A thief broke into Canberra Reptile Zoo in the early hours of Friday morning (19 July) and stole two pythons and a freshwater crocodile, leaving the zoo's staff and owner devastated. Around 5am, a man was caught on CCTV footage stealing a Stimson's python called Tim Tam, a hatchling jungle python called Zebra, a freshwater crocodile named Jaws Junior and an expensive register...

We say that some people are ‘born smart’ but new research carried out mainly at the Australian National University shows that it’s really eastern blue-tongue lizards who are born with adult-like learning ability. And while human babies with the highest potential intelligence still have to learn to walk and talk, the baby blue-tongues must fend off dangers without help from...

Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of a dramatic and devastating house fire east of Jindabyne. Rural Fire Service crews from Berridale, Kalkite, Jindabyne East, Jindabyne and Wollondibby responded to the emergency on Geikle Creek Road just after 7 pm on Wednesday night. Fire and Rescue NSW from Jindabyne, Thredbo, and Cooma also attended a combined effort that stopped the...

The Forestry Corporation of NSW says its current operation in the Tantawangalo State Forest, southwest of Bega is about promoting sawlog growth, as the value of woodchipping native forests is again brought into question. Peter Day is a concerned resident and one of those behind the Tantawangalo Forest protest page on Facebook. "They seem to be logging continually, I can see and...

The window has closed on any last attempt to revive plans for a flight school at Frogs Hollow, southwest of Bega. In accordance with Section 8.10 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, the six-month appeal period available to Sports Aviation Australia has expired. Bega Valley Shire Council reports that "No appeal against the Southern Regional Joint Planning Panel’s (SRJPP)...

Students at Bega High School have stepped up to fill a gap in the local 'war on waste' and are hoping to turn their efforts into veggies to sell at the local farmers market. "For the second year in a row, we have entered the Colgate Community Garden Challenge," says teacher Verity Keen. "What that means is that we collect...

Many of us crave different foods throughout the seasons. In winter my heart sings at the thought of slow-cooked baked beans, or long-time stirred oats and porridge smothered with maple syrup or honey and loaded with healthy fruits, seeds, nuts and milk. Some of Bega Valley's cafes have been very clever and created heart-warming winter menus to keep us healthy...

Kerbsides in the Eurobodalla are starting to fill up with junk as council launches its annual household hard waste collection. A chance to get rid of unwanted items too bulky for the household bin the annual clean out starts Monday (July 22) in the southern parts of the shire around Tilba. The much-loved service applies to households who normally receive a...

Former Labor candidate for Goulburn, Parliamentary Secretary and Senator, Dr Ursula Stephens is again back in a leadership role as the new CEO for Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA), the Catholic Church's peak national body for social services in the country. Dr Stephens spoke with Region media about “filling the large shoes” of retiring CEO Jesuit priest Fr Frank Brennan...

The Surf Life Saving NSW Pool Rescue Championships brought together almost 450 lifesavers at the weekend with competitors from the Far South Coast and ACT mixing it with 29 other clubs and holding their own. The weekend's event at Woy Woy Peninsula Leisure Centre on the Central Coast marked the eleventh year of competition. The State Championships are focused on...

Fisheries officers from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) are concerned attempts to illegally open a coastal lake at Narooma could lead to large scale fish kills. Investigations are underway following ongoing attempts to illegally open what are know as Intermittently Closed and Open Lakes and Lagoons (ICOLLS). DPI Acting Director Fisheries Compliance, Brett Andrew, says fisheries officers have...

Cooma Police have arrested a local aged care worker following the alleged assault of an elderly man. "An 89-year-old man, who was a resident in an aged-care facility, was in his wheelchair shortly after 3:30 pm on Saturday (July 13), when he was allegedly assaulted by a 61-year-old female employee," police report. The matter was reported to police prompting an...

Candelo-based musician and songwriter Heath Cullen is in LA, poised to begin recording his fourth album, River Caught The Flood this week with Grammy award-winning producer Joe Henry. After the success of 2015's Outsiders and given the calibre of Joe Henry's work, expectations are sky-high. But before he can begin recording more music magic for us, Heath has to ensure he can...

An old school CSIRO scientist who was a passionate believer in scientific research for the public good has died. Dr Philip Spradbery was familiar to many Canberrans for his research, advocacy and activism around the invasive European wasp threat. Born in the UK, he was a keen Boy Scout as a child and an athlete, student journalist and cartoonist during his...

Tathra's small but mighty post office has won big at the 2019 Australia Post Retail Awards in Sydney over the weekend, taking first in the region out of 112 other stores, first in NSW and first in Australia, making it officially the best little post office in the country! Tathra's Licenced Post Office has been under the ownership of Deb and Ian...

After a week of celebrations, the Eurobodalla NAIDOC Awards Ball at The Coachouse Marina Resort in Batemans Bay saw generations come together to recognise each other's contribution and achievements. Guests were treated to a performance of "Hitchhiker" by comedian Dane Simpson who also hosted the event and kept everyone laughing. Eurobodalla Shire Councillor Pat McGinlay was one of the first to...