What we've heard, what we've learned.

The project is concluded; the archive remains

The Bottom Pub acquisition campaign ended on 13 August after the working group's offer was unsuccessful. A co-operative formation meeting was scheduled for 23 August; this site does not record whether it went ahead or what it decided, and makes no claim that a co-operative or board resulted.

The wider Bottom Pub Project is now closed. Expressions of interest, surveys, pledges and mailing-list registrations are no longer accepted. The public research, de-identified findings and campaign documents remain online as a civic archive.

Our offer was unsuccessful — and the co-operative goes ahead (announcement as published)

The working group has announced that its offer for the Bottom Pub was unsuccessful. The pub is now under contract. We don't know who the buyer is.

We've contacted the real estate agent to offer our congratulations and support to the incoming owners, along with our community feedback and documentation, should it be of use to them. We want to see the Bottom Pub thriving and lively again, and the campaign has produced a wealth of local ideas, interest and feedback that should inform whatever it becomes next.

This is not the end of the plan to form the Cygnet Community Co-operative. A co-operative owned by locals, aimed at collectively acquiring local assets and building community wealth, is still a good idea regardless of this outcome. The formation will go ahead, with the intent of electing a board to investigate local needs, wants and opportunities.

Sunday 23 August, 3pm — Supper Room, Cygnet Town Hall. A short wrap-up and debrief on the campaign, no more than half an hour, flowing directly into the co-operative formation meeting. If you're interested in becoming a member or running for the board, stay on to vote on the proposed Rules (and suggest any changes) and to elect the board. The elected board will then meet to decide the co-operative's next strategic direction.

With this, the working group's campaign for the Bottom Pub concludes. It wasn't the pub this round, but there are plenty of other opportunities calling for community ownership — and the groundwork for a vehicle to pursue them is done, pending the formation meeting. Questions are welcome at the meeting.

Community meeting — Cygnet Town Hall, Friday 26 June

The working group presents its findings, shares the draft co-operative constitution and founding statements, and answers community questions. All welcome. Cygnet Town Hall, Friday 26 June, 6–7:30pm.

Working group update: approaching $1 million in community pledges

The working group wrote to the community to share its progress. Possible instruments being explored include community shares, debentures (community loans), and donations — no financial offer is open and no final terms have been set. The group has circulated a draft co-operative constitution and founding statements for community feedback, alongside a common questions document. The pledge indication window closes 1 July. Feasibility work is being finalised pending costings from building surveyor, architect, and estimator.

The Mercury covers the co-op bid

Elise Kaine reports on the working group's proposal in The Mercury, noting $600,000 in pledges at time of publication and the community EOI window closing 2 July. See the media page for a summary.

ABC Hobart Breakfast: Billie Rankin on progress and pledges

Presenter Ryk Goddard speaks with Billie Rankin about the working group's progress on ABC Hobart Breakfast. $600,000 had been reported in pledge indications at the time, with a completed site visit and feasibility work in preparation. See the media page for a summary.

Working group profiles and community story call-out

The working group update introduced several members of the group and invited community members to share short videos about what the Bottom Pub means to them. Read who's involved and the community voices guide.

Working-group formation meeting announced for 23 May

Billie has called a second meeting at Cygnet Town Hall on Saturday 23 May at 2pm to select an 8–12 person delegated working group. The group is not the board: its job is to draft the rules, project manage, test feasibility, and create the legal entity. General project updates will move to a mailing list.

Public EOI page published — Stage 1 opens

This page is now live. It is a Stage 1 expression of interest only: no purchase agreement, no investment offer, no request for money. An earlier informal draft circulated with figures and case studies that didn't hold up; this version replaces it with research notes so the community can see exactly what changed and why.

Legal and financial research compiled — see Documents

Research notes on the Natural Person rule under the Liquor Licensing Act 1990, the Distributing vs Non-Distributing co-operative choice, and the ASIC/financial-product caution have been compiled and published in the Document vault. These are sourced from the Act and from official Tasmanian and Commonwealth regulators — not from advisors yet engaged.

Heritage Register listing sourced from Tasmanian Heritage Register — Place ID 3472

The Commercial Hotel's heritage listing (Place ID 3472) has been verified against the Tasmanian Heritage Register entry and datasheet PDF: register entry, datasheet PDF. Any future fire-safety, kitchen, accessibility, or façade work would need Heritage Council approval. This will need to be reflected in any feasibility budget rather than treated as a contingency.

Working-group skill seats opened — six vacancies listed

The working group expected to land around 8–12 people, with six named core seats defined at the time: Convenor, Co-op law & governance, Hospitality & licensing, Heritage & building, Community engagement, and Finance & modelling. All six were vacant when this was published.