Canberra Now: ACT government wants tiny parks; new Brumbies signing

I hope you're all getting into the festive spirit - for me that means baking far too much and getting into too many corny movies.

After last week's rain, this week is (mostly) a lot more pleasant. Today's the best day for getting your washing out - we're heading for a partly cloudy top of 30 degrees. The next few days will be warm but with possible rain.

Let's have a look at what's making news today:

Canberra is known as the "bush capital" and we love the city's greenery, but the ACT government reckons we could do even more.

They're called "micro-parks", and the government is asking for design and feasibility tenders for six permanent and two temporary micro-parks in high density areas like Civic and Braddon.

The call comes after the government ran a competition for a pop-up park at Garema Place last year.

Han Nguyen has the full story here.

When I think of the Royal Canberra Show, I think of fluffy animals wearing ribbons, cakes from the CWA and fairy floss. But it looks like things are changing in 2019.

The 91-year-old event, designed around agricultural competitions, rides and dagwood dogs, is undergoing serious gentrification in 2019 in a bid to bring the crowds back. Next year, you'll be able to trade showbags and meat pies for a cool can of Bentspoke beer and a spot in the shade listening to live music.

There's going to be a focus on locally produced wine and handmade crafts with a brand new area of stalls called "Canberra on Show", and I can't wait to check it out.

Bree Element has the details here.

An independent panel set up to audit the work of Canberra's private building certifiers every year is still not operating, two years after ACT Labor and the Greens promised it after the 2016 election.

The panel is one of more than two thirds of the measures pledged in the Labor-Greens power-sharing deal reached shortly after the 2016 election which have not yet been completed halfway through the parliamentary term, according to a report released on Thursday.

Among the other policies delayed or facing "minor issues" in implementation were a promised review and regulatory analysis of the ACT's energy efficiency ratings system.

Daniel Burdon has the full story here.

Here's something to excite Brumbies fans in the lead up to next season.

The club has signed Reesjan Pasitoa, the 17-year-old Australian Schoolboys sensation from Nudgee College - but he still has a year left of school before fans will see him on the field in 2020.

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar has been keeping an eye on the big-bodied flyhalf for the past six months and used Rugby Australia's new "Fighting Fund" to sign Pasitoa.

Eamonn Tiernan has the full story here.

While most of us are thinking about Christmas cake, fruit mince pies and Christmas hams, there's actually heaps of non-traditional foodie stuff to do in the capital this week.

One of those things is to get yourself into an ONA coffee house and try their Christmas pudding blend. I got to have a try and a chat to head barista at Highroad in Dickson a few weeks back and it was a tasty drop.

Karen Hardy has the full list here.