TASMANIAN BUDGET 2022-23 CONTINUES TO INVEST TO KEEP TASMANIANS SAFE

Jacquie Petrusma MP, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management

The 2022-23 Tasmanian Budget includes significant investments to ensure we continue to keep Tasmanians safe, including additional police officers and upgrades to policing infrastructure.

The Budget includes $3.7 million over four years to upgrade scientific instruments that will provide greater forensic sensitivity, improved efficiency, and higher levels of result accuracy.

This will improve investigation outcomes and assist police in prosecuting offenders.

This Budget also includes $6.2 million to upgrade the Automatic Vehicle Location System for our emergency services, which is critical as it provides information about the location of emergency vehicles to ensure safety.

Funding for new Glock Pistols for Tasmania Police is provided, through a $760,000 investment over three years to provide our officers with new tools to improve their safety and the safety of our community.

The Budget also includes $1 million in funding to upgrade the Rosebery Police Station, which will provide Tasmania Police officers with improved facilities to undertake their work and to meet the community needs.  This complements other station upgrades, including $12.5 million for the Bridgewater Police Station and $7.5 million for the St Helens Police Station.

An additional $460,000 is allocated in the Budget to facilitate Tasmania Police’s increased usage of drone technology to help bring offenders to justice and to crack down on anti-social driving.

Importantly, $15.1 million for two Multidisciplinary Centre pilots has been cemented in the Budget, which will offer a place of support and safety for victim-survivors of sexual and family violence, including counselling and specialist police investigators from the one location.

The Liberal Government is rebuilding our police service, with an additional 21 police officers being funded through this Budget.

This is on top of the 308 police officers previously funded, meaning that the Tasmania Police Service establishment will reach a record 1449 officers by June 2026.

Six additional officers will be permanently recruited for the Southern Police, Ambulance, and Clinician Early Response (PACER) team, and 15 police officers will be recruited to ensure we have dedicated specialist investigators embedded in the Multidisciplinary Centres.

This Budget is about making Tasmanians’ priorities our priorities. The Tasmanian Liberal Government will continue to deliver our record infrastructure program, building thriving, connected communities and create more opportunities for Tasmanians in every corner of our State.