CityNews 250529

Steel misses the bus on MyWay+ schmozzle

MICHAEL MOORE

Disciplined Labor knows what it

ANDREW HUGHES

You’ll

DAVID TURNBULL

SHORTEN

New UC Vice-Chancellor BILL SHORTEN and

Canberra Memorial Parks

Cremation – Burial – Memorialis ation

Sanctuary Creek memorial garden is now open at Gungahlin Cemetery for families to consider as a final resting place for loved ones. Offering a peaceful and tranquil memorialisation space, Sanctuary Creek has various Canberra-specific artworks, as well as a delightful blend of native and introduced plants, specifically selected for Canberra’s climate.

The boutique memorial space hosts water features and a covered rotunda area that can be used to hold small memorial services. Contours of Mount Ainslie have been used on a niche wall with round interment spaces representing the many walking trails on the mountain. The gang-gang cockatoo, bluebell flower and Black Mountain are also featured in the area. Integrating modern and traditional materials and colours, Sanctuary Creek provides a truly special memorialisation space for honouring and remembering loved ones.

To make an appointment to explore Sanctuary Creek, or for more information, contact our friendly team on (02) 6207 0000 or visit the Canberra Memorial Parks website.

www.canberramemorialparks.act.gov.au

NEWS / Eight Epic Peaks Challenge

Medical charity peak climbing is in Belinda’s blood

By Elizabeth KOVACS

Canberran Belinda Lee-Makrides was 33 when she discovered a suspicious lump in her breast. Screening found it wasn’t cancer, but there was a problem.

“They found something wrong with my blood,” she says.

“It’s crazy how one minute you think you’re fine, and then the next, you’re slapped in the face with a diag nosis.

“It can happen to anyone, and you wouldn’t even know it.”

Belinda, now 36, has a form of blood disease called Beta-Thalassemia, which means her production of hemo globin (an iron-containing protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body) is re duced, which lowers oxygen levels in the body.

Canberra peak climber, Belinda Lee-Makrides… “I wanted to prove that I was more than my diagnosis.”

Not wanting to stay home and mope, Belinda decided to take the Eight Epic Peaks Challenge and hike the high est peak in every state and territory across Australia to raise awareness for Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome (BMFS).

Bone marrow failure syndrome has a 50 per cent survival rate.

of Kosciuszko to the snow-capped peak of Mount Ossa.

step at a time.”

Affecting about 160 Australians each year, the syndromes are a collec

“I wanted to prove that I was more than my diagnosis,” says Belinda.

“So I used it as a chance to advocate

“I think it’s taught me more about myself than anything,” she says.

Travelling across Australia with

Such as being halfway up Mount Kosciuszko.

“It was poor weather and I thought to myself, if I can’t even do this, how

am I going to do everything else?”

Travelling through some of the most “hard-off” rural towns across Australia, Belinda says it was a welcome reality check.

Finding tranquility in the act of unplugging from her day-to-day life, Belinda says it’s almost like chasing a high.

“Being on top of a mountain is where I feel the calmest,” she says.

“Some days, all I want to do is go out and hike.”

Finishing her epic peak challenge in March, Belinda says it won’t be the end of her summit-climbing adven-

This adventure isn’t the first time Belinda has turned to mountain climbing and hikes to advocate and raise awareness for diseases.

The Eight Epic Peaks challenge wasn’t Belinda’s first mountain-climbing quest. She has taken part in a challenge to climb 50 out of the 145 named mountains in Canberra to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.

She has now successfully climbed 112 out of the 145.

Belinda has travelled 23,819 kilometres and says she’s the first person to do all eight summits with a blood disease.

Donate to the Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome charity, Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision, at fundraising.mrv.org.au

Since 1993: Volume 31, Number: 21

General manager: Tracey Avery, tracey@citynews.com.au

Senior advertising account executive: David Cusack, 0435 380656

Advertising account executives: Damien Klemke, 0439 139001 Ashika Nambiar, 0425 149860

Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au

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Distribution manager: Penny McCarroll

Steel misses the bus on MyWay+ schmozzle

The MyWaye+ debacle could have been turned into a positive for embattled Transport Minister Chris Steel.

Instead, he has decided to rely on the old, tried and true, hardened Labor approach of “tough it out”. This situation, disaster though it was, could have proved a bonus in standing for Minister Steel.

However, he would have to have taken a different path. Admit the mistake, wear it and apologise to those in Canberra who were so adversely impacted by a bad decision. Instead, he missed the opportunity.

Had the minister shown a little humility, and taken a more sensible approach, he would have been seen as different and would have stood out from his colleagues as a potential chief minister.

Instead, he remains as a Labor hack, another hardliner, rather than as different, as caring and as a genuine and effective leader.

What happened when Minister Steel impatiently pushed the go button on the transport system, ignoring advice that the MyWay+ was not yet completely ready? No apology! The system, it was argued, had “teething issues”... tough it out!

A decision was made by Transport Canberra that it was not necessary

to engage an accessibility specialist before launching the MyWay+ system.

A couple of examples of the problems when it began include people with visual impairment could not use the website and some people who are hard of hearing had difficulty understanding on-board announcements.

The decision taken by the transport minister flew in the face of the government’s own Disability Strategy 2024-2033 . For people with a disability, it is often even more important for public transport to provide helpful mobility access.

There is now an attempt to resolve the “teething issues” with the appointment of Get Skilled Access, to conduct a comprehensive accessibility review to determine how to make the system compliant with the Disability Strategy. Ironically, this is the action that was declined by Transport Canberra in the lead up to

Had Steel shown a little humility he would have stood out as a potential chief minister. Instead, he remains a Labor hack, another hardliner, rather than as different, as caring and as a genuine and effective leader.

MyWay+ in 2024.

The Assembly’s Inquiry into the Procurement and Delivery of MyWay+ is due to report on June 26. Although no report has been issued, evidence before the Committee of Inquiry has inflamed the non-government MLAs.

The Greens’ Jo Clay has responsibility for undertaking this inquiry in her role as Chair of The Standing Committee on Environment, Planning, Transport and City Services.

Opposition Leader Leanne Castley points to a report that “was given to the minister two months before launch, identified four areas of serious concern about reliability and functionality, yet his response was to wait just two weeks and launch anyway”.

She concluded her attack stating: “Minister Steel is developing quite a track record of mis-managing important projects on behalf of taxpayers”.

Independent Thomas Emerson noted “key principle in the ACT Disability Strategy 2024-2033 , released last April, is ‘universal design’”.

He added: “The strategy requires the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without need for adaptation or specialised design”.

Perhaps more pointedly, Mr Emerson identified the strategy includes “for people with disability to have access to the same quality of service and barrier-free experience as the wider ACT community”.

He argued that the MyWay+ has also breached multiple pieces of antidiscrimination legislation whereas “universal design would have prevented the disability discrimination that is inherent in how MyWay+ has been rolled out”.

Andrew Braddock, ACT Greens spokesperson for transport, was concerned that “despite promises to bring Canberra’s public transport network into the future with ‘seamless’ experience and ‘world-class’ capability, NEC and Transport Canberra agreed to reduce the functionality of the system ahead of launch and even described the system as a

‘minimum viable product’”.

He added: “It is insulting that our transport minister has such low standards for public transport in our city. Canberrans deserve the world-class system that they were promised”.

The political pain could have been avoided had Minister Steel owned his mistake from the beginning. He could have announced the appointment of Get Skilled Access to examine the inadequacies of the system, and also made clear his intention to implement the recommendations.

Instead, Chris Steel has chosen to tough it out. Therefore, he wears the opprobrium of being responsible for a significant failure in supporting some of the most vulnerable in our community.

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

Chris Steel… just another Labor hack.

Author explores old asylum in haunted new novel

south of Sydney and in my research, I found out that a lot of advanced dementia patients were sent there after

“I went down such a big rabbit hole, it was so fascinating that I couldn’t stop

“One thing I love to do is make sure people know about our history.”

JJ’s characters are inspired by real patients and nurses who attended Kenmore and she conducted interviews

“The first people to read [the book] outside of my family were the nurses,”

She says she was encouraged to showcase a different side to historical

“When you read asylum horror, it’s all about how evil the nurses and doctors are and how they are deliberately hurting all these people, but the meaning of the asylum is ‘safe place’, and that’s what I was trying to get at,” she

“It wasn’t a safe place for a lot of people, but there were staff who really did try their best with what resources and systems they had to look after those

Exploring topics such as feminine rage and poor education in mental health, JJ says it was important to look at the ways people were treated at the time, including, but not limited to, husbands who would place their wives in psychiatric hospitals when they were tired of them!

“Not all people are one way or another,” she says, in reference to whether all ghosts left at places such as Kenmore could be considered evil.

“So why would we expect all of the spirits who are left behind to be malevolent or insane?

“Wouldn’t it be more like a reflection of humanity, as it is while we’re alive?”

Although JJ says she can’t define what makes a ghost – whether they are a sum of somebody’s memory, experience or ultimately, something else – she says she believes in them, as do many of the nurses who worked in Kenmore and other psychiatric wards and hospitals across Australia.

“There’s a feeling that you get when you work there, almost like the building is alive.”

“I’m a bit of a history nerd, but I’m more into personal histories and stories, and being able to capture that.

Local author

“I went down such a big rabbit hole, it was so fascinating that I couldn’t stop the more I looked into it.”

incredibly special.”

JJ’s novel is preceded by her series

The Corner of Her Eye, which explores

series that inspired her to write about Kenmore.

“I was looking into an old hospital

“When I started talking to the nurses you could see in their faces how much they really cared about [the patients], and that really settled it for me, this was the story to be told from the nurses’ perspectives.”

A section of the female portion of the asylum known as Ward 15 (also considered one of the asylum’s most haunted wards) burnt down in 2021, but JJ is sure that the spirits of Kenmore continue to lie in wait.

JJ Carpenter is at the Book Cow, Kingston, July 1. Tickets from humantix.

Unlike traditional windows and doors, our

and

• Boost energy efficiency

• Enhance insulation

• Reduce outside noise

JJ Carpenter…

Happy Anniversary Croatia

35 years of INDEPENDENCE

First free muti-party elections held in 1990, ending 45 years of communist rule with the election of HDZ and Dr Franjo Tudman as the first President of Croatia

30 years of FREEDOM

Marking the end of the Croatian War of Independence - free at last

1,100 years of Croatian IDENTITY

1,100 years since the crowning of Croatia’s first King - Kralj Tomislav

30 years since the Opening of the Croatian Embassy

Financed and built by the hands of Croatians from Australia & New Zealand and gifted to the Republic of Croatia from the heart of Croatian migrants

Bill takes cheerfully to the cloisters and Canberra

ROD HENSHAW

vice-chancellor’s office for a sit-down interview with UC’s new boss Bill Shorten, who’s arrived with no regrets and lots of passion for the job – and with everything Canberra.

Our first glimpse of Bill Shorten came in the aftermath of the Beaconsfield mine disaster of April, 2006.

As national secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union, he fronted the cameras and microphones incessantly throughout the tense 14-day rescue mission to bring the remaining three miners out from the collapse. Two of them came out alive, but tragically the third didn’t make it. The younger Shorten etched an indelible image on viewers around Australia and beyond with his softly-spoken, almost shy daily addresses with many observers tipping future greatness for his calm handling of the mass media against a background of adversity.

Fast-forward to May, 2025 and the journey from Beaconsfield to the cut and thrust of Labor politics to academia as

“This person’s journey shows that while some of the customs and traditions are different, there are common values,” he says. Perhaps out of modesty, Bill Shorten doesn’t continue the Lasso analogy, where the owner

of his new team secretly hopes Ted’s inexperience will lead it to failure. The opposite happens; Lasso’s leadership turns out to be unexpectedly successful! At the time of this sit-down interview, it’s just after the

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federal election, which saw a resounding victory for his old team. Does he have just the slightest twinge of “what if”? His response is emphatic.

“No, I’m at ease with the decisions I’ve made. I’ve contributed where I could on that stage. I’m very proud of the NDIS, very proud of the Robodebt Royal Commission and my time leading the Labor Party,” he says.

“After our shocking defeat in 2013, I know I helped make Labor electable. We got close and then Anthony (Albanese) finished the deal.

“Personally, I’ve been a Labor man all my life so I’m pleased when your team wins but that’s my old world.”

While he’s happily ensconced in his new world, he’s hardly oblivious to the implications of the Labor win and he readily sees how it could favourably impact on universities generally.

“At last we have certainty. I have to say, having been in the political world, I never realised how much an election stops everything else outside. I’m relieved that we’ve got a verdict and now we can get on with the agenda,” he says.

“The federal government is proposing to revisit the short-sighted job-ready policies of the previous Coalition government. They’ll now start rolling out what they call the Higher Education Accord, so that means we’ll have a chance to sit down with the government and work through what the University of Canberra needs.”

It’s well chronicled that UC’s finances aren’t in good shape and undoubtedly Bill Shorten has inherited a raft of problems that had their roots well before his appointment to the

job. He’s had to make difficult decisions including implementing voluntary and forced redundancies. Something that wouldn’t sit comfortably with a lifelong union man.

“It’s not great at all. It’s not my feelings that matter; it’s the feelings of the people who do their job. I do know one thing, you either take some action now or you lose more jobs down the track.

“This university and all universities have been changing and I’m not sure we’ve been keeping up with the changes.

to offer his five cents’ worth on matters well outside the purview of academic responsibilities. And now that he’s enthusiastically embraced the national capital as home, he’s more than happy to take up the cudgels in the interests of Canberrans. He’s lashed out at Qantas, which he says is “ripping off” Canberrans with exorbitant airfares. No breaking news there, but it was a surprising intervention coming from a university head. Did he get any bites from the airline for that riposte?

“What we’ve been tending to do is fill courses, hire people and hope the students will come. The problem with that strategy is if people don’t come... you’ve built the courses, spent the money, hired the people and paid the wages. Fixed costs have gone up. So, the first strategy is to reduce our fixed costs.

This

university and all universities have been changing and I’m not sure we’ve been keeping up with the changes.

“We’re also looking at how we grow the organisation –how we grow the footprint of the University of Canberra. Last year the balance sheet was probably in deficit above $40-million in an operating sense. I’m quietly optimistic we can get close to zero within 12 months.

“But I still want to maintain our excellent offering for school leavers and internationals.”

Despite the challenges facing the university, there’s no doubt Bill Shorten is loving his new job. Free of the shackles and confines of disciplined party politics, he’s not afraid

“Not yet. Qantas is a formidable proposition. I don’t expect them to immediately stop ripping off Canberrans. You watch the flight fluctuations. Canberrans live here 365 days a year. The airfares surge when parliament is sitting and I think there’s a view (within Qantas) that everyone can afford to pay top dollar – and that’s not fair. It’s also not fair on Australian taxpayers or Australian shareholders.” He doesn’t buy the proposition that fares are cheaper if you book well in advance.

“If you’ve got to go to a funeral or you’ve got a child that’s sick somewhere… you can’t plan your life around when Qantas has cheap tickets for sale.”

Former Liberal minister Julie Bishop currently serves as chancellor of the nearby Australian National University. Do they ever meet up over a coffee?

“No, I haven’t had time, but I certainly will. Jules and I get on well. So I like her.”

much an election stops everything else outside.”

Photo: Andrew Campbell

Then AWU Secretary Bill Shorten talks to the media at the Beaconsfield mine, April 28, 2006. Photo: AAP

NATIONAL TRUST (ACT) newsletter

Trust events star in successful Heritage Festival

So, what do checkpoints, numbats, line dancing, theodolites, Garden City, and hostels all have in common?

They were but a small taste of the National Trust’s offering at this year’s successful Heritage Festival. Glorious autumn weather welcomed 178 cyclists. including 24 children, to our Heritage Polaris orientation event. Bob Brown attracted 200 people to hear him speak at the Heritage Oration on the state of environmental protection in Australia.

Our fabulous Open Day provided a rare opportunity for 800 visitors to discover the delights of Tuggeranong Homestead with garden tours, talks, performances and more! Thank you to our kindred and other organisations that came together to provide such a comprehensive program.

Our four walks attracted 120 people to varied destinations such as Acton, Dunlop, and Barton. A unique bus tour of the Federal Capital Commission Houses included tea at Hotel Kurrajong and 30 garden enthusiasts attended Rock Valley Homestead. A late addition of Casey House to the program also proved popular. The Trust thanks their members who volunteer and support these events.

UPCOMING TOURS

Acton: Sunday, June 15 at 9.30am (details at: www.trybooking.com/DBGLK)

Yarralumla: Sunday, June 22 at 9.30am (details at: www.trybooking.com/DBZHV)

Western Victoria: September 8-14. This tour includes homesteads, gardens, a winery, the Grampians, Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, Silo art and more. (for details contact: events@nationaltrustact.org.au)

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

I was pleased to see so many of you at the recent Canberra and Region Heritage Festival.

Kingston shops

The Trust will be pursuing with the ACT Heritage Council the need to protect the century-old Kingston shops from inappropriate development that would threaten the important heritage values of what is Canberra’s first shopping centre. The Council has extended the provisional registration of the Kingston shops by three months to August 27 rather than proceeding to final registration after a request from the Heritage Minister for more information on whether mixeduse development, including shop-top housing, could be supported at the shops.

Planning Reforms

The Trust is examining closely the potential heritage implications of new planning arrangements for Canberra’s residential housing zones.

Inquiry into the Planning (Territory Priority Project) Amendment Bill 2025

The Trust wrote a submission to and appeared before the Inquiry highlighting the dangers proposed by the Territory Priority Project Amendment Bill, in particular that, by definition, priority projects would be exempt from public consultation and they would not be appealable to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. We argued that it was by no means clear that heritage assets would be afforded protection under the proposed process.

Belconnen Naval Transmitting Station

The Trust met recently with Defence Housing Australia to discuss progress of implementation of the Conservation Management Plan for the Transmitting Station. We agreed that regular communication would continue.

Heritage Council

We were disappointed to receive advice from the ACT Heritage Council that it did not accept nominations for heritage listing for Majura Valley and Grasshopper Habitat and the Wesley Uniting Church complex. In both instances the Council found the nomination “did not meet the threshold for significance”.

Gary Kent, President

ACT Heritage Minister Chris Steel at the Tuggeranong Homestead open day.

Bob Brown at our Heritage Oration.

How disciplined Labor knows what it takes to win

One of the biggest differences in election 2025 was in party management.

Labor again underlined why it is the number one party when it comes to organisation, management, structure and team culture.

This is not to say the Liberals didn’t have good people in their team. They did. They just didn’t have good management.

So what is good management? It is a combination of factors that differenti ate a modern party from one that aspires to be one.

For Labor gone are the days of national conferences or national executive meetings being shouting matches between the right and left factions, with guest appearances now and again from the centre-right (Kevin Rudd’s faction) and the unaligned (Andrew Leigh, here in the ACT). Those ugly scenes, sometimes played out on national TV, ended up hurting Labor far more at the polls.

After their wipeout in 1996, followed by the infighting of the RuddGillard-Rudd years, Labor vowed never again and to manage the party far more professionally, like some of the bigger, overseas centre-left parties in Europe and America were already doing.

This meant rethinking their approaches to everything. Every. Thing.

Some were minor and backroom focused, yet brought the party into the modern era. One notable feature was the use of database marketing programs to better integrate electorate interactions with campaign strategy at local, state and federal levels.

Marketing methods and knowledge, especially those on branding and behaviour change, were slowly adopted and integrated into party machines, and now a campaign manager is just as likely to have a marketing and brand campaign background as a political one.

Labor went further though. Lessons were learnt from large-scale, behaviour-change political movements, be that Obama’s historic 2008 campaign, which pioneered the use

Loyalty is trust and trust is everything. So the rule of existence in Labor remains the same as it ever has been: faction first. Any disloyalty and you go.

of social media and user content, to methods used in the Arab Spring and the Asian Democracy Movements. These reinforced the need to be dynamic, fresh and unpredictable to all but the electorate who should always know what you stood for.

Another change was to move to gender parity with candidate selection, which seems common sense considering the electorate profile in Australia. This has been followed by age parity, so the candidate mix closely matches the population as much as possible.

Occupation parity isn’t there yet, being a union organiser still carries a disproportionate influence on your success as a candidate inside Labor and they’ll need to correct this over time.

Factional brawls moved online from offline. No more pesky cameras or journos hanging around seedy backrooms in Bankstown. No. Union bosses moved to disappearing messages on messaging apps. As one senior Labor person said to me once: “No vote ever

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happens in a room where the result isn’t already known.”

Loyalty is trust and trust is everything. So the rule of existence in Labor remains the same as it ever has been: faction first. Any disloyalty and you go. Either willingly, or through disendorsement, or being surrounded by walls of ice and concrete in party meetings. And why not?

You are either committed to the cause because you believe in it with every fibre, every word and action, or you can and probably should change careers. Cabinet solidarity has existed for decades in Labor, yet seems to be a new buzzword for the Libs and Nats.

The “factional assassin” tag Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles received was unfair. Dumped minister Ed Husic had supported others’ demise and knew full well that one day he too would make way for the future in the same way he had benefitted earlier from someone else’s end.

But don’t be shocked. They are no different to any of the larger commercial brands I’ve ever encountered. In fact, their culture is likely better.

If you want to be at the top, then that comes with a lot of sacrifice,

hard work, finding ways to improve, and years of disappointment and let downs. And, yes, pushing the occasional opponent in front of a political bus.

So Labor is merely reflective of the corporate culture of 2025. With a touch of the Sopranos now and again. But this is what it takes. This is why the Liberals, and the Nationals, need to use this time as one of opportunity and reflection, to decide if they can and are willing to make these decisions. These sacrifices. To match Labor in the party management stakes.

Political tides no longer come in and out on primary votes of 34.5 per cent or less.

This is 2.0.2.5. The year of new beginnings or the year of sticking with the old and watching that repeat itself until lessons are finally learnt.

Dr Andrew Hughes lectures at the ANU Research School of Management, where he special ises in political marketing.

Anna Neilan Family Lawyer

Lucy Stramandinoli Family Lawyer

CANBERRANS WITH A STORY / Nick Standish

You’ll be shot! When Nick stumbled into sabotage

From a post-war refugee to a world leader in metallurgy, Prof Nick Standish’s life is an extraordinary story of random accidents and chance meetings – some threatening, others fortuitous. DAVID TURNBULL continues his series of profiles of Canberrans with a story.

Nick Standish has an image burnt into his memory he can never erase.

It is the sight of a German Luftwaffe commandant telling him in 1944: “You are guilty of sabotaging German planes. You will be shot.”

Nick was 12 at the time, and the commandant emphasised his threat by cutting his hand across his throat.

When Nick contacted me suggesting a story on his life, he told me jokingly: “I’ve used up eight of my lives. I’ve only got one left, so you better be quick.”

Even at 93, he says the recollection of the commandant’s threat is as vivid as it was in 1945.

In some ways, how that terrible threat came about, and how Nick survived is comical.

He says he and two other cadets had cut a tree down for Christmas and with childlike naivety had thought they could get some lights for the tree out of a plane’s control panel.

They were caught by security guards and the commandant did not believe the innocence of their explanation.

They were jailed but five weeks later, then Nick’s unit was transferred to another town called Gmund.

There he was told by the local commandant that he would remain under house arrest. With the allies approaching, though, the base descended into chaos and he was forgotten.

“He had much bigger things to worry about.”

Nick’s life is an extraordinary story of random accidents, chance meetings – some threatening, others fortuitous.

He was born in 1932 in Yugoslavia, of Russian ancestry.

His father had a doctorate in law and held a senior position in the public service.

When the war came Nick, and his older brother, Serge, his seriously ill mother, and his father “lived like gypsies moving from place to place” as the German occupation spread”.

Eventually, Nick’s father joined a white Russian unit of the German Army and Nick and his brother were sent to a Russian Military School in Yugoslavia and two years later conscripted into the Luftwaffenhelfer – the German Air Force assistants corps.

He spent most of the war at an airfield in Eger, Sudetenland, luckily avoiding direct bombing raids, until the last days.

In March 1945, he left Gmund with all the other cadets bound for Munich.

But in transit one night, in Salzburg, Austria, he found himself in trouble when he couldn’t pay for a coffee because his wallet had been stolen.

As the café owner got aggressive, Nick met eyes with a man sitting with a group of German officers and recognised the father he had not seen in two years. Even retelling this now, his eyes water with emotion.

Like all “New Australians” Nick was desper ate for employment and said “yes” to any offer.

“My first job was as a translator for the NSW Railways,” he says.

“I guess they thought that because I came from Europe I could help them with all the people they were hiring. Problem was, I could hardly speak English.”

Nick had finished high school just before migrating to Australia in 1949 and had a natural talent for mathematics.

He ended up doing metallurgy at the old Sydney Technical College at Ultimo.

BY DAVID FINNIGAN

Again, simply by saying “yes” when asked if he wanted to go into the Railways Engineering Shop.

Nick completed a diploma in metallurgy at tech. With poor English, he failed the first year, then excelled, and was invited to run the metallurgy lab at what was then the NSW University of Technology.

Working by day and studying at night, by 1959 he’d gained his Bachelor of Science and in 1961 Master of Science degrees.

With the same committed work routine, he took a teaching job at the University of Otago, in NZ, and completed a PhD focused on blast furnace aerodynamics.

In December 1965 he was appointed to run the metal production department at the new

metal a year and have outlasted all industry standards.

The jewel in his crown of international achievements, though, is a University of Wollongong co-operative program with PT Krakatau Steel and the Universitas Tirtayasa in Cilegon, Indonesia.

This project commenced in 1992 and was the first major sortie of the University into international teaching and research. In all, he helped 34 students attain PhDs.

“You ask me what my motivation was?” he says.

“I don’t know really, so much of what has happened in my life has been pure accident.

“But it is true the hardships I experienced in the war gave me determination. Resilience.

“I think I just always wanted to be better than my father.

“He was a doctor of law, a big shot, and I became a professor and a bigger shot than him!”

Journalist David Turnbull is writing a series of profiles about interesting Canberrans. Do you know someone we’ve never heard of? Share the name in an email to David via editor@citynews. com.au

Nick Standish as a young man during World War II and today, in Canberra.

Fear when the ‘antisemitism’ bat starts swinging

It is painful beyond measure to be confronted every evening by the moving pictures of human beings in Gaza being bombed to death and shockingly maimed by the Israelis dropping American explosives on them.

Their aircraft rule the skies. Their planes deliver death from well cush ioned, air-conditioned cockpits. The crews never see the blood spurting from a decapitated child, nor hear the screams of the mother who will carry the image to her grave.

But now in a terrible extension of the horror, the Israelis, with Ameri can oversight, are bent on starving the Gazans to death as they scramble ever more weakly for the crumbs that only prolong the suffering.

Now it’s face-to-face.

I would like to say it’s “inhuman” but alas, it’s what distinguishes us from the other animal life on our lovely blue planet. The law of the jungle is relatively benign by comparison. They kill to eat. We kill because we can. They don’t torture their own. We have normalised it.

This is what is particularly hard to understand: it is not like the Jewish holocaust because that was unknown to most of the world. Though many of the European nations invaded

by the Germans collaborated in the collection of their neighbours for the death camps, perhaps they didn’t know their fate.

In our neck of the woods, the vile cruelty of the Japanese to the millions of Chinese at home and in their southeastern diaspora – as well as the several thousand western POWs – was not widely known until the end of the war.

In each case the unknowing and the fog of war might suffice for an

excuse for the lack of action at the time. But that does not apply today to the mass murder of more than 50,000 civilians, from babies to the aged, being perpetrated by the descendants of the tribe of Israel who escaped the holocaust.

I suspect I know part of the reason for the silence. It is certainly why I have been mute until now. It is fear of the consequences, the chief of which is an attack on all sides by a relatively small but very active group of Jewish

The mass murder of more than 50,000 civilians, from babies to the aged, is being perpetrated by the descendants of the tribe of Israel who escaped the holocaust.

defenders with the baseball bat called “antisemitism”.

Semite is an odd word that I learned in first year Arts (Ancient History).

It was coined in the 19th century to describe Arabs, Jews, Akkadians and Phoenicians.

Since then, it seems to have lost its broad focus and turned its spotlight on the Jews alone. About the same time, I learned that my mother’s grandmother was Ruth Silverstein and her mum was Sophie Goldstein

I guess they were Jewish, but I never bothered to take it further because by then I could reason and regarded all religions as dangerous fables… a position I still hold today.

But here’s the thing. One of our distinguished soldiers General David Morrison recently said – in a different

context – “the behaviour you walk by is behaviour you accept” and he was named Australian of the Year in 2016. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind my adopting it in the cause of truth.

It is simply absurd to imagine that the people who protest the joint American-Israeli atrocities in Gaza are actuated by antisemitism. And if some are, it’s only because the Jewish authorities are defending the indefensible.

Much the same applies to the colonial Europeans – mostly British – who ran the slave trade, corrupted and preyed upon India, and South America, and stole an entire continent from an estimated 800,000 Aboriginal people who had settled every part of it for 65,000 years. And they exploited its treasure house of mineral riches without a hint of guilt or compensation.

Oh dear, wait one minute, is that anti-Australian?

robert@robert macklin.com

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northern Gaza Strip.

Photo: Jehad Alshrafi/AP

PLANNING / towards a denser city

How a regional growth strategy can make sense

In this first of a three-part series, MIKE QUIRK outlines the evolution of the metropolitan planning strategy since the late 1950s and issues associated with an urban growth boundary.

The Legislative Assembly has called on the government to set an urban growth boundary (UGB) before the 2028 election.

Planning Minister Chris Steel in response said the government’s intention was to create an UGB, after community consultation and consideration of the future land needs of the territory, in 2027.

On May 20, he released for comment a draft amendment to the Territory Plan and a Missing-Middle Housing Design Guide.

These initiatives are seen as needed to better deliver the denser city benefits of a wider housing choice, improved affordability and reduced infrastructure requirements, travel and the environmental impacts of development.

To ensure the development of Canberra is on the right path, the Assembly should scrutinise the merits of a UGB and the residential zoning reforms.

This article outlines the evolution of growth strategies from the late 1950s and considers the UGB.

Low-density and accessible city

From the late 1950s to the 1990s, Canberra’s growth was guided by the Y-Plan. It identified a series of new-towns, including several towns in NSW in the one million population version of the Plan.

Activities were located in accord with a centre’s hierarchy – major office employment and higher-order services and facilities at Civic and the town centres; major supermarkets and services and facilities at group centres serving a “group” of suburbs and neighbourhoods with primary schools and facilities meeting day-to-day needs.

The dispersal of major Commonwealth offices to the town centres underpinned the strategy. The planning worked within the community’s preference for low-density living and the car.

Towards a denser city

Much has changed since the preparation of the plan including a greater

awareness of climate change and the environmental impacts of development; population decline in older areas leading to underutilisation of infrastructure, reduced housing affordability, an increased preference for higher density housing in areas of high accessibility, a reduced ability to influence Commonwealth office location and land speculation in surrounding NSW which made land acquisition unviable.

To facilitate a denser city and its associated benefits the planning strategy was modified to provide around 50 per cent of land supply in the existing towns which was increased to at least 70 per cent in the 2018 Strategy.

Higher density residential zones (RZ2 to RZ5) were identified in and

around centres and other areas with high accessibility. A lower density (RZ1) was also identified.

The proponents of a UGB argue it will further deliver the benefits of a denser city. Greens MLA Jo Clay indicated the estimated average cost to the government to service a dwelling in Whitlam was $68,000 compared to $6500 per dwelling in Woden.

Infrastructure cost savings are possible, but the extent is uncertain.

In areas with substantial consolidation, such as north Canberra, where the population increased from 38,600 in 2001 to 62,000 in 2022, the capacity could be limited and costs to augment or replace existing infrastructure substantial.

Furthermore, a full cost comparison including travel costs and net environmental impacts is required.

A denser city, if poorly managed, can result in the creation of heat islands, increased congestion, increased traffic accidents, a loss of privacy, vegetation and sunlight.

Areas of high environmental value should be protected from development. However, opportunities for greenfield supply should be explored, not ignored.

It is possible areas of low environmental value (eg Kowen) could meet the lifestyle preferences of many households when provided with high-quality service facilities and

transport links.

An adequate supply of sites for new detached dwellings is necessary to ensure housing choice and to minimise the increase in detached housing prices across the market. Moreover, a poorly defined UGB would increase car-dependent development in the region, increase travel and reduce land sales, rates and Commonwealth grants revenues and diminish regional environmental assets.

A more appropriate response would be the preparation, in conjunction with the NSW state government and local councils, of a regional growth strategy (RGS). An RGS would identify a pattern of regional development that best meets housing needs, optimises infrastructure provision and minimises environmental impacts.

Will the Assembly persuade its Labor/Greens members to undertake a comprehensive assessment of growth options and plan within the reality of the ACT not being an island?

Have Labor/Greens learnt nothing from the inept virtue-signalling decision to develop light rail?

Mike Quirk is a former NCDC and ACT government planner.

Next week – The Missing Middle: Panacea or Pandora’s Box.

First houses in Hughes in 1963 – Groom and Jensen Streets.

LETTERS / well written, well read

Council shame at caving in on wood heater policy

It is regrettable Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) has submitted to pressure and backed down on its policy to restrict and regulate wood heaters that produce toxic wood smoke pollution in urban areas.

Multiple studies show the health costs are in the order of hundreds of millions of dollars, or at least $4000 per year for each wood heater.

QPRC is not the only local or state government to come under an orchestrated attack when their only objective is to protect the health of their residents and the local environment.

Doctors, scientists and other health experts attempting to raise awareness about the impacts of residential wood smoke pollution have likened these campaigns against any moves to ban, restrict or regulate them to those of the tobacco industry.

For decades big tobacco denied any link between tobacco consumption and serious health issues. We know better now and in response we have introduced tough legislation to protect ourselves from second-hand tobacco smoke.

So why do our legislators continue to ignore and fail to act on the same damning evidence and advice when it comes to smoke from wood heaters?

Darryl

Johnston, Tuggeranong

Call for Page 3 girls and mullet kids

How brave of Barry Peffer (letters, CN May 15) for indirectly suggesting our editor be more prudent when printing so many political content letters.

My advice is if you wish to educate our editor on print content, tread carefully.

I also feel our publication comes up a bit short and could do with a Page 3 cover cover girl or a suburban mullet kid of the week. Some other publications have been very successful with that visual for citizens who

struggle to appreciate sophisticated opinions and may feel more comfortable looking at pictures.

John Lawrence via email

Health care’s unsafe from cradle to the grave

Thank you to Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed for their exposure of health issues (“Hospitals need doctors making the calls not clerks”, CN May 15).

I would like to ask for change: focus on good health to make this city state more

liveable. We are small enough to do it

• Follow Singapore’s initiative to create a blue-zone city.

• No buildings over five storeys and accessing community is a priority.

• Health services need to “do no harm”.

• Denmark has focused its health on GPs and are closing hospitals. The ACT is small enough to follow suit.

• Easier access to functioning complaints so that problems are actually addressed. What happened to ethics and morals in medicine and health services?

Many staff in some areas are disempowered by excuses and reasons and avoid problem solving.

This tells me they are not clear what their role is, they don’t know how the services and resources in health function, there’s no real feedback and there is a high level of confusion. Health care has become unsafe from cradle to grave.

We are a “can do” society. Aren’t we?

Sue Pittman, Kambah

Transparency around large, ad hoc payments

Documents tendered in a recent Federal Court case that fortunately favoured the administrators of the badly mismanaged Brindabella Christian College also showed that the ACT government paid this business and charity $440,000 to keep it running after March 5.

Hopefully, this large amount was a short

term loan and not an ex-gratia payment.

The ACT education minister should clarify if the college is required to make at least regular and sizeable interest payments back to the ACT government in the near future.

Given how the ACT treasurer and ministers keep warning of very tight budgetary times ahead, it is essential to claw back debts so that service delivery organisations such as the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, for example, can be advised about its future well before this financial year draws to an end.

Given the latitude shown and the considerable additional public administrative investment involved in propping up the Brindabella for a long time now, new funding timeframes for essential and well-established community organisations should also be considered so that they can operate in a far more stable and efficient funding environment over the coming years.

In this Assembly term, the ACT government should also be pro-actively transparent about the nature of, and conditions attached to, large and seemingly ad hoc payments that are made to any local business or charity, especially when the recipient, such as Brindabella Christian College, has already enjoyed significant direct and indirect financial support and other forms of assistance from ACT taxpayers and ratepayers on a regular basis over many, many years.

Sue Dyer, Downer

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Local festival salutes Italy’s day

Celebrating the 79th Italian National Day, the Festa Della Repubblica will return to the Italian Cultural Centre, Forrest,

Festa Della Repubblica (Festival of the Republic) celebrates the day when, on June 2, 1946, 12 million voters replaced Italy’s king with a democratically elected president and parliament.

It also marks the day that women were given the right to vote in Italy.

Hosted by Com.It.Es, Canberra president Franco Barilaro says Festa Della Repubblica is a chance for the Italian community to invite all Canberrans to share the celebra tions of the Italian National Day.

“Festa Della Repubblica is a community event and everyone’s invited to experience and enjoy all aspects of Italian culture,” he

Into their 14th year of celebrations in Canberra, Franco says they look forward to welcoming everyone to have a taste of Italy

“The Festa Della Repubblica is an opportunity for families to enjoy good food, great coffee, fun activities and immerse themselves in a very Italian atmosphere.

“This is an event where all the Italian regional associations get together to celebrate.”

“Festa Della Repubblica is a community event and everyone’s invited to experience and enjoy all aspects of Italian culture,” says Franco Barilaro.

with the Canberra branch working with the Italian government and the Italian embassy to meet the needs, hopes and desires of the Italian community in Canberra.

“Activities will include a jumping castle, face painting, Italian cars and motorbikes on display as well as a performance from the Viva Italia Band and the Dante Alighieri Choir,” he says.

open from 11am to 4pm.

“The event wouldn’t be possible without all our volunteers, they put a lot of work and preparation into making the day a success, and I wish to thank each and every one of them.”

Festa Della Repubblica, Italian Cultural Centre, 80 Franklin Street, Forrest, 11am-4pm, June 1.

The Dante Musica Viva choir.

Italian cars on show.

Market stalls at the Italian Cultural Centre’s Festa Della Repubblica.

of national celebration

When Italy voted for a republic

Festa Della Repubblica (Festival of the Republic) marks the day in 1946 when the Kingdom of Italy voted to swap its king for a president and become a democratic republic with a new parliament.

After a mainly military education, Victor Emmanuel III came suddenly to the throne in 1900 on the assassination of his father, King Umberto I.

In 1946, public opinion forced a plebiscite to decide between the monarchy and a republican form of government.

In an effort to influence the vote in favour of the dynasty, Victor Emmanuel III abdicated in favour of Umberto, but the plebiscite resulted in a victory for the republic, and both Victor Emmanuel and Umberto went into exile.

The result of the referendum was far from a landslide, with only about 54 per cent of the voters choosing to remove their monarch as head of state through this peaceful revolution at the ballot box.

On one hand, it was a big step to end the line of kings that had ruled Italy since its unification about a century earlier, and it was not strictly necessary to get rid of the king in order to have a new constitutional democracy. But on the other hand, many Italians were disappointed in the royal family for supporting the ill-fated Fascist dictatorship that led the country to military defeat in World War II.

Democracy was not new to Italy in 1946, either, the Italian Parliament having played a strong role as a check on the power of the king and his ministers since the mid1800s. But with the king’s support, the Fascist Party, led by Benito Mussolini, was able to seize power in the early ‘20s, and later passed a law in 1926 that completely freed Mussolini from accountability to parliament.

The first period of Italian democracy was based on a constitution agreed to by the King of Piedmont-Sardinia, Charles Albert, in 1848, when Italy was still in the process of uniting as a single nation. The Statuto Albertino, as it is known, was so important to Italy’s formation that the day it was signed became the first Italian National Day. This was always celebrated on the first Sunday in June, which hovers from year to year around its modern replacement, Festa Della Repubblica.

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FAST FACTS ON ITALY

• Italy is home to the oldest operational university in the world called the University of Bologna –founded in 1088.

• Vatican City, an independent citystate within Rome, is the smallest country in the world with its own government, currency and Swiss Guard protection.

• Italy is the largest producer of olive oil in the world with more than 2.5 million hectares of olive groves.

• Florence, Italy is the birthplace of the Renaissance period that spanned the 14th to 17th centuries.

• Italy is home to three of Europe’s most active volcanoes: Mount Etna, Stromboli and Mount Versuvius.

• More than 75 per cent of Italy is mountainous or hilly.

• The average Italian consumes 25 kilograms of pasta each year.

• Italy is the world’s fifth largest industrial economy.

• Italy’s main economic sector is service which comprises 70 per cent of the economy.

• The average Italian consumes 98 litres of wine each year.

Italian Cultural Centre, Forrest.

Umberto II, 1944.

& CHILD

Expert help with the hardest job in the world

According to the latest figures, there are an estimated 766 babies born each day in Australia.

While being a parent can be one of the most rewarding experiences, it can also be busy and demanding – and sometimes it’s hard to find the right advice, service or product when the need arises.

Here are some of the local services dedicated to supporting mothers through pregnancy, babies, kids and beyond.

Magic in seeing children ‘smile and flourish’

For more than 30 years, Possum Magic director Alan Cadorin has been inspiring and caring for the next generation of thinkers and innovators.

“After getting my diploma 33 years ago, I wanted to make a difference and give something back,” he says.

“I was inspired by the way my parents raised me and wanted to take the same approach to early childhood care.”

A family-oriented service, Alan says Possum Magic’s values line up directly with his own.

“It takes a community to raise a child,” he says.

“And we are a family, of sorts.”

Accepting children from six months to school age, Alan says his favourite part about working in long day care is the sharing of stories and sense of connection between the organisation, the families and the children he sees each day.

A lasting approach, Alan now welcomes the children of the children he looked after 20 or so years ago.

“Possum Magic has now seen three generations,” he says.

According to Alan, coming in for an introduction to the environment for both children and their parents is a great way to see how the children are happily engaged, with appropriate education inspired by the individual.

“A smile is a powerful thing,” he says.

“And that’s why we do it. To see the children smile and flourish.”

Possum Magic. 27 Astrolabe Street, Red Hill. Call 6295 7077 or visit possummagic.net

Nurturing Generations with Love & Care in Canberra

At Possum Magic Early Learning Centre, your child is loved, respected, and valued as an individual. We provide a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment where every child is supported to grow confidently at their own pace.

Our vision is to raise inclusive, curious, and compassionate children who are ready to contribute meaningfully to the world around them.

Our Services

Nutritious, freshly cooked meals daily

Sustainable nappy and linen services

Qualified, mature, and stable educators

(02) 6295 7077

www.possummagic.net info@possummagic.net 27 Astrolabe Street, Red Hill ACT 2603

Giving kids a headstart on their schooling

Kidstart Southside Education and Activity Centre understands that the first five years of a child’s life are crucial for development, says owner Kristen O’Connor.

“Kidstart offers classes for children from five months to five years of age to develop them socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually,” she says.

Operating since 1996 and located in Wanniassa, Kristen says Kidstart offers three distinct and age-appropriate programs to ignite a love of learning.

The first program is for children under the age of three, to attend with an adult, and introduces them to music, stories and stimulating equipment.

The second program is a “PrePreschool” program for three and four-year-olds to attend by themselves before starting preschool.

“It has been amazing to see 22 years’ worth kids and their families growing, loving, enjoying and benefiting from the program,” says Kristen.

The third program is Preschool PLUS. It’s designed for children to be involved alongside Preschool. The program is centred on phonics based literacy.

“We use interactive computer sessions to expose the children to the letter sounds, letter identification and letter formation,” says Kristen.

“We are passionate about developing a love of learning in each and every child.

“By allowing them to thrive in an educational setting and experience the joy in exploring and achieving, we hope learning will be a lifelong passion for all our Kidstart kids.”

Kidstart Southside Education and Activity Centre, 65 Sternberg Crescent, Wanniassa. For enrolment enquiries visit kidstart.com.au

Storypark app for real-time family updates

Educational programs based on the EYLF Music sessions with Rocking Horse Music

Transition-to-school and sustainability programs

COVID-safe, play-based learning environment

Scan the QR code to book a tour Mon – Fri 7:30am–6:00pm

Possum Magic director Alan Cadorin.

Embracing diversity and building brighter futures ANGLICARE EARLY LEARNING advertising

In the art on the walls, in the foreign-language picture books and on the smiling faces of students and educators, diversity is everywhere at Anglicare at Franklin School Early Learning Service (ELS), says educational leader and early childhood teacher Riccardo Martiniello.

Between the staff, children and their families, there are 14 different nationalities represented at the Anglicare in Franklin School.

“Recognising diversity as the strength it is, the Franklin ELS works to intentionally incorporate it across their program from day one of a child’s journey,” says Riccardo.

“As part of our normal orientation process, we spend time learning about children and their families, noting their cultural background and languages spoken at home.

“This forms the initial planning of the child’s learning, and we incorporate key words from their language to support them with building trusting relationships with educators”.

Regularly celebrating significant cultural events, inviting community members to share their music, dance and food with

the children, Riccardo says their services have welcomed special guests from the Chinese and Indonesian embassies as well as local MP Andrew Leigh.

“Dr Leigh visited on Australia Day and said to us: ‘I love the way your centre celebrates those differences and those strengths that make up modern Australia’,” says Riccardo.

“Part of what led to a wholehearted embrace of diversity at Anglicare at Franklin School, is Anglicare’s commitment to the Sanctuary model, which is an evidenced-based method of providing trauma-informed care to participants and creating safe and supportive workplace cultures for staff.”

Two of Sanctuary’s commitments, cultural safety and emotional intelligence, are key to the service’s daily operation by informing how differences and feelings can be positively presented.

“Celebrating a child’s culture allows them to build their sense of identity, their self-confidence and feeling of belonging within our classrooms,” says Riccardo.

“All of which is a building block for growing emotional competence, healthy relationships and, ultimately, resilience.”

Enrolments for Franklin School ELS are now open.

Anglicare at Franklin School Early Learning Services. 135 Oodgeroo Avenue, Franklin. Call 6142 1117 or visit anglicare.com.au

“Recognising diversity as the strength it is, the Franklin Early Learning Services works to intentionally incorporate it across their program from day one of a child’s journey,” says Riccardo Martiniello.

EARLY EDUCATION AT NORTHSIDE

Empowering learners with experienced and skilled educators who inspire excellence.

Northside service offers quality early childhood care

“These programs ensure accessible, play-based learning environments that nurture literacy, numeracy, social skills, self-regulation and resilience,”

“Through our play-based programs, skilled educators and community-centered approach, we are committed to enriching the lives of children and their

“We highly value the quality time spent with children, prioritising our active engagement in every child’s learning and development.

“We work closely to create a strong sense of being, belonging and becoming for children and their families throughout the whole centre.”

Northside Early Childhood Centre. 24 Wimmera Street, Harrison. Call 6171 8050 or visit northside.asn.au

Our Approach

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» Choose stability and care: Our low child-to-staff ratio ensures personalised attention.

» Compliance and excellence: A safe, nurturing environment for your little ones.

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Childhood Centre

Enrol today! Scan our QR code to secure your child’s spot in a safe, nurturing, and compliant environment.

Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services CEO Julie Tongs.

Harrison Early Childhood Centre.

WINNUNGA NIMMITYJAH ABORIGINAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services (Winnunga) is a multiaccredited Aboriginal community controlled and managed primary health care service located in Narrabundah ACT.

We provide integrated client centric wrap around services, which focuses on the clinical, cultural and spiritual needs of Aboriginal clients, families and the community, including programs for Mums and Bubs.

The Midwifery Program aims to remove barriers that prevent women from accessing maternity care in mainstream services.

The Program maintains strong working relationships with each hospital which allows for seamless transitions of care.

Following the birth of baby, the Program provides up to six weeks of postnatal care in the client’s home assisting mothers with feeding, weight monitoring, emotional wellbeing assessments and mother-crafting/health education.

The Midwifery Program has developed strong links with the Australian Family Partnership Program. Both programs work together to provide holistic care for first time Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander mothers, or mothers having an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander baby, in the Canberra region.

The programs complement each other and ensure mothers feel prepared and supported through their pregnancy and early parenting stages, up until the child is two years of age.

The AFPP provides information and education to mothers using a strengths-based approach, which builds individual capacity to identify solutions to problems.

Mothers feel empowered as they learn how to work with their strengths, realise the power of their own actions and gain a greater sense of control over their lives.

Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services.

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Give your child’s educational development a head start

★ Classes for children 5 months to 2 years of age

★ Independent Pre-Prschool program for 3 year olds

★ Preschool PLUS for 4 and over

65 Sternberg Cres, Wanniassa www.kidstart.com.au

PhONE: 0422 406 622

★ Emphasis on development of motor skills, academic and social skills

★ Preparing children for formal schooling by introducing structure and routines in a play based fun and creative atmosphere

The importance of getting screened for diabetes

About one in seven pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes, which is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy, says Diabetes Australia general manager, NSW & ACT Health Service Operations, Natalie Smith.

“Unfortunately, some pregnancy hormones reduce how well insulin works,” she says.

“So it’s important that women understand that gestational diabetes can happen to anyone, it really isn’t your fault.

“It is usually diagnosed around 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy, but can happen earlier.

According to Natalie, for most women, gestational diabetes will go away after a baby is born, which is why it is important to receive follow-up testing from a GP or care team.

“We also know ladies who have experienced gestational diabetes are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life, so regular screening through your GP is essential,” she says.

“We know that a diagnosis will raise a lot of questions about what it means for you, your baby and your long-term health.

“Visit the Diabetes Australia website for further information.”

Diabetes Australia. Call 1800 177055, or visit diabetesaustralia.com.au

Diabetes Australia general manager, NSW & ACT Health Service Operations, Natalie Smith.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Expect adjectives: thrilling, frightening, thoughtful INSIDE

or informative?

the Philippines art collective Mahiwaga St on a project called Shooting Stars, dealing with Filipino pop music.

“But mostly I’m creating performances, workshops and games in collaboration with climate and earth scientists in different parts of the world,” he says.

Before leaving Canberra he was already famous enough for the work he and his mates Jack Lloyd and Michael Bailey did in their science-theatre company, Boho Interactive. But in 2018, he took on the self-imposed

challenge of creating a series of linked shows that look at climate from different angles.

The whole series, Finnigan says, goes together under the heading, You’re Safe.

“The first show, You’re Safe Til 2024, looked at how we talk about climate change,” he says. “The second show, Deep History, was about the deep past of humanity in conversation with the Canberra bushfires.

“The third show is Scenes from the Climate Era, which comes at the topic from a

features 65 small scenes covering everything from scientists trying to bio-engineer a new reef system to a couple discussing whether

Other scenes show a family taking to the water to find a new home, landholders in Borneo confronting western environmentalists, a scientist being coached on how to speak to the media and a group of friends reminiscing about the last time they took a flight. Most scenes are briefly introduced with a timestamp and description of the

Designer Nick Schlieper’s set is spare, with a table and five chairs onstage, but his lighting does the work, as a tight cast of five – Violette Ayad, Nic English, Meg Hyeronimus, Abbie-lee Lewis and Brittany Santariga – capture the excitement of living in interesting times while looking forward to the “difficult beauty” of tomorrow.

Finnigan’s Edinburgh show, came up with a near-optimistic conclusion that the climate-change era may pass, so that future generations can enjoy a happier future than ours, so the nouns gloom and doom will

We are promised comedy, tragedy, artificial reefs, mirror clouds, zombie mice, new beaches and travelling the world when aeroplanes are gone. Quite a journey.

Scenes from the Climate Era, The Q,

STREAMING True crime: more exploitative than informative?

Amidst the plethora of true crime documentaries that are in the Netflix catalogue, few deal with subject matter as dark and disturbing as the platform’s newest series Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story.

This three-part show dives into the truly shocking tale of the infamous married couple who murdered multiple women between the 1960s and 1980s.

So terrible were their crimes that the couple’s Gloucester home in England became known as “the house of horrors”.

Like any true crime tale it’s become very popular very quickly and this month raced to the platform’s most watched show.

But not without controversy.

Some of Fred and Rose’s crimes were so unspeakable that the series seems to play it exactly that way, omitting a few of the worst details in this macabre story.

As more and more true crime saturates the streaming market, conversations continue to mount on whether this sub-genre is ultimately more exploitative than informative.

It feels like this documentary has been directly influenced by those conversations.

Some viewers are calling the restraint sensible, others say its not doing the story justice.

Those who find themselves interested in the Wests can find a more comprehensive account of their crimes on a Wikipedia page,

ALSO making streaming waves this month is Disney Plus’ new comedy coming-of-age series Adults.

It’s about five friends in their twenties living together and trying to navigate adulthood in New York.

Wait a minute.That sounds a little familiar to a certain ‘90s sitcom that proved more than a tad popular, doesn’t it?

This new show certainly seems to be wearing its inspiration on its sleeve, taking

the huge success of shows such as Friends and trying to transport it to the era of Instagram stalking and vape smoking.

There’s a smattering of little-known actors who have been cast in the lead roles. Viewers might recognise familiar faces here or there but, much like the cast of Friends back in the day, they are mostly unknown.

Their ability to generate some real chemistry like what Joey, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Rachel did back in the day is going to be the make-or-break factor for the show.

Can Adults capture the hearts and minds of an entirely new generation? That will determine whether it becomes a decade-

by Noël Coward

spanning classic or a one-season blunder.

FOR those who like their entertainment a little more out of this world, Apple TV+ is serving up yet another sci-fi series that it’s grown quite the knack for.

This newest one is a comedy called Murderbot and stars Alexander Skarsgard as a deadpan automaton with a searing hatred for humans.

The story is quick to introduce us to this part-Terminator, part-Robocop android

that specialises in security in a high-tech, space-faring future.

Things kick into gear when the titular murderbot reprograms itself to have free will. And what does it wish to do with this new found sentience? Well the safety of humans certainly doesn’t seem like the most compelling of priorities any more.

Murderbot has an intriguing premise that’s ripe for some sci-fi satire, made effortlessly amusing by Skarsgard’s stone-faced ridicule of his human creators.

The show’s length is what makes it falter a little, though. There are 10, hour-long episodes here when the concept feels like it could easily have been condensed into a snappy 90 minutes. Murderbot would work wonders as a movie, but Apple is determined to take up as much of your streaming time as possible.

The plot drags its heels but the extravagant budget means the production here is slick enough to keep its world and characters intriguing.

In an amusing bit of self awareness, the titular Murderbot does not wish to bother with the silly affairs of humans but rather watch streaming sitcoms.

Better not tell it that Neighbours recently got cancelled again.

Gladys in song and dance ARTS IN THE CITY

Gladys: A Musical Affair is a new musical com edy with music and lyrics by former Canberran Nick Rheinberger. It’s about former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and uses rock ‘n’ roll numbers, ballads and tap dancing to tell the story of her political career, including her responses to the Black Summer bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic and her relationship with Daryl Maguire. Illawarra performer Tia Wilson plays Gladys. The Q, Queanbeyan, June 7.

A reinterpretation of Act II from The Nutcracker has been choreographed for the Australian Ballet by Canberra-raised dance artist Paul Knobloch. Crafted specifically for the company’s coming national tour, it pays homage to the legendary ballet master Marius Petipa, while, Knobloch says, redefining the boundaries of classical ballet.

A new exhibition, Amor Es Alegría, by artist Carlos Barrios, features recent works by Barrios himself along with 22 never-before-shown works by his close friend and mentor John Olsen, with whom he worked from 2014 to 2018. Aarwun Gallery, Gold Creek, May 31-June 15.

Recently-elected president of ArtSound FM and director of ArtSound Radio Theatre, Bart Meehan, tells us that Governor-General Sam Mostyn has agreed to become patron of the community radio station, the first such station to receive vice-regal patronage.

Bass player Ben O’Loghlin, a founding member of Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, mostly does jazz bass these days, notably with the Wayne Kelly Trio. He has alerted us to a new gig he and young guitarist Michael Larsen-Collins are doing on Friday nights at High Road on the south end of the Chinatown strip in Dickson.

The National Museum is justifiably crowing about its next

big show coming up in July, Mr Squiggle and Friends: The Creative World of Norman Hetherington, billed as an up-close-and-personal encounter with the beloved TV puppet.

Marion Ink, the former ACT Writers’ Centre, is also crowing about a new partnership with Canberra Airport as it calls for nominations for the inaugural Canberra Airport Recognition Award for Literacy Inclusion. Nominations to marion.ink close on June 13.

Tina Wilson as Gladys Berejiklian in Gladys: A Musical Affair.

Fred and Rose West… so terrible were their crimes that the couple’s Gloucester home in England became known as “the house of horrors”.

Alexander Skarsgard stars as a deadpan automaton with a searing hatred for humans in the comedy Murderbot.

DINING / Clover Wafu Italian, Civic Clover comes with the full wafu

It’s wafu all the way at new Clover in the city, and the concept is exciting to explore… so exciting our group of foodie fans went back for a feed two weekends in a row.

So what’s “wafu”? It’s the adaptation of Japanese flavours and techniques into different cuisines, in this case Italian. Don’t be deterred. It takes knowledge and skill to execute crosscultural ideas and Clover Wafu Italian nails it.

Here’s an example: warm edamame with anchovies, lemon, chilli and parmesan ($7). They’re addicting.

Located under the Sebel Hotel, in London Circuit, Clover had only been open 12 days on our first visit. We struggled with ordering because we wanted everything on the menu.

Sharing is easy at Clover and while we focused on the a la carte menu, also on offer is a tasting menu ($95 each) and a premium degustation ($115 each).

Superior fresh oysters were joyous with citrusy, acidic finger lime pearls. Creamy, and at the right temperature, the oysters enjoyed a combo of bonito extract (for umami flavour) and leek oil (which we found a tad sweet; $35 for six).

Also from the primi section was fresh focaccia ($9, 3 pieces) with whipped ricotta, Manuka honey and dill oil – another example of Clover’s skills at balancing ingredients.

A stunning-looking dish was the Hotate, pan-seared, succulent scallops ($24, three pieces) with a sensational cashew-jalapeno emulsion and more tasty dill oil. A true feast for the eyes.

Next up were succulent, grilled king prawns, in a crispy, super light tempura batter and served with a heavenly, heart-warming dashi broth ($23, three prawns).

We couldn’t fault any of the mains. The poached chicken breast was soft and succulent

beurre blanc foam, miso, lime and lkura (the caviar worshipped in Japanese cuisine). It was a delicate, memorable dish ($48). The insalata was bright with apple dressing ($16).

The dessert was delizioso and another shining example of wafu. The cool, creamy tiramisu was

WINE / Venetsanos winery

the music was loud and not conducive to a leisurely lunch. It was quickly changed on request.

With little rain, the grapes still grow

“The iconic grape variety of Santorini is the indigenous Assyrtiko. It is fresh at the front of the mouth, but finishes with an overwhelming minerality combined with a salty tang. It is a unique taste experience.” Wine columnist RICHARD CALVER files from Greece.

I’m just leaving the island of Santorini, Greece, on a ferry to another island, Paros. The travel is part of a tour that started in the north of Greece, Thessaloniki, and takes us down to the islands via such iconic destinations as Delphi.

Tourists are the lifeblood of Greece: in 2023 tourism comprised 13 per cent of the country’s GDP with this figure set to rise as in 2024.

The Greek Government said that in that year, visitor arrivals and tourist revenue had reached their highest levels ever.

In Santorini part of the tourist experience was a wine tasting of three wines at the Venetsanos winery perched high in the hills at the village of Megalochori. Santorini grows grapes despite

the rainfall being limited to five or six days a year. Because of high winds, grapes are grown in the volcanic soil in a cluster or spiral formation, unirrigated.

The grapes obtain water from the humid atmosphere. The vines suck in the moisture just like the vendors on the island suck money from the tourists. In one restaurant a fairly ordinary glass of red wine was 14 euro or just over $A25.

The iconic grape variety of Santorini is the indigenous Assyrtiko. The Nykteri Venetsanos 2022 that we tasted was 100 per cent Assyrtiko.

It is fresh at the front of the mouth, but finishes with an overwhelming minerality combined with a salty tang. It is a unique taste experience. But at 44 euro a bottle (around $A79) from the winery, it will remain a one-off for me.

The winery does sell a lot to tourists with the woman who presented

a blend of Mandalina and Assytiko. It was an easy quaffing wine ideally suited to the climate especially given the stunning view from the winery’s terrace overlooking Athinios, the main port. The rose’ was 27 euro.

The third wine also forms a part of the island’s heritage: a Vinsanto that is a complex dessert wine. It is made from sun-dried grapes with

wine. We were told to return to our seats inside as we were in the way of other customers who wanted to experience the view.

Tourist numbers around the world grow. But the people who live in popular spots often detest the visitors. A sign seen in Crete: If they call it tourist season, why can’t we shoot them.

Unirrigated vines in the volcanic soil of the Venetsanos winery… the

Chris’ Trees

GARDENING

Testing the pH level in soil… most plants like the

With a promise of winter flowers

By Jackie WARBURTON

Polyanthus is a hardy, short-lived perennial that, while we treat it as an annual, with a few little tricks

can get it blooming year after year.

It is botanically a primula, along with primroses, and a terrific little plant to grow in a rockery, under the eaves or in a pot.

It is herbaceous and dies down in the warmer months, but reappears in the cool of autumn. Its ruffled foliage appears first, then the flowers emerge from the centre of the plant.

The diversity of flower colour is endless, and it will provide a display

through winter, untroubled by the frost. It needs a little water to keep moist, but not wet. It doesn’t like lime.

Polyanthus prefers dappled shade, but the more sun, the more flowers. Once the clump gets bigger or the flowering display diminishes, it can be lifted and gently divided. Leaving the roots intact with small plantlets so they can be planted elsewhere in the garden.

ALSO of the same family is the easy to grow Primula vulgaris. This species is fragrant; planting en masse in a bowl will show off its beauty as well as its scent.

The buttery yellow flowers bloom most of the winter and deadheading spent flowers keeps the plant blooming longer.

If planting polyanthus or primulas this year, choose mature plants with

strong roots that have already had a good start, water in and sprinkle a little diatomaceous earth to keep snails and slaters at bay.

If you’re unsure whether its polyanthus or primroses in the garden, polyanthus flowers are on a stalk and flowers are above the foliage, whereas a primrose has its flowers near the foliage.

Primula japonica, a dense, compact, little plant, is also popular with its crisp white or pink flowers through winter. It is suitable as a pollination plant that’s in flower when most fruit trees need the bees around.

So, plant them in the orchard or the vegetable patch along with calendulas and nasturtiums for winter colour and pollination late winter, early spring.

PLANTS that do not grow well, look stunted or yellow in general are showing signs they’re unhappy with the soil they’re in.

Lemon trees are a perfect example of this and the different patterns on the leaves indicate which nutrient is missing in the plant and which nutrients are locked up in the soil.

To make sure all the roots have access to all the minerals in the soil, a concentrate of hydrogen test should be done using a pH kit and following the instructions. Knowing what type of garden soil you have in the garden helps with deciding what plants to choose. Under or around conifers, acid-loving plants such as camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons prefer that type of soil and will grow with little or no fuss.

They like a soil lower in pH and most plants like the mid-spot, around 4pH-7pH. Anything over 7pH is considered alkaline or a “sweet soil” and a limited number of plants will grow in that type of soil. Changing the pH needs to be done slowly. To make an alkaline soil lower in pH, add sulphur to the soil. For soil that is too acidic, raise the pH by adding a little gardener’s lime.

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au

Jottings…

• Dig up all dahlias for winter protection.

• Liquid feed bulbs as they are growing.

• Clean up old fruit and leaves from fruit trees.

• Plant native bulbines as they come into flower.

Polyanthus… a terrific little plant to grow in a rockery, under the eaves or in a pot.

Photos: Jackie Warburton

mid-spot, around 4pH-7pH.

HOROSCOPE PUZZLES

By Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Can you keep your impatient Aries side under control this week? If you can, then you’ll astound and amaze others with your can-do attitude, natural personal authority, networking skills, creative ideas and talent for leadership. You’re ready, willing and able to work hard and help others. Just make sure you are generous and inclusive. Encourage family members, close friends, work colleagues and community members to pull together and cooperate.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Daring, innovative Uranus is visiting your sign for one more month, so make the most of this powerful placement that only happens every 84 years. It’s time for brave Bulls to venture beyond the safety of your home paddock. A confident attitude, an adventurous spirit, and an inquiring mind will take you far in the weeks ahead. Be inspired by actress and director Angelina Jolie (who turns 50 on Wednesday): “Life is a giant adventure, so much to do, to see.”

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

You’re full of fantastic ideas as the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter all visit Gemini, and your sparky energy goes into overdrive. The late-week Mercury/Mars link is particularly good for communication, education, quick thinking, intellectual energy, decisive action, business dealings and lively conversations. With proactive Mars charging through your neighbourhood zone, it’s time to introduce yourself to some dynamic new members of your local community.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

When it comes to your career and/or life direction, are you feeling uncharacteristically impatient? Saturn (transiting through your professional zone) cautions you to be less hasty and a lot more strategic, as you steer clear of quick-fixes and, instead, plan for the long-term. Good things will eventually come to clever Crabs who learn to wait. As birthday great Prince noted: “Sometimes it takes years for a person to become an overnight success.”

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Mighty Mars (in your sign) boosts confidence and motivation, so it’s time to think big, especially when it comes to your dreams for the future. Pluto also helps you power ahead with personal changes that could transform your close relationships in wonderful ways. You must be persistent though! Your mantra for the week is from fellow Leo, actress and producer Lucille Ball: “Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.”

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

Virgos are clever and capable – but are you confident enough for big time success?

The Sun, Mercury and Jupiter are activating your career zone – but you won’t get ahead if you waste time making mountains out of molehills. Networking is favoured, as you expand your international connections. A wonderful opportunity is heading in your direction, but you must grab it when it appears, or it will pass you by. So, stop overthinking and, instead, start doing!

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Six planets (including the Sun and your ruling planet Venus) activate your partnership and aspirations zones. So, it’s a good time to go on a first date, snuggle up close with your sweetheart or dream up some ambitious goals for the future. Passion and purpose will take you far. But Saturn could stir up relationship issues, and you may feel temporarily stuck in the past. Keep moving forward, Libra – inch by inch and step by step – towards a brand-new day.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

The Sun, Mercury and Jupiter boost your business brain, and you’ll feel more positive about your financial and professional future. But resist the urge to be precious about possessions and possessive of loved ones. Give family and friends plenty of freedom to do their own thing. Coupled Scorpio – resist the temptation to keep a big secret from your sweetheart. Unhappily single? Uranus encourages you to look for a partner who is outside your comfort zone.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

This week lucky Venus makes a lovely link with your ruler Jupiter (planet of prosperity, opportunity and adventure). Which boosts Sagittarian confidence, charisma and judgement. And Lady Luck is poised to knock on your door – especially involving romance, creativity, children or friends. Are you ready to let her in? Your motto for the moment is from actress and director Angelina Jolie (who turns 50 on Wednesday): “Be brave, be bold, be free.”

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Is your domestic space a drab, uninspiring place? With Saturn and Venus visiting your home zone, it’s time to get organised as you clean, declutter and redecorate. Beautify your surroundings with the addition of pictures, ornaments, new furniture or a lick of paint – plus, fresh flowers and uplifting music are a must! Then invite loved ones around to enjoy the improved atmosphere. Thursday and Friday favour socialising with family members and work colleagues.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Quirky Aquarians are talented creatures with inventive, fertile imaginations. And this week the Sun, Venus and Jupiter are all transiting through your creativity zone. So, it’s time to show the world how fabulously creative you can be. Dig deep, connect with your inner muse and express yourself! Be inspired by music icon (and birthday great) Prince: “To create something from nothing is one of the greatest feelings. I wish it upon everybody. It’s heaven.”

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

Venus and Jupiter make a positive link, so good fortune could come via a family member or a business partner. Also, a financial matter requires a reality check –and much more planning than you originally thought. Don’t pull the wool over your eyes and don’t rush. Relax, take your time, and concentrate on the long and winding journey, rather than just focusing on the final destination. The weekend favours connecting with like-minded folk in your local community.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2025

Who was the chancellor of the

Republic 1949-63, Konrad ...? (8)

9 What are newly married women known as? (6) 10 Which apparatus is used for calculations, etc, etc? (8) 11 To be on dry land, is to be what? (6) 13 When one pays no attention, one does what? (8)

16 What are artists’ studios called? (8)

19 The foliage of what tree is incorporated in a wreath? (6)

22 Which small bits of coloured paper are thrown at weddings? (8)

24 Which sweet liquid is said to be the drink of the gods? (6)

25 When one is providing food and service, one is doing what? (8)

26 What are bombs also known as? (6)

2 Name the headquarters of the MCC. (5)

3 What is an exhibition of the skills of horse riding, etc? (5)

4 What is the process of development? (8)

5 Name the tiller of a vessel. (4)

6 Who was the Danish king of England 1017-35? (6)

7 To choose, is to do what? (6)

12 What is the third biblical virtue that also includes faith and charity? (4)

14 What are young geese known as? (8)

15 Name a US pop singer and actor. (4)

17 Which part of the trunk lies between the neck and the abdomen? (6)

18 To have elevated, is to have done what? (6)

20 What might we call one’s mother’s brother? (5)

21 Name the sending of messages over the Internet. (5)

23 What is a slender shoot of a tree? (4)

Cooleman Court, Weston Creek