Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council has voted to pursue a route for the Dunns Creek Road that runs through the Wandiyali~Environa Wildlife Sanctuary. Mayor Kenrick Winchester said the route was the community's expected option, adopted by the former Queanbeyan City Council in 2015. The Australian Wildlife Conservancy warned the decision risks irreversible damage to threatened species living in the sanctuary. Councillor Katrina Willis cast the only vote against, citing unfunded infrastructure commitments. The council will now prepare a biodiversity assessment and seek funding assurances for Stage One.
A new Japanese food truck called Tomari Sachi has set up in Queanbeyan, parked at New Planet Supermarket in West Queanbeyan. The truck is run by Zilla Tam and Eddie Cho, who are best known for their McKellar restaurant Raijin. Raijin closed on short notice after its ageing building was deemed no longer up to code, and the owners plan renovations. The menu offers karaage chicken, takoyaki, ramen, Japanese curry and Japanese ice creams. The truck is open Monday to Friday from 5 pm to 9 pm, with Saturday lunch from 11 am and dinner from 5 pm.
A drink driver who killed his friend in a Tura Beach crash has been sentenced to six years' imprisonment. Edward James McCoid was 33 when he crashed on 21 June 2025, killing his 46-year-old passenger. The Bega District Court heard McCoid had a long history of problematic alcohol use linked to his anxiety. Acting Judge Andrew Haesler imposed a non-parole period of three years and 10 months, and McCoid is eligible for parole on 26 May 2030. The judge said McCoid must address his alcohol use before any release on parole.
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Italian restaurant Eleven on Monaro in Queanbeyan is drawing diners to its hidden rear courtyard while Monaro Street is closed for reconstruction. The courtyard has a large pergola, tables for groups and a two-storey mural of John Gale. Access is possible from the free carpark near Club Lime. Owner and chef Aleksander Trpkovski serves wood-fired pizzas from $23, with a focaccia, entrees and pasta also on the menu. The restaurant is at 11 Monaro Street.
A 27-year-old man has been charged with kidnapping after allegedly posting videos of himself assaulting a victim to social media. Police allege the defendant assaulted the man at his home in Dunlop, Canberra, on Saturday, demanding the return of stolen cash. The victim suffered cuts, facial fractures, and bruising. The defendant allegedly drove the man to Queanbeyan, NSW, on Sunday, continuing the assault while recording it. The victim regained consciousness near Lance Hill Avenue in Dunlop and sought help. The defendant appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where a mental health assessment was ordered.
The future of Foxlow Bridge near Bungendore, in southern NSW, is in doubt after state roads minister Jenny Aitchison said there are limited grant funding opportunities for bridge maintenance or replacement. Foxlow Bridge remains closed for safety reasons. Mayor Kenrick Winchester had asked for urgent support, including money for a temporary crossing. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council says it is investigating repair options and alternative crossings, including using the nearby railway corridor. Motorists are directed to Captains Flat or Hoskinstown Road to reach the Kings Highway.
Students at Jerrabomberra High School have started Term 4 of 2026 in new permanent classrooms and vocational education facilities. The NSW Government finished the expansion ahead of schedule. The project doubles the school's capacity to 1000 students and adds a dedicated kitchen for hospitality training. Other additions include a two-storey building with 16 classrooms, a timber workshop and a science laboratory. The expansion was a 2023 election promise. The government says the Monaro district is also receiving new education facilities, including Jindabyne Education Campus and Queanbeyan preschools.
Canberra's Capital Film Festival returns for its fifth year, screening international films at Dendy Cinemas and the National Film and Sound Archive from 21 to 25 October. The Canberra Nara Candle Festival lights up Lennox Gardens on 24 October with candles, Japanese cuisine and traditional dance. Other events this week include a birdsnest pop-up store in Tralee, Circus in the City in Garema Place, and Oktoberfest in the Gardens at Patrick White Lawns on 24 October.
The family of Keren Rowland, a pregnant 20-year-old who vanished in 1971, believes serial killer Ivan Milat may have been responsible. Her body was discovered in a pine plantation near Canberra, similar to where Milat buried other victims. The AFP has offered a $500,000 reward for information, as the family continues to seek justice. Steve Rowland, Keren's brother, has spent 55 years investigating her murder, gathering circumstantial evidence linking Milat to the crime. Despite Milat's death in 2019, the family hopes new leads will emerge, providing answers about Keren's tragic fate.
Queanbeyan mother Nicole Oliver says she had no idea how common heart conditions were until her son Jack was born with Tetralogy of Fallot. Jack spent his first week in intensive care and later had open-heart surgery at six months old at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Now eight, he is healthy and enjoys football. Nicole credits support from HeartKids, Tresillian and Miracle Babies for helping her family. She now takes part in HeartKids' Two Feet and a Heartbeat charity walk each year, which is set to be held at Bowen Park on Sunday, 18 October.
Fashion brand birdsnest will run a pop-up store at the South Jerrabomberra Community Centre in Tralee from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October. The store will feature spring and summer styles from its nine exclusive brands, in sizes 8 to 22/24. Staff will help shoppers find their style. The centre is near a free splash pad, an all-abilities playground, a bike track and picnic shelters. The pop-up opens at 9 am daily and closes at 4 pm on Thursday and Friday, and 2 pm on the weekend.
A report co-authored by the Australian Democracy Network and Deakin University says council rules are hampering the right to protest. It cites a regional New South Wales council that required a $20 million public liability policy for a rally in a park, and a Queanbeyan organiser asked to pay insurance. A Bayside council spokesperson said it was not opposed to a rally but that planned activities required event approval. Local Government NSW and the Office of Local Government were approached for comment.
Three generations of the Notaras family have shaped Canberra's cafés since the 1920s. Greek migrant Harry Notaras opened the Highgate Café in Kingston three weeks before Parliament House opened in 1927, serving more than 4000 meals on opening day. The family's Australian roots reach back to a 1909 naturalisation certificate still held by Eleni Notaras. Sophia Notaras, now 81, recalls home life that mixed Greek customs with Australian customers, including scarce olive oil. Highgate Lane now carries the family name, while the café itself has closed.
Riverside Plaza, Queanbeyan's main shopping centre, has been listed for sale six years after its current owners bought it for $60 million. The town centre site, anchored by a Coles supermarket, is being marketed by CBRE and JLL. JLL says the Canberra-Queanbeyan corridor is benefiting from strong population growth and infrastructure investment. The expression of interest campaign closes on Thursday 5 November 2026.
A writer has found old keepsakes from her youth in Canberra, including a 1994 Salt-N-Pepa concert ticket costing $46.90 at the Royal Theatre. The collection also includes a $4 Cosmopolitan Twin Cinemas ticket, a Ghetto shoe box, and a Triple Treat coupon from 2000 for bowling, swimming and a McDonald's burger at Tuggeranong. Later items include a card from the Insomnia nightclub. The writer says the items together record a Canberra that has largely disappeared, and a version of herself she had thought was gone.
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Wildcare Queanbeyan is monitoring whether a pool noodle barrier needs to go back up to keep new cygnets from being swept over the Queanbeyan River weir. The barrier worked in 2021 and is in storage. Bird coordinator Maryanne Gates says reinstalling it would require cooperation from Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council and the SES, and some residents have raised concerns about the noodles contaminating the water. Gates urges members of the public to call Wildcare if they see a swan in trouble.
A court has heard that two Canberra bikies allegedly tried to extort thousands of dollars from a NSW businessman, including demanding $10,000 for using the Comancheros’ name. The incident occurred at a Queanbeyan business on 1 October 2026. Dean Reid and his co-accused, both accused of being members of the Canberra Comancheros, allegedly demanded $5000 to $5400 and threatened the man. Reid was denied bail due to serious allegations and concerns for the complainant's safety.
Queanbeyan’s sporting community is helping complete the Yvonne Cuschieri House respite care facility. The six-bedroom centre for people aged 18 to 60 with terminal or chronic illnesses has been built, but its future operations depend on political decisions. Local clubs and businesses are assisting with landscaping, with the project scheduled for completion this weekend. The facility is named after Yvonne Cuschieri, who campaigned for a youth respite centre after her son’s death.
Canberra artist Judy Witherdin's glass mosaic sculpture, Phatyma, has been selected for the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition in Bondi. The 1.6-metre, 150-kilogram piece, created over three years, symbolises women's resilience against oppression. Witherdin, a glass artist for over 40 years, handcrafts each tile in her Kaleen studio. The exhibition runs from 16 October to 2 November along Sydney's coastal walk. Locally, Witherdin's work will also feature in the Design + Craft Canberra Festival in November.
