Health & Wellbeing

When Kimberli Eke started teaching health classes as part of the physical education program at Moruya High School in 2006, she noticed that she enjoyed teaching the self-esteem components of the curriculum and that the kids were keen, because the issues were relatable. "But two or three lessons weren't enough - self-esteem and confidence affect your whole life," Kimberli says....

My 13-year-old daughter swum to Cooma this season, her weekly tally of the kilometers done in Bega Pool adds up to over 120 km. My two older boys went even further on the strength of coaching and friendship at the 33-metre pool. Mark and Zoe Philipzen took over the management of this community-owned pool four years ago. Although Zoe grew up...

April is the best time to get out and enjoy our region, and while the Easter weekend is busy, a quick holiday or family break either side of it reaps great rewards. Lisa Herbert has been exploring the nature and nurture of South East NSW... Mountain View Farm  Address: 11 Mount Dromedary Trail, Tilba Tilba Ph: 0423 025 686 Website/Bookings...

Cooma water continues to be an assault on the senses as Snowy Monaro Regional Council wrestle with the impacts of ongoing flash flooding. The bad taste and odour in the town's drinking water developed early last month on the back of storm activity along the Murrumbidgee River, upstream of the Cooma Water Treatment Plant (WTP). Large volumes of dirt and silt were flushed into...

Teachers struggling to help students with their reading need only look at 16 Indigenous students at Queanbeyan South Primary School who have set a new benchmark for improving their reading. Now, the national program is looking to help more pupils in Canberra and the surrounding region. Indigenous Reading Program chief executive Dan Billing says the children’s results in 2018 were...

One of the big-ticket items for the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla in last night's Federal Budget was announced 24 hours earlier on April Fools Day - the Morrison Government has committed $500 million to upgrade the Princes Highway between Wollongong and the Victorian border. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack says, "decisions on...

Two Eurobodalla mum's whose lives and families have been shaped by drug addiction have welcomed news that a drug and alcohol rehab centre is planned for Batemans Bay. In the Morrison Government's freshly minted budget, $9 million has been set aside for Mission Australia to develop a 10 bed, 12-week holistic rehabilitation program in the local area. The three-year funding package is geared towards...

Project 8, an inspiring music and digital media program is coming to Bega, Eden and Cobargo starting with the fast approaching Easter school holidays. Coordinator Gabrielle Powell, says the upcoming workshops will cater for the next generation of creative spirits and are geared towards promoting positive messages about staying safe and having fun. “The best alcohol and drug harm minimisation messages...

Good food is about to get a second life through a new partnership between Sapphire Community Pantry and Bega Valley Shire Council. The NSW Environment Protection Authority has allocated $177,070 to Council’s Waste and Recycling team for a project that will redirect food from the Shire's landfill sites to The Pantry in Bega and on to the tables of local families....

In a pre-budget teaser, the Morrison Government has allocated $9 million to Mission Australia for a drug and alcohol rehab facility in Batemans Bay. The three-year funding package for Mission Australia will support the development of a 10 bed, 12-week holistic rehabilitation program in the Batemans Bay area. The service will be modeled on one that has operated at Robertson on...

There is a cricket revival underway in the Eurobodalla spurred on by new, broader forms of the game. Building on the interest and momentum, Eurobodalla Shire Council and Cricket NSW have started working with local schools and cricket clubs to develop a strategy aimed at growing the sport. Council’s Recreation Coordinator, Matt Neason says there is a focus on local...

Tension is building in the Eurobodalla on the back of increasing numbers of flying foxes. New camps are being reported across the Eurobodalla and Bega Valley. At Tuross Head, residents and Eurobodalla Shire Council have seen an increase in the extent and population size of a camp that can now be seen from Hector McWilliam Drive. Council’s Natural Resource Officer,...

Bermagui's Simone Ellis seized an opportunity offered by an Instagram post, added crowdfunding and a whole heap of rope, packed a surfboard bag with her high-end fashion designs and headed to the runways of New York Fashion Week (NYFW) recently. As an independent fashion designer, Simone showcased eight of her extraordinary designs at the 'Flying Solo' show, one of the...

The quality of Cooma's water supply is expected to improve within the next week. Despite recent concerns, Snowy Monaro Regional Council says the town's water supply continues to comply with Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. But given the taste and odour, drinking it has been hard to swallow. Council says the change in water quality was caused by localised storm activity and flash flooding just over 10 days...

The generosity of strangers has replaced any hurt or disillusionment a bunch of Bega Valley Scouts might have felt following the theft of their camping gear at Aragunnu recently. Three Venturers from First Merimbula Scouts and their two leaders lost everything they had with them - stolen in the blink of an eye while hiking between Bermagui and Tathra earlier this month....

A little preschool in the deep, some say remote part of the southern Bega Valley has been identified as one of the best in the industry. Rocky Hall Preschool has been rated as 'Exceeding the National Quality Standard'. The National Quality Standard (NQS) sets a national benchmark for the quality of children’s education and care services across Australia. “An overall rating...