2023 was a year packed with major decisions and milestones across Tasmania.
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The Examiner has run its eye over the past 12 months and has come up with a list of the 20 moments that mattered most.
1. Tassie is in the game: AFL team announced
The day many suspected would never come finally arrived in May with the then AFL boss Gill McLachlan announcing Tasmania will be the next AFL team to enter the competition.
Years of hard graft seemingly paid off after it was announced a team could arrive in 2028. Since, the team has picked Grant O'Brien as their inaugural chief executive to get the wheels in motion on the club.
2. New stadium: to be or not to be
The AFL and state government has agreed to build a new stadium for a new Tasmanian team.
However, not everyone is pleased with the agreement. A new stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point is tipped to be a hot topic into the new year and beyond.
3. Commission of inquiry into child sexual abuse handed down
The Commission of Inquiry into the Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings was released in September.
On that day, Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced his government would follow all 191 recommendations from the two-year inquiry which heard the accounts of victim-survivors.
4. The Voice referendum
The Voice referendum brought with it election-time vibes with politicians from across the spectrum rallying to support a 'No' or 'Yes' campaign. Launceston was an important battle ground that drew campaigners.
The defeated referendum for an independent Indigenous voice to parliament was met with mixed emotions locally. There was hope from progressive no voters, and despair felt by Aunty Dawn and other Aboriginal elders.
5. Alleged murder of Shyanne-Lee Tatnell rocked community
A statewide search for teenager Shyanee-Lee Tatness finished with the devastating discovery of her body near Nabowla in the state's north-east in July.
She was last seen alive on the night of April 30 in Launceston. Two days after the recovery of the 14-year-old's body, Tasmania Police charged 36-year-old Christopher Mark Jordan with her murder.
6. Campbell Town killers found guilty
Cedric and Noelene Jordan were sentenced to spend 22 years in jail after being convicted of murdering popular Campbell Town man Shane Geoffrey Barker.
The Swansea couple were found guilty of the cold-blooded murder of their ex-son-in-law in 2009 after a 10-week trial and more than two days of deliberation.
Since, both have appealed the jury verdict.
7. Launceston unites for a special birthday
Community spirit was on full display after a social media post hoping for a birthday surprise went viral.
The Green Bean Cafe asked if anybody in Launceston could spare any gifts for a girl turning six-years-old, and the town response disappoint. A flood of gifts arrived for the girl's birthday in the days leading to the cafe's regularly-scheduled community dinner.
There was even enough to share with other children at the dinner.
8. Homelessness grows
Like much of Tasmania, and even the nation, Launceston has experienced a growing number of homeless people and those on the verge of being homeless.
The Examiner spoke with people experiencing homelessness from all walks of life. We also collated a guide to support providers who are helping the homeless, including Shekinah House and City Mission.
9. Matildas mania hits Tasmania
The Matildas gripped the nation storming through to the semi-final of the Women's World Cup on home soil. The green and gold wave swept over Tasmania, including at Riverside Primary School.
There was even a special moment ahead of the tournament for one of Launceston's 'Matildas'. Launceston United's Matildas Smith presenting Alex Chidiac her shirt at Melbourne's Federation Square.
10. Truck driver dies on East Tamar Highway
A 68-year-old man died after a semi-trailer truck collided with a small car and house in March. A mother and son were taken to hospital seriously injured, while the occupants of the house escaped injury.
The Launceston mother and daughter living in the smashed house were dealt another blow when their home was ransacked by thieves following the incident.
11. Promises at Bell Bay
Bell Bay's revival as the state's powerhouse is on track with it named the preferred site for the world's biggest ever renewable energy project.
Australian company SunCable, who is undertaking a $30 billion solar energy project, wants to build a new $2 billion facility manufacturing high-voltage subsea cable.
12. Marinus project revived
The Marinus Project in the state's North-West has been revived in a scaled-back single cable proposal after a federal government commitment to cover more of the cost.
13. Angst over forced council mergers
Northern councils made their stances very clear, with many slamming a proposal for forced amalgamation. The local government review continues to be a hot potato for the state government.
In November, the Local Government Board released an alternative blueprint for potentially cutting 29 councils to 15 over time. The Tasmanian government had earlier ruled out forced mergers.
14. Royal changes
Tasmania joined the Commonwealth in celebrating the coronation of King Charles. The Examiner remembered the visits paid by King Charles to Tasmania in 2012, where he snubbed an invitation to return to Launceston.
15. Who wants to be a mayor
Launceston returned to the polls to vote in a new mayor after the resignation of Danny Gibson, claiming "speculation, rumour and vile attacks" over his Working with Vulnerable People Registration review as the core reason.
Lack of experience didn't hold Matthew Garwood back, who won the by-election in a competitive field of five councillors.
16. Government changes
The Launceston council wasn't the only one with changes, the Tasmanian government finished the year with fewer politicians sitting in the Liberal Party's corner.
Bass MHA Lara Alexander and Lyons MHA John Tucker threw the government into a minority after resigning to sit as independents.
Former Attorney-General Elise Archer also quit parliament, saying the party failed to support ambitious women, which the government refuted.
17. North's arts scene thriving
There was no shortage of events, arts and festivals in Launceston and Tasmania's North this year.
The successful Festivale and Junction Arts Festival are just two of the top picks we all got to enjoy. With Mona Foma's The Gorge tickets a hot commodity for the 2024 festival, there's signs the region will continue to be a flurry of drawcard events.
18. Businesses roll into town
Emporia Tattoo opened in October to smash stigmas, while places such as chinese restaurant DongSheng and Frankie's Coffee House moved in.
19. New helipad on its way
A new helipad at the Launceston General Hospital has been under construction after the helipad in Ockerby Gardens was suspended at the end of 2022.
The new $15 million helipad built atop the Cleveland Street carpark is expected to be operational mid-2024.
Helicopters transporting patients to and from hospital have been landing at the Launceston airport in the interim.
20. Cesar's plea answered
The Penuela family faced deportation back to Colombia at the end of 2022 due to a lack of documentation from Cesar Penuela's former employee.
After months of ups and downs, and a bridging visa, the family were granted permanent residency in April.