A majority Liberal government will:
- Invest an additional $4.3 million to build stronger communities, to help build strong and resilient communities that support Tasmanians, wherever they live.
- Increase funding to Tasmanian Men’s Sheds Associations grants program to $175,000 per annum over the next three years, and extend eligibility criteria to include wellbeing initiatives.Introduce Tasmania’s first Carers Recognition legislation and provide funding for a new Carers Week community grants program of $60,000.
- Provide $300,000 to Volunteering Tasmania over three years to build a Youth Volunteer Army, with the establishment of a trial program based on the successful New Zealand program.
- Provide one-off funding of $125,000 to enable COTA to commence consultation on the review of our Active Ageing Strategy 2017-2022.
- Continue the increased level of peak body funding for community peak organisations, including Volunteering Tasmania, the Youth Network of Tasmania, Carers Tasmania, the Tasmanian Men’s Shed Association, Council of the Ageing, providing each with annual indexation.
- Invest $315,000 over three years into programs which encourage young Tasmanians to participate including Youth Week Grants to be delivered by YNOT and the Young Leaders of Tasmania program, as well as funding for the Tasmanian Bike Collective.
- Invest $210 000 into our LGBTIQ+ Grants over 3 years to support community organisations to increase acceptance of diversity, access to services and participation for LGBTIQ+ Tasmanians.
This is in addition to new funding already announced:
- $4.6 million over three years to extend our School Lunch pilot to 30 schools, increase emergency food relief and food security funding, establishing Tasmania’s first Food Security Strategy, and increasing funding to Gran’s Van, Louis Van and Missionbeat.
- $474,000 to support newly-arrived and established migrant communities, with a newly redeveloped Multicultural Hub in the North, a Small Business Enterprise Loans Scheme for migrants, grants for Harmony Week and Festival support, funding for the Interpreting Scholar Program, and migrant job readiness programs in the North and south.
Building stronger communities builds a stronger Tasmania.
Community organisations are at the heart of our local communities.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will work alongside the people and organisations that help underpin the wellbeing of our community.
We will:
Increase funding to Tasmanian Men’s Sheds grants program to $175,000 per annum over the next three years
With over 60 Men’s Sheds now registered in Tasmania, the Liberal Government recognises the important role that they play in communities across Tasmania, providing a safe outlet for men to meet, share information, and stay connected to their community.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will extend the Men’s Shed grants program to include funding for mental health and wellbeing initiatives, to support the health of members so that they can help and support each other.
Introduce Tasmania’s first Carers Recognition legislation and provide funding for a new Carers Week community grants program of $60,000
To bring Tasmania into line with other States, we will introduce Carers Recognition legislation to not just formally recognise the thousands of carers in our communities, but to promote and value the importance of care relationships.
The legislation will include a set of principles about the significance of care relations and include obligations for organisations that interact with people in care relationships. We will fully consult on this legislation before tabling in Parliament.
In addition, we will introduce a new small grants program of $60,000 over three years to give more organisations the opportunity to deliver events to celebrate National Carers Week and increase awareness of services available to carers.
Provide an additional $300,000 over three years to build a Youth Volunteer Army over the next three years
Volunteering is a vital part of the social fabric of Tasmania, with more than 297,000 people undertaking volunteering each year.
Without the many unpaid hours contributed by volunteers in our communities, many of the events, services and supports we access would simply not be available.
Last year, in response to the Premier’s Economic and Social Advisory Council interim report, we invested a further $351,000 into Volunteering Tasmania across three years, to further support the re-engagement of volunteers and re-connect past volunteers.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will also work in partnership with Volunteering Tasmania to build a Youth Volunteer Army.
We will work to adopt a similar model to the Student Volunteer Army in New Zealand to encourage a new generation of life-long volunteers, by working with community groups and schools to showcase the importance and benefits of volunteering to young Tasmanians.
Youth Volunteer Army will give young people the opportunity to invest in their communities.
Provide $125,000 to enable COTA to commence consultation on the review of our Active Ageing Strategy 2017-2022
When people are supported to age actively, they are empowered to make choices about how to live their life and ways they can reach their potential for physical, mental and social wellbeing.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government is committed to Active Ageing and providing people with opportunities to grow older in the way they want.
We recognise and support the important role the Council on the Ageing Tasmania (COTA) has as a peak body which advocates for, and supports, older Tasmanians to ensure their voices and views are heard.
We will support the development of a new Strong Liveable Communities: Tasmania’s Active Ageing Plan, through investing $125 000 for COTA tofinalise implementation of actions under the current strategy, as well as commence work on consultation ahead of our current plan expiring in 2022.
This is on top of continued funding to COTA of $424 000 over four years, (2018-2022), for the delivery of events Seniors Week, $20 million for new supported accommodation facilities for older Tasmanians in the North and North-West of the State, and our 50% stamp duty concession for pensioners who wish to downsize into properties up to $500,000.
Continue the increased level of peak body funding for six community peak organisations
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will continue to invest in funding for six community peak organisations, as well as annual indexation.
They include –
- Volunteering Tasmania
- Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT)
- Council of the Ageing (COTA)
- Carers Tasmania
- Tasmanian Men’s Shed Association (TMSA)
- Multicultural Council of Tasmania (MCOT)
Invest $315,000 into young Tasmanian programs, including Youth Week Grants and the Young Leaders of Tasmania program, and funding for the Tasmanian Bike Collective in Huonville and Rokeby.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will continue to encourage initiatives that support wellbeing and create connections in communities for young people.
We will invest $225 000 over 3 years for the Young Leaders of Tasmania to continue delivering their successful mentoring program in schools for young people with disability, as well as $90 000 over 3 years to continue supporting YLOT to deliver Youth Week activities.
We have provided $200,000 to advance Tasmania’s first comprehensive, whole of Government, Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy, and work continues on the development of that Strategy.
We will also provide $85,000 to the Risdon Bike Collective*, to deliver their skills and resilience building program for young people in Risdon Vale and Huonville.
This is on top of:
- Youth Connectors program to be located at Jobs Hubs in Sorell, Glenorchy and George Town.
- $98.5 million investment into our public training provider TasTAFE over the next four years.
- Youth Navigators project to safeguard young people left school in 2020.
- Delivering on our high school extension to Year 12 program, ensuring the next generation of Tasmanians have the skills and education they need to succeed.
- $15.3 million for innovative new youth housing and homelessness initiatives, including an Under-16 Lighthouse Project, modular youth housing for 16-24 year olds, and a Dispersed Youth Foyer model.
Increase grants to $70,000 per annum for the LGBTIQ+ community
LGBTIQ+ Tasmanians, their friends and families must be included and have equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to Tasmania’s social, political, economic and cultural life.
This means supporting communities to recognise and treat all Tasmanians with dignity and respect – regardless of their relationship status, sexuality, gender identity or intersex characteristics.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will increase our LGBTIQ+ Grants Program to $210 000 over 3 years, to support community organisations to increase acceptance of diversity, access to services and participation for LGBTIQ+ Tasmanians.
We will also deliver a new Whole-of-Government Action Plan for LGBTIQ+ Tasmanians, to ensure that Tasmanian Government services are inclusive, once the results from consultation, including the survey jointly undertaken by the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government, are assessed and finalised.
Within our first 100 days of office we will:
- Deliver our new Carers Action Plan 2021-2024.
- Commence development of our new Active Ageing Strategy, working alongside COTA.
- Commence development of expanded guidelines for the TMSA Grants Program to include mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
- Commence consultation to inform the development of Tasmania’s first Carers Recognition Legislation.
Current Work underway now:
- Final stages of developing a new Carer Action Plan 2021 – 2024.
- Development of new Tasmanian LGBTIQ+ Framework and Action Plan.
Our Record in Government
- 2018-21 Men’s Shed grants program.
- Released Tasmanian Carer Action Plan 2017-20.
- Released Tasmanian Carer Policy 2016.
- Released Tasmania’s Active Ageing Plan 2017-2022.
- Released Accessible Island: Tasmania’s Disability Framework for Action 2018-2021.
- Over $7million in supports during COVID-19 for Tasmanians in need.
- LGBTQI+ Framework and Action Plan.
- $1.4 million Tasmanian Agricultural Shows Grants Round.
- $585 000 in project funding to COTA.
- Over $730 000 to Volunteering Tasmania (VT) over 3 years.
- Ticket to play sports voucher system.
- $40,000 for YNOT to deliver Youth Week Tasmania activities.
- $13,750 to YMCA Hobart to support Tasmanian Youth Parliament.
- $225 000 for YLOT to deliver their mentoring program since 2018
- $150 000 for the Tasmanian Bike Collective.
- Over $350 000 for TasCOSS during COVID-19.
- Over $2.5 million into support for our multicultural communities.
Costings:
The cost of this policy is $4.3 million over three years.
*Costed from another policy