BITS AND PIECES

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We are taking back the nature strip! You no longer need to apply to council to use your nature strip as a garden so get creative.

Congratulations to Stay Chatty on being around for ten years.

Zig Zag Track Closed

The Zig Zag track on kunanyi/Mount Wellington has once again been closed to the public for restoration work. It’s been one of the main routes to the summit of the mountain for over a century but in that time the elements have taken their toll, and the track needs some serious TLC to combat erosion. A track restoration team have now restarted work they began last year. If you’re headed anywhere near the Zig Zag track take heed of the signage. Access to the Pinnacle for walkers is still available via the Milles Track, the Icehouse Track and the more difficult South Wellington Track. Parking at the Old Hotel site at The Springs is currently reduced to accommodate the restoration teams, and the occasional helicopter use may cause the shortterm closure of nearby tracks and the Old Hotel site. For more info head to www.greaterhobarttrails.com.au

TASSIE’S POPULATION GROWTH WORRIES AS STRAIN SHOWS

As more and more people realise that Tasmania is THE place to be, our population growth looks set to smash the government’s original target increase of 650,000 by 2050. Whilst it’s flattering to be this popular, the pressure on our already strained services is a real worry. The most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports our population increased to 571,517 in the year ending June 2022, exceeding our 2030 population target of 570,000 eight years early. Unfortunately we look likely to fail to meet all six key indicators of sustainable population growth set out by the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Social Change, which include increasing the proportion of people under 15 and having a sustainable balance between people of working age and others.

Our median age of 42 years at the time of the 2021 Census is the oldest in the nation, four years older than the national median of 38, and 20.4 per cent of us are over 65. Despite seeing some positive population growth in the much-wanted 20-34 age group (a demographic historically more likely to move away from rather than to Tasmania), we have an overall structurally ageing population.

So how to manage this substantial growth in a sustainable way and provide the necessary services for all Tasmanians? If you have ideas, the state government is seeking community input on their Refreshing Tasmania’s Population Strategy Consultation Paper. Head to stategrowth.tas.gov.au/ policies_and_strategies/populationstrategy to read the paper, and submit responses by 5 March. The updated strategy, featuring more details about areas likely to see further growth, will be out later this year.

The fresh local berries and apricots are off the charts right now…can’t stop, won’t stop eating them all day, every day.

All the baby turbo chooks! Seems to be a bonza year for them.

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The road closures around the waterfront on days when cruise ships are here.

Scammers lurking on Facebook fan pages.

After the epic traffic spat the January truck rollover on the Tasman Bridge caused, you’d have to wonder how Mac Point stadium traffic might look without adequate public transport.

DO YOUR KIDS HATE THE BUCKET?!

Hurrah for bucket-free times at the Doone Kennedy Aquatic Centre! Not everyone loves the massive bucket water feature right in the middle of the section where the littlest swimmers play. Bucket free times during the school holidays are

Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6am-11am and Sunday 8-11am, and during school terms Monday, Wednesday and Friday 6am-1pm and Sunday 8-11am. Of course the bucket is a highlight for lots of families, but we’ve read many grateful parents’ positive responses to the announcement, with some calling it “brutal” and “terrifying” and others stating they’d be able to return to the pool now.

Swastika Ban For Tassie

Following the lead of Victoria and NSW, Tasmania is close to criminalising the display of Nazi symbols, including the swastika, when used for hate or causing fear.

Attorney-General Elise Archer said the public display of such symbols is clearly in breach of community and moral standards. The Police Offences Amendment (Nazi Symbol Prohibition) Bill 2023 seeks to amend the Police Offences Act 1935 to prohibit the display of Nazi symbols by a public act and without legitimate public purpose, if the person knows, or reasonably ought to know, that the symbol is a

Nazi symbol. ‘Legitimate public purpose’ includes a display done in good faith for a genuine academic, artistic, religious, scientific, cultural, educational or law enforcement purpose.

Equality Tasmania welcomed the decision but urged the government to go further with more comprehensive hate crime legislation. Equality Tasmania president, Rodney Croome, said LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians have consistently faced harassment using Nazi symbols, especially during the marriage postal survey in 2017. “Currently in Tasmania, only racial hatred can be considered an aggravating factor when judges pass sentences for hate-motivated crimes,” Mr Croome said. “This sends the message that hate against LGBTIQA+ people, or other disadvantaged groups including people with disability, is less serious. All victims of hate crime should have equal protection under the law.”

Mr Croome also said the pink triangle, a symbol the Nazis used to identify and stigmatise gay men in concentration camps, had been reclaimed by the LGBTIQA+ movement as a symbol of its ongoing struggle against stigma and discrimination. “We will ask the Government to exempt the pink triangle from its proposed legislation so we can continue to display it as a symbol of our struggle for a society free from hate”, he said.

RSL’S DROP POKIES ACROSS TASSIE

Tasmanian RSLs have led the way nationally in removing poker machines. RSL Tasmania chief executive, John Hardy, said the decision was made to put the best interests of veterans first. A recent study by Melbourne University found that 40% of Australian veterans with gambling addictions have thought about suicide while one in five have attempted to take their own life. The Devonport sub-branch of the RSL is the last venue with pokies, and they’ve agreed to get rid of them by the end of this year. Anti-gambling campaigners have urged RSL sub-branches and affiliated clubs across the mainland to follow RSL Tasmania’s lead. If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline any time on 13 11 44.

Volunteers Needed For Surfing Day For Disabled

The Disabled Surfers Association of Tasmania is calling for volunteers for their upcoming surfing days. On February 26 and March 19 the not-for-profit organisation will give their registered surfers a day of joy, freedom and exhilaration but they need your help. They’re looking for about 100 volunteers to assist in the water or on the land, with no experience needed. The Disabled Surfers Association has been operating nationally since 1986, but it’s only been in Tasmania for two years. To get involved, head to their Facebook page or www.disabledsurfers.org/tasmania.