Parents of transgender and gender diverse children across Tasmania have written to MPs urging them to vote for the Greens' proposed ban on conversion practices. The bill is due to be debated from Wednesday. In a joint letter, twenty-eight parents say transgender Tasmanians continue to face harmful conversion practices. Tasmanian doctors and healthcare workers have also written to Parliament backing the bill. Parents have raised concern that some MPs may move to remove gender identity from the bill, which they say would leave children unprotected.
The Tasmanian government is understood to be set to reimburse construction firm WeBuild, the unsuccessful bidder for Hobart's Macquarie Point stadium, several million dollars. The payment would come from the project budget once a final contract with winning bidder BESIX Watpac is signed. Independent MP Kristie Johnston said the offer went well beyond the $250,000 maximum in the tender documents and questioned whether it was an inducement. WeBuild is fighting criminal charges interstate. The stadium was costed at $1.13 billion last year, and Premier Jeremy Rockliff has committed to releasing the final tender cost before signing.
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.
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Former Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen will miss the entire WBBL|12 season with a hip complaint, hoping to return in 2027. Hobart Hurricanes batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge is also out with a calf injury. The Hurricanes have signed Sri Lanka international Chamari Athapaththu as her replacement. Jonassen, 33, missed four matches last season after shoulder surgery. The tournament begins Thursday with a double-header at Junction Oval.
Australia has released Nic Maddinson and back-up wicketkeeper Sam Harper from the Test squad ahead of the Cape Town series decider against South Africa. Matthew Renshaw now looks likely to open the batting after Maddinson passed double figures only once in four innings. Steve Smith faces a fitness test on his neck, while Marnus Labuschagne must hold his No.3 spot as Cameron Green and Josh Inglis return from injury. Selectors meet on Monday to finalise the team, with Nathan Lyon a strong contender to return to the side.
Devonport's Spirit Quay has officially opened ahead of the first sailings of the Spirit of Tasmania IV and V. The facility includes a 740-tonne gantry with four steel ramps linking the new ships to concrete loading ramps. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the quay will support growth in passenger numbers and freight across Bass Strait. Minister Kerry Vincent said more than half the construction work was delivered by local partners. The ferries will make their maiden voyages on 31 October.
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.
Tasmania Police joined law enforcement agencies across Australia and New Zealand in a week of coordinated action that seized hundreds of illegal firearms. Nationally, 603 whole firearms were seized, along with 61 privately manufactured or 3D printed firearms and 808 gel blasters or imitation firearms. In West Launceston, Taskforce Raven seized a sawn-off .22 calibre rifle and a privately manufactured firearm. A 31-year-old man was charged with firearms and minor drugs offences and is due to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court on 23 December 2026.
Air New Zealand has returned to Hobart for the 2026-27 season with an expanded direct Auckland route. The seasonal service is expected to run up to 170 flights and offer more than 33,000 seats. That is 36 more flights and 7,268 more seats than last season. The Tasmanian Government welcomed the service, saying it supports tourism, business and travel between Tasmania and New Zealand. Transport Minister Kerry Vincent said direct international access is critical to growing the economy and supporting jobs.
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.
A coronial inquest into the deaths of six children at Hillcrest Primary School in northern Tasmania in 2021 is expected to hear evidence from a US dust devil expert. Counsel assisting the coroner, Maree Norton SC, told a Hobart case management hearing that she is looking to engage Dr Ralph Lorenz, a planetary scientist and aerospace engineer. Ms Norton said he would give his opinion on pressure drops and the interaction between the dust devil and the castle structure. The six children died when a wind gust lifted a jumping castle at an end-of-year celebration.
Labor and the Greens say Tasmania's health system is in crisis after a second death linked to a delayed ambulance this month. A man in Zeehan who reported chest pain and breathing difficulties died after a crew from Burnie arrived 78 minutes after he called Triple Zero. The local station was unstaffed due to unfilled leave, and nearby paramedics were busy with other cases. Health Department figures show about 11 per cent of paramedic shifts have been unfilled since July last year.
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.
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.
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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.
Sam Konstas has made a strong case for a return to the Australian Test side after two domestic centuries in a week. The 21-year-old scored 149 off 131 balls for NSW against Western Australia in the One-Day Cup at the WACA on Saturday. Days earlier he made 151 not out in a Sheffield Shield draw with Western Australia. His Test record is modest, with a 16.30 average from five matches, and his highest Test score remains 60, made on debut against India in 2024. NSW next play Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield in Hobart from Friday.
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.
Police have charged a 44-year-old man from northern Tasmania with three counts of rape, allegedly committed in April last year. The man is believed to be former Bracknell football coach Josh Adams. He is due to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court early next year. The Northern Tasmanian Football Association said it would not comment further while the matter is before the courts. Bracknell Football Club president Nicole Jones has stood down after private messages she sent to the mother of the alleged victim were published. She has apologised for the comments.
Geelong athlete Jonathan Walker has returned from the 2026 Australian Transplant Games in Launceston with two gold medals and a bronze. He says the camaraderie and inspiring community will stay with him more than the results. Walker, attending his seventh Games, also competed with the fourth-placed Victorian basketball team. More than 600 athletes, including transplant recipients, donors and donor family members, took part in the 18th edition. Walker said the event focuses on inclusivity, care and having a go, regardless of ability.
