TasCOSS congratulates the Tasmanian Government on its announcement to introduce mandatory pre-commitment for all electronic gaming machine (pokies) users in Tasmania.

TasCOSS and Families and Children Tasmania have joined calls by Tasmania’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Leanne McLean, for a rapid response crisis team to immediately be established and sent into the Ashley Youth Detention Centre (AYDC) to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children and young people currently detained, as well as ensure the staff are supported to do their jobs.

TasCOSS has welcomed the Tasmanian Government’s $5 million cost of living package, which acknowledges the significant cost of living pressures Tasmanians are currently facing.

As Tasmania’s levels of housing stress continues to worsen and new data reveals the cost of rents have increased by 6.2% in the past year alone, TasCOSS is calling for a collaborative approach to tackle the current housing crisis.

TasCOSS is calling on the Tasmanian Government to take urgent action to address soaring cost of living pressures as new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows Hobart’s Consumer Price Index now sits at 6.5%, well above the national average of 6.1%.

While we welcome the partial funding of some of the critical volunteering priorities in the State Budget, the Government continues to fall short of addressing the pressing challenges faced by Tasmania’s volunteering industry, our largest workforce.   

Carers Tasmania welcomes confirmation in the 2025/26 Tasmanian Budget of additional funding to be provided to continue our work supporting and advocating on behalf of more than 87,000 Tasmanians who care for a family member or friend with disability, chronic or life-limiting health condition, mental ill health, drug or alcohol dependence, or who is frail aged, or who care for a child because their parents cannot.

Today’s Budget announcement was not what we were hoping for and impacts on both our direct work with communities, and the ability of the peak body to support the foundations of our Neighbourhood Houses.