Canberra Now: Migration rules change; and ACT's Defence Housing deal

A very chilly start to it, as well. It dropped below minus 7 this morning and the forecast is to reach a top of 13, with areas of frost and fog in the morning. It's not expected to be nearly that cold for the rest of the week.

Here's what's making news in the national capital this morning.

Chandan Paul's dreams for permanent residency fell apart in June, when without warning and less than a month before he would have fulfilled the requirements, migration rule changes barred him.

He moved to Canberra in July last year, after the ACT government opened the door to live, study and work in the territory for a year in order to be nominated for a permanent residency visa.

Last month, the ACT government website encouraging migrants to choose Canberra as their home was updated to say he was no longer able to apply, leaving him unsure if he will find a way to stay in Australia without committing to an expensive masters degree.

Sally Whyte with this story on the changes affecting migrants in the ACT.

The ACT government is already under pressure over its approach to public housing. This may not exactly ease as the taskforce responsible for building it is constructing homes to sell to Defence Housing Australia on public housing sites for "financial efficiency".

The government refuses to say how much money it will get from the sales, after it began building 15 townhouses in Gungahlin town centre and 18 townhouses in Taylor to sell to the federal government-controlled housing company.

Housing Minister Yvette Berry has said the decision to sell what were originally expected to be homes for public housing tenants was about creating a better social mix of residents on the public housing sites.

Daniel Burdon with this story about the ACT government deal with DHA.

The dry is causing problems for Canberra's population of kangaroos.

ACT rangers are being called to a record number of crashes involving roos as the animals come into Canberra's suburbs looking for a feed.

As just 69.6 millimetres of rain was recorded at Canberra Airport between March and June, a 14-year low for that period, and temperatures plummeted, greater numbers of kangaroos have been moving out of the bush and towards roads in search of greenery. Often with fatal consequences.

Blake Foden spoke to ACT Parks and Conservation about the problem.

You might have heard them before you even saw them.

The Knafeh Bakery was the star attraction at The Souq , a festival of culture at the National Museum of Australia, on Sunday.

It was a chilly start to the day for Sydney's famed bearded bakers as they brought their singing, dancing, drumming container bakery to Canberra.

But the cold didn't deter them from dishing the moves and treats.

Han Nguyen went along to speak to them.

The explosives contractor at the centre of the fatal 1997 Canberra Hospital blast still holds a licence for demolition in the ACT despite links to subsequent safety breaches in other jurisdictions.

Rodney Douglas McCracken was fined $15,000 under ACT health and safety laws following the botched Royal Canberra Hospital demolition, which resulted in the death of 12-year-old schoolgirl Katie Bender.

A manslaughter charge against Mr McCracken was dropped.

Although he holds a demolition endorsement in the ACT, Mr McCracken is not licensed for explosive demolition, a planning directorate spokeswoman said.

Steven Trask with this report.