Overview
- In December 2021, a sudden wind gust lifted a jumping castle at Hillcrest Primary and killed six students while other pupils were seriously injured.
- The coronial inquest opened Monday in Devonport and will hear family members, Tasmania Police, Ambulance Tasmania, forensic pathologists and representatives linked to the inflatable supplier during its first week.
- A June 2025 criminal trial acquitted Taz‑Zorb owner Rosemary Gamble after courts found the 'dust devil' wind was unforeseeable; evidence at that trial showed only four of eight anchor points were used on the day.
- Families have launched a class action against the state and Taz‑Zorb seeking compensation, and the inquest was delayed previously by the criminal proceedings and a legal fight over access to regulator documents.
- Further hearings are scheduled later in 2026 and in early 2027 and the coroner’s findings could prompt changes to school supplier rules, weather‑monitoring practices or national safety standards that affect future school events.