A FREE PUBLICATION FOR THE HOBART MUNICIPALITY
Independently owned and published by Cor Comms
FEBRUARY 2021
Long-time arts advocate is Hobart’s top citizen A DRIVING force behind Hobart’s arts scene, a highly talented teenage philanthropist and the volunteers behind a project to feed people most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic have been recognised at the City of Hobart Australia Day Awards presentation. THE FULL STORY PAGE 4
From left, Show Hope’s Dr Paul Shantapriyan and Rev Dr Samuel Gough, Citizen of the Year Vicki Chapman, and Young Citizen of the Year Sheng-Yuan Lynch.
Safer CBD speeds introduced HOBART’S city centre has become a safer place, with a 40 kilometre per hour vehicle speed limit having come into effect on 1 February. Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the change coincided with students returning to school, providing an extra incentive to slow down in the city.
“This small speed reduction of just 10 kilometres per hour can make a big difference to the safety of pedestrians and cyclists – including school students moving around our city,” she said. “It will also likely reduce the number of crashes that cause traffic snarls and millions of
dollars’ worth of damage every year. “A safer speed limit is good for everyone. “It makes outdoor dining or browsing shops more enjoyable and encourages people to use modes of active travel – which in turn takes cars off the road and reduces congestion. “A 40 kilometre per
SUMMER 2021 Summer Season Subscriptions now on sale. Explore the program at tso.com.au. Subscribe online or call the TSO Box Office on 1800 001 190. Tasmania’s Orchestra. Here for you in 2021.
hour speed limit has been working in other cities across Australia for many years and it’s time that Hobart caught up with the trend.” As well as being consistent with other major Australian cities and towns, the introduction of a 40 kilometre per hour CBD speed limit aligned with
the Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy as a means to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the state’s roads. Data from the Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre showed that the chance of a fatal injury decreased from 85 per cent at 50 kilometres per hour to less than 30 per cent at 40 kilometres
per hour. City Infrastructure Committee Chair Bill Harvey said there had been 833 reported onroad crashes in Hobart’s CBD in the past five years – equating to nearly one every two days. Of those, about 130 crashes resulted in injuries and three in deaths.
“Lowering the speed limit by just 10 kilometres per hour won’t make any difference to traffic flow, but can make a big difference when it comes to reducing injuries from crashes or avoiding them in the first place,” he said.
STORY CONTINUES PAGE2