Hi all I had a search and couldn’t see any other threads so forgive me if this is a repeated question.
We have neighbours who put in a development application for dual occupancy and a condition of this was to have the fences fixed at their cost. Now, they’ve advised that they aren’t going ahead [...]

The ABC has a new tale of woe surrounding exempt development, this time in O’Connor.
Canberra resident Kamrul Ahsan Khan says building his home in O’Connor has been the most painful experience he has had during his 18 years living in Australia.
He says he wanted to build a family home and had no intention of [...]

So 5.15pm today I swing into Fyshwick to pick up the wife from work (no not what you think), just as I pull up and the wife gets in a van pulls up next to me toots the horn ????   I wind down the window and this middle eastern fellas says “moit do you want [...]

Hi rioters,
I’m starting to get some cracks on the brickwork on my 1970s house and the internal walls.
According to the Internet, these sorts of things aren’t a problem until you can fit your hand into them… But I’m not keen to wait that long.
Who does one call to look at this sort of [...]

Macrobusiness have a detailed look at the increasing supply of housing in the ACT at the same time the Abbott juggernaut threatens to depopulate the city.
It doesn’t take an economic genius to guess what’s going to happen next.
Picking the bottom of the market to start buying however is always harder. The lessons of ’96 are [...]

Property Observer has the sad tale of Crace’s rotating house Girasole not even getting to the starting line at auction:
Co-selling agent Stephen Bunday of LJ Hooker Dickson told Property Oberserver there had been no registrations despite attracting an “enormous amount of curiosity”.
“On the night, nothing happened at all, ” said Bunday, who is selling the [...]

Chief Minister Gallagher has announced the winners from the Master Builders charity house auction:
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has presented more than $580,000 to five local charities from the proceeds of the sale of the Franklin Charity House.
Franklin Charity House has been a joint project between the ACT Government’s Land Development Agency (LDA), the Master [...]

I am finally preparing to move into our brand new house in the Gungahlin area. One of the things I want to tackle straight away after I move in is the backyard. I have a dog and I want grass in there asap. Because of a combination of having to organise the move, not being [...]

Minister for Housing, Shane Rattenbuy announced today new guidelines for the for community house providers in the ACT.
The Community Housing Providers National Law (ACT) Act 2013 replaces the existing ACT regulatory system with a national system.
“The aim of the national reforms is to develop a strong and vibrant community housing sector that can increase choice [...]

Simon Corbell has announced Draft Variation 311 to totally rejig Dickson and send the skyline soaring:
“Variation 311 puts Territory Plan controls in place to start rolling out the initiatives of the Dickson master plan, which include up to six stories in areas and improved pedestrian connections – particularly through to Challis St,” Mr Corbell said.
Other [...]

Hi rioters,
I am starting to look at getting my veggie patch up and running. I was wondering if anyone can tell me what they think of Aquaponics? Is it easy or hard? Is it better than a traditional veggie patch?
I’ve noticed that building a traditional veggie patch might cost me about the same as a [...]

Just because you don’t own your house, doesn’t mean that you should need to wear a ski jacket in the lounge room or be worried about turning the heater on.  Former ABC TV Carbon Cop Lish Fejer is coming to the Canberra Environment Centre  for a special workshop covering the simple steps that renters can [...]

As seen in Dickson over the weekend.
Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it in to images@the-riotact.com .

I got my gas bill this evening. I nearly had a heart attack. Apparently I have used $703.04 worth of gas to heat my home over the last 12 days.
However, after I breathed into a paper bag and had a glass of Shiraz I worked it out. ActewAGL have calculated my bill based on [...]

The Property Council have expressed their pleasure that Draft Variation 306 is going to be further consulted on, during which time you can be cut off from the sun.
The ACT Government has wisely decided to adopt a staged introduction of new planning regulations for housing and to consult further on issues of community and industry [...]

Has anyone had experience selling their own home?
We have an updated, split level, high ceilinged home close to Coolemon Court. Houses seem to sell reasonably quickly in this area.
Is it worth the hassle? Have sold 4 houses all through agents and had an un-nerving experience with the last one on the North Coast. We left [...]

Territory and Municipal Services have some suggestions on where to see pretty leaves around town. And a plea to not rake them onto the street:
With Canberra’s trees well into their autumn transformation, people are encouraged to recycle fallen leaves by using them as garden mulch or composting them, Michael Brice, Territory and Municipal Services’ Urban [...]

The Liberals’ Alistair Coe has announced a doomed run at de-railing Draft Variation 306 because he wants poor people to live in darkness.
Shadow Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Alistair Coe will today try to block Draft Variation 306 which has been widely condemned by the building industry. The Government’s changes to the planning rules will [...]

Looking for expert opinion on caravan parks.
An acquaintance is planning a visit from Melbourne to Canberra to stay in their own caravan with kids (I think young teens) in July and looking for advice on best caravan parks to stay in. They have mentioned  Creastview in Queanbeyan and Capital Country Holiday Village in Sutton.
As I [...]

We are contemplating hiring a nanny/au-pair on a part time basis starting next January.
The feedback we have heard from other people is that hiring a good nanny in Canberra is difficult to say the least.
Hence we may consider an au-pair.
I don’t however want the au-pair living with us rather they would live in separate accommodation [...]

Hi guys,
I’m after some advice in regards to our gas meter readings if anyone can help!???!!
So my partner and I have just recently moved in to a newly built house in the new area of west Macgregor, we are the first people to occupy the house and seeing as we are due to have our [...]

The ABC has a story about Inner North Nimbys bitching over inner city development.
I was particularly struck by this line:
Elizabeth Teather says residents do not want a series of monolithic high rise blocks.
Hmmm.
monolithic
adjective
formed of a single large block of stone.
For Elizabeth’s benefit and with the magic of the internet we have, however, been able to [...]

After some recent additions to our home we currently have two different coloured roof tiles and we need the capping re-bedded and pointed.
I have had 2 quotes on having the roof painted. The cheapest being just over $7,000 and the other being $11,000
Our roof is not small so I was prepared to pay more then [...]

Can anyone recommend a garden gate manufacturer?

Despite the claims of the high profile owner, last week Actpla quietly informed neighbours that 11 Gawler Cres is not DA Exempt and that it would be treated as a ‘proposed’ demolition and rebuild. The proposal will now be Merit Tracked by Actpla.
Anyone who is interested can review the DA application – 201323512 and should [...]

[ 26 May, 2013; 9:00 am; 9:00 am; ]

Tired of staying home on a Friday night with only your green thumb to keep you company? Fancy spreading some seeds? Well Speed Planting may be just the event for you.

Are you single in Canberra looking to meet new people, make new friends or even looking for romance? ACT Landcare, in partnership with [...]

When I moved in to my apartment I connected to ActewAGL for electricity and soon started receiving gas bills that included the normal service charge and some gas consumption. After a while the meter reading stopped increasing and from then on I have been only getting “service charges” as I am registering no gas consumption.
I [...]

The ABC brings word of an Anglicare report showing there is no housing in Canberra that could be called affordable:
The report found among the people it surveyed there were no affordable houses for single parents, people on Newstart or Youth Allowance.
Anglicare ACT’s Jenny Kitchin says the situation is not much better across the border.
“A [...]

When not coming to us for news and amusement we realise many of you are scouring allhomes playing fantasy real estate (or real real estate for the better healed).
Today they’ve announced they’re putting up a revamped website over the weekend.
For those of you who don’t deal well with changed they’ve produced a handy guide.

SEE-Change is holding a contest to find the coldest house in Canberra, and plan to then fix the place up for the lucky winners.
My last share-house would have won this easily, then gone on to win the ‘mouldiest’, ‘least secure’, and ‘most full of millipedes all the time’ competitions too.
Ahh I miss that old place…
“We [...]

After I received a quote from a long-known local energy efficiency businesses I asked them how many bags of insulation they will provide for the $’s quoted and the number of square metres that they will cover in the roof space.  Seems that it’s a case of ‘that’s the price and we will insulate your [...]

This in from Karen:
I know it sounds completely ludicrous, but yesterday afternoon between 1500hrs and 1830hrs someone removed the palings from my back fence and stole nine of my pure bred pekin bantam chickens (they left the crossbreeds).
I have attached a picture of my rooster and ask if anyone has any information could they [...]