CityNews 200212

How the ACT government hobbled poor homebuyers

JON STANHOPE

Why we have to save Life Stories

DANIELLE NOHRA

Scepticism greets planning review

PAUL COSTIGAN

PANTY POWER

From the air force to designing underwear, CANDICE JARVIS’ new career is taking off

21 March andindependent advanced

28 March beginners (no French needed) and intermedi ate

One day cultural and language immersion with native French speakers at the Alliance Française de Canberra

23-29 March 2020

in social conversations. Afterward, join in for a board game or two with the group

By: Fiji Indian Group

When: 10:00am-2:00pm

Where: Communities@Work Ngunnawal Seniors Centre, Yarrawonga St, Ngunnawal ACT RSVP: 6293 6500

Contemporary dance class for seniors

No previous dance experience necessary. This class focuses on body awareness, fitness, coordination and creativity and is for people who are able to move independently and without mobility aids. Wear comfortable clothes, bare feet or socks.

By: Canberra Dance Theatre

When: 10:30 - 11:50

Where: Bookings are required More info: 0435 025 365 or canberradancetheatre@gmail. com

The art of wellbeing

Advance Care Planning - A conversation for everyone

An Advance Care Health Plan ensures your values and preferences are respected when you can’t voice your decisions. Learn tips for having the conversation about your plan and find out who can help and assist you.

By: Advanced Care Planning

When: 10:00-12:00

Where: Meeting room, building on the right, 100 Maitland St, Hackett

Sing, laugh, enjoy!

Discover the joy of singing with the over 50s community singing group Heart and Soul Singers. This is an inclusive and friendly group that will make you feel very welcome.

By: Tuggeranong 55 Plus Club Inc.

When: 10:15 - 12:15pm

By: Goodwin

When: 10:30am-12:00pm

Where: Day Club, 15 Cockcroft Ave, Monash

Cost: Free. RSVP 6178 7280.

Why have a Will and Enduring Power of Attorney

A forum on the importance of having a valid and up-to-date Will and Enduring Power of Attorney.

• Lucky door prizes

• Light refreshments provided

• Free Will voucher for all attendees

By: Public Trustee and Guardian When: 9:30 – 12:00

Where: Dickson Tradesman Union Club (The Tradies)

2 Badham Street, Dickson RSVP: 62079800 or ptg_marketing@act.gov.au

Wednesday, 25 March

By: Royal Life Saving and YMCANSW

Where: Gungahlin Lesiure Centre

More info: 6260 5800 or actprojects@rlssa.org.au

BungyPump

Free information sessions to find out about the many benefits of using BungyPump fitness walking poles, and the opportunity try them out.

By: BungyPump - Come and try

When: 11:30am

Where: Meet at crn of Parkes Place and Queen Elizabeth Tce Parkes ACT

More info: 0404 373 157 or dcraig@pcug.org.au

The Personal History of David Copperfield - Seniors Morning Tea Preview

All Week

The ACT Government is providing free travel on Transport Canberra buses and light rail for Seniors Card holders during Seniors Week. More infotransport.act.gov.au

Monday, 23 March

Street orienteering

Orienteering is a navigation sport where you visit checkpoints using a map. You decide on your own route to get around the course. Orienteering is for all speeds, fast and slow. Many people walk the course.

By: ACT Street Orienteering When: 6pm Where: Canberra Grammar School, Monaro Cres, Red Hill. Cost: $5 More info: 6162 3422 act. orienteering.asn.au/eventor/ events/details/9668

Royal Life Saving and YMCA NSW

The Grey Medallion courses are launching during Seniors Week. This workshop is for people wishing to learn or update their aquatic skills, water safety and CPR knowledge. Coffee and cake included after every session!

By: Royal Life Saving and

YMCANSW

Where: Lakeside Leisure Centre and Canberra Olympic Pool

More info: 6260 5800 or actprojects@rlssa.org.au

BungyPump

Free information sessions to find out about the many benefits of using BungyPump fitness walking poles, and the opportunity try them out.

By: BungyPump - Come and try When: 9:30am

Where: Meet at crn of Parkes Place and Queen Elizabeth Tce Parkes ACT

More info: 0404 373 157 or dcraig@pcug.org.au

Strength for Life Launch

Strength for Life is an exciting new exercise program in the ACT created to help people over the age of 50 (over 40 for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders) improve their physical strength and fitness through individually programmed and supervised sessions.

By: Strength for Life When: 1.30pm

Where: Alive Health and Fitness, Crn Hindmarsh and Jerrabomberra Ave, Narrabundah

More info: 6295 9500

Fiji Indian Group

Join our Fiji Indian group to start your week right with some gentle exercises in the morning. Join in for our knitting project or partake

Join us for a wellbeing workshop with art therapist J’Qui followed by a high tea.

By: Goodwin

When: 10:30am-12:00pm

Where: The Central Day Club, 20 Galore St, Crace Cost: Free RSVP 6219 4186.

Tuesday, 24 March

Chief

Minister’s Concert

Join the Band of the Royal Military College for a big band show at the historic Albert Hall. When: 11am and 1pm Where: Albert Hall, Commonwealth Ave, Yarralumla Cost: Gold coin donation

Bookings: Required through COTA ACT 6282 3777 or www.concert20.eventbrite. com.au

Yoga workshop

This open workshop is an opportuinty to come and try postures of traditional mat and chair yoga. Yoga has benefits for everyone. Yoga improves movement, flexibility, self confidence and overall wellbeing.

By: Tuggeranong 55 Plus Club Inc.

When: 1:15pm - 3:30pm Where: Tuggeranong Seniors Centre, 101 Cowlishaw St, Greenway Cost: Free

Where: Tuggeranong Seniors Centre, 101 Cowlishaw St, Greenway Cost: Free

Communities@ Work Celebrate Senior’s Week

Come with us and enjoy a day out as we attend the Chief Minister’s Concert at Albert Hall. Discuss the performance with us as a group over lunch at a local cafe. Limited spots available.

By: Communities@Work

When: 9.30am - 2:00pm

Where: Meet at Holder Seniors Centre, 172 Dixon Drive, Holder ACT or Ngunnawal Seniors Centre, Yarrawonga St, Ngunnawal ACT RSVP: 6293 6500

Senior ballet

A modified ballet class focusing on balance, co-ordination and fitness. This workshop will begin with some barre work and will focus on technique and the enjoyment of dancing. Wear comfortable clothes, bare feet, socks, or ballet shoes.

By: Canberra Dance Theatre

When: 10:30 - 11:50

Where: CDT 1 Kingsley St Canberra (Cnr Barry Drive) More info: 0435 025 365 or canberradancetheatre@gmail. com

Love your life

Begin your day with high tea and a morning packed with entertainment.

Open day at the Ngunnawal Seniors Centre

Join us for an enjoyable day at the centre and share in morning tea and BBQ lunch. Spend time in our vegetable garden, learn how to use iPads or relax with a board game or craft activities before lunch! Our woodworking workshop will be open for inspection too!

By: Communities@Work

When: 9.30am-1.30pm

Where: Ngunnawal Seniors Centre, Yarrawonga St, Ngunnawal ACT RSVP: 6293 6500

Open day Ngunnawal Seniors Centre

Join in for a friendly game of quoits and participate in our craft for volunteers. Catch up with men from the Men’s Group over a cuppa. Hear from Men’s Link providing information about mental health and wellbeing.

When: 9.30am-2pm

Where: Ngunnawal Seniors Centre, Yarrawonga St, Ngunnawal ACT RSVP: 6293 6500

Royal Life Saving and YMCA NSW

The Grey Medallion courses are launching during Seniors Week. This workshop is for people wishing to learn or update their aquatic skills, water safety and CPR knowledge. Coffee and cake included after every session!

Dendy will include complimentary morning tea and $7 tickets for National Senior Cardholders and government-issued seniors cardholders.

By: Dendy Theatre

When: 10:00am

Where: Dendy Cinema, Civic Cost: $7

More informationhttps://www.dendy.com.au/

Your MyWay Seniors Card and ACT Seniors Card will give you free travel on Canberra Transport services. Continue to tap on and off as usual, your journey will be free. More infotransport.act.gov.au

Afternoon with residents

Our Monash residents host you for an afternoon tea.

By: Goodwin When: 2:00-3:30pm

Where: David Harper House, 15 Cockcroft Ave, Monash Cost: Free. RSVP 6178 7201.

Why have a Will and Enduring Power of Attorney

A forum on the importance of having a valid and up-to-date Will and Enduring Power of Attorney.

• Lucky door prizes

• Light refreshments provided

• Free Will voucher for all attendees

By: Public Trustee and Guardian

When: 18:00 – 20:00

Where: Town Centre Vikings

Cnr. Athllon Dr and Rowland Rees Crescent, Greenway RSVP: 62079800 or ptg_marketing@act.gov.au

Thursday, 26 March

On Thursday 26 March, Transport Canberra will be providing free bus shuttles to the ACT Seniors Week Expo at Exhibition Park. The shuttles will run from 9:30am through to 2:15pm.

More infotransport.act.gov.au

Alchemy Chorus might be for you

Are you caring for a friend or loved one living with dementia?

Alchemy Chorus is an inclusive choir especially designed for couples where one is living with dementia. All the songs are from the 50s, 60s and 70s including folk, gospel and musicals.

By: AlchemyChorus

When: 10:00 - 12:00

Where: COTA hall, Hughes Community Centre, 2 Wisdom St Hughes

Cost: Free.

More info: Jill - 0413 439 381

Major

Projects Canberra

Canberra is growing rapidly, and to keep up with the needs of our community the ACT Government is investing in two key projects that will be delivered including the expansion of the Canberra Hospital and the extension of the light rail network.

By: ACT Government

When: 10:00 - 3:00pm

Where: ACT Seniors Week Expo

Cost: Free

Thursday 26 March

One big day!

Visit more than 140 exhibitors and get information and advice on government services, community groups, health and wellness, lifestyle, travel, retirement options, financial planning, aged care services and more!

Where: Budawang Pavilion, Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) When: 10am—3pm Cost: Entry by gold coin donation

Enjoy a day out at the Senior’s Week Expo!

Learn about services within the community and information sector and enjoy some lunch with our group.

By: Communities@Work When: 9.30am - 2:00pm

Where: Meet at Seniors Centre, 172 Dixon Drive, Holder ACT or Ngunnawal Seniors Centre, Yarrawonga St, Ngunnawal ACT.

RSVP: 6293 6500

Contemporary dance class for seniors

No previous dance experience necessary. This class focuses on body awareness, fitness, coordination and creativity and is for people who are able to move independently and without mobility aids. Wear comfortable clothes, bare feet or socks.

By: Canberra Dance Theatre

When: 10:30 - 11:50 Where: Bookings are required More info: 0435 025 365 or canberradancetheatre@gmail. com

Love your life

Begin your day with high tea and a morning packed with entertainment.

By: Goodwin

When: 10:30am-12:00pm Where: Day Club, 15 Cockcroft Ave, Monash Cost: Free.

RSVP 6178 7280.

Transport Canberra will be providing free bus shuttles from major bus stations. Visit transport.act.gov.au for further shuttle times and locations.

National Library of Australia tours

Start your journey at 11am with Art in Your Library tour to learn about our public art and the history of our iconic building. If you’re a treasure hunter, join us at 11:30am to see remarkable items in our Treasures Gallery. Then at 2pm come behind the scenes to discover where our books are kept.

By: National Library of Australia Where: National Library of Australia (meet in the foyer) No bookings required

Friday, 27 March

Positive Ageing Awards

Celebrate and recognise the contribution made by, and for, older people in the Canberra community.

When: 2:30pm

Where: Weston Creek Labor Club, Teesdale Ct, Stirling Cost: $25 per ticket or $150 for a table of nine, bookings required via COTA ACT on events@cotaact.org.au or 6282 3777

BungyPump

Free information sessions to find out about the many benefits of using BungyPump fitness walking poles, and the opportunity try them out.

By: BungyPump - Come and try When: 12:00pm Where: Meet at crn of Parkes Place and Queen Elizabeth Tce

Parkes ACT

More info: 0404 373 157 or dcraig@pcug.org.au

Musical moves for seniors

Moving to music is a great way to keep your body and brain active. Have fun as you move to wellknown tunes. The class starts sitting with standing options available. People with physical and/or health challenges are welcome.

By: Dance Theatre/Musical Moves for Seniors

When: 10:00 - 11:00

Where: Hughes Community Centre, 2 Wisdom St, Hughes Cost: $5.

More info 6282 3777

Palmerston

Community Centre

Come and join us for lunch, music and activities as the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra officially open their office. Hear the choir, try out seated yoga and enjoy a sumptuous meal with old friends and new.

By: Palmerston Community Centre

When: 12noon-2pm

Where: Palmerston Community Centre, 8 Tiptree Crescent, Palmerston

RSVP: 6169 3986 or admin@mcci.org.au

Saturday, 28 March

Downsizing

It can be a daunting task downsizing or dealing with a deceased estate. This workshop will look at what you should keep, what to donate and how to dispose of sensitive paperwork, among other topics.

By: ACT Heritage Library

When: 10:30 - 11:30

Where: ACT Heritage Library

255 Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick Cost: Free

How to start decluttering for downsizing

Need to downsize but don’t know what to do with a lifetime of accumulated possessions? This workshop will help you downsize and understand how items can be sold or donated.

By: Downsizing with care

When: 10:30 - 12:00

Where: Hughes Community Centre,  2 Wisdom St, Hughes Cost: $20. More info 6134 5200 or hello@downsizingwithcare. com.au

The Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra

Come and see how you can find your family tree with us, understand your DNA results, use our resources and get advice from experienced researchers

By: The Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra

When: 10:00 - 4:00pm

Where: Cook Community Hub 41 Templeton Street, Cook More info: familyhistoryact.org. au or 62517004

Open morning

An opportunity to visit the Tuggeranong 55 Plus Club and find out about the many activities on offer.

By: Tuggeranong 55 Plus Club Inc.

When: 10:00 - 12:00pm

Where: Tuggeranong Seniors

Centre, 101 Cowlishaw St, Greenway and Gumnut Cottage, 97 Cowlishaw St, Greenway Cost: Free

Try croquet in Queanbeyan

Have fun while you develop new skills playing croquet. Please wear fully enclosed, flat shoes and a hat. All equipment is provided. Tea and Coffee is provided.

By: Queanbeyan Croquet Club

When: 10:00 - 12:00

Where: Queanbeyan Croquet Club, 28 Farrer Pl, Queanbeyan Cost: Free.

More info:

www.queanbeyancroquet.org.au

Sunday, 29 March

BungyPump

Free information sessions to find out about the many benefits of using BungyPump fitness walking poles, and the opportunity try them out.

By: BungyPump - Come and try When: 1:30pm

Where: Meet at crn of Parkes Place and Queen Elizabeth Tce Parkes ACT

Cost: More info: 0404 373 157 or dcraig@pcug.org.au

Other Events

Come and try world dance

Folk Dance Canberra teaches dances from many countries around the world to interesting music and rhythms. Classes are relaxed and friendly. No partner necessary. Wear comfortable shoes.

By: Folk Dance Canberra

Where: 114 Maitland Street Hackett ACT 2602

For class times: 6286 6401 or folkdancecanberra@gmail.com

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NEWS Time sadly running out for uplifting Life Stories

By Danielle NOHRA

TIME and funding is running out for Palliative Care ACT’s popular Life Stories program, leaving its future, post-March, uncertain.

Despite its best efforts, Palliative Care ACT is struggling to find support to keep the program, which lets people who are at the end of their lives tell their stories, going.

“There are many great causes relying on community, corporate and philanthropic support,” says general manager Julie Elliott.

“At this point in time, understandably, people are being very generous by funding fire recovery initiatives.”

But Julie, and Palliative Care ACT, are hoping there are businesses or individuals around who can support this program.

The volunteer-run service needs $20,000 a year to continue to flourish, says Julie.

“We will do everything we can to keep the program operating,” she says.

“Where there is no longer a hope for a cure [Life Stories offers] healing of a different kind.”

Through voice-recorded sessions with a Palliative Care ACT volunteer, the program produces transcribed

stories in the voices of the person who is at the end of their life.

“[It] is a healing therapy which can play a part in reviewing a client’s life helping them see the bigger picture and reminding them of who they are and what they have done,” Julie says.

“The process enables them to reflect on how their lives have mattered.

“The benefit to the client, and the memories they leave their loved ones, is priceless.”

Joanna Litchfield, whose husband Stephen just finished writing his story with a Palliative Care ACT volunteer, says she loved reading the book.

“I absolutely hooted and burst into tears because it’s all his own words and you can see and hear him saying it,” says Joanna, 72, of Nicholls.

Stephen, 76, who has the progressive neurodegenerative disorder Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) says it’s a very worthwhile program for the person doing it.

He is one of 50 people in Canberra that have completed the program, with about 12 on the go now.

“It’s an incredibly worthwhile program for two reasons,” he says.

“What it does is it helps people who are dying to give them a bit of grounding. But also for the families, it just brings people together.”

The reason Stephen wanted to participate was because not too many people knew about his early life.

WHEN IT MATTERS

them a bit of grounding. But also for the families, it just brings people together,” says Stephen.

Stephen says he remembers things only few people would remember like how they used to trap rabbits and lots of other things that have been lost.

“What’s been lost has now been written down,” he says.

“I grew up during World War II in a different time back when my father was away in the war.

“I didn’t have an easy life because my father [while he was] a lovely man was reasonably difficult.

Photo: Danielle Nohra

“The war took an enormous amount out of him. It wasn’t until I wrote this story that I really appreciated it all.

“When you get to a stage where you’re told you’re dying and there’s no cure, you start thinking.”

But Stephen’s story is not just about his childhood, and in the spiral-bound book he speaks about his 20 years in the public service, which saw him as the principal private secretary to former federal minister Peter Nixon,

as the state director for the NSW and Queensland divisions of the Liberal Party, secretary of the royal commission into land tenures and joining the Prime Minister’s staff just as Harold Holt disappeared in 1967.

During his long career, Stephen says he also had the chance to dance with Princess Anne and have dinner with the Queen.

After seeing Stephen lifted by the process, Joanna says she wants the program to continue so more people can have that experience.

“You could hear them giggling. It was so much fun and he loved it,” she says.

“If his children allow their children to read it, and they let their children and great grandchildren, they will know him intimately without knowing him.

“It’s a wonderful thing. It really keeps people who have gone alive.”

Despite the program’s uncertainty, the program coordinator of Life Stories, Liz Rhodes, says they are still taking referrals for people who want to participate, and referrals can come from anywhere, whether it’s neighbours or a nurse.

“We will bake cookies if that’s what it takes to keep the program running,” she says.

People who want to support the program can call 6255 5771 or email office@pallcareact.org.au

SEVEN DAYS

Oh, not pokies, don’t they know it’s election year?

AS if: “Chief Minister, executives from Aquis Entertainment Limited are here to see you.”

“Who?”

“The Canberra Casino people, they’ve just reported almost $4 million in losses and are keen to catch up – their gambling revenue is heading south.”

“If it’s about poker machines, tell ‘em to bunk off; they nearly cost me the election in 2016 and I’m still wiping my boots on bloody ClubsACT; insolent bastards standing up to me like that...”

“It’s sort of about pokies, sir, but they know you’re always up for development and they’re back wanting to expand the casino site again; you remember, Las Vegas style, but there’s a catch.”

“A catch? How does a casino lose money? We gave them 200 machine licences in 2017 that haven’t seen the light of day.

“Yes, that’s right, Chief, but they say there are terms in the pokies legislation that need ‘clarification’ before they turn a redevelopment

“Oh, no! Don’t they know it’s election year? Shane won’t revisit the legislation and ClubsACT have nothing to lose this time. Tell them to try their luck somewhere else.”

ISMINI (Pitsa) Parrett , a Greek Egyptian, married a migration officer who was on a posting to the Australian embassy in Egypt. She was naturalised in the Australian embassy in London by the chief migration officer, without ever having set foot in Australia.

But she became a passionate Australian.

With a physical fitness diploma from London’s Richmond Institute, Pitsa was a pioneer of women’s health in the ACT, beginning in the ‘70s with fitness classes long before women attended gyms. Her big love was aquatic rehabilitation classes. Over her 40-year career she contributed to the fitness, health and self-esteem of many thousands of Canberra women.

But on February 26 much-loved Pitsa died after a long fight with illness. She was 78 and Canberra is poorer for her passing and richer for her being amongst us. Readers of “CityNews” might recognise the surname. Her husband, Colliss, is a regular contributor to our letters page and we are thinking of him right now.

WITH its loathsome waiting times in emergency, hospital staff morale in a funk, what else could the health system management get wrong? Running out of money, of course! An ACT parliamentary inquiry has been told Canberra Health Services unhelpfully needed $60 million more in the mid-year Budget review to June 30. Embattled CEO Bernadette McDonald says while some staff have tried to cut down on the use of Post-it notes or stationery, there were no specific instructions to do that.

“We don’t want to impact on patient care and we also don’t want to make it extremely hard for people to do their job,” she says.

PLOD raided a Giralang house to recover a den of possibly, just possibly, stolen stuff that would make Aladdin blush – counterfeit currency, a loaded sawn-off shotgun, tradesmen’s tools, high-end push bikes, chainsaws, golf clubs, number plates, computers and several car park access fobs and swipe cards. Did I mention the snake? They also apprehended a vividly coloured jungle carpet py thon of some size. Happily, it’s non-venomous to humans, so no need for handcuffs.

A PROPOSED Aldi store next to Fyshwick Markets has gone down like a German sausage with stall holders calling foul at the

prospect of a multinational supermarket so close. Wiffens’ manager Ruth Roxburgh says: “There are already five supermarkets within five kilometres of us. Why put one here seeing it really competes with us and takes our customers?” The citynews.com. au story was a super scoop for hard-working journalist Danielle Nohra . And while I’m back slapping, great work last week by our hardy distribution crew who (again) braved the elements and buckets of rain to get “CityNews” distributed.

BACK among the weeds along the Lysaght boulevard in Mitchell there has been progress. Readers will recall reportage last month of Evoen -

dumping” that goes on near Lake Tuggeranong. She enjoys lakeside walks and the wildlife, but struggles with dumped material.

“In my area I have seen burnt-out cars, garden rubbish, furniture, many supermarket trolleys (which means some locals are guilty) and lots of takeaway food litter. People purchase their food, drive to the lake to enjoy the pleasant views while dining and then throw the rubbish on the ground in the

“I also drive down Mugga Lane and Narrabundah Lane and can’t believe what I see there as well. Please tell Canberra to take pride and stop dumping!” Okay: take pride and stop dumping, Canberra. That should do it.

ABOUT that silver lining… Slaven Mazda has had such a good February, writing the best new-car sales numbers since its halcyon days of 1991. The terrible hailstorm on January 20 has lifted the company to number one Mazda dealer in NSW/ACT, says dealer principal and Everton tragic David . But, he says the purring can be heard from car dealerships all over town as they share the windfall challenge of replacing so many written-off cars.

Scepticism greets the ‘major’ planning review CANBERRA MATTERS / the ACT planning review

WHEN the ACT government announced in February that it was funding the ACT planning review to the tune of $1.2 million there was not much dancing in the streets.

There had been previous announcements in 2019 about this review – and not a lot happened. The amount allocated is small considering that the official spin about this being a major review (coincidentally, it is almost the same as the money spent in 2019 on colourful pop-ups and other temporary stuff in Woolley Street, Dickson).

The reason for the collective bemused response would be that this review is being carried out by the ACT Planning Directorate, being the body that would have to be the leasttrusted arm of this Labor/Greens coalition government.

While the planning chief and his minister go on about how planning should be simpler, it has been their collective management of the city’s planning with constant varia-

Having intelligent and fact-based aspirations for your suburban area has become a qualification to be ignored by the Labor/Greens cabal of Ministers for Planning, Heritage, Environment and Urban Development as well as their remote Planning Directorate.

tions, new codes and loads of opaque stuff and nonsense that has resulted in the city’s planning regime being regarded as a sad joke.

What we have is a set of porous and vague rules that has enabled developers’ constant variations and extras to what should have been allowed.

As for residents who have experienced this mess, they have come to believe that Planning favours developers, and if not, then there is enough flexibility to allow required variations on an ad hoc basis.

Almost on the same day as the latest review was announced, the Planning Directorate was rushing through a variation on the rules for Section 72 Dickson (Dickson Parklands) that includes a special adjustment to the building heights (now up to six storeys). That corner of Section 72 will become the exception to be used

later to justify tall towers on the rest of this community site. Locals have been taken aback by the disingenuous goings-on by the government, including one-off rule variations and changes to area flood maps, to allow this development to happen.

There was a large number of well-put-together objections lodged. These were quickly allocated to the trash. Consultation box ticked. This is the way this directorate operates across the city and there is no sign of anything changing.

A couple of weeks ago, the North Canberra Community Council (NCCC) committee met under new constitutional arrangements whereby all the inner-north residents’ associations form the NCCC management. The opportunities for shared experiences and for joint advocacy will now be many.

One would think with this planning review underway since early 2019 that these very active and committed representatives would be speaking about how they have been embraced as

participants in the review processes. Nope – has not happened. It seems the bureaucracy is working around these pesky and well-informed groups to select more “friendly” participants to provide more desired responses.

Having intelligent and fact-based aspirations for your suburban area has become a qualification to be ignored by the Labor/Greens cabal of ministers for planning, heritage, environment and urban development as well as their remote planning directorate.

With the on-going ad hoc approach to planning (is it still planning?) and so much questionable development impacting residents across the city, it is no surprise that community groups are sceptical about the motives for this so-called planning review.

Key Dates

School Tours

In fact, the Planning Directorate set out to mock itself with a ridiculous video on its YourSay website that dumbed down the whole concept of what planning should be about. To watch it you must be prepared to waste several minutes of your life –not recommended. Are the ACT Liberals and other candidates for the 2020 ACT elections prepared to announce what they would do to significantly change the barbarous planning culture within the ACT Planning Directorate?

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

5 May, 13 May, 25 May, 6 August and 15 October

School Tours are available by appointment. Please phone the College if you wish to register for a tour.

Scholarships

Tuesday 31 March

St Clare’s offers senior and junior scholarships to new and/or continuing students. Further details and application forms can be found on our website.

Try a Day at St Clare’s College

Wednesday 29 April

We invite prospective Year 7 students to experience the exciting and enriching opportunities available at St Clare’s College. Please register via our website.

Open Evening

Thursday 30 April

Our Open Evening is an opportunity for prospective families to look at our facilities and talk to staff and students. The evening will run from 4.30pm to 7.30pm with an information session to be held in the College Hall at 6.00pm.

Year 11, 2021 Information Evening

Wednesday 20 May

Discover the many courses and leadership opportunities available for senior students on Wednesday 20 May from 6.00pm to 7.30pm at the College.

Religious Bill fails our secular society

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has had a credible performance in dealing with the COVID-19, the latest coronavirus. This stands in marked contrast to the way he and his government have dealt with the bushfires and climate change.

However, there is now a real danger, while media focus is on the COVID-19, the government will attempt to slip through the Religious Discrimination Bill (2019)

The most devastating criticism of the proposed religious discrimination legislation itself has come from a practising member of the Anglican Church. Michael Kirby was a High Court Justice from 1996 to 2009 following an illustrious legal career. He has a video being shared on social media expressing his concerns on the insidious nature of the proposed Bill. The rhetoric around the Bill is to protect religious freedom. Exactly as the name implies, the Bill is discriminatory. Australia is a secular society – a society based on the principle of tolerance of the full range

Ken Hubert Family Law and Mediation

Ashilpa

The difficulty with the Religious Discrimination Bill (2019) is that it facilitates discrimination instead of facilitating inclusiveness and tolerance. It should be rejected.

of beliefs. In the 2016 Australian Census the largest grouping regarding religion was the 30.1 per cent of people who identified as having “No Religion”, an increase by 7.8 per cent over the 2011 census. The next closest was those identifying as Catholic with 22.6 per cent and then Anglicans at 13.3 per cent.

The Australian Human Rights Commission in a submission on the Bill pointed out that, “consistent with the tolerant, pluralistic nature of Australian society”, it is appropriate to enshrine religious anti-discrimination processes into legislation as with race, sex and disability.

However, it also pointed out such measures include “beliefs about religion held by people who are atheists or agnostics”.

This supports the view of Justice Kirby in that these protections are not adequate in the Bill as presented.

Michael Kirby spent much of his career fighting discrimination. This should make the criticism even more devastating to the government.

To cite just a few examples, he was president of the International Commission of Jurists, Geneva (1995-2008), a member of the High Commission Human Rights’ Judicial Reference Group (2007-09), a member of the Eminent Persons Group on the future of the Commonwealth of Nations and a Commissioner of the UNDP Global Commission on HIV and the Law 2011-2012.

The fundamental tenet is that it is not good enough to provide protection from religion at the expense of other rights. Priority in the Religious Discrimination Bill (2019) is given to “religious bodies”.

Religious bodies include religious schools, religious charities and other religious bodies such as hospitals and aged-care homes. Such bodies can discriminate, if the discrimination is in good faith and in accordance with their religious doctrines, tenets, beliefs or teachings.

It is this sort of exemption that gives them priority over secular practices and beliefs. It is secular processes that have been the cornerstone of our government and societal practice.

In Kirby’s words: “Secularism is one of the

greatest gifts that the British gave us in Australia”. And later it “ensures there is space for everyone”. The practice has never been perfect, but it has held us in good stead.

The fundamental danger of the Religious Discrimination Bill (2019) is that it has the potential to divide society.

There is already enough divisiveness in our community. There remains a growing gap between the “haves” and the “have nots”. We have made some progress tackling sexism, racism and disabilities. The last thing we need to do is to increase divisiveness in our country.

Do we really want to live in a society where a boss can exclude a divorced worker because the boss’ religion identifies it as a sin? What about the only pharmacist or doctor in a remote town being able to refuse birth control to an unmarried woman? Or a doctor who, because of his own religious beliefs, would be able to refuse stem cell treatment to a person with a disability or debilitating illness.

The difficulty with the Religious Discrimination Bill (2019) is that it facilitates discrimination instead of facilitating inclusiveness and tolerance. It should be rejected.

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.

Free festival of hymn singing

THIS year’s Hymnfest features items by local artists including Katie de Veau, Euphonics and a Tongan choir. Hymnfest 2020 is a free event that includes traditional and contemporary songs, and community singing. Everyone’s welcome at the Mosaic Baptist Church, Dallachy Street, Page, from 2.30pm on Saturday, March 14.

Retirement seminar

THE Department of Human Services is presenting a free financial information seminar titled “Understanding Retirement Income Streams” at the Garratt Street Centre, 23 Garratt Street, Wanniassa, 7pm-9pm, Tuesday, March 31. Topics will include how income streams work, options available, tax and Centrelink assessment, retirement choices and home equity loans. Register at eventbrite. com.au, email garrattstcentre@ gmail.com or call 0402 007551.

A view of Trust

LADIES of the Gungahlin Day View Club will be regaled about the role of the National Trust in the ACT at their next lunch meeting in Nicholls, from 11.30am on Wednesday, March 25. RSVP for the restaurant lunch ($35) to 0458 012402 before 9pm, Sunday, March 22. Guests welcome.

Daryn

and fall of Community Housing Canberra

How this government hobbled poor homebuyers

THE ACT government seems lately to have gone a little quiet about housing affordability. The yawning gap between its rhetoric on the issue and its lack of achievement would explain why.

It’s clear that the government not only does not have a coherent plan for ensuring that the housing market in Canberra delivers affordable housing, but it has also taken steps to discourage and/or prevent it from doing so. A position, to be fair, that is entirely consistent with its essentially neo-liberal spirit.

I have noted previously the decision by the government, which has a monopoly on land in the ACT, to constrain supply for detached housing, for the joint aims, one assumes, of forcing the price up and so increasing its profit while also, for ideological reasons, seeking to force people who can no longer afford a detached house to live in high rise flats/apartments.

Predictably, the ACT has consequently had among the highest increases in median house prices and rents in Australia and a concomitant redistribution of wealth from lower-income Canberra families to higher-income, middleclass, home-owning, families.

Compounding the impact that the government’s land supply policies have had on house prices, the Suburban Land Agency has in each of the last two

Land prices for detached housing have exploded beyond the capacity of almost half the residents of the ACT to pay. You know who I mean, the people for whom the Labor Party came into being to represent, support and defend.

years failed in a quite heroic way to meet any of its targets for land revenue, operating profit, dividend and total return to the Territory or the supply of land for affordable or community housing.

A primary reason for this is that because of the scale of the reduction in the supply of land for detached housing that its price has exploded beyond the capacity of almost half the residents of the ACT to pay ie those households with gross household incomes of less than (say) $115,000, namely working-class Canberrans, young families, blue-collar workers, people working in hospitality, cleaners, shop assistants and nurses, teachers and police officers. You know who I mean, the people for whom the Labor Party came into being to represent, support and defend.

There are myriad examples of decisions taken by ACT Labor and the Greens Party over the last five or six years to illustrate just how deliberate the assault on successful housing affordability initiatives has

Community Housing Canberra owned dwellings: annual growth rate.

been but perhaps the starkest of all is the emasculation of Community Housing Canberra (CHC).

To recap, in brief, under the 2007 Affordable Housing Action Plan the then government supported CHC by:

• Injecting $3 million in capital;

• Transferring to it the title to 132 housing properties;

• Providing a $50 million finance facility at government borrowing rate to enable 1000 new affordable dwellings within 10 years; and

• Through an MOU, guaranteed access to suitable land for 120 dwelling sites a year.

The charts published here illustrate, in a way that mere words cannot, the impact of two unfathomable decisions taken by ACT Labor and the Greens to discontinue support for CHC.

Food for dogs, not

They first discontinued, in or around 2012 or 2013, the MOU with CHC guaranteeing access to land for 120 dwellings a year thus forcing CHC to compete on the open market with commercial builders for land and secondly, a few years later called in the revolving finance facility thus forcing CHC to obtain finance on

commercial terms.

The charts show that as a consequence of these decisions CHC missed its 2018 target by about 250 dwellings. If the arrangements that had been originally agreed had been maintained and rolled over, I have no doubt that CHC would today have in the order of 350 to 400 more dwellings than it does.

Greens leader Shane Rattenbury, when asked why Labor and the Greens had decided to deny CHC access to affordable land and finance, infamously responded that it was in order to force CHC “to become more flexible”.

I think there can be no argument but that the result has been, in reality, that CHC went into rigor mortis and is now about as flexible as a dead dog. More relevantly there are 400 or so Canberra families that could today have been living in affordable accommodation, but who are not. Thank you, Andrew; thank you, Shane.

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

Community Housing Canberra owned dwellings: Affordable Housing Action Plan growth targets and actual results.

the tram and take

COLUMNIST Ian Meikle (“Seven Days”, CN, February 20) has highlighted the ACT government’s apparent willingness to endlessly, and perhaps unnecessarily, spend precious ACT funds on light rail.

Maybe, just maybe, the costs and just plain difficulties already identified, (let alone those we don’t yet know about), with getting trams to the lake (to say nothing about actually getting across the lake) are signs that light rail may not be the best public transport option between Civic and Woden.

If we collectively ignore those signs it will be at an enormous cost to ACT ratepayers who will foot the bill for pursuing the “get the tram across the lake at any cost” folly. Clearly, we need an affordable, environmentally sustainable way of getting a large number of passengers between Woden and Civic.

However, that doesn’t automatically mean we need a tram to provide that service.

What about considering an O-Bahn arrangement, which works so well in Adelaide?

The concrete track would be limited to the central reservation along Adelaide Avenue and Yamba Drive.

However, unlike the fixed track, single option of a tram, after coming off the concrete track electrically powered O-Bahn buses would have the flexibility of following any number of routes into Civic or Woden Town Centre.

Surely such an alternative is worthy of serious consideration by both major political parties (and even the Greens) and the costs of such an option should be assessed before we are committed to yet another major capital works project that takes scarce funding away

from the ACT’s other spending priorities. Stop this from being a divisive political issue and get on with providing the government (and effective opposition) that the ACT so badly needs!

Ian Pearson, Barton

Five-hour wait to see specialist

COLUMNIST Robert Macklin is quite right to recognise that medical specialists are “gods” (“How long should you have to wait for a doctor?”, CN, February 27).

However, his specialist was still one of the minor ones wasting his time by waiting only 1 hour and 12 minutes before being granted an audience.

I used to take my old mother-in-law

quite often to a specialist and we waited up to 5 hours and 35 minutes. Try to beat that one, Robert!

Klaus Inveen, via citynews.com.au

Wait and you shall receive…

RE Robert Macklin’s column “How long should you wait for a doctor?” (CN, February 27): Wow! 42 whole precious minutes of the gentleman’s time when he could be at home typing his latest article!

Presumably he has never kept anyone waiting for him while he rushes to meet his deadline. Let he who is without blame cast the first stone, eh?

I’m not a doctor. I’m a citizen of this great

HANDYMAN’S TRADING POST

country where we are SO lucky to have the medical facilities that we do.

A few moments of meditation and perhaps, time to read what Brad Pitt’s been up to of late (if one has forgotten to pack “War and Peace”) is surely not such a bad thing is it? Especially if the doctor (who has spent years qualifying for her/his position in society which she/he chose specifically because they enjoy making a positive difference by helping people) is delayed slightly with a prior patient who has an obviously more significant health problem than Mr. Macklin… who was able to walk away and not be treated!

It is frustrating but we have to factor extra time into these visits.

Wait like the rest of us mere mortals and your turn will come!!

Lynda Wells, via email

Exploiting property development

“CANBERRA is growing but how should we accommodate this growth?” – that’s the title of a welcome upcoming forum (Albert Hall, 6pm, March 23) convened by former Chief Minister Jon Stanhope and Dr. Khalid Ahmed, a former ACT Treasury director, both now academics.

It’s not just the question of accommodating the growth, but also the quality and affordability of it, and housing generally.

Neoliberalism (a resurgent, laissez faire, free-market, feudalistic capitalism) has

infected planning and development, notably “densification”, meant to limit suburban sprawl blight (actually not so much present here, with our dispersed town centres).

Property development has been systematically over-exploited by banks, developers, realtors, speculators, landlords and local governments craving more and more rates revenue – resulting in:

• a property-biased economy;

• the rise of the transient profiteering developer;

• relentless housing unaffordability;

• deliberate supply shortages;

• corruption;

• cramped, dingy accommodation standards (justified by references to crowded global cities);

• ugliness;

• and the diminution of public and private open spaces.

Informed micro cures are needed, such as, briefly: selling suburban land only to bona-fide owner-occupiers; the formation of some bodies corporate before the event, as “owner-developers” (helped by professional consultants); mandating larger, sunny, private and public open spaces; and banning internal bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms, (yes, all three, thus enabling better outlooks; energy-saving and wellbeing-improving natural light and ventilation; and more liveable building typologies).

Any rates revenue diminution, related to the necessary land value corrections, could be compensated by, say, a modest dedicated increase in the GST.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

At the ‘Mirrung’ exhibition opening, Acton

‘We are here to help our clients find solutions, and we listen to them to ensure we get to the heart

Law firm shines for its professional service and

A PASSION for delivering a professional service and an excellence in law has seen the Woden-based legal firm, KJB Law, recognised at a number of recent community and industry award ceremonies.

“We were thrilled to have received these awards, it feels great to receive this recognition,” says principal Jo Twible, who alongside principal Andrew Freer and principal Des Moore, combined, have 66 years experience at the practice.

At the end of last year, KJB Law was anonymously nominated for, and consequently won, the award for excellence in professional services at the ACT Local Business Awards.

Also a big winner was conveyancing manager Karen Watt, who was awarded Conveyancer of the Year in the annual REIACT awards in September.

“We were delighted,” says practice manager Sue Hayes.

“We try to give our clients the best possible service and look after them well, [which includes] being cost effective.”

From humble beginnings with one solicitor and five support staff in 1978, Sue says KJB Law has a long-established history of excellence in local legal matters.

Sue, who started working at KJB Law in 1980, says the firm is now made up of a strong team of 27 people with 10 wellregarded and highly-experienced solicitors, two conveyancing managers and administration staff that includes paralegals.

Spanning many fields of law such as family law, commercial law, conveyancing and wills and estate planning, Jo says that apart from criminal and administrative law, the team at KJB Law are experienced and ready to help their clients navigate legal issues.

She says that listening to their clients is a big part of their service to clients. “We are here to help our clients find solutions, and we listen to them to ensure we get to the heart of the matter,” she says.

KJB Law’s family law team, which includes principal Des Moore and associate Philippa Webb, who is currently on maternity leave, has recently expanded to include family law special counsel Kerry White and associate Laura Dowling.

Kerry has been practising law since 1990, and according to Des, is one of the most senior lawyers in family law in Canberra.

Kerry says family law is an ever-evolving part of the law.

“It requires the ability for lawyers to be compassionate to their clients but also professional [and] proactive with advice to help them achieve a practical and timeeffective resolution,” she says.

As an accredited family dispute resolu tion practitioner, Kerry is able to work with both parties to resolve their matter rather than to face the cost, delay and uncertainty of a court hearing.

“I value integrity, professionalism and giving straightforward advice,” she says.

“We support clients by also offering referrals to a network of specialists such as counsellors, superannuation and property valuers to work with the clients to assist their way forward.”

The other new member of the team, Laura, attained her law degree in Adelaide and has now been practising law for eight years. She has since completed a masters degree in applied family law.

“The nature of family law is tough but very rewarding,” she says.

“The most important thing is to be empathetic to clients and always be on their side. It is an emotional time for them… I try to make the legal experience for them as pain-free as possible.”

As KJB Law offers a wide range of legal services and specialists in different fields of law, Kerry says clients are able to benefit from being able to seek advice from her colleagues in property, estate or commer cial law, too.

KJB Law, ground floor, 10 Corinna Street, Woden. Call 6281 0999 or visit kjblaw.com.au

“ I value integrity, professionalism and giving straightforward advice.”

Celebrating over 40 years of sound legal advice

The KJB Law team has built a reputation in Canberra for sound legal advice, simplifying the complexity of the law by explaining it to you in plain English, and then working towards the best possible solution.

Our legal services include:

• Family Law

• Business and Corporate Law

• Estate Planning: Wills and Probate

• Personal Injury and Damages Compensation

• Real Estate and Conveyancing

• General Litigation, Police Matters and Court

‘The quality as well as our knowledge and understanding of the stock and suppliers’ stories is a big part of why we’ve lasted for 30 years.’

AUSTRALIAN Choice, a shop full of stories and many exquisite Australian handmade items, is so much more than a souvenir store, says owner Dan Butt.

With a view to selling only Australianmade, quality gifts and souvenirs, the family-owned business was established by Dan’s parents in 1989 in Civic, and has since expanded online.

The shop has been in the Canberra Centre for more than 30 years and about a year ago moved into a new location downstairs in the centre where it stocks more than 4000 products sourced from about 150 artists, designers and manufacturers Australia-wide.

Dan says these include small suppliers like a local uni student who makes “beautiful” scrunchies, to larger organisations like BNYM Indigenous Designs, who produces authentic, hand-made, hand-painted ceramics, jewellery, woodwork and paintings in Victoria.

“We want to showcase well-curated, Australian-made, unique gifts in our light and bright space,” he says.

“The quality we ensure, as well as our knowledge and understanding of the stock and suppliers’ stories, is a big part of why we’ve lasted 30 years.”

Dan says Canberra creatives are well

represented at Australian Choice, too, and include Gatbi’s hand screen-printed textiles that feature iconic Canberran motifs on cushions, bags, purses and tea towels, and local botanical jewellery made by Bre at Eucalypse, who preserves vibrant native Australian plants in rings, pendants, earrings, bangles and trinket bowls.

“We have a diverse range and variety of items for sale, and what I really love is that each supplier has a story behind the items,” says Dan.

“Over the years, we’ve formed relation ships with the people who create what we sell and we love being able to tell our customers their stories.”

Dan says the store supports indigenous artists and their art, such as Utopia Aboriginal art, which includes the artist’s story on each product, like wine coolers and coasters, and the Warlukurlangu Artists from Central Australia, an Aboriginal-owned, community-based art centre that creates “gloriously coloured” paintings, fine art prints, traditional craft and hand-painted animal sculptures, made in collaboration with the Alice Springs prison.

Gift shop has an Australian story behind every item

stationery, bath and beauty items, as well as a large variety of jewellery. One of the jewellers, KI & Co from Kangaroo Island, makes leather and porcelain earrings, then there’s Bush Art, who makes raw gold gumleaf pieces and Christine Stewart who

There’s a vast range of homewares, too, from hand-stitched tablecloths, runners and napkins, to WRAPPA beeswax wraps, handmade in South Australia, and Eco Food Boards, which sources and crafts wooden

“People want to take or send something overseas to represent them and Australia in the best possible light,” Dan says.

“We work with businesses, government departments and embassies to provide gifts to take when travelling, or for their guests and visitors coming here.

“Inmates make the animal shapes, then they’re sent to local indigenous communities to be painted by artists, and the proceeds go back to the communities,” Dan says.

“Over the years, we’ve formed relationships with the people who create what we sell and we love being able to tell our customers their stories.”

“We make sure to go by the Indigenous Art Code, a system that preserves and promotes ethical trading in indigenous art, rather than selling mass-produced Aboriginal art.”

Dan says all the gifts in store are perfect for friends and family locally, but there’s also many small and light items that are safe to post or take overseas.

For example, Buttonworks Australia is a family business based at the Mornington

Peninsula, creating lightweight wooden products from Australian timbers including Tasmanian oak, jarrah, blackwood and myrtle, featuring natural and urban icons, native flowers, birds and animals.

The shop also sells perishables such as spices and honey; clothes, including scarves, ties, socks, hats and Ugg boots; toys, books,

“We’re constantly sourcing new ranges to add to what we’re already doing, and are more about handmade than massproduced items.

“Souvenirs are part of the business too, but we stock so many special, individual pieces and celebrate the artist behind the work.

“Customers aren’t just buying the item itself, they’re getting and passing on the story behind it, too.”

Australian Choice, shop AG12, Ground Floor, Canberra Centre, 148 Bunda Street, Civic. Call 6257 5315 or visit australianchoice.com.au

Australian Choice is a family owned business. We have been providing Canberra residents and visitors with the best range of Australian made gifts and souvenirs since 1989.

CONFERENCES AND TRAINING

The who, what and where of getting ahead

WHETHER it’s improving safety skills, updating work expertise or attending an inspiring conference, there’s always new things to learn.

But that long conference or training session can be made so much more enjoyable in the right atmosphere or with some delicious food.

This week “CityNews” speaks with experts who run training sessions and conferences as well as locals who have the spaces to make those events memorable.

to the atrium and outdoor courtyard, which is central to the Upper House of the hotel, and are equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities,” she says.

Naomi says there are three rooms available for conference hire, with the large, glamorous Manhattan Room able to accommodate up to 200 people, and includes a private entrance and the Chicago Bar.

“The Menzies Room, which was the original private space in the Upper House, has been renovated to be intimate and exclusive,” she says.

“[It’s] ideal for either conferences or dining, and also has the latest audio-visual screen technology.

“The great thing about the space is that even though it’s really light and bright, you can still easily

50 for cocktails.

The Hotel is an iconic Queanbeyan site that was first built in 1850, and then rebuilt and opened as the Royal Hotel in 1926.

“We’re just 15 minutes from the centre of Canberra, but can give a feeling of being out of town,” she says.

“We have amazing food, too, and can cater for breakfast, morning tea, light lunches, buffets, gourmet sandwiches and healthy options.

“We also offer white linen, cabaret-style room setups, so it can feel really special.”

The Royal Hotel, 85 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan. Contact functions@royalhotelqbn.com.au or call 6297 1444.

Art centre boasts stunning views

THE Tuggeranong Community Arts Centre has a range of different spaces available for hire, according to operations manager Amanda Pollock.

With small workshop areas and break-out spaces, two dance studios, a visual arts workshop, the Hunting Lodge, a foyer gallery and the 110-seat auditorium, there’s a space to suit any event, she says.

The Tuggeranong Community Arts Centre caters to community and arts organisations, nonprofits and commercial clients for meetings, conferences, classes, seminars, information sessions and public programs, as well as music, comedy and theatre performances.

“While the centre maintains a constant and thriving program of events and performances, we also offer the hire of our spaces for external productions,” Amanda says.

The versatile Hunting Lodge offers stunning lake views and suits intimate performances, meetings, workshops and small corporate events, with a small

kitchenette and the option of a pay bar, she says.

“Our auditorium is fully equipped with lighting and projection and has great acoustics, ideal for film screenings, theatre and comedy nights or music performances,” says Amanda.

“The workshop is a large, versatile space suitable for visual arts classes, with access to sinks and outdoor areas, and the dance studios offer lake views, too, with excellent natural light, parquetry flooring and dance mirrors.”

Tuggeranong Community Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street, Greenway. Call 6293 1443 or visit tuggeranongarts.com

CONFERENCES AND TRAINING

Conference tips help get people with disabilities working

GETTING a typical job can be difficult for people who are impacted by disability, which is why the “Let’s Get To Work” national conference is so important, says Jan Kruger, executive director of advocacy group Imagine More.

The conference focuses on employment for people with a disability through customised employment and microenterprise, says Jan, who hopes it will attract many potential employers.

“We’d like anyone to attend who has ever thought of employing a person with disability, but doesn’t know where to start,” she says.

“The conference will show them ways to get past the first step and make it happen.”

The conference, which will be held from May 7-8 in the Rex Hotel, will feature more than 20 presenters and is open to 250 people.

“It’s for people with disability, their families and

friends, potential employers, support staff, business owners, career advisors, school staff and community members,” Jan says.

“We all need to hold valued social roles through work, friendships and school.”

To create the “Let’s Get To Work” conference, Jan says that Imagine More has partnered with WA peer-led support organisation, Valued Lives, because its work in microenterprise aligns closely with theirs in customised employment.

“The conference will be story-led, with guests hearing from young people who are in work, explaining how they got there and practical tips,” she says.

The “Let’s Get To Work” conference will be held at The Rex Hotel, 150 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon. For more information, visit imaginemore-conference.org.au

Doma’s got exciting alternatives for any event

LOCATED in the Parliamentary Triangle, Doma Hotels has spaces suitable for any type of conference or training event, says director of conference and events Sheree Kahlefeldt.

Hotel Realm, one of Doma Hotels’ conference locations, is practically on the steps of Parliament House and several government agencies, and has 10 dynamic meeting spaces suitable for any type of conference, training or event, Sheree says.

“From our state-of-the-art, purpose-built boardrooms, which can host up to 22 delegates, to our architecturally unique and versatile High Courtyard venues, [each space] provides an exciting alternative for any event,” she says.

“The National Ballroom is perfect for larger events. It can sit up to 550 for a dinner or lunch and up to 800 for a conference.

“The space boasts state-of-the-art audio visual, laser projectors, extended pre-function spaces, new bathrooms, a dedicated trade lift, stunning custom-made chandeliers, fully integrated wireless presentation capabilities and a dedicated conference and events concierge.

“We [also] have a dedicated banquet concierge service whereby your dedicated supervisor is on call at all times.

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

Doma Hotels, 18 National Circuit, Barton. Call 6163 1888, email events@domahotels.com.au or visit hotelrealm.com.au

Let’s Get to Work CONFERENCE

Exploring Innovation in Employment for people with diability one at a time through customised employment and microenterprise

Hosted by Imagine More and Valued Lives

How to discover who a person is; their skills, talents and interests by engaging the support of people who know them well

How to identify work roles that match what is discovered

How to identify conditions for success

How to customise a job

How to provide the best support for a person with disability starting a job

How to gain the courage to give someone with a disability a chance of a meaningful job

To understand employing one person at a time rather than grouping people with disability is best practice

How to set up a Microenterprise

Winter Day Delegate Special $75PP

Hotel Realm offers an unsurpassed conference venue for Canberra and the region. The ten dynamic meeting spaces at Hotel Realm provide world‑class and highly adaptable function and conferencing facilities.

Winter Day Delegate special offer includes room hire, tea/coffee, morning tea, afternoon tea, WiFi and more.

Valid for events between 1 April — 31 July 2020.

CONFERENCES AND TRAINING

Vim’s place has no hiring fees

EQ Café and Lounge offers a spacious area for group and corporate meetings with no hiring fees, says owner Vim Soneri.

“We get a lot of regular gatherings here of social groups and morn ing meetings, and are booked more mornings,” Vim says.

“We don’t charge a hiring fee, as long as they buy food with us.”

Vim says that EQ Café and Lounge can also provide private conference facilities that accommodate up to 50 people theatrestyle, or 30 sitting, in its private room.

“There’s a 65-inch smart TV for presentations, internet access and teleconference capabilities,” he says.

“We also combine our conference bookings with catering and can arrange additional equipment hire by request.”

EQ Café and Lounge is an intimate and versatile venue perfect for corporate events, private functions and parties, with the capacity to cater for up to 250 people standing or 100 seated, according to Vim who says there is also the heated outdoor area, which is an ideal al fresco setting perfect for celebrations.

EQ Café and Lounge, Equinox Business Park, 70 Kent Street, Deakin. Call 6161 1666 or email eqcafe@eqcafe.com.au or visit eqcafe.com.au

Industry leader for emergency response training

AS the industry leader for emergency response training, Ferst Training Solutions has a focus on safety throughout the whole year, says director Gary Cheeseman.

“Our training gives people the skills to not only keep themselves safe but anyone who visits their workplace or facility,” he says.

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

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

“We endeavour to give people the skills so when something does go wrong, they have the tools to get out of that situation safely,” he says.

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

“Our training is practical and procedural,” he says. Ferst Training Solutions. Visit ferst.com.au or call 1300 333778.

Candice designs comfy undies that inspire inner confidence

“I just wanted undies that were comfortable, so that’s what I’ve designed.” Meet the former defence force officer who has swapped an air force career for designing lingerie.

TWO years ago, 32-year-old mother

Candice Jarvis swapped a 10-year career in the Royal Australian Air Force for the fashion floor, igniting a childhood dream to be a designer.

Using the spare room in her Harrison home as a makeshift workshop, the logistics-officer-turned-underweardesigner, has created her own lingerie line.

Jarvis’ business – Candis Creations –launched a few weeks ago and she says the decision to “follow her dream” is paying off.

“When I had my daughter Charlotte my priorities changed, my heart wasn’t in my job anymore, I wanted to be at home with her and I wanted to run my own business,” Jarvis said.

Comfortable underwear always appealed to Jarvis, but she felt there was a gap in the market – lingerie for women who dress for themselves first.

Armed with a business and commerce degree and a decade of problem-solving skills from a successful RAAF career, Jarvis decided to create her own underwear designs.

“I was always complaining that I couldn’t find nice cotton undies, so my husband encouraged me to design my own,” Jarvis said.

“I started sketching undies… and it went from there.”

Her concept is simple – underwear that provides comfort, confidence and style.

“Everyone knows that undies are not really comfortable… most of the time you just want to get them off,” Jarvis said.

“There’s lots of special lingerie out there in satin, but nothing that I could wear every day that didn’t have an ice cream or watermelon pattern on it.

“I just wanted undies that were comfortable, so that’s what I’ve designed.”

The first-time fashion designer admits it hasn’t been a smooth journey.

Jarvis says.

“Trying to find a manufacturer was hard, it took 18 months to find the right one, then trying to navigate the care labels and what symbols and instructions needed to be on them was pretty full on.

“There’s been moments when I’ve wanted to give up because I’ve hit a brick

But her efforts and the ethos behind her lingerie line are gaining momentum.

Describing the pieces as “contemporary and feminine” Jarvis’ aim is to inspire women from the moment they don their underwear in the morning.

“Quite regularly I’d be the youngest and only female in a meeting, so for me my underwear was like my armour; you can’t see it, but in my mind, I was confident,” Jarvis explained.

“I wanted other women to feel like that, the power and confidence you can feel when putting on comfortable lingerie. You can feel comfortable and good about yourself, that’s the core of my brand.

“I’ve been surprised by the support

bit taboo but there’s so much interest out there for my product from women from all walks of life.”

Jarvis is one of around 16,000 self-employed “micro” business owners across Canberra, according to recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

With the support of her husband, an RAAF engineer, Jarvis says the sky’s the limit.

From sourcing parts for aircrafts to underwear design, Jarvis is encouraging others to follow their dreams, even if it takes a few career changes to get there.

“I’ve taken two very different paths… I do wonder what my Airforce mates think because most of them are men,” she chuckled.

“I’ve always loved fashion and it’s been a dream to go into that, but I never thought that would ever happen for me.

“I’m definitely on my way to living my passion.”

Order at candis.com.au

LOCATED south of Canberra’s city centre, the inner south is one of the oldest parts of the ACT. Today, its age and historic charm has found its way into the hearts of residents and businesses alike, with many businesses passionate about the inner south suburbs they work in.

Here are some of them…

Gail’s

got business strategies for tough times

WHILE the Canberra economy has faced problems over the past few months, with smoke, hail, fires, and now the coronavirus, accountant Gail Freeman of Gail Freeman & Co, says she’s well placed to support businesses who may need to look at their strategies.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty and it’s a volatile time,” says Gail, who has been based in Kingston since starting her business in 1987.

“Businesses may need to take stock and consider their practices, profitability, staff mix, how to save money and do better with less. It’s possibly going to be a tough time.”

Business can be subdued in the run up to an election too, Gail says, so there may be additional issues that she can help with.

“Now is the perfect time to look at business plans and strategies and see what may need to change,” she says.

“Getting businesses in order will be good practice moving forward, and we can all start 2021 in a better place.”

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

Passionate physio clinic’s moving… but not far

MANUKA Woden Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic will soon be relocating its Manuka premises, but owner and physiotherapist Greg Nash says they won’t be going far.

“Although we will be moving, we plan to stay in Manuka,” he says.

“By doing so we’re continuing the service the practice has provided to the local community for 39 years.”

Greg says he has a passion for working in a caring profession, and specialises in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, covering the areas of sports physio, orthopaedics and occupational health and safety.

But he also sees patients who are experiencing pain from past and recent operations, such as orthopaedic procedures.

“We see clients who injure themselves through sport, work and car accidents, too,” he says.

“My job is to help people get back to normal and increase their exercise tolerance.”

To help support as many people as possible through physiotherapy, Greg says the clinic is open long hours, from 8am-6pm on Monday to Friday, and by appointment after hours on weekends and public holidays, to accommodate workers and students.

Manuka Woden Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic, 26 Bougainville Street, Manuka. Call 6295 6896, email manukawodenphysio@outlook.com or visit manukawodenphysio.com.au

Dedicated centre gets kids outdoors

DEDICATED to early learning, development and wellbeing for children from six weeks to school age, MOCCA is an active part of the Manuka community, according to director Rowena Muir.

“We have a focus on outdoor learning, taking the children on local walks and we strive to be connected to our community,” she says.

“We believe that children learn to take care of the natural environment by being outside, and we teach them about bees, worm farms and growing fruit and vegetables.

“We also encourage a connection to country and a respect for the first Australians and the traditional owners of the land.”

MOCCA has five rooms, a nursery for little ones, two rooms for children aged two to three, and two rooms for three to five year olds. It also offers a full preschool program.

Rowena says the centre’s philosophy is to be as natural as possible, with timber furniture and lots of plants in a biophilic design.

“We have a significant focus on relationships too, between the children themselves and also building rich and meaningful relationships with families, so we can all work together to look after the children,” she says.

MOCCA, 30 Flinders Way, Griffith. Call 6295 6503 or visit manukachildcare.com.au

Canberra

Maria makes it happen with property

AN unpleasant experience with a real estate agent about 18 years ago sent Maria Selleck on a journey to open a boutique real estate agency that focuses on its clients.

Now, backed with more than 16 years’ experience, Maria has been running Maria Selleck Properties in Manuka for over 10 years.

“We wanted to ensure that each of our clients receive a personalised service and attention to detail,” says Maria, who’s received the Real Estate Institute ACT (REIA) Small Residential Agency Award of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016 as well as the national REIA title in 2013.

“We believe that this is essential for achieving outstanding results for our clients.”

To this day, Maria is still energetic and passionate about real estate and says Maria Selleck Properties provides a one-stop-shop for any real estate needs.

“[We do it all], from presenting homes for the market including styling, project management for repairs and maintenance, garden makeovers, to high-quality marketing and photography,” she says.

“We have our own exclusive tradesperson, stylist and photographer readily available and we can organise to have a property placed on the market within a week to two weeks.

“In addition to sales, we also have a property management department, taking away the stress of owning an investment property.”

Maria Selleck Properties, 30 Bougainville Street, Manuka. Call 6162 1234 or visit mariaselleck.com.au

Lanette helps build strength with Pilates

PILATES Canberra was established 25 years ago by owner Lanette Gavran, who says that Pilates training can help improve strength, flexibility and balance.

“Pilates is a very different way of moving your body, and can help it to move organically, creating new habits that prevent injury,” she says.

“The focus is on core strength and it can help to correct people’s movement when doing other activities, giving them a better understanding of their body.”

Pilates Canberra, which is now located in Barton as part of Hale Health, was one of the original Pilates studios in the ACT, with Lanette saying there was only one other.

At that time, she was a personal trainer, and says she quickly realised that lots of people she trained were limited by an injury.

“I realised Pilates was an avenue to rehabilitate people to a good level of strength and mobility,” she says.

“We do a lot of general strength and conditioning as well as rehabilitation from injuries and specific conditions.”

Lanette says that movement in Pilates can reduce stress, tension and pain, along with boosting energy levels.

She has a team of 12 teachers who are all passionate about Pilates and is a registered training organisation (RTO) for training other instructors.

Pilates Canberra, 14 Macquarie Street, Barton. Call 0412 022917, email barton@pilatescanberra.com.au or visit pilatescanberra.com.au

learning, development & wellbeing

• We create a holistic program for each and every child

• We focus on building authentic relationships & connection to our community

We are the quiet achievers and you may not have heard of us. Working consistently, diligently and always with our clients’ best interests in mind we have achieved fantastic recent sales results.

This was recognised in the recent RateMyAgent awards where we were awarded ‘Agency of the Year’ for Kingston and Griffith, with Nick having sold more properties than any other agent in the Kingston and Griffith markets over the past twelve months.

Nick’s recent awards:

* Kingston Agent of the Year 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

* Griffith Agent of the Year 2020

* Barton Agent of the Year 2016, 2017, 2018

Nick Purnell – HEAD OF SALES 0401 043 142 | nicholas@purnellcitywide.com.au

44 GILES STREET KINGSTON ACT 2604 (Licenced agent) ABN 74 008 587 782

STARS OF THE INNER SOUTH

Bottle shop stocks the ‘impossible’

KNOWN for stocking and sourcing unusual or “impossible to get” alcohol, Prohibition: The Bottle Shop also has a huge range of local wines, craft beers and premium spirits, say owners Paul and Michelle Cains.

“We carry Sul livans Cove whisky from Tasmania, popular Japanese whisky, and 110 different varieties of gin,” says Paul, who has been in the liquor industry for 19 years.

“We also make a point to support the region’s local wine makers, brewers and distillers.”

Paul says he offers exceptional customer service, and was named the Liquor Store Owner of the Year in 2018 at the the Liquor Stores Association NSW and ACT Retail Liquor Industry Awards for Excellence.

The bottle shop is pet friendly, accessible and also offers whisky and bourbon tasting and wine and cheese nights, he says.

The couple also own the Kingston Corner Store across the street, which sells “all the things you need and want”, says Paul.

“We sell smallgoods from Pialligo Estate and Poachers Pantry, bread from Three Mills Bakery and kombucha,” he says.

Prohibition: The Bottle Shop, 39/148 Eastlake Parade, call 6295 0864. Kingston Corner Store, 6/81 Giles Street, call 6262 8102.

Boutique agency has homes worth loving

WITH a passion for introducing buyers to homes they love, real estate agent Nick Purnell says he enjoys working within the Kingston community.

As head of sales at the boutique real estate agency, Purnell Citywide, Nick works alongside his sister Brie in the family business, which was started in 1987 by their parents Genette and Kevin Purnell.

The family grew up in Griffith and knows the area inside out, says Nick.

“As Purnell’s has been based here for more than 35 years, we have extensive local knowledge of the Canberra market and prices,” he says.

“We specialise in the sale and management of established residential property across the inner south, mainly Barton, Narrabundah, Forrest, Red Hill, Deakin and Yarralumla.”

Brie is the head of property management at Purnell’s, with a long-term team of managers that have worked at Purnell’s for almost 20 years. She says Purnell’s values tenants as much as landlords.

“Tenants are respected clients of ours, too, and happy tenants stay longer,” she says.

“The biggest compliment is when tenants turn into buyers, because they appreciate the exceptional service we provide.”

Purnell Citywide, 44 Giles Street, Kingston. Call 6295 2011 or visit purnellcitywide.com.au

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By Helen Musa

TO those who were there, the words “Operation Rolling Thunder” meant an aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the US and South Vietnamese air forces from 1965-68, but to the rest of us they suggest a massive bombardment of music.

Now the spectacular concert-drama “Rolling Thunder Vietnam”, previously seen in 2014 and 2016, is returning to Canberra in a new iteration, but with a few old faces.

The 2020 version features as the four main actor-singers Tom Oliver, who’s played larrikin Aussie soldier Johnny all along, Matt Pearce, back as the American marine Thomas after playing the role in 2014, with Canberra-raised actor Toby Francis as the conscripted soldier Andy and Annie Aitken as the anti-war protester Sarah, both joining the cast for the first time. Supporting actors are Imogen Moore and Will Ewing.

Vietnam spectacular comes thundering back

“As well as being great actors, they can sing in six-part harmony,” says director David Berthold, who, along with the scriptwriter, well-known Australian arts journo Bryce Hallett, first staged the production back in 2014.

We catch up with Berthold by phone to Sydney, where he’s now working at the

National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) on a six-month job as director centre for creative practices, a job he calls “a nice little landing”.

After 10 years in Brisbane, five at La Boite Theatre and five as director of the Brisbane Festival, he’s enjoying being back in Sydney, saying, “It seems like I’ve never left”.

He first got involved with “Rolling

had carried out

of interviews with Vietnam veterans.

“It was a really pleasurable process,” he explains. “I worked on shaping the material around four characters to tell a colourful story, we did a creative development at the

Queensland Performing Arts Centre and through that, we found a way to stage it.”

Central to the popularity of “Rolling Thunder Vietnam”, subtitled “Songs That Defined A Generation”, are the songs, not least Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”, Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride” and The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place”, along with Australian numbers, Billy Thorpe’s “Most People I Know Think That I’m Crazy” and Russell Morris’ “The Real Thing”.

There are around 20 songs, reaching across from the late 1960s ’til the early 1970s, from Motown to protest songs, performed by the actors to a top rock band led by keyboard virtuoso Chong Lim, one of the best musical directors in the country,

“For people who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, the music is deep in their DNA, but we’ve noticed that a lot of young people are coming… many of them have an extensive knowledge of music because young people can get it on their devices, they can just dip into any period of music.”

“Musically speaking it’s like a staged concert but what people don’t expect when they come is that it’s also storytelling, with four people expressing their experiences… it’s an unusual style of presentation.”

That story, which veers from what is happening on the battlefront to what is happening at home, centres around Johnny, a boy from a rural drought-stricken farm in

Queensland, his sweetheart Sarah and his friendship with his American marine buddy, Thomas.

“But the characters don’t actually interact with each other, it’s all done through their letters, an interesting way of storytelling,” Berthold says.

“The show is big but it’s also close and personal, showing grief, joy and missing your loved ones.”

So there’s the music and the story, but what audiences don’t expect is the third element – the visuals.

The Vietnam War was the world’s first televised war so, fittingly, the stage features four huge AV panels designed by Toby Harding, showing black-and-white photographs, recorded moving images from the war, the famous Martin Luther King “I have a dream” speech and images relating to each character.

Berthold had to re-familiarise himself with the show when producer Rebecca Blake asked if he’d do it again, as it had been a long time since 2016, but that too has been pleasurable, and he says he now feels at home with it.

“It actually feels more real than it did in 2016,” he says.

“It’s a story that just doesn’t go away.”

“Rolling Thunder Vietnam”, Canberra Theatre, March 27-28, bookings at canberratheatrecentre. com.au or 6275 2700.

CINEMA Forensic thrills aplenty as Teflon comes unstuck

“Dark Waters” (MA)

IN a week when new movies offered a rich field from which to choose, I decided to accompany two docos with a story in which a text before the closing credits avers that 99 per cent of the world’s population has Teflon residues in their blood.

And who might dare to refute that for reasons that the film’s purpose is to explain?

In 2000, “Erin Brockovich” didn’t win an Oscar for dramatising a law office clerk confronting a power company whose operations were polluting a community’s water supply.

Telling a similar story, on a rather grander scale, “Dark Waters’” villain is a multi-squillion dollar chemical company that disposed of wastes it knew were toxic and when challenged brought financial and political muscle to bear on not only the community where it happened but also on a world that embraced one of its products.

Mark Ruffalo plays lawyer Rob Bilott (and also is one of the film’s producers) who launched an action against DuPont Chemicals whose Parkersburg, West Virginia factory was the city’s main employer. Farmer Wilbur Tennant’s (Bill Camp) cows were dying and Wilbur was sure that the cause was pollution from the plant.

As indeed it was. Mario Correa wrote a screenplay based on a “New York Times” article “The lawyer who became DuPont’s worst nightmare” by Nathaniel Rich. DuPont had to be pushed kicking and screaming into the action brought by the

local legal firm where Rob had just been made a partner. Among the cast are several people who were real-life participants in its events. Knowing this only because the closing credits tell us nevertheless adds a mote of authenticity to the rest of the film.

“Dark Waters” is a forensic thriller offering muted tensions with an unassuming hero confronting a more exacting, more real conflict than any big-budget movie based on comic book hi-jinks. Couldn’t ask for better than that.

At Palace Electric and Dendy

“Honeyland” (M)

ABOUT 55 kilometres south-east of Macedonia’s capital city Skopje is a tiny settlement

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called Bekirlija, of human life at its most basic in tiny houses built of local stones piled one on another.

At the 2019 Oscars, Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov’s film about life in Bekirlija was nominated in Best Foreign Language and Best Documentary. Since opening last August, it has been nominated for honours at 46 film festivals and won 32.

Running for 89 minutes, it’s a beautiful film, simple yet powerful and perceptive in its messages about love, survival and unexpected yet obvious relationships between natural phenomena.

In her forties, unmarried Hatidze’s life follows a simple routine. Wake up. Tend to the beehives. Harvest honey and back-

pack it in the comb to the nearby market town. Negotiate price with regular buyers. Buy a few necessities. Cook a simple meal for querulous, bed-ridden mother Nazife and feed it to her, often against her will. Sit in the dark and talk, sometimes quarrel, with Nazife. Sleep. Tomorrow will bring the same.

The Sam family moves in to Bekirlija –Hussein, Ljutvie and their raucous children ranging from early adolescence to toddler. Their view of the land is diametrically opposite Hatidze’s, who leaves half of every hive for the bees. Hussein will take the lot and haggle with a bulk buyer. Their cattle graze the grass from which the bees derive the honey.

Alone, Hatidze might find their disruption not so much unconscionable as uncomfortable. She recognises the Sam family for what it is – nomadic exploiters who won’t stay, who will take everything before moving to new ground.

“Honeyland” is indeed a parable, told with simple beauty and power.

At Dendy

“Citizen K” (M)

DOCUMENTARIST Alex Gibney’s filmography may be sparse but any subject viewed under his magnifying glass had better watch out.

DINING / cbd dumpling house, civic

Because Alex goes for the jugular, no narrative confectionery, no actors doing what they’re told. The mark of a Gibney doco is the metaphorical bloodstains on the carpet. Mikhail Khodorkovsky may be an exception. Mikhail once was reputedly the wealthiest man in post-glasnost Russia. His oil company Yukos made him a billionaire. But billionaires are not proof against political shenanigans. Mikhail did a 10-year jail stretch for tax evasion. Gibney’s film looks at the reasons.

For a politically-based doco, the problem for the average filmgoer may well be the information overload characteristic of the genre. Australian political high jinks are kindergarten grade compared with what goes on under Putin.

I came away from “Citizen K” feeling that its theme and environment were way above my pay grade; I had difficulty simply keeping up with who was doing what to who else for what reason.

One thing was easily discernible. Mikhail is on the wrong side of Vlad. Bigtime. Mikhail now lives in England, where confronting despots has historically been a popular sport. And Russia’s teeming millions vote for Vlad almost as a national duty.

At Dendy

Dumplings diners can’t get enough of

By Wendy JOHNSON

I FIRST visited CBD Dumpling House in the city six years ago. I remember standing on the street, peering through the large window as the kitchen team nimbly created round and crescent-shaped dumplings, each a parcel of perfection.

Fast forward to 2020 and nothing much has changed. The team creates thousands of dumplings a day, with incredible speed and precision. It’s mesmerising to watch.

The CBD Dumpling House still packs out with diners who can’t get enough darling dumplings. It’s always busy but manages to turn tables over as quickly as needed.

The menu is extensive but not expensive. The dumpling section showcases the many types you’d expect – freshly made pork buns, shallot cakes, boiled dumplings, pan fried dumplings and more. The possibilities are endless.

We were two for lunch and shared the ‘special steamed dumplings’, which were only $13.80 for 10. It’s a colourful trio – green, white, orange pastry – and a sensational mix of pork, vegetable, and a mixture of prawn, pork and chives all in one.

This time we branched away from dumplings to try a couple of other dishes (this was a hard decision because we love those dumplings).

The shallot pancakes are masterpieces in their own right ($8.80 each but large enough to share). They were super thin and crispy and arrived cut

neatly into four triangles. This dish proves that a few simple ingredients can make a statement. Also high on taste were the salt and pepper prawns, again super crispy and the mix of seasoning just right ($21.80).

The CBD Dumpling House also offers a wide range of beef, chicken, pork, duck and lamb dishes. The seafood section, a highlight of the menu, includes scallops with XO sauce (a guarded chef secret, no doubt – $23.80), Singapore crispy fish fillet ($17.80), special red curry fish ($19.80) and fish fillet with ginger and shallot ($17.80).

Hot pots (15 types) are a specialty and the soups sounded delicious. Rice and noodle dishes also feature.

The wine list isn’t extensive but again, not expensive. Many prefer to wash down their

dumplings with a beer – perhaps a Tsing Tao.

The CBD Dumpling House is a large space with floor-to-ceiling windows, wonderful timber finishes and beautiful ceiling lamps. The design is contemporary, bright and airy. Staff are friendly but service levels can be a bit random, although it was easy enough to flag someone down. We weren’t all that fussed because speed is the overall name of the game and our first dish came out quickly, as did our wine. Don’t be deterred if you see a line of customers at the front door. Simply ask how long the wait is before you wander off. Chances are it will only be a few minutes.

Winery steps up with new sculpture prize

By Helen Musa

CANBERRA region sculpture-lovers

are breathing a collective sigh of relief with news that winemaker Graeme Shaw has joined with the newly-rebranded Belco Arts Centre to present a new, professionalised sculpture prize.

The new biennial “Sculpture@Shaw” will feature a prize pool of $25,000 – made up of the $15,000 Sculpture@Shaw prize, the $5000 Cellar Door prize for smaller works, a $3000 Emerging Artist prize, and $2000 People’s Choice Award. It’s a particular relief because its forebear, “Sculpture in the Paddock”, which ran in the bucolic grounds of the National Trust’s Cooma Cottage from 2013-2017, and became one of the springtime glories of the region, is no more. Shaw told “CityNews” that he had been a fan of the Yass event from the outset, starting out six to seven years ago by buying from Sculpture in the Paddock, and he’d get there early to snaffle up pieces he liked, including a pushbike sculpture by Buckman.

“I liked the idea of having a few pieces around the cellar door, then when we were approached by the Yass committee, we jumped at the chance and saw it as a way of attracting more Canberrans,” he says.

Last year, Yass sculptor Al Phemister, one of the founders of Sculpture in the Paddock, introduced

Shaw to Monika McInerney, artistic director and Co-CEO of Belco Arts.

“Once we sat down and discussed it, we decided what was needed was a professional approach,” Shaw said, and Belco Arts had the knowhow.

Also, chatting to some of the visiting sculptors in 2018, Shaw had discovered how costly it was to do the moving and installation, so he said, “Let’s make certain we have an installation prize for all the finalists.”

Belco Arts, so renamed to give a sense of its outreach in the community beyond inner Belconnen, is making that happen and McInerney says, “the biggest thing we’ve done is institute a bursary of $1000 to each artist shortlisted for the final exhibition, to contribute to the costs incurred. It’s a way to honour all the artists.”

A former judge at Cooma Cottage, she is plainly thrilled that it’s staying in the region in Murrumbateman, which she sees as “a great location, where the sculptures will be comfortable.”

Funny ‘Idiot’ Frankie

ARTS IN THE CITY

By Helen Musa

CANBERRA-BORN comedian Frankie McNair has spent her life trying to prove she isn’t dumb, but now she’s facing up to it in her show, “Big Dumb Idiot”, which she bills as “a collaborative chaotic sketch with some of Canberra’s finest comedians and musicians”. In The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, 9.30pm, Friday, March 20, book at canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

CANBERRA’S funniest people battle it out in the ACT final of “Raw Comedy”, Australia’s biggest comedy competition. Some top comedians started out through “Raw Comedy”, not least ANU alumna Hannah Gadsby. Entrants have five minutes each. Street Theatre, 8.30pm, March 16, bookings at thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223. Registrations at rawcomedy.com.au

CORO, one of our most exquisite chamber choirs, makes a welcome return with Haydn’s dark masterpiece, the “Nelson Mass”, and “Magnificat”, CPE Bach’s first large-scale choral work. Tickets from corocanberra.com or at the door. Wesley Uniting Church, 3pm, Sunday, March 15, book at info@corocanberra.com

AFTER repeat postponements because of the bushfires, Gallery Bodalla is up and running again, with “Shelter in Place”, a new exhibition by local artists, photographer Toby Whitelaw and printmaker Julie Mia Holmes, in which they reflect on the recent devastating fires. Gallery Bodalla, 66A Princes Hwy, Bodalla, Thursday, March 19 to Sunday, April 12. Drinks with the artists, 3pm, Saturday, March 21, with music by guitarist John Hoorweg. All welcome.

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Shaw says he’s been asked if he’d like to be on the selection committee and he wouldn’t mind.

“I would come from a totally different perspective, it’s often good to have a layman’s opinion… like in wine shows, where you have a list of judges who are wine masters then you have a pretty good retailer who knows what the public wants – it’s a perfect mix.”

“Sculpture@Shaw” will run at Shaw Wines, Murrumbateman, September 5 - September 20. Entries are open to artists across Australia and are due to sculptureatshaw.com.au by midnight on May 29.

KIRSTY Webeck is dogged by misadventure. This is great for her comedy career, but she says it’s a drain on the public health system. In “Gosh!”, here for the Comedy Festival, Webeck shows how she goes from making mashed potatoes for dinner to being in a hospital emergency room in a foreign country. Novotel, 65 Northbourne Ave, Canberra, 7pm, March 21, book at canberracomedyfestival.com.au

THE next Multilingual Poetry Open Mic will feature Thandi Katase, a storyteller from the Makwayi clan of the Xhosa tribe from South Africa, who hosts evening culture shows at the Griffin Centre. She will tell stories and share her original poetry in Xhosa and English, and introduce Canberrans to “Imbongi” praise singing. Smith’s Alternative, Civic, 7-9pm Monday, March 23, book at smithsalternative. com or tickets at the door.

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From Monday - Saturday Biginelli’s offers a comprehensive all

Wednesday

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

On Friday it’s the Equinox, the Sun shimmies into your sign and Mars (your boss planet) links up with lucky Jupiter. So it’s a fantastic day to initiate ideas, kick-start new ventures and pitch professional projects. Creativity and motivation are high but try to maintain a sense of balance and perspective. You’ve got grand plans and ambitious dreams for the future but don’t neglect minor matters. Under the influence of fussy Saturn, the devil is definitely in the details.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Are you being too subjective and short-sighted about a current issue? It’s the Equinox on Friday, when day and night are of equal length. So take a step back, adjust your focus, and strive to view the situation from a much broader and wiser perspective. Balance is the key. With capable Saturn shifting into your career zone, it’s also time to get serious about your professional ambitions. Roll up your sleeves and get to work, as you power through projects and tie up loose ends.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

On Monday, Mercury (your power planet) moves into your career zone until April 11. So aim to be more curious, creative and inventive at work. If you slow down, stagnate or procrastinate, then you’ll just be left behind. Then on the weekend, serious Saturn shifts into your travel zone. Although you’re desperate for a heavenly holiday, a new cycle has started that requires hard work and involves extra responsibilities. If you stay the course, then you’ll travel in style later on!

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

The Sun transits through your career zone (from Friday until April 19) which shines a bright spotlight on your professional aspirations and direction. You need to take great care with joint finances over the next three years, as thrifty Saturn moves through your ‘money-from-others’ zone. So avoid taking on more debt than you can realistically handle. If you lend money to someone else, then get all the details in writing and realise it will be a long wait before you get it back.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Saturn powers into your partnership zone, for the first time since 1994. So you may decide to let go of a relationship that’s no longer working. Single Lions – look for love with someone who has a mature and responsible outlook. Your motto for the moment is from birthday great (and fellow fire sign) Reese Witherspoon: “I’ve realised that life is too short to spend my time with anybody who doesn’t appreciate me, treat me with respect or bring value to the relationship.”

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

With your patron planet Mercury powering into your relationship zone on Monday, the more you focus on the needs of loved ones (and the more clearly you communicate) the happier everyone will be. Then task-master Saturn shifts into your work zone on the weekend. So there is the potential for conscientious Virgos to do very well, but don’t spoil potential success by being unusually impatient. Take the time to absorb important details along the way.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

On Friday we welcome the Equinox, when day and night are perfectly balanced. So this week the emphasis is on maintaining harmony and equilibrium in your daily life… which is a Libran specialty! Then Saturn transits into Aquarius on the weekend (for the first time since 1994). So you need to be much more practical about a relationship with a child, teenager, lover or close friend. Make sure you don’t set unrealistic expectations that are too difficult for them to reach.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

It’s a wonderful week to share fun activities with your close friends. Whether it’s a movie, a concert, a delicious meal or stimulating conversation, make it a priority to get together. However karma-planet Saturn could stir up unresolved problems with a family member over the next three years. So you need to be at your diplomatic best and nip problems in the bud before they progress. You also need to keep up-to-date with routine maintenance around your home.

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Family matters and domestic projects are particularly favoured on Monday, when Mercury moves into your home zone. Friday is a fabulous day to get things done as Jupiter (your power planet) pairs up with proactive Mars. Then Saturn (which rewards hard work and due diligence) switches signs on the weekend. So – over the next three years – the more time and effort you put into education, communication and social media, the more successful you’ll be.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

This week Saturn (your ruling planet) shifts into your self-esteem and money zone. So, if you want to do well financially over the next three years, then spending sprees are out and serious long-term saving is in! It’s also an appropriate time to take a long hard look at your personal values and current priorities. Your motto is from Reese Witherspoon (who turns 44 on Sunday): “I want to make my life, not just my job, the best it can be. The rest will work itself out.”

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Mercury moves into your money zone (on Monday) which encourages you to become more financially literate. Remember knowledge is power! On the weekend serious Saturn starts a three-year journey through your sign, which will boost your ambition, work ethic, workload and personal responsibilities. So find regular ways to relax, de-stress and wind down. Then you can capitalise on the opportunities for leadership and advancement that come your way.

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

On Monday communication planet Mercury moves into your sign until April 11. So you’re keen to mix and mingle and say what’s on your mind, You’ll also feel creatively inspired or spiritually inclined, but resist the Piscean tendency to be vague and indecisive. On Sunday, Saturn shifts into your self-reflection zone. So it’s time for some serious contemplation and rumination, as you find practical ways to consolidate your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2020

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22 Name the wine from a particular harvest or crop. (7)

23 What was a two-wheeled vehicle used by the ancients? (7)

24 What is the condition of being esteemed or honoured? (7) Down

1 Who founded Singapore in 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford ...? (7)

2 What is the meat of the coconut? (5)

3 Which nickname applies to the Collingwood AFL club? (7)

4 What is spun by a spider to catch its prey? (6)

5 Name a species of acacia found in drier parts of Australia. (5)

6 What are cows that have not produced calves and are under three years of age? (7)

7 Who in Roman legend was the twin brother of Romulus? (5)

13 When one feels contrition for past conduct, one does what? (7)

15 What is a place of abode? (7)

16 Which term describes freedom from captivity or the like? (7)

17 What is a way in which a thing may be viewed? (6)

18 Name a young eel. (5)

19 To get around by trickery is to do what? (5)

20 What is a Hindu religious ascetic called? (5)

WITH bulb planting about to start in earnest for Floriade, it’s tempting for home gardeners to buy bulbs online at this time of the year.

But here’s the problem: bulbs are sorted by the growers according to size and there is no guarantee that those mail-order bulbs are to grade.

Once ordered they’re hard to return, although I’m sure there are many online retailers doing the right thing.

On the other hand, buying locally from a garden centre means you can select the best quality.

As an aside, the Dutch export more than 900 million euros worth of bulbs every year (almost $A1.5 billion) and 75 per cent of all bulbs grown worldwide come from the Netherlands – a staggering statistic considering the size of the country.

The Netherlands also exports other plants such as dahlia tubers, which are riding on the crest of a fashion wave in Britain and Europe. However, they

may be in short supply this northern spring as recently a major Dutch grower and exporter of dahlias lost 5.5 million seedlings when they were unwittingly sprayed with weed killer rather than fertiliser!

IF you like growing climbing plants on a trellis and the outside of your home needs painting, one way of preventing the painters damaging the plants is to fix hinges to the bottom of the trellis with simple clips at the top. At painting time, they can be unhooked and the trellis folded down with the plants still intact.

NOW’S the time to fertilise lawns as they green up after recent rain. A steel rake is good to get rid of all the dried, dead grass after the heat of summer. Then apply a certified organic fertiliser that won’t kill the beneficial insects in the soil. This could be pelletised Neutrog Seamungus or Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient. Apply the fertiliser just after rain or give the lawn a good soaking.

Now’s the time to fertilise lawns to give them an autumn boost.

IT’S preferable to prune stone fruits in midsummer, rather than in mid-winter. Although it’s getting a bit late, it can be done now but without delay. This means the pruning cuts will heal over quickly rather than be exposed to fungal diseases

in winter when it is cold and wet. Apples and pears can be pruned in winter. As always the first task of any pruning is make sure secateurs and pruning saws are clean and sharp. Remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches, particularly evident in those gardens affected by the hailstorms.

IF you have shrubs that were planted a few years ago and realise they are in the wrong spot, now’s a good time to carefully dig them up and relocate them.

Jamala Wildlife Lodge is an all-inclusive and interactive experience where guests are treated to exclusive behind the scenes zoo tours. They encounter some of its most popular residents, such as rhinos, lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys and meerkats for an unprecedented opportunity to connect with and learn about these incredible animals. Truly fine dining culinary offerings complete your lodge stay, featuring evening cocktails and canapés, a gourmet African styled 5 course dinner with fellow guests and a freshly prepared breakfast. During these you may be visited by some very special visitors which are the perfect complement to this once in a lifetime accommodation adventure.