NEW NEW NEW

In great news for Hobart’s eastern shore, Sophia from To The Table Grazing (and you may have seen her at Staple Coffee too) has opened TISCH Cafe (Shop 8, 29 Lincoln Street, Lindisfarne), which is German for ‘table’. It’s in the heart of Lindisfarne, brewing good coffee and serving cheese boards and sandwiches. Hobart Brewing Co (284 Argyle Street, North Hobart) have made a home in the ex-Overland Brewing space. The DNA is there from the Red Shed – dark walls, homey vibes and great beers. You can also enjoy fresh, hot pizza from Embers. Almost around the corner, Hobart Beer Culture (50 Letitia Street, North Hobart) have opened their North Hobart taproom too – their rotating taps showcase Tasmanian independent breweries alongside selected Australian craft beers, and snacks from Fried and Loaded food truck. They’re also serving Botero coffee from 7am-2:30pm. North Hobart is the talk of this column, with a further new opening on the way. NY Sourdough Pizza (341 Elizabeth St, North Hobart) has opened serving up pizza with a side of art – be sure to check out the cool murals by Rhys Williams.

Hungry Birds is expanding from Devonport and Burnie, heading south to open their third location in Hobart. Buscombe’s Restaurant (1384 Rich­mond Rd, Richmond) has opened near Richmond at Prospect Country House. Prospect Country House’s John and Elizabeth Pooley have appointed James Paul Miller as Head Chef. “With over 17 years of experience in some of Aus­tralia’s most respected kitchens, James brings a refined yet grounded approach to contemporary dining,” Mr Pool­ey said. “His career spans acclaimed venues including Brisbane’s award-win­ning Hellenika, Hobart’s celebrated Peppina, and the destination restaurant Van Bone.” Tasman Sea Salt (97 Mayfield Jetty Road, LIttle Swanport) have opened a salt cellar door. Visitors can enjoy complimentary salt tastings, discover the story behind their clean-en­ergy harvesting process, and enjoy their beautiful waterfront setting. Drop in Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm.

Wellness options are increasing in good news for the stressed among us. Dharma Yoga Centre (148 Hopkins St, Moonah) have spent the last year restor­ing and renovating the Moonah Uniting Church into a beautiful new place offering Buddhist teachings, meditation and various forms of yoga and move­ment that support physical wellbeing, mental clarity and a compassionate way of living. Harnon Sauna (Long Beach, Sandy Bay) has opened beachside, on the grassy area behind the swim­ming beach there. Created by husband and wife, Colin and Amanda. Book a group or a seat and enjoy the sauna and perhaps finish with a cool dip in the ocean too. And still on saunas, Sweaty Penguins (1a Bridge Road, Launceston) have opened one of their hot boxes in Launceston, at Penny Royal Adventures. Book online for a 55-minute private sauna session, with a cold shower within the space for that hold/cold experience.

NEW INTAKE STRATEGY FOR HOBART COLLEGE

Tasmania’s most overcrowded gov­ernment school, Hobart College in Mt Nelson, will see some changes to their intake strategy for the 2027 school year. The college is currently operating above capacity following continued enrolment growth, including demand from students outside the established government feeder school pathway. This year the college had 1,459 stu­dents enrolled at the start of the year. Their estimated capacity is 1,200. Current students will not be affected by the changes coming next year. Dover District School, Huonville High School, Kingston High School, Taroona High School and Woodbridge School remain as feeder schools. Students living within the intake area or with a sibling already enrolled will keep their access regardless of which high school they attend. New international student enrolments at Hobart College could be affected.

KUNANYI/MT WELLINGTON STATS ARE IN

Wellington Park staff have released some fun facts from pinnacle for the financial year 2025-26:

• Only January, February and March were snow- and ice-free on the mountain.
• Pinnacle Road was closed due to snow and ice on 95 nights across the year.
• The closure extended into the day­time for 46 of those closures.
• On 21 of those daytime closures, the City of Hobart team were able to get the road open by 11.30am. For a further 11, they got it open before 2.30pm.
• For 14 closures, the road was closed for more than 6 hours during the day­time. On those days, fair to say that you couldn’t drive your car to the top of the mountain. But on all but ONE of those days, you could still drive to The Springs. Hello Lost Freight Cafe!
• Kunanyi/Mt Wellington is Tasmania’s most-visited natural attraction (yes, it gets more visitors than MONA, and more than both Cradle Mountain and Freycinet National Park combined!).

NEW RULES FOR DOGS

There are some new rules in the dog welfare rulebook across Tasmania. Biosecurity Tasmania has announced that new Animal Welfare (Dogs) Regu­lations 2026 are now in place. The new regulations include updated welfare standards and clearer guidance for own­ers, breeders and business. They come after a recent Dog Welfare Review that included the collection of feedback from the community.

Key updates include:

• Better standards for housing and shelter
• Clearer requirements for exercise, care and wellbeing
• Stronger breeding welfare standards
• Updated health and veterinary care requirements
• New rules for transport, handling and some training practices

RSPCA Tasmania has backed the new regulations but said law reform must go further to stamp out puppy farming in the state. Learn more at www.nre.tas.gov.au/dog-welfare.

TROUBESMITHS TAKES OVER MALL BOOTH

The previously vacant Council-owned booth in the middle of Elizabeth mall is now home to Troublesmiths after they were selected through a competitive public EOI process. A Workskills Tasmania initiative,Troublesmiths is a youth social enterprise that provides training, work experience and employability skills for young people aged 15 to 24 who may face barriers to employment.They will use the booth to showcase handmade, ethical and sustainable gifts and homewares created by young Tasmanians. Revenue generated through sales will be reinvested into programs that support young people through raining, skill development and pathways into meaningful employment. “As a social enterprise, every product we sell helps create meaningful employment pathways and real-world learning opportunities for young Tasmanians,” said Troublesmiths Youth Training Lead Megan Denne. “Being in the heart of Hobart gives our young people the chance to build confidence, develop retail and customer service skills, and connect with people from all walks of life. It creates opportunities for our community to stop, have a conversation and get to know local young people.” “Young people are often defined by stereotypes, but when you take the time to chat and hear someone’s story, you realise that we’re all just people living in Hobart together,”Ms Denne said. Our vision for the Troublesmiths Mall Booth is for it to be a place where jobs, community and connection come together.”

MEASLES WARNING

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is urging Australians to check their measles vaccination status following new research showing an estimated 1.7 million Australians may be vulnerable to the highly contagious disease. National President of the Guild, Professor Trent Twomey, said the findings were a timely reminder of the vital role vaccination plays in protecting communities. “Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world, but it is also one of the most vaccine-preventable,” Professor Twomey said. “We now know immunity gaps exist across several generations – and many Australians simply don’t know whether they have received the necessary two doses. If you’re unsure whether you’ve had two doses of a measles- containing vaccine, now is the time to check.” Australians born during or after 1966 who are unsure of their vaccination history, should contact their healthcare professional.

A STORY OF VANDALISM REDEMPTION

With vandalism an issue for many council areas in Tasmania, one southern council has recently published a story of redemp­tion. As a story on Huon Valley Council’s website goes, a Geeveston teen recently dobbed himself in as having been involved in an incident of vandalism (online foot­age helped confirm this…). He (and his mum, bless) walked into Council’s recep­tion area, where he apologised and offered to help clean up the damage himself. Soon enough Geeveston police had co-ordinat­ed with the cleaning contractor and the teen plus two others also involved spent the day restoring two affected facilities in town. The cleaner said the experience was genuinely rewarding for everyone in­volved, and she’s hopeful the lads walked away having learned something valuable.

STRAHAN “UNWALLING” OPEN FOR CONSULTATION

Plans for the “unwalling” of the Strah­an waterfront have been released, and are now open for consultation. West Coast Mayor, Shane Pitt, confirmed that under the plans, the vast bulk of the “Great Wall of Strahan” will be removed. “Council has listened to feedback from our community,” May­or Pitt said. “The wall was constructed in good faith as part of a long-standing plan to upgrade the Strahan waterfront, however in hindsight the design was wrong. For this reason, we have taken great care and time to engage with the community to make sure we get the unwalling right.”

Since Council voted in January to remove most of the wall, a number of community information sessions and meetings have been held, including with the Strahan Waterfront Advisory Committee. “At the same time, the Advisory Committee have been working with PlaySt to develop plans that will address the concerns raised by the community, primarily the concrete wall, landscaping and wharf access,” Mayor Pitt said. These plans have now been finalised, and can be viewed on Council’s website as well as at two face-to-face sessions with the project consultants, Councillors, staff, and members of the Strahan Waterfront Advisory Committee. Mayor Pitt said that all feedback will be taken seriously and that final plans for the unwalling will be presented to Council for endorsement by the end of September. Sessions will be held at the Strahan Gym & Multi-Purpose Centre, Gaffney Street on Wednesday 9 September, 6pm-8pm and Thursday 10 September, 9am-11am.

TRANSPLANT GAMES HIT TASSIE

The Australian Transplant Games, which unite donors, recipients, families and supporters in a celebration of life, community and resilience, are coming to Launceston at the end of September. It’s the first time in the Games’ 40 year history that the event will be held in Tasmania. 17 different sports will be played over the week, with Pickleball and Netball debuting this time around. The games will run from 26 September to 3 October.

WHAT IS THIS, A QUEEN FOR ANTS!?

Tasmania’s women’s basketball team, the Jewels, has unveiled its official mascot: Queenie the Queen Ant. Jewels coach Claudia Brassard said: “Queenie is an important part of our team, she’ll help us to boost the visibility and value of women and girls in sport, leaving a glittering ant trail of inspiration and aspiration wherever she goes.” Queenie will visit Tasmanian schools, clinics and fans in the lead up to the Jewels’ debut WNBL season. The Jewels’ first game is scheduled for 15 October at MyState Bank Arena.

NEW SHARED E-BIKES HERE (NO SCOOTERS)

The City of Hobart has appointed global micromobility operator Lime as the successful tenderer to deliver Hobart’s new shared e-bike service. Lime has an initial 12-month permit, with an option to renew. Lime will deploy approxi­mately 350 compact e-bikes across the city, focusing on high-demand locations including the Hobart waterfront, Salamanca and the CBD. The permit includes desig­nated parking requirements and no-terminate zones to help keep footpaths and public spaces safe and accessible. Lime operates in nearly 30 countries worldwide and currently provides shared e-bike services in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Sydney.

“Underneath the new Bridgewater Bridge capturing the contrast between human fragility and the monumental infrastructure. Soft morning light and mist soften the rigid architec­ture, creating a quiet moment where scale, symmetry, and solitude converge.” Photo by Steve Puli, which recently won the International Architecture Photography Award in Berlin.

MEMBERSHIP CHANGES AT JACKJUMPERS

The JackJumpers recently changed their membership waitlist by releasing a new category giving non seated members pri­ority access to last minute game day tix. “Each Supporter Member will now have access to exclusive benefits on our new Ant Nest platform, including member-on­ly merch, member-only experiences and member-only priority access to game day tickets,” JackJumpers Chief Commercial Officer Chris Kearon said. “Fans will also be able to see exactly where they are in the queue and receive updates on their march to a reserved seat membership.” A feature you may or may not enjoy, de­pending on your spot on the long waitlist!

NEW MECHANICAL CPR DEVICES IN AMBULANCES WILL SAVE LIVES

Ambulance Tasmania is strengthening its cardiac arrest response capabilities with the rollout of five new state-of-the-art mechanical cardio-pulmo­nary resuscitation devices. The new mechanical CPR devices are portable and deliver consistent, automated chest compressions to patients in cardiac arrest, which helps to main­tain blood flow to the brain and vital organs while allowing paramedics to focus on other critical life-saving interventions. The five new devices will be deployed to Intensive Care Paramedics across Tasmania, with two based in the South (Hobart and Glenorchy), one in the North (Laun­ceston), and two in the North West (Burnie and Devonport).

Ambulance Tasmania Chief Ex­ecutive, Nicole Ashworth said the new devices represent an important investment in cardiac care and work­force capability. “Providing CPR for even a short time can be physically demanding. Research shows that fa­tigue can start to impact performance after just two minutes of performing manual CPR. We manage this by rotating through the compression role within our teams,” said Ms Ashworth. “These devices are particularly valu­able for single responding Intensive Care Paramedics, enabling them to continue delivering life-saving treatment while uninterrupted CPR is maintained.

Ambulance Tasmania currently operates three LUCAS devices within its Critical Care and Retrieval service. One of these devices was utilised during the recent Franklin River rescue operation, demonstrating the value of mechanical CPR capability in complex and demanding envi­ronments. The new devices will be introduced into operational service over the coming months following the completion of training and implemen­tation activities.