Boys in vaccine catch-up

A VACCINE to protect Tasmanian high school students from serious diseases will be rolled out to schools early next year.

After introducing a Gardasil vaccine program for Tasmanian girls in 2007, Tasmanian high school boys also will be vaccinated to protect them against four types of the human papilloma virus.

A $200 million, four-year rollout of the vaccine will begin next year, Health Minister Michelle O'Byrne said yesterday.

The decision comes after the anti-immunisation lobby has been accused of endangering children's lives as the number of parents refusing to vaccinate has risen by more than 600 per cent nationally. The Gardasil vaccine protects against four types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) associated with a range of cancers.

Ms O'Byrne said changes in Tasmania's free vaccination program for high school students would focus on the introduction of the Gardasil vaccination for boys in 2013. The shifting of all routine school-based adolescent vaccinations into Year 7 will also take place during the next two years.

"There should be no mistaking the importance of vaccinations for the health of a child and for the health of our community as a whole -- these changes will strengthen the protection vaccinations offer," Ms O'Byrne said.

"The HPV vaccine will now be routinely delivered to boys in Year 7 across Tasmania, while boys in Year 9 will be able to get the vaccine at school in a catch-up program in 2013 and 2014.

"Gardasil has been shown to be safe and effective in preventing the common types of HPV infections which can cause cancers in both men and women."

Vaccinations to reduce the incidents of whooping cough will also be fine-tuned Ms O'Byrne said yesterday. This year health officials have seen 1062 cases of whooping cough in Tasmania up from 308 cases for all of 2011.

Ms O'Byrne said changes would be implemented to see all routine school-based adolescent vaccinations, including the whooping cough vaccine, offered to students in Year 7.

"To date, vaccinations have been provided in either Grade 6 or 7 depending on the local government area," Ms O'Byrne said.

Providing all vaccinations in Grade 7 will avoid the risk of students missing a vaccination if they move from a primary school to a secondary school in a different area.

matthew.smith@news.com.au

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Fit members of society

A GLENORCHY police officer is helping disadvantaged teens to turn their lives around using fitness.

Kick-boxing, fun runs and basketball are some of the tactics Constable Claire Lowe uses to break down barriers with the kids.

For the past year she's run the Mobile Activity Centre, funded by the Glenorchy City Council and Tasmania Police.

Constable Lowe said it was "like a mobile PCYC", targeting children identified by local schools or police as needing some extra guidance.

"I don't go in my police uniform, I go in sports clothes to break down the barriers with the kids," she said.

"I give them a bit of love as well, because there are a lot of kids I come across from very low socio-economic areas. "

Constable Lowe said she had not been aware just how bad the home environment was for some children before starting the program.

She said many of the teens she helped had been smoking since they were 10 and some never ate fresh fruit and vegetables. Others no longer lived with their parents.

"It's been a real eye opener and I'm really proud that I've put some of these kids back on track," she said.

Constable Lowe has worked with more than 30 children individually and hundreds more in group fitness sessions.

Sixteen-year-old Shakanea has been meeting Constable Lowe since March and the pair recently ran the Point to Pinnacle together.

"She got my confidence up and helped me get into fitness," Shakanea said.

"I was going a little bit down the wrong path."

"I didn't realise what I was doing and where I was headed."

She said she had started to value Constable Lowe as a friend.

"I know if I ever need anything, I can go to her," she said.

hannah.martin@news.com.au

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Woman's body found

POLICE are investigating the death of a woman after her body was found in Devonport yesterday.

Police and paramedics were called to a vehicle parked in Ronald St, Devonport just before 3am yesterday and a 24-year-old woman was located on the nature strip nearby.

The cause of death is unknown at this time and a post-mortem will be conducted.

Police said the woman had no significant injuries and no violent crime was suspected.

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Circumnavigation bid aborted

Tobias Fahey, seen here on his way past the Iron Pot at the start of his record attempt, has has to abort the trip after his batteries became damaged. Picture: Jimmy Emms and Tasmanian Air Adventures

TASMANIAN solo yachtsman Tobias Fahey has been forced to abandon his around-the-world voyage and is limping back to Hobart.

He set sail on Wednesday on his attempt to circumnavigate the world in under 180 days but yesterday encountered a battery problem that sank his plans.

"I have been having charging issues since I left and they have progressively gotten worse to the point that my batteries will no longer hold charge for a sufficient amount of time," he said.

Faulty wiring in the alternator regulator caused the batteries on board to receive an excess charge, which overheated them and damaged them beyond repair.

The batteries, which are charged by the boat's motor or wind generators, supply power for several essential onboard systems, including communications, radar and the automatic identification systems (AIS) needed to avoid collisions with other vessels at sea.

Without sufficient electricity to power these systems and no way of repairing the damage at sea, Fahey, 25 from Dodges Ferry, made the heartbreaking decision to turn back to Hobart just three days into his voyage.

"I still have this strong urge to go on but it's not worth the risk, it's unsafe," he told the Sunday Tasmanian by satellite phone last night.

"I've spoken to my family and they all said not to risk going on -- the world's not going anywhere, it'll still be there later."

Fahey said the westerly winds and swell that had carried him so swiftly towards New Zealand were now working against him as his yacht, Sea Quest, battled into the wind and waves for a much slower and rougher journey home.

"I was basically surfing down the waves all the way until now but now I'm slamming into them," he said. Fahey was closer to New Zealand than Tasmania when he turned back and expects the return trip to take four days.

Fahey's goal was to complete his voyage in under 180 days to break the Australian record for sailing solo around the world.

Before turning back, he was on track to do it in around 135 days.

He said the repairs would cost thousands of dollars and he was unsure when he would be able to make another attempt at the record, but is determined to try again.

"I'll just have to take a look at that once I'm back in Hobart," he said.

"The past few days have been some of the most satisfying and rewarding days of my life."

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Sun, sand, surf ... sharks

A great white shark swims past a caged diver off North Neptune Island in South Australia.

AS Tasmanians flock to the beach over the coming months, the collective nightmare of shark attacks will cause some to nervously look over their shoulder.

But while sightings generally increase over summer, there is still likely to be more people in the water than sharks.

Sharks, including the great white, are actually with us year-round, as they cruise the oceans in search of food.

There have been just 10 documented attacks in Tasmanian waters -- five of which were fatal.

The most recent victim was young surfer Hannah Mighall in 2009.

She was just 13 when she was attacked by a great white shark at Binalong Bay almost four years ago, escaping with leg injuries after being helped to shore by her older cousin Syb Mundy.

The attack gave Ms Mighall membership to an extremely small "club". Before that, the last person to be attacked by a shark in Tasmania was Exeter woman Therese Cartwright.

In June 1993, Mrs Cartwright was killed by a 4m white pointer while diving at the Barrenjoey Island seal colony near Low Head.

It was in this area that game fishers saw a great white shark on Tuesday. The crew had been burleying to attract mako sharks, but also attracted the interest of the great white, which stayed near the boat for two hours.

Shark expert Chris Black, who extensively researched Tasmanians' encounters with great whites for his book White Pointer South, said attitudes towards sharks were changing.

Even when a recent string of fatal attacks in Western Australia spurred calls for culling, there was an equally strong social-media-led movement for continued protection.

"It's a change in attitude that's been heartening to see," Mr Black said.

"It's great that people are interested and want to learn more."

He said most people involved in shark attacks in Tasmania had been diving at the time, making Ms Mighall's experience all the more unusual.

"We've 10 recorded attacks in Tasmanian waters and really that's a pretty good record given the number of great white sharks that are in our waters at any time of year," Mr Black said.

"A number of them [attacks] have been in the winter months."

He said hot spots for great white shark sightings included Bruny Island, the Tasman Peninsula, Bass Strait and the Scamander area on the East Coast.

Retired fisherman Alan Bradshaw, of South Arm, clearly remembers the day in 1981 when he pulled up a monstrous five-metre great white. The shark had become tangled in a net, and had died by the time the net was pulled.

"We had been trevally fishing and this net was really heavy. I thought we had a big ray ... it was a shock," Mr Bradshaw said.

He said professional fishers generally welcomed the sight of a great white shark, because the giant predators eat fish-stealing seals.

Surf Life Saving Tasmania general manager Tony van den Enden said surf lifesavers had plans in place in the event of a shark sighting near a popular beach.

These include the use of aerial patrols, maintaining contact with shark researchers at the CSIRO, and beach closures in the event of a sighting.

Mr van den Enden said any shark over 2m could be considered a potential threat to people.

"From late spring to mid-summer we get more sightings, but that could be because there are more people in and around the water," he said.

"It's normal behaviour for sharks to be in the surf zone."

Mr Black said he was heartened by an apparent public attitude shift, with more people seemingly more interested in protecting sharks rather than culling them.

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Circumnavigation bid aborted

Tobias Fahey, seen here on his way past the Iron Pot at the start of his record attempt, has has to abort the trip after his batteries became damaged. Picture: Jimmy Emms and Tasmanian Air Adventures

TASMANIAN solo yachtsman Tobias Fahey has been forced to abandon his around-the-world voyage and is limping back to Hobart.

He set sail on Wednesday on his attempt to circumnavigate the world in under 180 days but yesterday encountered a battery problem that sank his plans.

"I have been having charging issues since I left and they have progressively gotten worse to the point that my batteries will no longer hold charge for a sufficient amount of time," he said.

Faulty wiring in the alternator regulator caused the batteries on board to receive an excess charge, which overheated them and damaged them beyond repair.

The batteries, which are charged by the boat's motor or wind generators, supply power for several essential onboard systems, including communications, radar and the automatic identification systems (AIS) needed to avoid collisions with other vessels at sea.

Without sufficient electricity to power these systems and no way of repairing the damage at sea, Fahey, 25 from Dodges Ferry, made the heartbreaking decision to turn back to Hobart just three days into his voyage.

"I still have this strong urge to go on but it's not worth the risk, it's unsafe," he told the Sunday Tasmanian by satellite phone last night.

"I've spoken to my family and they all said not to risk going on -- the world's not going anywhere, it'll still be there later."

Fahey said the westerly winds and swell that had carried him so swiftly towards New Zealand were now working against him as his yacht, Sea Quest, battled into the wind and waves for a much slower and rougher journey home.

"I was basically surfing down the waves all the way until now but now I'm slamming into them," he said. Fahey was closer to New Zealand than Tasmania when he turned back and expects the return trip to take four days.

Fahey's goal was to complete his voyage in under 180 days to break the Australian record for sailing solo around the world.

Before turning back, he was on track to do it in around 135 days.

He said the repairs would cost thousands of dollars and he was unsure when he would be able to make another attempt at the record, but is determined to try again.

"I'll just have to take a look at that once I'm back in Hobart," he said.

"The past few days have been some of the most satisfying and rewarding days of my life."

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Roll up, roll up and have a ball

THERE'S a saying in petanque: it takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.

But before you take it too seriously, a new petanque club is looking for people to come along to its Sandy Bay headquarters and enjoy its social side.

That means a quiet brew or a cheeky sauvignon blanc while a barbecue sizzles on the sidelines.

State coach Terry Dando wants to get as many people as he can out on the piste -- the gravel surface for the game that started in a French village in 1907.

A glass of wine in hand and a ball in the other is how they do it in thousands of villages around France.

And Dando and his clubmates at the Bayside Boules Petanque Club want Hobartians to taste this catchy sport.

"It's a lot of fun because it's easy to learn and anyone can play," Dando said.

"Strength is not a factor in petanque, so a large cross-section of people play it in 85 countries around the world."

Petanque is huge in France and Spain, while it has also taken hold in England, the USA and Canada.

The Bayside club will hold its grand opening at 1.30pm today at Long Point Rd, Sandy Bay -- right behind Prossers Restaurant. Among the guests will be Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor and proud Frenchman Bertrand Cadart.

Dando, a 66-year-old retired teacher, has been playing for 10 years. As well as being state coach, he has represented Australia on the international stage.

"You can learn to play it in three or four minutes," he said. "In France they start playing it at the age of five or six."

To play petanque, each player starts with three metal balls.

Player one throws out the kitty and then puts his first ball as close to it as possible. Player two has three attempts to put one of his balls closer to the kitty.

If he fails, player one wins. If he succeeds, his opponent must use his remaining balls to do better. And so on.

At Sandy Bay, they hold social games from 4pm on Friday and Saturday. "We have a barbecue and a quiet tipple and play until dark," Dando said.

"If you just want to play socially, that's great, and if you want to become good at it you can play for the state and for Australia as well."

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Forest deal law closer

After a marathon sitting and an unusual recall of State Parliament this morning, the forestry legislation passed through the Lower House about 11am today.

TASMANIA'S historic legislation underpinning the forest peace deal has passed its first hurdle.

After a marathon sitting and an unusual recall of Parliament yesterday morning the forestry legislation passed through the Lower House about 11am.

The House of Assembly had been locked in debate from about 3pm on Thursday to 4am yesterday.

The legislation will now move to the Upper House for scrutiny in a special sitting next month.

Labor and the Greens who voted for the legislation yesterday repeated their calls that the deal would bring historic conservation outcomes at the same time as delivering security for the state's timber industry.

The Opposition continued its calls for the Labor-Green Government to call an election for the people of Tasmania to decide whether they wish to accept the agreement.

Deputy Premier Bryan Green said yesterday that additional funding was still being discussed but the Commonwealth and the state were yet to determine a figure.

About $100 million is left from the $276 million forest package but additional funds are expected to be on the table to maintain additional reserves and help forest workers get out of the industry.

"There has been high-level discussion about funding to ensure the agreement goes forward," Mr Green said. "When Tony Burke was last here and we had our meetings he said ... if the signatories come to an agreement then the Commonwealth will do its best to back it in. I have said to the signatories that we feel the same way."

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke will meet signatories in Canberra on Wednesday to discuss funding.

Amid a flurry of criticism of the agreement, Mr Green said he understood the deal would continue to spark debate. "I know that the deal will never satisfy everyone, politics is like that," he said.

"There will no doubt be people complaining, whinging, carping from the sidelines but in the end I think the great majority of Tasmanians want this issue fixed."

matthew.smith@news.com.au

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Tweed set ready to go

Cycling enthusiast Charmaine Stanton is excited about the spring Tweed Ride which will finish at St. David's Park on Sunday. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

HOBART cycling enthusiasts are dusting off their tweed jackets and getting ready to tip their hats to yesteryear at Sunday's spring Tweed Ride.

The leisurely one-hour ride around the Hobart CBD will begin at Mawson Place at 11am and finish in St David's Park for a barbecue, with all proceeds going to the Movember charity.

Tweed Rides have been held in major cities around the world, with the aim of recapturing the simple joy of cycling without the need for modern trappings.

Keen cyclist Charmaine Stanton will be donning her vintage tweed pinafore for a second time after taking part in the Tweed Ride last year.

"It was heaps of fun and really nice to ride around town," she said.

Co-ordinator Matt Turner, from Hobart business Bike Ride, said they were anticipating a turnout of between 80 to 90 tweed-clad riders.

"It's all about having fun and remembering you don't need a fancy bike," he said.

Register at here.

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Mum fights over forests

A PRO-FORESTRY campaigner gatecrashed a news conference by former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown yesterday, accusing him of putting trees before families, jobs and economic wellbeing.

As signatories of the long-awaited forests peace agreement talked up the deal, the story of Claremont mum Kelly Wilton highlighted the problems that continue to plague the industry.

Mrs Wilton, whose family has been hit by unemployment within the industry, took the opportunity to tell Dr Brown what she thought of the Greens and anti-forestry activists.

"What's more important, my family, my family's future or a couple of trees?" she said.

"My tactic is to fight and fight for my family."

As the creator of the Facebook page called Support Tassie's Timber Industry Like They've Supported Tassie for Years, the mother of two said environmentalists had cost her everything.

"I have gone through a marriage separation earlier in the year, my ex-husband is a logger," she said.

"I have lost $80,000 in assets in my home on a block of land in a rural area because house prices have just plummeted

"Nobody wants to live where there is no work. My son has lost an apprenticeship that was reliant on maintenance from the logging industry."

The former Bushy Park resident said she had never worked in the forest industry.

"But because of the flow-on effect I have lost the job that I had in a metropolitan area because the building industry is suffering," she said.

"I've got to a point where we sit back and do nothing now and we allow these Greens and enviro-Nazis to walk over us again and again.

We have tried that for the last 30 years and this is where it has got us.

"It is time to take a stand and time to come out fighting."

But Huon Valley Environment Centre spokeswoman Jenny Webber yesterday vowed to continue fighting for the forests.

"We will continue to stand up for secure protection of Tasmania's unique forests and to address the forest conservation issues that have not been resolved by the agreement."

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