News

The ACT has effectively shut its borders to metropolitan Sydney, with Canberrans being told not to travel into greater metropolitan Sydney for the foreseeable future. The strengthened position comes after a further 22 cases were reported today in the Bondi cluster, and four local government areas have been put into lockdown. From 4:00 pm today, residents of greater metropolitan Sydney...

Mobile phone detection cameras will be rolled out at the start of next year after new laws passed the ACT Legislative Assembly on Tuesday (22 June). Canberrans have been warned that if they use their phone while driving they will be caught, with Transport Minister Chris Steel reiterating just how dangerous being distracted while driving can be. "Research shows that...

It's so much more than a car. That's the promise electric vehicles hold for households, businesses and the electricity grid. That's because they are essentially batteries on wheels, and those that can discharge power into premises and the grid could play an integral role in an eventual entirely renewable power system. A pioneering pilot program using the ACT Government car...

The ACT is considering further restrictions on travel and movement as the COVID-19 Sydney cluster continues to grow. Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith has urged people who have recently returned from the Greater Sydney region and arrived in the Territory before the stay-at-home orders came into effect to minimise their movements. Canberrans are also advised to reduce the number of events...

Drunk and on drugs, Steven Judge crashed a black Holden Commodore ute into a power pole. As he did so, his friend, who had been lying down in the ute's tray, was thrown into the air and landed in a water reservoir. He survived but was left with horrific injuries. A recent ACT Supreme Court judgement shows the now 28-year-old...

Locals have been left dismayed by an illegally and unsafely dumped mess at the Gungahlin Recycling Drop-off Centre at the long weekend. Discarded boxes were spilling from the cardboard collection cage, inside which inappropriate materials had been dumped such as polystyrene packaging, rubber sandals, plastic toys and even a sink. Gungahlin local Stephen Gray came across the mess while he...

Canberra's now-(in)famous e-scooters are a step closer to being available in Gungahlin and Mitchell after the government passed a motion to enhance the scheme. Yerrabi MLA Michael Pettersson said the amplification of the scheme could include greater geographical coverage, more scooters and parking areas and better connections to public transport. "We already know that the scheme has proved to be...

The owner of the Ginninderra Village in Nicholls wants to open a 90-place childcare centre in the heritage precinct, saying there is unmet and growing demand in the area. Stan Waldren's Ginninderra Village Pty Limited has applied for a lease variation to add 'child care centre' to the purpose clause and 500 square metres gross floor area for that use. The...

The ACT is continuing negotiations with the Commonwealth for extra Pfizer stocks following yesterday's change in the vaccine rollout, with new advice recommending people between 50 and 59 now preference the Pfizer jab. The revised rollout means people between 30 and 39 will have their eligibility pushed back, but it would not be by "months and months", Chief Health Officer...

After being stood down from her job in 2020 due to the pandemic, Hannah had the chance to re-evaluate her work-life balance after almost a decade in full-time work. Nine-to-five is rarely in a journalists' repertoire, but after working weekends and evenings, Hannah decided she would reduce her hours to a four-day workweek when she found a new job. Now,...

Canberrans have woken to a health warning this morning after a Sydney man who visited the nation's capital over the long weekend returned a positive COVID-19 test. The man, in his 40s, from Sydney's north-western suburbs, visited the ACT on Monday 14 June, and went to the sold-out Botticelli to Van Gogh exhibition. His test results showed low virus levels...

Canberrans will be paying more for their water and sewerage from July, with a typical household dishing out an extra $6 a quarter. The Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has set the 2021-22 water and sewerage prices for the capital region, with a typical household that uses 200 kilolitres of water per year facing a 2 per cent increase to their combined water and sewerage bill, or about 45 cents extra a week....

Not enough Canberrans have the knowledge or basic equipment to stop a small fire from getting out of control, according to ACT Fire and Rescue firefighters, who launched their winter fire safety campaign just as Canberra started cranking up the heaters. ACT Fire and Rescue officer in charge of community safety, Superintendent Matthew Shonk, said with fire-spread rates in homes...

Following a report of mice activity in one Gungahlin resident's vehicle, which led to costly repairs and damaged electrics, local mechanics and pest control services say while it is irritating, it is nothing unusual. It's the kind of thing mechanics tend to see annually, and generally throughout winter. Hall Village Motors mechanic Josh Kemp says mice are often a problem...

P-plate drivers will get a 50 per cent discount on their licence fee when they progress to the second stage of their licence if they do not get any demerit points, traffic infringement or penalties. The $41 saving aims to reduce road crashes, where provisional drivers are over-represented. They account for 10 per cent of crashes despite making up 5 per cent...

Around 31,000 Canberra households will receive an increase in the annual utilities concession from the ACT Government to offset electricity price hikes. The utilities concession will permanently increase to $750, up from $700, and a further $50 concession will be applied for 2021-22, taking the total payment to $800. The concession increase will set the budget back $6.3 million over...