a majority liberal government will
- Provide winter energy bill relief of $125 per household for concession customers, giving direct assistance to those who need it most. The energy bill supplement, at a cost of up to $12 million, will apply from this winter for eligible concession card holders, including those on the Age Pension.
- Move to quarterly motor registration payments from 1 July 2021, with a review to move to more frequently (monthly or fortnightly) thereafter.
- Deliver an extra 22,300 elective surgeries and endoscopies State-wide with a total investment of $156.4 million to deliver a record program of surgery, employing up to an additional extra 280 full-time health staff to support this as well as other health services.
- Deliver an additional 20,000 dental appointments across emergency dental, general dental care and denture clinics.
- Provide $52 million for in-home palliative and community-delivered health services and incentives for GPs, pharmacies and other primary health services to extend after hours services.
- Provide $125,000 to enable COTA to commence consultation on the review of our Active Ageing Strategy 2017-2022, on top of continued funding over four years (2018 to 2022) for the delivery of Seniors Week events.
- Commence planning for the next stages of the Elder Abuse Prevention Strategy.
- Continue free bus travel on Metro bus during Seniors Week for Tasmanian Seniors Card holders.
- Deliver a new co-located $120 million private hospital adjacent to the LGH, and next stage LGH with a new Ward 3D designed and fitted out as a dedicated Older Persons Unit for best practice care.
- Deliver $200 million Stage II of the Royal Hobart Hospital with new facilities including an expanded Emergency Department, a new neurology/stroke ward, Rapid Assessment Medical Unit, fit-for-purpose Older Person’s Unit with a secure ward for older patients with dementia and a new Sleep Study Centre.
- Build a second angiography suite at the Royal Hobart Hospital to support stroke services and other procedures.
- Ongoing 50% discount for all annual or two-year Parks passes for Seniors Card holders.
- Expand the Mersey Community Hospital and North-West Regional Hospital to deliver greater capacity, including a second linear accelerator to double capacity for cancer treatment in the North-West.
- Provide $175,000 over the next three years in a grant program for over 60 Men’s Sheds throughout Tasmania, including funding for mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
- Introduce Tasmania’s first Carer’s recognition legislation and provide funding for a new Carers Week community grants program of $60,000.
- Provide a $500,000 Community Car Fund for local community sector organisations to access.
- Provide $1.75 million to extend supports for informal kinship carers, including grandparents, who help raise children who are unable to live with their parents.
- Continue increased level of peak body funding for peak organisations, including the Council of the Ageing (COTA) and Carers Tasmania, as well as annual indexation.
- Deliver $700,000 for the Digital Ready for Daily Life program that helps ensure older Tasmanians are not left behind in an increasingly digital world, with training in local communities.
- Provide $2 million in funding to the No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) Energy Saver Loan and Subsidy Scheme for energy efficient appliances, over four years.
- Provide $20 million for new supported accommodation facilities for older Tasmanians in the North-West of the State, as well as $315 million additional funding 2000 extra homes.
- Increase the property value threshold for our 50% stamp duty concession for pensioners downsizing, for homes valued up to $500,000.
- Deliver a new $2.5 million secondary dwelling incentive program which provides $10,000 for the first 250 landowners who construct a new secondary dwelling and make it available for long-term rental for at least two years.
- Increase access to Medical Cannabis, including authorising Tasmanian GPs to prescribe medical cannabis products, and allowing more pharmacies across the State to dispense these products.
- Provide $210,000 for LGBTIQ+ grants to increase acceptance of diversity, access to services and participation.
- Provide $1.2 million to establish a Tasmanian Disability Services Commissioner for continuous improvement in the delivery of supports and services for people with disability.
- Accelerate the roll-out of advanced meters by 2026 to empower energy consumers with the information to manage their energy costs.
- Provide a new $10 million Solar Power Sports Club no interest loan scheme to help many clubs to reduce their energy costs and in some instances, generate extra income through exporting solar electricity to the grid.
- Provide a reduction in land tax of up to $613 per annum to nearly 70,000 land tax payers, including thousands of shack owners.
- Deliver $56 million in additional funding for mental health, alcohol and drug treatment and to improve health and wellbeing of Tasmanians, including older-person outreach through Rural Alive and Well, new detox beds, and a trial of three new Community Health and Wellbeing networks in local communities.
- Commit $52 million for 48 more paramedics over two years, better rural hospital and health facilities, extra staffing and equipment, and a new community defibrillator fund.
- Provide $43.3 million for 50 more police in the community and new police stations, plus CCTV in regional towns to keep Tasmanians safe.
- Commit $100,000 to make recreational fishing amenities easier to access for those with mobility issues.
- Deliver $81.5 million for new common smart ticketing for public transport (including Derwent ferries) with real-time information for commuters, more buses, new park and ride facilities in the Greater Hobart area, and upgraded all-access, and all-weather bus stops at priority locations.
- Provide $3 million in emergency food relief and food security for the most vulnerable.
- Commit $1.4 million to support Tasmania’s veterans and ex-service personnel.
- Provide $40,000 per annum for three years to Bowls Tasmania to ensure Tasmania has its own team in the national Bowls Premier league.
- Introduce a new stamp duty waiver for the purchase of new and second-hand electric vehicles and more charging stations State-wide.
- Deliver a new $30 million Tasmanian Energy Efficiency Loans Scheme (TEELS) for households, over two years.
The Tasmanian Government has a key role to play in supporting Tasmanians as they age.
We want a Tasmania that is the best place to live, work, invest and be part of a family, as we grow older.
The Liberal Government is committed to ensuring that older Tasmanians are respected, protected and cared for in our community.
It is the responsibility of everyone in the community to look out for our older neighbours, friends and relatives.
We know the matters of loneliness and isolation of older Tasmania in remote locations is of great concern.
Our plan will ensure our Seniors are supported through a range of measures as part of our commitment to Secure Tasmania’s Future so that Tasmanians in all areas, can benefit.
Current work underway right now:
- Provided funding to assist COTA’s website-Work45 plus, a one-stop information hub aimed at older Tasmanian jobs seekers, employers and recruiters, which includes information on our Rapid Response Skills Initiative, Skills Matching Service, Train Now Fund, and Tourism and Hospitality Training Fund.
- Continued delivery of initiatives under our Strong Liveable Communities: Tasmania’s Active Ageing Plan 2017-2022.
- Continued support for Volunteering Tasmania to re-engage and support volunteers including resources for organisations to engage older volunteers safely.
- Continue to deliver actions under Respect and Protect Older Tasmanians – Tasmania’s Elder Abuse Prevention Strategy 2019-2022.
- The upgrade of the 50-unit Oakleigh Court social housing complex to be completed this year.
- Construction of the $13 million Integrated Aged Care Facility in Southern Tasmania providing residential care beds with independent living units for up to 50 older residents.
Our record in Government:
- $850,000 towards a campaign to raise further awareness of elder abuse and encourage Tasmanians to act on it, a key action from the Respect and Protect Older Tasmania’s Elder Abuse Prevention Strategy 2019-2022, including a contemporary community awareness campaign, a new website to help streamline referral pathways and training tools for Tasmanians who work in the sector, and delivering the Tasmanian Elder Abuse Helpline (in partnership with Advocacy Tasmania and COTA).
- $1.2 million for COTA Tasmania to support older Tasmanians since 2018 (indexed peak funding of $337 480 over three years (2018-21), $585 000 over three years (2018-21) to help implement initiatives under Tasmania’s Active Ageing Plan; and $424 000 over four years (2018-22) to continue delivering Seniors Week).
- Opened a 25-unit socialhousing complex in Goulburn Street in Hobart, designed to cater for older tenants and those with a disability, as part of our plan to deliver more homes for Tasmanians most in need.
- Free Parks Pass for Seniors in 2018-19 provided some 20,000 passes, and we have an ongoing 50% discount to all Seniors Card holders.
- Free bus travel on Metro bus during Seniors Week for Tasmanian Seniors Card holders.
- Delivered our Digital Ready for Daily Life program and website, developed in consultation with TasCOSS and the not-for-profit sector, providing digital assistance sessions and workshops delivered by partner community organisations.
- Introduced introductory computing and technology courses at more than 50 Libraries Tasmania locations, as well as our Free Wi-Fi network.
- Delivered our Learning for Life program, partnering with the Smith Family to build the confidence and ability of individuals, parents and/or guardians and families to use digital technology and COTA to extend the Digital Clinic program to the West and East Coast.
- $65,000 for COTA to develop a communication plan for older Tasmanians to ensure they were supported during the pandemic, as part of our $4 million package to support those who are most vulnerable due to COVID-19.
Costings
All policies are costed against other policy documents.