West Tamar Council

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

🗓 Nominations for local government elections are now open and close at 12 noon on Monday 21 September 2026.

Information and resources to support candidates are available at tec.tas.gov.au/candidate-info.

If you plan to submit your nomination in person, please check the website for election office contact details and opening hours.

04/09/2026

GRAVELLY BEACH FOOTBRIDGE UPDATE

The West Tamar Council will temporarily close one lane of the Gravelly Beach road bridge across Stony Creek to safely reinstate pedestrian access - with timeframes to be confirmed early next week.

Pedestrian access across the existing footbridge was closed in June following a routine inspection that identified surface subsidence.

Subsequent detailed structural assessments by engineers - examining the undersides and supporting piers - confirmed that the primary supporting pier had subsided, rotated from its original alignment, and exhibited significant cracking along with a discernible lean.

That advice to Council indicated that it was simply not feasible to remediate the existing footbridge and that demolition was the only viable and safe option.

Constructed nearly 70 years ago, the original single-lane structure has reached the end of its practical service life.

To address this, Council has allocated $1 million in its 2026/27 Capital Works budget as a contingency for the demolition of the existing pedestrian bridge.

A comprehensive bridge works package will be delivered across three distinct stages: the temporary reinstatement of pedestrian access, the demolition of the existing footbridge, and finally the construction of a new permanent pedestrian crossing over Stony Creek.

Council engaged specialised engineering firms experienced in the decommissioning of similar public infrastructure to determine the safest, most efficient, and cost-effective approach.

However, this has taken some time given the small number of suitably qualified companies capable of undertaking this type of work and the complexities involved.

The temporary lane closure will see one lane of the two-lane traffic bridge closed, with synchronised traffic signals in place and concrete barriers installed to separate vehicles from pedestrians.

Initial technical advice indicates that demolishing the existing footbridge carries a high degree of risk due to its close proximity to the active traffic bridge, which is less than one metre away.

That advice made it clear that there was a genuine risk that any demolition works - including the removal of the deck - could impact and potentially damage the two-lane vehicle bridge.

This has meant that a significant amount of planning was required to get to this point.

Compounding these issues, a number of critical, third-party assets are affixed to the underside of the footbridge - including a TasWater mains, a Telstra cable, and an NBN fibre cable.

These utilities must be safely re-routed across Stony Creek - and are likely to be reattached to the main road bridge - prior to any demolition activities.

Planning is already well underway for this to occur, which has taken considerable time with regards to planning.

Additionally, Council will be coordinating approvals with the Department of Parks and Wildlife, which are required before any works or demolition can commence.

Concurrently, engineers are also planning for a long-term solution for a permanent replacement pedestrian structure.

These options include a new standalone footbridge - in either the existing location or a new location - or a cantilevered pedestrian walkway attached to the side of the two-lane vehicle bridge.

Council acknowledges that this has been a lengthy process to date.

However, the safety of pedestrians moving across Stony Creek is our number one priority and will remain so throughout.

02/09/2026

Just a heads up to our residents - particularly those around the Kelso area. A sooty oystercatcher at Kelso has tested positive to bird flu.

Please follow all directions from the Department and don't pick up or touch any any dead birds.

🦅H5 bird flu update

H5 bird flu has been detected in two new locations in Tasmania, in a crested tern at Wesley Vale and a sooty oystercatcher at Kelso.

This is the first positive detection in a sooty oystercatcher in Tasmania.

As Tasmania moves into longer-term response and surveillance actions, NRE Tas will move away from reporting on every individual positive test result, instead future updates will focus on reporting new localities where H5 bird flu has been detected.

There are no mass mortalities and no detection in Tasmanian poultry. Chicken and eggs remain safe to eat.

Pet owners play a role in helping prevent the spread of H5 bird flu by keeping cats indoors or in enclosures, keeping dogs away from sick or dead wildlife, and preventing contact between wild birds and domestic birds or poultry.

Community reporting is helping support Tasmania's response efforts.

If you see sick or dead birds or other wildlife:

✅ Avoid contact
✅Record what you see and where you saw it
✅Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888

✅Check current advice at www.nre.tas.gov.au/birdflu

01/09/2026

🦅H5 bird flu update

H5 bird flu has been detected in three new locations in Tasmania, in a tern at Marrawah, a forest raven at Triabunna and a tern at Acton Park.

Tasmania has now recorded 54 positive detections of H5 bird flu since the first detection in mid-August.

As Tasmania moves into longer-term response and surveillance actions, NRE Tas will move away from reporting on every individual positive test result, instead future updates will focus on reporting new localities where H5 bird flu has been detected.

There are no mass mortalities and no detection in Tasmanian poultry. Chicken and eggs remain safe to eat.

Dog owners are reminded to keep your dogs on a lead and away from dead birds, sick wildlife and animal carcasses.

Community reporting is helping support Tasmania's response efforts.

If you see sick or dead birds or other wildlife:

✅Avoid contact
✅ Record what you see and where you saw it
✅Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888

✅Check current advice at www.nre.tas.gov.au/birdflu

01/09/2026

UPDATE: The payment gateway is back up and running.

EARLIER:

We are experiencing an issue with the Online Payment Gateway on our website.

We are currently liaising with our third-party provider to rectify the issue.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

In the interim, if you would like to process a payment, please call our Customer Service team on 6323 9300.

31/08/2026

Registrations are now open for Council's Annual Special Rubbish Collection

Council runs the collection of items too large to fit into the kerbside wheelie bin service.

Examples of items that can be collected include:
• Smaller electrical appliances including televisions, microwaves and desktop computers.
• Cardboard, broken furniture, old garden stakes and short lengths of timber. (Max 1.5 metres)
• Paint tins (empty or with lid securely fitted), plastic containers, crates and boxes.
• Soft furnishings, curtains, damaged children’s toys and general household bric-a-brac.
• Refrigerators with doors removed, weighing 40kg or less.

The amount of items per household should not exceed 1.5 cubic metres.

Items for collection should be able to be safely lifted and placed on a truck by two people.

There is a list of items that are specifically excluded (such as mattresses, tyres and concrete), with those details available on our website, along with the online registration form here:
https://www.wtc.tas.gov.au/annual-special-rubbish-collection/

Registrations will close on October 31.

Everyone who does register will be contacted via email or letter in the first half of November to advise of your collection day.

31/08/2026

📣 HAVE YOUR SAY 📣
The Tasmanian Government is developing Tasmania's next Road Safety Strategy, and they want to hear from you.

Every death and serious injury on Tasmania's roads has a profound impact on individuals, families and communities. While important progress has been made over time, too many people continue to be killed or seriously injured on our roads. The next Road Safety Strategy will lead efforts to improve road safety and reduce road trauma across Tasmania from 2027 and beyond.

Your feedback will help shape the future direction of road safety in Tasmania and support the shared goal of reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

To learn more and have your say, visit: https://engage.building.tas.gov.au/tasmanias-next-road-safety-strategy
Public consultation is now open and will close on 6 October 2026 at 11:59 pm.

31/08/2026

To better understand what Tasmanians need in the future, we’re inviting you to participate in a short survey about your experiences living here. We’d love to know what is easy or hard about living in Tasmania, how connected you feel to your community, and the things that may influence you to leave or stay in your local area and in Tasmania.

✖️ tasmanian.com.au/population-survey

The survey takes 7 minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. It is open to anyone age 18 or older who is either currently living in Tasmania, or has lived here sometime in the past five years.

Share your thoughts, and you can choose to go into a prize draw to win one of five $50 gift cards.

Thank you for helping to shape Tasmania’s future!

This study has been approved by the University of Tasmania Human Research Ethics Committee (H40733).

31/08/2026

On Friday, Council welcomed 16 new Australians to the municipality.

Conferees came from far and wide to join the West Tamar, including Germany, Nepal, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the Philippines.