The good news is it's warmer today, if temperatures staying above zero is your idea of "warmer". Maybe "less cold". The bad news? Rain. There's a 90 per cent chance of it. But there'll only be 2-3mm, along with a low of 1 degree and a high of 11. If you're part of the annual winter exodus of Aussies heading overseas, well, don't laugh too loud. You'll have to come back sometime.

Now for today's main headlines.

At 120 megawatts, and covering 370 hectares of farmland, the Springdale Solar Farm will dwarf its ACT counterparts.

Residents are alarmed, and neighbours of the new proposal at Sutton are frustrated by how close the panels will be to their front door.

The project involves former deputy chief minister Simon Corbell, who led Canberra's ambitious move to fund solar and wind energy around Australia.

Finbar O'Mallon has this story about the controversial new renewable energy project. 

The Floriade flower festival went over budget by a whopping $1.2 million last year, a blowout put down partly to a poorly managed spreadsheet.

While ACT government officials told estimates hearings last month the minimum overspend figure was $100,000, an external audit has found the actual blowout is much higher.

Fairfax Media can also reveal the territory government recovered nearly half the overspend for the 2017 festival through the National Capital Authority.

Katie Burgess has this report on the festival's cost blowouts.

Former Sustainable Land Strategy director Greg Ellis has broken his silence and issued an ultimatum. The chief negotiator of the Dickson land swap has told the ACT Auditor-General to either refer him to police or apologise, as the Barr government defends the tight timeline bureaucrats were given to sell the Tradies car park to the CFMEU-linked club.

An audit into the land deal found the Economic Development Directorate didn't conduct the tender effectively and failed to get value for money.

But Mr Ellis - who brokered the deal in 2013 - claims the land was never going to sell for the best price, because cabinet decided it had to be sold within eight months, allegedly for political reasons.

Katie Burgess wrote this story as he hit back at the audit.

Monster burgers. Giant burritos. The over-confident fail at finishing them, while few get to clear their plates. Competitive eating can test the bellies, and endurance, of anyone game in Canberra.

Not competitive eating as in trying to find a car spot in Braddon for dinner or attempting to survive a night out without hitting up Zambreros. We mean eating to WIN.

Some of the challenges around? A big 1kg burrito challenge in Canberra Centre. A serve of burger and chips weighing a total of 2.5kg, with the patty weighing 1.5kg. There are others too.

Serena Coady delves into Canberra's lesser-known competitive ... sport?

There's a changing of the guard of sorts happening in rugby league. As one blonde-haired second-rower's time at Shark Park nears its end, another will make his NRL debut there.

Canberra Raiders young gun Jack Murchie will start on the bench against Cronulla on Friday night, coming in to help cover the loss of halfback Aidan Sezer (hamstring).

The 21-year-old grew up idolising Cronulla second-rower Luke Lewis, who after 315 NRL games, 16 Tests and 17 State of Origins, announced this week he would retire at the end of the season.

David Polkinghorne and Courtney Ward put together this story about Murchie's entrance to the competition's highest level.