THE ACT Playgroups Association will be celebrating Children’s Week by holding their 15th annual PlayFEST.

They are inviting parents, carers and children under six to join them for the event. PlayFEST offers adults the chance to gather important information and parenting resources and for the children there will be lots of free, exciting, fun play-based activities and entertainment.

Noah’s Ark farm animal petting zoo will be there, as well as some reptiles from the National Zoo and Aquarium and two story tellers, the fabulous Mollie B and Larry Brandy, an Aboriginal storyteller from the Wiradjuri people.

Senator Zed Seselja will be attending and Constable Kenny Koala of the Australian Federal Police and the ACT Fire Brigade will be visiting too.

Other attractions include include a merry-go-round, painting and craft activities, an obstacle course, music and dancing as well as lots of old fashioned games like coits, bocce, hopscotch and hula hoops. There will also be face painting and dress-ups or children can come already dressed up in their own costumes.

There’ll be free milk for the children provided by Canberra Milk and coffee for the Mums and Dads to buy as well as a sausage sizzle. Families may bring a picnic lunch and eat out under the trees. Baby nursing and change rooms will be provided.

PlayFEST is happening on Tuesday October 27 from 10am to 1pm at 41 Templeton Street Cook, ACT.

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THE National Portrait Gallery has gone for two prizes in this year’s Macquarie Digital Portraiture Awards, it has announced by the director of the Macquarie Group Collection, Helen Burton.

Still from the digital portrait ‘Untitled’ by Isabelle de Kleine

The professional development cash prize for entrants aged 18 and over has been awarded to Ilya Milstein from Victoria for his work “The Wandering Jew,” while the winner of the professional development residency, for entrants aged 18 to 30, is Isabelle de Kleine, also from Victoria, for her work “Untitled”.

Milstein will receive $10,000 from the gallery, made possible through the support of the Macquarie Group Foundation and de Kleine will undertake a multifaceted professional development program at The Edge in the State Library of Queensland, one of Australia’s leading centres for the development of contemporary art across digital technologies, valued at $15,000.

Still from the digital portrait ‘The Wandering Jew’ by Ilya Milstein

NPG senior curator Christopher Chapman said, “Ilya Milstein’s portrayal is dreamlike in its complexity, taut and suspenseful…Isabelle de Kleine has created a cool and enigmatic portrait with sci-fi overtones. Both winning portraits convey strong psychological intensity.’”

The other finalists were Joel Burrows and Tina Havelock Stevens from NSW, Devika Bilimoria from Victoria and Jacobus Capone from Wa. Their digital works, together with those by the winners, forms the Macquarie Digital Portraiture Award exhibition.

Judges for the awards were Dr Chapman, curator of photography at the NGA Anne O’Hehir, contemporary artist Nell and the gallery’s director of access and learning, Karen Vickery.

In 2015, the scope of the award was expanded, with entries to those over the age of 30 years. This saw a 50 per cent increase in the number of eligible entries received, with 96 of 160 of those who registered to enter aged over 30.

The Macquarie Digital Portraiture Award 2015 will be at the National Portrait Gallery until April 25 next year.

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FAST-RISING Canberra art writer, Claire Capel-Stanley, is the winner of the Canberra Glassworks’ “New Glass 2015 Writing Competition”, it was announced last night.

Claire Capel-Stanley last night

Capel-Stanley, former writing resident at M16Art6space in Griffith, is a lively member of the visual art writing community, contributing to a variety of different online and print publications, including the new Canberra-based online arts magazine, “Topical Ointment.” She is also a member of the Canberra Critics’ Circle

Writers in the ACT were asked to critically respond to the exhibition, “New Glass 2015: Archaeology, Excavation and the Arcane”. Capel-Stanley won a $500 cash prize and her essay will be published in the Canberra Glassworks online exhibition catalogue.

“New Glass 2015: Archaeology, Excavation and the Arcane” is at the Canberra Glassworks until 30 August 30.

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ACT Policing Criminal Investigation detectives are investigating an aggravated robbery that occurred in Spence this morning (Saturday, 29 August 2015).

Around 4.35am, a man using a hammer forced his way into the 7 Eleven store on the corner of Clarey Crescent and Glassey Place, Spence and produced a pistol while making demands for cash.

The employee complied with the demands and the man fled the store with a sum of cash. No one was injured during the robbery.

The man is described as Caucasian in appearance, around 175cm (5’9”) in height with a thin build. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie, dark sunglasses, dark coloured pants with light coloured shoes.

Police are urging anyone who may have been in the area around the 7 Eleven in Spence at the time and may have noticed suspicious activity to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the website act.crimestoppers.com.au. Information may be provided anonymously.

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Sian Harrington as Little Red Riding Hood. Photo by Andrew Finch

As with all Sondheim musicals, it demands good vocal technique and excellent enunciation from the actors.

It says much for the success of Richard Block’s impressive production that most of his cast meet these demands, with enthusiastic, well-delineated characterisations that not only allow the audience to savour Sondheim’s brilliant lyrics, but capture the humour as well as the darkness inherent in the  intriguing, convoluted storyline.

Among the strong ensemble cast, Veronica Thwaites-Brown as the Baker’s Wife, Sian Harrington as Little Red Riding Hood, Phillipa Murphy as Cinderella, and Alexander Clubb as Cinderella’s Prince, who was “bred to be charming, not sincere”, all give strong performances.

Kelly Roberts is outstanding as The Witch, both before and after her transformation, making every line of her dialogue count, and singing her difficult songs superbly.

Colourful costumes and props, together with an impressive set, courtesy of Victorian Opera, add sheen to the production. Full marks also to musical director, Damien Slingsby, who accomplishes an excellent balance between the singers and orchestra. An added bonus is the opportunity to sample Gungahlin College’s cosy new community theatre.

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THE ACT Cabinet has announced that it will open the cabinet process by live streaming with the social media tool Periscope. It might be a “world first” to Periscope into cabinet as another consultation device, but it confronts cabinet secrecy.

Michael Moore.

Periscope and other media tools have a growing place in our community. They facilitate communication. This particular social media tool allows Twitter followers to watch a live streamed video of cabinet and to make comments via Twitter.

The Barr government has recognised the importance of social media and it is working hard to make it play a constructive role. It runs parallel with cabinet “pop up” consultation processes in town centres.

However, this should not be confused with open government. It does not get around the secrecy of government decisions.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr is keen on social media. As pointed out in this column in May, @ABarrMLA had nearly 8000 followers – it is now closer to 8800.

At the time he explained: “Social media is an incredibly important tool in communicating with a broad range of constituents, particularly younger people and the growing number who do not engage with traditional media.”

As a consultation process it does provide an additional dimension. The Periscope Cabinet can be followed from 7.30pm to 8.30pm, on August 31 using the twitter handle #CBRCabinet.

However, it is not about open cabinet. Credit is due to the Labor government that has taken some steps to opening the decisions of cabinet. In July, 2011, the decision was made to publish the “Summary of Cabinet Outcomes”. These can easily be found with a simple Google search.

Publishing an oversight of the decisions is an important step forward – but there are considerable limitations. According to the Cabinet website the decisions “are not intended to be a detailed set of minutes and do not cover all matters considered by Cabinet.

“Among the matters not covered are materials considered in the formation of the ACT Budget, commercial and industrial matters under negotiation as well as matters that would impact personal privacy, security and the ACT economy.

“Nothing in this document can be considered a waiver of the government’s executive privilege.”

Protecting Budget decisions and personal privacy are reasonable. The same applies to consideration of commercial matters that are, for example, part of a tender process. However, other commercial, security and economic matters are the very things that usually interest the community.

For the July 21 Cabinet meeting, for example we know the Cabinet did consider and endorse widening of Majura Road, noted some issues the Chief Minister would take to the COAG retreat (without identifying the actual positions), considered the “Spring 2015 Legislative Program” (without identifying what was in it) and endorsed the government’s response to Assembly Committee reports (without indicating what the responses might be). They also approved a series of appointments including acting judges for the Supreme Court (without identifying who they might be).

Real openness would be providing genuine access to cabinet documents. Currently section 7.4 of the “Cabinet Handbook (2013)” facilitates “the public release of Cabinet papers 10 years after they have been considered by Cabinet”. However the Cabinet Secretariat can restrict accessible executive documents.

Open access may actually take 20 years!

Section 7.5 “creates a general right of access to directorate records, including documents of the ACT executive, after 20 years”. Freedom of Information Legislation is applicable – but “cabinet-in-confidence” is a standard reason for denying access.

It is positive that the Barr government is using Periscope to open its consultation process with regard to the Cabinet. As a member of the Legislative Assembly, I unsuccessfully proposed creating a much more accountable and open government by making the cabinet papers available after five years. I cannot remember a single cabinet document where this would have created a problem. The community is still waiting.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health. He can be followed on Twitter @mmoore50

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THE ACT Government has abandoned its widely unpopular redevelopment of the land around the Yarralumla Brickworks, replacing it with a more restrained plan that’s been welcomed cautiously by the Yarralumla Residents Association.

The Government has scaled back the redevelopment from 1180 new residences to a new maximum of 340 and reduced the maximum height of dwellings from eight storeys to three storeys, which is line with community requests and no longer contravenes the government’s own planning rules.

Thanking the efforts of its members, local residents and people across who have raised concerns during recent years, the association says that “such efforts have made the government rethink what had been a series of unacceptable proposals.”

“We hope this marks a new era of improved government consultation with across the ACT.”

“The YRA is particularly pleased that the walking circuit that follows the ‘Old Uriarra Track’ and links Yarralumla to Dunrossil Drive will now be retained.

“Big winners from the government’s announcement of a smaller scale development appear to be the Golden Sunmoth, the native grasslands and the Governor-General, all now lying outside the designated boundary. The Governor-General will not face the prospect of having to share a driveway with the brickworks.

“Other big winners are future residents not being forced into an inappropriate grid design on the site, Canberrans who support the principles of the Griffin plan, and local residents that may have been subject to rat running through the suburbs.

“While cautiously optimistic about the government’s new proposal, we are yet to see the details of street layout and location of residential sites within the new precinct boundaries. We also need more details on the protection of the public realm and funding for the brickworks, which should be at the heart of the development.

“The development will also exacerbate the current congestion on Dudley Street, and put additional pressure on the Yarralumla shops (which suffer a chronic shortage of car spaces). We will continue to press the government on how to resolve these issues.”

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SHANE Rattenbury has joined Grand Master Neal Hardy, President of Kung Fu Wushu ACT to launch the new ‘Overcoming Challenges Program’ for older adults and people with disabilities.

“It was fantastic to be part of the launch of this great initiative. Encouraging older adults and people with disabilities to participate in sport and recreation activities is a priority for the ACT Government and this program offers an exciting opportunity for Canberrans,” Shane said.

“Kung Fu Wushu is often considered an activity for younger participants, however this program demonstrates that this is an activity for people of all ages and abilities that has a range of health and wellbeing benefits.

“The program was launched with the support of a $2,500 ACT Government Grant through the 2015 Community Sport and Recreation Development Program.

“This funding will assist in the development of supporting resources and training for instructors to deliver the program, as well as to raise awareness of the program.

Three of Kung Fu Wushu ACT’s member clubs are taking part in the Overcoming Challenges program including:

• Sifu Allan Graham of Canberra Wing Chun Academy;
• Sifu David Crook of Bac Fu Do Kung Fu; and
• Sifu Neal Hardy of Fire Dragon Australia (Pai Lum Kung Fu).

“I’m proud that Sport and Recreation are supporting these types of small but important initiatives that really help to keep all Canberrans active and engaged with their community.”

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JOY Burch has announced restrictions will be introduced on the hours that lottery products can be sold to avoid having them available in retail shops 24 hours a day.

From Monday 7 September 2015, the hours of sale for lottery products in the ACT will be restricted to between 5:00am and 9:00pm every day.

“I was concerned that lottery products were going to be available for sale 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Joy said.

“I believe the community would consider this to be inappropriate, as no other gambling product in the ACT is available through retail shops at all hours of the night.

“I know from my discussions with newsagents that they were also concerned about the unfair advantage 24 hour lottery product trade would give to service stations.

“That is why I have instructed the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission to take this regulatory action.

“As Minister, I will continue to monitor this situation to ensure harm minimisation is being maintained in the sale of lottery products.”

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THE Property Council’s ACT Executive Director, Catherine Carter says the ACT Government’s back down on plans to redevelop the entire Northbourne Avenue public housing precinct may compromise amenity and liveability along Canberra’s gateway.

The Land Development Agency has agreed to retain 17 of the run-down 1960s buildings, which will now be incorporated into nearby developments of more than 1,100 dwellings for private sale.

“The Property Council was a strong supporter of the ACT Government’s decision to demolish the precinct, and our long-held view is that Canberra will get the best outcomes if the entire area is redeveloped,” Catherine says.

“We retain the view that these buildings are in a dilapidated state, are an unsightly welcome to Canberra, and will need a small fortune spent to upgrade them to meet contemporary building standards. We are also skeptical about heritage value of such poor quality examples of Canberra architecture.

“The property industry is committed to preserving our prized heritage buildings – the Canberra Glassworks, the Hotel Acton and the R H Hope building are just three examples. Celebrating our history and preserving significant buildings is an essential as we enhance our city. We believe there are other ways to have preserved memories of the Northbourne flats.

“However, we recognise this has been a difficult matter to reconcile between different interest groups, and we are pleased that a decision has been made that will ensure urban renewal can proceed.”

A meeting of the Heritage Council on Thursday resolved that both Northbourne Towers, a set of nine De Burgh Street units, protected trees and landscaping in a cul-de-sac and at least one of each of five other types of buildings – towers, pair-houses, three-storey flats, maisonettes and garden flats – would be retained.

“The need to preserve every single type of housing does place question marks over the ability to successfully regenerate the entire area.

“We need a new strategic plan which outlines how these buildings will be re-lifed and incorporated into the urban regeneration of the area – and that includes how we are going to fund a substantial renovation.

“Above all, we must ensure this compromise does not deliver poor outcomes and mar our opportunities to improve the gateway to Canberra,” Ms Carter concluded.

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RANGERS have caught and euthanased seven magpies at the Yerrabi Pond picnic area due to the high number of aggressive magpies, and the nature of the area which is used by a high number of people.

“There is no plan to undertake the same sort of action in any other location in Canberra,” a spokesperson said.

“The actions here were taken due to the circumstances. Some people have been injured as a result of aggressive magpies in the area, including one child who was scratched on the face.

“The aggressive behaviour has probably resulted from people feeding the birds over an extended period of time. Signage has been erected requesting people to stop feeding the birds. Rangers also visited the park each weekend in August to monitor bird behaviour in addition to providing advice about the magpies in the area.”

[Photo by Cazz, attribution licence]

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THIS has been posted to the ACT Policing Facebook page:

About 2.05pm this afternoon, the driver of a white Holden Commodore was attempting to turn the corner of Anthony Rolfe Avenue onto Gozzard Street in Gungahlin, when he accelerated rapidly in an attempt to complete a burnout and lost control of his car and crashed into Gungahlin police station.

Thankfully no one was injured. Well, that’s if you don’t count the wall or the car!

All jokes aside this incident provides a clear reminder that no matter how well you think you can drive, there is simply no acceptable reason that will make it okay if you kill someone because you were driving recklessly.

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IT may be a game out of the Harry Potter books (in which wizards riding broomsticks through the sky play it) but Quidditch is getting serious and the competition is coming to Canberra for the first time ever this weekend.

The ANU Quidditch Club is hosting the September iteration of the monthly NSW Cup this Saturday the 5th of September.

Starting at 9:30 on South Oval at the ANU Campus, and running until approximately 5pm, the day will consist of sixteen games, and a gold coin donation BBQ lunch.

“The Triwizard Tournament, as it is colloquially known, began in Sydney as a monthly championship between three prominent Sydney university quidditch teams (hence the name), and has over the years expanded to include 8 NSW university and community teams and one ACT team,” a spokesperson said.

“This event has never been hosted in Canberra before (usually hosted in Sydney) and as such is an exciting chance to see a new and thrilling competitive, full contact, co-ed sport for the first and possible only time. Results of games on the day will determine the draw for the finals to be held next month in Sydney.

“The tournament is a public spectator event. All are welcome to attend and watch the games, enjoy the food, and engage with the community.

“A great chance to see one of the most interesting spectator sports around, the NSW Quidditch Cup is an event not to be missed by Harry Potter fans, sports fans, or anything in between! A fast paced, action filled game, quidditch is the newest fastest growing international sport. Come along to South Oval on Saturday the 5th to see bludgers flying, great tackles, daring goals, and thrilling snitch catches; it is sure to be an amazing day.”

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ACT Policing is investigating a three vehicle collision at the intersection of Drakeford Drive, Marconi Crescent and Boddington Crescent this evening (Friday, 4 September) in which a male driver has died.

Police are on scene and have applied road closures where all northbound traffic is being diverted and Boddington Crescent is blocked. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the collision.

This is the ninth fatal collision on ACT roads this year.

ACT Policing’s Collision Investigation and Reconstruction Team is requesting that any witnesses to the incident who have not yet spoken with police should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website on act.crimestoppers.com.au.

The post Kambah fatal collision appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Ghost town… Garema Place in Civic. Photo by John Griffiths

These are just three comments from more than 400 people polled on their views of Canberra’s city centre.

The results are clear. Canberrans want more investment in the city centre.

“Transforming Canberra’s City Centre”, commissioned by Canberra CBD Limited and conducted by KREAB Research, finds strong support from Canberrans in three areas: refurbishment of the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings, adapting under-used buildings and revitalising Garema Place.

The report finds Canberrans are keen to see the revitalisation of Braddon and NewActon replicated in Civic, however views were mixed on introducing more high-density residential living.

They also questioned whether a major tourist attraction in Civic would add value. Moving the bus interchange, while acknowledged as an eyesore, was not considered a high priority and opening up City Walk to cars had a low level of support.

Some respondents spoke of Civic being a “ghost town” in which buildings and land were underused. While more frequent festivals, markets and events in the city centre would be welcome, those surveyed said the biggest opportunity lies in upgrading tired, old buildings.

The simplest way to maximise our opportunities in Civic is for the ACT Government to relax the flawed Lease Variation Charge, which is preventing many buildings from being refurbished or converted to new uses.

Developers pay LVC on any building that changes use, which is largely preventing adaptive reuse and renewal of these older buildings.

Canberrans see the city’s problems and they want them addressed. Only when we relax the LVC and adopt a taxation policy that supports building upgrade will we kick-start Canberra’s heart.

Have your say at the Civic Forum this Thursday,  September 10. Register at propertyoz.com.au/act

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Abby and Martha Brewster, played by Lynne Seaman and Marian Fitzgerald.

Tempo Theatre’s Jon Elphick has made himself a veteran director of Agatha Christie thrillers for the company, but in tackling the farce genre, he has faced new challenges. Gone are the pregnant pauses and significant looks of the average murder-mystery and in their place are throwaway lines, gags and more than a hint of menace.

Elphick and his energetic cast very nearly pull it off, achieving a high percentage of the laughs scripted by Kesselring and successfully conveying the sense of madness associated with the seemingly respectable household of the Brewster family. I have no doubt that, as the season progresses, the show will get even funnier.

The set, designed by Elphick, worked very effectively to provide a canvas for this deliciously ridiculous comedy to resolve itself, complete with opening and closing doors, windows, cellar and stairs, all needed to keep the plot moving.

But with a mixed cast performing in mixed styles, the pace is not always maintained at an even level. Central to the stage action are the two maiden aunts, Abby and Martha Brewster, played quietly and convincingly by Lynne Seaman and Marian Fitzgerald, but altogether too softly and slowly to keep up with the other characters.

Angela Edwards and Sam Kentish as the two young protagonists provided the right kind of crazy energy to keep things moving and Kentish, who plays New York drama critic Mortimer Brewster, successfully keeps the audience on its toes with a line-up of theatrical in-jokes.

The more ostentatious eccentrics, such as the delusional Teddy Brewster (Elphick himself) and the sinister Dr Einstein (Bill Kolentsis) hit the right tempo with their unabashed caricatures. Kim Wilson acquits himself modestly at the beginning as the Rev Dr Harper but he, too, hits his straps later in the play as the cartoon-like Officer O’Hara.

The director needed to decide which it was to be – realism or over-the-top farce. Surely, the latter was the best way to go.

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ACT Policing investigators continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ACT’s ninth road fatality that occurred late yesterday on Drakeford Drive in Kambah.

At approximately 5.45pm police attempted to pull over a vehicle of interest. The driver of the vehicle accelerated away from police who followed for a short time until the response was terminated.

The vehicle continued at high speed along Drakeford Drive and drove through a red light signal which caused a collision with two other vehicles. The collision resulted in the death of the driver of the fleeing vehicle and injuries to four others.

This collision will be investigated by the ACT Policing Collision Investigation and Reconstruction Team with oversight by AFP Professional Standards.

The outcomes of these investigations will be referred to the Coroner.

ACT Policing’s Collision Investigation and Reconstruction Team is requesting that any witnesses to the incident who have not yet spoken with police should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website on act.crimestoppers.com.au.

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