Maggies swoop in Tasmania too
Following an ABC news article that suggested Tasmania’s magpies didn’t swoop like their mainland counterparts, we went to our Facebook community for a bit of fact checking.
And while many people agreed Tassie’s maggies weren’t as aggressive as their interstate cousins, they did identify a few hotspots for you to look out for:
- Prospect Vale and Blackstone Heights
- Evandale
- Davy Point Road, Montagu
- Clarence Street, Howrah
- Howrah Road
- Shoreline Shopping Centre overpass
- South Arm RSL
- Fingerpost Road, Campania
- Shark Point Road, Sorell
- Shelomith Drive, Acton Park
The use of cable ties and painted eyes hasn’t been found to deter swooping, which occurs around nests for a few weeks each year:
Tasmanians can contribute their sighting to the national Magpie Alert which maps where the swooping hotspots are: www.magpiealert.com/
Help us map Tassie bike information
A group of Bicycle Network members are working on a map of Tasmanian bike infrastructure and need your help.
The information they have so far concentrates on the Hobart city centre, but once that’s nailed down they’ll move on to other areas of the state. The map includes locations for bike shops, bike parking, water and toilets.
You can take a look at the map at biketas.org.au/Map and by clicking on the ? button you can get help on how the map works.
The ? button will also give you the chance to provide feedback on the map, route planning software they are testing and your own knowledge about bicycle infrastructure.
The map is based on Open Street Map and the CycleStreets photo system.
The group is working with a few local governments to work out how to automate the link between the Open Street Map data and their information to minimise manual additions.
If you are interested in being more involved in the mapping exercise, please email Greg at Greg.Dutkowski@gmail.com.
Kingston looking for ideas for main road
Kingborough Council is looking for ideas to improve the Channel Highway through the Kingston shopping centre via an online survey.
Mayor Dean Winter describes central Kingston as a “mess” and said more than $2 million had been budgeted to fix the highway and build a new bus interchange.
“The activation of our central business district is a critical step to reduce congestion by making Kingston a more convenient place to do business, work and shop,” Mr Winter said.
The on-road bike lane through the strip is narrow and disappears at exactly the times you need more certainty of your place on the road. There is no clear signage for how bike riders can link to other paths or lanes and there is little convenient bike parking.
The council has engaged consultants Placescore to find out what the community wants to develop a master plan for the town centre, and you can contribute via an online survey.
The survey closes on 18 November, and some people will go into the running for gift vouchers to local shops.
Hobart bike kitchen helping students, tourists get rolling
If you haven’t come across the Hobart Bike Kitchen before, this handy short film tells you all you need to know about their efforts to get more people riding.
Students, tourists and lapsed riders are encouraged to build their own bike from donated frames and parts in the Sunday sessions which are about empowering people with the skills the need to keep their bike operational.
The kitchen is open Sunday afternoons between 1 and 4 pm in the backyard of the Wilderness Society building at 130 Davey Street – check their Facebook page for more details.
North Hobart misses bike parking opportunity
The redesign of North’s Hobart’s Swan Street Park has been signed off by Hobart Council, although bike parking didn’t make it in despite it being called for during the public comment period.
That area of North Hobart has limited bike parking opportunities and demand from patrons of the State Theatre, Winston pub and Born in Brunswick restaurant.
It’s disappointing to see that of the list of issues raised by the public bike parking seems to be the only one that did not make it into the redesign.
Instead, the council has said it is “exploring possible opportunities to install bike parking adjacent to the park”. As there is limited space on the footpath it’s difficult to see where effective bike parking may be installed other than converting one of the on-street car parks.
