Canberra Now: Health inquiry pressure, and gold medalist opens up

More than a decade on, the world champion sprinter is planning to move to Canberra after competing in her third Paralympic Games.

Sally Pryor sat down with the gold medalist and has the story here.

Pressure grows over Health inquiry

Things have been building up in the ACT Health system lately. After a series of crises, we finally had a full inquiry announced this week. But the details are still to be determined. Pressure is mounting on the government to include public hearings and increased protections for witnesses in its recently announced review into ACT Health.

The Australian Medical Association has warned problems will continue to fester unless ACT Health is able to be scrutinised publicly.

The association has called for Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris to release the terms of reference of the review and clarify the legal basis it proposes to hold the review.

Ms Fitzharris announced the independent review on Monday after months of mounting pressure over a litany of issues and failures around governance and bullying within ACT Health.

Daniella White has the details here.

How will Floriade go ahead in such dry conditions?

No one drinks from Lake Burley Griffin, very few actually swim in it and even less fish there.
But we can name one use for the lake's murky tides: irrigating Floriade.

Using the water to irrigate the dry grounds of Commonwealth Park has been one of the ways the Floriade festival gives life to their colourful flower beds each year.

But could the region's dry conditions spell trouble? Serena Coady investigates.

Should illegal developments be approved retrospectively?

Developers who build first and ask for permission later should be slugged an extra fee to stop others exploiting the loophole in the development application process.

That's according to community councils, who told an ACT parliamentary inquiry that retrospective approvals seem to be routinely granted, even when "questionable" excuses were given.

Katie Burgess has been lurking around the assembly and has the story here.

Thumbs down for smiley-faced speed detection signs?

These frighteningly-cheerful signs might look like the makeshift work of a vigilante residents' group, they have actually been installed by the ACT Government.

The solar-panelled signs are being trialled for 12 months to promote road safety. But while some find them "quite jolly", other motorists are trying to race against the signs to wipe away the smiley face.

Megan Doherty has more on this vexed issue.

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