News

Two things became clear this week - the light rail wars are over and this is a federal election year. The Commonwealth's $132.5 million contribution to light rail Stage 2A from Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park and its likely support for the next section to Woden signals the official cessation of any lingering skirmishes on the future of the project....

ACT Health has urged people in the region not to touch, pick, or eat wild mushrooms after the fatal death cap mushroom has spawned following ideal growing conditions in Canberra. In Canberra, this usually occurs in autumn, but there is no specific mushroom season given the mild conditions in the Territory. ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said the number...

A year ago, Maddy Williams was just starting her first job as a registered nurse. Today she became the first Canberran to get the jab as stage 1 of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began in Australia. The 22-year-old started working in the Garran testing clinic and will now administer the vaccine as the surge centre becomes Canberra's only Pfizer vaccine hub...

MyGungahlin, RiotACT and About Regional readers have woken this morning to depopulated Facebook feeds as the social media giant makes good its threat to ban publishers and Australian users from sharing or viewing any news articles on its platform. Region Media group editor Genevieve Jacobs says the move is concerning in the midst of a pandemic where social media streams...

The President of the Gungahlin Community Council has issued a 'please explain' to Sports and Recreation Minister Yvette Berry after being left in the dark about repairs to the Gungahlin Pool. Peter Elford first found out about the additional repairs from Region Media on Tuesday (17 February) and has expressed his disappointment that the minister had not put up the...

ACT Policing is seeking witnesses and dash-cam footage of a motor vehicle collision in Ngunnawal last Wednesday (10 February). The accident occurred at about 12:20 pm between a red Yamaha motorcycle and a white Ford Ranger utility at the intersection of Horse Park Drive and Arrabri Street, Ngunnawal. The motorcycle rider was treated at the scene by ACT Ambulance Service...

UPDATED 12:45 pm, 16 February: All the tiles, levelling screeds and coatings of the Gungahlin Pool will have to be removed while a further investigation into the structure and joints is undertaken, Sports and Recreation Minister Yvette Berry confirmed last night (15 February). The works will then require the installation of a new "pool tiling system" which includes waterproofing membrane...

Some Canberrans will have access to a COVID-19 vaccine from next Monday (22 February) after the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine landed in Australia today (15 February). The vaccine will be rolled out in five phases, the first of which will cover around 4,000 frontline workers in Canberra, including quarantine and border workers. Canberra Health Services (CHS) will be...

Fears that Gungahlin is fast becoming a dormitory district with few jobs have been taken up by local MLAs in the Legislative Assembly, which last week called on the ACT Government to support greater commercial development in the Town Centre. The move follows repeated calls from the Gungahlin Community Council for fewer mixed-use developments dominated by apartments with some ground...

UPDATED 3:40 pm, 12 February: The ACT will ban entry to people from Victoria for the next five days from midnight tonight (12 February) as the state prepares to enter a stage four lockdown until midnight on Wednesday. ACT residents in Victoria have been told to stay where they are and abide by the lockdown if possible, but will be...

The Canberra Liberals have put all their policies on the table for review as the party looks to start the year with a clean slate. Opposition leader Elizabeth Lee implored the government to work with the Canberra Liberals and avoid partisanship in the interests of Canberrans as the party continues to push for a task force to address poverty in...

A north Canberra man faces 15 years in jail for possessing thousands of examples of child abuse material. Stephen John Barber, 67, has admitted to possessing the horrific files and will be sentenced for his offences the next time he appears before the courts. The agreed statement of facts in the matter shows Barber had accessed child abuse material as...

Gungahlin residents have been promised an answer on Monday (15 February) as to why the Gungahlin pool has been closed for almost a year. Minister for Sport and Recreation Yvette Berry said she shared the community's frustration about being left in the dark over what is going on with the pool. The government maintains that the pool remains closed to...