Six overseas workers who were not eligible for Federal Government JobKeeper payments during COVID-19 restrictions have been supported by Tathra Hotel owners Cliff Wallace and Sayaka Mihara, as well as the Bega Valley Social Justice Advocates, who sought public donations to help the hotel continue to pay the chefs while they couldn't work. "Unfortunately, the government would not include our chefs...

Bega Valley Shire Council has launched the Bega Valley Recovery Needs Survey to monitor bushfire recovery progress and plan for the community's future. The council has partnered with Service NSW and Resilience NSW to develop a short survey to be delivered to everyone who has registered with the Bega Valley Recovery Support Service, and it can be completed online, over...

Tarago resident Georgia Ugov is wasting no time getting on with her career. The 17-year-old is a first-year apprentice plumber with Queanbeyan-based Simmo's Plumbing who applied for the Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants to help pay for her tools and tuition fees. She is one of only 10 people to receive the grant, which is given to chosen apprentices who demonstrate commitment to...

A panel of experts is set to deliver an online question-and-answer session for Eurobodalla Shire's drivers aged 65 and above so they can learn more about licences, road rules and how to drive safely. Drivers are invited to attend the online forum on Wednesday 3 June from 10 am to ask questions of representatives from the NSW Centre for Road...

With COVID-19 restrictions beginning to ease, teachers and students are returning to the classroom. However, the resources discovered during recent digital learning can continue to be utilised in our increasingly online world. The National Library of Australia’s Digital Classroom is one such offering. It is a free, online teaching resource that draws on more than 10 million collection items, representing the largest source of information in the world about Australia and...

Horse enthusiasts of the NSW South West Slopes have let out an almighty "yee-haw" at news of a funding boost for the Gundagai Rodeo and the popular annual stockman’s challenge, the Battle on the Bidgee. With both events well established on the annual horse event calendar, the $15,976 in funding announced this week will see the construction of a sponsor...

Tourism industry operators have been hard hit by bushfires, floods and COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, and owner-operators of Kiah Wilderness Tours, Jenny and Arthur Robb, are no exception. Kiah Wilderness Tours is an eco-kayaking attraction located 11km south of Eden. Jenny and Arthur are looking at new ways of rebuilding their business after suffering devastating losses during the past few months....

Mission Australia saluted grandparents who are raising grandchildren during National Families Week from 15-21 May 2020, and acknowledged they have a unique set of circumstances to deal with in the aftermath of the bushfires and COVID-19 restrictions. The charity organisation has been dropping off care packs outside the family homes of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren participants, including 84-year-old Fred Baxter from Sussex...

Federal funding through the Communities Environment Program has been provided to WIRES Mid South Coast Branch to implement a wombat mange treatment program across the Eurobodalla Shire. Federal MP and Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips was in Moruya on Tuesday to meet WIRES volunteer Tony de la Fosse, WIRES specialist carer Nelda Paterson and little Neddie the wombat. “The South...

It's the season for burning off and many people living in bushfire-affected communities are weighing up the benefits of reducing fuel load with the risk of starting an uncontrollable fire. Bega Valley Shire Council has asked residents to comment on a new draft of their Burning Off in Open Areas Policy, which aims to streamline the process of seeking council...

Goulburn grazier, innovator and philanthropist Jim Maple-Brown AM has been remembered by his family for his tenacious belief in ideas. When he backed new research to develop the sale of fine wool by sample and description by forming his own company in the 1960s, Economic Wool Producers, the wool buying establishment rejected him. “Principally, he was courageous,” says his wife,...

The longstanding saga of Braidwood’s historic highway entry lined with golden and Lombardy poplar trees is progressing to the next stage. Last week, Transport for NSW emailed some residents with plans to replace the ageing poplars with new saplings. The poplars have been deemed a roadside hazard because they are too close to the highway, and there have been several...

COVID-19 is, literally, history in the making. Hand sanitiser, video conferencing and travel restrictions have become part of our daily lives, with only memories of beach holidays to comfort us. We are living our history now, but future generations will want to see what happened to us in 2020 and the National Library of Australia wants to document and preserve...