Health & Wellbeing

Given the close ties and connections much of Southern New South Wales has with Victorian border communities, NSW Health is warning all sexually active people in the region to be more aware of their sexual health following a major spike in an infectious bacteria. Victorian officials have reported 22 cases of syphilis in the Mildura area, compared to 11 cases at...

Level three water restrictions are now in place for Braidwood as the ongoing drought sucks the upper Shoalhaven River dry. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council says Braidwood's reservoir has dropped significantly, leaving the town with just several months of water supply. For the Braidwood district, fighting the North Black Range Bushfire for the last two weeks, many rural residents have been left...

After a week-and-a-half camping at the Batemans Bay Pony Club grounds, Makayla Good and her horses are home at North Batemans Bay. Makayla, her mum Donna and other family members are "pretty good, a bit tired of sleeping in a swag that's for sure!" The group have been camping out with their six horses, plus other animals evacuated from Nelligen...

Realising Eurobodalla’s potential for a thriving local food economy depends on three things beyond desperately needed rain – cognisance, culinary creativity and cutting old habits. As bushfires force the intermittent closure of highways from Canberra and Sydney, regional communities are contemplating the drawbacks of a centralised food distribution system. Fraser Bayley and Kirsti Wilkinson of Old Mill Road BioFarm say...

Canberra's first family of philanthropy, the Snows, have a launched an Australia-first charitable foundation dedicated to funding the brightest and best medical researchers from across the nation and from around the world. The Snow Medical Research Foundation (Snow Medical) is looking to fuel a new wave of medical innovation by providing generous, long-term funding and leadership support to outstanding researchers...

Police and child advocates have paid tribute to the victims of convicted child rapist Reinhard ‘Fritz’ Drenkhahn. The 65-year-old from Eden on the New South Wales Far South Coast was found guilty last week in Wollongong District Court on three counts of ‘Aggravated Indecent Assault with victim under the age of 16 years’ and one count of ‘Sexual Intercourse with person...

"My passion is supporting rural people," says Zoe Joseph, who grew up in Bombala and has returned to her hometown to live,  albeit with frequent travel to reach other rural communities through her business S.H.E Change. Zoe will be presenting in Bega on Monday (December 16), with an evening for women to stop, take stock and self-assess to find out...

The ACT Government hopes the independent evaluation of this year's pill testing trial that backed the harm-reduction measure will help other jurisdictions overcome their opposition and save lives at future music festivals. The evaluation conducted by the ANU found the Groovin the Moo festival trial was implemented as planned, the service was well received by patrons and stakeholders, and it...

Despite the wide brown land it resides in, Bega Valley Shire Council has voted not to impose water restrictions, pointing to the relatively strong position the region finds itself in. The recommendation before Councillors McBain, Tapscott, Dodds, Griff, Allen, Fitzpatrick, Bain, Nadin and Seckold originally pointed to temporary level 1 water restrictions for Bemboka village, instead, a motion from Cobargo's Tony...

Residents of the Eurobodalla’s northern villages affected by the Currowan Fire can put all three bins out for their regular kerbside collection tomorrow - Friday, December 13. To help with the post-fire clean up, Council’s contractor SUEZ will collect red, yellow and green lid bins at South Durras, Long Beach and Maloneys Beach. A spokesperson for Eurobodalla Shire Council says...

A volunteer organisation, responsible for awarding $1.2 million in grants to community groups over the last 19 years has flagged concerns for its own future. "Over the last nineteen years, more than 290 organisation and groups across the Bega Valley have received support from the Mumbulla Foundation," says Michael Pryke, Chair, The Mumbulla Foundation. "But now the Mumbulla Foundation needs your help....

One of my clearest memories of my grandma dying in a Bega nursing home in 2001 is of her being spoon-fed banana yogurt. I remember her turning away from the spoon, barely able to breathe, and me being insulted on her behalf - gross! banana yogurt, the worst flavour. And this final meal for a proud Dutch woman who loved...

The grounds of Moruya's Red Door Hall now have a community garden designed to cope with the dry times we live in. Sustainable Agriculture & Gardening Eurobodalla (SAGE), received an IMB Bank Community Foundation grant of $20,000 which included establishing a Moruya Community Garden. 'Veggies For All' Coordinator Kathryn Maxwell says “Without this funding this amazing SAGE project would not...

It may be small, but Cobargo's newest food outlet, a mobile kitchen and shopfront custom-built by Tiny Homes Tilba, has already had a big dose of community support. "People have really responded to it," says owner Lena Kuppens, who opened Via Luna for the first time last week with partner Harry Binnendijk. Lena and Harry are from the Netherlands originally...

Teen Clinic, a Bega initiative improving teenage health, continues to grow as they welcome a Board of Directors to assist them on their quest to expand on a national level. Teen Clinic is a free nurse-led, early intervention model of care for teenagers. It sits within existing general practices providing a drop-in service for young people in rural and regional...

A $2 million celebration was held at The Rally for Recovery last Saturday. The milestone marked the amount of money raised for the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation and Kids Cancer Centre (KCC) - all from a modest shed in Tomakin. The Rally for Recovery has been raising funds for KCC since 2001. The Rally, as it is affectionately known, sells...