Canberra CityNews August 16

CityNews August 16-22 1CityNews August 16-22 1OVER 30 SPECIALTY STORESBOWMAN STREET MACQUARIE

Jamison Plaza SP0191.indd 1 14/08/12 10:14 AM

AUGUST 16, 2012

citynews.com.au / WIN CIRCUS TICKETS / WIN PASSES TO NEW RICHARD GERE MOVIE

Gallagher shows spine on needles MICHAEL MOORE

HEAVENLYHOT,

HOT HEAVENLY SOUP

Election in the (plastic) bag? MARK PARTON

Dream time for lost lawns

CEDRIC BRYANT

Family’s shock at home’s hidden poison

KATHRYN VUKOVLJAK

SOUP

CNC-16-August p1 1 14/08/12 3:25 PM

2 CityNews August 16-22

CityNews August 16-22 3

index / contacts Since 1993: Volume 18, Number 30

Editor: Ian Meikle, [email protected]: Laura Edwards, [email protected] Libby Hill, [email protected] Kathryn Vukovljak, [email protected] editor: Helen Musa, 0400 043764 [email protected] and photography: Silas Brown, 0412 718086Graphic designer: Leonie FoxContributing photographer: Andrew FinchAccounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler [email protected] and circulation: Richard Watson, [email protected]

Phone 6262 9100 Fax 6262 9111 GPO Box 2448, Canberra City 2601www.citynews.com.autwitter.com/city_newsfacebook.com/canberracitynews

Chief executive officer: Greg Jones 0419 418196, [email protected] advertising executive: Ernie Nichols, 0421 077999 Advertising sales executives: Rebecca Darman 0411 225169 Sara Poguet, 0415 706758Advertising sales co-ordinator: [email protected] advertising sales: Ad Sales Connect, 02 9420 1777

Arts&Entertainment 23-25Canberra Confidential 18Cinema 24Dining 25Garden 30Letters 12News 3-15Politics 3, 15 Puzzles 31Social Scene 19-21

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, of Suite 1, Level 1, 143 London Circuit, Canberra.

Cover: The great soups of Canberra. Story Page 6.

briefly

Gallagher shows some spineFOR many politicians, just a few months out from an election, the ideal is to thump the drum on law and order, enthusiastically support police, increase sentences and lock up as many people as possible. The formula is tried and true across the developed world.

With the announcement of a nee-dle and syringe program (NSP) for the ACT prison, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has taken the opposite approach.

The perception is that the tougher politicians can be on crime and criminals the more support they will get. However, the electorate is getting tired of such tactics. The costs of keeping prisoners, the dis-proportionate burden worn by indig-enous peoples, refugees and lower socio-economic groups, is making it clear that it is time to get smarter.

The announcement of the needle and syringe program is a big step in terms of public health. Although a number of other countries have demonstrated the success of such programs, this will be the first NSP in an English-speaking nation.

Gallagher has the support of the Greens.

The NSP will be managed in the context of a strategy to reduce the spread of blood-borne viruses.

The Australian Medical Associa-

tion (ACT) was just one of more than a dozen health groups supporting the idea. The president, Dr Iain Dunlop, explained the importance of an NSP in the ACT prison in a submission to the Government last year: “Prisoners and detainees have the same right to access, equity and quality of health care as the general population.

“Because prisoners will return to society after their imprisonment, their health is an issue of concern to the general population. The health of prisoners is also important for the occupational health and safety of the staff of correctional facilities”.

Most would agree that the ideal is to have no drugs in prison. How-ever, as a community we cannot expect the impossible. No prison in the world has successfully excluded drugs. The prison officers will con-tinue to monitor, search and seek out drugs where they can as they have been since the prison opened. Their efforts will minimise the amount of drugs in the Alexander Maconochie Centre.

Apart from the external politics, Gallagher has to also manage the union. The prison warders have been voicing their objections to an NSP through the Community and Public Sector Union. There are two ironies in the approach taken by the union. Firstly, despite techno-logically advanced searching equip-ment and a dedicated approach, the warders have been unsuccessful at keeping the drugs out of the prison. Secondly, an appropriately designed and controlled NSP should protect not only the health of the prisoners, but also reduce the risk to the prison officers.

Some will argue that this is an election ploy. I can’t see it!

If it were a ploy the Chief Minis-ter would have announced the NSP when she was being grilled over the “data doctoring” at the hospital. This would have moved that issue from the front page of the papers and moved the focus of the Canberra Liberals. She could also have waited until the Assembly was prorogued for the election. From a purely po-

litical perspective, it would be much wiser and a much better “ploy” to wait until after the election.

The decision to proceed with an NSP does provide an insight into Katy Gallagher. On this issue, the easiest thing for her to do was noth-ing. Delay is a standard political tactic. She has been prepared to take a hard decision rather than a popu-lar one. It is always easy for someone in her position to make decisions to support the strong, the wealthy, the influential and the powerful. However, prisoners are not a group that easily wins sympathy from the general community. They have been incarcerated for anti-social behav-iour of one kind or another and gain little empathy.

There are no votes in prisoners’ welfare. However, it is just possible that this decision will demonstrate that the Chief Minister does have the spine to take action on what she believes to be right. Australia needs more leaders with this sort of spine.

Michael Moore was an independ-ent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was min-ister for health. As CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia he was responsible for a report on an NSP in the Alexander Maconochie Centre in 2011.

There are no votes in supporting prisoners, but Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, who is also Health Minister, has put public health in front of politics with the

announcement of a needle and syringe program for the ACT prison – a big step in terms of public health, says MICHAEL MOORE

comment / prison needlesCentenary previewCANBERRA Centenary director Robyn Archer will outline the program of events and activities planned for next year at a free public preview at The Playhouse on September 4. Limited tickets are available from 6275 2700 or at canberrath-eatrecentre.com.au

Movie fundraiserTHE Cameron Diaz movie “My Sister’s Keeper” will by shown at The Sarah Grace Sarcoma Founda-tion’s fundraiser at the Finkel Lecture Theatre, ANU, on Wednesday, August 22. Held in collabora-tion with the Association of the Spouses of Heads of Diplomatic Mission, the film will be preceded by a reception starting at 6pm. Tickets, at $35, from www.kicksarcoma.org.au; more information at [email protected] or call 0412 721663.

Good grief!“HOW to console oneself and others” will be the talk by Prof Han Baltussen, of the University of Adelaide, on ancient and modern perspectives on managing grief. Presented by the Classics and Ancient History Program in the School of Cultural Inquiry and the ANU Endowment for Excellence, the talk is at University House, Balmain Crescent, 6pm, Friday, August 24. Registration is essential at anu.edu.au/publiclectures

Robyn’s a heroROBYN Fisher, from Palmerston, a long-time volunteer for Autism Asperger ACT and mum and carer for two children with an autism spectrum disorder, is the 2012 Bendigo Bank Hero. The award acknowledges carers in the region who have made an outstanding contribution to the cause of Autism Asperger.


news

The big day for optimismThe TEDx phenomenon seems to be getting stronger and stronger in Canberra with this year’s “ideas” conference selling out within a day. LAURA EDWARDS discovers it’s all about interacting...

“PEOPLE don’t come to our conferences to be part of an audience – that would be boring,” says Stephen Collins. “They’re a community, which means they interact, rather than just turn up and go home.”

That’s the idea behind TEDx Canberra, an annual non-profit “ideas” conference Collins originated in 2010, based on the model of the TED (Technology Entertain-ment and Design) mothership in the US, which started in California in 1990.

There are now more than 4000 TEDx events in the world, with each conference an independently-organised gathering. According to Collins, “there are new ones popping up every week”.

The conferences include a diverse range of speakers who are asked to pre-sent “ideas worth spreading”.

“The ideas could be about anything, we’re that broad,” Collins said.

“This year, the speakers at TEDx Can-berra range from a shark ecologist, to a dance crew, to a memory athlete.

“We look for a range as diverse as pos-sible so that we can reach pretty much everybody. But the speakers have to have one thing in common: be interesting.”

Collins was inspired to create TEDx Canberra after attending his first TED conference in the US in 2009.

“Afterwards, I sent out an email to a diverse range of people saying ‘hey we should do this’,” he said.

“I ended up with all these people in my lounge room who wanted to be involved from backgrounds like the creative arts, science, web to government innovation.”

Since then the event has gone from strength to strength, selling out in 30 minutes last year at the National Library and within 26 hours for the September 8 day-long event at the bigger Playhouse this year.

“I think people are desperate to hear really interesting, well-articulated, well-considered ideas. Particularly ones they can act upon,” Collins said.

And Collins says the audience is as di-verse as the presenters – “people can age anywhere between 10 to 80”.

The TEDx Canberra team – including speakers – are all volunteers, with every

dollar made going towards running the event. Collins says he donates about 2,000 hours a year on TEDx outside of his com-munications job in the private sector.

This year’s conference theme is “an optimistic challenge”.

“We want our presenters to look at the challenges in whatever it is they do and tell us what the optimistic outcome is and why it is they’re seeking to do that,” Col-lins said.

One of the 19 speakers, the exec u tive direc tor at UN Women Aus tralia, Julie McKay, says her talk will have a positive spin on issues surrounding women’s lead-er ship, pay equity, polit i cal par tic i pa tion and vio lence against women.

“When you look at the statistics around things like violence against women, it’s very easy to think negatively,” she said.

“Instead it should be about, ‘what are the different things we can do to drive change?’”

The details on her talk are “top secret” until the event – but Julie expects a bit of controversy.

“I know there’ll be a lot of people who don’t agree with my ideas, but if there’s one person who does want to do something

about it, that’s what I’m after,” she said. TEDx has strict rules for its presenters:

talks are only as short as three minutes and as long as 18 minutes, and speakers aren’t allowed notes.

“We have presenters like Julie, who has done many public talks, to an 18-year-old who has never presented in her life,” Col-lins says. “And as far as we’re concerned, both their ideas are equal – they’re just different.

“We actually get in touch with people who attend our events after they’re over and say ‘hey, what are you doing, were you inspired to do anything?’ And usu-ally, they are.

“This is about being irritated enough in a positive way to go and do something, whether that’s saying ‘you know what, I really like dogs, I’m going to go down to the RSPCA and volunteer’ – it doesn’t matter what. The challenge is to do some-thing that makes the bit of the world that you affect, a better place.”

TEDx Canberra, Saturday, September 8, The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Cen-tre is sold out. However, anyone interested is invited to register on the waiting list at tedxcanberra.org

TEDx Canberra presenter Julie McKay, executive direc tor at UN Women Aus tralia, and conference curator Stephen Collins... “People are desperate to hear really interesting, well-articulated, well-considered ideas,” says Collins. Photo by Silas Brown



cover story When it’s cold, there’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of soup to warm your every sense. LAURA EDWARDS investigates some of the city’s best broths

Hot, heavenly soupLentil and sucuk sausage soupTongue and Groove

NOT your average lentil soup, this dish ($18) has a twist of turkish to it with spicy sausage and rich, aromatic flavours bound to bounce off the taste-buds. Served with croutons and topped off with citric parsley, it’s ideal to tuck into while watching the city hustle by at one of Canberra’s grooviest venues.

1 Genge Street, Civic, 6230 4455.

Combination soup Asian Cafe ASIAN Cafe is often best known for its sweet and sour pork, but this soup ($16.80) shouldn’t be overlooked on a frosty night. Packed with vegetables, beef, chicken and silky noodles, it’s about as soothing – and as filling – as you can get. Guaranteed to scare off the winter blues.

32 West Row/Melbourne Building, Canberra, 6262 6233.

Steam duck noodle soupAsian Noodle House

WHO said soups couldn’t satisfy? This duck-flavoured broth ($15.50) with tender steamed duck and egg noodles garnished with fried onions and shal-lots, should silence any rumbling bel-lies. Each of the three locations usually make the soups nice and quick too, for those who have to rush back to the of-fice.

34 Northbourne Avenue, Civic, 6247 5145, 6 Launceston Street, Phillip, 6281 7001, and Anketell Street, Tuggeranong 6162 3040.

Red lentil soupMavi Restaurant

THIS new turkish restaurant on the ground floor of the funky Realm Hotel has fast become a lunch hotspot for Barton workers looking for a hearty feed. Their red lentil soup ($9) certainly provides just that, jam-packed with pro-teins for the health-nuts. And Woden residents need not despair – there’s a Mavi restaurant down your end, too.

18 National Circuit, Barton, 6162 0464 and suite 3, 23 Furzer Street, Phillip, 6162 2047.

Pumpkin and potato soupMajestic Fresh Fruit MarketWANT your soup with a side of grocery shopping? Majestic Fresh Fruit Market has a chef that can whip up soups using

fresh ingredients from the market. One of the favourites is the pumpkin and potato soup ($8), usually made with a dash of rosemary, but the shop owner says the type of soup served here is usu-ally dependent on both the chef’s mood and ingredients in stock - so expect to be surprised.

Shop J19.2, Ground Floor, Canberra Centre, 6162 1378.

Mama’s MinestroneTosolini’s

YOU know this soup ($12.50) is going to be good when it really is made by a “Mama”. And not just any, but the moth-er of restaurant owner Carlo Tosolini. Described as “a real traditional italian minestrone”, Mama Tosolini gathers the freshest vegetables and herbs from gardens around Canberra to make the dish. It’s thick and hearty, full of flavour, and served with crusty italian bread. Make sure you get a fireside table so you can really soak in the warmth.

Bailey’s Corner, London Circuit, Civic, 6247 4317.

Chicken and cous cous soupPie Face LOOKING for something a little cheap-er? Pie Face in the Canberra Centre has $5.25 soups hot and ready to go in nifty takeaway cups and with a crusty bread roll. There’s the subtle spicy chicken and cous cous soup and the delicious classic, minestrone, to choose from.

Shop Efk34, Canberra Centre, 6257 8884.

Did we overlook your favourite soup joint? Tell us what we’re missing at [email protected], please.


news

Kathryn Vukovljakreports

It can cause neurological damage, developmental delays and behavioural problems in young children, but in Canberra the hazards of lead poisoning are relatively unknown – yet it’s everywhere, as mum-of-two Nell Clayden found out the hard way.

With two small children under five, Nell was horrified to find that the Tocumwal home she was renting in O’Connor had high levels of lead.

“I’m shocked at the lack of aware-ness of lead poisoning,” she says. Eve-ryone seems to know about asbestos dangers but lead exposure is under the radar.”

Nell, her husband Mark and their children Piet and Oliver, then four and two, moved into their O’Connor rental home in September 2011.

“One day I noticed Oliver was play-ing with paint chips in the garden, and I was worried, because of the age of the house, that it might be lead,” says Nell. “I could see the chips were very old, because there were layers upon layers of paint.

“Every day there were more paint chips, mostly coming from the roof, and it became hard to keep him away from them. And he was at the stage where he put everything in his mouth, so the chips may have been going in too.”

Nell bought four test kits from Bun-nings and tested different parts of the house. “They were all positive,” she says. “I rang round in Canberra for someone to come and do a formal test for lead but couldn’t find anyone locally.”

Nell got in touch with the Lead As-sociation, and they contacted a Mel-bourne expert who agreed to accept samples in the post.

“The readings showed very high quantities of lead and I panicked as we’d been in the house for seven months at this point and even the indoor dust tested positive,” says Nell.

“We learned that Oliver and Piet are at the critical age for lead damage. Children absorb more lead than adults do, and it only takes low levels of poi-soning to have a potential impact on their development.”

Lead can cause issues including learning disabilities, behavioural problems, lowered IQ and hearing impairment, according to Elizabeth O’Brien, president and spokesperson of The LEAD Group.

“No amount of lead is safe for a child,” she says. “I believe it needs to be part of policy and regulation re-garding older homes, as it is in the US, where it’s part of tenancy agreements and you sign to state you’re aware

there might be lead in the property. Anyone renting or buying an old house needs to know.

“It shouldn’t fall to individuals like Nell to find out by accident.”

The GP didn’t believe there was any need for a blood test because the kids didn’t have a tummy ache, says Nell.

“Testing was frustrating as I had to almost beg the GP to do it – he just thought it was rare and unlikely,” she says.

In the end Piet and Oliver’s lead lev-els were elevated but did not require medical intervention. Removal from the source was thought to be suffi-cient, so the family immediately went to stay with friends.

“I couldn’t stand to be in the house not knowing what the lead was doing to my children,” she says.

The family found a new home and is settled again says Nell, but there’s nothing they can do about the chil-dren’s health as the effects will only be seen over time, if there are any.

“A home could be considered unin-habitable if there is no working toilet but there are no clear guidelines for lead,” says Nell. “It’s like there’s ar-senic poison around you but no one knows about it.

“For me the hardest thing is that as a mum, I try so hard to focus on providing the best nutrition, ensuring they get enough exercise, teaching

them manners but then you find out they’ve been breathing in poison while they slept.

“We can’t know the future. What we see now doesn’t reflect what might happen, and we’ll never know, if they experience problems, whether it came from the lead. It’s a constant fear to live with.

“The list of symptoms are so vast that it’s impossible not to find some of them in your children, especially with two active boys. It drives you crazy. That’s what it does to you.”

Lead facts provided by the Lead As-sociation. More information at www.lead.org.au

Nell with Piet and Oliver... “What we see now doesn’t reflect what might happen, and we’ll never know, if they experience problems, whether it came from the lead. It’s a constant fear to live with.” Photo Silas Brown

Family’s shock at hidden poisonLead facts(provided by the Lead Association)• Infants and children living in pre-1970s

housing (when paint often contained lead) have the highest risk of lead poisoning. Lead paint chips are often sweet tasting and therefore children will pick at them and eat them and animals will lick them.

• Lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nerves and brains. The younger the child, the more harmful lead can be.

• Workers such as furniture restorers, car battery and radiator workers and painters can bring home lead dust on their clothes and their children are poisoned as a result.

• If renovating an old house, beware of scraping or sandblasting old paint, as it can release fine lead dust into the air. It is safest to paint over lead paint – if undisturbed, it’s not dangerous.

• The first flush of water in the morning should not be given to babies or young children because lead can leach into water. Or use a water filter.

• If you’re a gardener, above-ground crops such as tomatoes and beans are better grown in leaded soils than root vegetables. Also all produce, especially root vegetables, should be washed or peeled before eating to minimise any risk.

• Lead is airborne longer than other elements, and does not break down – it remains toxic and unless dealt with safely it will not go away.



CANBERRA DJ Ashley Feraude is one of a small handful of musicians to join the line-up at New York’s SummerStage festival on Saturday, August 18.

In “Australia Day”, SummerStage plans to celebrate Aussie culture with Feraude, Emma Donavan, the High Highs, George Byrne and trumpeter Jonty Hall.

So how did it happen?Well, he reports to “CityNews”, the popular

outdoor event decided to have an Australian component and needed a DJ to pull it all togeth-er. Enter Canberra music producer, Frank Ma-drid, with whom Feraude has worked before on dance and music festivals, and who, approached by the event’s producers for ideas, suggested Feraude. “The rest is history,” he says.

Feraude, who describes himself as “primar-ily a DJ”, comes from a strong musical back-ground. Brought up in Poland with its rich musical culture, he emigrated to Australia at age 10 with his family and retains a tinge of Pol-ish enunciation.

Deejaying came initially as a hobby, but turned into a profession over 10 years ago as he conquered the lounges and bars of Canberra and beyond.

Feraude is not a performance DJ in the hip-hop sense, where creative scratching and sampling is the order of the day. Rather, he sees his skill in mixing between types of music to create “structure and flow and to take listeners on a journey – I like performing other people’s music.”

He loves dance music of the ‘80s such as Eng-

lish pretty-boys Duran Duran or dance band New Order, and also admits to enjoying a lot of different music, including cinematic classical, bossa nova and synth pop. In short, he is happy to be tagged as “retro” in taste.

He is equally happy if people consider him, as DJs go, to be subdued, smooth, reserved and melancholic, joking about the moody, brooding look of his publicity photos.

Over the years, Feraude has used vinyl, CDs and digital technologies, allowing the layering of tracks to give a more sophisticated feel. He produces under the alias Magnifik (“magnifi-cent”) under which he and his band of friends have released singles and an album, “Amateur”.

But there’s nothing amateur about Feraude, except in the literal sense that he “loves" what he’s doing. –Helen Musa

news

DJ spins in New York

DJ Ashley Feraude... takes listeners on a journey.


THYLACINE may have left its prints on Canberra with the Childers Street-scape, the artwork on Lake Ginninderra and, most recently, Kent Street’s bright blue bridge in Deakin, but for more than 10 years the Canberra-based design and project management business has been leaving its mark all over the country.

The hybrid art-design team were the brains behind many public art works around Australia including the “Taylor Square Cases” in Sydney; the footpaths in Bondi Junction Mall; plus works in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne.

They’ve also developed exhibitions for galleries and museums interstate including the permanent exhibition – “Sex and Death” – at Hobart’s re-nowned Museum of Old and New Art.

“We want an environment to have an identity, a sense of meaning and ex-citement,” Thylacine director Caolan Mitchell said.

Mitchell, whose background is in fine arts, founded the company in

1999 with Michael Starling (who left in 2008).

Fresh from completing a stint at the Australian War Memorial, Mitchell sought out ways to utilise his skills and experience while staying in Canberra. From that idea, Thylacine (named after the “mystical” Tasmanian Tiger) was born.

And it appeared to be a business that Australia needed; in its first 18

months the company had won major contracts with the National Museum of Australia and the Melbourne Mu-seum – the team growing from three to 52.

It was one of their first jobs, the $1.5million National Museum project with The Acton Peninsula Alliance – which involved designing, fabricating and installing displays – that set Thy-lacine up with a national reputation

that quickly flowed on to other jobs in urban art, creative design, and the provision of art and collection services to museums and galleries across the country.

“We have artists that love what they do, who have attention to detail to create a unique and highly finished product,” Caolan said.

“People are seeking us out rather than us pitching.”

Thylacine now has design studios in Canberra and Melbourne; in their “Canberra” studio – based in Quean-beyan – Thylacine’s “creative makers are nestled, creating away”.

There are nine designers who work in 3D, 2D industrial and interior design and in the adjoining 1200 sqm workshop are eight “skilled artisans and makers”.

“The guys who work in the work-shop creating – they love what they do,” Caolan said.

“They’re quite playful; it’s a quite left-of-field way to work.”

His employees come from varied fields in sculpture, jewellery, archi-tecture, interior, graphic, multimedia and industrial design.

“You don’t have to have a fine arts background,” he says.

“You just need an ability to think outside the square.”

More information at thylacine.com.au

Designs on success, outside the squareFreyla Fergusonreports

Thylacine director Caolan Mitchell... “You just need an ability to think outside the square.” Photo by Silas Brown

“Listening for home”, a permanent artwork at Bonegilla Migrant Visitor’s Centre, Victoria.

Kent Street’s bright blue bridge, Deakin.

“Taylor Square Cases”, Taylor Square, Sydney.


opinion

WHAT is happening to customer service in Civic? Why are companies such as ANZ, NRMA and now Medicare all moving out of the inner-city centre?

When you enquire why they are relocat-ing you get the same line: “We are moving so we can better serve our customers.”

How is it more convenient for customers to spend half their break time walking to these offices to receive this “better” ser-vice? Especially city workers, who only have lunch hour?

I realise that maintaining branches where “face-to-face” customer service was once provided is now becoming a thing of the past, but why are we accepting this as just a sign of the times? Don’t we deserve any better? We are forever paying increas-ing fees and charges when dealing with these companies and seem to accept this lower level of customer service.

To me it’s more like a case of we don’t get what we are increasingly paying for. A Medcalf, via email

Living in a tipHAVE you ever thought about what hap-pens to your litter when you just throw it on the ground?

Well, with Keep Australia Beautiful Week coming up and with the amount of rubbish littered along our roads and highways, it seems that a lot of people don’t think about it and many people still aren’t getting the message.

My friends and I always put our rubbish in the bin, so I don’t understand why others don’t, or why adults driving in cars throw their rubbish outside, instead of taking it home to put in their bin.

We are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but treat it like a rubbish tip. And with the other big environmental problems we face, keeping litter off our streets is one of the easiest things we can do to protect the environ-ment.

It’s simple and is something everyone can do. Please do the right thing and help keep Australia beautiful by always putting your rubbish in a bin. It’s that easy. Patrick Walker, age 13,

Keep Australia Beautiful LITTLE Committee, ACT Representative,

Lyneham High School

lettersWhat’s happening to service?

Moore should know betterAS a former Minister of Health you would think that Michael Moore would have a better sense of the importance of accurate data for decision making, and the financial implications (“Lib at-tack treads a fine line”, CN, August 9). His criti-cism of the Opposition for pursuing the Health Minister Katy Gallagher is a case of shooting the messenger.

Gallagher has tried this routine before of claiming sexist attacks, when she was the Treas-urer. It was rubbish then, and rubbish now. Dodgy data undermines all aspects of a govern-ment; if the official figures cannot be believed it has drastic effects on confidence in everything that is said (Greece and Argentina have had data scandals to illustrate this point).

Why the Greens defend the Gallagher eva-sions is beyond me. It serves to taint them, too. I have worked for many competent women bosses and Gallagher is not even close to them, and her political radar is decidedly faulty, too. Martin Gordon, Flynn

Sport doesn’t matterHAVING been in athletics in one’s youth (but sidetracked by many other interests), it has taken me 50 years to conclude that, when all is said and done, human achievement concerning sport is really of little consequence.

The biggest, fittest, fastest, most cunning and capable cave man or woman would have once made a difference in survival, but in this day and age, the only pluses with rough team sports is as an outlet for aggression and excessive male energies.

A sad and disturbing fact is that a large major-ity of Australians know (and care) more about who is kicking or hitting a ball, whilst ignorant and unconcerned about the havoc being inflicted on this beautiful country and its wildlife, in the form of logging and land clearing!

If only at least a fraction of the energy and hype expended on sport by so many could be diverted to a real concern for what really mat-ters – the preservation of our eucalypt forests and their inhabitants!

The real heroes of today are those brave people who risk their lives in defence of forest, ocean and the environment – going against a hu-man tsunami of “redneck, greenie haters”, who seek to continue destroying it. Diana Gillies, Moruya

dose of dorin



politics / opinion

I DON’T suppose it’s all that likely that Zed Seselja and his team will win the ACT election in October. Based on everything we know right now, ACT Labor look as hot a favourite for Gov-ernment as James Magnusson was in the 100 metres freestyle.

Oh hang on, young James got rolled didn’t he?I don’t think it’s possible for the conserva-

tives to win, but if somehow they do, I’ll be so happy to see the free plastic bags re-appear at supermarkets and shopping centres around Canberra.

Yes, finally the local Libs have a policy and, I know it’s only about plastic bags, but it’s a “good-un”.

The banning of free plastic bags in Canberra has achieved many things.

a. It’s convinced some voters that ACT Labor cares about the environment.

b. It’s taught us how to juggle half a dozen gro-cery items without a bag on the way to the car.

c. It’s taught us that if one of those items is a jar of strawberry jam and it falls on to footpath, then you’ve lost the strawberry jam.

d. It’s seen us go 12 months without a dolphin getting caught up in a plastic bag in any of Can-berra’s waterways.

e. It’s reduced landfill in the ACT by as much as .04 per cent (okay, I admit I made the statistic up, but it sounds pretty right to me.)

And, f. It’s given the supermarkets another profit-

making line.

Sounds like everyone’s a winner.There are those who believe it’s not a big

enough issue to affect the October poll, but as Pete, from Wanniassa, told me on my radio program: “It’s not about the bags anymore. It’s about a meaningless intrusion into the lives of average Canberrans”.

I’m with him all the way.And I’m not alone. The Productivity Commis-

sion has suggested that there is not a sound case for proceeding with a phase out of plastic retail carry bags.

In the UK, the British Environmental Protec-tion Agency went even further, pointing out that a shopper would have to use the same cot-ton bag every working day for a whole year to have a lesser impact than a lightweight plastic bag.

Why did we do this again?Even the Australian Motorists Party has

weighed in on this issue. As you would expect, they are against the plastic bag ban, but they also want to legislate that shopkeepers should only be able to distribute bio-degradable shop-ping bags. In a rare moment of Greens/Motorists Party unity, Shane Rattenbury from the Greens told me last week that the Motorists’ policy had more environmental merit than the Libs.

Could this be the start of a coalition between the Greens and One Nation on Wheels? Now, that would be entertaining.

Mark Parton is the breakfast announcer on 2CC.

Election in the bag?MARK PARTON rejoices in the prospect of a Liberal win and a return of free plastic bags at the supermarket


ON the Republic of India’s 65th Independ-ence Day, I extend my greetings to Indian nationals in Australia and immigrants from India who have made Australia their home.

This important day (August 15) is a good occasion to reflect upon the very significant changes India has undergone over the last decade and a half.

The economic story is well known. We have achieved an average rate of growth of 8 per cent over the last 10 years and hope to push it up even further. Manufacturing and services have performed impressively. Sec-tors like information technology have had a larger-than-life image in the India story. The spread of prosperity has been wide and the population below the poverty level has come down by almost 10 per cent (or a quarter) over the last five years.

Rising Foreign Direct Investment figures convey the potential for business and global confidence in our success. India is also making its presence felt economically abroad to trade and acquisitions.

While we are optimistic of our prospects, we have to be objective about the challenges

India faces, in education, health, food and energy security, and infrastructure.

Last year, the Indian economy grew at 6.5 per cent, well below the average of the last decade. India cannot be immune to the effects of the global financial crisis. However, the fundamentals of the economy remain overwhelmingly positive. With the savings rate of 32 per cent and the highest level of FDI ever last year, we can look forward to a quick recovery to a high-growth trajectory over the next couple of years.

There is no precedent for such a scale of change taking place within a democratic framework. We have much to gain from the interaction with other societies in terms of best practices, improved capabilities and the additionality of resources. It is in this context that our strategic partnership with Australia is vitally important. We co-operate in vital areas for mutual benefit like foreign and security policy, resources, education and science and technology.

We have established institutional platforms for furthering co-operation in diverse areas such as Foreign Affairs,

Defence, Education, Science and Technology and Resources. High-level visits from both sides are promoting engagement across a wide range of areas and creating new opportunities for both countries.

We have shared perspectives on global challenges, such as international terrorism, and are partners in regional co-operation in the context of our dialogue partnership with the ASEAN and participation in the East Asia Summit. As our bilateral ties expand, we have a growing interest in the maintenance of security of the sea lanes of communication between the two countries.

As the centre of gravity of the world economy shifts to Asia and the Indian Ocean region, India and Australia have the potential to co-operate more closely in areas such as combating piracy, disaster management, food and energy security, and the prevention of drug trafficking.

There has been a significant expansion of trade and investment between the two countries. The FTA negotiations we have embarked upon will strengthen institutional connectivity and accelerate the rapid expan-

sion of our commercial ties. Australia is a major and growing source

of imports of resources – gold, copper, coal and diamonds – for the Indian economy. A number of Indian companies have invested in the resources sector in Australia. Australian companies possess expertise, technology and products in a number of areas of interest to India. They are increasingly looking at opportunities in telecom, logistics, steel production technologies, mining technolo-gies, energy exploration and infrastructure projects. In science and technology, we have been co-operating in a number of focus areas including tsunami early warning, clean energy and joint research projects.

Australia is one of the major destinations for Indian students studying abroad.

The large and growing Indian community of professionals and workers in Australia has integrated well and made considerable contributions to building bridges of friend-ship between the two countries.

We look forward to working together with the Australian Government and people to consolidate our strategic partnership.

AS you travel through this land of infinite cultural nuances, what strikes you is the sheer variety of natural produce and of the chef’s indispensable spice box.

Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, turmeric, saffron, tamarind, bay, coriander, cumin, anise, fenugreek, asafoetida, peppercorns, chillies, nutmeg, mace, mango powder, poppy, mustard, garlic, ajwain, nigella... Ground and pounded and whole, dried and fresh and roasted, their magic touch transforms the humblest leaves, the cheapest cuts into culinary masterpieces.

Speaking of spices, let’s debunk the myth of curry powder. This favourite of the Western larder finds no counterpart in Indian kitchens. As curries across the land vary from the lightest broth to eye-wateringly pungent and unctuously creamy, so do their spices.

Derived from the old Tamil kaikaari (gravy), “curry” now embraces saucy dishes of every description. Kashmir alone boasts a spectrum from cool yoghurt-based yakhni to paprika-laden rogan josh. If you’re lucky, you’ll be served a wazawan (multi-course banquet) culminating in the legendary gushtaba (pounded meatballs).

Bengal’s estuarine palate roams from simple maach-bhaja (fried fish) to deli-cately seasoned jhol (light stew) and bhaapa (steamed fish), to sharp jhal (mustard-paste marinated), milky malai-kari (with coconut cream), sweetly rich kalia and tangy doi (yoghurt) maach.

As in Bengal, the geography encourages paddy plantations further south, but it is more than steamed rice you mop up curries with – rice and lentil batters are fermented,

flavoured, steamed or griddled for the assortment of “unleavened rice breads”, counterparts to the northern wheat-based rotis.

Kerala’s Syrian Christians offer ishtew (in cardamom-flavoured coconut milk) with appams (rice pancakes). Try a classic Alleppey fish curry, tart with tamarind or kokum berries. When you tire of seafood, choose spicy meat “fry” (really a drier curry) or pathiri dished up with parottas (fried flatbreads). The vegetarian saddya (meal) with its dazzling array of thoran (dry veggies), olan (beans and gourd in coconut milk), aviyal (coconutty, tangy), kalan (yoghurt-based), erisseri (lentils and yarn) will not disappoint, accompanied by rasam (peppery tamarind-water) and sambar.

Though Tamilian cuisine is inextricably bound to visions of dosas, idlis, uttapams and vadas, these are mere snacks. Brahmins dish up a blander saapad, aromatic yet divinely easy on the palate.

Their Chettiar cousins incorporate in their repertoire just about everything that grows or moves: sun-dried legumes, berries and kalpasi fungi make their way into curries, as do every kind of game rabbit, quail, pigeon. Their signature dish is Chettinad chicken (with whole peppercorns). Sit down for a Mudaliar meal – vazhaipoo vadai (fried banana-blossom rissoles), with perhaps kathirikkai varuval (masala-stuffed brinjal in sour gravy), a plethora of kozhambu (curries) with green masala, tamarind and pepper, and pakoda kurma (dumpling curry).

Goan curries of Portuguese antecedent yield fierier dishes still. Konkani cuisine often uses the indigenous cashew liquor, feni, marinade. Pickling and drying are common techniques (as in the famed prawn balchao,

dried Bombay Duck and spicy choriz sau-sages), with liberal use of chillies and garlic. Pork dishes are a dime a dozen when the fierce monsoon interrupts fishing: jaggery alleviated vindaloo, sorpotel, aad maas, and tripas literally go the whole hog.

Christmas week celebrates the best sea-food – xinanio (oysters) breaded and fried; pomfret, mackerel and kingfish stuffed with spicy-sour recheado masalai zawb (mussels) and cawrpa (clams) in their shells.

Maharashtra bridges the north-south divide: as with Goan pao (sourdough), puris and polis (fried breads) punctuate the staple of rice. Foods are lighter than ghee-drenched North Indian and chilly-pungent southern spices.

Neighbouring Karnataka offers less

coconut and seafood, producing sweet-sour vegetable and lentil curries. Gram flour makes an insistent appearance, as a thicken-ing agent and in batters and dumplings. Nilgiri spices are undercut by kokam and jaggery.

On the far side of the peninsula, Hyderabadi cuisine derives from the kitchens of the Nizam rulers. Richer Andhra spice mixes feature saffron and mace in stellar biryanis, meat curries abound, but a notable partiality for brinjal results in such dishes as the mustard-tempered baghaare baingan.

Gujarat remains a vegetarian bastion, despite the piscetarian Parsis with their banana-leaf bound patra nu machhi. Sweet-sour curries make liberal use of peanuts and chickpeas. Fresh vegetables are none too

varied here or in neighbouring Rajasthan, but locals take full and delicious advantage of what is to hand. Witness the popular kadhi, gramflour dumplings in yoghurt gravy.

On the whole, drier dishes are the rule in a region with fresh water at a premium. Rajasthani eats epitomise this. Rice gives way to rotis of millet, wheat or corn. Spicy gatta, cousin of the kadhi, accompanies the regional speciality of ker-sangri (desert berries with beans). Experience the satisfying simplicity of daal-baati-churma – charcoal-baked dough balls with daal and sweetened wheat crumble. Game is a rare feast, with the famed lal maas, sunset-hued from a paste of red chillies.

In the Land of the Five Rivers, milk, curds and paneer (cottage cheese) dishes abound. Punjabi foods feature uncompli-cated combinations of herbs and the smoky aroma of a clay tandoor. Tandoori roti and butter chicken at roadside dhabas remain crowd-pleasers, but the piece de resistance is the winter special of sarson ka saag (pureed mustard greens) and makke di roti (cornflour flatbread).

In sharp contrast are the elaborate marinades and layered aromas of UP. There are the many exquisite kebabs, each typical cut bathed in a different masala: galauti (melt-in-the-mouth morsels created for a dentitionally-challenged nawab), pasanda, shammi (mincemeat with gram), kakori, seekh... all accompanied by flaky-layered lachhedar parathas, rumali (kerchief) rotis and naan. Dum pukht (sweated in dough-sealed handis) pulaos and vegetables are the norm in side dishes; creamy saffron-scented kormas the counterpoint. Subtly-tempered daals each have their own specific tadka.

Article sourced from “Welcome to India”

Indian Independence Day / special feature

Flavours of India’s spice route‘Ghranena ardhabhojana’ (inhaling is half the meal) – what could be more evocative of the ethos of an Indian feast, redolent with a myriad of spices?

A time to reflect on enormous changeIndian High Commissioner BIREN NANDA reflects on the significant changes his country has undergone over the last 15 years

Mr Biren Nanda... “Sectors like information technology have had a larger than life image in the India story.”



Canberra Confidential Know something? / [email protected]

One fateful tweet... now Amy’s an anchor!DON’T underestimate the power of Twitter. Thanks to a mix of talent, hard work and one fateful tweet, Canberra girl and UC journalism graduate Amy La Porte has scored the role of weekend world news anchor at CNN’s global headquarters in Atlanta.

Amy, who previously was Southern Cross Ten’s producer/newsreader, “took a leap of faith” and bought a one-way ticket to America in May.

Not long after arriving, she tweeted an anchor at CNN International and a few days later she was flying from the West Coast to meet him.

“A chance meeting in a corridor with the head of programming set the wheels in motion; the next thing I know I am sitting tests and interviewing,” she told “CC”.

“Hours later, I was offered a job as a writer/producer...and now I have been asked to anchor the ‘World Report’ on CNN International on the weekends from August 25, so my friends and family all over, including back in Canberra, can see me. An Australian accent on American television is still a relative frontier!”

Perhaps it’s time to start tweeting, people.

Amy La Porte... a news anchor in Atlanta.

Funny sideof the streetIS the Federal member for Fraser getting a bit ahead of himself?

Looking at this picture, it would seem he has succeeded – while still alive – in having a street named after himself barely two years into his term as a Labor backbencher.

But no, on the first anniversary of the “CityNews” cover-story expose of Canberra’s silly, free sign policy (where just about anyone can get street advertising by sim-ply applying), MP Andrew Leigh has successfully affixed a sign on Cooyong Street helpfully directing milling hordes of lost and curious constituents to the bosom of his office in nearby Torrens Street.

And the TAMS criteria for granting a sign? “Community services and businesses where the particular service would not normally be anticipated.” A politi-cian in Canberra? Fancy that.

‘Hope’ less“CC” was bumbling through Llewellyn Hall, having just presented a prize to rapturous applause in the joyous junior choirs eisteddfod, when your correspondent noticed high on the bleak concrete corridor wall a cheeky protest characterisa-tion of the ANU vice-chancellor Ian Young in an execution of grotesque irony. The unloved pro-fessor is represented in the style of Barack Obama’s celebrated “Hope” poster. Except in Young’s case he has the word “Money!” under his beaming counte-nance.

Hard newsYOU can’t buy a newspaper in Bungendore these days. Not the effect of new technology, just the sad tale of the popular town newsagent slumping into receivership, unhelped by the cost of going to a carpark in Quean-beyan pre-dawn every morning to

fetch the papers. The intransigent newspaper publishers refuse to pass a truck through the town and the extra cost of carting the papers has overwhelmed the small newsagent’s fine margins.

Lisa’s in lurveONE of “CC’s” Love Whisperers tells us that this column’s lovely founder, the irrepressible Lisa Ridgley is in lurve. The new squeeze is dashing, young, local horse trainer Nick Olive, whose own website modestly intones that he is “Canberra’s leading trainer having claimed the train-ers’ premiership in the nation’s capital in three out of the last four seasons”.

Mysterious FrankFORMER long-time Queanbeyan mayor and aspiring MLA at the last ACT election Frank Pangallo still has the Pangallo Independents registered as a political party in the ACT.

So, is the sap rising for another shot at the Molonglo title for the latter-day Narrabundah resident? His party ran three candidates in the middle seat at the 2008 poll and snagged 4225 first

preferences (or 4.9 per cent of the vote – 4 per cent to Frank alone). Which wasn’t bad compared to high-profile Attorney General Simon Corbell’s 4590.

Frank’s still deciding, telling “CC” we’d all know by the close of candidate nominations in late September.

Damn lightsTHEY’RE back... Why do the southern suburbs motorists have to endure traffic-light disruption on Commonwealth Avenue a whole month before Floriade be-gins every year? Do southsiders really need 33 days to rehearse stopping for every random jogger and dog walker during the morning and afternoon rush periods? It’s election year and if any aspiring MLA is looking for “CC’s” vote...

Yo ho, no!MORE silliness... Myer in Belconnen was busted playing, brace yourself, Christmas carols on Sunday, Au-gust 12. “CC” was too indisposed in a change room to complain, but other shoppers must have and the music was replaced. Power to the people!


scene Canberra’s only locally-owned Subaru dealerBROUGHT TO

YOU BY ROLFE SUBARU

At Lifeline Canberra’s gala ball ‘A Night Under the Big Top’, Hotel Realm

Courtney Boland and Alise Salins

Elle and Renee Smith, Felicity Burns, Sally Mack, Alexia Vlahos and Kate O’Hagan

Emma Welch, Rose Grainger and Lindsey Dummett

Chris Guy, Allison Guy-Ritchie, Trish Tuckerman and Tony Kennett

Deb and Chic HenryScott Radburn “Alimente Pour Khia” and Cheryl Radburn Caleb Moore and Callum Dean Emily White and Andrew Baker

Pete and Julie Davis with Rada and Paul Dillon

Jemma Power, Christen Vandewerken, Rebecca Kubitzky, Ali McKenzie and Sarah Walter Brittney Gould, Robyn Clough and PJ Gould


scene ROLFE SUBARU AT PHILLIP & BELCONNEN

At the charity screening of ‘Not My Life’, Dendy Cinema At the Brumbies presentation night, Rydges Lakeside, Civic

Kerry Byrne, Debbie Miller and Stephanie Manuelpillai Jake and Lindy White

Linda and Allan Wilson

Derek and Robyn Young Karen Bramston, Judy Bryce and Michelle BramstonJudith Gardner and Jenny Brown

Pat McCabe, Scott Fardy, Gabrielle D’Ambrosio and Simon Chester Ray Revley and Deb Phillip

Jodie Fogherty, Stacie Bulmer, James Brand, Kirsty Norwood and Jenny Yang

Julie Mangos, Felicity Lee and Sue Nelson

Karen Dobinson, Clare Stephens and Jenny Watt

Alice Gibson, Tanya Pridanikoff, Lisa Robinson, Heng Hok and Caroline Mulas

Judy Simpson and Vidya Sutton

Martina Donkers and Emma Guest


sceneAt Ramadan Club’s Iftar Night, Canberra Grammar School

Anna Hills, David Hodges and Cathy Bruer

Rory King, Ali and Abdullah Al Ghardaqa and Omar Gamash

Daniel O’Malley, Tom Bruer, Ahmad Al Ghardaqa and Jeanne O’Malley

Connor Tigwell, Matthew Bruer and Finnegan Osler-Seymour

Omar Al Ghardaqa, Joe Daley and Shahriar Syed


all about phillip


arts & entertainment Dougal MacdonaldTogetherness takes its toll

That one day of the year

Mark’s musical planets alignWHILE the Canberra Symphony Orchestra is busy promoting its coming concert as both “astrological” and “astronomical”, virtuoso didgeridoo player Mark Atkins has his feet firmly on the ground.

I caught up with Atkins by phone at his Tamworth home as he prepared to join 86 performers on stage in Peter Sculthorpe’s composi-tion “Earth Cry”, the opening work in a CSO concert that will also feature Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” and Mozart’s stellar “Double Concerto for Violin and Viola”.

A descendant of WA’s Yamitji people, Atkins is a long-time collabo-rator of US composer Philip Glass, with whom he co-wrote “Voices” for didgeridoo and organ to mark the inauguration of the refurbished Melbourne Town Hall organ.

He performed live for the Sydney Opera House season of the film “Naqoyqatsi” and toured with Glass’s

“Orion”, which premiered at the Cultural Olympiad in Greece. His solo work “Grungada” was commissioned by the Melbourne Festival and toured Australia and the world, but he retains a local music base as a founding member of the indigenous contemporary music Black Arm Band.

Atkins has been living in Tamworth and enjoying its musical life since the late ‘80s, when he left WA because of “too much politics”. All his five children are musicians, with one son already playing the didge in WA.

He rejects the widespread view of the didgeridoo, which he took up 20 years ago, as “just a drone instrument”, preferring to use it “for droning, percussively and for solo work”.

A former percussionist and still an aficionado of rock ‘n’ roll, techno, jazz and reggae, he likes to surprise his audiences, but he believes his encounters with Sculthorpe and Glass have been particularly stimulating because the work they create, is “out-of-the-box… they haven’t got the blinkers on”.

Atkins is well aware that the instrument originates from Arnhem Land, but notes that it travelled down into the Pilbara and north-east Queensland through storytellers and into broader culture via “classical” musicians such as Sculthorpe.

There’s a special feel to playing the didge, he says, “people ask me don’t I get homesick with all the travelling. Well, playing the didgeridoo takes me right back to Australia”.

Llewellyn Series 12:3, at Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, August 22 and 23. Free pre-concert talk at 6:45pm. Bookings to 1300 795 012 or www.ticketek.com

Helen Musa reports

Helen Musa reports

JONATHAN Biggins is a familiar face in Canberra as part of The Wharf Revue’s political satire team, but he’s never written a “straight” play before.

But “straight” might not be exactly the word for “Australia Day”, as I find when I talk to him by phone in Adelaide.

Biggins is a self-confessed “bleeding heart, inner-city type”, but it was his experience as an Australia Day Ambassador that really got him going. Attending official functions “out in the regions”, he found himself surprised as to how moved he was. And, so long as he kept away from party politics, he was allowed to talk about anything he liked, including Terra Nullius.

But he asked himself: “Why are you all such nice people, when the values you reflect are not very nice?” Values such as xenophobia, homo-phobia and racism, in the context of changing demographics, tree changes, sea changes, and the emergence of the Greens.

To Biggins, “out in the regions” means com-munities such as Tamworth, Campbelltown and suburban Hunters Hill, where he found evidence that Australians are becoming increasingly a nation of whingeing loudmouths.

Yet he discovered that “out there, there’s much more connection to the local community and spirit of place than we might think.”

It was enlightening and suddenly a play about Australia Day seemed a necessity.

“I had a meeting with Andrew Upton [Cate Blanchett’s husband and co-director of the Sydney Theatre Company] and he said ‘go for it’,” says Biggins.

He sets the story in a fictional coastal town

called Coriole, complete with a villainous local mayor and Liberal Party candidate (played by Geoff Morrell), dull deputy mayor (David James), head of the CWA, (Valerie Bader), Greens council-lor, (Alison Whyte), Vietnamese-Australian school liaison officer (Kaeng Chan) and local builder Wally (Peter Kowitz).

Biggins promises “jokes aplenty,” so long as we abandon some of our preciousness about cultural sensitivities. After all, he says, quoting the “Avenue Q” song, “Everyone’s a little bit racist”.

The problem is, he believes, that Australian people feel an increasing need to have their opin-ions heard more loudly. And when The Republic dawns, which date would Biggins choose for our national day?

Well, it wouldn’t be Anzac Day, “very success-fully revived by Mr Howard – that’s nationalism, not patriotism”.

And there’s the serious question of “Invasion Day”, “the bad name given by people draping Australian flags over themselves, and the jingoism of ‘Sunrise’s’ Kochie.”

But in the end, “we’d be hard pressed to get it away from January 26,” , he concludes.

“Australia Day” directed by Richard Cottrell, at The Playhouse, August 29-September 1. A post-show Q&A will be held with the cast following the August 30 performance. For an hour before each Canberra show, there will be a sausage sizzle, with funds going to charity. Bookings to 6275 2700 or www.canberraticketing.com.au

“Australia Day”... Biggins promises “jokes aplenty,” so long as we abandon some of our preciousness about cultural sensitivities. Photo by Jeff Busby

Jonathan Biggins... his experience as an Australia Day Ambassador really got him going.

Virtuoso didgeridoo player Mark Atkins... “People ask me don’t I get homesick with all the travelling. Well, playing the didgeridoo takes me right back to Australia”.


arts & entertainment After 60 years, Bill Hawkey hangs up his baton

AFTER 60 years of choral conducting, former director of the ANU School of Music, Bill Hawkey, pictured, is hanging up his baton as music director and conductor of the Montague Choristers in Narooma. Hawkey’s last classical performance with the choristers was Men-delssohn’s “Elijah” on August 5, but there’ll still be some “nostalgia” concerts to come. Potential new conductors and accompanists should phone 02 4476 2270.

“BOY Girl Wall,” with 25 characters performed by one man, a stick of chalk and a sock puppet, concludes The Street Theatre’s 2012 “Solo Program” from August 22-September 1. It’s a piece de resistance for Matilda

Award winner Lucas Stibbard and his comedic colleagues from the Brisbane Theatre Group, The Escapists, and tells of love-thwarting objects (such as walls). Bookings to 6247 1223 or www.thestreet.org.au

WESLEY Music Centre will be awash with concerts in the next week or so. There’s the Forrest National Chamber Orchestra performing on Sunday, August 19, at 3pm in a fundraising event for Wesley Music Founda-tion String Scholarships. No bookings required. On Wednesday, August 22, violist Robert Harris will perform

his second concert in his ongoing “Viola Plus” project with pianist Colin Forbes, 12.40pm-1.20pm, $2 or paper note entry and on Friday, August 24, at 7.30pm, pianist Jonathan Wilson will perform Beethoven, Liszt, Fauré and Albéniz. Tickets at the door.

CANBERRA Dance Development Centre’s annual concert is “Treasure”, inspired by Mother Teresa’s poem “Life Is”, at the Canberra Theatre, 7.30pm, Saturday, August 25, bookings to 6275 2700 or www.canberrath-eatrecentre.com.au

SIX well-known regional artists will soon exhibit in Goulburn, linked chiefly by their proximity to the city.

They are Canberra’s Julie Bradley, Susan Buret from the Southern Highlands, Margarita Georgiardis from Gunning, sculptor Mike and painter Kerry McInnis from Whiskers Creek and Bob Millis from Goulburn itself. “Six Pack,” at Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, corner of Bourke and Church Sreets, opens 2pm, August 25 until September 15.

“SHORT+Sweet Canberra” is now in its fourth year, where it will run to September 1 at The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre. It covers “all styles of theatre from comedy to drama, physical to puppetry, poetic to absurd.” Bookings to 6275 2700 or www.canberraticket-ing.com.au

Helen Musa arts in the city

Togetherness takes itstoll on the hidden past“And If We All Lived Together” (M) IN his second feature, writer/director Stephane Robelin sends clear messages about the eighth decade of life to five middle-class Parisians, close chums for 40 years.

Nothing so far in life has educated Jean (Guy Bedos), his wife Annie (Geraldine Chaplin), widower Albert (Pierre Richard), widow Jeanne (Jane Fonda) and Lothario bachelor Claude (Claude Riche) about how to deal with the mid-seventies and beyond. Living in a retirement home is simply not on.

The theme may evoke “Best Marigold Hotel” but the differences are basic. The friendship years lead to an ablation of surprises about each other. Or do they? They all know Claude’s womanising. But they are all hiding personal secrets that the film exposes to acquire meaning and dramatic tension.

This happens among a tapestry of life’s ordinary experiences when the three unattached members of the group move into the house that Annie inherited. Annie is sad that her grandchildren seldom visit. So she installs a swimming pool on what was Jean’s kitchen garden. Jeanne is busy planning her burial. The group engages a dishy PhD candidate Dirk (Daniel Buhl) to walk the large dog that caused Claude to fall.

Around this general framework, Robelin’s film examines the commonplaces of septuagenarian life – degenerating physical capabilities, sharing housekeeping and cooking, Claude’s plea for Dirk to persuade the GP to prescribe Viagra, Jeanne’s acknowledgement that masturbation may be second best, but absence of best is worse. The screenplay canvasses these experiences with gentle humour, perceptiveness, compassion and credibility. You don’t have to be geriatric to take comfort and satisfaction from it.

At Greater Union and Dendy

“The Campaign” (MA) WHAT I observed in a brief stint as a part-time staffer for an ACT Government minister did not persuade me to love or respect politics as a noble, worthy, or rewarding calling.

So I looked forward to getting a buzz from Jay Roach’s film parodying politics US style, in which Will

Ferrell plays republican Congressman Brady, confident of election for a fifth term simply because he has so hornswoggled the electorate that standing against him is a no-brainer.

The stinky-rich Motch brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow) set out to feather their nest even more than it already is by conning local barber Marty (Zach Galifianakis) to stand as a sort of independent Democrat.

A sweet unaggressive goofus, Marty has no vices, a nuclear family over which he and his wife impose high moral standards, and little knowledge of how to do either politics or government. The Motches engage ass-kicker Tim (Dylan McDermott) to drive Marty’s campaign up a very steep learning curve.

What happens? A lot. The screenplay by-passes few aspects of political campaigning US-style as it squeezes a copious flow of comic juice from a zany plot that makes no apology for sparing no cliché, wallowing in fallibility, channelling stupidity as a commonplace and elevating it to a prime virtue, and descending into rat cunning on both sides of the contest when the going gets tough.

The result is a bundle of laughs overlaying serious exposure of the shortcomings of the American polity. Ferrell may not be to everybody’s taste, but he and Galifianakis both know how to do unrestrained yet masterfully controlled comedy. Writers Chris Henchy and Shawn Harwell provide a screenplay uncon-strained by good taste or political morality as it holds a mirror to a theme that should concern us all.

At Greater Union, Hoyts and Limelight

“Jackpot” (MA) FROM Norway comes this criminal comedy about how sudden wealth can corrupt.

Oscar works in the office of a firm where former crims Dan, Billy and Thor put plastic scrap into one end of a machine that spits it out as kitsch little Christmas trees. After a night of drinking, they chip in to buy a pools ticket that comes up trumps.

Jo Nesbo’s story borrows a lot from American splatter movies. Blood flows copiously throughout “Jackpot”. The four go to a strip-joint/tavern to buy more booze to celebrate the win. Somebody cuts loose with an Uzi and the body count rises. The cops pull Oscar from under the dead body of a massive black stripper and try to fit him up for the massacre.

Magnus Martens’s film pays homage to directors such as Tobe Hooper or Quentin Tarentino, overlaid with flavours of the Three Stooges. Among all that gore, it’s more silly than funny without making us wonder or care who will be standing at the end.

At Greater Union

Dougal Macdonaldcinema

winnersWinners of the “CityNews”-Woden Trade Secret $100 shopping voucher promotion are Bronnie Bunnett, of Oxley; Amanda Medcalf, Cook; Liz Fogarty, Gilmore; Jennafa Rosenblatt, Kingston and Suzanne Russell, Rivett.

Zach Galifianakis, left, and Will Ferrell in “The Campaign”.


Alfred would have loved it hereIF alive today, former Prime Minister Alfred Deakin would no doubt be proud to sit at a venue bearing his name, relaxing at a small place that concentrates on offering good food at decent prices.

The Deakin Espresso Bar and Café (formerly Double Shot) is under new ownership, with chef Josh Sargent at the helm in the kitchen serving breakfast and lunch (dinner to come once warmer weather blesses Canberra). Most recently Josh worked at Flint in the Vines, Shaw Vineyard, and he’s also done stints elsewhere in the ACT, and in Queensland and Canada.

Soup of the day is just $7 and at The Deakin you can munch on lighter dishes such as dips ($9 for a trio) or chilli salted calamari salad ($17.50). Those with real

hunger pangs can go for the full-on grilled eye fillet with confit garlic mash, sauteed spinach (gotta get those greens in ya) and rich madeira jus ($26), or the steak sandwich with blue cheese, golden caramelised onions and beetroot chutney ($18.50).

I crave slow-braised food in winter and so ordered the Wagyu pot pie. It was an exceptionally generous serve of big cubes of tender beef and loaded with strips of salty bacon, healthy green peas and po-tato, all neatly tucked under a puff pastry lid ($18.50). It was a hearty meal, high on taste and very soul satisfying. Like most items at The Deakin, this dish is made in house (except for the puff pastry, which is time consuming and expensive to create). I enjoyed it with a cup of Ona Coffee made by a barista who loves to pump out quality

cappuccinos, lattes, machiattos and more.Other fave lunch dishes? Coopers beer

battered barramundi ($18.50) and the prawn Linguine Puttanesca ($18.5). A rotat-ing specials board is available and check out the house-made, decadent desserts.

The Deakin is a great local. Co-owner Sandy Spiers, a well-known Canberra freelance photographer, has kept the café layout the same, but is introducing improvements including new furniture in the lounge area (lobby of Deakin Chambers).

My experience is that some service components need TLC. I hit the café at what I call “the witching hour”… after the lunch rush when staff in some eateries lose focus (I’ve experienced this often over the years).

Even though there were only two other tables with customers, I had to get up and place my order at the counter. Same with paying. Still, I left with a happy tummy and will be back soon to try breakfast – per-

haps the buttermilk pancakes, which you can have sweet or with baked bechamel and smoked salmon for something a little more savoury ($15.50).

The Deakin, Deakin Chambers, Duff Place, open seven days, 7am weekdays and 8am weekends until 5pm, with coffee/cake from 2.30pm). BYO (no corkage). Call 6282 6676.

Wendy Johnsondining

Red-wine braised lamb shanks with colcanon mash , buttered broccolini and rich ragout.

Minestrone soup with fusill i and toasted Turkish bread. Photos by Silas Brown

Young artists respond to new mediavisual art“ID 2012 Digital Portrait Award”Works by Laura Moore, Aaron James McGarry, Nina Mulhall, Clare Thackway and Bridget WalkerAt the National Portrait Gallery.Reviewed by Johnny Milner

THROUGHOUT history artists have often explored the possibilities of new forms of technology.

In the 21st century this continues to be the case as the transition from analogue to digital imaging has revolutionised the genre of portraiture – enabling new forms of representation and audience interaction.

Currently showcasing at the NPG is the final selection from the inaugural “ID Portraiture Award” – an initiative aimed at young Australian artists.

Simply and elegantly organised, the exhibit comprises five il-luminated screen-based works. The portrait “Animation One” – a silent stop-motion piece by Laura Moore – picked up the $10,000 (courtesy of Macquarie Group Foundation) prize.

In a highly emotive expression of self-representation this work features a sequence of stilted images of the artist dressed in school uniform, and documents the emotional reaction she has while recalling the miserable moments of her school days.

Positioned directly opposite are the four runners-up, all evenly spaced and sized, and all of which include a sonic element.

The video work “You Came Out of Me” utilises raw, loosely constructed footage to profile four different teenage subjects and explores, in true psychoanalytical fashion, the relationship between mother and

child. Performing to the camera the subjects are asked to mimic the mannerisms, quirks and habits of their mothers.

Interestingly, the moments where the subjects are acting the least – those moments of contemplation – are by far the most affecting and revealing.

In stark contrast, the highly-stylised “Fragility My Freedom” employs various forms of audio-visual symbolism and manipulation as a sort of therapy to self discovery, with a specific focus on the transition of teenage angst into gay adulthood.

Through additional media, such as sound, montage and digital effects, “ID 2012” encapsulates the spatio-temporal possibilities and trends in contemporary portraiture. Poignant, exposing and sensitively realised, this exhibit will certainly resonate with a wide range of audiences.

Festival triumph for jazz junkiesTHE visionary Caroline Stacey, at The Street Theatre, has nailed it with the Capital Jazz Project.

In just two years it is firmly established as a major music festival in Canberra. Its adventurous program-ming has attracted a big following. World-class acts put plenty of bums on seats.

The three concerts I attended showed just how diverse the programming was.

A double-bill gig started with the Andy Butler Large Ensemble. There is no doubt that these young guns, playing some imaginative Butler originals, have the future of jazz firmly in hand. The sound was tight, exuberant, well-balanced and exciting. And it will come as no surprise that all are School of Music alumni or teachers.

Continuing proceedings was the Bernie McGann Quartet, featuring trumpeter Warrick Alder, drummer Andrew Dickeson and Canberra bassist Brendan Clarke. Both McGann, on saxophone, and Alder were masters of highly improvised, but deftly understated playing, which left space for the equally masterly playing of the rhythm section.

A highlight was McGann’s performance of a tune by Paul Desmond, who wrote “Take Five”. There seems a strong connection between them.

A very different concert was “Gone, Without Saying”, by the Melbourne vocal group Invenio, led by the work’s composer Gian Slater, who has an incredible vocal range with a vocal clarity of which many singers could only dream.

“Gone, Without Saying” is a work of inventive experimentation with strange vocal contortions that held an enraptured audience across every note, tick, squeak and flutter.

The third offering was by Joe Chindamo, a pianist of such extraordinary talent that he must surely now be an Australian legend. He was the artist-in-residence during the festival. On stage with him was an ensemble of Australian musicians and, together, they played a program of music from Coen brothers films. Their drive, sensitivity, creativity and contrasts would be difficult to top anywhere in the world. It was a brilliant two hours that seemed to fly past.

The people at The Street Theatre can be very proud of the Capital Jazz Project. I’m looking forward to next year already.

jazzCapital Jazz ProjectThe Street Theatre, until August 12Reviewed by Clinton White


2012 Outstanding Apprentice

Clancy BRENTNALL

Bricklaying Jamie GIANCHOU

Cabinet making Matt TINDALE

Carpentry Clancy BRENTNALL

Commercial/residential cadet

Trystan WARN

Diesel mechanical, heavy vehicle

John REID

Formwork carpentry Adriano SIVIERO

Glass and glazing Matthew JONES

Indigenous (bricklaying) James HILL

Landscaping David MOON

Meritorious Brant CAMERON

Meritorious Jack DOUCH

Meritorious Nai Pon HTAW

Meritorious Paul HARMSWORTH

Meritorious Habibullah HUSSAINI

Engineering mechanical, light fabrication

Marcus DOUGHTY

Engineering mechanical, heavy fabrication

Maurice SCHENKELBERG

Engineering mechanical, fitting & machining

Christopher KAFER

Painting & decorating Andrew KEFFORD

Plumbing Garth THOMAS

Refrigeration and air conditioning

Michael NIXON

Roof tiling Aidan MURDOCH

Systems electrician David BURGEMEISTER

Wall & ceiling lining Shane STEVEN

Wall & floor tiling Reece WOHL

Woman in non-traditional trade

Emma-Lyn BARRETT

Award winners

The ACT Regional Building and Construction Industry Training Council would like to congratulate outstanding

apprentices and finalists of the

2012 CITC - Capital Training Institute Graduating

Apprentice and Industry Encouragement Awards

We would also like to thank our sponsors and supporters

Celebrating 10 years of star apprentices

2012 CITC Capital Training Industry Awards / advertising feature

CITC executive director Vince Ball said he was pleased to welcome back the previous winners and acknowl-edged their continued contribution to the construction industry.

The quality of apprentices nominated and interviewed this year was outstanding.

Each entrant demonstrated commitment and dedica-tion to their chosen trade and to the industry.

This year’s winners were all highly motivated and had reached a high standard of skill and dedication in their chosen fields.

Since the first awards ceremony, the CITC has

recognised 299 Outstanding Graduating Apprentices and Trainees and provided 36 Encouragement Awards.

Mr Ball also reminded the audience of more than 400 guests of the enormous role the construction industry played, not only in the local economy but also in its contribution to youth and the general community.

He said this major event provided the opportunity for the construction industry to recognise and reward outstanding performances by local graduating apprentices in the presence of their family, employers and industry.

Mr Ball acknowledged the importance of the major sponsor, Capital Training Institute, and the other spon-

sors and supporters for their generosity in supporting this major construction industry function. He also acknowledged that without this support the CITC would not be able to continue with this major industry event in this format.

ACT Education and Training Minister, Dr Chris Bourke, opened the awards and together with Matt Sutherland, CEO of Capital Training Institute, co-presented the framed certificate to the overall winner Clancy Brentnall, an HIA carpentry apprentice. Minister Bourke also congratulated all the winners and nominees for their outstanding effort throughout their apprenticeship.

ALL nine of the previous Outstanding Graduating Apprentices joined this year’s winner Clancy Brentnall for the 10th ACT Regional Building and Construction Industry Training Council’s Outstanding Graduating Apprentice and Industry Encouragement Awards at Thoroughbred Park.

Centre of attention... Clancy Brentnall, 2012 ACT Outstanding Apprentice award winner, with Matt Sutherland, left, and Education and Training Minister Chris Bourke.

Apprentice power... the finalists for this year’s Graduating Apprentice and Industry Awards.


Media partners

Entertainment partner

Award sponsors

2012 ACT Property Council Awards / advertising feature

ACT Property Development of the YearSponsored by Rider Levett BucknallWinner: The Apartments, NewActon South. Developed and owned by MoMac 2 Pty Ltd (a joint venture between Molonglo Group and Macquarie Bank). Designed by Fender Katsalidis.

ACT Property Business of the Year AwardSponsored by GHDWinner: Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers

NewActon wins year’s best developmentNEWACTON South was awarded the ACT’s highest accolade for development at the annual Property Council Awards Night and Gala Ball at the property industry’s night of nights at the National Convention Centre.

Also known as The Apartments, NewActon South won the ACT Property Council of Australia/Rider Levett Bucknall Development of the Year award for 2012 ahead of nine other contestants.

Developed and owned by MoMac2 Pty Ltd (a joint venture between Molonglo Group and Macquarie Bank), the property forms part of the NewActon precinct and has been designed as an elegant addition to Canberra’s skyline.

Property Council ACT executive director, Catherine Carter, in announcing the winner, said: “NewActon South is an outstanding showcase of the great outcomes our industry can produce.

“The centre-piece of the NewActon precinct, it not only successfully combines contemporary art and architecture, but delivers high-quality living and mixed-use activity, adding vibrancy and diversity to this Canberra CBD precinct.”

Designed by world-acclaimed architects Fender Katsalidis, the 18-storey building’s

glass facade creates a striking, curvilinear tower form and maximises views across the National Gallery, National Museum, Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin.

The building incorporates a mate-rial palette which reinforces the evolving architectural language of the NewActon precinct, the dramatic and sensuous curves give a unique identity to this project. Others involved in the project include PBS Building (ACT) Pty Ltd, Rider Levett Bucknall, Parsons Brinckerhoff Australia ACT Pty Ltd, Pamille Berg Consulting Pty Ltd (art curator) and Oculus (landscape design).

Sponsor Mark Chappé, director of Rider Levett Bucknall, said his company was “proud to be associated with both this exemplary awards program and iconic building, which has made an outstand-ing mark on Canberra’s architecture landscape.”

Legal eagles swoop on business prize IN announcing the award winner, Ms Carter said: “Formed in 2005, Meyer Vandenberg is a dynamic commercial law firm based in Canberra. Recog-nised for providing quality service, the firm undertakes work for clients at local and national levels, as well as internationally.

“The firm’s strategic approach distinguishes it and is one of the major reasons for its success. Recognising the importance of people is a major guiding principle. Respect, integrity, relationships, collaboration and excellence are core values.

“People who work for the firm are kept in the lead with the help of this approach. A healthy work-life balance for team members is a priority, and there are a number of in-house initiatives directed at achieving this.

“Meyer Vandenberg has demonstrated that a people-based approach really works. Its people are dedicated to finding viable solutions for clients and have developed strong connections to the industry because of this.”

Grant Flannigan of MoMac2, left, with prize sponsor Mark Chappé, director of Rider Levett Bucknall.

Archie Tsirmokos, from Meyer Vandenberg, left, with prize sponsor Robert Knott, from GHD.

Principal sponsor

Major sponsors


2012 ACT Property Council Awards / advertising feature

Executive Director’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Property CouncilAwarded to John Notaras, Director, Harry Notaras Investments

ACT Future Leader of the Year AwardSponsored by the ACT Building & Construction Industry Training Fund AuthorityWinner: Adam Howarth, Associate Director, CB Richard Ellis

Allan Wylucki Property Professional of the Year AwardSponsored by Hays PropertyWinner: Tony Adams, Director, AT Adams Consulting

Tony, professional of the year TONY Adams, a well-established figure in the Canberra property industry, was awarded the Allan Wylucki Property Professional of the Year Award.

In announcing the award, Ms Carter said: “Behind his boyish grin lies a powerful intellect, an intimate knowledge of planning legislation and a steely determination to achieve the very best for his impressive list of clients and, indeed, the Canberra development industry generally.

“Tony has worked on an impressive and significant range of projects in recent years including the Enlarged Cotter Dam, the National Arboretum, Section 63 Canberra,

City and Westfield Belconnen to name just a few.

“He has worked for over 30 years in urban and regional planning and property development, and has been a tireless contributor to the property sector in Canberra.

“On the back of five very successful years as the senior director in CBRE Town Planning, a new chapter has now begun in Tony’s colourful career – he has decided to start his own town-planning consultancy, AT Adams Consulting.”

Young Adam gets a vote of confidence“Some young professionals show from the very start of their careers that they will be memorable and effective property profes-sionals, “ said Catherine Carter in revealing Adam Howarth, of CBRE, as the winner of the ACT Future Leader of the Year Award.

“In his short career he has shown his willingness to go the extra mile, his effectiveness when he does this, and his ability to tweak and improve systems and strategies in the process.

“His career started in 2004, as an assistant valuer with McCann Property & Planning, a firm later incorporated into CBRE.

“By 2010 CBRE recognised him as the

‘most improved staff member in NSW’ and by 2011 Adam was made an associate director.

“At CBRE Adam has improved the team structure to enhance client management, market research and quality assurance. His work implementing a strategic client

relationship management structure earned him a further award from CBRE in 2011.”

Council salutes John Notaras“JOHN Notaras has participated widely in both local affairs and business and there seems no letting up in his enthusiasm for Canberra,” said Catherine Carter in announc-ing the award.

John Notaras’ story began in 1910 when his father Harry (then aged 13) migrated alone from Greece to Australia.

In 1922, Harry settled in Queanbeyan and it was during this time that he saw the opportunity the fledgling national capital offered and moved to Canberra in early 1927.

He was the city’s first Greek resident and businessman, establishing the Highgate Café in Kingston before the opening of Parliament House.

During the Great Depression Harry and his wife Helen assisted many people who found themselves in difficult circumstances. At the rear of the Highgate, Helen operated her own style of soup kitchen for those unemployed and down on their luck.

In 2003, the rear lane behind the Kingston shops was named Highgate Lane.

It was against this community-minded background that John grew up. Born and raised in Canberra, he excelled at sports, especially rugby. He played more than 100 first-grade games for Eastern Suburbs and, at the age of 18, was selected to represent the ACT and played against some formidable opponents, most notably the NZ All Blacks.

After leaving school, he travelled abroad for a number of years and returned to Canberra to forge a career spanning numer-ous business endeavours, ranging from shoe

retailing to property development to wool growing.

During this time John’s involvement in local affairs grew and he became a tireless contributor to the Canberra community including president of the Canberra Chamber of Commerce, 1986-1988, 1992-93,1997-98; Property Council of Australia (ACT) Division Council member 1983-1986, 2000-present, vice Chairman 2003-4; advisory board to Sal-vation Army member; Canberra North Rotary Club – past member and Duke of Edinburgh Award Trust foundation member ACT.

In recognition of his efforts within the Canberra community, John was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Canberra in 1998 and was a finalist in the 2004 ACT Senior Australian of the Year Awards.

Manny Notaras accepts for his brother John.

Matt Kelly, of prize sponsor Hays, left, with winner Tony Adams, from AT Adams Consulting.

Adam Howarth, from CBRE, left, is congratulated by James Service, from the ACT Building and Construction Industry Training Fund Authority.


garden

Dream time for lost lawnsCEDRIC BRYANT has turned his drip irrigation system on only once in the last 18 months, which have been a dream time for for gardens, with regular rainfall and no extremes in temperatures

MOISTURE is deep down and these ideal conditions are set to continue. During the drought many people reduced or replaced their lawn and others, including yours truly, did absolutely nothing. With regular rainfall, the grass had not died, but bounced back and the ritual exercise of weekly lawn mowing took off again.

Those who replaced lawns looked for grass with a higher drought tolerance, one of the most popular varieties being “Sir Walter” buffalo grass. This is extremely drought tolerant with spreading runners. The only disadvantage is that in cold weather – and if your garden is exposed – this grass can die back in winter, as seen here.

However, it will soon green up with a few warm days in spring. Although, if we get a mild winter and early spring, windborne weeds can grow in the lawn before the grass fully greens up.

One needs to be careful as to which type of weed killer to use. Do seek advice before taking a lawn weed killer off the shelf at your gar-den centre. Canturf, our own local turf company, still grows and sells the traditional “Canberra Blend” and one can see how well it grows on the farm at Fyshwick. Developed in Canberra for local conditions, many people still prefer this grass for its softer feel and without the problems of winter die-back.

In addition to weeds in lawns, other problems include lawn grubs that quietly chew the roots. Usually, the first indication your lawn is in

trouble is when you see magpies madly eating the grubs, as whole patches of lawn die before your eyes. By that time it is too late.

Then there is knowing the optimum time to fertilise your lawn.

The answer to all these problems can be solved with our local Coochie Hydrogreen Lawn Services. This is a totally locally-owned company started in Yass. Its lawn-care program is designed to simplify fertilising, soil condition-ing, lawn pest and weed control on a year-round maintenance program. Go to www.coochie.com.au or freecall 1800 245 955.

A REMINDER for those trying to identify plants, pests and diseases. The School of Horticulture conducts its CIT Plant Clinic every Monday from 2pm to 4pm (during school terms, call 6207 3188).

Located at CIT Bruce in Building

N, Charles Weston Lane (corner of Battye and Eade Streets) Bruce. Look for the plant clinic signs. This is an important part of student training and is backed up by qualified horti-culture teachers. Examples of advice include chemical-free alternatives for your garden, identifying weeds from plants and are those creepy crawlies really doing damage to

your plants etcetera?Besides a smile, take plants for

identification, preferably with seeds, flowers and leaves. Diseased plants and bugs etcetera should be in a plastic bag or a container. Stu-dents and staff are able to answer any general gardening questions such as when and how to prune plants and more.

The extremely drought-tolerant “Sir Walter” buffalo grass... the only disadvantage is that in a cold winter it can die back.

NOW is the time to get your lawn in order for summer:

• If your lawn has not been cored in recent years do it now.

• Check pop-up sprinkler systems and adjust automatic timers.

• If top dressing to fill in hollows

and holes, use coarse, washed river sand, not topsoil.

• From September, start sowing seed to cover bare patches.

• Get the lawn mower ready, new blades if necessary, drain and refill with clean oil for four-stroke mowers and clean air filters.

Time to get started

The alternative organic lawn mower!


Sudoku hard No.86

General knowledge crossword No. 373

Solution next week

Solution next week

Crossword No.372 Sudoku med No.86Solutions

puzzles pageJoanne Madeline Moore your week in the stars / August 20 - 26 Across

1 Name one of the most highly gifted and prolific composers in history, Wolfgang ...7 What is a polygon having seven angles and seven sides?8 Which gender is neither male nor female?9 In racing, what do we call a contestant not included among the favourites?10 What is another term for a swarming grasshopper?11 Name a slow-moving terrestrial reptile.14 Which beer keg holds 52 gallons?18 What is a less familiar term for dialects?19 Which lofty towers are attached to churches, temples or the like?21 What is a forerunner, or harbinger, also known as?22 Name an alternative term for a police officer.23 Name a particular black suit of cards.

Down 1 Which term is applicable to Uluru?2 Name the Dickensian “dodger”.3 Which device controls the amount of fuel being fed to an engine?4 Name an alternative term for a rotisserie.5 Which establishment is used for gambling games?6 What are low-powered motorcycles, equipped with pedals?12 Name pungent roots eaten raw in salads.13 What are separate programs constituting a serial?15 Which person once took care of horses, especially at an inn?16 What are high-spirited horses?17 Name a chain of hills, the peaks of which suggest the teeth of a saw.20 What is rendered pig fat?

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)Does your love life seem to be more trouble than it’s worth at the moment? With task-master Saturn in your partnership zone, the lesson to learn is that relationships require hard work, 24/7. “Love doesn’t just sit there like a stone. It has to be made like bread, remade all the time, made new.” (Ursula Le Guin) With Mars moving into Scorpio, aim to be focused and steadfast.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)Your Taurean tenacity works positively when you are determined and loyal; but negatively when you are just plain stubborn and intractable. This week you’ll discover that some things are worth holding into, and some things aren’t (working out which is which is half the battle!) When it comes to love and romance, strive to be more proactive and passionate.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)Thursday’s marvelous Mercury/Jupiter aspects boost your brain power and your communication skills. So it’s a wonderful week to converse and circulate; plus mix and mingle with a wide range of stimulating people. With the Sun shining in your family zone, stay up-to-date with what loved ones are doing. You’re very busy but there’s always time to keep in touch.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)If you’re not pulling your weight at home, then family members (or housemates) will be quick to point out your shortcomings. Perhaps it’s time to re-negotiate the domestic roster? From Friday onwards, you’re flirting up a storm, as proactive Mars moves into your romance zone. Attached Crabs – expect some rejuvenating romantic antics. And singles – anything is possible!

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)Lions are impulsive, impatient creatures. But, if you want to achieve your goals this week, flash-in-the-pan plans are out and patient progress is in! Cats will be especially curious mid-week as you dig up gossip, uncover a secret, or study up a storm. As birthday great Dorothy Parker wrote: “The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)Attached Virgos – are you so busy that your spouse feels neglected? What you want and what your partner needs may be two very different things. Perhaps it’s time to get talking, before the gap between you becomes a chasm? Singles who are looking for love need to be proactive. If you have your eye on someone, perhaps it’s time to send a romantic email, text or tweet?

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)Librans adore beauty and fashion, plus you strive to present a perfect persona. And you can be very hard on yourself – especially as Saturn continues to move slowly through your sign. With mighty Mars moving into your self-esteem zone (from August 24 through to October 7), it’s time to look at what makes you tick on the inside, as you value your own inner gorgeousness.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)Scorpios can waste a lot of energy trying to organise others. This week you need to work on the one person you can control – yourself. Dashing and dynamic Mars marches through your sign (from August 24 through to October 7), which will increase your confidence and charisma. Sunday’s Mars/Neptune trine boosts creativity, compassion and your desire to do good deeds.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)There’s no denying you are a smart Sagittarian, but are you making the most of your cerebral talents? This week make sure you don your thinking cap and give yourself a vigorous mental workout. Expect an action-packed weekend, when you’re keen to explore and experiment. And is it time to look for fresh friendships within a bohemian new crowd?

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)Don’t take things too literally. You’ll have to read between the lines if you want to know what’s really going on. If you blindly follow the advice of a loved one or colleague, you could find yourself going up the garden path to trouble. Use your discretion – and trust your instincts. Partnerships and joint ventures are favoured on Friday, as you come up with creative Capricorn ideas.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)With mighty Mars activating your work zone (from August 24 through to October 7), it’s time to catapult your career to the next level. Aquarian detachment is out – and Mars-like dynamism is in. So it’s the perfect time to search for a new job, launch an ambitious professional project, or be proactive about negotiating a better salary package. Fortune favours the brave!

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)Pisceans are longing for peaceful partnerships at the moment, as Venus visits your romance zone. Attached Fish – compromise and cooperation will lead to love and laughter. Singles – a tender Taurus or a lusty Libran could set your heart (and libido) racing! Sunday’s Mars/Neptune trine brings out your caring and charitable side, as you search for someone to ‘save’.

Daily astrology updates at www.twitter.com/JoMadelineMooreCopyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2011

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Canberra CityNews August 16

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