Details:

10.30am to 12 noon, Sunday 7th March 2010.
We’ll meet in the carpark (off Hirschfeld Crescent) next to
the Macgregor oval at 10.30am.
Refreshments will be provided.

Map of the meeting point

Ginninderra Creek, Macgregor

To download a flyer promoting the event, click on the following link:
Clean Up Ginninderra Creek

Speech in the ACT Legislative Assembly

25 February 2010

I stand here this afternoon to offer my support for the RSPCA ACT. The RSPCA do a superb job in the ACT, and I think a large part of that is due to the leadership provided by the CEO of the organisation, Michael Linke. Michael does a superb job in what is a very tricky business, a very tricky organisation in an industry that really is one of a kind in terms of its social service, government services as well as its business operations.

He has got some very exciting plans for the future of animal care and protection in the ACT, and one of those is of course a new facility. I know the facility they do have at the moment is quite dilapidated and tired but they are certainly making the most of it. It would be great if all parties in this Assembly could chat with Michael to hear about his vision for the future, the future of animal care in Canberra, and how we can be a part of making that come to fruition.

I would like to also offer my support to Sue Gage, who is the president of the organisation. She leads a great council, consisting of the vice president, Heidi Pritchard; the secretary, Ms Paula Shinerock; the treasurer, Tony Miller till December 2008; and from then, from December 2008, Ms Kasy Chambers. The other members of the committee are Dr Michael Cooper, Mrs Maureen Hickman, Mrs Jill Mail and Mrs Lea-Anne Shepherd.

The organisation, as I said, does a great job. I think that is evidenced by the great results they have with regard to the euthanasia of animals. Whether it be canines, felines or other animals, their record really is quite exemplary. I know it very much is a last resort to euthanise an animal. Those ambitious goals do come out in their statistics when it comes to their care and protection of animals.

The RSPCA offer a number of services. They have got their animal cruelty inspectorate; they have got an animal shelter; they have got a rescue, rehabilitate and release program; they have got of course their veterinary clinic; a dog and puppy training school; they have got a very well-equipped pet supply store; they have got an advisory service and a 24-hour-a-day emergency telephone support service; in addition a program of support for aged, infirm and at-risk community members.

Fundraising is, of course, a very big part of the work that they do because, without it, they would not be able to undertake their core business. So I support the organisations that have given over $5,000 in cash. They include Canberra Milk, Bendigo Bank, Dr Michael Cooper, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, the Home Loan Centre, the Audi Centre Canberra, Richard Luton Properties, Prolific International, the Canberra Philharmonic Society and Intervet. There are many other organisations that support the RSPCA, and I take my hat off to those organisations as well.

Part of their fundraising is a quiz night, which is on tomorrow night. I know the Canberra Liberals have a table. I have got a nod from some other members here; so we will have quite an Assembly contingent, I imagine. Hopefully, the Liberal table will show off our expertise when it comes to the quiz night!

I would also like to raise awareness of the million paws walk, which is coming up very soon, on 16 May. On 16 May, as I said, the million paws walk will be held. It is an annual fundraising event for all animal lovers. The RSPCA hope that all people can take the opportunity to join family and friends and walk for all creatures great and small and enjoy a fun-filled day of entertainment. I am going to have to borrow four paws to participate in that million paws walk but I do look forward to it.

24 February 2010

On Sunday I was very pleased to attend the inaugural Our Wellness Foundation Paper Plane Competition fundraiser

The fundraiser raised money for the Paediatrics Unit of the Canberra Hospital.

I was pleased to be at the fundraiser with my Assembly aeronautical engineering colleagues, Brendan Smyth, Steve Doszpot and Meredith Hunter.
 
I would like to acknowledge Herb McEachin (member of the NBL Hall of Frame), John del a Torre (Chairman, Wellness Foundation), Lana Bruton (Owner Fernwood Tuggeranong), Tad Dufelmeier, Steve Simpson (Director of Nursing, Paediatrics, Canberra Hospital), and Cam Sullings (Mix 106.3) who also competed.

Cal Bruton, also member of the NBL Hall of Frame, hosted the competition.

I’d also like to commend Susan Batts, Anne Freeman and the other Wellness Foundation volunteers who made the event possible.

There were many generous sponsors and supporters, and they include:

• Lions International (Canberra Lake Burley Griffin Club)
• Fernwood
• Balloon Aloft
• Murrays Coaches
• Nutrimetics Naturally
• Q ACT
• Ellcon Group
• Dick Smith’s Genuine Australian Foods
• Canberra Day Spa
• ACT Fire Brigade
• Bridge Climb Sydney
• Club Lime
• Hotondo Homes
• Constable Kenny Koala
• Mix 106.3

And I would like to thank the Board of the Our Wellness Foundation:

• John de la Torre (Chair)
• Dr Graham Reynolds (Deputy Chair)
• Gai Brodtmann
• Veronica Croome
• Professor Nicholas Glasgow
• Dr Tanya Robertson
• Deborah Rolfe
• Hilary Russell
• Dr Anne Sneddon
• Andrew Taylor
• Moira Lye (Executive Officer)

Our Wellness Foundation was established in 2008 .  The foundation aims to, and I quote, “raise money for the strategies, services and research that promote the health and wellbeing of the people of the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding region.”

To achieve this aim they seek to raise money for new services and facilities in the health sector, in addition to what is already provided through government and the private sector.  The foundation works with the community to ensure an effective partnership between the community and health care providers.

The Wellness Foundation has a friends program.  Friends of Our Wellness Foundation are those people who are interested in directing the foundation’s work and receive invitations to their fundraisers and opportunities to participate in local health initiatives.

I would like to thank all those donors, supporters, volunteers, friends, and board members, who are so committed to improving health care in the ACT.

More information about the foundation can be found at the foundation’s website at www.ourwellnessfoundation.org.au.

24 February 2010

Orlando Zapata Tamayo

MR COE: Mr Speaker, today, I join many throughout the world mourning the loss of Orlando Zapata Tamayo who died just a few hours ago in Havana, Cuba.

Visitors to my office would’ve seen a poster on my wall entitled “Freedom for Cuba’s Prisoners of Conscience” provided to me by a friend, Aramis Perez, Executive Secretary of Young Cubans in Action. The poster highlights 20 political prisoners that have been imprisoned in Cuba for speaking out for freedom. I seek leave to table a copy of that poster.

MR SPEAKER: Is leave granted?

Leave granted.

MR COE: Soon after Tomayo’s arrest in 2003, Amnesty International called for the Cuban government:

to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for having peacefully exercised their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Mr Tamayo was one such prisoner named in the Amnesty report who should be released.

The Miami based Directorio Democrático Cubano states:

[After years in prison] In October, 2009, Zapata Tamayo was brutally beaten by military personnel at Holguin provincial prison, causing an internal hematoma in his head so severe that Zapata Tamayo had to undergo surgery. He began his hunger strike on December 3, 2009, at Kilo 8 prison in Camagüey, classified in Cuba as employing a “maximum severity” prison regime. For 18 days, Major Filiberto Hernández Luis, the prison’s director, denied Zapata Tamayo drinking water, the only thing he was ingesting during the strike. The effect of this act of torture was to induce kidney failure. In mid-January, he was transferred to Amalia Simoni Hospital in the city of Camagüey, where he was left to languish nearly completely nude under intense air conditioning, causing him to contract pneumonia.

This tragic situation has sparked much criticism of the Castro regime. Democratic US Senator Bill Nelson said: ‘Freedom-loving people everywhere should hold the Cuban regime responsible for the fate of Orlando Zapata Tamayo’. Republican US Senator LeMieux said: ‘He spoke out against the regime’s brutal authoritarian practices, knowing that by doing so he risked imprisonment, or worse’.

Mr Speaker, the Castro regime should release all prisoners of conscience. Whilst we in Canberra are a long way from Cuba, I encourage everyone to lend their voice to this worthwhile cause.

My thoughts go to Mr Tomayo’s mother, Reina Luisa Tamayo Danger and other family members as they come to terms with this loss.

I also bring to the Assembly’s attention that Ariel Sigler Amaya and Normando Hernandez Gonzalez are also Cuban prisoners of conscience and are of extremely poor health.

I encourage listeners and readers of this speech to visit www.directorio.org to find out how they can take action to help end the terrible oppression that exists in Cuba.

The International Young Democrat Union, of which I am on the Board, has a freedom campaign dedicated to Cuba. To find out more about this, people should contact my office or visit www.iydu.org.

23 February 2010

On Saturday night I was very pleased to be able to attend this year’s ActewAGL Canberra Area Theatre Awards.

Mary Porter and I were proud to be a part of welcoming the biggest crowd ever to a CAT Awards Night. I note that my Liberal colleagues Steve Doszpot MLA and Vicki Dunne MLA were there and are keen supporters of the CATs.

I would like to pay special tribute to the board and judges for their continued excellent work, and in particular, Coralie Wood OAM for her dedication to theatre in our region.

I will reiterate the sentiments I said in this Chamber on 17 November last year: I hope the CAT Awards is given full consideration for possible ACT Government funding. If we’re going to have programs to support the arts, it amazes me that the CAT Awards which motivates so many people, harnesses so much talent, engages tens if not hundreds of thousands of people through the audiences of the shows, fails to be supported. We can’t take the CAT Awards for granted.

This year, the recipients of the awards were as follows:

1. Ryleho Home Solutions – Best Set Designer for a Play
Russell Brown, Canberra Repertory, It Runs In The Family
and
Bill Deveril, Spectrum Theatre Group, The Club

2. Ryleho Home Solutions – Best Set Designer for a Musical
David Todd, Livid Productions, Jesus Christ Superstar

3. Best Lighting Designer
Adam Boon, Livid Productions, Jesus Christ Superstar

4. John Thomson – Magic Moment of Theatre
Lyneham High School, for Aida
and
Kinross Wolaroi Preparatory School, Strictly Zorro!

5. Community Theatre Award
SFP Productions, for raising money for a number of charities

6. Technical Achievement
James Mcpherson, For Sound Design in Miss Saigon

7. Canberra Repertory Society – Best Costume Designer for a Play
Rebekah Cartwright, University Theatre Ensemble, Gormenghast

8. Best Costume Designer for a Musical
Candy Burgess, Bay Theatre Players, Seussical the Musical
and
Coty Farquhar, SHYAC, The Wizard of Oz

9. University of Canberra – Best Original Work
Joshua McHugh, ANU School of Music, Grimm and the Blue Crown Owl

10. University of Canberra – Best Original Work for a School or Youth Production
Drama Students, Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, Generation Y

11. Best Ensemble in a Play
The Cast, University Theatre Ensemble, Gormenghast

12. Best Actor in a Featured Role in a School or Youth Play
Ben Kindon, Canberra Grammar School, The Truth

13. Best Actress in a Featured Role in a School or Youth Play
Jessica White, Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, Dinkum Assorted

14. UC Co-Op Bookshop – Best Actor in a Featured Role in a School or Youth Musical
Blake Appelqvist, Marist College, Jesus Christ Superstar

15. UC Co-Op Bookshop – Best Actress in a Featured Role in a School or Youth Musical
Lucy Ridge, Lyneham High School, Aida

16. Queanbeyan Players Best Actor in a Leading Role in a School or Youth Play
Roscoe Walker, Canberra Grammar School, Charley’s Aunt

17. Queanbeyan Players Best Actress in a Leading Role in a School or Youth Play
Joanna Richards, Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, Dinkum Assorted

18. Blumers Lawyers Best Actor in a Leading Role in a School or Youth Musical
Bill Bourchier, Marist College, Jesus Christ Superstar

19. Blumers Lawyers Best Actress in a Leading Role in a School or Youth Musical
Caitlin Dickson, James Sheahan Catholic High School, Seussical the Musical

20. Taps Dancewear – Best Production of a School or Youth Play
Canberra Grammar School, Charley’s Aunt

21. OC Dance Studio – Best Production of a School or Youth Musical
Marist College, Jesus Christ Superstar

22. ACT Government – Best Contribution On or Off Stage By An ACT Senior
Oliver Baudert for various productions

23. Patricia Kelson Encouragement Award
Sarah Wall, Cooma Little Theatre, Stepping Out

24. Radio 2CC Best Variety Performance By An Individual or Ensemble
Dick Goldberg and Ian Croker, Canberra Repertory Society, Jazz Garters

25. Radio 2CC Best Ensemble in a Musical
The Cast, Don Hillam Entertainment, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

26. Radio 2CC Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Ian Hart, Canberra Repertory Society, It Runs in the Family

27. Radio 2CC Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Allyn Smith, The Dubbo Theatre Company, Spamalot

28. LJ Hooker Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Kiki Skountzos, Free Rain Theatre Company, Charlotte’s Web

29. LJ Hooker Finance Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Christine Forbes, Queabeyan City Council, Chess

30. Niltac Enterprises Best Musical Director for a School or Youth Production
William Moxey, Kinross Wolaroi School, Les Miserables

31. Teatro Vivaldi Restaurant Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Duncan Driver, Everyman Theatre, Latin! or Tobacco and Boys
and
Tony Falla, Canberra Repertory Society, Runs in the Family

32. Teatro Vivaldi Restaurant Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Bill Jayet, Parkes Musical and Dramatic Society, Oliver

33. Teatro Vivaldi Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Naone Carrel, Canberra Repertory Society, Amy’s View

34. Teatro Vivaldi Restaurant Best Actress in a Leading role in a Musical
Jacinta Le from Miss Saigon by Supa Productions and Phoenix Players
and
Meredith Adams from The Last 5 Years by MMM Productions

35. DSP Productions Best Director of a Play
Brandon Martignago, Child Players ACT, Hating Alison Ashley

36. Stage Whispers Best Director of a Musical or Variety Show
Mark Grentell, Don Hillam Entertainment, The 25th Annual Putney County Spelling Bee

37. Channel Vision Best Musical Director
Lucy Bermingham, Queanbeyan City Council, Chess

38. Richards Consulting Best Choreographer
Lisa Buckley, Canberra Repertory Society, Jazz Garters

39. Best Production of a Play
Canberra Repertory Society, It Runs in the Family

40. Best Production of a Variety Show
The Milton Ulladulla Entertainers, You Can’t Stop the Music

41. Best Production of a Musical
Don Hillam Entertainment, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

42. The ActewAGL Gold Cat Award
Lyn Townsend, Parkes Musical and Dramatic Society

I thank the board, judges, sponsors, performers, technicians, organisers, families and audiences who make theatre in our region as strong as it is.

Well Station Drive Extension

9 February 2010

I rise this afternoon to speak on the Matter of Public Importance raised by the Leader of the Canberra Liberals, Zed Seselja.

The people of Gungahlin are consistently treated shabbily by this Government. In this instance, it’s not only the people of Harrison that are hard done by, but in fact all people who will use the Well Station Drive extension. This issue compounds the follies of this Government when it comes to Gungahlin. Whether it be the Gungahlin Drive Extension, the pool, public transport, sporting facilities, the missing Gungahlin shop-front, the lack of presence of a Govt department, and more. The people of Gungahlin deserve better.

In November last year, the Assembly passed a motion I moved which called on the ACT Government to re-align the Well Station Road extension to the east of a small hill opposite Carpentaria Street. The Assembly passed this motion because of the significant concern expressed by residents of Harrison and the Gungahlin Community Council.

The current alignment would put 20,000 cars per day just 20 metres from a residential street. The proposed re-alignment would address significant issues for the community – it would reduce noise for residents and ensure that their quality of life is maintained. The extension would also mean that Well Station Road had a safer intersection with Horse Park Drive.

The state of play was described by Alan Kerlin of the Gungahlin Community Council in an email to all MLAs on 7 February:

The current alignment would put what is planned to be a four-lane road carrying 20,000 cars per day just 20 metres away from a residential street. At the junction with Horse Park Drive, the existing noise abatement embankment would be breached, allowing extensive road noise from Horse Park Drive into that entire end of Harrison. And the four metre difference in elevation between the two roads would require significant fill, creating a massive wall in front of the houses. We are assured that effective noise buffering would be provided, but to achieve this would require at least another metre added to an already major embankment. We are yet to see plans as to how this can be achieved.

The realignment residents are seeking would take a more direct route. It would use the hill to provide a natural noise and view buffer for the residents of Carpentaria Street, and for people in many other homes behind them who will be adversely affected by increased noise from the road. Where the two roads would meet, there is much less difference in elevation, off-setting some of the filling required by this route being close to an existing ephemeral creek.

In the typical style of this Government, they did not listen to the views given through the consultation period. For 9 of the 10 day consultation, the wrong email address was given, but despite this significant feedback was received by the Department. The Government also conducted consultation in the development of the territory plan – but this was before residents even lived there!

Now this Government has decided to ignore the will of the Assembly, and has bullied the Greens into submission. This whole debacle highlights both the arrogance of the Government and the gutlessness of the Greens. In spite of Ms Le Couteur admitting they did not have final or through costings, she and her colleagues went back on their word and have turned their back on the people of Harrison. There can be no excuse for what the Greens have done. They have let down the people of Gungahlin and I hope all remember this sad day.

This is what Ms Le Couteur said in the Chamber on 11 November:

Given all of this, we think there is merit in re-evaluating the current proposed alignment of the Well Station Drive extension and, in particular, consulting the community to redesign this to most likely an eastern alignment. As it is an arterial road, it should not be through the suburb. While Harrison 4 is currently in the design phase, this is the time to sort the problem out. While we have got the bit of Harrison which is next to it still to be sorted out, it would seem an ideal time to finally fix this problem.

I agree with her comments. She went on to say:

This is a $7 million project; so it is really important to ensure that we get it right rather than have to try to tinker with it afterwards.

Ms Le Couteur, they’re wise words. She hit the nail on the head when she said:

Mr Coe would not be moving this motion and the Greens would not be supporting it if the government was prepared to listen more to local communities.

Yet, Ms Le Couteur has sold-out, ignored her previous statements and is suddenly satisfied.

In December last year I was told by the Minister’s office that the realignment of the extension would cost several million dollars.  The “throw-away line” justification for this was the reconstructing of a bridge and the alluvial soil in the area. What the Minister’s office gave us what were essentially back of envelope estimates. When I or my colleagues from the Canberra Liberals make a decision as important as the placement of an arterial road, we are not satisfied with such shabby information.

In December, due to the lack of information given to me by the Minister, I submitted a freedom of information request which was returned in January.Of the few hundred pages, in that FOI, there is no more substantiation of the cost estimate.  Nothing in the documents relies on more than verbal discussions of what the cost would be.

In addition to this, there is no recognition of any of the savings that would be made in the realignment.  And, there would be savings if the eastern alignment was chosen. Such savings would include:

• No need for a noise abatement wall.
• The new location for the intersection would mean that it should be a different design to the current location, and therefore the new bridging would be unnecessary.
• There would now also be an increased area of land available for the Well Station 4 estate.

Only one thing has changed since November – and that is a result of another flip-flop by the Greens.  The Greens are clearly more beholden to the Labor Party than some of their public rhetoric would have us believe.  Far from being a third force in ACT politics, they are a mere appendage to ACT Labor.The Greens have breached the trust placed in them by Harrison residents.

In the words of Harrison resident Uday Kaza:

When ACT was granted Self Governance Status, all Canberrans got ecstatic and thought their own people will make decisions in their best interest and decide the future of Canberra, but little did they imagine that in a matter of just 20 years that their own people will turn blind towards them nor did they dream that their own people will ignore their legitimate concerns.

Members, it is not too late to solve this problem. There is still time to right this wrong and to protect the Harrison residents’ livelihood, the safety of motorists and the correct process for decision making.

I urge all Members to visit the site, to chat with the residents, to attend the Gungahlin Community Council meetings and to research the proposal for the eastern alignment.

The site once featured a general store, post office, dwellings and a woolshed. In 1841, 68 people lived at the settlement including 15 convicts and 6 ticket-of-leave holders.

The area is named after George Palmer, an early pioneer and land owner. In my maiden speech on 9 December 2008, I said:

The first pioneer owner of the area of Ginninginninderra, as it was originally known, was Lieutenant George Thomas Palmer. The area was later known as Palmerville, and Palmer’s grants totalled 5,300 acres. Before coming to Australia, Palmer had served in the British forces against Napoleon. In 1806, he travelled to New South Wales on the Albion and settled as a free immigrant. By 1828, he ran almost 2,000 head of cattle and 6,000 sheep in the region. It was the determination of settlers such as Palmer which brought development to the region and, unknowingly, helped to lay the stones for a future capital city…”

It is extremely important we acknowledge the many people who have contributed to the development of our great city. The Canberra Liberals support publishing the history of the region so that all current and future generations will know of the great heritage we have in Canberra.

“The proposed development in Nicholls was met with concern by residents due to the on-going traffic and parking issues in and around the shops,” said Mr Coe.

“The decision of CMC president, Mr Yusuf, takes into account the shortage of parking, excessive traffic on Kelleway Ave, relatively poor access to public transport and the small size of the block.

“Perhaps if the Government was not so obstructionist towards community groups when they seek blocks of land, community groups would not feel compelled to accept any block that is offered to them after years of jumping through hoops,” Mr Coe concluded.

9 December 2009

This year ACT Neighbourhood Watch is celebrating its Silver Jubilee – recording 25 years of magnificent service to the Canberra community.

I was very pleased to be able to attend the 25th Anniversary dinner in September, along with many other members of this place, and the volunteers and their family and friends.  I was joined by Assembly colleagues from the Opposition: Zed Seselja; Jeremy Hanson; and, Steve Doszpot. Steve is a great advocate for Neighbourhood Watch across Canberra, but in particular in the Tuggeranong valley.

Neighbourhood Watch is a grass roots community group through which members of the community look out for each other and aimed at crime prevention. 

Neighbourhood Watch takes a number of different approaches to prevent crime, and to make a prosecution for a crime committed more likely to succeed.

Some of their initiatives include:

• education initiatives about safety and security
• watching out for suspicious activity and crime, and promptly reporting this
• improving communication between police and the community
• improving the quality of information provided to the Police
• encouraging people to identify and record all household items of value
• distributing information to members of the community through newsletters delivered by volunteers

The Police rely on witnesses to successfully prosecute crime, and of course, we are all better off if crime is prevented so we need to be conscious of what is happening around us, and that is why Neighbourhood watch is so important.  One of the mottos of ACT Neighbourhood Watch is “IF IN DOUBT, SHOUT OUT”.  The sooner something is reported, the quicker something can be done about it. 

Neighbourhood Watch has some 3,000 members in 45 areas across the territory.  I have been told that Neighbourhood Watch is receiving many applications a month contributing to a membership resurgence – particularly in Belconnen.

One of the reasons for the recent successes of ACT Neighbourhood Watch is due to the adoption of a suburb-by-suburb approach.  Former President, Ursula Macdermott, said that: “Once we made it suburb-specific Neighbourhood Watch became much more effective, as people felt like they belonged.

One example of the great work done at the suburb is that undertaken by the Melba / Spence Neighbourhood Watch group.  The Area Coordinator is Jackie Norovsambuu and the newsletter is edited by Marilyn McConnell-Twiss.  Their newsletter contains information on the next meeting, and advice on security issues.  The November 2009 issue included information on how to be “party smart” during the summer months.  It has information on giving graffiti the boot, how to report and prevent crime, and other community activities in the area.  There are also messages from the sponsors of the newsletter.  It is a great example of the community and businesses coming together to make Melba and Spence even better places to live. 

Of course, Neighbourhood Watch would not be the success it is today without the contribution of an extraordinary number of volunteers who commit countless hours to their communities by serving in Neighbourhood Watch.

Some of the many volunteers now involved are led by the following officers of Neighbourhood watch.

The executive officers of Neighbourhood Watch ACT:

President: Margaret Pearson
Deputy President: Graeme Hush
Vice President North: Clare McGrath
Vice President South: Brian Schiller
Secretary: Ruth Oldfield
Public Officer: Christine Coulthard

The non-executive officers:

District Officers for Belconnen: David Ault and Matthew Watts
District Officer for Canberra North: Mick Motion-wise
District Officer for Gungahlin: Christine Coulthard
District Officer for Tuggeranong: Nick Tsoulias
District Officer for Weston Creek: Lex Clark
District Officer for Woden: Shirley Lithgow

I commend all those officers and volunteers for the work that they do. 

Getting involved in ACT Neighbourhood Watch is easy.  The Secretary of ACT Neighbourhood Watch can be contacted by email: secretary@nhwact.com.au, via mail to GPO Box 1047, Canberra ACT 2601, or a membership form can be downloaded from www.nhwact.com.au/membership.html.