Neighbourhood Watch

Hackett Newsletter Electronic copies of the newsletter

www.nhwact.com.au & http://northcanberra.org.au

January, 2010
Neighbourhood Watch* Neighbourhood Watch* Neighbourhood Watch* Neighbourhood Watch* Neighbourhood Watch*

New Cafe in Hackett Shopping Centre

Emergency 000
Wilbur’s Café Bar in Hackett is open for business. After what
seems like years of construction, Wilbur’s opened its doors in Attendance 13 1444
early January. If you have not been yet, you should check it Crimestoppers 1800 333 000
out. You’ll see a familiar face behind the counter because the Inquiries 6256 777
proprietors are the Savoulidis brothers, Arthur, Steve and
Andrew, the same guys who did such a great job re- Chair
invigorating Hackett supermarket. Wilbur’s is open seven days Dorothy Mackenzie, 6248 9281
a week from 8 am till after 9 pm. The fare includes coffees, Mackenzie2602@optusnet.net.au
snacks and pizzas, plus full menus for breakfast (8am to noon),
lunch (12 to 2.30 pm), and – six days a week - dinner (5.30 till Treasurer
9 pm). They also do take-aways, so it’s a good place to pick-up Pat McNamara 6249 1669
a coffee on your way to work in the morning. The cafe is pmcn@webone.com.au
licensed, selling a range of beers, wines and spirits. Children
are welcome, but, on licensed premises, must be supervised by Engravers
an adult. Only light meals (e.g. pizzas) are available on Sunday
Hillig Volker 6257 0506
evening until 8 pm, but, depending on demand, this might
change in the future. Indeed, demand has been high from
Sponsorship & distribution of this newsletter is
opening day, hitting full capacity at lunch on some Fridays, and authorised by NHWatch ACT Inc. Ass’n.
Wilbur’s is already looking to expand into the shop next-door
and onto decking behind the shops. Wilbur’s contact details:
Ph 6262 5406, Fax 6262 7501.

Hackett Community Association

The first meeting for 2010 will be on Tuesday 16 February, in Room 2, Sports House, at 7.30pm.
The Hackett 50 Year Book is on the agenda. HCA is keen to contact early residents of Hackett willing to share
their memories, photos or documents about its early days and history. Also volunteers to help with the work. To
assist, contact James Walker, 6247 0951.

Along a trail with ants on Mount Majura

When: Sunday 28 February, 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm
Where: meet at Mackenzie / Grayson Sts nature park entrance, Hackett
Bring: sun protection, sturdy boots and a magnifying glass if you have one.
Children (with adults) are especially welcome; suitable for kids aged 8 years and older
Limited places! For booking and enquiries: P 6247 7515 or E admin@majura.org

Join ANU myrmecologist Dr. Ajay Narendra for a glimpse into the fascinating world of ants, one of
the most dominant animals on the planet, playing a key role in nature as predators and scavengers.
Their high social organization, communication and navigation skills have been the object of research
for generations. Mount Majura has a rich diversity of ants including several species of bull dog ants.

Ajay Narendra is part of a research team studying navigation strategies in Jack Jumpers in Hackett.
Find out about Jack Jumpers and other ants on Ajay’s website at http://web.mac.com/ajaynarendra
 Rabbit Control in Hackett
Hackett residents will know that a rabbit control program was carried out last year in the Majura and
Mount Ainslie Nature Reserves, and adjacent lands. Volunteers from Friends of Mount Majura mapped
and marked 2000 rabbit warrens, then Territory and Municipal Services (TMS) carried out control work
that cut rabbit numbers by 85 per cent. From February to late Autumn this year, TMS will carry out a
follow-up control program to ensure ongoing control of the pest species. The program will use standard
techniques, including warren fumigation with phosphine gas, and poisoning with pindone carrot baits.

Benefits of controlling rabbits. Rabbits are an environmental pest; their grazing destroys vegetation and
their warrens cause soil erosion. Rabbit grazing destroys habitat, and has contributed to the extinction of
several species. Rabbits compete with livestock for pasture and kill young trees and shrubs. If not
controlled, rabbits invade urban areas, including back yards, causing damage to private property.

Risk to native animals? Risk to native species will be minimised. Warrens known to be occupied by a
non-target species, will not be fumigated, and baits will be laid in a manner that restricts access by native
animals, including kangaroos.

Risk to domestic animals? Fumigation of warrens poses little risk to domestic pets and is one of the most
target specific means of managing rabbits. Pindone is widely used to poison rabbits in urban areas because
there is an antidote available from vets. Dogs are not likely to be poisoned by eating dead rabbits
(secondary poisoning), but they could be poisoned if they eat baits of carrots or oats. Dogs should
therefore be kept on a lease when walking through the area. Cats face little risk as they would need to eat
an entire dead rabbit each day for several days to be poisoned, and they are not likely to eat carrots or oats.
To reduce the risk of secondary poisoning, TMS will remove visible rabbit carcasses for 12 days after baits
are laid. If you own pet rabbits, keep them in your yard as the baits may be lethal to them.

If a domestic animal shows symptoms of pindone poisoning (vomiting, blood in the mouth or in faeces),
an antidote is available from veterinarians; an injection of Vitamin K1 (1mg/kg live weight).

How can local residents assist? Rabbit control areas will be identified by signs placed at public access
points. Residents and park visitors can assist by keeping dogs on leads and supervising children when in
the area. For further information, contact Canberra Connect on 13 22 81.

Stuart Jeffress, Senior Ranger, Parks Conservation and Lands

Computer Passwords
Most people have confidential information on their computer. To keep it secure, you need a strong
password. This can be a little more complicated then you think, because computer hackers use
special computer programs to break the security of other people’s computers. In trying to break
into a computer, these programs try every single word in the dictionary, plus other likely
combinations, like 1,2,3, or abcd.

A strong password is long and complicated. It has at least 8 characters and desirably 14
characters, and uses a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and other characters on the
keyboard (e.g. $, *, and #), for example”Pacific-4597”.

In selecting a password, you should not use: dictionary words in any language; words spelled
backwards, or common abbreviations or misspellings; or personal information. One approach is
to set a password that is an apparently random string of characters, like Qzvt593. There is a trick
that can be used to remember these. Select a “key sentence”, and then use the first letter from
each word. For example, the key sentence ”My son was married on December 9”, would give a
password “MswmoD09. To check the strength of your password, go to:

https://www.microsoft.com/protect/fraud/passwords/checker.aspx?WT.mc_id=Site_Link
 Crime in Hackett and nearby suburbs
December 2090 and (January 2010)
Assault Burglary Vehicle Other theft Criminal Total
dwellings theft damage

Ainslie

Campbell

Dickson

Downer

Hackett

O’Connor

Reid

Turner

Watson

Offence Street Date Offence Street Date

Other theft
Other theft
Burglary
Other theft
Other theft
Other theft
Assault
C. damage*
Other theft

Criminal damage = c. damage

This is a double crime report, showing figures for December 2009 and also January 2010. The January
figures are in brackets, eg (4).

Woody Weeds Working Bee

Join Friends of Mount Majura and Watson Woodlander ParkCare groups to tackle woody weeds on
Mount Majura.
When: Sunday, 21 February 2010, from 8.00 am to 12.00 noon
Where: Meet at the nature park entrance off Antill Street opposite Carotel south of the Australian
Heritage Village.
Bring and wear: sun protection, appropriate shoes and body-covering clothing.
Equipment, tea and coffee will be provided
Enquiries: phone 6247 7515, e-mail to or visit FoMM’s website at www.majura.au.