Every meaningful step on this is logged here — in plain language, with no dressing up. If something we believed turns out to be wrong, this is where we'll say so.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The working group is expected to land around 8–12 people, with six named core seats defined so far: Convenor, Co-op law & governance, Hospitality & licensing, Heritage & building, Community engagement, and Finance & modelling. All six are currently vacant. If one of these is you — or if you have a useful skill that sits outside this list — use the express interest form.