Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
CANBERRA’S mature tree population is heading for a fall with experts predicting that 400,000 of the city’s one million trees will die over the next 20 years. ELERI HARRIS looks at how, why and what’s being done about it. Regular columnist ROBERT MACKLIN gets mad at psychiatrists and sports guru TIM GAVEL wonders if the big-name Brumbies can deliver when the whistle blows. Great reading, great writing and it’s all just a click away.
Citation preview
CityNews January 28 - February 3 �
� CityNews January 28 - February 3
CityNews January 28 - February 3 �
news
PREMATURE old age is catching up with Canberra’s million trees with at least 400,000 of the city’s “urban forest” coming to the end of their useful lives over the next 20 years and their demise is causing an emotional political problem.
“Trees don’t live forever,” says Urban Forest Renewal Program panel member Ken Taylor.
“You can judge a tree’s life in many ways, its biological life or what you might call its useful life – and that’s the view you have to take in a city life: Have they reached the end of their acceptable life span?”
Canberra’s avenues of European trees, which have a considerably longer lifespan in their native hemisphere, were always going to die sooner in Australia’s harsh climate and TAMS parks, conservation and lands director, Russell Watkins, says the drought has not helped.
“All of our trees in Canberra are strug-gling with the drought.”
TAMS maintains 630,000 trees and Taylor says the Government has always known, from the day they were planted, that these trees would have to be removed and replaced eventually – unfortunately, the people of Canberra were not so well informed.
Last November, ACT Greens member for Molonglo, Caroline Le Couteur, pushed for an investigation into the ACT Government’s Urban Forest Renewal project, arguing that the level of community discontent over tree removals demonstrated clear issues with the way the project was being managed.
“We do support the aims of the urban re-newals project, we just want to see it being done well,” Le Couteur said.
“The people need to be confident that trees are cut down only if they’re dying and that their replacements will live.
“Many people have felt that the trees that are being cut down are basically still in good condition and there’s no reason for them be cut down.
“We’d get these emails from people saying ‘the trees weren’t really dying’.”
Le Couteur has emphasised the impor-tance of treating the problem on a case-by-case basis, but acknowledged it was not financially feasible for the Government to analyse each and every tree.
“We are sympathetic to the budgetary constraints of the Government.
“But we also don’t want the Government to say, ‘oh, yes, these trees have been here for 50 years, chop them all down’ end of story.”
Taylor points out that some trees have fared better than expected, with groups of cedars earmarked for a 200-year life span, while TAMS says 5000 or so SA Claret Ash trees are facing almost uniform deteriora-tion.
Environment Commissioner Maxine Cooper is now accepting submissions for
the investigation into the Government’s tree management practices and the renewal of Canberra’s urban forest.
Cooper is expected to report back to Envi-ronment Minister Simon Corbell by June 30.
Watkins says the renewal project has been put on hold until the investigation finishes, although regular maintenance and the re-moval of hazardous trees is continuing.
At the heart of the issue is the project’s PR record and the emotional connection the people of Canberra have to their shady avenues.
Taylor says Canberrans need to trust the consultants assessing the trees, explaining that on a ground level the tree might look fine – but be rotten or fungas ridden inside with die-back in their crown.
“The problem is some of the trees that have been removed don’t have signs of rot or decay.
“If they remained in the bush they’d re-main standing for some time, but in the city they pose a pubic safety problem.”
Submissions for the investigation into the Government’s tree management practices and the renewal of Canberra’s urban forest can be made at environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au, until February 2.
Trees from Canberra’s deciduous planting boom from the �9�0s and the eucalypts from the �970s are starting die, leaving the city facing a political and emotional environmental crisis, says ELERI HARRIS
Age takes toll on Canberra’s trees
“All of our trees in Canberra are struggling with the drought,” says Russell Watkins of TAMS. Photo by Silas.
Editor: Ian Meikle, [email protected] reporter: Eleri Harris, 0414 618 493 [email protected] editor: Kathryn Vukovljak, 6262 9100 [email protected] editor: Helen Musa, 0400 [email protected] and photography: Silas Brown, 0412 718086Designer: Joran DilucianAccounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler [email protected] and circulation: Richard Watson, 6262 [email protected]
Phone 6262 9100 Fax 6262 9111 GPO Box 2448, Canberra City 2601www.citynews.com.au
Responsibility for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, of Suite 1, Level 1, 143 London Circuit, Canberra.
4�,00� CopIES A wEEkSix-month audit to September 30, 2009
General manager: Greg Jones 0419 418196, [email protected] advertising executive: Melissa Delfino, 0415 137660 Advertising sales executives: Sebastien Kriegel, 0438 198701 Advertising sales co-ordinator: Rebecca Darman, [email protected] advertising sales: Ad Sales Connect, 02 9420 1777Adelaide advertising sales: HWR Media, 08 8379 9522Perth advertising sales: HWR Media, 08 9429 3075
contact usINDEXJanuary 28-February 3, 2010 Since 1993: Volume 16, Number 4
Arts&Entertainment 14-19Crossword 20Letters 8Horoscope 20Movie reviews 19News 3-10Politics 8Property 21-23Social Scene 11-13Sport 6 Sudoku 20
FRONT COVER: Paulini, one of the stars at the Multicultural Festival. Story Pages 16-17.
4 CityNews January 28 - February 3
news
By Eleri Harris“IT doesn’t matter about the termi-nally ill, at the end of the day the Gov-ernment think they’re just going to die anyway, why do we need to invest any money?” says Andre Poidomani.
The founder of Supporters of Clare Holland House is critical of Health Minister Katy Gallagher removing the sale of the ACT’s only palliative care hospice from the delayed appropriation Bill that will facilitate the purchase of Calvary Hospital.
“We’re not going to give up on it, just because the Government is giving up on it – giving up on the hospice and giv-ing up on the dying,” he says.
Poidomani’s group, created to rep-resent the families of those who have lost a loved one at the hospice, will con-tinue to lobby the Government and the Greens to save Clare Holland House from privatisation, despite firm state-ments from ACT Labor committing to the sale.
The ACT Government intends to
buy Calvary Hospital for $77 million in a deal that will see it sell the hospice to Little Company of Mary Health Care Limited for $9 million.
In fact, there is nothing stopping Gallagher selling Clare Holland House at any point, without reference to anyone and regardless of the decisions made by the Legislative Assembly on the purchase of Calvary Hospital.
A spokeswoman for the Health Minister told “CityNews”: “There is no legal requirement to consult with par-ticular groups. However, the Govern-ment has just completed an extensive consultation with a large number of stakeholders and the community.
“The sale of the hospice does not require a Bill to be put before the As-sembly. The Minister has been clear that the proposal is one as a whole. Should the appropriation Bill pass the Assembly and the Catholic Church approves the sale of the hospital to the Government, the sale of Clare Holland House will also go ahead.”
Poidomani says the Government’s mounting contradictions on the deal with Little Company of Mary Health
Care Limited were evidence of their dehumanisation of the hospice.
“I think it’s quite arrogant of the Government not to listen to a few hun-dred people who are quite concerned about it. It is going to be dollar signs at the end of the day.”
While the Government denies the palliative care hospice is being used as a bargaining chip in the deal with Little Company of Mary Health Care Limited, Opposition health spokes-man Jeremy Hanson said the Minis-ter’s move to split the hospice from the appropriation Bill was a deliberate attempt to wedge the Greens – who support the purchase of the hospital, but not the sale of the hospice.
The Greens’ Amanda Bresnan disa-grees, but declined to make a comment on the development.
“Look, what the Government’s pro-posed isn’t actually any different from what we thought would happen.
“We put forward our concerns re-garding the lease and obviously we’ve
now got to consider the implications of the Vatican processes and the delay on the appropriation Bill – because it does change the situation somewhat. We will be responding in due course.”
By only including Calvary Hospital in the appropriation Bill, which can-not be put forward till LCMHC gain Vatican approval, Minister Gallagher has said she hopes to respond to calls to separate the sale and purchase – without separating the sale and pur-chase.
“The appropriation Bill will be for the purchase of the hospital itself, not discounted for the sale of the hospice,” she says.
“There have been calls for the hos-pice and hospital deal to be separated – this meets it to some extent.
“Whilst many would like to see them separated – the issue of the ownership of the hospice verses the ownership of the hospital – for LCM who currently run both of these facilities, this is not an option.”
Andre Poidomani… “We’re not going to give up on it, just because the Government is giving up on it.” Photo by Silas
No giving up vows hospice defender
Traffic delaysMOTORISTS can expect delays as a result of major changes to traffic conditions at the Kings Avenue Overpass construction site (Russell roundabout) from next month until December. Traffic around the existing
roundabout will be extended down Parkes Way and Mors-head Drive for north and south-bound traffic respectively. There will be a 40km/ph speed limit 24/7.
Unhappy anthemMORE than 60 per cent of Australians are unhappy with “Advance Australia Fair” as the national anthem and are calling for a change, according to an online survey by totalt-ravel.com.
briefly Meet the talk-back bookBy Kathryn VukovljakWHEN you come from a place that people don’t believe is real, any opportunity to set them straight has to be taken, according to Baba Achadji, a student from Timbuktu, who is one of five “living books” available to check out at Kippax Library in Holt, as part of the new Living Library program.
“When I tell people when I’m from, I always get the same reaction – ‘Stop kidding, mate!’” smiles Baba. “People don’t think Timbuktu exists, so I think I have something interesting to talk about.”
Other living books include living with Parkinson’s, a foster mum of 30 years, a par-ent who adopted a child from Thailand and a home-schooling parent.
“We want to stop people judging a book by its cover,” says Sarah Steed, programs manager at the library. “This initiative is all about breaking down stereotypes.
“Our living books are people who have faced prejudice in society, so this is a chance to get the real story.”
Each “book” is available for 30-45 minutes, and in that time you get a one-on-one conver-sation with the opportunity to ask any ques-tions you like.
But within reason, says Elena Battey, vol-unteer co-ordinator for the Living Library scheme.
“People are encouraged not to be shy about what they ask, but to be respectful at the same time,” she says.
As for Timbuktu, Baba explains that it’s a remote, dusty, sandy place in Mali, at the en-trance to the Sahara on the Niger River bend. Want to know more? You’ll just have to check out Baba for yourself.
Bookings are essential. Contact the ACT Public Library to register or ask for more in-formation on 6205 9000 or visit www.library.act.gov.au
“Living Book” Baba Achadji… “People don’t think Timbuktu exists, so I think I have something interesting to talk about.”
CityNews January 28 - February 3 �
� CityNews January 28 - February 3
“SURELY, the Brumbies will win the competi-tion,” is a response that I have received on more than one occasion and if these conversations are a feature of my life, I can only imagine that Brumbies coach Andy Friend has been inundated with questions about this year’s lineup.
Chief executive of the Brumbies, Andrew Fa-gan, has done an excellent job in securing a line-up envied by other teams. There is enormous expectation that the side will win because of the likes of Giteau and Elsom joining George Smith, Stirling Mortlock and company. It is a team that we can’t wait to see get on the field.
In the minds of some, nothing short of the Super 14 title this year will be acceptable. This must create its own pressure for the Brumbies’ management team and players. But Friend will need to have his wits about him to mould his su-perstars into a team. Many a sporting team made up of big names has faltered against sides with players that lack big names, but are committed to the team.
The staggered return of the Wallaby players doesn’t make things any easier with the Brumbies having less than a month together before the start of the competition. However, a bonus of the Walla-bies’ spring tour is that most of the team will have a strong understanding of each other’s game.
Friend’s greatest challenge could be establish-ing clear guidelines for the leadership structure. If there is tension, it could create issues in deci-sion-making on the field.
But Stephen Hoiles is a natural leader. He will need these qualities to ensure he has the final
say in the heat of the game. He will, no doubt, be offered plenty of advice with several Wal-laby skippers in the lineup. He is surrounded by experienced and quality players who should all understand the need to work as a unified team.
The Brumbies, during their two premierships, had star-studded teams that played for each other.
On paper, this team is shaping up to be some-thing similar, but will they play effectively as a team?
It is often hard to work out what makes players want to play for each other and not as individuals. Much of the off-season is usually spent building a bond that transfers itself on to the field.
The other question mark hangs over the style of play that will be adopted by the team. The expectation is that there will be more running rugby and less kicking. Easier said than done with the improvements in defensive patterns that we have witnessed over the last season or two.
Friend, in the minds of many, has his work cut-out in more ways than one, but I feel he will rise to the challenge.
By Kathryn VukovljakTHREE young ACT fashion designers have made the finals of Australia’s largest fashion trade fair competition Debut, to be held at Fashion Exposed in Sydney on February 14-16.
Danielle Hewitt, 24, Elissa Brunato, 20, and Laura McCormack, 21, all 2009 CIT fashion graduates, are three of 12 finalists and will present their labels – Danielle Margaret, e’senk and Laura C respectively – to a panel of industry judges at the Sydney Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour.
This is the largest number of finalists from any one state or territory in Australia.
“It’s exciting to come straight out of uni and be able to continue our work, to have something to work towards again,” says Elissa.
Fashion Exposed is in its 20th year and Debut has been providing a launch-pad for new designers for nine years.
The Debut finalists will present their spring/summer collections for the chance to win a share in a prize pool of $20,000. Additionally, each will receive a space at Fashion Exposed next season.
“I’m a little nervous – it’s the next step for us and it’s a big deal,” says Laura.
Danielle agrees. “I was so shocked to hear I was a finalist,” she says. “Now I’m working on three new pieces to complete my collec-tion in time for the trade fair.”
“The chance to present our work to potential buyers and boutique owners is invaluable,” Elissa says. “It’s a great opportunity to consider how our garments will relate to the public – we’re really having to think about prices and marketing.”
TIM GAVEL says that over the holidays, one question came up in conversation more than any other: How will
the Brumbies go with the recruitment of Rocky Elsom, Matt Giteau, Josh Valentine and Justin Harrison?
sport
Can the big names work together?
Young fashion graduates wearing their own designs (from left) Danielle Hewitt, Laura McCormack and Elissa Brunato … “Nervous and excited.” Photo by Silas
Debut challenge for young designers
� CityNews January 28 - February 3
politics
THE next representatives for the ACT in the Federal Parliament will be selected with little regard to the interests of the people of the ACT and much more to do with the interests of the Labor Party.
With the pending retirement of MPs Bob McMul-lan (Fraser) and Annette Ellis (Canberra) it is our democratic processes that now come under scrutiny. They have now made available two of the country’s very safe Labor seats. Therefore, the choice really has little to do with the voters of the ACT.
This reality is in marked contrast to what hap-pens in the ACT electoral system where a party puts up a group of candidates and the voters make a choice. The party does not even have a say in the order in which candidates appear on a ballot paper. Even at the last ACT election, incumbents such as Steve Pratt were rejected by Liberal voters and Mick Gentleman by Labor voters in favour of new blood. No such opportunity exists in a Federal electorate – the party decides who is to be the repre-sentative and the voters have to decide whether they still wish to support the party’s candidate or vote elsewhere. Even when a vote goes to an alternative candidate the distribution of preferences generally brings the vote back to the candidate of the prime party anyway.
Fraser and Canberra are some of the most desir-able safe seats in the House of Representatives. They are the only electorates that do not require substan-tial absences from home when the Parliament sits, other than Mike Kelly’s seat of Eden-Monaro.
According to Antony Green, the ABC’s prime election analyst, the electorate of Fraser fa-vours Labor by a margin of 15.1 per cent and in the seat of Canberra the margin is 11.8 per cent. It is more difficult to determine the extent to which personal follow-ing or admiration plays
a role in the margin. Mc-Mullan and Ellis have built up strong personal followings with their commitment to social justice and to the ACT.
Both MPs have served Canberra in a range of ways. McMullan has been an ACT Senator, Member for Canberra and Member for Fraser. Ellis served as an MLA in the ACT Assembly and was the only person ever to represent the seat of Na-madgi – which was withdrawn through an electoral redistribution after an existence of just one term. At that point she was pre-selected for Canberra at the time Bob McMullan went to serve in the elector-ate of Fraser.
However, there are some pressures on the Labor Party to take particular care with their pre-selec-tion. In seats like New England and Lyne in NSW and Kennedy in Queensland the major parties appointed flunkies. The result was a considerable swing away from the party in favour of independ-ent candidates. In Queensland, Bob Katter took the electorate of Kennedy from Labor and now has a margin of 16.3 per cent. The Nationals lost seats to Tony Windsor, who now has 24.3 per cent in New England while Robert Oakeshott, in Lyne, has a margin of 23.9 per cent.
Oakeshott’s success is illustrative. He trounced Rob Drew, the Nationals’ pre-selected candidate to replace the retiring former Minister Mark Vaille in the NSW seat that includes Taree and Port Mac-quarie. Drew had been Port Macquarie mayor at the time it was sacked over financial problems created by the development of a new civic centre. The voters overwhelmingly rejected the National Party choice in favour of a well known and politically adept inde-pendent candidate.
As the voters have so little say in choosing their representatives for either of the ACT seats, there is an even stronger onus on the Labor Party to choose candidates wisely.
Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health in the Carnell government.
Labor danger when party comes first
By Michael Moore
letters
THE TAMS claim that the lack of toilets in Civic (CN. January 21) is the fault of Walter Burley Griffin is, pardon the pun, the great-est load of crap I have heard in quite a while.
The problem goes back to the days of the Carnell Government when Kate, in her wisdom, pulled down the manned public toilet in Civic, alongside the paper shop, and for good measure destroyed the chess pit and the police station. Furthermore, there are NO public toilets in Civic, there are two shooting galleries for drug users, which the majority of people are loathe to use.
Perhaps what they are intimating, is if caught short, hop on a bus, and head for Woden, Belconnen or wherever.
� Morgan�Graham�via�email
YOUR article “Blame Walter for too few loos” (CN, January 21) mentioned a remark by a TAMS spokesperson who attributed the lack of loos in Civic to Walter Burley Griffin: A nice theory, but total fiction, I am afraid.
In fact, in the ‘60s and until probably the late ‘80s, there was a decent public toilet block in Garema Place, containing at least ten loos. This was unilaterally removed by the ACT Government, presumably to force people into shopping complexes.
Most people I know will not use those hideous monstrosities such as the one you pictured on East Row. They may be suited to maximum-security prisons, but not to public places in the national capital.
Pauline�Westwood,�Dickson
Moore misses factsMICHAEL Moore’s criticism of public safety (CN, January 21) might have chosen to reflect on the other steps the Government is under-taking to address community safety in Civic and other nightspots before he embarked on his all-too-familiar uniformed tirade.
He might have remembered that since 2005, 133 extra police have been recruited, trained and put on the beat, the largest number since self government, and that the Government has built on the CCTV network in Civic by 12 cameras and has expanded the network to include the nightspots of Manuka and Kingston as well as Exhibition Park, Manuka Oval and Canberra Stadium. This extensive program brings the number of cameras to 76.
He should, perhaps, also have mentioned that it was the ACT Labor Government that provided our police with the resources to monitor these cameras live, in real time, on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays when our nightspots are busiest, giving police another tool and many extra sets of eyes to deal with trouble in public areas.
Also missing from Mr Moore’s article is the major suite of reforms that the Labor Government has proposed to the laws sur-rounding the sale of alcohol in the Territory. We all understand that too much violence and anti-social behaviour is linked to excessive alcohol consumption. This is why Labor has announced the establishment of dedicated police liquor licensing teams and greater powers to police to deal with venues that fail to sell alcohol responsibly.
Finally, Mr Moore could have mentioned that Labor has also legislated to allow police to issue on-the-spot fines for anti-social behaviour in public areas, streamlining the work of our courts and giving police the ability to deal with troublemakers in not only popular entertainment precincts like Civic, Kingston and Manuka, but also the greater suburban areas of the ACT.
Simon�Corbell,�Minister�for�Police�and�Emergency�Services
Good luck, JudyJUDY Bamberger is probably now winging her way to the Middle East (CN, January 21). Judy mentions there’s a third generation of Palestinian children living in poverty. With respect, I think there have been more. I led a selection team from Cairo to Jordan/Pal-estine in 1963 to assist Palestinian refugees who had indicated a desire to come to Australia, to do just that. The overwhelming majority were approved. And just to show our migration policy was even-handed, when the Egyptian authorities approached our Cairo embassy to take a number of Jewish refugees, we interviewed them, too, and once again the very large majority were approved. I wish her well in her mission.
� Colliss�Parrett,�Barton�
‘Sexist’ honors listAUSTRALIA’S honours list is sexist in both policy and practice. Male dominated, it identifies the place of the female. Only in the OAM list do females appear in appreci-able numbers and, even then, they are still disadvantaged numerically.
Males also dominate in the council that handles the nominations. It is time equality of the sexes prevailed.
� Harold�Grant,�Campbell
Blame Kate for too few loos
Annette Ellis.
Bob McMullan.
Letters are invited from “CityNews” readers. Let loose to [email protected], use a form at www.citynews.com.au or write to the editor at GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601. Letters of 200 words or less stand a better chance of publication.
CityNews January 28 - February 3 9
�0 CityNews January 28 - February 3
Australia Day Awards
A TOP award of Companion in the Order of Australia (Military Division) has been made to Canberra’s Lt-Gen David John Hur-ley AO DSC for eminent service to the Australian Defence Force as chief of capability development group, chief of joint operations and vice chief of the Defence Force.
His citation describes him as “the consummate military pro-fessional who has achieved remarkable success in the fields of capability generation, operations and strategic reform.”
Tax Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo has been awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to public admin-istration.
Magistrate Karen Fryar has become a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to the community as a magistrate and through contributions to the prevention of family violence.
And popular Murrumbateman winemaker and former Yass mayor Ken Helm has also been awarded an AM for service to the Aus-tralian wine industry as a winemaker and to the community of the Canberra/Yass region.
Military man’s top gong
Ken Helm AM.
WIN A HAIR STRAIGHTENER‘CityNews” has one fabulous Think Pink hair straightener to give away – compliments of Priceline Pharmacy Canberra Centre (6162 0344) – to keep you looking hot for Valentine’s Day.
Think Pink by Oz Head is a home-grown Aussie hair straightener – and it’s pink! Valued at $200, the straightener comes with a heat mat to protect your vanity unit and a protective carry pouch for your convenience. The winner will be drawn at midday on Monday, February 11 and notified by email.
Competition details are at www.citynews.com.au
Other local awards were made to: oFFICER (Ao) IN THE GENERAL DIVISIoN
Dr Jeffrey Allan Harmer, Nicholls, for service to public administration through leadership of key policy initiatives, particularly programs for housing assistance, child support, mental health, the disabled and insurance reform, and through initiatives for indigenous Australians.
Prof John Denison McMillan, Chapman, for service to the law as the Commonwealth Ombudsman, through leadership roles in professional bodies and as an academic.
oFFICER (Ao) IN THE MILITARY DIVISIoNVice Admiral Russell Harry Crane AM CSM, for distinguished service as
Deputy Chief of Navy and as Chief of Navy.Maj-Gen Anthony Peter Fraser AM CSC, for distinguished service in the
fields of aviation and project management as director general Army Aviation Systems Branch and head helicopter systems division in the Defence Materiel Organisation.
MEMBER (AM) IN THE GENERAL DIVISIoNBarbara Belcher, Yarralumla, for service to public sector management and
administration, and through the advancement of ethical standards and values.Prof Patricia Lynn Easteal, Faculty of Law, University of Canberra, for
service to the community, education and the law through promoting awareness and understanding of violence against women, discrimination and access to justice for minority groups. She is also ACT Australian of the Year.
Alan Gilbert Henderson PSM, Bruce, for continued service to public administration, particularly in the area of policy formulation and advice, and to the management of taskforces of the 2002 Commonwealth Heads of Govern-ment Meeting and the 2007 Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Meeting.
Diane Faye Kargas, Red Hill, for service to the community, particularly through the establishment of the Capital Region Community Foundation, to aged persons, and to diabetes research organisations.
Wellesley Noel Potter, Kingston, for service to architecture through a range of executive roles in professional organisations, practice education and the development and mentoring of younger members of the profession.
Dorothy Rose Sales OAM for service to people with disabilities, particularly through the establishment of community housing for those with acquired brain injury.
Prof Roger Llewellyn Wettenhall, Deakin, for service to education, particularly as a scholar and researcher in the field of public administration, management and governance.
MEMBER (AM) IN THE MILITARY DIVISIoN
Rear Admiral Trevor Norman Jones CSC, for exceptional service as the director general Navy Capability, Performance and Plans and as the director general Military Strategic Commitments.
Cdr Ian Richard Middleton for exceptional service in a range of demanding command and management appointments, particularly as the Australian Navy Surface Force Element Group Commander.
Cdr Robyn Margaret Walker for exceptional service as a medical officer in the Australian Defence Force.
Brig. Ian Ross Errington CSC for exceptional service as a project director in the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq and as head of Australian Defence Staff in Jakarta.
Lt-Col Benjamin Nicholas James for exceptional service and leader-ship as the staff officer grade one personnel of Headquarters 1st Division from 2005 to 2007 and as commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment from 2007 to 2009.
oRDER oF AUSTRALIA MEDAL (oAM) Rosemary Margaret Budavari for service to the law through the
advancement of human rights and through the Women’s Legal Centre.Dr John Peterie Fricker, Manuka, for service to dentistry, particularly
through executive roles with professional organisations.Aleksander Marian Gancarz, Manuka, for service to the Polish com-
munity in Australia, and to Rotary.Dr Kamalini Maya Lokuge for service to humanitarian aid through the
International Committee of the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières.Margaret Janet Smith, Charnwood, for service to the community
through Canberra Legacy.Arthur Clive Mitchell-Taylor, Gundaroo, NSW, for service to Vietnam
veterans, and to the community.Robert Arthur Mouatt, Wanniassa, for service to orienteering.William Joseph Needham, Goulburn, NSW, for service to the
community of the Goulburn region, particularly through the education and preservation of military history.
John Graham O’Neill, Narrabundah, for service to the community through a range of youth and service organisations, and to Technical Aid to the Disabled ACT.
Pamela Mary Slocum, Deakin, for service to the community, particu-larly youth through fundraising and support roles.
Gordon Wade, Goulburn, NSW, for service to the welfare of veterans and their families through the Goulburn sub-branch of the RSL and to Legacy.
Jennifer Hertford Wanless for service to science through voluntary roles with Questacon, and to the Nature and Society Forum.
Dr Helen Mary Watchirs, Deakin, for service to the advancement of human rights, particularly as the ACT Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner.
Winsome Dawn Willow, Hackett, for service to the community through programs assisting women and children in crisis, and to the ACT Mental Health Community Coalition.
John Woodfield, Hughes, for service to the community through the Horticultural Society of Canberra.
Public service medal AUSTRALIAN pUBLIC SERVICE
Jonathan Robbie (Rob) Bray, Hughes; Keith Alexander Byles, Dickson; Myra Patricia Croke, Canberra; Carolyn Hogg, Kambah; Dr James Bruce Horne; Arja Sinikka Keski-Nummi, Downer; Jody Louise Swirepik, Weston; Kerrie Maree Westcott, Kingston.
ACTSusanne Elizabeth Burns, Gundaroo, NSW; Neil Kevin Cooper,
Palmerston.
HAPPY Australia Day… restaurateur Carlo Tosolini and son Luka start the day re-potting plants after vandals ripped them from the planter boxes, disgorging soil across the Civic restaurant’s outside dining area. Photo by Silas
CityNews January 28 - February 3 ��
Australia Day sceneAt ‘Australia Day Live’ concert, lawns of Federation Mall, Parliament House
More photos at facebook.com/canberracitynews
Alana, Lauren and Julie Christie Joana Rey and Larisa EspejoBrydie Parton, Brittney Field and Delaney Parton Tony Borolotto and Nicole Elliot Lesley Podesta, Lauren Jackson and Mary Batkovic
Jenna Brea, Julian Kelman, Sankalp Redby and Silia Ryan
MLA Amanda Bresnan and Bethany Williams Jenny Monaghan, Julie Hyland and Belinda Trushell David Marshall and Linda Henschke
MLA Simon Corbell with wife Eiren and son Henry
Mikaela Jones, Pierre Johannessen, MLA Steve Doszpot, Rieuk Gass and Brian Familar
Lisa Ridgley with Ally and Cam Sullings Maud Rowe and Emma Jackman Kavin and Vicki Sharma
Tarsh Stevenson, Molly Robinson, Kasey Neave and Kay Kay Stavrou
�� CityNews January 28 - February 3
E
C
Q
T
V
G
P
P
I
S
I
L
T
C
S
N
A
R
O
U
S
E
A
R
A
R
E
R
M
T
N
E
I
G
H
U
E
L
A
N
D
R
H
E
A
I
A
R
G
U
E
E
E
X
P
O
N
E
N
T
O
R
A
B
I
D
T
O
U
S
T
A
N
T
L
E
R
U
A
S
S
E
S
L
V
E
N
N
U
I
I
A
S
T
E
R
N
R
A
G
E
T
A
S
S
E
L
S
T
E
I
E
N
I
V
A
C
A
N
C
Y
E
D
G
E
E
S
E
E
R
I
E
R
C
D
D
A
S
H
E
D
R
E
R
A
R
E
B
E
A
T
E
N
G
V
A
O
E
E
Z
E
B
R
A
S
P
R
A
Y
L
N
A
I
L
S
S
T
O
V
E
E
T
R
D
D
A
R
E
S
O
P
I
N
E
M
S
E
C
T
T
P
T
I
L
E
A
N
E
D
L
S
M
N
A
L
A
S
R
O
U
T
R
E
O
E
A
E
O
A
A
U
G
U
R
Z
S
T
E
M
E
R
O
P
E
W
T
H
U
M
P
S
N
C
Y
A
N
E
L
E
E
K
B
A
R
B
S
N
E
S
T
S
H
E
R
I
P
B
E
A
R
C
A
R
V
E
S
A
P
S
N
E
E
D
E
D
W
W
E
A
T
H
E
R
S
I
O
R
D
E
R
S
R
O
B
E
R
N
R
U
N
T
O
W
A
R
D
T
E
A
R
D
R
O
P
A
I
S
S
E
E
R
A
C
T
I
V
E
O
R
S
A
V
E
L
Y
S
T
R
E
S
S
S
T
U
B
T
H
L
S
T
R
U
M
B
N
M
O
T
E
L
N
E
L
A
T
E
A
A
L
E
H
E
P
R
I
N
C
E
U
I
A
S
H
U
B
E
T
S
T
Y
L
I
S
T
S
A
N
O
T
H
E
R
D
E
J
U
R
I
S
T
S
O
B
S
C
U
R
E
D
T
A
S
S
T
R
A
A
S
K
E
D
E
N
T
I
B
E
R
M
E
T
A
I
E
T
S
I
D
E
E
D
S
C
E
D
N
F
I
P
I
N
T
E
R
I
M
S
R
E
A
C
H
E
D
V
M
T
R
O
U
N
C
E
O
C
U
L
A
R
L
Y
D
U
D
L
T
R
Y
G
E
C
A
V
O
R
T
A
E
S
O
B
L
L
I
E
M
G
A
E
L
D
E
R
L
T
C
A
T
E
R
A
S
D
I
R
O
N
B
R
A
N
C
H
O
E
I
C
E
D
R
L
I
N
S
E
C
T
O
D
D
S
U
A
G
E
N
T
I
T
L
E
D
O
M
I
S
S
I
O
N
I
A
L
P
E
R
T
A
C
C
E
D
E
S
A
N
A
L
Y
S
I
S
A
U
N
S
U
R
E
R
E
N
D
A
N
G
E
L
D
O
O
M
Y
E
T
E
S
P
P
E
A
R
P
E
N
C
E
B
R
A
N
I
O
P
T
S
F
R
E
C
E
S
S
X
E
W
E
S
T
V
E
S
T
I
G
A
T
E
S
R
T
G
E
U
I
U
S
A
G
E
O
O
P
A
L
A
U
A
E
Y
O
D
E
L
S
D
E
R
I
R
U
N
G
E
E
N
T
E
R
M
O
U
N
T
E
V
O
E
B
E
V
E
L
G
A
L
L
S
I
G
R
I
D
E
X
E
M
P
T
R
N
E
O
M
A
A
D
D
E
R
S
E
T
C
H
R
E
I
S
S
U
E
D
R
S
P
A
C
K
E
R
R
H
R
E
A
P
P
R
O
J
E
C
T
M
O
T
E
L
H
A
S
H
T
R
A
Y
P
E
L
T
T
E
N
E
T
S
D
U
P
P
E
R
H
N
O
V
E
R
S
A
I
S
O
B
A
R
E
V
E
N
R
I
D
I
O
M
E
S
P
R
I
T
E
L
Y
L
T
U
B
E
S
K
R
E
L
Y
A
L
I
V
E
C
P
U
R
G
E
O
S
E
L
O
P
E
I
E
V
E
R
T
L
L
R
T
S
Y
D
W
S
D
R
R
T
R
L
Y
Solution to Crossword 200Solution to last week’s Giant Crossword
Australia Day scene More photos at facebook.com/canberracitynews
At the ACT Order of Australia Association’s breakfast…
Andrea McCourtie, Mark Hassall and Dianne Trewartha Carolyn Forster and Ian McLean
Julie and Chris Long with Elizabeth CoxPhil Perman and Barbara Denham
Barbara Silinis and Jan Johnston
Patsy Hill, Glen Barclay with Russell and Helen Bielenberg
Wayne Goodman, Ann Gration, chairman Len and Joyce Goodman with patron Peter Gration
Julie Wheeler and Laurence O'Donnell
David and Pauline Millar with Jennie and Peter Radtke
Bill and Maria Mason
Janet Walters, Joanne Allen, David Evans and Terrie Ebrill
Renato Cervo, Jim Talley, Margaret Cervo, Shirley Meldrum and Phyllis Talley
Gerd King, Laurelle Cameron, Sue King, Bronwyn Halbisch, Eileen Bryan and Barry Walters
and the Australian American Association’s brunch
RoBERT MACkLIN’S mad at psychiatrists page ��
CityNews January 28 - February 3 ��
sceneInvite us at [email protected]
Mike Bennell, Eleanor Kirkham, Brendan McCaffrie and Laura Jardine Bradley Kunda and Rebecca MacCallion
Libby Rolfe, Pedra Vasquez and Simone Shepherd
Kaz Manny, Jemma Davie and Calli Buhler
Bill Willox and David Carter
Jules Rattenbury, Anna Saboisky and Steven Lawlis
John Benton and Alex Parsons
Frances Corkhill with Jacqui and Avi Robera
At the Pol Roger Sculpture Bar opening, NGA
�4 CityNews January 28 - February 3
THE benefits of dealing directly with an independent optometrist and optical dispenser are many, they say, from a range of style and designs from over the world to reasonable prices and friendly, professional personal treatment from people who are passionate about what they do.
all about eyes advertising feature
Face of high fashion
VISION is so important – it’s the key to freedom, inde-pendence and life, according to Jeff and Shirley White, optical dispensers and owners of Look of Australia.
“Without having your vision corrected you can’t experience the richness of life – for example, I love Beethoven but I would hate to never see a sunset,” Shirley says.
Look of Australia has been based in Bailey’s Arcade since 1995, but Jeff has been in the industry for 45 years.
“To me, what we do is all about ensuring that someone’s vision is properly corrected. It’s not about the latest frames,” says Jeff. “That said, we do stock up-to-the-minute frames as well. Particularly popular are the heavier frames, with thick sides, in a range of colours – it’s a very striking look.”
Jeff says it’s very important that the frames are comfortable and suitable for the person, and he personally ensures that is the case.
The Look of Australia is an independent dispen-sary and Jeff and Shirley say they will go above and beyond for their clients, including delivering to nursing homes and offering a discount rate for repeat customers.
“Ultimately, we promote optics and healthy eyes,” says Jeff. “The importance of good vision can’t be understated.”
Look�of�Australia,�Baileys�Corner�Arcade,�Civic.�Call�6257�1709.
Vision the key to freedom
Out there and having funPEOPLE aren’t trying to hide the fact they wear glasses any more – they’re having fun with their choice of frames, according to Greg King, qualified optical dispenser and owner of Greg King Eyewear.
“Everyone seems to be looking for something that’s a little bit differ-ent,” he says. “Frames with a shot of colour are very popular at the moment.
“We carry designs that aren’t stocked anywhere else, and as we’re independent, we’re not affiliated to any particular designer – so we can offer a completely unbiased view.
“We just want to ensure our clients get the best possible product for
their vision needs that looks great, too.”
Greg King Eyewear has been based at Centrepoint for 26 years, and Greg says that they sell good quality frames at reasonable prices.
“We have a qualified optometrist on the premises so we can take care of the whole process, from professional, reliable eye testing to finding the best pair of glasses for our clients.
“Eyes are important – we want to help our clients look after them properly,” says Greg.
Greg�King�Eyewear,�Ground�Level,�Centre�Point,�Canberra�City.�Call�6247�2057.
EYEWEAR is becoming as much about making a fashion statement as it is about being able to see well, says Adam Skelton, from Vision City.
“It used to be that people who needed glasses would be happy if the frames fitted and they could see – but that’s no longer the case,” he says.
“Now people are using eyewear to express themselves.”
There is a big difference between the sexes when it comes to choosing frames, too, according to Adam.
“Men buy, they don’t shop!” says Adam. “They’re more likely to choose a frame that looks good and just go with it. Women like to look around for a while and try on many pairs before
they make a decision.”Vision City is an independent optical
dispensary, which stocks around 95 per cent of the fashion distributors available in Australia, Adam says.
“Our racks are full of unusual styles – clients comment all the time that we have an eclectic range,” Adam says.
Adam says that Vision City aims to educate and inform its clients – from the lenses and frames available to what suits their face shape and lifestyle.
“We want everyone to leave feeling confident and happy with their choice,” he says.
Vision�City,�Canberra�House,�West�Row,�Canberra�City.�Call�6249�7559.
WIN FREE TICKETS‘CityNews’ has a double pass, valued at $130, to the Underground Opera Company’s Valentine’s Day performance at Jenolan Caves on February 14. The company is performing selections from “Carmen”, “La Boheme”, “Turandot” and “Les Miz”. The winner will be drawn at midday on Monday, February 4 and notified by email.Competition details are at www.citynews.com.au
CityNews January 28 - February 3 ��
ARTS IN THE CITYBy Helen Musa
all about living arts | multicultural festival | cinema | puzzles | horoscope
IN the various metropolitan papers I have worked for, the chief of staff usually has a list of experts we can go to for comment on stories that arise in particular disciplines.
On one paper, anything to do with “mental health” resulted in a call to Dr X who could be relied upon to couch his comment in the high-sounding jargon of his profession.
However, when you asked him what it all meant in layman’s terms, he would go “off the record” and into a wild rant. When he finally calmed down he would say: “So to answer your question, Robert, I haven’t the faintest idea. It’s not an exact science, you know.”
No argument on that one. In fact, I am beginning to doubt whether it
deserves the description of “science” at all. And since Canberrans are among the biggest consumers of psychiatric services in the nation, I fear that – to put it bluntly – we are at the forefront of those being led down the garden path.
Like most big families, we have had a personal experience with the profes-sion here. It has not been reassuring. The truth is that psychiatry is at war with itself. One side favours feeding the patient drugs to counter the symptoms while the other prefers psychoanalysis – talk sessions – pioneered by Sigmund
Freud and popularised by Hollywood. This is designed to discover the “root cause” of the disorder in the patient’s background. It has a strike rate of cures roughly equal to your winning Lotto.
Most psychiatrists go for a combina-tion of the two and, in addition, the profession as a whole – in Canberra, at least – approves “electric shock therapy”. They have no idea why the patient is affected by the electric shocks. They do know it causes memory loss, but they haven’t the faintest clue how many precious brain cells they destroy in the process.
To add spice to this mess, a commit-tee of American psychiatrists is rewrit-ing the universally employed handbook – the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” – which labels conditions and thereby determines what treatment should be employed. Trouble is, symptoms and their severity defy labelling. For example, the current handbook lists 114 different combina-tions of symptoms that could lead to a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
All this is confused enough, but according to recent articles in “New Scientist” the most common disorder among Canberrans – bipolar or “manic depression” as it used to be called – may actually be caused by a virus. This discovery suggests that it is present in our DNA and may surface-
like shingles, for example, at a certain time of life when the sufferer is under stress.
This is good news. It means that researchers can begin the quest for an anti-viral treatment that removes the psychiatric element in favour of the GP’s surgery. It’s exactly the kind of good news that turned the treatment of stomach ulcers on its head when the Australian Nobel laureates Robin Warren and Barry Marshall discovered they were caused by bacteria. In a single stroke they destroyed decades of professional mumbo jumbo by ulcer “specialists”.
Meantime, the Dr Xs of the world take us dancing down that garden path.
HAVE you ever met a single psychiatrist who wasn’t just a little round the twist? RoBERT MACkLIN has. He was barking mad.
Being led dancing down garden path
Underground operaWHEN I received an email recently from Bruce Edwards, of the Under-ground Opera Company, I was expecting something radical and edgy. Not really. The company is quite literally performing selec-tions from “Carmen,” “La Boheme,” “Turandot” and “Les Miz” underground in the Grand Arch and Temple of Baal at Jenolan Caves on February 13-14. The brain-child of former miner and opera buff Edwards, the company has already done concerts in the Capricorn Caves, Rockhampton, and the Prophet Gold Mine, Kilkivan. After Jenolan it will be Wellington. Edwards says: “A lot of our sites are natural amphitheatres... no bells and whistles, just pure voices.” Tickets�from�Ticketmaster,�Showbiz.com�and�the�Jenolan�Caves.������
Tenor Glenn C Lorimer, of the Underground Opera Company, prepares for his performance at at Jenolan Caves on February 13-14.
CANBERRA Theatre Centre staff are over the moon at news that the sold-out show “Pennies from Kevin” is coming back from March 11 to 13 after its opening season in February. Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe, Phillip Scott and Virginia Gay all star in vignettes such as “Kevin Potter and the Lower Chamber of Secrets”, which I caught on Radio National recently and which features other fetching characters such as Hermione Gillard and Malcolm Malfoy. Tickets�go�on�sale�on�February�1.
TWENTY of the country’s emerging talents have been enjoying a week of mentoring with top artists at the ANU, part of the 2010 Australian Talented Youth Project. Students, many of whom come from regional areas of Australia, were paired with artists including pianist Geof-
frey Lancaster, soprano Louise Page, jazz musician John Mackey and filmmaker Che Baker. Past graduates have been accepted to perform with the Bangarra Dance Thea-
tre and Cirque du Soleil. Executive director Jolanta Gallagher from the ANU School of Music says that for many of them, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with professional artists.
QUEANBEYAN City Council is embarking on a radical upgrade to the look and feel of the town. One of the first ventures is the new Riverside coffee shop near Quean-beyan Art Gallery, in Trinculo Place, under the bridge. The Queanbeyan Art Society’s summer show can still be seen there until January 30.
IN late news: "Sound Out 2010," a festival of free improvisation and new music, will play at Street Theatre 2 on January 31 in two sessions at 1 pm and 4.30 pm. It's an amazing line-up with the Experimenta Quintet from Argentina, Clayton Thomas and Clare Cooper from Berlin, the Streifen-junko Duo from Norway, Jim Denley and Kim Myhr from Sydney and Norway, and a Canberra contingent comprised of Richard Johnson, Cameron Deyell and guests. Bookings�6247�1223.
“Kevin Potter” in “Pennies from Kevin”
‘Pennies’ is popping back
WIN: “CityNews” has a double pass to be won at citynews.com.au/competitions.
�� CityNews January 28 - February 3
“I’M not sure where we’re heading,” says Nic Manikis, the director of Multicultural Affairs for the ACT Government. “But it’s going to be a good jolly old knees-up.”
“We’ve got the community revved up,” he adds, mentioning about 300-odd groups who are setting up food stalls around Civic Square for the popular Food and Dance Spectacular on Feb-ruary 6. Manikis is talking about the 2010 National Multicultural Festival, a lightning-quick event compared to the multicultural festivals we’ve been used to.
Now it’s very much a celebratory weekend, or as ACT Minister for Multicultural Affairs Joy Burch, puts it: “A marvellous celebra-tion of inclusiveness, unity, harmony and goodwill.”
The city centre, Ms Burch predicts, will be transformed into “one of the biggest stages in Australia, drawing performers and visitors from across the nation and globe,
The headliner events look colourful and varied, kicking off with “Mura Wakay” (“One Voice”) in Garema Place on Febru-ary 5, starring singers Deni Hines, Melinda Schneider, Paulini and Emma Donovan.
Events inherited from previous festivals include the “Pacific Islander Showcase” and “Carnival in the City” on February 6.
Sunday crams in the Greek Glendi, the “Contact Canberra” expo, “India in the City” and “Chinese New Year in the City”, culminating in the traditional “Chinese New Year Dragon Boat Challenge”.
Multicultural music will be played by Anton Wurzer and Lachlan Coventry, Clankenstein, DJ Gosper, Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys, The Rhythm Hunters, Italmania, The Beez and Sol Nation. As well, artist Nasser Palangi will be producing a
There’s a lot to fit into the lightning-quick Multicultural Festival weekend, says arts editor HELEN MUSA.
The fast
AUSTRALIAN Women’s Cricket Team player Lisa Sthalekar, Face of the Festival, with children from Hughes primary school. She will launch the 2010 Muliticultural Festival with Minister Joy Burch at the Global Concert and Multicultural Night Markets on Friday, February 5. She will also be a guest at other events during the festival.
multicultural festival
Face of festival
CityNews January 28 - February 3 �7
festival of fun
“live painting” on a large canvas and there will be multicultural workshops and public lectures at the ANU.
Then there are the “external events,” some of which, like the comedy show “Show Us Your Roots” and the film festival “Windows on Europe” have been associated with the festival for some years.
In the film festival at Dendy Cinemas from February 6 to 14, the European Union brings together 17 award-winning films from Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, France and many more countries.
In addition, the Australian-Bulgarian Association “Rodina” will stage an international concert called “Music, Dances and Weddings” on the lawns of the Botanic Gardens. Craft ACT has exhibitions by hybrid artist Emily Valentine and glass artist Jonathan Baskett who now lives and works in Mexico.
Phew. It sounds like a lot to fit into a weekend, but it’s a pity that time and budget permit no room for drama and more music.
The�National�Multicultural�Festival�runs�from�February�5-7.�For�the�full�program�visit�www.multiculturalfestival.com.au
By Helen Musa
IT’S time for Australia’s most irreverent art show to kick off again as the 2010 Bald Archy Exhibition, the only one in the world judged by a cockatoo, opens at the Watson Arts Centre.
"It looks like being a bumper year," said founder-director, Peter Batey, who predicts that this year’s entries will feature as subjects, personalities such as Wilson Tuckey, Kerri-Anne Kennerley, John Singleton, Peter Garrett and The Wiggles. However, he and Maude the cockatoo are disturbed at what they say is a surfeit of Tony Abbotts, so are planning a little delicate culling.
It’s not the first time that the Bald Archy – satire’s answer to the Archibald Prize – has suffered an embarrassment of riches in some
areas. Once there were too many Kerry Pack-ers. Then there was the year of Pauline Hanson. More recently, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been favoured. Refinement and taste go against the ethos of the Archy, but repetition is boring.
This year a fund-raising preview of the col-lection will be held on February 4 from 6.30pm for the Canberra-based Hope Foundation, of which of which Batey is patron. He will give an entertaining introduction to the 2010 show. Bookings 6286 3337.
The exhibition opens on February 5 as one of the headliners of the National Multicul-tural Festival and will be on view daily until Canberra Day, March 8. The winner will be announced at the Sydney ABC Ultimo Centre on April Fool's Day.
"Picking a Prime Minister" (2009) by Penny George (Queensland).
"Heath Ledger's Joker" (2009) by Peter Moore (Canton Beach).
Bumper for the Baldies
Deni Hines.
Emma Donovan.
Melinda Schneider. Paulini.
cover story
�� CityNews January 28 - February 3
CityNews January 28 - February 3 �9
“NINE” (PG)
THE 7000+ movies I’ve reviewed include trivial, unworthy, ill-made, agreeable but not memorable, satisfying, challenging (my favourites) and occasionally great. Rob Marshall’s “Nine” sits in my mental reposi-tory for films that simply delighted me.
In the late Anthony Minghella’s adaptation of a not over-successful Broadway musical investigating the anatomy of film-making in 1960s Italy, popular director Guido (a power-ful performance from Daniel Day-Lewis) hasn’t written a screenplay because he can’t decide what to write about. A production team at Cinecitta is booked to start shooting 10 days hence.
Guido meets or remembers the women in his life in musical numbers illuminating the blocks from which a film gets built. In flashbacks to childhood, Sophia Loren in her 80s is magical as his mother and Fergie is powerful and earthy as Serafina whose body has been used well, but not too wisely. Penelope Cruz is Guido’s erotic plaything whose emotions are dangerously fragile. Nicole Kidman is a glamorous star weary of playing the same character. As a “Vogue” reporter who will sleep with any celeb for a story, Kate Hudson redeems herself after several bad movies.
“Nine” looks spectacular, its text is great, but its best merit comes from how it uses cinema’s end product to analyse its own creation. For me, its richest pleasures were Judi Dench, as Guido’s costumier, giving a
breathtaking performance of a 1930’s-style cabaret number about glamour and Marion Cotillard’s plaintive, angry number about a philandering husband who makes movies.
At�all�Canberra�cinemas “IN THE LOOP” (MA)
TUCKER (Peter Capaldi) the British Gov-ernment’s director of communications, throws a major wobbly when Minister for International Development Foster (Tom Hollander) tells an interviewer that war is unforeseeable.
Trans-Atlantic bureaucratic panics develop. Under Tucker’s attempts to divert media attention, Whitehall sinks deeper into the morass. The US sees an opportunity to use the Brits to its advantage. A junior State Department staffer tells a superior of a paper about future war. No matter that it doesn’t exist. Committees formed by both Governments rush to locate it.
In Canberra particularly, “In the Loop” may well generate scorn-driven mirth. It all could have been great fun if Jesse Armstrong’s screenplay had cleaned up its act. Tucker’s vocabulary is a blocked sewer. Words that pre-pubescent schoolgirls now use freely no longer have power to shock for amusement’s sake. A film trying to lampoon upper levels of bureaucracy devolves into
something that on TV would encourage you to change channels or open a book.
At�Dendy
“INVICTUS” (PG)
CLINT Eastwood’s emotionally intense film tells how Nelson Mandela used rugby to unite South Africa’s 43 million black and white people after apartheid ended.
It’s not necessary to be a rugby fan to sense the power of that beautiful man building a newly-born but fragile polity that might crack under pressure from either side. Morgan Freeman’s portrayal (reportedly at Mandela’s personal request) is sublime. Matt Damon looks, plays and speaks impressively as Springbok captain Francois Pienaar, whom Mandela enlisted to lift the team to unite the nation by winning the 1995 World Cup.
Eastwood is not a director who plays games with history and while he may have tweaked events and places to help the film flow, the result is convincingly bold. He presses the right buttons, particularly when the players and their wives take a ferry to the low-lying island off Table Bay and the cell in which Mandela, motivated by William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus”, spent 27 years preparing to lead his nation out of its dreadful separateness.
The film finishes with a bruising re-crea-tion of the 1995 final when the Boks beat the All Blacks in cliff-hanging extra time. Rugby purists may find minor faults, but it’s still a great match.
At�all�Canberra�cinemas
arts&entertainment
CINEMABy Dougal Macdonald
When the night air fills with music NO wonder entrepreneur Carl Rafferty is waxing lyrical – he’s about to stage this year's “Opera by Candlelight” at Stage 88 in Commonwealth Park.
“When the birdsong fades at twilight,” he enthuses, “Twenty-five of Australia’s finest operatic voices will fill the night air with the best tunes from the great operas.”
Rafferty has booked NZ tenor James Adams, the Hudson broth-ers from Brisbane, Sydney soprano Samantha Warhurst and his daughter Kate. Expect atmosphere but no surprises.
There'll be “The Pearlfishers” duet, the “Flower Duet” from “Lakme”, Musetta’s Waltz from “La Boheme” and what Rafferty calls “the big tunes from ‘Turandot’ and ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’.” And some people's choices.
The idea is to bring a picnic and champagne to the park at 8pm on February 6 and 7pm on February 7. Gates open at 5.30pm. Tickets must be pre-booked by phone on 1300 306776 or at www.operabycandlelight.com
– Helen Musa
IN this solo exhibition, her second since graduating from the ANU School of Art in 2007, Katrina Barter has inverted the traditional presentations of paper and cloth. Paper, more usually the repository of memory via the printed word, is recycled, hand made, stitched together, embroidered and embellished with ink, hair, textile fragments, kenaf yarn and kakishibu ramie in a large-scale plinth work, mimicking the blocks of a patchwork quilt. Raw calico on the other hand, traditionally used for clothing and home furnishings, is presented on the wall as paper, printed with a variety of mediums and overlaid with text.
The appearance of the finished “fabric-as-paper” works belies the complexity of their making. Barter has her underlying thesis an intellectual musing on the universal nature of
cloth and paper and our relationship to them over time, but is almost entirely guided by process, allowing the works to lead into each stage of the making.
Taking up to a month per dye bath, the works have been eco-printed in multiple stages with combinations of onion skin, fortified wine, rock conglomerate, vinegar, steel, red wine, copper and camellia blossoms. The text, words such as “now”, “before”, “then” and “after” is laid on with aquarelle watercolour pencils and ink after the dyeing processes are completed.
A spectacular delight
Working paper and cloth
"Soon" (detail) eco-print (red wine, copper, steel), aquarelle and ink on calico with unpicking.
VISUAL ART“Tracing Time” Katrina Barter, ANCA Gallery, until January 31. Reviewed by Anni Doyle Wawrzynczak
‘CityNews’ winners: Readers who have each won a double ticket to the opening night of “Menopause the Musical” at Q, Qyeanbeyan, are: DJ Gosper, of Weston; Cristina Arganese, Bruce; Melissa Johnson, Wanniassa; Janet Savona, Nicholls; Elizabeth Downey, Kingston.
The winner of the Bounce Life Coaching, valued at $950, was Lyndal-Joy Thompson, of Hackett.
�0 CityNews January 28 - February 3
general knowledge crossword No. 246
ACROSS4 What are preliminary drawings, sketches or the like?7 Name an implement edged with rubber, used for removing water from washed windows, etc.8 What is the dark, dense, igneous rock of a lava flow?9 Which storey of a building is located underground?11 What is a form of chemical element having the same atomic number, but a different atomic weight?13 Name an aromatic root extensively used in herbal medicine.15 What is a general pardon for offences against a government?17 What was the second son of Pitt the "Elder" known as?20 Which SA city was named after the wife of William IV?23 Which term describes measurement in one dimension only?24 What is another word for violent storms?25 Informally, to turn informer, is to what?
DOWN1 Which colour is blue-green or greenish blue?2 Name the upper oblique faces of brilliant cut gems.3 What is an alternative term for a hideous fairy-tale monster?4 What, broadly are IOUs?5 Which Australian airline collapsed in 2001/02?6 Name a large showy, cup-shaped and bell-shaped, colourful flower.9 What is the offence of purporting to marry whilst a valid prior marriage subsists?10 What do we call an excessively stingy person?12 Name a protein capable of catalysing a chemical reaction.
14 To which species of animal does the fly belong?16 What is the hard, glossy, outer structure of the teeth?18 Name the constellation near Gemini and Taurus.19 Which is the third planet from the sun?21 Name the large, mostly deciduous trees of the genus Ulmus.22 What are the smaller components of the morse code?
Solution next week
Sudoku is an 81- square number grid with nine blocks each containing nine cells. To solve the puzzle, all the blank cells must be filled in using numbers from 1 to 9. Each number can only appear once in each row, column and in the nine 3x3 blocks. You can success-fully solve the puzzle just by using logic and the process of elimination.
Solution next week
Sudoku medium No.24
Solution Sudoku hard No.23
Solution Crossword No.245
your week in the stars With Joanne Madeline Moore February 1 - 7
LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
Personal or family problems that were unresolved in November could resurface and demand to be addressed. Sweeping them under the carpet won’t solve anything. Now is the time to bite the bullet and make some firm decisions. Thursday is your fun day of the week as you bask in the glow of love, romance, friendship and popularity.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
Pluto (your boss planet) and Saturn are at odds again and will contribute to your lagging confidence and frustrated ambitions. The secret to success at the moment is learning to let go. Keep what’s working in your life and discard what isn’t – the trick is knowing which is which! Opportunities for growth will come from friends and local contacts.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Is money too tight to mention? Sagittarians are the big spenders of the zodiac but now is the time to hunker down, conserve your financial resources and eliminate the superflu-ous from your life. The stars suggest one way to boost your bank balance is by starting a small home-based business. Turn your passion into profit!
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
Saturn (your ruling planet) and Pluto form difficult aspects again. Challenges that weren’t resolved back in November could surface again. Between now and August you need to ‘prune’ your life and remove all the people, possessions, beliefs and attitudes that have passed their used-by date. Only then can abundant new growth begin.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Aquarians have ambitious aspirations for the future. Don’t be disappointed if they are taking much longer than you expected to manifest. The Universe is asking you to go back to square one and start planning all over again. You’re at your controversial best on Saturday as you turn a few heads and ruffle a few feathers.
PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
Being adaptable is what’s needed at the mo-ment – and that is your specialty. One month into the new year, you need to take a second look at your goals and dreams for 2010. Make them a more honest reflection of the real you. And don’t sell yourself short – with Jupiter in your sign, believe in yourself and aim for the stars!
Copyright�Joanne�Madeline�Moore�2009.
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Rams love to rush full speed ahead but the current planetary aspects don’t encourage haste. If your actions are blocked, or a relationship has hit a brick wall, use it as an opportunity to re-group, re-plan and re-energise. You thrive on confrontation but pick your battles carefully because – in the short term – you’re unlikely to win.
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
Are work or relationship challenges wearing you down? The more you resist, the more the problems will persist. It’s time to shed the dead wood in your life so you can move on. Your motto for the next seven days? Go with the flow and learn to let go! Thursday is the best day of the week to mix business and pleasure.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
Take setbacks in your stride this week, Gemini. Your adaptable approach will help you sail through annoying hitches and glitches that come along. Friendships will be put to the test as you sort out who really has your best inter-ests at heart. A loved one tells you something in confidence but can you be trusted to keep a secret?
CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
Flexibility is the key to a happy week. There’ll be opportunities to release old emotional baggage from the past. If you hold onto grudges, it will adversely affect your current relationships. Work on building bridges and nurturing loved ones. Thursday is the prime day of the week for Cancer cuddles, kisses and convivial conversation.
LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
Work and romance are a frustrating mix – you just can’t seem to do either well at the moment! If you rearrange your priorities, you’ll meet with less resistance. Leo rules the heart and you have so much love to give. Your inspirational quote for the week is from Charles Dickens: “A loving heart is the truest wisdom.”
VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
Mid-week you’ll worry about getting things just right, but don’t expect others to share your enthusiasm for perfection. They’ll be too busy dealing with their own problems and obsessions! Don’t be afraid of making mistakes and being less than perfect. As James Joyce (born on Feb 2) reminds us, “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
7
9
13
17
23
25
1
18
2
14
3
19
20
24
10
11
15
4
8
21
5
16
6
22
12
D R A P E R O A SO O H U M I D I T Y
C U C K O O E O AS E D A N D R U F F
D E C R E E E FA S A T I R I S TL I H D
S O F T W A R E LB I O C T E T S
F L E T C H E R A UO H A E X C I S E
I N T E R C O M K KG S K S H Y E S T
CityNews January 28 - February 3 ��
property
THE 38 blocks in the final release in the last stage of Royalla Estate are on the market.
Situated 10 minutes from Calwell shops, Royalla’s block sizes range from 20,000sqm to 145,000sqm and come with fully sealed roads, under-ground three-phase electricity to the front gate, a licensed bore or dam, full fencing on all boundaries, feature entry
gates to each block and many kilometres of scenic horse riding trails.
The entire estate is freehold land with no time limit to build and has no community title restrictions. This means that, unlike many surrounding rural estates, owners are able to have horses and other livestock on each block and truly get to enjoy the freedom of living on the land.
Last chance for rural blocks
CANBERRANS thinking of buying property in NSW need to be aware that its Office of Fair Trading has removed the need for building consultants to be licensed to perform pre-purchase building inspections for buyers or sellers, leaving consumers – especially buy-ers – vulnerable, says Bruce Cohen.
Mr Cohen, owner of Can-berra-based property inspection company Property Works, which inspects properties in NSW (Ulla-dulla to the far south coast) and in the ACT and surrounding regions, says it means inspectors don’t have to pass rigorous testing to perform this specialised work.
“Virtually anyone can do it,” he says.
“In NSW, inspectors must still comply with the Australian Standard for building inspection (AS 4349.1), although there is no longer any way to enforce it through licensing.
“So it is now only a question of what qualifications they bring to the table in assessing properties against the standard and whether they write clear, meaningful reports.
“It is a concern since inspecting houses and buildings is an area of expertise in its own right. Not even all builders have extensive experience in understanding the faults that can occur after construction.”
Inspector warns of changes
Address: Royalla Station Country Estate, Royalla. Inspection: Saturday and Sunday between 1pm and 5pm. Signs from Monaro Highway to Royalla Drive. Price: from $459,000.Contact: 6297 7911.
�� CityNews January 28 - February 3
CityNews January 28 - February 3 ��
�4 CityNews January 28 - February 3
