14 July 2012

West Hobart 's a bit steep!

Here is a terrific set of photos of houses on steep slopes in Hobart, a lot of which are in West Hobart.
http://www.zeit.de/kultur/kunst/2012-06/fs-hobart-steep-housing

I'm not sure of the exact translation of the text, but it is something like:  the 'art' in the photos arises from  the  detail of the Victorian architecture, the symmetrical pairing of the houses, and the correlations between the roof lines etc and the slopes of the streets.....  My favourite is the pair where the cars are colour matched to the houses!  Thanks to the photographer Günther Bayerl.

12 July 2012

Burn Brighter This Winter

Many residents will have received a flyer in their letterbox a month or so ago, giving some tips on how to run their woodheater more cleanly.  This is an excellent joint initiative of the DPIWE and Hobart City Council. A lot of people with wood heaters are unaware of how to choose wood and how to adjust the air intakes on the heater to get the best value out of their firewood.  Did you know that if you burn the wood more efficiently, you will also reduce the amount of smoke and particulates generated from your chimney?  This of course is a good thing for your neighbours.

There is a public meeting coming up, on Wednesday 18 July, at Mt Stuart Primary School, where people can learn more about the simple steps you can take to reduce the smoke coming out of your chimney.  Also there will be opportunities to ask questions of the various experts and bodies involved in monitoring for wood smoke.  Do you have a neighbour who is a chronic offender?  If so, you may be wondering what to do about it.

Do go along!  It starts at 6.30pm and is scheduled to finish at 8pm.
If you can't make it to the meeting, a contact if you have questions about this issue is:
Kristy Blackburn:    phone 62333947  or email kristy.blackburn@environment.tas.gov.au