Get the appWest Tamar Council mayoral candidate Rick Shegog has dropped his unfair dismissal case against Ambulance Tasmania. Mr Shegog was dismissed last year over alleged breaches of the agency's code of conduct, which he disputed. The case was dropped after lawyers sought to suppress the names of a witness and Mr Shegog. Mr Shegog is the outgoing deputy mayor and is running for mayor.
Launceston College has withdrawn invitations to politicians for its upcoming celebrations. The principal said the school supports union action over Premier Jeremy Rockliff's handling of a complaint. The complaint followed a social media post by the premier about Christmas references at end-of-year school events. The Australian Education Union has called on politicians to stay away from Tasmanian public schools unless the premier apologises. Labor Senator Helen Polley has also urged the premier and Education Minister Jo Palmer to apologise. The premier and education minister have been contacted for comment.
Police in the Northern District detected more than 260 speeding motorists during a week of targeted enforcement focused on the Fatal Five road safety risks. Officers also conducted 605 roadside alcohol and drug tests, and detected drink-driving, mobile phone and seatbelt offences. Five disqualified drivers were arrested and charged. A 34-year-old Newnham man allegedly returned a breath reading of 0.145 and was charged. Acting Inspector Luke Negri said police will keep up targeted enforcement across the district.
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Get the appTasmanian artist Joy Mackey was this month's Artist of the Month at the Pear Shed in White Beach. Sixteen of her small paintings, collectively called Connected, were displayed on one wall. Mackey said she was asked to take the role for October back in January.
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.
French Ambassador to Australia David Martinon has visited The Briars on the Mornington Peninsula to view its Napoleonic collection. He was joined by Flinders MP Zoe McKenzie, mayor Stephen Batty and deputy mayor Paul Pingiaro. The collection dates to the Balcombe family, who befriended Napoleon during his exile on St Helena in 1815. The homestead is due to reopen later this year after restoration works, with a dedicated exhibition of the collection planned.
Former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant says he was held at gunpoint by police after a confrontation with two men in Southlake, Texas. Bryant told OutKick he admitted knocking a phone from one man's hand in a parking lot. Video recorded by his girlfriend shows Bryant and the two men face-down and in handcuffs. Bryant says he was cited for assault but not arrested or booked, and the other two men were released. He is due in court on November 20, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Twenty-eight parents of transgender and gender diverse children have written to Tasmanian MPs, urging them to support a Greens bill that would ban conversion practices. Conversion practices are any attempt to change, suppress or eradicate a person's sexual or gender identity. The bill is set to be debated in the House of Assembly tomorrow. It needs 18 votes to pass, and the Greens, Labor and independent Kristie Johnston hold 15. Several Liberal MPs have said they will vote against it, and the Liberals have been granted a conscience vote.
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.
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Get the appA 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.
Victoria will expand its AI-powered bushfire camera network from seven to 11 cameras by 2027, with $3.8 million in funding. The cameras, which detected 40 fires in 2023/24 and 46 in 2024/25, provide 24-hour monitoring and early alerts. Emergency Services Minister Paul Edbrooke says the expansion will help firefighters respond faster to bushfires, with high risks forecast due to El Niño and dry conditions.
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.
ABC reporter Will Murray has become known around the world after leaving his camera to rescue a man from floodwaters near Brisbane. The rescue on Thursday 22 October was covered by the BBC and New York Times. Before his fame, Mr Murray was a television journalist in Wagga between 2017 and 2021, where he built a loyal following. In an interview, he said he acted without hesitating because he could not watch someone drown. He said the attention was overwhelming and expects his fame to fade quickly.