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 largest

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 brouhaha

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

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 and

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 Malia Barrele / Have you heard the buzz? Right here in the Shoalhaven lies Youth Amplified, our very own community radio station, partnered with Triple U FM. Managed and presented entirely by a crew of young people aged 15-24, Youth Amplified gives local voices a platform to express themselves. "

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

Mollymook environmental campaigner, Monica Mudge, is one of five outstanding NSW women who received a NSW Women of the Year 2024 award at a ceremony at the International Convention Centre in Sydney during NSW Women's Week. Monica Mudge is the visionary behind Treading Lightly Inc., a not-for-profit organisation

Famous civil rights sculpture in Nowra One of the world's most significant sculptures, Broken Obelisk by Barnett Newman, is now installed outside the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery in Nowra on a five-year loan from the National Gallery of Australia. As part of the "Sharing the National Collection"

by Malia Barrele / Adam Clear knows how to turn hardship into happiness. His courage to confront bullies and create a community for young queer people has won him a place in the 2024 ABC Heywire competition for young regional storytellers. Now in its 26th year, Heywire empowers people aged 16-22

by Cat Holloway / Initial land clearing is finally underway on the long-awaited Jervis Bay Road intersection upgrade, a project expected to significantly improve safety and traffic flow on the busy Princes Highway south of Nowra. The "Jervis Bay Road Flyover" is projected to boost tourism and economic activity