east coast tourist information – Labor Leader and Shadow Minister for Tourism Rebecca White raised concern about a lack of communication with the east coast community about the future of Visitor Information Centres. “The decision of the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council to close the centres at Bicheno, Swansea and Triabunna at the end of October was a shock to the community and particularly to the 10 people employed at the centres,” White said. She noted that the Department of State Growth undertook a survey to understand the impact of the closures on local businesses and tourism operators across the region. “It’s been nearly two months since the survey closed, but there has been no communication to the industry or the Visitor Information Centre employees about what the survey found. I have spoken with some of the employees, who are passionate about providing high-quality services to people who travel to the east coast. They are very distressed about the way they have been treated, and are wondering how much longer they need to wait for the government to release the survey findings.”
safety checks at Tasmanian residential aged-care facilities – reports emerged that during the COVID-19 pandemic there were no such checks done in Tasmania. By comparison, the aged-care regulator has carried out 63 unannounced visits in New South Wales, 63 in Victoria, 55 in Queensland and 20 in South Australia. “In other words, the federal government is flying blind in Tasmania and hoping for the best, which amounts to wilful and dangerous ignorance considering what we’ve seen in aged care elsewhere,” said Clark MHR Andrew Wilkie (Independent). In the House of Representatives this week he asked: “Prime Minister, how can older Tasmanians feel safe in these circumstances? How does the government explain the lack of inspections, and what are you going to do about it?”
Scott Morrison (Member for Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service): “The Minister for Health may wish to add to this answer. This is a matter that I’ve been speaking directly with the Tasmanian Premier about. Of course, the aged-care quality commissioner undertakes their processes in relation to Tasmanian facilities. But I know, through the work that has been done through the minister for aged care and agreements we’ve been able to reach with the Tasmanian government, we’ll be working through the very issues you have highlighted. You’re right to raise them, and it’s important that this is undertaken. It’s happening all around the country and it will also happen in Tasmania. The Minister for Health may wish to add to that answer.”
Greg Hunt (Member for Flinders—Minister for Health and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Cabinet): “I’m pleased to add to the Prime Minister’s answer. On 31 January the department contacted aged-care facilities around Australia on early preparation. All aged-care facilities were contacted. That was then followed in terms of actions which were taken on 7 February in relation to aged-care facilities being contacted around the country. In addition to that, on a national level, what we’ve seen is that on 6 March the minister for aged care and the Chief Medical Officer convened the Aged Care COVID-19 Preparedness Forum, which was open to aged-care facilities around the country. In addition to that, I’m advised that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner has indeed been in contact with all facilities around the country. That includes direct interviews. A number of those facilities around the country were deemed not ready in preparation in March off the basis of that, and standards were lifted and addressed across the country in relation to all aged-care facilities. A further survey of all facilities has been conducted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, with subsequent and additional contacts around the country.”
green potatoes – light conditions in retail stores may contribute to potato greening, say Tasmanian researchers. In work largely conducted at the New Town Research Laboratories, the team led by Calum R Wilson studied Nicola, Maranca and Kennebec varieties. They exposed them to seven different wavelengths of light; they found that maximum greening occurred under blue light (450 nm), while 53%, 65% and 75% less occurred under green (530 nm), red (660 nm) and orange (630 nm) light, respectively. Greening risk, which varied between stores, was found to be related to light intensity level, and partially explained potato
stock loss in stores. “Our results from this study suggested that other in-store management practices, including lighting duration, average potato turnover, and light protection during non-retail periods, likely influence tuber greening risk,” they wrote. They suggested that specific LED lighting with reduced blue light component would be the most spud-friendly.
Green potatoes contain high levels of toxic solanine and should not be eaten.
rental support – calls are growing for both rental protections and rent relief to be extended. Shadow Minister for Housing Alison Standen said the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue post 30 September, and the government needs to act to protect Tasmanians and provide certainty to residential landlords and talents. “I am hearing reports of people who have been told their rent will increase or their leases will end when the current protections expire,” she said. “Coupled with cuts to both Job Seeker and Job Keeper payments, this places significant pressure on household budgets. With borders set to be closed until at least December and thousands of people out of work it is clear many tenants are set to face hardships for months to come, and need further support. Many families have had a significant reduction in household income, and they deserve reassurance they will not be pushed into homelessness after September.”
Cassy O’Connor MP, Greens Leader and Housing spokesperson, said the Greens have written to the Premier, urging him to extend the Rent Relief Fund period until at least December 31, and also to allow previous recipients of support to re-apply. “The Premier committed to establishing the Rent Relief Fund in May, in part in response to questions from the Greens in Parliament,” she said. The Fund was set up to provide once-off support up to $2000 for eligible applicants, and was originally planned to conclude on September 30. “The timeline for the Fund was designed before it was clear what would happen with the federal JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments,” O’Connor explained. “Now we know these payments will be slashed on September 30, pushing thousands of Tasmanians into even further financial hardship. Those people whose incomes are cut due to federal government decisions or who have now run out of savings should not be overlooked for rent relief. They have been put into extreme hardship through no fault of their own. It’s our responsibility as a state to make sure they are looked after.”
tax deductible Tas – an amendment to the Tax Act will allow deductible gift registration to important Tasmanian volunteer groups. Donations to the Tasmanian Headstone Project and to Community and Men’s Sheds will be able to be claimed as deductible from the donor’s tax return. Tasmanian Headstone Project receives individual and corporate donations to fund the marking of the final resting place of Tasmanian World War One veterans who through a variety of circumstances lie in unmarked graves around the state. The Headstone Chair, Andrea Gerrard OAM, pointed out that these veterans served our nation and deserve to be remembered. Meanwhile there are more than 50 Men’s Sheds in Tasmania who could benefit from donations.
infrastructure concerns – Labor had another pop at Minister for Infrastructure Michael Ferguson. They referred to an advertisement taken out by frustrated landowners impacted by changes to the Hobart Airport roundabout replacement. Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Shane Broad said it was the latest in a string of ‘incompetencies’ by the government when it comes to key projects of state significance. “For the business community and key landowners to have to take out advertisements in the media after communication breakdowns shows a lack of care and consultation by the government.” He said the government’s record of failing to deliver major infrastructure projects is further proven by the ‘fail to launch’ Bridgewater Bridge. “Government tenders show $3.2 million spent on consultants since December – with the latest for an ‘independent cost estimator’ (see below) from Queensland…How can the government say the project is fully costed and fully funded, when it is hiring interstate consultants to estimate the cost, and basic planning is still not completed? This is Michael Ferguson’s trademark incompetence in action, and a government that doesn’t have a plan to deliver on key projects of state significance.”
Michael Ferguson, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, stated that Tasmanian firm Hazell Bros has an approved development application for works at the Hobart Airport Interchange, which they are currently working on. “The interchange is fully funded and has the support of all three tiers of government, as well as planning approval from the Clarence City Council,” he said. “The Tasmanian Government will not use taxpayers’ money wastefully and unnecessary when the potential developers have already been given additional access to the highway. It is appropriate the matter be concluded in the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal between Hazell Bros and the appellants.” Regarding the Bridgewater Bridge, he said that: “Projects of this size and scale are incredibly complex and carry substantial commercial and legal risk, including in procurement, planning and construction, and it is important we have experts managing that risk. To deliver this once-in-a-generation project, a team has been established, including two of the country’s top infrastructure procurement and commercial advisory specialists. Work to prepare the site for construction is progressing, with a contract awarded this week to Spectran Contracting for the demolition of a number of properties to make way for the new bridge.” He expects a design and construct contract to be awarded at the end of 2021, with construction on the new bridge to start in 2022.
