Perhaps, but we would phone first to find out if the bar is actually open and what the deal is with the food.

Howling Moon, 150 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon.

Frédéric gets a birthday bash

By Helen Musa

“HAPPY Birthday, dear Frédéric” are the words likely to be echoing around the Polish embassy on February 21 when the Friends of Chopin Australia celebrate with a concert by Australian pianist Penelope Thwaites.

Thwaites is a familiar figure in Canberra and is partly claimed by us, as she is the daughter of the famous Australian poet, intelligence analyst and public figure in Canberra, the late Michael Thwaites and has family here.

Several years ago her musical about John Wesley, “Ride! Ride!” was staged in Wesley Uniting Church. It’s been performed by amateur and professional companies and groups in the UK and Germany more than 40 times and is surely due for a revival.

As a concert pianist, Thwaites has appeared with orchestras including the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Concert Orchestra and leading orchestras in Australia, Europe and America. In 1994, she toured Poland with Musica Viva and performed Australian music, Chopin’s “Fantaisie-Impromptu” and a selection of his mazurkas, at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

But her career has mostly been in England, where she has championed the cause of Australian composers including Percy Grainger, Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Margaret Sutherland and Malcolm Williamson. She founded the Performing Australian Music Competition held twice in London, attracting young musicians from 20 countries to perform music by 80 Australian composers.

For the birthday concert she will play mazurkas and waltzes by Chopin, Bartok’s “Roumanian Dances” and a selection from Bach’s Partita No 1 in B flat minor, also sharing personal experiences with the music of Chopin with the audience.

A Grainger expert, she edited “The New Percy Grainger Companion” and was artistic director for two Grainger Festivals in London, so it is no surprise to learn

and some etudes. Ben James, president of The Friends, says this is the first time an Australian composer has featured on one of their recital programs.

The Friends are, as usual, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to honour Chopin. After sell-out recitals by Łukasz Krupiński in the gardens of Brian and Dianne Anderson in Red Hill a month ago, they are planning another Chopin concert at the embassy in March featuring 2014 winner of the Australian International Chopin Competition, Kotaro Nagano.

James says the birthday concert is dedicated to the life and work of Polish musicologist, Prof Mieczysław Tomaszewski, who died in January this year.

“Happy Birthday Chopin – Gifts of Folk Music”, Polish embassy, 7 Turrana Street, Yarralumla, 7pm, Thursday, February 21. Book at friendsofchopin.org.au or 0466 620825.

AUSTRALIAN musical star Marina Prior will sing a selection of her favourite songs with the Canberra Wind Symphony in a concert under the stars at a Mona Farm, near Braidwood, on Saturday, February 23. Courtesy buses available. Bookings to theq.net.au or 6285 6290.

MEMBER for Monaro and NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro, fresh from announcing NSW government funding of $71,250 for Queanbeyan Art Society, has now secured a grant for a Queanbeyan tartan designed and produced with the House of Tartan in Murrumbateman. It will be

MELBOURNE operatic baritone Michael Lampard and pianist Alan Hicks perform “The Sweet Country Air” at Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, 3pm, Sunday, February 17. Book at trybooking.com or at the door (no EFTPOS).

“INTERCHANGE” is a group exhibition featuring work by members of Ausglass and the NZ Society of Artists in Glass. It’s a satellite event to complement the COLAB Conference taking place in Whanganui, NZ, and can be seen at M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, until February 24, Wednesday-Sunday, noon to 5pm.

Chris’ Trees

GARDENING

Lovely flowers for late summer

ONE of the most colourful flowering shrubs for late summer/autumn is crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica).

With stunning colours from red to pink to white and mauve, it also has the advantage of coping with hot weather; in fact it revels in the heat with more than 50 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs originating in Japan and China.

It has been cultivated for centuries, particularly in China, being something of a favourite in the Tang Dynasty (618 AD-906 AD) and planted in the grounds of the Emperor’s Palace and official government buildings.

Crepe myrtles were first introduced into Britain by the famous plant hunter Robert Fortune from China in 1759.

Now is the right time to find flowering crepe myrtles in garden centres. From low-growing varieties such as Chisam Fire (Lagerstroemia indica) which grows to 1.3 metres with a 1.5-metre spread. It presents a stunning display of red flowers with yellow centres. Slightly higher is Tonto growing to 3 metres by 3 metres with bright, fuchsia-pink-tored flowers in abundance followed by reddish-brown autumn leaves.

A feature of all crepe myrtles is the mottled cinnamon-coloured bark. For instance Sioux grows to 4.5 metres by 3 metres with hot-pink flowers and coppery-red autumn leaves. Of interest, they are now planted in Queanbeyan’s main street, get the hint Canberra!

BOTANISTS love to mess with

comes the lawn will bounce back.

• If you don’t have one, install as big a rainwater tank as you can fit in. Almost certainly the capital cost will soon be recouped when looking at the water bills this year.

• Think about covering tomatoes with shade cloth to prevent sun scorch.

• Prune roses, keep the water up to them and liquid feed every few weeks to promote the autumn flower flush.

• Diary date: Associate Prof Andy Leigh, of the University of Technology, Sydney is speaking on “How do plants do heat stress – further lessons from the Australia Desert” at the Botanic Gardens theatrette, 12.30pm, Thursday, February 28. Limited seating.

• And lastly, this quote: “If you have a garden and a library you have everything you need.”

plants and their names, deciding some plants were in the wrong family. Recently they tried to change chrysanthemums to dendranthemums. The plant industry, especially florists, refused to accept this and the original name remained. Now some gum trees are no longer eucalyptus but corymbia, eg Spotted Gum (Eucalyptus maculata) has now become Corymbia maculata

The name change affects many other eucalyptus, but if you think that’s confusing, a favourite autumn-flowering plant Sedum spectabile, the popular variety being Autumn Joy now becomes, wait for it, Hylotelephium spectabile!

CAN one put coffee grounds on to garden beds is a frequently asked question? They contain potassium and nitrogen, and some garden writers suggest they can kill earthworms and others totally disagree. Our friendly neighbour had an over-abundance from their workplace and gives them to me. I put them on the compost heap. What are your thoughts?

(cedric@citynews.com.au)

THE total rainfall for Canberra in 2018 was 471mm against a yearly average of 619mm. There have been far worse years; in 1895 it was 300.5mm; 1903, 265.7mm; 1944, 304.6mm and 1982, 260mm. While the weather bureau didn’t start official recording in Canberra until 1939, an official recording station was established at the Queanbeyan Bowling Club in 1870 (Station 070072), hence the above figures.

PUZZLES PAGE

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Rams are such fiercely independent folk. You pride yourself on being able to do just about everything yourself. But that’s not always such a good idea. This week’s Full Supermoon is in earthy Virgo, which urges you to be more grounded and practical, as you learn to take on less and delegate more. The secret to being successful at the moment is working creatively and collaboratively with others (especially at work). You’ll find many hands make light work!

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Courtesy of Saturn and Pluto, close relationships will be super intense this week, with plenty of extra responsibilities and domestic duties placed on your bovine shoulders. Bulls can sometimes blunder around being (unintentionally) insensitive. But you’ll need to be extra sensitive to the needs of loved ones, otherwise the Full Supermoon could trigger a misunderstanding or an emotional meltdown. So do your best to be a calm and steadying Taurean tower of strength.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

The Full Supermoon falls in your domestic zone, so get your house in order and tackle jobs with extra Gemini gusto. But if you spread rumours, then you’ll end up in hot water. So your motto for the week is from birthday great and ex-Beatle, George Harrison: “Gossip is the Devil’s radio.” Plus avoid taking short cuts. A slapdash attitude will only mean you have to do things twice. With a more methodical approach, you can accomplish tasks and still have time to play.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Close personal relationships will be extra intense this week and many Crabs will be in cranky and hyper-sensitive mode, as the Full Supermoon stirs up your communication zone. So be super selective about the company you keep, as you’re liable to misread signals and then overreact. You’re also keen to express your ideas via social media as you publish, post, text or tweet. But be careful you’re not sending out half-baked messages with ambiguous meanings.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

On Monday the Sun activates adventurous Uranus in your aspirations zone. So your motto for the week is from birthday great, writer Anais Nin: “Throw your dreams into space like a kite and you do not know what it will bring back. A new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” Then the Full Supermoon encourages being hasty with cash and careless with credit. But big impulse buys now could lead to major money problems later on, so shop prudently.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

This week the Full Supermoon fires up your sign on Tuesday night. Plus Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto all connect with your ruler Mercury. Which boosts your creativity and concentration, but it also cranks up your critical side and revs up your restlessness. Don’t waste your time (and everyone else’s) with endless complaining and ‘woe-is-me’ behaviour. Instead, focus on the power of positive thinking and make it a priority to have some serious fun!

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Your physical, mental and spiritual health requires attention. So spend quality time on your own, as the Full Supermoon illuminates your solitude zone. Activities like reading, meditation, contemplation, yoga, journal writing and walking in nature would all suit. Plus shine a bright spotlight on your physical well-being as you give your daily diet and fitness routine some serious tweaking. On Monday and Saturday, focus on a close relationship that needs some extra TLC.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

You have ambitious plans and goals for the future but sometimes you hold yourself back for fear of making a mistake. The Full Supermoon urges you to prioritise, have a practical plan and then put it into practise! And have you been having frustrating problems with a fractious family member? Being bossy and controlling won’t help the situation. Diplomatic Venus encourages you to hold out the olive branch of peace as you negotiate, sympathise and compromise.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

The professional pressure is on, and family members will also demand a large chunk of your precious time. But if you promise more than you can realistically deliver, then everyone will end up being disappointed. So what’s the best way to keep all the plates spinning and get everything done? Enthusiasm and persuasion are the keys. If you can convince others (with plenty of Sagittarian charm) to come on board and collaborate, then you’ll tick a lot of boxes this week.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Have you been brooding on the past, and kicking yourself for romantic or career opportunities that you’ve missed along the way? It’s time to learn from your mistakes as you reactivate your motivation, reboot your mojo and move on to a bright new future. Or have you been worrying about money? Sometime over the next three weeks, Venus will help improve your financial situation. But your good fortune will be fleeting if you choose to spend rather than save!

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

This week money matters loom large as the Full Supermoon fires up your finance zones. Plus the Sun sends a welcome confidence boost your way, especially involving a personal project or social media. So be on the look-out for a lucky opportunity when it appears. If you hesitate or procrastinate, then you’ll miss the boat. When it comes to fulfilling your goals and dreams for the future, fortune definitely favours the adventurous Aquarian who is bold and brave and proactive!

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

The Sun, Mercury and Neptune are all meandering through Pisces, which encourages intuitive insights, creativity and compassion… but also plenty of confusion and chaos! Thank goodness this week’s Full Supermoon is in earthy Virgo, which will help you be more grounded, disciplined and discriminating. If you spend too much time in fantasy land, then you’ll miss early warning signals about a relationship problem you need to address. So keep your wits about you.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2018

Across

4 Name a large peninsula in Southern Ukraine. (6)

7 Abyssinia was the former name of which NE African republic? (8)

8 In which US city was President Kennedy assassinated? (6)

9 Which term means quiet perseverance? (8)

11 Name a regular oval, as formed by a diagonal cut through a cone above the base. (7)

13 What is a supplement to a will? (7)

15 What is a docked caudal appendage? (7)

17 Name the cup for the wine of the eucharist. (7)

20 Which term describes that which is starlike? (8)

23 What is a puma also called? (6)

24 Where are public records or other historical documents kept? (8)

25 To express agreement is to do what? (6) Down

1 Name an active Sicilian volcano, Mount ... (4)

2 Which Pacific atoll was the place of US atomic bomb tests 1946-58? (6)

3 What is an informal term for political rhetoric? (4)

4 & 6 Name the Australian cyclist who came second in the 2007 and 2008 Tour de France. (5,5)

5 Which term describes that which is set in the surface of a thing? (6)

6 See 4 down.

9 In which outing do people share a meal in the open air? (6)

10 Which Indonesian island is also known as Sulawesi? (7)

12 To be banished from one's country, is to be what? (6)

14 What is an epidemic disease of high mortality? (6)

16 Which zone lies between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn? (6)

18 What, colloquially, are jockeys sometimes called? (5)

19 Name a unit of weight in gemstones. (5)

21 Who was the Friar in Robin Hood's band? (4)

22 What is the 15th March known as? (4)

Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

Helping Hartley make sense of his super

When Hartley came to see me he looked worried and confused about his superannuation.

"Everyone tells me different things, I'm hoping you could clarify it for me so that I know exactly where I stand," he said, going on to explain that he was 69 and had about $400,000 in superannuation. He told me he worked as a support worker and planned to continue in that role until he turned 75.

"I am very lucky, I have a house at the coast which is on the market and I hope settlement will be later in March," he said.

"I have been told that I can put $300,000 into superannuation and that my employer can contribute 9.5 per cent on my behalf ongoing.”

I thanked Hartley for the rundown and set about addressing his issues one by one so he would have a clear understanding of how the laws applied to him.

"Firstly, as you are over 65, you and your employer can make taxdeductible superannuation contributions up to a total of $25,000 a year," I told him.

"These are known as concessional contributions. In order to be eligible to receive deductions above the statutory 9.5 per cent you need to work at least 40 hours in any 30-day period in the financial year.

"When you reach 75, if you are still working, your superannuation contributions are restricted to the 9.5 per cent, which your employer is required to make under the Superannuation Guarantee legislation.

“If you elect to pay extra super to maximise the $25,000 there are two ways to do this. The first is to salary sacrifice. If you do this you enter into an arrangement with your employer to make a regular payment on your behalf.

"Looking at your salary and the amount your employer will contribute you will need to contribute about $750 a fortnight to maximise your contributions.

"Alternatively, you could make personal deductible contributions. You can make these at any time provided that the full amount is made by June 30. This allows you to deal with uneven cash flow and you get a tax deduction for those contributions up to the limit. If you do salary sacrifice you get a reduction in your pay and your tax each fortnight. It is up to you which you prefer.”

I then looked at other contributions Hartley could make.

"I assume that you will have money left over from the sale of your coast house, which you will use," I said.

"While you may be able to put in $300,000 of your own money until you are 65, once you have reached that milestone you can only put in $100,000 a year provided that you satisfy the test of working 40 hours in any 30-day period. You can do this every year that you satisfy the work test so you could put in $100,000 in March or April 2019 and then again in July 2019 and July 2020.

"There is also something called the downsizer contribution of $300,000, but that money must come from the sale of your principal place of residence not from an investment property.” Hartley left a happier man certain about what he could do in arranging his affairs so that he had a bit more money in superannuation.

If you need advice on superannuation, retirement or your pension contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd.