BITS AND PIECES

Thumbs Up

Seeing Tassie shine in a plethora of TV shows right now.

Mandatory seat belts on buses.

Shortest - and darkest - day of the year is now behind us.

Community Help Save Vital Food Service

Good news for the northern suburbs with the Waterbridge Food Co-op being saved from the brink of closure. Located in Herdsmans Cove, the Waterbridge Food Co-op is a volunteer organisation run out of the Jordan River Service - it provides affordable produce and precooked meals for people doing it tough. The closure of the Waterbridge Food Co-op would have been a significant blow to the local community, especially during the current cost of living crisis. However, over $10,000 has been raised by the local community through fundraisers, with Brighton Council pledging to match the donations dollar by dollar. The community also lobbied the local government to have the co-op included in the state budget. Because of their efforts the Waterbridge Food Co-op now has access to the 2023-24 state funding of $100,000 for the Gagebrook and Bridgewater Community Houses, ensuring a brighter future for the much-needed service. To support the Waterbridge Food Co-op, head to www.givenow.com.au/jordanriverservicewaterbridge.

Writing Resident To Focus On King Island Shipwreck

The annual Hedberg Writer-in-Residence program will see an award-winning Sydney author spend time in

Hobart to write about a King Island shipwreck survivor’s story. Michelle Cahill will spend three months in Hobart from August, working on her novel which tells the story of an Indian sailor - or ‘lascar’ - who survives the wreck of the Brahmin off the King Island coast in 1854. Nineteen lascars spent five months on the island helped by two Tasmanian Aboriginal women before a stroke of luck resulted in their rescue. Cahill is reconstructing the story through the young eyes of fictional character Joao Gomez. The Hedberg-in-Residence program is now in its third year and has previously hosted Tasmanian author Robbie Arnott, who used the residency to work on his novel Limberlost, winner of the Age Book of the Year for fiction and now shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award this year. Michelle Cahill will also work with Hobart students and take part in community conversations.

Holographic Number Plates En Route For Tassie

Tasmanian number plates will soon feature new holographic markers to prevent the use of fraudulent plates. The security marks will be embedded in the retro-reflective sheeting used in making of number plates, so they can’t be removed physically or chemically. The new feature will be rolled out on new plates and as existing plates are renewed or replaced.

Chilli sauce.

Thanks to Hobart’s Pete Walsh, aka the platypus whisperer, for the important work he is doing advocating for the wildlife living on the Hobart rivulet.

Thumbs Down

School buses turning up so late the bell’s already gone (or sometimes not even turning up at all).

The never-ending winter lurgy cycle.

Investing in lush indoor plants in warmer weather…and then they die in the cold.

Plans For Waterworks Reserve Now Open For Comment

Want to throw in your two cents worth about the future of the Waterworks Reserve? The draft master plan is now out for public comment. The draft plans aim to improve outdated infrastructure by implementing new pavilions, BBQ areas, nature-based children’s play areas, walking tracks and trails, and improving social gathering spaces. The plan also includes a centrally located visitor hub with accessible toilets, and outlines work with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community to promote awareness about Aboriginal history and culture. Consultation on the Waterworks Reserve Draft Master Plan is open until 9 July, 2023. For more information, head to yoursay.hobartcity.com.au/ waterworks-reserve.

New Flights To Melbourne

Regional Express - aka Rex - will be flying from Hobart to Melbourne daily from next month. The Rex Boeing 737 will depart Melbourne at 12:15pm to reach Hobart at 1:30pm; the return flight takes off from Hobart at 2:15pm, touching down in Melbourne at 3:30pm. The flights join Rex’s other Tassie routes - to Burnie, Devonport and King Island. The new flights begin on 17 August and at the time of print there were $79 flights available on numerous dates.

Energy Hardship To Rise Alongside Power Price Hike

Power prices are on the rise with the average rate for Aurora Energy residential and small business customers increasing by 9.51%. High wholesale energy costs, along with recent national and global events, have been blamed for the hike. While Aurora has stated that the increases are not unique to Tasmania, it’s of little consolation for Tasmanians struggling in a cost-of-living crisis. Prior to the hike announcement, Aurora Energy topped up the Energy Hardship Fund (which is administered by the Salvation Army), with an extra $200,000 to help those struggling to pay their electricity bills - affected customers can ring 1300 132 003 for help.

The Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS) have welcomed the news but blamed the government for the need for it. TasCOSS CEO, Ms Adrienne Picone said, “This additional funding is only necessary because of the Tasmanian Government’s failure to act on skyrocketing energy prices which is resulting in more people seeking financial support from community service organisations.” TasCOSS is calling for the Government to:

• Cap electricity prices (as it did in 2018 and said it would do again to protect Tasmanian households and businesses from future price hikes);

• Undertake a review of the electricity concession scheme to ensure it is well-targeted and appropriate; and

• Invest in a program of household energy efficiency initiatives to support low-income and rental households to lower their energy bills.

ALL ABILITIES SHINE AT OUT-OF THIS-WORLD ART EXHIBITION

Get ready for an interstellar space station and futuristic city landing at Hobart’s Town Hall this month. Ability to Create:

ELEVATE is a four-day exhibition created by local all-ability artists in collaboration with artistic mentors, Georgia Lucy, Jon Smeathers, Richie Cyngler and Timothy Hodge. The Ability to Create artists and their mentors have been working since April to make infrastructure and artworks for the exhibition.

This year’s theme, ELEVATE, aims to bring the community together through creativity to lead the way in accessibility, inclusivity and diversity and to motivate change towards a better future. Along with the intergalactic sensory space station, the exhibition boasts a city of the future through green screen animation, electro-acoustic soundscapes, and planetary mayhem. Ability to Create began in 2014 with an eclectic exhibition of art pieces made by artists from local disability organisations. The project has evolved considerably since then and provides opportunities for all-ability artists and their support networks to work together towards a common creative goal. The exhibition is on from 26-29 July.