NEW OPENINGS

If you love Elly’s delicious popcorn, then call in to their new cafe space, Elly’s East Coast Kitchen (49 Tasman Highway, Orford), which is open seven days a week from 7:30am until 4pm (with longer hours planned for summer). Old faithful T42 (Ground Level, Elizabeth Street Pier, Unit 59/4 Franklin Wharf) is now under new management and temporarily closed while it’s undergoing a facelift. Cygnet has welcomed Poolish & Co (26 Mary Street, Cygnet), a new bakery on the main street offering bread, pastries and other treats, served with locally roasted Beansmith coffee. And heading north, Oatlands is now the home of Heartlands Larder (47 High Street, Oatlands), the perfect stop on a Launnie road trip. Dine in on salads, tacos, soups and pasta, or grab something hot to go. Open from 10am – 6pm Thurs­day to Monday. Minimax is moving to a new location at 119 Collins St, Hobart in the old Country Road site. And after eight years in Mathers Lane, The Lab Beauty Method have moved to a larger space at 3 Pitt St, North Hobart.

NEW LEARN TO SWIM VOUCHERS

Learn to Swim programs are finally being included in the Tasmanian Government’s Ticket to Play Program. Learning to swim is an essential skill for all Australian kids, but many families can’t afford it or find it just too difficult to coordinate. The gov­ernment’s Ticket to Play vouchers provide $200 towards the cost of club member­ship, and can now be used to join Learn to Swim programs for eligible children aged 5-7 (children listed on Centrelink Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card or in Out of Home Care). Hopefully we’ll see an increase in kids learning to swim in Tassie! For all Ticket to Play enquiries call 1800 252 476.

E-SCOOTERS AND SCOOTER RANGERS TO ROAM THE STREETS

Hobart is a step closer to having electric scooters for hire with the selection of two major suppliers, Beam and Neutron. The hire system will be app-based and use geofencing – a way to enforce a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area – to determine where the scooters can and cannot be taken. The scooters would have safety features including a low-speed be­ginner mode, pedestrian detection sensors and dangerous rider behaviour detection. Users can’t complete their ride session until the scooter is parked in a designated safe parking zone.

Perhaps most excitingly, a team of Rapid Response Rangers will attend to fallen or incorrectly parked scooters, customer complaints, and any incidents involving a scooter. Here’s hoping they’ll help avoid a fate similar to that of Sydney’s public hire bikes, which can be found abandoned in fountains and alleyways across the CBD. And our biggest hope is they also wear epic uniforms, perhaps based on the Power Rangers, or Paw Patrol. We’re happy to help with this. Anna Reynolds, Lord Mayor of Hobart, said the scooters fitted into the Council’s plans to create a more sustainable city. “We see micromo­bility modes playing a significant role in reducing traffic congestion in the city and encouraging more sustainable transport solutions,” Cr Reynolds said. “With the Derwent ferry service now operating to bring commuters across the river, the opportunity to pick up an e-scooter when they arrive could be an ideal ‘last mile’ option for many.” A 12 month trial will begin later this year and a consultation program will take place approximately three months into the trial to gain feed­back.

ARE YOU VITAMIN D DEFICIENT?

Are you tired and rundown? Do you generally feel this way at the end of winter? You might be low in vitamin D – a common deficiency in Tasmania that you should ask your GP about. vitamin D is a hormone produced by the body when your skin is exposed to sunlight, so a de­ficiency can hit Tasmanians at the end of a long, dark winter. vitamin D is essential to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy as it regulates the amounts of calcium and phosphate in the body. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include fatigue, mood swings, and muscle or bone pain and weakness. A severe lack of it can lead to bone deformities – such as rickets in children, and in adults, bone pain and a condition called osteomalacia. Those of us living in Tasmania need to think about how we can get enough vitamin D – we can get some of it through food, but not enough. Laura Cini, a Hobart nutritional herbalist and naturopath, said our main source of vitamin D needs to be smart sun-exposure, and if necessary, supple­mentation. “The trick is to get the right amount of sun exposure for your skin type for vitamin D without getting too much sun exposure and increasing the risk for skin cancer,” Laura told us. “During Oc­tober, as UV levels are low to moderate in Tasmania, experts generally advise most Australians to get a few minutes of exposure around the middle of the day. If your vitamin D is low, you need advice from an experienced health practitioner specific to you.”

HOBART CITY PARKING CHANGES CONTINUE + NORTH HOBART METERS SWITCHED OFF

Does the cost of parking in the city or North Hobart stop you from going? Not long after the increasing parking rates the Hobart City Council has made some significant changes to parking costs across various areas in an effort to encourage shoppers and diners to spend time – and therefore money – in the CBD and North Hobart. In North Hobart, parking meters on Elizabeth Street have been switched off and hooded while various changes are made to revitalise the area. North Hobart businesses have been begging Hobart City Council for assistance for months, claiming the original installation of park­ing metres has caused their businesses to suffer.

Council CEO Kelly Grigsby said data showed that while parking activity had increased since the North Hobart meters were brought in, local businesses had not seen a flow-on effect in their takings. “Traders have told us that visitor numbers are significantly down,” Ms Grigsby said. “It’s important that the City takes steps to alleviate this through parking and business support options, and it’s appro­priate that the meters be switched off in the interim.” The meters were originally installed in response to claims that food delivery vehicles were clogging up Eliza­beth Street parking areas.

Meanwhile, discounted parking will be made available to assist patients attending Hobart’s hospitals and other specified in-patient services. Under a new scheme a flat rate of $5 a day will be available in the Argyle Street Carpark.

MORE LOCAL TREES VANDALISED

Tree poisoning incidents in greater Hobart have increased, with two significant poisonings this past month alone. In early September, mature natives, including banksias and eucalypts, were reportedly deliberately poisoned at Second Bluff, on the Eastern Shore. Clarence City Council and Tasmanian Police are investigating the incident, which has an estimated damage bill of $185,257. Clarence Mayor Doug Chipman said whoever was re­sponsible might have had water views as a motive. “It’s very hard to imagine why somebody has been so vicious and mali­cious in vandalising this patch,” he said. “I suspect that views could be involved.”

Further south, Kingborough Council confirmed they’ve had a recent case of tree vandalism too. Trees planted during a Bonnet Hill Community Association and Kingborough Council native Tasmanian tree planting project at Sedgebrook Re­serve were poisoned and have died. The trees were silver peppermints (Eucalyptus tenuiramis), a species that is particularly needed in the area for habitat and shade. Volunteers had grown the trees in Coun­cil’s native nursery. If you have any infor­mation about the vandalism, or notice any further suspicious activity in regards to local trees, report it to either the Tasma­nian Police or to your local Council.

This second act of tree vandalism in a matter of months has us thinking – should greater Hobart residents and councils follow the likes of Sydney’s Bayside Council who responded to the poisoning of aged banksias along a foreshore area by plonking shipping containers – decorat­ed with beautiful paintings of similar trees – in the exact same spot. If anyone spoiled the trees to gain water views, they’ve not made any progress!

Meanwhile, the City of Hobart is now calling for nominations for new additions to the Significant Tree Register. Anyone can nominate trees on public or private property – including on someone else’s private property. Nominations will be assessed according to a tree’s aesthetic significance, outstanding size, age, links to historic events or people, landmark significance, rarity, or ecological value.

SEEKING SPARE OFFICE SPACE

The Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service is seeking free (or very cheap) office space in the Hobart CBD area in the months leading into Christmas. The Afghan crisis has seen the TRLS gain 100 new clients within the first two weeks of Taliban control, and more since, and they’ve responded by adding extra staff members and taking on many volunteer helpers. Donna Woodleigh, TRLS Migration Law­yer, thanked the community whilst asking for any leads on appropriate office space: “We need to work quickly to respond, and need space to see clients, take confidential calls and work with interpreters as well as have appropriate desk spaces for volun­teers assisting,” Donna said. “All sugges­tions are welcome! We appreciate all the support that our community has provided us to date. We’re grateful for the support, donations and fundraising efforts of the community to assist our staff, volunteers and clients at this time.”

ACCESSIBILITY VS HERITAGE

What is more important – the her­itage value of a building, or a per­son’s right to access it? The City of Hobart recently voted to investigate the process of ensuring accessibility in heritage buildings is not refused solely on heritage grounds. Councillor Jax Ewin moved the motion, saying assessment against planning criteria is important, but needs to be balanced against the City’s Anti-Discrimination Act obligations. “Of course we need to protect what makes our town special, but this should never be at the cost of excluding anyone in our community, especially people with disabilities,” Cr Ewin said.

CAT PROHIBITED AREAS DECLARED IN KINGBOROUGH

Kingborough Council has voted to make Algona, Coffee Creek and Huntingfield Reserve all Cat Prohibit­ed Areas (CPA). Kingborough Mayor, Paula Wriedt said at least 627,100 native animals are killed in the King­borough area each year from domestic cats alone, “so, these Cat Prohibited Areas are an important step towards protecting our wildlife that we know is under increasing pressure from urban development. We want to send a clear message that all cat owners need to be responsible for their cats, just as dog owners are.” During recent consulta­tion, the Kingborough Council stated that all submissions were in favour of declaring the Cat Prohibited Areas, and social media comments were all also very supportive. “This declaration means that residents who live within these areas will need to ensure their cats don’t roam into these sensitive environments,” Cr Wriedt said. “Coun­cil will undertake monitoring and trapping of cats within the reserves, any cats trapped will be taken to the Ten Lives Cat Centre, where they will be assessed for ownership.” Nineteen native mammals and 90 bird species have been recorded within the diverse habitats of Peter Murrell Reserve. Among the conservation-significant species are the threatened Eastern Quoll, Eastern-barred Bandicoot, Tas­manian Devil, Forty-spotted Pardalote, Grey Goshawk and Swift Parrot.

ISLE OF THE DEAD IMPROVEMENTS

A new project has made access to Port Arthur’s Isle of the Dead easier and ensured protection and respect for landscapes and gravesites. The Isle of the Dead was the main burial ground for the Port Arthur penal station between 1833 and 1877, and it’s estimated to house the remains of over 800 convicts – most in unmarked graves. The Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority project has improved access to the burial island, with steps now replaced by ramps, and above ground walkways protecting the landscape, and new viewing platforms.

WOMEN…INVEST IN YOURSELF!

The upcoming Women to The Front Program is a leadership retreat, especially for women, to be deliv­ered at this year’s Women To The Front Retreat in the Derwent Valley. Organiser Tracey Groombridge shared, “The retreat is for any woman seeking a change or a new way of leading her life or work. Guests will leave with the recipe for a more meaningful life and leadership style to create positive change.” The retreat will run from Friday 5 November until Sunday 7 November. To enquire or book, contact Tracey at www.mcleod9mentoring.com.au

SOUTHERN OUTLET UPDATE

The Hobart City Council is preparing to put its Southern Road Projects submission to the state government as part of the consultation process regarding changes to the Southern Outlet, Macquarie and Davey Streets. Following community consultation, Council’s submission focus­es on fast tracking bus lanes, prioritising public transport and street beautification. It also includes the concerns of residents impacted by the proposed construction of a fifth lane on the Southern Outlet. Council is calling on the state government to consider all alternative solutions prior to taking any action towards demolishing any homes. Kristie Johnston, indepen­dent member for Clarke, said Michael Ferguson, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, had been misleading and had downplayed the impact his proposed changes would have on home-owners if a fifth lane were to be added to the Southern Outlet. “They don’t care about the 17 families that are going to be impacted by the demolition of their homes,” Ms Johnston said at a press conference last month. “They don’t care or want to listen to the other alternatives that are available to reduce the traffic congestion on the Southern Outlet and in Davey Macquarie Street.”

TEAPOT TRIBUTE IN MIDTOWN

Teapot, the beloved bantam rooster who could be seen hanging out like a human at the markets and cafes of Hobart, sadly passed away back in July. Now, a little street garden he loved in Elizabeth St, in Hobart’s midtown area, holds a sweet tribute to the famous fowl, engraved: “In Memory of Teapot, who brought much joy to Midtown and loved this garden. Missed by his friends.” Teapot’s owner continues to post memories and moments from his happy life on instagram –@teapotchicken

THE WIND IN SPRING

How windy is it!? The answer is: ‘very’, or perhaps: ‘exhaustingly’. But it’s nothing too unusual, as Lizzie Donovan, Meteorologist from the Bureau, explained to The Hobart Magazine when we threw some windy weather questions her way recently:

Why is it so damn windy in Hobart right now? The wind in spring time is due to a number of reasons. The most notable of these is the position of the subtropical ridge, cold fronts, and the roaring 40s. The subtropical ridge is a band of high pressure systems, which can help to block the passage of cold fronts (which can bring strong winds). During the cooler months (May to October), the subtropical ridge sits over mainland Australia, so it does little to block cold fronts from crossing the state. The roaring 40s are a strong band of winds coming from the west (these are known as westerlies) that scream around the earth between latitudes of 40-50 degrees. Due to the lack of any land or wind breaks to Tasmania’s west, the west coast gets hit with the full force of these winds.

Is it the same every year? The general trend is the same every year, though exact timing of the subtropical ridge mi­gration and the number and movement of cold fronts can vary from year to year.

Are there other places in the world with similar wind situations? Places of a similar latitude as Tasmania can also be very windy due to the roaring 40s (such as Wellington, New Zealand and Patagonia, Argentina). Additionally, anything of a higher relative latitude in the northern hemisphere (such as the west coast of Scotland) is also very windy.

When will we get a rest from the wind? Generally the wind will start to ease towards the end of Spring and into summer, although strong cold fronts can still cross Tasmania anytime.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS DRESS?

The St Vincent de Paul shop in Rokeby has put out a call to find a christening dress that was accidentally donated. The white baby’s dress is a much-loved family heirloom that is 54 years old and has been handed down through the generations. If anyone has bought this piece, please contact the shop.

NEW SENIOR HIGH FOR FAR SOUTH

There’s a new learning option for students in year 11 and 12 in the far south of Tas­mania, with a newly constructed Learning and Community Centre at Dover. A step in the right direction for kids who’d love to finish high school but previously need­ed to travel vast distances from their rural homes to the nearest college.

NATIONAL KID’S HELPLINE REPORTS MAJOR INCREASE IN CALLS

As part of World Suicide Prevention Day Kids Helpline recently shared that the number of children and young people presenting with varying levels of mental, emotional and psychological anguish continues to increase in 2021. The latest data reveals that nationally, Duty of Care emergency actions related to suicide attempts were 92% higher between March and August 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. For Victorian children and young people, they were heartbreakingly 161% higher between March and August 2021, compared to the same period in 2020 and in New South Wales, 77% high­er, over that time. In the past six months (March to August) counsellors made contact with frontline responders for an emergency crisis intervention 135% more than the same period in 2020. They also revealed that significantly higher rates of suicide-related contacts to the helpline appear to have corresponded with times when COVID-19 stressors and commu­nity responses (e.g. lockdown orders and school closures) were heightened, indicating that children and young people experienced elevated distress during these periods. Kids Helpline remains focused on providing mental health and suicide prevention support, working as part of a broader community towards a nation without youth suicide. Kids Helpline re­mains Australia’s only national 24/7 coun­selling and support service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years, free call 1800 55 1800 or online at www.kidshelpline.com.au. Lifeline is also available 24-hours on 13 11 14, for all ages.

KANGAROO BAY SPRINGS FORWARD

A development application for a mixed use residential development at the pro­posed Kangaroo Bay Boulevard precinct is currently being advertised on Clarence City Council’s website and will remain there until Monday 11 October. It includes the demolition of four existing houses, the building of 86 new multiple dwellings, 249 car parking spaces and ten tenancies for commercial and community use. To have a look, head to www.ccc.tas.gov.au or inspect the plans and any relevant doc­uments at the Council offices (38 Bligh Street, Rosny Park). Anyone can make a representation about the application.

LOCK UP YOUR BIKES!

We’ve had a few reports here of stolen bikes, and a look through your local community Facebook page will show that bikes are currently being targeted by thieves. Invest in a good lock and use it, even at home!

LOCAL PODCAST COVERS 177 NATIONS IN TASMANIA

Have you listened to the locally pro­duced podcast 177 Nations of Tasmania? When Hobartian Mark Thomson heard that there were 177 nationalities repre­sented in Tasmania’s last census, he set out to interview at least one local person representing each of those countries, and this podcast is the result. He’s up to epi­sode 41, and has spoken to people from Greenland, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Peru and many more. It’s fascinating proof of a rich multiculturalism that isn’t always immediately obvious in Tasmania.

BRIGHTON FOGO FOMO

This is what 6,500 new FOGO bins look like, just before they were de­livered to homes across the Brighton City Council area. The bins will help to minimise both emissions and the future costs of waste management.

SURF SAFETY FOR ALL

A new partnership is extending opportu­nities for kids and adults with a disability to learn essential beach safety skills in a fun and social environment. The Star­fish Nippers program is a volunteer-run lifesaving skills program giving children (6+) and young adults with a disabil­ity beach safety and water awareness skills. Thanks to a collaboration between Surf Life Saving Tasmania and Variety Tasmania, the program is expanding and will now be available at Kingston Beach, Carlton Beach and an Eastern Shore venue to be confirmed. Participants take part in modified Nippers beach and water activities such as games, running, beach flags, wading, swimming and boards as well as activities with the club’s Age Group Nippers. Bridget Fasnacht, Starfish Nippers Program Coordinator for Surf Life Saving Tasmania, said the program was a beautiful way to encourage kids and young people to feel safe in and around the water. “The beach is not a scary place, it is there to be enjoyed and we are there to support these children on their jour­ney,” she said. “Every year I love seeing all the smiles on the children’s faces when they get to paddle a board or play beach games, and I think the volunteers who assist the program get as much out of the sessions as the children!” Registrations open this month, head to www.slst.asn.au or contact your local surf life saving club to find out more.

NARRYNA OPEN GARDEN AND SPRING PLANT SALE

On Saturday 23 October, the Narryna Garden at Narryna House Museum (103 Hampton Road, Battery Point) will be open for a Spring Plant Sale. This will be a chance to visit the gardens of this historic property and see the work that has been done by the enthusiastic Volunteers. You can visit the Kitchen Garden which has been designed to reflect the style of an early 19th century productive garden and features heirloom varieties of fruit and vegetables. In the front garden, wan­der through the newly created Parterre Garden surrounding the fountain which is a feature of the entrance to the house. Spring is the ideal time to see many of the early varieties of camellias in the front garden and many of the plants for sale have been propagated from Narryna’s gar­den. Refreshments will be available and all proceeds from sales will go towards the maintenance of this historic property. The garden opens at 10am.

NEW HELP FOR WILDLIFE

WIRES, the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service based in NSW, is now co-ordinating the placement of injured and orphaned wildlife 24/7 in Tasmania. WIRES will collaborate with the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment and the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary to direct the placement of rescued creatures – of which there are approximately 2000 each year. They’ll also develop and implement a community-led Wildlife Rehabilitation Sector Strategy. So far a sector survey has been completed and targeted workshops are being held around the state, with a draft strategy expected to be released for public consultation in November.

HAPPY MEAL?

If you’re after a good value lunch, the students at Rosny College have opened The Break Restaurant at the Clarence Cricket Club (next to the school). They’re preparing and serving up 2-course, $10 lunches on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays. Expect classics like vegetable lasagne, Moroccan chicken and sticky date pudding. Bookings essential. Abc