The idea that the Bega Valley could be a hothouse for diverse, dynamic, and digital smart businesses has been a challenge for some to comprehend. When funding was first announced for the Bega Valley Innovation Hub the concept was largely unknown and untested in a rural setting like Bega. The fact that the Commonwealth Government, University of Wollongong (UoW) Bega...

Eurobodalla Shire Council has laid out a program of big ticket infrastructure works and community projects with the approval of its latest Delivery Program and Operational Plan Council expects to manage an income of more than $119 million in 2019-20. More than half will come from ratepayers, with the remainder from user fees and charges, grants, contributions and investments. Mayor Liz Innes...

Fans of excellent street food and a warm community spirit should head to Spencer Park in Merimbula this Friday (June 28) for a Winter’s evening of conviviality. The first Food Truck Friday pop-up event for the Sapphire Coast is on, boasting a dozen or so of our best food vans, with fire pits and patio heaters, festoon lighting and live...

Another cheap plastic peg splits in half while I'm hanging out the washing. I sigh and let the little blue pieces of plastic lie where they fall, soon to be covered in grass. Later, I'll replace the head of my electric toothbrush, floss my teeth and use a cotton bud, tossing another little collection of single or temporary use plastics...

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own vineyard among rolling green hills then a property for sale for $699,000 in the heart of the Bega Valley could make all your wishes come true. Featured on River Cottage Australia, as well as local and Canberra region marketing campaigns, the 25-acre property at 46 Terlich Road, Verona, comes with a renovated...

Days go by quickly especially if you are sitting on the sidelines of the Bega Valley Innovation Hub. Just three months ago the Hub launched with the backing of the University of Wollongong and it's iAccelerate business acceleration program. The idea was a mystery to many in this regional community, and there was certainly an element of blind faith, especially for...

Growth projections for the Hilltops region are extremely negative and pessimistic, according to Harden Murrumburrah Regional Development Corporation. North-west of Canberra, Hilltops Council formed in 2016 when Boorowa, Harden and Young councils merged into one entity. While many Canberrans see Boorowa and Harden as affordable places for owning a home, Hilltops' latest economic and growth strategy predicts 0.4 per cent...

Far South Coast farmers have gathered for a feed and a laugh, but with the underlying aim of checking in and looking out for each other as drought continues to play its part in the lives of locals on the land. One-hundred-and-forty Bega Valley farmers gathered at the Bega Civic Centre at the invitation of the Far South Coast Dairy Development...

The president of the Country Press Association, third generation newspaperman Ben Taylor, has conceded that many regional papers simply cannot sustain a paywall without the revenue or reader numbers to make the model worthwhile. Speaking at a Public Interest Journalism panel at the Australian Local Government Association's regional congress in Canberra this week, Ben Taylor said "the digital model for...

Bega's Tulgeen Disability Services has bold ambitious plans to provide supported accommodation to people with disabilities, a vision that has just been backed by Bega Cheese with a $200,000 donation. This is the second time in as many years the dairy giant has boosted Tulgeen's coffers. Last year the company's annual corporate fundraiser contributed $100,000. Tulgeen's Chief Executive Officer Jen Russell...

A leading Australian economist has used the Australian Local Government Association's annual regional congress, held in Canberra, to fundamentally challenge popular beliefs about limiting immigration. Dr Peter Brain from National Economics, who prepared the annual State of the Regions report, says that parts of Australia are indeed full, but others are crying out for skilled migrants to build a knowledge-based economy...

Local Labor Party members have gathered to rekindle the fire on their ambitions in the wake of two crushing election defeats. Stoking the embers are the two people who wish to lead the party in New South Wales. Jodi McKay and Chris Minns are contesting the leadership of the NSW Labor Party, the winner will take the party to the...

Years ago at a free-range farm reporting on unconventional grazing, lots of little pigs kept nipping our photographer’s backside as he lowered the camera to ground level. We left ‘Windermere’ near Young well satisfied. Despite the pigs’ audacity, our photographer had excellent photos. I had an interesting story too, of Sam and Claire Johnson talking more about restoring woodlands, than...

Designs for the new southern and northern foreshores of the Batemans Bay Bridge replacement project have been revealed. Member for Bega, Andrew Constance hopes the community will take the opportunity to provide feedback. “The replacement of the Batemans Bay Bridge is the largest project to be undertaken in this region so far, but it is important these spaces are what...

Christophe Gregoire from Les Tres Bon Restaurant in Bungendore has been honoured with the position of President of Escoffier Association Australia at a ceremony in Singapore. In a prestigious ceremony at The Fullerton Hotel, Mr Gregoire was among fellow chefs including eleven presidents from eleven different Escoffier delegations in the Asia - Pacific region. The chefs were tasked with preparing...

The 2019 Narooma Huntfest, which has been held on the June weekend for the last seven years, has been canceled permanently. The cancellation of the festival comes amid community debate about what to do about feral animals and, in a separate but related issue, gun control. Dan Field, president of the South Coast Hunting Club, which created Huntfest, says that...