Canberra CityNews July 22-28, 2010

CityNews July 22-28 �

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� CityNews July 22-28


hawker shops controversy

By Eleri HarrisPUBLIC consultation on urban development is a big issue with the Stanhope Government regularly drawing criticism for neglecting the will of the people in their execution of the Canberra Plan.

This month the battle over consultation has relocated to Hawker Shops where the Chief Minister says he devotes “almost no waking hours” to the concerns of residents opposing higher-density development.

The Liberals and a community group led by resident Warren Prince both held public meetings off the back of extensive Govern-ment consultation hastily arranged after locals loudly complained that no-one had asked them.

Prince says more than 100 people attend-ed the public meeting at Belconnen Soccer Club on July 14, 89 per cent of whom voted against development.

Greens spokesperson for planning Caro-line Le Couteur was invited to attend the meeting, but says she was turned away on arrival.

“They rang up and invited us, they did say were weren’t to talk, but when I turned up they turned me away,” she told “CityNews”.

“I was disappointed because it would be

really nice to hear a range of the communi-ty’s views.

“It’s not something we have totally ruled out, holding our own meeting, but we thought the residents might be tired of com-ing out to meetings.”

Le Couteur has previously attended Gov-ernment-organised meetings.

Liberal planning spokesperson Alistair Coe said he didn’t think it was appropriate for him to attend the meeting because his party had already held their own.

“But if this was the only occasion we could actually get the views of the com-munity, I would have certainly wanted to be there,” Coe said.

The fact that elected representatives were not allowed to attend creates some interesting issues for public consultation. If politicians cannot attend how are they to be expected to consult?

Moreover, Warren Prince was not elected by anyone, yet he will present the key mes-sages and results of the public meeting to various members of the Legislative Assem-bly, supposedly representing the will of a sizeable community.

“Residents only attended, concerned resi-dents,” Prince said. “The politicians were not involved.

“We do have meetings with the Greens lined up,” he said, pointing out that even Labor MLA Mary Porter, who is a resident of Hawker, was not invited.

“We are apolitical as a group, Mary accepts that and in one on one meetings we will take along the petitions to ACT politicians. We have well over 1000 names on the petitions and that’s how we intend to engage them.”

Porter told the “CityNews” she has at-tended every public meeting on the issue, including the one organised by the Liberals, but was happy not to attend this one.

“It is a strange message, isn’t it?“I think they just wanted a time when they

didn’t think there was a political agenda in the room.

“I haven’t got such a big ego that I need to control the situation.

“Warren is guiding this part of the con-versation, there are also a lot of people who are coming forward via email and snail mail who are just contacting Government separately.

“I know the Chief Minister has put a lot of effort to ensuring the conversation contin-ues so that people get a positive result.”

The Liberals and Prince’s community group will present their findings to the Gov-ernment this week.

Politicians shunned at public meeting

Editor: Ian Meikle, [email protected] reporter: Eleri Harris, 0414 618493 [email protected] editor: Megan Haggan, 6262 9100 [email protected] editor: Helen Musa, 0400 [email protected] and photography: Silas Brown, 0412 718086Designer: Joran DilucianAccounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler [email protected] and circulation: Richard Watson, 6262 [email protected]

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INDEXJuly 22-28, 2010 Since 1993: Volume 16, Number 29

FRONT COVER: Ayesha Razzaq, ActewAGL’s general manager retail.Story Page 5. Photo by Silas

contact us

By Eleri HarrisTHE man who introduced Canberra to pizza, James Savoulidis aka “Gentleman Jim”, has been immortalised in acrylics by local amateur artist Peter Engel as part of his portrait series of Canberra identities.

Gentleman Jim came to Australia as an economic migrant from Greece at 18 years of age in 1938 and built a hospitality empire in Canberra after serving in World War II and working in restaurants in Sydney, Griffith and Goulburn.

The owner of the Mondial Nightclub, Pondarosa Cafe, The Pizzaria in Garema Place

and Plaka Restaurant, Jim was a founding member of the Hellenic Club, has served the Queen and Prince Phillip, and taught former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam to dance the Zorba.

Engel was introduced to Gentleman Jim’s story by his son Andrew, who runs Wil-bour’s cafe in Hackett, where the painting was unveiled in front of a sup-portive crowd of friends and family.

“We think it’s fantastic,” his daughter Vicky Savoulidis said.

Pizza pioneer in paintArtist Peter Engel with his painting of “Gentleman Jim”.

James Savoulidis

Arts&Entertainment 17-19Crossword 23Dining 19Environment 10Fashion 20Health&Fitness 22Horoscope 23Home 21Letters 11Movie reviews 18News 3-11Politics 6-9Property 24-35Social Scene 14,16Sudoku 23


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news

THE issue of Canberra’s dying urban forest has certainly brought the Govern-ment’s commitment to the “bush” part of the capital and local tree huggers’ devo-tion into question in 2010, with the Assem-bly and the news wires going nuts over the terminally ill claret oaks and eucalyptus.

ANU Professor Peter Kanowski has come out criticising the hordes of self-pro-claimed Canberra tree lovers who aren’t prepared to euthanise the foliage.

In a lecture on the legacy of Can-berra treescape architect Linsday Pryor, Kanowski said the biggest threat to the urban forest were locals who protested the removal of old dying trees and their replacement with new ones.

This added to the leafy hoopla generated by the Liberals, who accused Chief Min-ister Jon Stanhope of being a tree hater when the 2010-11 ACT Budget initially failed to provide funding for the urban forest renewal program, but threw $26 million at the National Arboretum.

“He [Stanhope] is going to be remem-bered as the great tree killer of Canberra, who was all in favour of trees at the arbo-retum on Dairy Farmers Hill, but was very happy for the other trees in Canberra to

die,” Opposition Leader Zed Seselja said.“He will be remembered as the man who

killed the trees in Canberra’s suburbs.”In response the Chief said his Govern-

ment had planted more trees than anyone else.

“More than 45,000 trees planted within the urban areas by this Labor Govern-ment since late 2001, when we assumed of-fice. And almost 700,000 trees and shrubs planted in our water catchments and non-urban areas. An effort unparalleled at any time since self-government, by any government.”

In fact, last year the Chief got all teary eyed over the Arboretum, evoking George Orwell in his acknowledgement that all trees are not equal.

“I am a tree person, even to the point actually of suffering repeated, serial, consistent attacks by a non-tree-loving Opposition, as a result of my love of

trees,” the Chief said in April 2009.“As I have put it, and I have pursued

the ‘Animal Farm’ theme, there are the Napoleon trees, which all reside in the Arboretum, of course, and there are the Snowball trees that actually had been planted by others and formed the remain-der of the urban forest. But, of course, the Napoleon trees are the evil trees because not all trees are equal.”

Whether you’re a lover or a hater, eve-ryone should calm down, the Urban For-est Renewal Program was re-funded and the Environment Commissioner Maxine Cooper will be handing down a report on the program including recommendations for community consultation in a couple of months.

When that happens, the Government will proceed with the program.

Take a deep breath and time to look at the leaves.

Is the Chief Minister a tree lover or a tree hater? Are Canberra’s tree lovers really haters? Confused? ELERI HARRIS tries to see the wood from the trees

All for the love of trees

WORMS or wool? No, its a pattern of ice. This phone photo was taken by a Yarralumla reader one icy morning last week through the transparent sunroof from inside a car. Within seconds of it being photographed, the striking pattern was lost to the morning sun.

Fair chance for the childrenBy shereen charles“IN Australia, the issue of homelessness is growing, not just for children, but also, amongst families,” said Lynne Reeder, chairman of the ACT council of Save the Children.

Next month the council will host the second annual “Rights of the Child” lecture, this year to be given by Aus-tralian Human Rights Commissioner Catherine Branson. Titled “A Fair Chance for Every Child: The Right to Survival and Development”, the lecture will focus on ways to protect children.

Dr Reeder said the lecture, which is open to the public and free, would provide an opportunity to reflect that “life in Australia is not all that rosy”.

“The lecture provides an opportunity to focus the public’s attention on the things that have already been done and things that need to be done in order to ensure that our chil-dren are protected,” Dr Reeder told “CityNews”.

Save the Children is the world’s leading independent or-ganisation for children. Instead of just focusing on attending to child-related emergencies, Save the Children also places emphasis on long-term development such as education for their young beneficiaries.

The free public lecture will be held at the National Library of Australia, at 6pm on August 11.


cover story

“IN 20 years, kids like mine (my oldest starts at Red Hill Primary next year) will be trained for jobs that don’t cur-rently exist. All of us need to transition to this new world,” enthuses Ayesha Razzaq, the new general manager re-tail at ActewAGL.

“I believe that in 10 years the en-ergy industry will change, with smart grids, far increased energy efficiency, people using their mobile phones to turn appliances on and off remotely; electric vehicles on the road using a smart grid system to charge up when energy prices are low and feed back into the grid.

“People are becoming more en-vironmentally conscious, and as retailers we should help customers use energy more efficiently: give them ideas and suggestions, make it easier for them. That all makes my job more interesting and exciting: I’m never at a standstill!” she says.

Ayesha, who took over the role from the energetic Ivan Slavich at the end of last year, says companies that offer flexible working arrangements, and recognise that women who work part-time for a couple of years when their

children are small still want career paths, become more attractive to tal-ented women.

“People ask why I’ve been with the same company for 11 years? Along the way I’ve had two babies [now four and 18 months] and ActewAGL’s been re-ally supportive of work-life balance,” she says.

“Every Tuesday I leave the office at 2.30 to pick up my kids and spend the af-ternoon with them. I don’t compromise on my kids and my family,” she says.

“It’s a bit of a juggling act some mornings, and there are days when I get to the office at 5am: that flexibility helps it all work.

“We don’t have family in Canberra, my husband’s from Adelaide, so ba-bysitting can be a struggle, but we get there. We often take the kids to func-tions and social events, they’re part of who I am. And I don’t sweat the small stuff!

“I’m 35 and responsible for 500,000 product customers across the ACT... hopefully my being here will help some of the younger women at ActewAGL see that it’s all do-able.”

Ayesha offers her time to mentor

and encourage female engineering students through the ANU’s Women in Engineering group; she also contrib-utes towards children’s services and is the president of the Bannister Gardens Preschool Parent Association.

In 2007, she was a finalist for the Australian Institute of Management

Young Manager of the Year Award.“Women are still a minority in

engineering and in the senior levels in business, but personally I’ve never once felt discriminated against,” she says.

The workplace is slowly changing to recognise men’s wish for greater fam-

ily involvement, too, she says. “I have a very supportive husband. He took 12 months off to stay with the kids when I came back to work. He’s now back with the public service four days a week.

“For a man to take 12 months off 10 or 15 years ago was uncommon, but now it’s more accepted.”

Pakistani-born Ayesha’s a huge fan of Canberra and says she can’t imag-ine living anywhere else.

“My parents were diplomats. I came to Canberra as a child and went to Red Hill Public School... did an engineer-ing degree at ANU.

“My parents were posted back and I stayed (they’re now in America) so I was an international student. I was one year into my masters when a job came up at ActewAGL, and I thought ‘I should apply for this’ because I didn’t want to leave Canberra, and I was quite ambitious.

“When I eventually got citizenship it was one of my proudest moments. I married an Australian man, but didn’t want to go through the spouse program. I wanted to stand on my own two feet.

“I actually haven’t practiced as an engineer. But that training has given me a really good grounding in bring-ing a solution-based approach to my work, a practical, pragmatic mindset. In engineering, there’s no right or wrong answers, just the best-possible solution, like being a mum.”

At ��, she mentors women engineering students, has a clear vision for the future of energy and knows all the words to the theme from “Thomas the Tank Engine”: MEGAN HAGGAN meets a rising star.

Future looks bright, says busy Ayesha

Ayesha Razzaq... “I’m never at a standstill!”


politics brieflyDigital debutRADIO Canberra Pty Ltd, owner and operator of 2CA and 2CC has launched Canberra’s first local digital radio station, my Canberra Digital. The station, which is playing a smooth selection of favourites from the ‘70s to today, can be heard on digital radios or online at mycanberradigital.com.au.

Spam capitalTHE ACT was the most spammed State or Territory in June, with levels reaching 91.4 per cent – well above the na-tional average of 88.5 per cent, according to a MessageLabs Intelligence. The ACT’s high concentration of government organisations, small business and educational institutions makes it attractive to spam-mers with Deakin, Phillip and Woden making the list of the top six most spammed suburbs in Australia.

Never-say-dieDARREN Churchill is the resurgent Australian Demo-crats No 1 Senate candidate for the Federal election. Churchill is president of the ACT Democrats and stood as a candidate in the 2008 ACT Legislative Assembly election and for the seat of Fraser in the 2007 Federal election.

GREENS MLA Amanda Bresnan pro-vided a good example of the growing political astuteness of the local Greens when she released a discussion paper on a needle and syringe program for the ACT prison – the Alexander Maconochie Centre.

She could have tabled a demanding motion or come out blasting the Gov-ernment or the Opposition, but that would have left the policy marginalised. Instead, we have an engagement that is sensibly wrestling with such complex is-sues as health, communicable diseases, punishment, human rights, the safety of prison officers and good governance.

The Greens have not resiled from their own position. According to Bre-snan: “We believe that no prisoner should exit the ACT prison unhealthier than when they entered.” It would seem difficult to mount an argument against this concept – but that is exactly what is happening.

This is difficult politics for the Liber-als and Labor. The conservative ap-proach seems to be “they get what they deserve”. MLA Jeremy Hanson, has carriage of the issue for the Liberals. He has worked hard to understand the importance of duty of care, the right to

health care and the human rights issues around prisoners. However, in the end he has either not been able to accept the arguments or he has been unable to persuade his colleagues. Either way, the Liberals have settled on opposing a needle and syringe program and have reinforced their position as conserva-tives with little appeal to ACT swinging voters.

Labor’s approach is based on delay. Unfortunately, the longer they delay more people are likely to leave the Maconochie Centre with a blood-borne virus, increasing the risk of spread in the non-prison community – after all, the average time spent in prison is around seven months.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope wanted time to prove that the prison could be

drug free, but it was always pie in the sky to think that this would be the one prison in the world to achieve such a goal. Now that we know there are drugs in this prison, it is time to be realistic and while efforts to minimise drugs should be matched by preventing the spread of communicable disease and particularly blood-borne viruses.

The difficulty for Labor is that the union that looks after prison officers is staunchly opposed to the idea. It is con-cerned about staff safety. The Greens’ Discussion Paper deals with these is-sues and identifies 10 countries that run needle and syringe programs and the style and range of ways to deal with the safety issue.

With fanfare, the Chief Minister claimed that this would be the first pris-on in Australia to be established under a Human Rights Act. In this respect, it has simply failed. From a human rights perspective it is hard to believe that the Government’s approach is consistent with its own legislation.

When there is such a gaping hole in the system as there is with respect to blood-borne viruses, action has to be taken. The appropriate path is obvious and although the politics are difficult the challenges are not insurmountable.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health in the Carnell government.

Greens MLA Amanda Bresnan... “We believe that no prisoner should exit the ACT prison unhealthier than when they entered.”

Greens get the message PoLITICSBy Michael Moore



federal election 2010

“YOU see the photos and the documentaries and you know the scenery will be stunning, but when you see it for real it totally blows you away.”

This is your captain speaking... Brindabella Airlines’ managing director and pilot, Lara Corry-Boyd is waxing lyrical about the Canberra-based airline’s innovative outback air tours to Lake Eyre, in the far north of SA, which is bursting with flora and fauna.

Recent rain has transformed Lake Eyre into an oasis which, Lara says, needs to be seen to be believed. “The contrast of rich outback colours, rugged terrain and open plains are a sight to behold,” she says.

Several tours, which include a 4WD ridge top tour and scenic flight over the lake have already sold out.

More information at www.brindabellaairlines.com.au or call 6200 0670.

Blooming Lake Eyre... “a sight to behold.”

Sight to beholdOAKLEY sunglasses, silver hair, shiny suit and tie, freshly preselected Lib-eral candidate for the ACT seat of Fraser, James Milligan, looks every bit the subur-ban salesman.

Gulping down his coffee on a frosty Canberra morning in Gungahlin’s town centre, Milligan likens politics to product placement.

“Being a graphic designer, it’s about selling a product to someone and under-standing what you have to do to make it attractive for them and it’s the same with politics. We have policies we need to create for the community and sell the policy to them and try to get their support.”

Describing the political sphere as a finite resource, the designer, publisher, dad and former water-ski instructor, explains how little of “it” there is in his home town of Yarrawonga, Victoria, and how much of “it” there is in here in our nation’s capital.

“Growing up in a small country town I was always interested in politics, though in rural country areas to get involved

in the politics is hard, it’s not as readily available as it is in most cities.

“Our family environment was open about politics. I was exposed to it from a young age and when I moved to Canberra it was a great opportunity to get involved. It was easy to access and very welcom-ing.”

Milligan has put his hand up for a campaign against ANU Professor Andrew Leigh, for a seat held by retiring Labor MP Bob McMullan in the upcoming Federal election.

Labor hold Fraser by a 15 per cent mar-gin, but Milligan is optimistic.

“That is better than a 20 per cent,” the 31 year-old says flatly in country Victorian twang.

“I know it’s going to be an uphill fight, so I’m passionate and I’m ready to get out there and listen to people. I think it’s more important that we provide members of our community with a choice, with an option.

“I’ll be out on the ground, doing a lot of campaigning on the ground, speaking with people, door knocking. I think I’ll

become quite an expert at the end of it.”Joining the Liberal Party in 2007, Mil-

ligan says he is running to represent small business in Canberra.

The sole operator of JM Publishing, Mil-ligan moved his boutique graphic design and publishing studio to the capital in 2004 with wife, Katrina and son, Blake, 11, from Wagga Wagga.

“Canberra had a lot more to offer than what Wagga did, so we thought we’d come here,” he says.

“I run a small business, I’m a father, I see that more can be done for Canberra and indeed Australia and, indeed, I could provide to the party my experience in business and campaign on things I’m pas-sionate about.”

Liberal candidate James Milligan... “I’m passionate and I’m ready to get out there and listen to people.” Photo by Silas

optimistically facing an uphill battle to be elected, the Liberal candidate for the safe Labor seat of Fraser shares his passion for small business with ELERI HARRIS

Taking care of (small) business


federal election 2010

By shereen charlesCANBERRA’S first all-boys Haidong Gumdo team is in Korea this week battling it out with 8000 other international Gumdo exponents in the the World Haidong Gumdo 2010 championships.

The team of six, comprising of Kevin Lim, Christopher Kim, Liam McIntosh, Mitch Farelly, Dylan Foley and Orlando Powrie, will spend a week in Korea showcasing their “pattern form”, “paper cutting” and “sparring routines”.

Fairly new to Canberra, Haidong Gumdo is a non-contact sport, which involves the use of a sword.

The team’s coach and mentor, martial arts expert Master Jason Kim, who will also be participating in the competition, selected the boys based on their talent and level of skill. The team members are black-belt and red-belt holders.

“It’s pretty hard to judge where the boys stand because the Korean contingent is pretty good and this is a really big competition,” Master Kim told “CityNews”.

Despite the use of a weapon, Master Kim said that people were not turned off by the danger factor.

“Beginners will start training with a wooden sword until they are well prepared and ready to advance, then they use an imitation sword with a dull edge before finally progressing to a sharp-edged sword. Only when you have achieved a black belt can you handle a sharp-edged sword,” he said.

Local lads dobattle in Korea

IN the political hustle and bustle of the past month I kept re-hearing a phrase that made me shake my head every time I heard it, whether from the new Prime Minister herself, or from the man who would like to be one.

It was the notion of a “popularly-elected prime minister”. First it was a journo or two who heard, or thought, that Ms Gillard would not live in the Lodge until she had been popularly elected. Then, increasingly, she start-ed to use the phrase herself.

Then opposition Leader Tony Ab-bott, cashing in, pointed out that the departed Mr Rudd had, after all, been “popularly elected” himself. Didn’t that count for something?

Then the Prime Minister used it again in her “moving forward” speech, on the day she obtained the dissolution of Parliament. I missed most of “moving forwards”, but I ground my teeth at the popularly-elected prime minister notion.

What’s wrong with it, you ask? Well, it has two fatal flaws, as Man-ning Clark probably wouldn’t have said. First, it is piece of romantic rubbish. You and I will vote for the candidates presenting in Fraser or Canberra (or elsewhere, if you live over the border). We are reasonably unlikely to see either Ms Gillard or Mr Abbott in the course of the cam-paign, since their priorities will lie in more marginal seats.

What is more, we the electors will have many things on our mind when we go to the polls on August 21. One or two might indeed see the whole point of the exercise as being their way of helping a major party leader get the key to the Lodge. But some will be worrying about asylum seekers, oth-ers about the war in Afghanistan, still others about the best way to deal with future changes to our weather

(though drought won’t be to the fore this time), and a few will say that they’ve always been Labor/Liberal and that’s the way they’ll vote.

The second flaw, is that it is a creeping sign of the “presidentialisa-tion” of our politics. This is a process which reduces all the complexity of our system, two houses of parliament, a number of political parties, long histories, and a couple of hundred

significant people, to the daily media output of the Prime Minister and of her current principal rival.

The obvious model for this trend is the US, where American politics, if you watch television, is largely what-ever the President has said today, or what he hasn’t said, if you thought he should have said something. But in the US citizens actually cast a vote for the President. Well, sort of – they actually vote for “electors” who will make the choice, though the electors are pledged to make the choice in a certain way.

In any case, we do not have any-thing like that process in Australia. Here we vote for people to represent us in Parliament. They decide who shall be prime minister – and, as we have recently seen, they, or some of them, can decide when a PM’s time is up – not you or I.

Whose fault is it? Well, no one’s in particular. Television has had a lot to do with it. The shrinking globe, the speed of communication, the lack of time in a news telecast – all these fac-tors play a part.

But there are moments where you just have to put up your hand and say: “Fair suck of the sauce bottle!” No, that has passed its use-by date, hasn’t it?

Don Aitkin, political scientist and historian, served as vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra from 1991 to 2002.

DoN AITKIN is grinding his teeth at the notion of a popularly-elected prime minister...

Vote ☐ for PM? Nonsense!1

�0 CityNews July 22-28

CLIMATE change is yet again shaping up as a killer issue in federal politics, but with the election afoot, the gutted, decaying carcass of Labor’s ETS abandoned on the road home from Copenhagen and the national target set at an underwhelming 25 per cent of 2000 levels, the role of the capital in setting the agenda is look-ing increasingly blurry.

The ACT Government Standing Committee on Climate Change is set to deliver a revised emissions reduction target for the city in the August sitting period, nearly a year after it was initially due.

But just weeks before the impending an-nouncement, cracks are emerging over at the Assembly with Environment Minister Simon Corbell accusing the Liberal Leader Zed Seselja of climate sceptism, the Liberals pointing out the disparity between the goals of the nation and those of the local Labor Government, and true believer Greens’ MLA Shane Rattenbury calling for the modelling to be released imme-diately.

“A legislated target will set the direction for the ACT, it will give guidance to Government and the community about where we’re going, how far we want to get and how we want to get there,” Rattenbury said.

“It is an essential tool to help us shape the future of this city.”

The delivery of a legislated emissions target was the first point of the Greens-Labor Agree-ment that formed the basis for the Territory government in 2008.

Last October, the ACT Government (agree-ing that 2013 would be the peak year for emissions) committed to making Canberra carbon neutral by 2060, its 2007 “Weathering the Change” strategy already seeing the city pushing for a reduction to 60 per cent of 2000 levels by 2050.

Confusingly, last year the ACT Government flipped to using the baseline Kyoto 1990 levels instead of the 2000 levels currently used by the Commonwealth. The ACT produced 1.156 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 1990 and 1.3 million in 2000.

Rattenbury said the ACT is skipping ahead of the nation with 2000-2006 figures from the

National Greenhouse Gas Inventory showing emissions here are growing 1.7 per cent com-pared to the Australian average of 0.7 per cent.

Despite the absence of key polluters such as power stations or heavy industry in the Terri-tory, Minister Corbell is confident large reduc-tions can be made and neutrality is possible.

“The short answer is, yes, we can do it, but [as] it’s not all in energy efficiency we will need to diversify our energy supply options,” he said.

“The most significant thing the Govern-ment’s had in place now for a number of years is our greenhouse gas reduction scheme through our certificate scheme on electricity operators.

“You’ve also got the feed-in tariff and we’ve got a range of energy efficiency programs in-side government and outside of government.”

The Greens said while future carbon neu-trality is feasible, measures need to be put in place now to ensure reductions.

“We are ultimately going to have to decar-bonise our economies,” Rattenbury said, argu-ing that Australia will put a price on carbon in the near future.

“In a sense, there’s almost a pure self inter-est for the ACT, the sooner we move the less it’s going to cost us and the easier it’s going to be for us to make the transition.”

But Zed Seselja is a cynic: “It’s a pie-in-the-sky target they know they’ll never be held to. A 2020 target is more useful because more people will still be around.”

The Canberra Liberals policy outlined in October 2008 pushes for a 30 per cent reduction target on 1990 levels by 2020, 10 per cent less than recommended in the Committee’s interim report on ACT Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets.

“A 40 per cent target is also a fair way ahead,” Seselja said.

“There isn’t a strong appetite on a national level for deep cuts and we’re talking 1990 lev-els. We can’t ignore that national context, we must show leadership, but it can’t be too far off. We need to ask, is it achievable and is it out of whack with the rest of the nation?”

Rattenbury argues Canberrans want the As-

sembly to take leadership by setting a national example.

“A lot of people are proud of that, they see Canberra as a place that is able to be smarter, do it more cleverly, to think further ahead and I think there’s a real will in the community for people who want to be able to play a leadership role, for Canberra to do its part.”

“We have the benefit of both State and local Government rolled into one, it gives us particu-lar advantage to take decisions about planning and infrastructure and the role of the city that if we can’t do it here, how are the other States possibly going to achieve it?”

Nine of 17 MLAs will need to vote for the target for it to pass into legislation next month.

By Tanya Davies

environment

Zed Seselja... “A 2020 target is more useful because more people will still be around.”

Confused about climate change? ELERI HARRIS tries to get her head around Canberra’s emissions reduction targets as each political party picks a number

Climate cracks as partiesbicker over carbon targets

SINCE I met Lee Wallace last year a lot has happened. With her colleagues Paula Hilyard and Michelle Slezak she was gearing up to run “remake” workshops at the Switch to Green conference.

Since then they’ve seen their idea turn into popular community workshops and remade piles of old fabrics and unwanted clothes into new and exciting clothing, quilts and useful items. They’ve even had a YouTube video made about them by student Tamara Shanley.

Lee says the workshops are about recycling and reusing.

“It’s also about community,” she says, “and a space that people can come to, share skills, meet other people and have some fun.”

Lee, an expert in cutting things up and putting them back together again, is also passionate about the stories and memories connected to clothing. You might not want to cut up your prom dress, but wouldn’t it be great if you could find a way to wear it every summer? Or turn your child’s outfit into a cushion cover or quilt that you can keep, and use.

She bought a Slingfings bag 10 years ago. The bags, made from reclaimed and recycled materials, and designed and made with solar power, reminded Lee of her childhood because they were made from old bed sheets.

“I discovered them at Brisbane markets, in Fortitude Valley... For me, the sheets held so much nostalgia for colour, childhood memories and cool summer nights. I found a bag that had two sheets we had in the house as kids, one purple stripe and the other lilac and green floral.

“I can patch the pocket and strap soon which will create the next layer in its journey. I know I’ll never part with it because there is so much meaning for me in this cloth bag.”

Many of the participants of Project Remake’s work-shops are already thinking in innovative ways, looking at ways to make their clothes work harder for them. Some get stuck and turn to Lee and her colleagues for expertise while some need help to get started with making their ideas a reality.

Lee, Michelle and Paula are currently encouraging participants to bring in winter coats and woolies that need transforming, but failing that, bring something you love and want to be able to keep wearing in a new way.

As well as the workshops, the team have a new blog filled with photos of transformed items, links to a fascinating array of eco-designers and remakers and Lee’s “Ask me anything” facility. Follow them on Twitter for all their news feeds and satisfy a lust for eco-fashion.

There’s still one class left in July, and another five to catch in August.

More information at projectremake.tumblr.com or call Lee on 0488 443540.

Where old isnew again

Shane Rattenbury... “A legislated target will set the direction for the ACT.”

CityNews July 22-28 ��

letters

I HAVE to take issue with John Cle-land’s letter (CN, July 8) about the length of time it takes Canberra’s traf-fic lights to change.

Had it not been for the leisurely pace of change I would not have been able to complete my university degree one year earlier than it normally takes. This was a profound benefit and a valu-able community service provided by the enlightened troglodytes that run the ACT’s traffic management system.

I am particularly grateful for the ex-tended time I am able to spend at the red light at Wentworth Avenue and Telopea Park Drive. This wonderful service gave me enough time to call Domino’s and order my pizza for dinner... and have it delivered to my car. Unfortu-nately, I only got halfway through it before the light turned green. Perhaps they need to look at that?

Gotta agree with you on the 40kph speed limits in roadworks zones, though. Absolute overkill. trevor Melksham, Kingston

What women getHOW refreshing to see positive feed-back on the trades (CN, letters, July 8 “Here’s to Steve the painter”). However, I wonder if women receive such profes-sional and reliable service?

Regrettably, many tradesmen feel they can treat women clients with

open condescension, charging more, attempting to deliver sub-standard work and responding aggressively if challenged.

Women these days are well-informed, have disposable incomes, increasingly own their own homes and refuse to be patronised or ripped off. Tradesmen ignoring this do so at their own cost. Patricia saunders, chapman

Silly cartoonRE “a dose of dorin” cartoon (CN, July15); while I assume that Dorin is trying to create debate about perceived racism and calls for removal of the burka, I must respond to suggest the

cartoon just comes across as silly.Any thinking racist or non-racist

would realise that the cold-and-shiver-ing Canberran would take off his scarf and beanie if he entered a bank, a serv-ice station, Centrelink or was pulled over by a police officer. So how is what he is wearing any different? Utterly and completely. Peter Hemming, Palmerston

‘Workplace warrior’ MARK PARToN takes a hairy-chested approach to managing a cold

AH, winter in Canberra: Wood fires, snow on the Brindies, the Raiders missing the finals and that raking winter cough that seems to afflict every third person.

Have you come down with the dreaded lurgy this winter ?

It snuck up on me a few weeks ago. I had the tickle in the throat for a few days and then eventually the nose started to block up. Once you start on the downward spiral it’s like Kevin Rudd in the polls, you don’t fall gracefully.

As a breakfast radio announcer, there’s nothing worse than dragging yourself out of bed before 3am, feeling like death warmed up, and getting on air to convince the rest of the city to get out of bed.

So does a winter cold stop you from going to work?

Do you dig in and soldier on or do you concede defeat and stay home? I’m one of the “workplace warriors”. I refuse to be beaten. If I can find a pulse in the morning, if I can stand up, I somehow struggle into work. Many would say that’s commend-able, but is it?

Some would say my approach is counter-productive and by con-

tinuing to work, I’m putting myself above the health of my co-workers.

Dr Richard Kidd, from the Austral-ian Medical Association, frowns upon my approach. He believes that I may well prolong my illness and open myself to the possibility of secondary infections such as bronchitis.

I’m hearin’ Dr Dick, but sickness challenges my primitive competitive nature.

When a flu virus takes on me, it gets personal. I refuse to be beaten by it. I’m also a classic medical non-interventionist. I believe that the best way to beat a virus is with your own immune system. We rely on our immune system to keep us alive, so dealing with a winter cold is, for me a way to give it some practice. It’s why, while I’m relatively young and healthy, I refuse to have flu shots.

Does this mean that I’m a mis-guided, ego-centric, self important wanker? Well… yes, I guess it does, but I won’t be beaten by a head cold.

Mark Parton is the morning announcer on 2CC. His views about health and flu injections are not necessarily those of “CityNews”.

The dreaded lurgy and how to lick it

a dose of dorin

Letters are invited from “CityNews” readers. Let loose to [email protected] or write to the editor at GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601. Letters of 200 words or less stand a better chance of publication.

Red light?Dial a pizza!

�� CityNews July 22-28

property law

Be certain before signing

“IT comes down to what sort of property they’re looking to buy,” says Ben Gulan, DibbsBarker property and construction partner.

“For example, some people would prefer to buy a block of land and have someone build for them, so usually that means they have a couple of contracts involved. For example, a land contract and a building agreement.

“You need to tie those two together to make sure you get what you think you’re going to get.

“In some new developments, there’s very strict conditions on what you must do: on the house, the way the landscaping is done and so on, and there are bonds to pay to make sure that you do that.

“If there’s a dispute with the builder over the bond, that money might be tied up for quite a while. We see that sort of thing from time to time.”

David Toole, who leads Williams Love & Nicol’s property team, said that those who buy heritage buildings need to pay particular attention to what they can and can’t do to a property before contracts are exchanged.

Ben Gulan said that those who buy apartments or other dwellings subject to

body corporate regulations often require the services of a property lawyer.

“Sometimes people who buy a unit off the plan, as distinct from a house and land, need someone to explain the contract and the attachments to the contract,” he says.

“These days they contain a lot more disclosure material than in the old days, particularly in relation to levies payable to body corporates.

“Fifteen years ago, you generally had a contract and that was it. These days the contracts are pretty much full disclosure and in the bigger developments they can run to 100 pages or more.”

Many people need to go through the regulations surrounding the First Home Buyer’s Grant with a property lawyer, Ben says, to see what they may or may not be eligible to claim.

“Last year, the Government started step-ping down the First Home Buyer’s Grant, and the problem was that there were timeframes involved. The $14,000 dropped down to $7000, and we found that, on occasion, the requirements weren’t satisfied because of delays in building or exchange of contracts, which were beyond the control of the buyer and in some cases

the seller. So the higher level of grant was in jeopardy.

“Defective work is another one that we see a fair bit, when work hasn’t been finished to the extent that buyers expect.

“Occasionally, this sort of thing will escalate into a full-blown dispute. I believe the Government is taking steps to make sure builders and developers do the right thing and come back and fix things the way they should be done.”

David Toole says that taxation issues (including those around the GST), and stamp duty obligations are important issues for home buyers to consider.

“Particularly if someone goes to an auction and it’s not clear as to how they’re going to buy it in their own name, or joint names; people need to be sure of these things before they buy.”

A firm with a focus on property law can provide significant benefit to buyers, says Mr Toole.

“You’re better off with someone who specialises in that area of law, because they’ll be up to date with the issues, know what to look out for and so on. It’s like going to a specialist for a health complaint compared to a GP.”

Mr Gulan says: “With median house prices moving into the high $400,000s and early $500,000s in the ACT, you’re committing a serious amount of money, in most cases, mostly borrowed money, to the investment, so you want to make sure it’s protected.”

CANBERRANS purchasing property need to make sure they understand their obligations and rights, say local property law specialists.

advertise.6262 9100

33 per cent of our readers are professional or managerial.*

* McNair Ingenuity Research 2006


advertising feature

A core sectorPROPERTY is a core business sector for DibbsBarker, with a great deal of growth in recent years in the residential, commercial, construction and leasing sectors.

Property and construction partner Ben Gulan says the firm’s specialisation across the sector, backed by the quality of its team, has helped fuel DibbsBarker’s growth in property.

The firm has acted for large national property trusts, large shopping centre owners, builders and developers, sellers and purchasers of residential property.

Mr Gulan says the firm has demonstrated depth of service plus quality, innovative and proactive service.

More information at www.dibbsbarker.com.au or call 6201 7290.

DAVID Toole, who leads Williams Love & Nicol’s property team, has been practicing at partner level in Canberra for more than 16 years.

His work ranges from assisting individuals with residential conveyancing right through to acting for property developers on the development and sale of multi-unit projects including retail, residential and commercial.

David assists clients with commercial and resi-dential conveyancing, commercial leasing, property developments and advising on the structuring of transactions to achieve commercial and tax objectives. He’s also a member of the ACT Division Council of the Property Council of Australia.

More information on www.wln.com.au or call 6263 9900.

Finding candidates

Cheaper choiceUSING Legal Resolution Services (Legal RS) at the beginning or early stages of a legal dispute can be a less-expensive alternative to legal action, says founder and Canberra lawyer Barbara Campbell.

Legal RS can provide disputing parties with the ability to jointly access highly experienced lawyers, who act as settlement facilitators, she says. These settlement facilita-tors identify the key issues in the dispute, provide legal information and work towards settlement.

Legal RS brings both parties together in a conference environ-ment using specialist lawyers of no less than 10 years’ legal experience – at a time and place of the parties’ choosing.

“With fees shared between the disputing parties, Legal RS offers the chance for everyone to be fully

informed and aware of the real issues of their case before seri-ously embarking on the draining, expensive option of litigation,” Barbara says.

“It can occur in the first months of a dispute being identified, with or without each party’s own lawyer involved. Our experience has shown that it results in 99 per cent of cases in the matter settling.

“Taking away the fear and stress of dealing with lawyers is paramount. Clients are often at their most vulnerable when they seek legal assistance, so it is imperative that they are fully informed and have the chance to receive the best advice possible from professionals.”

More information on [email protected] or 6161 9153.

CAREERS Unlimited is a licenced employment agent and member of the Recruitment Consulting Services Association (RCSA).

With extensive knowledge of and networks in the Canberra market, the company says it offers a complete human resources and recruitment service offering.

Every consultant personally meets represented candidates, and is a trained industry specialist who has worked in the areas the company recruits for.

More information on www.careersunlimited.com.au or call 6257 8299.

Property specialist


scene invite us at [email protected]

At Katrina Barter & Alana Sivell’s exhibition, Belconnen Arts Centre

At ‘Rain Man’ opening, Canberra Theatre Centre

Gus and Keith Marshall, artist Alana Sivell with Rita and Kate MarshallDan Edwards, Michele Grimstone and Megan Jackson

Simone Huntingford and Fiona Nelson

Matt Gallant, artist Katrina Barter, Alexandra Bryant and Joel Crean

Claire Head, Annie Weir, Rhiannon Jones and Diana Wilk

Dahlia Kruyer, Hannah Ley, Vanessa Baker and Duncan Driver Sandra Bates and Bruce Carmichael

Miriam Fischer, Anne White, Henna Thomas, Merrilyn Crawford and Barbara Garland

Matilda Ridgway, Gary Baxter and Ruth Caro



scene More photos at www.citynews.com.au

At the AHA Hospitality Awards, Rydges Lakeside, Civic

Katie Dewar, Rochelle and Shereen Kahalefeldt and Carley SimpsonOpposition Leader Zed Seselja with wife Ros

David Hill, Stephanie McKew, Kate Parkinson and Nick Parkinson

Sam Hoare, Peter Spencer, Deanne Metcalfe, Scott Douglas, Carlo Tosolini and Vicky McKew

Nigel and Sally-Ann Fitzhardinge with Melissa and Todd Eagles

Attorney General Simon Corbell and Peter Barclay

Debbie MacPherson, Philippa Hewson, Willow and Frank Condi with Damian Tunney

Daniel Perrott, Danni Johnson and Tim MacNamara

Michael Trushell, Mickey Viljoen and Daniel Childs

Kelly Slater, Shannon Blake, Aimee Southwell, Anne-Marie Smith, Adrian Hall, Saori Shibata, Natalia Goussevskaia and Tim Davies Alice O'Neill, Raquel Shanis and Kayla Gafa

Monika Burzynski, Sarah Pasfield, Brooke McDougall, Lewis Williamson, Emily Croker and Caitlin Judd


ARTS IN THE CITYBy Helen Musa

all about living arts | cinema | dining | fashion | health&fitness | puzzles | horoscope

By Helen MusaDIRECTOR Ross McGregor has been in Perth for five years, where he and his wife, the actress Angela Punch McGregor, teach at the WA Academy of Performing Arts.

As well as teaching courses in screen acting and scriptwriting, he directs student plays and has recently staged “Cabaret,” as well as heading a sought-after theatre course for Aboriginals.

As a former artistic director, McGregor is no stranger to Canberra Repertory, for whom he is presently directing John Mortimer’s seminal play “A Voyage around My Father”.

He finds himself working with designer Russell Brown for the twentieth time and says: “It’s just like coming home.”

The star cast includes old acquaintances and together they are attacking a formida-ble work.

To the public, playwright Mortimer is best known for “Rumpole of the Bailey”, the long-running TV series starring Leo McKern and, sure enough, there are parallels. And, yes, the immortal phrase: “She who must be obeyed” is in the play.

In “Voyage”, Mortimer depicts himself as a man and boy (played by Canberra trumpeter Zach Raffan and 11-year-old Pippin Carroll), craving love.

Centre stage is occupied by former

ambassador to Indonesia and the US, John McCarthy, returning to the boards after having last performed in “Equus” for Mc-Gregor in 1976. McCarthy plays Mortimer’s bad-tempered, Shakespeare-loving divorce lawyer. Rendered blind in a home accident, the father continued his career in the law for another 25 years without anyone ever daring to comment on his blindness, sub-jecting his wife, his son and his son’s wives to his withering comments and humour.

“He loved his father very much,” McGregor says, “but it is possible his father didn’t love him.” If that sounds appallingly negative, it’s also “very funny, with no personal hatred, no mea culpa… I love the laughs in it… they come from some mad place in the psyche.”

McGregor is quick to disassociate this play from other autobiographical plays and from trendy verbatim theatre, but in fact much of the dialogue is taken from the old man’s real-life remarks. These days, he agrees, we would consider them a form of mental and psychological abuse.

So, Mortimer’s dad was a nasty bully who interrupted people, spoke poetry aloud all the time, took his son to Shakespeare plays and spoke the words out loud even before the actors. What was there to love?

“This is for the audience to find out,” McGregor says.

“A Voyage Around My Father”, Theatre 3, July 29 to August 14. Bookings to canber-rarep.org.au or 62571950.

John McCarthy as John Mortimer’s irascible blind father in “A Voyage around My Father”.

Voyage around a bully James takes tolying and cheating

“LYING, Cheating Bas-tard”, what a great name for a play. Actually, it’s a script by James Galea and Nicholas Hammond that that follows the story of the infamous conman Jimmy Garcia. Galea, who plays Garcia, is obsessed with magic. “I use the same techniques as a professional card shark, but I do it for entertainment rather than for real,” he says, “I’m a magician/musi-cian/actor/writer/pick-pocket. Not many roles going round to utilise my various talents.” It’s at the Q – Queanbeyan Perform-ing Arts Centre, July 27-31. Bookings to 62980290.

“NIGHT. Time” is name of QL2 Centre for Youth Dance’s 2010 showcase. Choreographers Anton, Jodie Farrugia, Adam Wheeler and Marnie Palomares have been working with young dancers from Quantum Leap Ensemble to create views of night. They will be joined by dancers from Bangkok Dance Academy, a former member returning from the US, two from Steps Youth Dance Company in Perth, and students from the Victorian College for the Arts, the WA Academy of Performing Arts, and Queensland University of Technology. It’s at the Playhouse, July 28-31. Bookings to 6275 2700.

“WRAPPED” is series of oil paintings on show until August 1 at ANCA Gallery. It uses images of wrapped objects and people observed in public spaces. During the work on this series, artist Kerry Hurkett found that she had to increasingly wrap her own body to protect it against exposure to sunlight, transforming herself into “an enigmatic wrapped form”. Hurkett will be sitting in the gallery for the two-week long exhibition (in wraps, if outside) at 1 Rosevear Street Dickson

“IMPROVENTION” is billed as the first national convention on the art of improvisation held in Australia and comes to a climax with the grand final at The Street Theatre, 7pm, July 25. It features several A-List comedy theatre improvisers, including ex-Canberran David Callan. Bookings to 6247 1223.

BELCONNEN Gallery is seeking expressions of interest for its 2011 program. Individual/group rates are $125/week (inc GST) and community/non-profit organisation rates even better. Contact curator Ben Drysdale at [email protected]

James Galea... playing conman Jimmy Garcia.

THERE are some places I just hate to go, but with two young children on holiday I don’t have much choice. I’m not talking about doctors’ waiting rooms, indoor play centres or chlorine-filled pools. I’m talking public toilets.

I don’t think I’m excessively fastidious, but before having children I’d go to some lengths to avoid using public toilets. But when the need is pressing, I’ve always had a few carefully selected conveniences around town I’m happy to use, including some of the more modern toilets at major shopping centres, and a few cafes where the price of the coffee affords access to a clean, decent loo.

But at certain stages of life (if you’re pregnant, elderly, have bladder problems or when you’ve got young children) you don’t get much choice about what public loo you use. Children’s bladders have little capacity, so really when your

child says those dreaded words: “Mum, I’m really busting”, you’ve got to find somewhere quickly. And when you have a germ-phobic, four-year-old girl, you really don’t want to encounter one of Canberra’s shabby, all-too-frequently dirty and always drafty, Government-maintained public toilets.

Over the years some of the problems I’ve encountered have included blocked toilets, no flushing, no toilet paper, taps that don’t work, no toilet seat or seats so filthy there is no way you are going to put any part of your anatomy anywhere near them, no paper towels or soap, lights that don’t work, toilet doors that won’t shut

or lock, piles of rubbish and loos that are locked up and inaccessible in the middle of the day. The stench can be pretty horrendous – especially in warmer weather.

In the past two weeks I’ve been obliged to visit a number of public facilities – a couple were okay, but most were pretty shabby and poorly maintained.

Maybe a public awareness campaign to encour-age the public to take better care of our loos might be an idea. But is it too much to ask that the ACT Government put a bit more effort into providing the community with easily accessible, hygienic and well maintained public toilets?

It’s an important public service, but as is often the case implementation falls well short of the ideal. This might seem mundane, and certainly not at the top of political priorities, but it’s really a quite important thing for the elderly and for families.

Certainly, the Government could spend quite a bit more money on upgrading public toilets and maintaining them. There ought to be appropriate signage and contact numbers so that faults could be reported without delay. And maybe some senior people in government ought to take more direct responsibility for the provision of such a basic public service.

It’s said that plumbing is one of the essentials of civilisation. Public loos are an important part of that. After all we all have to go, so just maybe a bit more attention could be paid to the basics in Australia’s national capital.

In the past two weeks Mum in the City SoNYA FLADUN has had to visit a number of public toilets – a couple were okay, but most were shabby and poorly maintained.

Shame of Canberra’s public toilets

COBI Cockburn’s new work alludes to the residual echoes of her life’s experiences; the layers of affect, as experience moves from close at hand to far in the past.

Five wall-mounted squares measuring 113cmx113cmx5cm occupy gallery one; “travelling light 1,2,3 and 4” (painted, kiln-formed and cold-worked glass) and “Quiescent – a quiet mind” (kiln-formed and cold-worked glass).

Cockburn has achieved a definitive

movement away from glass as object to a seductively ambiguous glass as painting.These minimal works, so coolly intellectual at first glance, are imbued with a delicate warmth. Bubbles caught in the act of rising, subtle gradations of colour and a barely discernible bending of the glass canes combine to create ripple-like waves, replicating a slow-moving sea of memory, trapped within the glass.

Dominating the smokestack is a large

circular installation of hot-formed glass rods titled “With time” (3400cm x 3400cm), showing the infinitesimal gradations of colour, over hundreds of rods, that lead from black to clear. In just such a way are measured the changes wrought by our life’s experiences; imperceptible in the moment, obvious over the passage of time.

VISUAL ARTTravelling light: Cobi Cockburn,Canberra Glassworks, until August 5Reviewed by Anni Doyle Wawrzynczak

Echoes of life’s experiences


arts&entertainment

True logic takes the centre stageA FACEBOOK comment after the opening night of Boho’s new work “True Logic of the Future” reads: “I disagreed wildly with most of what I thought it was saying and how it said it, and argued into the night about it. See it.”

The work claims to ask the question: “How much would you sacrifice for the greater good?” Its audience was left asking: “Were they being serious or ironic?”

The production quality was excellent. It had a 19th-

century design aesthetic and used well-worn ideas from 20th-century science fiction to examine the challenges and threats of the 21st century.

The performance space was entered through a maze-like passage ending

in the simulated study of 19th-century economist and logician W.S.Jevons.

The audience was invited to explore the space and solve a number of puzzles to start the show. Jack Lloyd’s video art and Michael Bai-ley’s electronic and acoustic soundtrack were both beautiful and integral to the puzzles and the subsequent narrative.

Less integral were the interactive elements. The show was more of a narrative play with moments of audience participation. It provoked thought and conversation and will no doubt continue to do so as it travels to the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney for its next season.

JON Amiel’s film is quite wonderful, no less by its reflection of Charles Darwin’s family life from formulation of the theory of natural selection in 1838 until the 1859 publication of “The Origin Of Species” than by its treatment of the dichotomy between his adored wife Emma’s commitment to Christianity and his to peer-assessed scientific enquiry.

John Collee’s screenplay looks at Darwin during that epoch through work, joys, poor health and the bitter gall of the death from an unidentified malady of his nine-year-old daughter Annie, whose passion for asking questions that some might call precocious, were they not so well founded, almost matched his own. Playing Annie, Martha West shows promise of a significant acting future.

As more people see it, “Creation” has the

creative muscle to develop a high reputation, in which the brio and sensitivity with which Paul Bettany and his wife Jennifer Con-nolly deal with the physical and emotionally draining roles of Charles and Emma will merit peer-group awards and public praise.

Amiel’s direction equally deserves praise. It looks delectable. It deals deftly with changes

of season and location. Its natural science passages are few but sublime.

Joseph Hooker and Thomas Huxley who reinforced and supported Darwin, and Alfred Russell Wallace who independently reached the same conclusions, all have places in the film.

At Dendy

“CREATION” (PG)

CINEMABy Dougal Macdonald

Martha West as Annie… shows promise of a significant acting future.

Wonderful look at Darwin

THIS lucky-dip farce written by Patrick O’Neill delivers rom-com, violent confronta-tions, plot implausibilities and instabilities, firearms selective about which side they are shooting at but which keep firing long after their magazines are exhausted, a fatuous travelogue, zero credibility, a feeble MacGuffin of a new super energy source in a back-handed homage to Alfred Hitchcock.

On a flight to Boston are June (en route to her sister’s wedding) and Roy, possibly a CIA agent, certainly a bonny fighter, athlete, acrobat, crack shot, smarter than James Bond and Ethan Hunt. While June uses the washroom to put on a new face, Roy exterminates all the baddies on board including the pilots then saves himself and June by landing the aircraft. From there on, the film resembles “North By Northwest” with lesser creative standards.

Deft comedienne Cameron Diaz as June is beginning to show her age (37) although still pretty cute. Also showing his age (48), Tom Cruise as Roy doesn’t impress despite doing many of his own stunts. In a role written for absurdness, his attempts to be funny aren’t.

James Mangold directed. It might be unkind but not untrue to suggest that with minor adjustments, his family name bespeaks the quality of his work.

At Dendy, Greater Union, Hoyts

IN writer/director Claire McCarthy’s drama, Australians Fiona and Ben encounter marital rifts and culture shock when they come to take delivery of an orphan Indian infant girl.

Neither has reproductive defects but procreation would disrupt their lifestyle. Nevertheless, Fiona wishes Ben, a rock musi-cian of doubtful talent, would appreciate her body more.

Lawyer Fiona goes on line on arrival at the hotel to work on a commercial deal that dominates her attention. The adoption agency tells them to call Mrs Chatterjee to arrange an appointment. Nobody seems to understand their wish to seal the deal quickly and take their daughter home. Kolkata is indeed a waiting city!

Fiona’s epiphany when she immerses herself in the Ganges lacks dramatic convic-tion as well as posing a real health risk.

Radha Mitchell is acceptable as Fiona. As Ben, Joel Edgerton is a convincing wuss. Samrat Chakrabarti plays the butler/driver assigned to them by the hotel.

The film looks handsome enough when it takes a wide view of the city and goes up-country to the orphan’s birthplace, but the plot landed no major punches on my expectations. If it were a book, I’d return it unborrowed to the library shelf!

At Dendy

“THE WAITING CITY” (M)

“KNIGHT AND DAY” (M)

THEATRE“True Logic of the Future”Boho, directed by Barb Barnett, Belconnen Arts Centre, season closedReviewed by Simone Penkethman


arts&entertainment

I BET the Beyond Q café, at Curtin shops, is one of the quaintest little cafés in Canberra.

The petite café is housed in a massive second-hand and antiquarian bookshop with more than three kilometres of shelves. The Beyond Q bookshop is down a set of stairs, but you won’t miss the directional signage on street level.

It was our first time, having been told about the quality of the coffee and the live music and wine on weekends.

After a sticky beak at the books, including the cookbook section, we settled into comfy chairs around a tiny table. The kitchen is compact, to say the least, with many items brought in and heated and a smaller number made on site.

Cake and coffee is where Beyond Q shines. The desserts range from $4 for a muffin or decadent slice (including a lovely looking “caramel sin”) to $5 for items such as the key lime pie. My lemon citrus pie had

real pucker power, while my friend’s berry cheesecake was more subtle.

Before our sweet ending we ordered a simple toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwich ($6.50), arranged nicely on the plate. Nothing fancy, but then Beyond Q is not a fancy kind of a place.

My scrambled eggs and mushrooms ($10.50) did not quite hit the mark. The mushrooms were tasty, but the eggs watery. Other items include toast or

crumpets for $3.50, sandwiches from $6 to $12 (vegetarian, chicken, turkey and salmon), soup du jour and toast ($8.50) and, the day we were there, a smoked salmon salad (two sizes, $12 to $18).

The Beyond Q café has a delightful range of classic teas, signature blends and herbal infusions (including from the well-known T-2 tea company), with sweet tea cups and old-fashioned, beehive-shaped honey pots each with a little bee buzzing about on top. The eclectic range of funky coffee cups are great to look at, but mine had a smallish, solid disk-like handle which was difficult to hold.

The tables and chairs in the café don’t match (by design) and the fairy lights in the front window add to the charm. So, too, do glass display cases housing antique books (some first editions) and other quirky items.

The café is not a gourmet food destina-tion, but if you love to wander through a bookstore and relax over a cuppa, then it’s worth a visit.

Beyond Q, Curtin shops, call 6162 3999. Open 8am-6pm, seven days a week.

WITH a fine cast of three and an impressive set by David Thomas (the most solid seen in the Courtyard Studio), director Aarne Neeme launches into David Hare’s wise play “Skylight”.

This is a personal drama in which three characters – father Tom, son Edward and former girlfriend of the father, Kyra, talk each other through their former relationships, while asking whether these relation-ships can be rekindled. I am not about to tell how that pans out.

I call the play “wise” because Hare never lets either Tom or Kyra have the upper hand for long. Just when you think Tom might be displaying a need to control, we are shown evidence of cowardice in Kyra. This is no simplistic battle of the sexes where the lines are firmly drawn.

Although the setting is London, Neeme allows the actors to speak in their own ac-cents. This is a wordy play, but the actors relish the dialogue. Jacqueline Livingston is sharp but sympathetic as Kyra, Mark Sheridan as Tom handles Hare’s urbane language with ease and also wins our sympathy, while newcomer Lincoln Hall as Edwards portrays a confused 18-year-old with total credibility.

Where cake and coffee shine

Beyond Q Cafe, Curtin... one of the quaintest in Canberra. Photo by Silas

DININGBy Wendy Johnson

THEATRE“Skylight” By David Hare, directed by Aarne Neeme for Gypsy Entertainment, at the Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre, until July 24.Reviewed by Helen Musa

Jacqueline Livingston... sharp but sympathetic as Kyra.

The fine cast for a wise play


fashion

From here to maternityBy Megan Haggan

IT’S thanks to celebrities such as Suri Cruise and Brangelina’s tribe that we’re seeing a huge increase in fashions for mums and children, says Nicole Balderson, founder of www.designermamas.com.au – and she thinks it’s great.

“As a pregnant woman, we’re told at every turn what we can’t have, shouldn’t do, must do – and then there are the clothes! Yes, there are some nice mater-nity things around, but often you really have to go hunting for them,” she told “CityNews”.

“It’s a time that should be cel-ebrated, but at the same time we shouldn’t have to lose our personal style. As a pregnant woman you can feel left out of a lot of things because of the rules placed on us, and I just don’t believe we should be left out of fashion!”

As a mum of three – the youngest just six months old – Nicole says she also appreciates the rise in fashionable cloth-ing and accessory choices for children.

Green cord dress, $49.95, and cream diamante tights, $16.95 and Shoobies, $17.95, from oobi.

Bring Your Own Gown designer hospital gown in Havana Rose, $129.95 from www.designermamas.com.au

Alluring Amber Necklace, $24.75 and Baby Baltic Amber Necklace, $24.20, from La Bella Creations.

Paddington Bear umbrella, $24.95 from The Teddy Bear Shop.

My First Passport and Tag Set, $13.50 from www.thebabygiftcompany.com.au


home

IT can be good for children to have some say in the way their room is decorated, says Rosana McLeod,

co-owner of Creative by Design in Canberra.“The kid’s room is the only place that they have that

is their own,” she explains.“To some degree it should reflect who the child is. I’m not suggesting that you would paint it black if that’s

what they like, though!”Rosana suggests we start with a simple wall

colour and furniture, then “add in accessories to reflect the child’s personality and dreams.

“Then, as the kids change their likes and dislikes, it’s simple to change their

room to suit.”

Gund Girls

Just Wanna Have Fun Lexi

Poodle, $29.95.

Cowboy Light, $67.95 from Little

Sprout Canberra Centre and

Phillip.

Toy Story

3 Magic Night Light,

$17.95.

Children’s wardrobe,

organised by Creative by

Design.

Child’s play

Deerly Beloved

bedroom stickers, $109.95

from Little Sprout Canberra Centre

and Phillip.

Wise Choice

bookends, $52.95 from Little Sprout Canberra

Centre and Phillip.


health&fitness

By shereen charlesAPART from the embarrassment of parents getting angry at their children in public, the “Angry Sporting Parent”, can result in a child losing the motivation to participate in team sports at a young age and with a flow-on effect as they grow older, says the general manager of sales and marketing at Sporting Pulse, Chris Oliver.

“This could result in individuals not harnessing their sport talent,” he said.

SportingPulse now hosts Play By The Rules content on how to deal with issues such as abuse on its new internet site gameday.com.au.

One of the main aims of this partner-ship is to equip clubs and families with the necessary information so that children will be able to develop their game and grow in the community, Mr Oliver told “CityNews”.

He said the “Angry Sporting Parent” was likely to lead to more serious repercussions if the problem was not curbed.

“Parents need to be supportive of their children and recognise they’re not playing for sheep stations,” said Mr Oliver.

The Belconnen Cats, a junior AFL club, is one such club that subscribes to the same values as SportingPulse and Play By The Rules.

“The first question we ask our players after a game isn’t ‘did you win?’ it’s ‘did you enjoy yourself?’ The winning, we believe, happens by chance,” said football manager Nicole Thorne.

She said each team member tried out all the different positions so as not to create any unhappiness or competition within the team itself.

“It makes every kid know that they are all equally important. Our better players are encouraged to help our newer play-ers, so no one feels left out,” she said.

“Most of the kids who join us have no idea what good sporting behaviour is. It is up to us to educate good sporting behaviour. After all, sports is supposed to bring people together.”

Junior AFL club, The Belconnen Cats... better players are encouraged to help newer players, so no one feels left out.

Photo by Silas

Ruling angry parents offside Walking the talkCANBERRANS can help maintain their mental health and cut their cardiovascular risk by up to half just by walking for 30 minutes or more each day.

So say the National Heart Foundation of Australia and beyondblue: the national depression initiative, who have joined forces to encourage people to take the first steps toward walking regularly.

According to Shauna Jones, national manager, Active Living, at the Heart Foundation, a walking group helps motivate people, because they know their group is waiting for them.

“Once they’re out and about they find the winter chill is actually refreshing and energising,” Shauna says.

“Walkers in our groups report that one of the biggest benefits they get from taking part is connecting with people in their local area or workplace.”

Dr Nicole Highet, of beyondblue, said that physi-cal activity caused the brain to release endorphins, which have a positive impact on the mood.

To join the 11,500 people nationwide already involved in Heart Foundation Walking, visit www.heartfoundation.org.au/walking or call 1300 362787.

By Megan Haggan

THERE are better ways to fight colds and flu than antibiotics, says naturo-pathic herbalist Michelle Kirby, who runs Complete Health and Vitality Solutions in Narrabundah.

She says she’s seen a growing number of people who have used antibiotics to fight colds and flu who have had respira-tory ailments escalate to more significant problems like pneumonia.

“Their immunity has been compro-mised by the overuse of antibiotics, and disease is able to penetrate deeper into their bodies,” Michelle says.

“It’s commonly known that the regular use of antibiotics is the single most detrimental factor to a person’s im-munity – so much so that antibiotics will eventually stop working.”

Michelle recommends boosting our immunity naturally by using vitamins and minerals such as Vitamins A and C, and zinc.

“Zinc is the most powerful immune-strengthening material. Research shows

reduced infection rates when taking prescribed therapeutic doses of zinc,” she says.

“Vitamin A tones your mucous membranes so they react properly to invaders, and Vitamin C also strengthens your immune response by giving your immune system energy to fight.”

Strengthening the immune system

Diet: include a variety of fruit and vegetables, plus cook with spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cumin, oregano and cayenne to boost the immune system, helping it fight off colds.Avoid frozen foods or drinks in winter, as well as refined and processed foods such as fast food, biscuits, chips, lollies and cake.Avoid outdoor exercise on windy or wet days and switch to an indoor rou-tine instead – but otherwise, continue to exercise outdoors in winter. Incorporate a relaxing practice such

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as meditation, yoga or deep breathing into your daily routine. Managing stress helps regulate our cortisol levels, which when elevated can weaken the immune system.Get a full night’s sleep: for most people this is about eight hours. Sleep deprivation can reduce the body’s ability to fight infection.Wash your hands for 15 to 20 sec-onds, using warm water and soap, before preparing food or eating, and after coughing, sneezing, using the bathroom or touching public surfaces – it’s one of the simplest ways to ward off illness.Use garlic, an antibacterial agent, mixed with lemon juice, ginger, cayenne pepper and honey in a drink which helps fight off colds and flu. Vitamins C and D3 are also important antiviral agents.About 80 per cent of our immune system resides in our gastrointestinal tract – taking a pro-biotic daily can help establish and maintain a resilient system.

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Fighting fit for winter’s worst


No. 271Across1 What do we call a person who steals cattle, sheep, etc?7 Which Australian spider is known as a triantelope?8 Where are dead bodies kept for identification, etc?9 Which dish consists of eggs, beaten, fried and folded round other ingredients?10 What are electricians known as?11 What do we call a stone, ring, etc, worn as a charm?14 Which term describes an unmarried woman?18 What is another word for an attic?19 The Garden of Eden was also known as what?21 Judith Durham is a what?22 What are retailer dealers in meat?23 Which dinner dish is served before the main course?

Down 1 Name the capital of Syria.2 Who was the "Barber of Seville"?3 What is a variable electrical resistor?4 What is another term for one's poker stake?5 Which people show us to our seats in theatres?6 What is a sacred Hindu word, etc, often intoned repetitively?12 What is a generous bestowal of gifts?13 Name an instrumental composition of a dreamy character.15 What is an epidemic disease of high mortality?16 Which term describes a shade of colour, expression, etc?17 Name an alternative word for the East.20 Which part of March was Caesar told to beware?

Solution next week

your week in the starsWith Joanne Madeline Moore July 26 - August 1

ARIES (Mar �� – Apr �0)Attached Aries – is there a tug-of-war between you and your partner? Do you want more freedom, while they yearn for more commitment? The only solution is to meet somewhere in the middle. Single Rams, with Mars and Saturn linking up in your relationship zone, a new romance will be a frustrating stop/start kind of affair.

TAURUS (Apr �� – May �0)When it comes to your health, you have to be proactive and responsible. Work hard to keep yourself in tip-top shape Taurus! This week’s Full Moon lights up your Brilliant Career zone, so you’re keen to display your talents and shine professionally. However, it’s not a good time to make long-term decisions. Be patient and wait.

GEMINI (May �� – June ��)Your friendships are in a state of flux. Some close relationships will end suddenly, while others will develop in unexpected ways. Don’t jump to conclusions about a child, teenager or friend. Check the facts thoroughly first. Communication and travel are highlighted so grab your mobile phone, jump in the car or take off in a plane.

CANCER (June �� – July ��)Does it feel as if your personal and professional lives are at war? Changes are coming thick and fast at work but don’t be so busy that you neglect your domestic responsibilities. The Full Moon urges you to be more adventurous in love. Cautious Crabs – it’s time for you to crawl out of your cosy cave and take a few chances!

LEo (July �� – Aug ��)Communication will be fraught with difficulties this week, as loved ones annoy you (and tell you things that you’d rather not hear). They are acting as a mirror so you can learn more about yourself. As birthday great Carl Jung explained: “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

VIRGo (Aug �� – Sept ��)There’s no escaping money pressures at the moment. Try to organise your life so you have two streams of income coming in – and don’t put all your financial eggs in the one basket! With three planets in your sign, you’re extra fussy and finicky. Avoid being a carping critic. As birthday great Henry Ford said: “Don’t find fault, find a remedy.”

LIBRA (Sept �� – oct ��)Mars marches into your sign on Friday (until September 15) so it’s time to be brazenly bold and beautiful. If you’re not confident about your talents and abilities, why should anyone else be? Despite your best efforts, you’ll feel like it’s one step forwards and two steps back on Saturday, as Mars and Saturn join forces in your sign. Be patient.

SCoRPIo (oct �� – Nov ��)The Full Moon stirs up your home zone, so expect the unexpected from loved ones this week. You’ll also feel unsettled at work, as Jupiter and Pluto fuel your ambitions – and then Saturn comes along and stymies them. Others will try to push your buttons but think things through before you react. The lesson to learn this week is patience.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov �� – Dec ��)Young children and teenagers will test the boundaries this week - even more than usual. If you are firm and flexible (a tricky balance) then you can guide them through the multitude of changes that are happening. Your goals and dreams seem far away on Saturday, as frustrations abound and negativity clouds your usually sunny disposition.

CAPRICoRN (Dec �� – Jan ��)Saturn (your ruling planet) and Uranus face off again, so problems that first surfaced in late 2008 could come back to haunt you. Keep what’s working in your life, and change what isn’t. (The trick is knowing which is which!) Gung-ho Mars barnstorms into your career zone on Friday, so expect to feel even more ambitious and driven than usual.

AQUARIUS (Jan �0 – Feb ��)Full Moon madness sees you at your eccentric best (and rebellious worst). It’s time to surprise others with your wild and wacky ways - or shock them and do the complete opposite. Uranus is impatient for change, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! Travel, study plans or legal matters may be delayed – yet again.

PISCES (Feb �� – Mar �0)It’s a fabulous week for creative Piscean projects and spiritual exploration, as the Full Moon activates your intuition and imagination zone. Don’t rock the boat when it comes to joint finances or shared resources though – you could find yourself cut off. If you’re expecting money from others, be prepared for a long and frustrating wait. Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2010.

general knowledge crossword

Sudoku hard No.36 Solution next week

Crossword No.270 Sudoku medium No.36Solutions

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L V M S H E L L SB I G A M I S T U I

M N N O B L O N GC A R D I G A N O EO A L E D G E R SD A R L I N G Y AL E LI S B L O S S O MN E I T H E R I O

L O N A P O L E O NS V E L T E U V V

E I M A C K E R E LF R I D A Y K R N


By Catherine Carter

WE are approaching Canberra’s centenary but, according to a report from Engineers Australia on our infrastructure, we are not ready to celebrate.

The report finds that much of our infrastruc-ture is either nearing full capacity or getting close to the end of its life.

According to Rolfe Hartley, chair of Engineers Australia’s ACT committee: “There are concerns about matching the needs of the Territory’s population growth. Action is needed now to maintain standards, avoid any further slippages and to address areas that need major changes.”

This follows the ACT’s 10-year “Infrastructure Plan”, released by the ACT Government at the start of June, which also acknowledged the direct link between high-quality infrastructure projects and economic prosperity.

At the time, I saw this plan as an important first step towards developing a long-term

infrastructure plan, but as its main focus was on capital works projects to be rolled out over the next two years, it felt incomplete.

If you see a community as a living thing, then its infrastructure is its circulation system. Without it, no part of the organism gets oxygen or life-sustaining nutrients and it withers and eventually dies.

This metaphor is obviously apt when it comes to roads and transport systems, and for power, water and communications. But it also applies to social infrastructure, such as health-care facilities, education services and centres and community

spaces, such as meeting places and parks.To provide such infrastructure you need a

plan, integrated with land management and adaptable for future demographic, social and economic change.

We’ve started well here in Canberra. And Australian governments generally are becoming aware of the importance of effective infrastruc-ture. Now is the time to move off the starting block and start the serious work.

Catherine Carter is ACT the executive director of the Property Council of Australia.

Engineers say it’s not the time to celebrateproperty

By tim HumphreyTHE top end of Canberra’s office leasing market is expected to remain subdued until after the Federal election.

Tenants currently evaluating plans for more than 20,000sqm are exclusively Commonwealth occupiers and the possibility of a change of government is starting to dampen the appetite of many agencies to commit to new deals.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s views about reducing public sector staff numbers will undoubtedly provide some food for thought amongst senior bureaucrats actively considering major leasing transactions.

At this stage, less than a handful of deals over 20,000sqm should come across the line by Christmas.

However, Foreign Affairs and Trade is one group that should reach a decision by the end of August.

The high-profile department is expected to re-sign in its landmark office complex, the R G Casey Building, which comprises over 45,000sqm (net). Yet the big question for many in the leasing market is: For how long?

If it takes up its five-year renewal option, this would put it

in the box seat to look seriously at relocation options elsewhere during 2016 in the parliamentary triangle. While there are few locations as prestigious as its current building, this would allow more than enough time for an equally salubrious headquarters facility to be constructed. It is understood possible options could include 1 Canberra Avenue (owned by the Willemsen Group) or possibly a development across the adjoining Burns Centre and St John’s Ambulance sites (owned by Doma Group).

However, DFAT’s current landlord, the Motor Traders Association of Australia, is expected to be persuasive in final negotiations. A clear win would be resigning DFAT on a 10-year

deal and a comparable market rental.

Robert Murray, director of office leasing at Jones Lang LaSalle, believes a shorter-term deal for DFAT and DEEWR’s upcoming commitment to around 32,000sqm, would provide real optimism amongst developers with new office proposals ready.

Similarly, Michael Ceacis, associate director at Colliers International, is also confident some major transactions will provide a fillip to the local market.

Tim Humphrey is editor of Property Daily, a market news and intelligence service focused on commercial property markets nationally. www.propertydaily.com.au

R G Casey Building... DFAT: Will they, won’t they?

Big tenants lie lowuntil after election







Documents

Canberra CityNews July 22-28, 2010