ACT Government

Needing an outdoor spring activity? Tidbinbilla Open Day is back on Sunday 29 September! 🐨💐 Get ready to enjoy great food, stalls, live music and activities for all ages while immersing yourself in the natural and cultural wonders of the iconic Tidbinbilla valley. You'll get the chance to: 💬 Learn more about First Nations culture 🌳 Use and experience Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve 🗺️ Check out current programs 💚 Join conservation activities 🤝 Learn about recreational and volunteer opportunities The day will be full of fun and excitement for the whole family! Head to Tidbinbilla on Sunday 29 September from 10am to 2pm. Entry is free and the event will be cash only. To keep up to date with the event and register you interest visit: https://bit.ly/3AGNGzG

To make your visit to one of Canberra’s libraries even more convenient, Libraries ACT are now providing power bank chargers. Whether you’re working on a research project or just enjoying a good book, you can keep your devices charged and your focus intact. Swing by your local library today and see one of the friendly staff to borrow a charger and stay powered up. The chargers are equipped with multiple cable options to fit all your devices. Find out more here: www.library.act.gov.au

Ten years after winning the Young Canberra Citizen of the Year, Nip's flower business is still blooming! 🌷🌸🌻 Nip Wijewickrema won the award for her work co-founding GG's Flowers, a social enterprise employing people with disability. She started the business to support her younger sister Gayana who has Down Syndrome. After 10 years, Nip is still working at the flower business with her pink uniform and loving it! “Having the honour of being a Young Canberra Citizen was life affirming and really helped me on the journey to chase the stars in social enterprise land,” Nip says. “Social entrepreneurs often don't have a long shelf life. It's a hard industry and almost impossible to remain profitable and viable as the years go on. Being able to fly that flag for 10 years is truly so wonderful.” Each year the Young Canberra Citizen of the year recognises amazing individuals aged 12 to 25 who have helped contribute to the ACT and have provided to be an role model to all. Nominations for the Young Canberra Citizen of the year are now open until 30 September 2024. To get your vote in and read more on Nip's beautiful business visit: https://bit.ly/4gbxZB4

ACT public schools are getting a bright yellow makeover! 💛🏵️🤩 Over 740 mixed wattle species have been allocated to the 37 public schools that registered to receive approximately 20-30 tube stock to plant on their school grounds. 41 ACT public schools, and counting, have also joined the ‘Shade Our Play’ program which aims to increase canopy cover across play areas for public-school children. Currently over 1,660 trees have been planted across Canberra. These programs help support the goal of achieving 30% canopy cover for Canberra’s urban environment by 2045. To learn more about trees here in Canberra visit: https://bit.ly/47bwezG

FOGO is on the go-go! 🥦🍎🥝🍇🍋 More than 1,150 new households in multi-unit developments are being added to the ACT’s Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection pilot. The FOGO service is a weekly collection for food scraps and garden waste, helping reduce household waste going to landfill. FOGO bins are for household leftovers, eggshells, bones, meat and fish scraps, grass clipping, prunings, twigs, weeds, and certified compostable liners. The pilot currently services 5,300 households in Belconnen, Bruce, Cook and Macquarie. From September there will be an additional 400 households from multi-unit developments in Tuggeranong and 772 households from multi-unit developments in Belconnen. The ACT Government is working closely with residents and building managers on the expansion of this initiative. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3X6ojiv

Spring is here, and we couldn’t be more excited! 🌸☀️ If you’re looking to get out and about to enjoy the warmer weather, there are plenty of fun things on in Canberra this month. 🌷 Floriade is back! Be sure to visit Australia’s biggest celebration of spring from 14 September – 13 October at Commonwealth Park. https://bit.ly/388HjqG 🥐 Get out and enjoy some fresh produce and support small local businesses at one of Canberra’s local markets. The Little Burley Market is on Saturdays from 9am – 2pm, Capital Region Farmers Markets is on Saturdays at EPIC from 7am – 11.30am, and the Haig Park Village Markets is on Sundays from 8am – 2pm. Not sure where to start? Check out our local markets guide at: https://bit.ly/3WqH7J0 🌙 Celebrate diversity, harmony, and love from 6 – 8 September at the 2024 Canberra Moon Festival in the City Centre. https://bit.ly/3Xqs6so 💃 Grab dinner and drinks before heading to the Canberra Theatre Centre for a show-stopping production of the Broadway classic Chicago The Musical. It would be a crime to miss it! https://bit.ly/4dDxkXa

Today is Wear It Purple Day, a day to unite LGBTQIA+ youth and allies to shine a light on schools, community organisations, universities, and workplaces coming together to create a more inclusive future for all Australians. 💜 This year’s theme is "Your Passion, Your Pride" and by wearing purple, you can demonstrate to rainbow young people that they are celebrated and respected, acknowledging they have the right to be proud of who they are and who they are becoming. The ACT Government is committed to making Canberra a more welcoming and inclusive city for LGBTQIA+ people. This includes within the ACT Public Service (ACTPS) with its ambition to build a workforce that is rich in diversity, including embedding an inclusive culture. The ACTPS remains committed to creating a workforce that reflects the community it serves. Wear purple, find out more about the origins of Wear it Purple, learn more about LGBTIQA+ communities and how you can be inclusive all year around, not just on days of significance. To find out more, go to: https://bit.ly/3SkOSPe

Canberra’s new public transport ticketing system MyWay+ is expected to be operational in November this year. The next phase of the transition to MyWay+ will involve approximately six weeks of user testing for the new system. Approximately 200 user testers will get an early hands-on experience in using the MyWay+ mobile app, MyWay+ online account, as well as testing the new MyWay+ equipment on buses and at light rail stops. Applications to be a user tester are now open and close at 5pm, Sunday 8 September. Apply now at: https://bit.ly/4cJcch1 Find out more about MyWay+ here: https://bit.ly/3AoSt8O

Designs for the new South Tuggeranong Health Centre have been released and the Development Application notified. 🏥 The health centre will be located in Conder and will have a range of services available including: 🤍 Paediatrics 🤍 Pathology collection 🤍 Dementia care 🤍 Diabetes clinics 🤍 Falls and falls injury prevention 🤍 Chronic disease programs 🤍 A virtual care space for people to access specialist services closer to where they live Construction is expected to start early next year and be completed towards the end of 2025. To find out more info on the health centre and updates on health centres across Canberra visit: https://bit.ly/3X24jxd

Libraries ACT has joined Access Canberra in offering Canberrans with hidden disabilities, conditions, or chronic illnesses more support and extra help through the globally recognised Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Australia & New Zealand Program. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Australia & New Zealand Sunflower is a simple yet powerful tool. By wearing a sunflower on something like a lanyard or pin, individuals voluntarily share that they have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent. Whether it’s neurological, cognitive, neurodevelopmental, physical, visual, auditory or other non-visible conditions, the sunflower helps identify those who may need extra support, understanding, or more time without them having to ask. Libraries ACT staff received training to gain a better understanding of hidden disabilities, and how they can provide support.