Milk and money

THEY clearly take tea breaks very seriously at the Treasury Building, in Parkes.

One of CC’s snouts was sniffing through the AusTender website and spotted this gem: a call for the delivery of 255 litres of milk a week to the building.

Unlike the rest of us, who’d just call, say, Canberra Milk, and haggle a deal over the phone, the parsimonious department is extolling potential milkpersons to wade through a 10-page “Response to Approach to Market” form (replete with handy hints about conflicts of interest and the like) and an eight-page explanatory document and have everything back to them by October 20.

Just as interesting is the delivery schedule: 40 litres of full-cream milk on Mondays and Wednesdays, but 35 on Fridays, and 45 litres of reduced fat on Mondays and Wednesdays, 40 on Fridays.

Skim milk, alas, has few fans among the treasury mandarins, with only four litres needed on Mondays and, worse still, three on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Christmas bleatings

CBD Limited’s website, in a shameless spruik of the return of its “Christmas in the City” festivities as “Australia’s biggest celebration of the festive season”, concludes with: “From the board and staff at Canberra CBD Limited, we wish you safe, happy and thoughtful Christmas celebrations.” And the same to them.

Fourth row in a win?

RUSSELL Lutton, publicity officer of the Burley Griffin Canoe Club, says the flatwater marathon contingent of the 20-year-old-club will compete in the final round of the 2015 NSW marathon series on Saturday.

“To everyone’s amazement, and to the consternation of the big Sydney-based kayaking clubs, BGCC first won the series back in 2012 and, remarkably, won the series trophy again in 2013 and 2014, despite the efforts of the large Sydney kayak clubs to steal the trophy back from us,” he says.

“And BGCC goes into the 10th and last 2015 race at Burrill Lake on October 17 with a club points lead hoping to make it four wins in a row.”

Flint sparks up

 MAX Flint, vice chairman of CanTheTram Inc, says he’s yet to receive a reply from Shane Rattenbury having asked the TAMS minister if, in the light of ACTION’s decision to decline certain types of advertising, he considers Unions ACT’s bus campaign as banned political advertising?  

He wrote to the minister to say “at least four ACTION buses are (or were) plastered with an outrageous advertisement by Unions ACT, claiming that light rail is going to create 3500 jobs.  

“Even the government report, where that figure comes from, says the figure is only about 1900 and the draft EIS report put the figure at only 500.”  

Indigenous aspirants

SECRETARY of the ACT ALP Indigenous Labor Network, Tjanara Goreng Goreng, has written wondering if her candidacy and that of ILN co-convenor, Jo Chivers, as two Aboriginal women seeking preselection for next year’s ACT election, is a first?  

Tjanara is looking to be on the Labor ticket for the new centre seat of Kurrajong as a non-aligned, rank and file ALP member and Jo is an aspirant from the left for the new Woden/Weston Creek seat of Murrumbidgee.

Loathed roads

THE Barton Highway has been identified at eighth in the 10 worst roads in NSW this year and the second most-loathed in the ACT. Topping the ACT was Gungahlin’s Gundaroo Drive and Horse Park Drive at number three.

What obstacle?

ANU honours student Alex Mackerras is leading a study that compares the ability of beginner and experienced drivers to spot obstacles on the road.

Using a recently acquired driving simulator, the study will also look at whether a driver’s ability to spot obstacles improves or gets worse, when not in control of the vehicle.

He’s seeking P-Platers in their first 12 months of driving and experienced drivers with at least 10 years’ experience and under the age of 40 to take part.

“There’s a huge difference between novice drivers and experienced drivers in accident statistics. Novice drivers are at much higher risk,” Mackerras says.

“One of the theories is that because they are still learning to operate the car, they can’t pay as much attention to the road. It’s a bit too much for them to handle.”

Interested participants should contact u4841882@anu.edu.au.