ACT Policing is asking for assistance in locating missing 19-year-old Gordon woman, Kathleen Bautista.

Kathleen was last seen in Chapman at about 7.00am on Saturday 5 September 2015. She was last seen driving a black Hyundai i30 bearing registration number YHE47L.

Kathleen is described as being about 165cm (5’5’ft) tall, with a slender build, and shoulder length dark hair.

Anyone who may have seen Kathleen is urged to call police on 131 444. When providing information, please quote reference number 5852227.

Police remind people they should not report crime information via Facebook or Twitter pages.

The post Have you seen Kathleen Bautista appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

JULIE Bishop, deputy Liberal leader and the most senior minister from Western Australia, has a special interest in the tough Canning byelection contest. Liberal candidate Andrew Hastie, a former SAS officer, is her “vice-captain’s pick”.

Bishop told POST Newspapers, a suburban weekly that circulates in her electorate, that she first met Hastie in Afghanistan in 2009 when she sat at a table with him.

Hastie has been a party member in her seat of Curtin, and she encouraged him to seek the Canning preselection. Asked by the paper whether he was a captain’s pick, Bishop quipped: “How about a vice-captain’s pick?”

Bishop is investing intense effort in Canning, where the government is desperately trying to keep the focus local, all about its ex-military man, while Labor seeks to make it a referendum on Tony Abbott.

With a fortnight to go, campaigners on both sides expect the Liberals to win the September 19 byelection, caused by the death of popular Liberal member Don Randall, who held the seat on a margin of 11.8% – part of it a strong personal vote.

Polling so far has shown the battle very close, with an edge to the Liberals.

The half-joke among some in Labor is that its best result would be a Liberal win accompanied by a substantial swing to the ALP, because a Liberal defeat might lead to Abbott being replaced by a more formidable leader.

But there’s no evidence for the claim reported from ministerial sources this week that Labor is running dead. It will try hard, even if it spends less than its opponents. If the ALP did poorly, fresh criticism would quickly come on Bill Shorten. Abbott said on Friday that Shorten, in the electorate on Thursday, had “certainly been very active in Canning for someone who is allegedly running dead”.

Both Labor and Liberal campaigners this week report strong anti-Abbott feeling among the public. At Wednesday’s opening of the Liberal campaign office in Mandurah, where Abbott appeared with Hastie, some among the faithful were freely discussing the leadership, and confirming voters’ dislike of Abbott.

Given this, why would Abbott have been in Canning this week for his second visit? He’s in a cleft stick. To stay away would have simply meant giving Labor the opportunity to highlight his absence.

When he and Abbott appeared at Wednesday’s news conference, Hastie, 32, jumped in when Abbott was asked whether it intrigued or irritated him that Labor might prefer him leading at the election rather than Malcolm Turnbull.

In a political equivalent of taking the bullet, Hastie said: “I don’t have time to take counsel from the east coast Twitterati. There’s a significant disconnect between what people are saying over in the east and what is happening here in Canning.”

Abbott is much taken with Hastie who, with his military background and strong conservative values, ticks Abbott’s favourite boxes. Quite a bromance there, Liberal sources say.

While Labor is playing on the unpopularity of Abbott and Premier Colin Barnett, it is also trumpeting one “local” advantage – its candidate, 33-year-old lawyer Matt Keogh, was born and bred in the electorate, though he hasn’t been living there in recent years (but has just moved back).

Hastie has been confronted with questions about two incidents from his military past – neither involving any blame for him – and about his father’s creationist beliefs and his wife’s posting (but not authoring) a blog relating to homosexuality, which he explained was part of her job when she was working as a church receptionist.

Stories about the military incidents have almost certainly worked for rather than against Hastie, who is likely to benefit from a “patriotism” factor.

The byelection has attracted a field of a dozen candidates. Clive Palmer is running an executive of his Mineralogy company, Vimal Sharma. The Greens candidate, Vanessa Rauland, is a lecturer at the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP). There are candidates from the Liberal Democrats, the Pirate Party, the Animal Justice Party and Family First.

The ballot paper draw benefits the Liberals. Palmer United Party is on the top and is preferencing down the ticket, advantaging Hastie, who appears above Keogh. The order also means the Liberals get the benefit of the “donkey” vote – from voters who just start at the top and work down.

The medley of issues includes community security, which is getting a lot of attention, and jobs. The latter is potent given that the electorate houses fly-in-fly-out workers who are hit with the end of the mining boom.

One issue of particular interest is the China-Australia free trade agreement. Labor research has found considerable concern about the agreement’s labour market implications. When Finance Minister Mathias Cormann was doing TV interviews on a Canning street on Wednesday a motorist wound down his window and shouted: “keep the Chinese out of Australia”.

But the government is seeking to turn Shorten’s claim that there should be more safeguards for Australian workers back onto the opposition leader. Shorten is in a difficult position because a number of Labor figures have been speaking out in favour of the agreement and its benefits for Australia. Federal Labor is not seeking to block the agreement so at some point Shorten will have to shift ground, but probably not before he milks fears to the maximum in the byelection.

If Canning remains in government hands but with a big swing, the question will become how the Liberal backbenchers, particularly those in marginal seats, read that result. Will it produce relief (a win is a win) or alarm, and what implications will it have for Abbott’s leadership?

In the opinion of one Liberal source, the interpretation put on it by Bishop, who will have experienced more of the on-the-ground feeling than any other minister, will be critical.

Listen to the Canning by-election special episode of the Politics with Michelle Grattan podcast here, or on iTunes.

Michelle Grattan is Professorial Fellow at University of Canberra

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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THE Mulligans Flat Woodlands and Wetlands Trust is celebrating Threatened Species Day launching the “Bettong Buggy”.

The Sanctuary Twilight tours are a popular way to see and learn about rare and threatened woodland species, including Sugar Gliders, Bettongs and Bush Stone-curlews. More than 600 people have now been guided through the Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary.

The Bettong Buggy will allow the mobility impaired to join in.

“It is great to be able to share the unique sanctuary experience with as many people as possible,” said Jason Cummings, General Manager of the Trust.

“Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary provides nature-based experiences that cannot be found elsewhere in Australia, and its right on Canberra’s doorstep.

“We look forward to welcoming more people into the Sanctuary in a safe and comfortable manner. Exploring the Sanctuary by buggy is one-step-removed from the experience of a walking tour, but still a great way for people to see the Sanctuary in action.”

For further information on how you can book the buggy, go to bettongs.org

[Photos by Adam McGrath]

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CANBERRA muso Sam King is launching a studio he estimates is unlike anything else on the Canberra scene.

Sam King, photo Bron King

It kicks off with an open-studio event this Saturday, September 12, Merloc Studios arrives at a time, he believes, when op local acts are making waves both nationally and internationally.

“I think the Canberra music scene and the broader music industry is changing and adapting all the time,” King says, “Merloc can be a place that stays relevant throughout those shifts. Whether it be people wanting me to be involved from the demo phase of a project or just adding the finishing touches on things they’ve recorded or produced at home.”

King, who started out recording metal bands in his parents’ rumpus room at age 14, is no stranger to the venues of Canberra, having toured and performed with the likes of The Ellis Collective and Mr Fibby, and most important, his latest acoustic project Burrows in a career spanning 12 years. He has produced records for Owen Campbell and nationally recognised acts Julia & the Deep Sea Sirens and Cracked Actor.

About two years ago he began constructing Merloc Records to create the versatile sound possibilities he wanted, also launching a successful crowd-funding campaign on that helped make it happen. “One of my main objectives in the design of the studio was for it to be the kind of space that inspired you to want to play music. I wanted it to have all the industry standard functionality and also be an aesthetically pleasing space.”

King hopes the thing that sets Merloc apart from other spaces in Canberra is the evident fact that you can record as loudly or as quietly as you want at any time of day in a “relaxed and inspiring space.”

The studio, photo by Adam Thomas

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ANDREW Barr has launched an unusual new ANU and UC double degree to help science students get into teaching more easily, quickly and cheaply.

“From 2016, final year Bachelor of Science (BSc) students from The Australian National University will be able to study for a Master of Teaching (MTeach) from the University of Canberra at the same time, with final-year classes credited for both awards,” Andrew said.

“The combined course will allow students to gain their science and teaching qualifications six months earlier than it would take to do the courses separately.

“This is a wonderful partnership between two leading universities. It will help students kick-start their careers in science teaching as well as helping Australia to address the growing need for more science teachers as the economy continues to modernise.

“The ANU and UC are both vital to the Canberra economy. The ACT Government’s business strategy, Confident & Business Ready: Building on Our Strengths, acknowledges the value of ANU, UC and our other higher education and research institutions in attracting students to Canberra. Higher education contributes $2.7 billion per annum to Canberra’s economy.

“In addition, teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills will provide our future workforce with the strong scientific and technical skills necessary to meet our goal of growing and diversifying Canberra’s economy.

“I congratulate the ANU and UC on this collaboration, which will position Canberra as a leader in the 21st Century knowledge economy.”

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young AO and UC Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker AO said the new double degree flipped the process of teacher education by allowing students to specialise in science first, and then develop their teaching skills.

Professor Young said the new vertical double degree would help improve careers and standards for teachers in the crucial areas of science, technology, engineering and maths.

“This new vertical double degree will give students a new pathway into science teaching by giving them access to outstanding qualifications in two specialist areas in a shorter time, and at a lower cost,” Ian said.

Professor Parker said the collaboration between the two universities would allow greater choice for students wanting to study science and teaching together.

“This unique collaboration will give students the best experience of both universities, by providing them with access to Australia’s best science and teaching-education facilities,” Stephen said.

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THE SBS digital TV signal around the country is being upgraded to provide more bandwidth for better quality pictures and sound as the final step in the move to digital-only TV.

From 15 September 2015, SBS will be undertaking work to upgrade the signal at a number of sites across Canberra and the surrounding area.

While all viewers will be able to experience better quality pictures and sound on SBS after the upgrade, some may lose their SBS signal and will need to retune their digital TV, set-top box or digital TV recorder.

While only a limited number of households are expected to be affected, should viewers find they need to retune it’s a relatively simple process. Viewers need to press “menu” on their remote and look for the “auto tune” or “channel search” option. In most cases, this should only take a few minutes. Some viewers may find it useful to consult their manual on how to retune their digital TV equipment.

Some digital TV equipment will automatically detect changes to the channels and retune itself, or it may prompt viewers to retune in order to retain access to all the free-to-air channels.

For additional information about the retune, viewers can go to the SBS website where a dedicated FAQ page has been set up – sbs.com.au.

If viewers still require further assistance they can call the SBS information line on 1800 500 727.

[Photo by Jeremy Keith, attribution licence.]

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ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to an aggravated robbery at Haig Park in Braddon on Friday (4 September).

About 8.00am, the victim was walking through the park when he was grabbed from behind, pushed into a tree and threatened with an electric pulse device [Police declined to elaborate what this term means]. The offender then frisked the man and left on foot with a sum of cash, and other personal items.

The offender was described as wearing dark hooded jumper, denim jeans, light coloured shoes, and a black star tattoo on the back of one hand.

Police are urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any information that could assist police to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via act.crimestoppers.com.au and quote reference number 5851626. Information can be provided anonymously.

Police remind people they should not report crime information via Facebook and Twitter pages.

The post Mugged in Haig Park appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

SHANE Rattenbury has announced the details of upcoming changes to the ACTION bus timetable as part of ongoing improvements to the network using MyWay data and passenger feedback.

“Public Transport service planners are continually analysing commuter behaviour and service performance using data from the MyWay and NXTBUS systems in order to deliver a better bus service for Canberra,” Shane said.

“Reviewing the timetables offers more opportunity for service planners to make evidence based improvements to the bus service and incorporate feedback from passengers. It is critical that Canberra’s public transport network evolves with the growth of the city and takes into consideration on-ground conditions, such as upcoming road works planned for the Gungahlin area.

“The new timetable, which will commence on Monday 12 October, will feature another round of run time improvements for the network which will make catching public transport even more convenient.

“ACTION has continued to improve on time running over the past three years, from 68% in the 2012/13 year to 74% in 2014/15. Current on time running figures are at 79%, a number we hope will improve again following the changes in October.”

Some of the changes include:

• additional Red Rapid services in the evening;
• increased Xpresso services from North Weston and Chisholm Park & Rides – a bus every 10 minutes in the morning peak;
• introduction of a direct peak Red Rapid service for Crace – providing a one bus journey to and from the City and Parliamentary Triangle during peak times; and
• introduction of a direct peak Blue Rapid service for Florey and Latham – providing a one bus journey to and from the City, Woden and Tuggeranong during peak times.

Shane said there will also be minor improvements and timing changes to school services.

“This announcement is being made a number of weeks in advance in order for Canberrans to view the new timetables and plan their travel options prior to commencement. All schools we notified last week of the upcoming changes.

“The implementation of a new timetable is also necessary to allow the introduction of mandatory 10 minute out of bus breaks for drivers’ shifts. To implement this change service planners have strived to minimise any disruption to passengers with a limited reduction of low patronage services on some routes. This will ensure the most efficient use of the ACTION bus fleet.”

Full details including routes, timetables and maps are available at action.act.gov.au or from the ACTION & MyWay Information Line on 13 17 10.

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THE National Film and Sound Archive have released some very nifty footage of the earliest days of the construction of Canberra with this note:

A compilation of footage of Canberra in the 1920s. Includes the proposed site of Parliament House and then shows it under construction. The Sydney and Melbourne buildings in Civic. Panoramas from Mt Ainslie. Footage is from Canberra in the Making (NFSA title: 12980); Australia’s Federal Capital Nearing Completion (NFSA title: 384692); Parliament House, Canberra c1925 (NFSA title: 384681); Canberra Scenes c1927 (NFSA title: 14837); Canberra c1929 (NFSA title: 13135)

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ACT Policing Regional Targeting Team members from City Police Station conducted a search warrant in the City on Friday night (4 September).

Around 10.30pm, police executed the warrant in line with section 187 of the Drugs of Dependence Act 1989 at the Playground Martini and Tapas Bar in Garema Place, to locate evidence in relation to an ongoing investigation.

Police seized a white powder substance believed to be cocaine, and other items which could be used for the sale and supply of drugs.

Police are asking anyone who may be able to provide information to assist police with their investigation to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website act.crimestoppers.com.au and quote reference number 5851987.

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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

THE Senate has defeated the government’s budget measure to make job seekers under 25 wait four weeks for income support.

Apart from Labor and the Greens, crossbenchers Jacqui Lambie, Nick Xenophon, Glenn Lazarus, Ricky Muir and Dio Wang voted against the legislation, which also had a number of other social security changes. It went down 35-30.

The young people’s waiting period was a watered down version of the 2014 budget attempt to make it six months.

In total, the changes that were proposed in the legislation involved savings of around A$1 billion over the budget period. The loss represents a setback for Social Services Minister Scott Morrison, whose negotiations failed.

The four-week waiting period for the under-25s would have saved $173.3 million over the forward estimates.

Other measures in the bill included a one-week waiting period for all working-age payments excluding the widow allowance; extension of the youth allowance from 22 to 24-year-olds in lieu of Newstart and sickness allowances; and indexation changes, but excluding pensions.

Asked in anticipation of the defeat about the youth waiting period, Morrison said the government remained “absolutely committed to the measures we have brought to the parliament on this issue.

“We do not believe that we should be sending a message to young people that it should be OK to go from the school gate to the Centrelink front door and that is why we are bringing these measures.”

Morrison said the Coalition was looking to the evidence from New Zealand “which showed that with the same measure, 40% of those young people who started that four-week waiting period did not end up on welfare’‘.

But Labor’s shadow minister for families Jenny Macklin said the defeat was a huge win for young people and for fairness.

“If Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison had got their way, young job seekers under 25 would have been left with nothing to live on for a month, pushing them into poverty and hardship,” Macklin said.

Macklin said the changes to the eligibility age for Newstart would have seen young jobseekers between the ages of 22 and 24 pushed onto the lower youth allowance – meaning a cut of about $48 a week.

Xenophon told the Senate he had “deep concerns about the practical impact of these changes at a time when unemployment is rising and some are even predicting Australia is heading for a contraction in our economy”.

Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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JEREMY Hanson says that, if elected in October 2016, a Canberra Liberals government will remove the Lease Variation Charge (LVC) in Civic and Canberra’s town centres.

“The LVC has a negative effect on two fronts,” Jeremy said.

“Firstly, it has stifled growth, investment and redevelopment in Canberra, ultimately adding tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of new projects, including new housing units. Secondly, it has failed to bring in revenue for the ACT. It is Canberra’s mining tax, a failed tax.”

“Our town centres have been forgotten by the Barr government. The Canberra Liberals will give them the kick-start they need and allow the private sector to dowhat it does best. We will remove the LVC in Civic, Tuggeranong, Woden, Belconnen and Gungahlin Town Centres for four years,” Mr Hanson concluded.

“The LVC creates a massive upfront cost for developers meaning many projects never get off the ground. When they do, the costs get passed on to home buyers and critically first home buyers. Furthermore, it’s an impediment to growth in the areas that need it. Our town centres,” Shadow Treasurer Brendan Smyth said.

“Removing the LVC is a win for Canberrans. It has been stopping the city from achieving greater density, stopping jobs in construction, stopping the supply of housing in desirable locations, all while providing an unreliable revenue stream.

“I’m proud to be putting this commitment forward as part of the Canberra Liberals platform for government in the ACT. Scrapping the LVC is integral to bringing renewal to the City and our town centres,” Mr Smyth concluded.

UPDATE: The Property Council has expressed it’s pleasure with today’s announcement.

“The Property Council always supports good policy – and the Liberal Party’s commitment to relax the LVC in the CBD and town centres is good policy,” says the Property Council’s ACT Executive Director, Catherine Carter.

“We have been advocating for the removal of LVC from Civic and the town centres for a number of years, and encourage the ACT Government to consider adopting a similar policy to help drive its ambitious urban renewal agenda.

“Relaxing the LVC will accelerate adaptive reuse of older buildings – something which KREAB Research, released just last week, has found has strong support from Canberrans.

“In its current form, the LVC distorts investment decisions and impedes the upgrade of empty, redundant C and D Grade commercial offices – contributing to what is now the second highest office vacancy rate in the country.

“Unless the ACT Government adopts a more realistic taxation policy, these older buildings will continue to deteriorate.

“The LVC has not raised the anticipated revenue – with the June 2015 financial report revealing a $2.8 million shortfall on budget.

“It’s also a deterrent to more sustainable urban development, as it discourages urban renewal.

“In short, the LVC is an anti-competitive tax which handicaps private sector innovation and investment, especially where we need it most.

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A POEM about a famous war-time photograph of a woman in Adolf Hitler’s bathtub has won the $15,000 University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize for 2015, it was announced at the university last night.

The Picture, Picture Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

US poet Elisabeth Murawski, who could not be in Canberra for the announcement, said she was “honoured and delighted” to have won for her poem “Iconic Photo: Lee Miller in Munich, April, 1945”.

In the poem, Murawski describes a black and white image of former model turned war photographer Lee Miller as she bathes in Hitler’s bathtub, supposedly taken the same day he committed suicide on April 30, 1945 by Miller’s partner David E. Scherman, with the couple living in his house while they documented the horrors of the Dachau concentration camp. Originally from Chicago but now based in Alexandria, Virginia, Murawski commented, ‘said. “I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to bathe in Hitler’s tub! Too creepy. Bad vibes.”

The Poetry Prize is, unusually for a literature award based in Canberra, an International prize, judged from 1,206 poems submitted by 724 poets worldwide. This year, 65 per cent of the poets who entered were based in Australia, with others entering from as far as Ghana, Nigeria, Poland, Greece, England and various countries all around the world. Writers were asked to submit a previously unpublished poem, in English – translations were not eligible – and up to 50 lines in length.

The $5000 runner-up entry “Waiting on Imran Khan” recounts Byron Bay’s Lisa Brockwell’s rather unpleasant experience of waitressing for Pakistani former cricketer Imran Khan, when she was 18 and working at Pizza Hut in Sydney.

“I have a particular interest in writing about what it is to be a woman in Australia now,” she said of her work. “Before women were published as widely as they are today, I think the experience put forward in poetry was seen as universal, but it was actually a man’s experience.”

The University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize, now in its second year, is facilitated by the University’s International Poetry Studies Institute.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker said that the competition was designed to celebrate the significance of poetry as an art form worldwide and thanked all the writers who entered their work.

“The University of Canberra is committed to creativity and imagination and this competition is a fantastic way of celebrating the art of poetry, which is a creative pursuit we research and teach at the University as it remains of high importance to world literatures,” Professor Parker said.

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A TRADITIONAL warrior cloak from New Zealand woven by artists will be on display at the Glassworks from this week.

‘KAHUKURA Ariki,’ the Kahu Toa/Warrior cloak, has been transported across the Tasman by the artists and Kaumatua, Joby Hopa, to become an integral part of a new exhibition.THE cloak will be paired with a possum skin cloak created by studio artist Jenni Kemarre Martiniello which is embellished with coldworked and kiln formed glass medal ‘ribbons’ engraved with the names of the fallen. Artists include Jenni Kemarre Martiniello, Lyndy Delian, Joyce Graham, Allison Hoolihan, Hayley Hoolihan, Lyn Talbot and Jenny Dries from the ACT; Victorian artist Treahna Hamm; and New Zealand Maori weavers Ruth Port and Mandy Sunlight who worked side by side after the Glassworks received an ANZAC Centenary Local Grant from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The works include a replica first aid box, giant glass bullets, healing hands, shields, hats and the rising sun using various glass processes. A Gallery Floor Talk and Forum will be presented at 2pm on September 12. Canberra Glassworks, 11 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston.

A painting by Geoffrey de Groen

“INSIDE and Outside: recent paintings” is the newest show by Taralga-based artist and former Canberra critic, Geoffrey de Groen, who held his first solo at Watters Gallery in Sydney, 49 years ago. The exhibition, curated by Wally Caruana, runs at the Nancy Sever Gallery, GALLERY 6 Kennedy Street Kingston, until September 27, Wednesday – Sunday 11am – 5pm.

Work by Llewellyn McGarry

“SMALL Rituals” is an exhibition by local artists Llewellyn McGarry, Dierdre Pearce and Isobel Rayson. These three artists’ private acts of performance are documented and displayed as drawings, photographs and sculpture, exploring daily rituals and domestic rituals, and engaging with space, time and physical objects. The three artists work in a similar way, across performance and sculpture, and with similar themes, making this group exhibition an exceptionally cohesive and enlightening one. At ANCA Gallery 1 Rosevear Place Dickson, 12-5pm Wednesday to Sunday until to Sunday, September 27.

THE Embroiderer’s Guild ACT Inc. has its annual exhibition at the Albert Hall from 10am to 4pm From September 11 to 13. The popular show includes displays of traditional and contemporary needlework including Recycle Challenge, gadgets Gift Shop, Recycle Table and Café.

New work from Lucienne Rickard

SYDNEY Contemporary Art Fair is on at the Carriageworks in Eveleigh next week and Beaver Galleries will be there. This is Australia’s newest international art fair, showcasing emerging and established artists from over 90 leading Australian and international galleries. The fair opens this Thursday September 10 and closes on Sunday September 13. The Beavers will be at stand A19 and are showing a solo exhibition of new work from Lucienne Rickard, whose extraordinary graphite drawings on drafting film have drawn attention.

SOPRANO Rachael Duncan and pianist Anthony Smith take the podium at Wesley Music Centre for Art Song this Sunday September 13 at 3pm in titled “Night’s Caressing Grip.” Actually it’s art songs from the 19th and early 20th centuries that explore devotion, loss, yearning and homecoming in works by Schumann, Grieg, Britten, Hahn and Svendsen. Tickets available ONLY at the door.

“THE Dead Man’s Penny” is an exhibition and installation that commemorates the death of artist Michael Keighery’s great uncle, Frank Keighery, on Lone Pine in 1915. His family (and the families of other British soldiers who died) received one of the 1.35 million Memorial Plaques issued. They quickly became ironically known as “The Dead Man’s Penny”. This project centres on Keighery’s Great Uncle’s diary, which was taken from his body on Gallipoli in 1915. The Dead Man’s Penny at Watson Arts Centre from September 10 to October 5, 10am to 4pm Thursday to Sunday and the Monday public holidays of September 28 and October 5. Opening event 6pm this Friday, September 11 with war historian Professor Peter Stanley.

Olli Mustonen, Photographer Gall Outi.

FINNISH pianist, conductor and composer, Olli Mustonen, will be here with the Australian Chamber Orchestra to perform Bach’s Concerto for Keyboard, to direct Hindemith’s The Four Temperaments from the piano, and to see colleagues including ACO Principal Cello Timo-Veikko Valve, perform the world premiere of his own Sonata for Cello & Chamber Orchestra. At Llewellyn Hall, this Saturday, September 12, 8pm, bookings to aco.com.au

“Colour Light Space” by Kate Bender

XANTHE Gay’s X Gallery in Bungendore has “Colour Light Space” by Kate Bender coming up. Bender graduated from the ANU School of Art in 2014 and is a painter whose practice is in abstraction, primarily concerned with an expression of her deep love and sense of connection with colour. Opens Saturday the September 12 at 4pm. All welcome. runs until November 16 at X Gallery, 32 Gibraltar St Bungendore. xgallery@msn.com

WESTSIDE’S Sunday markets located at Canberra’s own shipping container precinct by the lake – the Westside Acton Park are held every week and support local ACT businesses by showcasing talented artisans, designers and collectors in a market day out, complete with food from the precinct’s street food vendors and music. There is always a great selection of fresh produce, vintage wares, and designer goods on offer. Open noon – 6pm.

THE action-comedy-adventure “Sahara” is screening this Sunday September 13 at 3pm in the Theo Notaras multicultural centre 180, London circuit Civic. Bookings to info@iaac.org.au or by ringing Nishi on 0426 968 849. refreshments, tea/coffee will be served from sharp 3 pm and the movie screening will start at 3.30pm.

new work by David Voigt

OCTAGON ArtSpace in Bungendore has an exhibition of new works by David Voigt being launched this Saturday September 12 at 2pm by Artist-Printmaker, Pamela Griffith, then running until October 25. Voigt has been painting his personal brand of Australian wilderness for fifty years. This began with a budding artist’s emphasis on light – that most essential element for any landscape artist. Bungendore Wood Works Gallery, where the gallery is situated, is a multi-tourism award winning attraction open every day situated on Kings Highway, Bungendore just 30 minutes by road from Canberra.

LAKESIDE literary lounge at Tuggeranong Arts Centre presents author Gordon Peake at 7pm on Thursday September 10. Author, Gordon Peake, whose book “Beloved Land: Stories, Struggles and Secrets from Timor-Leste” won the 2014 ACT Book of the Year will present readings and also host a discussion with David Savage, author of “Dancing With the Devil: A Personal Account of Policing the East Timor Vote for Independence”.

TWO of Australia’s successful writers, Jenny Bond and Chris Sheedy, have partnered with the Tuggeranong Arts Centre to share their knowledge of the written word with the Canberra community. She hopes her one-day workshop “How to Write Your Novel” will motivate others to harness their creativity. “The course is particularly targeted at budding novelists and writers who are keen to begin their work of fiction,” she says. At the centre on Saturday September 12, from 10am to 4pm. The cost is $242 (including GST). Bookings are essential to tca. Freelance journalist and professional writer Sheedy will present a one-day masterclass in journalism, blogging and content marketing on September 19, from 10am to 4pm. The cost is $242 (including GST). Bookings to tuggeranongarts.com

“CANBERRA Bodywork: Australian Jewellery 1970-2012” is an NGA touring exhibition curated by Robert Bell, Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the National Gallery opening this ThursdaY September 10 at 6pm in the at Craft ACT: Craft & Design Centre. As well, in “Table Tools” local silversmith, Alison Jackson, on her first solo exhibition, will present a new collection of functional tableware vessels and cutlery pieces informed by research and prototype experimentation. At Craft ACT: Craft & Design Centre, Level 1 North Building, 180 London Circuit, Civic, Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm + Saturday 12pm-4pm.

SPRING, they say, is a glorious time to get out and explore the Australian National Botanic Gardens and now it has a refurbished and expanded Botanical Bookshop. Parks Australia contributed $120,000 toward the improvements to the project, with further investment from licensee Tom Butt. The shop is the latest addition to the Gardens’ portfolio of tourism experiences. The refurbishment was designed by The Mill Design and constructed by AMA Projects – both Canberra businesses.

AN exhibition showcasing works by The University of the Arts London (UAL) Alumni, the largest art and design University in Europe and one of the largest institutions devoted to art and design in the world. To date there are over 390 UAL alumni living and working in Australia. The exhibition will include by Jeremy Blank (Media Artist), Gillian Jo Chiao Fang (Conceptual Designer), Prof. Lyndon Anderson (Industrial Designer), Dr. Lisa Scharoun (Graphic Designer), Dr. Fanke Peng (Digital Fashion and Interaction Design), Melissa Jackson (Milliner) and Kyle Portbury (Filmmaker). Opening this Friday, September 11, 7 – 9 pm by Tony Brennan, Deputy High Commissioner of the British High Commission at Gallery of Australian Design (GAD), 47 Jardine Street, Kingston. All welcome. The show runs September 11-30.

ARC Cinema and the National Film and Sound Archive have a program of documentaries about Papua New Guinea. PNG on screen: “Taking Pictures,” Friday, September 11, 3pm followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Les McLaren and Annie Stiven. “PNG & Canberra Ties that Bind,” September 11, 5.30pm. “Yumi Yet”, Friday September 11, 6.30pm, introduced by filmmaker Dennis O’Rourke’s family. All tickets $5. Bookings to nfsa.gov.au

THE ACT Storytellers Guild and Mannyfesto will present an afternoon of entertaining stories and good music on the Northside at 2.30 pm on Sunday September 13 at Kangara Waters Community Centre, 2 Joy Cummings Place, Belconnen. $12 at the door includes light refreshments.

FROM Friday Sept 11 to Tuesday Sept 22, the Hyatt will be hosting the Latin American Flavours Festival, which includes food from 13 countries from that region. The Peruvian Embassy remind us that Peruvian night will be this Saturday Sept 12 from 6 pm. $69 per person includes Peruvian buffet dinner & dessert (but not beverages). Bookings to 6269 8810.

Martin Janecky, Untitled

ARTIST Martin Janecky began his career with glass at the age of 13 and later explored sculpting methods in the Czech Republic. Janecky has served as an instructor, visiting artist, and gaffer at several glassmaking schools, including The Studio, Penland School of Crafts, and Pilchuck Glass School. He has been brought to Canberra by the ANU School of Art Glass Workshop and will  hold a Public Demonstration at Canberra Glassworks, 11 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston at 10am this Saturday September 12.

The post What’s on and where in the arts this weekend appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Nicole Lawder

FOLLOWING on from July’s uproar Nicole Lawder says the government has yet another opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the Conder Early Learning Centre’s incident where unsupervised children swallowed sleeping tablets.

“A compliance notice issued regarding the incident in July highlighted a number ofserious failures,” Nicole says.

• A child was released into the care of a person without written authorisation to collect the child.
• Medication was not stored according to centre policy.
• Child enrolment forms have not been updated regularly to incorporate new health information or authorisations.

“Parents will be pleased that the inquiry is completed although it is unfortunate that procedures were not adequately followed in this case. The incident was frightening for all involved and the outcomes could have been much worse.

“The ACT Childcare regulator must keep on top of these issues and ensure compliance activities are undertaken in a timely manner. This is another unacceptable incident for the ACT Education Minister Joy Burch to learn from.

“Parents place their trust in childcare on a daily basis. It’s imperative that everything possible is done to ensure a safe environment for children,” Ms Lawder concluded.

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FEDERAL Minister for the Arts, George Brandis, today announced that he has approved the National Museum of Australia for five years as an approved borrowing institution under the Australian Government’s Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan Scheme.

The National Museum of Australia, he said, was only the second institution to be approved under the Australian scheme which provides legal protection from seizure and suit for cultural objects on loan for temporary public exhibition in Australia. The scheme also ensures Australia continues to benefit from the significant social, cultural and economic benefits that international exhibitions deliver.

Senator Brandis sent on to say that Museum would now be able to offer to international lenders the significant legal protection provided by the scheme including for its forthcoming exhibition “Encounters: Revealing stories behind Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander objects from the British Museum”, its first-ever collaboration with the British Museum and a rare opportunity to view over 150 Indigenous objects most of which have not been seen in Australia since they were first acquired in contacts between early settlers and first Australians.

The ‘Encounters’ exhibition opens at the National Museum in November. For further information about about the scheme visit arts.gov.au

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THE National Capital Authority (NCA) will be withdrawing Parking Infringement Notices (PINs) issued during the period of 1-5 August 2015.

A spokesperson says this is due to an administrative error resulting in infringements being issued below the legislative penalty amount. This will affect 309 PINs issued during this time.

“Those who have already paid these infringements will be refunded the full amount,” the spokesperson said.

“The NCA will not be reissuing the fines at the higher dollar amount and are simply retracting the original PINs.

“To process the withdrawal, the NCA requires those issued with these affected PINs to phone the free call number, 1800 772 403.”

This would seem to indicate they are issuing on average 62 fines a day.

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SCURRYING back from City Hill earlier in the week I thought this view was worth sharing.

Three eras of Canberra’s architecture stacked up like Russian dolls.

First the 1920’s neoclassical Melbourne Building. Behind it the 1970s brutalism of the ACT Health building. Then looming higher still the Department of Education and Training, a picture of glittering black glass required in the current era.

Seen something around Canberra? Email it in to john@citynews.com.au .

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