How about heartless, thoughtless and lazy?
JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED
Greens’ demands send the Assembly into a spin MICHAEL MOORE
The punishing levy on families who step back GWYN REES
When voters aren’t fooled by a new face in charge ANDREW HUGHES
EXPERTS IN MANAGING ALL PAIN CONDITIONS
A trusted specialist centre and day hospital under one roof since 2021
• Successfully operating for over 5 years as a dedicated Neurology and Pain Centre and Day Hospital since 2021
• Recognised by ACHS as a one-of-akind facility in Australia
Expert-Led, Multidisciplinary Care
• Team of neurologists, pain specialists, neurosurgeon, anaesthetists & allied health professionals including pain psychologist
• Skilled nursing team with 30+ years’ experience
We investigate and manage these pain problems
• Chronic Headaches and Migraines
• Joint Pain: Knee pain / Shoulder pain /
Hip pain / Ankle pain / Elbow pain
• Chronic Pain in hands and feet
• Back and neck pain
• Pelvic Pain
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Nerve pain
• Face pain
• Surgical scar site pain
• Post Herpetic Neuralgia
Current services
• Consultations - neurology, chronic pain, neurosurgery
• Diagnostic services - Nerve conduction studies, EMG, EEG. Same day appointments available
• Injections / minimally invasive procedures to dampen pain and regenerate joints
• Infusions to dampen pain
• Allied health
Dr Roopa Gawarikar MBBS, FRANZCR, FFPMANZCA Specialist Pain Medicine, Physician and Radiation Oncologist, VMO at Calvary Private Hospital
Dr Yash Gawarikar MBBS, MD (Med), FRACP Consultant Neurologist
ACT BUDGET / the aftermath
Greens demands send the Assembly into a spin
Following the ACT government’s budget, the Legislative Assembly is a mess.
It conjures up the days of the first Assembly in 1989 and the Alliance government.
The responsibility falls at the hands of Labor and particularly with the Greens.
It is a common approach for a very tough first budget of a government following an election. This was most likely their intention. However, the $250 health levy (tax) and the $11 charge for a “working with vulnerable people card” were appalling examples of poor budget decisions.
Independents Thomas Emerson and Fiona Carrick have made their position clear. They support a stable government. When a government brings down such an appalling budget, the government should wear the opprobrium. And the shame should extend to the Labor Party.
As the ACT seems destined to deliver minority governments for the foreseeable future, it is critical that non-government MLAs support stable government. This means, as explained by the independents, supporting the chief minister in a no-confidence motion (other than for reprehensible conduct) and supporting the government’s right to their budget.
It is this notion of the government’s
Arts & Entertainment 19-21
Crossword 23
Dining & Wine 21
Gardening 22
Letters 10-11
News 3-12
Politics 3, 7, 9
Streaming 20
Sudoku 23
right to the budget that the current Greens MLAs have not understood regarding this aspect of minority government. Perhaps it is deliberate. Perhaps there was a rush of blood to their heads. Either way, it is time for them to realise that they are no longer part of the cabinet, and no longer part of the government.
The so-called “health levy” of $250 was an appallingly regressive taxation measure. The Labor government should have been left to take the flack for introducing it. Reducing it to a levy of $100 does not change the fact that it is a regressive taxation that flies in the face of the arguments Labor have put forward over a decade and a half since the Quinlan review was commissioned.
The levy is an outrageous grab
The Greens will be able to threaten the viability of the government by picking on any aspect of any budget that does not suit their constituency or is good for a run in the media.
for money. Calling it a “health levy” fooled no one. It’s a tax! It simply highlighted the incompetence and failures of Labor (and the Greens) regarding our health system for well over a decade in government.
As pointed out by my columnist colleagues, Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed in last week’s CityNews, funding for our health system has been inadequate and it has been poorly managed for many years.
Similarly, the charge of $11 for the “working with vulnerable people” card was an insult to volunteers throughout the ACT. A serious insult. How much government money is saved by the countless, countless hours spent by volunteers contributing to the benefit of the community? How could this be missed by Chris
Since 1993: Volume 31, Number: 27
General manager: Tracey Avery, tracey@citynews.com.au
Advertising account executives: Damien Klemke, 0439 139001
Ashika Nambiar, 0425 149860
Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au
Journalist: Elizabeth Kovacs, elizabeth@citynews.com.au
Arts editor: Helen Musa, helen@citynews.com.au
Production manager: Janet Ewen
Distribution manager: Penny McCarroll
Commercial and Residential Conveyancing for ACT & NSW
Steel and his Labor ministerial colleagues?
Volunteers within the ACT now know they are not valued by the Labor government and will be reminded of this when their card is due for renewal.
The Labor government’s adoption of the Quinlan taxation review promised increases in rates on a progressive basis and a significant reduction in many of the other levies inflicted on ACT residents. As if! Instead, we find increase after increase on things such as vehicle registrations, driving licences, along with a range of fines and parking charges.
However, it ought to be the government’s right to make stupid decisions in the budget. It is appropriate for the non-government members to criticise. It is appropriate for the alternative government under Leanne Castley, as Leader of the Opposition, to criticise and offer alternative suggestions.
However, in a move that totally lacked respect for their Liberal Party parliamentary colleagues, Castley was gazumped by the Greens announcing their intention to vote against the budget on the day of her “right of reply” speech. Of course,
the media jumped on the story. It was broader than the budget with the Greens challenging the basis of stable minority government.
The government’s decision to negotiate with the Greens has opened a Pandora’s Box. The stage is set. From now on, understanding the government will cave to their demands, the Greens will be able to threaten the viability of the government by picking on any aspect of any budget that does not suit their constituency, or is good for a run in the media.
The government did have another choice. The independents’ position was known. They could have approached the leader of the opposition, or just one of the Liberals, seeking support for the budget. Were they so arrogant that they could not bring themselves to do this?
Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an in dependent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.
The ACT Assembly in Civic.
Amber and her mum building a future
By Elizabeth KOVACS
Kamilaroi woman and mother of six, Shantelle Scholes decided at the start of the year she was ready for a life change.
She took up a job at Majura-based indigenous company Yara Construc tion as a labourer and in administra tion after working as a fulltime mum for her six children, ranging from ages seven to 17.
Shantelle was invited to meetings with TAFE NSW and the Worldview Foundation in Yara’s effort to create a training program that ensured its crew members didn’t feel like they were trapped in one spot.
By the time the first program had been launched, Shantelle had signed up, keen to learn more about the construction industry.
Shortly after, Shantelle’s eldest daughter Amber, 17, joined the program after seeing how much enjoyment her mum was getting out of it.
“Amber has such an interesting way of learning, she’s very hands on and I’m just in awe of her,” says Shantelle.
Amber says learning alongside her mum has been an insightful experience and there’s no one else she’d rather have by her side.
everything,” says Amber. “It feels like being home.”
The biggest drawcard about entering the construction industry for Amber was getting to work with big machinery and drive the big trucks.
“It’s great to be outside and building things, being really hands-on,” she says.
“I’ve never really liked computers,” she says. “I’d rather be outside doing something with my hands.”
The TAFE class runs over six weeks and takes up to 12 indigenous students at a time. Amber and Shantelle will
the necessary practical training and real-world industry experience to support them in developing skills for longterm employment in the sector.
The course is presented week-on, week-off, which allows Amber to continue her studies while she gains practical experience within the construction industry.
A traditionally male-dominated field, Shantelle says it’s been fun to break down the expectations that women belong behind a desk.
“I’m lucky to have never [been
Working for the best possible solution
At Neilan Stramandinoli Family Law, we pride ourselves in our proven track record, our commitment to excellence, and expert knowledge of family law. We understand how difficult and emotional family law matters can be; we are compassionate and empathetic, guiding you towards the best possible solution.
For separating couples:
• Parenting arrangements
• Dividing property and superannuation
• Family violence matters
New or existing relationships:
• Best arrangements for your children
• Protecting assets and yourself
• Preserving entitlements
judged] based on my gender on site, which is really cool,” she says.
“There’s a little bit of an assumption that I can’t lift much, or anything like that, but I can lift as much as the next person and get into it, I don’t mind get-
“A lot of the guys are really open and they’ll let me have a go at something just as much as they would. The equality is really nice.”
In a study conducted by Master Builders Australia in 2023, out of the 1.32 million construction workers in Australia, women only made up 15 per cent of the building and construction workforce with only three per cent of them “on the tools”.
However, Shantelle says this is changing rapidly.
“It’s challenging but I love getting feedback from the guys that are helping me learn on job sites,” she says.
“It’s an ego booster to know that I’ve exceeded their expectation or that they’re happy with how I’m learning and how I’ve [absorbed information].
Ultimately, her children are still her biggest motivation.
“They’ve always been my number one priority and now that they’re getting older it’s great to set that example of whatever dad can do, mum can do,” she says.
“We are breaking those stereotypes everyday and I want to be a good role model for them.”
manage money
A community based CAP Money Course is aimed at developing skills to manage debt, budget, save and have more control of household finances. It’s free and will be held at the Tuggeranong Baptist Church, Garratt Street, Wanniassa, 9.15am-12.45pm over two Saturday mornings (July 26 and August 2).
Register by July 23 via email to capmoney@tbcchurch.com.au or call Robert on 0402 007551.
Indoor winter sale
St Ninians at Lyneham is hosting an indoor winter sale of bric-a-brac, china, glassware, kitchen appliances, jewellery, winter clothing, craft and yarns, books, plants and produce, and jams and relishes at its hall on the corner of Mouat and Brigalow streets, 9am-1pm, Saturday, July 12.
A word from COTA
Catherine Adcock, from the Council on the Ageing, will speak to the ladies of the Yerrabi View Club at their next meeting at Eastlake Gungahlin Club from 11am on July 17. New members are welcome. RSVP to chanily3@ bigpond.com by July 14.
Anna Neilan Family Lawyer
Lucy Stramandinoli Family Lawyer
Shantelle Scholes and daughter Amber… “Amber has such an interesting way of learning, she’s very hands on and I’m just in awe of her,” says Shantelle. Photo: supplied
Behind the pretty name are things they hide under the cover of night: High
Joeys are clubbed to death with wooden mallets Or decapitated while still alive.
It’s cruel. It’s unnecessary. It’s been rejected by CSIRO scientists. Canberra isn’t the ‘Bush capital’ any more. It’s the home of relentless developments where deals are more important than wildlife.
•
•
‘The taxation measures in this budget are indeed tough. They are also heartless, thoughtless, lazy and regressive’
Budget: How about heartless, thoughtless, lazy?
Barr’s fallacious budget claims
When then-Treasurer Andrew budget (2023-24) we said: “Based on the 10 years of actual results against the budget forecasts, billion for 2026-27 is almost certainly understated and, in reality, will billion.”
Budget presented by Chris Steel, expenditure will be $9.6 billion in the coming year, that is, one year ahead of our estimate. The 2026-27 estimate is now $9.8
When Andrew Barr presented the 2024-25 Budget – his 13th – we observed that the forecast increase in revenue and control on expendi-
the context of a revenue shortfall of $209 million and an expenditure blowout (coincidentally) of $209 million in 2023-24.
In other words, at the very time that revenue shortfalls and expenditure blowouts were occurring, Mr Barr was claiming that revenue would increase, and expenditure would be constrained in the following year. Those claims were fallacious as indeed were claims he made in his previous 12 budgets.
Compounding
have been found in this budget, it is impossible to accept that service levels can be maintained with the budgeted funding growth.
For example, the budgeted expenditure on health in 2025-26 is less than the 2024-25 estimated expenditure. In a similar vein, the budget makes no allowance for growth in wages, for inflation, for staffing or an increase in demand.
Mr Steel’s lack of experience are worrying concerns we have about the professionalism and capacity of Treasury, including the soundness and independence of its advice.
debt. The taxation measures in this budget are indeed tough. They are also heartless, thoughtless, lazy and regressive. So much for “Labor values”.
As for the Commonwealth funding for hospitals, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has directly rebutted Mr Steel and pointed out that the ACT hospital system will in fact receive the largest increase in funding of all
We will provide in a subsequent article a detailed analysis and comments on these matters, with the hope that in the interim Mr Steel will have provided a detailed explanation of the outcomes he anticipates this budget will generate.
To be fair, he has been handed the Treasury portfolio at a time the ACT’s finances are in the worst state of all Australian jurisdictions, not just due to some recent external factors, but
because of sustained neglect and mismanagement by his predecessor, Andrew Barr.
Steel’s limited experience and lack of attention to detail or recognition of the depth and breadth of policy, and susceptibility to gaffes and blunders, which are on display in this budget, do not give us
confidence that the territory’s finances are on the path to improvement.
Compounding Mr Steel’s lack of experience are worrying questions about the professionalism and capacity of Treasury, including the soundness and independence of its advice.
3;
4.1.1.
The design of the taxation measures in this budget is one example of that. The apparent failure to appreciate the true state of the budget or to realise the almost certain underfunding of health in the Pre Election Budget Update (PEBU) last year is indicative of capacity problems within Treasury.
The PEBU is prepared by
Treasury in the lead up to elections, independent of the government, under the provisions of the Financial Management Act 1996 , and is designed to provide an independent assessment of the government’s fiscal performance.
Table 1 details the forecasts in PEBU, 2025-26 Budget and the changes to those forecasts.
The table highlights that the budget just handed down contains estimates that revenue will be $272 million less, and expenses will be $238 million more than forecast by Treasury in the PEBU.
The combined effect of the overestimate of revenue and underestimate of expenses is a blowout in the deficit of $509
million (42 per cent) against the PEBU forecast.
We have previously pointed out that the so-called blowout in health costs could and should have been anticipated and that the revenue estimates were unrealistic. Surely Canberrans deserve better than this from their professional, well paid, public servants.
Table 2 illustrates a pattern of a blowout in the deficit accompanied by a promise of an improvement in the following year, only for that to be blown out, and a further promise of improvement.
Mr Steel appears to have continued this embarrassing budget tradition – a shortfall in revenue, a blowout in expenditure, a more than billion-dollar deficit in the current year, but a forecast of a miraculous recovery in the coming year.
Commenting on the 2024-25 Budget, we wrote: “Regrettably, our view of the budget remains the same as last year, ie that the budget papers have an Alice in Wonderland feeling of make-believe about them.”
Regrettably, our view of the 2025-26 Budget is no different. We will provide further analysis and discussion of the budget estimates and measures in the coming weeks.
Jon Stanhope is a former chief minister of the ACT and Dr Khalid Ahmed a former senior ACT Treasury official.
Table 2: Net Operating Balance – Budget Forecasts and Actual/Estimated Outcome
Andrew Barr, 13 deficits. Chris Steel, 1 deficit.
The punishing levy on families who step back
“Stepping back to raise children, support a partner or run a household isn’t a luxury. It’s a responsible choice that deserves support, not penalty.” Caregiver GWYN REES bridles at the ACT government’s “health levy” shock.
The ACT Government’s decision to impose a new “health levy” on every ratepaying household is yet another blow to families already facing relentless financial pressure.
It’s a levy that forms part of a broader trend; an ever-expanding set of charges layered on top of rates that are rising steeply, year after year.
A few years ago, our family made a deliberate decision to shift our work-life balance. My wife has a good income and holds a senior role. I stepped back.
high on paper, but it doesn’t reflect the financial strain of living on one income, especially when caregiving is part of the equation. There’s no income-splitting, no household tax adjustment and no offset for caregiv ing. Just the same tax burden, or more, with no recognition for unpaid parenting, volunteering or running a household.
Then came the changes to the stage three tax cuts, where we’d expected some meaningful relief. When it didn’t materialise, it felt like the rug had been pulled. Ironically, if my wife’s income were split between us, we’d be financially better off. That’s
oped a predictable pattern. Rates rise sharply right after an election, then the pressure eases closer to the next. At the same time, levies for emergency services, domestic violence response, and now health, have been quietly added to our rates bills. These are essential services, but they were once paid for through general revenue. Now, families are being asked to pick up the tab for what increasingly looks like systemic overspending.
Worse still is the lack of transparency. Yearly rate trends across a government term would give households a clearer picture of what is really happening, and we can stop pretending like this isn’t hurting families. We’re not asking for special treatment, just a system that values caregiving as much as earning. Stepping back to raise children, support
23 JULY, 7 PM
SJAELLA
Gwyn Rees… “I would not trade the time I’ve had with my sons for anything.”
POLITICS
When voters aren’t fooled by a new face in charge
One of the most memorable im ages of the 2025 federal election was that of the PM holding his Medicare card.
“This is all people need to access one of the best medical systems in the world,” he would say. And he was right. Kinda.
So was Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, though he said you need two things for that access: the Medicare card and a credit card.
How? The recent ACT budget tells a tale similar to many Labor govern ments around the nation right now. Labor, be it federal or state, are faced with the choice: increase taxes/fees/levies/surcharges/fines on individuals to try and fund the increasing costs of capital works and forthcoming public service wage increases, or keep on borrowing via the bond markets. Usually it’s both.
Strategy wise this can be effective. On budget nights ambitious treasur ers do stands-and-delivers about how they are building this and that, all shiny and world class, saying how these works will produce small amounts of revenue so they can be redefined on the budget books from expenses to assets, and therefore don’t count towards the yearly deficit.
getting concerned because it isn’t going down. Only up.
But as leading economist Chris Richardson and others have pointed out, this is just misleading on what is really going on with our debt. This is causing structural deficits to get uglier and uglier, and this deficit is the reason why ratings agencies are
NEWS
Utes top car sales figures
Dual-cab utes are driving Australia’s automotive market, representing the top four bestselling vehicles in the nation and one in every four new models sold.
But the popularity of one hybrid ute has also pushed low-emission vehicle brand BYD up the charts during June, helping it surpass long-time rival Tesla by a significant margin.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries revealed the trends in sales figures, which showed motorists purchased more than 120,000 vehicles to recover from a sales slump earlier in 2025.
Electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles also continued to climb in popularity during the month, although sales of passenger cars, such as sedans and hatchbacks, fell again.
While regularly ranking highly among Australia’s bestsellers, utes claimed all four top places in June, with the Ford Ranger in pole position with more than 6200 sales.
The figures also revealed a spike in popularity for BYD’s Shark 6 plug-in hybrid electric ute, which was snapped up by almost 3000 motorists, representing more than double its sales in May.
The boost lifted BYD to become Australia’s fifth best-selling vehicle brand during June, surpassing long-time electric rival Tesla that ranked in tenth place. –AAP
We are living in a utopian economy: everything seems good, but underneath the story is so much worse. Politicians know all of this though. Well, most. So they know they need to grow revenue and reduce spending. Both politically are dangerous, even if they are the smart options.
Why dangerous? Because now some -
one, and that is us, is about to be worse off when we were told we wouldn’t be. Most of us are waking up to this.
According to the most recent ANU study on trust in government it is now at 37 per cent. Now that’s a very close correlation to the primary vote of both major parties.
In my last piece I noted the drift to independent senator David Pocock and friends was coming from both major
We are living in a utopian economy: everything seems good, but underneath the story is so much worse. Politicians know all of this though. Well, most.
parties. So these people no longer trust any of them, and that loss of trust is hurting identification, which in turn now means roughly one in three of us will vote for a non-major party.
As preferences don’t necessarily flow evenly, wild political results like that of May 3, are becoming more the norm due to this changing nature of
How we are changing how we think when we vote is seen by when parties in government announce shiny buildings or moving things, the first question most of now ask, especially here in Canberra, is how much more will I have to pay in taxes?
This gets us back to the danger. Those on low incomes can’t be taxed much more, those on high incomes know how to park it so they pay minimal tax, hence Labor’s raid on high super balances.
So that leaves the middle. And that is the big danger. It’s the middle that wins you elections.
Taxing them is going to cause poll
numbers to drift. Yet cutting back on big shiny things causes them to rethink what exactly you are doing with all that tax they’re paying. Not being honest to them about why you just made their life harder amplifies those things.
Once upon a time the rule for (re) elected governments was year one, tax and go hard; year two, a little bit less; year three start to build, and year four, the promises return.
It’s a different era now. Losses by leaders who replaced those before them in the same party who did this strategy, such as in Queensland, mean voters aren’t fooled by a new brand name in charge. We still know what you did last summer.
As an example, here in the ACT the anger is already coming on the health levy/tax from everywhere.
And this ultimately spells danger for would-be chief minister Chris Steel. Because it means that in 2028, when he will likely be chief minister, we will remember what he did last budget/s. And we won’t forget when we vote.
Dr Andrew Hughes lectures at the ANU Research School of Management, where he special ises in political marketing.
Anthony Albanese and his Medicare card during the federal election campaign.
Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP
Solar panels do nothing for 60% of the year
Together with all the “experts”, Eric Hunter, of Cook (letters, CN June 19), ignores the elephant in the room of so-called “renewable” electricity.
Solar panels produce nothing for 60 per cent of the year. For half of the year the sun is below the horizon. For 10 per cent of daytime the sun is unpredictably obscured by overcast, cloud or rain, when solar panels stop working. Each dawn and dusk, the sun slowly rises and sets, solar panel output going from zero to 100 per cent averaging half of their capacity for two hours daily. The winter sun is low in the sky all day, halving solar panel capacity. Photons impinging obliquely on solar panels do not impart the same energy as those impinging at 90 degrees. That is hardly a reliable electricity supply.
Windmill output is just as unpredictable, as the wind does not always blow, often for days at a time. In gales, windmills must be shut down to avoid mechanical destruction.
That is hardly a reliable electricity supply.
How do I know this? I’m a surveyor with astronomical and meteorological knowledge. I expect CSIRO and AMEO know that, too!
Replacing coal-fired steam raising at existing sites uses the existing infrastructure, including water supply, workers townships, switchyards and transmission grid.
The central generation grid is optimised for one-way energy delivery. Transmission grids have long lives and minimal maintenance. Grids are quite simple mechanisms, with no moving parts and electrons do not wear the wires.
There is no need to upgrade the transmission grid for nuclear generation. It stacks up perfectly as it is.
How do I know this? I’ve worked with electricity on mining, civil engineering, urban mass transit, satellite remote sensing projects and transmission line surveys.
Sorry, Mr Hunter. Engineering and technology always beat “renewable” electricity, hawked by credulous politicians!
Anthony Hordern,
Jamison Centre
I heard a kangaroo scream as it was being hit
The ACT government maintains that its kangaroo “culls” are humane and overseen by vets.
Animal welfare advocates know this is far from the truth. Reserve watchers report there are no vets present at the killing sites.
Confronting photographic evidence of cruelty has been provided to the government, which has been ignored and dismissed.
On June 21, at around 11pm, I heard
gunshots from my house and went outside to investigate.
I heard a kangaroo scream and shriek extremely loudly in pain once, then a second time. Then I heard a loud thud as it was being hit. I will never forget those terrible sounds of it being killed.
Kangaroos are quiet animals. To hear an animal scream so violently indicates it was extremely distressed and in pain.
It is clear that he was shot, then stabbed and bludgeoned to death.
Over 17 years of “culling” how many kangaroos have been subject to this barbaric end? We will never know.
Rebecca Marks, via email
Why trackless trams are no cheaper
There’s little point in re-opening the light rail v buses debate for the 34th time, but it’s worth examining columnist Michael Moore’s claim (“Stop slugging ratepayers, take the trackless tram”, CN July 3) that these vehicles offer a cheaper alternative to light rail.
Brisbane Metro is the most relevant example, and its bi-articulated buses went into full service last week.
The project cost $1.7 billion, which procured a 200-metre tunnel under Adelaide Street, an upgraded Cultural Centre bus station, upgrades to the Victoria Bridge, 60 new vehicles and a depot to house them in. Aside from the tunnel, there are no new busways.
Any similar project in Canberra would
August 8 | 101 Nettlefold Street, Belconnen Register your interest with Cassandra at actoperations@invocare.com.au
need to build a new bridge over the lake, down Commonwealth Avenue and around State Circle. It would need to strengthen Adelaide Avenue for the new heavy vehicles, and a number of new stops.
In short, the cost would look very similar to the costs for light rail.
Matt Baillie, Secretary, Public Transport Association of Canberra
Secrets of the word ‘sod’
I highly recommend a visit to the National Archives exhibition Camel Trains to Steel Wheels about the construction and importance of the Trans-Australian Railway that links Port Augusta in SA to Kalgoorlie in WA.
The construction of the 1693 kilometres of rails was an impressive project that started in 1912 and ended in 1917.
For me, the publication that commemorated the start of the project was intriguing. Regrettably, we cannot see an open page.
On the cover New South Wales is abbreviated to “N.S.Wales” (which is uncommon), while “South Australia” and “Western Australia” are written as “S. Australia” and “W. Australia”. Was that decision political? Editorial? Or the graphic designer’s decision?
The title – “Turning the First Sod” is also interesting.
The word “sod”, which refers to turf, appeared in 1475 in middle Europe as “sode”, which has the same meaning, yet the origin isn’t clear.
Some connect it to be taken from
“Sodom” (the underground).
In my opinion the origin of “sod” is from Hebrew, where the meaning of the word is “a secret”. So, as you unravel a secret, you unravel the surface of the ground or turf.
Barak Zelig, Wanniassa
Real question writers should be asking
As I do each week, I collected a copy of City News from our local shopping centre and, with coffee to hand, I began wandering through the latest edition.
There were the early articles, interesting enough in themselves. There were, of course, the ‘Letters’ pages with the usual argy-bargy between left-of-centre correspondents and those opposite. Letters from those who believe the current ACT government is the best option we have, and letters from those vehemently opposed.
Then I came to the article about the Mr Squiggle exhibition at the National Museum. Having read the article I pondered the real question our letter writers should be looking into. Where was Miss Pat? It’s a uniquely Australian characteristic to be able to define one’s age by considering who Mr Squiggle’s presenter was during our childhood.
Renewables vs nuclear? Inept Labor government vs 1950s-style Liberal? No. The real question is – where is Miss Pat?
Henry Moulds, via email
Liberals need to press for details on Barr’s trip
The ACT Liberals would gain more credibility by calling for specific detail and easily understood accountability evidence instead of relying on fleeting, superficial sprays (“Taxpayers should wonder at Barr’s absence, says Castley”, citynews.com.au June 30).
With the residual and still regressive health/non health levy hitting the fan and ratepayer hip pockets, along with considerable increases in rates and a slew of other higher charges descending on ACT households, the chief minister must be very relieved that the once-every-five-years global expo (in Japan) deftly removed him from this year’s budget mop-up operations.
A Liberal opposition that is serious about this current expedition would at least make sure that Canberrans soon receive details about the full delegation, their specific learnings and what the government will be following up on in the short and long term.
Many would be interested to know more about the economic and cultural benefits and initiatives, big and small, and how these will permeate over time to areas outside town centres as well.
More feedback and reporting is needed than what would be presented in a clinical or promotional statement to the Assembly about site visits, other trip activities and processes,
and very general hoped-for outcomes.
Sue Dyer, Downer
More people die over winter, say reports
Seems I hit a raw nerve with a couple of CityNews letter writers in the June 26 edition.
Calum Paterson quotes a study in England to determine the environmental damage of timber. Natural gum, which we have here in Australia, is by far the cleanest and most efficient wood to burn. Pretty sure there are no gum trees in England, so you are comparing apples to oranges there.
In response to Darryl Johnston, yes there is a fee to buy firewood, but if you remember recently high winds on the southside of Canberra demolished many of the gum trees around our parks and if you had a saw you were able to access this source of heating and help with cleaning up the numerous downed trees.
As requested by Mr Johnston, I have proved some evidence to deaths attributed to cold weather in Canberra and Australia;
A 2019 report by an independent group, Better Renting, who have no links to wood fire or electric heating, stated that about 140 people die each year in Canberra due to health issues exacerbated by the cold, with over one third of these deaths attributed to cold housing.
The report, Unsafe as houses: Cold housing deaths in the ACT, compares average monthly deaths in colder months to warmer
months, and finds 140 more people die in the May to September period compared to other times of the year.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare states that “there are more deaths in the winter months of June, July and August and less deaths in the summer months of December, January and February. The very young and the very old are more likely to die in winter.
A new study in The Lancet shows 6.5 per cent of deaths in this country are attributed to cold weather, compared with 0.5 per cent from hot weather.
I hope these statistics help with your doubts about the dangers of being exposed to cold weather, add to that the increased cost of electricity it is making it very difficult to keep warm.
On another note, I found that gas heating is cheaper than electric heating, yet our local government wants to phase out gas, go figure.
Ian Pilsner,
Weston
I trust the professors on wood heating
The latest contribution to the wood heater and pollution debate by Vi Evans (letters, CN July 3) cannot go unanswered.
In her letter she makes reference to the research in Australia’s leading medical publication, the Medical Journal of Australia, by a group of eminent environmental health researchers in 2023, who Ms. Evans says, “do not appear to have any significant reputations”.
For a start, Prof Fay Johnston has more than 30 years’ experience as a public health physician and environmental epidemiologist. She currently heads the environmental health research group at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research and leads the Centre for safe Air, a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence. She has received national and international recognition for her work including being named a global woman leader in fire science in 2018.
Prof Sotiris Vardoulakis has more than 25 years’ experience in public health. He has advised national and local governments and international organisations, including the World Health Organization and the United Nations on the health effects of climate change, air pollution and extreme events, and on sustainable development. He is currently Director of the NHMRC Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) National Research Network and is Professor of Environmental Public Health at the University of Canberra Health Research Institute.
Prof Geoff Morgan is an epidemiologist with more than 30 years’ research experience and development of environmental health policy and education. His current work includes epidemiological studies into the health effects of smoke from various sources including bushfires and wood heaters.
When it comes to wood heater pollution and my health and that of my family and neighbours, I trust the word of professors Johnston, Vardoulakis and Morgan over and
above that of the wood-heating industry. Darryl Johnston, Tuggeranong
Reliance on renewables is decades away
Sue Dyer (letters, CN June 26) condemns the government for approving and extending gas plants, but the government has faced the reality that total reliance on renewables is many decades away if not a hundred years away if ever.
She wants Australia to become a global renewable energy powerhouse, but Australia is already a global energy powerhouse with infinite amounts of coal, gas, oil, gold, uranium etcetera.
Why don’t we rely on existing power sources until renewables can take over as the alternative?
Paul Temby, via email
We are heading down the sinkhole
The appalling state of our territory’s finances, with a budgeted deficit for 2025-26 of more than a billion dollars, leads me to the conclusion we are heading down the sinkhole and those responsible need to be sent away for remedial training or gardening duties. It is dangerous to allow this to blunder on unchallenged.
John Lawrence via email
10 Years Strong – One of the pioneering NDIS accommodation providers in Canberra
Since 2016, Greenleaf Care Services has proudly supported individuals with disabilities through a warm, caring and people-first approach. Our services include:
• Supported Independent Living (SIL)
• Medium & Short Term Accommodation (MTA & STA)
• Support Coordination
• Plan Management
• Social, Community and In-Home Support
We’re here to make navigating the NDIS simple, while giving you greater independence, choice, and peace of mind.
800
Now welcoming NDIS participants in Canberra & Goulburn - limited vacancies
Failed vape policy in disarray, but what to do?
In Australia, the availability of vapes has been severely restricted to pharmacies. In contrast, high-risk cigarettes continue to be readily available from more than 40,000 outlets. And that’s where the problem starts, says ROSS FITZGERALD.
Australia’s health policy in relation to vapes is in disarray. Yet this deeply flawed approach is currently supported by all state, federal and territory governments.
Vaping nicotine was developed in 2003 by a Chinese chemist Hon Lik – a heavy smoker who was desperate to find an effective way to quit smoking after his father died from lung cancer. Vaping was marketed in 2007 and within a few years it became increasingly popular, especially in America and the UK.
In Australia, the availability of vapes has been severely restricted, first in 2013 by requiring a doctor’s prescription, and then from October 2024, requiring legal vapes to be purchased from pharmacies.
In contrast, high-risk cigarettes continue to be readily available from over 40,000 outlets throughout Australia.
Low-risk, smoke-free options for smokers are much less accessible
than high-risk combustible ciga rettes. Moreover, in Australia the sup ply of vapes and cigarettes has been dominated by a black market that has become increasingly violent.
While vaping among young people is certainly not ideal, a number of prestigious scientific organisations, including the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in the UK Department of Health and Social Care; the Royal College of Physicians in London and Cancer Research UK have concluded that vaping nicotine is far less risky than smoking.
ing by vaping has made an important contribution.
A veteran of many drug-harm reduction campaigns, Dr Alex Wodak, rightly regards vaping nicotine as primarily a harm-reduction intervention.
Wodak explains: “In both cases we were demonised and ostracised for years, despite strong and growing evidence that these interventions saved many lives and billions of dollars.
“The consensus view today is that the harm-reduction advocates were right and our critics were wrong.”
Harm reduction works but it is often very hard initially to get politicians to accept compelling evidence.
After NZ in 2020 made low-risk vapes easier to buy than high-risk cigarettes, their overall adult smoking declined from 14.5 per cent in 2016 to 6.8 per cent in 2023. In NZ’s lowest socio-economic quintile, it fell from 26.2 per cent to 10.7 per cent, and among the Maori population smoking more than halved from 35.5 per cent to 17.1 per cent.
nicotine products such as nicotine vapes, nicotine pouches, heated tobacco units and snus, available through licensed, age-restricted outlets, subject to appropriate safety and quality standards.
Second, implement a public health messaging campaign encouraging people who smoke cigarettes to switch to vaping: “If you smoke, you should switch to less harmful vapes; if you do not smoke, you should not start vaping. Vaping is not without risk and should be avoided by people who do not smoke.”
Third, reduce tobacco excise to at least pre-2020 levels. A reduction in the price differential between legal and illicit products would reduce the burgeoning black market in cigarettes and tobacco.
The aim of Australia’s public health policies should be to minimise smoking-related deaths and disease as fast as possible, by stopping young people from starting to smoke and helping smokers to quit smoking or switch to one or more of the four low-risk smoke free-options now available. Vaping is the best known of these low-risk options.
Smoking among young Australians has already dropped to extremely low-levels, and substitution of smok-
In 1986, Dr Wodak and some colleagues resorted to civil disobedience to start Australia’s needle syringe program.
This triggered government legalisation of programs providing sterile needles and syringes that helped minimise the spread of HIV among and from people who inject drugs.
In 1997, Wodak and his colleagues helped establish Australia’s first Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, in the basement of the Wayside Chapel in Sydney.
In Australia, overall adult smoking declined from 12.2 per cent in 2016 to 8.3 per cent in 2023, while among the most disadvantaged quintile it fell from 17.7 per cent to 13.4 per cent. But among First Nations Australians, smoking only fell from 37.4 per cent in 2019 to 28.8 per cent in 2023.
Compared to Australia, NZ has experienced a more significant decline in smoking across all groups.
The decline is particularly notable among the Maori population.
So what should Australia do now?
First, establish a regulated, readily accessible legal market for lower-risk
Fourth, meaningfully involve people who smoke or vape in policymaking. Crucially, governments should shift resources from enforcement to regulation. Enforcement alone is insufficient to reduce illicit trade. The more that effective low-risk nicotine options are made available, attractive, and affordable, the faster smokers will switch to low-risk smoke-free options and the faster smokingrelated-deaths will fall.
Ross Fitzgerald AM is an emeritus professor of history and politics at Griffith University.
“ISN’T IT TIME TO
• Extensive range of shoes for Runners, Joggers, Walkers and Gym enthusiasts of all ages
• Brands include Asics, Brooks, Nike, New Balance, Mizuno, Saucony, Hoka and On
• Great range of technical running apparel which breathes (wicks moisture) all year round
• Extensive range of nutrition products from Endura, GU, Hammer and Tailwind
• Come in and speak to our staff of Runners, Triathletes and Orienteers with a passion and a first-hand knowledge of our entire product range!
Spectacles Prescription sunglasses Contact Lenses & Solutions Eye testing Spectacle suppliers to: The department of Veteran’s Affairs & ACT Spectacle Scheme
primarily a harm-reduction intervention.
Photo: Harm Reduction Australia
PAIN WEEK, July 21-27
Expert management of chronic pain in Canberra
More than 3.6 million Australians are affected by chronic pain, according to Chronic Pain Australia.
Chronic pain is defined as a pain that lasts for more than three months or beyond expected healing time and can be caused by illness, musculoskeletal problems, injury, surgery or cancer.
Often, chronic pain can have no obvious cause and can affect mood, sleep and mental health.
Those living with chronic pain can find it hard to work, take care of themselves or do the things they love, with more than one in two Australian adults developing anxiety or depression.
Although there is not an immediate cure for many different types of chronic pain, there are experts committed to making each day a little easier.
This year National Pain Week 2025, July 21-27, aims to bring awareness to the condition and encourage people to seek support and advice from others. To mark National Pain Week, we have brought together some of Canberra’s experts in understanding and treating pain.
A yin yoga approach to reducing pain
Working with ligaments, tendons and fascia tissue, which wrap around the body, Healthy Living Yoga owner Heather Phillips, says yin yoga is a mostly groundbased practice that holds the shapes and poses of yoga for a longer period to encourage connection within the body.
“This slow movement and longer holds invites blood and nutrients into the tissues,” she says.
“Yin also helps to lubricate the joints and strengthen bones as well as reduce inflammation, which has been shown to reduce pain, blood pressure and rebalance the nervous system.”
A sport designed for “every single person”, Heather says yoga is a lifelong practice that benefits all stages of life.
“Yoga teaches us to connect with our mind, body and breath and gets us to think about how they all interact with the nervous system,” she says.
Balancing the autonomic or “fight, flight response”, Heather says yoga helps reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
“Yoga is often referred to as an inner science because the body is both the experiment and the evidence of immediate
results,” she says.
“Every day I am inspired by my students and how it changes their bodies and lives, it makes me truly grateful.”
Offering a Bali yoga retreat on September 22-28, Heather says the inclusive retreat will improve flexibility, boost circulation and help participants experience emotional relief.
Healthy Living Yoga. U38/17 Captain Cook Crescent, Griffith. Call 0427 112222 or visit healthylivingyoga.com.au
Always tired? Snoring at night? Jaw pain that just won’t quit?
If you wake up exhausted... If your partner’s fed up with your snoring... If jaw tension, headaches, or teeth grinding are part of your daily routine... You’re not alone. And you don’t have to put up with it.
Led by Dr. Kavitha Vegunta, Principal Dentist at Precision Dental Care, with over 15 years of clinical experience in orofacial pain and sleep medicine. Helping Canberrans sleep better!
Dental
Facial
Chronic pain isn’t always related to where it hurts.
Headaches, facial tightness, tinnitus, jaw clicking and disturbed sleep are often dismissed or treated in isolation – yet they can all be signs of underlying temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction or airway-related sleep issues, says Dental Sleep and TMJ clinician Dr Kavitha Vegunta.
“What’s often overlooked is how deeply connected these symptoms are, and how non-invasive, drug-free dental therapies can offer long-term relief,” she says.
Taking a multidisciplinary approach using evidence-based protocols to address the root causes of chronic pain, Dr Kavitha says poor airway posture can contribute to bruxism, tension headaches, neck pain and fatigue.
“The good news is, we have a range of
and jaw posture, all of which can dramatically reduce pain and improve quality of life,” she says.
“These are non-invasive procedures that treat pain at its source.”
According to Dr Kavitha, dry needling is now used by more than 65 per cent of manual therapists in Australia and has shown effectiveness in treating myofascial pain in the head, neck and jaw regions.
“You don’t need a referral to see us,” she says.
“Some problems don’t need extensive surgery to find relief.”
Dental Sleep and TMJ Therapy. Francis Chambers, Unit 7/40 Corinna Street, Phillip. Call 6106 9307 or visit dentalsleeptherapy.au
Bali yoga retreat takes place on September 22-28.
Tailoring treatment plans to address individual needs, My Dentist Canberra owner and dental hygienist Afra Yazdan says after 18 years in the field, patient care remains at the heart of everything she and the practice strives for.
“From the moment you walk through our doors, our team is dedicated to making you feel welcome, comfortable and fully informed about your dental health and treatment options,” she says.
Airflow technology, a Swiss Innovation, is incorporated as a core part of their dental cleaning services. “Airflow eliminates the need for traditional scraping instruments, making cleanings more comfortable, especially for patients with sensitive teeth or dental restorations,” she says.
“This innovative system gently removes plaque and stains using a fine powder, air, and water for a comfortable, effective clean.”
Offering a comprehensive range of treatments, including preventive care, restorative dentistry, cosmetic procedures and thorough dental cleanings, Afra says each service is delivered with meticulous attention to detail and a focus on long-term oral health.
“We are committed to providing the best dental services by combining clinical expertise with advanced technology,” she says.
Open seven days a week, Afra says they have received more than 50 five-star google reviews for their service after only opening the clinic six months ago.
My Dentist Canberra. 36/21 Thynne Street, Bruce. Call 6225 2855 or visit mydentistcanberra.com.au
Specialising in massage for people with cancer, anxiety, in recovery or in palliative care, Deakin Wellbeing House owner Nim Osborne has been practising massage therapy for more than 15 years.
A member of the Australasian Lymphology Association (ALA) and an accredited lymphoedema practitioner, Nim says her training in complex physical therapy for the assessment and management of lymphoedema is supported by her background in remedial, pregnancy and oncology massage.
“My training and background provide me with the knowledge and skills to assist people who are in pre and post-treatment for cancer, or other similar conditions,” she says.
“This includes people recovering post-surgery conditions that may have affected their lymphatic system.
“This is observed through swelling of the limbs and may require a medical practitioner’s referral for post-surgery treatment.”
Retiring from her 20-year public service career 10 years ago, Nim reskilled into health and wellbeing, something she always had a passion about.
Nim now wants to pass that knowledge on and is conducting weekend workshops in her Woden clinic.
These workshops are designed for people to care for their families through basic massage techniques.
Deakin Wellbeing House, Unit 12, 40 Corinna Street, Phillip. Call 0412 885804 or visit deakinwellbeinghouse.com.au
Nordic Walking, or more commonly known as “pole walking”, uses walking poles not dissimilar in looks to ski stocks.
Owner of Capital Nordic Walking, Claudia Martin says it is an accessible, effective and easy sport that can be done by people from all walks of life and ability.
“It’s a low-intensity, high-impact exercise,” says Claudia.
“It really can benefit everyone.”
According to Claudia, Nordic Walking is an excellent cardiovascular workout for those in rehabilitation, with chronic conditions, neurological conditions or those looking for a social experience.
“It’s a fun and inclusive social sport,” says Claudia.
“One of our groups even meets up for coffee at the end of each walk.
“I actually think the social element is their favourite part!”
Nordic Walking is collaborating with the University of Canberra on a research project on whether the sport can be beneficial for those with persistent pain.
“This is the first locally produced piece of research on the benefits of Nordic Walking and we are super excited to help show how it changes lives, but we need your help,” says Claudia.
“Participants will receive a $30 gift voucher to the Canberra Centre for their time and dedication to helping out this research.”
Capital Nordic Walking, call 0423 789614, email hello@ capitalnordicwalking.com.au or visit capitalnordicwalking.com.au
to Nordic Walk correctly with
• Nordic Walking turbocharges your walk-turning it into a total-body workout!
• Doubles the muscles actively used and strengthened, gets your heart pumping, burns more calories, and, it’s much easier on joints!
• PROVEN to be far more effective, and gets better results, than just walking, jogging, running, cycling and swimming!
• Suitable for all ages and fitness levels from the super fit to people with health conditions like arthritis, MS and Parkinson’s
The team at My Dentist Canberra.
Care for people affected by cancer, surgery or chronic swelling. Kristen Pratt of Capital Nordic Walking.
Yoga offers a powerful way to slow down and heal. Yoga targets deep connective tissues, calms the nervous system, and eases stress. With expert guidance from Heather Phillips from Healthy Living Yoga, classes are trauma-sensitive, supportive, and deeply restorative.
By
NATIONAL PAIN WEEK, July 21-27
Pain centre targets individualised treatment
With a commitment to manage all chronic pain conditions, such as joint pain, migraines, pelvic pain (among many other conditions), specialist pain medicine physician, radiation oncologist and interventional pain specialist, Dr Roopa Gawarikar, says the team at Canberra Region Neurology and Pain Centre is committed to managing pain in a multidisciplinary fashion with tailored treatment.
“It is important to manage pain as it significantly impacts quality of life, ability to function, sleep and overall mood,” she says.
“[Similar to] mental health conditions, pain is difficult to visualise and patients might struggle to speak up for the fear of being judged.”
Dr Gawarikar says they treat their patients as individuals and manage them holistically in a
multimodal fashion.
“We use evidence-based practice with respect and empathy,” she says.
Using a combination of treatments, such as infusion therapies, minimally invasive treatments (such as pulsed radio frequency or radiofrequency ablation), regenerative medicine option and botox injections for headaches and nerve pain, Dr Gawarikar says she finds the work she and her team do, incredibly rewarding.
The centre also offers rehabilitation and exercise classes if needed with pain psychologists.
“Helping patients [feel better] is what we strive towards,” she says.
Canberra Region Neurology and Pain Centre. Unit 2, 34 Corrina Chambers, 3638 Corrina Street, Phillip. Call 6253 0066 or visit crneurologyandpain.com.au
Pain service with a difference
Those living with chronic pain or a disability shouldn’t find themselves stuck without access to reliable help, says Arthritis ACT CEO Rebecca Davey.
“Arthritis ACT offers ongoing programs for people who need any type of support with their chronic pain or debilitating fatigue conditions,” she says.
Ahead of the upcoming National Pain Week, Rebecca says they will be hosting a selection of free seminars that will be open to the community to attend.
Seminars will begin on Wednesday, July 16, and will continue until Wednesday, July 30.
Providing support and helping people access services such as the NDIS, Rebecca says it’s a rewarding experience to know that the work they do helps people in their day-to-day lives.
“These kinds of services make such a big difference in people’s lives, and help open up doors,” she says.
“We want to provide them with the support they need so they can participate fully in the community. ”
An allied health practice with a difference, Rebecca says they have physios, exercise physiologists and
of whom have lived experience of the conditions they support others with. RSVP for information seminars at info@arthritisact.org.au or call 1800 011041.
Arthritis ACT, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce. Call 1800 011041, or visit arthritisact.org.au
Championing health outcomes for everyday Australians, Ascent Rehabilitation owner and director, Jonathan Ford, says it is their purpose-driven approach and comprehensive range of services that leads to helping those dealing with pain.
“Ascent Rehabilitation’s expertise lies in providing a com prehensive range of occupational rehabilitation services, including personalised ergonomics assessments, dedicated pain management support, hazard and risk identification, counsel ling services, mental health and resilience training, and vocational services,” he says.
“The company’s focus on individualised care, community connection and commitment to excellence is instrumental in improving the well-being of our
“By supporting those impacted by a workplace injury we empower individuals to navigate the workers’ compensation and health systems, to access the right supports at the right time, to be provided with the knowledge on how to best approach a return to work.”
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Everyone experiences pain differently, but when pain is suspended, it can become chronic and debilitating, which might impact lives.
“It is important for people to understand chronic pain can influence mood, ability to work and even relationships.”
Looking into helping the misunderstood and misrepresented, Jonathan says it is their role to support people in their workplace and living situation.
Jonathan says understanding the definition of pain is pivotal to an emotional or psychological experience,” he says.
Ascent Rehabilitation. Call 6156 4109, or visit ascentrehab.com.au
Arthritis ACT CEO Rebecca Davey.
Jonathan Ford
Dr Roopa Gawarikar, right, with her husband, consultant neurologist Dr Yash.
NATIONAL PAIN WEEK INFORMATION SERIES
Wednesday 16 July – 12 midday
Hemp based pain relief
Meet the maker of Bunyip pain products. Find out how these products work to help treat your chronic pain. Via Zoom.
Monday 21 July – 12 midday
What’s the difference between acupuncture and dry needling?
Emil Terbio, Physiotherapist, will explain the difference and the role of this treatment modality in pain management. Via Zoom.
Wednesday 23 July – 11am
Chronic Pain and Mental Health.
Jude King from Catch the Calm will speak to us about the impact of chronic pain on your mental health and strategies you can utilise to improve both. Via Zoom.
Thursday 24 July – 11am
New Developments in Joint Pain Management –Dr Roopa Gawarikar.
Onsite at the Canberra Region Neurology & Pain Centre, this talk includes a tour of the facilities for those who have never been to a pain management centre.
Wednesday 30 July – 5-7pm
What is the Centre for Personalised Medicine?
Canberra Health Services together with ANU are implementing a personalised medicine centre in areas such as rheumatology. Come and meet the experts who will be leading this initiative to learn what it might mean for you. This session to be held in the TCH Auditorium.
All sessions free of charge. RSVP required for zoom sessions: info@arthritisact.org.au or call 1800 011 041. RSVP recommended for in person sessions to allow for notification should there be any changes to the schedule.
For six years, Alicia Pratt has been the owner and operator of Therapaws Canine Hydrotherapy Rehabilitation and Fitness.
Specialising in canine hydrotherapy, cryotherapy, laser (both warm and cold), thermal imaging and soft tissue injury diagnosis, Alicia says she is grateful to be working her dream job.
“I’ve come from a clinic and was working there for 16 years,” she says.
“But I thought there were better approaches for dogs than serious surgery, so I studied up on the benefits of hydrotherapy.
“This is my dream job and will well and truly take me all the way to retirement.”
Alicia says it is important that the dogs don’t feel anxious, which is why she’s turned her clinic into something akin to a doggy daycare to ensure each canine friend that walks in feels right at home.
“We can often hear the dogs coming around the corner, woofing with excitement because they love visiting,” she says.
“If the dogs are friendly, they’re allowed to run around with the other dogs.”
According to Alicia, it’s easier to check out a dog if they aren’t tense and nervous.
“The more compliant they are, the better their treatment will be,” she says.
For newcomers, Alicia recommends pet owners bring in their dogs for an initial consultation should they become concerned about sore muscles, inflammation or recovering from an injury.
“We aren’t just looking at bones, so we want to ensure your dog is getting the right treatment.”
Therapaws Canine Hydrotherapy Rehabilitation and Fitness. 1/45 Bayldon Road, Queanbeyan. Visit therapawscaninerehabilitation.com or Instagram at therapaws_rehabilitation
With more than 650 birds from about 65 different species from Australia and the world, Canberra Walk-in Aviary owner and manager Mick Logan says parrots, finches, doves and quail are among the birds ready to interact with bird lovers.
“The aviary is great fun for all ages and now is the best time to get up close and personal with a range of friendly, free-flying birds,” he says.
“While not all birds will interact with you, visitors get the chance to observe, up close, species of birds that otherwise would be hard to see in the wild,” Mick says.
“We provide a small plate of food and a tub of mealworms and you can wander around and feed the birds.
“Provided the weather is fine, you can have a great time feeding the birds, taking photos or just observing our feathered friends.”
“We accept student and senior concession cards,” he says.
Open every day, 10am-4pm, the aviary accepts last admissions at 3.30pm.
Canberra Walk-in Aviary, unit 13, Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls. Call 6230 2044 or visit canberrawalkinaviary.com.au
For Sandy Borgo, owner of Charlie & Chums, her business only exists due to her deep love of dogs and other animals.
“Dogs are always there for me and I for them,” she says.
“My dogs are my solace in life and I’m not the only one, many people find their pets are their best friends. They keep you active and give you happiness in life.”
Sandy Borgo.
Although Sandy doesn’t have a physical store, she ships nationwide and says she has plenty of items that are perfect to battle winter depression in Canberra’s cold climate.
“We’ve got so many lovely ornaments of animals and flowers to stick in your garden to brighten it up,” she says.
“It’s perfect to combat Canberra’s chill.”
Sandy also stocks a selection of animal statuettes, which she says have been hugely popular.
“I love stocking beautiful items,” she says. “I’ve got dog collars and leads, dog and cat wooden plaques, and bright metal dog and cat metal
“The bright metal plaques list the pet traits.” Also available is giftware, including spec holders, ladies’ ponchos, scarves and brooches, says
Sandy says she has sculptures of dogs and cats made from old 44-gallon metal drums, from the company Think Outside.
Charlie & Chums. Call 0402 097580 or visit charlieandchums.com.au
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Despite the pain, Hiroe embarks on a new chapter
By Helen MUSA
When the ceramicist and former Canberra Artist of the Year, Hiroe Swen, leaves Canberra for her native Japan in early July, she will look back on having lived 57 of her 91 years here.
Swen has been significantly honoured in the past year by three separate exhibitions at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, the Canberra Potters’ Society Gallery and Melbourne’s Skepsi Gallery.
She spent the first 34 years of her life in Kyoto, before meeting her late husband, Dutch-born artist Cornel Swen, marrying him in Kyoto and soon relocating to Australia.
Why to Canberra? That was because Cornel got a job as an artist in the Depart ment of Immigration and Hiroe found a teaching position at the School of Art, allowing them to buy a 22-hectare sheep farm in the Googong area near Queanbeyan, where they set up their Pastoral Gallery and ran it from 1973-2003.
Cornel was already a well-regarded designer-artist, while Hiroe, though born into a kimono-making family, had started making ceramics at the age of 23. She would
High-kicking can-can from Kix ARTS IN THE CITY
Kym Degenhart’s Kix Arts Productions from Queanbeyan will celebrate Bastille Day with an evening of cabaret called L’Esprit de Paris, featuring dancing, French chansons, comedy and the high-kicking can-can. At Luna, Civic, July 13.
The venerable Albert Hall is now under the management of the Cultural Facilities Corporation. A key aim of this move, they say, is to see it reach its full potential as a centre for creative and community life in the city.
Classical guitarist Rupert Boyd returns from New York City for his first solo tour of Australia since 2016. Born in Canberra, at the age of 22 Boyd left home for the first time for New York with just a suitcase and a guitar, and has since become one of the finest guitarists of his generation. He’ll perform baroque, Spanish and Brazilian works and even a lullaby from Africa. Smith’s Alternative, Civic, July 18.
Kernaghan, joined by guests Robby Kernaghan, Tori Darke and Matt Cornell, is bringing his show Boys From The Bush, The Concert to the Royal Theatre on July 19.
Salut! Baroque will be joined by Colin Milner as narrator for a concert focusing on the work of Georg Philipp Telemann. Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, July 19.
Described variously as The Peter Pan of Putrid and The Willy Wonka of Weird, Mr Snotbottom (actor Mark Trenwith) delivers a barrage of tasteless tunes, gross gags and bad routine routines in a show for weird kids ages five and up, and their parents. The B, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, July 18.
Country music legend Lee
shock that she would repatriate after all these years, but she will relocate not to her hometown, Kyoto, but to Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s major islands and home to an 88-temple Buddhist pilgrimage route.
Just before she turned 21, she spent her New Year’s holidays there with three college friends and speaks of the island’s reputation as a place of pilgrimage, where people go for mental and physical replenishment.
“I found that the Shikoku people had a particular character,” she says, “they were so warm, they took care of strangers, I was so impressed,” .
“People say I’m crazy to go back,” but she says, having cared for her mother, who died at age 98 in a Canberra nursing home, taking Japanese food to her seven days a week, then having nursed her husband Cornel, who died in 2022, she’s done a lot of thinking about aged care. She is especially aware of the effects good food has on health.
“I never thought I would go back to Japan, but after Cornel died I was beginning to think, now that I’m old and I can’t look after myself, where should I go?”
A well-meaning friend tried to encourage her to go into an expensive Canberra care facility so she went to an open day, enjoyed the sandwiches, admired the smart suits and politeness of the carers, but after three days said no, thank you.
“I got thinking, what would it be like to eat that food every day? But if I eat Japanese
food every day, I can never have enough.”
So why not return to Kyoto? Well, she spent 34 years there, and now most of her old friends are either dead or on walking frames, but on Shikoku she has young friends who have helped her find a piece of land near them, on which she is already building a house and studio.
“I like the Shikoku weather. It’s warm in winter and has a nice sea-breeze in summer, the food is good and I’ll have beautiful friends looking after me,” she says.
She’s also returning to her own language, important because she knows that as people get old, they often go back to their own language.
“I want to make textiles now and use the Australian influence and Cornel‘s designs, which will have his stamp and my stamp,” she adds.
She’s already made contact with the culture section of the Australian embassy in Tokyo, who are planning a 50th anniversary celebration of their building, and says: “I want to be an Australia-Japan bridge… the younger generation in Japan don’t want to know anything about foreign countries, but I think that making art helps understanding.
“I’m embarking on a new chapter. It is deeply painful to leave here after 57 years, but I choose moving to Japan because I want to find a haven for myself.”
“I still have dreams. I’m not going to just get old and wait for death,” she says.
Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet is the basis for a new work for choir, soloists and actors, by Judith Clingan. This, she says, will be her “last huge extravaganza” involving almost 90 performers, from Taiwan, Japan, India, Singapore and Australia, aged 9 to 83. Clingan’s daughter Jess Dixon will direct, joined by Brianna Harris from the Newcastle Waldorf School. Overture Hall, Orana Steiner School, Weston, July 19.
The Australian War Memorial, fresh from successes at the ACT Architecture Awards, already reported, has taken out the awards for Public Design and for Best in State Commercial Design at the 2025 Austral ian Interior Design Awards in Melbourne.
Kix Arts dancers... Luna, July 13. Photo: Craig Burgess
STREAMING / The Velvet Sundown
Storming rock band isn’t all that it sounds to be
Picture this. A friend has just discovered a new band that’s stormed on to the rock music scene.
They’ve sent you a few songs from their debut album that’s already got thousands of listens on Spotify.
This band sounds pretty good. Nothing ground breaking but there’s certainly enough talent here to get feet tapping. Clearly the band has a lot of potential.
There’s just one thing that is a little different about them. They’re not real.
This was the experience I had in the week just gone when a friend shared a band with me, only to later reveal that the music, lyrics, album art, even the band members themselves are widely believed to have been entirely generated by artificial intelligence.
The band is called The Velvet Sundown and a search of them on Spotify right now will show they’ve amassed more than 400,000 monthly listeners.
At first glance, a picture of the band members seems like it could be any other modern, indie rock four-piece, but a closer examination reveals that uncanny fakeness that AI pictures always have. A plastic sheen that is just that little bit inhuman.
Then, a glance at the group’s biography on Spotify reveals writing that definitely feels like Chat GPT.
The Velvet Sundown is described as “quietly spellbinding”, with a sound that
slowly, like a scent that suddenly takes you somewhere you didn’t expect”.
Perhaps most telling is the final two sentences of this bio, which are also the most creepy.
“They sound like the memory of a
somehow they make it feel real.”
Whether or not the band is definitely AI hasn’t been 100 per cent confirmed, but most listeners who have flocked to Spotify to check it out strongly suspect that is the case.
The scary thing here is that people simply can’t tell any more.
Other friends I have since sent the band to, didn’t even have it cross their minds that what they’re listening to could, and likely is, generated by artificial intelligence.
It’s a surreal experience, one that passes a musical version of the Turing test.
The band even has its own instagram page with AI images depicting them having dinner together and celebrating the launch of their first album. They’ve already got another album on the way very shortly.
The idea of a completely AI band raises confronting questions about what the future of entertainment looks like through streaming services such as Spotify.
Platforms like this could save millions of dollars if the content on them was generated by machines. We might be seeing the beginning of AI “artists” beginning to flood the market.
It’s already in the works at major movie and TV streaming companies.
Netflix reportedly has a series called Synthetic Dreams in production right now.
It’s a show made using artificial intelligence.
Is it not so hard to imagine a Netflix or Disney Plus sub-category that soon features entirely AI-generated content. Further than that, what if these platforms allowed you to generate your own stories for entertain -
OPERA
ment? They’d no longer need to create endless spin offs with people’s favourite characters. They could simply allow fans to make their own.
Even more ominous, what if these platforms started seamlessly blending in AI films and television with their human-made content? At what point would we no longer know?
There are already other streaming platforms emerging online that are made up entirely of AI short films and they’re already charging people subscription fees to access the full catalogue.
Amazon is getting flooded with self-published AI books, in which the story, blurb even cover art is made by a robot. It is clear that tougher regulations are going to be needed to preserve high-quality creativity.
On Spotify, The Velvet Sundown might be the first sign of what is to come as this rapidly evolving technology makes its way into everyday entertainment through a streaming pipeline. And the most scary thing? They sound pretty damn good.
Soprano’s dream comes true
By Helen Musa
The provocative character of Musetta in Puccini‘s La Bohème is a perennial crowd-pleaser and the perfect role for Aboriginal soprano Sarah Prestwidge, making her Opera Australia debut.
Cheeky, street-savvy and unapologetically sexy, Musetta provides the life-loving counterpoint to the doomed Mimi of the tragedy.
Prestwidge will be at the Canberra Theatre in Dean Bryant’s touring production of the operatic favourite in mid-June, sharing the role with soprano Cathy-Di Zhang.
When I catch up with her by phone I find she’s not all that far from home. A graduate of Sydney Conservato rium with a Masters from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, she hails from Razorback Mountain, just between Picton and Camden.
the aftermath of the 1968 street protests and it also has an element of feminism.
She’s always proudly identified with her Darug ancestry. Her mum‘s cousin is an elder of the local mob and part of an important reclaiming language project, while Prestwidge herself has worked as a vocal coach helping kids write songs in Darug.
“My first studies were in music and classical voice, but I’m very passionate about bringing quality music to remote and indigenous people in Australia, which makes this tour so great,” she says.
She describes the role of the mischievous Musetta in understatement as lighter than Mimi.
“Musetta is very different from Mimi,” she says.
“She’s flamboyant, bold and attention-getting… it’s lovely to have a bit of scope to play that role.”
Despite the capriciousness, her vanity and her imperiousness in her on-again-off-again relationship with artist Marcello, there’s an element of seriousness in her character too, she says.
Bryant’s production is set in the 1970s in Paris during
“My character is living in the wake of Simone de Beauvoir. She is not just a party girl. She is self-made, she has survived on her charms and lives on that,” she says.
Prestwidge is right in the middle of a tour to 14 different locations in four states and two territories, but is quick to assure me that OA is generous with days of rest for the singers.
“I’m just so excited to see these places that otherwise I would never be able to see, and to engage with local groups. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them to be performing with professionals,” she says.
Here she is referring to OA’s long-held practice of engaging local choral groups of mostly children, for the chorus. In the ACT, that will be Music For Canberra, training under Tobias Cole.
“This part of my job makes it an operatic dream come true,” she says.
Bohème, Opera Australia, Canberra Theatre, July 17-19.
The Velvet Sundown… the band’s music, lyrics, album art, even the members are believed to have been entirely generated by artificial intelligence.
La
Aboriginal soprano Sarah Prestwidge.
Photo: Daniel Sommer
/
Restaurant at Walsh’s Hotel, Queanbeyan
Michael’s has dishes for everyone
If you’ve booked a show at The Q and want to enjoy a meal before or after, Michael’s Restaurant, at historic Walsh’s Hotel (established 1875), is just next door.
Although it bills itself as a “restaurant” and mostly prices accordingly, diners order at the cash register and are served their dishes at the table.
Michael’s Restaurant has been operating for more than 20 years. It’s a family operation and, on our visit after a show at The Q, the menu offered something for everyone with plenty of premium-cut steak and seafood items.
We shared a dozen oysters ($42.90), beautifully presented on a large silver platter, with wedges of lemon and a lovely seafood sauce. A small salad of julienned veggies topped with a sprig of rosemary sat pretty on the side.
A dozen oysters… presented on a large silver platter, with wedges of lemon and a seafood sauce.
The oysters brought back memories of the sea, and I was thankful to find a proper pepper grinder from the staff at the cash register (the finely ground pepper in a regular shaker on the table wasn’t going to cut it).
After studying the detailed specials board, I struggled between the homemade seafood chowder ($29.90 main) or the South Australian snapper.
The fish won and the large fillet was beautifully tender. It was generous with five tiger prawns and served on a decent rocket mash with a lemon and chardonnay beurre blanc ($36.90). The many other ingredients accompanying the dish – tomatoes, avo and mango – were overwhelming. Sometimes simple is better.
Also from the specials board was the slowcooked roast pork with crackling. It came with a trio of baked veg, fresh greens and was finished
WINE
with a homemade apple gravy ($29.90). However, the dish didn’t rise to the occasion, with the meat a little dry and the veggies overcooked. The gravy would have been better on the side. The amount was too overwhelming.
Our other friends stayed with the regular menu, one choosing rissoles ($23.90) and the other lamb cutlets.
Made with Wagyu beef, the rissoles – placed on a mound of mash – and a thick caramelised onion gravy ($23.90). They were large and moist.
Cowra lamb is full of flavour and the shallowfried thick cutlets were no exception ($41.90).
Although the menu promised a honey jus, the lamb
arrived with a full dose of a thick, heavy sauce. All mains are massive, almost overwhelmingly so from our perspectives. I didn’t get near the finish line with my meal and thought of food waste. Every dish arrived with the same side salad and sprig of rosemary… a bit of variety wouldn’t go astray.
Wine is economical with the Step By Step Pinot Grigio (2023) from SA at only $23 a bottle.
Michael’s staff are friendly, and it was servicewith-a-smile all round.
Tasting in front of the fire on Fridays
It had been cold all day, with the fog barely lifting and the maximum temperature well below double figures.
The Hyatt’s kick-off of its complimentary fireside wine tasting was therefore very welcome. Running Fridays at 5pm until August 1, it’s a great way to combat the winter blues.
For the launch of this event there were five wines from Eden Road, a winery located on the Barton Highway in Murrumbateman but which uses grapes from the broader region.
The wines were presented by Ron Molloy, of Oatley Wines, which represents a large number of wineries, because Celine Rousseau, the French-born Eden Road winemaker had returned to France on vacation.
Ron and I remembered each other from meet ing at one of the Riesling Challenge events, but confined ourselves to a handshake rather than a chorus of “Freeze a jolly good fellow”.
My two friends and I were amongst about 10 or so people who enjoyed the tasting in the Griffin Room, which has a very welcoming fireplace and some comfortable leather armchairs.
Frost and foremost was the 2023 Canberra Riesling. It had a wonderful citrus bouquet with lime
will last a while if stored well. It had a pleasant minerality. It was the favourite wine of the night for one of my friends.
Second up was the 2023 Long Road Chardonnay. This is a new style chardonnay with stone fruit and subtle biscuit tones with a barely discernible taste of vanilla that derives from time on oak.
It certainly is much less in-your-face than the buttery, oaky chardonnays that were marketed when I first got to taste chardonnay in the 1970s. Pleasant but not memorable.
The 2023 Long Road Pinot Noir was from grapes grown in higher-altitude vineyards at Tumbarumba and Hilltops. It gave strong forest floor notes that dissipated once the wine was given air. It had a measure of spice in the mix together with a cherry crush on the front palate. It finished with length and richness. This is an
The Long Road Shiraz was next, the wine that in 2009 won the Jimmy Watson trophy for Eden Road. Its colour is purple/red and the bouquet is a mix of blackberry and pepper. This is a complex wine that has lovely texture, the tannins giving it a velvety finish. At this point in the evening, we wished we’d had what this wine would have paired with well: a great chunk of roast beef. Alas, a meal had to be awaited further in the evening; dinner is like a good joke, it’s all about
The final wine was a 2022 Gundagai Sangiovese. I was looking forward to tasting this wine, as I’d previously found delicious the Gundagai Nero d’Avola produced by Eden Road. The medium-bodied sangiovese is a wine with which you’d settle in for the night. Robust cherry and earthy flavours that sing, with no grippiness in the tannins that some sangioveses offer; it is reminiscent of some styles of Chianti Classico. I admit to having a second taste of this wine, my favourite of the night.
When we were done with goodbyes to dear friends, the cold once more enveloped, with the night bringing yet another below freezing temperature.
“Friendship is like peeing in your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warm feeling inside.” – Robert Bloch
More neglect, better the colour
By Jackie WARBURTON
The more neglect and stress, the better the foliage colour is when it comes to growing sacred bamboo, which flowers brightly in the middle of winter.
Sacred bamboo or heavenly bamboo (Nandina Domestica) is not a bamboo at all. It is from the Berberis family and one of the most popular garden plants in our region. I reckon they would have been grown in just about every street in Canberra at some time.
A small, evergreen shrub, it doesn’t need much water or attention and is grown for its amazing winter foliage and its winter berries. It has been spread to the bushland by wildlife by birds attracted to the berries and now the Nandinas have found their way on the national weed list.
It’s important to give them a good prune in autumn to prevent them forming berries. Nana is a small, sterile seedless Nandina Domestica variety that could be used as a replacement, but there are many new cultivars and varieties to try for the winter garden such as Blush, Firepower or Obsession.
A GROUNDCOVER that’s looking good right now is Pachysandra terminalis. It can take a little while
to get growing, but with the right conditions it’s good to cover a difficult, heavily shaded spot in no time. From the box family, it’s just as tough as its cousins. I have seen them grow well under trees and also the southern side of the house, where very little else can grow.
They are acid lovers and planting them out with azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons gives them the same growing conditions of minimal care. A good cover of compost just before the spring growing season will give them a good start as the soils warm up in October.
THERE are still plenty of jobs to do in the vegetable patch and the most important is spraying citrus trees for summer stink bugs.
They lay their eggs in the bark of the trees, in the mulch and anywhere it is warm. Horticultural oil is the best to use this time of year to break the breeding cycle of these pests and, with cooler temperatures, the oil will not burn the leaves of the plant.
Horticultural oil works by smothering insects. Commercial horticultural oil can be petroleum based, so making a homemade oil
is as easy as two cups of vegetable oil and half a cup of dishwashing detergent, shaken before use. This mixture can be used for removing scale from indoor plants or for leaf shine, but try to treat the plants outdoors where possible. It’s also great for getting rid of aphids, mealy bugs and citrus leaf minor that are around in the summer.
White oil is also safe to use as it’s vegetable based and has lower toxicity than other oils. Apply to all parts of the leaves and bark to dripping point and leave to dry.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
Jottings…
• Mulch fruit trees with compost and keep them moist.
• Plant tomato seedlings in punnets and grow on the window sill.
• Turn compost, add blood and bone to help accelerate it breaking down.
• Liquid feed anything in foliage or flowers.
Nandina Domestica… It’s important to give them a good prune in autumn to prevent them forming berries.
Photos: Jackie Warburton
Pachysandra terminalis… it does well under trees and the southern side of the house, where very little else can grow.
HOROSCOPE PUZZLES
By Joanne Madeline Moore
July 14-20, 2025
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
On Friday, Mercury starts reversing through your love, children and friendship zones. So, a problem with a child could return, a romantic complication could resurface, or a controversial new friend could stir up your established peer group. Try to be extra understanding and (uncharacteristically) patient until August 11, when Mercury goes direct. An emotional wound could be healed on the weekend, but not without some bruises along the way.
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
Mercury starts reversing through your home zone on Friday (until August 11). So –over the next few weeks – expect some domestic dramas, household hiccups and/ or family frustrations. Extra patience and a wider perspective will get you through. Your motto for the moment comes from birthday great Nelson Mandela (who was born on July 18, 1918): “If you want the cooperation of humans around you, you must make them feel they are important.”
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
Your ruler, Mercury, turns retrograde (from Friday until August 11). Mercury is the planet of clear thinking, communication (talking, texting and writing), transport, travel, cars, commuting, commerce, computers, media and the internet. So – when it turns retrograde – it’s not a good time to sign contracts, start a job or business, buy a phone, computer, car or home, launch a website, install new software, go on a business trip or embark on an expensive holiday.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
Retrograde Mercury stirs up your self-esteem zone (from Friday through until August 11) when your confidence levels may be low, a loved one could let you down or an old resentment could resurface. If you don’t feel comfortable asking someone for help, then don’t. You also need to manage finances extra carefully, otherwise a large bill, unexpected expense or spontaneous purchase could derail your budget and see you dipping into savings.
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
Mercury starts reversing through your sign (from Friday until August 11), so expect some self-doubt, personal project glitches and/or communication hitches. Avoid overcommitting and promising more than you can realistically deliver. The more cooperative and consultative you are, the better. Your motto for the week is from birthday great, Nelson Mandela (who was born on July 18, 1918): “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
This week – with dynamic Mars visiting your sign and Mercury (your patron planet) turning retrograde – it’s time to be proactive about doing things with a ‘re’ in front. Revise, rehearse, remember, return, recover, reconnect, recommit – especially in areas involving personal projects and professional goals. Energy, confidence, enthusiasm and motivation will take you far, but you also need to relax, review old dreams and practice plenty of patience!
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
Mercury starts reversing through your networking/peer group zone on Friday. So do your best to surround yourself with dependable, sensible, unflappable family members and close friends. And make sure you double-check all texts (before you press send) and all appointment times (before you leave home). It’s also a good idea to reset boundaries and expectations in a romantic, platonic or business relationship. Keep flexible because things are constantly changing!
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
With Mercury reversing through your career zone (from Friday), the next few weeks could be tricky at work. Some possible scenarios? Your boss gives you extra work with short (and stressful) deadlines; a colleague becomes very difficult to work with; or some staff are sick or take holiday leave, which increases your workload. Also, if you’re looking for employment (or want to change jobs) then don’t start sending applications out until after August 11.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
Have you been questioning your aspirations? Or does it seem as if you’ve got the worries of the world on your shoulders? This week, take a step back and view things from a wider perspective. Doing good deeds will leave you with a warm inner glow. So think up some dynamic ways you can help those who are less fortunate. Your motto is from birthday great, Nelson Mandela: “There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others.”
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
The Sun and Jupiter are in your partnership zone, which is good news for an important relationship of the romantic, platonic or business variety. But Mercury turns retrograde on Friday (until August 11), so financial partnerships, tax matters and deep, dark secrets must be handled with extra tact and care. Double-check everything twice! On the weekend, someone tells you something in the strictest of confidence. But are they telling the truth – and can they be trusted?
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
There’s disruptive energy around, as Mercury starts reversing through your relationship zone (on Friday). Communication with a lover, relative, friend, neighbour or work colleague could veer off in a confusing direction. Or something you say, text or post on social media could receive a disappointing response. So, think before you speak and pause before you post! You’ll find the more supportive and generous you are at work, the better the week will be.
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
Consider reviewing your diet and/or revising your fitness routine, as Mercury reverses through your health-and-wellbeing zone (from Friday). It’s important to choose nutritious food and regular exercise that you enjoy, so you can maintain healthy habits in the future. Your daily work schedule could also be disrupted (and feel like it’s going backwards) or you could find yourself out of step with a colleague or client. Patience and persistence will see you through.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2025
8 Which association of over 100 national police forces is used to fight international crime? (8)
Which term implies frigid or extremely cold? (6)
What is dampness known as? (8) 11 Name the father-in-law of Moses. (6) 13 What is the strict adherence to law? (8) 16 Which person values property for taxation? (8)
19 Which cross is given to British civilians for bravery? (6)
22 What do we call a jaunty libertine? (8)
24 Which sailing vessels are used for private cruising? (6) 25 What
Emojis are not just emotional cues; they also operate as cultural symbols and markers of identity.
Emoji anxiety: thumbs up means yes? Or no?
Thumbs
up: good or passive
aggressive? BRITTANY FERDINANDS
reveals how emojis became the most confusing kind of online language.
is
What is a coop for confining small animals? (5) 4 Name the last tsar of Russia. (8)
5 What is something extremely small? (4)
6 Which term implies a relationship to a wedding? (6)
7 Name the Spanish conqueror of Mexico, Hernando ... (6)
12 What are spigots more commonly known as? (4)
14 Which spout often terminates in a grotesque head with an open mouth? (8)
15 What is the given name of the Welsh actor, dramatist, etc, ... Novello? (4)
17 Name an English pioneer of birth control, Marie ... (6)
18 To disinter, is to do what (6)
20 To take place, is to do what? (5)
21 Who founded the Microsoft Corporation, Bill ...? (5)
23 What is the monetary unit of the Republic of South Africa? (4)
Emojis, as well as memes and other forms of short-form content, have become central to how we express ourselves and connect online.
Yet as meanings shift across different contexts, so too does the potential for misunderstanding.
A senior colleague of mine recently encountered some commentary about the “slightly smiling” face emoji:
They approached me, asking whether it represented joy, as they had assumed, or if it had a more ominous meaning.
As a chronically-online millennial, who unironically identifies as a gen Z, I bore the news that I, along with most younger internet users, only ever use it sarcastically.
“It doesn’t actually signify happiness – more so fake happiness, or dry humour,” I explained.
I also told them how the thumbs up emoji is often interpreted as passive aggressive, and that the only time I’d use the laughing-crying (“face with tears of joy”) emoji is under duress.
Despite seeming like a universal language – and sometimes they do function that way – emojis can be at once more vague, and more specific, than words. That’s because you can’t separate the meaning of a smiley from the person who sent it, nor from the person receiving it.
Markers of age and identity
While emojis were originally developed in the late 1990s by Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita to add emotional nuance to text-based messaging, their function has since evolved.
Today, emojis are not just emotional cues; they also operate as cultural symbols and markers of identity.
Research published last year highlights how these symbols can create subtle communication barriers across age groups. For instance, a study of Chinese-speaking WeChat users found younger and older people differed not only in how frequently they used emojis, but in how they interpreted and aesthetically preferred them.
One emoji that’s increasingly becoming a distinct marker of age is
the previously mentioned laughingcrying emoji ( ). Despite being named Oxford Dictionary’s 2015 word of the year, and frequently topping the most-used emoji charts, this smiley is on the decline among gen Z – who decided in 2020 that it wasn’t cool anymore.
Instead, they prefer the skull emoji ( ), which is shorthand for the gen Z catch phrase “I’m dead”. This means something is funny (not that they’re literally deceased).
Such shifts may understandably be perplexing for older generations who are unfamiliar with evolving norms and slang.
A digital body language Emojis can also take on distinct meanings on different platforms. They are embedded within “platform vernaculars”: the ever-evolving styles of communication that are unique to specific digital spaces.
For example, a thumbs up emoji ( ) from your boss at work is seemingly more acceptable, and less anxiety inducing, than from a romantic interest you’ve just sent a risky text to.
This dilemma was echoed in a recent viral TikTok by user @ kaitlynghull, which prompted thousands to comment about their shared confusion over emoji use in the workplace.
This reaction highlights a deeper communication issue.
A survey of 10,000 workers across the US, France, Germany, India and Australia, conducted by YouGov and software company Atlassian, found 65% of workers used emojis to convey tone in the workplace. But while 88% of gen Z workers thought emojis were helpful, this dropped to 49% for baby boomers and gen X.
The survey concluded some emojis can be interpreted in multiple ways, and these double meanings aren’t always safe for work.
Emojis, then, aren’t just tools for expression. They are badges of identity that index where a user stands in the online cultural hierarchy.
Brittany Ferdinands, lecturer in Digital Content Creation, Discipline of Media and Communications, University of Sydney. Republished from The Conversation.
WINNUNGA NIMMITYJAH ABORIGINAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Winnunga Nimmityjah AHCS is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal community of the ACT.
In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health. The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal people in the ACT.
Our aim is to provide a culturally safe, holistic health care service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding regions. The holistic health care provided by Winnunga AHCS includes not only medical care, but a range of programs to promote good health and healthy lifestyles.
Our services include:
• GP and Nursing
• Midwifery
• Immunisations
• Health Checks
• Men’s & Women’s Health
• Hearing Health
• Dental
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Dietician (Nutrition)
• Counselling
• Diabetes Clinic
• Quit Smoking Services / No More Boondah
• Needle Syringe Program
• Mental Health Support
• Healthy Weight Program
• Healthy Cooking Group
• Mums and Bubs Group / Child Health
• Optometry Service
• Psychology and Psychiatrist
• Community Events
• Groups
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.
CLINIC hours | MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9am-5pm
Ph: 6284 6222 | 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah www.winnunga.org.au
COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing for Winnunga Clients