Latest ACT News

Auctioneer Dan McAlpine in action at 25 Haines Street, Curtin.

Buyers snap up homes before Christmas

Georgina Connery 10:24 PM   As the auction season wraps up to make way for the silly season the capital has seen some outstanding results.

Have a very humpy Christmas

News Camel Rides at Christmas in the City on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Rohan Thomson The Canberra Times 12 December 2015

Georgina Connery 9:26 PM   It's not quite the silhouette of three wise men heading east to Bethlehem but camel rides are certainly on the list of activities Canberrans are ticking off to get in the spirit for Christmas.

New courses boost ranks of midwives and OTs

The number of midwives – who have left behind the uniforms of Nurse Jenny in ABC's Call the Midwife – rose by 13.5 per cent in the ACT in 2014-15.

Matthew Raggatt 11:30 PM   Canberra is enjoying a boom in occupational therapists, with registrations up. 

Residents blame tip for ongoing stink

Richard Larkey and his wife Ana are sick of the putrid odours around their home, which they say are the same as those which came from the tip earlier this year.

Matthew Raggatt 11:30 PM   Smells coming from the Mugga Lane tip have angered residents of Fadden.

Seizures and prosecutions boom as RSPCA returns to surplus

RSPCA ACT chief executive Tammy Ven Dange has led the charity back to surplus in a year where animal seizures and surrenders boomed.

Matthew Raggatt 11:30 PM   Publicity for the RSPCA contributed to increased animal cruelty complaints.

Teenager denies hitting aunt with bat

A 19-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting his 60-year-old aunt with a baseball bat.

Matthew Raggatt 7:28 PM   A 19-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting his 60-year-old aunt with a baseball bat in a bizarre set of incidents, which allegedly saw three generations of a family involved in a public fight in Gungahlin. 

Sleighs full of toys donated by generous rider at the annual Toy Run

Sunday Date: December 12 2015 The Canberra Times Photo: Elesa Kurtz Lin and Graeme Barber of Holt take part in the Motorcycle Riders Association of the Australian Capital Territory are host their annual Toy Run at Old Parliament House

Georgina Connery 9:00 PM   While not everyone spotted former senator Kate Lundy in the motorcade, it was hard to miss two sleighs and close to 950 riders in Christmas fancy dress at the 35th annual Motorcycle Riders Association of the Australian Capital Territory Toy Run.

Megalo celebrates 35 years with world's longest screen print attempt

Megalo Print Studio and Gallery artistic director Ingeborg Hansen and programs manager Megan Hinton celebrate the studio's 35th birthday by creating the longest screen print of the studio's timeline.

Georgina Connery 6:33 PM   The Fitters' Workshop in Kingston was brimming with excitement as Megalo staff got ready for Saturday's record breaking attempt to create the World's Longest Screen Print.

A thirst to help those without clean water

Canberra engineer Sunny Forsyth, founder of Abundant Water, is focusing on creating jobs with his simple water filter invention.

Georgina Connery 11:30 PM   Canberra engineer Sunny Forsyth has always been a curious problem solver but in 2007 he turned his thirst for fixing things towards tackling a global health concern.

Is handwriting going the way of typewriters?

From left, Palmerston Primary School year 6 students Tharaphi Naing, Will Rice, Claire Warner, and Abdullah Islam, all 11 with pens in hand.

Matthew Raggatt 11:30 PM   Pen and pencil still backed by Aussie parents.

University of Canberra's $41m plan to house 496 extra students

An artists' impression of the proposed Cooper Lodge 2 at the University of Canberra.

Stephen Jeffery 11:30 PM   A development application has been lodged to boost the university's on-campus student accommodation capacity.

Men face court after $30,000 worth of suspected stolen property seized in Griffith

Suspected stolen items found at a home in Griffith on Friday.

4:03 PM   Two men are set to face the ACT Magistrates Court on Saturday morning in relation to stolen property and burglary charges.

Gilmore Primary appeals for online donations for literacy program

Gilmore Primary School is fundraising for a literacy program.

Georgina Connery 11:30 PM   Gilmore Primary has launched an online appeal for money to fund a literacy program on Australian School Plus, a site that aims to eliminate the performance gap for students in disadvantaged schools.

Federal government's committee clean-up to continue

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, right, with former treasurer Joe Hockey and the 2015 budget papers, has overseen the reduction of more than 200 entities in 18 months.

Matthew Raggatt 11:30 PM   The federal government has cut more than 200 entities in 18 months as "budget repair" continues

Canberra's best Christmas lights this year?

This Christmas tree in Canberra's centre has shattered records with its numerous lights - now it's oyur turn Canberra.

Katie Burgess 8:09 AM   Canberra has snagged a world record for our Christmas light display in Civic. Now it's time for the rest of the city to shine.

The Big Issue puts out its 500th edition and provides an immeasurable leg-up for Peter

Peter sells The Big Issue magazine in Civic.

Megan Doherty   Peter, a vendor for The Big Issue in Canberra, still shudders as he remembers being homeless in Sydney.

Ambulance service welcomes new paramedics amid emergency services overhaul

ESA Commissioner Dominic Lane, pictured in December.

Megan Gorrey   The ACT's ambulance service has welcomed nine new intensive care paramedics, including the last cohort to be qualified under the territory's vocational training scheme.

About Town: Friends of the Australian War Memorial Christmas party

John and Marlene Lee of Charnwood.

Supporters of the Australian War Memorial gathered to celebrate Christmas.

Canberra ranked on tourism spending, visitor numbers

Floriade is one of Canberra's biggest tourism events.

Alexandra Back   Canberra's spending on tourism is outstripped by the NSW south coast, the Hunter Valley and the Sunshine Coast, but it spends more than Hobart and Darwin, a new interactive website shows.

Fire at West Belconnen Resource Management Centre

Smoke from the fire, which has spread towards Macgregor.

Emma Kelly   Multiple fire crews are working to extinguish a fire in West Belconnen Friday afternoon.

New public housing properties ready for moving tenants

Executive director of Housing and Community Services David Matthews with Housing Minister Yvette Berry.

Tom McIlroy   The rundown Owen Flats on Northbourne Avenue will be empty before Christmas as the ACT government continues its relocation of about 2500 public housing tenants across Canberra. 

ACT trauma surgeon warns drivers to slow down over summer

Canberra Hospital trauma surgeon Dr Ailene Fitzgerald says telling a family their loved one can't be revived doesn't get easier with experience.

Megan Gorrey   When drivers' bodies are torn apart in serious crashes on the ACT region's roads, Canberra Hospital trauma surgeon Dr Ailene Fitzgerald is among those tasked with putting them back together.

Celebrating and examining photography

Hayley Boyle, Unlimited Authority (2015) in Akin to Lust at PhotoAccess.

Peter Haynes   Three CIT graduates who received PhotoAccess residencies are showing the varied and impressive results of their opportunity.

Freakshake queens Anna and Gina Petridis open new Patissez cafe in Canberra

Freakshakes

Natasha Rudra   It's been a very big year for Patissez.

An exhilarating experience

Quidam's show-stopping banquine act.

Michelle Potter   Cirque du Soleil's Quidam is the show of the year and not to be missed.

Pair allegedly stole $57,000 of brass from National Library of Australia

A 19-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting his 60-year-old aunt with a baseball bat.

Christopher Knaus   More than $57,000 worth of brass was stolen from the National Library of Australia in an early morning caper last year, a court has heard.

Police chief hints at tougher liquor laws despite reported drop in alcohol-fuelled violence

ACT chief police officer Rudi Lammers, left, has urged people to have fun but be safe over summer.

Megan Gorrey   Tougher measures are being considered to crack down on drunken violence in Canberra next year.

Kingston's new designer hub

David Traylen and Chris Lloyd, the founders of CARDIF in Kingston.

Jil Hogan   It's the dilemma many makers face when starting out – where to make once your work outgrows the kitchen table.

ActewAGL partners with Panasonic in the solar power revolution

Rachael Turner of Forde with her 5.2kW solar power system that has a battery storage system.

David Ellery   ActewAGL teams up with Panasonic for the next step in the solar power revolution.

Supernun takes a stand for people forced to flee their home countries

Sister Jane Keogh, continues her lone vigil in front of Parliament House, Canberra. She supports refugees and stands in solidarity with asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island.

Mary Lynn Mather 10:30 PM   At a time when violent actions and divisive rhetoric make media headlines, a woman of faith protests in peace.

A touch of magic

Typography artist Gemma O'Brien will be decorating Canberra Centre's hoarding in the lead up to Christmas.

Jil Hogan   Canberra Centre may be filled with hoarding at the moment but they're at least putting it to use from this weekend, and using it to add an extra bit of Christmas cheer.

Christopher David Navin acquitted of murder of Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber

Navin went to Clarenza, a property near Grafton, after the killing. He then burnt the knives and threw them in a dam near where he camped.

Michael Inman   Christopher David Navin has been acquitted of the murder of Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber

Marist 'missed opportunity' to remove paedophile

Brother Kostka abused students for decades at a string of schools across Australia

Christopher Knaus   Marist's failure to act on notorious paedophile allowed abuse to continue, Royal Commission finds.

Murder victim farewelled at funeral service

Andrew Carville was last seen alive on November 4. His body was discovered on defence land at Majura on November 19.

Megan Gorrey   North Canberra man's body was found in grassland more than two weeks after he went missing. 

Burlesque legend brings the bump, strut and look to Canberra at age 68

Las Vegas nude magician Dusty Summers in her heyday.

Megan Doherty   At the age of 68, burlesque legend Dusty Summers can still bump, strut and give "the look".

Chief Minister signals reshuffle before February resumption of parliament

Andrew Barr photographed a year ago as he prepared to succeed Katy Gallagher as ACT Chief Minister.

Kirsten Lawson   At the top of Mr Barr's mind will be the imminent departure of Simon Corbell and the patchy performance of Joy Burch

Dubious honour for enterprise agreement

Michaelia Cash, the prime minister's lead voice on the public service.

Phillip Thomson   IP Australia offer bites the dust (again), as Agriculture opens up agreement to ballot.

Comments 11

Hit-and-run driver found guilty of culpable driving

A Batemans Bay man has been found guilty of culpable driving after a hit-and-run incident.

Michael Inman   A Batemans Bay man who trashed his car to cover a hit-and-run has been found guilty of culpable driving.

Police seek public's help to find missing Lyons man Robert Jacob

Robert Jacob was last seen on November 30.

Megan Gorrey   Police have sought the public's help to find a missing Lyons man as they investigate a series of reported sightings as recent as Tuesday.

Canberra's best tourist attraction named

Founding director of Questacon, Professor Mike Gore.

Canberra's top tourist attraction has been named in the 2015 Canberra Region Tourism Awards.

Union urges politicians to reject latest pay rise

Businessman.

Markus Mannheim   Independent tribunal says an increase is needed to attract high-calibre people to public office.

Domestic violence victims remembered at time of 'heightened fear and anxiety'

Yaping Wang holds a sign at a rally on the lawns of Parliament House to remember women who lost their lives to domestic violence this year.

Megan Gorrey   The names of 78 victims allegedly killed by a partner were written on cards strung up on the lawns of Parliament House.

Marital comedy where everything is verse

Peter Robinson plays senior public servant Barry in Geoff Page's Cara Carissimo.

Ron Cerabona   Geoff Page's new play satirises Canberra attitudes and aspirations.

Warning signs in salt and uranium

Artists Ken and Julia Yonetani stand in front of their work USA 2013 a chandelier made from uranium glass.

Ron Cerabona   An art installation at NGA Contemporary has some pertinent points to make.

The Canberra Times news quiz for December 11

The ACT Government and the National Capital Authority have announced a competition to guide the next 10 years of landscape development at Mt Ainslie. George Wootten and Hannah Barrington from London take a selfie with the view from Mt Ainslie. 9 December 2015 Photo: Rohan Thomson The Canberra Times

How closely have you been paying attention to the news this week?