23 May 2019

Jacquie Petrusma

2019-20 Budget: A boost for Tasmanians who help Tasmanians

The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to developing and supporting opportunities for all Tasmanians to participate in community life.

For the first time, the 2019-20 State Budget provides a funding indexation boost for community development peak bodies, so they can continue to provide important services for Tasmanians.

Community development peak bodies include: the Council on the Ageing Tasmania, the Multicultural Council of Tasmania, Volunteering Tasmania, the Youth Network of Tasmania, Carers Tasmania, the Tasmanian Men's Shed Association and the Tasmanian branch of the Returned and Services League.

Collectively, our community development peak organisations represent the majority of Tasmania’s population, including older Tasmanians, volunteers, young people, carers, multicultural Tasmanians, and veterans. This indexation is on top of the increase in core funding for these peak bodies provided in last year’s budget.

New funding in the 2019-2020 Budget includes:

• $800,000 over four years for the Community Participation and Appeals Fund aimed at building social cohesion and participation;
• Additional funding of $25,000 to the Youth Network of Tasmania (YNoT), on a biennial basis to support a Tasmanian Youth Conference.
• $595,000 for a range of multicultural initiatives, which leads to a strong and vibrant multicultural Tasmania.
• $200,000 over four years for scholarships to support women in leadership

The Government is also continuing funding for a range of initiatives including:

• Investing in Tasmania’s Men’s Sheds through the Tasmanian Men’s Shed Grant Fund;
• Funding for food security organisations including Foodbank, Loaves and Fishes, Produce to the People and Tasmania’s three food van services to deliver hot food, warm clothing and blankets to the homeless; Family Assistance Programs and the Energy Hardship Fund.

This year’s budget builds on the investment and momentum built over past Liberal budgets and invests for the future in important Tasmanian community organisations.