Posts filed under 'Canberra Stories'
The morgues of New South Wales are overflowing it would seem, and Canberra is picking up the slack.
Shocking new details have emerged about the shortfall of the State’s morgues, with revelations some bodies have been transferred interstate.
It’s no secret the State’s morgues are at capacity and the government is blaming a shortage of recruits for the backlog which leaves families often waiting for several weeks to bury their loved ones.
But it has now been revealed that four bodies have been sent to Canberra to be assessed during the last week, three of them travelling from Wollongong.
A couple points. Firstly, it’s good to know that Canberra’s morgues have room to spare, as I recall a story (which I can’t find online) earlier this year about a Canberra morgue being shut down temporarily due to a technical fault…if memory serves, Canberra Hospital was being used as the backup morgue in that case.
Secondly, is the New South Wales Government paying the ACT Government for use of the morgue facilities? The ACT Government had to pay for space in NSW prisons before they built a centre of respite for the criminally challenged, so I hope that NSW is paying for the space here which would normally be reserved for ACT deceased.
Samuel
July 24th, 2009 at 03:27pm
2CC and 2CA are on the lookout for a new senior journalist, which sadly means that Jane Turner (who is, in my opinion, Canberra’s best newsreader) is leaving. I would like to see Jane take over the anchor role on WIN News, but alas she isn’t sticking around this fair city. I will miss Jane’s dulcet tones and professionalism, as well as her wit which was evident when conversing with program hosts.
I wish Jane the best of luck for the future.
Anyhoo, in Jane’s absence, the following needs to be filled:
Senior Journalist
The Capital Radio Newsroom is searching for someone to manage and lead our news team.
The successful applicant will lead a full-time team of 3 and require the following:
- Previous experience in managing a newsroom or at least 5 years news experience.
- Outstanding people skills and be able to manage and direct news staff in a competitive market.
- Strong presentation and writing skills.
- A passion for news and be across local, national and international issues.
- To be able to communicate with our audience via our talk station and adult music station.
This is a rare opportunity to join our group at a senior level.
If you have a passion for news and for making great radio, send your CV, demo in MP3 format and cover note outlining your news experience to:
Peter Davidson
Program Director
Talking Canberra 1206 2CC
Email: davidson@capitalradio.net.au
Phone enquiries welcome: 02 6241 1911
Applications close Wednesday August 5, 2009.
Good luck to Jane, good luck to Capital Radio and good luck to those who apply.
Samuel
July 22nd, 2009 at 03:32pm
So 2CC have a new website again. I’m starting to have trouble keeping up with the almost annual changes to the layout of their website, but I have to admit that I do like the clean and simple design of the new site, even if I don’t understand what everything on there is supposed to do.
Here’s the new site.
The main difference to the front page from my perspective is the “now, next, then, later” box is gone. I’ll miss that box, but considering that each “now, next, then, later” box was a separate image, I can understand why they would get rid of it…any change to the program line-up would have meant editing at least four images. The “what’s happening at the station” box has been given a more prominent spot, and the “listen live” links are also much more prominent, as are 2CC’s latest podcasts which are also now easier to play, as the page for each podcast has a Flash MP3 player on it.
The right-side bar is interesting, as under the opinion poll box they have a weather and stock market box.
I like these, but I haven’t got the faintest clue what the dropdown box on the stock market report is supposed to do. I tried the various options and couldn’t see any difference. I’m sure that it has a function…it’s just not obvious to me. I could ask what it does (I think I will, and report back), but unless it’s blindingly obvious and I’m just thick, it could probably use some kind of description on the page. Other than that, I think it’s great, especially if the aim is to get people to use the 2CC website as their homepage.
Update: I have been informed that the menu relates to how many stocks the graph compares at any given time. If you enter some stocks in to the box next to the menu, they will be graphed. Quite a nifty little feature. End Update
Another improvement is the presenter menu. It easily fits on one screen now rather than stretching to well below the bottom of the screen.
And the presenter page looks good too, having dismissed the 2UE photo backgrounds and only kept the heads of the presenters.
Also of some interest is the fact that the Tradies Post ads have a much more prominent spot and are easier to navigate.
On the whole, I think the new site is great, but there is one thing that I just don’t get. The new site has search engine friendly URLs. For example, Tim Webster’s page on the old site was at http://www.radio2cc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=46 and on the new site it’s at http://www.radio2cc.com/presenters/tim-webster.html and yet for some reason, 2cc.net.au is still one giant frame serving up content from radio2cc.com. If it were me, I’d turn one of the domains in to a redirect rather than doing the horrid frame nonsense. I’d move the whole site over to the 2cc.net.au domain and turn radio2cc.com into a redirect to 2cc.net.au (or, if moving the site isn’t viable for whatever reason, do the opposite). It just doesn’t make any sense to me why, now that search engine friendly URLs are in place, they would want to use frames to hide long convoluted URLs from the address bar.
Samuel
July 14th, 2009 at 07:16am
My moratorium on mentioning things which are related specifically to the Capital Radio Network has been lifted for the weekend, for reasons which will become apparent shortly.
I’m glad that it has been lifted, because there are two voice on 2CC this morning that I quite like hearing on the radio. Newsreader Jane Turner who is normally heard on weekdays, and Southern Cross Ten’s presenter on the State Focus program, and former regular presenter on 2CC, Mike Frame. Two voices that I haven’t heard on the same day for a very long time…too long in fact.
A very nice surprise for a Saturday morning.
Samuel
July 11th, 2009 at 10:21am
I note from Mark Parton’s blog that the Chief Turnip of the ACT, Jon Stanhope, nearly let out the F word yesterday, but stopped himself just before it came out.
Word is that the Chief Minister was addressing some business leaders yesterday. He was talking about potential budget blow outs in the upgrade of Civic….and he nearly said, “How the F….can it possibly cost that much”
He stopped himself on the F and went with ‘How in the world’ instead.
People seem to like politicians who comes across as honest and “one of the people”, and not “putting on a show”. I can’t think of a better way for a politician to gain popularity than to use the F word, in context, in a public setting, and enjoy the public rallying behind him or her when the media starts criticising them for it.
Sure, you’d get those who would be critical, but on the whole, I think the number of people who would be supportive would greatly outnumber the disapprovers.
Whilst it does have to be remembered that there is a time and place for everything, and that a business meeting is probably not the place for a political leader to shout expletives, it’s probably a better place for them to do it than some other places (the chamber, for one, would be a bad place). There isn’t really a “right place” in public for a politician to use expletives, but for an intended or unintended political stunt, yesterday’s meeting with business leaders would have been one of the better places.
I suppose I should be thankful that he didn’t use the F word though, because if he did, I might have been forced to defend him…and defending Jon Stanhope is one of the least comfortable things I could ever be forced to do.
Samuel
July 9th, 2009 at 06:54am
As previously mentioned, I went out to Googong Dam on Tuesday afternoon to take photos of the construction of a spillway. The photos from this trip are now online. Here are some highlights.
Overview from the Dam Lookout carpark
Overview from the road leading up to the lookout carpark. Construction is all on the left side of the wall.
Possibly some sort of entrance to the spillway near the top of the construction?
Closer look at the upper areas of the spillway from the non-carpark side of the dam
So ACTEW Corporation haven’t contracted out the construction of the spillway?
Shot of the dam side of the spillway construction
The spillway construction, as seen from the Googong Dam Water Treatment Plant hill summit
More photos are up on the Photo Gallery at http://photos.samuelgordonstewart.com/GoogongDamSpillway20090707
Enjoy!
Samuel
July 9th, 2009 at 04:31am
Whilst I have updated the post in question, it is now so far down the page that I feel obligated to post a seperate correction.
The story which I wrote on the weekend about 2CC and 2CA dropping their local news service on weekends, is wrong. Whilst they did drop local news last weekend, it has been brought to my attention that this was a once-off occurrence, caused a temporary shortage of staff.
I apologise to the people at Capital Radio for this story.
Due to this story, and recent incorrect stories on this blog about Capital Radio, I have taken the decision to stop commenting on issues relating specifically to Capital Radio for the time being.
Samuel
June 17th, 2009 at 10:52am
And yet one can easily work out who, in the crowd at Canberra Stadium for the Rugby Union match between Australia and Italy, is a tourist…they’re the ones who are rugged up like Eskimos.
It’s 4.5 degrees outside right now according to the Bureau…I could quite happily go for a walk for an hour or so without a coat right now…but alas I’m inside listening to 3AW’s AFL coverage, and later I will be watching The Bill.
Samuel
June 13th, 2009 at 07:37pm
I can’t claim to be surprised by this, because quite frankly when the ACT Government builds a prison which isn’t a prison, but rather some nice, warm, fuzzy, friendly, wondrous place of leprechauns and criminal bonding sessions, this is inevitable.
The ACT has become the second jurisdiction in Australia to allow prisoners who behave to receive conjugal visits.
The Alexander Maconochie Centre’s conjugal visits policy, which includes same-sex couples, came into force on March 30 when the jail received its first prisoners.
The Canberra Times reports prisoners and remandees who meet certain criteria can have access to such visits every two months.
During the visits, couples are provided with “domestic surroundings”, condoms and reduced supervision so they can have their intimacy.
But there is a catch – the prisoner has to change the linen after the visit.
The policy excludes partners who are also prisoners at the jail.
It’s ridiculous that a place which is supposed to be an unpleasant punishment for doing something wrong, a place which should be bad enough to ensure that criminals don’t want to reoffend and find themselves “inside” again, a place which, whilst not necessarily awful, should not be a place which inmates can enjoy…it’s ridiculous that a place which should be all of these things I have mentioned, is instead being turned in to a nice friendly place.
Naturally the ACT Government are clinging to the “Victoria are already doing it” line, as if that’s some sort of good reason to do something…”oh, but they’re stealing candy, so therefore we should steal candy too”.
Realistically, prisons should be places of solitary confinement in small rooms with just a bed and a toilet, and three meals per day. Prisoners should not be permitted human contact except for occasional (monthly at most) monitored visits with family and legal counsel (the latter would have to be allowed at any interval if an appeal is either likely or underway). As far as I’m concerned, if prisons can be made as inhospitable and unaccommodating as possible, then people would be far less likely to re-offend, as they wouldn’t want to go back there.
Samuel
June 13th, 2009 at 06:34pm
Further cluttering the already somewhat overpopulated lower end of the FM spectrum in Canberra, is China Radio International, now heard on 88FM, a frequency which at one stage was home to a rather interesting tourist information station.
Programming from the state-owned China Radio International (CRI) is now being heard in Canberra with the launch of radio station FM88.
The new Canberra station is the latest in a Chinese-language media empire in Australia which includes eight Chinese-language newspapers across Australia as well as radio stations in Melbourne (1341 kHz) and Perth (104.9 MHz). Attending the radio station’s launch in Canberra were Wang Gengnian, president of CRI, and the Chinese ambassador to Australia, Zhang Junsai.
[..]
The radio stations include programming from CRI as well as Chinese-language content from BBC and the Voice of America but also include locally-produced content such as talkback.
Leading the organisation in Australia is Melbourne-based Tommy Jiang, a former soccer player who relocated to Australia 21 years ago. Mr Jiang said that the local Chinese communities “love to talk and find out about Australian politics, about relations with China, about lifestyle issues – including of course restaurants and real estate”.
[..]
The radio stations also broadcast programs that teach Chinese.
I wonder if Kevin Rudd will find the Chinese lessons helpful? Perhaps he could get a job on the station when he eventually leaves politics.
Given the frequency allocation and the commercial nature of some of the station’s content, I’m assuming that it’s a narrowcaster. Sadly ACMA’s somewhat outdated website doesn’t provide any information about the Canberra station, however it does confirm that the Melbourne station is a narrowcaster.
Samuel
June 8th, 2009 at 01:40pm
Today is the start of 1WAY FM‘s Future Feed, two weeks (OK, 11 days) of the station going “all out” to provide high quality programming, as a taste of what the future could be for the station.
Many things have changed for the two weeks including the news service, rostering of announcers, the music playlist, and even some changes to the program lineup, but some things have stayed the same. At the end of the two weeks, some things will change back, and some things might stay!
The station is after your feedback, be it by phone (6239 3711), SMS (0432 621 614) or e-mail (feedback@1wayfm.com.au), to help it be as good as it can be, which will in turn enable it to reach out to more people.
Excitingly, 1WAY FM have a new website (1wayfm.com.au) by KJWDesign and have a webstream.
I’m on breakfast duties with James Scott this week between 7am and 9am, and again on Monday before I head off to Deniliquin for another week.
1WAY FM’s Future Feed. 91.9 and 94.3 FM, plus streaming online at 1wayfm.com.au
Samuel
June 8th, 2009 at 06:50am
The ACT now has eight confirmed pig flu cases, which pales in comparison to the number of people who will get normal flu this winter.
A 19-year-old man is the latest to test positive to the swine flu in Canberra, taking the number of ACT cases to eight.
The man tested positive when he visited the territory’s Influenza Assessment Centre, which was set up at one of ACT’s hospitals just days ago to deal with influenza testing.
“He is not a contact of another confirmed ACT case,” a statement from ACT Health says.
The number of swine flu cases has risen nationally to more than 1,000. Most of them are in Victoria.
ACT Health’s press release isn’t up on their website yet, however they have confirmed that the number of confirmed pig flu cases in Australia is now 1020.
Samuel
June 6th, 2009 at 09:25pm
This just arrived in my inbox at 2QN (not sure why, but I also just received a press release about a power failure in far-west New South Wales, so it must be one of those days).
RFSA PRESIDENT EXPRESSES OUTRAGE AT ‘ERRONEOUS’ SUGGESTIONS THAT VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR CANBERRA FIRES
Brian McKinlay, president of the Rural Fire Service Association, the only recognised body that represents 70,000 rural fire fighters in NSW, said volunteer fire fighters are fully protected under the Rural Fires Act and expressed outrage at suggestions that volunteers were to be held personally liable for the deadly Canberra fires in 2003.
Mr McKinlay’s comments followed ACT Supreme Court legal proceedings last week in relation to the Canberra Fires in which it was suggested that volunteer fire fighters had been betrayed.
He said comments from “unauthorised fire fighting organisations and those with political agendas” caused undue stress and concern to members and indicated a complete lack of knowledge and expertise in fire fighting policy and management in NSW and other jurisdictions.
“At no time has it been suggested in or outside the ACT Supreme Court that our volunteers are not looked after in the event of being involved in legal proceedings. Rural fire fighters, particularly volunteers, are fully protected by the legislation which governs their activities.
“The misleading information is being promoted by people who have little if not any knowledge about the legal protection provided to our volunteers,” Mr McKinlay said.
He said Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons also expressed his “unequivocal commitment to representing most vigorously the interests of all members against legal proceedings associated with the conduct of . . . fire fighting and related activities” in an open letter to all members.
Mr McKinlay said in addition to the protection provided to volunteer firefighters under the law, public liability protection is also available as well as a worker’s compensation scheme in the event of injury or death.
“The experience, dedication and commitment of volunteer fire fighters form a vital part in fire fighting in Australia and whose advice is crucial in terms of any ongoing fire management policy in this country.
“Our members do a wonderful job and, as President and a volunteer myself, I would be the first to react if I believed members were not being provided with the protection they so justly deserve,” Mr McKinlay said.
(contact details removed)
Press release ends
I’m feeling out of the loop on Canberra’s commotions and rumblings already.
Samuel
May 26th, 2009 at 02:06pm
I was browsing Mark Parton’s blog today and was amused by Mark’s spot-on take on the kangaroo cull in Majura:
The problem with Defence, with all respect to them, is that they always seem to believe they’re in a war. They love their cloak and dagger stuff.
[..]
I don’t actually find it difficult to believe that Mike Kelly wasn’t told by his own department that the roo cull at Majura had already begun. The shooting started on May 5….they didn’t bother to tell Mike, who is the Federal Parliamentry Defence Secretary till the following day.
They were probably doing another security check on him at the time…..because he might be a spy.
There’s a story which I would love to share with you about Defence’s cloak-and-dagger approach to even the simplest things, but alas, a non-disclosure agreement prevents me from doing so. Instead, I’ll just recommend that you click on the link above and read the rest of Mark’s article.
Samuel
May 19th, 2009 at 07:15pm
I note with interest that part of Mark Parton’s morning routine is to visit the Caltex Woolworths service station in Belconnen to pick up the newspaper:
I usually whip on down to the Woolies petrol station at Belconnen first thing to grab a Canberra Times. Laurie’s usually on deck there. He’s been working the graveyard shift there for a while. He seems like a nice bloke. He’s always the same. He’ll say ‘g’day’ and have a brief chat, but he knows that most people who are coming into the servo at 3:30 in the morning, probably aren’t up for a long involved chat. He is refreshingly ‘old school’.
If we go back a few months, that could have been me instead of “Laurie”. I was nearly employed there earlier this year, but baulked at their deceptive recruitment practices when I was told during induction that I was being employed in a role which was not the one I had been interviewed for, not the one I had applied for. I would have taken the job if it hadn’t been for this…in hindsight perhaps I should have, but with recruitment being a virtual con-job, I couldn’t bear to stick around and see what other footwear would eventually fall.
I suppose it would have been an interesting sight…me ranting back at the radio during Jim Ball’s show, oblivious to the fact that a fuel pump needs to be authorised! I wonder how different Mark’s story would be if that had been the case.
Samuel
May 12th, 2009 at 08:03am
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