News

Repairs on the Gungahlin pool are expected to begin "as soon as possible" after the ACT Government signed a $1.5 million contract with local construction company Kynetic on Wednesday afternoon (10 March). The repair cost greatly exceeds the $400,000 settlement between the ACT Government and the pool's original builder. Sport and Recreation Minister Yvette Berry said the agreement with the original...

Roads, paths and community facilities across the ACT will benefit from $16.5 million worth of projects funded under the Commonwealth's Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel said that the ACT Government’s focus was to use the funding to support local jobs while delivering much-needed upgrades to local community facilities, assets and amenities....

The owners of vehicles in the ACT who have not replaced dangerous Takata airbags have until 6 April to complete the free repairs before their car registration could be suspended or cancelled. The ultimatum comes after repeated warnings from the ACT Government and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which has prompted ACT Consumer Affairs Minister Shane Rattenbury to urge...

A Gungahlin man in his 50s is finishing the week on a high after discovering he's won $100,000 in the latest Lucky Lotteries draw today (5 March). “It’s certainly not a bad way to end the week," the man, who wished to remain anonymous, said when contacted by a Lottery official. “I was just saying to a work colleague that...

ACT Policing has seized more than $100,000 in cash and around 43 kilograms of cannabis after executing search warrants earlier this week. On Wednesday morning (3 March), detectives from the Criminal Investigations team searched a home in Palmerston and located several vacuum-sealed bags containing more than $100,000 in cash. Police suspect the cash to be the proceeds of crime. A...

Canberra has had its coolest summer since 2011-12, and if you are hoping for some heat you'll be disappointed as the milder-than-usual temperatures are set to continue into autumn, with the Bureau of Meteorology's Autumn Climate Outlook forecasting more mild conditions in the Canberra region. It will come as news to no one that the summer of 2020-21 was one of the...

The developer of the problem-plagued Gungahlin pool has been absolved of liability for building defects, including if further damage or evidence is uncovered while the pool is being repaired, after settling the matter with the ACT Government for $400,000. The settlement also included a disparagement clause. Sport and Recreation Minister Yvette Berry said she was advised by the Government Solicitor that...

The ACT Government is preparing to procure a contractor to fix the Gungahlin Pool and have it opened by the end of the year, Sports and Recreation Minister Yvette Berry confirmed. Minister Berry said the Government had entered negotiations with the original builder once problems were identified in June 2020 and have now reached an agreement that will see them...

The AstraZeneca vaccine will begin rolling out in Canberra next Monday (8 March) after 300,000 doses arrived in Australia over the weekend. ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the Territory was still in conversation with the Commonwealth about allocations as Australia prepares to roll out around 1 million doses of the vaccine each week from late March. "Most of the...

A loud buzzing noise in the ceiling of a Canberra house a couple of weeks ago resulted in the discovery of a 40 cm European wasp nest and a pest controller in full bee suit attacked by wasps tumbling out of the ceiling cavity. The wasps had eaten through the ceiling plaster to make their new home on the property....

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...