BITS AND PIECES

A New Day To Celebrate New Citizens

As of 2024, the City of Hobart’s January citizenship ceremony will be held on a different day. It is now allowed in the three days prior or after January 26, rather than having to be held on the day itself. A previous policy suggestion in 2017 recommended the citizenship ceremony be moved to an alternative date and with changes to the national Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code happening earlier this year, every council is now able to choose a day that works best for them.

NEW FOOD VAN HELPS THE HOMELESS IN SORELL + HUONVILLE

As the cost of living and the housing crisis continue to hit, a new food van service has begun providing emergency food relief to those in need in communities near Hobart. The Food Van is a collaboration between Hobart City Mission, the Lions Club of Kingborough, and Lenah Valley’s Italian Day Centre, which donated the van. The van provides food packs, hot meals, drinks, and access to microwaves in Sorell and Huonville. Volunteers also provide support and can link homeless people and families in need with appropriate support agencies. The Food Van has started as a six month trial and could expand to meet demand in other areas such as New Norfolk and Geeveston.

The van visits the laneway next to Huonville City Mission Op Shops from 2:30 –3:30pm every Tuesday and parked outside the Sorell South Eastern Community Care from 2:30pm – 3:30pm every Thursday. All who need support are welcome and all support is free.

Creative Baby Gender Reveal

It’s hard to break new ground when it comes to the old baby gender reveal, but one Hobart couple have managed to do it by spewing many litres of bright blue foam out of a cement mixer on a street corner in Richmond recently. The surprise reveal was made out of blue toilet cleaner, food colouring and water. In a lovely bonus, they also got engaged in front of the cement mixer.

Raising Boys Goes Digital

Hobart (and international!) parenting guru Steve Biddulph wants to continue his mission to raise happier, kinder boys and men and has announced an even easier method to access his wildly successful Raising Boys talk. For $8 and 80 minutes of your time, Steve will talk you through how to raise the best boys you can. “Something I would also really encourage is for P&F groups, community groups, churches, or even just groups of friends, to have screenings, use it as a fundraiser, and watch together. This is the ideal of Parent Ed., to build community and share and generate ideas and feel inspired that we can make a better world through our own kids,” says Steve. The Raising Girls talk will go digital soon too! Head to www. vimeo.com/ondemand/steveraisingboys.

Tasmanian men are being urged to make the right call when it comes to safety in the water as the national drowning toll climbs this summer. At the time of print, more than three-quarters of those who have died over the summer period were male, leading the Royal Life Saving Society to issue the specific warning to blokes. Royal Life Saving Chief Executive Officer Justin Scarr said there were three key things men could do to stay safe. “The biggest single factor is alcohol. If you’ve had a few drinks, your coordination levels drop and you lose your inhibitions,” Mr Scarr said. “In more than a quarter of all drowning deaths in inland waterways over the ten years to 2020/21, the person who drowned had a blood alcohol content reading of more than 0.05 per cent.”

“If your boat tips, a wave hits you, or the conditions change rapidly you need to be able to think clearly and quickly, and your reflexes and coordination needs to be at their best so you can get yourself to safety. Leave the booze until safely away from the water, look out for your mates and pull them into line if they’re under the influence and thinking about doing something reckless near water such as swimming or boating.”

Mr Scarr’s second tip was to use a lifejacket when out on the water.

“Lifejackets can make the difference between life and death. With the modern, comfortable design of lifejackets which doesn’t inhibit your recreational activities, there is really no excuse not to wear a lifejacket,” he said.

His third tip was to not go alone. “Whenever you’re on, in, or near the water having someone with you to help in the event of an emergency is vital. There are so many factors we can’t control – medical incidents, submerged items, sudden changes in the conditions. Having a mate to help improves the odds of getting home safely.”

Research by Royal Life Saving Society Australia shows that drowning deaths spike on public holidays and long weekends, with the risk of drowning almost doubling. Inland waterways claim more lives than any other location, accounting for 40 per cent of all drowning deaths in Australia.