Category: MIL-OSI

The new competition-standard half-pipe at Belconnen skatepark is another step closer.

With off-site fabrication underway, construction has now started on site to expand the skatepark alongside the legendary ‘Belco Bowl’.

Fencing of the site has been completed with works over the coming weeks to include demolition activities to provide access to site and earthworks to start preparing the area for the future half-pipe.

The concrete slab is in place and the on-site assembly of the prefabricated metal and wooden ramps is underway.

The new half-pipe is expected to open to the public early in the second half of 2024.

The Canberra Skateboarding Association and Canberra BMX Club have called for improvements to Canberra skate parks.

The city’s skate culture is already strong, and the sport is growing in popularity.

Belconnen is Canberra’s best-known skatepark and already considered world-class by many enthusiasts.

Also known as a vertical or vert ramp, the new half-pipe will take ACT skating to another level, growing the city’s appeal to both national and international skaters.

Young Canberra skater and international competitor Katie Pike is excited about the development.

“I’m really looking forward to having a competition vert ramp in my home skatepark,” she said.

“That will help me out a lot because obviously I have to travel to Sydney to skate competition vert ramps and now that we have one in Canberra it will be a lot easier. Instead of having to travel most weeks I can just train five minutes away from home.”

Joel Bliss, another local skater, is also enthusiastic.

“I’ve been waiting, I think, my whole Canberra skating life for this moment,” he said.

“The first sessions are going to be amazing. I’ll probably just drop in and roll around for a while to get used to it. Because these ramps are big! The vert ramps we are used to around here are like mini ramps in comparison to this actual proper-sized ramp, so the speed you get on these things is just a thing in itself.

“It’s going to be unreal and there will be skaters from all over Australia that will come when they hear about it. It’s going to be a good thing. I can’t wait,” Joel said.

The ACT Government manages seven skateparks and another 12 parks that feature skating facilities across Canberra.

These cater not only to skateboarders but also cyclists, scooters, rollerbladers and rollerskaters.

“I think it’s really good and I think it will help with the progression of skating in Canberra,” Katie said.

The competition-standard half-pipe is funded by both the ACT Government and the Australian Government under the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

Joel Bliss can’t wait for the new half-pipe to be completed.

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A new 30-unit public housing development has opened in Tuggeranong and is ready to welcome tenants.

The unit complex is one of the largest public housing developments delivered under the ACT Government’s Growing and Renewing Public Housing program.

The program, launched in 2019, aims to deliver 1,400 renewed or new public homes by mid-2027, which will increase the total number of public housing in the ACT by 400.

The new homes cater to a wide range of needs and are Class C Adaptable, making them suitable for people with disability and people as they grow older.

The development features an onsite playground and a range of unit sizes, from one-bedroom to four-bedroom.

They have each been completed with above-standard energy efficiency ratings, to provide tenants greater comfort and increased affordability.

The development is located close to shops, services and transport, as well Lake Tuggeranong and surrounding parks, allowing residents easy access to Tuggeranong’s outdoor spaces.

The ACT has the second-highest proportion of public housing out of any jurisdiction in the country.

The ACT Government’s Growing and Renewing Public Housing program is on track to meet its targets.

More than 640 homes have already been built or bought, and another 577 are in the construction pipeline.

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If you avidly use your household recycling bin, upcycled old furniture, or received something from a “buy nothing” group in your community, you’ve been a part of the circular economy.

It’s a system that’s designed to minimise waste and maximise the use of resources. It promotes the repurposing, recycling and reuse of materials so nothing goes to waste.

The circular economy reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s also a pretty useful way to save money.

There are lots of ways that Canberrans can get involved in the circular economy.

Recycle correctly

If you can’t reduce or reuse, then recycling is the best choice.

Not everything that can be recycled can go in your yellow recycling bin.

Recycle these in your recycling bin:

• aluminium and steel cans
• glass bottles and jars
• paper and flat cardboard
• plastic bottles and containers

For other items, the Recyclopaedia is your go-to guide for recycling.

For example, batteries aren’t accepted in household bins. However, there are over 60 local collection points for the safe disposal of batteries.

Choose alternatives to single-use plastics

Choose reusable alternatives to single-use items such as water bottles, shopping bags and food containers to reduce waste.

Support local sustainable businesses

Look for local businesses that prioritise sustainability by offering products made from recycled materials or following eco-friendly production practices.

Some examples of sustainable businesses in Canberra include:

• Thor’s Hammer
• Soft Landing
• repair businesses
• local charity shops.

Get things repaired

Instead of automatically replacing broken or damaged items, consider repairing them.

Explore local repair cafes, workshops, or DIY repair tutorials to extend the lifespan of products and minimise waste.

A great place to start is the Tuggeranong Repair Café or the Hawker Community Repair Café.

The handy team of volunteers can help fix a range of items including household electrical items, clothing, laptops, tablets and mobile phones and more.

Find out more about the Tuggeranong Repair Café or learn more about the Hawker Community Repair Café.

Connect with your community

Get involved in local community initiatives focused on waste reduction and circular economy practices. These might include:

• neighbourhood clean-up events
• clothing swaps
• community gardens
• composting and food waste reduction.

By working together, Canberrans can create positive change on a larger scale.

Live in an apartment building? Consider working with a local collection and composting service.

Do your research

Make informed choices about what to buy and where to buy it. Prioritise products that are:

• durable
• energy-efficient
• made from recycled or renewable materials.

Shop second-hand

Buying your items second-hand helps reduce waste to landfill and is typically more affordable.

Ways to buy second-hand goods include:

• local charity shops
• vintage stores or boutiques
• markets, such as the Old Bus Depot Markets
• Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace.

Make your own

Your Libraries ACT card comes with access to Creativebug, an online platform with art and craft video classes. There are classes on making and repairing clothes, knitting, and crocheting. There are also courses on how to make home décor or craft projects that make brilliant gifts for friends and family.

Keep an eye on the Tuggeranong Repair Café and Hawker Community Repair Café who sometimes offer repair workshops where you can learn skills from local volunteers.

Growing your own produce is another way to prevent food wastage and resources. New to gardening? Learn how to grow veggies at home in Canberra.

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When bushfire swept through Yarramundi Reach in 2003, it took with it Roman Cypress trees first planted in 1916.

While that exact type of Cyprus could well have disappeared from the ACT, Yarralumla Nursery’s seed bank came to the rescue.

“Yarralumla Nursery’s seed bank is a wonderful resource that has been used to create Canberra’s urban forest,” the nursery’s Senior Director Matt Parker said.

“We were able to propagate the same genetic Cyprus from our seed bank.”

The seed bank is a living record of every seed collected, purchased and stored at the Yarralumla Nursery since 1913.

The latest to be added are the seeds of the Bunya Pine tree.

Native to Queensland, these large conifers hold sacred values for First Nations peoples and come from a plant family dating back to the Jurassic period.

Bunya Pines can be found throughout Canberra – from the National Arboretum to Lanyon Homestead.

The seed bank is a valuable historical asset for the nursery and the role it has played in establishing Canberra’s green spaces.

It now contains over 200 genus of seeds, with relevant information painstakingly recorded.

Seeds are stored in alphabetical order, in old glass ‘lolly’ jars of all shapes and sizes.

They are hand-labelled with the species weight and seed registration number and consistently maintained at 20–22°C.

“If seeds are dried and stored correctly, there are minimal issues,” Yarralumla Nursery Production Operations Manager Belinda Ryan said.

“Our propagation staff specialise in monitoring the conditions of the seed bank and storing the seeds. For example, jars need to be at least two-thirds full of seed to maintain temperature and reduce air moisture and you can’t put seed into warm jars as this may break seed dormancy, meaning they could start to grow.”

Around 15,000 plant cards – which staff refer to as birth certificates – feature seed information dating back to 1913.

While these were once housed in wooden draws at the nursery they have since been digitised and are available on the Archives ACT website.

“Some Eucalyptus species from the ’60s are still viable and germinating,” Belinda said.

“The seed bank at Yarralumla Nursery is an amazing space full of nostalgia; I like searching through and finding the oldest seeds,” Matt said.

And now the newest are safely stored under B for Bunya Pine.

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From TikTok to Discord and beyond, Canberra kids are logging into a whole lot of online platforms.

But how much do teachers and parents know about them?

ACT school leaders gathered recently to discuss the topic at an online safety education leadership summit.

Principals and deputy principals from across Canberra engaged with a panel of experts on keeping students safe online.

Working together on online safety

Kellie Britnell from the eSafety Commissioner says there has been a recent increase in reporting online safety incidents such as cyberbullying and sexual extortion.

“Cyberbullying has now been around for quite a while … but you couple that with some of the new technologies like we’re seeing with artificial intelligence and it’s all new, it’s not regulated and it’s not just in Australia,” Kellie said.

Kellie recommends a whole-of-school and whole-of-community approach to education, with consistent messaging.

“We have to be working with children and young people, staff and teachers, but also with families. We need to keep talking,” she said.

A principal’s perspective

Ainslie Primary School Principal Wendy Cave says schools must work with students to help them draw on protective behaviours, skills and strategies.

Educators – many of whom may not have grown up with such technology – need to be on the front foot.

“There’s such a lot that’s hidden in the online world and it’s important for us all to explore it, unpack it and work together to understand the risks and challenges and opportunities,” Wendy said.

^{Kellie Britnell, Manager, Awareness and Capability, eSafety Commissioner (left) and Wendy Cave, Principal of Ainslie Primary}

What can parents do?

Parents unsure of their role in all this can access a wealth of resources on the eSafety Commissioner website.

It provides tips on helping children safely navigate the digital world and educating them to avoid harmful online experiences.

Core to this are three key strategies:

1. Be engaged, open and supportive

• Share online time as part of family life. Play games together. Talk about favourite apps, games or websites.
• Keep communication open.
• Reassure your child they can always come to you.
• Let them know you will not cut off internet access if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online – this is a real concern that may stop your child from communicating with you openly.
• If you notice a change in behaviour or mood, talk to your child about it. If you are concerned, consider seeking professional help – from your GP, a psychologist or school counsellor.

2. Set some rules

• Set age-appropriate rules for devices and online access, with consequences for breaking them.
• Get your child’s input.
• Consider creating a family tech agreement
• Model behaviour you would like to see.

3. Use technology and get information

• Take advantage of parental controls, based on your child’s age and experience.
• Choose apps and games carefully and visit the App Store or Google Play for age ratings and consumer advice.

Further resources

Learn more about online safety via the ACT Education Directorate.

Register to attend the directorate’s free online safety webinar series.

Learn about the latest platforms in the eSafety Commissioner’s eSafety guide.

Students can contact the ACT Children and Young People Commissioner.

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Media contact:                  DETSI Media Unit on (07) 3339 5831 or media@des.qld.gov.au