Defence is warning that not only will they be flying a hornet over the War Memorial for the open day tomorrow at 1.50pm (unusually precise for them), but there will be an F-111 dump and burn over Skyfire at 8.30pm.
The F-111 dump and burn is the stunt most likely to panic residents as it resembles [...]

NowUC is reporting that in the golden dawn of voluntary student unionism a mere 500 students at the University of Canberra have chosen to pay for the services of their student association.
With about 500 members two weeks into the first semester of 2007, Mr Emerson says that he faces an uphill battle to recruit another [...]

Back in January when work started on the month long project to re-build the roundabout intersection of Johnson/Ashley Dr in Calwell trucks started moving loads of dirt, concrete, fill, rubbish and god knows what else to the spare block opposite the Lanyon Shops. Two months down the track it is still there, an eye [...]

Andrew Barr has announced that Canberra Day is being moved from the third Monday in March to the second monday in March will will make it slightly closer to the actual birthday on 12 March.
Any objections?

The ABC is reporting that a bus driver was stabbed in Woden this morning.
The Union is demanding more protection but personally I’d like to hear more details. Sometimes stabbings are random and sometimes they aren’t.

As sent in by Al, Discuss:
Mattel recently announced the release of limited-edition Barbie Dolls for the Canberra market:
“Manuka Barbie”
This princess Barbie is sold only in Manuka. She comes with an assortment of Prada Handbags, a Lexus SUV, a long-haired foreign dog named Honey, a designer kitchen and Ikea furniture. Available with or without [...]

Reusable Nappy Week is on 19 to 25 March 2007.

Simon Corbell has announced, as part of a busy day for him, that the Emergency Services Agency is going to get yet another re-organisation, but now has a “business plan”.
“The Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Simon Corbell, has today welcomed the release of a draft Emergency Services Agency (ESA) Three-Year Business Plan for public [...]

John Hargreaves has announced that the survey he commissioned has duly reported back that Canberrans are thrilled with the state of their parks. Sadly it would seem the survey didn’t run to ovals and other public spaces which generally fill the park-like space in our minds.
Apparently 11.9 million visits were made to “Canberra’s town and [...]

Second lifers’ ABC a running a story about the Legislative Assembly debating a ‘City Heart’ Levy sometime this week. The funds will be used ‘to lift the ammenity of the Civic’.
Fundamentally a great idea, but with the plague of problems (car spaces, floods, leaky cinemas and over-exited stabby young folks) I am yet to [...]

When I saw the ABC headline “Senator calls for car smoking ban” I thought to myself, hullo, Kate Lundy has crawled out from under that rock she’s been hiding under.
Imagine my surprise to discover it is the so-called Liberal Gary Humphries who wants to further regulate your behaviour.
It is unclear from the article if he [...]

John Hargreaves has announced that the damage to the Civic Library is so bad that it might be closed another two weeks following last week’s storms.
“Water damage from rain and hail occurred when it broke through ceiling panels and flowed under doors, soaking carpets, books, equipment, and electrical wiring in several areas of the [...]

Jon Stanhope is touting the success of the latest Live in Canberra campaign, which targeted the Illawarra region.
Mr Stanhope said the campaign team has been “swamped with enquiries and “met face-to-face with more than 250 residents during sessions in Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Nowra”.
He also said the campaign has been “even more successful” than last [...]

The Canberra Times has an intriguing story on the aftermath of the un-sterilised rectal sucker scandal at the Canberra Hospital.
It seems that when doing the numbers the Hospital decided not to count children who had died since the procedure.
“A spokeswoman for ACT Health said the “Look Back” process which is tracking down former patients who [...]

Canberra news, all storms all the time, with the odd moment taken to remind you of water restrictions.
But our Minister Not Responsible, Katy Gallagher, has taken a moment to announce a new fact sheet to help you clean up safely from flooding:
“Flooding is caused by rivers which have overflowed or by localised rainfall at a [...]

The Canberra Times has swallowed hook line and sinker of a particularly stupid report by Tony Vinson on the distribution of disadvantage.
Particularly in the ACT context the report shows that people in public housing have less going for them, in which case the disadvantage pre-dates distribution. Using this flawed analysis and then shoehorning it onto [...]

Loadedog has a obituary for Ali Parraga, best known to the denizens of Civic as “Silver Man”.
“Today we bear the sad news that Ali Parraga, pictured above dancing to Cicilia Kemezys’ flute, passed away yesterday morning. Many will recall Ali as the ‘Silver Man’ who busked in Civic for many a year. Attendees at January’s [...]

Katy Gallagher has announced that the ACT Secondary Student Drug and Health Risk Survey has found the youth of Canberra are telling the survey they’re doing less drugs and drinking less than their forebears. They are eating badly and exercising little, but that’s the kind of problem a domineering nanny administration likes to tackle.
So, in [...]

The ABC reports that the folk at Immigration Bridge Australia are expecting to start construction next year after raising the height of the bridge and reducing the number of pylons so as not to bugger up the sailing under the span from the National Museum to Lennox Gardens.
Higher bridge + less pylons = Much more [...]

The National Museum of Australia has taken out the top Australian Tourism award for 2006 and the CIT has won an award for quality tourism education.
At the awards, announced tonight, the NMA won the title of Major Tourist Attraction 2006, an award it has won twice in the last three years. The museum apparently took [...]

Simon Corbell has proudly announced the opening of the Childers Street Art Precinct (yes, another precinct, why can’t we be cool and have quarters?).
The practical upshot will mean driving into Civic West can now be done somewhat safely.
It also promises “synaesthesia” as a result of light sculpture and, wait for it, coloured awnings. My dictionary [...]

The Canberra Times informs us that the NCA once again has nothing better to do with its time than draw up plans to “transform” another section of lake foreshore, this time on the south end of Commonwealth Avenue Bridge.
“Flynn Place will be removed, doubling the amount of open public space and paving the way for [...]

Not really a story, so much as a general question – I was in Civic last night and heard some particulary loud Helicopter noises – I’m wondering what they’re in aid of. Did Vice-President Cheney pop down here for a visit, or was there something else going on?
[Ed - There certainly was a lot of [...]

Students of history will know that a decline of civilisations can be observed through the reduction of services at the periphery.
So it’s interesting to see on the ABC that the same consultancy report who did for Griffith library is now gunning for more:
“It also recommends that one library at Tuggeranong be closed while libraries at [...]

Apparently, a dog went crazy at the Reid playing fields and attacked its owner and bit someone playing touch footy over lunch today.
Rumour has it that the owner was pretty badly bitten in the “crutch area”, wandered off (in shock?) and was later found on someone’s front lawn.
Crazy stuff. Anyone know anymore?

The Canberra weather radar has chosen a bad time to go off line

For those gals and guys who get turned on by a Burqa mark this one in your diary.
The Migrant Resource Centre will be hosting an Islamic Fashion Parade at the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre (that’s a mouthful) on Tuesday 29th Match from 11am.
Not sure if men are allowed to attend.
Imagine the swimsuit section!

Concerns have been expressed in the CT about the walling in of Lake Burley Griffin.

The ABC reports that the ACT Government is looking at bringing in another public holiday to replace the union picnic day lost under the workchoices laws (or “the Howard Government’s extreme IR agenda” if you bend that way).
Cue wailing and gnashing of teeth from the employer lobbies who are still outraged they aren’t allowed to [...]

For those of you who often wonder what it all means when ESA put out an ACT All Hazards Warning (the colour coded thing you hear on the radio), the ESA website has some very informative words, including the meaning of the colour system and latest news with regard to storm/ fire/ weather warnings in [...]

[First filed: February 15, 2007 @ 16:19]
Simon Corbell has proudly announced a new phone number for when you need the SES to come along and put a tarp on your roof.
It replaces the old number of 6207 8455. The new number is the same in NSW just to make your life easier, but be warned [...]

The ABC has a story on trouble within the School of Music with declining enrollments making it unviable in the long term.
Slightly more worrying is the vice-chancellor of the Australian National University, Ian Chubb, responding only by complaining about being the last to hear about it.