Timothy Van Eyle leaves the ACT Courts after being found guilty of an act of indecency without consent in 2021. Photo: Albert McKnight. CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to an indecent assault. A masseur who abused the trust placed in him when he indecently assaulted a vulnerable client during a massage will spend the next two months in jail before he is released. Timothy Van Eyle was convicted and sentenced to a total of 10 months’ jail, to be suspended after he served two months, by the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday (26 April). “A person in such a vulnerable position relies on their b ..read more

A detainee alleged he was sexually assaulted at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in early 2023. Photo: Michelle Kroll. CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to an alleged sexual assault. The ACT Government has agreed to implement several recommendations after a detainee alleged he was sexually assaulted at Canberra’s prison. In early 2023, an Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) detainee went to an ACT Corrective Services (ACTCS) officer as he was worried he may have been sexually assaulted while he was asleep in a protection cottage, the ACT Inspector of Correctional Services (ICS) Rebecca Minty ..read more

Tender, one of the works by Toni Hassan now on display in her exhibition, Trust Me, at the Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Manuka. Photo: Toni Hassan. Some people hide themselves away when they’re diagnosed with cancer. They don’t tell those who love them or scream it out to the world. Then there are women like Toni Hassan. The Canberra artist, who after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, decided every day she had was reason to be grateful. Although she now admits it was much easier said than done. Diagnosed in January 2023, she started treatment two months later. Today, after six mon ..read more

Alan Dixon and Christopher Brown will not be liable for any of the suit’s proceedings. Photo: Federal Court of Australia. The Federal Court of Australia has approved a $16 million settlement in a class action lawsuit brought by Shine Lawyers against wealth management firm Dixon Advisory, once the adviser of choice to Canberra public servants. As a result of the settlement’s recent approval, Shine’s proceedings against Dixon Advisory & Superannuation Services Pty Ltd (Dixon Advisory) have been permanently stayed without admission of any liability. Other claims filed by law firm Piper Alde ..read more

Former Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo has broken his silence about his sacking. Photo: IPAA ACT. Former Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo has broken his silence over his sacking for misconduct, saying he accepts he did wrong but doesn’t think he should have been dismissed. Mr Pezzullo was sacked last November following an investigation into his relationship with NSW Liberal Party powerbroker Scott Briggs and what appeared to be blatant attempts to influence political appointments. The sacking came after it was revealed Mr Pezzullo had sent more than 1000 encrypted messages over more ..read more

Marking 80 years since Kosciuszko State Park was proclaimed, a lively celebration in Thredbo last week highlighted the ongoing cultural relationships that sustain and support the park’s history and continued legacy. Photo: Kosciuszko Heritage/Facebook. It can’t pass without note the fact April 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the proclamation of Kosciuszko State Park, now known as Kosciuszko National Park. And it didn’t pass without celebration as an enthusiastic group of people, which included the Polish ambassador Maciej Chmielinski, gathered at Thredbo last week to mark the milestone. T ..read more

Save it for home. There are some places where babies should not be seen or heard. Photo: Kim Treasure. When comedian Arj Barker asked a mother with a baby sitting close to the stage to leave during his Melbourne show, he could not foreseen the media firestorm it set off. Was he within his rights to protect his show and his audience from the distracting noises piercing his stage persona, or should he have just ‘manned up’ and soldiered on like a good trouper? And should the mum have taken a baby to a comedy show in the first place? READ ALSO: Speed up light rail rollout, fix bus issues, urges ..read more

Feral pigs and deer will be targeted as part of the vertebrate pest animal control program. Photo: EPSDD. Several parks and reserves across the ACT will be periodically closed throughout May and June as the vertebrate pest control program is conducted for another year. The ACT Government utilises a thermal-assisted aerial control program to remove pest species, such as feral dear and pigs, from conservation areas and water catchments across the Territory. “These pests compete with native species for habitat and resources, they graze and trample habitats, and negatively impact water quality i ..read more

If your home has a smart meter, chances are you’re already on a time of use or peak demand billing cycle. Photo: Thomas Lucraft. The days of meter readers trundling into Canberra backyards and manually recording energy use are rapidly coming to an end. In 2017, the Australian Energy Market Commission ruled all newly installed meters must be ‘smart’. A smart meter not only records and reports how much electricity you use, it measures your consumption in kilowatt hours (kWh). For homes looking to reduce their power bills, smart meters and the plans they offer are an attractive option. But bewa ..read more

The first prototype Ghost Shark on the dock at Garden Island in Sydney. Photo: Anduril Australia. Last week’s handover of the first of three Anduril Ghost Shark Extra-Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (XL-AUV) to the Royal Australian Navy was a major milestone in the Australian Defence Force’s ambitions to design and manufacture advanced sovereign autonomous capabilities. The three-year program to develop an XL-AUV for the RAN was first announced in May 2022, with the $140 million co-funded partnership between the ADF’s Defence Science and technology (DST) Group and Anduril Australia to d ..read more