15 August 2026 6:30pm RACV Hotel, Hobart The Greater Hobart Small Business Excellence Awards celebrate the people, operators and teams who drive our city’s small business community. These awards recognise real achievement, resilience and innovation across Greater Hobart, showcasing the contribution small businesses make to our local economy and culture. Businesses from across Greater Hobart…

Local Government Minister Kerry Vincent’s warning to Hobart City Council should not be dismissed as political noise. It is a clear signal that confidence in the council’s direction and priorities is wearing thin, not just within government, but among ratepayers, businesses and investors who expect better from those elected to represent them. The Minister has…

HOBART’S AGEING AND FRAGILE STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE URGENTLY NEEDS WIDESPREAD INVESTMENT, WRITES EDWIN JOHNSTONE Last year, Hobart was given a blunt reminder of what happens when underground infrastructure is allowed to age out of sight and out of mind. World War II – era water mains beneath Liverpool and Murray Streets burst, flooding nearby businesses, damaging…

Published: The Mercury 10th January 2026 Arts and cultural events provide important economic impact, writes Edwin Johnstone The recent Taste of Summer on Hobart’s waterfront shows that festivals like this are more than entertainment, they are economic powerhouses. Nearly 100,000 people attended, 10,000 more than last year, and about a third came from interstate or…

A proposal before Hobart City Council to ban automotive retail from the CBD risks doing real and lasting damage to jobs, investment and confidence in the city. While presented as a planning measure to encourage different forms of development, the reality is far more serious. If adopted, the policy would represent a masterclass in how…