Rhiana Whitson

• Tasmanian family split as wait list for housing grows longer

  By Rhiana Whitson and Georgie Burgess

  Posted March 02, 2017 20:41:42 | Updated March 03, 2017 12:09:07

  A father of six pleads for help in finding a home for his family as new data reveals the Tasmanian public housing waiting list has blown out.

  Topics: housing, homelessness, charities-and-community-organisations, hobart-7000, launceston-7250

• Tasmania's small gene pool a help to prostate cancer researcher

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted March 01, 2017 18:51:09 | Updated March 01, 2017 19:13:44

  The small gene pool of Tasmania may be the butt of many jokes, but it could help find a breakthrough in prostate cancer research.

  Topics: prostate-cancer, diseases-and-disorders, medical-research, health, tas

• Dick Smith eco-tourism project on Port Arthur coast revived by son-in-law

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted February 28, 2017 06:34:01

  A tourism and "wellbeing centre" project on the Tasman Peninsula looks likely to go ahead, almost a decade after its developer, entrepreneur Dick Smith, shelved the proposal due to local opposition.

  Topics: travel-and-tourism, tourism, environmental-impact, port-arthur-7182

• Housing Tasmania urged to remove pensioner's wasp infestation

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted February 26, 2017 15:57:11

  A 70-year-old pensioner wants Housing Tasmania to "wake up" and do the right thing by removing a wasp nest outside his bedroom window.

  Topics: pests, state-parliament, housing, hobart-7000

• Three accused cocaine smugglers extradited to Victoria

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted February 24, 2017 16:58:24

  Three of 10 Chinese nationals charged over Tasmania's biggest cocaine bust are expected to be extradited to Victoria next week.

  Topics: crime, drug-offences, tas

• Coffee shop on historic Mt Wellington site not everyone's cup of tea

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted February 21, 2017 16:24:05

  Not everyone is happy about a newly-opened cafe on Mount Wellington in Tasmania, located at the site of the historic chalet that burnt down in the 1967 Black Tuesday fires.

  Topics: travel-and-tourism, lifestyle-and-leisure, hobart-7000, tas

• Rural Alive & Well warns of cuts to Tasmanian mental health services

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted February 20, 2017 19:17:38 | Updated February 21, 2017 10:14:00

  Russell Jenkins of Geeveston says the RAW mental health service, now facing budget uncertainties, saved his life.

  Topics: mental-health, community-and-society, charities, tas

• Murder accused said he 'snapped' over failed relationship: prison guard

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted February 09, 2017 19:16:16 | Updated February 09, 2017 19:34:53

  Klaus Neubert, who is accused of murdering his wife at a Hobart intersection, told a prison guard he "snapped" because there was no hope of reconciling his relationship, a court hears.

  Topics: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, hobart-7000, tas

• Before and after school child care shortage leaves parents in lurch

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted February 08, 2017 19:50:10

  A booming economy and more working parents create longer waiting lists for before and after school care in southern Tasmania, according to childcare providers.

  Topics: schools, child-care, family-and-children, tas

• Fishing identity behind Abel Tasman held after record cocaine bust

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted December 30, 2016 12:45:33 | Updated December 30, 2016 14:14:24

  Joseph Pirrello, the director of Seafish Tasmania when the company brought the controversial super trawler to Australia in 2012, and Lorjona chief James Collins face court in Sydney over Australia's biggest cocaine haul.

  Topics: crime, law-crime-and-justice, rokeby-7019, tas, brooklyn-2083

• Hobart Council calls on State Government to stump up funds for Taste of Tasmania

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted December 29, 2016 18:42:18

  The Tasmanian Government has been urged to contribute more funding to Hobart's annual Taste of Tasmania food festival, amid concerns stallholder fees were driving up costs for patrons.

  Topics: food-and-beverage, community-and-multicultural-festivals, hobart-7000

• Chinese boat crew accused of drug smuggling in court

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted December 18, 2016 13:17:45

  Eight Chinese nationals accused of trying to smuggle drugs into Australia appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court after their boat was intercepted in international waters.

  Topics: drug-offences, courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, hobart-7000

• Driver killed in crash on Tasmania's Midland Highway

  By Rhiana Whitson and Laura Beavis

  Posted December 18, 2016 09:54:55 | Updated December 19, 2016 08:27:37

  Police allege an inattentive driver who was speeding crashed his car head-on into a van carrying a family of six, killing the driver on the Midland Highway in Tasmania's north.

  Topics: road, perth-7300, evandale-7212, hobart-7000

• Tasmanian wilderness tourism plan 'a success': Government

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted December 17, 2016 15:57:37

  The Tasmanian Government says its tourism plan for the state's national parks is not a flop, despite several developers walking away from their pitches.

  Topics: state-parliament, national-parks, hobart-7000, launceston-7250, tas

• Scrooge primary school bans the cane

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted December 01, 2016 19:32:22 | Updated December 02, 2016 09:22:32

  A Tasmanian school bans students from including candy canes and similar treats with their Christmas cards this year, along with a general veto on birthday cakes from 2017, in a move one parent has labelled "food shaming".

  Topics: education-associations, primary-schools, community-and-society, public-schools, bellerive-7018, tas

• Crowdfunding push to save orange-bellied parrots

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted November 20, 2016 13:06:08

  An emergency plan and crowdfunding campaign are launched in a last-ditch attempt to save the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot from extinction.

  Topics: endangered-and-protected-species, environmental-management, state-parliament, birds, tas, hobart-7000, launceston-7250

• Dead fox find raises biosecurity concerns

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted November 19, 2016 14:31:32

  A Tasmanian MP questions the state's biosecurity after the discovery of a dead fox from Victoria.

  Topics: quarantine, pests, government-and-politics, tas

• Raw milk tasting at homestay farm falls foul of Tasmanian health authorities

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted November 11, 2016 13:03:28 | Updated November 11, 2016 14:20:55

  A Tasmanian farmer who demonstrates milking cows to children, giving them a "squirt" from the udder, falls foul of health authorities who have warned he is at risk of losing his business if he does not stop.

  Topics: food-safety, health-policy, huonville-7109

• Tasman Island tourism concerns over pests, heritage values

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted November 11, 2016 06:28:33 | Updated November 11, 2016 10:04:26

  Environment groups are concerned allowing tourism on a remote island off Tasmania's south east will lead to the destruction of its environmental and heritage values.

  Topics: tourism, environmentally-sustainable-business, environmental-management, states-and-territories, hobart-7000, launceston-7250

• Beer out, salad and gridiron in, as part of weight crusade

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted November 10, 2016 10:14:43

  When AFL fan Glenn Nelson needed to lose a lot of his 300 kilograms in weight he turned to American football, the sport which "needs big guys that want to hit people".

  Topics: mens-health, diet-and-nutrition, sport, hobart-7000, launceston-7250

• Tenacious tall ship visits Hobart, crew members of all abilities welcome

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted November 04, 2016 20:49:12 | Updated November 04, 2016 21:05:58

  Sailing from his wheelchair had become too difficult for Paul Shaw, then he heard about the Tenacious tall ship and 'jumped at the opportunity' to join the crew.

  Topics: disabilities, charities-and-community-organisations, hobart-7000

• Powerlines take out 11 more Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted October 29, 2016 13:06:03 | Updated October 29, 2016 17:31:13

  Australia's largest bird of prey, the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, is 11 deaths closer to extinction, with TasNetworks confirming the birds were electrocuted flying into powerlines.

  Topics: birds, animals, animal-welfare, electricity-energy-and-utilities, tas

• Union seeks tough penalties for companies aware of cracks before Myer wall collapse

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted October 25, 2016 07:37:14 | Updated October 25, 2016 09:10:45

  A construction union wants the companies named in a government report on the collapse of the Hobart rivulet wall near the Myer development to face tough penalties.

  Topics: emergency-incidents, building-and-construction, hobart-7000

• Tasmanian Government communications failure 'potentially disastrous'

  By Rhiana Whitson

  Posted October 19, 2016 14:57:42

  A communications crash that affected hospital, emergency services and road traffic management systems exposed backup problems, a union says.

  Topics: disasters-and-accidents, emergency-planning, information-and-communication, tas

• RSPCA calls for Tasmanian abattoir to close over cruelty claims

  By Rhiana Whitson and Peta Carlyon

  Posted October 15, 2016 09:33:43 | Updated October 15, 2016 14:01:53

  The RSPCA calls for the immediate closure of a Tasmanian abattoir, after an animal welfare group released footage from the abattoir showing what it described as the prolonged and unlawful suffering of pigs, sheep and cows.

  Topics: animal-welfare, gretna-7140

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