The incoming Tasmanian Government has a responsibility to build a strong community services industry that will serve the next generations of Tasmanians to keep them safe and well. This is all the more important in times of great uncertainty and challenge, as we are in now.

TasCOSS’s 2024 Tasmanian State Election Priorities proposes a suite of measures that would provide Tasmanians with much-needed, targeted cost of living relief, and ensure a well-resourced community services industry that can meet increasing levels of need and complexity in the community. 

More investment is needed to address both immediate need and ensure a food secure Tasmania into the future. The Tasmanian Food Security Coalition looks forward to working with the incoming Tasmanian Government to support all Tasmanians to be able to eat fresh, local and nutritious food every day.

The McKell Institute report further underscores the underinvestment and neglect of our public transport system for many years, which has constantly fallen short of community expectations, and most importantly is falling short of its core function: getting Tasmanians where they need to go, when they need to be there.

TasCOSS welcomes a focus on energy affordability in this election campaign, in particular Tasmanian Labor’s announcements to cut and cap Tasmanian electricity prices and remove connection/disconnection charges.

In our conversations with Tasmanians about their daily challenges, accessible, timely and affordable transport ranks highly. It’s a particularly significant barrier to participation in the outer suburbs and regional and remote Tasmania. 

A Tasmanian photographic exhibition honouring the essential work of over 28,000 workers and 46,900 (formal) volunteers in the community services industry was launched at the Moonah Arts Centre today.

The worsening cost of living crisis means Christmas won’t be a time of frivolity for many Tasmanians, with a growing number finding themselves in a fight for survival, battling the effects of interest rate rises, increasing rental costs and higher bills for groceries, energy, fuel and health care.