Canberra Now: Funds to fix our dam; and charity gains from pokie taxes
Good morning Canberra and welcome to your Thursday April 4, with Iron Man Robert Downey jnr and Anthony Perkins celebrating their birthdays today.
There's still reaction aplenty from this week's federal budget and we will provide that today as well as a raft of other interesting stories.
There will be some early fog to start the day but becoming sunny as it clears to a top temperature of 25 degrees, and just a 10 per cent chance of rain. Here's what's making headlines across Canberra today:
Move to widen Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, renew dam receives federal backing
A $14 million pledge from the federal budget will upgrade Scrivener Dam and widen Commonwealth Avenue bridge, even while uncertainty continues about the future route of Canberra's light rail stage two.
The business cases are still to be prepared for both projects but the dam will receive the lion's share of the cash, with $7.5 million to replace the spillway anchors and floodgates. It would be the first major overhaul to the dam infrastructure since it was built in 1963.
Doug Dingwall reveals how much will be spent on the ageing assets, how and where.
Canberra hospital boss asked for redactions from inquiry submissions
The current enquiry into maternity services has heard that Canberra Health Service's CEO Bernadette McDonald has asked for some public material to be redacted to protect her staff.
Ms McDonald said she was concerned for the welfare of her staff who were potentially identifiable and denied attempting to influence the committee. Ms McDonald asked for the redaction the week after Canberra Health Services sent out a statement fiercely denying claims a midwife made in a submission, labelling them misleading and unfair and criticising The Canberra Times' story about the submission.
Daniella White examines the latest revelations in the enquiry.
Big boost for mental health care for ACT youngsters
There's been a big welcome for another $10 million to help young people who are struggling to cope with mental problems in Canberra.
There's already one centre run by the Headspace organisation in Torrens Street in Braddon but another one is now planned for the south of the city to try to relieve the rising burden of stress and mental illness among ACT youth.
Steve Evans spoke to the team at Headspace.
No easing of fiscal pressure on families with young children
A Canberra family was disappointed that some financial assistance wasn't extended to young families shouldering expensive child care after the federal budget this week.
Jonathan and Rebecca Kiddey, of Macgregor, have one daughter in childcare three days a week and another in kindergarten, resulting in a constant juggle of working hours and finishing times. It makes for a complicated workday timetable and occasionally stressful family life.
I talked to the Kiddeys about their fiscal pressures, and what the budget means for them.
Flow of funds opens from Chief Minister's charity fund
More than 250 Canberra charities and not for profit organisations have registered for grants which will start to flow in the next few months from the Chief Minister's charitable fund. The fund has about $400,000 available and is inviting first-round applicants.
Funding for the Chief Minister's charity will be topped up via a tax on gaming machines, taking 0.4 per cent in net gaming revenue from poker machines as part of Canberra clubs' "compulsory community contributions".
I heard from the Chief Minister about the charity trust on Wednesday.