About Hobart

 A new policy to proactively declare councillors' potential conflicts of interests before they arise is set to be voted on at a Hobart City Council meeting this evening. If passed, it will bring the council in line with other capital city councils around Australia.  Under the new policy, how many properties councillors own, which companies they hold shares in, and major income sources could all become publicly available from April. Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-20/hobart-city-council-votes-on-conflict-of-interest-registry/102118128

 A Tasmanian man who shot and killed 350 kookaburras because they were impacting his native wildlife has been fined $5,000 by a judge for not possessing the appropriate firearms licence. Neil Gordon Whitford, 60, of Deviot, admitted in the Supreme Court in Launceston he shot the kookaburras over a nine-month period in 2021 using a semi-automatic rifle. The court heard Mr Whitford had held a Category A firearms licence since 1996, but he needed a Category C licence for the rifle used to perform the cull. Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-21/tasmanian-man-fined-after-shooting-350-kookaburras/102119794

 After six years of design revisions, community campaigns and false starts, the Clarence City Council is back to square one at Kangaroo Bay after voting to buy back the land from developers Chambroad.  Chambroad planned to build a 150-room hotel at the site, with four levels, each styled according to a different theme.  But at a council meeting on Monday, the council ruled Chambroad had been given "ample time and a number of extensions to proceed with the development and … time was up". Mayor Brendan Blomeley told ABC Radio Hobart that the sale and development agreement with Chambroad meant the council could legally buy the land back for the sale price of $2.44 million plus GST and stamp duty. Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-21/tas-council-to-start-kangaroo-bay-buy-back/102122610

 Have you decided to host guests this holiday season and want to make sure your home is completely healthy and neat? I can help you out by sharing an article here that has tips on how to clean your home to keep it spotless and free from germs and allergens. Follow tips like using natural cleaning solutions, wiping surfaces, disinfecting areas as you go and keeping indoor plants to maintain good indoor air quality. You can also hire expert bond cleaners in Hobart to help you deep clean your home and keep it healthy for your guests and yourself. https://www.bondcleaninginhobart.com.au/how-to-clean-tips-for-keeping-your-home-healthy/

 A man has been charged with the shooting murder of escaped prisoner Nicholas Scott outside a home north of Hobart on Tuesday. The 20-year-old remains in custody and will appear before the Hobart Magistrates Court at a later time. Scott, 26, absconded from prison custody while being treated at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) on Monday night, and police later discovered his body outside a house in Granton after responding to a report of a gunshot. Inside the house, they found a man with non-life-threatening injuries who was taken to the RHH for treatment. Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-04/granton-man-charged-with-murder-of-nicholas-scott/101827170

 Farmers across Australia are anxiously watching long-term climate forecasts, with fears a hot and dry El Niño system could back up the current flood-inducing La Niña.     The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has advised that 40 per cent of past La Niña events have switched to El Niño events in the same year that a La Niña has ended. This year's La Niña is expected to recede by autumn. The last El Niño resulted in a record-breaking drought from 2017 to 2020, and that has farmers worried. "I don't want to think about El Niño or another drought," Moree grain and beef producer Oscar Pearce said. Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-04/bom-forecasts-40-per-cent-chance-el-nino-august-drought-fears/101826780