NEW NEW NEW

In the heart of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is the dining space – which has been reimagined by Bird in Hand (Lower Domain Rd, Hobart) as a restaurant, tasting room and kiosk. It’s now open for exclusive wine and food experiences. Bird in Hand will also manage weddings and bespoke events at the gardens. Fans of Cyclo will be pleased to hear the popular Vietnam­ese cafe has headed south, with a new Kingston outpost (Shop 5/29 Channel Hwy, Kingston) joining the Moonah and North Hobart family. If you haven’t tried Cyclo, now you have three chances to fix that. Hobart’s pastry lovers are well catered for with the arrival of Doux (Shop 2/126 Bathurst St, Hobart) serving refined cakes, pastries, and sandwiches. Cultura (123 Liverpool Street, Hobart) has reopened following a refurbishment, looking refreshed and ready to continue serving delicious Italian food in the CBD. Same warmth, same excellent tira­misu. KFC (209 Harrington Street, Ho­bart) has arrived in the CBD – the people have spoken and they want chicken.

National retailer Kookai (Shop 2, 55-59 Murray Street) has opened at the Icon Complex in the old Scotch&Soda space. RACT (200 Channel Hwy, Kingston) opens a new branch at Spring Farm Vil­lage this month, adding to the growing new precinct. Red Parka (76 Charles Street, Launceston) has moved north, bringing its joyful, ethically-minded retail universe to the city. The Racquet Collective (Unit 2/30 Innocent Street, Kings Meadows) has opened in Kings Meadows – Tasmania’s first dedicated padel and pickleball facility, housed in a warehouse. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just padel-curious, they run social sessions that are a great way to have a hit on the court and make some new friends in the bar area. Super Chilled (74 Main Road, Penguin) is set to open in Penguin late this month. From the Hey Buddy team, a much-loved West Ulverstone cafe, Super Chilled will serve ice cream, gelato and acai bowls directly across from the beach (and the big penguin!).

COMING SOON

Atlas and Vine (229 Liverpool Street, Hobart) is a new wine bar opening in Hobart’s CBD – set to be your new neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar shaped by season and place we’re told. Owner and chef Nick Kavenagh comes with great training behind him, spending time working at the much-lauded Noma in Denmark.

SCOOTERS SCOOTING OFF

Hobart City Council will remove publicly available hire e-scoot­ers from the streets entirely. Last month, Council confirmed it would end the mixed e-scooter and e-bike hire scheme and transition to an e-bike-only model, with a tender going out soon for a new operator to focus on smaller, more-compact e-bikes. It’s hoped the smaller bikes will suit our narrow and sometimes inconsistent pathways better. Council said the most common complaint they received from residents about the scooters was “inappropriate parking”. There were also ongoing regulatory, safety and behavioural concerns. Councillor Ryan Posselt, chair of the transport committee, said. “An e-bike only model is expected to improve safety outcomes and better integrate with existing cycling infrastructure,” Posselt said. “E-bikes also support active transport, delivering public health benefits alongside emissions reduction.”

SPIRIT BERTH INCHES FORWARD

The long-awaited new Spirit of Tasmania berth in Devonport is reportedly on track to be completed in six months. Four of seven sections of its 700-tonne gantry are now installed and it’s expected that all will be done by October, ready to welcome the two new Spirit ships shortly after.

BUS CHANGES

If you’re a bus-user, you might want to double check your bus timetable as some have changed. The Department of State Grown has announced that changes were coming in May, includ­ing some Metro school bus services. Timetables will be updated to reflect real travel times and – hopefully – improve reliability. To prepare for Term 2 and possible changes, head to https://www.metrotas.com.au/ and scroll down to ‘Hobart Timetable Update’.

NEW ROLE FOR EX-MAYOR

After resigning from her position as Mayor of Kingborough, Paula Wriedt has been announced as the incoming Chief Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS). “With more than 16 years’ experience as CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Tasmania, over a decade as a government minister, and leadership roles including Mayor of Kingborough Council and Vice President of the Local Government Association of Tasmania, Paula brings a strong combina­tion of political insight, industry leader­ship and organisational experience,” said TasCOSS Board President, Ms Georgie Ibbott. Ms Wriedt said she was honoured to have been chosen to lead TasCOSS, a role that aligns deeply with her passion for the community service industry. “My entire career has been about advocating for others and this new position will continue this work representing the many community organisations, their staff and volunteers who contribute so much to our state,” Ms Wriedt said.

VALE, SEQUOIAS

The two iconic but very unwell giant sequoia trees in St David’s Park are now gone. The City of Hobart announced that they would be removed after repeated at­tempts to save the ailing trees, which had been hit by a cascade of impacts over the past two years, had failed. The trees, now each at least 30 metres tall, were planted in 1937 to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, but Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said they were really just babies: “At just 88 years of age these giant sequoias were just babes in the woods. Giant sequoias can live to be over 3000 years old. Our arborist team have done everything they can to save these forest giants, including carrying out a three-stage soil microbi­ology treatment to try and breathe new life into the trees’ root system.” In time they’ll be replaced by two young giant sequoias and the wood from the removed trees will be used in City of Hobart projects, including a new waterfront interpretation project.

TUG BOAT SINKER CHARGED

Remember when a bulk cement carrier crashed into two tugboats and then the tugs sank in Devonport’s Mersey River in 2022? Well the owner of the carrier, CSL Australia, has now been charged over the incident. The carrier, called Goliath, hit the two tugs, called York Cove and Campbell Cove, while they were moored at the Port of Devonport. At the time, the tugs were holding around 69,000 litres of diesel and other oil. CSL Australia has now been charged with unlawfully causing serious environmental harm, and with causing environmental nuisance. The operation to salvage the tugs and get them out of the river took almost seven months. The matter has been adjourned to 9 June for a plea in Devonport.

KINGBOROUGH LOVES A WALK OR RIDE

Kingborough has seen a significant increase recorded in active travel across key local routes. Kingborough Mayor Paula Wriedt said results from the 2025 Super Sunday Recreation Count, conducted by Bicycle Network, representing a 15% increase compared with 2024. “More people are using our paths to stay active and get around,” Cr Wriedt said. “The busiest site surveyed was the Balmoral Road and Beach Road area at Kingston Beach, where 668 trips were recorded over the three hour count period, an increase of 58 per cent to last year.” Cr Wriedt said the Whitewater Creek Track had nearly doubled its users in two years.

HOBART AIRPORT BUSIER THAN EVER (IN A GOOD WAY!)

It sounds like Hobart Airport is the place to be: it’s just hit 13 straight months of record passenger growth. January was the busiest month in its history, with 314,000 passengers moving through the terminal. Then March of this year also overtook March of last year by 7%. Hobart Airport is now the second fastest-growing airport in Australia when it comes to annual domestic passenger growth. It remains to be seen how airline fuel price woes, flight cuts and the ongoing war in the Middle East will impact on the next few months’ stats.

WATER WOES FOR ORFORD AND TRIABUNNA

Orford and Triabunna are now on stage three water restrictions, with dry condi­tions continuing across the East Coast and no significant rainfall forecast. TasWater Head of Communications and Engagement Liz Hafner said the deci­sion to implement stage three restric­tions for the two towns was not made lightly: “We appreciate the efforts the communities in Orford and Triabunna have already made in reducing water usage over the previous months, but unfortunately we are left with no option but to increase restrictions further,” Mrs Hafner said. Stage 3 restrictions aim to reduce non-essential water usage by 75 per cent. It means restrictions to the watering of residential, public and commercial gardens and lawns, with allocated days given to odd-numbers and even-numbered properties. There are restrictions on the watering of sporting grounds, and vehicles may only be spot-cleaned with a bucket or watering can. Pools and spas cannot be filled without prior written approval from TasWater. More info at www.taswater.com.au.

GRENADE FOUND AT BUILDING SITE

A suspected World War 2-era grenade was recently unearthed at a Rosetta building site, sparking the callout of the bomb squad. The rusty device was found in the dirt early on a Sunday. Tasmania Police found that the corroded device was inert so posed no threat to the public. It is thought it must have been brought in from elsewhere in a pile of dirt.

4000 NEW HOMES FOR TASMANIA

The Commonwealth and Tasmanian Governments have struck a deal to unlock the construction of around 4,000 homes, including up to 2,101 homes exclusively for first home buyers. The Commonwealth Government will provide $165 million in support for the deal (through $115 million in concessional loans and $50 million in grant funding). The agreement will also include funding and land contributions from the Tasmanian Government and local Tasmanian councils. The homes will primarily be built in growing areas of Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie including Brighton, Sorell and the Meander Valley.

WEST COAST WALK TO COME

A multi-day walk that is being com­pared to the Overland Track and the Three Capes has reached the next stage. A delegate for the federal environment minister recently decided the 31 kilo­metre Tyndall Range track, pitched as Tassie’s next iconic hut-based walk, will not need further environmental assess­ment. The track, between Queenstown and Tullah, was identified as the best of 35 possible locations reviewed by Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. A detailed feasibility study tested and explored over 50 track route options in and around the Tyndall Range and the recommended option was a three day, two night, hut based serviced walking experience between Lake Plimsoll in the north and Lake Margaret Power Station in the south.

WOMENS SHELTER EXPANSION

Funding for the Hobart Women’s Shelter to almost double in capacity has been confirmed. Having just upgraded its communal spaces, the shelter will now be adding 15 new two-bedroom units on site. The shelter, which provides safe accommodation for women and children in need, has been overwhelmed with de­mand and has to turn away hundreds of women and families each year. The new units will allow the shelter to support an additional 260 women and children, providing up to 15,000 additional safe bed nights each year.