Free online at www.kingboroughchronicle.com.au FREE! AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY ISSUE No. 564 5/32 Channel Highway, Kingston. 7050 • Ph: 6229 3655 • Email [email protected] TUESDAY, 26 JANUARY 2021 Playground marching toward completion Progress is being made toward completion of the new playground in Kingston Park. Mayor of Kingborough, Cr Dean Winter expects the new playground to open in autumn. “We will have the playground ready to go in March,” Mayor Winter stated. “Things are progressing well with contractors making good progress towards completion. “The aim is to have the playground open to the public in early March. “I am a little disappointed we could not get it finished in time for the summer school holidays, but we had a few COVID-related setbacks in the second half of last year, especially with getting various components into the state. “The playground is the next component of our plan to transform Kingston from a tired old highway town to a thriving, exciting place to be. “Kingston has to be a place people want to come to,” explained Mayor Winter. “A place for them to sit, wander, eat and drink. “It can’t just be a place you drive to, buy something and get back in the car and leave. “The playground, the new townhouse development on the site, community hub and hopefully a major employer on the site down the track will all contribute to making Kingborough a great place to live.” A transformation of the Channel Highway through the heart of Kingston’s main business and shopping hub is also set to commence this year. “By the end of this year, we want to have commenced the reconstruction on the Channel Highway at Kingston,” said Mayor Winter. “It’s not a highway anymore. “It has to be a main street, with wide footpaths and outdoor dining. “Street trees will be abundant. “That’s what our transform Kingston survey results told us and that’s what we want to deliver.” Another attractive element of the Kingston Park playground is that Kingborough Council have declared the area as a smoke-free zone. Smoking of tobacco will not be allowed within the entire boundary of Stage 1, which covers the playground and a significant amount of open space around the play equipment. This will reduce the potential for involuntary exposure to environmental smoke for children and families wanting to utilise the area and contribute to the overall health of the community. Along with providing signage around the playground to encourage compliance, it is anticipated that further smoke free areas will be introduced as the Kingston Park development expands. "Right at the start of the planning for this, former Mayor Graham Bury initiated a plan for the site to be smoke-free," stated Mayor Winter. Project Manager Steve Loxley, Mayor of Kingborough, Cr Dean Winter and Project Director Daniel Smee at Kingston Park on Thursday, "On Monday night, council finalised that vision. January 21. The playground is expected to be completed in March. Further pictures on page 9. "We want Kingston Park to a healthy, family-friendly place to play and visit." Funding boost prompts Stage 2 push Kingborough Council will be able to push ahead with Stage 2 of the Council planning to utilise revenue from early land sales of the Kings “For Kingborough, this meant it has been allocated around $1.4 million. Kingston Park public open space two years earlier than anticipated Quarter development at the southern end of the site to progress the works “Kingborough Council unanimously endorsed using this funding to bring due to a Federal Government funding boost. in a few years. forward the second stage of its Kingston Park public open space project by The first stage of the development is the soon to be completed playground Councillors endorsed making the funding available for the Kingston Park two years.” area, with Stage 2 to include the landscaping of the low-lying area to the project at the most recent council meeting on Monday, January 18. Mayor Winter said council would now ask the Australian Government for north of the playground for more passive recreational use. “The Australian Government has initiated a funding pool which provides permission to use the funding to develop the parkland on the Huon Highway The anticipated delay to the commencement of works on Stage 2 of the infrastructure funding based on each Local Government Area’s population side of the old Kingston High School site. public open space was due to financial constraints, with Kingborough and size,” Mayor of Kingborough, Cr Dean Winter explained. Continued on page 8 THIS WEEK’S SPECIAL BEEF M13762 M11153 KINGSTON ALL INSURANCE REPAIRS PH: 6229 9411 SAUSAGES 3/14, Channel Highway, ALL SMASH REPAIRS Kingston TAS 7050 6 different flavours (behind Shiploads) M10136 ONLY $13.99KG 43 Patriarch Drive Huntingfield Save $1.79 Opening Hours P: 6229 7548 F: 6229 6158 Monday to Friday: Visit www.kingstontownmeats.com.au SALE STARTS 9am to 6.30pm E: [email protected] THURSDAY, Saturday: 9am to 5pm Shop 19a Kingston Town Centre • Ph. 6229 4350 JANUARY 28 Palmolive Liquid Hand Wash 250mL Sunday: 10am to 4pm *OFFER ENDS 9/2/21 RTA-AU35026 2 – KINGBOROUGH CHRONICLE TUESDAY, 26 JANUARY 2021 LETTERS TO Cybersafety during back- kingston town For all your greeting cards, THE EDITOR to-school shopping giftware, stationery, M10811 Kingborough parents are being urged to be vigi- nation’s cyber resilience and make Australia the most magazines and more The Kingborough Chronicle welcomes your opin- lant while shopping online for school essentials secure place to connect online. ion and encourages correspondents to have their this month, with back-to-school shopping open- Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre, Ms Shop 22, Kingston Town Shopping Centre Ph. 6229 4422 say. Mail your letter to PO Box 306, Kingston ing up opportunities for cybercriminals to strike. Abigail Bradshaw CSC, encouraged Australians to 7051 or email [email protected]. Assistant Minister for Defence, the Honourbale Andrew access the ACSC’s updated guidance, published as part Your full name, street address and telephone Hastie MP said the relentless efforts to steal money and of the ongoing cyber security campaign. number should be included. Readers are encour- data from Australians by cybercriminals will see them “Australians must be alert to opportunistic cybercrim- aged to keep their letters brief and to the point. target busy families preparing for the 2021 school year. inals who are seeking to exploit the expected surge in Letters of 250 (maximum 500) words is pre- “While parents are shopping online for back-to-school Australians purchasing products online for school,” Ms ferred. All letters are to be submitted Thursday supplies, cybercriminals are shopping around for their Bradshaw said. noon before publication. It is the newspaper's next victim,” Assistant Minister Hastie said. “Our advice is designed to be quick to read and simple to position that if you wish to pass judgement on “The internet has revolutionised shopping, and cyber- apply and this updated guidance is designed to help community issues and/or individuals that your criminals continue to revolutionise their craft. Australians avoid the risks associated with shopping online.” ELECTRICAL name and suburb is published. Letters with pen “Parents can reduce the risk of becoming victims of For tips on how to strengthen your cyber defences, names will not be considered. 0418 122 986 cybercrime by taking steps such as only purchasing visit: cyber.gov.au Lic. 941716 items from trusted sellers, being aware of fake retailers, Cybercrime can be reported through ReportCyber M7218 Traffic hazard gone and always using secure payment methods.” which is managed by the ACSC on behalf of law [email protected] Dear Editor, The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) leads the enforcement agencies, providing a single online portal I’ve written to praise the Kingborough Council, not to Australian Government’s operational efforts to boost the for individuals and businesses to report cyber incidents. berate it. What has the Kingborough Council done to deserve praise? Well, many years ago, some genius installed four blobs of concrete at the corners of the school cross- ing in Hutchins Street. ESTABLISHED 2009. ISSUE No. 564. Serious collision I’m sure they were intended to improve the safety of Kingborough Chronicle is published weekly on Tuesday. the school crossing and they might help a bit, but they CAB Membership Application Approved October, 2009 do that at the expense of being a traffic hazard likely CONTACT to damage the suspension and wheel alignment of OFFICE: 5/32 Channel Highway, Channel Highway Kingston. TAS. 7050. vehicles using the street. POSTAL: PO Box 306, One day, a few weeks ago, I noticed an orange cone Kingston. TAS. 7051. near one of the blobs of concrete. Police and emergency services attended a head on elling north, sustained serious injuries and was also crash on the Channel Highway, Kingston near the transported to the Royal Hobart Hospital. TELEPHONE: (03) 6229 3655 Then, a few days later, no cone and no blobs either. North West Bay Golf Club on Monday, January 18. Acting Inspector Parsons said that preliminary investi- EMAIL: GENERAL Hooray! [email protected] Motorists were asked to avoid the area from 12:30pm gations indicated one of the vehicles had travelled to the Thank you Kingborough Council. EDITORIAL until the road was cleared at 4:20pm, as the road was incorrect side of the road and there was no excessive [email protected] Keith Anderson blocked in both directions. speed involved. ADVERTISING Kingston [email protected] Police reported serious injuries were sustained by “This section of the Channel Highway is mostly a par- those involved and Acting Inspector Nikala Parsons ticularly safe section, it is a straight section of road,” Printed and published by Robert Donald Yeates, 3351 Huon Highway, Franklin for the gave an update on site at 2pm on Monday, January 18.