Category: MIL-OSI

Everyone knows educators make an enormous difference in a student’s life. But did you know some of those educators have four legs and a tail?

In some ACT public schools, animals are playing an important part in supporting learning and emotional wellbeing and making a significant impact on students, staff and families.

Calwell High School’s beloved therapy dog, Mr Ricky, quickly became an integral part of the school community.

So much so he has been given the title of Deputy Principal of Happiness.

Recognising the power of therapy dogs in promoting student wellbeing, Principal Steve Collins eagerly sought to bring Mr Ricky, who was trained by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, to the school.

Since his first day of school in March, Mr Ricky has been a daily presence, bringing smiles and comfort to everyone he encounters.

He spends his days traversing the hallways, visiting classrooms, and responding to signs of student anxiety by offering a reassuring paw on the lap – a gesture that can bring comfort to those in need.

Collaborating with the school psychologist, social worker, and school youth health nurse, Mr Ricky has proven to be a calming and supportive presence during important sessions and discussions.

At Arawang Primary School, 10-year-old rescue greyhound Tom helps students with their reading.

Tom is part of the Story Dogs program and visits the school library each week with his handler, Amalia, to read with students, one on one.

Students select books based on their own interests and read directly to Tom, who is quiet, gentle and loves cuddles.

“Story Dogs has been in place in our school for only a term and during that time we have already witnessed the wonderful benefits of the program,” Arawang Primary Deputy Principal Cindy Condon said.

“The students who participate count down the days each week until Tom arrives and cannot wait to choose a book to read to him. Tom gently relaxes beside them and listens to them read each week and his calmness and happiness is felt and mirrored by the students. Students’ reading and literacy has improved and most of all we have witnessed an amazing boost to their confidence!”

Story dogs also assist children’s reading at several other ACT public schools and at regular sessions in ACT libraries.

In term 3, students at Alfred Deakin High School had their learning supported by three-month-old calves Cookies and Cream.

Part of the Cows Create Careers program, Cookies and Cream helped students improve their understanding of and interest in the dairy industry and farming.

The program has run at Alfred Deakin since it began 20 years ago.

Students from nearby schools, including Hughes Primary, also visit Alfred Deakin to learn more about the program.

“Our students came away with big smiles on their faces and then had a rich discussion about what we learned and develop further wonderings to continue our inquiry about farming,” said Hughes Primary teacher Sally Baker.

Story Dog Tom and his handler Amalia assist with student reading at Arawang Primary School.

Cookies – or is it Cream?

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Canberrans looking to save money on their energy bills can now access new CHOICE product recommendations on hot water heat pump systems.

The appliances have now been added to the Make Your Next Choice Electric online tool, developed through a collaboration between CHOICE and the ACT Government.

Heating water is the second-highest source of energy use in an average household.

As more Australians electrify their homes, CHOICE reviews of the latest hot water heat pump products on the market will help Canberrans develop their own plans to switch off gas.

With this data now integrated into the Make Your Next Choice Electric experience, it’s easy to find the best heat pump to suit your household’s needs.

Heat pump systems are more energy efficient than conventional electric water heaters.

Upgrading to an electric heat pump can help reduce your emissions by about 10 tonnes over the heat-pump’s useful life.

This can potentially save you about $150 per year.

“Water heating can account for up to 25 per cent of a home’s energy use. Heat pumps can drastically reduce electricity usage, in the same way a reverse cycle air conditioner reduces cooling and heating energy use,” Director of Reviews and Testing at CHOICE, Matthew Steen, said.

“Heat pumps deliver two to three times the amount of heat energy for every kWh of electricity they use. Compare this with traditional electric resistance hot water systems which deliver 1:1 at best. Heat pump hot water systems are the logical choice if you want the most efficient electric hot water system,” Matthew said.

The Make Your Next Choice Electric tool:

• showcases the latest energy efficient electric appliances on the market that are best suited to individual household needs
• identifies when fossil fuel gas appliances need to be swapped out
• provides cost estimates for upgrades
• provides estimates for cost and emissions savings as a result of appliance upgrades.

To use the online tool, visit energy.act.gov.au

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A passionate researcher and storyteller, Sita Sargeant successfully applied for a Capital of Equality grant through the ACT Government’s Office of LGBTIQ Affairs.

She is using the funding to produce a queer history podcast which she expects to publish by the end of the year.

In 2021, the founder of She Shapes History began organising walking tours around Canberra after noticing an absence of easily accessible women’s history in the ACT.

In addition to a ‘Badass Women of Canberra’ tour and a ‘Spies in the Capital: Women in Espionage’ tour, She Shapes History runs weekly LGBTQIA+ History of Canberra tours, bringing the city’s queer secrets out of the closet.

Sita brings gems of insight from the tour to the recording studio. There will be six half-hour – or “commute-length” – episodes of the podcast.

Sita’s fellow She Shapes History guide Zev Aviv co-presents the podcast, bringing a trans perspective to the conversation.

Each episode will dive into the history of an iconic site of queer Canberra history and will feature an interview with someone who has contributed to the social fabric of queer Canberra.

The Capital of Equality Grants Program aims to support and strengthen Canberra’s LGBTIQ+ communities.

Funding is available across three streams:

• Connection Fund
• Partnerships and Capacity Building
• LGBTIQ+ Leadership.

“I don’t think the podcast would have been possible without a Capital of Equality grant,” Sita said.

“It has allowed us to pay for all the recording equipment. As a small business I’m not sure we could have justified the spend otherwise.”

But perhaps most importantly for Sita, the grant ensures she can pay her guests for their time.

“There are so many queer people whose emotional labour is exploited time and time again. It just wouldn’t have aligned with our values as a business not to pay them for speaking with us,” she said.

Sita says a lot of queer history is white and under-documented, and conflicting views abound.

“Queer history is especially interesting in Canberra, and both the tour and podcast offer an interesting insight into our city in a way you wouldn’t expect,” she said.

“We invite people to the podcast who are active in the queer community today or were in the past. We create a space for them to share their story, which we then use as a starting point to delve into the history of key queer landmarks in Canberra. We find that this is a really engaging way to get the history across and to help people feel more connected to Canberra.

“A woman named Sam Edwards features in one episode, for example, and she’s a cornerstone of Canberra’s queer community,” Sita said.

“She helped establish the first SpringOUT Pride Festival and moved here at a time when it was quite uncommon to be out. She helped get Canberra’s queer scene up and running. Hers is a great episode.”

As well as recording the podcast, running She Shapes History and working another part-time job, Sita is going from strength to strength, having landed a book deal to write a women’s history travel guide to Australia.

She found the Capital of Equality grant application process simple and said she received a lot of support along the way.

“This grant was the second I’d applied for – I was unsuccessful the first time, and I took away some key learnings from that. I’d really encourage people to apply for a grant, but not to be discouraged if they don’t get it the first time,” Sita said.

Capital of Equality grants are open until 22 October 2023.

Find out more or apply for a grant on the Office of LGBTIQ+ Affairs website.

A She Shapes History tour in progress

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The inner north is set for an environmental transformation as Canberrans are asked to comment on a vision for Sullivans Creek that will re-naturalise concrete waterways.

The proposal will replace concrete in Sullivans Creek with native water plants that will trap nutrients and bolster biodiversity in the region.

Habitat connectivity projects like these ensure more native species have a place to call home. In addition, they help to beautify Canberra’s urban environment and give Canberrans opportunity to consider how the city can be more climate resistant.

The ACT Government’s vision for Sullivan’s Creek is to create an ecological corridor through the city.

As well as giving wildlife space to move through the landscape it helps preserve Canberra’s natural beauty and cultural heritage.

The vision forms part of the Government’s $2.95 million investment in the 2022-23 ACT Budget’s ‘Connecting Nature, Connecting People’ initiative.

The waterways and landscape linked to Sullivans Creek hold significant cultural importance to the local Ngunnawal community.

There will be two opportunities to provide in-person feedback.

Community pop-ups will be run on the 11th of November at the EPIC Markets and on the 15th of November at the Dickson Shops.

Canberrans can also have their say online until Wednesday 6 December on the YourSay Conversations website.

Find out more about the project on the Connecting Nature, Connecting People page on the Environment website.

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A new National Skills Agreement between the Commonwealth Government and all states and territories will support a strong and skilled workforce for Canberra’s future.

The five-year agreement will focus on lifting the national skill level and attracting more skilled workers into critical and emerging industries.

The investment will aim to grow the ACT’s total workforce to 300,000 by 2030.

The agreement incorporates funding for a number of new initiatives in the ACT which will support key priorities in skills and workforce development, including:

• Over $24 million in matched ACT-Commonwealth funding for TAFE Centres of Excellence, with a focus in the ACT on the transition to a net zero economy
• $6.5 million in matched funding for Closing the Gap initiatives to support training for First Nations Canberrans
• $14 million in matched funding to improve VET and apprentice completion rates, with a focus on groups such as First Nations students, women and other vulnerable cohorts
• Approximately $13 million in matched funding to foster collaboration between CIT and other public training providers to enhance quality and capability in the VET workforce and sector
• Close to $1.5 million to improve access to foundation skills and learning

The ACT Government will continue to support Fee Free TAFE at CIT, so priority cohorts such as young people, jobseekers and women in non-traditional fields will have access to free training in areas of skills need.

We have committed to delivering thousands more Fee Free TAFE places over the coming years, with a specific focus on renewable energy, cyber security, the care sector, construction, hospitality and foundation skills.

With more than 2500 Canberrans already taking up this opportunity for free training in 2023, the Government will continue this popular program to achieve better education outcomes and support local businesses with the skills they need to succeed.

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The ACT Government’s Renters’ Home Energy Program provides free in-home energy assessments tailored to anyone living in a rented home in the ACT.

The assessment identifies where energy is being used and provides simple solutions to help renters save on their bills.

The program is a free and easy way to:

• save on energy bills
• get tips on the quickest, cheapest and best ways to reduce energy use
• make rental homes more comfortable without using more gas or electricity
• find out ways to reduce your impact on the environment.

Home energy experts involved in the program have vast experience in carrying out home energy assessments in the ACT. Inspectors like Jeff Knowles provide advice to renters about their energy use and simple steps they can take to save money.

“Canberra is different from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne as our summers are quite hot, our autumns and springs are lovely, then we have intense cold throughout the winter,” Jeff said.

“With such a range of temperatures, it’s tough to build a building in Canberra that works well all year round.

“The rising cost of living pressures are pushing people into greater and greater energy efficiency,” said Jeff.

“The Renters’ Home Energy Program aims to assist people by educating them about the properties they live in and the energy they use. Following some simple steps, renters could save around $200 each quarter off their gas and electricity bills.”

Energy saving tips:

• Understand what your home is made from, which direction it faces, and identify where heat or cool air can escape. A free home energy assessment and home energy web tool can help you identify these problems and their solutions.
• Check your insultation. ACT has introduced a regulation requiring all residential rental properties to meet a new minimum energy efficiency standard for ceiling insulation. Find out more about your rights as a renter.
• Use a thermometer to monitor your fridge temperature. Most rental properties have their fridges running much colder than they need to be, which uses more electricity.
• Prevent draughts by sealing doors and windows. Door draught stoppers and seal strips are good options.
• Use a plug-in power meter to monitor how much electricity your home appliances are using. Meters can point out inefficient appliances in your home such as electric element heaters.
• When operating your washing machine, use cold wash cycles so that you’re not using gas or electricity to heat water.

_{The rooms you are heating, the number of hours heaters are on, and the temperature setting all have a big impact on your bills.}

Depending on the season, you may also receive a selection of free energy saving materials to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home.

With a hot summer approaching, now is an ideal time to think about how to make your home more comfortable without spending more money on energy bills.

Canberra renters can book a free in-home assessment and find out more about the Renter’s Home Energy Program on the Everyday Climate Choices website: climatechoices.act.gov.au

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Childhood friends Fleur Froggatt and Sachi Wimmer had never recorded a podcast before.

Their shared passion for garden design, combined with a post-COVID desire for a new career direction, prompted them to start their podcast On Garden Design.

They do this from The Hive – the professional podcast studio at Woden Library.

“It’s amazing for a free facility,” they said.

“The support is first rate and the facilities are exactly what we need. We book ahead and can always get the time we want. It’s convenient, accessible and easy to use. And while this is new technology to us, it’s been a great learning journey in every way.”

Fleur and Sachi now release a half-hour episode each fortnight.

While focused on the east coast of Australia, the podcast’s content translates internationally.

They now have subscribers in 27 countries.

“Garden design is ubiquitous to every culture and style,” they said.

“We have listeners from places you wouldn’t think of. In fact, the one that really surprised us was Dubai.”

Since opening in 2021, The Hive has welcomed a host of intrepid broadcasters keen to take advantage of the free facility.

Accommodating busy schedules, the studio is available outside regular library hours – from 9am to 9pm, seven days a week.

While the equipment is easy to use, library staff provide a studio induction tailored to new podcasters’ abilities.

“One thing people always comment on is the excellent audio quality,” Fleur and Sachi said.

“We’re not aiming at a professional market, but we have a broad church of listeners. We’ve even had professionals in the industry saying thank you for doing it.”

The pair don’t hesitate to recommend the studio to anyone considering starting a podcast or elevating an existing one.

“There are so many reasons we’d recommend it,” they said.

“It’s a nice evolution, being Canberra girls and library users. We came to the library as kids, and with our kids, and it’s really great to take that to the next level now.”

Book a spot at The Hive podcast studio

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The ACT Government is driving a circular economy by expanding landfill gas capture at the Mugga Lane landfill.

This will reduce emissions and provide reliable renewable energy that could power up to 10,800 homes each year.

It is happening through the expansion of a partnership with Australian owned and operated clean energy engineers, LGI Limited (LGI), which will deliver a landfill gas expansion project.

The project builds upon a successful three-year program. It will further enhance capabilities for capturing harmful methane emissions generated at Mugga Lane landfill and transforming it into reliable renewable energy for the ACT.

“Emissions from landfills without biogas management systems can be a significant problem and can contribute up to 80 per cent of a local government’s carbon footprint,” LGI Founder and Managing Director Adam Bloomer said.

The Government’s priority is to reduce and recycle organic food waste to divert it from landfill, minimising harmful waste emissions. Capturing the emissions created by the organic material that does end up in landfill, however, is also key.

“The ACT Government’s carbon cutting approach of using proven, cost-effective technologies to capture and abate the harmful methane emissions from Mugga Lane and generate reliable, dispatchable (24/7) renewable energy is an example of what progressive governments can achieve by prioritising the environment,” Adam said.

The expansion project will include the establishment of two additional 1 Megawatt gas to energy generators, an additional 12 Megawatt of battery storage and a 20 Megawatt grid connection with Evoenergy.

Once the project is completed, it is expected the Mugga Lane landfill gas facility will have capacity to generate 50,000 Megawatt hours of dispatchable energy.

This is enough energy to power up to 10,800 homes in the ACT each year.

Adding the battery system will provide storage capacity and rapid dispatch of the renewable energy generated by the engines, at times when the grid needs it most.

As part of the LGI partnership, the ACT has been able to reduce carbon emissions by 764,000 tonnes, over the past three years.

More than 80 million³ of biogas has been captured at Mugga Lane, allowing for 96 Gigawatt hours of renewable energy to be generated.

The Mugga Lane site upgrades will further enhance this.

The project will see two additional full-time positions employed on the site and significant investment into the local economy through the engagement of local contractors for everything from concreting to catering.

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