CityNews 190905

BLOKEY DAYS Building over

Peita de Boer and Kim Raysmith are working to get more women into construction

Is this the worst house in Canberra?

PAUL COSTIGAN Democracy falters with cash in a bag

MICHAEL MOORE Cast away in the library cupboard

ROBERT MACKLIN

Leon wants to know what matters

By Danielle NOHRA

WHEN Leon Delaney begins as the Drive announcer of 2CC’s afternoon show on Monday, September 16, he’ll be asking Canberrans what matters to them.

“I want to start a conversation and give people the opportunity to express their views and disagree with me, which is when it gets interesting,” Leon says.

Coming from the Gold Coast, Leon, 57, takes over Drive after the departure of Tim Shaw late last month.

Leon, who will be on air weekdays, 3pm-6pm, brings with him about 40 years’ experience in radio.

“The original inspiration [to go into a career in radio] came when I was a teenager in high school,” he says.

“I used to listen to the top 40 countdown on the local radio station in Kingaroy, Queensland.”

But before then, Leon did attempt a journalism degree at university and after a year decided it wasn’t for him.

“An opportunity came up to be a trainee radio announcer at the local radio station in Kingaroy,” he says.

“It was great. It was the next best thing to being a rock star. You could grow your hair long and get paid to blast loud music.

“I can’t do that anymore though because there isn’t any hair left!”

Leon has also had a few stints in the film and

INDEX

Arts & Entertainment 29-32

Canberra Matters 6

Cinema 30

Crossword 34

Dining 31

Gardening 33

Horoscopes 34

Letters 12, 14

News 3-14

Politics 10

TV industry but says his main focus has been radio.

Out of all of Leon’s acting gigs, he says his stand-out, “pretty damn cool” moment was when he was in the 1999 film “Paperback Hero” with Hugh Jackman.

“It’s all true what they say about Hugh Jackman, he’s a terrific guy,” Leon says.

In it Leon, who had a beard and long hair then, was typecast a role as a radio announcer in the film.

“If I hadn’t got into radio, I probably would

Socials 20-21 Cover: Construction industry leaders Peita de Boer, left, and Kim Raysmith. Story Page 8. Photo: Holly Treadaway.

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have gone into directing films,” he says.

Another highlight was when Leon got to play the victim of an attempted murder on “Forensic Investigators”, an Australian true crime TV se ries, which aired on Channel 7.

His character, who had been shot in the head, saw Leon washing off chocolate blood for hours in the shower.

But Leon’s true passion is in radio and even though he’s been working out of Queensland, his voice is heard closer to Canberra, and has been aired on the radio station 2SM in Sydney for about a decade.

Coming from the Gold Coast to Canberra is going to be a learning curve for Leon and he says he’ll probably mispronounce a few places before he gets it right.

“I’ve been to Canberra a number of times. I’ve done all the tourist things before. Now, I want to get involved in the local community,” he says.

“I want to give the audience a sense of belonging to the program and the community.

“People can expect that I will do my best to listen to them. It’s about serving the audience so people can call in and tell me what’s on their mind.

“It’s an opportunity for people to comment on stories and issues.”

Leon says listeners can also expect him to adhere to good standards of accuracy.

“I won’t be falling for the whole tabloid radio thing, but it’ll still be entertaining, I’m not against a silly story,” he says.

“If it’s in the news, if it’s important, then that’s my brief, that’s what I’m there for.

“I’ve got big shoes to fill. I’m aware of who has been in this spot before and I’m looking forward to taking up the challenge.”

Body cameras to speed police work

CANBERRA police are now using body worn cameras, pictured, to record audio and video footage in public spaces.

Police say officers are now able to manually activate their body worn cameras in a public place or with the express permission of an occupant inside private premises. This expands on earlier technology that saw body worn cameras automatically activated when a taser or gun was drawn from a police holster.

Police say there are many benefits of a body worn camera because of its ability to produce accurate evidence and it could lead to quicker court outcomes.

Over the next 12 months, more than 480 cameras will be issued to police in Canberra.

Rachel’s having trouble with her definition of a riot

IN 2011 then Minister for Children and Young People Joy Burch was accused by Bimberi Youth Justice Centre staff of putting her fingers in her ears and singing “la-la-la” at a meeting called to raise a host of serious issues. Burch denied the allegation.

Current minister Rachel Stephen-Smith seems to be in a state of denial over the corrections problem child. Initially reported as a “riot” at the facility, which saw seven staff hospitalised, the minister is now calling it a “major incident”.

IT’S official, Canberra is the current capital for car fires. A Canberra tow truck driver rang the nationally syndicated Dave Hughes radio show to complain about the high number of cars torched in Canberra. The and was happening at a “frightening rate”.

RECENTLY installed chevrons (spaced white markings on the roadway to curb tailgating) on Tuggeranong Parkway are taking some time to have the desired effect. On Friday, around 8.30am, the southbound lane was a carpark due to two simultaneous rear enders (one involving two vehicles, the other three) within 200 metres of each other.

I WAS asked by a woman outside the AIS on Thursday why flags were flying at half-mast. I

told her it was probably in honour of the late Tim Fischer, who was to be farewelled with a state funeral in Albury later that day. We both agreed on the outstanding contribution Fischer had made to his country, but when I suggested an annual #putoutyourakubra day be gazetted in his memory she nearly choked, saying: “No, it’d just be hijacked by that lunatic Barnaby Joyce” and stormed off.

THE raconteur in the red bandana, Peter FitzSimons, made a big impact at the 2019 Canberra Writers Festival. Proving you don’t

have to know a lot about something to have something to say about it, the author more than held his own in the panel discussion “Fair go, Sport”, which began as a debate on the religion and politics of sport and ended up a fascinating insight into the tribalism of Melbourne and AFL.

With panellists Sam Mostyn (first female AFL commissioner and St Kilda tragic), George Megalogenis (political journalist and lifelong Richmond follower), and moderator Greg Jericho (passionate Adelaide Crows fan), the former Wallaby appeared to be way out of his depth.

But FitzSimons almost brought the roof of the ANU’s Great Hall down with a colourful confession of his initial take on the code. In the late 1980s a confused FitzSimons wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald: “I’m not sure what AFL is, it looks like a combination of an upturned bowl of spaghetti and the fall of Saigon”.

CANBERRA’S newest suburb Whitlam, currently being carved out of the red clay of the Molonglo Valley, is proving a slight irritation for some with long political memories. The first sod at the 17th suburb to be named after a prime minister was turned in June. Despite more than four decades passing since EG Whitlam was controversially dispatched from office, the negative responses to

the photo I posted on social media would suggest it’s time we finally moved on.

BAARROOKA Fa Lisbon Et is the 2019 National Alpaca Show supreme suri champion. But I don’t think he gives two hoots or whatever sound it is alpacas make. Lisbon hails from the Strathbogie Baarrooka Alpaca stud in Victoria and was one of 300 alpacas on show at the Australian Alpaca Association’s national show at Epic. Baarrooka stud master Julie Wilkinson dominated the titles taking home more prizes than she could count.

OVER two years on from his sister’s death from cancer, actor Samuel Johnson has reached his target of raising $10 million for cancer research. Canberra mother of two Connie Johnson died in 2017, days after receiving the medal of the Order of Australia from then Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove. The siblings founded the charity Love Your Sister and launched the Big Heart Project campaign in Canberra in May, 2017, with several million dollars of donated coins forming a heart at the Dickson netball court.

Upselling hearing loss: retail hearing aids

Recently, I was approached by a patient looking for a second opinion. The week prior she had been to a retail hearing aid store in her local shopping centre, hoping to get some advice regarding her hearing loss. As a pensioner, she should have been able to claim free hearing aids as part of the Australian Government’s hearing loss scheme under the Office of Hearing Services, but when she inquired about the program she was told by the salesperson that the governmentissued hearing aids were of poor quality and inadequate for her needs.

”We need to speak out and about what is going on in the hearing aid industry if we want change.”

– Dr Vass

The salesperson insisted what she needed was one of their more expensive hearing aids, priced at over $7,000 for a pair. Anxious about not being able to afford what seemed to be a necessity, she reached out to a friend who suggested she make an appointment with me for a second opinion.

After consulting with the patient and looking over her results, it became

clear to me that the assessment from the shopping centre was completely wrong. The patient had had surgery on one ear 20 years ago which had resulted in worse hearing loss in that ear and not the other. Yet the “hearing test” from the shopping centre showed that her hearing was equal in both ears. Was this because the tester was incompetent or the equipment was faulty? Or was it just an attempt to cover up a medical condition that would have required the patient to be seen by a doctor before hearing aids could even be considered for her? It is likely we’ll never know the answer, but any of the above explanations would be unacceptable.

We need to speak out and about what is going on in the hearing aid industry if we want change. Anyone who has a similar story can report it to the ACCC.

If you would like to have a complimentary second opinion with Dr Vass please phone 02 6282 2717 to make an appointment.

CANBERRA MATTERS BRIEFLY

Breach of lease ignored for 16 years Breastfeeders come

WHAT happens at street level can point to the more serious problems that underpin the whole of planning as run by the ACT’s planning ministers and their directorates.

Here’s a local story. Someone bought a residential lease in the southern Tuggeranong suburb of Banks. The lease was confirmed in 2003. Before the construction gets to the roof level, everything stops. The builder puts a metal wire fence around the mess and disappears.

While this site, 54 Paperbark Street, attracts rubbish, the street itself goes through the usual changes. People move into new homes and then, over time, people move on to be replaced by new owners.

Meanwhile, right in the middle of this suburban street sits this decaying construction site that has become a hazard – kids get in and play around and more rubbish arrives.

Before anyone thinks that someone must be about to do something, it must be understood that people have been

The Tuggeranong house has been sitting there unfinished and being quietly dangerous and unpleasant for 16 years. The planning and regulatory bureaucracies have allowed this to continue unchecked. They should have cancelled the lease.

waiting 16 years and still the site is a mess with the partly built walls decaying even more.

One resident noticed that the metal wire fence has a firm’s name on it, so takes direct action. A phone call later and it is confirmed that the builder is still paying for the fence to stay. The fencing company does the right thing and gets the fencing repaired.

Off go the letters to the politicians. And we all know the process from here! This Labor/Greens Government has well-honed skills at ignoring residents. The letters get acknowl-

Banks… the planning and regulatory ministers should have cancelled the lease.

edged but passed on to someone else, with one bureaucrat acknowledging that there is a lease problem.

This residential lease is now 16 years old and despite the usual lease requirement that things get going and be finished within a couple of years, this mess has been sitting there unfinished and being quietly dangerous and unpleasant for far too many years. The planning and regulatory ministers and their bureaucracies have allowed this to continue unchecked. They should have cancelled the lease.

The last word was that the builder had been contacted and would be selling in June this year. And today it is what month? Maybe Murphy’s

JOIN US FOR

This year the ACT will be home to a remarkable array of over 35 Mental Health Month events which aim to maximize the wellbeing of individuals and the wider community and encourage people to live mindfully and seek help.

Law struck again with that wayward spanner messing up those plans for the promised quick sale.

The queries into what is going on have led people to believe that somehow this lease holder may be getting special treatment and allowed to ignore the basics of the leasehold system here in Canberra.

The planning and regulatory processes seem again to have favoured a builder/developer at the cost of a neighbourhood.

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

together

ON October 1, 1969, a group of women gathered in Deakin for the first meeting of the Nursing Mothers’ Association of Australia in the Canberra region.

In those days breastfeeding rates in Australia were in decline; birth and breastfeeding were not widely discussed and words such as “breast”, “pregnant” or “nipple” did not appear in public print or on the airwaves.

Now they’re known as the Australian Breastfeeding Association, but in 1969 it had to be the Nursing Mothers’ Association because the word “breastfeeding” was not permitted in the phone book!

On Tuesday, October 1, the Canberra group of the Australian Breastfeeding Association will celebrate 50 years of supporting local mothers with a party at the Southern Cross Club and all current and former members, volunteers and supporters are invited. Buy tickets at aba.asn.au/CBR50.

Radhika’s the boss

RADHIKA Reddy is the new president of the Australia India Business Council Canberra Chapter and Sunil Gupta her deputy. The AIBC maintains close relationships with Federal and state government agencies, the diplomatic corps and industry bodies. “I trust I will be able lead AIBC Canberra Chapter in a way that is innovative, drives growth and supports the mission of the organisation,” said Radhika.

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH LAUNCH COMEDY NIGHT

1 October, 2019 - 7pm The Dickson Tradies www.mentalhealthmonthact.org/launchevent

Come along to the official launch of Mental Health Month in the ACT! Help us promote positive mental health, break down stigma associated with mental illness and be entertained by some of the best club comedians in Australia! Purchase tickets online.

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING EXPO

10 October, 2019 - 11am - 2pm City Walk, Civic www.mentalhealthmonthact.org/expo

The integral Mental Health & Wellbeing Expo is a free public event bringing the ACT community together to celebrate positive mental health and learn more about the services available in the ACT. Join 80 local organisations in a fun market day atmosphere with interactive activities, sausage sizzle and live music.

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH AWARDS CEREMONY

29 October, 2019 - 3pm Bradman Room, Manuka Oval www.mentalhealthmonthact.org/awards

The Mental Health Month Awards celebrate the outstanding contributions individuals have made to improve the health and wellbeing of the ACT community. All are welcome to attend the official awards ceremony. Free but please RSVP online.

Blokey days fade as women build construction role

Construction is the third biggest industry in Australia but has a female participation of less than 12 per cent. KATE MEIKLE meets two people championing and promoting women in the local construction industry.

PEITA de Boer transitioned to being a female in 2017 and admits that during her early career she didn’t experience the confidence challenges that she now sees in women around her.

Peita and Kim Raysmith are the incoming joint presidents of the ACT chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and hope to convince young women that a career in construction is a worthwhile, supportive and rewarding path and certainly not the blokey culture of the past.

With a skills shortage in the industry, Peita says construction companies are desperate for increased participation by women.

Peita is a director and operations manager at the construction company, Manteena Security, delivering complex security related projects and project management consultancy in Australia and overseas.

She says, like many others, it was easy as a male for her to push her feelings aside.

“But in 2016 I hit a wall and it was unsustainable for me to continue on [as a male],” she says.

“I transitioned the next year and decided to tell everyone I knew, personally.

“It was an incredible experience as I was vulnerable and sharing some thing that was deeply personal to me. I found my colleagues and team very supportive and instantly opened up about their own lives to me.

“It was that process of me sharing that allowed me to know the people I work with on a deeper level. And as a senior manager I became a more effec tive leader.

“I did feel a reluctance because I thought that the industry wasn’t ready to be diverse and have a direc tor of a construction company being transgender. But I was so wrong.

“In November, 2017, after transi tioning, I walked through the doors at Manteena as Peita. It was a humbling and fulfilling experience and I felt to tally supported by my industry.

“I love construction and being on site where the action is, chatting to the team and being part of an exciting project.

“As long as you are confident and prepared to be vulnerable you can do anything – people like authentic people. I am more authentic now with my colleagues, my kids and family.”

Likewise for Kim Raysmith, who says: “It’s no longer the industry it was

with the negative perceptions from the 1980s. It’s not a blokey world anymore and men [in the industry] are also supporting us.

“Women do feel more supported when we have a village and a sense of belonging.

“Canberra is also a great place to progress fast in your career in construction.”

Kim is originally from Perth and admits it took time to adjust to Canberra. Five years ago she was working out of a site shed for a Sydney-based company, managing three construction sites as a project manager in Canberra and felt isolated.

“I had two small children, I had

suffered from postnatal depression and felt I had lost my connections,” says Kim, who now works at global construction company Turner and Townsend as the associate director and regional manager for the ACT. By joining NAWIC, Kim says the committee connected her with other women, creating friendships, broadening her networks and giving her purpose to help support others in her

Through events, awards, scholarships and programs, NAWIC aims to support women at every stage throughout their career, from school students to senior leaders.

Its annual awards for excellence, to be held on September 20, are a public forum for women in the industry to be championed and celebrated. Kim and Peita say that the awards give women confidence, pride and recognition.

“Men and women are different and women tend to think that we aren’t good enough. Our awards help give women in the industry a push,” says

“The NAWIC awards give recognition and a boost of confidence to women and help drive them forward. It’s amazing, they can do anything.

“There are societal and self barriers that women face, but if you remove the self barrier by believing in yourself you are halfway there.”

More information at nawic.com.au

Poor water means bad news for toddlers

CONSUMPTION of sugary drinks is common among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants and toddlers, and it could be down to water quality, according to a study from the ANU.

Lead author Dr Katie Thurber says there are clear opportunities to improve nutrition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as well as non-indigenous children, across Aus tralia.

“Families living in regional and remote set tings have expressed concern about the safety and quality of drinking water,” said Dr Thurber, from the Research School of Population Health.

“This can leave families with no choice but to avoid tap water and instead buy bottled drinks, cordial or other sugary drinks.”

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The study looked at more than 900 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children zero to three years old.

“The good news is we found that half of children aged zero to three years in the study had never consumed sugary drinks,” Dr Thurber said.

“However, the bad news is that the other 50 per cent in the study had consumed sugary drinks, and this started as early as the first year of life.”

Consumption of cordial was most common, at 47 per cent of all children, followed by soft drink at 19 per cent and sweetened tea and coffee at 13 per cent.

These young children were less likely to have ever had sugary drinks if their families experienced socioeconomic advantage, social support, limited stressors, good wellbeing, and support from health services.

“We need to support families as a whole, and address life stressors and circumstances that can get in the way of a healthy diet,” Dr Thurber said.

“Families need relevant advice from health professionals, but improving information and knowledge is only one part of the solution. We also need programs and policies to improve

Cordial and sugar… consumption of cordial was most common, at 47 per cent of all children.

Photo: ANU

the social determinants of health if we want to improve nutrition.”

Co-author Associate Professor Ray Lovett said: “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families disproportionately experience socioeconomic disadvantage and life stressors, stemming from colonisation and its lasting impacts. This includes structural inequities and racism.”

The researchers found babies and toddlers living in cities and regional centres were significantly less likely to consume sugary drinks than children in remote areas.

This is linked to reduced access to safe drinking water and reduced accessibility and affordability of recommended beverages.

“Reducing sugary drink intake will require improving water quality across Australia,” Dr Thurber said.

“Sugary drink intake is too high among all Australian children more broadly.”

The research paper is published in the “Public Health Nutrition” journal.

Date: Tuesday 17 September 2019

Time: 6.00pm for a 6.15pm start

Secure your spot now – spots are limited. Register at serviceone.com.au/HomeBuyingSeminar

POLITICS / corruption

Demise of democracy starts with cash in a bag

SINGLE-USE plastic bags have taken over from the traditional, brown paper bag, it seems.

Revelations from the hearings of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption of $100,000 stuffed in a plastic bag changing hands will seriously hurt the NSW Labor Party. But it will need to be more. It must be a serious deterrent for all political and business entities involved in inappropriate political donations.

This sort of behaviour has been revealed because there is an ICAC in NSW. The Federal government is still arguing that such a body is not necessary nationally. What a load of codswallop! Even some of this $100,000 was likely to support election to the Federal Parliament.

The ACT does have legislation in place for an Integrity Commission and the commissioner has been appointed, but the commission is not yet underway. It will be convenient for the incumbent Barr government if the commencement will mean no real scrutiny before the October, 2020

In the ACT it is getting harder and harder to fathom decisions around planning and development. The planning debacles of the city may well be simply incompetence, but how long will it be before light shines on this issue?

Applications for the position of CEO of the Integrity Commission closed on September 5. “Once established, the CEO will conduct the day-to-day operations of the commission; develop policies, programs and procedures; and advise on a broad range of operational matters, including its financial performance.”

All forms of corruption undermine faith in democracy. The challenge for our society is to seek the “cause of the cause” of this sort of behaviour. Only then can democracy thrive and ordinary people have faith that decisions are made in the public rather than sectional interest.

A Federal anti-corruption commis-

dose of dorin

sion could start by examining why the government continues to support the coal industry with large sums of money spent on infrastructure, but fails to provide even similar support to renewable energy. Or investigate $136 million of taxpayers’ money spent on government advertising before the last election.

In the ACT it is getting harder and harder to fathom decisions around planning and development. Hopefully, there is no corrupt behaviour. The planning debacles of the city may well be simply incompetence. How long will it be before light shines on this issue?

However, the establishment of anti-corruption bodies is only part

of the answer. In some ways, it is like changing from brown paper bags to plastic bags and back again. The $100,000 still changes hands. It still buys access and influence. Corruption still thrives – in the hope that it can be hidden from scrutiny.

The real driver – the cause of the cause – goes back to the need for political parties to have large sums of money to run their campaigns. Clive Palmer spent $53.6 million on television, radio and newspaper advertising, while the Liberal Party spent $14.5 million and Labor $13.5 million.

It is time for further action.

• Step one is to ensure that current

legislation is implemented and policed. The NSW ICAC is doing this very thing in examining donations from property developers (which are banned under NSW legislation). However, it is not enough to be banning donations from specific sectors or even foreign donations. The system itself must change.

• Step two is to cap spending by political parties and candidates. This will reduce the ever increasing need for more and more money for political campaigns. The legislation should be extended to cover any organisation seeking to influence the outcome of elections. This might include social media giants such as Get-Up and unions. It must also include big business and their representatives such as, for example, the Mining Council of Australia.

• Step three should be limiting to $1000 any donation to a political party or candidate.

• Step four should ensure only people on the electoral roll are allowed to make donations.

• And, step five, the level of government funding for elections needs to be examined so that parties have the opportunity to reach out to their constituents.

Doing nothing is to watch the demise of democracy. There has been enough delay. Electoral reform and proper oversight is urgently needed.

Clubs call for sport rethink

CLUBSACT is calling on the Labor/Greens government to lift the ban on a club’s capacity to claim men’s semiprofessional and professional sport as a community contribution.

CEO Gwyn Rees said the former chief minister Jon Stanhope was correct to “bell the cat” in his August 29 “CityNews” column (“Foul play as Labor attacks men’s sport”) that new community contribution arrangements discriminate on the basis of sex.

those established for the sole purpose of supporting sport, including in some cases semiprofessional or professional sporting teams. Precluding the support these clubs provide to men’s sport from being counted as a community contribution has potentially serious consequences for the viability of some teams and undermines the reason for which the club was established.”

Rees says the government is acting in a way counter to the very premise of equality or even equity.

Stanhope wrote: “As anyone in Canberra who follows local politics is aware, Andrew Barr’s government, since the last election, has engaged in an almost ceaseless and I believe politically motivated, campaign against the clubs. Well, at least, against some of the clubs, namely those that dared to express the clearly treasonous view that perhaps it was time for a change of government.

“Clubs provide significant funding and other assistance to sporting groups for men and women, young and old. The latest attack by the government has been to direct that payments or support by community clubs towards men’s professional sport can no longer be counted as a community contribution. The relevant change to the ACT’s contribution scheme is obscure, complex and unique when compared with the approach taken by other states and territories to the contribution of clubs to sport. “The clubs most affected by this change are

Online help for prostate test decisions

PROSTATE Cancer Foundation of Australia says thousands of men could be spared unwanted side effects of treatment for prostate cancer thanks to a new online tool to improve understanding of the disease and aid decision-making about PSA testing. The tool will be promoted widely throughout September for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. “It is uniquely simple and has been tested by nearly 4000 Australian men. Many men found it helped them make a decision about PSA testing,” says CEO Prof Jeff Dunn. The tool can be accessed at pcfa.org.au/psatesting

Family dance

CHILDREN, mums, dads, carers and grandparents are invited to a family dance to learn dances from around the world. It’s at 114 Maitland Street, 2pm-4pm, on Saturday, September 14. Entry by gold-coin donation. Enquiries to 0420 524412.

Coins in history

“No Australian state or territory takes this draconian approach to sport,” said Rees.

“Clubs are not being asked to share contributions equitably between men’s and women’s sports. They are being told that no contribution to semi-professional or professional men’s sport will count, but any dollar spent on semi-professional or professional women’s sport will count.”

He says ClubsACT continues to seek meetings with the Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay, but to date he has refused to schedule a single meeting.

“As a direct consequence of his policy change, there are men’s teams at risk of being unfunded and disbanded,” says Rees.

“The capacity of clubs such as the Raiders, Vikings, Magpies, Eastlake and Ainslie to support all types of sports, at all levels will be adversely impacted.

“This decision is highly divisive and must be rescinded for the good of all.”

THE keeper of the Heberden Coin Room in the Ashmolean Museum, Prof Christopher Howgego, of Oxford University, will explore how ancient coinage contributes to our understanding of history in his free public lecture, “Alexandria, Queen of the Mediterranean and the Coinage of Roman Egypt”, at the Drama Theatre, Kambri Centre, ANU, 6.30pm, Tuesday, September 10. Bookings not required.

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THE GADFLY LETTERS

Cast away in library ‘cupboard’

THE story so far: our hero (yours truly) has just launched his new book, “Castaway”, the true story of a French cabin boy abandoned on a north Queensland beach in 1858 and despite his (my) terrors, the interviews and events have all been going swimmingly, but then...

We’d had a little negotiation with Canberra’s Dickson Library. They’d invited me to give a talk there on a Saturday morning and promised a really good roll-up. I was delighted. Coming back home after the hurly-burly of Sydney is always a joy.

I always read my talks before throwing the meeting open to questions. The read calms the nerves and dispenses a bothersome frog in the throat. But a lectern is necessary for the notes and the Dickson lady said the ACT Library system’s only one was elsewhere and instead they gave me a microphone. I tried to explain that a mic would only make matters worse, and very reluctantly, she said she’d see what she could do.

It was a bright Saturday morning and my publicist seemed confident that all was well. But just in case, I slipped around to Better Music in Phillip and bought a heavy silver music stand ($98.50), which they kindly assembled, and popped it into the boot.

So at the appointed hour, wife Wendy and I jumped in the car and tooled along by the new light rail line, noting that the trams were all pretty much empty. “Not good for a Saturday morning,” we thought.

Coming back home after the hurly-burly of Sydney is always a joy. It’s not all glitz and glamour on the publicity trail.

Found a good parking spot at Dickson shops and I humped the new “lectern” into the library, pausing to note that there was no poster advertising the big event.

“Probably booked out,” said Wendy, “so they took it down.”

That seemed fair, though a flash of apprehension did streak across the innards. However, once inside there did seem to be lots of eager attendees milling around and I relaxed.

Alas, too soon. “I’m terribly sorry,” cried the middle-aged lady librarian, her hair flying every which way, “we only just heard about your talk... and nothing’s done.”

Then a second librarian appeared, a tall, thin chap with the air of a startled fish in a bottle.

“We were double booked,” he burbled, “but we saved the little room at the back. They only told us you were coming 20 minutes ago.”

By now the librarian with the hair had disappeared in a whirlwind of her making and the eager buyers – mostly women – were making their way to the storage cupboard called the small room.

“Well at least grab a few of your own copies, so they’ll see what it looks like,” I suggested (through gritted teeth) to the male librarian and off he went, reappearing ages later with two different books of mine from 10 and 12 years ago, both showing unmistakable signs of wear. “They’ve all been borrowed!”

So, as I raised the silver “lectern” to a suitable height, I said: “Well, why don’t you just introduce me and away we’ll go.”

“Okay,” he said, turning to the audience, “I’m terribly, terribly sorry…” and fled.

The assembled folk were very understanding. They chuckled sympathetically as I began: “Well, I guess that’s the intro…” And that’s when the bothersome frog seized the throat in its clammy grip...

Ah, the glamour of authorship.

robert@ robertmacklin. com

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I care about Collaery!

In his article on Bernard Collaery (CN, August 22), Robert Macklin asks “Who cares?”.

Well, I do, for one. I’m appalled at the government’s actions against two men who’ve shown great principle and courage in sticking up for our small neighbour, Timor Leste, and seeking to do the right thing by them, in the face of totally unprincipled behaviour by our Federal govern-

ment. Robert Macklin quotes Mr Collaery as saying: “Witness K has been put through six years of seclusion, harassment and questioning”, and Collaery himself is still involved in fighting charges. What kind of government does this to citizens who should, instead, be rewarded for their actions?

Wendy Whitham, Hawker

Praise for brave Witness K

ROBERT MACKLIN has an article titled “Collaery battles on, but who cares?” (CN, August 22). I for one am most upset about the clumsy way our government is handling this extraordinary national embarrassment.

On the best information available to me, it seems unlikely that the case against Bernard Collaery will succeed. On the other hand, Witness K has pleaded guilty. We should all be enormously grateful to Witness K for

making us aware of how venal, indeed depraved, lacking any moral compass are some of our most senior politicians. As a community we should be praising the bravery of Witness K. How might the minnows like me demonstrate strong support for Bernard Collaery and Witness K, but especially the latter? I am prepared to write letters, march, donate, etcetera.

Tom Hayes, Campbell

Collaery a man of courage

ROBERT Macklin’s article (CN, August 22) identified the courage shown by Bernard Collaery in his continuation to defend his actions and the actions of “Witness K” against a vindictive and disgraced government’s actions following the airing of Australia’s crimes in the “East Timor” bugging. It does your newspaper credit in keeping this as a public item.

The comparison to the cricket “ball tampering” was noted as well, both indicating a serious degradation in our values. Australia will never recover its reputation until the actions by Bernard Collaery are aired for all to see and judge. More strength to you all.

Rex Williams, Springwood, NSW

Since 1954

LETTERS NEWS / longevity

Need for better accountability

JON Stanhope, in a letter in the August 15 edition reflecting on Michael Moore’s August 8 column that explained the benefits of an alliance of independents in our parliamentary system, suggests we need an upper house for review and improving the government’s accountability.

Maybe. Clearly the systems for accountability needs improving. But whether an upper house automatically will give us this outcome needs further thought. Our MLAs are accountable to us, the people, for the outcomes of their policy decisions that in theory are for our benefit. However, as is commonly canvassed in these pages, they are not.

We need a broader conversation among the Canberra community about how we the people can best hold the Assembly (government and opposition) to account.

This accountability needs to be for individual performance on each policy issue and program roll out. The “we can vote them out if we are unhappy at the next election” myth is too blunt a tool.

Further, how do we the people get to help set the agenda for what we want the Assembly to focus on? How can we help with the prioritising and decision-making processes? How can we also get skin in the game at this level, given it is we collectively who have to live with the consequences of these decisions?

So rather than jumping to a possibly useful structural solution, let’s unpack further some of these bigger, deeper questions so we can design something that delivers what we want.

Peter Tait, O’Connor

Protest at the weekend

MS Berry as you, your Cabinet colleagues and your Education directorate are so keen to support school kids protesting against supposed climate change, may I suggest such protests be on a Saturday or Sunday so as not to interrupt their learning. It would be interesting to see how many kids were still so concerned on a weekend.

Michael Attwell, Dunlop

Responsibility comes with power

SURELY the majority of Australians support the principle of “freedom of the press”. But such freedom must surely require an accompanying “responsibility” lest it be open to unsubstantiated opinion?

Thus the mainstream media’s recent collusion in defence of journalism being questioned about “State Secrecy” turns one to the “power of the media”.

We are often confronted with headlines about vested interest when a business or union lobby come on strongly about an issue affecting them. Now we see the media coming together with a much larger combined muscle to argue that they are “only doing their job – in the public/national interest”.

The question is – what is their job? Is it to bring us legitimate, properly researched and accurate news or investigative commentary – hopefully, more positive than negative? Or is it to expand on the trend of feeding off anonymous leaks and whistleblowers who may or may not be pursuing

their own agenda?

“Just doing their job” begins to wear a bit thin when it comes to seeking ratings, enhancing profit or promoting political agendas, whether it be commercial or public media.

Granted, the media has an important role to play in our freedom-of-speech society, but being in the public or national interest must surely go beyond sensationalism, just as our right to know cannot always transcend the need for national security and for essential in confidence issues.

We elect governments to act on behalf of us all. But not all will always see beyond their own vision or wants. It is not the media’s job to circumvent genuine secrecy or to play politics and ignite controversy.

Len Goodman, Belconnen

The contradiction of ‘overdose’

INTERNATIONAL Overdose Awareness Day has just passed. But it’s not too late for the community to know that the term “overdose” when used in relation to illicit drugs is a self-contradiction. Why? Because there is no medically determined or approved “dose” (safe) for any illicit, mind-altering drug.

So, although the outcome is tragic, to speak of overdosing on such drugs is untrue and misleading. It can be used if speaking of pharmaceutically approved drugs that declare a safe dosage. But that’s another story.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Australian men top the longevity charts

AUSTRALIAN men are now living longer than any other group of men in the world, according to new research from ANU.

The study introduces a new way of measuring life expectancy, accounting for the historical mortality conditions that today’s older generations lived through.

By this measure, Australian men, on average, live to 74.1.

The news is good for Australian women, too; the study shows they’re ranked second, behind their Swiss counterparts.

Dr Collin Payne, who co-led the study, used data from 15 countries across Europe, North America and Asia with high life expectancies.

“Popular belief has it that Japan and the Nordic countries are doing really well in terms of health, wellbeing, and longevity. But Australia is right there,” Dr Payne says.

“The results have a lot to do with long-term stability and the fact Australia’s had a high standard of living for a really, really long time.

enough to eat, and not seeing a lot of major conflicts play a part.”

Dr Payne says there are a number of factors which might have contributed to Australia jumping ahead in these new rankings.

“Mortality was really high in Japan in the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. In Australia, mortality was really low during that time,” he says.

“French males, for example, drop out because a lot of them died during World War II, some from direct conflict, others from childhood conditions.”

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Experts help revamp homes in the spirit of spring

SPRING has finally arrived and in the spirit of spring it’s time to revamp the home for the coming warmer seasons.

It’s the perfect opportunity to purchase a new feature item for the home, refresh a room or double glaze the home to keep it cool this summer.

No matter the project, “CityNews” speaks with experts available from the Canberra region, who are ready to help improve any home.

Recycled gems bring homes to life

CANBERRA’S Ex-Government Furniture isn’t only for people looking for office wear, says owner James Fullerton.

It also offers an affordable way for people to style their homes with recycled furnishing gems, he says.

“[At Ex-Government Furniture] you can get designer pieces at a fraction of the price,” says James, who currently has unique items in stock such as rare lounges and coffee tables, as well as marble and vintage pieces, which are waiting to bring life to a home.

But, he says Ex-Government Furniture still holds true to its name and offers a wide range of high quality office furniture, from filing cabinets, desks and workstations, chairs and everything needed for an office fit-out.

And, because they get in new stock weekly, James says the turnover is quick, with some stock selling before it’s even unloaded.

While the variety on offer tickles the fancy of home improvers, it’s not the only benefit.

James says Ex-Government Furniture is one of few Canberra businesses helping to reduce the environmental footprint of furniture waste in the capital.

“Rather than disposable items you use for six months then throw out, here you get nice quality furniture that lasts,” he says.

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

Quality comes first when building dreams

BORDEAUX Construction and Management doesn’t shy away from complex renovations or extensions, says project manager Michael Milutinovic.

No matter what an existing home or block looks like, Michael says the family-run business will work with clients from the initial concept stages all the way through to building them a dream home.

“Everything we deliver is a high-quality product that we can stand by for the long term because our reputation and our clients’ needs are very important to us,” he says.

And, Michael says that’s the case for any project, whether it’s from scratch or refreshing a home with a renovation or extensions.

With any home extension, he says they work

with clients from the start to understand the vision they have in mind and then work with them step-by-step from the beginning to handover.

“We provide an obligation-free consultation which covers initial design and costs,” says Michael. When families outgrow their home, Michael says Bordeaux can offer professional extension solutions for areas including new sunrooms, master suites and ensuites.

“Our ultimate goal is always constructing their dream project at the highest quality possible,” he says.

Bordeaux Construction and Management, 8 Aurora Place, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 4642 or visit bordeauxbcm.com.au

Safety gear from the boots up

FOR high-vis workwear, safety equipment and boots, Seears Workwear has the lot, says a Seears spokesman.

Seears Workwear is family owned and operated, run by Pat Seears and his son Shane.

The 1400 square-metre store sells clothing and safety gear for pretty much every kind of industry and worker, he says – from building labourers, chefs, blue and white-collar workers to hospitals, major companies, and government departments such as Defence.

“We also have a corporate section, where we provide a free measure-and-quote and free delivery service,” he says.

“We are a very competitively priced business and are always negotiable on large bulk orders.

“We offer a full embroidery and screen-printing service, too.”

Seears keeps a huge range of stock on the premises and sells online.

Seears Workwear, 60 Barrier Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 4111 or visit seearsworkwear.com.au

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

Customising furniture to fit the space

Owner

“We will

Team enjoy sharing hardware advice

hardware and tools,” she says.

Purdy

it

to make it fit the space and with lounges we can make them to size, or you can choose your own material,” he says.

“We try to find things a little bit quirky and different because there’s no point having the same products as everyone else.”

And Tony says all products sourced by Timberland Furniture are good quality and affordable.

With about half the furniture in store being Australian made, Tony says people will get value for their money with beautiful materials used to make the furniture such as Australian hardwood.

“We provide a personal service and are able to go to the customer’s home to assist them with measurements,” he says.

Timberland Furniture, 7/17 Iron Knob Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 7411, email timberlandfyshwick@gmail.com or visit canberracustomfurniture.com

Open seven days a week, Home Timber and Hardware offers a seniors’ discount and loyalty program and an online service where customers can “click and collect” by paying online before picking up their items in store.

“We have a delivery service for tradespeople, we cut timber to size [and we have] key cutting services too,” she says.

Sandy says the team are passionate about what they do and always go above and beyond to help customers.

“The staff regularly undertake training and have a lot of knowledge,” she says.

“Steve is our paint guru, Darren and Michael look after the nursery and specialise in garden power tools. They also do demonstrations for customers and help them with any of their questions.”

Home Timber and Hardware Phillip, 101-103 Hindmarsh Drive, Phillip. Call 6281 1744 or visit homehardware.com.au

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Tiles give old bathrooms style

“IF you are planning a renovation to repair a leaky bathroom or to bring new life into your pre-2000 home, then tiles are one of the most effective products to inject personality and style,” says the general manager of Rivoland Tiles, James Hibberson.

James says Rivoland Tiles, which has showrooms and trade centres in Mitchell and Queanbeyan, offers tiles to suit every taste and budget.

“The range can seem overwhelming, but our experienced and friendly staff will work with you, listening to your needs and desires to bring your concept to life,” he says.

“We can also support and provide you with knowledge, know-how and all of the required tools and materials for your home improvement project.”

James also advises DIY-ers to consider the current

Duncan delivers quality plumbing

OWNER Jason Duncan, of Duncan’s Plumbing, and his team of office and trades staff promise to deliver the best plumbing in Canberra.

the-line equipment, dedicated vehicles and a workshop test bay customised for fault testing, Duncan’s Plumbing offers a huge array of services for the region.

and our tradesmen in the field are in constant contact via mobile and an internet-based SMS service, providing you with flexible, reliable assistance at need,” he says.

ing and drainage.

(gas, electrical, tapware, hot water systems, toilets and more), perform backflow prevention testing, service thermostatic mixing valves, and certify, fix, install and repair all gas units.”

more than 40 years and has been servicing the region for more than 20.

Duncan’s Plumbing, 1/9 Page Place, Page. Call 6254 5678, email office@duncansplumbing.com.au or visit duncansplumbing.com.au

layout of the bathroom when they’re considering what their needs are.

“Often plumbing and electrical elements can dictate what can and can’t be done so it’s good to resolve these quickly,” he says.

“It is also important to check with your local council about the intended plumbing and electrical as permits are often required.”

Rivoland now also offers natural stone and porcelain pavers, and James says pavers can be a very versatile and easy home improvement project.

1557. Visit rivoland.com.au

Double glaze for a cool summer

JUST as people would insulate every wall of the home, they should also complete the job and insulate all the windows too, says owner of Solace Creations Karen Porter.

“Double glazing windows will help stop energy bills in their tracks, it’ll provide comfort, insulation and [it will make the home] look beautiful,” says Karen.

“Single glass windows have no insulation value. It doesn’t make sense to invest in insulation in your walls but not in your windows.

“We need to see windows as part of an insulation plan.”

With the warmer months approaching, Karen says double glazing helps keep homes cooler even after the air conditioning is switched off.

She says the all-female team at Solace Creations pride

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FEATURE / kids Picking the right time for time out

Psychologist MELANIE WOODFIELD says “time out” shouldn’t be the go-to parenting tool but it can be useful if it’s well planned.

PARENTING young children is one of the most stressful times in a parent’s life.

Toddlers and preschoolers are learning how to independently regulate their emotions. And parents are developing their ability to be both warm and firm – the ideal parenting combination.

It’s no wonder so many parents are uncertain about how to best respond to their child’s challenging behaviour.

Time out is a parenting strategy that is often misunderstood and misused, with a plethora of conflicting information online, often highlighting the potential harms.

Yet the evidence shows it can be effective for children aged two to eight years – when used occasionally, calmly, briefly and when the process is pre-planned and understood by both parent and child.

A parent’s attention is everything to a child. Whether this attention involves loving gazes or that glare they get at grandma’s house, it’s all attention.

Any human behaviour that is reinforced or rewarded will usually increase in frequency. Often when a child acts up, parents accidentally reward this by providing more attention: “I told you not to do that! Stop! Come on, you know not to do that to your sister …”

Parents are more likely to intervene when something goes wrong than praise good behaviour. Yet children may receive less attention for “positive” behaviours that warrant praise (“Great sharing with your sister”, “Thanks for asking nicely”).

Time out can turn this pattern of interaction on its head.

Time out involves the deliberate, brief and pre-arranged withdrawal of parent attention when the child hasn’t complied with a clear and reasonable instruction.

This withdrawal of attention should have been pre-planned, with the child and parent both knowing what’s happening ahead of time.

Parents need to first make sure their instruction is clear and developmentally appropriate. (“Please put the Lego in the box”). Give the child a chance to comply, perhaps count to five (internally).

Then repeat the instruction, calmly telling the child what the consequence will be. This isn’t a threat, it’s stating what will happen and giving the child another chance to comply – they may not have heard the first time. (“If you don’t put the Lego in the box you will need to go to the time-out chair”.)

You can expect a bit of push back, so be prepared.

Give the child another few seconds to comply after this warning. Then, calmly move them to the prearranged spot, which can be a chair or a cushion or similar.

Fun ideas to get families

Say something clear like: “Stay on the chair until I say you can get off”. The time period should be three to five minutes for young children.

When they are reasonably calm, go over and say: “You’re sitting quietly, are you ready to put the Lego in the box?”

If yes, they do it and the time out is over – time for re-connection!

If no, “stay on the chair until I say you can get off” and the time out starts again. The parent, not the child, decides when time out finishes.

Parents need a plan for what they’re going to do if the child gets off the chair, such as using the child’s bedroom as a “back-up” time out spot. And both parent and child need to have talked about this ahead of time.

Similarly, if the child refuses to go to time out, decide ahead of time on the response. With children under about seven, parents can gently move them to the chair.

Children over about seven need another, hands-off approach such as loss of privileges like screen time until they have completed the time out.

What not to do

If you’re thinking about using time out there are some important traps to avoid and situations where it’s not appropriate:

• don’t use time out for children under two (or those who have a developmental level under this age) – the strongest evidence base is for children two to eight.

• don’t threaten time out and fail to follow through – this makes it less effective.

• keep things calm, fair and predictable, and limit time outs to three to five minutes. Prolonged time out is not necessary for learning.

• try to avoid statements that conflate judgements of the child and their behaviour. What they did (or didn’t do) is not okay, but the child isn’t “bad”. They’re loved and lovable.

• don’t overuse time out as a parenting strategy – it should only be used very occasionally.

Children often push back when a limit is set. It’s important to remain silent, even if what they say while they’re on the chair is rude, hurtful or humorous – again, your attention is likely to reinforce this, and it will escalate.

Don’t enter into any discussion about how fair or unfair the consequence was. The child needs to know ahead of time that the parent is going to stay silent until the time out is finished.

This article first appeared in theconversation.com

Melanie Woodfield is a clinical psychologist and Health Research Council Foxley Fellow, University of Auckland.

WITH winter over, there’s no better time to come out of hibernation and enjoy the spring holidays. Whether it’s inside or outside, Canberra has some great experiences for the whole family to enjoy.

Costumes inspire kids to make a change

THESE school holidays, it’s all about changing the world and getting creative at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD).

Located in Old Parliament House,

COME

MoAD’s exhibition “DressUP: Change the World” is all about giving young people the courage to make a difference in the world.

“Do you ever feel that you’re too

OUT TO THE CANBERRA WALK IN AVIARY

Come along and see the friendly free flying birds that can be photographed and fed. Walk amongst over 500 birds from 50 species from Australia and around the world!

young to make a difference?” says a MoAD spokesperson.

“Famous adults were once young too and they had their own doubts and insecurities.

“Beyoncé worried her ears were too big, Dr Karl was a refugee who was bullied as a kid and Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai was just 10-years-old when she started fighting for her right to education. And they all grew up and made an impact on the world.”

In this exhibition MoAD is inviting young people to try on costumes linked to these iconic people and explore their lives.

After dressing up, MoAD says families can then go and unleash their creativity in its brand new Zine Lounge, a place for young people to meet, read and create.

“Relax on the lounges and read any of the many zines available, or if inspiration strikes you can write, sketch, stick or staple together a cool little book about what’s going on in your world,” MoAD says.

“You bring the creativity, we’ll supply the materials.”

MoAD, Old Parliament House. Visit moadoph.gov.au

Open 7 days a week from 10am to 3.30pm

COME ALONG & ENJOY A GREAT FAMILY DAY OUT!

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Stephen’s slot cars drive the fun

GET ready... set... go! for some school holiday fun racing slot cars at Way2Fast in Mitchell, says owner Stephen Bywater.

Children will enjoy racing with family and friends on Way2Fast’s four different tracks, which range from four to eight lanes.

“We have 1:32 scale electric motor driven car tracks, which are driven by a hand controller,” says Stephen who’s had a passion for slot cars since he was a child.

This passion drove him to take over Way2Fast more than seven years ago but the life of the store has been around longer and will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

“We are open seven days a week during the school holidays,” says Stephen.

“We are happy for kids from five and up to have a go and it’s good fun for everyone,” Stephen says.

He says Way2Fast is also Canberra’s largest retailer for slot cars and spare parts, offering more than 20 manufacturers such as Scalextric, SCX, Ninco, Revell,

Slot

“We

Way2Fast, Unit 2/20 Essington Street, Mitchell. Visit way2fast.com.au or call 0424 453544.

that has about 550 birds from about 60 different species.

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

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

Mick says that people are welcome to take photos of the birds.

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

Canberra Walk-in Aviary, Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls. Call 6230 2044 or visit canberrawalkinaviary.com.au

your tongue out at the idea that museums are completely hands off in

EXPERTS OF MITCHELL

Retail threads through industrial Mitchell

FOR a long time, the suburb of Mitchell was seen as a home for industrial businesses.

And it still is. But now, weaving in between the industrial experts of the region are other businesses such as cafes, accounting firms, gyms, clothing stores and physiotherapists.

The suburb was named after Maj. Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell, surveyor-general and explorer of NSW, and all its streets are named after Australian industrialists.

This week “CityNews” meets some of the top, expert businesses operating out of the northside’s commercial hub.

big family road trips in December, Car Service Canberra’s owner Jake Hickenbotham recommends drivers get in early to have their car serviced.

“A lot of people aren’t thinking of servicing their car until the last minute and there’s a rush before they go away on holidays,” he says.

“If you leave it too long, things might go wrong but if you service your car every six months, you’ll get more mileage out of it.”

Jake and his wife Monique are the new owners of the Repco-authorised service centre that does all car servicing and repairs, auto-electrical work, manufacturer’s log book services, engine diagnostics, commercial van

and caravan services and trailer safety check and service.

Monique is in charge of the administration, bookings and front desk, and together with Jake, they say they’re providing an excellent service and reasonable prices.

Jake says customers have been very positive about the new ownership at Car Service Canberra.

“Communication and honesty is the biggest thing, we try to make it as simple as we can for clients,” he says.

Car Service Canberra, 7 Baillieu Court, Mitchell. Call 6241 3011 or visit carservicecanberra.com.au

Catherine makes tax time easy

DURING tax time, Wholistic Financial Solutions, which is conveniently located with free parking on Lysaght Street, is an easy spot for locals to pop in and get their tax sorted, says CEO and founder Catherine Smith.

“It’s tax season and we find that local people or tradespeople will pop in to see us to get their tax sorted,” she says.

“We specialise in helping local tradespeople and small businesses.”

Catherine says her team of eight qualified and experienced accountants are ready to take on any of their clients’ small business accounting needs.

“We pride ourselves on being a one-stop financial shop for all of their clients’ financial needs,” she says.

“We believe that all professionals in the financial industry should be working together to provide the best financial solutions for clients.”

A finalist in 38 industry awards, Catherine says her team can handle all aspects of their clients’ financial needs from their tax, mortgage, insurances and wealth creation.

“Our clients are average Australians who want to create and protect wealth for themselves and their families,” she says.

“We believe in partnering with clients to advise, educate and guide them to make the right financial choices.”

Wholistic Financial

Smith.

Wholistic Financial Solutions, Level 1, 83-101 Lysaght Street, Mitchell. Call 6162 4546 or visit wfscanberra.com.au

‘Canberra’s most Awarded Accounting and Financial Services Firm’

Our clients are average Australian’s who want to create and protect wealth for themselves and their families. We Base our advice on assessing clients goals, needs and wants and the financial feasibility of the goals both now and in the future.

Based on these goals, and the clients own preferences we devise individual wealth creation, tax planning, debt reduction and superannuation strategies to assist clients create, build and protect wealth for their family and their next generation. We believe in partnering with clients to advise, educate and guide them to make the right financial choices.

Our motto is It’s all about YOU. The client is the fundamental focus of our firm and our aim is to always put the client’s needs and goals first. All advice given is only given if it is truly in the best interests of the client. People before Profit.

EXPERTS OF MITCHELL

Jane empowers clients with numbers

JANE Hadrill of Hadrill Accounting empowers her clients by helping them understand the figures.

“Small businesses are interested in managing the books themselves and being able to understand more about the figures, learn from them and run the business better,” Jane says.

“I want my clients to understand the figures inside out.”

Jane says Hadrill Accounting can give businesses the tools they need to be able to fine tune the direction they want the business to go.

“We help them do this by looking at such things as budgeting, profit margins, cash flow and long-term goals,” she says.

“And we are transparent with our costing. We never charge for short phone calls or emails. Clients will never get an unexpected bill – we always tell clients in advance if we are charging for a particular piece of advice.”

But it’s not all about hard work for Jane and she says she is passion ate about providing a personalised service for her clients.

know them and their families and interests,” she says. money.”

Servicing keeps quilts fresh and fluffy

LOCALLY owned and proud of it, Therma Quilts specialises in making and servicing feather and down products such as quilts, pillows and cushions since the ‘80s.

Using quality textiles, the seamstresses at Therma Quilts hand-make every item suited to the customer’s needs and provide a top-up service when quilts and pillows show signs of wear or loss of warmth and fluffiness.

“Servicing of feather and down products is essential for keeping them in optimal condition for comfort,” Therma Quilts says.

“With time and usage, body proteins and lipids (natural oils and perspiration) are absorbed on to quilt casings and into the feather and down inside.

“Over time, this build-up dampens the down, which causes it to lose its thermal resistance. However, regular servicing of your quilts would ensure that your down is fresh and fluffy.

“With time and usage, the fabrics on quilts wear out and get thin, but once holes appear there is no need to throw away your quilt.

“Therma Quilts are able to re-case your quilts in addition to other services such as extending them into a larger size or reducing them to a smaller size according to your needs.”

With its eco-friendly cleaning process, Therma Quilts

services feather and down products including sleeping bags and down clothing as well as other textiles such as silk, polyester, cotton and wool quilt underlays.

“Whether you’re wanting to rejuvenate your quilt, customise it or buy a new custom-made one we can look after you,” Therma Quilts says.

Therma Quilts, Unit 9, 10-12 Kemble Court, Mitchell. Call 6241 6859 or visit thermaquilts.com.au

Service cooling systems for summer

AARON Clark of Clark Electrical & Air Conditioning says now’s the time to book in a service of air conditioning systems before the weather starts to heat up.

“It’s important to get your system tested and serviced to prevent a lot of issues when there’s extreme heat conditions,” says Aaron.

For three years, Clark Electrical & Air Conditioning has been serving the community with quality and reliable electrical services, says Aaron who has been an electrician for almost 28 years.

“We have recently expanded our team to include our refrigeration manager, Josh, in addition to our great team of refrigeration electricians and apprentices,” says Aaron.

“We are reliable, honest, down to earth and give the correct advice when it comes to repairs, installations and any other electrical or air conditioning work within the home.”

For Aaron, being based at Mitchell is a great place to service the local community such as Gungahlin and the new nearby suburbs.

“Mitchell has grown so much and has become the new industrial state and service hub for Canberra,” he says.

“It’s small enough to be out of the way but big enough to service all of your needs.”

Website showcases local experts

WITH about 400 businesses offering everything from coffee to car parts, Mitchell is home to some of Canberra’s best products and services, according to the Mitchell Traders Association, who created a website called FindItInMitchell

“FindItInMitchell was started with a simple purpose – to showcase the hundreds of great businesses that call Mitchell home,” he says.

“With businesses offering everything from car repairs to coffee, VR experiences,

Clark Electrical & Air Conditioning, 5/12 Sandford Street, Mitchell. Call 1300 230462 or email aaronclarkelectrical@gmail.com

Too famous to murder, Anna sits in the window ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By Helen MUSA

KAREN Vickery may well be just about the most sought-after actor in Canberra, but she’s really hit her straps when it comes to her role in the next production at Canberra Rep, Alma de Groen’s play “The Woman in the Window”.

For Vickery, a former NIDA lecturer who came here some years ago to work at one of our national institutions, is also a gifted Russian linguist with expertise in the drama of Russian playwright Ostrovsky. Now she gets to play the lead role of Anna Akhmatova, one of Russia’s most famous poets.

First published in 1998, “The Woman in the Window” is widely regarded as de Groen’s masterpiece, a play in which she pleads for creativity in a world where economics and wealth seem the only imperatives, argued through a remarkable personality of the past but with a window into the future, too.

Notionally set in Stalin’s Russia, the play shows the celebrated poet Akhmatova forbidden to write. But she is too famous to murder, so is sentenced to appear in her window twice a day to satisfy the secret police that she is still obeying house arrest.

“Maybe it’s not true,” Vickery says, “but

what is true is that she lived in penury in a former mansion divided up into squalid rooms with shared bathrooms and kitchens, where everybody was spying on everybody else.”

But Russia was Akhmatova’s spiritual home and her inspiration, so during the horrific Siege of Leningrad, she elected to stay with her own people, to be a witness to their suffering.

“Akhmatova was a woman living on so many levels,” she says. “She had many men in her life, including the artist Modigliani and three husbands.

“She also saw many friends shot or purged in the Gulag, and when she went to Tashkent, some people thought she was a shaman.”

She certainly experienced psychological connections with people and playwright de Groen takes advantage of this, giving us a glimpse into the future as she connects with a young poet, Rachel, both witnesses to the endurance of women and the power of art.

In fact the play follows two storylines. In a future world, the young “Conference Stress-Consultant” Rachel Sekerov, played by Zoe Swan, searches for what is missing in a sterile society where literature, science and art have all but vanished, a world strangely reminiscent of Stalin’s Russia, the sense of which dominates the play.

Akhmatova is a gift of a role to Vickery, a powerful actor known to wider Canberra audiences for her part in Pigeonhole Theatre’s production of “Switzerland” last year, but this part is dear to her Russian heart.

Vickery‘s formidable, highly educated

from the Russian Revolution. Alas, it was out of the frying pan into the fire for their children, many of whom headed south to Australia when Mao’s revolutionary forces triumphed in 1949.

Vickery grew up in Melbourne hearing Russian all around her, although for the sake of her father, an Australian lawyer, it was mostly spoken amongst her female relatives.

“I picked it up,” she says, “and I fell in love with the literature.”

So not only is Vickery able to give

Akhmatova (both of them being descended from Genghis Khan) – prepares well for the spiritual experiences of a brilliant woman, confined and repressed.

Although a dominant figure, Vickery is not alone on stage, backed up by an all-star cast, with Lainie Hart as Akhmatova’s friend Lili Kalinovskaya, Zoe Swan as Rachel, Michael Cooper as her poet-lover Sandor and Alex McPherson as her fellow “stress-consultant” Maren. Chris Baldock scores a role-to-kill-for as

informer Tusya, and Marli Haddeill appears as The Auditor.

De Groen invites us to think that Anna and Rachel have a mysterious spiritual connection, through which the play speaks of survival, dignity and the humour of displaced people.

“The Woman in the Window”, Canberra Rep Theatre, September 5-21. Book at canberrarep.org.au or 6257 1950.

When revenge runs amok in the wilderness

“The Nightingale” (MA)

TASMANIA 1825. Winsome, young, Irish woman Clare (Aisling Franciosi) and husband Aidan have a three-month-old daughter.

Until militia Lieut Hawkins (Sam Claflin) hands over the ticket of leave she has earned by completing the sentence for which she had been transported to the far end of British colonial expansion, she cannot leave Hobart town.

Hawkins has raped her regularly. Sgt Ruse (Damon Herriman) is a bully who despises Aborigines and wouldn’t say no to a go at Clare. In the tavern, Aidan gets shot and the baby is dashed against the wall. Hawkins is offered a promotion at Launceston. He, Ruse, a small party of privates and an orphan boy set off to walk there through the wilderness. Clare, driven near to emotional annihilation, obsessed with the need for revenge, engages young indigenous man Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) to guide her in pursuit.

Writer/director Jennifer Kent’s second (after the multi-award-winning “The Babadook”) feature takes 136 minutes to pull out all the stops involved in delivering the complete sweep of that narrative, time and place. It’s not a “nice” movie in the sense of sweetness and light but as imaginative of what might have been possible, it ticks just about every possible dramatic box.

Much of “The Nightingale” is fundamentally excellent. The acting is admirable. Aisling Franciosi does her own stunts. Baykali Ganambarr, who already has received an international award for his debut role, has a future up there among the indigenous stars.

The exterior locations are breathtaking. In all, the package offers so much that is good that I had no difficulty in accepting the technical shortcomings in its staging.

At Palace Electric

“The Kitchen” (MA)

NO, Andrea Berloff’s directorial debut is not a big-screen pickup of the TV foodies series. Its genesis is a DC Comics comic book written by Ollie Masters telling a gangster story from a fresh viewpoint.

So why yet another gangster movie? To make money, of course. But more importantly, to divert the comic-book genre to a new track uncluttered by impossible super-heroes, intergalactic attackers and monsters that exist only in the overheated imaginations of

writers. So what’s cookin’ there?

On the West Side of Midtown Manhattan, since at least the beginning of last century, Hell’s Kitchen was controlled by Irish and Puerto Rican gangsters. After repeal of Prohibition, gambling and union shakedowns replaced bootlegging as the prime industry. Not until the mid-1980s did gentrification clean the place up.

The film’s plot unfolds in the late 1970s. Three husbands begin relatively short prison sentences, leaving wives expecting that the mob will look after their welfare. Oh, yeah?

So how do Kathy (Melissa McCarthy), Ruby

(Tiffany Haddish) and Claire (Elisabeth Moss) fill the income shortfall? They go around offering to protect small business from the mob collectors who have traditionally provided that public amenity. And that’s what Masters and Berloff have made into this movie.

It’s an agreeable entertainment, shining a light into some grubby corners of the Big Apple to tell a story with average credibility and a depth verging on the brink of moral depravity.

At all cinemas

“Dragged Across Concrete” (R)

ON April 30, an American TV channel started screening a three-part documentary about the making of writer/director S Craig Zahler’s third feature film.

Mel Gibson plays Ridgeman, a 40-year veteran police detective whose wife is crippled by muscular dystrophy. In the film’s opening sequence, he and his junior by 20 years partner Lurasetti (Vince Vaughn) spend a night outside a suspect’s apartment before making an arrest.

Next day, press reports criticise their methods. Their chief suspends them without pay for six weeks pending an investigation.

Ridgeman chafes at the inactivity and Lurasetti has just paid for an engagement ring.

The film’s main plot begins on a morning

when Ridgeman and Lurasetti are cruising in the former’s car, equipped for whatever crime they find as if their police authority still stands. They find a bank heist, meticulously organised, ruthlessly implemented by three masked robbers. After a quiet, even gentle, beginning, the chase is on.

To Zahler’s credit, “Dragged Across Concrete” avoids most of the clichés in the Hollywood cop movie handbook. The day drags on during a cautious pursuit of the robbers. It is, somewhat inexplicably, well after nightfall before the van carrying them, two hired black drivers in whiteface and four holdall bags carrying gold bullion, arrives at the dilapidated gas station where the next getaway car is waiting.

The denouement is violent as the body count grows. The piece is well played, credibly staged. The coda doesn’t follow the usual path.

Why the “R” classification? Perhaps an evisceration sequence more comically gruesome than what a reasonable adult might consider to be “frequently gratuitous, cruel, exploitative and offensive violence”, but no drugs, sex or “obvious genital contact” (the quoted no-nos are from the Classifica tion Board’s website.)

I wouldn’t mind seeing that “makingof” documentary. At Dendy

BY KATY WARNER |

"Full of love and family and all the crap that happens between those two things. It will stick in your mind."

THEATRE PEOPLE

A BRAND NEW COMEDY-DRAMA LOOKING AT A GLORIOUSLY DYSFUNCTIONAL AUSTRALIAN FAMILY, THIS IS MODERN STORYTELLING AT ITS BEST!

Told over the course of one weekend in a suburban Australian home, Spencer is the story of a tight-knit family that includes single-mum Marilyn and her three adult children — wayward daughter Jules, mouthy coulda-been Ben and AFL golden boy Scott.

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY…

"Left me feeling as good as watching 'The Castle' or 'Kath and Kim'. It’s hilarious and it hurts in all the right places because it’s us."

SOMETIMES

the

Putting some science into hot chocolate

DINING

By Wendy Johnson

Young voices heard through dance

ARTS IN THE CITY

By Helen Musa

THE Youth Dance Festival – Dance Fest –has been held at the Canberra Theatre since 1985. Now, with more than 45,000 alumni, it will present 61 performances created by the young people of 39 high schools and colleges in Canberra and the immediate region. Creative director Jamie Winbank says it provides a platform for young people to have their voices heard through dance. September 11-13, book at canberratheatrecentre.com.au

I WASN’T sure if I was in a science lab or a dessert establishment. In the end, it was a bit of both.

I had settled in at Frugii in Braddon to road test their creative new take on the classic hot chocolate ($15). The ingredients arrive on a tray. A white bag of freeze-dried chocolate ganache, a flask of hot water and milk, two marshmallows and crystalllised chocolate. Then you play scientist, enjoying the theatre of creating your own hot chocolate, just how you like it.

Step 1. Rehydrate the chocolate ganache with hot water, hot milk or a combo. You can reseal remaining ganache in the packet and take it home –I didn’t have this problem because I used it all.

Step 2. Dunk the gooey Bailey’s marshmallows into your drink (they’re the absolute best).

Step 3. Top off your masterpiece with as much crystalllised chocolate as your heart desires.

This new “dessert” is one of many the Marshall family behind Frugii Dessert Laboratory have been creating since opening in 2015. The lab is run by John (affectionately called “Mr Frugii”), his wife Ed and son Leon.

The biggest challenge is choosing. Hand-made ice cream, sorbet or gelato? Chocolates? Cakes? Tarts? A bit of everything (dare you)?

John’s story is fascinating. For years he was an IT guru, one of the best in his field. After work he and Ed would make ice cream, sometimes selling at markets and pop ups. They couldn’t keep up with demand so John kissed the technology goodbye and embraced the wonderful world of desserts. How John creates his ice cream is another fascinating story, including how he came to create some flavours not normally associated with ice

Finished… hot chocolate, just how you like it.

cream – worshipped by his “savoury” clients.

His latest (might be in the lab now) is roasted cauliflower and dukkah. On my visit I indulged in the freeze-dried carrot and mandarin. It may sound strange but, trust me, it was divine.

Frugii has also created butter chicken, seafood laksa, bacon and beer ice creams, supporting local brewers. One of John’s faves was salted duck egg yolk ice cream. However, remember flavours change regularly.

Tarts and cakes are also made from scratch. The rhubarb and blackberry tart ($5) looks decadent but isn’t overly sweet – rhubarb compote, blackberry cremeux and 64 per cent chocolate sable pastry.

The Marshalls make everything in their offsite commercial kitchen, to the highest of standards.

John has always loved cooking and been fascinated with the technology behind food, including flavour pairing. He has found his niche in the marketplace.

Even though Frugii is tucked inside the Ori Building, there are regular lineups out the door, including on the coldest winter days. I wondered if freezing temps would cause a big dip in sales. Apparently not.

Frugii, 28-30 Lonsdale Street (Ori Building), Braddon. Open seven days.

“THE Diamonds” is billed as “a celebration of the greatest divas of all time”, such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner and Lady Gaga. At The Q, Queanbeyan, 8pm, Saturday, September 14. Book at theq.net.au or 6285 6290.

ENTERTAINERS Rhonda Burchmore and Lara Mulcahy will be in town with a hilarious show celebrating great duos, including Sonny and Cher and the Blues Brothers. At Canberra Southern Cross Club Woden. Saturday, September 14. Book at cscc.com.au

FORMER Canberra actor-filmmaker Mary Musolino, now living in Melbourne, will be here for the Australian premiere of her seven-minute film, “Old Habits”, at the Canberra Short Film Festival (September 8-22). Book at csff.com.au

CONCERT pianist and physician Robert Schmidli performs Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Galuppi and Chopin, using his musical gifts to raise awareness and money for L’Arche Genesaret at the Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, 3pm, Sunday, September 8. Book at trybooking.com

FORMER Canberra music teacher and choir director Bronwyn Hendy is returning to town with the 40-strong Sydney Welsh Choir. It will perform at the War Memorial in the Last Post Ceremony, 3.30pm-4pm, Saturday, September 14, and in a full concert with soprano Sarahlouise Owens, at Yarralumla Uniting Church, 2pm, Sunday, September 15. Book at eventbrite.com.au

GIRLS Rock! Canberra, a community arts organisation empowering young people through music, is holding an all-ages fundraiser gig in Braidwood featuring Cathy Diver, Powder Blue, The Perfs and Ghostgum. At Smokey Horse, 183 Wallace Street, Braidwood, 4pm-8pm, Sunday, September 8. Tickets at the door only.

CULTURE MUSIC

Anni does the cultural rounds of Brasilia

By Helen Musa

YOU’VE heard all the old jokes about Canberra’s endless roundabouts, but reports that exactly the same joke applies in Brasília confirm what many have long-suspected: these two cities are siblings.

“CityNews” arts writer Anni Doyle Wawrzynczak has returned from a discovery tour of Brazil.

She hasn’t been travelling the jungles of the Amazon or sunning herself on the beach at Copacabana. Rather, in a carefully planned trip to the national capital, Brasília, she’s been looking into parallels between two utopian “built” capital cities.

“I found we were so similar but there are many differences, too,” she says.

“Canberra and Brasília are the world’s only two purpose-built, from zero, planned national capitals,” she says. “I became fascinated by this.”

The architects who designed Brasília, Lucio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burke openly acknowledged their debt to Walter Burley Griffin’s prizewinning concept.

Brasília, which went up in the 1960s, sought to revolutionise living by setting aside a sector of “Super Quadra” apartments, innovatively laid out in blocks of four and larger groups, with their own shopping strips, bars and schools. Many of the walls are adorned with elaborate decorative tiles and the gardens feature tropical trees

dropping mangoes.

Unlike Canberra, Brasília is sectorised, so that medical centres, hardware stores and electrical shops are in separate precincts.

“It all works though and it was delicious staying in a Super Quadra… I could hear sounds of music coming from the bars from my window,” she says.

Mind you, just as the jokes would have it, for a while she couldn’t work out where she was.

“I found that this sense of endless circles is true – there are no corners… Brasília is built on two axes and everything emanates from that, but to get from one place to another they have what they call little scissors, which are turning circles, endless circles.”

Anni is deep in a serious project, conceived while she was writing her doctorate at the ANU and thinking about the idea of the built city. She won the university’s CASS Humanities & Creative Arts ANU Press Prize and her ideas will soon be seen in the resulting book, “How Local Art Made Australia’s National Capital”, in process with ANU Press.

The idea of negotiating a sustainable cultural relationship between what she calls “our yet unofficial sister cities” was not entirely new. In 2001 curator Jane Barney had initiated an exchange between Brazilian artist Marta Penney and Canberra photographic artist Shane Breynard, then in 2013 Robyn Archer sent three Canberra rappers to Brasília to perform in the city’s CENA Contemporanea arts festival, making the point that our culture is of the here and now.

The opportunity for Anni to build a project arose in September 2017, she says, when the stars aligned. “CityNews” asked her to review an exhibition at the Brazilian Embassy. Anni headed for the show and an accompanying symposium and met the newly arrived Brazilian cultural attaché, Romero Maia, who walked her through the exhibition.

Two days later she had lunch with him and explained about her research. He in turn described Brasília and in particular his friend Christus Nobrega, an artist and professor. After meeting with David Broker at Canberra Contemporary Arts Space, a residency at CCAS was organised for Nobrega last November and he stayed with Anni.

“We spent hours and hours talking about Brasília and Canberra and I also helped him produce a project where he dreamt of retracing the ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ route into the Centre… I arranged trains, planes, buses, hotels and a water tanker to go into the desert to recreate a rainbow.”

The two quickly decided they should embark on a project involving two co-curators, two cities and two exhibitions.

A Brazilian curator would take Canberra art to Brasília and Anni would bring Brazilian art to Canberra, both travelling backwards and forwards.

Speed was of the essence, so initially Anni self-funded a trip to Brasília, in May and June, a whirlwind visit but resulting in indelible impressions. “In short, the arts and cultural doors of Brasília were flung open for me,” Anni says.

Come and sing with the big choir

By Helen Musa

APPLICATIONS are now open for Canberra Choral Society’s annual “Come & Sing”.

It’s when music-loving members of the Canberra community are invited to join the choristers in rehearsing choral masterpieces, culminating with a performance with a professional conductor, soloists and a full orchestra in Llewellyn Hall.

This year an exciting performance of Handel’s tour de force “Messiah” is featuring a massed choir and dynamic orchestral forces, which will be conducted by maestro and the Canberra International Music Festival director, Roland Peelman.

Soloists will be soprano Amy Moore, mezzo soprano Stephanie Dillon, tenor Richard Butler and bass Andrew O’Connor.

There are no auditions – a love of singing is the only requirement. Apply at trybooking.com before September 30. Rehearsals commence on October 14.

Handel’s “Messiah” will be performed at Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, Saturday, November 23. Brasília were flung open for me,” she says.

GARDENING Spring comes in a yellow splash

SPRING is all around with those brilliant yellow splashes of wattle, just one of a multitude of native flora in flower.

The honey-eating birds don’t know which flower to turn to next! Possibly one of their favourites is the banksia family.

Many banksias are from WA and generally unsuited for Canberra. With this in mind, a really exciting major construction is well underway to create a new banksia garden in the National Botanic Gardens.

As noted in “Fronds”, the journal of the Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens, this will enable a greater selection of banksias to be grown here, especially those from WA, which have stringent growing requirements.

The micro-climate of the new garden is designed to avoid the severe frosts experienced elsewhere in Canberra.

A series of curved rock walls have been constructed with the heavy clay removed and replaced with sandstone-based soil suitable for banksias. It is expected the new garden will open in April.

THE exact opposite to native plants is Floriade (September 14-October 13). The concept of Floriade started in Holland in 1908 where it takes place every 10 years with towns bidding for the right to host the huge event.

ously from April to October (northern spring to autumn). The floral displays are continuously changed over that period. It covers more than 64 hectares with more than 20 countries also having displays.

At the end of each Floriade, the next town is announced for 10 years’ time. The planting of trees starts immediately the successful town is announced. At the end of each Floriade, about a third of the site is used for housing. The remaining two thirds is kept as parkland for use by the community. Some of the large works of art and more permanent plantings are kept intact. I have been to several Dutch Floriades and looked at previous sites from 10 and 20 years ago.

In Canberra, our Floriade covers a few hectares and seems to be gradually reducing in size and the number of bulbs planted each year.

It was to be a once-only, bicentenary event in 1988 with the initial concept proposed by Dutchman Chris de Bruine in association with Peter Sutton, manager of Commonwealth Park and one of Canberra’s finest parks and gardens horticulturists. It proved so successful it has continued ever since.

Originally, nurseries had displays combined with landscape contractors competing with display gardens. The Horticultural Society

provided floral displays, fashion shows using live flowers. There were ikebana displays and more. The outdoor stage had a succession of speakers discussing gardening, of which I participated for many years.

Unfortunately, most of this has now gone replaced by such non-gardening events as Nightfest, nothing to do with flowers. How much longer it will last will be anyone’s guess.

Jottings…

• With modern nursery methods of potting up, even if they’re coming into leaf deciduous trees can still be planted.

• To get the maximum growth before flowering, roses need to be planted without delay.

• An absolute must for all gardeners: the Horticultural Society’s “Spring Bulb and Camellia Show”, at the Wesley Centre, Forrest, weekend of September 14 (noon-5pm) and 15 (11.30am-3.45pm).

APRIL has owned an apartment for four years. She moved out two years ago and can't decide whether to sell it or keep it. Her rental statement told me she was negatively geared after allowing for depreciation on the building.

"You get a tax benefit from the property of about $2000 a year," I told her.

"However, if you look at the figure before depreciation, you are actually cash flow positive, which means that you make a cash profit of about $3000 a year.

"Therefore, at present you are earning about $5000 a year from the property. So the property is definitely providing you with a cash benefit.”

"The next thing is the capital gains tax position. When I am advising on property purchases, I always advise that you would expect to make a capital gain after holding a property for between five and seven years. You have only owned the property for four years so it might be too early for you to sell. Has it gone up in value?”

April said she didn't think so and that apartments around hers were selling for about what she had paid.

"There are a lot of apartments in the area and quite a few people want to sell," she said. "

"The other thing is that with all the apartment problems in Sydney and Melbourne, people are not keen on buying apartments at the moment.”

On what she'd told me I suggested it wasn't the right time to sell at the moment.

"From the sound of it, you won’t be making much of a profit," I said. "You also have to take account of building depreciation, which can produce surprises.

"When you sell the apartment you have to add back the building depreciation that you have claimed during your ownership of the property.

"From the figures, you are getting a tax deduction of just over $4000 a year so this will need to be added back on sale. However, due to the complexities of the Income Tax Assessment Act, you are effectively only taxed on half the written back depreciation.

"And you'll need a market valuation of the property at the date of first rent. A market valuation is made by a registered valuer. The reason for this is that any capital gain that you make up to the date of the first rental is disregarded.

"So your capital gain is only calculated during the period that you were renting out the property. I should also mention that you have told me that you moved into your partner’s home, which you now call your principal place of residence.

"It is possible to continue to use this apartment as your principal place of residence, but then your partner could only claim half of her capital gains exemption in relation to her property if you choose this option. So a couple can only have one principal place of residence between them.”

If you require assistance on capital gains tax or any other tax matter contact the friendly tea at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 02 6295 2844.

Disclaimer

This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please contact Gail Freeman or your professional adviser.

PUZZLES PAGE

Joanne Madeline Moore

Your week in the stars – September 9-15, 2019

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

With the Full Moon highlighting your humanitarian side, it’s time to re-connect with others, roll up your sleeves and help those around you. Issues from the past could arise, as unresolved matters surface and demand to be addressed. Your imagination is also ignited and you’ll find magic is around you, if you know where to look. So your mantra for the week is from birthday great, writer Roald Dahl: “The greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.”

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

The focus is on friends – how to find them, nurture them and keep them. It’s also time to distance yourself from a phoney friend who doesn’t have your best interests at heart. (There’s definitely no room in your peer group for someone who is jealous or disparaging about your talents and achievements.) So your motto for the moment is from birthday great Roald Dahl: “Good friends are like stars. You can’t always see them twinkle but you know they are always there.”

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

It’s a great week to do some research, work out a puzzle, solve a problem or find something that’s been lost. Home life is highlighted, as you get creative around the house, tackle a DIY project or catch up with family members. Friday is fabulous for conversing and communicating; mixing and mingling; flirting and having fun. The Full Moon also shines a bright spotlight on a professional matter or a relationship with a boss, student, colleague, client or customer.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

When it comes to your aspirations for the future, you’re full of fabulous dreams and spectacular schemes but avoid letting blind optimism lead you up the primrose path to trouble. There is the possibility of being deceived so if something (or someone) looks and sounds too good to be true, then walk away. The Full Moon pushes you to stay on top of facts and leave pure fantasy for the movies. When your dreams are grounded in robust reality, then you’ll really start to fly!

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Tuesday looks rather tricky, when nebulous Neptune scrambles signals and confuses communication. So don’t accept information at face value and believe everything you hear. Take the time to do some solid fact checking before you respond. Then Friday and Saturday look promising, when there’s a Full Moon and Pluto trines the Sun (your patron planet). Which will turbo-charge your natural Cat charisma, boost your creative talents and finesse your financial flair.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Under the influence of the Full Moon, it’s a wonderful week to resolve a relationship issue with your partner, relative or close friend. Plus – with the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars all visiting your sign - it’s also a fortuitous time to formulate a practical new plan involving a personal matter or work project. Friday favours love and friendship as you socialise with your nearest and dearest. But energy and motivation levels will be low on Saturday so slow down and pace yourself.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

The Full Moon highlights physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, plus your humanitarian side. So it’s time to nurture yourself (via a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine) and help others. Find a cause you believe in, and contribute your talents and lend your support in creative and compassionate ways. Inspiration for the week is from birthday boy Prince Harry (who turns 35 on Sunday): “You’ve got to give something back. You can’t just sit there.”

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

You’ve got the power this week, as Mercury and the Sun boost your Scorpio magnetism and motivation. Concentration and determination are strong, as you dive deep into a problem or cause, and use your persuasive personality to bring others onside. Friday and Saturday are terrific for transforming a perceived negative into a positive. Make sure you approach tasks with maximum enthusiasm and plenty of passion. As birthday great Roald Dahl wrote: “Lukewarm is no good.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Relations with professional colleagues and/or family members will be lively – and rather unpredictable. When it comes to an exciting project at home or work, do your best to strike a happy medium between being spontaneous and being slapdash. If you skip over short-term minor matters, then long-term success could be compromised. This week the devil is definitely in the detail, so smart Sagittarians will knuckle down and focus on getting the fundamentals right.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Capricorns are usually incredibly careful and considered. Not this week, as mighty Mars revs up your latent impulsive streak (especially when it comes to travel and adventure). So it’s a wonderful week to go on a grand adventure, plan a heavenly holiday or book an exotic escapade for some time soon (before you change your mind). Friday night’s Full Moon amplifies your communication skills and your commitment to getting involved in an important local community project.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Avoid taking short-cuts and jumping to conclusions Aquarius. This week there’s much more to a situation than meets the eye. So look for the facts that are hidden beneath the surface; be uncharacteristically patient; and do all the research that is required before you approach people or proceed with projects. Plus resist the temptation to blow a big hole in your budget, shop up a storm, and use retail therapy as entertainment. Find less expensive ways to amuse yourself!

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

Resist the tendency to avoid issues and procrastinate Pisces! It’s a good week to take a long look at your goals and dreams for the future, plus get cracking on practical projects that point you in a positive new direction. Friday night’s Full Moon highlights getting the balance right between independent endeavours and committed relationships. Successful partnerships don’t just happen magically –they require long-term hard work and constant connection to make them last.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2019

1 What is a member of the clergy called? (6)

8 Which starlike figure is used as a reference mark? (8)

9 Name the female reproductive part of a flowering plant. (6)

10 What is a particular lens in an optical instrument? (8)

11 Name a long-fanged, highly venomous, Australian snake. (6)

13 Name the tenth month of the early Roman year. (8)

16 What, colloquially, describes a police officer? (8)

19 Which international distress signal is replacing SOS? (6)

22 What do we call illegal drawings, or words, vandalising walls, etc? (8)

24 Who was Huckleberry Finn’s mate, Tom ...? (6)

25 Name the communications system that links computers worldwide. (8)

26 Which words did Ali Baba use to open the door of the robbers’ den, open ... (6) Down

2 Name the capital of Tibet. (5)

3 To tear something apart, is to do what? (3,2)

4 What, broadly, might we call an almanac? (8)

5 What is an inflammatory swelling on the edge of the eyelid? (4)

6 Which term implies something that is self-evident? (6)

7 What is the human soul, spirit, or mind? (6)

12 Name the metallic element with the symbol Fe and the atomic number 26. (4)

14 What are apothecaries more commonly known as? (8)

15 Shakespeare was known as the ... of Avon? (4)

17 Which term describes a trip to convey a message? (6)

18 What, in Australia, do we call a rustler? (6)

20 What are fore-and-aft-rigged vessels? (5)

21 To be at right angles to the keel of a ship, is to be what? (5)

23 What are small hotels, or taverns? (4)

Sudoku

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