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Come here, kitty kitty … Here, Barry Ratslayer Prince of Darkness.

From Ginger Sparkle Warrior to Albus Dumblepaw, Canberrans are creative when it comes to naming their feline friends.

Throughout the first year of mandatory cat registration in the ACT, over 15,000 cats were registered – with some quite unusual names recorded.

These include Bootstrap Bill, KitKat, Chicken, Dwight, Sméagol, Fluffy Owen, Whispurr, Storm Thunderpaws, Zippy Kitty and Mr Fluffypants.

Some names proved a bit more of a mouthful.

Lord Steven Charles Edgeworth, Field Marshal of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, Defender of The Faith and Wearer of Little Blue Hats, was the longest name registered.

Coming in at second place was Queen Luna Beth Kitty Cat, True Leader of the Cat Realm.

All cats aged over eight weeks must be registered in the ACT.

Registration for cats born before 1 July 2022 is no longer free. If it’s your first time registering, you will need to pay a one-off fee.

After this, you will need to update your details annually. There is no charge for this.

Annual registration ensures ACT City Services have up-to-date contact details for pet owners, allowing them to reunite cats with their families quickly if they are lost or somewhere they shouldn’t be.

Your cat’s creative name bringing a smile to a City Services staff member – that’s just a bonus.

Find more information at cityservices.act.gov.au/pets-and-wildlife/domestic-animals/cats/cat-registration

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Canberra United will receive a funding boost as they prepare for the launch of the 2023-24 A-League Women’s season.

An additional $125,000 per year will be provided to Capital Football, increasing the performance partnership fee to $250,000 per year for the remaining two years of the current agreement.

The funding boost comes following recent changes to the A-League Women competition, including the addition of new teams, more home and away matches and increases to minimum competition standards.

The ACT Government has a well-established partnership with Canberra United and is proud to increase its contribution to the sport.

In another boost for football in Canberra, the Estate Development Plan Development Application (DA) for Throsby Home of Football has been approved.

The Throsby Home of Football facility will include multiple outdoor football fields, indoor futsal courts, office space for Capital Football staff and associated amenities.

It has been designed to support a range of community and high-performance programs for Capital Football and its affiliated clubs and provide valuable open space for the community to enjoy.

More information on the project can be found on the YourSay website: yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/throsby-football

^{A concept render of Throsby Home of Football.}

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The ACT Government is investing in a range of projects to improve water quality, particularly in Lake Tuggeranong.

Through making drain and stormwater infrastructure more natural by removing concrete and introducing plant life, the government aims to tackle the issue of blue-green algae in the ACT’s lakes.

This approach not only achieves better water quality, it also makes the urban environment a more attractive and natural space.

Several projects will start soon to naturalise water in Tuggeranong, including:

• removing 500 metres of the Tuggeranong Creek stormwater drain and replacing it with natural elements
• modifying 54 street kerbs across east and west Kambah to direct stormwater flows across existing green spaces
• planning stormwater recycling infrastructure at Kambah Playing Fields.

Specially designed water plants will be planted in these areas to trap sediments and absorb nutrients from garden clippings and fertilisers otherwise destined for our waterways, without compromising the area’s stormwater capacity.

These projects come alongside the ACT Government’s recent $8.2 million investment in the Healthy Waterways Program through the 2023-24 ACT Budget.

Visit the Environment website to find out more about the projects.

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Canberrans are driving down transport emissions and making the most of government incentives by choosing electric vehicles.

The ACT is leading the nation on Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) uptake, with 5,000 now registered in the ACT. Around 20 per cent of new cars are electric vehicles (EVs) and ZEVs make up more than 1 per cent of all vehicles registered in the ACT.

While the upfront cost of an EV may be higher, the total cost of ownership over a five-year period may be similar or even more affordable than its petrol or diesel counterpart.

New EV cost comparison tool

A new online tool is helping Canberrans compare the total cost of ownership of different models of electric versus petrol or diesel vehicles.

The free tool is simple to use and can provide cost comparisons. Features of the tool include:

• users can input various features for vehicles, such as vehicles by make/model, body type (hatchback, sedan etc), fuel type (petrol, diesel, battery electric etc), average KMs travelled per year, annual fuel costs etc
• users can input the features for vehicles arriving on the market soon and find out the total cost of ownership
• financial calculators reflect taxes and incentives unique to the ACT (registration waivers and stamp duty exemptions on electric vehicles).

As a growing industry, Canberra households and businesses can also access a range of financial incentives that are not available for petrol and diesel alternatives.

When purchasing your next car, consider making your next choice electric.

Try the new tool at energy.act.gov.au/owning-a-zero-emissions-vehicle/  

To find out more about the zero emissions vehicles in the ACT and what incentives are available, visit climatechoices.act.gov.au

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The Commonwealth Government, through the National Capital Authority (NCA), has granted Works Approval to extend Canberra’s light rail network from Alinga Street through to Commonwealth Park.

After careful consideration and an extensive public consultation process, the NCA has concluded the Stage 2A works are consistent with the National Capital Plan requirements.

The NCA considered of a variety of different criteria, such as environment, heritage, and landscape values.

Other issues raised by the community during the consultation process have been referred to the ACT Government.

The ACT Government will consider and decide on matters relating to transport mode selection, alternative options, and project costs.

Key issues raised by the community during the consultation included the need for:

• safety and accessibility
• well-designed, comfortable, and user-friendly public light rail stops
• seamless connections between different modes of transport
• careful planning to mitigate congestion, improve traffic flow, and minimise disruptions
• a reduction in the overall impact on the urban environment and public spaces.

The consultation report is available for viewing on the NCA website: https://www.nca.gov.au/

The approval does not encompass the broader Light Rail Stage 2B to Woden proposal, and future options put forward by the ACT Government will be considered by the NCA.

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The ACT Government is continuing to invest in local shop upgrades across Canberra.

Residents of Evatt, Lanyon and Calwell can now have their say on the preliminary designs of their local shops. Upgrades have been focused on safety and access, with additional improvements included to encourage Canberrans to spend more time in their suburbs and shop local.

Evatt

• The shops on Heydon Place will receive safety and access improvements including upgraded paths, crossings, and accessible parking bays.
• New art murals, tables and seating are proposed, as well as designs for play elements, which may include a new nest swing, balancing logs, and steppers.

Lanyon Marketplace

• The intersection of Balcombe and Sidney Nolan streets is proposed to be raised with a new pedestrian crossing to slow vehicles and improve pedestrian safety.
• The Box Hill Avenue underpass will also be upgraded with improved stairway access, an art mural and new lighting to improve safety.
• Other improvements may include a new shade structure at the skate park, better landscaping, and new seating to provide spaces to sit and gather.

Calwell Group Centre

• Proposed playground nature and accessible play improvements include a slide, steppers and new shade structure.
• Other potential improvements include raised planting beds, tree planting, new art murals as well as seating and tables.

To view the designs and find out how you can provide feedback, visit yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/local-shop-improvements. Feedback closes on Monday, 21 August 2023.

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They’re the people who help us get from A to B, and those who ensure our most vulnerable community members can access important services.

However, Canberra’s frontline workers – including health workers, bus drivers and parking inspectors – are among those most likely to experience threats, physical assault and verbal abuse while on the job.

“You go to work to do your job, you don’t expect to get hurt,” local bus driver Brett* said.

After eight years working for Transport Canberra, Brett has had his fair share of negative encounters driving a bus.

“For me, things have gotten worse since COVID … people just seem to be more aggressive,” he said.

Brett believes that many Canberrans have simply forgotten how to behave.

“A lot of people don’t even acknowledge you; they just walk in straight past you,” he said.

Sometimes a situation can escalate, like the time a passenger threw a can at Brett’s head.

“That’s the sort of thing that can happen. You never know what’s going to trigger someone,” Brett said.

“This guy went from nought to 100 in less than a second. If someone gets on the bus and wants to be violent, there’s only so much you can do.”

And he’s not the only bus driver to have these experiences.

“Drivers have had drinks thrown over them – all sorts of things have happened. You shouldn’t have to put up with that.”

After only eight months working as an ACT Government parking compliance officer, Anushka* can empathise with Brett’s stories.

Just a few weeks ago, a disgruntled Canberran approached Anushka when he was issuing a fine for a car parked in a loading zone.

The owner of the illegally parked car approached Anushka aggressively and began yelling and swearing at him.

“I was trying to explain the rules, but he didn’t want to listen. He just kept screaming at me,” he said.

“Luckily there were another two inspectors close by … we always stay close in case something happens. When they walked over, he left.”

Anushka understands the frustration of receiving a parking fine, particularly given the current cost of living.

“The community should understand, we don’t have a personal issue with anyone. We’re just trying to do our job,” he said.

“We’re trying to help the community. Everyone should have access to parking.”

Fortunately, Access Canberra and Transport Canberra have several measures in place to help support their staff members through workplace incidents.

“I feel like they really care about our safety … they really support me well,” Anushka said.

“When it’s all said and done, it’s still a good job. I won’t be changing anytime soon,” Brett said.

And in the meantime, Brett wants to issue a little reminder to Canberrans.

“Use your manners, a bit of politeness. And don’t use the bus like your own personal bin.”

Support services are available to Canberrans who have experienced occupational violence through WorkSafe ACT.

* For personal privacy, surnames of interviewees have been removed.

_{Anushka has been yelled and sworn at while doing his job.}

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Canberra continues to be a destination of choice with the latest national and international visitor survey data showing 5.57 million visitors to Canberra over the year to March 2023.

Canberra experienced the highest growth in domestic overnight visitation, overnight stays and expenditure of all Australian states and territories during the 12-month period.

Not only did visitors come in droves, they also spent up big with Canberra recording its highest ever visitor expenditure of $3.33 billion in a 12-month period, surpassing the record annual high reached for year ending December 2022 by $300 million.

This demonstrates the ACT Government is on track to reach its target of $4 billion in expenditure by 2030 under T2030: ACT Tourism Strategy 2023-2030.

Of the 5.57 million visitors, 5.4 million were domestic and 130,000 were international visitors. The number of international visitors is also set to increase with Fiji Airways due to start a direct service from Canberra this month, which will open up the north American market.

The data shows that compared with December 2019 – before the pandemic began – the domestic leisure and visiting friends and relatives market has fully recovered. While the number of visitors coming for business is lower, they are spending more money.

The government will continue to invest in initiatives that attract visitors and improve the ACT’s destination appeal. This includes continuing investment in the Aviation Stimulus Fund to attract more direct domestic and international flights to and from Canberra, extending the successful Tourism Product Development Fund for another year and supporting year-round destination marketing activities.

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The completion of the Canberra Hospital expansion and a new northside hospital headline the Health update of the ACT Government’s Infrastructure Plan.

The plan outlines two areas of focus – hospital infrastructure and community health – with the purpose of improving acute services infrastructure and delivering more health services in the community.

The government will continue to invest in infrastructure across the Canberra Hospital campus through the implementation of the Canberra Hospital Masterplan. The plan provides a long-term framework to guide the redevelopment of the campus over the next 20 years.

At the centre of the Masterplan is the new Canberra Hospital Critical Services Building, opening next year.

The Critical Services Building will provide Canberrans with access to a bigger emergency department, more treatment spaces and more operating theatres.

Funding was provided in the 2023-24 ACT Budget to progress detailed design of the new northside hospital, which will ultimately see an investment of more than $1 billion.

Additional investments in community health services and primary care will help to keep Canberrans healthy and out of hospital.

The government will roll out four new Health Centres to deliver community-based services in South Tuggeranong, North Gungahlin, the Inner South and West Belconnen.

These Health Centres will provide integrated multi-disciplinary care with a focus on preventive care and advice, early intervention, and the management of chronic illness.

Through the 2023-24 ACT Budget, the government has committed funding to design and construct the South Tuggeranong Health Centre and to begin planning and design work for North Gungahlin and the Inner South.

Other projects identified in the plan include:

• expanding and upgrading endoscopy suites at the Canberra Hospital to help meet patient demand
• a fit-for-purpose Acute Palliative Care Ward at Canberra Hospital. Early planning is already underway with construction anticipated to begin late 2024
• the Watson Health Precinct – a new precinct to support youth mental health and alcohol and other drug services as well as a residential rehabilitation service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults
• a strategic review of community health assets across the ACT to develop a long-term plan for the upgrade, renewal and construction of these facilities.

To view the updated Infrastructure plan, including the health sector updates, visit www.builtforcbr.act.gov.au

^{An artists impression of the Canberra Hospital Expansion.}

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All three replacement bridges in the Umbagong District Park are now open for the community to enjoy.

The timber bridges were constructed in 1986 and closed to the public in April 2021 after a safety audit revealed the bridges needed replacement.

The new steel, handrailed bridges have a rusted finish in contrast to the white timber bridges they once were. This rusted finish complements the natural setting and colours of the Umbagong native grasslands.

Two of the smaller pedestrian bridges were opened in July. The third larger bridge has now been completed. The larger bridge includes a new accessible lookout area and seating which provides enough space for wheelchairs or mobility scooters to turn around safely.

Bollards have also been installed at either end of the three bridges to deter vehicles from driving through the park to protect the area from potential damage.

While engaging with the community the ACT Government heard how valued the park and bridges are. With the project now complete, the new bridges will allow Canberrans to stop and appreciate the nature of the park including birds, grasslands, and lizards.

Additional improvements have also been carried out in the park including formalising the carpark off Florey Drive and recycling healthy timber from the original three bridges to create seating.

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