News

Most Canberrans will remember when a section of the Gungahlin Drive Extension collapsed due to engineering failures. On 14 August, it will be 10 years since the incident that, remarkably, did not result in a loss of life when a section of the bridge under construction collapsed adjacent to an existing bridge. Nine people were taken to Canberra Hospital with injuries...

Woolworths will urge the wearing of face masks in all its ACT stores from Monday as part of a new response to combat the spread of COVID-19 after the growth of virus hot spots in Sydney. The new guidance comes despite the fact that the ACT only has one active case and has not had a new case for three...

Enrolments at the ACT's 88 public schools have reached a record 50,272 students, but many schools in Tuggeranong's ageing suburbs are well below capacity. The annual February school census shows public school enrolments have continued their run of rises since 2016, increasing by 1,120 students (or 2.3%) on last year, and by 5,441 students (12.1%) over the past five years. More parents...

A new Hindu temple - also known as a mandir - has been proposed for the Gungahlin suburb of Moncrieff to meet the spiritual, ritual and ceremonial needs of the steadily growing Hindu population in northern Canberra. The $3.3 million project is proposed for Block 5, Section 23, which fronts Mirrabei Drive and Hoffmann Street, with a reserve to the south...

The number of native eastern quolls in Canberra is on the increase thanks to the nurturing nature of the female of the endangered species. After the first quolls were reintroduced to Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, in Gungahlin, in 2016, their survival rate had dwindled to only 29 per cent. The males tended to run away, only to be killed by predatory foxes. Now an experimental...

The ACT Government has postponed its planned easing of COVID-19 restrictions for a further two weeks as the number of people in quarantine soar. On advice from the ACT Chief Health Officer, the implementation of Stage 3 restrictions will not go ahead and current restrictions as outlined in the ACT’s Easing of Restrictions roadmap will stay in place and be...

The new Canberra Tourist Park near EPIC in Canberra's north opened today (22 July). The site includes a new 73-site caravan park, 154 rooms accommodating 408 guests and private accommodation for coach drivers. Canberra Park manager David Grigg said the new site would complement EPIC as it is perfectly situated for people to visit national attractions, wineries, cafes and restaurants, being just...

The long-awaited Gungahlin cinema development is set to break ground next month after the appointment of the company to build the $15 million project. The owner of the site on the corner Hinder and Efkarpidis Streets in the Town Centre next to Gungahlin Village, Gungahlin Lifestyle, has given the job to Construction Control, which has offices in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane....

UPDATED 3:40 pm, 9 July: Another person has tested positive to COVID-19 in the ACT, leading the Chief Health Officer to postpone the easing of restrictions scheduled for Friday (10 July) for another two weeks. Anyone who has visited Victoria, especially COVID-19 hotspots in the greater Melbourne area, in the last three weeks is being urged to stay at home...

The ACT has recorded its first cases of COVID-19 in more than a month, with three new cases emerging during the past 24 hours. The three cases are all in the same household and are directly linked to the second wave of the virus in Victoria. ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said although the risk of community transmission...

The ACT Government has lodged the development application (DA) for the new $44 million public primary school at Throsby, which is scheduled to begin construction in September and open in 2022. The school will be the Territory's third zero-emissions school and is set to accommodate 450 students, 132 pre-school children and space for people with special needs. It will also...

The announcement of funding for a new light rail stop at Mitchell has been welcomed by local traders who have long campaigned for the business district to be included on the route. Mitchell Traders Association president Michael Warnock said the funding, included in a joint Commonwealth-ACT Government $35 million infrastructure package, was fantastic news. Mr Warnock said the planned Sandford...

The 2.5-kilometre duplication of Gundaroo Drive between Gungahlin Drive and the Barton Highway is complete, two years after it started construction. The $30 million project also includes new off-road paths for cyclists and pedestrians, LED street lights, new bus shelters and sound barriers to reduce traffic noise for nearby residents. While the speed limit will eventually be increased to 80 km/h,...

As the ACT Government announces another kangaroo cull, research into a fertility control method will now be continued and expanded for another two years as it edges closer to providing an alternative to shooting in some areas of Canberra. The Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) has contracted the services of the CSIRO's Dr Lyn Hinds and staff to support the...

The postponed sweeping update to the ACT's public transport network will be rolled out from 18 July and include more frequent and faster services in a bid to smooth out the wrinkles in its original design. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the timetable for the wide-ranging update's original launch in April, and the roll-out is timed to coincide with recovery plans...

UPDATED: Tuggeranong and Gungahlin residents can now schedule a waste collection pickup to throw out their bulky waste free of charge after the ACT Government announced a contractor for its promised once-a-year kerbside collection service last month. Collections will start from Wednesday, 15 July and are limited to two cubic metres (about the size of a small box trailer). The items will...