Four youths have been charged over an alleged assault on two people in Devonport. Police were called to a disturbance on Best Street on Monday, 12 October, where a group allegedly attacked a male youth and a woman in her mid-30s. Investigations, including CCTV analysis, led to charges against three males aged 16 and a 15-year-old male. Each faces two counts of common assault and has been bailed with conditions. The two people were assessed for injuries and did not need hospital treatment.
Police have charged four people over an alleged assault on a male youth near Devonport Bluff early on Monday morning. The accused are a 19-year-old Devonport man, a 17-year-old male, a 15-year-old male and a 15-year-old female. They face charges of criminal code assault and stealing, and have been bailed to appear in court later. Police are asking anyone with mobile phone, dash cam or CCTV footage from the Bluff Road car park area late Sunday night or early Monday to come forward. The injured youth was taken to North West Regional Hospital for treatment.
Three people were injured, two seriously, after a car crashed into the front of the Shearwater Food Company near Devonport in northern Tasmania on Sunday evening. Police say a 26-year-old woman remains in hospital with serious injuries, and a staff member is in hospital with serious but stable injuries. The driver, an elderly man, was treated at the scene and did not need hospital care. Police say early indications suggest the crash was not deliberate, though its cause remains under investigation.
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Tasmania Police charged four drivers with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs over the weekend of 9 to 11 October 2026. A 64-year-old Forest woman returned a reading of 0.239 and will appear in Smithton Magistrates Court. A 38-year-old unlicensed Spreyton man, reported for erratic driving on the Bass Highway, returned 0.151 and was disqualified for two years. Three other disqualified or unlicensed drivers were also detected. A 17-year-old who evaded a breath test in Burnie was arrested and his vehicle seized for three months. Police urged drivers to rethink driving after drinking or taking drugs.
CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia have released an original investigative podcast series. It examines the collapse of the Shield and First Guardian Master Funds, which the organisations describe as Australia's biggest superannuation scandal. More than 11,000 people across Australia were affected.
Tasmanian Labor says it will introduce a bill to cap how much anyone can spend in a state election. Labor Leader Josh Willie and Shadow Attorney-General Ella Haddad made the announcement. The party says many Tasmanians feel the system is not working for them.
A 37-year-old man from Ravenswood has been charged over the alleged theft of fuel worth more than $74,000 in the state's north. Police allege the fuel was bought using a stolen fuel card. They arrested the man on Friday evening and recovered 4600 litres of stolen fuel. He faces multiple charges, including 60 counts of using a computer with intent to defraud, breach of bail, driving offences, possession of stolen property and minor drug offences. He was detained and is expected to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court on Saturday.
Farmers in Tasmania's Northern Midlands are benefiting from an irrigation scheme that took almost 10 years to come online. Farmer Richard Burbury said the scheme arrived at a very timely moment, as this year has been exceptionally dry. The network of underground pipelines spans 150 kilometres and will deliver 25 billion litres of water each year. Tasmanian Irrigation says the scheme is expected to support about $54 million a year in economic activity across the region.
A man in his 60s died on Tasmania's west coast while waiting for an ambulance that took nearly 80 minutes to reach him. He called Triple Zero from the Zeehan area on Saturday, reporting chest pains and breathing problems. The Zeehan ambulance was unstaffed because of an unfilled roster gap, and nearby crews were attending other calls, so an ambulance from Burnie was sent. It arrived about 78 minutes after the call, but the man had already died. The Department of Health offered its condolences and said a comprehensive investigation will be held.
Peter Maloney, who lives with dementia, says spending time in nature has helped him feel more grateful and content. He takes part in a gardening program at the Chigwell Community Garden in Hobart's northern suburbs with his wife, Madeleine. The program is run by the University of Tasmania's Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre and funded by Primary Health Tasmania. Researchers say outdoor activities can help people with dementia stay active, socialise and feel a sense of purpose. The Chigwell lab is funded until June 2027.
Twenty-eight parents of transgender and gender diverse children have written to Tasmanian MPs urging them to support a Greens bill banning conversion practices. Parents say the bill is lifesaving and warn against the bill failing or being weakened. The bill is due to be debated in the House of Assembly. It needs 18 votes to pass, and the Greens, Labor and independent Kristie Johnston hold 15. Liberal MPs have a conscience vote, and several have said they will vote against it.
A new exhibition in Hobart explores the stories of ten of Australia's first women to travel south to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic. The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies announced the exhibition in a media release dated 26 October 2026.
Foodbank Tasmania's Hunger Report 2026 has found that more than one in three Tasmanian households are struggling to put food on the table. An estimated 200,000 Tasmanians are living in households experiencing food insecurity, reflecting strong financial pressure across the state.
Tasmania's Labor opposition plans to table a private members' bill this week to introduce election spending caps for the first time. The bill would limit parties to $50,000 per candidate, and independents to $60,000. Leader Josh Willie said the reform would stop elections being decided by who has the biggest bank balance. He expects the Liberal government and One Nation to oppose the bill. An expert warned that caps could greatly favour incumbents.
Tasmania's Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill 2026 is due to be debated in parliament from Wednesday. The Greens bill would ban conduct aimed at changing, suppressing or eradicating a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Consent would not be a defence under the bill. Labor has said it will support the bill, and the Tasmanian Liberals will allow a conscience vote. The bill needs 18 votes to pass. Equality Tasmania's petition closes on Monday, October 26.
