16 August 2022

Jeremy Rockliff, Premier

Nic Street, Minister for Community Services and Development

$5 million cost of living booster package to help those who need it most

The Tasmanian Liberal Government is focused on strengthening the future for all Tasmanians.

We know cost of living pressures are impacting Tasmanian families and this Government has a strong track record of providing targeted support to those in need.

Today we are announcing immediate action through a $5 million cost of living booster package to provide immediate financial and practical help to Tasmanian families through our community sector partners and grassroots community organisations.

This is on top of the $17 million the Government has already committed to power price relief, via our $180 Bill Buster Payment program for all eligible Tasmanians.

In addition, we are also providing one-off additional funding to increase indexation to 3% on Tasmanian Government funding to community sector organisations for the 2022-23 year to help with rising cost of fuel, wages or other costs of doing business.

A full review of community sector indexation rates will be done by the Government to lead into the 2023/24 Budget process.

The $5 million cost of living funding will be delivered straight into the hands of those organisations who can help individuals and families in need. Funding initiatives for this financial year include:

1. $1.75 million for Tasmania’s Neighbourhood Houses. Each of the 35 houses will receive an additional $50,000;
2. $1 million in additional support for the Family Assistance Program, allowing the Salvation Army, St Vincent De Paul, Anglicare, and the Launceston and Hobart City Missions to extend more support to vulnerable Tasmanians, doubling current funding for the next twelve months;
3. Today the Government has announced we will provide an additional $1m to Aurora Energy for its hardship program to provide assistance for customers experiencing financial difficulty bringing the total amount available to $2.7m.

4. $500,000 of additional funding for emergency food relief providers Foodbank Tasmania, and Loaves and Fishes to help purchase and distribute food, as well as support to help them upgrade their distribution vehicles;
5. $250,000 of additional funding for a fuel grants program to provide payments of up to $1000 to help community organisations with rising fuel costs;
6. $350,000 in additional funding to the very successful School Lunch Pilot Program to include 30 Tasmanian schools in the next 12 months;
7. And, a further $150,000 will go to the No-Interest Loan Scheme to allow the organisation to provide no-fee, no-interest loans to Tasmanians for items such as rental bonds, car repairs or essential white goods.

We know that cost of living pressures are impacting, not just in Tasmania, but across the nation, and indeed, across the globe.

Higher fuel prices are biting Tasmanians and this Government will continue to lobby the Federal Government to retain the fuel excise discount to help ease the burden on families, businesses and community organisations.

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