Mercury (Hobart)

BETS ARE OFF

Greyhound racing has been suspended in Tasmania as a kennel cough outbreak afflicts dogs across the industry and the state’s racing regulator faces accusations of not responding quickly enough. On Thursday, Tasracing notified industry participants of...

NEW YEAR GALLOPS INTO VIEW

Students from Tasmania Chinese School will bring colour and movement to Sunday’s Lunar New Year celebrations, as the 12th annual event returns with equine flair. In the Year of the Fire Horse, 2026 Lunar New Year chairman James Lee said a cultural...

EARLY TO CLASS

Labor has promised to overhaul early learning education if it wins government – extending kindergarten to five days a week and offering access to preschool to all 3-yearolds. Labor leader Josh Willie announced the key policy on Wednesday night. “Five...

MOUNTAIN OF WORK AHEAD

Next month’s kunanyi Mountain Run shapes as much more than a team-bonding exercise for workmates Emily Covell and Miranda Shepheard. Together with colleagues from CBD-based physiotherapy and exercise clinic, Kieser Hobart, the pair are putting in the...

STATE’S $100M JUMP SHOT

Premier Jeremy Rockliff ignored the recommendations of two government departments to stop negotiating the sale of Crown land at Wilkinsons Point, despite being warned selling it to a property tycoon could result in taxpayers forking out $100 million,...

RUN THE BRIDGE

Runners and walkers from 11 countries and every state and territory of Australia tackled the landmark Tasman Bridge in the 17th annual Run the Bridge event on Sunday. In perfect running conditions, a total of 4450 people took part – the second-biggest...

TRUE HERO’S GOLDEN MOMENT

Everyone in Australia now knows that skiing sensation Cooper Woods has a massive heart – but only his friends and family fully understand just how courageous he really is. More than a decade ago – when Woods was just 12 – he saved a close friend from...

A BITE OF RESILIENCE

Tasmanian permaculture expert Hannah Moloney is inviting the public to tour some of Hobart’s most successful edible gardens in the hopes they gain inspiration to begin their own in the name of food resilience.

IT'S ABOUT 2400M

Channelling the Sydney Olympicsinspired TV comedy The Games, Tasmanian racing’s premier Hobart Cup was mistakenly run 37m short of the required 2400m because the starting barriers were set up at the wrong point on the track. The furious trainer of the...

FINDING HER RAINBOW

Hobart drag icon Heidi Hole wasn’t always the exuberant character that lights up stages today – she was once just a little girl with a dream and a VHS player. She would watch The Wizard of Oz on repeat with her cousins, perhaps unaware of just how...

‘CONSTANT IN THE PAGES’

One of Australia’s most brilliant political cartoonists, Jon Kudelka — who published more than 10,000 cartoons — has died in Hobart from brain cancer at age 53. His wife Maggie paid tribute to her passionate husband, who has left a lasting legacy...

GOT TO STEP UP

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Round and round we go

A year after tens of millions in federal funding was announced, there is still no start date for upgrades to one of Hobart’sworst traffic black spots, with the Tasmanian government unable to say when construction will begin at the Mornington Roundabout...

Mayor’s cancer shock a warning to women

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Imaging patients ‘at risk’ over staff shortages: Letter

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All in the family for Tas senator

A Tasmanian Labor senator has defended employing both her daughter and grandson — saying it is within the rules. A Labor party member raised concerns, saying it doesn’t “pass any pub test”. Senator Helen Polley said all her staff had been employed...

OUR MARY AND FREDERIK ARE PAYING US A VISIT

A health funding agreement thrashed out with the federal government will deliver an extra $700m into the state’s public hospitals over the next five years. Premier Jeremy Rockliff hailed a hard-fought victory, saying two years of negotiations had...

Unions call for Premier

Public sector unions have called on Premier Jeremy Rockliff to become personally involved in enterprise bargaining talks – or face the prospect of worsening statewide industrial action. The heads of three of the biggest unions representing state...

REMAINS FOUND

A bushwalker has found human remains near the spot Belgian woman Celine Cremer was believed to have gone missing on the state’s west coast, Tasmania Police confirmed late yesterday. Inspector Andrew Hanson said the person had been searching the area as...

Pilates staff ‘laid off overnight’ in closure

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SUPER-CITY SHAKEUP

Glenorchy City Council could hit the brakes on talks of merging with the City of Hobart, following suggestion it might not be the best move for the region and could result in higher rates. The idea to form the “City of Clark” came from the Hobart City...

RAISING A GLASS TO AMAZING TASMANIANS

Aurora joy to a headache hangover

Tasmanians heading out to catch the aurora australis have complained of headaches with Hobart GP Dr Tim Jones advising people that environmental changes can lead to migraines. Dr Jones said people who were effected should limit their exposure to...

OUR NEW WAVE OF TALENT

VIGIL FOR YOUNG ROGAN

Almost $30,000 has been raised to help a five-year-old Launceston boy currently in a critical condition following an alleged stabbing attack. Rogan was flown to Melbourne on Tuesday with serious knife wounds and has since undergone multiple operations...

Parking mad over show fees

Hundreds of volunteer firefighters remain suspended for failing to complete mandatory child safety training, although none have yet been sacked, the Tasmania Fire Service says. All Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management workers, including...

$1.1M FINE FOR NEGLECT BUYBACK TAKE TO TO WHERE GUN CALL THE SKY IT BEGAN

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026 yHOBART 25C $3.50

ARNIE’S EXCITING NEW ERA

Jaws dropped when Ariarne Titmus retired at the seemingly early age of 25. But the four-time Olympic gold medallist has entered an exciting new era – and could not be happier. No longer training 35 hours a week, the swimming powerhouse, who has moved...

LASSU WILL ROPE YOU IN

To performer Ian Richardson, wonder and awe are the emotions that tend to colour audiences at Lassu. The hand-balancer has been touring with the show for a year and will take to the stage on Friday for the first performance of the 2026 season at Wrest...

BONORONG’S WINNING POINTS

Some tennis players can be a little prickly on court, others win fans over with their skills and warmth. A pair of echidnas at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary served up their own spiky charm for players taking a break from the Hobart International on...

STAR VENUS LOBS IN

Tennis star Venus Williams says she will lean on her legendary sister Serena for advice heading into the Hobart International. The 45-year-old will use the event as a lead-up to the Australian Open after receiving a wildcard into both events. Serena...

JUNIORS DISMISSED

Tasmania’s stand-alone underage cricket sides competing at national titles are set to be axed under a proposed overhaul of the nation’s elite junior cricket structure. The shake-up would change the cricket talent factories which have produced the likes...

CHEERS AND BYE SOCIETY

Ten years of late Salamanca nights are drawing to a close for Angie Nichols and Emma Davis as they prepare to hand over the keys to the new owners of Society Salamanca. Located on Montpelier Retreat, the cocktail bar has become a neighbourhood...

WHY I HAD TO LEAVE GREENS

Newly independent MP Helen Burnet has defended her decision to leave the Greens and apologised to voters who cast their ballots for her due solely to her affiliation with the party. Ms Burnet, who represents the electorate of Clark, unexpectedly quit...

WEBSTER CAUGHT IN ASHES WEB

Heroes and first responders of the Bondi shooting have been welcomed to the Sydney Ashes Test with a guard of honour from both teams, in a heartwarming moment of unity. Ahmed Al Ahmed was one of the many heroes of last month’s Bondi attack to walk the...

GREENS BLINDSIDE

The Tasmanian Greens have been left reeling by the sudden departure of Clark MP Helen Burnet (right), who has quit the party for the crossbench. The former Hobart deputy mayor announced on Friday she was quitting in frustration “about not being able to...

ACE IN THE PACK

US tennis great Venus Williams has been granted a wildcard to play at the Hobart International starting on January 12. The 45-year-old former No.1 is a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and days ago married Italian actor and model Andrea Preti.

CHEERS TO 2026!

Thousands of revellers rung in the new year at the Taste of Summer festival and vantage points all over the city as fireworks signalled the beginning of 2026.

SUMMER PARTY

The Taste of Summer has reached a historic milestone, drawing its biggest crowd in its 40-year history. Around 13,800 people streamed through the gates at Princes Wharf on Sunday, making the most of the warm weather after a chilly opening day on...

STUNNING FINISH

Master Lock Comanche has claimed line honours in the 80th Sydney to Hobart yacht race, flying across the finish line just after 6pm Sunday. In a fantastic breeze on a picture-perfect River Derwent, the 100-footer claimed the victory after two days and...

BABY PAIN

There are fears the sale of Hobart Private Hospital to Catholic provider Calvary Health Care will force one of Hobart’s two IVF clinics out of business. A Tasmanian doctor working for locally owned IVF clinic Fertility Tasmania says the Catholic...

FIRED UP EXODUS

A stern letter threatening to sack volunteers from the Tasmania Fire Service unless they complete mandatory child-safety training will lead to many leaving brigades, a senior firefighter has warned. The letter has been issued by Fire and Emergency...

IT’S A WILD CHRISTMAS

As Tassie families rip open presents and gather with loved ones, our furry friends won’t be forgotten. Brighton’s own Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary will be open to the public on Christmas Day, continuing a tradition of being open every day of the year.

CRAY-ZY FESTIVE RUSH

A southern Tasmanian fisherman expects queues from 5.30am when he sells 1600 premium rock lobsters at what he claims will be Australia’s cheapest prices this Christmas.

A BERRY LATE CHRISTMAS

A long-running family raspberry operation near Hobart is confronting its “most unprecedentedly late season” in nearly three decades, with the grower confirming no raspberries were delivered to shops ahead of Christmas for the first time in the farm’s...

SHAW BANK REDEMPTION

Convicted murderer Luke Anthony Shaw is seeking up to $125,000 in donations so that he can appeal his conviction to the High Court of Australia. Shaw was sentenced to 23 years’ jail for a frenetic stabbing attack that killed George Town man David Wayne...

GARDEN GROWS INTO CAGE NIGHT

Hobart’s end-of-year knockoffs are set to get a serious energy boost with Cage Night returning to In The Hanging Garden this Friday. The free, all-evening party will run from 4pm until midnight on December 19, transforming the popular city venue into...

RICKY’S TOAST OF SUMMER

Legendary Test batsman Ricky Ponting will be opening in Hobart over the Christmas-New Year – but it will not be with the bat. “Punter” will in fact open his Tasmanian range of wines at the Taste of Summer. Ponting Wines is part of a new Sports Bar...

WE STAND WITH YOU

Tasmanians have joined in the worldwide expressions of shock and grief at the massacre at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. It comes as Rabbi Yochanan Gordon says Hanukkah celebrations in Tasmania will go ahead. “The Jewish community will not cower from terrorism...

’CANES FANS BOWLED OVER

Fans gathered to rub shoulders with their WBBL heroes the morning after the Hurricanes secured their maiden title. The ’Cane Train steamed ahead in celebration after their eight-wicket win over the Perth Scorchers at Ninja Stadium on Saturday...

ALL THAT’S JAZZ

The Clarence Jazz Festival is one of the most cherished events on Tasmania’s summer events circuit – with next year’s milestone festival to be no exception. Australian funk and soul band The Bamboos and global groove favourites Close Counters have...

RUN ON RUM’UN

Rum’un is taking over Tassie as fans of all ages race to get their hands on the plush toy before Christmas.The mini mascot is for fans young and old to show their club pride for the Tasmania Devils’ AFL debut.

‘LIKE ANOTHER PLANET’

Dolphin Sands residents have returned to their properties after the road was opened to residents on Tuesday – for the first time since a bushfire ripped through the coastal community last Thursday. Many, like Ashley Swan, have found holiday homes...

PASSION BURNS FOR FIRE CREW

Philip Sansom has seen a lot change over his four decades volunteering with the Fern Tree Fire Brigade. “In the early days there was more of a focus on vegetation type fires, whereas now we have moved into becoming trained in responding to structural...

HEADING INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Soccer might be known as a winter sport, but neither summer nor Christmas are slowing down our rising sports stars from learning new skills. Showtime Soccer School is bringing a festive flair to its next camp where Christmas cheer and holiday spirit...

PERFECT FIRESTORM

Multiple houses and shacks have been damaged by the raging Dolphin Sands bushfire, which has burnt through 700 hectares on the East Coast. Premier Jeremy Rockliff promised financial assistance and emergency grants for people and communities affected.

MAC POINT WON

The order allowing the construction of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium continued its slow progress towards inevitable approval late into Thursday night. The Legislative Council continued its consideration of the governor’s 157-page order to build...

ONE

HOBART 27C THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025 Tasmania never shies away from a spirited debate. It is part of who we are – an island of bold voices, passionate views, and deep care for our shared future. Few issues have demonstrated this more clearly than...

STADIUM COUP

Tasmania is about to prove it can lure world-class names for a show under stadium lights, with rock icons The Foo Fighters announcing they’ll be jetting into the state early in the new year – with no other shows planned for the mainland. The 15-time...

OUR PARTY A FIZZER?

Victorian Government red tape could kill off a much-loved Tasmanian fireworks tradition, according to DeputyPremier Guy Barnett. Victorian WorkSafe bureaucrats have told Bright Star – Tasmania’s main Cracker Night supplier – it can no longer ship...

NOW OR NEVER

Tasmania Police estimate about 15,000 supporters packed Parliament lawns on Sunday, spilling out into Salamanca pubs and restaurants ahead of the crucial Legislative Council vote on the Macquarie Point Stadium and Tasmania Devils AFL side.

GRAIN DRAIN

A critical shortage of sand used in concrete manufacturing has raised concerns about cost escalations for major infrastructure projects. A study of the sand inventory of southeastern Tasmania produced by Mineral Resources Tasmania notes that two of...

PEP TALK

The economic case for the proposed Macquarie Point stadium had worsened because of its increasing cost, the head of an expert planning panel that rejected the project says. It came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged members of the Legislative...

OUR RESCUE HEROES

Six Tasmanian hikers who played key roles in a tragic and gruelling rescue mission, including four Hobart doctors, will soon return home after surviving a blizzard disaster on a Chilean mountain on November 17 that claimed the lives of five people from...

FROM THE TOP, IN KEY OF T

From ’80s pub rock to 2010s alternative indie, Aussie music has something for everyone – and that’s exactly what AusMusic T-Shirt Day celebrates. To mark the occasion, Altar Bar will turn up the volume with a special edition of AusMusic trivia. The...

VICTORY ON TAP

It was a win for the ages: the Huonville Lions, lagging behind in the first half, clutch a come-from-behind victory against their archrivals, ending a premiership drought and reinvigorating the tight-knit southern Tasmanian town. That famous SFL...

WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT

In a move that could bring the Ashes back to Tasmania, the state’s peak cricketing body has signed a landmark deal on its use of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium. The deal resolves longheld concerns about the impact of the stadium roof on play and...

DNA BOMBSHELL

A mixture of new science and uncovered evidence could once-and-for-all exonerate Tasmania’s most infamous female convicted murderer, says Sue Neill-Fraser’s former lawyer. Former Tasmanian Integrity Commission boss and former Western Australia...

VAPED CRUSADER

The state government will launch a legislative and enforcement blitz on illegal tobacco and vaping products, Police Minister Felix Ellis announced on Tuesday. New legislation was being developed to substantially increase penalties for criminals found...

HAPPILY NEVER AFTER

It’s meant to be the happiest day of their lives. But four dozen Tassie couples’ upcoming nuptials are in limbo after a Hobart venue informed them they’d either have to cancel or reduce their guest list considerably — some just days out from their big...

LEGENDS ROCK WREST POINT

Thousands of revellers braved a few showers to belt out some classics as Tasmania’s newest music festival went off with a bang. ‘Night at the Point’ was held at Wrest Point over three nights, with Jon Stevens (inset) of Noiseworks and INXS fame...

DEER PLAN SHOT DOWN

Giving recreational shooters the responsibility to control the “explosion” in Tasmania’s feral deer numbers has been described as “fanciful” by a leading deer researcher. The University of Tasmania’s Calum Cunningham said the motion that passed in...