Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The new facility will seek to include 10 full-sized courts, among other features.
Canberrans can now give their feedback on the proposed Gungahlin Tennis Facility, to be located in Amaroo.
A Development Application (DA) has been submitted as the project nears the construction phase.
The new facility will seek to include 10 full-sized courts, two hot shots courts, a hitting wall, LED lighting, female friendly changerooms, parking and a pavilion.
Design development and construction is being undertaken in consultation with Tennis Australia and Tennis ACT, as well as the ACT community.
The DA process will provide a further opportunity for community feedback during the public notification period.
Pending approval of the DA, the ACT Government will release a tender to engage a construction contractor to deliver the works.
Canberrans love their tennis – there are currently 6400 members and many more Canberrans actively engaged in tennis programs and participation opportunities.
As well as providing more options for tennis-lovers, the project will support jobs during its construction phase.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The refresh was officially opened during an event at Florey Primary School, with Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Violet Sheridan in attendance.
The Florey Oval Refresh project at Florey Primary School has opened, with a portion of the Florey dry land oval transformed into a natural play space for students and wider community use.
The oval was officially opened during an event held at the school, with Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Violet Sheridan in attendance.
The project’s final design was shaped by feedback from Florey Primary School students and the local community during the public consultation process in 2023.
It was further developed with the school and representatives of the Ngunnawal community. The yarning circle – named after Aunty Violet – offers students a calm space to gather and chat with a focus on strengthening connection to community and country.
The result is a natural open space that promotes outdoor activity. It will be an engaging space for Florey Primary students to enjoy as part of their learning.
Outside of school hours, the public space offers great facilities for the wider community to relax, exercise and connect.
The new-look oval now boasts an all-abilities bike pump track and a small, irrigated lawn oval with goal posts. There is also a new outdoor activity and play space within the school boundary.
With plenty of seating, areas for inquisitive play, garden beds, fruit trees and open space there is something for everyone to enjoy.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
School principal Rebecca Pearce looks forward to welcoming students.
Shirley Smith High School in East Gungahlin has officially opened its doors to students for the first time.
More than 80 year seven students now attend the new school, located in Kenny.
“No matter what school I’ve worked in, there’s nothing like that first day, when the kids come with their brand-new uniform and their bags and their excitement about the shift from primary school to high school,” Shirley Smith High School Principal Rebecca Pearce said.
“It’s a really important transition and we want to capture that excitement with them.
“That’s what I’m really looking forward to: getting their energy and then continuing that energy right through the year.”
Shirley Smith High School will cater to up to 800 year 7-10 student in the East Gungahlin region. Students will join the school in a phased approach, beginning with year seven students in 2024.
The school’s motto is ‘grow with us’.
“We teach the whole child and we’re really about developing a young person to be a successful learner right through their life,” Rebecca said.
“Rather than trying to focus really narrowly on the curriculum content and concepts, it’s about that broad understanding of who you are as a learner, what are your strengths and weaknesses and building on those within the Australian curriculum framework.”
The new high school responds to the rapid growth in Gungahlin, one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia.
“‘Grow with us’ is also about being a high school in a community that hasn’t even been built yet,” Rebecca said.
“And actually, being a community school that understands who their students and families are and caters to the needs of every single student.”
For the last nine months, Rebecca has recruited a team that includes specialist teachers across all curriculum areas. She’s also created systems and processes to support the staff and students, while leaving space for decision making in response to the school community.
“We’ll be able to really listen to what their needs are and make changes in a way that supports positive growth because we’ve got that staggered, staged approach.”
Shirley Smith High School has been designed with visible and flexible learning in mind.
“Teachers can move walls and make changes very quickly. I think that’s the key to meeting the young person’s needs: that level of flexibility within the structure of the school,” Rebecca said.
“We have every resource at our fingertips for us to run a comprehensive program.”
Spaces for community hire and use are also available at Shirley Smith High School. These include a double gymnasium with basketball, netball, futsal and volleyball markings. There is also a covered hard court suitable for basketball and netball and an oval for soccer, rugby union and rugby league games. The multipurpose hall is also available for community use.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Canberra’s FOGO facility will recycle food waste at scale into valuable compost, reducing waste going into landfill.
Canberra’s Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) facility has reached a milestone with the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) now open for community feedback.
Delivering a large-scale FOGO facility remains an ACT Government priority.
The industrial-level facility will be capable of processing 50,000 tonnes of FOGO material per year.
It will recycle food waste at scale into valuable compost, reducing waste going into landfill.
Since November 2021, the FOGO collection pilot has serviced households in Belconnen, Bruce, Cook and Macquarie. In that time, it has collected more than 2,844 tonnes of food waste.
These insights will assist the ACT Government to roll out the service city wide.
The composting facility is proposed to be an in-vessel facility, with indoor composting tunnels and other mitigation measures minimising odour impacts.
Local residents and the wider Canberra community are encouraged to take a look at the EIS and provide any feedback.
The public notification period for the EIS commenced on Monday 29 January 2024, and closes on Tuesday 12 March 2024.
Community feedback has already been taken onboard in the preparation of the EIS.
Additional feedback from the community and key stakeholder groups is an important part of the government’s decision making as it progresses to the next steps of planning and design.
FOGO is a key part of the government’s plans for a circular economy in Canberra.
Organic waste decomposition in landfill currently accounts for more than seven per cent of Canberra’s greenhouse emissions.
Canberrans can share their thoughts on the draft environmental impact statement on the ACT Planning website.
There will also be three information sessions:
Session 1: Saturday 17 February 2024, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, Chisholm Village Shopping Centre
Session 2: Wednesday 21 February 2024, 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, Gowrie Shops
Session 3: Thursday 29 February 2024, 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, Mawson Southlands Shopping Centre.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Blair Merton is excited to get back into teaching and has several goals for the year ahead.
After a 15-year break from teaching, Blair Merton is keen to return to the classroom.
The avid reader and history buff will teach history and geography at Kaleen High.
He will also run a Strategy Games Club, where students play miniature wargames.
He’s the ideal person to coordinate this, having served in the Australian Army during his teaching pause.
“I’d taught at a few different high schools around Canberra throughout the 2000s – Canberra High, Lanyon and Belconnen – before taking an extended hiatus from teaching in 2009,” Blair said.
He moved to the Education section of the Australian War Memorial before enlisting in the Army and being posted to Darwin.
“Life in the military meant that I was part of a wider family of a diverse range of people and experiences, and as an older soldier, I often found myself helping others through their personal trials and tribulations. I often found myself helping some younger soldiers with their written aspects of their courses and administrative work. I was probably the worst shot in the Army, but I did have a knack for communicating,” he said.
The thought of returning to teaching was never completely out of his mind.
“My wife began working as a midwife, and we both decided that due to the stresses and strains of our professions we would return to Canberra where we could be closer to our extended families,” he said.
Although Blair isn’t new to teaching in the Territory, he joins the almost 170 new educators working in ACT public schools this year.
He is excited to get back into it and has several goals in mind for the year ahead.
“I’m aiming to improve my student outcomes, their skills. I want to inspire curiosity and build people of good character. I always try to remind my students that a good life means building a balanced life, and I try to remind them of the principles of justice, courage and wisdom. The Ancients started this kind of education back in the day, and there’s still a lot of merit in those principles.
“The best thing about my subject area is that you make links between all the various disciplines of science, literature and maths in order for students to see the world around them and develop an appreciation of that world, because one day they’ll take custodianship of it,” Blair said.
Blair understands how a good schooling experience can shape a person.
“My favourite subjects in school were History and English. My favourite school was Higgins Primary – I have so many good memories from those days. Playing rugby and cricket, watching BTN on the TV trolley, the fetes, discos and Saturday afternoon matinees in the school hall,” he said.
He is pleased to be back in Canberra and views the lifestyle here as conducive to an active family life.
“Canberra has lots of opportunities for my children to play sport, attend events and take up hobbies. My family loves living near the bushland, and we regularly run and walk our greyhound on the back tracks. I love playing music in my band, The Lonely Fates, and the Canberra music scene is so much bigger and more professional nowadays,” he said.
Who knows? For someone so comfortable with change, perhaps a move into Kaleen High’s music department could also be on the cards in future.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Extra funding will support local athletes like Jack Cleary, Angela Ballard and Chad Perris.
The ACT Government is backing Canberran Olympic and Paralympic athletes with extra funding.
The Paris Olympic Games are in July, and the Paralympic Games are in August this year.
The extra funding will help local athletes prepare to qualify to represent Australia in the lead up to the games. “The funding to me and the whole rowing team allows us to be the best we can be,” Olympic athlete Jack Cleary said.
“At the games, it is an absolute whirlwind, and we need to keep ourselves central and not worry about the things you can’t control. They are being managed by the staff who come along to help us – which this funding helps to support,” he said.
The ACT has a history of supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes. It was the first jurisdiction in Australia to fund the Olympic and Paralympic Teams equally.
Paralympic athlete Chad Perris says the timing of the funding is key.
“We have a lot of extra costs, whether travel, equipment, there are a lot of things that go into getting us over the line to get us to Paris,” he said.
“I’m really excited about this funding and to have it as equal funding with our Olympic counterparts is really exciting.”
“The Paralympic team funding from the ACT Government is huge,” Paralympic athlete Angela Ballard said.
“I know from behind the scenes how much it takes just to get our athletes over there and make sure we have the resources we need to perform.
“On a personal level, the ACT Government funding grants for individual ACT athletes will make a big difference. We still have a lot of work to do to keep up our training and to qualify between now and the Games, and this support will be of great help,” she said.
Canberra is home to elite athletes training at both the Australian Institute of Sport and ACT Academy of Sport. Despite being the smallest jurisdiction in Australia, ACT athletes have a strong presence at each Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
The ACT Government will provide funding support through the Mid-Year Budget Review. This includes both direct financial assistance and in-kind training assistance through the ACT Academy of Sport.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Students in ACT public school can access free period products.
The ACT Government is supporting free period products for Canberrans.
Students in ACT public schools can already access free period products.
Free period products are also available at some locations in Canberra including:
some ACT public health services
the Child and Family Centres located in Gungahlin, West Belconnen and Tuggeranong
the Child Development Service in Holder.
The ACT Government will make period products in more locations in a staged approach over the coming months and years.
The government will provide regular updates about the availability of free period products. It will also provide age-appropriate information in languages other than English.
This is an important initiative to reduce period poverty. It will help people who menstruate to manage their periods in a safe and healthy way.
The ACT follows Scotland as only the second jurisdiction in the world to enshrine free period products in law. This aims to end period poverty and give people who menstruate the dignity they deserve.
The ACT Government remains committed to free period products for Canberrans.
In the 2023/24 mid- year budget, the ACT Government has committed to support the roll out of free period products, ahead of the start of the Period Products and Facilities (Access) Act 2023.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
This year there will be changes to term dates, policies and programs that may involve your family.
Canberra families are about to start another exciting school year.
This year there will be changes to term dates, policies and programs that may involve your family.
Here is everything you need to know for the year ahead.
Student-free days and start of term
From 2024, there will be four student-free days for ACT public schools. These are the first day of each school term.
Student-free days are for staff development, enabling teachers and schools to plan in a student-free environment.
Monday 29 January will be a student-free day.
On Tuesday 30 January, new students will start school. Continuing students will return to school on Wednesday 31 January.
Other term dates for the 2024 school year:
Friday 12 April– Term 1 ends
Tuesday 30 April – Term 2 begins (students start school)
Friday 5 July – Term 2 ends
Tuesday 23 July – Term 3 begins (students start school)
Friday 27 September – Term 3 ends
Tuesday 15 October – Term 4 begins (students start school)
Tuesday 17 December – Term 4 ends.
Financial assistance
The Future of Education Equity Fund (Equity Fund) offers eligible families financial support to help with school essentials. It supports the more vulnerable families in our community.
Low-income families of students – from preschool through to year 12 – can receive a one-off, annual payment. This is to help cover the costs of schooling, such as:
uniforms
sport equipment and activities
tuition
music lessons.
The Equity Fund payments are $400 (preschool), $500 (primary school), and $750 (high school and college level, including CIT Year 11 and 12).
Equity Fund applications for the 2024 school year are now open.
Families can apply for all eligible students in their family in the one application, regardless of whether they attend different schools.
School staff are also able to help families to apply.
Applications close in November 2024.
Find out more about eligibility criteria and how to apply online.
Mobile phone policy
A new mobile phone policy for all ACT public schools starts in term 1 2024.
Students in preschool to year 10 at ACT public schools may not use or access personal communication devices at school. This includes recess and lunch, and during school authorised events.
For year 11 and 12 students, mobile phones and other personal communication devices must be silenced and put away during class time.
Students can request an exemption if they need their device for medical or other specific reasons.
Schools will communicate their expectations about how and where to store devices at the beginning of the school year.
Healthy lunches
It includes a Grab and Go shopping list and tips for a waste-free lunchbox. You’ll also find tips on which food groups to include and how to swap for healthier options.
Wellbeing for students
A new school year can be tough for some students, whether they are:
starting a new school
moving into high school or college
just dealing with any of the life changes thrown their way.
The ACT Government has online resources that could be helpful in starting conversations on finding ways to support them.
Asthma management
If your child has asthma, the start of the school year is a good time to make sure you’re managing it.
You may wish to:
book an asthma review with your child’s GP
update your child’s asthma action plan with their GP
make sure the school has your child’s reliever medication and spacer
talk to school staff
book an appointment with one of the asthma nurse educators at Canberra Health Services.
Child development
Are you concerned about your child’s development? The start of a new year is a good time to contact the Child Development Service, to access free drop-in clinics and assessments.
Free three-year-old preschool
ACT three-year-olds can now benefit from 300 hours of free preschool at over 140 locations.
This will save the average family around $1,329 a year.
In 2023 the ACT Government passed new legislation to make free period products available at a range of community locations across the ACT for anyone who needs them.
This includes at every ACT public school, which is something we already do as a system, and will continue to do.
Pads and tampons are available in ACT public high schools, colleges, and combined schools. Pads are available in ACT public primary schools.
They can be accessed at any time during the school day from the school front office for staff, students, and visitors.
The ACT Government will deliver the broader project in stages and a procurement process for dispensers to be installed in public places, including ACT public schools, will occur in 2024.
The Education Directorate will continue to work with ACT Health to ensure age-appropriate information on menstrual hygiene is available for students through our schools.
From Monday 29 January dedicated school services will resume. This includes ‘S’ trips which divert into schools.
Please check your timetable so you are prepared and ready.
If your child is in primary school, you can refer to your school’s pack to plan your child’s travel. Find it on the Transport Canberra website.
If your child is new to school or changing schools, please check available school bus and light rail information on the Transport Canberra website.
Familiarise yourself and your child with their school routine. They should know which stop the bus will pick up from in the morning and where to get off at the end of the day.
Make sure your child has a MyWay card that is registered and topped up with sufficient funds. A MyWay card is easy to get and will save you time and money. Find out more about ticketing and MyWay.
School bus services are available to school students only. Under special circumstances, parents with young children may apply to travel on these services for a few weeks to help their child get used to bus travel. Find out more about parents travelling on school bus services.
If you’re a student in college or tertiary education, check the Journey Planner for timings. Just enter your destination for the fastest, most convenient options.
To stay up-to-date with Transport Canberra updates, including changes to services and latest news, you can:
40 km/h school zones
Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. As students return to school, remember to slow down and stick to the 40 km/h limit around schools between 8am and 4pm.
Mobile speed vans and police regularly patrol school zones. Let’s all slow down and support kids’ safety.
Parking around schools
The start of the school year is a particularly busy time in Canberra’s school carparks and surrounding streets.
Unsafe and illegal parking reduces visibility for students and motorists. This creates a hazard when students cross the road.
Parking inspectors and license plate recognition vehicles will be out and about enforcing safe parking around schools.
For drop-offs and pick-ups, arrange a meeting spot, arrive after the rush, or park a little further away from the school and walk with your kids the rest of the way.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Volunteers and ACT Emergency Service Agency staff attend to jobs as quickly as possible.
Canberra has already seen its fair share of storms this summer. And with more stormy weather predicted, it’s important to know how and where to get help if you need it.
Here’s how to prepare your house for a storm, and what you can do if one affects you or your property.
It’s important to note that a thunderstorm forecast is different to a severe thunderstorm warning.
A thunderstorm forecast indicates the possibility of storms throughout the forecasting period.
A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when a storm is imminent or impacting an area.
What to do during a thunderstorm
Keep at least 8 metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences.
Keep clear of flooded creeks, rivers and stormwater drains.
Don’t walk, ride your bike or drive through flood water
Stay indoors away from windows and keep children and pets indoors.
Get urgent help if needed
For help during storms and floods, ring the ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES) on 132 500
Only call Triple Zero (000) if the incident is life-threatening.
If your situation changes and you no longer need help, please call back to cancel your request, so resources can be directed elsewhere.
It can sometimes take a while to get through to the ACTSES when there are many calls for help.
Similarly, it can take some time for crews to attend to smaller jobs like a leaking roof, or water that has subsided. Please be patient during this time.
The ACTSES only makes temporary repairs to homes damaged in storms or floods.
If you have permanent damage to your home, you will need to contact your insurance provider to resolve the problem.
OneLink provides information and connections for support services in the ACT. This includes services for people at risk of homelessness due to their homes being uninhabitable.
Find emergency food relief support
If you, or someone you know is experiencing hardship and cannot feed yourself or your family, support is available.
Volunteering ACT coordinates information about where to get food relief services including meals and local food pantries.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Rocky is an energetic dog with a zest for life.
Rocky is a fun-loving, active three-year-old looking for a loving family.
He’s also the record holder for the longest resident at Domestic Animal Services. The mixed-breed pooch has been waiting 303 days to find his forever family.
“He’s very playful and loves to play fetch, he knows how to sit, shake, and drop,”
Jackie Gardner, Assistant Director at Domestic Animal Services, said.
Rocky is a firm favourite at the shelter for his friendly nature, big energy and zest for life – and it’s not just the humans he’s managed to charm.
“He has a few girlfriends right now in the shelter too that he plays with,” Jackie said.
While Rocky has had a few meet-and-greets, potential new homes have ultimately fallen through.
“Dogs like Rocky get overlooked because people don’t see them as special, or they don’t have a unique look to them or anything like that. But he has the personality to die for, he’s so much fun,” Jackie said.
Jackie says dogs in the middle age range are often overlooked. But this age, she says, comes with distinct advantages.
“I think the best thing when you adopt a dog at that age is that you know what you’re getting, you can see the personality.
“You know the size of the dog, which is always good, because around two years is when a dog stops growing. And at that age they know how to live in a household and understand how to listen when they’re asked to sit and so forth, that’s a big benefit.”
Jackie says dogs of this age tend to be especially grateful for their adopted family.
“They do tend to really love the families that they are adopted by. As with every dog, but they seem to just appreciate it so much.”
Rocky is best suited to an active family keen to explore with Rocky and take him on their daily adventures. Although he’s a medium-sized dog, Rocky is very strong on lead.
“He has met some really young children during his meet and greets, and he’s been absolutely lovely,” Jackie said.
“He’s also good with other dogs, as long as they can match that high energy play level of his.”
If you think that Rocky could be a good match for your family, you can express your interest via the Domestic Animal Services website. An adoption coordinator will call you and discuss the next steps.
Alternatively, you can visit the Domestic Animal Services shelter in Symonston to meet Rocky, and other dogs available for adoption.
Walk-in adoptions are available from 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays.
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