Real lives. Real impact. Real funding needed now. #PrioritiseallTasmanians and invest in our community services.
We need your help! The #PrioritiseallTasmanians campaign is calling on the Government to properly fund community services in the upcoming May Budget.
Every day thousands of Tasmanians rely on community services which are now at breaking point. Show your support for a strong, sustainable, community services industry by signing and sharing our open letter to the Premier and Treasurer, ensuring that Tasmanians can access the support they need.
Tasmania’s Coalition of Community Service Peaks have joined together in an unprecedented show of unity, launching a coordinated campaign urging the Government to deliver the increased funding and long-term investment needed to protect the wellbeing of all Tasmanians.
The Coalition — a united group of 20 community services peak bodies, representing an industry that employs more than 28,000 workers and more than 46,000 (formal) volunteers across the state — warned chronic underfunding, growing demand, rising costs and workforce burnout were undermining the industry’s ability to safeguard the community.
In a time of growing uncertainty, Tasmanians needed a secure, well-resourced community services industry more than ever. The decisions made in this year’s Tasmanian budget will literally determine whether people get the help they need or fall into preventable crises.
Our industry adds $1.9 billion to the Tasmanian economy each year, and every million dollars invested generates 17 new jobs, delivering critical support into communities in every corner of the state.
Every job in our industry delivers a double impact, employing people in community services, as well as unlocking economic participation for countless others through the support those workers deliver.
When these services can’t cope, Tasmanians waiting for essential support feel it first. We don’t just help people in need right at this moment, we safeguard every Tasmanian. Right now, that safety net is under severe strain.
Short-term budget decisions and election-cycle thinking are myopic and create a false economy that will cost Tasmanians significantly more in the long run, driving greater demand into systems already under pressure.
We know investing in preventive, community-based services is not a cost, it is a proven economic strategy that reduces demand on crisis, health and justice systems and saves the state money over the long-term.
The Government has an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to all Tasmanians, particularly those most in need, while rebuilding community trust through a clear and consistent focus on long-term budget sustainability.
The Coalition stands ready to work with the Government to ensure it prioritises all Tasmanians by committing to the stable, long-term funding the industry urgently needs.
Our industry shows up for Tasmanians every single day. Now we need the Government to show up, too, and #PrioritiseallTasmanians with funding that reflects the true value of these essential services and the people who rely on them.
The #PrioritiseallTasmanians campaign will run across social and traditional media in the lead up to the 2025/26 Tasmanian Budget, sharing the lived experiences of real Tasmanians to demonstrate what is at stake if we don’t invest in these services now. The campaign will show Tasmanians the power and value of community services through the stories of those whose lives have been transformed by our collective industry.
To show your support, please sign the open letter to the Premier and Treasurer calling on the Government to #PrioritiseallTasmanians and properly fund community services in the May budget.
You can also show your support for our industry by lobbying your local members, as well as downloading and displaying the campaign branding elements on your social media and other digital platforms. We encourage you to share the Coalition’s social media posts on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
The Tasmanian Coalition of Community Service Peaks represents the following 20 organisations:
- Ageing Australia Tasmania
- Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council (ATDC) Tasmania
- Carers Tasmania
- Community Legal Centres Tasmania
- Council on the Ageing (COTA) Tasmania
- CREATE Foundation
- Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Tasmania Branch
- Health Consumers Tasmania
- Local Government Association Tasmania (LGAT)
- Mental Health Council of Tasmania
- Multicultural Council of Tasmania
- National Disability Services (NDS) Tasmania
- Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania
- Palliative Care Tasmania
- Shelter Tasmania
- Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations (TASSO)
- Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS)
- Tasmanian Family and Sexual Violence Alliance (TFSVA)
- Volunteering Tasmania
- Youth Network of Tasmania
