NEW OPENINGS ON THE ISLAND

Sylvie (9/11 Murray Street, Hobart) is a small eatery and cocktail bar focused on sea-to-plate dining and working with local producers. It’s tucked underneath Jackman and McRoss, in the ex-Lowerhouse space. Vineyard Caledon Estate (300 Prossers Road, Richmond) was planted out in 2019 and they are now set to open their new cellar door and wine bar at the end of October. Catering to the wine curious, they grow six grape varieties, with nine different wines. Franklin Wharf Restaurant and Bar (Murray Street Pier, 28 Morrison Street, Hobart) has had a little glow up – walk in and you’ll find a refreshed layout with new casual dining options and more water­front views. Specialty coffee and sand­wich spot Lobby Eatery (134 Mac­quarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania) have added weekend openings, sorting out your new weekend brunch spot. Open 8am-2pm, Saturday-Sunday. Feel the heat of Sri Lankan street cuisine at Salt & Chilli (14 Quadrant Mall, Launceston), where you can try au­thentic dishes such as kottu – stir-fried chopped roti with a mix of veggies, spices, and meat – and eggplant moju. Rum lovers rejoice – 1808 Lounge Bar (186-188 Charles Street, Launces­ton) has opened, serving rum, cocktails and tapas. For the first time in the history of The Royal Oak Hotel (14 Brisbane Street, Launceston), upstairs is open to the public. It’s been storage, offices, private accommodation and, allegedly, the haunt of an old ghost, but now it’s home to relaxed-yet-glam dining rooms. Kingston residents, you’ve got a new barbershop in That’s What’s Up Barber (12a Mertonvale Circuit, Kingston). Barber Jay has owned multiple barber shops around Hobart and is keen to serve Kingston’s growing community of young families. Major sports apparel and equipment retailer Rebel Sport (124/126 York Street, Launceston) has opened a new two-level store in Launceston that also includes a Basketball Experience Zone, where you can get active and shoot some hoops while you shop.

SUN’S OUT, SUNSCREEN ON

Cancer Council Tasmania (CCT) is rais­ing alarms about sun safety, revealing that many Tasmanians still aren’t using enough sun protection. According to a recent sur­vey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Tasmanians are more likely to spend more than 15 minutes outdoors during peak UV times (75.9%) compared to the national average (60.6%). The survey, which looked at over 8,500 Australians from November 2023 to February 2024, also found that Tasmanians are more likely to suffer sunburn after just 30 minutes of exposure. CCT CEO Alison Lai stressed that UV radiation is a major risk factor for skin cancer, and repeated unprotected exposure increases this risk over time.

While it’s promising that about 52% of Tasmanians used three or more forms of sun protection, that’s still a signifi­cant number neglecting sun safety. CCT emphasises the importance of integrating all five sun protection measures – wearing protective clothing, applying SPF 50+ sunscreen, donning a broad-brimmed hat, seeking shade, and wearing sunglasses – into daily routines, especially during high UV periods.

CHANGES TO COLLINS STREET

The Hobart City Council has endorsed a trial of changes to Collins Street (from Molle to Murray Streets), set to begin in early 2025, and will last for 24 months. This plan includes adding more greenery, creating spots for outdoor dining and seating, and introducing separated bike lanes. After three months of engaging with local businesses and residents, the council made some tweaks to the original plan to incorporate this feedback. They’ll be adding 10 parking spaces back into the plan, keeping Victoria Street one-way to save seven parking spots, and extending the Centrepoint carpark opening hours to help local businesses during the trial. Plus, there’ll be a new app to show where 1,000+ parking spots are available in real time. The trial will also include a pro­posed lowering the speed limit on Collins Street to 30 km/h.

SURF’S UP FOR SUMMER

Registration for the Disabled Surfers Association Tasmania’s Let’s Go Surfing events are now open via Humantix, valid for both surfers and volunteers. The events will take place at Carlton Park Surf Lifesaving Club on 2 February and 2 March 2025. Approximately 150 volunteers are needed to make for a fun, smooth experience for surfers with higher needs.

OLD WEST COAST MINING TOWN ACCESSIBLE AGAIN

Locals and tourists can reach the his­toric town of Balfour again thanks to a brand-new bridge in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area. The Cassiterite Creek Bridge, built by Hazell Bros and made in Ulverstone, is set to last 100 years and can handle more weight, meeting modern standards. Road repairs, including new culverts and gravel, have also been completed. Balfour is a former mining town that once thrived, but is now a fascinating spot of local history and precious nature.

GLENORCHY POOL LIVES AGAIN

After being closed for more than a year, the Glenorchy Memorial Pool is finally on track for revival. The pool, which was 60 years old and shut down due to safety issues, will be replaced with new and improved facilities. The closure of the pool led to outcry from the community. Glenorchy Mayor Sue Hickey and the Glenorchy City Council said they took a lot of feedback into account before making a decision. They’ve settled on a plan for a new indoor aquatic centre that will have everything from a 50-metre pool to a café and gym. The new facility will have both indoor and semi-open-air options. This is still early days as the council needs to finalise funding, so don’t get your bathers out just yet.

TASMANIA IS THIRD WORST STATE AT PROTECTING TREES

It appears Tasmania isn’t doing so great when it comes to protecting and restoring trees – it’s ranked as the third worst Australian state or territory. Last year, the World Wide Fund for Nature reported that New South Wales was the worst of all nine states and territories for tree protection and restoration, getting a ‘very poor’ rating. Queensland wasn’t far behind coming in eighth and Tasma­nia was just a step better, ranked seventh with a ‘poor’ rating. No state did better than average, with South Australia being the highest-ranked at an ‘average’ level. Australia has already lost more than half of its forests. There’s still a lot of forest left, but unlike other wealthy countries that have stopped further clearing and are working to protect their forests, it appears Australia isn’t quite there yet.

BUSES BACK IN GAGEBROOK

Bus services have returned to the Gagebrook and Herdsmans Cove areas. Metro Tasmania pulled their services from the area earlier this year amid safety concerns following rock throwing incidents. Metro says they will continue to work alongside Tasmania Police to monitor and respond to any incidents in the area.

NEW HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETED

The new Brighton High School has completed construction. The school will open in 2025 to Year 7 and Year 11 stu­dents in the catchment area to start with, before adding Years 8, 9, 10, and 12 as the inaugural students progress. Brighton and surrounding suburbs are some of the fastest-growing areas in the state, so this new high school, built to accommodate up to 600 students, is welcomed. Features include a multi-purpose hall, performing arts space, gymnasium, commercial kitch­en and café, outdoor learning street and a technologies space. The feeder schools for Brighton High School will be Brigh­ton Primary School, Kempton Primary School, and Bagdad Primary School.

ONLINE SAFETY CODE FOR CHIL­DREN ANNOUNCED

New legislation has been introduced to improve online privacy for all Austra­lians, including the inaugural Children’s Online Privacy Code. “This code will ensure children’s data is only collected and used in a way that serves their best interests and will provide them with the protections they are entitled to,” said Katie Maskiell, Head of Policy and Advocacy at UNICEF Australia. Sarah Davies AM, CEO of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, called the an­nouncement a significant step towards protecting children online. “At present, when children go online they enter a ‘data economy’, where their personal informa­tion is collected, analysed and monetized – and in some cases exploited – on a vast scale,” Davies said. The drive for data has led to digital products and services featuring elements designed to increase user engagement and data collection, such as low-default privacy settings, location tracking, frequent notifications, endless scrolling, weak age restrictions on adult content, and algorithms that promote interaction with strangers and extreme content. “This situation exposes children to many risks, including harms to their concentration, mood and sleep; contact with strangers; viewing of age-inappropri­ate content; and serious breaches of their privacy,” Davies said. A well-designed Children’s Online Privacy Code could help protect children from these dangers. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner will lead the development of this Code, supported by $3 million in funding over three years.

KICK BAD HABITS TO THE CURB

CSIRO has introduced a tool to help Aussies break unhealthy eating habits and improve weight management. The Healthy Habits Quiz uses psychology and behavioural science to give users person­alised advice on how to start and maintain healthier habits. The quiz is based on recent research by CSIRO, involving nearly 2,000 Australians, that showed that moods heavily influence eating patterns. Three-quarters of participants admitted to eating more when bored, and over half when feeling down. On the flip side, positive emotions generally led to reduced food intake, with nearly half of the respondents eating less when they were happy. Chocolate is the top temptation for many, followed by cheese and bread rolls. Men were more likely to be tempted by beer and processed meats, while women reported a higher temptation for savoury crackers, cakes and muffins. You can take the Healthy Habits Quiz at www.totalwellbeingdiet.com/au.

HOW TO HAVE A SAFE HALLOWEEN

The spooky season has arrived. As ghoul­ish goblins, spooky spirits, and wicked witches start to come out, children are scouring stores for the creepiest costumes, while parents stock up on sugary sweets. All this excitement builds up to 31 Octo­ber – Halloween.

While some argue that Australians shouldn’t celebrate Halloween due to its American commercialism, Halloween actually has a long history in Australia, having been introduced here by Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 1800s.

More Australians are discovering the fun in Halloween. According to a 2023 Roy Morgan survey, just over 1 in 5 Austra­lians now celebrate Halloween, and this number is growing each year. It’s an opportunity to enjoy time with friends and family, and a chance to connect with neighbours.

Safety tips for Halloween:

• Equip children with glow sticks or flashlights, use reflective tape or stick­ers on costumes and bags, and opt for light-coloured clothing to enhance visibility for drivers.
• Ensure there’s parental supervision for kids who are trick-or-treating.
• Choose costumes that are the right size to avoid trips and falls. Choose masks carefully, as masks can ob­struct vision.
• Keep an eye on the lollies and loot the kids are picking up. If you’re sharing loot, aim for wrapped treats.

LITTLE BLUE BOAT SAVED

For almost 50 years the iconic Little Blue Boat, officially named Sea Breeze, has been moored on the River Derwent at Montrose Bay. Having been extensively damaged in the recent wild weath­er in September, the boat will be restored to her former glory. Now, she sits in a little blue shed in the Huon Valley awaiting repairs by the Wooden Boat Centre. To help pay for the costly repairs, the Wooden Boat Centre is launching a go-fund me campaign. Until then, if you wish to help, fully tax deductible donations can be made at their website here www.woodenboat­centre.com/little-blue-boat.

NEW VINNIES BASE FOR GLENORCHY

The St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) has announced the construction of a new facility at Mill Lane in Glenorchy. “The Mill Lane Precinct will provide a central and accessible location for our staff, volunteers, and supported workers, enabling us to enhance the support we offer to vulnerable individuals and families across the state, but particularly across the northern sub­urbs of greater Hobart,” said Vinnies Tasmania president Corey McGrath. The development will occur in two stages. The first will create workspaces for St Vincent Industries, Tas Textiles, the Southern Regional Office, and a new emergency relief hub, which will include a food pantry and a permanent Loui’s Van kitchen. Stage two will refurbish the existing Tas Textiles factory into a new Vinnies Retail Store, with improved parking and customer facilities. The precinct will also offer shared spaces for training and administrative functions, alongside a larger dining area. Completion is expected in about nine months.

STRONGER LAWS SET FOR GAMBLING IN VIDEO GAMES

The Australian Classification Board has made some changes to video game ratings that are both positive and a bit confusing. New laws mean that games with any simulated gambling will now get a mandatory R18+ rating, restricting sales to those over the age of 18. However, games that include actual gambling el­ements, like paid loot boxes, will only get an M (Mature) rating. This means they’re not recommended for kids under 15, but kids can still buy them. So, while it’s a step in the right direction, is it far enough? The goal of these changes is to reduce kids’ exposure to gambling behaviours. Moving forward, all new games released in Australia will need to follow these updated rules. However, the laws won’t apply retroactively to already-released games.

AND HE WILL WALK 330 KILOMETRES MORE

Former Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein has geared up for another epic charity walk, this time from Launceston to Canberra (with a flight from Launceston to Sydney in between). It’s over 330 kilometres long and called The Walk, Better Together. He kicked off on 1 October and expects to wrap it up by 9 October. Back in June, Peter took a 350 kilometre trek across Tasmania to address rising concerns of racism and promote the benefits of cultural diversity. He was joined by Tasmanians from migrant and refugee backgrounds, who shared their stories and showed how they contribute to the community. This first effort, called The Walk, Step Up Together, raised over $60,000 for cultural awareness training. Now, The Walk, Better Together aims to showcase how migrants strengthen Australian industry and pro­mote inclusion, with hopes of securing federal funding to keep the conversation going.

FROM GO FISH TO BIG FISH

Into card games, fishing, and marine life? Well, you’re in luck, because there’s a new card game on the way that combines all these things, and it’s called Big Fish. Developed by a team at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Sciences, the game’s aiming to be as fun as it is edu­cational. To win the game you must find the best fishing strategy to collect points from catching fish, while keeping your fishing spot healthy and protected from natural disasters and other players. The team launched a Kickstarter campaign in September to help get the game out, and that’s how you can secure yourself a copy. Learn more and contribute to the crowdfunding campaign at www.bigfish­cardgame.com.

DEVONPORT THE BEST IN TOWN

Devonport has been named Australia’s Top Tourism Town for 2024 at the National Top Tourism Awards. The town took the prize by being an ideal launchpad to explore many of the other beautiful places in Tasmania, including to the Cradle Mountain region, while still being a great place to visit in its own right. They weren’t the only Tassie winners at the show. Richmond took bronze in the Small Town category and Stanley won silver in the Tiny Town category. Hosted by the Australia Tourism Industry Council in Canberra, the national awards are deter­mined by a judging panel and incorporate consumer review scores for tourism products within each town. Our tourism industry just keeps winning.

GRAND SAVIO COLLEGE REUNION

The Grand Savio College Reunion will be held over the weekend of 18 – 20 October 2024, with events for exiting Savio students between 1947 – 1972 inclusive. For those wondering where and what the Grand Savio College is, the school is now Dominic College, at the top of Tolosa Street in Glenorchy. To be placed on the email contact list and for more information, contact Tony Webb at tonywebb2001@gmail.com.

SIMON AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Did you know Hobart might be getting its very own chocolate experience soon? Think of it like Willy Wonka’s factory, but without the weird stuff like child mutations or Oompa Loompas. It’s called the Hobart Chocolate Experience, and it’s getting closer to becoming a reality. The recent state budget revealed the government has committed $4 million to the project, which is now fast-tracked, but needs additional funding from private investment. Founder and Managing Director Simon Currant is hoping to submit the development plans in the next six months. He’s been working on this for nearly 20 years. The plan includes a factory control room, a chocolate lab, a playground for kids, and a café. Cadbury is heavily involved in the project, and they’re hoping it will draw about 500,000 visitors each year.

THYLACINE SIGHTING IN SANDY BAY

“I took this in my front garden in Sandy Bay. The light from car head­lights cast shadows from the fence on my greyhound, Lenny, making him look…well, what do you think he looks like? The weird grey wispy thing is my other dog. The iPhone auto­matically did a long exposure and she was moving so she ended up a wispy ghost.” – Helen from Sandy Bay.

HISTORIC TASMANIAN ART NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

The Royal Society of Tasmania has released an online catalogue of its historic art collection, making over 900 images available to the public. “The collection is a very important part of Tasmania’s cultural heritage,” said RST President Dr Julie Rimes. “We want to share the collec­tion with the Tasmanian community, and making the artworks publicly available through this online catalogue is a really accessible way of doing that.” Many of the artworks capture how various areas in Tasmania looked nearly 200 years ago. The majority of the collection was assem­bled around 1900 in an effort to preserve artworks and other documents related to Tasmanian history.

TEACHERS RECOGNISED FOR WORK

Congratulations to three Tasmanian teachers making a real difference in their schools who were recently recognised in the 2024 Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards. Georgia Park from Cosgrove High School and Josh Salter from Burnie High School were among 12 teachers recognised across the country with 2024 Teaching Fellowships. Rebecca Johnson from John Paul II Catholic School in Rokeby was awarded a 2024 Early Career Teaching Scholarship. Thanks to all our fab teachers!

NO MORE BLUNDSTONE ARENA

Blundstone Arena will no longer be called Blundstone Arena, as Blundstone Australia announced the end of their 13- year sponsorship with Cricket Tasmania recently. Bellerive Oval first rebranded as Blundstone Arena in October 2011, when a deal made it the first Australian inter­national cricket ground to offer naming rights for its venue. The original naming rights agreement between Blundstone and Cricket Tasmania was for five years before being extended for a further five and then another subsequent three years up until 1 October this year. Cricket Tas­mania will have an announcement about their new naming rights partner in the coming months.

THREE TASSIE TIGER ANCESTORS DISCOVERED ON THE MAINLAND

88 years ago the last known thylacine died in Hobart’s Beaumaris Zoo. Now, three more species have been added to the thylacine’s evolutionary tree. Scientists from UNSW Sydney have discovered these new species of thylacines in fossils unearthed from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in north-western Queensland. In a recently-published research journal, scientists say the new species are now the oldest members of the thylacine family to date, estimated to be 23-25 million years old. The largest of these new species, Badjcinus timfaulkneri, weighed between seven and 11 kilograms – about the same size as a large Tasma­nian devil. The second new member being added to the thylacine family, Nimbacinus peterbridgei, was slightly larger than a ti­ger quoll, weighing around 3.7 kilograms.

The third new species is Ngamalacinus nigelmarveni. It weighed around 5.1 kilo­grams, about the size of a red fox. “These new species exhibit very different dental adaptations, suggesting there were several unique carnivorous forest niches available during this period,” said study lead author and PhD student Tim Churchill. Co-author Professor Mike Archer said the once suggested idea that Australia was dominated by reptilian carnivores during this time is steadily being dismantled as the fossil record of marsupial carnivores increases with each new discovery.

TASSIE ARCHI-TRIO WIN BIG

Three architecture students from the Uni­versity of Tasmania have won the Nation­al Super Studio Design Competition with their disaster relief housing project called Jingana Epicormic Resilient Community Housing Strategy. Students Mia Larsen, Luke Pendergast, and Lachlan Sutton came up with a flexible housing design in­spired by the Jingana plant, that should be customisable and relocatable in the face of weather disaster. The competition, run by the Australian Institute of Architects, had over 80 teams showing off their cre­ative ideas for tackling extreme weather. The winning trio got a cash prize, and will also score some mentorship from top architects.

SOUP-ER WIN FOR SAIGON

Launnie’s Saigon Kitchen has done it again. The reigning champs have been crowned Launceston’s favourite Soupali­cious venue for 2024. Their beef pho beat out five other contenders in a city-wide taste test throughout August. Soupalicious is part of Launceston Central’s foodie competitions, including Mugalicious and Toastalicious, to boost local businesses during the colder months. The last Soupa­licious competition was in 2019, which Saigon Kitchen won. Other competitors this year included Country Women’s Association with their vegetable soup, Earthy Eats serving up Thai pumpkin soup, Great Scot! with pea and ham soup, Malaycious with laksa soup, and Neil Pitt’s chicken and corn soup.

WHOOPING COUGH RISING

Tasmanians are being urged to get vaccinated for whooping cough as case numbers rise across the state, particularly in the south. From zero cases in 2022, to 5 in 2023, we’re now up to 300 documented cases this year, with numbers expected to continue to rise over summer. Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is a very infectious disease caused by bacteria that spreads easily and causes a coughing illness. It affects people of all ages, but infants under six months are at greatest risk of severe disease.

Acting Director of Public Health, Dr Scott McKeown, said that this increase has been expected and is in line with trends currently seen in other Australian States and Territories. “Every three to five years we see increases in whooping cough cases caused by reduced community immunity,” Dr McKeown said. “The most important message is for pregnant women to get a whooping cough vaccination during each pregnancy to protect their baby before it can receive its own vaccine from six weeks of age. Infants and young children should receive their routine childhood whooping cough vaccines from six weeks, four months, six months, 18 months and four years of age for protection from severe illness,” he said. “Immunity from the whooping cough vaccine reduces over time, so it is also important for other adults and older children who live with, or plan to be in contact with, a young baby to get a booster vaccine,”

Symptoms of whooping cough often start like other respiratory illnesses, including runny nose, mild fever and cough. The cough can then get worse with severe bouts of coughing fits, sometimes followed by vomiting or a gasping breath that causes a “whoop” sound. Adults may present with a persistent cough. If you have any respiratory illness symptoms please stay home, and contact your doctor if you’re worried.

CBD CCTV NOW IN COPS HANDS

In a possible Australian first, over 300 council CCTV cameras will now beam live and recorded footage to Tasmania Police officers in real time so they can monitor and track down criminals. South­ern District Commander Jason Elmer said the system was working well already. “On the very first day of the portal being installed, officers used the system to help guide their colleagues on the beat to locate a suspect who had committed an offence in the CBD,” he said. Another example given was that police could monitor the welfare of people stuck at the visitor centre on the top of kunanyi/Mt Wellington during the recent storm. City of Hobart recently invested $1.8 million to expand the security camera network in what Lord Mayor Anna Reynold called an ‘insurance policy’. “The city is a relatively safe place to be compared to many other cities around the country. It’s a vibrant and welcoming place,” she said. “But these are an insurance policy to ensure that people know that we can follow crimes and if a criminal act is undertaken in the city, people will be seen through these kinds of cameras.”

SHOULD YOU BE WORRIED ABOUT TFA IN WATER?

A recent article in The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) by journalist Carrie Fellner explored the rise of a chemical called trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The article described TFA as “the most rampant forever chemical on the planet, with air-conditioning and refrigeration believed to be propel­ling its rapid accumulation in human blood, drinking water, household dust, plant-based food, rain and the oceans.” The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) categorises TFA as a forever chemical, part of a broader group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are nearly indestructible in the environment. The rise in TFA can be traced back to the gases used in air-conditioning and refrigeration introduced in the 1990s, which were developed after earlier alternatives contributed to the hole in the ozone.

The article had a local connection, featuring comment from Professor Brett Paull from the University of Tasmania. To gain a better under­standing of TFA and if Tasmanians should be worried, we reached out to Professor Paull.

“TFA is everywhere, and is both natural and made-man, with the latter resulting in its steady increase, but not really a health risk which we can identify,” Paull said. He added that it’s premature for the public to be overly concerned about TFA at this time. However, he noted TFA’s growing prevalence and the need for more thorough health assessments. He also said that local councils have limited ability to address this global issue. “It’s a national rather than local concern, and currently it’s a concern with a small ‘c’. In ten years time, I think it may be higher up the concern list, as it’s increasing and gaining the attention of environmental scientists due to its mobility and persistence,” Paull shared.