Media release – Tasmanian Audit Office, 29 June 2022
Auditor-General’s report to Parliament on COVID-19 – response to social impacts – mental health and digital inclusion assessment
The Auditor-General, Mr Rod Whitehead, tabled his second Report on the COVID-19 – response to social impacts in Parliament today. The audit looked at how effectively the Tasmanian Government allocated and monitored the use of resources in 2020 to address 2 high priority social impacts: mental health (with a focus on situational distress) and digital inclusion.
Mr Whitehead found that by using existing relationships and agreements with community services providers, the Government was able to distribute COVID-19 funding quickly and efficiently. This included the Government funding organisations who already provided support for situational distress and other essential services to introduce or enhance digital service delivery, enabling them to continue to deliver services. Mr Whitehead found many service users appreciated the convenience of being able to access services digitally.
He said ‘The introduction of Lifeline Tasmania’s 1800 number, in particular, provided an important alternative point of access for people seeking support.’ There were other ways local councils and other community providers adjusted their support to reach the most vulnerable, including through multiple phone check-ins. Many people preferred to seek support from local organisations they knew and trusted. This also help to relieve the burden on providers of more acute mental health support. The activities of local councils and NGOs, such as Neighbourhood Houses and Men’s Sheds, provided an important first line of support.
However, Mr Whitehead found this community support was not available across the whole of the state. Prior to the pandemic, Tasmania’s mental health system suffered from significant deficiencies including siloed and fragmented services, lack of a centralised point of access, and a shortage of specialist staff. Mr Whitehead found these issues were exacerbated in 2020. Community mental health providers experienced increased demand and clients presenting with increased complexity, which they could not cope with. Providers also needed time to adjust to delivering services digitally.
Mr Whitehead said, ‘Although digital access helped many people continue to benefit from support, it was not suitable for others. For example, this was because they could not afford technology, they did not know how to use it or lived in areas with poor connectivity’. Mr Whitehead found examples of organisations providing information and helping with access to services in other ways. However, he found the barriers faced by people who were digitally excluded were not addressed well by the Government at a strategic level.
Mr Whitehead made 4 recommendations for Government agencies to incorporate the lessons from from the COVID-19 experience into future emergency recovery arrangements and future planning for low intensity mental health prevention and early intervention support and improvements to population digital inclusion.
Read the full report here: https://www.audit.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/COVID-19-Social-Impacts-2-Full-Report.pdf.
Media release – TasCOSS, 30 June 2022
Auditor-General highlights the Tasmanian Government’s fragmented approach to digital inclusion is failing
The latest Report of the Auditor-General highlights a glaring lack of action on closing the digital divide, despite continued warnings from TasCOSS, community groups and industry that Tasmania must lift off the bottom of the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) by improving our digital access, affordability and skills.
The report clearly states that ‘the barriers faced by many people who were digitally excluded to accessing services and information remotely were not addressed well at a strategic level during the pandemic,’ which was compounded by the ‘lack of a clear governance framework for improving population digital inclusion prior to the pandemic.’*
TasCOSS CEO Ms Adrienne Picone said repeated calls and budget proposals to the Tasmanian Government to improve access for the 65,000 Tasmanians unable to participate online have largely been ignored.
“Despite an identified need, there was no additional funding for consumer-focussed digital inclusion initiatives in the latest State Budget,” she said.
“The need to act is clear and we are concerned responsibility for digital inclusion is currently fragmented, contributing to a lack of coordination and real, targeted action.
“Without a lead agency charged with addressing and improving digital inclusion, Tasmanians will continue to miss out on the many benefits the ability to get online brings.”
Ms Picone said the Government’s Our Digital Future strategy describes high level objectives for addressing accessibility, ability and affordability, but lacked actions, key performance indicators and timelines for closing the digital divide.
“It was particularly disappointing that evidence in the Budget Estimates Committee hearings confirmed the PESRAC recommendations in relation to digital inclusion have still not been implemented and the Government has not acted to set clear performance targets for closing the digital divide,” she said.
“We have moved a long way past digital access and skills being about streaming TV shows or being able to use a social media platform — digital access and the ability to use digital technologies is now an essential part of life, in much the same way as our access to and ability to afford electricity and water.
“Be it remote schooling, accessing banking services, maintaining social connectedness or researching and applying for jobs, having access to devices and the internet has never been more vital.
“TasCOSS is committed to working with Government and key stakeholders to bridge the digital divide, and has proposed establishing a Digital Consumer Reference Group (DCRG) to support the Government to deliver improved digital inclusion outcomes.”
