Good morning Canberra,
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Hope you've packed a rain jacket and dust goggles because Canberra can expect thunderstorms and possibly even a dust storm today. We're in for a top of 17 degrees.
'Not fit for purpose': Business lobby slams Canberra's tired city centre
Canberra's business lobby wants the ACT government to prioritise the city's revitalisation and build a new convention centre, a new theatre and a new sports grounds all within 20 years.
The call comes as The Canberra Times on Wednesday revealed the ACT government was investigating plans to build an underground city bus interchange, with the existing above-ground space to be transformed into a vibrant public precinct.
Dickson land swap action delayed until 2019
The ACT government will not reveal plans on how to address problems raised by an audit into the controversial Dickson land swap until sometime next year.
It was revealed in this year's audit findings that the Canberra Tradesmen's Union Club got up to $2.6 million under a more favourable deal than was first envisioned in tender documents to sell a government-owned carpark outside the club.
Despite the audit recommending the planning directorate brief Planning Minister Mick Gentleman and advise him on how to fix problems with the tender process, a letter Mr Gentleman recently tabled in the Assembly indicated the government did not intend to release the implementation plan until 2019.
Daniel Burdon has all the nitty-gritty here.
A field of dreams and bright balloons
They're responsible for several large-scale art installations across the world, and now Montreal-based artists 'Daily tous les jours' are bringing their brand of awesome to Canberra.
For one spring day, Canberra will have an entire field of balloons.
But keeping with the interactive twist particular to these artistic masterminds, the display will offer Canberrans the chance to write on paper arrows the things they'd like to see happen in Civic.
Serena Coady has all the details.
New ACT visa system doesn't do enough for international students
A Canberra migration lawyer has criticised changes to the ACT's visa system that will leave international students in limbo.
The ACT previously allowed international students who were studying in the capital to apply for permanent residency by claiming they had a connection to the city and reason to continue living here.
But due to the federal government reducing the skill migrant visa intake and other states changing their visa criteria, Canberra suddenly had more students than it could place as they chased permanent residency.
Now, changes to the visa criteria by the ACT government will leave some of these new students in limbo.
'Anyone would have done what I did': Soliola's desire to help Canberra
And with all that's happening, here's a yarn on Canberra Raiders skipper and bonafide good bloke Sia Soliola.
The Raiders player will shave his head to raise money for Kulture Break, a youth services charity, on Thursday afternoon.
It will be the first time a clipper has been taken to his locks in almost three years.