It's like 'Cast Away', but with a few more Wilsons. A private island just off the coast of Tassie for you and a few friends? Um, where do we sign up? The idyllic Picnic Island, nestled offshore from Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park and the crystal blue waters of Coles Bay, is home to a 10-person eco-lodge currently up for rent on AirBnB. The island itself sits about 500 metres off the coast, with views of The Hazards, Richardsons Beach and the Coles Bay township in your eye line. As a guest of the property, you’ll have the entire island to yourselves, which means there’ll be no disruptions as you spend your days staring out at the uninterrupted horizon or watching the waves crash to shore. It’s pure, perfect peacefulness. The lodge has been designed by Tasmanian architect John Latham, and features three double bedrooms with king size beds, another suite with a king-sized bed and a sitting room. The communal “Birdhouse” is where you’ll congregate for meals and bevvies.
There’s also a deck for relaxing, an open fire and even a wall of glass cantilevering over the ocean’s high water mark. Expect to see plenty of wildlife during your stay as well. At night, penguins and shearwater birds have been known to poke their heads in, as well as a few seals, dolphins and whales just off the island’s shore. Flathead and squid are abundant in these waters, as are mussels, abalone and sea urchins. Bonus: it’s just around the corner from the world famous Wineglass Bay – talk about a prime location! Prices start at $880 per night, with a three night minimum stay. Split that between the ten of you and you’re looking at $88 per person.The Department of State Growth is leading the Tasmanian Government’s Regulatory Review of the Tasmanian Taxi and Hire Vehicle Industries (the Review). Information about the Review can be found at Taxi and Hire Vehicle Industries Regulatory Review.Taxis are an important part of Tasmania's passenger transport system.
Unlike buses, which transport large numbers of people over set routes at regular times, taxis can take up to four passengers (or more in maxi taxis) directly to where they want to go, when they want to go.Tasmania also has a range of hire vehicle services that can provide more specialised forms of transport. The different taxis and hire vehicles used in Tasmania are:Standard taxis can be sedans or station wagons, or sometimes small people movers. Some of the larger vehicles can carry up to 12 passengers, but most standard taxis can carry four passengers. Some of these taxis may be labelled as 'silver service' taxis.Wheelchair accessible taxis (WATs) are normally people movers or passenger vans. These vehicles can carry wheelchair-reliant people, as well as people who don't use wheelchairs. Some WATs are branded or marked as 'maxi taxis', which refers to their alternative use as carriers of large groups of people.Luxury hire cars provide pre-booked transport in a luxury vehicle or limousine.
Restricted hire vehicles provide pre-booked transport for certain special occasions such as weddings, as well as tours in sedans or small people movers.There are currently over 500 taxis operating in Tasmania, about 20 luxury hire cars and 120 restricted hire vehicles. Most of these vehicles operate in either Hobart or Launceston.Unsold licences from 2015 TenderIn accordance with section 23(7) of the Taxi and Hire Vehicle Industries Act 2008, all Owner-Operator Taxi Licences (OOTLs) remaining from the 2015 Tender that were unsold have been withdrawn from sale effective from 30 September 2016.There will be no OOTLs made available by the Transport Commission in any Tasmanian taxi area for 2016, 2017 and 2018.Amendments to the Taxi and Hire Vehicle Industries Act 2008 became law on 6 September 2016. These amendments allow the Minister to suspend the release of additional OOTLs for a particular taxi area for the years 2016, 2017 and/or 2018. (Click here to view the legislation.)If you have any questions or would like further information, call the Regulations and Concessions team on 6166 3269.Taxi and Hire Car Operators NewsletterTaxi and Hire Vehicle Industries Regulatory ReviewInformation about operating and driving taxis and hire vehicles, and approved auditors for operator accreditation.
Forms relating to accreditation and taxi and hire vehicle licences. Hobart firefighter raises held up for meeting with mayor The Hobart City Council intends to give $1,000 a year pay raises to some elected officials and city employees, but failed to agree to the same salary hike for firefighters last week.The council also agreed not to increase its own stipend this year, leaving it at $11,765 per member. All suggested raises still need to be approved on second reading.Some firefighters had asked the council not to move forward on their raises at the council meeting, saying they wanted to meet with Mayor Brian Snedecor first to determine if money could be found to give them a better raise. In the past two years, both the police officers and employees who are members of the Teamsters union received three-year deals, and the council had said that the firefighters would have their turn. The Teamsters last year were given a 4 percent raise the first year and 3 percent salary hikes in the second and third years.
In 2014, Master and 1st Class police officers received $4,000 increases in their base pay for three consecutive years.But Councilman Dave Vinzant, D-4th, who chairs the finance committee, said the council is already spending a lot of money on the fire department, pointing to the $1 million remodel and expansion of Fire Station 2 on Old Ridge Road, which is scheduled to open early in September.He also noted that the council needs to spend $400,000 a year to keep the six firefighters they were able to hire two years ago under an $830,000 federal grant. The grant paid for those firefighters' salaries, benefits and other expenses for two years. "With that $400,000 there's no room for raises," Vinzant said.He said the firefighters will probably meet with the mayor, who was not at the council meeting."Maybe he'll propose something different," Vinzant said. Vinzant made a motion to adopt the $1,000 salary hike for third-year firefighters on the first reading and to set a meeting between the mayor and firefighters for further discussion, but it failed to pass.