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NEWS / help for security services

John marches on to a new front in mental health

By Danielle NOHRA

WHEN John Bale, the co-founder and former CEO of Soldier On, saw a gap in the mental health support services for the national security community, he decided it deserved an independent, notfor-profit organisation of its own.

With this in mind, John, 36, of Belconnen, under the organisation of Fortem Australia, recently launched the pilot mental health program for the national security community of Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne at the Emergency Services Agency in Canberra.

Originally, John, who is still a board member at Soldier On, says he looked at supporting police and security personnel, emergency service workers and first-responder communities through Soldier On.

“At Soldier On, we found that we were supporting a lot of veterans who moved into the Australian Federal Police or the Australian Border Force,” he says.

“What we wanted to do is provide services for all AFP and ABF members, even if they hadn’t served.

INDEX

Arts & Entertainment 40-42

Canberra Matters 23

Cinema 42

Crossword 38-39

Dining 41

Gardening 36-37

Horoscopes 39

Letters 6, 10

News 3-23

“But at the end of the day, the na tional security community and the emergency first-responders commu nity deserve their own organisation.”

Now, with grant support from the Federal government, Fortem (which is Latin for “brave”) will be first piloting the service for the AFP and ABF, and then, when funding permits, will ex pand its services into emergency and first-responder communities.

“The big focus of Fortem will be so cial connections and the program will be about connecting people with other people they work with but outside of the work environment,” he says.

Fortem’s service delivery manager Darrin Lincoln, 53, of Belconnen, says they’ll start off with a number of simple coffee catch-ups and walking groups to begin to connect people in the AFP and ABF.

“It’s about getting people talking about things other than work and un derstanding that there’s more to life than work,” he says.

John says Fortem also wants to highlight the work that these men and women do because he doesn’t think the community recognises them enough.

“We often take what these individuals do for granted,” he says.

“We really want people to respect that when they call triple zero and get a person at the other end of the line, these are the people who carry what they see with them.

Politics 10

Socials 28-30

Cover: Colin Greef leads a group of guitar-playing veterans on a musical mission to help disadvantaged kids.

Photo: Holly Treadaway. Story Page 12.

Ph

“We take them for granted as a community and we need to shine a light on them because they’re always there.”

Fortem’s not the only organisation shining a light on the mental health of AFP, ABF and Australia’s firstresponders community, with Beyond Blue publishing the first national study on the mental health and wellbeing of police and emergency services staff last year, and the Federal govern-

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Of the 21,014 people who took part in the Beyond Blue study, “Answering the Call”, more than half of all employees indicated that they had experienced a traumatic event that deeply affected them during the course of their work, 61 per cent said they avoided telling people about their mental health condition and more than one in 2.5 employees and one in three volunteers report having been diagnosed with a

WHEN IT MATTERS

mental health condition in their life compared to one in five of all adults in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015).

“When you do experience trauma, one of the best things to have is a social network, not Facebook!” John says.

If people don’t have this network, John says they’re more likely to experience PTSD or marriage breakdowns. Through Fortem, John says they recognised that the best impact they could have on these communities is through social engagement.

“No one’s tried to link all the organisations with each other and with the community,” he says.

“It’s unique and that uniqueness needs to be tested.

“In order to do this properly, we need to set the pilot up, which we’ve been doing for several months, identify and measure the outcome, and then state-by-state, deliver it to first responders and national security workers because they’re in every town and suburb we have in Australia.”

Fortem has set up an advisory board with senior members from all of the organisations to help Fortem define the exact needs of all the organisations.

“One of the main things we want to do is be a conduit between the organisations,” he says.

fortemaustralia.org.au

SEVEN DAYS LETTERS

‘Big Fella’ blinks and nuns out of run

TWO Canberra nuns walk into a bar… lost and looking for directions.

MGL (Missionaries of God’s Love) sisters Therese Mills and Judy Bowe saw an opportunity to evangelise the world by flying around it in a reality TV program.

litter

The duo’s godly globetrotting generated plenty of publicity, much of it , predictably, peppered with a large number of “habit” puns. The Catholic news site “CathNews”, predicted: “Australian television is about to become a whole lot holier with two religious sisters competing in ‘The Amazing Race Australia’.”

Despite the pair’s humble boast of having “the Big Fella on our side”, episode two saw them eliminated.

MEMBER for Monaro John Barilaro is spoiling for a blue on both sides of the border.

The NSW Nationals leader challenged Federal colleagues to raise the NewStart allowance, threatened to rip up the Murray-Darling Basin plan, then fuelled rumours that the member for Eden Monaro Mike Kelly was leaving politics.

The NSW Deputy Premier used a visit to Queanbeyan by Labor state leader Jodi McKay to nudge Dr Kelly, suggesting McKay “stood out the front of Mike Kelly’s office and

announced his resignation. She’s retiring him like a broken-down racehorse”.

RAIDERS coach Ricky Stuart is not one to hold back on post-game thoughts, especially after a controversial loss. But the Queanbeyanbred champion has only just broken his silence on the Green Machine’s heartbreaking October 6 Grand Final loss to the Roosters.

Stuart told the “Daily Telegraph’s” Buzz Rothfield he was initially “shattered” by the 14-8 defeat, confessing: “You don’t lose that in a few weeks, but it’s a hurt that motivates me”.

Meantime the Raiders 2020 campaign is full on. A double header

with the Brumbies is scheduled for Auckland’s Eden Park in March. And the 2019 NRL runners-up will feature in extra free-to-air TV games, meaning extra revenue for the Brucebased club, and travel to Perth and several regional towns in a season seeing them travel an estimated 40,000kms.

BIG political hitters from the conservative team have gone into bat for Canberran Jim Molan’s return to the Senate. But there are reportedly some within the party who are less enthusiastic after Molan supporters’ questionable tactics.

Broadcaster Alan Jones joined Prime Minister Scott Morrison

and former PM John Howard in urging the NSW party to get behind the retired army major-general’s campaign to return to the Senate via the casual vacancy created by Arthur Sinodinos accepting a diplomatic post in Washington.

A month after the May poll the “Sydney Morning Herald” reported: “The Liberal Party is conducting a secret investigation into sitting member Jim Molan’s rogue re-election campaign which could lead to disciplinary action against him and his acolytes”. The article reported supporters “asked voters to disobey Liberal how-to-vote cards, instead voting below the line in support of Senator Molan”.

THE ACT Greens have challenged an election campaign staple; roadside advertising. Caroline Le Couteur, the party’s democracy spokesperson, wants a ban placed on all roadside election advertising in the lead up to the 2020 poll. According to the MLA: “For many Canberrans roadside electoral signs are supremely annoying and distracting”. And after the election “we can only assume most of these end up going straight into landfill.’’

FORMER Labor MLA Meegan Fitzharris has scored a new gig. Four months after her shock “personal” decision to leave the Assembly, triggered by a “desire to better balance my family life”, Fitzharris will join the ANU. Judging by the effusive tone of a media release announcing Fitzharris’ appointment as a senior fellow in Health and Leadership, it appears she’s tailor made for the role. Dean of the uni’s College of Health and Medicine Prof Russell Gruen said: “I was deeply impressed with Meegan as a minister, so I am delighted she is joining ANU”.

AND the “Bubble” tweet of the week goes to Leo D’Angelo Fisher who encapsulated the prevailing mood: “‘getting on with the job’ is fast becoming a Canberra euphemism for ‘we’re doing bugger all’.”

I SHARE Mike Welsh’s concern and disdain for litter (“Seven Days”, October 31) and those who leave their rubbish in public places. It is a disgrace. I regularly walk past discarded food and drink containers. There is often half-eaten and uneaten food left in the street as well as on roads.

The other night I saw half-full takeaway food bags left on the footpath in front of the Canberra Labor Club.

Kevin Ranclaud, via email

Hell-bent Barr

IF “CityNews” columnist Paul Costigan were to run against Andrew Barr and his government, I would vote for him. It seems Barr is hell bent on not only destroying our “bush capital” image but everything that is honest and decent and it seems he wants change for change sake.

TUITION BY KUMON

60 YEARS OF PROVEN RESULTS

Learning to read was a challenge for Natalie who had just started Kindergarten. Her mother, Naomi had tried at home to help her learn the skills she needed but she just didn’t seem to be making any progress.

So when her friend suggested Kumon to her at school one day Naomi jumped at the opportunity to enrol Natalie in the Kumon English Program. Natalie is now in Year 1 and is one of the best readers in her class.

Dian Langley, via email

Write to us

Let loose to: editor@citynews.com.au or write to the editor at: 9b / 189 Flemington Road, Mitchell 2911

“I just didn’t have the knowledge to know what to do or where to start” Naomi recalls, “but once we started doing the Kumon worksheets everything fell into place”. She went on to say, “I now recommend Kumon to all my friends and will soon start Natalie in the Maths Program so she can develop her numeracy skills in the same way.”

Kumon Maths and English programs cater for children from preschool to year 12 with a daily approach to developing excellent academic skills. The Kumon Instructor tailors your child’s study program based on their specific needs. Students attend Kumon classes twice each week and receive homework to do every other day.

We have four Kumon Centres in Canberra located throughout the city. We’ve collectively helped thousands of students improve their Maths and English abilities for almost 30 years.

NEWS / custom shoes BRIEFLY

Cobbler’s foot on first scan-fit shoes

In a highly competitive retail world, it’s an ongoing battle to stand out in the crowd, but as TORI HERON discovers one Canberra shoe store is giving customers a service unlike any other.

COBBLER Milton Vassiliotis took over Civic Shoes from his father 17 years ago and to keep the family business in a league of its own, he’s embraced new technology that combines 3D foot scanning with traditional shoe making.

Taking a different path in making custom shoes and becoming Australia’s first cobbler to do so, he believes it has enabled the family to build a solid retail presence for luxury shoe buyers.

Since the day two years ago when three Chinese investors walked through the door of Civic Shoes in Bailey’s Arcade and offered him a lead role in the project, Milton knew it would be a worthwhile investment.

“It was developed out of Hong Kong University and was the first of its kind,” he says.

“Of course, I had to spend money to start, and then I went to China to check out the factory.”

By the end of the trip he had a signed business partnership.

“I have not yet found any competitors using this technology and it’s taken my business to a different signed up.

Milton says his customers were mostly “people who can’t find the style they want, but we cater to any strange-sized feet and those with foot deformities.”

Since beginning the service, he

7 NOV-10 NOV

love of shoe making into him, it doesn’t stop with providing the perfect product.

“First of all, for me, it’s customer service. I will give all of my passion to serve a customer,” he says.

are placing a second order”.

The introduction of 3D footscanning technology has paved the way for Milton to give his clients a fit that many others don’t provide and he vows to have others recognise that “it really is a piece of art”.

THERE will be model displays, pictured, competi tions, swap & sell, presentations and workshops plus modelling products and books for sale at the ACT Scale Modellers’ Society’s “Scale ACT 19”. The scale-modelling competition and display are to be held at UC High School Kaleen, 108 Baldwin Drive, 10.30am-3.30pm, over the weekend of November 9-10. More at actsms.asn.au

Word about wills

THE Public Trustee and Guardian will present a free forum on the importance of having a valid and up-to-date will and enduring power of attorney at Ainslie Football Club, 52 Wakefield Avenue, 9.30am-midday, on Monday, November 11. Free, professionally drafted wills will be available for anybody aged over 60 years. Book at 6207 9800.

Gallery seeks artists

BELCONNEN Community Gallery is seeking expressions of interest from artists to exhibit in 2020. Situated in the Belconnen Community Centre, it’s an affordable alternative to commercial galleries focused on providing a balance of amateur, professional and community-based exhibitions. Inquiries to ben.drysdale@bcsact.com.au or call 6264 0252.

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Library fines gone, but is that fair?

LIBRARY fines are to be wiped from the books and all outstanding fines forgiven. Responsible users of libraries will now pay for all of those who have carelessly or deliberately failed to return their books.

Fines totalling $1.86 million will be forgiven as of November 21 and no further fines will be levied.

The ACT election is less than a year away and Labor is looking for good stories. They will attempt to present a fresh approach to counter the incumbency doldrums of nearly two decades. What are the chances that the next amnesty will be parking fines?

Each Canberran will fork out around $5 to support irresponsible neighbours with library fines. A household of four will effectively donate $20! Is this fair?

Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Minister for City Services Chris Steel sell this as good news. And it is – in many ways.

The library amnesty illustrates the nature of any government trying to find the balance between the exercise of person-

Labor will attempt to present a fresh approach to counter the incumbency doldrums of nearly two decades. What are the chances that the next amnesty will be parking fines?

al responsibility and good stewardship.

The use of fines in libraries has sent price signals about doing the wrong thing. For the vast majority of people – these have provided a disincentive so that books are returned on time – but it has also provided a disincentive to borrowing.

Books on loan are community assets that others are waiting to read or to study. Responsible citizens understand how selfish it is to hold on to books longer than an allocated time – or beyond an extension that has been granted. And it is so frustrating for the sensible library user to have a book on hold that is not returned. It is particularly appalling that one individual has amassed $4000 in fines in about 15 years.

However, on a practical level such fines are hard to collect. Administrative costs for pursuing these fines will now disappear. Hopefully, this was taken into account. The ACT also had the opportunity to examine amnesty

programs in Tasmania, as well as in some parts of Victoria and the City of Sydney.

Minister Steel explained: “We know in cities that have abolished fines that we’ve seen an increase in the number of borrowings, the number of people using our libraries and that’s what we want to attract here.”

He argued that this is part of a scheme to “attract people back into our libraries”.

Mr Steel also pointed out that lessons from elsewhere indicate having no fines removes a disincentive to return books. The Chief Minister argued that as many as three quarters of the people hit with a fine stop borrowing.

Good stewardship is an expectation of government. A key element of this sort of stewardship includes providing the best opportunity for improved education across the socio-economic spectrum. As libraries change they have the opportunity to be a genuine gathering place with a priority on engagement. Removing the big stick provides an improved opportunity for relaxation,

FAST 5 DAY TURN-AROUND TIME

research, education and increased understanding of the world around.

Good government stewardship of community resources includes the responsibility to look after those who have not been able to manage themselves. Those who cannot afford books, computers, access to the internet or are not in a position, for example, to pay for peer review journals are at a disadvantage. Access to a library ameliorates some of this disadvantage.

Libraries are one of the ways in which governments can address inequity. From this perspective, there is no doubt that the decision by the Barr government is a progressive one looking to the future. Lack of knowledge and education (including self-education) is an indicator for anti-social and even criminal behaviour. Our libraries have always played a role in this regard and this move will hopefully assist them to improve that role.

With an election less than a year and just one Budget away, there are good reasons to be wary about good news stories. It is important to remember that money spent is from the community and we ought to expect appropriate stewardship of our money.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

Woman fined for ‘emergency’ park

I AGREE with columnist Jon Stanhope’s criticism about the ACT government’s uncaring attitude (CN, October 31).

A close female relative suffering a life-threatening disease causing acute chronic breathlessness, which means she cannot walk more than about five metres without help, was fined $120 for overstaying a five-minute parking spot adjacent to the entrance to Building 19 at the Canberra Hospital. Upon very lengthy appeal it was expunged. The nursing staff at Building 19 are saints and deserve medals.

But wait, there’s more. Recently, in the absence of any vacant disabled or ordinary parking spots when attending a necessary appointment with her GP in Jardine Street, Kingston, and desperately needing immediate use of his facilities, she had to park in a commercial-vehicle space. This brought a fine of $190!

A very strong appeal to the parking authority followed explaining that a lower-bowel emergency occurred and there was no choice but to park immediately wherever possible.

A sympathetic doctor gave his opinion in writing about insufficient parking in the immediate area. But it was dismissed, as was the appeal on the grounds a GP visit doesn’t constitute an emergency. Jon Stanhope is right – the government doesn’t give a damn. It wants your money, but not for acute health care.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

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Let there be music for the poor kids missing out

By Danielle NOHRA

GUITARS for disadvantaged children is the aim of a group of Canberra veterans who every week experience the therapeutic benefits of playing music.

The group wants to share the positive power of guitar playing with troubled kids, but they need donated guitars (new and old) and guitar parts such as strings, according to member and the man behind the idea, Colin Greef.

Ex-Navy man Colin, 70, of Chisholm, hatched the idea through a Soldier On guitar group, which has been running for about four years. Its five members play together every Thursday.

For Colin, who initially picked up the guitar during his 32 years of long stints at sea, says the group is about mateship and he wants to give that to younger people in the community.

Mike Hogan, another group member, hopes it will get children off the streets and help them form friendships through music.

“Not every kid wants to play sport or can play sport,” says Mike, 71, of Tuggeranong.

“The objective is to see kids start their own band.”

“Playing

from the defence force, the police force or an emergency department, to come along to the Thursday group and pick up a guitar.

“We just want to encourage veterans to come,” he says.

“If they think they have any problems at all, they don’t even have to play, they can come and listen.

“We have guitars and we can teach them a couple of chords. We have all the equipment; amplifiers, plugs, microphones.”

The Soldier On activities officer, Debbie Dimmock, who runs the group, says it’s great to see this group serving the public by fixing guitars and donating them back to children and teenagers.

the Soldier On music group for different reasons but, like Colin, loves the thera peutic benefits of playing the guitar.

“I had a mental breakdown and music got me off my backside,” Mike says.

“It took me a while to come out and join a group though.

“Music can change your life in a good way. I had played before, had nothing else to do except sit at home so thought I may as well get the guitar out – it’s good therapy.

“You’ve got to put the effort into yourself.”

Mike, like Colin, also enjoys the sense

enjoys playing jazz, blues and country (anything but rap).

Colin, who loves country music and ballads, says guitar playing is also a great way to get the brain going and get people out of the house.

“When I retired I was getting a bit bored and was still interested in music so I joined the group about two years ago,” he says.

“That’s what’s good about things like this, it gives an incentive to get out of the house.

And while the group, for Colin, is mainly about mateship, something that was a big part of his years in the Navy, he says it’s also about giving back to the community.

“Every now and then we’ll play at a nursing home or a retirement village,” he says.

“We want to give something back to the oldies in the nursing homes but also, now, we want to start giving something to the young kids.”

And, Colin says, he’s encouraging any ex-service people, whether they’re

“This music group is just one of the activities we do here to support people who have been adversely affected through service,” she says.

“Soldier On is about creating social connections for wellbeing through offsite and on-site activities.”

The group has already donated some guitars to schools but is calling on more people to donate so it can give guitars to any disadvantaged kid or teenager in the ACT who has an interest in music.

Guitar donations and parts to the Robert Poate Centre, Building 45, 80 Bellenden Street, Gungahlin. Call 6188 6142.

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10.30 AM - 04.00PM AT THE EMBASSY OF INDONESIA, 8 DARWIN AVENUE, YARRALUMLA, ACT 2600

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Cultural Exhibition

Art Workshop/Demo

Kid’s Corner & Photo Booth Door Prize

Composting Gerry gets the most out of roadkill

By April March

KANGAROOS used to lay rotting on the roadside near Gerry Gillespie’s home, now they’re on his veggie patch, and experts say it makes environmental sense.

Annoyed by roadkill waste, Gillespie – an organics guru from Queanbeyan – has refined an ancient composting technique to turn roadkill into liquid garden fertiliser.

With more Australians being encouraged to “go green”, Gillespie says the battered bodies of feral cats, feral pigs and even nuisance carp are increasingly likely to end up as fertiliser.

“In our feral animal base in Australia, I would argue we have enough fertiliser and nutrients to entirely replace our chemical fertiliser use,” he said.

“So we take a dead animal like a feral pig or a native roo, we mince it up, we add water and a carbohydrate and a basic acid to it called lactobacilli and in four weeks you have a fertiliser in liquid form.

“It’s taking a feral animal that’s causing enormous problems and converting it into a semi odourless product that we can use on veggie patches, gardens or farms.”

Dubbed the “creative composter”, Gillespie has been involved in the recovery of wasted resources and their reuse for almost three decades. He led the $1.6 million wheeled bin trial in Canberra and established the Worm Farming

Research facility at Belconnen Landfill. Gillespie’s concepts have taken him across the globe to China, the UK, the US and Egypt, but his passion for composting lies closer to home.

His ideas are being trialled locally to help farmers grappling with the worsening drought.

“For farmers, these are difficult times. We need to keep farmers on the land because that’s who feeds us,” he said.

“We are demonstrating to farmers how easy it is to make fertilisers using dead animals like feral pigs or culled native roos, instead of leaving them to rot on the farm.

“This is a real opportunity for change.”

Until recently, a law required farmers to “shoot and leave” culled native kangaroos. This resulted in masses of rotting carcasses littering farms. But as part of the NSW government’s drought package, farmers can now remove dead animals.

“We are jumping through a few hoops trying to get licences and permits to do what we want to do. We just need more farmers to pick this up and run with it.”

Internationally renowned Soil Scientist Dr Christine Jones has praised Gillespie’s ideas.

“He’s one of the 10 best composters in the world,” Dr Jones said.

“The idea of leaving animals to decompose on the land or roadside when we could be using them is disturbing.”

Gillespie will travel to Wales this month to talk to farmers about his work and launch his new book “The Waste Between Our Ears”.

ELECTION 2020 / Alistair Coe

‘Labor’s had every opportunity under the sun to make the ACT the place it should be’

Utopia lost, we ‘desperately’ need change

AFTER 19 years of a Labor government, Liberal Opposition Leader, Alistair Coe, says the ACT desperately needs a change.

“After 19 years, the ACT should be Utopia,” says Mr Coe, who became the leader of the Canberra Liberals on the back of the party’s loss in the 2016 election. He took over from now shadow attorney-general Jeremy Hanson.

“Labor have had every opportunity under the sun to make the ACT the place that it should be,” he says.

“Despite all those opportunities, [despite] record revenue and 19 years [of Labor], do we have a health system that we deserve? Are our schools performing as well as they could? Are we treating indigenous Canberrans with the respect they deserve? Are people coming out of our jail better than when they went in?

“There are many shortcomings as a result of this government’s mismanagement and we desperately need a change.”

Even though the Canberra Liberals believe the ACT needs a change, Mr Coe, an ACT Legislative Member since 2008, admits it’ll be a tough challenge but with the right team he’s optimistic they’ll win.

That team will be led by Mr Coe, who feels secure in his leadership,

‘The ACT’s got no shortage of land, it’s a myth’

“There is no shortage of families that are deliberately moving to Googong or Bungendore or Murrumbateman or Sutton in search of cheaper suburban land that they’re unable to get in the ACT.

“It’s pretty disrespectful that we drive young families in particular out of the ACT due to the prices set by the ACT government for land.”

As part of a Canberra Liberals solution, Mr Coe says there needs to be consistent and responsible releases of land at a faster rate.

“And that doesn’t mean dumping land into the market because that, of course, has consequences,” he says.

As for integrity in the government, and with the ACT Integrity Commission starting to hear referrals in December, Mr Coe says there’s no shortage of potential subject matter for the integrity commissioner to investigate.

“I think at the top of the list it would be some of the land deals including the Dickson land swap and rural lease issues,” he says.

“When the government has been in for as long as it has, it’s no surprise that the compla-

cency and disrespect are becoming hallmarks of the way they operate.”

While the Canberra Liberals have a long year ahead, the government’s “mismanaged Budget”, which ACT Labor say is “balanced”, might make the ACT Liberals’ job harder if it successfully wins government, but Mr Coe says they’ll play the cards they get.

“The interest bill is growing and I don’t think we’ve had the infrastructure investments to warrant the huge debt that we’ve got,” he says.

“If there was a balanced Budget, debt should not be growing, debt is growing in the ACT. We’ve got a government that’s got debts growing to $3 billion and huge interest repayments to pretty much cover their day-to-day expenses.”

This is an edited version of the “CityNews” exclusive interview with Alistair Coe. The full version, in which the Opposition Leader is questioned about what he sees as the 2020 election issues, is at CityNews.com.au

Upselling hearing loss: retail hearing aids

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

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

– Dr Vass

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

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

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

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

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

New songs for Canberra’s forgotten rocket man

BY ARTS EDITOR

Helen MUSA

TRAINED as a rocket scientist, David Ronald de Mey Warren was probably Australia’s leastacknowledged inventor.

And yet he created the Black Box Flight Recorder, that essential tool in analysing data from aviation disasters around the world that’s compulsory on every commercial flight.

He made nothing from his invention, which had been inspired by his own father’s death in a plane crash in 1934 and an aviation disaster near Mackay in 1943.

Fame came late. Before his death

in 2010 at age 85, he was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia (AO) and Qantas named one of their Airbus A380s after him, then posthumously the ACT government named David Warren Road in Hume after him and the Defence Science and Technology department renamed its Canberra headquarters the David Warren Building.

Now Canberra composer Sandra France, best known for her Canberra bushfire opera “From A Black Sky”, has joined forces with playwright Alana Valentine to come up with a song cycle called “Flight Memory,” opening at The Street Theatre soon.

Neither an opera nor a conventional song cycle, the work has been written as 18 numbers to be performed in the jazz idiom. France sees “Flight Memory” as a narrative song cycle, to be staged in an unconventional format with each singer not so much entering the character as delivering part of the story through a microphone.

We caught up recently with France and Canberra star jazz vocalist Liam Budge, who’ll be sharing all the roles onstage with Melbourne jazz singer Michelle Nicolle and Canberra jazz and musical theatre identity, Leisa Keen.

Budge is not long back with his wife and one-year-old son from New York, where since 2014 he’s been living the life, singing and taking lessons from great jazz mentors such as Kurt Elling.

When The Street Theatre’s Caroline

music at a Fresh Funk Dance perfor mance in 2012, so reassured him.

“Flight Memory” began when Canberra was consumed with stories commemorating the Centenary of World War I. France got thinking about

ideas and what they might mean in royalties, too.”

Beset by self-doubt and frustrated in a workplace averse to innovation, Warren had assembled the first-ever “black

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box” not at work but in his garage, from

“I love jazz and classical music at the same time, both Brahms and Herbie [pianist Herbie Hancock] together, but I wasn’t thinking opera, I was thinking something intimate to do with a jazz singer and a mike, full of emotion,”

So when jazz-tragic Stacey told her that she, too, would like a jazz work, it was a simple step for France to relate the music to the subject matter to the musical traditions of improvisation, “almost a lost art in classical music,” she says. Besides which, Warren had played jazz clarinet in his spare time. It became a show about experiment, so each song is “a separate world”, she says, with many tricky time changes, exemplified in the song “Crystal Set”, which refers back to the gift of a mindchanging crystal radio set from War-

Musically that requires expertise, so France herself will act as pianist and musical director, supported by a star line-up of ANU jazz graduates and

“The overarching theme is that David Warren invented a machine that listens to the voices of people about to die – that’s pretty intense,” France says.

“Flight Memory”, The Street Theatre, November 14-17. Book at thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

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When the pain of poverty comes home to bite

Staff at a Canberra women’s charity recently tried to better understand their clients’ needs by spending a week trying to live on $80, same as the NewStart allowance. It was a hard lesson to live.

STAFF at the ACT women’s charity

Toora Women recently decided to shine a personal light on the significant financial hardship that people surviving on the Federal government’s controversial NewStart allowance have to endure.

During last month’s Anti Poverty Week, a third of Toora’s staff volunteered to simulate their clients’ experience of surviving on the allowance.

On NewStart, the average single woman’s disposable income is $80 after receiving government subsidies and paying their rent and other utilities to Toora. This amount increases to $115 if they have children in their care.

“This is the amount that our clients would have to purchase their food and drink for the week as well as toiletries, clothing, transport, medication, other healthcare needs, and emergencies,” says Toora’s executive director Susan Clarke-Lindfield.

“Our staff reported how difficult it was and we can only imagine the long-term and chronic psychological and other health effects this has on our clients.

“We know from ACOSS data that

more than 13.2 per cent of Australians are living below the poverty line. It is genuinely hard to live on NewStart as it hasn’t increased in real terms for 25 years or kept pace with the costs of living.”

Toora offers specialist services to women who have experienced trauma due to homelessness, their own or oth ers’ addictions, domestic and family violence, and the corrections systems. In the last financial year, it supported about 501 women and 156 children in the ACT.

How did staff member Karina Lockwood go on $80?

“The days I was at work were the easiest, in the sense that I was busy so didn’t need to spend money.

The hardest thing on these days was making sure I was well organised. One day I was running late and forgot my lunch. I was working in the city and knew it would cost a lot to buy lunch, so I walked to a service station to buy a cheap sandwich. The days I wasn’t at work (which best represents those in receipt of NewStart allowance) were the most challenging.

One of the days I was supporting a friend at court where you can be sitting around waiting long after your appointment time. Therefore, I’d normally pay for the four-hour maximum parking, but I realised I couldn’t afford the parking fee. So I drove the short distance to my suburb’s free park and ride (I was too anxious to rely on the buses as they aren’t frequent) and caught the light rail into the city.

We sat for 2½ hours to be seen at court, during which we decided to have a coffee. I would normally buy one for my friend, who is on Centrelink benefits and has little money.

However, I had to tell her I couldn’t afford to today (she was understanding). I’d normally buy decaf, but I didn’t, to save the 50c extra.

I had arrived in Civic at 9.30am, we didn’t come out of court until 1.15pm. I hadn’t eaten since 7.30am, it was 26 degrees and I was hot and tired, but I had to walk to get the light rail. I didn’t get home and eat until 2.30pm, I was exhausted.

My challenges and feelings this week were:

A friend wanted to catch up for brunch, but I didn’t have the money to do this, leaving me feeling low. I needed to go to the doctor about an ongoing sinus issue. I have a bulk-billing GP for most issues, but for this I wanted to see my private-billing GP. This made me feel extremely anxious because I couldn’t afford to see her.

• Public transport takes so much longer than using a car; I felt anxious relying on public transport for an important appointment and it took me an hour the previous night looking at all the best ways to get to the city, which increased my stress levels and affected my sleep.

• Even when I thought I was doing well with my spending, when I sat and worked it out on day four, I was shocked at how much I had spent and how little I had left for the rest

of the week. I realised at this point, using eftpos was not a good way to keep track of my spending and I should have drawn the available cash out.

• I had to constantly think about everything I did and the costings of everything, which was extremely stressful.

• I felt guilty when I bought a coffee.

• If this would be an ongoing thing for me, I can imagine I would start to feel quite low and defeated, which I believe would impede on my mental health.

I know I am privileged to be working and be able to afford to go out with friends and pay for parking when I want, but life isn’t this simple for many who have a lot of barriers preventing them from working. I have always been very motivated and ambitious and have worked since my teenage years, but I also faced barriers myself when my children were very young that prevented me from working and I spent a couple of years on government benefits. During this time, I felt ashamed, I was never able to save money, I spent my days living day-to-day, I got in debt, it affected my mental health and so many areas of my life. I found trying to live on $80 for the week extremely challenging and despite my best efforts, I did end up spending over my budget.”

UNDERCURRENT DESIGN MARKETS

10th anniversary / advertising feature

Discover the power of bespoke gift giving

CELEBRATING its 10th year, the Undercurrent Design Markets at the Portrait Gallery will feature 62 market stalls, with 70 makers featuring their handmade creations across the weekend of November 23-24.

Organiser Richard Baz says the Undercurrent Design Market’s philosophy is to support and promote Australian designers and makers, particularly those who are local to the Canberra region.

“Artists get a hard slog. The markets are a great vehicle to help them sell directly to people,” says Richard who owns the Curatoreum shop at the Portrait Gallery and the Arboretum with his wife, Melanie.

Richard says he and Melanie love supporting local artists in their shops, but meeting an artist or designer and learning about their work in a marketstyle setting is like no other.

“The experience of meeting the artist and buying directly from them is a special one,” says Richard.

“When you buy from an artist or maker, you are supporting the local arts and crafts industry. You are buying a bespoke item.”

Richard says that he now has a huge number of

the Canberra region.

Held only four weeks before Christmas, Richard says the markets are a great way to buy beautifully created, unique gifts. The choice and variety of items for sale will be diverse.

“We will have seven fashion stalls, at least two bag and shoe makers, four glass blowers and a plethora of ceramicists and jewellers,” he says.

Local artists such as Trevor Dickinson, who has created an iconic collection featuring Canberra bus stops will be there, as well as jeweller Alison Jackson, glass blower Lisa Cahill and Richilde Flavell, of Girl Nomad Ceramics, who creates earthenware style ceramics from her studio in Holt.

The High Tea with Mrs Woo brand, which creates “beautiful linen clothing with a unique sense of cut and design”, will also be coming from Newcastle, says Richard.

“The idea of Undercurrent is to discover what is making the trend. What the trends become, what is bubbling below the surface sets the foundation for design,” he says.

The Portrait Gallery foyer area and the adjoining terrace room will host Undercurrent, which will start on Friday, November 22, 5pm-8pm, with drinks and live music. The market will run across the weekend from 10am-5pm.

Undercurrent Design Market, National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Barton, 5pm-8pm, Friday, November 22, and 10am-5pm, Saturday, November 23, and Sunday, November 24.

OPINION / teenage voters

Teens should get the chance to vote

IN recent months, we’ve seen millions of young people getting involved in our political process.

All over the world, the School Strikers for Climate Action made clear that young people want to be more engaged than ever in the decisions that will shape their entire future.

At a time of growing political disillusionment, you have to give these kids credit for bucking the trend – and getting involved in the decisions that will make an enormous difference to their future outlook.

If young people wish to take part in our democracy, the Greens think they should have that option. That’s why we’re advocating for young Canberrans aged 16 and 17 to be given a chance to vote – optional, before they reach the age of 18 and must vote – to ensure their voices are heard where it matters most: at the ballot box.

Sixteen and 17-year-olds can legally work full time. If they are working, they pay taxes. They can drive a car, have sex and make medical decisions about their bodies. They can join the Army, Navy or Air Force. They can sign a lease, or join a political party – yet they can’t vote.

often taxpayers, of the ACT – are concerned about their future but are denied the most powerful way in our democracy for their voices to be heard.

All the arguments against giving our young people a chance to vote are views that could apply to any number of people in our society – yet we don’t cut out their right to vote.

Disinterested and disillusioned in politics? Most Australians are!

There are already plenty of people that express their dismay with “donkey votes” in our elections.

Have your say in other ways?

Absolutely – but why deny the most important avenue for political participation to those residents who want, simply, to have their say where it matters most?

There’s no doubt that, at the age of 16 or 17, some young people have

others. By making voting optional, we’re allowing for exactly that – giving a voice to young people as they make this important transition in their lives, ahead of reaching the ripe old age of 18.

As a grandparent, I know first hand that our future belongs to our young people. Many of these young people are angry. They are inspired. They want to take part in our country’s greatest institution. Why should the old people among us – who, with our generational inaction on climate change – be the ones to let them down, again?

If our Greens proposal is supported by the major parties, based on data from the last census, we estimate that this would allow at least 8500 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the 2020 ACT election.

sundayROAST

Stay in touch with the names making news on Sundays from 10am as 2CC and “CityNews” present Canberra’s only local weekend news and current affairs program. It’s a revolving panel show that brings to the microphone great “CityNews” commentators and 2CC personalities.

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

Young people are disenchanted with politics because they don’t see our parliaments as representative of them. Their future is not being decided by people their age, who represent them – who speak to them and for them.

At the Federal level, under30-year-olds make up 40 per cent of the Australian population, yet just over one per cent of the Australian Parliament. In our ACT Assembly, just one of our parliamentarians is aged under 30.

At the Federal level, the Greens are also fighting the good fight to make sure young people’s voices are heard.

Caroline Le Couteur MLA is the ACT Greens Member for Murrumbidgee. Are you a young person who wants to have your say at the ballot box? Sign up to make your voice heard at bit.ly/

BRIEFLY Free concert for seniors

“SONGS We Love to Sing” is the theme for this year’s free Rotary Seniors Concert to be staged by Sing Australia and conducted by Tim Bevitt (“Mr Tim” to kids) before he leaves Canberra on a Churchill Trust fellowship.

Many guests come from aged-care facilities and retirement villages but individual guests are requested to register with the Council on the Ageing on 6282 3777 by Tuesday, November 12, for transport and for catering purposes.

The concert, funded by the Rotary Club of Canberra whose members also provide transport and serve afternoon tea, will be held at Albert Hall, 2pm-4pm, on Sunday, November 17.

Gem of a show

THE Spring Mineral and Gem Show 2019, featuring displays of members’ collections, demonstrations of cabbing, faceting and jewellery making will be held at the Mallee Pavilion, EPIC, from 10 am on the weekend of November 9 and 10. Dealers will be selling jewellery, rough and cut gemstones, fossils, rocks, mineral specimens, opals, beads and beading supplies, lapidary equipment and supplies.

Christmas goodies

HOMEMADE goodies, craft items such as children’s clothes and knitted toys, and quality gifts await customers at the Calvary Hospital Auxiliary’s annual, two-day Christmas Stall, at the Lewisham Building Foyer, Calvary Public Hospital Bruce, 8am-4pm, Wednesday, November 27 and Thursday, November 28. This is the group’s final fundraiser for the year and to date it has raised more than $51,000 for hospital equipment. New members are welcome and should contact the secretary on 0403 797192.

CANBERRA MATTERS

Design centre to save city’s future

CANBERRA has an enviable reputation as a designed and planned city. Unfortunately, the shine has come off this accolade over the last decades.

While the older suburbs boast an urban infrastructure that delivers a liveable environment, things are being eroded through a lack of maintenance and because of devastating, politically driven urban policies.

A fundamental of city planning seems to have been lost. That would be all aspects of good design – as in urban design, architecture and most importantly for this city, landscape design. Canberra is a city within a landscape. Design is important to how city landscapes work and having an integrated wholeof-government approach is fundamental to successful urban spaces. That was Canberra as we knew it.

While the popular image of Canberra is of older suburbs with their urban forests, the same cannot be invoked when thinking of our newer suburbs. They are future heat islands. It should not be like this.

Former planners speak of their efforts to ensure that new suburbs were well planned and desirable with amenities matching the older suburbs. They will also reveal that as these plans went through the bureaucracy and political processes, things went missing and were dramatically changed.

The last couple of decades in Canberra have seen the result of short-termism and external influencers on planning outcomes, delivered with the blessing of the current regime of politicians. They know what they have done!

It is generally accepted that the ACT’s chief planner/ planning directorate model has failed and shows no signs of improving. It is a sad joke that important areas such as heritage and sustainability are overseen by the planning directorate that presently “sort of” manages the planning decisions. And above them sit a comfortable cabal of ACT ministers responsible for various aspects of planning and urban development.

At present there’s a lot of stumbling around about the importance of a new territory plan. The same bureaucracy that has been devastating the city is now trying to convince someone (who knows) that shuffling some paperwork around under the guise of

By Paul COSTIGAN

introducing a new approach to planning is the way forward. Best of luck with that!

This city urgently requires a new approach to planning and development if evidence-based and long-term, people-focused planning (there are still such planners) is to be followed through with well-designed places that not only function for those who live here now and in the future, but also assist with climate change adaptation.

Decisions should no longer be made by so many agencies working within silos with little reference to other relevant decision makers. Decisions should no longer be driven by short-term thinking politicians and their swarms of minders.

The solution is not a new idea. This city needs a City Design Commission to oversee and integrate the work of a chief planner, government architect, chief engineer, social planner, chief landscape architect, environmental chief and be advised through an integrated design panel of experts from a range of professions and interests. Instead of having to fight against questionable developments, people would embrace the opportunity to really participate in having development deliver for the young, the elderly and the future generations while addressing important factors such as housing, ecology, health, transport and the complex environmental and climate issues. It should not be that hard.

The ACT City Design Commission would be charged to affect a whole-of-government integrated design and planning approach for Canberra, including relevant aspects of land use, ecology, urban design, green infrastructure, energy, transport, housing, heritage and cultural facilities – and the list goes on.

Besides the bureaucratic restructure, the model would require the oversight of an intelligent and creative politician (hmmm). This Minister for City Design would take over the pieces of planning and development now scattered across the portfolios of about six ACT ministers.

This integrated and future thinking approach should be part of an election platform for the 2020 ACT elections.

ALL ABOUT RETIREMENT

Plan ahead for the transition into retirement

Reward yourself with peace of mind

A hassle-free retirement life awaits at The Central

The Central at Crace offers exceptional retirement living with the comfort and reassurance of being part of a close-knit seniors’ community. Built on Goodwin’s 65 years of experience, this awardwinning precinct is designed to let you enjoy life to the fullest. No matter how small or big your apartment, you are surrounded by activity and community spirit the moment you step out.

• On-site village manager and lifestyle officer at your service

• No home maintenance, so you can spend more time doing the things you love

• Adaptable building design ready for mobility aids should your needs change

• Guest apartment for short stays

• Access to lifestyle clubhouse and wellness centre

• Minutes to medical services, supermarket and recreational facilities

• New discounted prices, so you have more in your pocket to enjoy life

Village gives meaning to retirees

WITH retirement villages in Monash, Ain slie, Crace and Farrer, Goodwin provides communities where seniors can enjoy their later years of life, says Erik Boddeus, executive manager of retirement living.

“The benefits of living in a community as we age are huge in terms of social connec tions and renewed independence,” he says.

“I visit our senior accommodation across Canberra on a regular basis and people tell me it was the best decision they made.

Goodwin’s executive manager of retirement living, Erik Boddeus.

“Retirement living provides more purpose, freedom and opportunities [and] residents love being able to join in on activities, hop on the bus to go shopping or to a winery, particularly if they’re unable to drive any more.”

Erik has worked in the senior housing industry for more than 30 years and says seniors want to be able to lead independent lives.

“They have often been through hardships that younger generations haven’t experienced and have so many interesting stories to

“Later in life things aren’t always easy, with social isolation and

“I see the changes we can make in people’s lives at Goodwin, with the services we provide that can increase to in-home care or

“Our main aim is to ensure seniors can live a meaningful life as

For more information about Goodwin, call 6175 5100, email info@ goodwin.org.au or visit goodwin.org.au

Retirement community with a long caring history

CALVARY Haydon Retirement Community provides safe, secure and relaxed living within its residential aged care, independent living apartments and villas, and respite accommodation, says a Calvary spokeswoman. And, it’s in an ideal location, too, she says, surrounded by nature yet close to Calvary Bruce Hospital, a shopping centre and parks.

She says Calvary Haydon Retirement Community offers qualified care staff, guided by its 125-year history of caring, access to medical coverage when required, dedicated physiotherapy assistants who facilitate specialised physiotherapy care designed to maintain mobility, and recreational activity officers, who design individual and group activity programs aimed at encouraging enjoyment, rehabilitation and promotion of self-esteem.

They also offer qualified pastoral care staff who care for residents’ spiritual and emotional needs, Catholic Mass and other church services, a hairdressing salon, an indoor/outdoor cafe and a specialised menu catering to varied tastes and offering a wide choice of meals.

“Our fully accredited residential aged-care facility provides quality care accommodation including palliative and dementia care services [too],” she says. Calvary also offers in-home care services.

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

“Some social connections you had with people at work may be lost so we recommend people lead into retirement with a plan that includes what activities, clubs or support networks you’d like to get involved with.”

According to Rebecca, it’s also a time for seniors to focus on themselves while finding new ways to maintain health.

“It is so important to keep exercising and building exercise into your daily routines such as meeting friends for hydrotherapy or a walk – anything that can keep you moving,” she says.

with others about your arthritis, who are also going through it,” says Rebecca.

“Our range of exercise programs includes 30 sessions of hydrotherapy each week, yoga, tai chi, strength and balance classes and aqua aerobics.”

Arthritis ACT also has occupational therapists, dietitians and counsellors available for extra support.

Arthritis ACT, Building 18, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce. Call 1800 011041, email info@arthritisact.org.au or visit arthritisact.org.au

at locations across Canberra

Exercise Physiology group classes and individual consultations

GLA:D Physiotherapy program for hip and knee osteoarthritis

Dietitian consultations for weight loss/gain and pain relief

Occupational therapy to improve daily living challenges

Individual counselling and health education

Pain Support programs, seminars and support groups

All programs can be incorporated into NDIS, DVA and My Aged Care

We accept GP Referrals for Medicare funded allied health services

Most chronic pain conditions respond to exercise and weight loss

Hydrotherapy is proven to lead to reduction in many kinds of chronic pain

People living with pain often suffer from being isolated and we have programs that will lessen this impact

Mild depression and anxiety will significantly increase perceptions of pain and our counselling, support groups and exercise groups will help reduce this impact

ALL ABOUT RETIREMENT

Gail’s guidance through the super maze

WHEN it comes to advice on financial planning and retirement strategies, self-managed super funds (SMSF) specialist Gail Freeman of Gail Freeman & Co says she strives to ensure that everything she recommends is on a case-by-case basis.

If a client is interested in SMSF, Gail says they’ll need specialist guidance and advice on the best way to do it.

“We can help set it up, or if they are concerned about an existing fund we can look at their assets and offer alternative options,” she says.

Gail says the ATO is currently looking carefully at funds that don’t have adequate diversification.

“The purpose of the fund is to pay retirement benefits, so there needs to be sufficient liquidity within the fund in order to do that,” she says.

“We can provide guidance on the right asset mix.”

“There are always changes in the area of SMSF, so it’s wise to be working with a professional who is up to date and can advise you on any changes.

With more than 35 years’ experience, Gail has a unique mix of skills and expertise as a tax specialist, superannuation specialist and financial planner.

Having established her practice in Kingston 30 years ago, Gail loves the challenge of personalising her advice to each client she sees, guiding them through the superannuation maze and helping make their issues easy to understand.

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

Council proves an old friend for the ageing

FOR more than 45 years the Council on the Ageing ACT has been keeping people, pre and post retirement, informed, connected and inspired as they age, says communications manager Catherine Adcock.

The independent organisation works to protect and promote the wellbeing, rights and interests of older people in the ACT, and Catherine says one of the most frequently asked questions by older people is about their housing options as they age.

“We have extensive knowledge about housing options ranging from downsizing [and] home modifications, [we] help to assist you to stay in your own home, [and we have knowledge on] retirement villages and accessing aged care services,” she says.

With the support of Transport Canberra, COTA ACT has been running retirement village bus tours for the past six years.

“The tours allow participants to visit a number of retirement villages in one day and get information about their facilities and costs, in a low pressure environment,” Catherine says.

She says the popular tours are being delivered on November 12 and 14.

There is a lot to consider before deciding on a retirement village, and COTA ACT provides free information through their Housing Options Advisory Service.

“People wanting to get information will also be able to speak with a number of providers at the ACT Seniors Expo, to be held on March 26, 2020,” says Catherine.

COTA ACT, Hughes Community Centre, Wisdom Street, Hughes. Call 6282 3777, email contact@ cotaact.org.au or visit cotaact.org.au

Ashilpa’s caring approach to wills

PEOPLE often don’t know what the purpose of a will is and how it should be structured, says Ashilpa Khanna, wills and estate planning lawyer at Capon & Hubert Lawyers & Mediators.

“Many clients are at a vulnerable stage in life by this point, and at Capon & Hubert we understand the need for sensitivity and a caring approach when dealing with these clients,” she says.

“Using the correct terminology makes a huge difference and having a properly drafted will can avoid costs and misery down the track.”

Ashilpa says she takes the time to discuss clients’ op tions, such as living arrangements and estate planning, to ensure they’re making a well-informed decision.

“Our staff are experienced in their fields and we take pride in knowing our clients,” she says.

“We will always use common sense, respect, cour tesy and good judgement when dealing with clients.”

Ashilpa, who practices mainly in wills and estates including probates and letters of administration matters, has been with Capon & Hubert Lawyers & Mediators in Canberra for more than two years.

“The best way to prepare a will is to consult a lawyer who specialises in wills and estates,” she says.

“I enjoy the work as it gives me an opportunity to assist clients in getting their wills and estate affairs in order.

“This work broadens my professional experience and knowledge, and I thoroughly enjoy working with my colleagues.”

Capon & Hubert Lawyers & Mediators, First Floor, 32-38 Townshend Street, Phillip. Email enquiries@chsol.com.au, call 6152 9203 or visit chsol.com.au

Seniors

Service

•

•

Email contact@cotaact.org.au

Website www.cotaact.org.au

At Capon and Hubert Lawyers we ensure that your estate goes to family or friends of your choice.

Having a valid and up-to-date Will can help reduce stress for your family and friends, limit administration costs, and lessen the possibility for dispute over your estate. We understand your situation is different and may require a unique specialist approach.

SCENE / around canberra

At Business After Business, Civic

CANBERRA CONVERSATION LECTURE SERIES

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN THE ACT – AN OXYMORON?

Recent media reports paint a disturbing picture of housing affordability in the ACT, particularly for young people and families in rental accommodation or seeking to rent, as well as those wishing to enter home ownership. Indeed, by some measures, the ACT rental market appears to be the worst in Australia.

This free IGPA public lecture will examine the policy context and framework under which housing affordability has deteriorated in Canberra where the government exercises a much higher level of control over the supply compared to other jurisdictions.

THE PANEL

DR CARLETON BRUIN CHRISTENSEN studied philosophy in Australia and Germany. He is now a researcher at the University of NSW.

At the Don Aitkin Lecture, University of Canberra

ANNA DENNIS graduated from ANU with Honours in Sociology in 2018. This year she worked with Better Renting to demonstrate the importance of energy efficiency for renters.

JON STANHOPE was the ACT Chief Minister (2001-2011) and is a regular commentator on the social, economic and public policy issues in the ACT.

At the Function Room, Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, 180 London Circuit, Civic, Thursday, November 21, 12.30pm-1.30pm

THIS EVENT IS FREE. PLEASE VISIT EVENTBRITE TO CONFIRM YOUR REGISTRATION. WWW.GOVERNANCEINSTITUTE.EDU.AU

The seminar is jointly convened by professorial fellow Jon Stanhope AO and adjunct professor Dr Khalid Ahmed PSM.

The IGPA Canberra Conversation seminar series is supported by

CELEBRATING QUEANBEYAN

A growing city centre across the border

A SHORT hop across the border, Queanbeyan is one of the fastest growing centres in NSW, according to the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council.

Featuring new developments at Googong and in the Jerrabomberra Valley, the council expects the region to grow to a population of more than 77,000 by 2036. It’s estimated to hit 60,000 this year.

In 2016, residents in the region worked in public administration and safety more than any other industry, followed by industries such as con struction, health care and retail.

Queanbeyan also boasts an agricul tural industry in the region and hosts a major agricultural show, the Quean beyan Show, each November.

Named for the Aboriginal word for “clear water”, or “Quinbean”, the town was proclaimed a city on July 7, 1972.

This week “CityNews” speaks to some of the retailers and service providers who are proud to work there.

“We’re planning to get there a day early to attend the show,” he says.

“My daughter is 13 now and loves horses, so she’s looking forward to it. “Our youngest is such a joyful little fellow, he’s coming up to his first birthday and we’re having lots of fun with him. He’ll love it all, the sheep, cattle and chooks!” Shannon says he hopes to perform his new single, “Long Live the Summer” at the

style song about enjoying the summer and having a good time,”

The show will feature a farmyard nursery, woodchop and strongman competitions, crocodile encounters, reptile awareness, yard dog trials and a miniature goat show.

The 124th Queanbeyan Show, November 8-10, Queanbeyan Showground. Visit queanbeyanshow.com.au

solicitor Megan North says she also wanted to create a law firm that reflected who she is as a person.

Megan launched her business Megan North Lawyers in Queanbeyan in January, in part to help her gain a work-life balance with a small child, but also because she wanted to provide approachable and honest legal support.

“I wanted a space where clients feel welcome and not intimidated or nervous about seeing a lawyer,” says Megan.

Megan started her career as a legal assistant in a law firm on the far south coast, and studied law part time while working full time. She says that once she was admitted in 2009, she made the move to Queanbeyan and has been practising there ever since.

“The best thing about being located in Queanbeyan is the community,” she says.

“My new business has been embraced here, from client referrals to the support of other local businesses. I have received such amazing support in my first year of business.”

Megan says she has a small but dedicated team of three, having recently been joined by Jenna Storrier, a solicitor focusing on family law and estate planning. They are supported by Brandy, their legal assistant who is also studying law.

“I love dealing with people, meeting with my clients and helping them through their legal matters,” says Megan.

“I really do just enjoy chatting to my clients – everyone has a story!”

Megan North Lawyers, Unit 5, 69-71 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 5566, email megan@megannorthlawyers.com.au or visit megannorthlawyers.com.au

Window supplier with a view to quality

SKYVIEW Windows was created more than 15 years ago in a small factory with a staff of five and a vision of supplying quality products in the shortest possible lead times, says managing director, Neil

“The company mantra from day one was ‘Quality

Since then, Skyview has grown and seven years ago expanded to a 2500sqm factory in High Street,

Neil says part of Skyview’s success is being able to work closely with customers and suppliers to ensure consistency in quality and supply is maintained.

“All windows and doors are manufactured right here in Queanbeyan to Australian standards using dedicated local people from a mixture of local and imported raw materials to ensure cost competitive ness and, unlike the major window companies, all the profits stay right here,” he says.

“Skyview is the only window company able to

Clearing confusion around cartridges and printers

THERE can be a lot of confusion around printers and cartridges, according to the owners of Capital Cartridges, Shirley Arrow and Noel Kitt, which is why they pride themselves on providing personal and informed advice, while also offering the best

They’re both backed with about 18 years’ experience in the printer industry in Queanbeyan and the ACT, so customers can rest assured they’re receiving

“We want our customers to find a quality product at an affordable price when they visit our

VICTOR Seisun is helping his customers “Save A Bob Or Two” with the store’s furniture sale, offering customers 10 per cent off all furniture during November.

But Save A Bob Or Two doesn’t only sell furniture, it sells a bit of everything, says Victor, including

new and pre-loved household goods such as vases, plates, furniture, books and CDs.

Victor describes the store full of nick-nacks as a friendly place where there’s something for everyone.

“There’s a lot to have a look at, so people take their time walking through,” he says.

Victor buys preloved items, acquires deceased estates, buys items from people who are downsizing which is where he finds a lot of antiques and nick-nacks.

But his wife Jasna says he goes beyond that and he puts his heart and soul into the store.

“When someone comes in and asks for a particular thing he always looks out for things that his customers have asked for previously,” she says.

Save a Bob or Two, Karabar Mall, 30A Queenbar Road, Karabar. Call 0448 164315 or visit @SaveABobOrTwo on Facebook.

Nov 2019

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“We’re excited to be bringing our award-winning swim program to the area, as well as community events, the fun of the splash park in the warmer weather, and bringing a cafe on board.”

Alena says the indoor 25m pool at Googong is surrounded by glass that can open up in the summer months and connect to the splash park outside.

“There are so many lakes, rivers and dams around in this area, and it’s so important for kids to learn to swim

Family builders make clients’ vision a reality

WHEN clients have a vision in mind for their home, the family-run business Bordeaux Construction and Management works with them to make it a reality, says project manager Michael Milutinovic.

“Whether it’s an extension, renovation or rebuild, we work very closely with clients from the start through to handover,” he says.

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

Michael holds an unrestricted, A-class builder’s licence in the ACT and also holds a NSW building licence.

“We’re happy to look at any project, no matter how simple or complex, and we only ever use premium

Michael has been involved in the family business for two years but has more than 10 years’ experience in the construction industry in Canberra and Sydney. What he likes about Bordeaux Construction and Management is that there’s always a point of contact.

“Clients always feel that their project is prioritised and they often say they like the personal relationship we build on throughout the process,” he says. He says they get a lot of referrals for this reason, too.

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

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

business that specialises in teaching infants to swim and caters for all children aged from six weeks through to swim squad level.

Aquatots classes are held in four locations, including Club Googong, Black Mountain School in O’Connor, Gold Creek Country Club and its own facility in Forde.

Club Googong, Beltana Avenue, Googong. Call 6162 0507 or visit aquatots.com.au

Large selection has tiles for every project

TILES are incredibly popular for home renovations due to the increased variety available, according to Rivoland Tiles general manager James Hibberson.

“Our comprehensive service provides a great knowledge of tiles, and we have the latest, most advanced products sourced from overseas,” he says.

“We are conscious of the ever-changing styles available and our team is always up-to-date with current trends and technologies.”

With a knowledgeable and reliable team on hand, James says Rivoland Tiles also provides fixing materials, tools and technical advice to achieve the best possible outcome, whether it be for a project home, boutique or a large-scale development.

“We love helping people, helping families build their dream home or making their investment a success,” he says.

Rivoland Tiles, a family owned and operated business, provides quality service and commitment to creating the best tile selection experience, James says. He says they are one of the largest tile stockists on the eastern coast and the largest supplier of tiles in the Canberra region.

Rivoland Tiles, 100 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6297 4510 or visit rivoland.com.au

CONSTRUCTION • DEVELOPMENT • CUSTOM JOINERY

by Bordeaux

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BORDEAUX KITCHENS (Associated with Capital Cabinetmaking)

Specialise in custom-built design and joinery • Kitchens

• Vanity and laundry units • Commercial Joinery

• Shop/office • Home office • Experienced tradesmen and full trade co-ordination available

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

The evolving garden of solace and discovery

“TERROUX” is a meaningful garden for owners Peter Fletcher and Barbara Baikie, who started planting trees, shrubs and flowers on the Wallaroo property 15 years ago from the bare ground up.

Overlooking the Brindabellas, a series of garden rooms now frame their house, featuring a mass of Mr Lincoln roses, hedges of flower carpet roses, callistemon, conifers and photinias, a reflection pool, formal secret garden and a Mad Hatter teapot fountain made by John Payne, of Bingie Pottery.

“Terroux” will be open to the public through Open Gardens Canberra on November 16-17 with a kids’ trail, lunchtime sausage sizzle and tours with Peter of the wider property for anyone keen to explore.

Beyond the garden around the house, which is managed by Barbara, there is a park-like feel with three dams, horse paddocks and the beginnings of a new Japanese garden with cherry blossom trees and maples.

“When we bought the land in 2004 it was entirely barren, just grasshoppers, snakes and a couple of gum trees,” says Peter.

Peter estimates he’s planted 10,000 trees and aims to plant another 10,000, using tonnes of horse manure from a nearby riding centre to break down the clay soil.

“We find solace in putting love into the garden and connecting to the land,” says Peter.

“We’re very aware of climate change and

Words: Kathryn Vukovljak

Photos: Holly Treadaway

“I’m self-taught and the garden is evolving all the time,” he says.

“Everything we plant has to be selfsustaining, tough and resilient. The garden cops cold and dry winds and there’s not a lot of water at times, so we water strategically.”

The couple say everything tells a story and is steeped in meaning for them, with a labyrinth for walking meditation and memorial gardens for much-missed family members. They were married on the property in a gazebo gifted to Peter from Barbara.

“I practise gratitude daily and I’m so glad to be able to share this garden with people,” says Barbara.

“We love to put on events, hear people’s comments as they walk around and feel the joy and tranquility of being here. It makes us happy to be philanthropic and give back.

“It’s important that we take the time to sit and enjoy it for ourselves, too.

“We’re truly grateful for what we’ve got.”

“Terroux”, 88 Rochford Road, Wallaroo, open 10am-4pm, Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17. Admission $8; free to under-18s and Open Gardens Canberra members. Funds raised go to Global School Partners. It costs $25 to join Open Gardens Canberra and gain free entry to all open gardens until August 31. More information at opengardenscanberra.org.au/members

Peter and Barbara are hosting a fundraising

GARDENING Banksias are the natives to beat

WALKING around the Botanic Gardens’ greatest range of native plants in Australia, one plant family always stands out –banksias.

The huge flowers attract bees and honeyeaters and are beloved by florists.

They were introduced and named after the great botanist Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), whose importance to Australian botany is beyond question.

However, there is another important name that may not be so familiar – Robert Brown.

Brown, a Scot born in Montrose in 1773, trained as a botanist and paleobotanist. He was considered the leading botanist for his collections from Australia in the first half of the 19th century.

Brown was principal botanist on Matthew Flinders’ circumnavigation of Australia remaining here between 1801 and 1805 before returning to Britain where he spent the next five years cataloging the staggering 3400 collected specimens, half of which were unknown to science.

On Banks’ death, Brown inherited the whole of Banks’ library and herbarium, which he later donated to the British Museum.

THE well-meaning botanists are at it again, being botanically correct. Firstly, they decided that chrysanthemums should be known as dendranthemums, which failed miserably with worldwide opposition.

Then came eucalypts, of which

they decided numerous varieties should be known as corymbia.

Now they’ve decided that the old-time favourite, the asters novaeangliae, referring to its origins in New England in North America, is all wrong.

Commonly called michaelmas daisies, due to their flowering at that time in the northern hemisphere and flowering here in autumn, they are now to be referred to as symphyotrichum novae-angliae. Try saying that in a hurry!

THE drought notwithstanding, we in Canberra were assured when the hundreds of millions were spent on a new Cotter Dam that our water supply was assured for many years to come. There would never be a need for water restrictions, we were told.

Now Icon Water is telling us the dam levels are less than 50 per cent and water restrictions are looming. Maybe our “garden city” concept is doomed or, like the rest of the country, we need several more dams for our ever increasing population?

IT’S time for the “Chelsea Chop”. Originating from the Chelsea Flower Show, it’s time to chop perennials such as chrysanthemums and salvia by reducing their height by 50 per cent.

That sounds ruthless, but for a really good show of these autumn-flowering plants, reducing the height by this amount now and again in mid-December to January quadruples the number of flowers. In a couple of months the same will apply for asters.

AS the risk of frost has diminished, tomatoes should be planted by now, remembering to put the stake in first and watering with Maxicrop Seaweed to promote strong root growth. Don’t overdo the feeding, once every couple of weeks. Do make a good well of soil around the plant to hold a bucket of water which is applied once a week.

A GOOD time to enjoy the scents of the garden is in the still of a warm evening.

Along the drive in our garden is the truly wow factor of Rosa “Zephirine Drouhin”, a thornless, old French (1858) climbing rose. This variety was a favourite of one of the most famous gardeners of all time, Gertrude Jekyll (rhyming with treacle) who had a pergola 100 metres long with 50 of these roses planted each side growing over the pergola.

In the UK, garden centres declared it the most popular rose sold. It is available here. Close behind in popularity is the ubiquitous Rosa “Iceberg”. Even in Canberra so many paths leading to

a rose first made popular in the famous white garden at Sissinghurst Castle in England.

Elsewhere in the garden, there is the stunning fragrance of Michelia figo or Port Wine Magnolia.

Introduced into Western gardens from China in 1789, it is closely related to magnolias.

If you don’t have at home, head to your local garden centre and drink in the perfume.

Equally heavenly in scent is Michelia yunnanensis, described by Paradise Plants as the embodiment of the timeless mystery and peaceful contemplation of the temple slopes of China.

JUMBO CROSSWORD

PUZZLES PAGE

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

This week joint ventures and relationship improvements are on the table, but don’t spoil a potentially positive and productive week by being too gung-ho and gullible! Slow down and think before you speak, and consult with others before you make an important move. Tuesday night’s Full Moon highlights hiccups in your financial management. So when it comes to money matters, aim to be less impulsive and extravagant, and much more cautious and thrifty.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Tuesday night’s Full Moon (in your sign) emphasises your practical side. So do your best to handle current situations in a suitably sensible and pragmatic fashion. When it comes to a romance, friendship or business partnership, avoid getting stuck in a boring rut. With Mercury still retrograde (until next week) find creative ways to reboot and refresh relationships. But don’t believe everything you hear on Thursday. Keep your bulldust detector switched on high.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

With the help of the Full Moon, use the power of your fertile imagination to get to the bottom of a problem that’s been bothering you. Plus listen to the wisdom of your inner voice… it will point you in the right direction. You’re keen to communicate with work colleagues and close friends. But remember that Mercury (your patron planet) is in retrograde mode until next week. So make sure you speak with extra precision and listen with extra compassion.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Many sensitive Crabs feel emotionally volatile around the time of the Full Moon. This week’s full moonbeams are in earthy, sturdy Taurus, so you’ll feel more grounded (and less moody) than usual. Mars and Jupiter also boost energy levels and help make home and work more positive places to be. But Mercury is still retrograde until next week, so be careful and consistent in the way you communicate with others (especially children, teenagers and friends).

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Find ways to inspire others and shine more brightly on the job, as the Full Moon illuminates your career zone. It’s also time to spruce up (or redecorate) your workspace or home office, so it increases your creativity and boosts your productivity. You’re feeling positive about a current challenge and your sunny smile has the power to lift the mood of those around you. But sometimes there’s a fine line between being optimistic and unrealistic. So keep it real Leo!

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

This week (courtesy of Mercury Retrograde) you could encounter problems with a stressed relative or a neurotic neighbour, as you misunderstand each other’s motives. So you need to backtrack, unscramble your antennae, and articulate your true intentions in a careful and compassionate way. It’s also a suitable week to find something that’s been missing, tackle jobs you have previously put on the backburner, and cross important tasks off your long to-do list.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Stylish Librans love to dress up and are the fashionistas of the zodiac, but don’t just focus on your outer appearance. The Full Moon and retrograde Mercury push you to nurture your self-esteem and appreciate your inner beauty as well. When it comes to financial transactions and social media, make sure you communicate clearly and carefully so there’s no room for messy misunderstandings. You definitely need to check (and double-check) everything you post!

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Expect some ups and downs this week. There is a powerful Sun/Pluto connection mid-week that could lead to positive changes – yeah! But Mercury is still reversing through your sign until next week, which will cause some chaos and confusion. Whatever happens, do your best to keep things in perspective. Be inspired by singer, songwriter, musician and birthday great Neil Young: “As you go through life, you’ve got to see the valleys as well as the peaks.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

You’re keen to be in charge, as the Full Moon lights up your job zone. But are you being the boss – or just plain bossy? Strive to utilise your leadership skills in clever and creative ways that bring more stability to your work situation. You’ll also be in freedom bunny mode (especially on Tuesday) when you’re keen to do your own thing, free from routine responsibilities and restrictions. If you are positive, passionate and proactive, then good fortune will follow.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Are you satisfied with your current trajectory? This week Mercury is reversing through your hopes and wishes zone (until November 20-21) plus the Sun forms a fabulous aspect with Pluto (in your sign). So it’s a suitable time to re-design your dreams, refresh your future, and transform an important part of your life. Draw inspiration from painter and Scorpio birthday great Georgia O’Keeffe: “I decided to start anew, to strip away what I had been taught.”

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Is a professional problem bugging you big time? A combination of clever research and old-fashioned hard work will lead to a smart solution that ticks all the boxes. Looking for employment? Retrograde Mercury challenges you to re-think your strategy and devise a practical plan. The Full Moon heralds a house move, home renovation, uninvited guests or some other kind of domestic disruption. Strive to get the balance right between your public life and your private responsibilities.

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

Are your aspirations ambitious enough? There’s no room for false modesty or passive procrastination this week! The Full Moon stimulates your thought processes and encourages you to come up with a cracking plan and then stick to it, with patience and perseverance. Having a positive attitude is certainly to be encouraged. But make sure you’re not adopting a "Pisces Pollyanna approach" by putting your head in the sand and avoiding real problems in your life.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore

2019

General knowledge crossword No. 710

FIRST STEPS INTO PHILANTHROPY…

Thinking of helping others? Not sure how to go about it? Here are two ways:

1. Are you decluttering? Getting ready to move and too much furniture? Outgrown baby clothes/toys? Have things in your home you just don’t want?

Just go to GIVIT.ORG.AU and search the ACT list. You will find over 200 entries required by the community sector to help those less fortunate! Upgraded your laptop recently? A newly arrived refugee enrolled in CIT needs your old one. www.givit.worldsecuresystems.com/items-needed You can donate money or mark the items you could assist with. Easy as click, click, click.

Across

3 Which aromatic inner bark of the cassia tree is much used as a spice? (8)

7 What is a mountain lion also known as? (6)

8 What might we call one who forces or pressures someone out? (8)

9 Name another term for a forerunner or harbinger. (6)

10 To exalt to a standard of perfection, is to do what? (8)

11 Which pieces of transparent substance are used in correcting errors in vision? (6)

14 What is a fixed periodical payment paid to a person for regular work? (6)

17 What was the profession of Mandrake? (8)

18 Name a town on the Murray River, associated with Wodonga. (6)

19 To have the power of fluent, forcible, and appropriate speech, is to be what? (8)

20 Name the various herons occurring throughout the world. (6)

21 What do we call persons thought to be guilty of a crime, offence, or the like? (8)

Down

1 What do we call a group of persons who associate closely? (7)

2 Name the large lizards of tropical America. (7)

3 What is the list of names, etc, that appears at the beginning of a film? (7)

4 What, in Buddhism, is the ultimate state achieved after a series of cleansed reincarnations? (7)

5 Name a rich, stong, white wine, resembling sherry. (7)

6 What is a place set apart for young children? (7)

11 Which marine gastropod molluscs stick to rocks? (7)

12 Who do we call the members of the so-called black race of Africa? (7)

13 To shut or keep out, is to do what? (7)

14 What are upper houses of parliament? (7)

15 Name the Australian painter and sculptor (1873-1930), George ... (7)

16 To put pen to paper again, is to do what? (7)

Equally, organisations like Havelock House and the Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services (MARSS) also have needs for the communities they support. Also, Roundabout Canberra accepts donations of excellent quality baby and children items – so your outgrown treasures can have a new life for a family in need.

2. Do you have capital gains tax to pay?

I have a client who will soon face a hefty capital gains tax bill – which of course he’s happy to pay to the ATO with a gift card attached. However, he’s been told by his Accountant that if he were to make a donation to a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) organisation in that same financial year for the same amount as his capital gains tax, his payment to the ATO would be calculated zero. Naturally, my client says he’s distraught at not paying to Consolidated Revenue, but he would rather donate to a community organisation that has this DGR status and see that it help others. (Note: Not all charities have DGR status.) Please note this is not financial advice, as everyone’s circumstances are different. You need to speak to your accountant about this to get professional advice for your circumstances. Of course the ATO won’t receive funds from my client this year, but that’s just something he’ll have to live with. The organisation I partner with, Hands Across Canberra, has DGR status, and works with over 300 community groups. Just imagine the benefit for the community!

Also a BIG SHOUTOUT to buyers David and Jude who have purchased a property from CSP and have contacted Frances Crimmins’ team at YWCA Rentwell to rent the property to women in need in our community, with the benefit of zero land tax. Just imagine if every agent out there started telling buyers about Rentwell? Landlords: If you rent your property at a discounted market rent of more than 25% with Rentwell, and the tenant meets income eligibility requirements, you may fit the ACT Government’s criteria for a full land tax exemption.

Welcome to the world of giving…

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Giving Canberra a spin on the circuit of horror

By Helen Musa

WRITER-director Tony D’Aquino is lucky to be back in Australia in one piece – he’s just been on what’s called “the circuit of horror” as he prepares for the general release of his R-rated, Canberra-made feature, “The Furies”.

When we catch up with D’Aquino, he’s in Trondheim, Norway, famous as the home of those sinister creatures, the trolls, and about to head for the nearby Ramaskrik Oppdal Horror Film Festival, one of the many on the Méliès International Festivals Federation circuit.

He’s also been to the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival and the Sitges, the Spanish festival specialising in fantasy and horror films, and is talking up Australia’s own Monster Fest.

While the film’s UK premiere was in the “straight” Edinburgh International Film Festival, its spiritual home is at events such as FrightFest London, the Frightening Ass Film Festival in Chattanooga, Horror Film Fest in Turin and the International Fantastic Film Fest in Bucheon, South Korea.

“It seems to work with audiences around the world,” he says.

A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, School of Film and Television, D’Aquino has directed music videos, television commercials, short films such as “Alpha Male” and the 30-minute TV series “Two Twisted”.

Now he’s making his feature film debut with

WRITTEN BY: NOËL COWARD

a modern take on the 1980s slasher film genre.

This is very much a Canberra enterprise with, as “CityNews” has already reported, a scary soundtrack by Kirsten Axelholm and Kenneth Lampl, production by Christian Doran and significant input from Monica Penders at Screen Canberra and Andy Marriott at Silversun Pictures.

Briefly, “The Furies” centres on two mutinous teenagers, Kayla (Airlie Dodds) and Maddie (Ebony Vagulans) who are abducted by who-knows-what! Kayla wakes up in a box in the middle of a forest and encounters masked men who are stalking young women in the

woods. Heroically, she tries to save as many girls as she can but when they turn on each other, her latent killer instinct is unleashed.

This is a low-budget genre film with good international selling potential, one D’Aquino is happy to call “an emotional popcorn movie that isn’t ashamed to revel in over-the-top kills and full-tilt horror”.

And aficionado of film noir, sci-fi and horror (“I’m not a straight drama person”) he counts himself lucky.

“You make films because you don’t know what else to do, it’s not for the money it’s for the love,” he says, but in 2015 he got into

Screen Canberra’s “Accelerator POD”, which involved weekend intensive masterclasses during which the 10 participants pitched possible films to a panel, overseen by Michael Favelle from media company Odin’s Eye Entertainment.

The idea was to choose a $1.5 million maximum-budget film that could be set anywhere but has the capacity to be shot in and around Canberra.

“They picked the 10 best, we went on to write the first draft and mine was the first chosen,” D’Aquino says.

“I looked for locations in the bush and was

Waiting in The Wings

given information about the old gold mining town of Bywong, surrounded by amazing ghost gums… I rewrote the script a bit to use that location.”

Lake George also played a part.

He, with cinematographer Garry Richards and special effects/make-up expert Larry Van Duynhoven, knew they were giving a nod to the horror movies of the ‘70s and ‘80s and went as far as they could.

But, D’Aquino proudly boasts: “There is no CGI [computer-generated imagery] in the film, we have all practical effects… I think doing effects in a practical way acts on the viewer subconsciously.”

And then there were the actors.

“I like actors and I think they’re incredible, but I wanted unknown actors, I didn’t want stars, because in a horror film anyone should be able to die at any one moment… all my actors in film brought something special to the work,” he says.

D’Aquino has a special shout-out for the star Airlie Dodds, who is in almost every scene of the film’s gruelling shots.

“She went beyond the acting – it became her life and she brought Kayla to life,” he says.

Right now D’Aquino is still doing the horror round at film festivals but with one eye on the future, he’s looking at a book to option. But first, he says: “I’ll see what happens all around the world and how audiences react.”

“The Furies” is in general release in Australian cinemas from November 7.

“Coward was a playwright of superior taste, wit and feeling. Those attributes are amply displayed in Waiting in The Wings which gently skirts stereotypes and treads lightly outside the door of sentimentality — only occasionally poking its head in for a look”

A humorous and moving story about friendship and courage. The arrival at The Wings of a new resident piques rivalries between the former greats as they rekindle memories from the past.

The food nonnas are loved for

watching someone play a quick tune on the outdoor piano, musos setting up for that night’s entertainment and uni students hanging out enjoying beers and toasted sangas.

Then it was off to Briscola for dinner. This ristorante Italiano has been around for yonks and has won awards for its authentic, honest cuisine. At Briscola you’ll indulge in the type of food nonnas are loved for (indeed, the ravioli is locally made by nonna) – simple, packed with flavour, honest, charming.

The service is charming, too. We lucked out with a spot outdoors and were very well taken care of – the Italian way.

Briscola uses local suppliers and imports quality products from Italy. Coffee is locally roasted, gelato locally churned, charcuterie locally cured and Briscola stocks wines and beers from more than 10 Canberra wineries and breweries. Go Briscola!

The calamari we shared at the beginning of our Italian adventure was lightly dusted in rice flower, super tender and perky with paprika seasoning. We dipped each piece into amazing gorgonzola mayo ($13 small/$23 large).

Coffee is locally roasted, gelato locally churned, charcuterie locally cured and Briscola stocks wines and beers from more than 10 Canberra wineries and breweries. Go Briscola!

I find it hard to go past a pappardelle, especially one with a ragu. Who doesn’t love a large, broad, flat, egg-ribbon pasta? This dish ($27) was moreish with its slow-cooked, rich, three-meat ragu and it featured shaved grana Padano and basil.

The veal scaloppine was a generous serve ($34). Its lemon butter sauce was tangy, the meat tender and the seared sea scallops cooked to perfection.

It was three “main wins” in a row with the linguine di mare, a wonderful combination of seafood – Australian banana prawns, mussels, scallops, cherry tomato, garlic, a perfezione hit of chilli and white wine ($32).

We balanced our meals with a rocket salad, with fresh, ripe pear (oh-so-sweet), crunchy caramelised walnuts, shaved parmesan and a sexy fig glaze ($9 for small/$16 large).

The wine list is just right for Briscola’s style and

we enjoyed our Italian Soave.

Since 2010, this unpretentious restaurant has been family owned by Italians. In 2016 it gained accreditation from Accademia Italiana della Cucina by the Italian ambassador.

Briscola caters exceptionally well for vegetarians and vegans and offers gluten-free pizza bases and pasta.

Briscola, by the way, is a popular card game played by Italians. It’s not a card game to be played alone, says Briscola. Nor should Italian food be eaten alone.

Briscola, 60 Alinga Street, Civic. Call 6248 5444. Open Tuesday to Friday lunch (noon to 2pm); Tuesday to Sunday dinner (5.30pm to 9pm). Easy disabled access. Plenty of parking around, including some spots for permit holders.

WENDY JOHNSON

ARTS IN THE CITY CINEMA

In search of identity

By Helen Musa

CHINESE performance duo Xiao Ke X Zi Han is exploring Chinese identity in Canberra during its upcoming research residency at Tuggeranong Arts Centre in November, ahead of an exhibition and performances in early 2020 as part of “Chiname”, a three-year research project exploring different understandings of Chinese identity in Chinese communities around the world.

CANBERRA opera singer Tobias Cole is on stage at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre until December 14, in “HMS Pinafore”, directed by Kate Gaul in what is billed as a “re-imagined, gender-bending, hyper-theatrical and kinky take on this Gilbert and Sullivan classic”. Book at hayestheatre.com.au

CREATIVE Partnerships Australia has offered 25 artists in-principle funding in 2019/20, including Canberra dancer James Batchelor, for his project “Cosmic Ballroom”, and ANU lecturer in print media and drawing Rebecca Mayo, for her project “Rumpus 2020”.

THE ANU School of Music and the ANU National Centre for Indigenous Studies will host singer-songwriter and storyteller Archie Roach to talk about his memoir “Tell Me Why”. Roach has a new companion album of the same name, which will be on sale alongside the book. At

Llewellyn Hall, 7pm-8.15pm, Friday, November 15. Book at anu.ed.au

THIS year marks Ian Jones’ 40th year as an independ ent professional potter, much of it in his current studio in the Old Saint Luke’s Church at Gundaroo, where he constructed a 14-metre-long dragon kiln. “Ash & Clay” is an exhibition marking the occasion. At Watson Arts Centre, 1 Aspinall Street, until December 1.

MELBOURNE’S Chrysalis Trio will perform at a fundrais ing afternoon of tea and champagne for the Canberra International Music Festival. At The Crisp Galleries, Bowning, 2.30pm, Saturday, November 30. Book at trybooking.com

PIANIST Nicholas Young and guitarist Matthew Fagan will play Spanish classical, flamenco, tango and modern jazz in “España El Vito: the Spirit of Spain & Tango” at Wesley Music Centre, 7.30pm, Saturday, November 16. Book at southcoasttickets.com.au

WORKS by Roman violin virtuoso Castrucci plus the music of Handel, Sibelius and Debussy will be played by Musica da Camera String Orchestra with guest harpist Rowan Phemister under director Rosemary Macphail at Holy Covenant Anglican Church, Cook, on Saturday and Sunday, November 16-17. Book at musicadacamera.org.au

patriciaparker@homemail.com.au

15.

MUSIC

Latham’s ‘Flowers’ bloom in free book

By Helen Musa

CHRIS Latham, director of “The Flowers of War” and the first musical artist in residence for the Australian War Memorial, can hardly suppress his excitement as he shows off his new publication, “The Flowers of the Great War”.

The Canberra launch on Novem ber 11 at the French Embassy before representatives from Australia, France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Austria, the UK and the EU will be “a great day for Australian music,”

Latham says.

The 350-copy book, duplicated on line, is packed with information about lost war-time musical works from the battlefields of World War I, recorded, documented and performed by Latham and his band of helpers since 2015 as a way of bringing this music to modern audiences.

Chris Latham.

Broke, broken Brittany in the run of her life

“Brittany Runs a Marathon”

AT age 27, Brittany (Jillian Bell) has major life and lifestyle issues.

She’s close to becoming an alcoholic. To put it kindly, she’s carrying more weight than is good

Her life is about good times. In the privacy of her apartment, her self-esteem is shot. And she’s broke.

A new GP she visits to get a prescription for Adderall sends her out with not pills but advice – lose weight. A neighbour persuades her to run the excess mass off.

In his feature debut, writer/ director Paul Colaizzo has provided Jillian Bell with a role that lifts her a few rungs up the professional ladder after a career mostly in TV series and a few bit parts in feature movies. The role of Brittany may not seem to justify or demand great talent but she is good at what she does (she and Colaizzo also have executive producer credits).

By Dougal MACDONALD

the world’s great dance companies – National Ballet of Cuba, English National, Houston, English Royal, Birmingham Royal. Comparisons with Nureyev and Baryshnikov come easily to mind. He came to Australia in 2008. And he’s a fan of TV’s “Poldark”.

The film reeks – no, is redolent with – authenticity. Keyvin Martinez as young Carlos and Edlison Manuel Olbera Núñez as the adolescent Carlos are both outstanding. And Santiago Nunez is powerful as the father who saw early what the child was capable of and never wavered in his determination to see the man succeed.

The dance sequences are, put simply, superb. And you don’t have to like ballet to admire them or the film’s other parts.

At Dendy

After finishing her first mile, Brittany sets an almost unthinkable goal: running in the New York City Marathon (this was the first time a non-documentary film crew was allowed to shoot there; Bell reportedly lost 18 kilograms during the shoot).

“Brittany Runs a Marathon” mixes comedy and message with a plea for tolerance of Brittany’s problems and a hope that she will find resolution of them. It’s hard to like her. Potential viewers might be justified in wondering whether she warrants patronage.

At Dendy

died in World War I.

Surveying the best composers

More than 50 newlyrecorded, popular World War I songs are included in the package, such as “Keep the Home Fires Burning”, the heartbreaking “Break the News to Mother” and “The Song of Australia” (once put forward as an alternative National Anthem to “Advance Australia Fair”).

Central to the book and the launch will be the work of Australian composer Frederick Septimus Kelly, the pianist and Olympic rower who died on the Western Front. Kelly’s complete recordings, including works never before heard, will be accessible via data card at the back of the book – “a free gift to the nation and the world,” Latham says.

From November 11 the public will be able to download most of the collection (except for Kelly works still under copyright) free from theflowersofwar.org

“Yuli: The Carlos Acosta Story” (M)

TO say that Spanish director Iciar Bollain’s film co-written by Paul Laverty and Carlos Acosta blew me away is an understatement.

The film spends 111 minutes intertwining recollections of growing up in what is at best a dictatorship with dance passages staged for the film, mostly modern, all exciting for their athleticism and sheer visual splendour.

From an impoverished Cuban family, Acosta, now 46 and living in England with his English wife, is the first black dancer to perform some of ballet’s major male roles.

London’s “Independent” newspaper has described Acosta as “a dancer who slashes across space faster than anyone else, who lacerates the air with shapes so clear and sharp they seem to throw off sparks”.

In childhood, his truck-driver father pushed him almost beyond the limits of what a small boy could endure both physically and emotionally. He has performed with some of

“Balloon” (M)

THIS out-and-out thriller sustains its tensions to the very end despite its denouement being a historical fact.

It’s 1979. In East Germany, the Ministry for State Security (aka Stasi with 91,000 regular staff and 174,000 informals) is a pernicious agency enforcing a closed society. Neighbours report on neighbours. Dossiers in Stasi offices record everybody’s behaviour. Dissent is just about the worst crime.

In Thüringen, the Strelzyk and Wetzel families have had enough of living under a totalitarian regime and decide to get out. What do they do? Build a hot air balloon and fly the coop. A brave decision, not easy to implement.

Director Michael Herbig and writers Kit Hopkins and Thilo Roscheisen put their heads together and made a movie telling how the two families did it, how close they came to discovery and who can imagine whatever horrors they would have experienced if the Stasi had found them out.

That’s “Balloon” in a nutshell, delivering an impressive accretion of tensions and close shaves on its way to a happy ending for the conspirators. Presumably, great nastinesses befell the local Stasi offices and Oberstleutnant Seidel (Thomas Kretschmann) who knew something was afoot but couldn’t put his finger on it until the flight was airborne. Many fiction movies deliver escapism in varying doses. This one gives a fresh and possibly credible meaning to the word.

At Dendy, Palace Electric, Capitol 6

EXPERIENCE A WILD ADVENTURE

Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium features a combined aquarium, metropolitan zoo and easily walked open range section, as well as amazing up-close and personal animal encounters and tours.

With the now recently opened Adventureland playground, a truly unique playground featuring a total of 55 activities including various sized fibreglass animal sculptures for children aged 2-12 to explore and play on.

You can also experience the unforgettable with an overnight stay at the internationally recognised Jamala Wildlife Lodge. There is truly something for everyone at the National Zoo and Aquarium!