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Budget 2018-19

Delivering on our Plan

OUR PLAN FOR HEALTH

In the last term of Government our Plan for Health resulted in the opening of around 120 extra hospital beds and saw more than 300 additional hospital and health staff employed to enable more Tasmanians to get the health care they needed sooner.

We are continuing to prioritise health with a record $757 M boost over the next six years to take health care in Tasmania to the next level.

This Budget includes:

  • An estimated 478 extra FTE health and hospital staff to meet increasing demand.
  • 76 additional funded and staffed hospital beds.
  • 120 more Nursing Graduates.
  • More Paramedics in Regional Areas - $14.9 M for 42 extra paramedics.
  • Record boost for mental health including 25 new beds - $95 M^.
  • Aeromedical Helicopter Retrieval Service – $31.9 M to establish a dedicated aeromedical retrieval service which will save lives. The funding will be used to provide additional staffing of flight paramedics and specialist retrieval doctors.
  • Expansion of Community Rapid Response to the North West and Southern Tasmania to keep people out of hospital who can be treated at home - $11.2 M.

OUR PLAN FOR HOSPITALS

This Budget also continues our strong investment into Hospital and Health infrastructure upgrades and improvements, including:

  • RHH Redevelopment - $277.6 M for practical completion in mid-2019.
  • LGH Redevelopment - $87.3 M^ for a major redevelopment and expansion of the LGH buildings.
  • MCH capital upgrades - $35 M in significant capital upgrades.
  • NWRH upgrades - $17.6 M for eight new acute medical beds and $2.1 M for a purpose built antenatal clinic.
  • RHH ward upgrades - $28.1 M~ for redevelopment of wards at RHH and Repat.
  • Rural Hospital and Ambulance Station upgrades - $15 M for capital investments.
  • $12 M for new Ambulance Stations at Burnie and Glenorchy.

TAKING EDUCATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL

We recognise that by investing heavily in education we are investing in the future of young Tasmanians.

The Hodgman Liberal Government has committed a record $324 M over six years to take education in our State to the next level.

This Budget includes:

  • 277 extra teachers and support staff - We are investing $69.4 M over four years to employ an additional 277 new staff in our schools including 192 teachers to ensure every student gets the support they need.
  • $192.2 M for new school and TasTAFE infrastructure - The biggest ever State Government commitment to school and training infrastructure means new schools at Legana, Brighton, a rebuild of Sorell School, Penguin School and Cosgrove High. There are College upgrades at Hellyer and Launceston, we are revitalising school farms and creating training Centres of Excellence.
  • Extending all high schools to Year 12 - It’s part of our plan to create a job ready generation of young Tasmanians and it’s working, with TCE attainment and retention on the rise. This budget includes $30.5 M, including $6 M for infrastructure to support the extension of all Tasmanian high schools to Year 12.
  • Removing disadvantage in the early years - $31.3 M to provide free pre-school to disadvantaged or vulnerable three year olds from 2020. An additional $10.5 M will see the first three Early Learning Hubs built, and there is also $15 M to build new, and upgrade existing, kindergarten facilities.
  • More support for students with disability - This Budget includes $250,000 for the design and testing of a needs based funding model for students with disability, and an additional $3 M to further implement the recommendations of our Ministerial Taskforce into Education for Students with Disability.

SUPPORTING THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST

Our long term Plan for Tasmania has a focus on providing additional support and protection for those who need it most.

Strong budget management means we can invest more into initiatives over the next four years which improve the lives of vulnerable Tasmanians.

This Budget includes:

  • Increasing supply of Affordable Housing - An extra $125 M~ to implement Stage II of the Government’s Affordable Housing Strategy. This will provide an additional 1500 new affordable homes for Tasmanians, and assist around 2000 households. Together with Stage I, it brings the total number of new affordable homes to 2400.
  • Additional Child Safety - An extra $24 M for child safety to employ more child safety officers, assist with the redesign, better support those at risk and ensure our Out of Home Care system provides the best possible care. This is in addition to $16.7 M already announced for child safety and youth justice.
  • National Redress Scheme - The Tasmanian Government is committed to supporting survivors of abuse. Our commitment of $70 M, of which $40 M is shown in this Budget period, is an important step in acknowledging the wrong that was done to Tasmanian survivors.
  • Eliminating Family Violence - $20.2 M to meet increasing demand and towards the second stage of our Family Violence Action Plan. This includes $1.5 M in additional funding for the Safe at Home service system and the development of a new whole-of-government Action Plan Against Sexual Violence.
  • More support for Tasmanians with disability - $21.2 M for more disability specific housing; the research and early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder; disability sports participation; and increased support for the peak body National Disability Services to support the growth and transition of the disability services sector to the NDIS.

> Includes Australian Government funding * funding that is part of a larger project ~ over five years ^ over six years