January 1
Australia starts its second century as a Commonwealth.
The Forensic Procedures Act comes into effect, giving police powers to take DNA samples from prison inmates, parolees and suspects.
January 2
The township of Renison is closed by bushfires.
January 12
Smoke from King Island fires blankets Melbourne.
January 16
Government agrees to make personal distress beacons available for hire to bushwalkers, sailors or rafters.
January 17
Tasmania is granted a place in the 2001 Victorian Football League competition.
January 31
Roberts Ltd sells $6.5m worth of Tasmanian wool to German woollen mills.
February 6
A 1000 ha fire burns between Bridport and Pipers Brook.
February 7
Protests start against clearfelling in the Diddleum Plains area.
February 12
Bushfires on Mt Wellington are fought with helicopter water drops.
February 14
A season record of $41,420 for a bale of superfine wool is paid to a Deddington woolgrower.
February 18
Work commences on the Old Launceston Seaport development.
March 5
Impulse Airlines starts a price war with Qantas and Kendell for the Melbourne-Hobart route.
March 11
State farmers call for a ban on all animal products from the UK because of animal disease outbreaks.
March 16
Aurora Energy and Hydro Tasmania join AAPT to form a locally oriented telecommunications company.
March 19
Gunns Ltd buys out North Forest Products in a $335m deal.
March 28
The Ten Days on the Island festival is launched. The festival ran from March 30 to April 8 at 32 locations.
March 30
The Federal Government announces that it will reduce GST payments to Tasmania because of the State's falling population.
March 31
A $500,000 ATSIC grant saves both commercial and cultural mutton-birding on Bass Strait Islands.
April 2
Campbell Town factory Saxon Woodheaters is placed in administration after announcing a $3m debt.
April 3
Administrators are called in to national company, Harris Scarfe.
April 4
A fire causes extensive damage to the Tattersall's Hobart Aquatic Centre. The Centre is closed until 15 September 2001.
April 6
Tamar Knitting Mills is liquidated.
April 10
The State Government promises a $53m prison within 6 years.
April 13
The Margaret J sinks off the North-West Coast.
April 18
Impulse Airlines announces its intention to fly into Launceston but sells out to Qantas before the service commences.
April 20
Victorian bushwalker Benjamin Maloney walks out of the southern Tasmanian bush after having being missing for 37 days.
April 30
A $45m, 20 megawatt green waste power station for Bell Bay is announced.
May
A team established to investigate reported fox sightings in Tasmania.
Commencement of planning of the blackwood experience at Dismal Swamp in the north-west.
May 4
Controversy rages over the death of 3 fishermen from the Margaret J whose life raft drifted off Flinders Island, with locals claiming that the search was called off too early.
May 6
Agfest breaks attendance record with a crowd of about 68,000 people.
May 7
A record 17,000 fans watch Hawthorn beat the Adelaide Crows in the first AFL match at York Park in Launceston.
May 12
Hobart shipbuilder Incat announces a move to a 4-day working week to cope with a slump in demand for its catamaran ferries.
The Australian Maritime College purchases an $840,000 test wave basin.
May 13
DNA testing is to be used to track the Tasmanian tiger, which is believed to be extinct.
May 15
Recreational fishermen will be allowed to set only 1 net each and catch no more than 30 of any 1 scalefish species under proposed changes.
May 16
Up to 80 workers at West Coast mine Renison Bell are retrenched as the company tries to improve productivity.
May 18
Hobart catamaran builder Bob Clifford is named Tasmania's richest man, with a personal fortune believed to be $180m.
May 29
Launceston knitwear company, Tamar Knitting Mills, closes after almost 75 years.
June 1
State Government works on a package to help Incat meet financial problems.
Ninety-two employees of Incat are made redundant due to the downturn in demand for vessels.
June 9
Australian wine giant BRL Hardy buys part of Pipers Brook Vineyard for $10m.
June 13
Burnie Legionnaires Disease outbreak.
June 14
There are 3,000 gaming machines in Tasmania.
June 15
State substance abuse standing committee claims that 70% of Risdon prisoners are inside for drug-related crimes.
June 16
Thirty-two Tasmanian towns fail water quality standards.
TasRail acquires 2 of the largest locomotives ever for its system at Bell Bay.
June 20
Digital television trials for commercial services commence, but only until June 23 when the TV transmission tower on Mt Wellington is damaged in a fire.
June 23
Mt Wellington $6m TV transmission tower fire.
June 25
Violent storm sees roofs wrenched off around the State.
June 26
Beaconsfield Gold calls in receiver.
Statewide windstorms.
July 1
The Tahune AirWalk, an ecotourism initiative developed by Forestry Tasmania, officially opens in the Huon District.
The Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Act 2000 became effective. The Act made significant amendments to the Tasmanian Workers' Compensation Scheme, in particular, changes to the benefits model, and established the new Workcover Tasmanian Board.
July 19
Launceston's Blue Ribbon meatworks in voluntary administration after $5.7m bank debt.
July 25
Australian Maritime College to train 28 American sailors in $50m contract.
July 28
Proposed $17.2m aquatic centre proposed for Launceston.
July 30
Launceston householders to get $2.05m in Federal funds to remove older woodheaters.
July 31
TasRail to be sold as US owner is bought out.
August 15
Tasmania Together, a 20-year social, environmental and economic plan, developed by the people of Tasmania, is launched.
August 18
Federal Government vows to toughen immigration laws in light of boat people arrivals.
August 21
Bob Cheek is elected unopposed to lead Liberal Party.
September
Huon Valley Council receives Forestry Tasmania's Southwood Resources application to establish an integrated timber processing site near Huonville.
September 1
New laws ban smoking anywhere where food is prepared or consumed, foyers, work vehicles, within 10 m of an air duct or in reserved seating at an outdoor event.
September 2
Virgin Blue unveils newest air route into Launceston.
September 11
Terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C.
September 14
The State loses 450 jobs and 40% of its interstate transport capacity in the collapse of Ansett Airlines.
September 17
Qantas announces it will schedule extra flights to cope with demand following the collapse of Ansett.
September 29
Health authorities investigate a link with the meningococcal virus to a Hobart nightclub, following the deaths of 2 women from the condition.
October 2
Tasmanian Senator Shayne Murphy quits the Labor Party.
October 5
The State Government buys the Abt Railway assets for $2.1m, with entrepreneur Roger Smith remaining as operator.
October 9
Tasmania hosts the 7th Junior Men's World Hockey Cup.
October 30
National election held. Liberal wins while Labor retains all 5 House of Representative seats in Tasmania. Greens leader, Bob Brown retains his Senate seat.
November
Digital television for national services(ABC and SBS) goes to air.
November 3
James Boag's Premium Lager is voted Australia's best premium beer at the 2001 Australian Liquor Industry Awards in Sydney.
November 8
Arrival of Virgin Blue's first service to Launceston from Melbourne.
November 13
State Government announces than another 6,100 seats will be built at York Park, making it the State's biggest sports stadium.
November 23
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery opens at Inveresk.
November 26
Launceston Mayor, Alderman John Lees dies of a heart attack, aged 57 years.
December
Launceston hosts a street parade, 'The Gathering' to celebrate the Centenary of Federation.
South Australian winemaker, Kreglinger Australia, acquires a controlling interest in Pipers Brook Vineyard.
December 1
The National Rose Garden is opened at Woolmers.
December 5
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission announces a public enquiry into the collapse of meat processor Blue Ribbon, with 430 meat workers sacked.
December 8
Premier Jim Bacon announces the $30m Meander (Warners Creek) dam project.
December 13
The Bass Highway's Westbury-Hagley bypass is opened.
December 14
The Swiss-owned pipe-laying ship, Lorelay arrives in Bell Bay to start laying pipes across Bass Strait for the $400m Duke Energy International natural gas project. The project features a 753 km sub-sea and underground pipeline, bringing natural gas to the State from Victoria.
December 16
A $2m convention centre is announced for Launceston and a $3m eco-tourism resort for Cradle Mountain.
December 20
The Parliament passes the Abortion Law Reform Bill.
December 24
A tornado hits the Launceston suburb of Summerhill, damaging 114 homes.
December 26
The Kent Group National Park is proclaimed and becomes Tasmania's 19th National Park.
December 30
Fifteen Tasmanian firemen fly out of the State to join firefighting crews in the NSW bushfires.
December 31
C-Max Cinemas announces that a $3m, 6-auditorium complex will be built along the North Esk boardwalk in the Inveresk heritage precinct.
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