Selected artists for the “The Centenary Red Cross Art Show” at Albert Hall.

Long-time organiser Kevin Hill’s top Australian artists will be at the exhibition to help support the Red Cross as it celebrates a century of helping people in Australia.

Present for the show will be artists Max Mannix, Otto Kuster, John Vander, Kevin Best, Werner Filipich, Paul Margocsy, Gary Myers, Ian Hansen, John Dynon, Jim Hough, David Brayshaw, Ramon Ward-Thompson, John Bradley, Chris Ramsey and Ern Trembath.

There will also be paintings by Kevin Best, Bill Ambagtsheer, Richard Bogusz and Pro Hart.

Visitors will be able to talk to artists about their work and the inspiration behind them, as well as being able to buy direct from the artists. There will be more than 350 works for sale, with prices starting at $300.

The art show is open on Friday, March 14, from 7pm, with a donation at the door of $5 to Red Cross and all are welcome, and on Saturday, 9am-6pm and Sunday, 9am-4pm.

The post Ambassador to open Red Cross art show appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THERE’S usually a great story behind a name and The Cupping Room is no exception. No, it’s not the cupping of the massage-therapy type. It’s the process coffee roasters use to judge coffees.

With its prime location in the city, The Cupping Room is full of beans. The team from Ona Coffee designed the concept hoping to “develop customers’ tastebuds”. It might sound pretentious, as does The Cupping Room’s claim that “we don’t just cup coffee, we cup life”, but the reality is the place oozes passion.

It was pumping at lunch, but we were immediately spotted by friendly staff and seated in “about ten”.

The food line up takes you on a world tour… Costa Rica, Columbia, India, Cuba, Asia… and it was challenging to decide what trip to take.

I ended up in Columbia with a daily special that was colourful and soul satisfying. The Columbian Potatoes ($18) featured grilled chorizo sausage, baked beans, corn, house-cured heirloom tomatoes, spinach, poached eggs and a slightly firey barbecue sauce. Yummo.

My dining partner headed for the Sashimi-grade garfish fillets, but it was sold out (c’est la vie with daily specials). The Super Salad came to the rescue, a lovely mix of kale, roast pear, roast pumpkin, walnuts and Yarra Valley Persian feta ($15).

Lunch also includes a roast root veggie salad, a venison patty with aromatic herbs, a slow-braised lamb neck curry with Indian spices, an oven-roasted chicken thigh in Costa Rican marinade and other scrumptious – and refreshingly different – items.

Breakfast runs all day and apparently the “Not so Benedict” is super. The poached local eggs come with silverside, braised savoy cabbage and a Dijon blanquette ($16), again refreshingly different. And kids are well taken care of all day, including with baby quinoa bircher and housemade coco pops.

But let’s get back to coffee. I’ve heard some say the barristas at The Cupping Room are rigid with what they’re prepared to serve up (remember the soup Nazi on “Seinfeld”?). Filter coffee is only served black. A long black is with 70C water, a white coffee is served at 60C and so it goes. I get this, since the true taste of coffee – like red or white wine – is served a certain way for balance and flavour. I don’t know what The Cupping Room would do if you asked for a hot long black, or for milk with your filter coffee, but hope they would be accommodating.

The Cupping Room has a great vibe, a great fit-out (although the ventilation inside needs to better deal with the smells from the kitchen) and a great possie. I’ll be back, and soon.

 The Cupping Room. University Avenue and London Circuit, Civic, call 6257 6412.

The post Dining: A room full of beans appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Visit Canberra director Ian Hill… “It’s really about authentic experiences being shared through a group of people with significant social media reach.” Photo by Gary Schafer

“The people we’re trying to tap into are essentially community influencers,” says the Visit Canberra director.

“The more successful bloggers are the ones who stay true to being authentic; they’re not in the advertising world, they’re in the storytelling world and in their communities, they’ve become a very trusted source of information.”

Hill says that at the same time as 2012’s “Human Brochure” participants from interstate were swanning around on the ACT taxpayer’s dime, they actually snapped more than 5000 photos and composed countless positive messages about our fair city, all seen by millions of people, and the important thing, says Hill, is they were genuine.

“It’s really about authentic experiences being shared through a group of people with significant social media reach,” he explains.

Being genuine is often said to be the key to effective marketing and the local tourism body has picked up a swag of awards including an Australian Tourism Award for destination marketing this year.

The “101 Humans” equals one social-media savvy human from Canberra for each year the city has existed, each inviting a plus-one to experience some of what our region has to offer in terms of arts and culture, food and wine, family friendly and/or nature-based activities.

“They get to match their interstate friend or relative to the things they like to do, so if you like mountain biking, you can do a guided tour with [Canberra’s own six-time gold medal winning Paralympian skier and cyclist] Michael Milton at Stromlo Forest Park, or if you like arts and culture you can get a behind the scenes tour at the National Gallery, so you will get these experiences matched to the things that you’re personally interested in,” Hill explains.

The new campaign has four phases, which will be drawn out over the year. In the first, the 101 lucky locals will get to discover things they didn’t already know about the city they call home.

“We’re going to showcase to them some of the best experiences their home town has to offer,” says Hill. “We are going to be making them world-class ambassadors, so some of those discovery-phase activities could be behind-the-scenes tours of places like Poachers Pantry, the Australian War Memorial, Questacon or the National Portrait Gallery, or it could be a Mount Majura wine tasting with French black truffle brie.”

As well as being a great “prize” for the “101 Humans” and their interstate guests, he says, this also ensures “they can talk about the experiences with real conviction and first-hand knowledge”, creating marketing content with a far stronger whiff of authenticity, albeit with a small risk of some being less than flattering.

Since few locals know much about Canberra’s hotels, for obvious reasons, the local accommodation industry is going to show the chosen 101 around some of their latest properties during the discovery phase, and they’ve also chipped in free accommodation for when their guests arrive in October and November (travel costs are not included).

The recruitment closes April 10 with the 101 participants announced by the end of April, the fun of the discovery phase runs through May and June and the VIP events will be organised to catch the spring weather in October and November.

Apply to be one of the “101 Humans” at 101humans.com.au

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Robert Macklin

Sure, we know it’s clean, convenient, friendly and about as healthy as a 21st century city can be. But here’s the rub: once you tell the world, you encourage everyone to come here and presto! It’s a crowded conglomerate and you can’t park anywhere.

The one caveat, I noted, was our “housing affordability”. But Katy Gallagher and Andrew Barr promised they’d be fixing that. Oh sure; the only way to make housing more affordable is to lower the value of our major family asset. Let’s hear the standing ovation among Canberrans for that one.

NICE to see Lib Leader Jeremy Hanson coming aboard to increase the cast at the Assembly from 17 to 25. Just as important, the seats should be distributed between the five town centres so that each gets its say on the political stage.

Of course, this will mean a new Assembly building to strut their stuff…and where better than beside the Canberra Theatre?

THE Qantas imbroglio was all political theatre. Even after Joe Hockey strongarmed diminutive CEO Alan Joyce into blaming the comparatively miniscule $59m carbon tax for the airline’s woes, Tony Abbott refused to extend them a $3 billion line of credit. Instead, he said they could sell off half of their domestic cash cow to unnamed foreigners.

“Gee, thanks, Tony!” they cried. Well, they cried… but not all the way to the (Commonwealth) bank. Sad really, after all those “hard decisions” Alan had made about sacking 5000 workers, especially since he’d declared a “freeze” on his own salary.

In 2011 Alan’s annual pay packet was increased a trifling 71 per cent from $2.92 million in 2009-10 to a risible $5.01 million and he was granted 1.7 million Qantas shares under a long-term incentive plan. Last year his take home pay was a mere $3.3 million.

And he froze it! The man is all heart.

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell then entered stage left refusing to commit a cent to the infrastructure of a second Sydney airport at Badgery’s Creek. Yep, looks like the Snows (Terry and Ginette), owners of the Canberra airport, the natural second gateway to the nation, got snowed by the PM on this one.

He has yet to announce it, but take it from here, the Creek’s the go. You only have to look at the figures (the polls, not the costs): 72 per cent of NSW voters are cheering Badgery’s while only 20 per cent are booing.

CATE Blanchett tied news and theatre together nicely in her Academy Award acceptance speech when she underlined Australia’s triumph of four Oscars by telling the Yanks, ‘Don’t f***** forget it!’ (Well, she had played Blue Jasmine.) But she got it right when she said the Australian industry is bursting with talent. Canberra is right up there. If you doubt it, make “Tracks” to our own Mia Wasikowska in a theatre near you. She is Cate’s undoubted successor to the Hollywood crown.

 robertmacklin.com

The post Seven Days: Welcome to liveable, unaffordable Canberra appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Michael Moore

However, in the ACT recent events indicate that government support for sport is somewhat haphazard.

A few weeks ago this column questioned the disproportionate expenditure of half a million taxpayer dollars on beach volleyball. Hardly was the column in print when news broke of the impending demise of the ice hockey team the Canberra Knights, which has been playing for decades in the Australian Ice Hockey League at the Phillip ice skating rink.

There had been some support from the ACT government for the Knights, but for two Canberra businessmen coming to its rescue, renaming it CBR Brave, the team would have been out of the competition.

Contrast this struggle with the immense financial support the Canberra Raiders are seeking through the redevelopment of Braddon Oval.

The redevelopment proposal simply rips off ordinary Canberrans. As with all property in Canberra, the oval is leased rather than owned. The lease was granted for a specific purpose – as a sporting and club facility to support their sport. The attempt to change the lease to allow commercial or intense residential to be built on the site immensely increases the value of the land compared to its value as a club and sporting facility. It would be a considerable windfall gain to the Raiders if allowed to proceed.

This gain from changing the purpose of a lease belongs with the Canberra community – not with those who happen to own the lease. The incentive for the Raiders to sell this land for another purpose is simply financial.

Each time a similar thing happens the community loses more green space and more sporting facilities. Such a precedent means that the sporting clubs that happen to have the advantage of holding prime leases, wind up with totally disproportionate community support for their particular code.

In principle, if the full value of the windfall gain on the change of lease is taken by the government it can be more evenly distributed across a wide range of sporting codes or other government needs. If the government really wishes to have the site redeveloped it has the option to purchase the lease from the Raiders at its current value and put the land to auction, an approach that would make a level playing field!

The language the Raiders used in a letter to its members was to have the land “de-concessionalised”. It tells a story. They have the land on a special concessional lease. It has not been assigned to them for development so that they can make a motza windfall gain that genuinely belongs to the rest of the community.

If this sort of development is allowed to proceed in this manner it begs the question: where will it end? Think of the “concessional” leases owned by some of the private schools and the churches around Canberra.

There simply should not be a financial incentive for the Raiders. Financial support for our sporting clubs should be distributed in an equitable manner through a transparent system.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health. He and his son were ice hockey players and Canberra Knights fans.

The post Moore: Community deserves a sporting chance appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

“SNIFF and slurp”, that’s snapper Gary Schafer’s fond interpretation of Cupping Room manager Jack Scheeren’s approach to encouraging the appreciation of coffee by educating customers through “cupping” – the ritualistic, international method of sampling and analysing the aroma and taste of comparative blends.

Here, as Schaf’s lovely picture shows, Jack leads customers Louisa Tang, left, and Emma Buckland through the process at the University Avenue cafe. Dining writer Wendy Johnson’s review is elsewhere on citynews.com.au

Irene Elliot 

PUBLIC servant Irene Elliott is heading to India for a high-risk treatment that may mean a cure for her advanced multiple sclerosis.

Brave Irene, whose heart-wrenching story was featured on the cover of “CityNews” on October 10, will travel to the Bangalore Manipal Hospital for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation treatment, which involves harvesting stem cells from her bone marrow, then decimating the immune system with chemo before reintroducing the stem cells.

Her family raised almost $90,000 for the treatment in a “Big Fat Greek Fundraiser” at the Hellenic Club in November.

Irene says she’s now busy planning everything, including post-treatment and logistics, and expects to leave for India in early June.

“It’s exciting and I’m buzzing from the news, but it’s very scary at the same time, as this is a major treatment process,” she says.

Tim’s ring of truth

Tim Murray.

Murray, you see, once wrote a short story called “Ring of Truth” about the pugilism at his old school, Geelong Grammar, that he helped undo as an adult drama teacher by turning the boxing ring into a stage. No wonder, he told “CityNews” it looked as if the story was coming full circle.

 ACTION man Alistair

Alistair Coe.

Run out of town

Jasan Savage.

Director and playwright Duncan Ley stole the show as he told how he and the late actor were once chased out of a country town by the local CWA after Savage opted for the more ribald alternative words to Henry Lawson’s “The Bastard from the Bush”.

Going and coming

AS Goulburn runs its beautifully executed “come and live here” campaign around Canberra, the irony of Emily Moran winning the ACT Government’s Update Your Medicare Address Campaign’s $10,000 prize draw must be galling. Emily recently moved to Canberra from Goulburn.

Meanwhile, Goulburn has come in at number eight in the top 10 regional suburbs for family living in a national “Top 100 Suburbs For Family Living” report, compiled by RP Data.

The biggest loser is Canberra, with none of our suburbs making the Top 100 because of a combination of higher prices and scarcer amenities compared with other cities. How this reconciles with last week’s news that Canberra is the most liveable city is anyone’s guess.

Pierre’s pick

“THE Chronicle” of March 4 is the omnipresent Pierre the Lair’s withering focus this week. The inky weekly reports on page one of “concerns about the likelihood of a new community centre being built”.

“Or are they concerns about the likelihood of it not being built?” says Pierre.

“On page two, seasonal change in Canberra is described: ‘It’s a subtle change but quite dramatic’, which would make a dramatic change something to behold.”

Staying on script

WHICH discount chemist ensures the continued patronage of little old ladies by retaining their scripts? Our Weston snout’s snout has observed that the old darlings are inclined to accept when invited by this particular chemist to leave their repeat scripts with them.

The post Canberra Confidential: Coffee’s ‘sniffy’ side appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Producer Cindy Jia Li… worked with some of the top film people in China.

The film, called “Aodaliya Gold”, is to be set at Gooromon Park Riding Centre in the hills of Hall. “Aodaliya” is Mandarin for “Australia”.

Pu came to Australia during the Gold Rush of the 1860s. Here he fell in love with an Australian girl, Emma Golding, but ran foul of the law at a time when there were vicious anti-Chinese riots on the goldfields.

With a budget of more than $20 million and the likelihood of a general release in China and elsewhere overseas, Macklin and Li are optimistic about the enterprise, which has been undertaken in partnership with Canberra production house, Silver Sun Pictures.

“We are very lucky that Cindy Li has recently relocated to Canberra,” Macklin enthuses. “She has worked with some of the top film people in China.”

Macklin, who some years ago embarked on a filmmaking project about local bushrangers, told “CityNews” the trailer would be filmed at Gooromon Park next month and used to secure the additional funding for the project, which is supported by ScreenACT.

The post Local filmmakers bring back Chinese bushranger appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE ACT Greens’ Shane Rattenbury deserves to be congratulated, rather than ridiculed by Mark Parton (“St Shane of the imaginary animals”, CN March 6).

The banning of cage-egg production and sow stalls in the ACT ensures these inhumane and outdated farming practices can never again be part of the ACT landscape.

After 18 years and seven attempts, this Bill has finally passed, what a truly fantastic day for the welfare of animals, imaginary or not.

 Chris Doyle, Gordon

How stupid is this?

THE absence of consistent street numbering in Canberra business districts (city and suburbs) is a disgrace and a symptom of government negligence as much as are broken pavements or clogged drains.

As evidence, consider Brierly Street, Weston. On its western side the visible numbering from south to north is – Chicken shop, nil; pizza shop, nil; garden shop, nil; bank, 11; offices, 12; pizza shop, nil; wine shop, nil; mini market, nil; restaurant, nil; estate agent, nil; café, 6/25 (facing Brierly but could refer to Trenerry); estate agent, 9 &10; carpet shop, 8; restaurant, nil; hair salon, nil; estate agent, nil; hair salon, 3B 39; chiropractor, 4 (43 on high wall sign); café, nil; auto shop, nil and service station, nil (told it is 47).

How stupid is this when strangers are encouraged to visit Canberra, or someone needs to find a business, or even figure out which way street numbers are running?

One business on line gives its address as 28 Brierly Street, but Google Maps cannot find it. No wonder.

 P. Edwards, Weston Creek

 Wake up to our environment

WHEN I first arrived in Australia from England in 1957, age 17, I found a job as a jackaroo at Gunnedah on a large sheep and cattle station.

In the first weekend, the cocky explained a few things about local wildlife. He said go for a walk, take a gun and shoot anything that moves except sheep, cattle and the dogs. At that stage, I had not even seen a kangaroo, let alone giant goannas, which I thought were dragons. Goannas, kangaroos, wedgetail eagles, white cockatoos, foxes and snakes, shoot the lot, I was told.

Some things never change. We shoot the kangaroos in Canberra, kill the sharks and crocodiles in other places when we know that there is a risk in being in their habitat, although the worst thing the kangaroos do is damage to speeding cars.

Now it is the turn of the Koel. What next, open season on cockatoos or possums as some would suggest?

Wake up, Australia and learn to live with the environment!

Cedric Bryant, Watson

Horse power

Brego the brave horse.

I have had him for around six months and he means the world to me. I have had two other horses since I was about 14 and recently I put them both down. I was devastated and didn’t think I would get another horse – but things happen, and I met Brego.

Since I’ve had him, he has been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his eyelid. It was recently operated on however tests show that there are still cancerous cells remaining. A further operation will be required soon. At the same time, the vet discovered issues with his teeth and operated on those as well.

Throughout this procedure, Brego has taken it all in his stride and he has a beautiful nature. He has had a tough life, but through all of that he doesn’t seem to have lost faith in humans.

Despite setbacks with his health, he is worth every effort and every dollar spent just for what he gives back in kindness. It just goes to show how animals can play such an important role in human well-being.

 Fiona Mckenna, via email

The post Letters: Praise Shane, not ridicule him appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

AS Visit Canberra launches its new “101 Humans” tourism campaign today, the latest national survey from Tourism Research Australia reveals a 5 per cent upswing in overnight visitors to the ACT over the centennial year.

Andrew Barr

Visitors contributed an estimated $1.2 billion to the ACT economy in 2013, an increase of $131 million on the 2012 result, according to a statement from Tourism and Events minister Andrew Barr’s office.

The minister attributes the increase largely to the leisure sector, with domestic overnight holiday visitors to the ACT up by 39 per cent, and the total number of they stayed for up by 26 per cent.

The new “101 Humans” campaign aims to capitalise on the fact that the majority of Canberra’s visitors are in the “visiting friends and relatives” category, with business trips accounting for the second-largest group.

Mr Barr’s office believes the strong performance of Canberra’s leisure sector during 2013 helped offset a lacklustre year for business travellers, due to Federal Parliament taking a longer than usual break for the election.

“The negative effects of this longer recess can be clearly seen in the ACT’s year ending results for the business sector – with business visitors down by 6 per cent and business visitor nights falling by 42 per cent,” the minister’s statement reads.

The post Canberra draws two million tourists appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

CANCER researcher Professor Chris Parish was named Canberrra Citizen of the Year in a ceremony today.

Prof Chris Parish, 2014 Canberra Citizen of the Year.

Chief Minister Katy Gallagher presented the award and said Professor Parish was being recognised for his contribution to the research community and the ACT health system.

“It would be unusual to come across anyone in our community who has not been personally touched by cancer,” Ms Gallagher said.

“The dedicated work of researchers such as Professor Parish has helped build Canberra’s reputation as a centre for excellence in medical research, and in a direct way will ultimately help to improve the quality of life of cancer sufferers both locally and across the globe.”

Prof Parish is the 38th Canberra Citizen of the Year.

The Chief Minister also acknowledged 227 individuals and 11 groups that received nominations for the Canberra Gold Group Award, which was introduced in 2005.

“The individuals and organisations that we are recognising today have lived in the ACT or been established here for more than fifty years and have all made significant contributions to our community,” she said.

“This year they include groups such as the Canberra Royals Rugby Club; St Edmunds College and Hartley Lifecare as well as the Greek Orthodox Community and the Taxi Industry.

“I would like to thank all these organisations on behalf of Canberrans for their contribution to the city we live in and enjoy today.”

The post Cancer researcher named Citizen of the Year appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE “entitlement generation” has become a common catchphrase; it is even more widely used to describe young sportspeople.

There is a perception that sportspeople believe they are entitled to certain things in life without actually working for them. We hear the phrase so often and it is supported by the colourful exploits of young, professional footballers, cricketers or tennis players who, with monotonous regularity, seem intent on blowing every opportunity.

In the media, we appear to delight in the off-field exploits of these spoilt “brats” doing little to warrant the rewards coming their way.

I think this view is a generalisation. Every time I start to think every elite sportsperson has little concept of reality, along comes the likes of Olympic swimmer Alicia Coutts.

A different side to Alicia… from a series of distinctive portraits of Olympian Alicia Coutts by leading local freelance photographer Andrew Campbell. Make-up by Lesley Johnston.

If ever there was a grounded athlete, it is Alicia. In fact, she should be employed to go to Canberra schools to talk about overcoming hurdles, getting on with life and making the most of every opportunity.

Alicia Coutts. Photo by Andrew Campbell.

She almost quit after London from a team environment described as toxic with suggestions she was bullied. In the wake of two separate inquiries, she says the atmosphere now is great and encouraging. The suggestion of her walking away from swimming in her mid 20s because of the actions of others would have been a travesty.

Alicia says she is keen to start a family after the Rio Olympics.

So what drives her, what makes her work harder than most in the sport? A chat about her childhood soon provides an insight. The death of her father to cancer when she was only seven had an understandable impact. He had real belief in her ability as a swimmer. Her memory of him is one of her motivators. She says she wants to make him proud.

Another motivator also comes from her past and the hard times experienced growing up in a family with little money, at times living on Weet-Bix. Also, the health problems she experienced would have stopped most from continuing in the sport.

These days, she works part time at the RSPCA at Weston as much through her love of animals as the grounding and distraction it provides.

Hers is an inspirational story and worth telling in more detail to the next generation.

The post What motivates the amazing Alicia? appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

WIND power will become the centrepiece of the ACT Government’s plan to meet its bold renewable energy target of 90 per cent by 2020.

Simon Corbell

Environment and Sustainable Development minister Simon Corbell announced the new plan at 11am today as he opened the second Regional Renewable Energy Business Forum.

“This is the largest step taken by the ACT Government to date to meet the 90 per cent renewable energy target by 2020,” Mr Corbell says in a statement issued this afternoon.

“This wind auction will abate around half a million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum, and will generate about a quarter of Canberra’s electricity needs. This is approximately half of all emissions associated with residential electricity use.”

The 200MW of wind power could make up about 40 per cent of what is required to meet the renewable energy target of 90 per cent by 2020, and provide almost a quarter of the Territory’s electricity consumption.

The cost of subsidising it is likely to be about $1.30 per household per week, the minister says, which is included in the previously announced $4-a-week cost of achieving the ACT’s renewable energy target and offset for some households by savings from the Government’s energy efficiency policies.

Mr Corbell argues that now is the time to take advantage of a buyer’s market for wind power, which he attributed to the effect of the Commonwealth Government’s Renewable Energy Target review.

“The wind auction will be open to generators within the Australian Capital Region, but also to generators further afield in circumstances where they demonstrate exceptional local economic development benefits and competitive pricing,” says Mr Corbell.

“Opening up the wind auction to a geographically broader base means more competition, more innovation and potentially lower prices. But the conditions on broader participation mean this cannot be at the expense of local jobs.”

Proposals for the wind farms to power Canberra, which will be located in the surrounding parts of NSW, will need to demonstrate a track record of having positively engaged with local communities.

The post Wind to provide a quarter of ACT power appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

“CITYNEWS” has noticed how accustomed Canberrans have become in the past year to counting things in the hundreds – could it be something to do with the Centenary?

Now the Australian National Botanic Gardens is doing it too, compiling a list of “100 things to do in the Gardens”.

There’s just one catch for those of a generation that doesn’t visit Facebook – to access the full list, you’ll have to sign up to the website, and go to the Botanic Gardens Facebook page.

Here are just a few of the suggestions – “see the elusive Macleay swallowtail butterfly in the rainforest gully”, “search for the yeti tree”, “explore the western Mallee section” and “travel around Oz in an hour”. That last one has us intrigued.

“It took us the whole Centenary year to compile the list, but here it is, the entire summary of 100 things visitors can do here in the Gardens,” the Gardens’ marketing manager Julie Akmacic says.

We’ll take that with a grain of salt.

The post Hug a tree…and 99 more things to do appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

FAMILY law specialists Watts McCray have developed two free tablet apps offering advice on divorce, de-facto relationships, child support, child custody, property settlement, pre-nup or de facto agreements and separation issues.

Lawyer Pam Lyndon.

‘The apps are not meant to replace legal advice, but they support changes in lifestyle, behaviour and technology. People are extremely mobile and want access through smart and innovative technology quickly.”

The apps are available to Apple, Android and Windows smart phone and tablet users.

Pam says the myDivorce and myAussieDivorce apps were developed to provide Australians living here and overseas with information they may need if considering a divorce or separating from a partner.

‘The myAussieDivorce app was designed for the increasing number of Australians living overseas, including professionals being sought after in Asia,” Pam says.

“These people often live in different time zones and this is an easy and accessible way for them to become familiar with a base level of information. The app is targeted at those living in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, UK, US and Vietnam.”

The post Free apps offer insight into divorce appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

INTRUDERS broke in to Brierly’s Cafe in Weston Creek early this morning, shortly before a fire broke out in the kitchen, causing serious damage.

Firefighters arrived on the scene just before 1am, responding to reports of flames inside the cafe from several members of the public, closely followed by police officers a few minutes later.

They quickly contained the fire and successfully stopped it from spreading to other nearby businesses.

Police say the intruders tripped a back-to-base alarm and a security firm contacted the owners of the cafe, who rang triple-zero.

ACT Fire and Rescue declared the fire suspicious and handed the scene over to police at about 2.30am.

Anyone with information about the fire or people acting suspiciously in the area at around midnight last night can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 online at act.crimestoppers.com.au Information can be provided anonymously.

The post Fire breaks out after intruders break-in appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

FROM this week, the city’s leading social reporter LYN MILLS joins the “CityNews” team of respected and experienced writers and photographers. And also from this edition, acclaimed author and journalist ROBERT MACKLIN is writing a new weekly look at the news around us called “Seven Days”. It’s on Page 6. Elsewhere, Canberra’s most-experienced arts writer HELEN MUSA talks exclusively with Patricia Routledge, television’s immortal “Mrs Bucket”.

The post Digital edition March 13 appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

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AFTER SELL-OUT SEASONS at the Melbourne and Sydney Fringe Festivals, Brisbane Festival and Theatreworks St Kilda, the award-winning Australian theatre production, “Cut Snake”, will play at Gorman Arts Centre for a two-night season on March 13 and 14.

Lounge-room antics from the cast of “Cut Snake”

TONIGHT, West Australian poet Maitland Schnaars and local violinist Emma Kelly will perform a special musical collaboration before “Cut Snake”, then tomorrow, Friday, from 8pm to midnight in the Gorman House Courtyard will be bands performing as part of “Free Music for Rich Kids” during the “You Are Here” festival’s opening weekend.

Daniel O’Donnell

“REINA DE LA PILETA” is the debut album from the brand new collaboration between Wanderlust and MC/composer/double-bassist Simon Milman, better known as Coolio Desgracias and a self-described “Struggletown native”. You can catch the official launch concert at The Street Theatre, this Friday, March 14 at 8pm. Tickets at the door. Click here to read more.

“Reina De La Pileta” cover.

Bleached Platform, Jacqui Malins, 2013

BELCONNEN Arts Centre is ALSO hopping with 3 exhibitions formally opening at 5:30 PM on Friday, March 14, to which all are invited. The shows are “Fossilised Water and Petrified Air”, Jacqui Malins, and “Urban Weavings,” by John Garrett, Ann McMahon, Gabrielle Powell and Jane Whitten. A heritage related exhibition by museum-trained photographer, Ray McJannett, “The Rural Series”, is showing in the foyer. The centre is open 10 AM to 4 PM, Tuesday to Sunday at 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen.

After the Rain, Ray McJannett, 2013

Tracey Pearce: Skylight#3

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CANBERRA is to have the largest free public Wi-Fi network in Australia as part of the Digital Canberra Action Plan, launched today by Chief Minister Katy Gallagher at the Canberra Business Council’s ‘State of the Territory’ Luncheon at the National Gallery of Australia.

Chief Minister Katy Gallagher.

“Garema Place will become the centre of digital innovation in Canberra through the creation of a dedicated digital space and digital screen,” Ms Gallagher added.

“[...] Connected to the Garema Place digital space, we are looking to create a digital and innovation hub as a service centre for digital government and the digital economy.

“This hub would help concentrate the development and incubation of digital ideas – building both the culture and the capability of the sector through practical support to connect innovations with applications in government and industry.”

The digital strategy also includes the creation of an “Innovation Pitch Panel” for local entrepreneurs to present their ideas directly to the Government, and workshops on “digital capacity building” for businesses and nonprofit groups.

The purpose of the speech was to explain to the business community how the Labor Government plans to keep the ACT economy on a steady course as the Australian Public Service workforce continues to shrink.

The Chief Minister also released the final version of the City Plan, which aims to encourage residential growth in Civic, major infrastructure upgrades and a permanent bridging of the divide between the city and the lake.

“Under the plan, the government is putting money behind key projects such as the Parkes Way split boulevard, conference centre and redevelopment of the ABC flats and I personally am looking forward to seeing this plan come to life,” Ms Gallaher said.

The City Plan received a $500,000 grant from the Australian Government’s Liveable Communities Programme, with the ACT Government contributing $1 million in resources.

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INFLUENZA has hit earlier than usual this year with almost four times as many people across Australia getting the flu in January and February and ACT Medicare Local is urging Canberrans to get immunised.

ACT Medicare Local chair Dr Rashmi Sharma

“The impact of flu cannot be underestimated given that complications from influenza kill around 3500 Australians each year – that’s more than the average annual national road toll of 1500 people,” she says.

“Each year flu symptoms confine some people to bed and even hospital, causing lost workplace productivity. This disease is debilitating and can cause pain, fever and headaches.”

Dr Sharma said it was a myth that influenza vaccine gives you the flu as it is not a “live” vaccine.

“Being fit and healthy does not provide complete protection against a serious bout of influenza,” she says.

“We’re also reminding Canberrans who received a flu vaccine last year to be boosted again this year to maintain their immunity. Each year a new flu vaccine is developed to provide protection against the current strains of flu virus.”

Eligibility for the funded seasonal influenza vaccine available from March 15 under the National Influenza Vaccination Program includes:

· All adults aged 65 years and over.

· All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 15 years of age.

· People over six months of age with chronic illnesses.

· Pregnant women.

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