FYI, my family just got our letters today to inform us that the Doctors surgery in Giralang is being taken over by the owners of a medical surgery in Watson and ALL staff are moving to the Watson premises.
Great, no shops, no Doctor, no support from the government………………

The fire is two hectares in size and located in Uriarra Pine Forest off Brindabella Road.
The fire is currently being controlled.
Three tankers and three light units have responded to the scene.
There is currently no properties are under threat.
2:03 PM
—
Firefighters are continuing to work on extinguishing the small blaze in the Uriarra Pine Forest.
The fire is [...]

Deep Space Station 35, a $50 million antennae, was erected today in Tidbinbilla reports ABC News.
The 34-metre dish took three years to build and will go online in October 2014 in time to help track NASA’s New Horizons mission before the spacecraft reaches Pluto.
It joins the existing 70-metre dish and two other 34-metre dishes at [...]

The Liberals Jeremy Hanson is working up his outrage at the true cost of Skywhale.
In a Public Accounts Committee hearing today, it was revealed the true costs to the ACT for the Skywhale for the Centenary of Canberra will be $300,000. ACT Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson asked today why again it is only after questioning [...]

TAMS have announced some much needed changes to the operations of MyWay after an external review pointed out that things could probably be done a bit better.
Changes include more places to pay for the cards and making it simpler for concession travelers to pay correct fares.
Apparently this will also be cheaper for the government, so [...]

The Canberra Labor MPs are raising a ruckus over Tony Abbott’s plans to balance the books on his paid parental leave scheme by excluding women who work for the public service.
(Presumably because business is being asked to fund the scheme)
The Liberals are scrambling to rein in the costs of their paid parental leave scheme [...]

Simon Corbell has made it known we’re joining in a national campaign to make sure the displayed petrol prices are actually available to motorists (rather than just the lucky ones with the applicable shopper docket):
“At the July 2012 Consumer Affairs Forum (CAF), Ministers agreed to consider a national approach to the display of price information [...]

Chief Minister Gallagher has announced the winners of the ACT Nursing and Midwidery Excellence Awards 2013:
ACT Chief Minister and Minister for Health Katy Gallagher has congratulated the 2013 Nurse of the Year, Donna De Silva and Midwife of the year, Melissa Pearce, during a awards ceremony at the Hellenic Club overnight.
“Nurses and midwives perform an [...]

ACT Policing is seeking witnesses following the armed robbery of the 7-Eleven service station in Spence early this morning (Friday May, 10).
Around 2.10am, a man armed with a knife approached the console operator of the 7-Eleven service station who was outside at the time.
The offender walked the operator into the service station where he ordered [...]

Territory and Municipal Services wishes to advise motorists and other road users that Two Sticks Road, between Picadilly Circus and Curries Road, in Namadgi National Park, will be closed tomorrow (Friday 10 May 2013).
This is to allow for a controlled burn to be undertaken in Brindabella National Park in NSW by NSW National Parks in [...]

[ 13 May, 2013; ]

Think of Canberra and visions of hot air balloons drifting over the lake on a crisp autumn morning come to mind.

It’s therefore no surprise that in our Centenary year a hot air balloon sculpture has been commissioned to celebrate Canberra’s love of, and reputation for, hot air ballooning. What might be a surprise [...]

Chief MInister Gallagher is making compelling arguments for expanding the Legislative Assembly.
The ABC however reports that the Liberals Jeremy Hanson wants more public consultation.
But what if the public is wrong?

The returns of gifts have thrown up some Green tinged donations from Hackett’s Annette Doran.
Lucky old them.

ACT Fire & Rescue has extinguished a fire on a cooktop in a townhouse at Yallum Gardens, Ashley Drive, Wanniassa.
Whilst cooking, a resident utilised a fire blanket on the stove top to contain and suppress the fire.
On arrival Fire crews fully extinguished the fire and are currently conducting ventilation operations in the two bedroom [...]

One has to admire the ingenuity of smokers to find new and exciting ways to dispose of their filthy by-products.
One has to wonder who was the first to stub one out here and then I guess the others just followed the lead.
It’s on Ainslie Avenue just across the road from the Legislative Assembly.
Got an image [...]

Prime Minister Gillard has announced a referendum’s coming on constitutional recognition of local government.
We are asking the Australian people to support a small but important change to our Constitution so that the existing practice of Federal Government support for local communities is formally recognised in our Constitution.
This will make it easier for the Federales to [...]

The ACT Government claims that 90% of you believe the centenary program is increasing your levels of community pride!
Using science!
Well surveys.
They have released a huge amount of graphs and charts that measure everything from transport use to how many kites are being flown.
“Despite the very positive anecdotal evidence about the Centenary year so far, the [...]

A panel of “eminent” judges are currently examining over 200 entrees to the University of Canberra’s Lodge Competition.
The 224 entries of four panels each will be judged in the Melba Copland Secondary School gym over two days before the winner is announced is on 23 May – 101 years after Walter Burley Griffin was announced [...]

I just noticed this on the Canberra Times.
Well, I love fish, I love balloons and I love boobs but… i’m not so sure about combining all 3.

Like many people I have super all over the place. My largest fund is a multi-billion dollar one, with all sorts of investments and regularly advertises on television. Their customer service leaves a lot to be desired though. It is bad. I can’t go visit them in an office because their nearest one is in [...]

ACT Greens Member for Molonglo, Shane Rattenbury, is calling for an inquiry to investigate the the way the ACT deals with vulnerable road users.
“The term ‘vulnerable road users’ refers to people who are most at risk in traffic, and who are the weaker party in a collision. Essentially this means road users who are not [...]

Joy Burch is celebrating a reduction in youth incarceration:
Recent youth justice initiatives have helped achieve a significant reduction in youth detention rates in the ACT over the past two years, according to population data from the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre.
ACT Minister for Children and Young People Joy Burch today released figures which show that since [...]

Simon Corbell is legislating again this time to create a cottage industry of cars held in family members names by recidivist drink drivers:
Repeat and high range drink drivers will have interlock systems fitted to their vehicles, stopping them from getting behind the wheel when drunk, thanks to measures undertaken by ACT Attorney-General, Simon Corbell, today.
The [...]

ACT Policing has seized a double barrel shotgun and a handgun following the execution of a search warrant yesterday morning (Wednesday, May 8).
Members from ACT Policing’s Criminal Investigations executed two search warrants on homes in Casey and Chisholm.
Police seized the firearms along with ammunition, a laser pointer and drugs suspected to be steroids from a [...]

The ACT already has the highest TPI in Australia, and it is blindingly obvious that this system has the interests of the NRMA and the local legal fraternity as it’s primary beneficiaries.
The wretched Smyth has ensured that the local ambulance chasing legal creatures have free reign in screwing the absolute maximum premium from unfortunate third [...]

A suspicious package has been rendered safe this evening (Wednesday, May after a resident located it near his mail box.
ACT Policing received the report of a suspicious package, believed to be a ‘pipe-bomb’, in Tewksbury Circuit, Theodore, about 5.20pm.
Members from Tuggeranong patrol attended and cordoned the area, requesting the assistance of the Specialist Response [...]

With Parliament House turning 25 tomorrow AAP have pictures of the commemorative coins.
Pretty sure those $5 jobbies won’t pay for the parking.
But the 20c will be worth keeping an eye out for.

Helmets make sense in extreme cycling conditions… such as mountain biking or high speed road cycling. On paved paths away from motor traffic, it’s arguable that a casual cyclist pottering along at 15km/h is unlikely to receive much of a benefit from wearing a helmet should they come off. That’s certainly the way [...]

The annual QS World University Rankings by Subject ranks Universities around the world in several popular subject areas.
The ANU has come off looking rather spiffy in the 2013 findings.
ANU has nine top-ranked subjects in the country, according to the latest QS World University Rankings by subject for 2013.
ANU subjects leading the way in Australia include: [...]

Rawhide Kid Part 3 tipped us off that they appear to be dismantling the cranes at the Dam construction site.
You can, of course, watch this whole thing from the DamCam.
I kinda liked the cranes being there, and after they survived being deluged with flood water I feel they had earned their spot.

World and Australian record holder Michael Milton has joined forces with ACT Policing in its campaign urging Canberrans to ‘Share the Road’.
Each year an average of 14 people are killed and 565 people are injured because of collisions on ACT roads. Last year 197 bicycles were involved in reported collisions on ACT roads.
Milton, who represented [...]

ACT Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson is proposing that some “enhancements” be made to the ACT Memorial in the hopes that people will start recognising it as an actual “memorial” and not “that fancy glowing ball thing”.
This is probably a good call, as I honestly had no idea what that thing was before today. Nor did [...]