Posts filed under 'Canberra Stories'
The Sydney Swans reserves have thrashed the Belconnen Magpies to become back-to-back ACTAFL premiers. The Swans won 10.16 (76) to 6.7 (43). The win good be a good omen for the Swans first grade team, who won the AFL Grand Final last year after the Swans Reserves won the ACTAFL Grand Final.
Based on the scores at each break, it looks like the Swans dominated the entire match, but were terribly inaccurate with their kicking (excusable given the strong winds)…Belconnen had a decent start, they were level with the Swans at quarter time, Sydney 2.6 (18), Belconnen 3.0 (18), but from there on it was all the Swans.
The second quarter saw the Swans score five time, with the Magpies only scoring once, the Swans led by 19 points at half time, 6.7 (43) to 4.0 (24).
The third quarter saw a minor comeback from the Magpies, but the Swans were still in control, the Swans scored 10 times (only goaling from three attempts) whilst the Magpies could only score four times, and goal once. At three quarter time the Swans led by 35 points, 9.14 (68) to 5.3 (33).
Belconnen appear to have had a better last quarter than Sydney, but it was too little, too late. Belconnen scored five times, and kept the Swans to three scores. At full time it was the Swans winning by 33 points, 10.16 (76) to 6.7 (43).
According to the Swans Reserves website, the goal scorers were as follows:
Swans: Spriggs 2, Currie, Laidlaw, Phillips, Rowe, Simpkin, Thornton, Vogels, Wall. Belconnen: Knowles 2, Bennett, Turnbull, Weston, York.
Best on ground for the Swans was Bevan, and best on ground for the Magpies was Braton.
I am rather disappointed to see that the only people to bother covering the story seem to be the Swans Reserves website, not even the local ABC could be bothered to cover the match, instead being more interested in an out-of-town rugby match. I’m not picking on the ABC here, I’m disappointed with all media outlets, it’s just that I think the ABC had the best opportunity to cover the match.
Obviously the match will be newsworthy by morning when the local media outlets read a press release from AFL Canberra or the Swans Reserves…but the most important match of the local season might as well not have been played with the amount of interest the media took in it.
Samuel
September 24th, 2006 at 11:58pm
The ACTAFL Grand Final should get underway at Manuka Oval shortly, with the Belconnen Magpies up against the Sydney Swans Reserves. Sydney are undefeated this year (and last year too apparently), whilst Belconnen won the three premierships before that.
I’m tipping Belconnen to win, the only real reason being that last year when Sydney won the ACTAFL Grand Final they also won the AFL Grand Final…and as I intend on tipping West Coast to defeat Sydney win the AFL Grand Final this year, I also shall tip Belconnen to defeat Sydney, and influence the AFL Grand Final by omen.
Perhaps I’m nuts, but go the Magpies!
Samuel
September 24th, 2006 at 02:01pm
Due to today’s bus strike, and the fact that I have to be at work at 9am on the other side of town, I don’t have time to finish my analysis of Canberra’s latest radio ratings, so please enjoy this abstract summary instead!
| Position |
(Last Survey) |
Station Name |
Score |
(Last Survey) |
Change |
| 1 |
1 |
Mix 106.3 (Music) |
22.2 |
21.5 |
+0.7 |
| Equal 1 |
2 |
FM 104.7 (Music) |
22.2 |
17.6 |
+4.6 |
| 3 |
3 |
ABC Local Radio (Talk) |
16.0 |
15.9 |
+0.1 |
| 4 |
4 |
2CC (Talk) |
9.3 |
8.5 |
+0.8 |
| 5 |
5 |
JJJ (Music) |
7.0 |
7.8 |
-0.8 |
| 7 |
7 |
ABC Radio National (Talk) |
5.8 |
6.4 |
-0.6 |
| 8 |
6 |
ABC Classic FM (Music) |
4.8 |
7.4 |
-2.6 |
| 9 |
10 |
ABC NewsRadio (Talk) |
3.1 |
4.0 |
-0.9 |
| 10 |
9 |
2CA (Music) |
2.9 |
5.0 |
-2.1 |
| 6 |
8 |
Other |
6.7 |
5.9 |
+0.8 |
Samuel
September 20th, 2006 at 11:54am
Yesterday I reported that ACTION have put the same shifts on the table for drivers for a third time. Not surprisingly, the drivers are on strike.
The strike will last until at least 8:30, and there will be no school services today…and good luck getting to work…this will be a fun morning!
Update 7:12am: Just spoke with a driver on the picket line…they’re staying there until at least 9am. It could take a back down from Transport And Municipal Services head Mike Zissler for this strike to stop…they could be there for a while.
Update 7:23am: Just flicked over to the local ABC and heard loony breakfast host Ross Solly suggesting to the union secretary that strike action is unwarranted and there should be more negotiations…TAMS boss Mike Zissler was on there just before that pulling the wool over Ross’ eyes by trying to tell him that drivers don’t support the strike. Strangely poor interviewer that Ross Solly, and very easy to confuse and poll the wool over his eyes…thankfully I’m flicking the radio back to Mike Jeffreys on 2CC now!
Samuel
September 20th, 2006 at 06:51am
They say that you make your own luck, and they also say that the third time is lucky, and it looks like ACTION’s bizarre management comittee are trying their hardest to make their third attempt at throwing the same set of rosters at drivers their lucky attempt.
Yep, ACTION are throwing those same shifts at drivers again, only a few days after withdrawing them in an attempt to prevent rumoured industrial action. For those of you who haven’t heard yet, here is how I summarised the shifts the other day.
ACTION management had proposed a system based mainly on split shifts, which would have seen a large reduction in the number of middle-of-the-day bus services, and a drastic increase in the number of hours bus drivers spend at work.
The proposed shifts would have seen the majority of drivers on split-shifts, where they would have been expected to be at work by 6 or 7am, drive busses until about 10am, then sit around at the depot for a couple hours just in case there was “special” work to be done, this would then be followed by an unpaid break of a couple hours, and then drivers would be expected to drive until about 6pm or later. This would have the effect of ruining ACTION’s family-friendly atmosphere, and pose a safety risk with drivers being required to be awake for more hours in the day. It would also have slashed middle-of-the-day services (ie. 9:30am-3pm) to the bone, stranding the people who rely on the bus services for transport, especially elderly people and shift workers.
Drivers may also have been alternated between day time split shifts, and night shifts, a move which may have resulted in even more driver fatigue as drivers may have struggled to adjust to constantly changing rosters.
I’ve since confirmed that this proposal would (or perhaps will) see drivers changing between day time split shifts, and night shifts, on a weekly basis.
Obviously it would be stupidity to throw the same shifts at drivers again, and expect them to accept them, so ACTION’s six-person management comittee have come up with a new plan. A lot of the existing part-time drivers are already working on a system somewhat similar (but less draconian) to the proposed split shift system…the plan: place them on the proposed split shifts and call them full-time employees. This offer is reasonable acceptable to the current part-time drivers, as it means more benefits, probably more pay, and similar work conditions.
This now threatens to split the Transport Workers Union down the middle, with part time drivers accepting the proposal, and full time drivers rejecting it. If the numbers of drivers accepting the proposal outweighs the number rejecting it, then this will only be bad news for people who rely on ACTION’s services during the day.
Incidentally, I still have the “Save ACTION” forms online, and the Transpot Workers Union are still accepting them. So if you would like to convey your message of disappointment about the proposed cuts to ACTION services to the ACT government, download this form, fill it in and post it to
Transport Workers Union
PO Box 649
PARRAMATTA NSW 2124
Samuel
September 19th, 2006 at 08:24am
ACTION management have decided to go back to the drawing board over their proposed driver shift changes. The move comes amidst credible rumours of sudden and surprise strike action being planned by the Transport Workers Union.
ACTION management had proposed a system based mainly on split shifts, which would have seen a large reduction in the number of middle-of-the-day bus services, and a drastic increase in the number of hours bus drivers spend at work. The shifts were rejected by drivers at a recent stop-work meeting, but ACTION management stubbornly refused to accept no for an answer, and subsequently offered the same shifts on a non-negotiable basis.
The Transport Workers Union and ACTION bus drivers were understandably annoyed at this, and credible sources inside ACTION claim that the Transport Workers Union were planning a surprise and sudden strike, to take place this morning. This would have involved TWU officials blocking the depot gates, and turning drivers away as they arrive for work, effectively stopping all bus services for the day. This plan is unconfirmable due to the very nature of the rumoured industrial action, which has previously been suggested publicly, and drivers subsequently threatened with fines equivalent to multiple days pay if they carried out the action.
It is believed that ACTION management got wind of the rumours, and decided to retract the shifts and negotiate with the TWU. At approximately 2:30pm yesterday, an announcement was broadcast to drivers via ACTION’s two-way radio system that the shifts had been withdrawn, and negotiations were continuing.
The proposed shifts would have seen the majority of drivers on split-shifts, where they would have been expected to be at work by 6 or 7am, drive busses until about 10am, then sit around at the depot for a couple hours just in case there was “special” work to be done, this would then be followed by an unpaid break of a couple hours, and then drivers would be expected to drive until about 6pm or later. This would have the effect of ruining ACTION’s family-friendly atmosphere, and pose a safety risk with drivers being required to be awake for more hours in the day. It would also have slashed middle-of-the-day services (ie. 9:30am-3pm) to the bone, stranding the people who rely on the bus services for transport, especially elderly people and shift workers.
Drivers may also have been alternated between day time split shifts, and night shifts, a move which may have resulted in even more driver fatigue as drivers may have struggled to adjust to constantly changing rosters.
Under the proposed changes, Flexibus (known here as Flexichaos) would have been replaced with normal route services, possibly the only sensible move in the proposed changes.
At this stage it is unclear what the 6 person ACTION management comittee (who have replaced former CEO Peter Wallace, and apparently have never been bus drivers) will come up with in their next offer.
Samuel
September 15th, 2006 at 09:49am
Just having a look at the 2CA website (hooray, they finally updated the AFL schedule), I noticed that they are running a webpoll, namely “Who is the biggest knob?”, with the options being Germaine Greer, Jon Stanhope, The Breakfast Boys, Tom Cruise and Paris Hilton.
As I write this post, the results are as follows:
Jon Stanhope 56.0%
Germaine Greer 28.0%
Tom Cruise 6.0%
Paris Hilton 6.0%
The Breakfast Boys 4.0%
So our beloved Chief Turnip is Canberra’s biggest knob…sounds about right.
Samuel
September 14th, 2006 at 01:27pm
Back in March I conducted a photograpic tour to document the underground cabling work being done to supply power to a new building in Civic, in early August I conducted another tour to provide an update on the progress of the cabling and the building.
I am pleased to report that since the first photographic tour, all of the cabling work has been completed, and all of the holes in the ground have been dug over. The building is also coming along nicely, as can be seen in some of these photos.
Firstly, let me remind you of the route taken by the cabling.
Back in March, the corner of Limestone Avenue and Coranderrk Street, which had some unrelated cabling work, looked like this
In August it looked like this
I then moved on to the Mount Ainslie Substation where I got some better photos than last time
I noticed that there seems to be a telecommunications device of some sort right next to the substation…it looks to be too small to be a phone tower, so I can only assume that it is a device setup to enable ActewAGL to monitor the substation remotely.
The areas which needed to have grass replanted have been covered in straw
This is the view looking down the fairly straight path to Limestone Avenue
I then attempted to replicate a photo I took in March, with little luck due to being unfamiliar with the modes of the camera.
As I continued towards Limestone Avenue, I spotted some wildlife, firstly a magpie
And some kangaroos (alongside Batman Street, which is actually called Quick Street on the Ainslie side of Limestone Avenue)
And some birds
And more kangaroos
On Limestone Avenue there is more straw
From the corner of Limestone Avenue and Allambee Street, the underground cabling building can be seen.
More magpies in trees on Allambee Street
In March, this area had a fence around it
And another spot which had a fence around it, this spot is in fact the spot which was the location of a photo and video of a horizontal directional drilling machine at work.
From a little bit further down Allambee Street the building looked like this in March
The corner where Allambee Street becomes Currong Street has changed a bit too!
From near the corner of Currong and Boolee Streets I had a very clear view of the Underground Cabling Building.
And more straw at the corner of Currong and Boolee Streets
From the intersection of Boolee and Ballumbir (err, sorry, they changed it to Cooyong Street for some painfully pointless reason) Streets
In March I took a photo of the building from the lawn above final leg of the cable journey
And then set about taking more photos of the building
Look! Another magpie!
More from the building
Better cross the road
Some more photos before I do
In March
Now
Window washing?
It was around about here that a passer-by informed me that he had “seen better buildings”…perhaps, but I wasn’t there for the cosmetics, I was there to document Canberra’s changing skyline.
Another magpie
Things have changed since March
Back in March, the building looked a tad less finished from the bridge over Coranderrk Street which leads to the CIT Reid Campus
Due to a recent photograpic tour of a different part of Canberra by another person on another website, being conducted by means of trespassing, I wish to assure you that I have, at no stage during my photographic tours, trespassed. The closest I get to building sites is sticking the lens of the camera through the peep holes.
Samuel
September 14th, 2006 at 10:18am
I didn’t hear it myself, but I received a phone call from a reliable source around 9:40 informing me that John B1_B5 spoke to Tim Webster (who if filling in for Lawsie) on the John Laws Morning Show at around 9:10.
If only I’d had the radio on!
Samuel
September 4th, 2006 at 12:17pm
On Sunday evening I took the camera to the corner of Elouera Street and Fawkner Street in Braddon to take some photos which will appear in a future post. I later decided to turn the camera to face the road (and look torwards the corner of Elouera Street and Torrens Street), turn on the long exposure mode, set it to 60 seconds, and see what happens. I took two photos like this, and it was quite interesting to see that a few drivers mistook me for a roadside speed camera and slowed down considerably before passing.
I think the photos are quite interesting, the lighting in the area is very poor (except for the intersection of Elouera St and Torrens St), but the long exposure does a very good job of making it lighter. I think the results are quite interesting.
Samuel
September 1st, 2006 at 03:04pm
2CC gardening host David Young is calling it quits…only 4 months after his ABC competitor Mark Carmody did the same thing.
This weekend coming (August 19 & 20) will be David’s last on 2CC. The stalwart of Canberra horticulture made the announcement during his show on Sunday August 13, after a decade (or thereabouts…I can’t remember if he started in 1997 or 1996…it was probably 1996) on 2CC, and a 12 year stint on ABC Local Radio before that. David was also the gardening reporter for Ten Capital News (the TV station now known as Southern Cross Ten). David is well known for hosting garden tour/holidays to many places around Australia and the world. David is also the bearer of a Churchill fellowship and an Order of Australia Medal.
Unfortunately, the only photo I can find of David is a tiny outdated photo from one of his tours.
If anybody has a more up-to-date or better photo, could you please send me a copy…I’m happy to give you attribution for the photo if you like. (I suppose I should have gone with the camera to see David at the retirement expo last year).
I’ve had a delve into my (not very comprehensive!) archives, and found a gem from 1997…it is the Sunday outro for David Young’s Garden. This uses what I consider to be the best theme music 2CC have ever used for David Young, and unfortunately I neither know the name of the music, or possess a complete version of it.
The outro runs for nearly 30 seconds, and can be played or downloaded by clicking here.
I will be sure to give David a call on the weekend to wish him all the best for the future…I’ll also get the recorder going just in case 2CC’s current longest serving presenter receives a tribute or gives a speech of some sort…somehow I think his last two shows will be filled with callers wishing him well. I know that I will miss him, he has been the relaxing voice of the weekend for me for many years, his “thing” is the inspiration for the Persiflage Puzzle…I think a lot of people will miss him, he would have to be one of the longest continuously serving people in Canberra Radio at the moment, and this is truly a very historic moment.
Mike Frame and Vicky (whoops…I heard her last name once…but she is usually just called “Vicky”) will fill-in for the rest of the ratings period, but after that, who knows? (Endless re-runs of David’s years on 2CC perhaps?, Mike and Vicky forever more? Some other show??? The possibilities are endless.)
Samuel
August 15th, 2006 at 10:50am
Yep, the ratings nearly got underway without me noticing…I must have been thick to think that the spate of promotions running on 2CC and 2CA could be running with no attachment to a ratings period.
The ratings period starts today (Saturday August 12) (edit: Actually it started on Sunday August 6, Nielsen are handing out books during the survey period) and will run through until the end of Saturday August 19 (Another edit: Nielsen have updated their website…the survey runs until the end of Saturday September 2).
(To clarify that messy paragraph, the survey period is Sunday August 6 to Saturday September 2 inclusive, apoligies to anybody who was confused by the multiple edits to this post over the last 16 hours).
So what will happen? Well 2CC and 2CA are off to a good start…no bus ads for 2CC, but a more inventive way of advertising, each day 2CC are inviting listeners to nominate a business as the finest business in a particular category, the business with the most nominations in that day’s category receives a large framed certificate declaring them the finest business in their category, as voted by 2CC listeners…the certificate naturally enough contains a very big 2CC logo, and 2CC are giving away a holiday to one lucky nominator.
2CA are relying on a $75,000 giveaway, and Canberra’s best breakfast duo (Paul and Leighton), and the word of mouth which seems to be spreading about that excellent music station.
FM 104.7 are trying to counter their large loss in the last survey with ads for their breakfast program in Canberra’s worst “newspaper” City Ads (the freely-distributed glossy advertorial nonsense device).
Mix 106.3 and FM 104.7 appear to have put their ads on some taxis again, although not in the large numbers they did last year.
Local ABC haven’t bothered to fix any of the problems that led to their dismal performance last ratings.
So my predictions…2CC and 2CA will both gain, 2CC won’t gain as much as they did last time, and 2CA will probably jump considerably with their large cash giveaway and their breakfast duo.
Mix will retain top spot, although I doubt they will gain…in fact I think it is almost certain that they will lose some market share. FM 104.7 will continue to lose listeners, but nowhere near as dramtically as last survey.
ABC local radio will also lose market share (mostly to 2CC), but the drop will be less than last time. The other stations could do just about anything…and JJJ will gain audience share from 104.7.
My household was chosen as one of the households to fill out survey books…I’m looking forward to doing my civic duty, and helping quality stations to thrive in the process.
Samuel
August 12th, 2006 at 12:52am
Alrighty then, time for an update…I’m not taking the photos of section 84 today as I just don’t feel up to it. Based on my work roster for next week, I will probably have the photograpic tour on Tuesday.
Samuel
August 11th, 2006 at 04:00pm
Later this week I’ll be completing another photographic tour of the Section 84 developments, but before I do that, I have some interesting information. It would appear that the Canberra Centre section of the developments are nearing completion, and various stores are moving in, and having utilities set up.
I have it on good authority that JB Hifi will be moving from their current location near the Civic Bus Interchange, into a new store in the Section 84 developments.
Also, it would appear that the stores in the City Markets will start moving into the new section in September or October.
Also, those of you who happen to use the Canberra Centre car park, you might like to know that the main office on level one, above the City Markets, has moved about twenty metres. The move was completed over the weekend.
Stay tuned, more information and photos are coming a bit later in the week.
Samuel
August 7th, 2006 at 08:51am
Here is a photo I took on Wednesday at 5:34pm looking towards the Coranderrk St/Constitution Ave intersection from the foot bridge which crosses Coranderrk St and joins the Reid CIT campus with the area in front of the convention centre.
The photo is out of focus a bit, but I think it worked out well…I like the effect the moving cars had on the slightly longer than usual exposure time, which was the camera’s attempt at compensating for poor light.
Samuel
August 4th, 2006 at 02:45pm
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