The first Shoalhaven City Council meeting was a dress rehearsal to iron out procedural wrinkles. This Monday, the curtain should open on a brand new season of the big-budget drama. But who will star in the show? And will the rate-paying audience be watching a gripping political thriller

Unforeseen drama already has Shoalhaven's newly elected councillors on their toes just a week into the term. Behind the scenes, councillors and staff are asking, when does influence become interference? by Cat Holloway /  In summary: * The shock early resignation of Ward 3 Shoalhaven Independents Group (SIG) candidate Mitchell

Days out from Council's first meeting of the new term, Spark takes a critical look at an issue that has angered arborists, saddened ecologists, confused the community and characterised the long and successful campaign by the Shoalhaven Independents to oust Greens from Council. by Cat Holloway / Of the

Proving that career success starts with personal passion, Jervis Bay's Olivia Williams gave up academic study in linguistics at Sydney University for a Nowra TAFE certificate in horticulture. Now, she's reaping a rich harvest from her choice. by Dan Johns, TAFE, with Global Footprints and Spark

Vincentia's community rallies to save a beloved golf course from big business. by Cat Holloway /  Given just 27 months to live, Vincentia’s Phil Smith threw himself into his lifelong passion: golf.  Phil's friend and fellow golfer, John Dyball, said that, in his golfing heyday, “Phil

Thank you to Spark Shoalhaven's first featured local photographer, Shane Collins, for this stunning Cockatoo gallery, a reminder to us all to get out, get active and get involved in creating a healthy, equitable future for this place we call home. Shane hails from St Georges Basin and

A perfect storm has blown the Shoalhaven Greens way off course in a sea of conservative councillors set to take control of Council following last weekend’s local government election.  by Cat Holloway / For the first time in 20 years, no Greens candidate will sit on Shoalhaven Council, while the

A lawyer for Shoalhaven Mayoral candidate, Patricia White, has threatened outgoing Mayor Amanda Findley with defamation action after Findley publicly opined about White’s performance on council and questioned the background of her repeated claims of financial expertise and experience. Mayor Amanda Findley is currently seeking her own legal advice.

by Cat Holloway / Many people adore musical theatre. Some need more convincing. But since everyone loves a rich chewy fudge, the latest Albatross Musical Theatre Company extravaganza, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is an ideal treat to overindulge in or taste-test the gobstopping talent strutting across Shoalhaven's

by Cat Holloway/ Like church and state, sport and money should be separate. But the game and its cost are inextricably entwined. Regardless of your political leanings or your religious beliefs, everyone (almost) loves sport. So in the lead-up to Shoalhaven council elections, no wonder there's a

by Professor Veena Sahajwalla / Highlighting an innovative Nowra recycling project in this op-ed feature, engineer and inventor, Professor Veena Sahajwalla, explains how MICROfactories extract commercial value from waste materials and point the way to sustainability. At a waste depot in Shoalhaven, NSW, 200 km south of Sydney, old mattresses,

by Cat Holloway / With mayoral destiny in mind, Shoalhaven's three top political candidates each straddle the personal and party line with a unique groove. Jemma Tribe's previous experience sitting in Shoalhaven Council was sometimes fraught with tension over pressure to vote with other councillors. "I

Council votes down caps on conference and travel spending. by Cat Holloway / Shoalhaven City Council has the highest councillor expenses in NSW. But heated and convoluted council debate over the past six weeks has led to - wait for it - no change at all.  Yes, that’s right. Even the Council’

by Cat Holloway / Shoalhaven Council is $1 million down, but not out. Dealing with ongoing fallout from the collapse of cutting-edge waste recycling company, Bioelektra Australia, Shoalhaven City Council CEO, Robyn Stevens, has publicly released 22 documents detailing Council’s involvement with the liquidated firm, the ensuing internal investigation

Amid ongoing controversy over financial woes, Shoalhaven Council voted to preserve $180,000 in grant funding for local community groups. But two powerful deputations at last Monday's meeting made a strong case for not only preserving the efforts of local volunteers, but also attracting more support from government

by Cat Holloway / It’s not often that local councillors unanimously agree, especially on development issues. But that is what happened at Shoalhaven City Council’s (SCC) March 11 meeting when every elected councillor voted to support council staff recommendations seeking to protect the rights of the community. So, who’

by Cat Holloway / Economists have a knack for letting the truth get in the way of a good story. But Dr Cameron Murray’s decade-long investigation into the true story behind affordable housing is as compelling as it is surprising. Do you own, rent or want a home? Do

by Cat Holloway / The unholy row over protecting Huskisson’s old Anglican Church site from development is over.  But according to Huskisson Heritage Association (HHA) President, Shirley Fitzgerald, the Council’s vote to heritage list the Holy Trinity church, graveyard and surrounding land promises an exciting new beginning for the

by Cat Holloway / It’s common: that sinking, guilty feeling of passing wild animals dead on the side of the road. Vastly worse is the experience if your car is one of the thousands on the South Coast every year that collide with a kangaroo, wallaby, wombat or possum. But