SICK BUDGET SHORTCHANGES HEALTH TO LOOK BETTER ‘The budget is in a worse condition, and its forecasts are even less credible than the previous years’ forecasts,’ say JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED
JUNE 18, 2026
How Labor has trashed the value of taking risks
ROBERT McMAHON Planned city bombed by ‘complacent’ government
MICHAEL MOORE Rewriting the past in melody and rhyme
CLIVE WILLIAMS
HOLDEN in history
HELEN MUSA reports on a fond celebration of the car that carried Australia and the people on that journey
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POLITICS / 2026-27 ACT Budget
Well written, well read
Volume 32, Number: 24. Phone 02 6189 0777.
‘Federal health funding is siphoned off to improve the bottom line that would have been much worse’
Sick budget shortchanges health to look better ‘Total Territory borrowings are forecast to reach a staggering $23.7 billion.’ JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED take a deep breath and conclude: ‘The budget is in a worse condition, and its forecasts are even less credible than the previous years’ forecasts.’ Treasurer Chris Steel’s second budget was a relatively quiet affair on the day. The government had attempted to sell the 2026-27 ACT Budget in the previous weeks through planned media releases and hyped-up stories on, for example, “generational change” spending in housing and “nation leading” stamp duty concessions for first homebuyers. Even the disturbing cuts to city services and voluntary redundancies were announced early with the main budget day message being of a “measured” return to surplus. However, even the traditionally accepting mainstream media had some reservations, calling it a mirage. Unfortunately, this budget has confirmed the fanciful nature of the budget forecasts published just a year ago. The budget has gone backwards, adding a further $547 million in deficit over the four years from 2025-26 to 202829, despite a significant funding boost from the federal government for health services. Disturbingly it appears that only a part of that funding has been allocated to the health budget, with the remainder apparently being utilised to improve the bottom line that otherwise would have been much worse. A return to surplus has been pushed out, as always, to the last forward year. The budget is in a worse condition, and its forecasts are even less credible than the previous years’ forecasts.Turning to questions on the state of the budget, Table 1 provides the operating budget forecasts in the 2025-26 Budget (Table 1A), the 2026-27 Budget (Table 1B), and changes to the forecast revenue, expenses and the Net Operating Balance (NOB) in this budget. The table reveals some seriously uncomfortable facts. For the current year (2025-26), the operating deficit is forecast at $807 million (8.4 per cent of the budget), which is $126 million higher than the original budget estimate. We note this is a preliminary estimate from Treasury, which is likely to change through the audit process. Over the four-year period (2025-26 to 2028-29),
the budget has increased the cumulative deficit by $547 million from the previous forecasts (last row in Table 1). This is due to $1.389 billion being added to the previous expenditure forecasts for this period, which is only partially offset by an increase in revenue of $842 million. Cash deficits over this period cumulate to $2.3 billion, and the government will be borrowing in full or in part in some years, to pay interest on the accumulated debt. A significant increase in revenue relates to Commonwealth funding for health which was announced earlier this year. We have previously noted with concern Treasurer Steel’s assertion that federal health funding would provide an upside to the budget. We were understandably of the view that all the additional funds would be committed to the health budget, and that therefore the overall budget position would remain unchanged while pressures in health would be alleviated, to some extent, with the additional funding from the Commonwealth. Therefore, while we can identify about $545 million in additional funds over the forward estimates period as health grants from the Commonwealth, at best only about $146 million, appears to have been applied to the health budget. We hope this isn’t the case but unless the government can provide evidence and a reconciliation of the subject Commonwealth funding having been allocated to health, it is quite reasonable to conclude that health has been shortchanged, and that the operating budget would in fact be worse off by at least $300 million, or possibly more, if the federal health funding had been utilised for the provision of health services. The forecast deficit for 2026-27 is now $612 million (6 per cent of the budget), a blowout of $234 million from the forecast in the last budget. In the article referred to above, we had attributed a greater likelihood to pigs flying than a surplus being achieved in two years, because it was almost certain that the Treasurer could not contain expenditure growth at just 2.6 per cent per annum (Table 1A).
Spinocchio Steel is highly strung – KEEPING UP THE ACT, Page 12. In this budget, the expenditure trajectory has been lifted to 3.4 per cent (Table 1B). We consider there will be challenges in maintaining expenditure growth even at this relatively elevated rate but lower than the historic rates of growth. Savings specified in the budget are minor relative to the task. Revenue trajectory is marginally lower at 6.8 per cent per annum, which is about double the forecast growth rate of the economy. The budget is now forecast to return to essentially a position of balance ($4
million deficit) in four years’ time. There are clearly upside risks to expenditure, downside risks to revenue, and major risks to the quantity and quality of services if the Treasurer Steel were to achieve these forecasts. The profile of net debt in this budget is consistent with that in the previous budget, ie, still growing across the forward years, reaching $14.1 billion in 2029-30. That is despite the savings and the deferral of $719 million in capital spending factored into the budget. Total Territory borrowings are forecast to reach a staggering $23.7 billion. Interest costs are forecast to almost double over the budget and forward estimates period, reaching $1.218 billion in 2029-30. According to notes in the budget papers: “Interest expenses are projected to increase by $175 million in the 2026-27 Budget over the 2025-26 estimated outcome. This increase primarily reflects higher estimated borrowing requirements” (Budget Paper 3, Page 166). To put this increase in interest payments just in one year in perspective, try and imagine what our public school teachers, fighting for better resourcing and conditions, could do for children with, say $175 million – if only the government had maintained debt at the 2025-26 level. Jon Stanhope is a former chief minister of the ACT and Dr Khalid Ahmed a former senior ACT Treasury official.The full version of this column is at citynews.com.au
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CityNews June 18-24, 2026 5
POLITICS / risky business
How Labor has trashed the value of taking risks British prime minister Winston Churchill was said to have quipped: “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. I was reminded of this maxim observing the government’s recent changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax (CGT) for residential property investors – so called mum and dad landlords – justified by the assertion that residential property investment had crowded out first home buyers unable to get into the housing market. Because the government indeed has a crisis on its hands – and it hasn’t let it go to waste. While the first part of this conceptual algorithm is correct – a current housing crisis in Australia – the second part, that it is caused by mum and dad property investors, is at best exaggerated and at worst spurious. But, drawing on the British Bulldog’s exhortation, the government nevertheless laid claim to the housing crisis to justify breaking its promises on negative gearing and CGT. A fortnight ago, I wrote about the effect these broken promises might have on the government’s political fortunes and, in particular, the ongoing trustworthiness of Anthony Albanese. Here, I want to explore the unintended and perverse effects they
The government has signalled that we are all best off as wage slaves depositing our compulsory 12 per cent into super and looking forward to a government-approved modest retirement. Sir Winston Churchill... not one to waste a crisis. are likely to have not only on housing supply but also on other forms of economic investment. This is because the government’s changes went many steps beyond investment properties owned by landlords. It announced changes to CGT on most classes of investment assets, including those already owned. These include shares in listed companies, stakes in private companies, unit trusts, crypto, some business assets and testamentary trusts. Quite the list. And the changes are not small. The government has replaced an effective tax rate of a maximum of around 23.5 per cent with a minimum rate of 30 per cent rising to the highest rate of income tax, currently 47 per cent. This will materially increase the
CGT on currently held assets and double it for those acquired in the future. The government says that this impost is partly offset by adjusting any gains caused by inflation. While mum and dad property investors might lament that their efforts to help fund their retirement or support their kids get into the housing market have suddenly been devalued, there is something much larger going on here. And that is the corrosive effect these changes will have on risktaking by investors, entrepreneurs and household landlords alike. The ideological genesis of these changes is that the government – particularly the Treasury – considers lesser taxation of profit compared to that of salary or wages as “lost revenue”; “concessions” as they call them. But here’s the rub. Investing in a property, buying shares or starting a new business is not like going to work,
sitting at a desk and “working for the man”. It involves incalculably more risk, effort and stress than merely drawing a predictable salary from paid employment. And that’s why it’s entirely appropriate that these ventures – inherently risky and many doomed to falter or worse – are taxed at a lower rate than salaried taxation: to encourage people to take the risk, make investments, create jobs, grow the economy and provide accommodation to tenants. By the government so drastically changing this taxation balance, it has changed this fundamental economic compact. It has made equivalent the risk of investment – with the commensurate entitlement of greater reward – with that of salary earners who incur less risk earning their daily bread. The effects of these changes are therefore likely to extend well beyond just causing landlords to buy fewer investment properties. They will undermine investors’ appetite for taking risk on new ventures, so very fundamental to providing the funds necessary to start and grow new companies, fund innovation and provide housing to renters. But there was something else in
the government’s changes that rather chilled me. They signalled to Australians that economic creativity was somehow no longer valued by its government: that we were all best off as wage slaves depositing our compulsory 12 per cent into super and looking forward to a government-approved modest retirement. No incentive to invest for tomorrow, create wealth or help your kids buy their first home. It is this thwarting of aspiration – this failure to reward Australians’ graft and endeavour – that disappointed me the most about these rapacious changes. And it is this signal that may well cause us the greatest pain in years to come as our economic innovation is inevitably stifled by their effect. Dr Robert McMahon PSM is a visiting fellow at the Australian National University, adjunct professor at the University of Canberra, and former assistant secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
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NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (ACT)
newsletter
Trust says thanks for continued funding support Heritage Symposium, August 15 Have something to offer to our theme “Everyday Heritage”? Send your abstract by June 30 to info@nationaltrustact.org.au
Linda Roberts, President
Upcoming Tours Our Shared Journey: Sunday, July 5, 11am. Reconciliation is not a destination; it is a path all Australians must travel together. Details at trybooking.com/DMDLR
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE National Trust (ACT) extends it thanks to the ACT Government for continued funding support for promoting the conservation and application of heritage in the ACT, as confirmed in last week’s budget briefing.
Sherwood Heritage Walk: Sunday, August 30, 9.30am. Details at trybooking.com/DMQNP – Linda Roberts, President
Fire and Water, Reconciliation Place artwork by Judy Watson.
We look forward to working closely with the Minister and ACT Heritage in protecting and promoting the precious heritage of the nation’s capital.
held 18 activities with more than 2200 attendees at our events. They included the Open Day at Gungahlin Homestead, the Heritage Polaris and the Heritage Oration with Tim Ross, as well as talks, walks and tours. Many events were booked out, particularly those focused on the Festival theme of Mid-Century Modern.
Heritage Festival wrap
Inquiry Report released
Did you get along to the Heritage Festival? As a major stakeholder, the Trust
The ACT Government responded with lightning speed to the report from the
Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Environment and Planning into the Missing Middle Housing Reform Inquiry into the Draft Major Amendment to the Territory Plan 04. The Minister for Heritage, Chris Steel, announced he had approved the Missing Middle reforms on May 23. National Trust ACT is yet to obtain amended documents, but will be working with stakeholders to ensure heritage protections are well defined and in place.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION GOES A LONG WAY
DONATE BEFORE JUNE 30 Before the financial year wraps up, consider making a tax-deductible donation to the National Trust ACT. Your generosity helps us protect and promote the unique heritage of our nation’s capital. Give the past a future now – head to nationaltrust.org.au/donate-act
Everyday Heritage: Conviviality, Creativity, Care Saturday, August 15, 2026 National Film & Sound Archive, Canberra The 2026 ACT Region Heritage Symposium will explore how heritage is lived, shared and shaped through everyday life, focusing on the themes of conviviality, creativity and care. Abstract submissions are invited for 10 or 20-minute presentations examining topics such as cultural heritage, food heritage, community histories, conservation, interpretation and creative approaches to heritage practice. Abstracts (maximum 250 words) should include the presenter’s name, affiliation, presentation title and student/non-student status. Submit abstracts by June 30, 2026 to info@nationaltrustact.org.au Featured speakers include Dr Kate Bagnall, Dr Madeline Shanahan and Ashley van der Heuvel. Bookings open July 1 via trybooking.com/DMLTP
Entries for annual Heritage Awards now open! Now in its 14th year, the National Trust (ACT) Heritage Awards are an annual celebration of outstanding practice in the field of heritage, recognising excellence in the conservation, protection and interpretation of the heritage of our nation’s capital.
In 2026, awards are offered in the following project categories • Built Heritage (public / commercial & residential)
• Heritage Interpretation and Education
• First Nations Heritage
• Heritage Management and Policy Resources
• Events, Exhibitions and Tours
• Local community projects
• Heritage Landscapes and the Natural Environment
Previous entries have included restoration of historic buildings, conservation of timeless treasures, impactful events and advocacy campaigns, art installations, historical publications and many more.
2025 entrant Djara Exhibition – Canberra Museum and Gallery.
Entries close 14 August 2026. Head to the National Trust (ACT) website for full details on how to enter. www.nationaltrust.org.au/act-heritage-awards-2026 or email: info@nationaltrustact.org.au
This year we are pleased to introduce a new competitive individual category: • Emerging Heritage Professional In addition, the National Trust (ACT) Council will award individual awards for: • Outstanding Advocacy, and citynews.com.au
• Lifetime Achievement
The National Trust receives support and funding from the ACT Government
Proud supporters of the 2025 Heritage Awards
CityNews June 18-24, 2026 7
POLITICS / Strategically bombing planned Canberra
Planned city ‘bombed’ by complacent government The planned city of Canberra, the source of such pride, is now at risk. The careful planning to facilitate families and to build a bush capital is being strategically bombed by current government policies, to use the words of former chief planner Peter Harrison. Lazy planning is being facilitated by a complacent government. Planning laws have changed, and in this budget our leasehold system and the environment are being undermined. Sugar coating the process has already begun by employing standard propaganda techniques – start with a phrase that has some truth to it – and then drive it home. In the US, Donald Trump has used “Make America Great Again”. In the ACT the planning minister and his acolytes constantly use the phrase “the missing middle”. They argue the missing middle must urgently be addressed. Step one was to relax the planning laws to allow redevelopment of single-dwelling blocks across the ACT to make Canberra as dense as unplanned cities. The budget has been used to encourage development of current single housing blocks to destroy backyards. The developers will love it. The change of lease purpose will
8 CityNews June 18-24, 2026
Why is it that instead of being proud to live in the best city environment in the world, our leaders wish to copy other cities that have been such failures? Photo: Paul Costigan allow 50 per cent back to the developer rather than the current full value of the change of purpose. The Canberra leasehold system is set up to stop speculation on land through the change of use. The profit coming from a different use of the land belongs with the people rather than the developer. For example, the value of land for church purposes is very low. If the church is to be bulldozed and replaced with a highrise tower, the value of the land is very high. In this case the profits from building the units belong with the developer. However, the profits from the different use of the land in a planned city that uses a leasehold system belong with the community.
A myriad of failures in planning have been made since self-government. Planning Minister Chris Steel is about to preside over the most significant of the failures.
It is common in other cities to see single dwellings squeezed between six packs of flats. Flats! Flats? Wrong language for the missing middle, they will be referred to as town houses to create the impression that they will have little or no impact on neighbours. A recent article in The Conversation by Dr Rahman from the University of Melbourne argued “trees and greenery can cool cities by as much as 18°C”. He did add that they must be the right sort of trees with a particular focus on “layered vegetation”. This government pretends to address climate change. Dr Rahman argues that “cities trap heat. Roads, buildings and asphalt absorb solar energy during the day and slowly
release it back into the air, especially at night. This ‘urban heat island’ effect, combined with climate change, is making heatwaves more intense and more dangerous in our cities”. The great delight about flying home into Canberra is looking down at established suburbs and observing houses dotted between the trees. In other cities we see houses with a few trees dotted between them. Just planting trees is not enough, “a ‘one-size fits all’ greening strategy can fail. A planting design that works well in Melbourne may behave very differently in Hong Kong or Munich” according to Dr Rahman. However, in a planned city such as Canberra, the presence of an abundance of trees, a strong canopy with the support of shrubs and ground cover reduces heat significantly. He measured radiant heat in Melbourne and cited the 18°C difference between well planted streets and those with no trees. It is not hard to extrapolate the difference for Canberra when single-dwelling houses are bulldozed and replaced with much more intense development. Where there is no room for the same canopy and layered
planting, there will be an increase in radiant heat. A myriad of failures in planning have been made since selfgovernment. Planning Minister Chris Steel is about to preside over the most significant of the failures. The city will move to the sort of mixed hotch-blotch that is seen in so many other places. Rather than expanding options, there will be much less choice in the type of dwelling, and environment in which to live. Why is it that instead of being proud to live in the best city environment in the world, our leaders wish to copy other cities that have been such failures, cities that are struggling to get some of the advantages that we have here in Canberra? 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.
citynews.com.au
OPINION
In 2023-24 just over 30 per cent of cases in the Magistrates Court were dismissed, while the average rate across the rest of Australia of a finding of guilt was around 98 per cent.
Jarring revelations in new justice report JULIE TONGS laments some of the ‘concerning’ local revelations in the latest report on justice from the Productivity Commission. The ACT has, on a pro-rata basis, the lowest number of operational police in Australia, according to the Productivity Commission’s recently released report on justice. This is deeply concerning. The Commission has also reported that the ACT over the last two years has had by far the lowest level of Magistrates Court decisions resulting in a guilty outcome for defendants. For example, in 2022-23 almost 40 per cent of cases before the ACT Magistrates Court resulted in a not-guilty outcome while in 2023-24 just over 30 per cent of cases were similarly dismissed. The average rate across the rest of Australia, in both years, of a finding of guilt was around 98 per cent. A disparity of this order surely demands a detailed investigation into how or why ACT policing either got it wrong in charging the accused or, alternatively, why it was that the respective magistrates dismissed so many of the cases. It would also be of interest to know how many of those who were charged with a criminal offence by ACT policing and had their case dismissed were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage. However, perhaps the most intriguing data set in the whole of this latest batch of Productivity Commission reports is that which details the level of prisoner employment in the AMC. The Productivity Commission, as detailed below, reports that the AMC has the highest rate (90 per cent) of non-indigenous employment and the second highest rate (85 per cent) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island employment of any prison in the citynews.com.au
whole of Australia. However, the Productivity Commission’s findings in relation to this issue have caused regular visitors to the AMC significant consternation in that the only “employment” that any of the regular visitors approached by Winnunga Nimmityjah in relation to the employment of detainees in the prison were able to identify included: sweeping the floor, loading the clothes washer, emptying the garbage bins and washing the dishes. In light of this, it would be appreciated if Corrections ACT or the Productivity Commission would provide details of the employment that the identified 90 per cent plus of detainees are apparently engaged in including the length of time that they are so employed, on a daily basis. A further issue of interest reported on by the Productivity Commission is the real net operating expenditure per prisoner and per offender per day, in 2024-25 dollars. What the Commission has revealed is that the expenditure per prisoner per day in the ACT is the highest in Australia at $573.76 while the lowest is the NT at $225.68 followed by SA at $239.20 and Queensland at $295.84. It would be interesting to better understand why, for example, it costs almost $300 more per day to imprison a person in Canberra than it does in say NSW or Queensland? The Productivity Commission has also detailed the cost per offender per day across the whole of Australia which reveals that in the ACT the cost per day is $85.19 compared, for example, to a cost per offender per day in NSW of $22.59 and in Queensland of $26.51. Julie Tongs is CEO of the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services. CityNews June 18-24, 2026 9
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COVER STORY / Rear Vision: the Holden Collection
Remembering the car that carried Australia By Helen
MUSA “We love football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars,” went the famous advertising jingle from the 1970s. Small matter that it was a rip-off from the American jingle, “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet”, it took off here among a populace who probably didn’t know or care that the same company – General Motors – owned both Holden and Chevrolet. Historically, public reaction to Australia’s first locally made car in 1948 was extraordinary. Around 18,000 people reportedly signed up to buy the car sight unseen and at the height of Holden’s popularity, the EH Holden became the fastest-selling Australian car ever, with more than 250,000 sold in 18 months. Now an aptly titled exhibition at the National Archives of Australia, Rear Vision: the Holden Collection, brings to life the memories and stories of General Motors Holden. As visitors walk in the door of the archives, they will be confronted by a large 48-215 (FX) Holden, the property of Canberra Classic Holden Club members June and Tony Pryce, who painstakingly restored it in original duckegg blue tones sourced from period colours. When I catch up with NAA curator Anna Edmundson, I learn that the show, developed originally by the State Library of South Australia with the University of Adelaide, has been augmented in Canberra with patent records, advertising, industrial relations files and material relating to women workers’ campaigns for equal pay, all from the Archives’ collection. Bookended by the first and last engines Holden produced – yes, the actual engines – Rear Vision traces the company’s journey from a 19th century Adelaide saddlery, through military production during World War II, the creation of Australia’s own car and finally the company’s closure in 2017. Inside the show are Monaro transmission components, custom paint and trim samples, fibreglass moulds, glasswork, Lego model cars and the original bronze lion statue from the entrance to the Elizabeth assembly plant. And for those feeling nostalgic, there will even be photo opportunities inviting visitors to place themselves back into the “good old days” behind the citynews.com.au
The launch of the 500,000th Holden in 1958.
NAA curator Anna Edmundson with a Holden 48-215 (FX). The oldest Holden registered in the ACT, it was assembled in Sydney in September 1949. June and Tony Pryce bought it in 1990 and painstakingly restored it in original duck-egg blue tones sourced from period colours. Photo: Peter Hislop wheel of a cardboard FX. I find that although American-owned, Holden quickly became synonymous with Australian nationalism and indeed the names “Boomerang” and “Woomera” were touted for the original car, though they settled on the more commonplace 48-215, quickly known as the FX and later superseded by the famous FJ. Later models, however, did adopt names drawn from Aboriginal languages: Torana meaning “to fly”, Monaro meaning “high plains” and Camira meaning “wind”. The exhibition explores Holden’s place in Australian cultural memory. “We’ve all got a picture in our minds of grandma near a Holden with a Hills Hoist in the background,” Edmundson says. There is material relating to artist Albert Namatjira, who spent his first tax return on a green Holden truck, and to Jimmy Barnes, who worked at the Elizabeth plant in SA after migrating from Glasgow. Barnes would go on to perform Shutting Down Our Town, written by Troy CassarDaley, at a farewell party for retrenched workers when the Elizabeth factory closed in October 2017. The story began in 1856 when James Alexander Holden, a talented inventor as Edmundson points out, established a saddlery business in Adelaide that expanded into carriage trim, leather seats and carriage bodies before moving into early car-body production mounted on to imported Chevrolet chassis
and engines. Little known is that in the 1920s Holden also supplied bodies for Melbourne’s W-Class trams. When it merged with General Motors in 1931, the company retained enough autonomy to develop vehicles adapted to Australian conditions. The exhibition argues that Holden’s real industrial transformation came during World War II when it shifted into military manufacturing, producing aircraft engines, anti-tank guns, artillery shells, bombs and military equipment. Among the wartime objects on show is the Gipsy Major engine that powered Tiger Moth aircraft, the first Australianbuilt Holden engine, contrasted with the company’s final 2017 vehicle, the VF Commodore SS-V Redline, later purchased for $750,000 by a former Holden employee. Pride of place is also given to the Beaufort Bomber program, especially photographs showing the women working on the bomber production. Edmundson says that around 35 per cent of people working on the Beaufort were women, though they had to strike to demand equal pay with men after intervention by the Women’s Employment Board. The exhibition also stresses the multicultural make-up of the workforce, while another section examines the devastation wrought on trades communities after the company’s collapse. Ultimately, Edmundson says, Rear Visions is less about the physicality of the car than the stories of people.
Rear Vision: the Holden Collection, National Archives of Australia, daily, until October 11. Free.
Prime Minister Ben Chifley at the launch of the first Holden car in 1948.
Holden as an early saddlery in Adelaide, 1907. Photo: Ernest Gall
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PLANNING / housing
Cost will crimp missing middle ideals Increasing housing choice, by amending the Territory Plan to accommodate “missing middle” development, will only eventuate if the dwellings are affordable to an increased number of households. It is uncertain how many dwellings will be provided under Minister Chris Steel’s new planning reforms, but it is likely to be modest. In the lower-density RZ1 area and RZ2 area (found adjacent shopping centres) residential subdivision and block consolidation will be permitted and in RZ2 areas missing middle homes of up to three storeys (plus an attic) will be permitted. In recent times, high interest rates and labour and supply shortages, compounded by high population growth, have been major factors contributing to an inadequate supply of housing. How many owners of RZ1 blocks will take up the opportunities to unit title and subdivide? What will be the demand for higher density dwellings in RZ2 areas? Missing middle projects will continue to have a lower scope for construction efficiencies than higher-density projects reducing their ability to be affordable to a wider range of households. The challenge in delivering improved
It is uncertain how many dwellings will be provided under Minister Chris Steel’s new planning reforms, but it is likely to be modest. Missing middle projects will continue to have a lower scope for construction efficiencies than higher-density projects. housing outcomes is illustrated by the limited success of the Joint Venture for More Affordable Housing undertaken in the 1980s and early 1990s. It aimed to reduce the cost of new housing through land development innovations including smaller blocks, narrower roads and common trenching of services. To adequately increase housing choice, supply and affordability requires greater action than tweaking planning regulations. They include: • As the market fails to deliver anywhere near the level of housing required by groups in housing stress, greatly increased construction of social and community housing is needed. The government has to vastly improve its performance as it has not increased the number of social housing dwellings since 2012 despite
Canberra’s population growing by 100,000; • Increasing the supply of land for detached housing. Restrictions on the supply of detached dwellings contributed to the 91 per cent increase in the price of separate houses compared to 48 per cent for other dwellings between 2010 and 2024. Since then the Indicative Land Release Program 2025-26 to 2029-30 increased the multi-unit dwellings share of releases to 90 per cent. The irony is the environment benefits of the policy have been diminished by car-dependant sprawl in surrounding NSW; • Greater emphasis on the dispersal of employment (and resisting proposals to re-centralise employment) and improving transport infrastructure to increase the number of well-located properties and to improve the utilisation of infrastructure; • Increased use of the leasehold system to set development
conditions and use of lease variation charge and inclusionary zoning discounts to facilitate the provision of affordable housing; consider the benefits of pre-fabricated housing. The upcoming census will provide an opportunity to obtain data to better understand the factors influencing housing choice including the interactions between household type, dwelling type, transport choices and car parking demand. The information base would be strengthened if a parallel housing choices survey was undertaken to more fully interrogate the issues including the trade-offs a household would be willing to make to occupy a higher-density dwelling in highaccessibility/high-land value locations. Will the government take the opportunity to base its future decisions on evidence, not opinion, to avoid a repeat of the light rail boondoggle and the excessive restrictions on the release of land for detached dwellings?
BRIEFLY Warm Trees returns to the Arboretum The annual Warm Trees display, organised by the Friends of the National Arboretum, is part of the arboretum’s Winter in the Woods program, running from June 26 to August 9. Trees throughout the Arboretum will be wrapped in brightly coloured handcrafted scarves, while the entrance to the Visitor Centre will also receive a winter-themed makeover.
Repairers hard at work The Hawker Men’s Shed says its Community Repair Café has achieved an 88 per cent repair success rate, helping save more than 1850 items from landfill since the initiative began in October 2020. The volunteer-run program gives Canberrans the chance to bring in broken household items for free repair advice and assistance. The next Hawker Community Repair Café will be held from 10am to 1pm on Sunday, June 21, at the Hawker International Softball Centre.
Talking wombats Yolandi Vernaak, founder and president of Wombat Support and Rescue NSW/ ACT, is the guest speaker at the next lunch meeting of the Gungahlin Day View Club, at the Gungahlin Lakes Golf and Community Club in Gungahlin from 11.30am on Wednesday June 24. Cost is $35 and visitors are welcome. RSVP by text to 0413 923933 by June 21.
Mike Quirk is a former NCDC and ACT government planner.
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WHIMSY / frontier ballads to protest anthems
Rewriting history through melody and rhyme “In order to compose all you have to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of.” –Robert Schumann
Through melody and rhyme, America’s songwriters have turned defeats into moral victories, soldiers into martyrs, and complex conflicts into simple tales.
From frontier ballads to protest anthems, American songwriters have shaped America’s national identity. Through melody and rhyme, they have turned defeats into moral victories, soldiers into martyrs, and complex conflicts into simple tales. The Alamo offers a clear example. In 1836, 200 Texan rebels died defending the Alamo against Mexico’s Gen Santa Anna. The loss became a symbol of heroic sacrifice – first in 1830s newspapers and dime novels, later in film. The 1960 song The Ballad of the Alamo, by Dimitri Tiomkin and Paul Francis Webster for John Wayne’s movie, The Alamo amplified the myth: “They fought for the right to be free.” The line aligns the battle with the American Revolution and ideals of liberty. Reality was more complicated. Texas, part of Mexico, had abolished slavery in 1829. Slavery motivated many Anglo settlers who led the rebellion, but disputes also involved land policy, immigration bans, and centralised rule. Defenders such as Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and William Travis were
Woody Guthrie… This Land Is Your Land, recorded 1944, rebutted “God Bless America”.
Billie Holiday… her 1939 Strange Fruit, confronted lynching: “Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze”.
US adventurers, not native Texans – many of British descent. The song erases these nuances, replacing them with courage and freedom. Myth supplants complexity; defeat becomes triumph. This process – turning contradiction into clarity – defines American songwriting. The nation needs unifying stories, especially when history is uncomfortable. Songs, emotional and memorable, bypass accuracy for feeling. Patriotic choruses rarely prompt questions about who benefited or suffered. The Civil War’s Battle Hymn of the Republic, written by Julia Ward Howe in 1861, cast the Union cause as divine: “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” Religious imagery turned a political war into a moral crusade, soldiers into agents of justice. It sanctified
violence for freedom – a theme echoed in World War songs. The 20th century brought challengers. Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land, written 1940 and recorded 1944, rebutted “God Bless America”. Omitted verses critiqued private property and inequality: In the shadow of the steeple, I saw my people… Was this land made for you and me?” Guthrie questioned the myths earlier songs built. Bob Dylan continued the reversal. In With God on Our Side (1964), he lists wars – from Indian conflicts to Vietnam – repeating “God’s on our side” until irony exposes moral hypocrisy. “The Times They Are A-Changin’” warns leaders: “Admit that the waters around you have grown.” Prophetic and mythic, Dylan unmasks sanctity as a tool for control.
Songs have also driven change by forcing truth. Billie Holiday’s 1939 Strange Fruit, lyrics by Abel Meeropol, confronted lynching: “Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze”. Where anthems glorified, Holiday demanded reckoning. Across two centuries, songwriters wield lyrics as persuasion. They glorify the Alamo, sanctify Union armies, call for street justice or expose lynching’s horror – offering not history as it was, but as leaders or movements wished. “They fought for the right to be free” is both a tribute and a warning. American music sometimes ennobles action – and erases reality. On a lighter note: There’s a party in the woods when a wild storm breaks out. Two young men sprint through the rain, dive into their car, and speed
off – laughing and drinking beers. Suddenly, a wrinkled old face appears outside the passenger window, tapping lightly. “EEEEEEEK! There’s an old guy out there!” the passenger screams. “Ask him what he wants!” the driver yells. Trembling, the passenger cracks the window. “W-what do you want?” The old man whispers, “Got any tobacco?” “Give him a cigarette!” the driver orders. The passenger shoves one out, slams the window, and the speedo soon shows 80kph. Then – tap, tap, tap – the same face appears again. “HE’S BACK!” the passenger screams. They are now doing 100kph. The passenger rolls down the window and screams out, “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” in stark fear. The old man replies. “Do you guys need some help gettin’ out of the mud?” Clive Williams is a Canberra columnist.
12 JUNE - 11 OCTOBER 2026 FREE EXHIBITION | OPEN DAILY Take a drive through the story of an Australian icon, from 19th-century saddlery to ‘Australia’s Own Car’, and Holden’s lasting impact on the nation. KINGS AVENUE, PARKES ACT
An exhibition developed by the State Library of South Australia, in partnership with Adelaide University.
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CityNews June 18-24, 2026 13
LETTERS / well written, well read
Let loose to: editor@citynews.com.au
Pyrophytic undergrowth just waiting to go off Many Canberrans are probably too young to remember the catastrophic bushfire event of 2003. But according to the National Museum of Australia website: “Four people died and 435 were injured as a result of the Canberra fires. Almost 70 per cent of the ACT was burned. A total of 487 homes and 23 government and commercial buildings were destroyed, including the internationally renowned Mount Stromlo Observatory. The estimated financial cost of the fires was between $600 million and $1 billion.” The annual cull is being sold to us in the name of “conservation”. But on a walk on Farrer Ridge, I encountered just one solitary and wary kangaroo, and pyrophytic undergrowth as thick as you like. With no macropods to eat it down, it is a firebomb just waiting to go off this coming summer. This is of concern to me, as my wife and I nearly lost our house up here near that ridge in the 2003 event. Needless to add, all the striped legless lizards, grassland earless dragons, golden sun moths, perunga grasshoppers, hooded robins and brown treecreepers, as well as the button wrinkleworts and Ginninderra peppercress plants that the ACT Government is trying to tell us its “conservation culling” of kangaroos is preserving, will all go up in flames as well. Female kangaroos have the natural ability to pause embryo development when conditions are poor. We should leave the control of their own populations to them, and to Mother Nature, and cease – as of yesterday – the necessarily and inevitably genetically ignorant “conservation culling”. The skippies are our friends. Ian MacDougall, via citynews.com.au
Liberals asleep at the wheel for 25 years Many letter writers to CN have expressed their alarm at the ACT Government’s financial mismanagement. John Lawrence, in his letter “There’s bad news and bad news” (CN June 4) repeats the bad news about the government debt and then takes a swipe at the hapless Liberals who he says are asleep at the wheel. It’s more like they’ve been comatose for 25 years. During that quarter of a century of back-to-back Labor/Greens governments
14 CityNews June 18-24, 2026
there has been little evidence of business acumen amongst their ranks. The incumbent ACT Government is led by an old-fashioned Labor apparatchik, rising through the ranks as a staffer and adviser to various ministers. The other nine members are a blend of ex-public servants, Labor staffers and trade union hacks. The electorate that gives them a 1 and 2 at the ballot box every four years is very comfortable with the status quo. Paul Temby, via email
Numbers are not their strong point No wonder the ACT budget has blown out and the ACT Government can’t even cover interest payments on the loans it has taken out, when it has allocated cull numbers for macropods in reserves where there are none! Numbers are clearly not its strong point, and neither is compassion. Gill Jewell, Barton
There once was a pollie, Pauline… Here’s another limerick inspired by Joel Pearce (letters, CN June 11): There once was a pollie named Pauline, Who thought net zero rather Pauline Hanson. obscene. She loudly championed coal, As the ultimate goal, Let’s hope voters prefer to be green Haiku anyone? Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Victoria
Making sense of what we dream I read with interest the article on why some folk recall dreams (CN, June 4). It was good on the mechanics of dreams and sleep, but regrettably missed the chance to discuss dream interpretation. Kekulé famously worked out the ring structure of benzene after dreaming of a snake biting its tail. His comment, “Let us learn to dream… then perhaps we shall find the truth,” stayed with me.
By having an interested person ask appropriate questions, sense can often be made of issues in a person’s life. Once a friend told me that she had dreamed of losing her beautifully kept teeth. When I asked what her teeth meant to her, she realised the importance of the moment. Dream recall is half the journey. Even a casual look at the circumstances behind it can help to open a window into the unconscious. Bob Gardiner, Isabella Plains
Treasurer Steel, hello; your response, please A letter to Treasurer Chris Steel: I have written to you on February 10, March 20 and May 6 seeking a response [regarding the missing expenditures in the ratepayers’ pie chart Chris Steel. sent with last year’s ACT Rates Assessment Notice]. To date, nothing. I await your response. I now ask regarding the ACT publication – distributed to all Canberra residents – Our CBR (with Andrew Barr’s image on the front page): • What is the annual production cost? • What is the annual printing cost? • What is the annual distribution cost? John Miller, Flynn
Albanese’s is a Clayton’s Labor government PM Anthony Albanese is no John Howard when it comes to leadership qualities and conviction. Howard had the courage of his convictions and stood by his principles; PM Anthony Albanese. Albanese, on the other hand, is a wimp who indulges in making himself and his party as small a target as possible to avoid criticism. He caved in on the AUKUS agreement to avoid being wedged on defence. His one and only attempt at major reform with the Voice ended up being an absolute disaster. It has also set back the indigenous cause by a decade or more.
Howard was a leader; Albanese is not. His sole dedication is to the ALP retaining government, whatever the cost. The Albanese government is a Clayton’s Labor government. Mario Stivala, Belconnen
Where universities have gone wrong Having worked at eight universities over more than 25 years, I can offer some experience-based insights on where Australian universities have gone wrong: • Too much emphasis on academics producing books, journal articles and book chapters, and not enough emphasis on – or career credit given to – academics delivering high-quality teaching, as rated by students. • Too many academics who are more focused on progressing their academic careers than on helping students. • Too many administrators over-administering and making it difficult to develop relevant new courses. • Too little value placed by universities on academic expert comment for the media and at public forums. • Outdated student assessment systems. • Costly property overbuilding when building needs were declining. • Too many academics and PhD students doing research that had little practical value or purpose. • Overpayment of senior executives. At a more senior management level, there was also a failure to appreciate the learning options available for overseas and domestic students – particularly what overseas universities were offering, often at less cost than in Australia. Prof Clive Williams, Forrest
Why can’t these people speak to each other? I am a disabled person and appreciate that I have had a place to call home for over 10 years, thanks to Housing ACT. My frustration is this: I have funding through the NDIS for home modifications to make my home safe for me, but the NDIS says it does not have permission to change a Housing ACT home. At the same time, Housing ACT has acknowledged that I need home modifications, but states that it does not have the funding!
Why can’t these two organisations speak to each other – one providing the funding and the other making the changes happen? One possible answer came some years ago when Housing ACT told me that it did not want to make my home look like a disabled person’s home (with additions such as small ramps and rails) because the next tenants would want a “normal-looking” home. I don’t know whether I feel shocked, or seen by the government as totally worthless. A Leslie, via email
Cease the cruelty of culling kangaroos I would like to join in with the countless calls to the ACT Government to cease its appalling and barbaric kangaroo culling. The dreaded time of the year is at the door for both compassionate Canberrans and our beautiful kangaroos. Their only fault has been to find themselves in their own native environment, peacefully grazing and doing no harm to anyone, while surrounded by hostile humans leaders, who, instead of being guardians of this wonderful land and finding ways of co-existing, managing and protecting, have confused “conservation” with ignorant, inhumane and savage slaughter, leading eventually to extermination of the species. Has it occurred to the ACT Government, its leader and policy makers, that it would be both just and prudent to lend their ear to their constituents with their 17-year long calls to cease the culling, to respond to the scientific evidence, to be consultative and transparent in their decision making, to be compassionate and innovative in managing sentient beings and environment? Many ACT residents have long been past the point “enough is enough” at the appalling and unacceptable treatment of animals and environment by the ACT Government. Bruna Krstulovic, Barton
The scramble to be coherent and credible A big con job is sure to be delivered when normally lazy or befuddled representatives in the three now-rightist parliamentary parties scramble to be coherent and credible communicators (“Coalition leaves door open to working with One Nation”, citynews.com. au, June 9). Sue Dyer, Downer
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Winter road trips
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Seaside comfort in the heart of Surf Beach A winter escape worth the short drive Just over three hours from Canberra, Parkes offers the perfect winter day trip or short getaway, combining country hospitality, fascinating history and some of regional Australia’s most iconic attractions. Best known as the home of the world-famous Parkes Radio Telescope, immortalised in the Australian film The Dish, the town played a crucial role in relaying television images of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The telescope remains one of the region’s must see attractions and continues to draw visitors from across Australia. Winter is an ideal time to explore the Parkes region, with crisp country mornings giving way to sunny days perfect for sightseeing. Visitors can wander through charming local shops, enjoy hearty meals at welcom-
ing cafés and pubs, and discover the rich agricultural heritage that underpins the district. For those who enjoy the outdoors, the area offers scenic drives, bushland walks and some of New South Wales’ best gravel cycling routes, with fully mapped trails ranging from leisurely rides to challenging long-distance adventures. Whether you’re seeking a relaxed winter weekend, a fascinating day trip or a gateway to the wider Central West, Parkes delivers authentic country experiences, stunning landscapes and plenty of reasons to linger a little longer. Parkes Shire Council Call 02 6862 6000 or visit visitparkes.com.au
For Canberrans seeking an easy coastal escape, Ocean Echoes at Surf Beach offers the perfect balance of convenience, comfort and seaside charm. Located just over two hours from the capital, the spacious holiday home makes weekend getaways feel effortless, allowing guests to swap city routines for ocean breezes in a single afternoon. Designed with families and groups in mind, Ocean Echoes combines modern amenities with thoughtful spaces that encourage both connection and privacy. Spread across two levels, the home features three queen bedrooms, three bathrooms and a spacious rumpus room fitted with three bunk beds, making it ideal for large families, multi-generational gatherings or groups of friends travelling together. Contemporary furnishings, generous living areas and quality finishes create a welcoming coastal atmosphere from the moment guests arrive. The home is fully equipped for a stress-free stay,
featuring a modern kitchen, comfortable lounges, smart TVs, air-conditioning and a cosy wood-burning fireplace that becomes a natural gathering place during the cooler months. Every detail has been considered to ensure guests can settle in quickly and focus on enjoying their time away. Its location is equally appealing. Surf Beach and Wimbie Beach are just a short stroll away, while Batemans Bay’s restaurants, cafés, boutiques and waterfront attractions are only minutes from the doorstep. Nearby Mogo adds further appeal with its wildlife park, galleries and village charm. For those looking to recharge by the coast without travelling far, Ocean Echoes delivers a relaxed and memorable South Coast experience. Ocean Echoes Instagram @oceanechoesurfbeach Visit oceanechoes.com.au
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Open 7 days. 66-78 Newell Highway, Parkes NSW 02 6862 6000 | tourism@parkes.nsw.gov.au
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Winter road trips
advertising feature Luke and Brooke Bow.
The team at Captains Flat Hotel.
Country hospitality worth the drive Just 45 minutes from Canberra, the Captains Flat Hotel is proving that some of the region’s best hospitality experiences can still be found in a classic country pub. A landmark in the historic mining town since 1938, the hotel combines old-world character with a welcoming atmosphere that keeps locals and visitors coming back. Whether it’s a hearty pub meal, a cold drink with friends or a weekend getaway, the venue offers an authentic country experience that feels a world away from city life. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11am, the hotel welcomes visitors to enjoy lunch, dinner or a relaxing afternoon in one of the region’s most iconic country settings. The spacious beer garden has become a popular gathering place, while the traditional public bar provides the perfect setting to unwind. Guests can also stay overnight in comfortable accommodation, making it easy to explore the surrounding region. Home to the legendary Floating Beer Glass, the Captains Flat Hotel continues to attract visitors seeking great food, live music, rich history and genuine country hospitality.
A Snowy Mountains escape with a difference For travellers seeking more than just a place to stay, Avonside Alpine Estate offers an experience that blends luxury accommodation, sustainable living and authentic farm life in the heart of the Snowy Mountains region. Located just minutes from Jindabyne and within easy reach of Kosciuszko National Park, the purpose-built eco-retreat showcases the best of country living while operating as a fully off-grid property. Guests can relax in modern accommodation, explore the picturesque farm and enjoy spectacular alpine views in every direction. A stay at Avonside Alpine Estate can be as active or as relaxed as guests choose. Visitors can meet the property’s much-loved Highland cattle, wander through the orchard, learn about sustainable farming practices or simply unwind beside a fire while taking in the peace and quiet of the countryside. Combining environmental innovation with genuine country hospitality, Avonside Alpine Estate delivers a memorable Snowy Mountains getaway for couples, families and groups all year round. Avonside Alpine Estate 501 Avonside Road, Avonside, NSW. Call 0400 868 683 or visit avonsidealpineestate.com.au
Captains Flat Hotel 51 Foxlow Street, Captains Flat, NSW. Call 02 6236 6069 or visit captainsflathotel.com.au
A welcoming space where locals and visitors can feel at home Winter has always been our favourite season on the South Coast. The beaches are quieter, the pace slows, and people have a little more time to gather around the table. For those in the Canberra region, it’s the perfect excuse to escape down the hill for a weekend of fresh air, coastal walks and great food. At Merry St, husband and-wife team Luke and Brooke Bow have built their restaurant around those same ideas. Luke’s menus are driven by the seasons, taking inspiration from the incredible produce grown, caught and crafted throughout the region, while Brooke focuses on creating a welcoming space where locals and visitors alike can feel at home. As the weather cools, the menu shifts with it – richer flavours, slower cooking and dishes designed to be shared. Alongside regular dinner service, Wednesday evenings bring Merry Nights, a weekly dinner series celebrating cuisines from around the world. For us, winter isn’t the off-season. It’s when the South Coast truly comes into its own. Merry St Restaurant 3a Merry Street, Kioloa, NSW. Instagram @merryst.restaurant Visit merryst.com.au
@merryst.restaurant
51 FOXLOW ST |
(02) 6236 6069 |
16 CityNews June 18-24, 2026
captainsflathotel.com.au |
avonsidealpineestate.com.au 0400 868 683 | 501 Avonside Road, Avonside, NSW
3a Merry St, Kioloa NSW | www.merryst.com.au | @merryst.restaurant citynews.com.au
Winter getaway with ocean views Escape to winter comfort at Ocean Echoes at Surf Beach, your cosy coastal retreat in Surf Beach with 3 Queen bedrooms and a huge rumpus room with 3 bunk beds. Just minutes from the sand and within half an hour of South Coast favourites, you can explore Mogo’s boutique village, visit local beaches and coves, or enjoy Clyde River tours and oyster tastings. Just want to relax, then curl up by a wood fire overlooking the water.
Winter stays are easy
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International Yoga Day
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International Yoga Day celebrates wellbeing through movement and mindfulness International Yoga Day on June 21 celebrates health, wellbeing and mindfulness, encouraging people around the world to experience yoga’s many benefits, regardless of age, fitness level or experience. For many Canberrans, yoga has become an important part of maintaining physical and mental wellbeing. Healthy Living Yoga has built a strong reputation for providing accessible classes that support participants at every stage of life. With a focus on gentle, sustainable movement, balance, flexibility and relaxation, the studio welcomes everyone from young adults through to seniors looking to improve mobility, strength and overall health. One of yoga’s great strengths is its adaptability. Whether someone seeks a more active practice, relief from the physical demands of daily life, support during retirement, or simply a way to reduce stress, yoga can be tailored to suit individual needs and abilities. This makes it one of the most inclusive forms of exercise available. Canberra Yoga Space is another popular local studio helping people discover the benefits of regular yoga practice. Known for its welcoming atmosphere and experienced instructors, the studio offers a range of classes designed to help participants improve flexibility, build strength and develop greater mindfulness. As International Yoga Day approaches, it provides a timely reminder that yoga is not about age, fitness or perfection. It is about creating space to move, breathe and feel better, making it a practice that can benefit people throughout every stage of life.
Healthy Living Yoga, the path to better sleep, less stress and greater wellbeing Canberra is cold, but your practice doesn’t have to be. Experience the benefits of our infrared heating panels, designed to promote warmth, support circulation, encourage muscle relaxation and create a comfortable environment for your yoga practice. There is a simple truth as to why yoga has been practiced all over the world for thousands of years – it works. At its essence, yoga is centred around yoking or uniting, it is a connection to your mind, body, and spirit. It’s an intentional and non-judgmental practice that leads to acceptance and inner peace. Integrating our practices into our everyday lives is where the real magic happens. Yoga calms the breath, mind and body and centres awareness and attention back to the present moment to provide clarity from the physical and mental sensation of the body. Through the combination of physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation, it shifts your body from its ‘fight-or-flight’ sympathetic nervous system response to a ‘rest-and-digest’ parasympathetic nervous system response.
Yoga is also proven to improve sleep quality and duration. Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra in particular the ‘yoga of sleep or sleep of Sages’ is a powerful practice to do directly before sleep; signalling to your body that it is safe to relax and making it feel more prepared for rest and awake refreshed. Whether you are recovering from injury, wanting to improve your lymphatic drainage, strengthen the core muscles, reduce inflammation or improve overall wellbeing we have a yoga practice for you in a unique community. Find us nestled above the fresh produce and artisanal products at the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets. Join us for our classes, workshops, monthly sound baths and retreats today, find us via the website at www.healthylivingyoga.com.au Healthy Living Yoga Shop F2-3, level one, Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets. Call 0427 112 222 or visit healthylivingyoga.com.au
Finding Balance and Strength Mindful movement, breath and rest for every body. Classes are supportive, adaptable and welcoming, helping you build strength, mobility and confidence while honouring what your body needs.
MOVE with ease BREATHE with intention REST deeply
From left, Gail Robertson, Eli Haski and Tania Williams of Canberra Yoga Space.
Friday 6:30pm Free meditation + soundbath Slow down, rest deeply and reconnect.
International Yoga Day Offer
20% OFF selected passes
Use code WINTER at checkout
Book your first class today: 6198 3395 6/13 Botany St, Phillip canberrayogaspace.com.au | @canberrayogaspace 18 CityNews June 18-24, 2026
Finding balance and strength, Canberra Yoga Space celebrates International Yoga Day At Canberra Yoga Space, mindful movement is offered as a quiet return to self, a practice rooted in awareness, care, and respect for the body as it changes over time. For women aged 45 and above, this approach is especially meaningful, creating a space where the menopausal body is not something to push against, but something to honour. Especially in the stillness of winter, the studio becomes a warm and welcoming refuge. Soft lighting, calm energy, and a strong sense of community invite students to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect, both with themselves and with others. It is a space that feels nurturing from the moment you step inside. Classes are thoughtfully designed to be adaptable, supportive, and safe, while still offering the strength, mobility, and confidence that come from consistent practice. Whether you are new to yoga or returning after time away, each session meets you where you
are, allowing you to move with ease and intention. Our approach is holistic, weaving together breath, movement, and rest to support both physical and emotional wellbeing. It is not about intensity, but about sustainability – building a practice that can evolve with you over time. Each Friday at 6:30pm, the studio also offers a free meditation and soundbath, creating space for deep rest and gentle connection at the end of the week. In celebration of International Yoga Day, enjoy 20% off selected passes with code WINTER at checkout. Follow @canberrayogaspace on Instagram and Facebook or visit www.canberrayogaspace.com.au Canberra Yoga Space 6/13 Botany Street, Philip. Call 02 6198 3395 or visit canberrayogaspace.com.au citynews.com.au
Winter School Holiday fun
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Supporting Canberra families through every stage
Join Luminescence children’s choir holiday program 2026! Luminescence Children’s Choir Holiday Program is a five-day workshop for young people aged 7–12 who love to sing. There is no application or audition requirement for our holiday programs – all young singers are welcome! Led by composer and pianist Sally Whitwell and Luminescence Chamber Singers bass-baritone Alasdair Stretch the Luminescence Holiday Program invites young singers to explore their voices and the magic of singing together over five glorious days.
Learn new songs, meet new friends, and discover music through games and play. The program runs from Monday July 6 to Friday July 10 between 9am-3pm at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture. Supervision is available from 8.30am-5.00pm at additional cost. Luminescence luminescence.org.au
Award-winning Capital Tots Nannies provides professional, personalised childcare families can trust. Founded by career nanny and agency director Jessica Bunting, Capital Tots Nannies was established with a simple mission: to provide Canberra families with professional, personalised childcare they can trust. Recognised as Best Professional Nanny Agency – Canberra 2026 in the Top 100 Business Awards, Capital Tots Nannies offers a range of services including long-term nanny placements, flexible short-term nanny care, occasional babysitting, night nanny support, and wedding and event childcare. Every nanny is carefully selected through a thorough screening process and face-to-face interview and must meet strict standards for experience, references, current Police Checks, Working With Vulnerable People check, and First Aid and CPR qualifications. With more than a decade of professional experience working with children in Australia, the United Kingdom and China, Jessica established Capital Tots Nannies with a strong commitment to professionalism, safety and personalised support. The agency’s team of experienced nannies is dedicated to creating calm, nurturing environments where children feel secure and parents feel supported. Capital Tots Nannies focuses on thoughtful matching and ongoing support, ensuring families receive care tailored to their individual needs. Whether welcoming a new baby, navigating busy school holidays, or simply needing an extra pair of hands,
Jess Bunting, Agency Director and Nanny. families can feel confident knowing they have a trusted team supporting them every step of the way. At Capital Tots Nannies, every nanny meets high standards in experience, safety, and reliability so you can feel confident your little ones are in capable hands. Capital Tots Nannies Call 0409 303 725 or visit capitaltotsnannies.com.au
LUMINESCENCE
CHILDREN’S CHOIR A week-long workshop for kids who love to sing!
2026 HOLIDAY PROGRAM The Luminescence Holiday Program invites young singers to explore their voices and the magic of singing together over 5 glorious days. Learn new songs, meet new friends, and discover music through games and play.
6 - 10 July Barton ACT 2600
9am – 3pm daily (Monday - Friday) Supervision available from 8.30am – 5.00pm COST: $420 10% sibling discount available
LEARN MORE
luminescence.org.au 20 CityNews June 18-24, 2026
0409 303 725 info@capitaltotsnannies.com.au
Canberra, ACT capitaltotsnannies.com.au citynews.com.au
Students from the Lavender Art Studios Young People’s Art Program exploring drawing, painting, and creative techniques during a studio class.
Creativity takes flight this Winter
Lolly Swagman owner Ian Richardson.
A ‘fun stop’ for a sweet adventure Lolly Swagman owner Ian Richardson reckons Berrima is such a “fun stop for passersby to stretch their legs and grab a few lollies for the next leg of your roadtrip”. The business has been exploring new tastes for nearly three decades and Ian has been the owner for the past 11 years, saying they always appreciate their Canberra customers. Located in the heart of the Southern Highlands, the lolly shop stocks all-time favourite treats and the latest-trending tastes from around the world. “We lost count at 1300 different treats and we know it’s more than that,” he says. According to Ian, the store is a common stop on people’s trips to Berrima. “It’s a happy place with kids excit-
edly exploring new tastes, older people reminiscing and sharing in the thrill of finding a favourite and the great stories that go with them,” he says. “We often see people who’d come as children now bringing in their own children and sharing their experiences, which is lovely to be allowed to join in on. It’s nice to have that history.” With the recent polar blast, Ian says they have their fingers crossed to see the snow, but are ready to welcome customers into their warm shop for a fun taste exploration. Lolly Swagman 11 Old Hume Highway, Berrima. Call 4877 1137, or visit lollyswagman.com.au
This July, Lavender Art Studios will welcome young artists to its Winter School Holiday Program, Winged Wonders, a creative exploration of the fascinating world of birds through art. Birds have inspired artists for centuries with their vibrant colours, unique forms, textures, and behaviours. From parrots and cockatoos to owls and eagles, they offer endless opportunities for artistic discovery and creative expression. Throughout the two-week program, children will explore bird-themed projects using drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and mixed media. Along the way, they will develop important artistic skills including observation, composition, colour mixing, design, and visual storytelling. At Lavender Art Studios, art is about more than creating a finished piece. Carefully guided projects encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence, concentration, and self-expression, while helping students develop their own artistic voice. A highlight of the program is the support provided by our dedicated assistant teachers. Their caring and encouraging approach helps create a welcoming environment where every child feels valued and included. Working alongside our teaching team, they offer guidance and technical support across a wide range of artistic mediums. Whether attending their first workshop or already passionate about art, students benefit from a nurturing studio environment led by experienced educators. Winged Wonders will be held during the July school holidays at Lavender Art Studios, Phillip. Bookings are now open through the Lavender Art Studios online booking platform. Lavender Art Studios lavenderartstudios.com.au/school-holiday-program
Drawing | Painting | Sculpting | Printmaking
Holiday art workshops For ages 5-12 years
6-10 and 13-17 July Morning and afternoon workshops
Book online or find out more lavenderartstudios.com.au/school-holiday-program
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11 Old Hume Highway Berrima 02 4877 1137 CityNews June 18-24, 2026 21
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Ivy leaf cyclamen… comes in a variety of colours and flowers for many months.
Bottlerbrush… a terrific screening tree to have growing under powerlines in the backyard. Photos: Jackie Warburton
Cyclamen thrives through winter By Jackie
WARBURTON Ivy leaf cyclamen is a pretty little plant that grows well through our cold winters and dies down once the weather warms. Cyclamen hederifolium comes in a range of colours from white, pink and red through to every shade in between, flowering for many months. These long-lived plants can eventually grow to about 10cm across and flower in early winter. The root systems of cyclamen vary between species. In Cyclamen hederifolium, the roots emerge from the sides of the tuber, which has a flat base. Other cyclamens, such as Cyclamen coum, have rounded tubers with roots growing from the bottom. Cyclamen coum flowers in mid-winter and also blooms for many months. The latter is more commonly grown as a potted plant indoors
and can be planted into the garden when the weather warms. Neither species likes to be planted too deeply. When conditions are favourable, cyclamen will self-seed and create a carpet of colour in shady areas of the garden. To increase numbers, large tubers can be divided during summer dormancy. Cut the tuber into sections, ensuring each piece has growing eyes, like potatoes, plus some roots attached. Dust the cut surfaces with sulphur, then plant into a mix of fine potting mix and coarse river sand. Water sparingly. IN the vegetable patch, winter is a busy time for improving soils so additives can break down over the cooler months and be ready for spring. Keep beds tilled, weed-free and lightly mulched. Small autumn leaves can be added to garden beds, along with manures of any kind. Chicken manure is high in nitrogen and suits plants requiring lush growth, such as evergreens or hedges. Cow and sheep manures are also excellent additions. Generally, the more processed the manure,
the fewer weed seeds it contains. Sprinkle lightly over the garden and water thoroughly. Take care when using manure around natives, ferns or young plants. Apply lightly to avoid root burn and always water well. Pelletised manure can also be used, but avoid slow-release fertilisers until soils have warmed. A foliar feed on vegetables will encourage strong root and foliage growth. ONE of my favourite plants flowering now is the callistemon, commonly known as bottlebrush. These Australian natives range from small shrubs to trees, and flower in shades of red, white and pink. They make excellent screening plants beneath powerlines, useful backyard trees or attractive small street trees. Callistemons respond well to pruning. Even harsh pruning will not kill them and can reinvigorate growth. Compact varieties such as Little John and Better John are available in the same flower colours. They are ideal for pots, low hedges or border plantings, while also
providing habitat for bees and birds. Occasionally, callistemons are affected by sawfly larvae or webbing caterpillars. Choosing tougherleaved varieties can reduce pest damage. Sawfly larvae skeletonise leaves by stripping away the leaf tissue during spring. Diapel is effective against webbing caterpillars but not sawfly larvae. Success Ultra, an organic spinosad-based spray, can be used to control both pests. Where spraying is not practical, prune out affected branches and place them in the garbage bin for disposal. jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
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www.coolcountrynatives.com.au 22 CityNews June 18-24, 2026
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
INSIDE
Why ever did I wait for so long?
WENDY JOHNSON
When spurned Pino moves back with his parents By Helen
MUSA If your vision of the Italian extended family is rose-tinted, Frank Lotito’s comedy The Italian Divorce, coming soon to The Q, may give you pause for thought. Lotito has tapped into the changing demographics of Italian-Australian society with a story that begins when the protagonist Pino is forced to move back home after his wife kicks him out. Within hours, the entire neighbourhood knows. Mamma Lucia is laying on the guilt and warding off the evil eye, Il Malocchio, while Dad is dispensing outdated advice and the Greek neighbour, Dimitri, arrives with a bottle of ouzo and a swig of philosophy. What could possibly go wrong? That’s the premise of the play, which has been packing theatres for more than a year and is now touring Victoria, NSW, SA and WA. When I catch up with Lotito by phone at his home in Brunswick, it’s clear he is no newcomer to the entertainment industry. His directing credits include Wog Boys Forever, while his production work encompasses television and film projects for Fox and Hollywood studios. As an actor, he appeared in television series such as Neighbours, Blue Heelers and The Secret Life of Us. In 2011 he wrote, produced and starred in the Australian comedy film Big Momma’s Boy.
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Lotito had stopped doing theatre for about 14 or 15 years, but then open-heart surgery saw him wake up on the other side with the realisation that he needed to go back to where he started – live theatre. “Besides, after covid the industry was in crisis… with theatre, we didn’t need anyone’s permission to do it but with film and TV there are many gatekeepers.” He wrote The Italian Divorce and, about a year ago, gathered a group of actors around a table in Melbourne for the first script reading. “It’s a very simple concept,” he says. “The son of an Italian family decides to get a divorce and is told you’ll have to move back home… an interesting concept these days and a recipe for comedy and disaster.” Lotito and his business partner of 20 years, Joe Accurso, searched high and low for a suitable theatre but couldn’t find one. Instead, they transformed the Italian Social Club in Williamstown with temporary tiered seating and Italian food, then launched a 15-performance season that sold out. From there, the rest has been history. The show has enjoyed sell-out performances in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, as well as regional centres including Shepparton, Mildura and Geelong and continues to tour nationally. “We’ve done 40 shows and we’ve got another 30 booked,” he says. One of the distinctive features of the production, and what a cast it is, is that all the Italian-Australian characters are played by Italian-Australian actors, while neighbour Dimitri is played by Greek-Australian actor Steve Mouzakis. Davide Mollica stars as Pino, with Lotito play-
ing his retired carpenter father Bruno, modelled on his own father. Louisa Mignone appears as Teresa, Pino’s unmarried sister, Rosanna Morales plays Mamma Lucia, and Alessandra Merlo and Jeanette Coppolino share the role of Lisa, the soon-to-be ex-wife. Lotito makes no apologies for his casting choices. Having spent years in the industry being stereotyped as a “wog” or overlooked altogether, he now relishes the opportunity to cast performers whose cultural backgrounds match the characters they portray, especially when, as he says, there are so many talented actors available. “When I started out as an actor in Australia they always cast an Anglo actor instead of an Italian or Greek,” he says. “It was just so frustrating to see so many actors who couldn’t even speak the Italian words, but it’s changing now.” Lotito draws my attention to Christopher Nolan‘s recent casting in Hollywood of KenyanMexican actress Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, which has been drawing a severe black backlash. “We’ve got a long way to go but we’re getting there,” he says. The audience says he reports have not just been Italian and Greek, a mixture of people, lots of Maltese and Croatians as well. “Each character in the play is based on people I know… we laugh and cry because it’s true,” he says. If you want to see this one, you’ll need to be quick. The production arrives in Queanbeyan for just one performance as part of its whirlwind national tour. The Italian Divorce, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, June 27.
Writer Frank Lotito… “Each character in the play is based on people I know… we laugh and cry because it’s true.” Photo: Gary Sissons
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STREAMING
Bardem brings the charm, but also the creeps It’s been a famous film in 1962 and 1991, a novel in 1957, and in 1993 it even got a parody on The Simpsons. Fair to say that Cape Fear has had quite the pop cultural shelf life over the years. Now in the streaming era, the story gets a new coat of paint as a slick television series on Apple TV Plus. For those who haven’t seen the other versions, Cape Fear tells the story of married lawyers Tom and Anna Bowden whose lives are turned upside down when a brutal ex-convict, Max Cady, is released from prison and tries to hunt them down, seeking revenge for his imprisonment. In previous versions, Cady is an out-andout violent psychopath determined to take out his targets by any means necessary. However, this new series keeps the cards a little closer to its chest. Cady’s past is shrouded in secrecy, leaving it to audiences to try and work out who’s really telling the truth. The tension comes from this ambiguity. Cady is a master manipulator and the thrills here are more psychological than outright violent, like its predecessors. This twist was desperately needed to keep the story fresh. Javier Bardem plays the villain and it’s a top-tier choice. He’s carved out quite the career playing the bad guy, from No Country For Old Men
Javier Bardem plays the villain Cardy in the Apple Plus TV Production of Cape Fear. to Skyfall to Pirates of The Caribbean. He brings the charm, but also the creeps to Cady in this new series, keeping it very watchable. Apple also secured the star power of Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson to play the Bowden couple. Ten episodes does feel slightly too long for this story, especially since it’s been proven it can be covered in two hours, but in its new form Cape Fear feels its most intriguing and most clever yet. Those more interested in a blast from the past can actually find the 1991 version on
Rafael Nadal… shares the story of his success in the deepest and most personal detail yet.
Paramount Plus and the 1962 version can be rented on Amazon Prime Video. THE modern sports documentary has become a staple of streaming catalogues that any major platform must have to compete in the market. Netflix has become a master of them. From the high octane racing in Formula 1: Drive To Survive to the high stakes drama of cheerleading in America’s Sweethearts, to the behind-the-scenes antics of Beckham, these shows have proved huge winners in viewership numbers and their ability to pull
in subscribers. Their newest subject is Rafael Nadal in the simply but aptly titled Rafa, a four-part doco charting the rise of one of the modern greats of tennis. There’s a thorough look into the life of a man who’s never naturally taken to fame, a shy and more introverted star of the sport who in this series shares the story of his
success in the deepest and most personal detail yet. Among those also interviewed are his wife and coaches, as well as other tennis champions such as Federer and Djokovic, who weigh in what it’s like facing off against one of their most fierce opponents. What makes these docos such winners is the ability to draw in audiences who otherwise wouldn’t be interested in the sport itself. After Drive To Survive hit Netflix the motorsport’s global revenue roughly doubled in size, going from $1.83 billion to $3.65 billion. It fundamentally transformed Formula 1. Rafa is not going to hit those heights for tennis. but since its release the show has held firm in Netflix’s top 10 most watched this month and once again generated a huge amount of buzz for the sport. It’s well executed, engaging story telling that’s made it resonate with tennis fans and non-tennis fans alike. Anyone can get caught up in the story of a rise to success through determination. Rafa is an ace for Netflix.
ARTS IN THE CITY
On the rollercoaster of nuptials Canberra comedian Tanya Losanno returns with an encore season of her Canberra Comedy Festival show, Boulevard of Broken Bonbonniere, which celebrates wedding trinkets while exploring the emotional, often hilarious rollercoaster of nuptials. The Street Theatre, June 27.
AusAlert is being tested in
Queanbeyan New South Wales 2:00 pm Sunday 21 June 2026
AusAlert testing is happening in the area between Yass Road, Silva Avenue, Faunce Street and Aurora Avenue in Queanbeyan. If you’re near these locations or in the Queanbeyan area at the time the test, you may receive an AusAlert on your mobile device. If you don’t receive one, you don’t need to do anything. You might not be in the test area, your device might not be compatible or maybe it wasn’t connected to a mobile tower at the time of the test.
To find out more, visit ausalert.gov.au Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra 24 CityNews June 18-24, 2026
QUEANBEYAN
The coming Nordic Film Festival is looking distinctly edgy, with The Kidnapping of a President following what happens when a Finnish group of far-right officers drunkenly decide to start a revolution in 1930; Icelandic comedy/drama The Love That Remains, featuring a performance from director Hlynur Pálmason’s own dog Panda, and Sweden’s psychological thriller Doctor Glas, which follows a reclusive young doctor whose fascination with fashion icon Helga Gregorius spirals into madness. Palace Electric, July 9-August 2. The Ray of Light Winter Solstice Arts Festival invites Canberrans to embrace winter with an afternoon and evening of music, acoustic performances, dance, handmade stalls, tarot readings, children’s activities, food and drink. White Eagle Polish Club, Turner, June 21. National Opera’s The Don will blend comedy, drama and tragedy to explore the many faces of powerful noblemen (Dons) in Italian opera through a sequence of fully staged scenes drawn from works including Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, Don Pasquale, La Gioconda and Attila. The Street Theatre, June 27-28. Shortis and Simpson unveil a new edition of Off the Cuff, an eclectic musical showcase ranging from Cohen to Donovan, The Kinks to Procol Harum, Bach to Liszt, Rodgers to Hart, country to western, Shortis to Simpson, even a yodel. Smith’s Alternative, June 21.
Comedian Tanya Losanno… The Street Theatre, June 27. Photo: Ben-Appleton Judith and Hester Prynne through music by Gabriel Fauré, Randall West and Lori Laitman. Wesley Music Centre, June 24. Argentine-born pianist Marcela Fiorillo presents a recital celebrating the music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Wesley Music Centre, June 26. Musica da Camera presents Movement: Strings in Motion, a program showcasing the Canberra community string orchestra’s diverse repertoire, ranging from Baroque masterpieces to contemporary works under the baton of Brad Tham. Holy Covenant Church, June 27.
Soprano Rachel Mink and pianist Ian Le present In the Garden of Good and Evil, a Wesley Lunchtime Concert exploring the stories of Eve, citynews.com.au
MUSIC / the ultimate date night
Coupling up for country music and country lurve By Helen Musa
Country music has a huge following in Canberra, so the title of the coming concert, Country Love: The Ultimate Date Night, is bound to have fans packing in. A concept that might be hard to emulate in any other music form, Country Love will see three country music couples – Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley, Jay and Mark O’Shea, and Gina Jeffreys and Rod McCormack – take to the stage with hit songs from each couple’s repertoire. Besides, with 47 Golden Guitar Awards, seven ARIA Awards and nominations, six kids, 149 guitars and one banjo between them, it sounds like a surefire recipe for fun. When I catch up with one of the artists, Brooke McClymont, one third of multi-award-winning country music trio The McClymonts and married to Adam Eckersley, winner of five Golden Guitar Awards, I find that the whole idea began during a Skype call with Aussie country stars Jay and Mark O’Shea to Nashville, where they are living the American dream. Jay, once a backing singer for INXS and Tim Rice and a songwriter whose songs have been cut in the US, Spain, Mexico, Japan and Australia, has, with husband
Mark, won six Golden Guitars, performed at the Grand Ole Opry and the Sydney Opera House, and spent 10 years as social media hosts for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Texas. What a great idea, they all thought as they talked, if they could join together with other country couples for a tour. The O’Sheas bought the idea immediately, but figured it would only really work with an extra couple, and the names Gina Jeffreys and Rod McCormack came to mind. Jeffreys, who in the 1990s became the first female artist in the genre’s history to achieve platinum record sales and a sell-out national tour, and McCormack, a noted record producer and banjo virtuoso who has been named Australian Guitar Champion and Australian Banjo Champion three times each, were, to McClymont, towering figures. “I decided to give Gina a call, but she’s a singer I looked up to as a young person. She was always my favourite. I thought, oh well, she can only say no.” But Jeffreys’ answer was an immediate: “Yes, we’d love to do it. We’d be proud to be part of it.” The end result is sheer country happiness. “It’s such a great tour. We’re having a great time together, always staying in the same motels, travelling together in a van. It’s like a real family. That’s country love for you,” McClymont says. Regarding the likelihood of country singers marrying country singers, she says
it’s only natural. “We’re all in the same industry. You attract the same people. In this case, we’ve all got similar interests and are interested in the same thing.” Unlike opera families, where as a rule there’s only room for one diva, she says: “I feel that in country music, it’s all uplifting. My philosophy is there’s always room for everyone.” Although, in her eyes, all music is subjective, there is a lot to love in this country tour. “We’ve got a lot of games lined up to create extra interest with the crowd. Between the six of us, we’ve got so many years in the industry, so there are a lot of questions fans ask, like how it all works and about our lives.” “It’s not exactly a variety show, but it leans towards it, and the Harmonie Club will be the perfect venue for that,” she says, besides which, she really likes the food there. They haven’t been to Canberra for a couple of years, so they’re looking forward to it. “We each get to do some of our own love songs, according to the theme, and since Adam and I have got a new studio album coming out in September, we’ll showcase a couple of new songs from that. Fans will get to hear favourites and a couple of new ones.” Country Love: The Ultimate Date Night, Harmonie German Club, July 2.
Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley… “It’s such a great tour. We’re having a great time together, always staying in the same motels, travelling together in a van.”
Experience compelling stories
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Why ever did I wait for so long? After my first visit to the Harmonie German Club, I asked myself a big question: “How is it that I have lived in Canberra for decades and never visited?” I was stunned by the number of people buzzing about on a Tuesday, but it was, after all, schnitzel night. The atmosphere was boisterous, fun and lively. Staff were frantic but held their cool and warmly greeted everyone – willkommen! Authentic, hearty German dishes are the go, and a signature dish is pork knuckle, which takes 4.5 hours to prepare, so best to call ahead to order. The dish is sooo famous that the restaurant is affectionately called Knuckles. Note to self for future visit: “Knuckles Madness” is the Thursday night special. Accompanying the food is fully imported German bier (on tap and by the bottle) and a line-up of schnapps as long as the King’s Highway (the annual Winter Schnappsfest is July 3). The wine list is decent and well-priced. I went with three friends, two of whom frequent so often they’re part of the furniture. They walked me through the “deal”. The Tuesday schnitzel menu is available for lunch and dinner until sold out. Choose chicken, veal, pork or tofu, a gravy and a side, with red cabbage and sauerkraut popular. Here’s the kicker on the price. Schnitzels – which are HUGE and YUM – are only $12 for members and $15 for non-members. Two of us ordered veal, and I added
Chicken parmigiano… featuring a tasty Napoli sauce, leg ham and gooey grilled cheese. the special German Jager sauce, a classic creamy, mushroom-based gravy. The veal on both schnitzels was the right thickness, tender and haus-breaded, meaning the breadcrumb coating isn’t pre-packaged, pre-breaded or pre-frozen. I loved the wedge of lemon, fresh salad, crunchy chips and that gravy. My, oh, my. One friend ordered his all-time fave, the chicken Italian parmi, available Tuesdays for a $4 upgrade. What a whopper of a dish, featuring a tasty Napoli sauce, leg ham and gooey grilled cheese. This is not a meal for those counting calories, but who counts calories when at the German Club?
Apple strudel… with custard sauce and ice cream. Photos: Wendy Johnson
We don’t always dive into desserts, but we didn’t regret the apple strudel with custard sauce AND ice cream ($11.50 members; $12.50 non-members). We indulged in a sensational vanilla bean brûlée, the caramelised sugar top making that comforting crack sound when hit with a spoon ($11 members; $12 non-members). The Harmonie German Club, in Narrabundah, is huge, with many dining zones. Opened in October 1964, the place has a fascinating back story. It also has a
rich history in the performing arts (live music and shows) and is home to the Canberra Blues Society. Special events include the epic Oktoberfest (October 30-31) and German Winter Market (June 21) – deli, grocer, haus beer, wine, crafts, specialty stalls.
WINE / flies and the circular economy
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In the 1980s I saw the classic horror movie, The Fly, in which an ambitious scientist, played by a very muscular Jeff Goldblum, accidentally merges with a housefly while conducting a bizarre teleporting experiment. His journalist girlfriend, played by Geena Davis, finds herself caring for a newly formed, hideous creature whose insect half gradually begins to take over with lurid and violent consequences. I rewatched The Fly and realised it’s basically a relationship story: starts with chemistry, ends with someone slowly turning into something unrecognisable. But now the humble black soldier fly has
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starred in a good news story, no horror here. The illustration of a black soldier fly on the label is the first indication that a new shiraz from the Four Winds Vineyard in Murrumbateman is not your average drop. It has its own buzz: the winery has conscripted the humble fly or, more precisely, millions of its larvae, to produce Australia’s first “circular wine” in collaboration with hotelier Hyatt Regency Sydney and Australian food waste innovator Goterra. The initiative sees food waste from the Hyatt Regency consumed by the larvae and recycled onsite into a rich frass, or fertiliser, which nourishes the vines that produce the grapes that return to the hotel in the form of Four Winds Vineyard’s new The Circular Vintage series. Writing that, the nursery rhyme, This is the House that Jack Built, plays in my mind because each verse builds on and loops back to the previous ones, creating a kind of verbal “system” where everything is interconnected just as is intended in a circular economy. In the circular production process, organic waste from the Hyatt’s kitchens goes directly into Goterra’s specially built Modular Infrastructure for Biological Services (MIB) unit in the hotel’s basement. Resembling a shipping container the size of a single-car space, the MIB is filled with millions of black soldier fly larvae that eat their way
through the food scraps, excreting nutrient-rich frass. The fertiliser is used on Four Winds Vineyard’s vines while the maggots, having doubled their size daily during a seven-day feeding frenzy, are used as protein for poultry and pet food. Disturbing and encouraging at the same time. Four Winds Vineyard CEO Sarah Collingwood says the circular wine project made perfect sense for the family-run vineyard, which won the prestigious Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy for its 2023 Shiraz in the 2024 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards. “We loved the idea of being able to return nutrients to the soil rather than having them end up in landfill,” said Ms Collingwood. “For us, this was about finding a practical way to close the loop between food, farming and wine and we’re incredibly proud to put our name to The Circular Vintage series, which shows that innovation and quality can go hand in hand.” Four Corners has taken the repulsiveness of the clinging fly and put it to use in the best possible way. “There are two different stories in horror: internal and external. In external horror films, the evil comes from the outside, the other tribe, this thing in the darkness that we don’t understand. Internal is the human heart.” – John Carpenter
The Circular Vintage series… the winery has conscripted the humble fly or, more precisely, millions of its larvae, to produce Australia’s first “circular wine”. citynews.com.au
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Your week in the stars
General knowledge crossword No. 1067
June 22-28, 2026
1
By Joanne Madeline Moore
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ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
The Sun, Mercury and Jupiter are visiting clannish Cancer, so it’s a suitable time to tackle a domestic project, clean the house or organise a family get-together. If you’re travelling, it’s likely to be somewhere you’ve been before, where you feel completely at home. But have you been feeling like a tired and lacklustre Ram, with too many activities crammed into your timetable? Some rest and relaxation (at Casa Aries) could be just what the doctor ordered.
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
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Now's a good time to take stock of finances
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TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
Bulls can too easily get bogged down in a boring old rut. But this week – with dynamic Mars charging through your sign – you’re full of creative ideas and keen to make exciting connections. You could also be asked to do some volunteer work in your local community or contribute to a humanitarian project, as you reach out to those who are less fortunate. Sunday’s positive Mars/Jupiter link favours proactive communication and catching up with friends.
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GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
Mercury, Jupiter and the Sun are visiting your money zone, which increases your spontaneous and extravagant side. So be careful you don’t indulge in a ‘comfort shopping’ spree that you later regret. Slow down and think things through. Remember… good things eventually come to Geminis who wait! Tuesday is terrific for serious conversations, cosy companionship and networking with friends, acquaintances and professional connections.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
This week the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter are moving through Cancer, which stirs up your sensitive emotions. Plus, the Sun/Neptune square increases professional problems or personal insecurities. But becoming emotionally overwrought won’t help matters. Instead, tune into the week’s positive aspects as you learn to love yourself, celebrate your strengths and follow a cherished dream. Tuesday favours money matters and long-term financial plans.
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
Expect a rather confusing week, as nebulous Neptune squares the Sun (your ruling planet). If you sweat the small stuff, then you’ll just end up feeling tired and emotional by the end of the week. It’s time to de-stress as the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter light up your spiritual/solitude zone and you meditate, contemplate, ruminate and relax. Calm down, Cats – you might just enjoy it! Thursday favours catching up with old friends and making long-term plans.
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
With the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter activating your hopes-and-wishes zone, it’s time to articulate (and write down) your goals and dreams for the future. Then you can put them into action. Thursday favours disciplined, creative work. But don’t let a loved one or work colleague manipulate you, as they try to persuade you to do something against your better judgment. Have the strength – and common sense – to stand your ground and say no. With a firm smile.
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4 Name the king of Israel, famous for his wisdom. (7) 8 What is a kind of soft, moist, flat yeast cake? (7) 9 What is a place of higher learning? (7) 10 Name a breed of domestic fowl. (7) 11 Which musical folk instruments are played with a plectrum? (7) 12 Name an alternative term for a cicada. (6) 14 To hurry, is to do what? (6) 18 Which two-wheeled vehicle is driven by pedals? (7) 21 Which person instructs as a profession? (7) 22 Name another term for a feast. (7) 23 When one discovers something, one does what? (7) 24 To be utmost in degree, is to be what? (7)
1 Which knife is used in surgical operations? (7) 2 Which species of acacia is found in drier parts of Australia? (5) 3 When one resists, one does what? (7) 4 What is a group of lines of verse? (6) 5 Which word implies that which is the minimum? (5) 6 Which term describes one who is the most humbly patient? (7) 7 What are requirements known as? (5) 13 Name a hard-shelled palm seed with white edible meat. (7) 15 To move forward, is to do what? (7) 16 The most handy is said to be the what? (7) 17 To come to rest, is to do what? (6) 18 What is a book of sacred writings? (5) 19 What do we call that which produces an effect? (5) 20 Name an Australian novelist, playwright, etc, Patrick. (5)
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
Polite Librans are the peacemakers of the zodiac. And you’ll certainly require your diplomacy skills this week, when a relationship with a partner or work colleague could be confusing and frustrating. The best way to handle the situation is with plenty of patience and understanding. The Sun, Mercury and Jupiter activate your career zone, so don’t be a wallflower. Speak up and promote your talents! If you procrastinate, then a golden opportunity will pass you by.
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Across
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Sudoku hard No. 420
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
It’s a good week to channel energy into travel, education and expanding your mind. Your communication skills are firing, as you extend your peer group and make creative new connections. Unhappily single? With Mars visiting your relationship zone, it’s time to be more proactive about finding love. Coupled Scorpio – surprise your sweetheart with a special romantic gesture. But confused thinking is a danger on Thursday and Friday, so try to relax body and mind.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
Most fiery Sagittarians are spontaneous folk, but this week you need to carefully consider the consequences of what you do and say. If you act in haste – without all the relevant facts at hand – then you could find yourself deep in a disagreement or a messy misunderstanding (especially with a child, teenager, lover or friend). Sunday’s super Mars/Jupiter link favours sport and travel (and boosts confidence and optimism) so make the most of it!
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
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AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
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PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
This week the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter stimulate your self-expression zone, so channel your energy into a personal project or a creative venture. Draw inspiration from singer-songwriter (and birthday great) Carly Simon: “There’s always a creative side to me, even when it’s quiet musically. Like painting, decorating or planting a garden.” But be extra careful on Thursday and Friday, when the Sun/Neptune square could scramble your bulldust detector.
Here are some of my tips to help you maximise your financial position: Ensure that any personal superannuation contributions you make, are received by your fund before the cut-off date which could be as early as June 20. I suggest you contact your fund to confirm the cut-off date. If you make a tax-deductible contribution, you need to complete a "notice of intent to claim a superannuation deduction" form which is available either from your fund or from the ATO. So you can claim the deduction, you must also receive a written acknowledgement from your superannuation fund. The rules are slightly different if you contribute to your selfmanaged superannuation fund (SMSF). This year the maximum contribution that can be made between both you and your employer is $30,000. From July 1 this increases to $32,500. You may be able to prepay some bills before June 30. It is possible to prepay 12 months of expenses such as income protection, subscriptions, union dues or investment property related expenses such as interest. If you are planning to make tax-deductible donations made to a deductable gift recipient, these need to be received by the charities before June 30. For substantiation purposes, you need receipts. Just a reminder that if you are claiming work from home expenses, telephone or data make sure that you have appropriate substantiation, which means you must have diary records or similar. If you have made some capital gains during the year, check the rest of your share portfolio in case you have some losses that you could realise. Offsetting these losses will reduce the total amount of capital gains tax payable. If you have shares that are no longer quoted and you want to write the loss off against your capital gains, you can only do this if you have a letter from the liquidator confirming that the loss can be written off. If you are running a business and need new or replacement equipment, such as computer systems or ride-on mowers, you can get a full deduction for the cost if you purchase these items and they are installed ready for use before June 30. They must cost less than $20,000 in total. This is an excellent way to reduce your tax in the current year. If you have any bad debts, you need to write them off before June 30. If you are running a company, you also need a minute of the directors dated before June 30 recording the write-off of the debt. As a small business person, because of the change to payday super, which I have written about previously, it can be helpful to pay your superannuation before June 30 so that you get a tax deduction for it in this financial year. We see a few clients who have invested in crypto and forget to tell us about it. Crypto disposals do need to be included in your tax return. The easiest way to do this is to get a statement from the crypto currency exchange. The ATO generally receives details of crypto transactions so they know about these investments. If you need assistance with making deductions this financial year, or any other tax or superannuation related matter contact the experts at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 02 6295 2844.
The Sun, Mercury and Jupiter are jumping through your relationship zone, so put the needs of loved ones at the top of your to-do list. Walk in their shoes for a while. And Venus trines Saturn on Thursday, which boosts drive, ambition and organisational skills. Be inspired by birthday great, actress Meryl Streep (who turns 77 on Monday): “The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” Sunday favours travelling with loved ones. The Sun/Neptune square affects your communication and work zones, so steer clear of a smooth operator who could lead you up the primrose path to trouble. Check all news, proposals and information carefully. If something sounds too good to be true, then turn around and start walking in the opposite direction! And ask a trusted colleague for a second opinion. It is a good week to eat well, exercise often and make relaxation a daily priority. Balance is the key.
It's always a good idea to take stock of your finances before the financial year ends on June 30.
Unit 9, 71 Leichhardt Street, Kingston ABN 57 008 653 683
(Chartered accountant, SMSF specialist advisor and Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892)
info@gailfreeman.com.au | www.gailfreeman.com.au Follow us on Facebook @gailfreemanandco
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Disclaimer This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please contact Gail Freeman or your professional adviser. Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892.
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