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 outlining some additional investment in mental health, nearly all of what is detailed in the Budget relates specifically to clinical and acute services.

Anglicare’s 2022 Rental Affordability Snapshot for Tasmania has highlighted the depth of the rental crisis the state is facing, releasing figures showing Tasmanians on low incomes have little hope of securing a private rental.

Advocacy groups say more than $20 million in electricity charges could be saved, providing relief for Tasmanians struggling to pay high energy bills in the midst of a cost of living crisis.