KING Island crayfishers are optimistic that China’s ban on live lobster imports will be lifted after the visit to Australia this week by China Premier Li Qiang.

“Lifting the ban takes the pressure off the local market, ultimately making it easier to move crays and hopefully at a more reliable price,”crayfisher and skipper of the Tainui III Justin Summers said.

“When trade resumes, the demand should stay steady, stopping the fluctuation of price,” Mr Summers said.

Trade Minister Don Farrell has predicted the ban will be lifted soon after Premier Li Qiang’s visit. The return of lobsters to the Chinese market would mark a milestone in the Australian government’s efforts to stabilise bilateral relations since coming to power in 2022.

In 2020, China banned minister-to-minister communications with Australia and imposed a series of official and unofficial trade barriers on Australian products, including beef, barley, coal, wood and wine, costing exporters $20 billion annually.

According to trade data, the value of rock lobster exports 2019 -20 was $543.6m. Individual businesses had to seek new customers and markets overnight. Out of necessity, the domestic rock lobster market expanded.

While local consumers benefited from low “off the boat” prices it is not sustainable for fishers. Some crayfishers have left the industry or sold their licenses. Lobster is the last remaining product still affected by increased Chinese tariffs.

Bilateral relations deteriorated significantly after the former Coalition government demanded an independent investigation into the causes of and China’s responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Farrell said Li was the first Chinese premier to visit Australia in seven years.

“I think there’s both the willingness on our part and the part of the Chinese government to remove all of the impediments in our relationship,” he said.

China lifted tariffs on Australian wine in March and their restrictions on Australian beef last December.

“I’d be very confident that the visit this week will result in a very successful outcome for lobster,” Mr Farrell said.

King Island Mining company Group 6 Metals has announced that it has reached the high grade ore zone in the Dolphin Tungsten Mine’s open pit and is working towards a possible renewable energy development.

The high-grade C-Lens is now exposed in the open pit, despite the King Island operation falling behind its planned mining sequence.

In recent weeks, the mine had an unscheduled shutdown due to parts delay. However, mining to the end of April exceeded forecast volumes.

The company expects to mine the high-grade ore blocks in C-Lens starting this month.

“Over the past six months, our geology and mining teams have excelled at maximising ore recovery,” G6M managing director and chief executive Officer Keith McKnight said in an ASX report last week.

“This means we’ve collected more valuable tungsten ore than forecast while working the outer areas of the Dolphin open pit.

“While this has caused a temporary delay in the mining sequence, the extra effort has resulted in a detailed understanding of the mine’s geology, giving us a lot of confidence in our mine forecast.”

Mr McKnight added that the process plant has operated steadily for the past two months with good utilisation, and planned upgrades are expected to enhance its performance as the head grade of material from the mine increases significantly.

G6M informed the ASX that it, along with a partnership with Climate Capital, has been evaluating the potential to link a 7.5-megawatt solar array and a 5.5-megawatt-hour battery storage system to the mine’s power plant.

The proposed project aligns with the company’s commitment to improving its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) credentials.

Hobart-based Capital Climate invests in renewable projects around Australia.

“We build, own and operate projects which are behind the meter or present the ability to contract electricity offtake with a corporate counterpart,” their website says.

“Climate Capital operates a co-investing model with its corporate shareholders who are a mix of social impact and family office investors.”

G6M said the solar power system would sit adjacent to the processing plant. Climate Capital has completed power modelling and site assessment, and both parties have expressed interest in negotiating a power purchase agreement under a build-own-operate model for project delivery.

“By reducing reliance on diesel fuel, the project has the potential to significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable operation,” Group 6 stated.

“Additionally, the project is expected to reduce diesel power generation by up to 49 per cent for the current site’s power demand.”

The mine draws water from the lower Grassy dam, and there has not been water passing over the spillway from the upper Grassy dam since November, 2023.

G6M Project Development and Operations General Manager Chas Murcott said that the company has been using water from the old underground mine and seawater and the lower dam to mitigate any environmental impacts on the dam.

The regular company and Grassy residents meeting was recently held and the minutes should be available this week.

Facebook will soon block the majority of local news in your feed but that’s no reason to miss out.

Get your news straight from the horse’s mouth: https://fontpublishing.com.au/kingislandcourier/

For digital subscriptions of the weekly paper, follow the website links.  

Generally Australians think that thermal bathing means soaking in naturally heated water, typically from hot springs, mineral springs, or other geothermal sources, often rich in minerals and can be found in various locations around the world. Spas, resorts relaxation wellness centres come to mind.

The not-so-common natural alternative is cold water bathing which conjures up images of Scandinavian saunas and a quick roll in the snow or a plunge into an icy lake or rock pool.

King Island has a lack of volcanoes and underground hot bubblers, but there are saunas to be found in higher-end accommodation, however, the latest winter season activity is braving the edges of the Southern Ocean at British Admiral Beach and chilling out.

A two-week cold-water challenge started last week and finishes on the Winter solstice on June 22. The plunge is open to everyone and starts at 8am each morning (8.30am on Saturday) at the rock pool at British Admiral. After the first week, numbers have grown from half a dozen intrepid enthusiasts and are increasing each morning.

The cold dip appeals to all genders, and they return each day as the cold therapy sessions have benefits.

“We live on an island surrounded by water and most think of summer for a swim, surf or paddle. Winter time offers the perfect water conditions for cold water therapy,” organiser Sabine Gabauer said.

Cold water can help to reduce the winter blues, sore muscles and that run-down feeling”.

‘Taking the waters’ is rooted in bathing pilgrimages going back many centuries to pre-Roman times. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a new focus developed on the ‘water cures’ with the rise in concerns with bodily and mental health.

Austria embraced this rise and focused on their residents and the developing tourism sector.

“The cold-water challenge was born out of my Austrian background,” Ms Gabauer said.

“In Austria, having saunas and cold-water exposure (hot and cold therapy) is a cultural lifestyle choice. There are many ‘public wellness temples’, easily accessible for all age groups.

“King Island’s winter season offers the most beneficial conditions for cold water exposure, particularly at the natural rockpool at British Admiral.

“This time of year offers the perfect conditions to focus on our breathing and activating the parasympathetic mode which is the rest and relax state that we can drop into just by breathing through the nose.

“The breath plays a crucial role in cold water therapy. Within a mindset of presence and calm we focus on our breath and enter the cold water in a state of ‘forced mindfulness’. If we were thrown into cold water or fell overboard we would naturally hyperventilate and go into shock and stress mode.

In our case, we are in full control as we are exploring the edge of our tolerance.

Can we be comfortably uncomfortable and remain mindful and present? These are probably the most relevant factors when engaging in cold water therapy.

Ms Gabauer follows the work of Wim Hof and Dr. Marc Cohen, world-renowned researchers and forerunners in the field of hot and cold therapy.

“Dr. Marc Cohen suggests that regular saunas and cold-water therapy assist in the opening and closing of blood vessels which keeps them elastic and helps the body to detoxify and rid itself of waste products,” she said.

“Scientists have found evidence that exposure to cold speeds up metabolism. Another benefit of exposing your body to cold is that it reduces inflammation, swelling, and sore muscles. Many athletes use ice baths and other types of exposure to cold as a way to speed up recovery after physical exercise. Cold body therapy is linked to improved quality of sleep, and an improved immune response, including the stimulation and elevation of our mood and can help raise energy levels.

“While we don’t have the luxury of public saunas on the island, it is important to move the body after cold water therapy and bring warmth back into the extremities. Everyone is welcome each morning at 8am and 8.30am on Saturday.”

Facebook will soon block the majority of local news in your feed but that’s no reason to miss out.

Get your news straight from the horse’s mouth: https://fontpublishing.com.au/kingislandcourier/

For digital subscriptions of the weekly paper, follow the website links.  

The Grassy Pool is under threat if the Swimming Association King Island cannot find new committee members and volunteers to maintain the pool.

The few remaining committee members have decided that it is time to retire.

Without a new committee and supporters, the association will fold.

Mel Barratt – who has been involved for over 10 years, holds multiple committee roles and and runs Aquafit classes – said that it is time to look to the future.

SAKI will hold its AGM in July and the future of the association and the pool will be decided.

In April 1971, the Grassy Progress Association organised a barbecue to kickstart a fund for constructing a swimming pool in Grassy.

There was a big turnout of Grassy residents who supported the cause. The island had more than 3500 residents and the scheelite mine was a large employer.

By July 1971, the Grassy Progress Association included the King Island Council in the advice they received from consulting engineers Gutteridge Haskins and Davey regarding the potential pool construction.

The firm had previously provided cost estimates to the former General Manager of King Island Scheelite. Larger Government infrastructure grants more often than not require council application and GPA had received indications that they would be eligible for some government funding.

Fundraising commenced in earnest across the island’s community and continued for many years.

By February 1979, the third open general meeting of the SAKI was held at the Currie Town Hall, with councillors, key community members and supporters in attendance.

The meeting covered significant developments, including a detailed report to King Island Scheelite on pool design as SAKI was requesting some financial assistance from the mine, location, costs, and operations, with an estimated project cost of $110,000.

SAKI sought to secure funding support from the council, state and federal, and large fundraising activities were planned.

In April 1983, almost exactly 12 months after the formation of SAKI, construction of the swimming pool commenced. SAKI decided to go it alone and formally incorporated to make their own applications for government funds and while they requested support from the King Island Council, they did not want to be reliant or have the council (or other incorporated body) making applications on their behalf when it was not clear if the government would offer a loan, which could not be serviced, or a full or partial grant.

The Lions Club of King Island contributed $5800, and a community public subscription raised over $20,000 through events and donations were received from Police and Citizens Boys and Girls Club, KIS employees’ payroll, private donations and functions.

Despite initial challenges, the total cost was estimated at $133,000, with $124,000 already available.

The remaining funds were raised through voluntary labour, donated materials, and continued fundraising.

The King Island Council provided a subsidy of $1000 per annum. The construction of a 20m x 10m indoor heated pool marked a significant milestone for the island.

In the subsequent years, the Grassy Pool hosted “Learn to Swim” campaigns, school programs, and community activities, particularly during summer. Over the past 10 years the pool was part of Ballarat and Clarendon College’s island Year 9 campus experience when on the island, facilitated rehabilitation and injury recovery programs, baby and toddler swim classes and an Aquafit program.

The heating system and showers need refurbishment, although the Grassy Pool does utilise waste oil from the council and this saves exporting off the island.

The SAKI Annual General Meeting will be held on July 2 at 6.30pm at the Grassy Club and all positions will be declared vacant. Meetings are held every three months.

Facebook will soon block the majority of local news in your feed but that’s no reason to miss out.

Get your news straight from the horse’s mouth: https://fontpublishing.com.au/kingislandcourier/

For digital subscriptions of the weekly paper, follow the website links.  

The King Islander arrived at Grassy on Monday morning with another smaller load of hay and pellets from the Need for Feed charity.

Bales will be distributed through the island’s Drought Coordinators engaged by TasFarmers.

This smaller load was unable to be loaded at Port Welshpool in late May when the first 500 bales of hay and 200 pallet bags of pellets were delivered to the island by Eastern Line Shipping, offering dry relief.

The island can expect a larger load of hay with laden trucks on board the King Islander to arrive on the island in late July. Need for Feed representatives will be coming to the island.

The demand for the organisation’s assistance continues to grow. Some parts of Australia are soaked, however much of southern Australia continues to experience record dry conditions.

Many areas, including King Island, missed out receiving last week’s rains or recorded less than 20mls. The dry in Tasmania is joined by South West Victoria, South Australian Victorian border, Northern and Southern Grampians and surrounds.

The normal late summer storms and Autumn rains have not happened in these areas, with only 15 -20 mls rain recorded in the last four months. Lambing has started and crop sowing impacted. Need for Feed has renewed calls for donations as they continue to supply fodder to other drought-stricken areas.

The Tasmanian Government King and Flinders Islands Primary Producers Seasonal Conditions Scheme (Support Payments) closes at 11pm on Sunday, June 30. Go to stategrowth.tas.gov.au, select Grants and Funding opportunities, Agribusiness and follow the links.

The workshops program focused on decision-making, drought preparedness and the future. Veterinarian support sessions are continuing, and information can be obtained through the Beef Producers Group, the Drought Coordination (0418 123 695) and King Island Lions Community Care (0428 611 332).

The extended dry seasonal conditions continue to cause challenges for many farmers. Each person navigates situational stress differently and while it’s not always easy to reach out for support, support is available through Rural Alive & Well rawtas.com.au. Either call directly on 1800 729 827 or submit a callback request via the website home page.

Facebook will soon block the majority of local news in your feed but that’s no reason to miss out.

Get your news straight from the horse’s mouth: https://fontpublishing.com.au/kingislandcourier/

For digital subscriptions of the weekly paper, follow the website links.  

It was back in 2013 when an old shed in Pegarah was turned into a studio.

Owner Wade Roskam met with Tim Woodburn, a musician who moved from London to King Island and, after a few weeks, they recruited guitarist Troy Smith, drummer Tim Leo, brass specialist Charles Pearce, and backing singer Ros Pearce The band 40 Degrees South was born.

After five years and hundreds of hours practising and recording at Parenna Place Studio, and numerous performances around the island, Tim Woodburn returned to England.

Other bands, like The Rusty Falcon Band, were formed, with Troy Smith, Tim Leo, and Jarred Perryman.

Phil Smith and Diana de Rooy started Flickin’ The Switch, now Bi De Way.

Musician Yentl Doggen came from Belgium to King Island and formed a band with Tom Blake, Jess Boyes, and Daniel Baer, followed by the Rick Munday Band, with Sam Woolley and Jess Boyes.

Unfortunately, people come and go, and now, ten years later, the music landscape on King Island has somewhat changed.

Yes, there are musicians on the island, and we have several DJs, so there might be some new bands in the making!

“There were times that the stage/studio was used four or five times a week,” said Roskam, who used to help the performers with sound mixing and recording.

“The last 12 months have been very quiet, which made me decide to make a few changes. Together with cameraman Jan van Ruiswijk, I started King Island TV a few years ago. During COVID, we started live streaming events like the horse races, footy and netball finals, and even funeral services.”

Other media organisations have used footage and online video productions are evolving.

The changes Roskam refers to include enclosing the stage and moving the video production into that space, together with King Island Radio, which already has a space in the old part of Parenna Place Studio. 2

The King Island Courier office will also move into the newly refurbished area. The ‘old’ studio will become a space for musicians to practice and live recording.

“As I do have a bit more time on my hands now, I like to focus more on video production,” Wade said.

“I like to create a lot of short videos for social media to promote King Island. There are plenty of opportunities there. As I’m getting older, I love to see the younger generation further develop and put some new energy into King Island’s music scene. There is plenty of talent in this small community.”

Facebook will soon block the majority of local news in your feed but that’s no reason to miss out.

Get your news straight from the horse’s mouth: https://fontpublishing.com.au/kingislandcourier/

For digital subscriptions of the weekly paper, follow the website links.

TasWater prices will rise by 3.5 per cent from July 1, an increase of 12.6 cents per day on the average residential customer’s bill.

This will be the third consecutive year where price increases have been kept at 3.5 percent, following two years where increases were frozen at zero per cent.

The independently assessed fouryear price and service plan continues to provide Tasmanians with certainty on their water and sewerage bill increases until 2026.

TasWater Customer and Community general manager Matt Balfe said while price certainty allowed customers to prepare for the modest increase, supporting customers experiencing financial hardship was important.

“The 3.5 per cent increase is well below inflation, seeing an average household’s water and sewerage bill increase by about eighty-eight cents per week,” Mr Balfe said.

“We know many Tasmanians are doing it tough right now, so it’s more important than ever that we keep downward pressure on bills.

“For those who need support, we’re here to help through TasWater Assist. It’s as simple as calling 136 992, getting in touch via webchat, filling out a simple form online… We know that it can be a confronting call to make … but our team are ready to help.”

TasWater is facing rising costs associated with its operations. TasWater is responsible for maintaining and upgrading 169 treatment plants, 952 water and sewerage pump stations, 289 water reservoirs and over 11,500 km of pipeline.

“We’re investing $1.9 billion across our assets over the next five years to ensure we can continue to deliver exceptional water and sewerage services for a thriving Tasmania,” said Mr Balfe.

“We have some big challenges to face to ensure the security of safe, reliable water for generations to come.”

Mr Balfe said that while price increases for the next two years are already locked in, now was the time for the community to have their say on the organisation’s next price and services plan.

Facebook will soon block the majority of local news in your feed but that’s no reason to miss out.

Get your news straight from the horse’s mouth: https://fontpublishing.com.au/kingislandcourier/

For digital subscriptions of the weekly paper, follow the website links.

Photo by mrjn Photography

A ‘Coastal Living” strategy based on re-zoning of coastal land for residential development is being pushed by a group of King Islanders.

They propose allowing coastal land, now zoned rural resource, to be rezoned to allow subdivision and affordable housing development, with protective building, environmental and public access to beach requirements.

Landowners argue that some of the coastal land is unsuitable/unusable for livestock and would be better used to proactively attract migration to the island.

The group of long-term islanders believe that population incentivisation requires vision and proactive zoning changes. They believe the King Island Land Planning Scheme administered and enforced by the King Island Council does not currently have the flexibility to adapt to the needs of a changed island environment.

Over the past 40 years, the population has decreased from 3,500 to under 1,700, where it has remained for more than a decade. The group believes King Island’s primary challenge is population growth.

The population decline started in the 1980s with the closure of the big employers – the mine in Grassy and compounded by the closure of the abattoir in 2012/13.

These events created a cycle where economic pressures caused further population decreases as people left due to high living costs and lack of opportunities, with the young and families being the first to go.

While the population naturally continues to age, this demographic is also leaving the island due to the cost of living and service pressures and are not being replaced at a sustainable rate.

Another significant cause of population decline is within the farming sector. Corporate farms increase their competitive advantage by buying out smaller, family-run farms taking advantage of economies of scale, infrastructure investment, and technology.

The consolidation leads families to leave the island and new arrivals to take contracted terms. With farming being a dominant sector, this trend has a disproportionate impact on the overall population. Census data shows a loss of 71 families from 2001 to 2021.

A ‘Coastal Living’ strategy involves permanent homes ranging from the humble through to high-end, usually with sea views and proximity to the shore.

Land parcels typically range from 0.5-4 hectares (or less) and often have some degree of separation from neighbours. These buildings reflect the diverse lifestyles of their occupants, from simple off-grid living to sea-changers, retirees, remote workers, and the wealthy.

Despite having more than 164 km of coastline, King Island has fewer than 40 blocks suitable for “Coastal Living”.

By comparison Flinders Island has five times the proportion of coastal blocks and residences within 300 metres of the coast.

The Rural Resource zone, which covers 87 per cent of King Island, blocks most “Coastal Living” opportunities. Even unproductive old dune systems are zoned as Rural Resource.

The group argues that King Island’s coastline could support hundreds of “Coastal Living” blocks.

Those proposing the strategy say it offers a sustainable way to achieve long-term population growth. “The planning scheme needs updating to allow non-productive coastal land for’ Coastal Living’ purposes,” they say.

“This change would secure permanent coastal access and facilities for the community.”

The Tasmanian Planning Commission is finalising a new statewide planning scheme and there will be representations at the hearings this week to discuss submissions and potential updates to the King Island Local Provisions Schedule (KILPS) including creating “Coastal Living” zoning.

King Island’s needs have been documented through various consultations and reports (King Island Land Use Strategy 2018, King Island Future Search Conference, King Island Structure Plan, King Island Council Strategic Plan 2022-2023).

All conclude that increasing population with a target of 3,300 would positively impact shipping, flights, economic diversification, health and education services, youth and social opportunities, support from state and federal governments, and the rate base for infrastructure and council services.