A MAJORITY LIBERAL GOVERNMENT WILL
- Provide $3.265 million over three years to support Tasmania’s Community Services Sector as one of the State’s major employers, and help meet industry projections of an additional 4000 jobs by 2024. We will partner with TasCOSS to:
- Establish a community services-based project team, alongside a workforce-ready team to ensure the emerging workforce has the right skills to deliver quality support for Tasmanians, with an investment of $2.085 million over three years.
- Establish a Workforce Development Fund, investing $930,000 over the next three years to deliver a coordinated “rapid boost” to the industry’s training capacity.
- Provide $100,000 for a recruitment campaign to attract workers and retain workers in the sector.
- Strengthen governance for community sector organisations, with an investment of $50,000 a year for three years into a scholarship fund.
- Introducing bill smoothing, with quarterly motor vehicle registration payments from 1 July 2021*.
- Boosting the No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) Energy Saver Loan and Subsidy Scheme with funding of $2 million*.
- Providing $500,000 Community Car Fund for local community sector organisations to access*.
The Tasmanian Liberals have always partnered effectively with TasCOSS to drive local jobs in local communities and address barriers to employment.
The Liberal Government’s Memorandum of Understanding with TasCOSS and the TCCI was all about empowering local communities to create local jobs, and this became the forerunner to the successful Jobs Hubs now operating.
The Tasmanian community sector is a growing industry for our State, now employing around 9000 workers around the State.
In fact, since 2013-14, the social assistance services sector has had the highest proportion of growth at 21 per cent and industry projects another 4000 new jobs will be required by 2024.
This provides a further opportunity to again partner with TasCOSS to deliver a stronger Community Services Industry into the future.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will also provide additional support to ease cost of living pressures for Tasmanians in need.
Establish a community services-based project team and workforce-ready team
In line with the recommendations of the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council, to ensure jobs and training are in alignment, a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will –
- Fund the establishment of a community services-based project team based in TasCOSS to drive research and data collection to identify workforce and skill development priorities and reduce barriers to employment in the sector, working collaboratively with relevant Government agencies and TasTAFE.We will invest $195,000 per year for three years for this initiative.
- Fund the establishment of a Workforce Ready Team to coordinate better integration of education and training with community sector needs, ensuring more robust data to match workforce projects on with community sector industry need across all areas of the State.We will provide $500,000 per annum for three years for this initiative.
Establish a Workforce Development Fund
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest $930,000 over the next three years to deliver a coordinated “rapid boost” to the industry’s training capacity.
This will help drive recruitment and attraction in the industry, supporting an additional 120 accredited trainers, with 40 subsidised training places in Certificate IV per year.
This is a crucial foundational piece for the Industry, not only boosting industry training and capacity, but ensuring the capacity of it leaders who are increasingly having to navigate complex regulatory environments.
The Fund would support TasTAFE and other registered training organisations.
Our new flexible TasTAFE will also help ensure that training can be provided at times suited to the industry who do not want to see service disrupted when meeting the needs of Tasmanians in vulnerable circumstances.
Provide $100,000 for a recruitment campaign to attract workers and retain workers in the sector
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will provide $100,000 for an awareness and recruitment campaign to ensure the community sector is a career of choice for Tasmanians.
Strengthen governance for community sector organisations
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest $50,000 a year for three years into a scholarship fund linked to the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
This will assist the sector to continue its strong leadership and delivery of quality community services.
Support to strengthen governance is needed to navigate and comply with emerging changes to regulatory environments.
Ease the cost of living pressures by introducing quarterly motor vehicle registration payments from 1 July 2021*
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will help ease cost of living pressures by introducing more frequent vehicle registration payments to help smooth household bills.
Quarterly registration payments will be available from 1 July 2021.
Vehicle registrations represent a significant household expense. Being able to spread this annual cost over four payments presents a significant benefit, particularly to those facing financial hardship.
The Liberal Government has expanded the NILS Network of Tasmania, providing $2 million for loans and further grants of $500,000 to meet the operational costs of the NILS Scheme. The Scheme has also been expanded to allow Tasmanians on low incomes to fund motor vehicle registration renewals.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will also modernise vehicle registration notices by providing online billing notices and introduce text message reminders of pending renewal date to ensure fewer inadvertently unregistered, and therefore uninsured, vehicles on our roads.
Tasmanian vehicle registration fees are the lowest in the country but surcharges, additional duty and administrative fees can add additional financial burden.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will review and modernise the current fee structure to further relieve the regulatory burdens on bill smoothing.
We will bring to Parliament by the end of the year any legislation required to implement any regulatory improvements needed, such as duties, surcharges and administration fees.
In addition, we will investigate introducing more frequent car registration payments, such as monthly or fortnightly, later in 2021-22. This will be based on a review of interstate systems, third-party solutions and the success of online billing and text message reminders. This will occur in consultation with the community advocacy groups to assess the level of need and suitability.
The Liberal Government is already easing the cost of living when it comes to vehicle costs, with Tasmanian motorists this year benefiting from a 4 per cent general decrease to premiums. This means that for a standard car, the annual MAIB premium is now less than it was back in 2001, with Tasmanian premiums now the cheapest in Australia.
Boost the NILS Energy Saver Loan and Subsidy Scheme with funding of $2 million*
The highly successful NILS Energy Saver Loan and Subsidy Scheme has supported thousands of vulnerable Tasmanians with access to safe, fair, and affordable credit to purchase energy efficient appliances.
Demand for the Energy Saver Loan and Subsidy Scheme has been steadily increasing since 2018-19 from 2,500 loans per annum to a forecast 3,500 loans in 2020-21.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will continue its commitment to reducing the cost of living pressures on Tasmanians by doubling the current funding for the NILS Energy Saver Loan and Subsidy from $1 million to $2 million over a four-year period.
Provide $500,000 Community Car Fund for local community access*
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will provide a $500,000 Fund to support local community organisations to access cars or buses, for the benefit of their local community.
In addition, to support Tasmania’s most vulnerable, a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will provide:
- $98.5 million TasTAFE investment with more flexible training, 100 extra teachers, facility upgrades, new student accommodation and help for rural and regional students.
- $10.6 million for Local Jobs for Local People, four new Jobs Hubs in Burnie, Brighton, Huonville and St Helens.
- $1.3 million to establish Youth Connectors at Jobs Hubs at Sorell, Glenorchy and George Town.
- $170,000 for Devonport’s Fit for Work program for young job seekers.
- $190,000 to Migrant Resource Centres for job readiness programs.
- $4.6 million for Emergency Food Relief, including extending school lunch pilot to 30 schools, $3 million in emergency food relief, establishing Tasmania’s first Food Security Strategy and increased funding to Gran’s Van, Louis Van and Missionbeat.
- $3 million to double Ticket to Play vouchers for low income children to get involved in sports and recreational activities.
- $2.2 million additional funding for four years to the community legal assistance sector to provide free or low-cost legal services to Tasmanians in need.
- Almost $2.5 million to reduce reoffending and increase rehabilitation through new partnerships to deliver more therapeutic support and programs in prison.
- Access to legal representation for children and young people in the North and North-West appearing in courts after-hours.
- $2.4 million to continue Tasmania’s electronic monitoring of high-risk family violence perpetrators.
- Doubling funding to $700,000 over four years for the Digital Ready for Daily Life program to ensure vulnerable Tasmanians are not left behind.
- $315 million into new social and affordable housing, to build 3500 new social houses, deliver new youth housing and homelessness initiatives, and new supported accommodation facilities for older Tasmanians.
- 450 new homes at the showground, including 60 new social houses, 60 affordable rental homes and 30 Homeshare dwellings.
- $1 million for a Hospital Avoidance Co-investment fund to match private sector investment for GPs who improve or expand after hours care.
- $600,000 for the Heart Foundation to support patients following their hospitalisation.
- $1.4 million for Community Transport Services to support Tasmanians to access care.
- $27.5 million to continue our Community Rapid Response service to provide hospital in the home in all regions.
- Over $17 million more to strengthen in-home palliative care and after hour care services.
- $346,000 to Family Planning Tasmania to establish and deliver new women’s health services.
- An additional 20,000 dental appointments State-wide.
- An additional 22,300 elective surgeries to slash waiting lists.
- $8.7 million for children and young people, including new stable permanent family placements, support for Informal Kinship carers, expanding access to concessions for children in out-of-home care.
- $133 million in education support and modern learning spaces, including providing free access to speech pathologist, psychologist and social workers in every Child and Family Learning Centre, more funding for trauma support for students, and anti-bullying measures.
- $1.2 million over four years to establish a Tasmanian Disability Services Commissioner, and boosting autism diagnostic services.
- $1.4 million in support for veterans and ex-service personnel and their mental health and wellbeing.
- Funding for Men’s sheds, carers recognition legislation, volunteering, active ageing, young leaders and the LGBTIQ+ community of $4.3 million.
- Investing an additional $56 million to continue our transformation of Tasmania’s mental health system, alcohol and drug treatment system and improve the health and wellbeing of all Tasmanians.
- An additional $41.2 million to fully fund the fundamental shift in the delivery of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
- Better support for people with mental health with a co-response model with Police and Ambulance services.
Costings:
This policy costs $3.265 million over three years.
*Costed under another policy.