Get some pork on your fork

A "POP-UP PorkStar" event featuring TV foodie favourites Matthew Evans and Colin Fassnidge is among the attractions at this year's Savour Tasmania festival.

The palate-pleasing program for the fifth annual food and beverage festival, which runs from May 29 to June 2, was revealed today in Hobart.

Evans, an adopted Tasmanian who hosts Gourmet Farmer on SBS, and Fassnidge, a Sydney chef and judge on the latest season of My Kitchen Rules on Southern Cross, will pair up for the $65-a-head nose-to-tail feast in the courtyard at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery on May 29.

Other Savour highlights will include a "meeting of young culinary minds" -- aka Garagistes chef Luke Burgess and Belgian Michelin-starred chef Kobe Desramaults -- at Garagistes on May 30 and 31 ($195) and the popular Long Table Dinner at Princes Wharf Shed No. 1 on June 1 ($95).

Desramaults, the international uber-chef at Savour 2013, will be joined by Maltese-born chef Shane Delia (from Melbourne), dessert demon Darren Purchese (from Melbourne) and Sardinian-born chef Giovanni Pilu (from Sydney). Local chefs Terry Clarke, Jahan Patterson-Were, Karen Goodwin-Roberts and Waji Spiby will also play major roles.

Economic Development Minister David O'Byrne said Savour Tasmania had put the state firmly on the map of gourmet destinations around the world.

"The festival provides exceptional opportunities for our chefs and producers to show their qualities and grow their reputations," he said.

Tickets for all events go on sale tomorrow and are available by calling 1300 795 257 or (03) 6221 1700.

For further details, click here.

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Derwent sale 'disappointing'

The sprawling Royal Derwent site at New Norfolk.

THE State Government's 2001 sale of New Norfolk's Royal Derwent Hospital site was marred by multiple failures to ensure the buyers lived up to their side of the bargain, the Auditor-General has found.

The 250ha site was sold for $350,000 to a consortium made up of a private developer and the local council.

The sale, the sale price and the failure of the site to be developed as promised have been the source of much community anger over the past decade.

Previous valuations for the site had been as high as $45 million.

In a $130,000 report released today, Auditor-General Mike Blake found the sale price was fair because of the costs involved in remediating the site and there were no conflicts of interest among the panel which decided on the developers.

He noted that when the consortium split, the developer profited from the subdivision and sale of land and the council was left with crumbling heritage buildings which it could not afford to maintain.

The report noted the abilities of the prospective developers to fulfil their obligations were not properly assessed before the sale.

And it found that the Department of State Development failed to properly word the terms and conditions of the sale to achieve the desired outcome.

"While parts of the sites were developed for the benefit of the region, the sale agreement has not resulted in the purchaser delivering all specified outcomes on the site which is disappointing," Mr Blake said.

"Despite the agreement's expressed intention for development of the site, our view is that the terms and conditions of the sale contract were unenforceable."

Mr Blake said future asset sales should include clear, unambiguous enforceable performance clauses to hold developers to their end of any deal.

Comment has been sought from the Government.

david.killick@news.com.au

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Charges over police car crash

POLICE have charged a New Norfolk man over the allegedly deliberate ramming of a police patrol vehicle.

The 19-year-old man has been charged with negligent driving, injuring property and evading police.

A police spokesman said it would be alleged the man deliberately rammed a marked police vehicle in Park Street, at the junction of Brooker Highway, New Town, about 2pm yesterday.

He appealed for any witnesses to the incident to come forward, particularly the driver of a red Holden Barina that was travelling down Burnett St, North Hobart, earlier in the afternoon.

The accused was due to appear in court this afternoon.

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Kunanyi recognition mounts

A CABLE car proponent's use of the name kunanyi is attention seeking but will help promote the Aboriginal name for Mt Wellington, Tasmania's indigenous community says.

The Mercury revealed today that Adrian Bold had bought the domain name kunanyi.org and several other variations. People who enter the address online are redirected to his Mr Bold's Mt Wellington cable car website.

"It's a rather pathetic attempt to get attention but it's certainly helped us get the issue of the name out there," Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre CEO Heather Sculthorpe said.

Mr Bold yesterday said he hoped to work with the Aboriginal community on the issue of the cable car. He said the project would bring opportunities for better interpretation of the mountain's rich Aboriginal history.

He said he had attempted to have a meeting with the indigenous community.

Ms Sculthorpe said the centre had been emailed today by the Mt Wellington cable car company.

The centre is opposed to development on the mountain, including the long-mooted cable car.

State Aboriginal Affairs Minister Cassy O'Connor has described Mr Bold's use of the name as "disrespectful".

The State Government last week announced a dual naming plan for a range of Tasmanian locations including Mt Wellington (kunanyi), Clarke Island (lungtalanana), Bay or Fires (larapuna) and the Tarkine (takayna).

Past name changes include the Asbestos Range National Park in the state's north, which after seven years of agitation by tourism businesses was changed to Narawntapu in 2000.

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We'll drink to that

TASMANIA'S reputation as the apple isle has been re-ignited with a coterie of new local cider makers working to make this state the nation's cider capital.

Cider is now the fastest-growing alcohol category in Australia and is turning up on the drinks list of high-end restaurants.

Cider Australia says cider already represents 4 per cent of all alcoholic beverages sold. Five years ago, it held just 1.5 per cent of the market.

In the UK, cider comprises 15 per cent of the alcohol market and Cider Australia says there is room left to build the market domestically. Tasmania's cider revival is giving the local food and beverage industry a new niche marketing platform and the apple-growing industry an extra market for factory-grade fruit.

The cider industry and themarket it is targeting have changed considerably since Tasmania's oldest cider, Mercury, was first crafted in 1911 by Frenchman Auguste Bonamy in Hobart's old convict malthouse.

To keep up with the demand for new ciders, Carlton United Breweries has introduced Mercury Artisan made from 100 per cent Tasmanian apples. There are now 11 boutique cider makers in the state and a few more are almost ready to launch their product on to the market.

Most are in the state's traditional apple-growing areas the Huon, Channel and Spreyton area in the North-West.

From organic cider maker Willie Smith to Small Players, Spreyton Cider, Pagan, Inn Cider and Dickens, the new brew of boutique, niche apple and pear ciders are seriously back in vogue.

Lost Pippin cider maker and Tasmania's Cider Australia representative Mark Robertson said the market had not reached saturation point yet and demand was still growing.

Local producers met in Campbell Town recently to discuss plans to form an association to represent the state's cider-makers.

"We are certainly in the grip of a cider revival and it is nothing but positive," Mr Robertson said.

"There are now plans to launch a new cider festival in November this year as part of our push to make Tasmania the No.1 cider destination in Australia."

Mr Robertson said the cider industry's growth was also providing apple growers with new prospects after fierce rationalisation and a drop in production.

"We hope this will stop trees being pulled out," he said.

"Growers have told us this is the most exciting thing to happen in the industry in 20 years."

Lucy Gregg from Fruit Growers Tasmania said while many cider makers were producing from established apple orchards, it was pleasing to see an expanding market for factory and waste fruit.

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Baby's wait for second chance

TARA Anderson has barely left her son's hospital room in four months, while she waits with him -- his tiny yellow fingers wrapped around one of hers -- for his second chance at life.

She has watched the nightly news differently ever since eight-month-old Xander Redman was put on the transplant list for a new a liver.

With fiance Matthew Redman, the young couple left their home and family in Burnie to move into the Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital in November.

Their January wedding has been put on hold and their mortgage payments continue to be due.

Ms Anderson is confident Xander's big day will come in time, but the reality of what this joyous day will mean for them is always in her mind.

"I think a lot about what this donation means for another family. It will be an absolute tragedy for them, but for us it means a new life," she said.

Xander has biliary atresia, in which the bile ducts that carry the waste products from the liver are blocked, causing a toxic build-up in his body.

RCH surgeons hoped Xander could be treated with the Kasai procedure, where part of his own intestines would be used to replace the blocked bile duct and delay the need for a new liver.

But once inside, they found Xander's liver was too scarred.

"They told us he needs the transplant now and we wouldn't be going anywhere until he gets one," Ms Anderson said.

Xander has been on the Victorian organ donor list for the past three weeks, a listing doctors initially delayed hoping he could reach the 8kg mark and reduce the risks of surgery.

Despite switching to specialised formulas and pumping nutrients directly into his blood stream, Xander -- who now weighs 5.7kg -- has gained just 200g in four months in hospital.

"He's putting on weight but it's like climbing a mountain, we feel like we're not moving very far," Ms Anderson said.

And so the wait continues.

Each night Ms Anderson sleeps on the couch in Xander's room, while Mr Redman bunks down at Ronald McDonald House before heading to work after Woolworths transferred his job.

"If my son was a different person, we'd be in a different boat as to how we're handling the situation. He makes it so easy for us," she said.

''He really is a true fighter."

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Alzheimer's study leap

Researcher Dr Kaylene Young, left, with Bubbles Haynes, of Kettering, whose husband suffers from Alzheimer's. Picture: KIM EISZELE

A TASMANIAN scientist has found that crucial insulating cells in the nervous system can be made throughout life, providing a new lead for Alzheimer's research.

Menzies Research Institute Tasmania researcher Kaylene Young was the study's chief investigator and worked with Japan and United Kingdom scientists.

She said there was now evidence these cells may not just be "passive by-standers".

The research showed new insulating cells were made from an immature cell type found in the brain and new insulation was added to brain circuits every day.

"This process is likely to be very important for learning, memory, vision and co-ordination," Dr Young said.

"This finding may have important implications for sufferers of Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders."

In Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, many nerve cells die, causing patients to progressively lose their ability to think clearly and remember things, and they can have problems with movement and co-ordination.

Dr Young's team was now investigating ways to hijack the natural ability of the immature cells to make new insulating cells, and repair the insulation damage.

"We expect that increasing brain insulation, to re-wrap the nerve cells, will prevent more nerve cells from dying."

Bubbles Haynes's husband John was diagnosed eight years ago and has recently moved to a Snug secure dementia unit, which Mrs Haynes has praised for his care.

"It's researchers like Dr Kaylene Young who give us the chance to hope, which is absolutely beautiful," Mrs Haynes said.

The work was published in Neuron and supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia, Alzheimer's Society UK, BUPA Foundation, and Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia.

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Trawler lawyers warned

LAWYERS fighting a two-year ban on a super trawler operating in Australian waters have been warned by a Federal Court judge to cast their nets with care when making allegations against federal Environment Minister Tony Burke.

Seafish Tasmania wants the court to overturn a ban imposed by Mr Burke on the trawler Abel Tasman. An expert panel is considering the ship's possible impact on the environment.

In documents previously lodged with the court, Seafish said the minister was advised that the impacts were known and any risks could be managed.

Seafish alleges Mr Burke was keen to ban the vessel and was searching for some power to justify his actions.

The trawler has since been sold and left Australia on Thursday.

In his opening statement yesterday, Justice John Logan warned the company's lawyers their statement of claim risked breaking the Parliamentary Privilege Act, which emanates from the centuries-old Bill Of Rights. Under the Act, questions cannot be asked of ministers in court about their behaviour in Parliament.

"Your statement of claim is scandalous, is it not, in asking this court to do what has been forbidden since 1689?" Justice Logan said.

He suggested he might strike out sections of the claim.

"Such is the constitutional importance of the separation of powers between the state and the law," he said.

Roger Derrington, SC, told the court he had no intention of questioning what the minister said in Parliament and did not call into question his motivation.

The case has been set down for trial on June 25.

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TMAG ready for big reveal

Tasmania Museum andArt Gallery director Bill Bleatham says the new TMAG is ready to wow. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

SEVEN years and $30 million since it was first announced, the public will be able to judge if it was money well spent when the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery redevelopment is officially opened this morning.

Thousands are expected to visit the new-look museum this weekend and they're in for a visual treat, with 12 fresh exhibitions spread over more than 2000sqm of new space.

TMAG collection gallery

Members of the media were given a sneak peek yesterday, after 300 guests from across Australia attended an invite-only opening party on Wednesday night.

Highlights of the redevelopment include a new entrance via the historic Watergate on Dunn Place, the raised ceiling in the new Central Gallery (formerly the Zoology Gallery), the opening up of all four levels of the Bond Store, and new cafe and toilet facilities.

"The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery was already a much-loved attraction, but this redevelopment has transformed it into a truly world-class facility," Premier Lara Giddings said.

TMAG director Bill Bleathman said the redevelopment had made the best bits of the museum more accessible to the public, helping exhibition curators share Tasmania's unique stories with visitors.

"The redevelopment has enabled us to showcase the objects and buildings that have fashioned the very essence of what it is to be Tasmanian," Mr Bleathman said.

"Our collection is the broadest of any single cultural institution in the nation and is now more accessible."

It is hoped the redeveloped TMAG will draw 50 per cent more visitors than before 450,000 a year, up from 300,000 with more than 1200 activities and events planned over the next 12 months.

And the redevelopment opening today is only stage one of a multi-million dollar mega-makeover planned for the future.

The TMAG will be open to the public from 10am-5pm daily from today. Admission is free. For more information about what's on, click here. To find out about Ten Days on the Island events at TMAG, click here.

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MKR dishes up Tassie disaster

TASMANIA has suffered a double disaster this week with best friends Ali and Samuel eliminated from My Kitchen Rules last night.

The pair's shock exit comes after Tassie father and son duo Mick and Matt Newell were eliminated from the Channel 7 cooking show on Monday night.

Ali and Samuel, of Hobart, ran into big problems with their entree of polenta with flathead and red capsicum salsa.

Their main of masterstock lamb with brussel sprouts and steam buns fared no better.

The pair scored a dismal 26 out of 60 in the sudden-death cook-off. They were beaten by Victorian housewives Angela and Melina whose Italian-themed menu scored 34 out of 60.

"I'm absolutely gutted," Samuel said.

"We had a great game plan, we were confident with our menu, but it all came down to a simple mistake.

"I mucked up the polenta. Something that would usually take 10 minutes took 40 minutes.

"The lamb was so chewy you could roll it up and kick it like a footy."

Hosts Manu Feildel and Pete Evans and guest judges including Liz Egan and Guy Grossi, heaped scorn on the Tassie team's entree and main.

"That's not braised meat, that's ruined meat," Egan said.

Ali's dessert of pistachio and almond tart with orange ice-cream was the shining star.

"The ice-cream is sensational," Grossi said.

"It has that lovely richness in its base with lovely cardamon and orange flavours through it."

Samuel, a public servant, is hoping his appearance on My Kitchen Rules will lead to media work.

The 34-year-old is also hoping there will be love on the horizon.

"A lot of close friends are engaged, married, have children, so the next girl I am with, I will be looking for those things," he said.

Ali had just separated from her partner of 14 years.

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