Jackson Worthington

A Tasmanian woman has added her voice to calls to criminalise coercive control at a parliamentary inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence. Deborah Thomson, of Burnie, escaped a violent relationship 17 years ago. The physical abuse she suffered permanently impaired her vision and left her in need of brain surgery. However, she said in some cases the psychological impacts of the mental abuse had a greater impact on her life. Last week Ms Thomson fronted the House Standing Committee on So

Initiatives to curb ice usage on Tasmania's North-West Coast are working - with fewer young people using the illicit substances, Rural Health Tasmania says. Smithton was highlighted as an Australia-wide hotspot of methamphetamine usage in the mid 2010s, with reports that 10 per cent of drug users were turning to ice. The reports prompted immediate action from concerned community members and the state government.

The wishlists of six pokies venues in Launceston have been released as part of the Tasmanian Government's upcoming gaming reforms. From allowing ATMs in their venues, to increasing the number of machines in pubs to make them equal with clubs, the pubs' submissions to the government were mainly aimed at ensuring smaller pokies venues could compete with larger ones.

In a past relationship Deborah Thomson was repeatedly strangled by her husband. Sometimes he was trying to kill her, but not all the time. The attacks impaired Ms Thomson's vision and left her requiring brain surgery to fix aneurysms. Now, 17 years after escaping that relationship, she is adding her voice to renewed calls for strangulation, choking and suffocation to be made indictable offences.

Staffing levels in Tasmania's corrections system have been labelled unsustainable after departmental figures revealed the government spent more than $8 million on overtime in the last financial year. The government has blamed protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic for the near $800,000 increase from 2018-19.

Private investors who are partnering with City of Launceston council for a $90 million development in the CBD dodged questions about where their funding is coming from at the project's launch. The project which will see an educational precinct and bus exchange built on Paterson Street, in the old Birchalls building, is a partnership between the council and New Creative Group.