Media release – Peter Gutwein, Premier, 16 March 2021
Accepting all PESRAC recommendations
Last year I established the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council (PESRAC), to provide advice to the Government on strategies and initiatives to support the short to medium, and the longer term recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today I am making the final PESRAC report public, and the Government will accept all 52 recommendations.
We have faced our darkest hour in Tasmania and we now have the opportunity to start our next chapter, grasping bold new opportunities to stand us in good stead for the future, create jobs and continue to grow the economy.
PESRAC’s report presents future-focused opportunities, and my Government has shown it has the courage and decision-making initiative to make that happen.
The report takes a whole-of-state approach, and identifies priority areas, looking for the common themes across people, place and sectors.
The Council consulted extensively and heard from around 3500 Tasmanians through one of the largest listening exercises undertaken in recent years.
The 52 recommendations from PESRAC are across five key priority areas. These are:
*Jobs and income;
*Health and housing;
*Community: Connectivity and Engagement;
*Environment and Sustainability;
*Public Sector Capability.
We are committed to delivering on these recommendations, and we are excited about the bold opportunities they will create for our State and our people in this next chapter.
Together, we have a plan to secure Tasmania’s future.
PESRAC’s final report is available at https://www.pesrac.tas.gov.au/reports.
Media release – Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS), 16 March 2021
PESRAC Final Report — A First Look
TasCOSS welcomes today’s release of the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Council (PESRAC) Final Report and the State Government’s commitment to accept all 52 recommendations contained within.
TasCOSS CEO Ms Adrienne Picone said all Tasmanians deserved the opportunity to live a good life and acknowledged the State Government’s compassionate approach and focus on improving wellbeing and building community resilience.
“While there is a great deal of information and recommendations to review in more detail over the coming days, on first reading we are pleased to see a range of initiatives included which the community services industry has been calling for,” Ms Picone said.
“As the largest and fastest growing industry in Tasmania, the community services industry has identified an urgent need for roughly 4,000 jobs to meet projected need by 2024. As such, we strongly welcome investment in TasTAFE and look forward to working with them to address the demand for an expanded community services workforce.
“The announcement of an Tasmanian Employer Bonus to incentivise employers to employ long-term Tasmanian job seekers and the funding commitment to remove barriers to work is encouraging.
“Moreover, we are pleased to see the move to provide additional funding and focus on oral health services, funding for aged care and disability support sectors, a GP incentive program, ongoing investment in child and adolescent mental health and the Youth Navigators pilot program to support school leavers.
“The extension of funding until June 2022 for the state’s specialist family and sexual violence service providers is also a welcome step to support our most vulnerable Tasmanians.
“TasCOSS will now review the full report along with the 52 recommendations and looks forward to working collaboratively with government, the industry and key stakeholders to make good on the Premier’s commitment to support all Tasmanians to live a better life.”
