BITS AND PIECES

Edinburgh, Dublin and Prague), and Launceston is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

GET READY TO BURN, BABY BURN

STADIUM OR HOUSING? HOBART HAS OPTIONS.

A new proposal for Macquarie Point has been put forward by Our Place, a group of Tasmanians who wish to see development that benefits Tasmanians, in partnership with Bence Mulcahy architects. Presented as an alternative development for the site, the Macquarie Point Vision is a development plan that would see the site used for housing and diverse communityoriented spaces.

The $300 million Macquarie Point Vision includes 1000 sustainably-designed dwellings for private and public housing, an Indigenous cultural and heritage centre, a modern State Library, the Australian Antarctic Program Headquarters, parks, art spaces and cycle ways, along with a transport hub that incorporates light rail to the outer Hobart suburbs. The contemporary vision has sustainability and diversity at its core while including current existing places of significance such as the Cenotaph and the Royal Engineers Building. The Macquarie Point Vision presents an alternative to the proposed high profile stadium. Check the vision out for yourself at macquariepointvision.net.au.

Hobart Citizens Of The Year

A dentist and an arts professional have been named as Hobart Citizen and Hobart Young Citizen of the Year. Hobart Citizen of the Year Kelly Drummond Cawthon is the Creative Director of Second Echo Ensemble, which aims to increase the visibility of those living with mental illness, disability, neurodiversity or experiencing disadvantage by providing a platform to tell their stories through performance. Dentist Gavin Quek has been named Hobart Young Citizen of the Year for his dedication to improving the oral health of all Tasmanians. Congrats to both!

IS HOBART A CITY OF LITERATURE?

Hobart is putting forth a bid to become a UNESCO City of Literature. Literature flourished in Hobart’s early days - the first Australian novel, Henry Savery’s Quintus Servinton, was published here in 1831. The nation’s first public library opened here and the town published the nation’s first free press newspaper. Nowadays we house many esteemed and award-winning writers and host more than our fair share of writers festivals and literature events. A working group presenting the bid has stated, “We want to recognise and celebrate this on the world’s stage. We want to use this community energy to address one of Tasmania’s most pressing challenges: literacy.” Melbourne is currently Australia’s only City of Literature. There are 42 Cities of Literature worldwide (including

The 2022-2023 Fire Permit Period has officially ended, and now is the time to consider reducing fuel loads ahead of next summer. Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Felix Ellis, said it was important to prepare for next summer now. “Fuel loads are high after a number of wet years and with the potential for a hot, high-risk, El Nino summer ahead we need to reduce the danger now. Landowners still need to take steps like managing the size of your fire, considering conditions and working closely with your neighbours to make sure that fire and the smoke from your burn isn’t going to impact others.” Landowners should contact the Tasmania Fire Service to register their burns and ask for any advice they might need on 1800 000 699 or visit fire. tas.gov.au.

Students Against Utas Move

The peak student body of the University of Tasmania have stepped away from their neutral position on the Sandy Bay to Hobart CBD campus move, saying the levels of consultation with students have been ‘sparse and tokenistic’. The State Council of the Tasmanian University Student Association (TUSA) released a statement addressing some of the major issues that had led to the change. The statement said “State Council have progressed our stance away from one of neutrality after a continued lack of genuine student voice and input at the decision-making table for the campus move. We believe that, without intervention, the campus move will continue to negatively impact current and future University of Tasmania students. Our position remains that the Hobart city campus move should not go ahead, but we are open to re-evaluation of our stance if the Universities’ consultation practices improve, and student feedback toward the move becomes more positive.” Watch this space!

Aussie Shark Egg Hunt For Citizen Scientists

Next time you’re taking a stroll along the beach, have a phone handy to capture any strange looking objects that may have washed ashore. CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, is calling on citizen scientists to find and record egg cases washing up on Australian coastlines. The Great Eggcase Hunt has launched in Australia to help provide new data for scientists studying the taxonomy and distribution of oviparous chondrichthyans: egg-laying sharks, skates and chimaeras. Helen O’Neill, CSIRO Australian National Fish Collection biologist, said “recording sightings of egg cases on beaches and coastlines would help scientists discover what the egg cases of different chondrichthyans look like, with some species still unknown.” Also known as mermaids’ purses, egg cases come in many different shapes and colours, ranging from cream and butterscotch to deep amber and black. Some egg cases have a smooth and simple appearance, while others have ridges, keels or curling tendrils that anchor them to kelp or coral. To get involved in the Great Eggcase Hunt, you can record sightings via the Shark Trust citizen science mobile phone app or through the project website, www. sharktrust.org/greateggcasehunt.

BIG MAC, BIG PROBLEM

Northern suburbs residents have voiced their concern over a potential new McDonald’s store proposed for Main Road, Claremont. While the proposal from the fast food giant is unconfirmed (at the time of print), a preliminary plan was supplied to the most impacted residents in March. A group of locals have spoken up about the potential negative impacts of a 24/7 Maccas. The site, which currently houses an automotive workshop, is zoned as residential. Concerns about the new Maccas store, found on the group’s Facebook page, include potential issues with noise, traffic flow, refuse, anti-social behaviour, light pollution and disruption to the area’s heritage. However, they have stated they welcome the addition of a McDonalds to Claremont, just at a more appropriate site.

ORANGE-BELLIED PARROT IN TASSIE BREEDING FRENZY

Orange-bellied Parrots have had their third best breeding season in the past two decades. Fifty-nine fledglings were produced from 21 nesting attempts this year. Together with captive-bred juveniles released over summer and the remaining wild and captive-release adults, these new additions bring the total number of Orange-bellied Parrots expected to migrate north at the end of this season to 139. This season also sees the beginning of a collaboration project between the Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program and Zoos Victoria, who have been using transmitters to track OBPs released on the mainland since 2017. Fingers are crossed for ongoing success!

Tiktok Cancelled

The Tasmanian government is working to implement a policy to prohibit the use of the TikTok app on government-issued devices. The move comes after the federal government advised that key intelligence and security agencies believe TikTok poses significant national security and privacy risks including the extensive collection of user data. Minister for Science and Technology, Madeleine Ogilvie, said the policy would protect government information. “Agencies have advised the Government of the risks of exposure to directions from a foreign government and we are taking these steps to ensure that we can be confident that Government information and assets are protected,”

Minister Ogilvie said. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has provided the following advice in relation to the use of TikTok:

• Do not use it on a phone that can access any official information, for example, any workplace communication (email clients, MS Teams);

• If a phone does have TikTok installed, keep the phone away from any sensitive conversations; and

• Remove metadata (such as location information) from photos and videos before uploading them to TikTok.

Road Toll Now In Double Figures After Tragic Easter

Tasmania’s road toll has now reached double figures, currently standing at 10, after tragic incidents over the Easter long weekend took the lives of two women. Coming out of a horror 2022 which saw 50 road fatalities and 255 serious injuries, the message for Tasmanian motorists to drive safely and make better choices is louder and clearer than ever.

Tell Us What You Think Of The Hobart Magazine

Birthdays are a great time for reflection, so we’d love you to weigh in and share your thoughts and ideas about The Hobart Magazine. We’ve put together a short survey and we would appreciate your honest feedback. Scan the QR code using the camera on your phone, or email editor@ thehobartmagazine.com.au and we can send you the link.