CityNews 191010

PERCHED ON THE ROOFTOP OF THE AWARD WINNING BURBURY HOTEL, OVERLOOKING THE CITY, LAKE AND LEAFY BARTON IS CANBERRA’S MOST EXCLUSIVE HIGH TEA.

‘Micro-forest’ plan to cool compacted Downer park

By Kathryn VUKOVLJAK

A “MICRO-forest” pilot project has been proposed for an area of open space in Downer.

Landscape architect Edwina Robin son, founder of social enterprise The Climate Factory, is leading the charge and says that urban micro-forests, dense pockets of vegetation that cool the local landscape, are also impor tant in terms of creating habitat and enhancing community.

“We chose this particular site be cause it’s like a little park overlooked by houses, and we felt it could become a real neighbourhood precinct,” she says.

“It’s a fairly open space with some play equipment, but there’s a lot of weeds, and the ground is dry and compacted. There are some eucalypts and deciduous trees. We want to help activate the space, make it usable, pleasant and safe.”

Edwina is aiming to generate funds through the crowdfunding platform StartSomeGood.

“We shouldn’t rely on the government to fund public open spaces, and parts of our community are affluent. Let’s step up and see what we can do,” she says.

“I tend to think local residents will feel more ownership if they’re involved

The one-hectare site, located between Cole Street and Cadell Street in Downer, would feature fire-resistant

used and how people move through it,” she says. “We’ll be looking at ways to cool the

ting in tubestock as it outperforms anything bigger very quickly, but also looking at trees from a range of age

categories so they will live for different lengths of time.”

Edwina, who also works part-time as executive officer of SEE-Change, started The Climate Factory earlier this year with an ultimate goal of planting 100,000 trees and shrubs in urban micro-forests by 2025.

“After experiencing the hot January this year, which was six degrees above average, I thought, I’ve got to do something,” Edwina says.

“Trees cool the ground beneath them – under a tree canopy the ground can be up to 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding area. We need these nature spaces, they’re like an oasis in

The Downer micro-forest is The Climate Factory’s first public project, and the group is also working on a small micro-forest in a private front garden nearby, which Edwina says will help to create wildlife corridors.

Through her work at SEE-Change, Edwina has recently initiated a birdscaping project to encourage pollinators and small threatened birds in O’Connor, overseeing the grant and funding process, and implementation.

“Our aim is to give a sense of hope that we can all be involved, and do something to help,” she says.

The crowdfunder will be launched on Wednesday October 16, through StartSomeGood.

Arts & Entertainment 27-29

Canberra Matters 6 Cinema 28 Crossword 31 Dining 29 Gardening 30

Horoscopes 31

Letters 12

News 3-13

Politics 8

Socials 14-15 Cover: Kylie Minogue photographed for “Vogue” by Nicole Bentley. Story Page 9.

Since 1993: Volume 25, Number 39

Managing Director: James Anderson, 0404 077605, james@citynews.com.au

Director: Kate Meikle, kate@citynews.com.au

Senior advertising account executive: David Cusack, 0435 380656

Advertising account executives: Daniel Clayton, 0451 232129; Damien Klemke, 0439 139001

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

Assistant editor: Danielle Nohra, danielle@citynews.com.au

Journalist: Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au;

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

Production manager/graphic design: Janet Ewen

Graphic designer: Karl Speller

Proof reader: Glenda Anderson Accounts: accounts@citynews.com.au

SEVEN DAYS

Absent Andrew misses the ‘Canberra’ buzz

AS the name “Canberra” resonates across the country (well, east coast) and the world (especially Washington), one wonders if Chief Minister Andrew Barr might have better spent his time and our money enjoying the glorious spring weather in town this past week.

The chief frequent flyer headed overseas again, this time on a $17,000 swing with a staff member to spruik tourism and trade to Malaysia and Singapore.

And while he was away, PM Scott Morrison was bringing the focus of the world to the national capital as the “New York Times” sensationally broke the story of desperate Donald Trump’s call for help from Canberra.

And those mighty Canberra Raiders were feted by thousands along the roadside as the team bus snaked its optimistic way out of town for the big final in Sydney.

No matter the result (they heroically lost), the Green Machine’s triumphant first rugby league final in a quarter of a century was always going to be a winner for Canberra and a great, post-winter morale booster for the city, especially after the ACT government’s expensively grafted “local” AFL team, GWS, was totally outclassed in its sad grand final debut in Melbourne the weekend before.

OF all his days in court over the past 30 years, those of the past week must be shaping up for David Harold Eastman as the most bitter-sweet as he pursues a claim for 19 years of wrongful imprisonment.

Acquitted last year of the 1989 murder of ACT police chief Colin Winchester, the 74-year-old former public servant has declined an act-of-grace payment from the territory and is chasing at least $18 million in compensation from the Supreme Court.

Speaking in court, Eastman bemoaned “the loss of opportunity to get married and have children, which was a dream, the loss of opportunity to pursue a career” and characterised the miserable and confronting conditions of his detention.

To date, the case has cost ACT taxpayers $30 million, with more to come if Eastman’s claim succeeds.

ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel

fronted an Australian Transport Research Forum to share the results of a 12-month trial of “alternative fuel” buses. He means electric buses and readers will be unsurprised to learn that they performed best in relation to environmental emissions and energy efficiency. But when it comes to actually being a bus, the diesels were more reliable and cheaper to run. It’s all for nought because the government is planning anyway to transition to a zero-emission (electric) fleet by 2040 by which time, given the minister’s boyish good looks, he will be about 35 and chief minister.

THE drought is taking some of the steam out of the reopened Canberra Railway Museum. The crowd-pleasing steam train rides have been deferred until next year due to the “higher risk” imposed by the dry conditions. Three years after spiralling into liquidation, director John Cheeseman is inviting the community to visit the museum at 2 Geijera Place, Kingston, 10am-3pm, on any Sunday to learn about the contribution rail has made to our region and the nation.

A NEW ear-cleaning service called Earworx, which has opened a couple of outlets in medical centres north and south, misguidedly offered journos a free dewaxing when the real beneficiaries would have been members of the Legislative Assembly.

Perhaps not the well-regarded Speaker Joy Burch, who in recent days has had to stare down “new-faces” reformists to hang on to preselection for her place in Labor’s Brindabella ticket in next year’s ACT election. Her south-seat and re-preselected stablemate Mick Gentleman might benefit though, given that the oft-criticised Planning Minister’s selective hearing is well known when it comes to the concerns of ratepayers.

And six things you didn’t know about earwax from Earworx founder Lisa Hellwege: it’s an odour meter; it reflects your ethnicity; it changes colour; it senses stress; it’s an insect repellent and it fights infection.

AFTER a recent, bristling “CityNews” column on petrol, ex-pollie Michael Moore is emerging as something of a Michael Moore (the American activist) when it comes to Canberra’s pump-price gougers. Leaving town late in the week, he reports cocking a snoot at the servos proffering diesel at 159.9 cents a litre and smugly topping up at outof-town Boorowa for 151.5 cents.

Regular columnist Mike Welsh is on leave.

IAN MEIKLE

CANBERRA MATTERS / kingston arts precinct

Arts precinct a distraction to more apartments?

WHEN confronted with the latest complex goings-on with the proposal for a huge apartment development alongside the Old Bus Depot Markets that will include the Kingston Arts Precinct, the Inner South Canberra Community Council (ISCCC) did a very sensible thing.

It called a public meeting and posed the question: “How would you like us to respond to the Geocon proposal for the Kingston Arts Precinct?”

The room was full and presentations were kept short. The subsequent debate addressed most concerns being expressed by people from across Canberra. As with so many of this government’s development proposals – the issues are multi-layered and complex. It remains clear that trust in this government remains low. What has become apparent is that the developer, its consultants, the Suburban Land Agency and all of the ACT government are trying to keep people’s attention on what may be a new arts

As with so many of this government’s development proposals – the issues are multi-layered and complex. It remains clear that trust in this government remains low.

centre for Canberra – the Kingston Arts Precinct. The reality is that people should pay more attention to this as the Kingston Super Apartment Precinct, not as an arts precinct, as the arts component is an add-on to a massive development.

While Geocon’s consultant on the night continually stressed that what was published remains concepts only, it was clear that the developer is doing what it is good at – plonking down the maximum number of apartment buildings despite the well-documented issues around heritage and community aspirations for the site.

This site has a decade of consultations and many master-plan processes. Yet, somehow, the Geocon consultant indicated that it was early days and they were about to set up yet another consultative committee to inform the development planning to be undertaken by Geocon.

This new form of community consultative committee will be run

by the developer and the issues to be discussed will be set by the developer and/or the government. Say no more!

The heritage values of the site have been officially recognised and are well accepted. Yet at each step their importance has been diminished. It is possible to have an apartment complex and a visual arts centre and to have all this within a heritage context. With the right motivations and a transparent process, this could be possible. But when the tender documents that were issued remain secret, residents can only guess what the developer has been told.

The other major issue that is yet to be given adequate attention is parking and traffic. Anyone who goes to the Kingston Old Bus Depot Markets will know that parking and traffic is a problem now. With a huge apartment complex plus less parking for the markets, the logical outcome will be a major traffic mess plus inadequate parking. Those who set up shop within the markets will have problems coming and going – let alone the thousands who descend on the precinct on the weekends.

As with other sales of major public

land, the revenue from the sale was the priority while ad hoc planning and traffic studies may occur later as an afterthought. Then there’s the minimal trees and open spaces (more heat islands coming our way). That’s the way we do planning under this Labor/Greens government. There’s a chance that this initiative may deliver a visual arts precinct that goes someway to match the expectations of some of the arts organisations involved. This is not guaranteed. In most Australian cities when arts precincts were established, a government handed over a site, often previously industrial, as a dedicated set of buildings to house

multiple arts organisations. This Kingston model is very different in that it will depend on a developer known more for massive high-rise developments. There’s a long way to go and much more energy to be expended by community groups to gain a good future for this significant, heritagelisted site. Big thanks to the ISCCC for the September forum. There will probably have to be many more.

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

Why you should be scared of cyber attacks

WORRIED about cyber attacks? The reality is that these attacks are scary.

Put yourself in the shoes of the 300 or so Australian National University graduates and students who received an email from the university to let them know that their files had been hacked.

The ANU cyber attack was a sophisticated effort with specific goals in mind. Rather than stealing intellectual property, personal information was the aim.

Intellectual property would be understandable with one of the world’s leading research facilities. Targetting personal details is much more sinister.

Sinister attacks are becoming more common. Victorian rural health facilities were also recently hit by “ransomware” attack with patients in serious need of treatment for cancer, for example, transported from La Trobe to Melbourne for treatment. Surgery was cancelled in some hospitals.

Labor’s spokesperson on Cyber Security Tim Watts pointed out the lack of preparedness of the Federal government. He accused the Morrison government of a series of failures in the implementation of the 2016 Cyber Security Strategy. A minister had been appointed on this issue by Malcolm Turnbull, as was consistent with the strategy.

However, when ousted by Scott Morrison the specific ministerial position disappeared. The four-year strategy

The ANU cyber attack was a sophisticated effort with specific goals in mind. Rather than stealing intellectual property, personal information was the aim.

was taken over by Home Affairs and the government claims to have invested $230 million. Consultation is now under way on the 2020 strategy which will also be for four years.

The government itself points out:

“Since the release of the 2016 Cyber Security Strategy, the cyber-threat landscape has shifted and evolved dramatically.

“The magnitude of the threats faced by Australian businesses and families has increased. They will become more acute as our society and economy become increasingly connected”. Scary enough?

The government adds “as the threat evolves, so too must our response”. On the flipside, according to Tim Watts, speaking on ABC Radio National to Hamish Macdonald, reports of the auditor-general indicate that only 27 per cent of Federal departments are appropriately cyber secure, that “they have taken the kind of steps necessary to protect them against these attacks”. Watts goes on to suggest that “it is probably worse for state, territory and local government”.

The auditor-general also urged government entities to avail themselves of the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

The ANU has made public its report in the hope of raising awareness of the

style of attacks that are possible. In that case there were four waves of “spear phishing” attacks, indicating increasing sophistication. Additionally, the attackers had spent significant effort to cover their tracks.

These sort of attacks raise significant issues for ordinary individuals. Many understand the importance, for example, of having a shared medical health record. For the individual there is convenience and access in a medical emergency. Governments can use the epidemiological data to make more effective decisions regarding the appropriate use and targetting of resources.

However, if an individual’s private health information is vulnerable to cyber attack, then more and more people will opt out of the personal My Health Record system. With around three quarters of government departments assessed as not being “cyber-resilient” by the National Audit Office, why would ordinary citizens trust the government with such information?

Our vulnerability goes further.

Do Canberrans wonder where their information goes when they put registration information into some of the Wilson car parks?

Wilson Offshore Group Holdings (BVI) Limited is the entity that ultimately controls all Wilson’s Australian operations. It is not just parking. Wilson also holds contracts with multiple government departments including some of Australia’s offshore detention centres as well as with Defence, the Australian Tax Office and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The reality is that Australians are cyber vulnerable; personally, through their governments and through many of our institutions. This might explain Tim Watts’ call for a “threat-sharing portal” and his frustration in not being able to “see how a number of proposals from that (2016) strategy were followed through”.

The issue of cyber security is real. It is scary. Spending in defence against this threat might just be a better investment than the billions spent on yet another submarine.

Analysing music of Powderfinger

POWDERFINGER’S Bernard Fanning and producer Nick DiDia will talk about the band’s “Internationalist” album at the National Film and Sound Archive’s new “Classic Australian Album” series, 2pm, on Saturday, October 19. They will play tracks from the album and delve into the process behind what was Powderfinger’s anticipated third album. Released in late 1998, it debuted at number one on the ARIA albums charts, went on to be certified 5x platinum and the track “Passenger” was named ARIA Song of the Year in 1999. Tickets at $25 from shop.nfsa.gov.au

Music challenge

RECRUITMENT Hive is offering $1500 to aspiring local songwriters to show their “Canberrability”. The tech recruiter is looking for someone to score the music for three upcoming online videos. MD Ben Ashman says: “Our Dance Music Creator Search offers musicians the chance to create original tracks and upload them to our site and, if they’re chosen, they’ll receive up to $1500.

“This gives unknown Canberra musicians a unique opportunity to catapult their work out to a global audience via our upcoming YouTube videos.”

Enter at recruitmenthive.com.au

Seeing social change through pages

BY ARTS EDITOR Helen MUSA

IN its 60 years, “Vogue Australia” has been much more than just a glossy magazine guide to fashion – it’s been a barometer of social change.

Now the National Portrait Gallery is acknowledging its significance in a new show, “Women in Vogue: Celebrating sixty years in Australia”, presented in collaboration with “Vogue Australia”.

Along with 600 or more covers from the Australian archives starting with the first edition of “Vogue Australia” in 1959 to the present, the 60-year retrospective will also include photographic portraits of contemporary celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Elle Macpherson, Margot Robbie, Miranda Tapsell and Kylie Minogue.

“Vogue Australia” editor-in-chief Edwina McCann says: “‘Vogue’ has photographed politicians, princesses, role models, champions, truth-tellers, storytellers, change-makers and tastemakers, all of whom you will discover in this exhibition.”

Aimee Board, an NPG curator working on the show, is not about to distinguish the truth-tellers from the storytellers, but brings “CityNews” up to speed on the scope of the show.

She’s especially entranced by the three dresses they’ve acquired for the show.

One is a black and white striped satin caftan by Magg of Melbourne, Dame Zara Holt’s label, on loan from the National Gallery of Victoria. That’s also included pictorially in a “Vogue” feature from October, 1967, alongside international designers Lanvin, Enzo, Oscar de la Renta and Babs Radon.

Then there’s a “cut out” dress (also from the NGV) by designer Martin Grant, who briefly studied sculpture at the Victorian College of the Arts before establishing his studio in Paris.

But the best pieces are undoubtedly former foreign minister Julie Bishop’s white “resignation dress” designed by Ted Baker and on loan from Bishop, and the sparkling red shoes she wore while announcing her resignation (from the Museum of Australian Democracy, which now owns the shoes). Board believes they are a symbol of female empowerment.

Presented as a three-part narrative: “Looking Back,” “Looking Out” and “Looking Forward,” the exhibition, serves “to signal shifts in culture and identity.”

That “Vogue” has always kept up with currents trends is evident from its covers.

In the “Looking Back” section, Board suggests many early models on the covers are mere “human mannequins” used to show off hairstyles, accessories, hats and make-up.

She indicates the cover of the first “Vogue Australia” in 1959, photographed by Norman Parkinson, shows a vacuous blonde under “Hollywood lighting”, the preferred style for famous international photographers from this era.

But the images show that change was afoot in the ‘50s and ‘60s, with the classical lines of couture houses, the cinched-in waists and the low hemlines all bending to the sexual revolution.

“The youth of the day rebelled,” she says, pointing to controversy surrounding the

ABC between 1956 and 1963, Rossi’s “Woman’s World” was pitched primarily at housewives interested in balancing beauty and style with domestic responsibilities.

In 1960, while outlining new creations by designers including Nina Ricci and Dior, she opined: “Each designer introduces something controversial into his collection just for the sake of controversy”.

In “Looking Out”, the film world and the rise of celebrities is covered, with confident figures such as Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, actress Mia Wasikowska, designer Heidi Middleton, Elle Macpherson and Nicole Kidman taking Australia to the world stage, indicating how far women have evolved from the human mannequin and highlighting how different women have broken through the glass ceiling.

“‘Vogue’ has always had a tricky role in body image,” Board says. “They showed Amazonian Elle, but then again, Miranda Tapsell and Kylie Minogue are ‘pocket rockets’. And there are also more informal pictures showing Nicole Kidman with her children.”

more curvaceous bodies and the “Soho Boho” look of the ‘70s, reflected in the covers.

Another historical focus will be on Mary Rossi, the first Australian woman to have her own television program. Screened weekly on

The final section, “Looking Forward,” shows “Vogue” helping to redefine Australian womanhood, taking in the idea of four millennial women signalling diversity, including South Sudanese-Australian model Adut Akech photographed by Charles Dennington and BosnianAustralian transgender model Andreja Pejic photographed by Patrick Demarchelier.

“Women in Vogue: Celebrating sixty years in Australia”, National Portrait Gallery, October 11-November 24. Book at portrait.gov.au

Park reunion for old kids

A REUNION of children who lived in Turner and O’Connor in the ‘50s and ‘60s will be held at Haig Park, adjacent to the Turner Tennis Club, at 1pm on November 3.

“Anyone who lived in Turner or O’Connor in the 1950s or 1960s is invited to attend an informal get-together to reconnect and share memories of old times when they were students at Turner School or St Joseph’s in O’Connor,” says organiser David Seaton.

Following the success of the reunion of the old Westgarth Street, O’Connor, residents in March, David says he’s been encouraged to extend this reunion out to those who grew up in O’Connor and Turner during that time.

“Everyone is requested to bring a picnic table, some food and drinks and any old photos or memorabilia,” says David.

“There are plans to hold a competition between Turner and O’Connor teams in games from the old days like marbles and hopscotch,” he says.

The North Canberra Bowls Club has been booked in case of rain.

The co-organiser Norman Burmester knew David from their school days at Turner Primary and coincidentally both became local high school teachers.

More information from David on 0414 486152 and Norman on 0432 076712.

Occasional ‘CityNews’ pets columnist HEIKE

HAHNER finds herself suddenly homeless and despairing for her future.

IT’S a sad day when after nearly 60 years on this planet you have to say that you do not want to see the sun come up ever again.

After two and a half years of homelessness, I have now been asked to vacate the temporary stay I had been able to use, so that yet another local building can stand empty.

Bless this mouse!

ALL creatures, great and small – from guinea pigs and rabbits to cats and dogs – are invited to a special Blessing of the Animals service at Tuggeranong Uniting Church, Comrie Street, Wanniassa, 9.30am, on Sunday, October 13. “In blessing our pets we are honouring a tradition started by Francis of Assisi around 800 years ago. Our service also ties in with the recent decision of the ACT government to recognise animals as sentient beings,” said minister Elizabeth Raine.

Just for brass

RED Hill music lovers Prof Brian and Dianne Anderson will host “Music in the Garden”, a fundraiser for the Salvation Army’s new

“Just Brass” program, 1pm-3.30pm on Saturday, October 12. Book at trybooking.com

Promise of bargains

“BARGAINS galore” is the promise at the Kangara Waters Fete, Joy Cummings Place, Belconnen, 9am-1pm, Saturday, October 12. Stalls will offer toys, books, jewellery, treasures, white elephant, papercraft, CDs & DVDs, cakes and jams, plants and pots.

Scones and books

ST Ninian’s Uniting Church is trotting out its fresh, baked-on-the-premises scones for morning tea and lunch during the fundraising book sale at the hall, corner of Mouat and Brigalow Streets, Lyneham, 9am-1pm, on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19.

This simple heartless decision by one person turns my already difficult life into abject misery and hopelessness.

Poverty in our modern world of affluence is a curse you don’t wish on your worst enemy, yet an increasing number of us are facing my very situation, especially women of my age group.

Women like me, who have worked hard all their lives, being told by those “in the know” that what gets you ahead in life is hard work and making it on your own.

But that is a nasty and misleading myth. Hugh Mackay, our prominent social commentator, predicted my fate and that of many women of my age group nearly 20 years ago. Bernard Salt, another prominent social com-

mentator, repeated the warning in 2011. Mackay also outlined three components that make people successful and wealthy in life: luck, astuteness (which also translates to shrewdness) and hard work.

The problem is that if you happen to lack in one of the three, or God forbid in two, and all you have done is hard work, for example, you are doomed to a life of hardship, despair and barely managing to skirt poverty, never getting ahead. This is especially the case when people like me find themselves without family or a partner/husband. Family and/or husband equal an increase in your social status, and you are therefore less likely to be ignored if things go wrong.

For the rest of us who find ourselves in poverty through sheer bad luck or lack of shrewdness, or both, there is no hope and no future of a better life. The so-called support structures that are in place to help people like us are also designed to keep us in a vicious maze of bureaucratic supremacy, from where there is no escape and certainly no return to an even halfway normal life. So, thanks to yet another turn of bad luck dished out by someone who certainly does not lack in shrewdness, the only things keeping me alive now are my dogs; loyal, compassionate and co-operative to the death.

NEWS / the runaway success of gathering lids for kids

Tim battles chronic pain for kids

By Danielle NOHRA

LIDS4KIDS founder Tim Miller is calling on the government and beverage companies to buy the machines his charity needs to keep plastic lids out of landfill and repurpose them into items for kids with disabilities.

“There’s no way we can humanly manage them on our own,” says Tim, 43, of Aranda, who started collecting the lids about three months ago through the Aranda street commu nity library.

“I put a little bucket out there three months ago, in June, and made the mistake of putting it on Facebook and it went viral,” he says.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Within 48 hours I had over 1000 messages from people all over Australia wanting to help.”

Initially Lids4Kids was attempting to collect 250,000 lids by the end of the year for the Victorian children’s charity Envision Hands, which makes prosthetic limbs for children, but they exceeded that number in three weeks. So far, Tim’s team has saved more than one and a half million lids from landfill.

“We want to rescue every lid from landfill now. We’re not turning any away,” Tim says. Lids4Kids will continue to donate lids to Envision Hands, when needed, but will need to repurpose the rest of the lids (more than a million) themselves.

Tim’s set up Lids4Kids as a charity and is asking the ACT government, the Federal government and beverage companies to collectively donate the $600,000 needed to buy machines the charity needs to shred the lids and turn the plastic into items for children living with disabilities.

“We want these businesses who are putting the lids out there to help us close the loop by chipping in for the machines so we can repurpose every lid,” says Tim.

“We now have a voice to say: ‘Look at what the little people of Australia are doing. Look at what kids are doing.’

“Close the loop, give us money so your products don’t go to landfill. Little kids have stepped up and said: ‘No, we don’t want this to go in the bin.’

“Give us money for the machines so we can recycle it.”

When Lids4Kids gets the shredders, Tim says they will train people who are living with a disability to use them.

“Then the pellets that come out of it can be sent to plastics workshops and made into any product,” he says.

“We want to put a machine in every capital city, starting in Canberra – where it all began.”

Now, in nearly every single town in Australia, there’s someone like Tim collecting lids but the inspiration started when Tim’s outback charity rally team needed 100,000 bottles and cans to enter a rally.

“We were taking the lids off and we didn’t know what to do with them,” he says.

“Then we were told that anything smaller than a credit card can’t be recycled. They fly off and get jammed in the gears so they go to landfill.”

It was then that Tim decided he was going to try and rescue every single lid from landfill.

But the desire to support disadvantaged children goes back about 10 years when Tim was diagnosed with incurable bowel disease, liver disease and fibromyalgia.

“When I was very, very sick, I didn’t know how long I had left,” Tim says.

“When I was bedridden in hospital, I was

only 30 something and I was surrounded by lots of older people and I was feeling sorry for myself.

“Then a nine-year-old girl walked into the ward and had the same thing as me. That’s when I realised there are so many kids younger than me with similar health issues.

“The very next day I started fundraising for children’s charities and haven’t felt sorry for myself since.”

These days Tim has about half an hour a day where he feels good before he’s forced to curl up in bed with heat packs, but he wants to inspire others in a similar situation to do charity work, too.

“I want people living with chronic pain or an incurable disease to know that there’s still things they can do,” says former public servant Tim, now a house dad with three kids under 10.

“I was originally told I’d only have two years to live. You feel pretty sad but that nine-year-old girl completely changed my perspective.

“Life’s short but even with chronic pain you can do something useful to help other people.

“I started a nationwide charity, even though I’m in chronic pain and stuck in bed all day.”

Lids4Kids now has more than 7000 collection points around the country.

Tim’s looking for people to donate milk bottle lids, water bottle lids and soft drink lids but he says if other lids are donated such as juice lids, which are too hard to shred, he still finds a way to repurpose them and keep them out of landfill.

Tim also wants to inspire children to make a difference and recycle lids.

“Most people who help us out are kids under the age of six,” he says.

“I’ve given about 20 presentations at schools now and the message I give is that even though you’re one kid, all together, it makes a huge difference.”

LETTERS

Forum turns ‘feral’ as locals react to hospital plans

THE Spire Project Public Forum at the Garran School to advise residents of the new building structure at Woden Hospital became feral with near all of the attending residents opposing the project.

Little or no public consultation had been held before the meeting about this building, which has had funding approved by the ACT government. The directorate executive “disappeared” early to attend another meeting leaving his female minions to take notes. The ACT Minister for Health was not in attendance nor was Chris Steel, our local MLA.

I felt rather sorry for the Spire contractor who did well in holding on to his part of the meeting but could not answer lots of questions that really needed the government planners at the meeting.

It was made quite clear that the ACT is controlled by ‘“idiots” – a frequently used title.

The new seven-storey building catering for 700 more staff, but no additional car parking for them or patient visitors, was queried.

However the proposed new emergency entrance from Palmer Street and the helipad on top had most residents stirred up.

I felt sorry for those residents of Palmer Street, sitting in front of me, who even now experience difficulties entering and exiting their properties. I would hate to think of the constant ambulance service and helicopters coming and going at all hours a stone’s

throw from their front doors by 2024! I wonder if the ACT government will buy back the houses or pay deserved compensation?

The Woden Hospital is 50 years old and often criticised as unhealthy and should really be gutted and rebuilt – not added to on an island block over the road from a school that has traffic problems already.

The helicopter also came in for criticism because it causes noise pollution flying 24 hours each day – seven days a week to the disturbance of Garran residents, many of whom built homes here before the arrival of the hospital.

When the helicopter service was proposed the approach and take off were to follow Hindmarsh Drive or Yarra Glen. This does not happen and at night Kitchener Street lights are used as a landing strip. Although the service saves many lives it covers an enormous area of more than a 200-kilometre radius. Needless to say, it has outgrown the original intention of sporadic use.

Robert Courtney, Garran

Government’s ‘perverse behaviour’

PAUL Costigan’s “Canberra Matters” column (“The seesaw world of deciding fate of trees”, CN, October 3) is another insight into the perverse behaviour of and under our ACT Greens/Labor government. But Paul forgot to mention the “free for all” as bushfires approached in 2003 when you almost had to cut your tree/s down if your neighbour

considered them a possible fire threat.

And what about the destruction of the bush capital’s vista as you enter the city along Northbourne Avenue and for what? One wonders whether the tree conservator actually exists considering what seem to be ad hoc decisions, or worse, when looking at the evidence.

Klaus Inveen, Macquarie

Raiders ‘dumb’ not to take penalties

THE NRL Grand Final was a high-quality game that could have gone either way.

As much as I have green eyes, I think it’s a shame that there’s so much focus on the referee signalling six, then getting the tip-off that he got it wrong, which reverted back to the last tackle.

To say that decision cost the Raiders the game is just wrong. For example, we couldn’t score a try when Cooper Cronk was off the field and Easts down to 12 men; so why such a strong argument that with the extra six tackles we could have scored with Cronk back on the field and Easts with 13 men?

The decision to send Cronk to the sin bin was a disgrace. There are line-ball, split-second tackles like that each and every week that are sometimes not even penalised. I can accept the penalty but a sin bin offence, no way.

I thought the Raiders were super dumb not to take the penalty kicks early in the game. On both occasions we came up with nothing. Had we kicked the penalties we

would have had points on the board and pressure on Easts. Plus, with four points and then the Wighton try, we could have led 10-8, which would have placed even greater pressure Easts.

Anyway, the Raiders and its supporters have plenty of time to drown our sorrows and lick our wounds until the 2020 season.

Mark Lynch, via email

Black market defence is folklore

ONE of the folklore sayings about legalising cannabis is that it will virtually remove unlicensed/illegal/blackmarket activity in the drug – similar to tobacco.

I would strongly suggest it must remain folklore. On March 9, the “Australian Financial Review” reported: “Illegal tobacco sales are flourishing in suburban and rural shopping centres, outraging retailers and frustrating renewed government efforts to crack down on a trade estimated to cost taxpayers up to $3.8 billion a year.”

“US News” of September 20 reported: “The United Cannabis Business Association, a statewide group of legal marijuana businesses, found that about 2835 illicit sellers, including storefronts and delivery services, are operating statewide. That’s more than three times as many illegal sellers as legal ones – 873.”

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Cedric is ‘spot on’...

CEDRIC Bryant, your letter (CN, September 26) is obviously spot on about the TV series “Utopia” being based on the ACT government. The episode about the Sunshine Coast tram, in particular.

Denis Wylks, Holder

...No, he’s not!

FOR Cedric Bryant’s benefit (letters, CN, September 26), I have checked out that there is no truth in the rumours that the ABC TV comedy program “Utopia” is based on the ACT government.

John Milne, Chapman

Wright and Coombs would be shocked

THE letter from Colin Lyons on planning, or rather the lack of it, is excellent (CN, October 3).

The comments about new suburbs such as Wright, devoid of any trees, with large houses on small blocks and negligible open space, reflect an absence of ecological design, not to mention aesthetics.

As Colin said, a sad commentary on what is being approved by the planning authority and delivered by developers.

If environmental warriors Wright and Coombs were alive today to see what had been erected in their names, they would be shocked. These suburbs should be more fittingly renamed Ratty and Barr.

Murray May, Cook

OPINION / sport and politics

The political minefield of good manners in sport

I HAVE lately been watching the Rugby World Cup being played in Japan. Sadly, the Wallabies went down in their pool game against Wales.

I don’t confess to be a rugby union aficionado but I do watch the game reasonably regularly on TV and traipse off to the Bruce stadium once or twice a year to watch the Brumbies. So I do have some capacity to assess the relative performance of the teams playing.

Suffice to say, I’m pretty sure any follower, even those with just a smidgin of an understanding of rugby union, would agree that the Wallabies were, particularly in the first half, comprehensively outplayed by Wales and, despite a strong fightback in the second half, could not claw back the lead conceded earlier in the game by their sub-par (in fact awful) performance.

So poor was the Aussie play that I fancy I even heard a wail from the house next door: “Israel, Israel, where are you? Come back. All is forgiven”. Then again, perhaps it was just my imagination.

Despite this, the post-game analysis from the one-eyed Australian commentary team and coach Michael Cheika and captain Michael Hooper was disappointing, to say the least. According to them, we were robbed. The better team lost. The referees were incompetent; they clearly didn’t understand the rules. Cheika said he was left

The stunning success of the Green Machine must be extremely galling for Barr, Berry and other ministers. For the sake of political appearances, they’ve presumably all felt the need to be seen to be supportive of the Raiders, all the while, one assumes, privately willing them to lose.

completely confused and embarrassed by the ineptitude of the officials.

There was no acknowledgement of the Welsh victory or that its team played well or deserved the win and should be congratulated. No concession that the Wallabies had let themselves down. There was no apparent interest in observing the usual niceties associated with the conclusion of a sporting contest

The Cheika /Hooper press conference was embarrassing. It was truly appalling. I cannot recall having ever watched a more petulant or ungracious post-game sporting press conference, except perhaps with Canberra’s Nick Kyrgios or Bernard Tomic, each of whom is in a class of his own.

Observing the boorish behaviour of the Wallabies’ coach and captain caused me, for some reason, to reflect on the invariably humble and gracious way in which the All Blacks respond to either winning or losing.

Their humility is all the more impressive since they almost never lose and, as Mac Davis famously sings, it

must be hard to be humble when you are perfect in every way.

Consider also the stunningly gracious response of the NZ cricket team to its dramatic loss to England in the World Cup. Imagine if you can how the Australian cricket team would have responded in a similar situation.

There is clearly in NZ an embedded culture that the Wallabies should be encouraged to adopt, of playing to win and, if successful, acting with humility and generosity, and if unsuccessful, accepting defeat with grace and fortitude.

As an aside, I was discussing the Wales/Wallabies game with one of my sons and the subject of the disparity between the ranking, performance and behaviour of the Wallabies and the Kangaroos, the national rugby league team, came up.

My son made the sensible but seditious suggestion that the ARU should open up Wallabies selection to rugby league players. In which event, Josh Papali would without doubt be the first forward selected.

While accepting it is infra dig to mix sport and politics, talking about NZ brings to mind the very real affection and support that NZ and its Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has generated in Australia with regular suggestions that Australia should attempt to engineer a swap of Jacinda Ardern for Scott Morrison. it’s a sentiment I share, but accept is the stuff of dreams. It is equally futile to hope that we in Canberra could swap the angelic Queenslander, Ashleigh Barty for (say) a less alluring home-grown tennis player.

Having innocently strayed into the minefield of sport and politics, I’ll press on by asking everyone to spare a thought for the appalling burden that members of the ACT Labor and Greens parties have been forced to endure over the last couple of months as the Raiders charged to the Grand Final.

As we all know, Labor and the Greens have engaged over the last three years in a Trump-like vendetta against ClubsACT and the group of clubs, including the Raiders Club, that took the scandalous decision to publicly not support Labor and the Greens at the last election.

In light of the virulence of the

campaign against the Raiders and other clubs, the stunning success of the Green Machine must be extremely galling for Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Sport Minister Yvette Berry and other ministers. They have no doubt presumably all felt, for the sake of political appearances, the need to be seen to be supportive of the Raiders while all the time, one assumes, privately willing them to lose. If that is the case we can all understand just how difficult the last few weeks must have been for the Government. I am sure the issue has weighed heavily on the Chief Minister who spent the week leading up to the Grand Final on another trip to Singapore and avoided having to participate in or respond to the outpouring of community goodwill and support for the Raiders.

He and his Labor and Greens colleagues deserve our deepest sympathy and understanding at this difficult time for them.

Jon Stanhope was chief minister from 2001 to 2011.

At the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s 50th anniversary, Woden

At the ‘Crying in the Leagues Club’ exhibition opening, ANU

Here’s cheers for 20 years of Riesling Challenges

THE 20th Canberra International Riesling Challenge will showcase the largest collection of Rieslings in the southern hemisphere from October 14-19.

Cameron Douglas MS (Auckland), one of six master sommeliers in Australasia, will chair the judging panel. The international judges will be Fongyee Walker MW (Beijing) and Anne Krebiehl MW (London).

Conceived and grown in Canberra initially to benchmark Canberra District Rieslings against those from other parts of Australia, the Challenge is now an internationally recognised event, and the largest single varietal wine show in the southern hemisphere, attracting competing wines from Rieslingproducing countries and regions from around the world.

The 2019 Challenge has 500 entries from nine countries including what may be the first entry from China to an Australian wine show.

With record entries from the Czech Republic and Canada, and the return of Chile for the first time since 2012, the 20th Challenge offers the most diverse range of Riesling for several years.

All of the Riesling regions of Australia have large numbers of entries including the Canberra District with 30 entries in six classes.

This year’s Challenge will again have an Asian influence with the return of Fongyee Walker MW as a judge, and the appointment of two international stewards also from Asia.

International Stewards Program

As an adjunct to its highly successful stewards program, this year the Challenge has implemented an International Stewards Program which will allow wine industry professionals to experience the Challenge without the limitations of the blind-tasting process that is imposed on the judges.

As stewards they will see the wines on display before they are judged including their layout by style and region. CIRC allocates an associate judging position for stewards and the international stewards

Demi Yao and Gary Low CS.

• Demi Yao is a WSET diploma-level student, based in Beijing and jointly sponsored to attend by Dragon Phoenix Consulting (Beijing) and the CIRC.

• Gary Low CS is Singapore based, where he is head sommelier with the prestigious JAAN Restaurant, Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford.

Judging the wines

Judging will be held at the Albert Hall

and explore the regional differences that Riesling expresses. The wines are presented for judging in regional groupings but, to prevent any perception of regional bias, the judges are only given the vintage and the sugar levels (style) of the wines. Regions are only revealed in the results catalogue.

Reflecting the international nature of the Challenge and Riesling, judges are drawn from overseas as well as from Australia. This year, judging will again be under the chairmanship of Cameron Douglas MS,

The Australian judges are Jane Faulkner (Victoria), Alison Eisermann (NSW), Celine Rousseau (Canberra District) and Steve Baraglia (SA).

The Challenge also provides opportunities for people in the wine industry to further develop their knowledge of Riesling through appointment as an associate judge.

This year the associate judges are Daniel Hetherington (WA), Tim Pelquest-Hunt (SA) and Carla Rodeghiero (Canberra District).

ers, winemakers and sommeliers through master classes, and a public tasting where consumers can taste all the judged wines, many of which are not available in Australia.

This year’s Riedel Riesling Master Class will showcase Riesling trends and styles from a growing international market and from an Australian Riesling region. The Hotel Realm will hold a Riesling dinner where its chef will match food with rare, award-winning Australian Rieslings.

Lots to learn

During are opportunities to build knowledge and enjoy tasting the world’s best Rieslings among experts from Australia, Germany, NZ and China.

Riedel

Class – “Off the Beaten Track”

In another first, the Riedel

Riesling Master Class has moved to the Thursday evening to allow more public participation.

The Master Class will be presented in two sessions featuring a Riesling expert presenting wines from a competing country and a second session featuring the Rieslings from an Australian region.

Consumer tasting… an opportunity to taste some of the best Rieslings the world has to offer.

The most stylish of grapes

Riesling is considered to be the grape that most reflects the region and the vineyard where it comes from, with some regions having a very distinct regional character.

In his book “Reading between the Wines”, Terry Theise writes: “Riesling knows soil more intimately than any other grape, perhaps because it ripens so late in the fall and is thus on the vine longer than other varieties, and because it thrives in poor soils with deep bedrock strata into which it can sink its probing roots.

“Riesling is beloved of all who grow it

SPONSORS

for being so co-operative – the furthest thing from a diva. It survives all but the most brutal frost, is hearty in its resistance to disease and yields well without sacrificing flavour – perhaps because it ripens late in the fall when everything is taut and crisp and golden. Riesling wines are the afterglow of the contented world.”

Good-quality Riesling is confined to cool-climate wine districts, where the required climate is achieved either by latitude or altitude. While growing Riesling in the Canberra District is relatively new, the region has gained a reputation as one of the best Riesling regions in Australia and the world.

Australian Rieslings are renowned for being mostly bone dry while delivering a fruity refreshment that is rarely matched elsewhere; Canberra District Rieslings certainly emulate this characteristic.

Unlike most grape varieties, Riesling can be made in a range of styles from very crisp and dry, to semi dry, to sweet and luscious dessert and aperitif wines.

In some parts of the world the grapes are picked after they have frozen on the vines to make ice-wine, and for almost 200 years Riesling has been used to produce a sparkling wine known as Sekt. Both these styles will be amongst the wide range of styles to be judged at this year’s Challenge.

Riesling develops more colour with age and because of this it is sometimes referred to as the “Golden Wine”.

Daniel Hetherington, winemaker, Capel Vale Wines, will present “Rieslings from the Great Southern” and will guide participants through Rieslings of WA’s Great Southern Region including the sub-regions of Mt Barker, Porongurup, Frankland River and Denmark. One of Australia’s up-and-coming young Riesling makers, Daniel will contrast the wines from these sub-regions and discuss the impact of terroir on the wines.

Anne Krebiehl MW, wine writer and critic, author of the “Wines of Germany”, will present “Germany – Off the Beaten Track”. The Rieslings of Baden, Württemberg, Franken and Nahe. Combined, these four “smaller” German Riesling regions have a planted Riesling area greater than the area under Riesling in Australia and a Riesling-growing tradition dating back to the 13th century.

Thursday, October 17, 6pm-9pm, Hotel Realm, High Courtyard North. Presenters: Anne Krebiehl (UK) and Daniel Hetherington (Great Southern District). Supper included. Tickets $100, book at trybooking.com/BDZZS

Awards presentation and celebration of Riesling

Taste the 2019 award-winning wines and others from a museum collection while the 2019 awards are announced. This is a cocktail-style event with canapes and fine Riesling.

Friday, October 18, 5.30pm-7pm, National Ballroom 1, Hotel Realm. Limited number of tickets available, $85. Book at trybooking.com/book/event?eid=519140

Hotel Realm Riesling Dinner

The Hotel Realm’s chef will match food with awardwinning and rare Australian Rieslings.

Friday, October 18, 7.30pm, Buvette Restaurant, Hotel Realm, $120. Book at trybooking.com/BEAXE

Canberra International Riesling Challenge ActewAGL Consumer Tasting

Taste the entries for yourself. This is a unique opportunity to taste some of the best Rieslings the world has to offer. Many of these Rieslings are not easily obtained in Australia.

Tickets are $50 and include a souvenir Riedel tasting glass and a copy of the official Challenge results catalogue.

A number of the 2019 judging panel and stewards will be on hand at the tasting to answer questions on Riesling.

Saturday, October 19, 11am-3pm, Albert Hall, Canberra (trade representatives and exhibitors from 10am), $50. Book at trybooking.com/BDCYQ. Door sales also available Bookings and enquiries to info@rieslingchallenge. com or call 6286 7515. Booking links at rieslingchallenge.com/events

WELCOME TO WESTON CREEK

Captain George’s is land

WESTON Creek was named in honour of Capt George Edward Weston, a former officer of the East India Company who arrived in Australia in 1829, and was superintendent of the Hyde Park Convict Barracks in Sydney.

In 1841, Weston was granted land that, by the 1960s, was established as a residential district as an offshoot of Canberra’s first satellite city in the adjacent Woden Valley.

Construction of Weston Creek’s eight suburbs started with Waramanga and Fisher in 1968, and was followed by Weston and Rivett in 1969, Duffy and Holder in 1970, and Chapman and Stirling in 1972. Each suburb has its own local shops, and they all share the larger district centre of Cooleman Court situated in Weston.

Each suburb is named after a notable Australian and the street names in each suburb follow a specific theme such as Australian rivers, native flowers, or names of surveyors.

Weston Creek, which is now home to more than 22,000 people, has developed a strong sense of community and is also home to many friendly traders and service providers. Here are some of the best…

David revamps longstanding carpet company

BURSTING with the latest modern flooring options, Creme Carpets and Flooring’s boutique store and showroom has a revamped look, says its new owner David Morgan.

But even though the name, Creme Carpets and Floorings, and the look of the place is new, David says the store has a long history as J and M Floorcoverings, which was owned by his father John for more than a decade.

With John still providing his extensive product knowledge and expertise, David says the service remains warm and friendly, with a large range and lots of samples.

With a renewed product range, David says Creme Carpets and Flooring has any type of carpet or flooring to suit any need or budget. The latest trend in carpets is a chunky loop style carpet in either nylon or traditional wool, according to David, who says there have been improvements in the type of soft

a great lift and changes the mood of your home dramatically.”

Creme Carpets and Flooring, 27–31 Brierly Street, Weston. Visit cremecarpets.com.au or call 6287 1345.

Get to pain before it’s chronic

CONVENIENTLY located in the Weston Creek town centre, Weston Creek Chiropractic Centre is a patient-focused practice dedicated to getting patients to their optimal health, says Dr Sam

Its three friendly chiropractors, Sam, Dr Michael Badham and Dr Linda Tarran, are dedicated in providing their patients with the best possible chiropractic care, according to Sam.

Between the three, the centre provides a variety of chiropractic services and often sees patients with issues such as neck pain, back pain, headaches and sports injuries, and also provides services for pregnant women as well as children and babies.

Sam personally sees a lot of patients who are either too sedentary or on the other end, have pushed their body beyond its limits.

“We do use our bodies a lot and some people tend to overuse it and push themselves while injured,” she says.

long it can turn into chronic injury and it takes longer to heal, so it’s important to see a chiropractor before it gets to that point.”

The chiropractors at Weston

Weston Creek Chiropractic Centre, Level 1, 43 Brierly Street, Weston Creek. Call 6288 6711 or visit wcccentre.com.au

Weston Creek Children’s Centre is a stand alone community based Early Childhood Service. We provide an emergent curriculum allowing learning activities to arise out of your child’s interests.

• Teacher led Preschool program for both 3 and 4 year olds.

• Educators are strongly committed to the service, several working for the service for over 20 years.

• Rated as Exceeding National Quality Standard in Childcare delivery.

care to the community for over 35 years

Beyond an ordinary bookshop

BEYOND Q is more than just a bookshop, according to owner Simon Maddox, who says it’s a place everyone needs to visit.

With upside down tables and an Alice in Wonderland styled theme, Simon says his shop in Weston Creek has just finished extensions to become something “really quirky”.

“We are a bookshop primarily but also a cafe and a venue, which seats 140 downstairs and 60 upstairs,” he says.

“And we are also about to become liquor licensed.”

With plans to open on November 11, the renovations will bring the service of alcohol, along with the official opening of the al fresco cafe offering a menu with literary influences.

Along its 4km of shelf space, Simon says customers will be able to sip on a coffee or bubbles and enjoy

gourmet foods, while browsing recent titles to old works dating back to 1580.

Simon believes lovers of the written word can find something for every taste, from fiction genres of sci-fi, fantasy, horror and crime fiction, to an array of poetry and Shakespeare classics.

And the selection of non-fiction works comprises most of the store catalogue, covering topics such as history, archaeology, politics, philosophy, religion and myths.

But it’s not just books in store and Simon says Beyond Q has more than 186,000 items including books, records and DVDs.

And he says it’s very community orientated and often holds community meetings.

Beyond Q, 7/11 Brierly Street, Weston. Call 6162 3999 or visit beyondq.com.au

worry from parents

WESTON Creek Children’s Centre is celebrating 20 years of providing a warm, nurturing service to children and their families, says director Emma Morton.

“We are committed to what we do and in turn that makes a centre a special place for little ones,” says Emma, who is providing parents with a place where they genuinely don’t have to worry or feel anxious about their children when they go to work.

Long established in the community, Emma says Weston Creek Children’s Centre is well known for its quality care.

“In my experience parents are looking for a place that is a settled environment for their children,” says Emma.

“I have invested a lot of my life at the centre and am passionate about making it the best place it can be.”

Emma says Weston Creek Children’s Centre offers a higher staff to children ratio than other centres and has six programs for different age groups, ranging from babies to preschoolers.

The purpose-built centre has recently had a huge playground upgrade, too, and Emma says the rooms flow into the outdoor space, making it more enjoyable for children to play both inside and out.

Families considering child care for 2021 can join the online waitlist on the Weston Creek Children’s Centre website or visit the centre to fill in a form.

Weston Creek Children’s Centre, 8 Parkinson Street, Weston. Call 6288 5380 or visit westoncreekchildrenscentre.com

Duffy cafe serves ‘world class’ coffee

CAFE Niugini Arabica, in Duffy, sells a “world best” single blend coffee from Australia’s own doorstep – Papua New Guinea, says one of its owners, Theo Levantis.

Organically grown in village farming communities in the highlands before it’s brought to Canberra and locally roasted in Duffy, Theo says it’s the best product because it’s pure.

“The reality is, when you blend coffee with coffee grown elsewhere you ruin the coffee,” he says.

“It is like blending a quality red wine with an ordinary red wine — it will never be as good as it was,” Theo says.

“Our product is a single-origin coffee from only one area in Papua New Guinea.” Theo and the cafe’s other owners – Charles and Satish – were inspired to open up their cafe when working together in Papua New Guinea.

“Our name ‘Niugini Arabica’ derives from the way the locals refer to their country (spelt phonetically),” Theo says.

The coffee beans are grown in the fertile highlands, near the town of Goroka, at elevations above 2000m.

“It’s here that some of the best coffee on the globe is grown,” he says.

“In Australia, we have a massive coffee culture, yet the world-best coffee next door is unnoticed.

“The beans end up in Europe and, for some reason, Australia hasn’t caught on yet.”

Niugini Arabica, Shop 4, Duffy Place, Duffy, Canberra. Call 0431 816090 or visit niuginiarabica.com.au

Club teaches life-long skills

FOR about 40 years, Woden Valley Gymnastics Club has been teaching fundamental movements that can be used throughout a student’s life, says the club’s director, Naomi Nye.

“Gymnastics is a foundation sport. You will build strength, improve flexibility, fine tune coordination, develop discipline and enhance your self-esteem, no matter your age or ability,” says Naomi who offers a vast range of classes for all ages, including their award-winning Kindergym program.

“Our club prides itself on embracing the needs of all its members and strives to remove boundaries so that anyone who would like to participate in gymnastics can find a program that suits them.”

Based at Holder, Naomi says Woden Valley Gymnastics Club is fitted with high quality equipment and a carefully designed foam pit, which is always a big hit. The club also has a trampoline facility at the Tuggeranong Archery Centre.

Woden Valley Gymnastics Club is the most awarded Club in Canberra and in 2019 achieved state, national and international results that place it at the top of the sport in the region, says Naomi. “Our coaching team is the biggest in Canberra and consists of coaches with the highest qualifications and international experience,” she says.

“We are so proud of our achievements – not just our results, but all of the personal growth, goals achieved and fears conquered from our gymnasts. “Watching people learn and grow is one of the most rewarding things about working at Woden Valley Gymnastics Club.” Woden Valley Gymnastics Club, 27 Mulley Street, Holder. Call 6287 4121, email office@wodenvalley.net or visit wodenvalleygymnastics.net

Trusted team puts care into funerals

THE family-owned and locally operated business, Toscan Dinn Funerals, has been bringing an honest, caring and professional approach to funeral services in Weston Creek since 2005, says lead funeral director Peter Dinn.

Toscan Dinn Funerals, which are members of the Australian Institute of Embalming, are committed to offering simple choices, dignified care and a personal service, says Peter.

“We get to know all of our families very well and establish relationships with them,” he says.

“Our funerals are tailored to reflect the life of the special loved one that we have been entrusted to care for.”

And, Peter says the team at Toscan Dinn Funerals pledge to provide quality care and informed choices to families in the region when they say goodbye to a loved one.

“We take pride in providing you with our time, knowledge, attention to detail and support when you need it most,” he says.

“We are available to speak to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Toscan Dinn Funerals, 10 Liardet Street, Weston. Call 6287 3466 or visit toscandinn.com.au

www.toscandinn.com.au

EXCLUSIVE OFFER

WELCOME TO WESTON CREEK

Pete captures lasting moments

WITH a passion for people and a love for photography, Pete Dawn established Fifth Lane Photogra phy about six years ago to give families everlasting memories and help businesses stand out.

He moved his business to Tren erry Street, Weston Creek, almost two years ago, and it’s there that he plans his unique photos, which are tailored to each client.

Fifth Lane Photography owner Pete Dawn.

ENROL NOW FOR 2020

•

•

•

“We offer a very customised experience from start to finish, including a planning appointment through to delivering finished products on our clients’ walls,” Pete says.

Pete, who specialises in family photography, says he gets to meet so many wonderful families and kids through his work.

“We concentrate on the relationships that families have together and bring their natural expressions and environment out while making it a fun experience,” he says.

“Life flies by so fast and professional photos last the test of time. Everything is archival printed so it really is guaranteed to last a lifetime.”

Fifth Lane Photography also does a lot of commercial photography and has previously shot jobs for many local businesses in areas such as personal training, clothing and architecture.

“In a challenging economic climate, having professional photos helps them stand out from the competitors,” he says.

Overall Pete says he makes it an easy and simple process for clients.

Fifth Lane Photography, Shop 1, 20-24 Trenerry Street, Weston. Call 0437 384171, email hello@fifthlane.com.au or visit fifthlane.com.au

Popular program’s taking on new kids

ENROLMENTS for 2020 are now open for Noah’s Ark in Rivett, which has proudly been delivering quality early childhood programs to Canberra families for 45 years, says director Nea Woods.

Located in the old Rivett school grounds, the not-for-profit organisation, Noah’s Ark, offers a long day care program for children aged six weeks old to five years old, a popular playschool program for children aged three and four, and

“The playschool program is a play based program for children before they attend preschool,” Nea says. It helps develop their self-help skills and socialisation. We also teach the children sign language and they love it!”

Nea began her work at Noah’s Ark about 15 years ago and says the team she works with, which has a strong focus on building relationships with families and connecting with the community, has also been at the centre for many years.

“In an industry which generally has a high turnover of staff, we have had a stable number of educators who have been with us for a number of years,” she says.

Nea says Noah’s Ark also boasts a great outdoor space, with three playgrounds for the children’s age groups and access to the Rivett oval for physical skills programs.

Noah’s Ark, Bangalay Crescent, Rivett. Call 6287 1117 or visit noahsarkact.com.au

Village with villas to call home

LOCATED only 500m from Cooleman Court, Adria Village in Stirling is close to everything that people need, says general manager Iva Vujica.

Nestled in a landscaped environment with mature trees and gardens, Adria Village provides a home-like environment and high-quality aged care for up to 42 residents and 36 independent living villas.

Iva says the villas are all two-bedroom and residents enjoy a shared community room for activities and social events.

“There are weekly outings organised using our private bus and we have a nurse on site, available around the clock should residents need medical attention,” Iva says.

As well as organised social programs, the village provides multilingual staff, regular mass, an on-site chapel, a psychologist, podiatrist, chemist, hairdresser and pharmacist.

On November 24, Adria Village will host its annual Christmas picnic. Held on its grounds, with a barbecue lunch, carols and a mass service, anyone interested in seeing Adria Village is welcome to join residents, staff and families from 12pm to 3pm. Adria Village, 89 Fremantle Drive, Stirling. Call 6288 0198, email admin@adria.org.au or visit adria.org.au

Gym gets women exercising for better health

CURVES Weston has been helping women in the Weston Creek area exercise their way towards a better wellbeing for more than 11 years, says Kristin Davis, who was a member for six years before becoming its owner almost a year ago.

“I loved the supporting environment and want it to continue to be a comfortable and nurturing place for any woman in Weston Creek,” Kristin says.

The women’s only gym offers a machine-based, strength circuit with recovery balls, which Kristin says incorporates cardio and flexibility and has many benefits such as building muscle, helping with balance, maintaining bone density and reducing risks of heart disease.

“When I first started at Curves Weston it was to lose weight but in the long term it’s been all of the other benefits that outweigh weight loss,” she says.

“It’s about being healthy overall and we want to focus on wellness rather than weight loss. The focus is on improving someone’s entire health and for everyone it’s different. We hear so many amazing stories of women overcoming health issues by exercising at Curves Weston.”

And to help women stick to their journey to a better wellbeing, Kristin says they have coaches there all the time to make sure members are using the machines right to avoid injury and get the most out of their workouts.

Set amongst landscaped grounds, Adria Village is a warm and welcoming community of people from all around the world. We pride ourselves on cultural diversity and celebration, and offer a wide range of activities to cater for all interests. We provide care for Croatian and all other nationalities.

Adria Village fosters individuality and independence, providing support and assistance to enable residents to live in a comfortable and secure environment. Adria Village in Stirling offers residential care for 42 residents, incorporating 2 respite rooms, and Special Care. The Village also contains 36 independent living villas. All villas have 2 bedrooms, a courtyard and a garden, and residents enjoy a peaceful and welcoming community lifestyle.

Our aim is to provide a caring, safe, home-like atmosphere, reflecting your rights to dignity, respect, privacy, safety and the best quality of life. Contact our friendly staff today to arrange a personal tour.

Ways to help make homes look ‘new’ again

WHETHER it’s an ageing home, an outdated piece of furniture or an unloved design, DIY repurposing can transform anything and make it exciting and “new” again. The term “do-it-yourself” has been associated with consumers since at least 1912 but became a popular trend in the ‘50s for people undertaking home improvement and various other small craft and construction projects as a creativerecreational and cost-saving activity.

Team has advice for any project

HOME Timber and Hardware in

Phillip is a one-stop-shop for all DIY needs and advice, says store manager Sandy George.

“People come in to see us for our knowledge, advice and great customer service,” Sandy says.

“Our friendly staff like to help our customers find the right products for their project and we go that extra step in pointing them in the right direction.”

Open seven days a week, Sandy says Home Timber and Hardware specialises in paints, has a large nursery and has an outdoor furniture range in addition to its basic general hardware and tools.

Home Timber and Hardware also 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.

The passionate team, who regularly undertake training, always go

above and beyond to help customers, says Sandy.

In the team is Steve, Home Timber and Hardware’s paint guru, Edna, who looks after the nursery and Darren and Michael, who specialise in garden power tools.

“They do demonstrations for customers and help them with any of their questions,” she says.

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

Stay safe with protective gear

WHEN working on a DIY project it’s still important to wear protective clothing and Seears Workwear, well-known for its high-vis workwear, safety equipment and boots, has the lot.

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

The 1400sqm store sells clothing and safety gear for pretty much every kind of industry and worker, according to a Seears spokesman, who says they have clothing for workers such as building labourers, chefs, blue and white-collar workers and hospitals, as well as workers in 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 screenprinting service, too.”

And, he says Seears Workwear 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

MSA AUTHORISED DEALER

Full range of:

• Harnesses • First aid kits

• Safety equipment

• Protective clothing

• Corporate and trade uniforms

• Wide range of protective gear

• Workwear for all trades

Australia wide distribution

TRADE AND MASTER BUILDER MEMBER DISCOUNTS APPLY

DO-IT-YOURSELF

James helps tile style into homes

HANDYMAN’S TRADING POST

“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.

With showrooms and trade cen tres in Mitchell and Queanbeyan, James says Rivoland Tiles offers tiles to suit every taste and budget.

“The range can seem over whelming 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 DIY project.”

But first, James advises “DIY-ers” to consider the current layout of the bathroom and what the needs are. Rivoland now also offers natural

Chris has shed loads of building materials

CHRIS Perkins never knows what building materials will be coming through the front door at Handyman’s Trading Post.

“We’ve got two sheds packed to the brim with new and used building materials,” says Chris, who took over the store in 2015 but has been working there for nearly 25 years.

The store itself has been around for 36 years, and Chris believes it’s the only one of its kind in the area.

“We have a variety of products but we do get a lot of doors in such as sliding doors, french doors, hinge doors, and front and back doors,” he says.

“We also have doors with brass handles that you can’t source anywhere else.”

At most furniture stores, Chris says it usually takes about six to eight weeks for customers to get their order but at the Handyman’s Trading Post they don’t have to wait.

“The beauty of our shop is you can see what you’re buying and take it home right away,” he says.

And Chris says if they don’t take it home that day, it might not be there the next day.

“We get things in daily so you’ve got to get it while you can,” he says.

As for the service Chris and his team deliver, Chris says they haven’t had a complaint in 36 years.

“Just have a look at our Google reviews,” he says.

sunday

Handyman’s Trading Post, 34 Geelong Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 4036 and email build@htp.net.au

Stay in touch with the names making news on Sundays from 10am as 2CC and “CityNews” present Canberra’s only local weekend

It’s a revolving panel show that brings to the microphone great “CityNews” commentators and 2CC personalities.

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

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Elena’s back with a sexy circus for grown-ups

By Helen Musa

A TANTALISING circus cabaret

that’s all about sex is coming to The Playhouse soon — and there’s a strong Canberra connection.

The brainchild of former Canberra artist Elena Kirschbaum, “Rouge” is billed as “a decadent blend of sensational acrobatics, operatic cabaret and tongue-in-cheek burlesque”. She prefers to describe it as a “circus for grown-ups”.

When we catch up by phone to Melbourne where she now lives, Kirschbaum is quick to stress that during her heyday as one of the major figures in the Canberra circus scene, it was as a producer rather than a performer that she was known.

That focus has continued as she has developed an international name in the circus world for her provocative shows, all the while travelling and personally seeing about 150 shows a year to keep up with the talent.

“Australia is leading the charge as far as contemporary circus is going,” she says.

“We came to this kind of circus 15 or 20 years before the rest of the world… Edinburgh and London are full of circus performers from Australia, so we are definitely punching above our weight.

“I moved interstate 13 or 14 years ago now, but I never stopped coming back to Canberra.”

She’s collaborated on the artistic program

“Harlequins” event for children as part of the Canberra Centenary Celebrations in 2013.

Unlike many of her contemporaries, Kirschbaum didn’t go to the National Institute of Circus Arts, instead working on shows in Adelaide, which she describes as her second home.

Winner of Best Circus & Physical Theatre at the 2018 Adelaide Fringe Weeklies, “Rouge” is a successor to her team’s “Papillon”, circus with a vaudevillian edge, also seen at the Fringe.

“In a country like this with a lot of

and is based more on physical thrills in a “something-for-everyone” family-friendly entertainment.

“But with contemporary circus you find a particular demographic and tell a particular story,” she says.

“Cabaret and circus blend well because you can play with physicality, but we’ve also tried to put our special spin on cabaret around politics.

“It’s not marketed as a political show

“We have an opportunity to play around with relationships and there’s a sense of humour in making a show about sex; it’s nice to have something that’s really weird, gross, fully funny and silly, it’s a nice Australian tradition not to get too serious.”

When she talks of politics, she means sexual politics, the expectations of gender and sexuality, in a queer-friendly show that plays with different types of sexuality while

performed by a man in a feminine style, even though he has a masculine body. Another is Isabel Hertaeg, the opera singer “with a twist”, spotted by her on a scoping visit to the theatre.

“We subvert the stereotype, changing expectations… we like to push people a little bit, but in a joyful way,” she says.

“Rouge”, The Playhouse, October 23-26. Book at canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Duratone Hi-Fi PTY LTD

SPRING CLEANING

CINEMA

Challenging ruffle of feathers

“Birds of Passage” (MA)

Turntables, Streamers, Amplifiers & Speakers from vintage to new. 1000’s of LP Records in-store!

Phone 6282 1333 www.duratone.com.au

Cnr of Botany Street & Altree Court, Phillip

NEXT SONGLAND RSPCA SALE IS ON SOON

!

- Please donate any unwanted records, CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes, and all of the money raised goes directly to the animals at the Weston RSPCA

- Drop your donations in any time

- Songland is open 7 days!

OPEN 7 DAYS

THIS beautiful, challenging and ultimately rewarding film, with nary a feather nor an ornithologist in sight, is about people adapting to 20th century practices after simple living according to centuries of cultural and social traditions.

Before the 1970s, the lives of the Wayuu people of Colombia began and ended in the desert of the Guajira peninsula –barren, flat, hot. The film follows a route determined by events that it never shows, in a country where a life for a large propor tion of the people is now blighted by what the Wayuu have long produced with highly developed traditions.

Cooleman Court, Weston Creek | 6293 4677 | songland.com.au

By Brandon Thomas

From Brazil...where the nuts come from! The most hilarious British comedy in decades !

Belconnen Community Theatre Oct 25th to Nov 2nd

Bookings: Phone 62752700 Canberraticketing.com.au

Now is the time to trade-in your old equipment Hi-Fi Sales & Service A Tempo Theatre production More details at tempotheatre.org.au

Filmmakers Cristina Gallega and Ciro Guerra have directed a screenplay by Maria Camila Arias and Jacques Toulemonde.

Told in five cantos titled “Wild Grass”, “The Graves”, “Prosperity”, “The War” and “Limbo”, the story begins when Zaida (Natalia Reyes) emerges from the women’s initiation ceremony.

Her mother Ursula (Carmina Martinez) has taught her important lessons about honour and duty and the importance of “the word”, spoken by a respected elder speaking with the proper words and respect.

When Ursula tells Rapayet (José Acosta) that she requires a substantial dowry for marriage with Zaida, Rapayet starts supplying “the weed” to the US. And that, history now tells us, often with the aid of Hollywood’s only product, leads to crime, violence, poverty and other bad things at both ends of the path.

The film shows quite disturbing passages that do more than describe the corruption of the Wayuu people and their cultural traditions. In translation to subtitles, the vocabulary of the dialogue, mostly in the regional native dialect, makes their loss of innocence all the more poignant.

Since opening in February, “Birds Of Passage” has won a slew of awards and nominations from peer groups and film festival audiences. Taking a tad over two hours to arrive at a conclusion demonstrating the dreadful consequences of the drug trade, it has earned much of its quite small world-wide earnings to date from outside the US. Which, by reading between its lines, says more than those few words.

At Palace Electric

WHEN it comes to the 2020 Oscars as it surely must, if a cynic like me was a betting man, I’d put a modest wager on two nominations – Todd Phillips for writing and directing “Joker” and Joaquin Phoenix for playing Arthur Fleck (aka Joker) who becomes the nemesis of that other comic book character, the Caped Crusader (Bruce Wayne aka Batman).

The play’s the thing – whether it’s to catch the conscience of a regicide fratricide king now married to his former sister-in-law, or to show a man whose life has been blighted by not giving him what he considers to be his birthright.

Arthur has reached the end of his tether. To fill the void lying beyond any possibility of emotional control, he turns into a terrible sociopath who has concluded that laughing is the way to make others like him. So he adopts the full panoply of a clown in the modern tradition – white-face, wig, costume, pratfalls, jokes – and sets about getting his own back on society.

The film makes oblique statements about modern urban issues, from garbage awaiting col -

lection to mocking the social structures on which the public depends for diversion and edification.

There are brief glimpses of the Wayne family whose power in Gotham City government is so pernicious that in future years its scion will become the city’s most dedicated crime fighter.

Robert de Niro plays the host of a TV talk show that Arthur disrupts in the most shocking way.

To tell the story of Arthur’s decline from a mild-mannered failure in a low-paid job into a killer untrammelled by laws or social conventions, director Phillips takes filmgoers on a slow (122 minutes) journey along a path often trodden in movies but seldom as intensely as the one that unrolls below the oversized shoes on Arthur’s feet. Phoenix plays him with an intensity that some filmgoers might consider excessive. But there is no denying the power of his delivery of the character.

At all cinemas

Ferguson’s fast life on wheels

ARTS IN THE CITY

By Helen Musa

FORMER member of the Doug Anthony All-Stars, Tim Ferguson, says living with MS hasn’t slowed down his career and that since he got wheels, he’s living even faster. Building on a best-selling memoir, he’s transformed his personal tragi-comic story into a oneman hit show, “Tim Ferguson: A Fast Life on Wheels” at The Street Theatre, October 19. Book at thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

THE Japanese Film Festival is here again with 29 feature films and one documentary, ranging across murder mysteries and animation to “One Cut of the Dead,” a lo-fi, B-movie zombie fest mixed with a charming and heartwarming story. At Dendy, October 16-20. Book at dendy.com.au

JACQUI Malins’ next Mother Tongue Multilingual Poetry Night will see father and daughter Deveni and Salote Temu perform traditional Aroma song and dance from coastal Papua New Guinea, while sharing Peroveta missionary songs in mixed Aroma, Motu and other Pacific languages. Smith’s Alternative, 7pm, October 14. Tickets at the door.

DAVE Brubeck’s setting of the modern Catholic mass “To Hope” will be the centrepiece of the Llewellyn Choir’s next concert, with two pieces by UK composer Will Todd. The Gabriel Singers, a senior choir from Canberra Girls Grammar, soloists Tim Watson, Jenny Sawer and Andrew Fysh and the Llewellyn Sinfonia, will join the choir. At Canberra Girls Grammar School, 7.30pm, October 18. Book at trybooking.com

CANBERRA Youth Theatre has been supporting three playwrights aged 13 to 19 to develop a new play in collaboration with a teenage ensemble of 12 young actors, mentored by local playwright Cathy Petocz.” “Possibility” interweaves everything from political fantasy fiction to gentle existential poetics to absurd and surprising drama. Anna Johnstone and Luke Rogers direct the show. At Ralph Wilson Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre, October 17-19. Book at cytc.net

ART in Miniature Canberra devotes itself to an art form that has existed since the 8th century in Islamic, Indian, Chinese and North African art. Their jewel-like art works invite the viewer to take a closer look at the world, and even at more intimate places such as our kitchen benches, flora and fauna. Its spring show will be at Strathnairn Gallery, October 17-November 10. Opening 3pm, October 19, all welcome.

DINING / kohli’s, batemans bay

Some like it hot… or medium or mild

ALTHOUGH it’s been open since 2005, I had never visited Kohli’s Indian Restaurant at Batemans Bay, partly because I wasn’t attracted to its location (on Beach Road, no view and more or less across from a parking lot). Much has changed.

Kohli’s has moved and now has a perfect spot right on the water, with a large deck outside and a generoussized dining area inside. It was time to visit and discover why the restaurant has won the title Indian Restaurant of the Year eight times from the Restaurant Catering Awards for Excellence Regional NSW.

The structure of the menu will be familiar to fans of Indian dining… tandoor dishes, creations from the curry kitchen, vegetarian delights, Indian breads and charming sides such as raita. Most dishes can be prepared mild, medium, hot or very hot (which will cause some to break out in a sweat).

We were a group of five with varied tastes and tolerances so opted for milder dishes, including Kohli’s most popular, butter chicken. It is half cooked the tandoori way and then finished the curry way. The sauce was creamy, but not too creamy. It featured tomato in the sauce but with a lovely balance ($19.50).

The prawn masala was a second winning choice, the jumbo prawns swimming in chunks of onion, tomato, capsicum and a special masala paste ($21.90).

The lamb korma featured chunks of meat (some still chewy though) in a sauce that packed a punch on flavour ($18.50). The palak paneer combined homemade

cottage cheese (a great texture) with spinach puree. It wasn’t an inviting looking dish, but the flavours were memorable ($16.90).

Other dishes that caught our eye and that we may try next visit include the beef vindaloo, which the menu warns is not for the faint hearted ($17.90), and the goat dishes.

If you’re with the kids, Kohli’s has a special menu for those 12 years and under, including chicken nuggets and chips and fish and chips (both $10.50).

The view of the Clyde River is included in the price of each dish.

After lunch or dinner wander along the water’s edge. Be sure to head towards Beach Road where one of several sculptures the council has invested in over the past couple of years is positioned. “Portal”, by John Fitzmaurice, who lives on the central coast, sits opposite the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, by the water’s edge. Further along you’ll see “Buoyansea” by Jesse Graham from Eden. The next sculpture is “Dance”, a striking red metal sculpture by Japanese artist Haruyuki Uchida.

Kohli’s, 4/3 Orient Street, Batemans Bay, fully licensed and BYO. Open for lunch Thursday to Sunday, (12pm to 2.30pm) and dinner Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm.

WENDY JOHNSON

GELATO FACTORY OUTLET

GARDENING

Blossoms on Viburnum mariesii… its flowers comprise of a central cluster of fertile yellowish-white blooms surrounded by a ring of showy sterile flowers.

Bearded iris continues the spring colour.

Days of blossoms and new leaves

SPRING is in full swing with all its wonders of renewal. Blossoms are everywhere and, as they fade, the fresh, new leaves appear.

Silver birches are heavy with pollen, some of which will seed in unexpected places in the garden. And those plants that looked dead all winter are probably now showing signs of life.

Despite the doom and gloom of the climatechange brigade, life goes on and with a little help from gardeners will continue.

As one group of spring bulbs die down, other flowering plants, rhizomes and tubers emerge, such as the bearded iris with hundreds of varieties.

One important point on spring bulbs –traditionally, we were told that one had to wait until all the leaves have died down before cutting them off.

The idea is that all the goodness has to go back into the bulb but I am told by growers that you don’t have to put up with all those dead leaves for weeks on end. The leaves can be cut to ground level six weeks after flowering.

DECIDUOUS viburnums are looking more floriferous than ever. Several large shrubs of

Viburnum burkwoodii are presenting a wonderful display at the Downer village. A few months ago there was a major makeover and it’s a great place for children to play as the biggies enjoy a coffee.

One brickbat – it’s unfortunate that pruning or even taking out and replanting dead or dying trees did not happen at the same time!

The deciduous Viburnum burkwoodii is a cross between carlesii and utile. Its pink-budded, fragrant, white flowers were bred by Burkwood and Skipwith at its nursery in England in 1924.

In its own right, carlesii is one of the most popular of all shrubs. Its flowers emit a strong, sweet daphne-like fragrance at this time. It was introduced to the west in 1902 from Korea by plant hunter William Richard Carles (1848-1929).

These two viburnums grow to about two metres by two metres and benefit from judicious pruning after flowering.

ANOTHER favourite is opulus, also known as the Snowball bush or Guelder rose, a larger shrub that can grow to five metres tall. It is native to Europe, North Africa and Central Asia and a

national symbol of Russia. An improved cultivar, bred by Notcutts Nursery in the UK, is Notcutts Variety.

I cannot close without mentioning mariesii, pictured here. The flowers comprise of a central cluster of fertile yellowish-white blooms surrounded by a ring of showy sterile flowers. They act as a target guide for pollinating insects; isn’t nature just amazing?

This viburnum was named after Charles Maries (1851-1902), botanist and plant hunter. Maries was sent by James Veitch and Sons, one of the largest nurseries in Britain to explore for plants in China, Japan and Taiwan from 1877-1879. He succeeded in sending back more than 500 new species.

All deciduous viburnums have bright red and darken ing to black berries in the autumn, so beloved of birds. They also have a wonderful display of autumn leaves.

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

The week starts with a Sun/Pluto square, which primes you to take on daunting challenges. But there’s also the potential for power struggles (especially with authority figures or colleagues) as the pressure builds at work. So pace yourself and try to moderate your tempestuous side. Romance and intimacy are highlighted, as vampy Venus and sexy Mars spice up your love life. Unhappily single? If you’re in a hurry to find your soul mate then you’ll have to be proactive.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

With Venus visiting your partnership zone, it will be easier to sort out relationship problems than at other times, especially if you articulate your feelings and are prepared to compromise. Attached Bulls – your partner is hoping you can provide some astute advice. Singles – make a flirtatious admirer prove themselves before you ride off into a romantic sunset. The weekend is a good time to enjoy creative activities that draw on the depth and richness of your imagination.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

The potential is there for a positive week. Monday and Tuesday favour work projects and joint finances; while the weekend is wonderful for solving puzzles and fixing problems. Don’t underestimate the beneficial effect you can have on those around you. Put personal projects on the backburner (temporarily) as you roll up your sleeves and serve others. So take a look around and see if there is someone you can help or a cause you can champion. Gung ho Gemini to the rescue!

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Monday looks dramatic, as the Sun and Pluto stir up trouble with loved ones. A double-dose of diplomacy is required if you want to keep the peace. For the rest of the week the focus is on friendships. How to nurture them, keep them… and then let them go if you have outgrown each other. You’ll find enjoyable mutual interests are essential to long-term platonic relationships. A creative friend could also be the final piece of the puzzle as you follow the path to your true destiny.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

On Monday, the Sun forms a tricky connection with Pluto. So try to temper your strong urge to rule the world and boss other people around. Instead, direct your fiery energy into pursuing an inspiring creative project. And contemplate the wise words of birthday great, writer Oscar Wilde: “Our ambition should be to rule ourselves, the true kingdom for each one of us.” From Tuesday onwards family matters are favoured, as Mercury and Venus foster communication and conversation.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Are you making the most of your marvellous Virgo mind? With Mercury and Venus both visiting your communication zone, you have the ability to affect others deeply with your imaginative ideas, thoughtful views and ethical values. Education, interstate travel, social media and local community connections are also favoured. But friends and finances are a particularly messy mix (that could become very complicated) so do your best to keep the two well separated.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Luxury-loving Libra - with hasty Mars moving through your sign and indulgent Venus visiting your money zone, watch that impulse buys don’t burn a hole in your budget. An unresolved family problem could also boomerang back and test you. If you treat family members with extra compassion and patience, then you’ll end up having an enjoyable week. When it comes to your professional future, destiny is swirling around you so make sure you dream big!

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Still waters run deep on Monday! With the Sun in your mystery zone (squaring Pluto) there’s more to everything than meets the eye. And it will take your Scorpio discretion – and substantial detective talents – to uncover secrets and distinguish fact from fantasy. Plus resist the urge to play power games with others. Mercury and Venus are visiting your sign, so Tuesday onwards is the time to socialise and circulate; converse and communicate; mix and mingle.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

When it comes to your involvement with a friend, class, club or group, Monday looks tricky as Pluto stimulates your argumentative and judgemental streak. So do your best to avoid aggravating others. When dealing with financial matters, knowledge is power and there is no substitute for due diligence. And have you been having problems with a relative? Compassionate communication will go a long way towards repairing an unfortunate rift or a messy misunderstanding.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

You’re determined to push through with a project, but you’ll meet with some resistance, as other people oppose your plans. Compromise and humility are required, otherwise it will be a long and stressful week. When it comes to work, the big lesson to learn is how to delegate. No one (not even a capable Capricorn) is indispensable! Looking for love? Destiny is steering you in the direction of your soul mate. So keep your eyes and ears open for important signs along the way.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Do you enjoy your job and does it stimulate your mind? This week take the time to re-evaluate a professional matter (or a volunteer position) as Venus and Mercury move through your career zone. The planets also activate your reputation zone, so make sure your public image is in line with your uniquely quirky Aquarian self. Enjoy being the authentic you! Draw inspiration from birthday great, writer Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

It’s a wonderful week to travel, teach, talk about a business idea, post an online article or learn something new. Foreign friendships and commercial connections are also favoured. Tuesday and Wednesday are the most creative days, when inspiration strikes and your imagination soars. So – if you are a Piscean poet, painter, performer, author, singer, musician or dancer – make the most of it. Plus pay close attention to the rich symbolism in your nightly dreams.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2019

4 Who climbed Mt Everest in 1953, Edmund ...? (7)

8 What is the obscuration of the light of a satellite? (7)

9 Which of the horseback riders opens a bullfight? (7)

10 Name a member of a British hereditary order of honour. (7)

11 What is a place where a person lives, or may be reached? (7)

12 Which African desert extends from the Atlantic to the Nile valley? (6)

14 Name the indicator on a VDU screen. (6)

18 Name one of Santa’s reindeers. (7)

21 Toronto is the capital of which province in southern Canada? (7)

22 What is a repository of arms and military stores? (7)

23 Which term also describes trucks? (7)

24 Name the hot springs which intermittently send up jets of water and steam? (7)

Down

1 What are important horse races? (7)

2 Name the Australian historian Manning ... (5)

3 Which gulf is on the coast of South Australia, separating the Eyre and Yorke peninsulas? (7)

4 Which expression describes a group of seven? (6)

5 To be easily understood, is to be what? (5)

6 Name the film actor who starred in Mary Poppins, Julie ... (7)

7 What are tales of incredible events? (5)

13 What is gossip, or rumour? (7)

15 Which term describes a parvenu? (7)

16 What is a feeling of deep and painful regret for wrongdoing? (7)

17 What, in Scandinavian folklore, are supernatural beings who inhabit caves? (6)

18 What, colloquially, is a motor vehicle crash? (5)

19 Which light and narrow boat is propelled by paddles? (5)

20 What is the course of an artificial satellite in space? (5)

A NEW BENCHMARK IN QUALITY AND DESIGN HAS BEEN SET

Luxury apartments and residences now selling in Campbell

Skilled craftsmanship. Intelligent design. Luxury inclusions. These are the true hallmarks of quality. As a legacy project built on the founding office site of Hindmarsh, 71 Constitution Avenue encapsulates all the qualities that have earned Hindmarsh a reputation as one of Australia’s leading developers and builders.

Consisting of 71 apartments and our Signature Collection residences, we have raised the bar on quality to deliver ingenious, spacious living environments, an unparalleled location and a place to call home for generations to come.