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CROWDS came from all directions to enjoy the third day of MONA FOMA.
Hundreds flocked to the sold-out MOFO Eastern Shore performance at the Rosny Barn last night.
Indian tabla player Bickram Ghosh, who has played with the late George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, took the audience on a wild ride with his drumming combined with electronics and Hindustani vocals.
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra trombonist Don Bate, tuba player Tim Jones, saxophonist Danny Healy and berimbau player Christine Guidici improvised traditional folk songs.
And the crowd was spooked by the eerie ghost story of a lonely shipwright's bargain with a banshee.
The story featured live drawings by Christopher Downes and a soundtrack by Joshua Santospirito.
MOFO devotees rushed back across the river to catch Brooklyn band Dirty Projectors play their lyrical melodic indie pop songs at MOFO central at PW1.
And many capped off a perfect balmy Hobart evening by taking a magical mystery ride through FAUX MO the after-hours festival club at a secret city location.
Tonight, an 11-piece orchestra will bring a children's novel to life with the sound of instruments including saxophone, violin, synthesizers, percussion, and a vacuum cleaner.
Conductor Ben Walsh said Shaun Tan's book The Arrival, which tells the story of a refugee, had had an immediate impact on him and he wanted to share it with audiences.
"The novel is projected picture by picture, then we add the emotive response of music for a filmic experience," he said.
MONA FOMA curator Brian Ritchie said the festival had so far drawn big crowds that had seen some great performances and there was plenty still to come.
"The morning meditation concerts at the cathedral have been popular. We've had to turn people away," he said.
"People should check out All Fires -- they are one of the best of the local bands."
Australian band Graveyard Train will play last tonight at PW1.
"They are my favourite Australian band, they've got a raw Australian bush sound," Ritchie said.
The full impact of the overnight blaze (inset) becomes clear in the morning light. Picture: KIM EISZELE
POLICE believe a $10 million fire in Hobart's CBD early this morning was deliberately lit.
Fire crews were called to Bridges Brothers, between Elizabeth and Argyle streets, about 3.15am today.
The fierce blaze in the 1928 building, which also houses several other smaller businesses, took about four hours to bring under control.
To view the picture gallery, click here.
Tasmania Fire Service district officer Mark Dobson said units from Hobart, Bridgewater, Clarence and a volunteer crew from Mt Nelson tackled the blaze.
"The whole building's gutted. It's been destroyed," Mr Dobson said.
"A building of that size could be up to $10 million."
Graham Woodward, who has owned the building since 1988, said it was going to be a huge clean-up job.
Structural engineers would assess whether the façade could be retained, but the interior was completed gutted.
"It's very sad because it's quite an attractive building at the front," he said.
"I've been associated with it for 50 years and owned it since 1988.
"It's more of a concern about the tenants and where they can relocate to.
"It leaves a big hole in the block."
Police said the cause of the fire was considered suspicious.
Hobart detectives and the TFS fire scene examiner were at the scene today to search for clues.
Bathurst St between Elizabeth and Argyle streets will remain closed to vehicular and foot traffic until further notice.
Business owners in the affected area are encouraged to contact TFS for further information.
Residents of the inner-city area are advised to remain indoors with doors and windows shut because of residual smoke and those who suffer from breathing difficulties should avoid the city for the next few hours.
Hobart has not witnessed a fire of such ferocity since a fire ripped through Myer in 2007, causing about $50 million damage.
Any person with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Read more in tomorrow's Sunday Tasmanian.
TASMANIA'S unemployment rate took a 0.6 per cent horror jump to 7.3 per cent in December as a result of a large loss of full-time jobs particularly among men.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics seasonally adjusted figures showed a jump from 16,700 to 18,200 unemployed persons from November to December.
The loss of nearly 3000 full-time jobs, from 147,700 to 144,800, was chiefly a result of the fall from 98,400 to 96,200 male full-time jobs.
Male unemployment rose from 6.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent, but female unemployment was steady at 7.0 per cent.
Jobs have been lost in the forestry industry following the collapse of Gunns Limited and in manufacturing and mining.
The number of people working or actively looking for work increased marginally to 60.2 per cent. However, Tasmania remained the state with the highest unemployment rate in the nation with the national rate rising by 0.1 per cent to 5.4 per cent.
The poor figures follow recent ABS job data that showed there were 8.1 people applying for each job vacancy in Tasmania.
Bank of America economist Saul Eslake said he believed Tasmania had come out of recession in the second half of 2012.
"If that is the case, there has been a weak upturn in terms of jobs," he said.
Mr Eslake said the strong Australian dollar, which made Tasmanian exports more expensive to their overseas importers, was hurting industries such as horticulture and agriculture, including wine and vegetable, as well as manufacturing.
Mr Eslake said Tasmania was the only state which had not "made good" the jobs lost during the global financial crisis.
Premier Lara Giddings said there were clear signs the labour market had begun to stabilise but the unemployment rate was still too high.
The data also revealed a hidden army of low-paid workers in part-time "junk jobs" is keeping a lid on Australia's unemployment rate.
More than 1.5 million Australians are hunting for a job or want to work longer hours.
FEDERAL Environment Minister Tony Burke fears the Tasmanian Forest Agreement may fall apart if the Legislative Council prevents a World Heritage nomination going ahead by the end of this month.
Mr Burke turned up the pressure on the Legislative Council to finalise its position, saying yesterday Australia had until the end of January to make the nomination part of the TFA.
However, the Legislative Council committee has scheduled hearings for the week after next and is unlikely to meet the deadline.
There was to be a World Heritage nomination for 130,000ha within 500,000ha of proposed reserves by January 31.
Mr Burke said he was not sure the agreement would stand up if a World Heritage nomination was made before the forestry industry achieved job and other gains. He said the spirit of the agreement was that gains by environmentalists and industry move in tandem.
"That means a decision needs to be made before the end of the month."
Mr Burke flew to Tasmania yesterday to talk to signatories about the looming deadline.
He met the Legislative Council president Sue Smith but said it was a coincidence his visit clashed with the Legislative Council hearings.
Mr Burke said he had not foreseen a situation where the Legislative Council did not pass the Bill and sent it to a committee.
"The change of timing throws that entire process on its head," he said.
"An end of January deadline is now extraordinarily difficult to navigate.
"Some people say that if a nomination does not go ahead it will blow the agreement apart, but if it were to go forward it runs the risk of upsetting the balance."
Mr Burke said that if a nomination went ahead it would not be withdrawn but it might be possible to get industry support by other means and it was likely he would come back to Tasmania before the end of the month.
Forest Industries Association chief executive Terry Edwards and Wilderness Society campaigner Vica Bayley could not be contacted for comment. Neither could Sue Smith or council committee chairman Paul Harriss.
PETTY criminals, graffiti vandals and those responsible for anti-social behaviour have been warned: you will be caught.
Big brother is watching and his view has just improved dramatically with the roll-out of 20 hi-tech cameras in Glenorchy and five more in Sandy Bay. The new cameras mean Tasmania has reached a CCTV milestone with more than 500 tiny eyes now monitoring every move on the state's busiest streets.
Hobart's CBD and surrounds now boast more than 90 cameras. Launceston, Burnie and Devonport CBDs are equally wired up, and smaller municipalities in the South Kingborough and Clarence boast more than 20 cameras each.
For some, it is not enough.
"I'd have 190 if I could," Hobart Deputy Mayor and long-time CCTV camera proponent Ron Christie said.
"If it was up to me, they'd be monitored 24-7, especially on weekends."
Inspector Grant Twining, demonstrating the cameras' capabilities and crystal-clear pictures yesterday, said there was no doubt cameras constituted an excellent tool for police, both as a deterrent and an investigatory aid.
"It's right through from the serious crimes like armed robbery, to incidents such as a man drinking from a stubbie of beer in the bus mall yesterday at noon," he said.
"We see something happen on the screen and we can go straight out and deal with it.
"The message to those inclined to do the wrong thing is this we're watching."
Launceston City Council general manager Robert Dobrzynski is equally full of praise for the cameras.
"What we know from long experience is that if you have CCTV in an area where a crime occurs, the likelihood of that offender being caught is substantially increased," he said.
"CCTV is a part of life now, both in Tasmania and around the world. It adds a layer of reassurance to the community that their safety will be protected."
Ald Christie is among those who reject notions of gross privacy invasion, labelling the Australian Privacy Foundation's concerns as "total rubbish".
Foundation vice-chairman David Vaile said the concern was there was a lack of investigation into the true value of CCTV cameras compared with the public perception that they drastically increase safety.
"Vendors and proponents of CCTV cameras tend to sell them as a big emotional you'll-feel-better ploy but if people are still dying, you can't say they're this great safety saviour," he said.
Mr Vaile said the rape and murder of Melbourne woman Jill Meagher was a tragic example of the limitations of CCTV footage.
"Yes, the alleged killer was caught on CCTV footage," he said. "And that might help police, but did it help her? No."
Glenorchy Mayor Stuart Slade is a huge fan of the tiny cameras.
"It's been a 16-year labour of love, but we've done it. We've joined the ranks of other cities with CCTV," he said at the switch-on event yesterday.
"The concerns people had previously were how will we pay for it and who will monitor them.
"Both of those issues have now been solved we've used criminals' money via the Proceeds of Crime Fund, and Tasmania Police is watching."
Senator Carol Brown, who was instrumental in securing the $123,000-plus to pay for the high-definition tilt and zoom cameras at Glenorchy, said the roll-out was good news for Glenorchy residents.
The cameras would enhance public safety and facilities in the Glenorchy area," she said.
"And we are using money taken from criminals to clean up graffiti and stop it happening in the first place."
zara.dawtrey@news.com.au
THE Hobart City Council has vowed to turn the CBD into a magnet for tourists, families and residents in 2013.
Amid concerns from retailers that opening on weekends and public holidays is too costly when the CBD looks like a ghost town, Lord Mayor Damon Thomas says rejuvenating the city centre is a priority.
More trees, more alfresco dining, better seating, better lighting and more events are all high on the agenda.
Mr Thomas said the first area to be rejuvenated would be a $2 million overhaul of Liverpool St to coincide with the redevelopment of Myer.
The Myer project is expected to have building approvals ticked off in coming days, with the first stage of the redevelopment due to be built by Christmas this year.
The approvals will pave the way for work to begin on the $100 million redevelopment of the department store giant, which has been stalled after a trove of archaeological treasure was found at the site.
The uninviting bus mall will also be high on the agenda, with a $250,000 study to consider if it is an appropriate location for the facility.
"Most modern sophisticated cities in the Asia-Pacific region are not placing in the centre of the city a bus mall like we have here," Mr Thomas said.
"They are usually provisioned two or three blocks away so that you have a much better amenity and not buses clogging up your main arterial route in the city itself."
Mr Thomas said the rejuvenation of the bus mall could be completed for an estimated $2 million.
A greater link between the Domain and the CBD, with a top-quality coffee cart on the railway roundabout, were high on the agenda, Mr Thomas said.
Deputy Mayor Ron Christie was still looking at the feasibility of a tram from North Hobart to the waterfront via the CBD, he said.
The Hobart Chamber of Commerce has been encouraging businesses to open on Sundays and public holidays to take advantage of record numbers of tourists arriving at the city on cruise ships.
Chamber chairman Ron Gozzi said yesterday there needed to be more done to entice people into the city.
"What we need to do is incorporate the city into the travel schedule while passengers are still on the ship," he said.
Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman said a clean, tidy presentation and easy access to the CBD was integral to getting tourists into Hobart's CBD.
"Presentation in anything is important - whether it is a shop, an arcade or a website," he said.
Hobart has been ranked the seventh most family-friendly city in Australia, behind Launceston, which was ranked first.
Launceston City Council general manager Robert Dobrzynski said yesterday the council was doing a lot of work to encourage more people into the Launceston CBD.
"The Launceston City Council founded Cityprom in conjunction with CBD retailers to focus promotional activities, advertising and events on the CBD area," Mr Dobrzynski said.
"More recently, the council has introduced parking incentives like the free Tiger Bus, which operates on a 15-minute loop of the city each day, and two hours of free parking in the council-operated multi-storey car parks each afternoon."
He said the council was compiling a Greater Launceston plan that would guide the direction of the city for the next 25 years.
A 16-YEAR-OLD girl was taken to hospital with a dislocated knee last night after falling down an embankment at Launceston's Cataract Gorge.
Police were called out at 8.30pm and arrived to find the teen about 500m from the suspension bridge towards the Duck Reach Power Station.
Officers said the girl had been attempting to climb out of the gorge when she slipped on rocks and fell 10m down an embankment.
Northern police rescue officers said it was necessary to "extract her from the gorge", because of her injury and the difficult terrain, and take her to Launceston General Hospital.
FROM GRAFFITI bandits to seasoned criminals, those doing the wrong thing are now on notice -- the police are always watching.
Glenorchy Mayor Stuart Slade today turned on 16 fixed CCTV cameras and four mobile camera units designed to keep the city safe.
The cameras were made possible by a $123,000-plus Federal Government grant using money from the Proceeds of Crime Fund.
"We're using criminals' money to catch criminals," Alderman Slade said.
"It's been a long time coming but it's now very pleasing to see that the Glenorchy city -- like other Tasmanian cities -- is providing additional safety measures for its local community."
Demonstrating the cameras this morning at the Glenorchy Police Station, Inspector Grant Twining said police would monitor the cameras and deal with offenders caught red-handed.
The footage from all fixed cameras is recorded around the clock and will be stored for about a month.
"These cameras are a great tool for day-to-day policing and will also help police investigating serious crime," he said.
Tasmanian Labor Senator Carol Brown, who was instrumental in securing the funding for the cameras, said their installation was certain to enhance public safety.
"I want to congratulate the Glenorchy City Council and their partner organisation, the Moonah-Glenorchy Business Association, on the successful implementation of the project," she said.
"I know the council, in particular Mayor Stuart Slade, has been a tireless advocate for the introduction of CCTV cameras in the Glenorchy CBD."
WARNING NOTE: TFS station officer and public information officer Phil Douglas addresses yesterday's community meeting at Ellendale. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE
FIREFIGHTERS are going from house to house to work out which properties can be defended, as a large bushfire in the Upper Derwent Valley threatens to intensify later this week.
The Lake Repulse blaze has already destroyed more than 11,500ha and temperatures are forecast to hit the mid-30s tomorrow, with the dangerous combination of high winds continuing until Friday.
Those conditions constitute the worst-case scenario for the dozens of firefighters who have been battling the giant blaze for more than a week.
"This fire is burning in the worst possible terrain for firefighting," Tasmania Fire Service district officer Gerald Crawford yesterday told a packed community meeting at Ellendale, the township at greatest risk.
"We are here to give you the information you need to make the best decision on how to keep yourselves safe."
Ellendale residents were evacuated last week and are now this week faced with the same threat.
The majority of the fire, started by an unattended campfire on January 3, has been contained, but the TFS says this is a blaze that "is not playing by the rules".
Firefighting experts took to helicopters with thermal imaging equipment on Monday night to map the most dangerous spots still burning.
But lots of equipment was lost overnight when the fire jumped containment lines and destroyed hoses in its path.
"The message is 'Be vigilant, be extremely vigilant'," Mr Crawford told residents.
"I cannot guarantee the fire won't progress further south.
"Whatever we've got in our arsenal, we're using it ... but it might come further south."
The TFS warned residents it would not put crews in jeopardy and if properties were deemed undefendable firefighters would not put their lives at risk trying to save the unsaveable.
With his voice shaking, TFS station officer and public information officer Phil Douglas told the meeting that it was only good luck that no one had died in the devastating Dunalley blaze.
"We're doping it better [disseminating advice] but a lot of it was luck," he said.
He said when firefighters were battling bushfires they did not have the breathing equipment or protective gear to tackle structure fires.
Mr Crawford said the Lake Repulse blaze was in terrain that had not seen a fire probably since the 1930s and the fuel load was massive and very dangerous.
Ellendale residents and those in the surrounding communities of Ouse to Hamilton and beyond were urged to keep themselves updated from the TFS website and ABC radio.
"You need to be thinking about fire all the time," Mr Douglas said. "It needs to be part of your life.
"If you haven't made your property defendable by now, it is probably too late. But it is not too late to make sure your bushfire plan is in place, that you have nominated a safe place to go to and you know what you will do if the fire comes and it is too late to leave.
"It's happened at Dunalley. It could happen here."
Fires continued to burn across the state yesterday and the TFS made the most of cooler conditions before temperatures soar again.
Acting station officer Paul Symington said the main fires at Forcett on the Forestier Peninsula and Lake Repulse in the Upper Derwent Valley were still out of control yesterday.
"In the case of the Forcett fire, some edges have been tidied up but others are still burning and we're conducting backburning today ahead of temperatures increasing on Thursday and Friday," he said.
See www.fire.tas.gov.au for regular fire updates.
