Digitisation lowers shop-front demand

The Tasmanian Government’s efforts to deliver more services when and where Tasmanians need them has seen a reduction in foot traffic dropping into Service Tasmania service centres.

In response, consultation is underway on adjusting opening hours at five Service Tasmania service centres, to better align services with this customer demand and ensure sustainable service delivery into the future.

There will be no reduction in jobs or hours, with existing Service Tasmania staff in those regions to contribute remotely.

Consultation will open on 14 September 2026 and run for three weeks, covering the Service Tasmania centres at Whitemark, Currie, Oatlands, Queenstown and Campbell Town.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said Service Tasmania continues to deliver services to local communities through its statewide network of 27 service centres.

"Service Tasmania plays an important role in connecting Tasmanians with Government services, whether in person, over the phone, online or through myServiceTas," the Premier said.

"The way people access Government services has changed significantly over recent years thanks to our ongoing investment, with more digital and phone-based services available than ever before.

“Our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future is driving digitisation across the entire public service.

“As these customer preferences continue to evolve, it is important that we regularly review how services are delivered."

Analysis of customer visitation data over the past two years indicates that demand at the five locations is significantly lower than the number of service hours currently provided.

Under the proposal, the centres would remain open and continue providing local access to Government services, while opening hours would be adjusted to better reflect customer usage patterns.

The proposed weekly opening hours are:

• Oatlands: 25 hours to 20 hours
• Queenstown: 32.5 hours to 16 hours
• Campbell Town: 25 hours to 16.5 hours
• Whitemark: 20 hours to 10 hours
• Currie: 20 hours to 10 hours

"We know many Tasmanians still rely on in-person services and that's why these changes have been proposed based on current customer usage," the Premier said.

The Government is seeking feedback from community members about the proposed changes, including which days and times would best meet local needs for the new opening hours.

Community members will be able to participate through an online survey or by telephone between 14 September and 2 October 2026.

More information: www.service.tas.gov.au/consultation