Review To Examine Cultural Issues In Local Government - Mirage News

VIC Premier

Respect, integrity and trust across local councils will be strengthened through a wide-ranging review of cultural issues backed by the Andrews Labor Government.

Speaking at the Australian Local Government Women’s Association Victoria Branch annual conference, Minister for Local Government Shaun Leane today announced Local Government Victoria would commission a review and discussion paper to start a conversation about behaviour and culture on councils.

The discussion paper will look into the history of the culture in local government and ways to promote a more positive and inclusive work environment, ensure fairer and more equal representation of community views, and build public trust.

In particular, it will consider ways to make local government a more welcoming and safe environment for women, following a Victorian Auditor-General’s Office report that found more than one in four councillors and council staff had experienced sexual harassment in the past 12 months.

The review will be undertaken by a research institute, academic or person with appropriate skills and experience from the sector, and a discussion paper published for feedback.

A series of workshops with the local government sector will follow, with the final report due to be published in the last quarter of 2021.

The Labor Government has introduced new laws to ensure the highest standards of integrity in local councils, including appropriate, respectful behaviour among councillors. The Local Government Act 2020 has introduced stronger Standards of Conduct for councils, clearly defining sexual harassment as serious misconduct.

The Act also includes a suite of provisions to improve integrity in local government, including improved gift policies, tighter controls on the use of private council meetings and new rules covering conflicts of interest.

Minister Leane also announced further support for women in local government, increasing the government’s support for the Australian Local Government Women’s Association mentoring program to $41,000.

The funding will support 60 new women councillors in this term of council and provide opportunities for leaders in the sector to be trained as mentors.

As stated by Minister for Local Government Shaun Leane

“The vast majority of councils and councillors do a fantastic job for their communities, but there have been examples of poor behaviour and bad governance in recent times – not just in Victoria but across the country.”

“I strongly believe that by working together we can improve the culture overall. Our goal should be to put out a clear message that, as a sector, we won’t accept poor behaviour.”

As stated by Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams

“This review starts a conversation about cultural change in local government. It’s important that our representative intuitions are inclusive and reflect the communities they serve.”

/Public Release. This material comes from the originating organization and may be of a point-in-time nature, edited for clarity, style and length. View in full here.

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Cobargo project: How local Santa got his home back - Sydney Morning Herald

The only things to survive 2019’s New Year’s Eve bushfires at the home of Cobargo’s Santa and retired volunteer firefighter Dave Rugendyke and his wife Barbara were the wooden reindeer that now limp - not prance - along the front fence.

“There was just nothing, nothing,” Mrs Rugendyke said of what was left when they returned to the home far down NSW’s South Coast where they had fostered 100 children in the past decade. “Everything was black.”

Dave and Barbara Rugendyke and family members in their new home in Cobargo.Credit:Angi High

Mr Rugendyke’s shed with his Santa sleds was razed. After a lifetime of helping others, Mr Rugendyke found it hard to accept help. “I lost my marbles,” he said.

A year later, the family’s home is a finalist for the Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Award for best new house.

Called the Cobargo Santa Project, the home was designed pro bono by Melbourne’s Breathe Architecture. Madeline Sewall, Breathe’s head of houses, said the firm offered to help after watching television footage of a devastated Cobargo volunteer firefighter too upset to even shake the hand of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

A GoFundMe set up by some of the Rugendyke’s grandchildren funded the rebuilding of Dave’s shed and resulted in donations of a golf buggy for a new sleigh.

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But the Rugendykes needed a home. To make the family’s insurance payout go further, Breathe’s staff tapped building suppliers for help. They responded by donating $100,000 worth of materials, ranging from bricks, taps, solar panels, kitchen appliances, carpet, and insulation.

The home is designed to withstand devastating bushfires. It is clad in donated zincalume steel with an angled roof that sheds embers. It has a 60,000-kilogram concrete water tank to replace the plastic one that melted. The house is 100 per cent free of fossil fuels and uses recycled hardwood.

It has two wings. One has enough bedrooms for the family’s seven-year-old daughter Sarah, four foster children, and space for others needing emergency accommodation. The Rugendykes, who also have five adult children and 28 grandchildren, have fostered more than 400 children in total.

Ms Sewall said the new home “is simple, but not without joy”.

Mrs Rugendyke though was more bullish: “I think this house deserves to win. This is not a house, it is a home.”

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“Everywhere you look there’s beautiful views, except that way,” she said pointing to still blackened trees.

Cobargo’s Santa and retired volunteer firefighter Dave Rugendyke on his new sleigh.

Moving into the new house in time for Christmas helped the family recover from the trauma of the fires that killed seven people on the NSW South Coast.

“We are definitely starting to feel better ... because it takes a really long time to recover,” Mrs Rugendyke said. “There are no words to describe the feeling of loss, it’s a feeling of emptiness, it is a feeling of not wanting to go forward. You are living day-to-day but you can’t see past that, you can’t see the future clearly.”

In pride of place on the dining room table is a crystal candleholder. It was an heirloom that belonged to Ms Sewall’s family. She gave it to the Rugendykes because they had none of their own.

Back behind the wheel of his new sleigh, Mr Rugendyke said he is recovering from depression after sessions with a therapist that convinced him to accept help when offered. “I have my marbles back,” he said.

The author is a lay juror on the panel deciding the Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Award for new housing. Winners will be announced in July.

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Mangrove Mountain community petitions to stop sale of local church - Central Coast Community News

Residents of the Mangrove Mountain community have launched a petition in an effort to stop the proposed sale of the district’s heritage listed Union Church.

Situated at 2154 Wiseman’s Ferry Rd, the church property was purchased with a government land grant in 1910 and the church was built in 1911-12 after the local Christian community had raised sufficient funds to get the project underway.

The church has been operating since May 1912, primarily with the purpose of providing a place of worship for the district’s Christian community.

The church’s management board, the Mangrove Mountain Union Church Association (MMUC), has announced its intention to sell the church and nearby hall, citing falling congregation numbers and future financial challenges, along with lack of community support, as the main reasons.

The larger community feels that various non-religious groups which have made use of the church, and especially the hall, since the building was first built, have been squeezed out over the years and that there is still a “moral responsibility” to retain the historic building for community use.

They are pushing for a revamp of the management committee, but the MMUC, formed in 1964 by church attendees with the express purpose of managing, repairing, letting, improving, selling, mortgaging or otherwise dealing with control of the property, says only office bearers or members of church groups which have been in existence for at least one year on the sire are eligible to be elected to the committee.

“The decision to sell the property was a very difficult and heart-breaking one to make,” MMUC said.

“It was based on: the ageing and numerically-declining congregation; the lack of community support over the past few years especially community attendance at services; rising costs to maintain the buildings and grounds; the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in little or no income over the last 12 months; and a forecast of little income able to be generated.”

MMUC said while it understands that the facility has been part of the Mountain Christian community for a very long time, the reality is that its ongoing operation is unsustainable.

It said the committee would like to see the church continue as a place of worship in accordance with over 100 years of tradition and that there have been enquiries from independent religious communities indicating strong interest.

Residents say the church was always intended, not just as a place of worship, but as a focal meeting point for the community and has since been “etched into the history books of the area” but the MMUC says the original minutes and constitution make it clear that the church and site were to be used for Christian worship only.

Community spokesperson, Judy Betteridge, said residents were given only seven days’ notice of an information session on the proposed sale and that any sale should be delayed until the community can explore all solutions to keeping it.

When it was first built the church housed services for Church of England, Methodist and Presbyterian denominations but with the departure of the Church of England (Anglicans) from the site in 2016 following a rent increase, control passed into the hands of the last remaining congregation, the Uniting Church (Methodist/Presbyterian).

Betteridge said community groups which had been using the hall, including the CWA, a yoga group, a playgroup and a quilting group, had been forced to relocate but the MMUC says no groups were forced out of the facilities, with some choosing to leave due to rent increases and others forced to cease following COVID-10 restrictions.

Betteridge said community members had expressed a desire to help raise funds if the church was in financial distress but MMUC said the church is solvent, with future viability the major concern.

Resident Margaret Pontifex, who was christened in the church, as was her mother before her, said the church had become the “heart and soul” of the community and that it was a place of reflection for many community members, whether they attended regular church services or not.

“So many community members have memories associated with the church – from weddings to funerals and christenings,” she said.

Lorraine Wilson, whose relatives were involved in construction of the church, said it was a unique fixture and the source of great ambience.

“Over the years there have been renovations and every generation has had input,” she said.

But MMUC said only 4-5 people now regularly attend worship.

While the Constitution stipulates that any proceeds of a sale should go to a Christian organisation with “similar charitable and educational purposes”, community members are concerned that the building itself could be razed, with its present zoning allowing for the construction of housing.

While it is heritage listed by Central Coast Council, the church does not have a State heritage status to protect it against redevelopment although community members are investigating options for a State heritage listing.

Terry Collins

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No new local coronavirus cases in WA but one in hotel quarantine as restrictions set to ease - ABC News

Western Australia has recorded no new local cases of COVID-19 overnight.

Key points:

• The Premier says the virus hasn't been "fully shaken off" after the outbreak
• Some restrictions will remain in Perth and the Peel region until next weekend
• Workers remained cautious in Perth's CBD this morning about the COVID risk

One new case has been recorded in hotel quarantine involving an overseas traveller who returned from India.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said it was critical that testing rates stayed high in the upcoming week, in the wake of the hotel quarantine outbreak that sparked a three-day lockdown last weekend.

More than 53,000 West Australians have been tested for COVID-19 in the past seven days.

"It's critically important over the next week, as we are still in the period where we haven't fully shaken off the virus yet, that the testing rates stay up," Mr McGowan said.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.

Premier Mark McGowan says WA is not out of the woods yet after the recent outbreak.

Coronavirus restrictions in Perth and the Peel region are due to ease from midnight tonight but some will remain in place for another seven days, including rules around face masks.

The latest restrictions

Under the relaxed restrictions, masks will continue to be mandatory for indoor public venues, including workplaces and public transport, but will not be required outside provided people are able to physically distance.

WA's eased restrictions explained

Some restrictions will remain in place for the next week in Perth and Peel. Here's a snapshot of the new rules.

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Indoor private gatherings will be capped at 30 people, with no requirement to wear masks, and spectators will be permitted at community sport.

The AFL western derby between the Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles at Perth Stadium on Sunday will also go ahead, albeit with the crowd capped at 75 per cent of the venue’s capacity.

Indoor weddings and funerals will be permitted 200 guests without requiring an exemption, while nightclubs will be allowed to open under the 4-square-metre rule.

Seated hospitality venues including restaurants, cafes, food courts and bars can return to pre-lockdown measures. 

Read our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

Gyms, indoor fitness centres and dance studios may also reopen, but will need to abide by mask requirements and the two-square-metre rule. 

The casino will reopen while also adhering to the two-square-metre rule.

Outdoor gatherings of up to 500 people can be held without a COVID-19 event plan.

Mood cautious in Perth CBD

In Perth's CBD this morning, workers remained cautious about the risk posed by the recent outbreak originating from the Mercure Hotel.

Even though Yeash Godagama forgot her mask before heading to work, she said she was happy to continue using them next week because it made her feel safe.

Yeash Godagama forgot her mask this morning but was able to make do with a scarf.

"I'm grateful we're continuing with masks for now," she said.

"It makes life quite easier, it feels like things are going smoothly and we're safe in WA."

Mechanical engineer Daniel Meyer said he thought the government had been moving too quickly with easing restrictions.

"I think it's a bit premature, but it's not too bad," he said.

"They've taken a bit of a weird route with it, it's just been a bit backwards all week – like bars have been open and some other things haven't.

"I think there's a good chance there's still some cases going around considering how many places that guy visited."

But Wayne Jardine thought the new measures struck the right balance.

Wayne Jardine says his mother, in her 80s, has perfected making comfortable masks.(

ABC News: James Carmody

)

"I think it's probably a good move, I think West Australians are now pretty used to it and we're fairly compliant," he said.

Mr Jardine was not a fan of wearing masks but said his mother, aged in her 80s, had perfected comfortable home-made masks.

"She's done sewing all her life, so she just tweaked it and tweaked it until they were great," he said.

What you need to know about coronavirus:

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Local women surfers impressive in good conditions – The Echo - Echonetdaily

All Girls Surfriders co-president Berenice Roberts and treasurer Prue Smallhorn. Photo supplied

Ross Kendall

The All Girl Surfriders had ‘an absolute ripper of a round’ held in beautiful, autumn sunshine and a glassy swell up to 1.2 metres.

‘There were some absolute bomb sets coming throughout the back, testing the skills of those brave enough to take them on. As well as plenty of steady reforms on the inside sections for our beginner and intermediate surfers,’ the club’s Renee Adamson said.

‘All in all, another great round of surfing from all divisions, leaving plenty of big smiles, surf stoke, and even a few surprise results at the end. Congratulations to all of our competitors,’ she said.

The next club round is at Arrawarra for the campout.

Results

Opens: Kahlila Marshall, Mia Baker, Amy Hsieh and Lilian Beadham.
Longboard: Mel Mott, Helen Sherman, Maz Pentecost and Nat Edminston.
Junior Beginner: Mika Cruden, Miliani Tighe, Isabelle McRae, Sienna Johnson.
Junior Intermediate: Cinta Hamilton, Coco Gallagher, Lani Ferwerda, Ruby Campbell.
Senior Intermediate: Marika Ilic, Deb Stokes, Renee Adamson, Berenice Roberts.
Senior Beginner: Erin Baker, Laura Woolcott, Tara McGready, Danielle Boal.
Wahine Masters: Jane Collins, Serena Adams, Danah Benson, Nat Edminston.

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20,000 vouchers available to help local innovators commercialise ideas and create WA jobs - Media Statements

• Applications are now open for the latest round of the WA Government's Innovation Vouchers Program
• Local start-ups and small to medium enterprises can now apply for vouchers of up to $20,000
• Program is focused on creating WA jobs and diversifying the State's economy

The McGowan Government is helping start-ups and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) turn big ideas into local job opportunities, with the 2021-22 round of the Innovation Vouchers Program.

Worth up to $20,000 each, the vouchers help early stage businesses access the professional skills and services they need to advance their ideas or commercial activities in Western Australia.

The vouchers provide support in one of four categories: research and development, product development, technology transfer/intellectual property or commercialisation support.

Since the start of the program in 2011, the WA Government has awarded 178 vouchers worth approximately $3.3 million to promising early stage businesses.

Success stories include local foetal monitoring device company VitalTrace, which received a $20,000 voucher in 2017 and since then has grown from two employees to 16 employees and raised $1.3 million in capital. It has three patents underway, with another five planned.

Applications for the 2021 Innovation Vouchers Program close on May 25, 2021. Recipients must co-contribute at least 20 per cent of their voucher funding to be eligible. For example, a $25,000 package includes a $20,000 voucher and a $5,000 co-contribution from the recipient.

More information about the program and how to apply is available at https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-jobs-tourism-science-and-innovation/new-industries-fund-innovation-vouchers-program-grants

Comments attributed to Innovation and ICT Minister Don Punch:

"The McGowan Government recognises that start-ups and SMEs play an important role in creating local jobs and diversifying our economy.

"Through the Innovation Vouchers Program, we are helping WA start-ups and SMEs break through barriers to commercialisation and grow their businesses.

"I encourage all local businesses and start-ups looking at how to take their innovation to the next stage to submit an application for a voucher."

Minister's office - 6552 6900

​

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Local Chaplain reflects on Port Arthur massacre 25 years later - News - Central Coast Community News

Editorial by Reverend Rex A E Hunt

On April 26, 1996, 35 people were killed and 23 wounded in Tasmania’s Port Arthur in Australia’s worst ever massacre by a single person.

It was the catalyst for fundamental changes to Australia’s gun laws.

Reverend Rex A E Hunt’s role as chaplain and liturgist was to try to help people cope and heal.

That healing still continues today.

The plea on my answer phone told me something significant had happened, and as the Senior Chaplain at the Royal Hobart Hospital, I needed to respond.

It was a few hours later when the injured and the relatives started arriving at the hospital that we first began to sense the growing tragedy which has become known as ‘Port Arthur’.

Much has now been said and written about this tragedy, for which this week marks the 25th anniversary

As a result of my personal involvement over a very intense ten days, the memories are still close to the surface, the shock, the heartbreak, the futility of it all.

When you drop a stone in a lake, many ripples flow from that rupture, spreading over the surface of the lake.

When you drop 55 stones into a lake all at once, the ripples flow and crisscross in violent reaction over the entire surface of the lake.

At the hospital our task was clear.

Along with the counsellors, we were to visit the wounded, comfort the bereaved, support the hospital staff and offer some semblance of hope amid untold tragedy, especially to those not involved but still affected by the event, and… stay sane ourselves.

At Scots Church it was similar.

Situated one block from the hospital, it had been open all week, and a small number of people had entered for peace, prayer and silence.

One young bloke had two mates who were killed.

Another was a mother who had visited Port Arthur with her two daughters just the day before.

Another was a neighbour who was the brother of three people who were killed.

A person who had car trouble, so visiting friends hired a car and drove down themselves, only to be killed.

A mother who on hearing her son had been seriously wounded and her daughter-in-law killed, suffered a heart attack and died.

So, what to say?

And, equally important, what to do?

As the people gathered at Scots Church for worship the following Sunday, 35 white candles were handed out.

Not everyone attending received a candle.

Then following a ‘Celebration of Faith’, those with candles were invited to come to the front, light their candle from the Community Candle and form a circle.

Those who didn’t have a candle were then invited to form a loving circle around the candle bearers.

Together we begun the healing process offered when one is in community.

Those with candles were asked to keep and protect them on behalf of us all.

I continued to see those candles in crystal cabinets and on mantle pieces as I visited over the next few months.

As the first week following the tragedy drew to a close, the hospital chaplains met to plan a service of healing and restoration.

It was decided to hold the service in the hospital forecourt, where the media had camped for the past week.

All staff were notified, and each person was invited to bring along a symbol of their work to shape a tableau of service.

Some brought a phone, a bed, a trolley, a pager, notebook, gloves, a book of prayers, others food.

The special liturgy consisted of music, a meditation, two biblical readings and a prayer.

As each section within the hospital is colour-coded, 42 coloured balloons – red, blue, clear, yellow and white were also used – to which the chaplains added green.

Representatives from each section brought the balloons forward and then as a group, the balloons were released into the air to float over the hospital and the city.

When they were released, there was absolute silence.

Another special moment then happened when several hundred sprigs of greenery were offered as a symbol of renewal and hope.

Staff surged around the chaplains handing out the greenery to take a piece for themselves and for those not present.

They clasped hands.

They sighed in relief.

The long journey of healing the hospital and staff had begun.

Rev Rex A E Hunt was the Senior Chaplain (Uniting Church) at the Royal Hobart Hospital during the Port Arthur tragedy in 1996. Today he is retired and living in Empire Bay on the Central Coast.

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Byron Bay property prices push local workers out of town - ABC News

Byron Bay is far from the working-class community it once was, but the popular tourist town now seems in danger of losing its blue-collar workers.

Key points:

• A local real estate agent in Byron Bay says property prices have increased astronomically over the past 12 months 
• Local blue-collar workers are now finding the area unaffordable as buyers from Sydney and Melbourne move in
• Byron Mayor Simon Richardson says it's important the town doesn't become a playground for the rich

Property prices in the area have exploded over the last 12 months.  

Local real estate agent Damien Smith said many of the buyers were people from Sydney or Melbourne who now realised they could work from home and live wherever they wanted.

"Australians decided they wanted to move to our end of the world and the place did light up," he said.

"We started getting more and more people wanting to buy here and it got extremely hot to the point where in the last 12 months it's gone up some 40, near 50 per cent — which is astronomical."

Brad Reed grew up in Byron Bay and still works there, but can no longer afford to live in his home town. (

ABC News: Shaun Kingma

)

For people like Brad Reed, who grew up in Byron Bay and still holds down two jobs in the town as a landscaper and chef, the decision to move further south to Ballina was simple.

"The reality is that rents are just insane," he said.

"Anything I'd earn at work, over three quarters of that would be for rent. 

"So no play money."

Byron Bay's natural beauty has made it a popular tourist destination.(

ABC News: Samantha Turnbull

)

Traditional owners priced out

In pre-COVID times, the town attracted more than two million visitors a year.

It sits on Bundjalung Country, and over the last 20 years the local Arakwal people have negotiated a series of Indigenous Land Use Agreements.

In 2019, a Native Title claim for the area was approved, but the concept of traditional ownership does not mean local Aboriginal people are immune to market forces.

"Out of over 100 people, we've only had five Arakwal people living in our traditional homeland," said Bundjalung woman Delta Kay, who runs cultural tours in the area.

"So that just shows you that we're out-priced and yeah, we've been left behind."

Kirra Pendergast grew up in Byron Bay but could not afford to stay there.(

ABC News: Shaun Kingma

)

Kirra Pendergast has strong family ties to the town where she grew up, but was not willing to pay the prices being asked for accommodation.

"I've seen friends having to leave this place like literally in droves to move out to up to an hour away and still work in Byron," she said.

"I've got a couple of girlfriends that are in situations where they're either couch surfing or staying in a friend's garage, because there is nothing available that is affordable for them."

'People didn't want to come here because it smelled'

Kirra's father Max Pendergast has been around long enough to know Byron Bay was not always the place everyone wanted to be.

"It was a funny town because it had the abattoir, then it had a whaling station, then it had sand mining and Norco's big dairy company here and people didn't want to come here because it smelled," he said.

"It smelled of the whales, it smelled of the meatworks and frankly I wish it still did."

Whaling was carried out in Byron Bay in the 1950s and 60s.(

Supplied: EJ Wright Collection, Byron Bay Library

)

The Byron Shire Council has proposed a number of strategies to address the affordability issue.

It wants to establish a community land trust that would see affordable accommodation built on council-owned property.

It is also pushing the state government for a 90-day annual cap on short-term holiday letting.

Byron Mayor Simon Richardson says the town needs diversity.(

ABC News: Shaun Kingma

)

Byron Mayor Simon Richardson said it was important the town did not simply become a playground for the rich and famous.

"A diverse community is a sustainable and healthy community," he said.

"When you only have one type, whether it's a rich enclave or a poor enclave, you lose it as a community. 

"If you don't see those older people, if you don't see those younger people, if you don't have a diversity of economic sectors as well as community sectors you're only half a community."

Watch this story tonight on 7.30 on ABC TV and iview.

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Local manufacturers need support to continue creating world class products - Central Coast Community News

Manufacturers on the Central Coast are reportedly punching well above their weight, innovating, designing and building world-class products.

This was the key message from Member for Dobell, Emma McBride, who was joined by Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation, Ed Husic, was on the Coast on April 21 to hear from local manufacturers about their achievements and the challenges of developing their businesses on the Coast.

One such business is TrendPac, located at Berkeley Vale.

TrendPac is a contract manufacturer specialising in personal care and household cleaning products, supplying large retailers since the 1960s.

TrendPac employs more than 220 locals and has continuously innovated, building their capacity with a strong commitment to R&D and sustainability.

Another is the team at Bioaction, Tuggerah, who have also developed leading technology in odour and corrosion in waste water management to protect valuable infrastructure.

With clients across the country, this local business is creating high-quality, skilled jobs on the Coast.

The Marshmallow Co. in Wyong has built its business from the ground up with growth in demand since 2020 leading to new premises with a larger kitchen.

Marshmallow Co serve marshmallows and desserts to locals and export hundreds of orders interstate each week.

“We need to think of new ways to support local manufacturing in Australia,” Husic said.

“We have the smarts; we have the capacity.

“All local manufacturers need is a government on their side to ensure that local ideas, such as those at TrendPac, Bioaction and Marshmallow Co, can thrive.”

Difficulties in obtaining capital for starts ups or to scale up and gaps in our recycling supply chain were two of the key challenges identified by these successful operators.

“Local manufacturers on the Coast have the ideas and know how to compete with anyone,” McBride said.

“The federal government needs to do more to support them to scale up, expand and employ more locals.”

CCN

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Local foodies share their top Canberra dishes - HerCanberra

Posted on 29 April, 2021

Here at HerCanberra, we like to think of ourselves as an important source of food news for Canberrans.

But we’re not alone. Across the city, there are many foodies with their fingers on the pulse—and we love what they do.

Here’s a small taste (sorry) of who you should be following, as well as what they recommend you try across the city.

Michelle Brotohusodo of Brontosaurus Bites (@brontosaurus_bites)

Why did you start your account and when?

As some might know, I’m an active contributor to the HerCanberra Food and Drink Facebook page [Editor’s note: This is an understatement, Michelle is the lifeblood of that page]. The COVID-19 lockdowns last year obviously had a big impact on HC and dining out.

Additionally, personal circumstances also meant I spent an extended period of time in Sydney last year. I missed posting about food on social media, and also wanted a way to share foodie experiences I’d had in places other than Canberra.

So I set up my account on Facebook and Instagram. Its name came from a nickname I’ve had at every school I went to and because I like alliteration, and one of my very talented friends, Wita Puspita (who is now also my favourite baker in Canberra), designed the logo for me.

What are your two top Canberra dishes right now?

It’s really hard to pick just two top dishes, there are so many eateries and dishes in Canberra that I love, but here are two of my favourites:

Otoro + Tarutoretto at Raku (otoro tartare, salmon roe, lumpfish caviar, shortbread tartlet)

I first had this dish when it was trialled on the menu as part of Good Food Month earlier this year. It was incredible—I’d never had anything like it before.

All of the elements separately would have been delicious on their own, but to combine the different types of seafood and encase them in a sweet shortbread, WOW.

I ordered it again next time I went to Raku, and the impact was the same. Definitely one of my favourite dishes, and a very pretty one too!

Beef brisket noodle soup at Flavours of Jiangnan

There is so much to love about this dish—the tender beef brisket, the rich broth, and not least, the handmade noodles, which have a wonderful texture and flavour and balance out the dish nicely.

It’s really hearty and satisfying, and perfect for the cold weather (or any time, really!).

Michelle from CanberraFood (@canberrafood)

Why did you start your account and when?

I think I made the account after the first Night Noodle Markets in Canberra in 2015 because it was when I started noticing the foodie scene in Canberra really pick up, and I wanted to find out about all of the capital’s hidden gems, local favourites, and new upcoming endeavours.

What are your two top Canberra dishes right now?

Burrata, walnuts, pomegranate from @barrochford

Honestly, Bar Rochford is one of my favourite places to go to, I go for dates, dinner catch up with friends or a swirl with the girls.

I chose this burrata dish because even though the flavours they add to it varies, I always order it when I can and I’ve never been disappointed. I mean, it’s gooey milky cheese with the Rochford flair.

I think the current menu has it with cucumber, cucamelons and @under_bakery milk buns—another Canberra business we love.

Handcrafted spaetzle with gruyere, 63-degree egg and truffle from @monsterkitchenbar

I think I thought of this dish because of the cooler weather since it’s the absolute comfort dish. The small pasta-like dumplings are the perfect vessel for their cheesy mushroom-y sauce.

Matched with the fireplace and the parmesan churros on their menu (which is entirely vego!) and you’ve got yourself a lovely dinner.

Amelia Bidgood from Eat Canberra (@eatcanberra)

Why did you start your account and when?

I started the Instagram account in 2015 but I can’t remember the date. I worked in hospitality for about eight years and food has always been a really big part of my life.

I love to eat it, cook it, share it with others, write about it, talk about it and take photos of it. I also studied journalism and I’ve worked in a range of comms roles for more than 10 years.

When I moved to Canberra I found it difficult to find a platform to help me discover where to eat and things to do. So I combined my skills and passions and started Eat Canberra to help others discover more about Canberra and the region’s food and beverage scene. That’s the short version of the story!

What are your two top Canberra dishes right now?

Oooh, this is a hard one and I always struggle with this question. Just like my life where every day is different, I like variety when it comes to food and I rarely eat the same dish more than a few times.

It also depends on what I feel like eating on the day. I also like sooooo many different types of food BUT I’ll give you a few of my many favourite dishes and experiences in Canberra.

OTIS Pepper Steak from OTIS Dining Hall in Kingston and I can’t pick a dish from the menu (although the parmesan churros and the beetroot tartare are amazing) but I think the plant-based dishes at Monster Kitchen and Bar are fantastic.

There’s a reason why the OTIS Pepper Steak is still on the menu after all this time. The perfectly cooked aged-beef is crusted in silk-wood pepper and served with a luxuriously silky brandy jus. The textures, flavour and quality of the dish is incredible.

It’s a really unique experience to eat refined plant-based dishes (feature image) like the ones Monster Kitchen and Bar are dishing up. What they’re doing with vegetables shows the talent and confidence of the team in the kitchen.

It’s been a controversial move for them to only serve vegetarian and vegan dishes for one year but I think it’s great. I don’t follow any particular diets but I’m all about balance and I don’t think we need to eat meat every day.

I hope people who are opposed to the menu can open their mind and give it a go.

Russell and Cathryn from Experience Eats (@experience.eats)

Why did you start your account and when?

We started Experience Eats to share our best food experiences from Canberra and our travels and also the experiences of our valued friends and collaborators.

After a trip to New Zealand in January 2018, we posted a whitebait omelette that we made for a potluck dinner on NYE and it went crazy with reposts, comments, shares and messages.

That was the moment when we fell in love with sharing and communicating good food and drink.

What are your two top Canberra dishes right now?

One of our favourite finds from the past year was from Al Manoosh in Mawson, a traditional Lebanese breakfast.

The warm foul (Fava bean dip), fresh from the oven flatbread, pickles and vegetables. It was surprising, comforting and so fresh to start the day.

We regularly crave this dish because it’s not something you can just whip up at home and it is so unique but strangely familiar.

The ultimate incarnation of this same meal but heavily levelled up.

Then there was the mind-blowingly delicious experience we had at Table by Canberra Gourmet. A super special meal was had in the heart of Wanniassa with every dish being a standout on an intimate table for eight.

Our favourite dishes are a point of contention here at Experience Eats, with one of us claiming it was the stunning smoked mussels and the other insisting it was the sensational creme brulee.

The dishes here have a great sense of seasonality, respect for every ingredient and a representation of Chef Thomas Heinrich collective knowledge and creativity.

Food Porn Journal (@FoodPornJournal)

Why did you start your account and when? 

I love eating food, taking photos of food and telling people about food and the latest eateries to open.

Friends had been telling me to write a food blog (which I resisted) but I eventually started my blog FoodPornJournal in 2014.

Now some seven years later, I’m still at it and am so glad I get to share my foodie adventures with everyone.

What are your two top Canberra dishes right now?

Dongpou pork hand-pulled noodle soup from Flavours of Jiangnan in Dickson

The noodles are handmade here and always the perfect texture and elasticity. The Dongpou pork noodles come with three slices of thick tender pork belly and plenty of noodles in a flavoursome soup.

The beef brisket noodles are another favourite as well as the dumplings. Everything is lovingly made, the owners are so hospitable and friendly, and the dishes are affordable.

Strawberry watermelon cake from Supersweet Pastry in Isaacs

Credit: FoodPornJournal.

The strawberry watermelon cake is light, not too creamy and fresh. One slice just isn’t enough. If you’re a fan of Sydney’s Blackstar Pastry, this is the next best thing.

The Food and Wine Marshall (@thefoodandwinemarshall)

Why did you start your account and when? 

I started The Food Marshall in March 2014, along with my blog, as a way of putting my recipes up so people could follow them, I kept being asked how I cooked my work lunches!

Then the wine study happened, I was fascinated with the winemaking process, started to help out during the Canberra Wine vintages with friends, and in 2018 I became The Food and Wine Marshall.

What are your two top Canberra dishes right now?

Ooh, that’s really hard, I’ve eaten some amazing food in Canberra, our restaurant scene is world class.

Chilli Yabby stirfry at Co.Bar in Dickson

I eat out a lot locally and like to try smaller family-run restaurants, and there are some I go back to as the food, service and atmosphere is consistently good.

The yabby stir fry with the most amazing sauce that we ate at Co.Bar in Dickson, a very underrated grill restaurant on the strip, was amazing, and they haven’t had it since, even though I ask for it every time I go!

It’s BYO, they specialize in grilled skewers, Asian street food style. They also have grilled pork belly and enoki mushroom skewers which are to die for, you have to have it with their signature spicy salt that’s on every table.

Grilled swordfish and roast potatoes at Capitol Bar and Grill at QT Canberra

Capitol Bar and Grill in the QT Canberra hotel is my go-to for a special occasion or date night. They specialise in meat and seafood, grilling over open fire.

The grilled swordfish steak served sliced on the bone (like a T-bone steak!) with sea vegetables and the best roast potatoes ever, was a bit of a revelation, like the fish dish for the steak lover. Seasoned to perfection with sea vegetables and a deliciously tangy caper butter.

The Mixologist, Vincent, is an absolute legend behind the bar, his seasonal cocktails are worth an hour stopover, and even though my drink of choice is an extra dirty gin martini their QT Martini is an exercise in refined elegance.

HerCanberra (@hercanberra)

Okay, we couldn’t possibly leave this list without some of our favourite dishes!

So we asked our Associate Editor Emma Macdonald to give us her current favourites.

What are your two top Canberra dishes right now?

The Pumpkin from XO

Pumpkin by XO. Photo by Christopher Pearce

Don’t be fooled by the name—this dish is far from simple. In fact, it combines some of the best techniques and tastes of this humble vegetable as I have ever experienced.

It includes spiced pumpkin curry, fried pumpkin, pickled pumpkin, pickled eschallot, salad de fleurs, pepitas, curry leaves and dry spices.

It’s a magical ride of textures and flavours and it works on every single level. I have never been wowed by a vegetable dish as much as this. You have to try it.

Truffle Ramen from White Chaco

Truffle Ramen by White Chaco

Ramen is as much about the broth as the noodles and accompaniments floating around in it.

The team at White Chaco roast their vegetables to steep in their broth for an intense flavour, adding depth with a smoky charred soy sauce and then the magic elixir of white truffle oil.

The dish arrives with an egg that has been marinated in the broth, fried tofu, fungus, Japanese seaweed and braised bamboo.

And it screams to be slurped up right through Canberra’s colder months.

Feature image: Monster Kitchen & Bar. Credit Zachary Griffith.

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Local cop charged with accessing restricted data – The Echo - Echonetdaily

Police say that a local officer has been charged following an investigation into allegations of accessing restricted data.

The charges say that in November last year, an internal investigation commenced following reports an officer – attached to a specialist command in the Northern Region – allegedly accessed restricted data from the NSW Police computer system on 31 August 2020.

Following inquiries, a male senior constable was issued a Court Attendance Notice on Monday (26 April), for the offence of cause unauthorised for access to restricted data held in a computer system contrary to Section 308H Crime Act (NSW) 1900.

He is expected to appear in Byron Bay Local Court on Monday 7 June 2021.

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Tweed Council promises to complete 10 local infrastructure projects by year's end – The Echo - Echonetdaily

Paul Bibby

Improved coastal access tracks, fenced off-leash dog parks and upgrades to the Chillingham tennis courts are among a series of upcoming community projects in the Tweed Shire.

A total of 10 infrastructure projects will be completed in the Shire over the next eight months, thanks to $3.5 in grant funding from the Federal Government.

The carpark at Knox Park in Murwillumbah is set for a refurbishment thanks to new funding. Image: Tweed Shire Council.

Among the works being undertaken are the refurbishment of tracks and stairs at popular local coastal walking tracks, and the creation of the Tweed’s first fully fenced off-leash dog parks at Bray Park and Banora Point.

Local tennis lovers will have access to an upgraded tennis court at Chillingham, with the possibility that enough money will be found to create a multi-purpose court that allows for basketball and volleyball to be played.

The creaky grandstand at Stan Sercombe Oval will also get some much needed attention, as will some of the Shires jetties, including those at Dry Dock Roads, Crystal Waters Drive and Kennedy Drive.

Local koalas will also get a look in, with the renewal of fencing and alert markings at various sites on Round Mountain Road and Terranora Road.

Tweed Shire Council says is has begun consultation with the community on several of the projects and has promised that all of them will be completed by the end of the year.

The funding for the projects has come from the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

For more information, visit www.yoursaytweed.com.au.

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Local girl proves singing champ at Taree and District Eisteddfod - Manning River Times

It's not an easy task to win your section at the Taree and District Eisteddfod, as entrants come from out of the area to compete, but 11-year-old local girl Alice Godfrey was the best in the 12 Years and Under this year. Alice was the overall aggregate winner, being awarded for each of her six songs. She won two firsts, two seconds, and was given two highly commendeds. The adjudicator's comments were glowing: "You captured the mood of this song perfectly", "Lovely storytelling, warm even tone throughout", and, "Lovely inclusion of the whole audience with good use of facial expression." Alice, who is the school captain at Cundletown Public School, has been invited back to sing in the Grand Concert at the end of the Eisteddfod on June 5, to sing her first place winning song, Quiet from the musical theatre production of Matilda. This is only Alice's second eisteddfod (given there was no eisteddfod last year due to the pandemic), and she has been having singing lessons for four years from Helen Monkton. According to Alice's mum, Anna, Alice sings every day. "She loves to sing and perform. She's like a little Taylor Swift really," Anna says. "I think she's destined for the stage." Alice also has guitar lessons from Dean Snook. She used to dance, but gave that up to concentrate on her singing.

It's not an easy task to win your section at the Taree and District Eisteddfod, as entrants come from out of the area to compete, but 11-year-old local girl Alice Godfrey was the best in the 12 Years and Under this year.

Alice was the overall aggregate winner, being awarded for each of her six songs. She won two firsts, two seconds, and was given two highly commendeds.

The adjudicator's comments were glowing: "You captured the mood of this song perfectly", "Lovely storytelling, warm even tone throughout", and, "Lovely inclusion of the whole audience with good use of facial expression."

Alice, who is the school captain at Cundletown Public School, has been invited back to sing in the Grand Concert at the end of the Eisteddfod on June 5, to sing her first place winning song, Quiet from the musical theatre production of Matilda.

This is only Alice's second eisteddfod (given there was no eisteddfod last year due to the pandemic), and she has been having singing lessons for four years from Helen Monkton.

According to Alice's mum, Anna, Alice sings every day.

"She loves to sing and perform. She's like a little Taylor Swift really," Anna says.

"I think she's destined for the stage."

Alice also has guitar lessons from Dean Snook. She used to dance, but gave that up to concentrate on her singing.

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Tasmania's new NBL team can't find spot for star local coach Anthony Stewart - ABC News

In Australian basketball circles, it's generally accepted that Anthony Stewart was the first to seriously suggest "JackJumpers" as the name for Tasmania's shiny new basketball franchise.

Stewart says it came to him on a rowing trip to Lake Barrington last year, after a campfire discussion about the new team with basketball-mad family and friends.

"I said I'm going to run with it in the media and see if we can get some momentum, never expecting that it was any chance at all," Stewart remembers.

"I thought we could have 'the anthill' as our home, and we will come at you in numbers. It was just perfect."

To the wider Tasmanian sporting community, "JackJumpers" was just another "Stewie-ism", a tongue-in-cheek piece of silliness for which the colourful local coach had become well known over the years.

But lo and behold, the name would be picked ahead of the more conservative "Pride" and "Timbers" as part of a statewide "name the team" contest, testament to Stewart's popularity and standing among Tasmanian hoops fans.

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"When it was announced I was gobsmacked and couldn't wait to get to training and let the guys know," he said.

Stewart the showman and stirrer is perhaps as well known in Tasmania as Stewart the basketballer: The veteran of 485 NBL games across 16 seasons, who drained more than 1,100 three-pointers for the Devils, Wildcats and Taipans.

He's also known as the long-time local coach, whose passion for basketball has seen him somehow forge a coaching career in a state without a professional team.

"I've always had to fight for a job in basketball and to bring in money to pay myself," he said.

"You're always just trying to create your own job in the industry you love and that's been so good to you."

So far though, Stewart hasn't received an invitation to be part of the JackJumpers.

He's been told by higher-ups he'll be involved, but as it stands there simply isn't a role available for the man many believe is Tasmania's greatest basketball product.

"Am I disappointed? Yeah. Absolutely," he told ABC Sport.

"There's nothing more that I'd love than to be part of the JackJumpers."

Although he won't say so himself, some believe Stewart's omission is emblematic of a worrying disconnect between the JackJumpers and the local Tasmanian community.

Ill-fated Huskies

Stewart's desperation to coach at the highest level possible is best illustrated by his time as coach of the ill-fated Southern Huskies — a team created in 2018 that was to be Tasmania's ticket to the NBL.

Accepting the coaching role of the fledgling side was fraught with danger. The team — and its mysterious owners — appeared out of nowhere, propped up by flaky finances and pie-in-the-sky promises.

Anthony Stewart (left) at the announcement of the Southern Huskies basketball team.(

ABC News

)

Instead of the NBL, the team wound up playing in New Zealand's national league while still being based in Hobart, leading to shambolic away trips across the Tasman which tested all involved, and strained relationships between staff and players, only some of whom were being paid on time.

At one stage late in the season, players threatened mutiny as the money dried up and Stewart was forced to act as the reluctant conduit between playing group and ownership.

Stewart, so keen to climb the coaching ladder, endured a period he describes as the worst six months of his life.

"People don't understand the shit we shovelled," he said.

"I would challenge any other sporting code or team to go through something like that. I've never seen anything like it."

Somehow, Stewart willed the team to within an inch of the NZNBL playoffs.

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When the Huskies' powerbrokers fled Tasmania, Stewart found out via text message that the team had folded as quickly as it had appeared, and the rungs upon which his coaching career rested collapsed beneath him.

He hasn't spoken to them since.

"You wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy," he said.

"It's something I never want to go through again."

Being overlooked for JackJumpers 'hurt'

Despite the scars from his Huskies experience, Stewart was always going to apply for the role of JackJumpers head coach.

After all, this was the team he'd helped speak into existence and the opportunity he'd spent decades preparing for.

A trading card of Anthony Stewart playing for the Hobart Devils.(

Supplied

)

"All I've ever wanted to do was work in basketball. To do something you're so passionate about, and to get paid for it is all I've ever wanted," he said.

His hopes quickly faded when the calibre of competition emerged.

Stewart, Tasmania's Burnie-born Mr Basketball, was suddenly up against the likes of Chicago Bulls assistant Dean Cooper and Los Angeles Lakers assistant Phil Handy for the top job.

Eventually, the role went to Scott Roth, a former NBA player and assistant coach.

Stewart, while dejected, understood he couldn't compete in the new world of analytics and algorithms.

Had that six months of Huskies hell been for nothing?

"They're saying it's my [lack of] experience, and I'm like, 'How do I get that? How do you guys help me get that so I can be a head coach in three to five years?'"

But the real dagger though came via the appointment of Kiwi NBL veteran Mika Vukona to a JackJumpers "consultant" role.

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The JackJumpers believe Vukona, a highly regarded player and person, will serve as a link between Tasmania and New Zealand, where they undoubtedly plan to lure talent from, in the quest to assemble their inaugural playing roster.

Suddenly, Stewart was the small fish in the big basketball pond.

Yet he's unsure why he hasn't been called upon, if not as a coach then as a Vukona-style consultant who could connect Tasmania's professional team with its grassroots base.

"It feels weird that I'm not in there, working with them, promoting basketball as much as I can, and It's hard to not be able to put on a shirt and say I'm part of the team," he said.

"It's hurt me a lot more than I thought it would."

Earning Tasmania's trust

Whether Stewart lands a role with the JackJumpers won't make or break the team's fortunes, but it will serve as an intriguing case study as it attempts to connect with the Tasmanian basketball community.

Will the JackJumpers become their own basketball island? How deeply will they integrate with the rabbit warren of Tasmanian clubs, associations and leagues, whose histories and rivalries run surprisingly deep?

Anthony Stewart played for the Devils, Wildcats and Taipans in the NBL.(

Supplied: nbl.com.au

)

Perhaps the decision to look beyond the tried-and-tested Stewart speaks to the brutal reality of professional sport.

That one of the trade-offs of being represented on the national sporting stage is the acceptance that while Tasmanians laud and love their local products, sometimes, there's simply better options available in other places.

Whatever the outcome, there will be no hard feelings from Stewart.

"He's been completely open and honest with me," Stewart says of JackJumpers CEO Simon Brookhouse.

Ultimately, simply seeing Tasmania back in the NBL is the cake. A job with the new side would only have been the cream.

"I'm not in the tent, but I'll support it as best I can. It's something that I want to be part of, but there's just no role for me as yet."

"I always go back to why am I involved in basketball? Just to have an NBL team here to take my boys along to, if that's as good as it gets, then at least I can say I played a part in getting a team back to Tasmania."

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