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Neighbourhood WatchHackett Newsletter
Electronic copies of the newsletter www.nhwact.com.au &
http://northcanberra.org.au
April, 2010Emergency 000Attendance 13 1444Crimestoppers 1800 333
000Inquiries 62 56 777Chair Dorothy Mackenzie, 6248
[email protected]
Treasure r Pat McNa mara 6249 1669
[email protected]
Engravers Hillig Volker 6257 0506
Friends of Mount Majura: Woody Weed Hunt
Friends of Mount Majura will hold a working bee to remove woody
weeds on Sunday, 18 April 2010 , from9.00am to 12.00 noon, and
invite volunteers to give a hand.Where: Na ture park entran ce off
Antill Street opposite Carotel, North Watson.
Bring:Su n protection, app ropriate shoes and body-covering
clothing.
Equipment and refreshments will be providedEnquiries: phone 6247
7515, e-mail to [email protected] or visit FoMMs website at
www.majura.au .
As usual we will be working in small groups or in pairs. Novice
weeders please come early for an induction.With a good turn up of
volunteers we should be able to knock over the remaining woody
weeds in the area.
Folk Dance
Folk Dance Canberra welcom es new members at Beginners
classes,held Wednesdays from 6 pm to 7.30 pm, at Folk Dance
CanberraHall, 114 Maitland Street (adjacent to Sports House).
Cost is $9.00 casual rate, but there is no charge for the first
four weeks of learning. Beginners are welcome to try in a relaxed
andinclusive atmosphere. No partner is necessary as most dances
are
done in a circle. There are lots of benefits, it is fun and good
for fitness. So come along just before 6 pm on Wednesday or ring
62866401 for further enquiries.
Hackett Community Association
The next Hackett Community Association meeting will be at Sports
House (former Hackett Primary school) inMaitland S treet on Tuesda
y 20 April at 7.30pm.
The last meeting heard a Roads ACT presentation on plans for
trafc lights at the Maj ura Ave-Phillip Ave
intersection (see report in this issue). HCA also staffed a
table at Wilbur's at the Hackett Shops on Saturday 20March. The
morning was very successful - several people spoke to us about
local issues and joined theAssociation. We will shortly decide
whether to produce a Hackett 50 year book , and need to know who is
interestedin helping. We need a picture editor, a statistics editor
and some researchers. If you can help in any capacity,please
contact James Walker on 6247 0951.
N e i g h b o u r h o o d W a t c h * N e i g h b o u r h o o d
W a t c h * N e i g h b o u r h o o d W a t c h * N e i g h b o u r
h o o d W a t c h * N e i g h b o u r h o o d W a t c h *
Bird Walk - Discover life on the wild side
Join Terry Munro of Canberra Ornithologists Group on a walk to
observe the birds of Mount Majura. Bringbinoculars if you have them
, and a gold coin donation for a pocket guide The Birds of Canberra
and for acopy of a bi rd species list of Mount Majura.
When and where: Saturday, 17 April 2010, 8.30am, at the Antill
Street entrance to Mt M ajura Nature Park , opposite Canberra
Carotel . Booking is essential. phone 6247 7515 or email
[email protected] . (Visit www.majura.org for further
information.)
http://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.majura.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.majura.org/http://www.majura.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.majura.au/http://www.majura.au/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://northcanberra.org.au/http://northcanberra.org.au/http://www.nhwact.com.au/http://www.nhwact.com.au/
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Hackett road issues
March was a big month for Hackett roads. HackettCommunity
Association (HCA) and North CanberraCommunity Council (NCCC) both
heard aboutdevelopments that could effect traffic in the
suburb.
Traffic lights
First, the HCA meeting heard a presentation on proposed traffic
lights at the intersection of Majuraand Phillip Avenues. The
presentation came from MsJane Peters, an engineer with AECOM, the
companythat drew up the plans for Roads ACT. Their proposalis to
widen both Majura and Phillip Avenues, and toinstall traffic
lights, set to give priority to trafficturning right turn from
Phillip Avenue into MajuraAvenue in the morning peak. This would
speed-upcity bound traffic, reduce queuing in Phillip Avenue,and
hopefully eliminate the incentive to rat-runthrough Hackett
streets.
The proposed intersection would have left and right
turn lanes from Phillip Avenue to Majura Avenue anda left turn
slip lane from Majura Avenue to PhillipAvenue. Traffic islands and
pedestrian crossingswould be installed at the intersection for
safevehicular and pedestrian movements.
A government officer at the meeting emphasized that,so far, they
have commissioned only preliminary
plans. If funding is approved in the next budget,detailed
planning will be commissioned and contractslet for the work.
Estimates put the total cost of the
project at about $1 million. If funding is approved,the lights
could be operational by this time next year.
Sandford Street extension
The NCCC heard a presentation on the proposedextension of
Sandford Street in Mitchell to theFederal Highway, and,
incidentally, to link directlywith Antill Street.
The presentation was by the consulting companyCardno, which
government has commissioned todesign the project and supervise its
construction. The
presentation was part of a community consultation process to
identify (i) local issues relevant to the projects environmental
impact, and (ii) communityvalues and expectations.
The Governments stated aims for the Sandford Streetextension are
to provide a direct route from Mitchellto the Federal Highway for
heavy trucks, and to
provide access to the future suburb of Kenny, and tothe Bimberi
Youth Justice Centre.
The project drew some pointed criticisms andquestions from the
floor. Why, it was asked, did the
planned extension route link directly with AntillStreet,
especially since this is not required by any of the governments
stated aims for the project? The
proposed route will almost certainly increase traffic
flows along Antill Street. As an alternative, it wassuggested
that the route be changed to join the Federalhighway at some other
point, either north or south of the roundabout to Antill
Street.
In reply, a government officer said that safety was probably the
reason why the planned extension linkeddirectly with Antill. He
said some traffic fromStanford would want to go down Antill street,
and astraight-through link would be safer than any
offsetarrangement that required drivers to turn into theFederal
Highway, then turn again into Antill.
For the rest of the meeting, Cardona sought residentsopinions
and concerns about the proposed extension.Most discussion centred
on the likelihood of increasedtraffic down Antill Street, and the
problems that mightcause. One novel suggestion from the floor was
to setup a park and ride service, using the existing parkingareas
at the EPIC exhibition centre.
People with queries about the Sandford extension, or who want to
comment on it, should call 02 6112 4500,or email
[email protected] . One last
point, if and when the Sandford Street extension is built, it
will be renamed Morisett Street.
Management of fire fuel
Hackett households abutting Mount Majura NaturePark are advised
that work to reduce fire risk will startsoon. This is in compliance
with ACT FireManagement Plans to minimise risks of fires and their
consequences, and to improve the capacity of firecrews to fight
fires, particularly around urban fringes.( www.esa.act.gov.au
.)
The Mount Majura work will involve slashing
behind homes to a width of 30m, and the removal of unauthorised
structures, plantings and materials.Some residents abutting the
Nature Reserve have beenknown to throw garden refuse and garbage
over their
back fence. Besides the risk of introducing feralspecies to the
Park, this is unlawful and hindersGovernment efforts to keep a
safety-zone behindhomes. To Inquire about the work, ring
CanberraConnect: 13 22 81. (Stuart Jeffress, Parks,Conservation and
Land)
Health tip
Hard to believe, but it must be true: it was reported inthe
Financial Review . Research has shown thatwomen who drink beer
regularly are less likely to getosteoporosis, because beer contains
a form of siliconthat is important for the growth of bone
andconnective tissue. Best are beers containing highlevels of
malted barley and hops.( Journal of theScience of Food Agriculture
, reported in The
Australian Financial Review , 4 March.). Doctor Steveat Wilburs
consulting centre is making inquiries tosee if such beers are
covered by PBS benefits.
http://www.esa.act.gov.au/http://www.esa.act.gov.au/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]
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Assault Burglarydwellings
Vehicletheft
Other theft Criminaldamage
Total
Ainslie
Campbell
Dickson
Downer
Hackett
OConnor
Reid
Turner
Watson
Crime in Hackett and nearby suburbs March 2010
Offence Street Date Offence Street Date
Burglary
Vehicle theft
Criminaldamage
Smoke Alarms
Household smoke alarms come in two types: ionization alarms
(containing a small amount of radioactive material) and
photoelectric alarms . You can also buy dual sensor alarms that
contain bothtechnologies. Household fires also come in two types:
flaming fires and smouldering fires. The latter can produce smoke
for a long time before bursting into flames, and, at night, they
can be ve rydangerous. Residents can inhale smoke while sleeping,
making it difficult to wake, and difficult toescape. Indeed, smoke
is a major cause of death in house fires.
For household use, Choice magazine recommends either
photoelectric detectors or dual sensordetectors. Choice found both
do a good job detecting flaming fires, but the photoelectric was
muchquicker at detecting smouldering fires. ( Choice magazine,
March 2010.)
SuperGrand volunteers wanted
SuperGrands are mature age people who volunteer to mentor young
families to help them develop practical household management
skills. In todays fast paced world, many people dont know how to
runa home, and need help learning to budget, prepare cost effective
meals, and maintain a home.SuperGrand volunteers provide mentoring
to help families develop these skills. Volunteers must work
with families facing challenges, have patience and optimism and
a non-judgemental attitude. TheSuperGrands Program is managed by
Communities@Workand, and funded by the Federal Government. For more
information, visit ( www.commsatwork.org ), or contact the
SuperGrands Coordinator, MsKelly McGrath, on (02) 6287 2622, or
email [email protected] .
mailto:[email protected]://www.commsatwork.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.commsatwork.org/http://www.commsatwork.org/
