The Tasmanian Government is delivering significant cost of living support for Tasmanians.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said our Government is extending free public transport for another 12 months as part of the 2026–27 Budget.

“Free public transport has supported an almost 30 per cent increase in patronage across the State,” the Premier said.

“That’s thousands of Tasmanians who have been able to get around our State without paying a cent.

“We are helping more Tasmanians get to where they need to be for free.”

To support Tasmanians with the cost of living, the Budget includes more than $650 million in relief and concessions for about 70,000 Tasmanians, including free public transport, the IVF rebate, the First Home Owner Grant, expanding Ticket to Wellbeing and many more.

“These targeted investments make a real difference to the household budgets of every Tasmanian,” the Premier said.

Reducing the cost of seeing a GP close to home is important for the health of Tasmanians, and it helps ease pressure on our hospitals.

“Through our investment in new TassieDocs, we are delivering tens of thousands of additional bulk-billed GP appointments across the State,” the Premier said.

“This Budget delivers increased access to healthcare for Tasmanians, where and when they need it.

“We are expanding services provided by community pharmacists to ensure Tasmanians can access more healthcare in their community without needing a GP appointment, saving families time and money.”

The first initiatives included continuous dispensing of the pill and over the counter treatment for uncomplicated UTIs.

As part of the next phase, 150 scholarships are being delivered to pharmacists for post-graduate training to receive full scope of practice credentials.

Once their training is complete, the pharmacists will be able to provide even more care in the community by treating common health conditions such as ear infections, reflux, rhinitis, and skin conditions such as shingles, eczema, and wound care.

“This has helped well over 10,000 Tasmanians already and freed up hundreds of GP appointments with the program successfully rolled out across more than 130 pharmacies state-wide,” the Premier said.

“We are helping families on their IVF journey, with the Government introducing a rebate to support couples through the process.”

Getting to and from medical appointments can be expensive for Tasmanians living in regional and remote areas.

This Budget continues to deliver support for Tasmanians to get to their medical appointments through our patient transport services program.

The Government continues to support families through free school lunch and breakfast programs, ensuring young people can learn and thrive with full bellies to help them reach their full potential.

“Our School Breakfast Program has now delivered more than 300,000 free, healthy breakfasts to students across the State,” the Premier said.

“The program is being delivered in 76 Tasmanian Government schools, offering breakfast to up to 18,000 students.”

The Ticket to Play program helps young people participate in sport and recreation, offering two vouchers worth up to $100 each for eligible children.

For older Tasmanians, our nation-leading Ticket to Wellbeing program provides $100 vouchers for those aged over 65 to stay active through sport or recreation.

“Both of these programs have had an incredible response,” the Premier said.

“The 2025-26 Ticket to Play round is our biggest yet, with almost 9,300 young people having signed up so far and the latest Ticket to Wellbeing round saw 2,500 vouchers snapped up in under two days.

“We want sport and active recreation to be more accessible to Tasmanians, allowing them to continue playing the sport they love or indeed to take up an activity. The Ticket to Wellbeing and Ticket to Play delivers just that.”

Our Government is supporting more Tasmanians into home ownership, with the First Home Owner Grant now $20,000.

For concession card holders, more than $370 million in discounts, concessions and subsidies is available across the Budget - including assistance with rates, travel, electricity, and water and sewerage bills.

“This Budget delivers a strong economy and caring community. We are getting the balance right,” the Premier said.

“We are making the savings needed, whilst continuing to deliver the services Tasmanians need now and for the future.”