2 August 2006

Comrade re-invents the phone book

| johnboy
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The Chief Minister has announced that (in the hope someone decides to move here as a result of the expensive “Live In Canberra” campaign) that some office in the ACT Public service has beavered away to create a “welcome pack” for the droves seeking a better life and a school to send their children to.

The welcome pack includes a range of helpful resources, including the new Living in Canberra magazine produced by The Canberra Times, a handy pocket-sized guide containing useful phone numbers, and a more comprehensive reference guide for residents.

You don’t think it’s within the wit of new arrivals to get a phone book and pick up the local paper?

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I’m with you barking. If they are that stupid, lets not import them to Canberra! PLEASE!

I bought the paper today just to get this booklet, which was billed in teh weekend paper as being filled with valuable local info like where teh off lead dog runs are etc.
Instead it reads like a giant ad. The only reference to offlead dog parks says to go to a website.
I did like the page anbout the ACT’s fantastic school system. They brag that the college system has resulted in the highest year 12 retnetion rate in Aust. and also the highest rate of uni entry.
Tell that to the Northsiders who wont’ have a year 12 option once Dickson college is shut down.

which would make them a good thing to be left to community councils.

These packs seem like the kind of thing that could be partially supported by advertising in them.

I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say ‘public transport system one of the best’, especially for those living in the outer suburbs. However, if you live far north and wanted to travel far south during daylight hours, I can think of no other city in Australia where you can travel the length of the metro area for $3.30 on a full adult fare.

Still having previously, bagged the stern faces of this city’s service staff – I’m happy to retract that statement for the Action bus drivers that look after the #31 route. Friendliness and smiles abound. May be they read RA.

They sent the Livign in Canberra book out with the CT this morning. I’d hardly call it pocket-sized — almost A3 sized.

At first I thought it was like those “what’s happening in Canberra this season” booklets the CT also puts out, but then the first sentence in the whole thing congratulated me on choosing to move to Canberra (I’ve lived here all my life) and said I had come at a fabulous time for the city.

The rest of it read rather like those ‘helpful’ brochures you can pick up in the airport and bus stations that tell you the best place to stay and eat and so on.

Oh, and on the transport page it proudly declared: Public transport system one of the best

why not; ‘for a government service in Canberra, please contact the helpful people at Canberra Connect’?

they’re going to have bus timetables in this pack? I bet the ACTION inquiry line is already in the phone book.

My point is as an issue of convenience, a quick reference guide is tops. Try to find the name of the local bus service in the community info jb?

Had a look at the community info at the front of your phone book Unbeliever?

barking toad12:11 pm 02 Aug 06

If they can’t suss stuff out from the white pages and yellow pages they’re too dumb to find their way here

New residents may have the wit to use a phone book, but not necessarily the ESP to know the names of the businesses and organisations they’re after, in order to effectively use said phone book.

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