A new Nepali food truck, The Sekuwa Shack, is parked at the Harrison District Playing Fields in Canberra. Owner Rajesh Chaudhary, who previously worked as a courier, opened it a few months ago. He says trade is busiest after sports games at the oval. The menu includes chicken sekuwa, a grilled meat skewer marinated in spices, and steamed vegetable momos served with a tomato and chilli dipping sauce. The truck is open from 2 pm to 7 pm, seven days a week.
The United States has named USS Colorado as the first nuclear submarine to deploy to Australia under the AUKUS agreement. The 10-year-old Virginia-class vessel will be based at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia from late 2027, Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a joint statement. It is the first of up to four American submarines and one British submarine due to rotate through the base. The announcement follows criticism that the US would supply second-hand vessels rather than the brand-new submarine first promised. The statement says the arrangement will comply with relevant non-proliferation treaties.
The ACT Government is considering a new suicide prevention plan and will hold a roundtable early next year, following a parliamentary inquiry into men's suicide rates. Mental Health Minister Marisa Paterson said she welcomed a multi-partisan approach. Independent MLA Thomas Emerson criticised the government's response, arguing that several recommendations were labelled existing policy despite evidence of service gaps. He called for meaningful action on the inquiry's recommendations. No date for the roundtable has been set.
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Brothers Sam, Max and Riley Conway are running their third Sundowner Festival in Downer, following their work building Gang Gang Cafe into a popular live music venue. The festival runs for 11 hours on 31 October across two stages, with market stalls, food trucks and roving magicians. Sam Conway says capacity has risen to 1000 people but the event still feels intimate. The lineup includes indie rock, post-punk, experimental pop, rap and underground dance acts, among them Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Dust and Wax'o Paradiso.
Local small business owner and father of two Grant Brisbin set off from his front door in Woy Woy on Tuesday, October 27. He has begun a multi-day endurance run to Canberra in support of the Leukaemia Foundation.
Grove Studios Academy, in partnership with the University of Canberra, will deliver a new Bachelor of Creative Industries in Contemporary Music Practice. The course will give students a direct pathway into the degree.
Advocates say stigma still stops drug users from getting health care, even though the ACT decriminalised small amounts of illicit drugs in 2023. Speaking at a Canberra memorial for overdose victims, Hayley Shaw described nearly dying from an overdose at 14 and her friend Daniel's death at 29, after he struggled to get adequate pain relief during cancer treatment. GP Ben Harkness said some users avoid mainstream services for fear of judgement.
The Canberra Loy Krathong Festival returns to Ping Ping Thai Food in Kambah on Saturday 31 October, running from 11 am to 6 pm. Entry is free and includes cultural performances. The program features a live band, a tribute show to Thai rock musician Sek Loso, Thai dance, Thai boxing, a Thai fashion show and a pageant competition. Loy Krathong is traditionally held around the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar and is associated with gratitude and new beginnings. Food and drinks are available to purchase, and some prize-based activities carry a small fee.
The Irish Film Festival returns to Canberra's Palace Electric from Friday 6 to Monday 9 November, with its biggest programme in 12 years. The lineup spans dark comedy, horror, music, family drama and documentaries about Ireland's past. Opening the festival is Chasing Millions, an Irish-Australian co-production inspired by Belfast's 2004 Northern Bank heist. Festival director Enda Murray says Irish filmmaking now feels more confident. The 2026 event also marks 80 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Ireland, and the Irish Embassy has backed it as part of that anniversary.
Dozens of Olympic and world champion rowers will compete at this weekend's Golden Oar regatta on Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra. Organisers say the event features more international stars than before, with prize money of $200,000. Croatia's Martin and Valent Sinkovic, who won three Olympic gold medals, return after starring at the 2025 event. The regatta starts on Friday, 30 October, at Black Mountain Peninsula, near the Red Shed, and runs until 1 November 2026. Twenty-four rowers from the Australian National Training Centre will take part.
The ACT Government has signed contracts with Acusensus Australia and Orikan Australia to modernise the Territory's traffic and parking systems. The Acusensus contract is reportedly worth $63 million over five years, rising to $210 million if two five-year options are exercised. A staged rollout is expected to begin in mid-2027. The move comes as a petition led by John Mikita calls for an independent audit of the infringement system. The government says public servants still decide whether to issue an infringement, and it remains confident in existing systems.
Belgravia Leisure has introduced allied health services at three of its Canberra recreation centres, so people can book physiotherapy, exercise physiology and dietetics around their workouts. A physiotherapist is available at Stromlo, and an exercise physiologist and dietitian are based at Gungahlin. Sessions are open to the whole community, not only members. Patients managing chronic conditions can access discounted rates through a GP care plan, and eligible people can use Medicare, DVA, NDIS, HICAPS or workers' compensation. Belgravia says all its allied health staff are accredited.
A series of public sector events is scheduled between November and December. They include a First Nations women's leadership masterclass in Darwin on 4 and 5 November and the NT Governance Forum on 6 November. Leadership and policy courses for APS and NSW public servants run in November. The Regulatory Reform in Practice Summit will be held in Canberra and virtually from 1 to 3 December, with Kelly Wood of the Department of Finance among the speakers.
The Sydney Roosters have withdrawn their contract extension offer to off-contract halfback Sam Walker after the two sides failed to agree on terms. The club said the parties could not reach an agreement despite months of talks. Walker is free to speak with NRL rivals from Sunday. The move follows the Canberra Raiders withdrawing their offer to Hudson Young earlier on Monday. Walker remains contracted to the Roosters for 2027.
The Suburban Land Agency released more land than planned in 2025-26, but its income was $22.9 million below budget. Income reached $406.4 million, up from $237.3 million the previous year. Some mixed-use sites, including blocks in Molonglo, have struggled to sell. The agency blamed softer market conditions, higher interest rates and deferred settlements. It has budgeted for income of $434.3 million in 2026-27, with land releases expected to increase in coming years.
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Federal MPs have expressed support for Helen Haines, the Member for Indi, following an incident outside her electorate office in Wangaratta. Mary Aldred, the Member for Monash, spoke in Parliament and sent her love and prayers to Dr Haines and her family. Ms Aldred also called for a better integrated approach to parliamentary security. She raised concerns about a mental health crisis in regional Australia and said the threats and abuse faced by public figures must be addressed.
Federal Parliament paused on Monday to pay tribute to Indi MP Helen Haines, who is recovering in a Melbourne hospital. Police allege Brendan Nugent, 43, drove a four-wheel-drive into her as she collected items from her car outside her Wangaratta electorate office. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for lower temperatures in political debate, warning of rising rage and aggression. Opposition leader Angus Taylor described the attack as a national tragedy. Politicians across parties spoke about threats against MPs and their staff, and a donation page in her name had raised more than $1.2 million.
NSW Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig has threatened to suspend all of Moree Plains Shire Council for three months and appoint an interim administrator. The Minister's letter cites conduct at council meetings, repeated police involvement and strained relations between councillors. Mayor Susannah Pearse said the council would respond by 6 November and that an extraordinary meeting will be held on 2 November. The council is expected to argue strongly against suspension. Neither the Minister's office nor the Office of Local Government has explained why they did not act earlier to keep councillors and staff safe.
The Canberra Raiders have withdrawn their contract extension offer to forward Hudson Young, who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. The four-year deal was believed to be worth $1.1 million a season, the largest in club history. Young will now become a free agent on Sunday, November 1, and the PNG Chiefs are heavily tipped to sign him from 2028. The club said it had made its decision after talks with board members and senior management. Young has played 155 matches for Canberra since his 2019 NRL debut and remains contracted to the club for 2027.
