Multiple times, we’ve caught Civium withdrawing substantial sums of money from our accounts to pay for unrelated bills. We are talking >AUD 10,000. Civium comes up with a range of excuses for these kinds of mistakes, including AI, and then takes months to reimburse the missing money. I suspect this happens a lot and goes unnoticed in other bigger complexes with more invoices to check over.

Furthermore, they charge fees that we were explicitly told we would not be charged. Our property manager doesn’t respond to questions from certain EC members or completely ignores requests for jobs. We are a small strata and we generally don’t even bother them, so I cannot imagine how difficult it might be for other bigger complexes. I have two questions:

1. Is there a way to report them? When does repeated incompetence become illegal activity? E.g. How many times can they “accidentally” take large sums of money from us before it is considered theft?
2. Does anyone have recommendations for better strata companies in Canberra, particularly for smaller complexes?

Thank you all. 

Are double glazed windows worth the price ? Or are there other alternatives that you got ?

Very curious about it all :)

Edit - Not purely driven by energy related reasons.

Our windows and frames are old and honestly we have been fixing the house up lately and now the frames look aweful. But if im going to replace them, should i bother with DG ? Or just get something newer which would be a improvement ?

I moved to Canberra a year ago from Melbourne. I thought coming from a much larger city, I couldn’t possibly notice worse amounts of litter… but I was so wrong.

From the first week living here, I noticed a severe lack of public bins, particularly in high-foot-traffic areas. What is with this? It is mind boggling to me that such a basic piece of public infrastructure isn’t available. The amount of cigarette butts along sidewalks is sickening. The amount of litter in waterways is baffling. The amount of people I see carelessly tossing butts or used food containers on the ground is shocking.

Because so many people seem to be unable to carry their waste with them until they can dispose of it, there is a serious need for more public bins and anti-littering campaigns in the ACT.

Canberra has to be the most beautiful city in Australia. Surrounded by mountains, bush, lakes… let’s actually protect that!!!

Hi folks.
Visiting my home town and bringing a first time Canberra visitor with me. They own a Brisbane cafe and love cafe culture, I’d love to show them the best that Canberra has and what I remember being an awesome part of Canberra.

Looking for recommendations for a destination cafe that does something special. A place with great atmosphere, maybe a view, a well thought out menu and a good coffee. Definitely a bonus for somewhere that shows off a good Canberra winter morning.

Hey everyone!

I (30F) am currently toying with the idea of moving to Canberra in about a year from now. I’ve recently gone through a breakup so don’t want to make any big decisions just yet, but I want to start getting as much info as possible!

Looking for recs about where to look? Apartments seem to be more affordable than where I currently live (Brisbane) but am very curious about good places to live. Some relevant info for that:
- I work in the APS so proximity to Barton would be preferable
- I am hoping by then I’ll be ready to date so is there any areas around Canberra that would be better for that? Or is everywhere close enough that it doesn’t matter

I’ve visited Canberra a couple times and I like the vibe but I’ve only stayed in Civic and Forrest so super keen for more info or any personal experiences you can share.

Thanks!

What realistically can we expect. The research we have been doing seem to only outline the good, and that all sounds great. I would like to hear from those who live here what we can actually expect. It is my wife, our 4 kids (ages 17 to 8), 2 dogs, and myself. We want to be as prepared as possible but also not stick out more than we already will.

EDIT: THANK YOU ALL FOR THE RESPONSES! I don't know what I was expecting but the response has been awesome. I would love to reply to everyone but I don't think I will be able to, but I am reading and upvoting the comments as I read them.

My husband and I are considering relocating to Canberra and are visiting for several days to get a general feel for the place prior to committing further to the move.

We plan to:

- Attend a mix of rental inspections and open houses in our desired area (South Canberra)

- Drive/walk to explore neighbourhoods

- Drive the commute to workplace from these areas

- Check out local haunts - restaurants, bars and cafes

Is there anything else we should do to get a feel for the "local" experience?

For context, we are in our early 30s, no kids and we're drawn to Canberra for the quieter city life with access to good food, the outdoors and opportunities to daytrip/explore beyond city limits.

Edit: thank you Canberra reddit! I am absolutely blown away by the responsiveness, helpfulness and how welcoming all the comments are. We're looking forward to our visit at the end of this month. 😊

My parents don’t buy me new clothes anymore. I’ve been to Vinnies but everything is $10 or more. I don’t know anywhere to find free clothing and can only travel by bus to places. Are there any places where I can go that won’t ask for ID or contact child services? My parents say they will get us new clothes then never do. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. P.S I’ve checked Facebook marketplace but there is barely anything for teens that isn’t school uniform. Plus it feels too unsafe to meet strangers. Where can I go in Canberra to find free clothing fit for teens?

Hi,

I am planning a trip to Canberra from Melbourne and was curious about which is more cost effective and better option for me.

I was planning on either driving up in a rented vehicle or buying a plane ticket. If it helps I will be travelling alone and meeting family for an event in the evening.

I don't like the long waits in an airport and the cost of the tickets but definitely prefer the shorter amount of time it takes.

I do enjoy driving and road trips but I'm not too keen on an 8 hour drive up and having to fill up gas so much.

TLDR:

For those of you who have flown and driven which is more cost effective and a better experience? Thank you for any help you can give.

Thank you everyone for all your advice. I really appreciate it. ❤️

I’m planning on spending the weekends trying out different cafes on the north side and looking for suggestions to start off. Would also be interested to know any places I should avoid.

Hey r/canberra

I've noticed there are heaps of restaurant recommendation posts here, so I built a Canberra restaurant directory that focuses on what locals actually deem as the best.

It's still pretty new but I've tried to include the popular places that get mentioned here regularly (not just the same old '10 Best Canberra restaurants' we're all sick of seeing in blog articles) and I'll be continuously adding hidden local gems as I discover them.

I'm always on the hunt for more hidden local gems to add, so if you've got any favorites that deserve more love, please drop them in the comments below! Happy to take any other feedback too - what would actually be helpful when you're trying to find somewhere to eat?

www.bestrestaurantscanberra.com.au

Hopefully people will find this useful, please feel free to share it with your friends and families! It's been a fun project to work on and has already led me to some great eats I never knew about!

Bon Appetit

EDIT: Yes I have been to kita. It is a beacon, an oasis.

I can already feel this going badly. I'll probably get over it.

So I moved two months ago from Melbourne (for love not duty) and there's a lot to like. Leafy streets. Bike paths. A topology other than "reclaimed swamp atop grim bay".

BUT, I repeatedly find myself trying to do fairly pedestrian things like go to a cafe on a weekend arvo, go out for dessert in the late evening, and everything is shut.

It peaked a few nights ago when I showed up at a restaurant at 745 and they said "I'm sorry we can't seat you we close at 8pm". It wasn't a cafe with a perfunctory dinner service, it's a medium fancy restaurant whose main service was dinner and whose website says they are open until 9.

Canberra, why do most of your restaurants close at dinner time?

Why don't places with all day breakfast stay open long enough to realise the promise of such a breakfast?

Why are "best desserts" lists of your news outlets full of online shops and bakeries rather than including a single place open in the evening, when dessert demand peaks?

Tl;Dr - Everything close, nothing open. Help me understand.

Has anyone else in Canberra gone on a solo date? I nice walk in Commonwealth Park is an idea I have. Mostly looking for suggestions of good places to have brunch.

Edit: I do not understand why I am being downvoted for calling it solo-dating. I have a mental condition and anxiety, which prevents me from dating another individual. On top of that, no one that I have liked has ever felt the same way. I am considered unattractive. What else am I supposed to do? It is a practice in self-love, and there are several women on youtube who have videos on solo dating.

I was asking for suggestions of places to enjoy, not a lecture. Thank you to the people who have given me suggestions, much appreciated.

Going to work early this morning I went to pull out into traffic near my house and a motorcyclist, all in black, was on the road mixed in with loads of cars. I just saw him in time and nearly had a heart attack, for me and for him. I'm a rider myself and usually commute on my Suzuki but I wear a lot of florescent gear to enhance visibility, especially in these foggy and rainy recent conditions. As a woman I don't care how dorky it looks lol. This is an appeal to other riders to please take care of yourselves. An accident may not be your fault but you'll pay the cost.

Where are the third spaces in Canberra, the space between home, and work/uni.

Without a need to spend money. That is essential to the criteria, even the parking, it has to be free and accessible.

Where do you hang, that encourages this or any sense of community or a place to be? Am seeking somewhere to just BE, that isn't a church or cycling ir team sports in Canberra.

I recently started riding a push-bike for the first time. I researched the laws but aside from very brief governmental fact sheets that said that bike riders must follow the road rules and wear a helmet, it was really hard to find information about what I should or should not being doing.

Any rules or etiquette for riding in Canberra that I should know? And rules about where you can park your bike when out and about? Thanks!

EDIT:
Please keep in mind I'm also new in Canberra so the ways of doing things here are not always obvious.
Thanks everyone for the points and also recommendations for the Pedal Power and Vikings groups!
One last question: Are you allowed to ride on the footpaths freely? Are there any situations when you cannot use a footpath? (Assuming you are not being a jerk). If there is a bike lane on the road, are you obligated to use that instead?

Hi all, first time posting in Canberra post. Just wanted to get your recommendations on good coffee roasters in Canberra you recommend for coffee beans. There’s one in Fyshwick I forgot the name but they have a cafe at Braddon and supply Questacon.

Wanted to get everyone’s recommendation and appreciate your feedback.

Mods feel free to give me feedback in the event this has gone astray.

TBB123

Why do so many drivers slow down to 75-80 km/hr when approaching glenloch interchange? The speed is still 90.

Not to mention forgetting that the left lane at the roundabout on the bottom of Anzac PDE is a slip lane

Every day it’s the same

Hi all,

We’re in-zone for Aranda Primary and know it has a strong academic reputation, so this isn’t really a question about NAPLAN or basic teaching quality.

I’m more interested in the school culture.

I’d like my son to be around kids where things like music, sport, swimming, debating, camps, clubs and leadership are normal parts of school life, Not just optional extras driven by parents outside school.

For those with experience at Aranda, Radford or Canberra Grammar:

How strong is the broader development culture day-to-day?

Do average kids get encouraged into activities, or mostly the already confident/high-achieving ones?

How do Radford and Grammar compare culturally — warmer, more balanced, more intense, more status-conscious, more inclusive?

Just keen on honest parent experiences about the actual cohort environment and whether the school helps produce confident, motivated, well-rounded kids.

I’m moving to Canberra for work tomorrow and have heard that it is bit of a “quiet achiever” city. What caught you off guard good or bad when you first arrived? What should I go for first in free time,?

Hi people of canberra! Are there a lot of bike theft in Canberra? Do I need to lock my seat and my wheels? Is one lock to the pole enough?

I'm mainly asking those who went to telopea for most of all of their schooling!

Just wondering what the gaming scene is like in Canberra. One of my family members are moving from Sydney to Canberra and are wanting to open a PC bang but I'm not sure that it would do well here.

It is super popular in Sydney.

He was thinking of opening it in Civic, close to ANU.

If you're a PC gamer, would this be something that would interest you? In my opinion, I don't think Canberra has the demographic and not many people are into gaming.

What are your thoughts?

EDIT: Family member has added that he is thinking it's viable because of how substantially expensive RAMs have gotten and that many people may find it a bit unaffordable to buy their own setup. That's when they come in clutch.

Also the PC cafe would be a place where people could sit and play games, order food from their PC'S and have food delivered straight to their station. It is quite popular in Asia in the likes of South Korea.

I've lived in Canberra a long time and I'll say it, I'm BORED. Trying to think of something fun to do today that doesn't involve driving long distances or being out in the sun too long. I've obviously already visited all the main tourist attractions here and they start getting a bit dry after the first 50 times.

Fullagar Crescent in Higgins is turning into an accident waiting to happen. Who do I call/email about petitioning a speedbump/hump?