Gunsmoke 78...Gunsmoke 78...December 2003 / January 2004
Gungahlin Community Council Inc. NewsYour Community Council holds executive meetings on the first Wednesday of each month to report on the business at hand, and to plan for the public meetings which are held on the second Wednesday of each month from February to December. December is usually a social night. All who live in Gungahlin or who have business or recreational activities in the area are welcome to attend and to become members of Gungahlin Community Council. Planning matters occupy are large part of the executive's time. During the last few months (years!) transport has been high on the agenda for discussion and lobbying. Mark Loney and others have dedicated much thought to the possibility of a light rail network becoming part of the Canberra Plan. See article on pages 4 & 5.
Barry Dee, President and Roma Hosking, Vice-President, have attended a joint Community Councils Forum where topics of concern have been bush fire recovery, water restrictions, future plans for adequate water supply for Canberra and funding by the ACT Legislative Assembly to Community Councils, which this year for the first time is to be tied to a contract requiring "organisation to which it provides funding to indemnify the Territory for claims cause by the organisation". All the representatives from each Community Council are having difficulty with this requirement and so far have not signed the contract. Your Community Council has engaged a legal consultant for advice before proceeding any further.
At the November public meeting our guest speaker was Kerrie Tucker, Greens MLA. A speaker on Co-housing - a new housing choice was outlined - see article page 10, and Angharad Dean and Jo Mitchell from ACTPLA gave a summary on the Spatial Plan. [Return to top]
GCC Public MeetingsThe Gungahlin Community Council Inc. holds a monthly public meeting that is open to all on the second Wednesday of each month (with the exception of January). Meetings are held at the Gungahlin Resource Centre (at the Gungahlin Town Centre) between 7.30pm and 9.30pm. Come and have your say!
Schedule for December, February and March
- 10 December 2003
Social Event
- 11 February 2004
Speakers from Purdon Associates Pty Ltd to speak on North-West Ngunnawal Plan
- 9 March
Helen Cross, MLA
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St Nicholas Christmas TreesSt Nicholas Christmas Trees will be supporting SIDS and Kids ACT again this year after a successful combined venture last year. They will be donating 20% of sales in order to help SIDS and Kids provide their services to the ACT community and surrounding region.
Our launch last year on December 6 was an enjoyable occasion and with the help of the Canberra Children's Choir singing Christmas carols, a visit by the "man in red", some festive food and fairy lights, it will be remembered by many as a happy celebration. The Gummeroo Pavilion was transformed into a forest of trees. Mr Colin Williams of Ngunnawal, who was thrilled and said he had never won anything in his life, won our $250 cash prize. Many beautiful traditions and stories were shared throughout the month, some of which are available on our web site. There are also some very interesting photographs of trees being forced into small vehicles. www.stnicholaschristmastrees.com.au
Thank you to everyone who supported our venture last year and we hope to see you on Saturday 6 December this year. DRIVE THROUGH CHRISTMAS TREES:
Trees can be purchased from Sat 6 - Sun 21 at Exhibition Park from 10am - 6pm every day except Tues 17 and Wed 18.
Old Bus Depot Markets selling trees every weekend in December. Trees start at $15 for very small up to $60 for larger. [Return to top]
Potential solution for broadband Internet in Gungahlin"There has been a lot of discussion about the high speed Internet access issues for residents of the Gungahlin area. Much pressure has been placed on our local and federal government representatives, Telstra and other technology providers in Canberra. Unfortunately the only outcome has been a promise from Telstra to provide ADSL services through a new telephone exchange (for Gungahlin) scheduled to begin construction sometime in 2004. Even though this promise can undoubtedly be relied upon, we are still left in the situation that many residents will not be able to access high speed Internet because of the inherent line length limitations of ADSL. I have been frustrated by this situation and have taken it upon myself to investigate alternatives to the standard high speed Internet technologies. The outcome of my search is an agreement with Brian Morris, manager of local Internet service provider NetSpeed, that they will deploy a wireless broadband service to the Gungahlin area if sufficient interest in the service exists. This means that at least 200 subscriptions to the service must be secured for the deployment to be viable. I am willing to coordinate collecting the details of people interested in this service. Please e-mail me with your name, address, and your bandwidth needs if you would like to be put on the list of interested people. Please put "Wireless Gungahlin broadband" in the subject of the message so that I can easily identify your e-mail.
Wireless broadband Internet is physically different to ADSL; ADSL is provided through your telephone line, while wireless is transmitted with an antenna that is mounted on your premises. Cabling will need to be installed to connect your computer to the antenna. All the necessary equipment to connect is provided by NetSpeed as part of the service, just like their ADSL service. The only thing you must have is a network card in your computer. The service NetSpeed is offering will follow the same pricing as their ADSL plans and provide the same bandwidth. You can review the pricing of ADSL services on their web site: www.netspeed.com.au
For more information contact:
Contact: Ty Newton
E-mail: ty.newton@ato.gov.au
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Light Rail - A vision for Canberra's futureCanberra's roads are increasingly congested, especially during peak hours. Only light rail will provide a transport system attractive enough to encourage people out of their cars.
The ACT Government needs to commit now to a light rail network for the whole of Canberra; one that links the town centres and major areas of employment. If the only result of all the work by the government, consultants and the community over the last year is minor change to our bus system, then the whole exercise will have been an unproductive and pointless waste of taxpayer's funds and community efforts. To change the views of Canberrans about public transport will require a substantial change in approach. This means a commitment by the ACT Government to a light rail network as the solution to Canberra's transport problems. A light rail network should be built in a number of stages, just as our road infrastructure has, and continues, to be built.
Why should the First Stage be Civic to Gungahlin?
The Civic to Gungahlin light rail link offers a number of opportunities unique to a developing area. These include: - the increase in revenue from land sales, attributable to light rail, will substantially meet the costs of construction.
- it provides an ideal opportunity for the ACT Government to fully integrate land use and transport planning.
- it will encourage families, who decide to live in Gungahlin, to seriously consider using public transport choices, which will decrease the need for a second or third car.
- the long-term traffic congestion issues for Gungahlin can be most effectively and economically solved by a light rail link to Civic.
- light rail will also enhance the "urban village" character of the Gungahlin Town Centre and provide the Canberra community with more lifestyle options.
- light rail will also attract employment to Gungahlin, which is a district that is sadly disadvantaged at this time.
 Image: One possible configuration for a light rail network
Frequently asked questions about light rail
What is light rail?
A Light rail network is a rapid transit system. In the ACT, the majority of the network would be constructed along the central transit corridors already provided. This includes corridors such as the grassed section of Northbourne and Adelaide Avenues. The system would operate with electrically powered vehicles, travelling at reasonable speed with minimum stops. It would provide a service considerably faster than other transport, including private cars. Light Rail has evolved from trams but a light rail system for Canberra would be very different from the Melbourne trams, which mostly run on the same roads as the cars, stop frequently and travel slowly.
Does Canberra have a sufficient population to operate a light rail service?
Many cities in Europe and North America, with populations comparable to Canberra, operate light rail systems. For example Saarbrucken, with a population of 186,000, built a 17.5km light rail system (commenced in 1997). Stuttgart, with a population of 586,000, has built an 84km light rail system (commenced in 1975). Low-density cities such as Portland in the US and Edmonton and Calgary in Canada have recently installed light rail systems.
Isn't light rail too expensive for Canberra?
While early studies claimed exorbitant costs, recent figures indicate that costs of between 3 and 6 million dollars per kilometre would be comparable to or cheaper than alternatives such as additional or enlarged roads or dedicated bus-ways. Light rail can be built, as needs develop and money is available, similar to our road development. The costs for Canberra will be lower than for most other cities, because the transport corridors are already available. Light rail is certainly an affordable alternative.
Aren't buses cheaper?
Canberra's planners have acknowledged that a serviceable public transport system, whether it is buses or light rail, will need a network of dedicated transport corridors. The cost of providing quality infrastructure for dedicated bus-ways is not as cost effective as for light rail. However, operating and maintenance costs for buses are significantly higher than for light rail vehicles. Experience in other cities has shown that the development of light rail networks has a flow on effect of expanding and revitalizing the interconnecting bus system.
How will light rail transform Canberra?
Light rail will relieve congestion on the road network and free up the buses currently used on the inter-town routes to enable the "feeder" services to be substantially improved.
Everyone can see the increasing congestion on our roads during peak periods. Canberra needs light rail now, not in 2030. Light rail will facilitate the change in urban design sought by the ACT Government. That is, urban consolidation in the town centres and along key transport corridors. This is what occurred when Portland built its light rail system. The light rail track would be virtually hidden in grassed areas, unlike a paved bus-way down the middle of Northbourne Avenue; which would be unacceptable to the National Capital Authority and the community. Passengers will be able to take their baby strollers and bikes onto the Light Rail vehicles.
Authorised by Mark Loney on behalf of the Light Rail Coalition
For more information contact:
ACT Light Rail Coalition
Email: committee@actlightrail.org.
Website: www.actlightrail.org [Return to top]
Roma Hosking completes 11 years as pastor of Cornerstone Christian Church."It has been a privilege and a challenge to come to a new area and start a church from scratch," Roma said. "It's amazing to see what God will do in His plan of salvation to gather people from the far corners of the earth and bring them into His Kingdom to reflect the love of God, thus enhancing each other's lives."  Next year Roma will be involved in mentoring and counselling, work she has been involved in over many years. It is her intention to remain in Gungahlin and continue her work with the Community Council as Vice- President and Editor of Gunsmoke.
Cornerstone Christian Church is very pleased to welcome Pastor Rod Holmes and his wife, Kerri, to lead the church from January 2004. They will be moving from Shepparton, Vic and living in Ngunnawal. One of the things which attracted them to Cornerstone was their desire to continue with the mission already in place; "Our mission is to be a community of faith that seeks to grow in the knowledge, love and service of Jesus Christ and to actively draw others into faith in Him in wholeness of body, mind and spirit."
Author: Roma Hosking [Return to top]
An Open Letter to the Editor.I am appealing to all Gungahlin residents who use the Barton Highway roundabout to take up their pens and write to the ACT Minister for Planning Simon Corbell and the Federal Minister Wilson Tuckey. It is apparent that there is nothing on the planning board for an improved and safer traffic flow at this ever increasingly dangerous roundabout. At peak times this roundabout is a fatality waiting to happen. Traffic lights which operate at peak times would ensure smoother traffic flow and reduce the danger of hit and miss. Without residents voicing their concerns the government will continue to forget Gungahlin, so for the safety of all residents who daily have to risk crossing this roundabout, please put your concerns in writing. Yours sincerely
Trish Hungerford, Ngunnawal [Return to top]
Gungahlin Regional Community ServiceBefore & After School Care Amaroo School Opening Feb 2004!
Amaroo Primary School's Before and After School Care will be opening in February 2004. To enrol and for information about placements, contact Janine on 6242 4811.
Families - don't forget to get your enrolment forms for 2004 Before and After School Care program at Burgmann, Palmerston, Good Shepherd, Holy Spirit, Gold Creek and Amaroo in ASAP as places run out very quickly in all of the programs. For more information contact Janine on 6242 4811
School Holiday Program
The Gungahlin School Holiday Program will operate during January at · Joint Campus in Nicholls (5th - 30th January), and · Burgmann (12th - 30th January). Forms can be collected from the schools as well as at Palmerston & Good Shepherd Schools and the Ngunnawal Neighbourhood Centre. For more details contact Christine on 6242 4811.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
GRCS will be closed over Christmas from the 25th December and will reopen on Monday 5th January 2004. We wish everyone a safe and prosperous Christmas and New Year School Holiday Program - Gungahlin Youth Centre
Are you aged between 11 and 18?
If you want something fun and different to do in the School Holidays, why not visit the Gungahlin Youth Centre. There's all sorts of exciting events happening throughout the holidays, FREE or low-cost, with Pool Comps, Crazy Craft, a Road Ready course, a trip to Wonderland, a day-trip to the Coast and heaps more.
All activities are fully supervised and run in a safe and friendly environment. We are located behind the Library, so why not drop-in, or phone us on 6228 9211 and find out what's happening these holidays.
Bridging the Digital Divide for seniors and people with Disabilities
Are you a senior or a person with a disability and would like to gain greater access to learning how to use a computer or the internet? Recent funding received through the ACT Government's Digital Divide initiative can be channelled towards transport, equipment, software and outreach programs. We want to know what would help you? Please call Selina with any suggestions you may have on 6228 9228.
Gungahlin Walk & Talk
A Walking Group for Everyone! All ages and capabilities welcome From 9.00-10.30 am Ngunnawal Neighbourhood Centre, Yarrawonga St Call Selina for more information 6228 9228.
Community Christmas & Bush FireWise Evening
Thursday 11 December, 2003 5.00 - 8.00pm Gungahlin Youth Centre, Ernest Cavanagh St, Gungahlin Town Centre
Christmas Fun for all the Family
The Gungahlin Volunteer Bushfire Brigade presents the Bush FireWise Program
Bush FireWise is a community based education and awareness program that encourages residents to work together with local fire services and land management agencies to reduce fire hazards around their streets and homes.
Come and meet your local Volunteer Bushfire Brigade to hear about plans for the Gungahlin Region for this bushfire season and to learn about measures to minimise the risk to your home and your neighbours' - Fire fighters will be there to answer all your questions
- The Gungahlin Fire fighting Tankers on display
- Bush band
- Giveaways for kids
- Free BBQ courtesy of the Gungahlin Lions Club
- Plus lots more family fun!
For more information contact GRCS on 6228 9228.
For more information contact:
Gungahlin Community Resource Centre
Gungahlin Youth Centre
Ngunnawal Neighbourhood Centre
Phone: 6228 9200
E-mail: grcs@gungahlin.org
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New Childcare Centre In GungahlinGungahlin Children's Centre
The new Gungahlin Children's Centre opened on 1 December 2003. Located on Fay Lane, the centre is in close proximity to the Gungahlin Shopping Complex and is a much needed resource for the area. The centre, run by Samantha and Lorraine Menzies, has full and part-time places for 89 children. Open days were held on 15/16 November and gave parents and children the opportunity to see the range of facilities the centre has to offer and for parents to meet some staff members. The centre's logo has been designed with the meaning of Gungahlin - "Little Rocky Hill" in mind.  The Gungahlin Children's Centre's philosophy is customer focused, reflecting the wide Gungahlin community. The Centre aims to provide a unique children's service, working in direct partnership with families, the community and staff to pursue excellence in the provision of early childhood services. The centre believes in adopting a progressive approach to change, adapting quickly to new or additional requirements and ideas, which benefit balanced child development and education
Lorraine Menzies is Director of the Centre, with many years experience in child care in Canberra since 1974, where she commenced as Director of Nipperville, Watson. Samantha Menzies is Director of Administration and her background is in Human Resources and Administration, with 5 years working in Sydney. Many of the staff members hired have extensive experience in child care. In addition, child care workers have been selected for their unique and flexible ideas and approach to modern child care. The'staff to child' ratio in the centre is well within the legal requirement for child care services. When fully operational, the centre will have a full-time staff of 18, with 2 'floaters' available for busy periods and lunchtimes. There will also be a pool of casual and relief staff available for emergencies. The centre has rooms to accommodate 5 different age groups from babies to 5 years. They have been designed with each particular age group in mind, with a range of functional and safe facilities in each room. Each child will have a designated locker with space for a photo and name, and cots will also be designated to babies and toddlers that have regular daytime sleeps. Each room is also fully equipped with washing and changing facilities, and cloth nappies, creams and sun screen will be provided. The outdoor areas are well organised with adequate grassed, cushioned asphalt and shaded areas, with plans for permanent play equipment to be erected once daily usage of the area is ascertained. There are 13 'exit doors' to the centre that are lockable from the outside, ensuring safety of the children at all times. The Menzies have purchased toys and teaching aids for the centre that are relatively new on the market, offering children a range of fun and challenging activities, assisting with fine motor skills and development. As there is a demand for part-time placements in the Gungahlin area, flexible developmental and educational programs will be established to best evaluate and observe children's progress in 1 or 2 week cycles. This flexible approach means that each child will benefit from programs designed specifically for them to better understand their individual needs. The centre plans to organise visits from educational experts to provide music, movement and story-telling sessions. Regular excursions will also be provided for toddlers and a pre pre-school program for children in the 3 - 4 year old group will also be offered. The centre has a fully equipped kitchen, 2 full-time chefs and dining area. A hot lunch will be provided as well as afternoon tea and a 4.00pm snack. Children with special dietary needs will be catered for and the centre has a 'no nut' policy. Parents are only required to provide a piece of fruit or a tub of nut free yoghurt. Currently, there is limited car parking available at the rear of the centre. However, a slip-lane on The Valley Way side provides adequate 15 minute parking for picking up and dropping off. The centre's address is on Fay Lane. However a street sign is yet to be erected. There is also concern about the 'Give Way' intersection adjacent to the centre on Gozzard St, as some cars don't obey the 'Give Way' sign. The Menzies plan to contact PALM to arrange for additional signage for this intersection. Future building activity close to the centre includes possible office buildings on Gozzard St. The centre is currently running a graduated intake of children for the remainder of 2003. First and second round offers were sent out in the last few weeks to families on the waiting list. This graduated intake will continue during the Christmas and New Year period, when a limited number of places will be filled. The centre is expected to be at full capacity and fully operational by February 2004. There will be an on-going waiting list, although it is not expected to be any longer than those at established child care centres in the area. Fees will vary depending on the length of care required, whether days or whole weeks, but flexible hours will also be catered to with part-day placements available. EFTPOS facilities will be established for access to cheque and savings accounts and Internet banking will also be available. At this stage a website for the centre has not yet been created, but is planned for the future. Opening hours are from 7.30am to 6pm, 5 days per week. For more information contact:
Gungahlin Children's Centre, 7 Fay Lane, Gungahlin. Contact: Samantha Menzies.
Phone: 6242 4138
Email: g.c.c@bigpond.com [Return to top]
Childcare In GungahlinAs many families with young children in Gungahlin would know, the demand for centre-based childcare far exceeds the current supply. There are currently three childcare centres in Gungahlin, one operating in each of Nicholls and Ngunnawal and one soon to open in the Gungahlin town centre precinct. The Ngunnawal Early Childhood Centre is an 86 place centre offering permanent full-time (long day care), permanent part-time, and occasional care. Care at the Ngunnawal centre is provided by Ngunnawal Children's Services. Ngunnawal Children's Services also provides vacation and before and after school care in Ngunnawal. The Nicholls Early Childhood Centre is a 90 place centre offering permanent full-time and permanent part-time care only.
Currently, there are about 180 children on the waiting list for a place at Ngunnawal and about 300 at NIcholls.
Admittedly, some children are likely to be on the waiting list at both centres and so the total number of children on the waiting lists for these centres would be less than 480. Even if 180 children were on both lists, that would still mean 300 children on waiting lists just at the centres at Ngunnawal and Nicholls. The new centre in the town centre precinct, Gungahlin Children's Centre, is a 89 place centre offering permanent full-time and permanent part-time care and sessional care. This centre also has a waiting list, even though it has not yet opened.
Overall, the number of children on the lists compared to the number of places available mean that if parents want to access centre-based long day care in Gungahlin, they could well be in for a long wait! The demand for occasional care is also high and subsequently occasional care is also difficult to arrange. There is family day care available in Gungahlin and the demand/supply situation there is not so dire. At present, parents needing childcare and who are waiting for centre based care in Gungahlin have the options of using local family day care, taking their children to centre-based care in other parts of Canberra (centres which also often have waiting lists) or making other arrangements, such as organising care with relatives or friends. Travelling to centres away from the local area can make the day longer and more stressful for both parents and children than accessing a centre close to home. Many families in Canberra do not have extended family here and so the option of relatives caring for children is not available to them. Many families today find that both parents either want or need to be in the paid workforce. Lack of access to formal childcare often makes it harder for both parents to be in the paid workforce, and sometimes makes it impossible. Some families who always have one or other parent at home to care for the children also use childcare for a range of reasons (eg child-free time for parents for appointments, to broaden a child's experiences beyond care in the family home). Lack of access to childcare adversely affects these families as well. Of course, when centres for Gungahlin are planned and established consideration needs to be given to both the current and future need for centres here. There is no point building many centres now if they will not be needed in ten - fifteen years' time. At the same time, there is a considerable unmet need for centre-based care in Gungahlin now and this needs to be addressed.
Author: Emma Lea Sheather [Return to top]
Co-housing - a new housing choice for CanberraCanberra Co-housing Association (CCA) is a community group that plans to create co-housing developments in urban Canberra. Co-housing is a type of intentional community, made up of private, fully equipped homes and extensive shared amenities, including a common house (where residents can share meals) and recreation areas. A strong feature of co-housing is that residents design and manage the development, choosing to live in a close-knit neighbourhood that combines a healthy blend of privacy and community living. Co-housing was born 30 years ago in Denmark, and has become an established housing model in Scandinavia, Holland and North America. In Australia, communities already exist in Hobart and Perth and are starting up in other places such as Queanbeyan and Melbourne. Our group, which has been meeting for about 3 years, is currently negotiating to obtain a suitable site in Gungahlin for our first co-housing development, which will contain 26 environmentally friendly townhouses. We expect this project to start in 2004. The site in Gungahlin would be ideal because it is close to the Gungahlin shopping centre and to public transport, and it adjoins some attractive open space. In May 2003, CCA won a $620,000 government housing grant, and we plan to use this money to include affordable housing in the co-housing development. If you would like to find out more about CCA and co-housing, come along to our public meeting on 9 December (7.00pm-8.30pm at Nicholls Community House, Kelleway Avenue), where we will be presenting our vision for a co-housing community. For more information contact:
Canberra Co-housing Association
Project Officer: Ben O'Callaghan
Email: office@canberracohousing.com
Website: www.canberracohousing.com
Telephone: 0419 409887 [Return to top]
WORRY SECTIONSeveral people have raised the subject of the inadequacy of parking at the Platypus Centre on two counts - 1. there are not enough spaces, 2. the car park is not wide enough for safe reversing. If you are concerned about this please write to Dept of Planning with your suggestions for improvement. Re Amaroo School
As coordinator of the Tools for Healthy Schools project for the National Toxics Network, I am interested in looking at the design of the new Amaroo school buildings. I understand there will be underfloor heating, and that carpet is being laid on this with glue. I am concerned that the children may suffer poor indoor air quality as a result, unless the architects have specified remedial measures to avoid out gassing. For More information contact:
Contact: Anne Stanton
Email: rdi@netspeed.com.au
Web: National Toxics Network - www.oztoxics.org [Return to top]
Community Christmas CarolsThe combined Christian Churches invite you to participate in singing carols:
When: Sunday 21 December
Time: 7.30pm
Where: on oval outside Holy Spirit/Gold Creek Assembly Hall
Glow sticks will be on sale instead of candles this year. Please bring your family, rugs or chairs. Programs provided. For more information contact:
Contact: Roma Hosking
Phone: 6242 0485 [Return to top]
Getting PottyWhen selecting a potting mix are you really getting a mixed bag? A combination of organic materials and nutrients, hopefully designed to create a free draining soil substitute, which ideally suits potted plants. As we entrust our plants to its care, lets find out a little more about what's in it and how to keep it healthy and 'plant-friendly'. Quality is a must:
the saying you get what you pay for really applies to potting mixes, and it's absolutely worth buying the best. Stick with one that features the Australian Standards ticks on the bag and a reputable brand and avoid bargain mixes. Things to note in a premium potting mix: - This will have been properly composted for several weeks to kill off any pests, diseases or weed seeds.
- The mix will be crumbly in texture and doesn't contain large chunks of bark, twigs or too much sand.
- Water-retaining materials like peat moss, coco peat and water-storage crystals should be an added component.
Hopefully it will contain a slow release fertiliser to give your plants several months' gradual feeding. Maintenance for potting mix:
Due to its isolation from soil, potting mix needs to be kept supplied with nutrients as the roots of plants have nothing to draw on and their growth will suffer. After the initial fertiliser has been absorbed, about 2 to 3 months, it is up to you to supply further nutrients. Control release fertilisers such as Osmocote, are able to supply a reliable amount of nutrients. Feed all your pot plants at the same time, then its easier, especially if you put a note in your diary, to remember when the next application is due. It is also beneficial to feed your pot plants with a soluble food every 2-3 weeks during the growing season. It may also be a good idea to alternate between organic products such as Seasol or Maxicrop, and inorganic fertilisers such as Thrive. Important Tip:
Read the label on the fertilisers very carefully and apply as per instructions for container plants. If you use too much you can burn the plants' roots. Storage:
To prevent the potting mix from drying out, tie up the top of the bag and store in a cool dry position out of the sun. Dried out potting mix loses structure and nutrients and may also present a danger if you breathe in the dust. JOBS FOR DECEMBER - Lift tulip bulbs.
- Deadhead callistemon.
- Liquid fertilise flowers and vegetables fortnightly.
- Deadhead roses regularly and remove suckers.
- Feed citrus trees.
- Trim hedges.
- Plant flower seeds for mid-summer to autumn.
- Sow vegetables such as capsicum, pumpkin, Chinese cabbage and cucumber.
- Don't cut lawns as short in the hotter weather (consider reducing lawn area - lawn is the highest maintenance plant in the garden - more water, more fertiliser and more mowing than any other plant).
- As tomato plants begin to flower, fertilise and pinch out smaller growth.
- Plant lettuce seeds at staggered intervals to avoid a glut.
- Pray for rain.
Author: Lisa Kaveney [Return to top]
Gold Creek Homestead 1970's to 1990'sThe Gungahlin Community Council is re-establishing a sub-committee to work on the Gold Creek Homestead Project. The convenor of the sub-committee will become part of the Gungahlin Community Council executive. The ACT Government has promised to retain Gold Creek Homestead (GCH), and surrounding 11 hectares for community use. It is now up to the community to work towards making the dream a reality by consulting with PALM, conducting market research, and ironing out the issues such as management style, financial viability, raising funds to upgrade the buildings, safety, water supply, sewerage, etc.  Gold Creek Homestead has value to the whole of Canberra, not just Gungahlin. It is the remains of a farm that has been operating since the 1860's and is valuable to the community because of its historical significance and rural open space.
The aim of the sub-committee could be something like 'to retain the property for community, recreational, educational, historical, tourist and fundraising activities and to maintain the rural character, at the same time to make it financially self supporting. This may or may not include some suitable commercial activity.' The homestead is 64 squares with at least 8 rooms with external access including a large function room, and a commercial kitchen. It was used as a wedding/function centre from 1976 to 1996. The remnants of a once beautiful garden remain. There is also a tennis court. Sheep shearing demonstrations are held almost daily for coach loads of tourists. This enterprise may continue as the property is big enough to use for multi purposes. For more information please phone Yvonne Miller on 6242 4409 or come to the Gungahlin Community Council meetings. You would be welcome at the next meeting on Wednesday, 10 December, a social night, commencing at 7pm. 2004 meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month commencing in February. (Photo Courtesy of Robert Bruce)
For more information contact:
Contact: Yvonne Miller
Phone: 6242 4409 [Return to top] | 
