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Political Leaders Address Issues and Economic Challenges
This group of media releases from late August and early September 2025 focuses on a range of issues including tourism, infrastructure and government policies.
The releases highlight the state’s successes in tourism, such as awards for a tour guide and towns, while also pointing out challenges related to the Spirit of Tasmania ferry service and its financial implications.
Other topics include legislative reform for beekeepers, a new campaign to boost school attendance, and a political debate over single-use plastics and the proposed TasInsure scheme.
The documents also feature announcements on healthcare infrastructure and the promotion of Tasmanian wines internationally, alongside a press release from the Citizens Party on regional bank closures. A release from the Greens addresses an anti-immigration rally.
Media release – Jane Howlett MP, Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events, 3 September 2025
Tasmania sparkles at tourism awards
The honours continue to roll in for Tasmania’s tourism sector at the Australia’s Top Tourism Town and Top Tour Guide Awards.
Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events, Jane Howlett, congratulated Cat Davidson of Inala Nature Tours, Bruny Island, who took out the top honour at the Top Tour Guide Awards.
“These awards are a benchmark for the gold standard of tourism in Australia and to have one of our tour guides taking out the top award is recognition of the high standard found in Tasmania,” Howlett said.
“Cat’s deep commitment to birding and ecology guiding helps visitors connect to our landscape and soak up the magic.
“Congratulations to all involved and we know Tasmania will continue to stand out on the national stage.”
Silver medals were claimed by Deloraine (Small Town) and Deloraine (Top Town) in Australia’s Top Tourism Town Awards.
It is the first time Deloraine has been an entrant in the national awards, where it was recognised for the high-quality tourism experienced by visitors to the area.
Devonport claimed the gold award in 2024, and returned in 2025 to claim the silver.
The North West Coast Town of Stanley was a finalist in the Tiny Towns category.
Minister Howlett said consumer review scores for tourism products help determine the winners in each category.
“Our visitors receive a fantastic Tasmanian experience and the ongoing support the Tasmanian Government provides ensures we grow and build the Tasmanian brand,” Howlett said.
“The Tasmanian Government is working together with the industry to take our State forward and deliver a strong tourism sector.”
Media release – Anne Urquhart MP, Member for Braddon, 3 September 2025
Devonport wins silver in the Australian Tourism Awards in Canberra
This morning, I had the privilege of joining representatives at Parliament House in Canberra from the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania, Tourism Australia and Local Government representatives at the Australian Tourism Awards in Canberra, where two towns in Braddon were nominated.
Devonport won silver in the Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2025.
Stanley was also nominated in the Australia’s Top Tiny Tourism Town Award category.
“In recent years, Devonport has gone from strength to strength, it not only welcomes visitors off the Spirit of Tasmania but also provides visitors with a plethora of things to see and do.
From the reopening of the Tiagarra Cultural Centre, the development of the Bass Strait Maritime Centre, and the from Sky to Sea Light Show, Devonport really is punching above its weight,” said Anne Urquhart
“With almost 150 towns from across Australia nominated, this win is a true testament to the region that we live in, and why tourists are drawn to our region.”
Media release – Josh Willie MP, Labor Leader, 3 September 2025
Tasmania can’t afford higher Spirit fares – can the Premier rule them out?
With TT-Line’s finances under immense pressure and every indication a government bailout is on the horizon, the risk of higher fares is looming large for Tasmanians and tourism businesses alike.
Can Premier Jeremy Rockliff rule out using fare increases to recoup cost blowouts and service additional TT Line debt?
It’s already costing the Tasmanian economy $500 million each year the new ships are delayed.
This means the average daily cost to the Tasmanian economy is $1.3 million.
The new Spirits will bring an enormous boost to our economy, and many tourism operators have invested in their business in anticipation of increased capacity, only to be let down by delayed vessels, cut day sailings, and a reduced schedule.
Making it more expensive for tourists to travel to Tasmania will only harm businesses and jobs even more.
Fares on the Spirits are already stretching some families.
Any attempt by TT-Line to recoup these cost blowouts by jacking up prices would make it even harder for Tasmanians looking to use the ships. So far, Tasmanians have been forced to wear:
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- An $80 million bailout payment to a Finnish shipbuilder.
- A $403 million cost blowout for Berth 3 at Devonport.
- A $13 million blowout on the price of the ships.
- Millions in Scottish storage fees.
Tasmanians have suffered enough through this fiasco; will Premier Rockliff commit to taking responsibility and protecting Tasmanians from paying the price for his government’s failures?
Media release – Nick Duigan MLC, Minister for Parks, 3 September 2025
Slashing red tape for beekeepers
A simplified licence system for beekeepers has been delivered as part of the Tasmanian Government’s ongoing commitment to slash red tape.
Minister for Parks, Nick Duigan, said the apiary licensing reform streamlines the process for beekeepers and enables a more efficient system that also reduces costs for Tasmanian apiarists.
“We are delivering for Tasmanians by working together with industry to move our State forward,” Duigan said.
“Under the previous process, beekeepers were required to hold a licence for each hive site operating on crown and reserved land.
“This resulted in many beekeepers needing multiple licences as well as requiring them to pay associated fees for each licence.
“As part of the new apiary reform, there beekeepers will only need one licence and only pay one licence fee, removing the need for multiples.
“This change helps provide further security and surety for the beekeeping sector and the important work it does.
“This red tape busting change will save almost $780 per site in renewal fees alone, with some beekeepers having around 50 sites. That could be a saving of nearly $40,000.”
The new process comes after consultation with the Tasmania Beekeepers Association and other groups.
President of the Tasmanian Beekeepers Association, Lindsay Bourke, welcomed the changes.
“This will save beekeepers a mountain of paperwork and money,” Bourke said.
“Some beekeepers previously had 50 leases and now it can all sit under one.
“The industry has been working with the Government on these changes, which have a very positive outcome for our beekeepers.”
Minister Duigan said this is another example of our Government getting on with the job to reduce red tape and deliver commonsense solutions.
The licences being renewed now are for 10 years until 2035. Any new applications or renewals will have the same end date.
Media release – Gavin Pearce MP, Minister for Primary Industries and Water, 3 September 2025
Livestock transport regulations updated
The Tasmanian Government is improving animal welfare outcomes and strengthening the State’s biosecurity through updated livestock transport regulations.
Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Gavin Pearce, said new animal welfare regulations are now in effect, providing an updated set of standards for industry.
“Our Liberal Government is delivering for Tasmanians, ensuring our industries have contemporary regulations that allow them to get on with what they do best,” Pearce said.
“The updated regulations, based on national initiatives, feature changes to the requirements for horse transport and the introduction of regulations for bobby calf transport.
“The changes to horse transport regulations are based on the findings of a national review, which includes input from industry in Tasmania.
“Key changes relate to time of journey, fitness to travel, protection from extreme weather events and record keeping.
“Animal Welfare Regulations for pigs will be reviewed in the future in line with a proposed national review of pig welfare standards.
“Our Government will continue to work with industry to keep our State moving forward, taking a commonsense approach to deal with the challenges they face.”
Media release – Jo Palmer MP, Minister for Education; Madeleine Ogilvie MP, Liberal Member for Clark, 2 September 2025
Every School Day Matters: Campaign launches to boost school attendance
The next phase of the Every School Day Matters campaign has been launched to boost school attendance across the State.
The campaign highlights the benefits of regular school attendance and the big and small moments that happen in classrooms each day.
Minister for Education, Jo Palmer, said attendance is vital for every child’s future success.
“We know there’s a strong link between regular attendance and positive outcomes such as achievement, wellbeing and completing school,” Palmer said.
“When students miss school, they miss out on lessons, learning, friendships and opportunities that help shape their future. That’s why we’re sending a clear and positive message that every school day counts.
“We recognise the real challenges that young people and families face, and this campaign will help tackle those challenges and connect families with resources and support.”
Liberal Member for Clark, Madeleine Ogilvie, officially launched the campaign at Montrose Bay High School today.
“Education opens doors, and we all have a role to play in helping children and young people feel supported to attend school every day,” Ogilvie said.
Former Richmond Football Club champion, Jack Riewoldt – the first campaign ambassador – highlighted the importance of attending school every day.
“I’m a proud Tasmanian and education is key – not just for the future of our state, but for the future of our young people too,” Riewoldt said.
“Whatever they want to do in life, a great education lays the foundations for success. But, like anything worthwhile in life, you only get out what you put in.
“A whole lot can happen in a school day. It might be the day a student discovers a lifelong passion – whether that’s footy, a subject they love, an instrument they’re good at, or a passion that sets them on the path to their future career. That’s why I believe showing up to school every day is so important.”
Every School Day Matters will roll out on television, social media and digital platforms, supported by a new website with tools and resources to assist schools, families and students in getting to school.
Media release – Helen Burnet MP, Greens Waste Spokesperson, 1 September 2025
Tasmania Left Alone Without Single-use Plastics Ban
South Australia’s soy sauce fish container ban has taken effect. Meanwhile, Tasmania is the last state in Australia to make meaningful reductions in the use of single-use plastics.
Every other state and territory has a single-use plastics ban, or a timeframe for one. Other jurisdictions are moving to reduce other harmful plastics and implementing effective reusables programs. South Australia implemented a single use plastics ban two years ago, and have now banned the use of soy sauce fish containers.
The Liberals, then under Environment Minister Roger Jaensch, committed to banning single-use plastics by the end of 2023. Nearly two years later, there has been no progress. There has been funding for education and incentivisation programs, but this hasn’t stopped unacceptable quantities of harmful plastics entering our environment.
Single-use plastics make up a third of the waste in our streets and waterways, doing untold harm to our wildlife. Plastic entanglement and ingestion kill birds, mammals and other marine animals. The full extent of health impacts from the use of plastics on Tasmanians is still unclear.
Across Australia, it’s been shown that single-use plastic bans change consumer behaviour. Retailers similarly respond favourably when firm timelines and transition protocols are laid out. But the Tasmanian Government has dithered and delayed, announcing bans, then kicking the can down the road.
In 2021, the City of Hobart introduced a bylaw to reduce single use plastic items in food businesses, the first Australian city to do so. This was part of their ambitious target of zero waste to landfill by 2030. Nine million plastic items have been diverted from landfill as a result.
Hobart has shown what’s possible. There’s no excuse for continued inaction. As the new Parliament approaches, the Liberals must move forward on their commitment to banning single use plastics.
Media release – Josh Willie MP, Labor Leader, 1 September 2025
TasInsure threatens Tasmania’s budget position
Tasmania is heading towards $13 billion in net debt, and it’s going to impact Tasmanians.
The Government has struggled to manage Tasmania’s finances and government businesses – just look at the Spirit of Tasmania fiasco.
Now, Premier Rockliff’s signature election policy, TasInsure, is shaping up to be an even bigger problem for the State Budget.
Independent experts, including respected economist Saul Eslake and the Insurance Council of Australia, have been clear in their assessment of the idea. They’ve warned this scheme poses enormous financial risk to Tasmanian taxpayers while doing nothing to tackle the real causes of rising insurance premiums that Tasmanians are struggling with.
If TasInsure goes ahead and Tasmania suffers a major event, Tasmanians could collectively be on the hook for billions. TasInsure is not a fully formed policy. There’s no modelling, no business case, no Treasury advice – just a thought bubble from a Premier who has overseen Tasmania’s debt spiral out of control.
Make no mistake: TasInsure is a major risk to the Tasmanian budget and could impact all Tasmanians’ lives significantly.
What does the new Treasurer, Eric Abetz, think about this government intervention and the potential consequences for his fellow Tasmanians?
TasInsure was the Liberals’ flagship policy during the election – it’s now incumbent on them to explain how this is going to work and treat Tasmanians with respect.
Media release – Citizens Party, 1 Septemeber 2025
Citizens Party in Parliament to demand action on Queenstown and the other towns being abandoned by Bendigo Bank
Citizens Party Chairman Robert Barwick is leading a party delegation to Canberra today to urge the Albanese-Chalmers government to finally respond to the Senate report on bank closures in regional Australia.
Barwick, Associate Professor of Law, Dr Andy Schmulow, and Citizens Party Executive Member Glen Isherwood will also demand government intervention to stop Bendigo Bank’s CEO Richard Fennell from closing the last bank on Tasmania’s west coast in Queenstown, and the 21 other branches and agencies that are the last banks in their towns.
“The Senate report noted that bank closures are especially devastating for communities if it is the last bank in a town”, Barwick said.
“Under Richard Fennell as head of retail and now CEO, Bendigo Bank has closed more last banks in towns since 2020 than the Big Four banks combined.
“The Big Four have agreed to a three-year moratorium on bank closures, but because the government has effectively ignored the Senate report, Fennell thinks he can get away with his mass-abandonment agenda.”
The west coast of Tasmania is a very productive industrial economy, with exports from diversified mining, agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry earning the Australian economy more than $2 billion a year in foreign exchange.
Now, the around 20 towns in the region based on those industries will lose access to a regional bank on 26 September when the branch is closed, even though the lease on the premises doesn’t run out until 30 June next year.
“Under Fennell’s brave new world of Bendigo Bank throwing off its community bank roots and identifying as a ‘big bank’, he would rather pay rent on an empty building than serve the people of Queenstown and the west coast,” Barwick observed.
“And he’s probably never been there.”
The Citizens Party’s message to politicians is that the 2023-24 Senate inquiry was one of the most effective and successful inquiries ever by Parliament.
The Senators involved learned the truth from hundreds of witnesses who testified at the 13 hearings held around Australia, that face-to-face banking and access to cash is essential to their communities.
The Senators produced a powerful, bipartisan report that recommended the government:
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- designate banking services and access to cash as an essential service;
- commission an expert panel to investigate the feasibility of establishing a government bank, including one that operates in post offices; and
- make the Banking Code of Conduct mandatory not voluntary.
It is therefore unacceptable that the government can simply ignore such an effective inquiry, and by doing so give Richard Fennell the green light to close the most last genuine banking services in one go since branch closures began in the 1990s.
“Albanese and Chalmers must immediately intervene in this calamity and tell Richard Fennell this is unacceptable and make him back off”, Barwick said.
“A banking service in Queenstown is far more important than his bonus.”
The Australian Citizens Party is an independent, federally-registered political party, founded in 1988.
Media release – Helen Burnet MP, Greens Multicultural Affairs Spokesperson Greens, 31 August 2025
Stand With Multicultural Tasmanians
The Greens stand against the March Australia anti-immigration rally taking place in Hobart today.
Racism and extremism must be called out. The rise of racist attacks, and anti-immigrant rallies such as this, have no place in our society.
This will be a hard day for multicultural people in this state. The Greens stand with them.
Everyone deserves to feel safe and welcome in our community, no matter where they come from or what they look like. No one should be denied the opportunity to thrive.
We welcome migrants and refugees, as a part of what makes this place so great. Immigrants only create a richer culture and community in Lutruwita / Tasmania. Diversity should be celebrated.
The government must lead the way in tackling racism and supporting multicultural Tasmanians. We need an anti-racism strategy in this state, and more investment in prevention and education.
We recognise the great work that organisations like the Multicultural Council of Tasmania and the Migrant Resource Centre are already doing to combat racism in our community.
The Tasmanian Greens will continue to stand in solidarity with the multicultural communities who call Lutruwita / Tasmania home.
Media release – Josh Willie MP, Labor Leader, 31 August 2025
TasInsure test: where’s the proof?
During the election, Premier Rockliff promised the world with a headline-grabbing plan to set up a back to the future state-owned insurance company, TasInsure.
He claimed it would save Tasmanian families $250 on their insurance and even suggested it would reduce grocery prices – based on absolutely nothing.
Now the election is over, and the TasInsure jacket has been taken off, the questions remain.
Can the Premier provide any evidence at all regarding his claims?
Where’s the business case? Where’s the modelling? Where’s the evidence that TasInsure will do what he says?
Premier Rockliff has a proven track record of making promises to Tasmanians in exchange for support, only to void the insurance policy later.
Without evidence to the contrary, Tasmanians will continue to question if TasInsure is just another election promise designed to be scrapped at the earliest convenience or if it is legitimate and you could bet your house on it.
Premier Rockliff should immediately release the business case for his signature election commitment.
Media release – Bridget Archer MP, Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, 30 August 2025
Delivering a bigger, better ED at the RHH
In another significant step forward for healthcare in southern Tasmania, construction tenders have now been invited for the next stage of the $130 million Emergency Department (ED) expansion at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH).
Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Bridget Archer, said this is another exciting step forward for the expansion, with the redeveloped facilities to support better health outcomes for Tasmanians.
“The expanded ED will deliver 120 treatment points and points of care, including procedure rooms, as well as CT and X-Ray bays and two ultrasound rooms,” Minister Archer said.
“The design also includes a new paediatric zone and dedicated waiting areas for children and for those experiencing mental health distress.
“Importantly, the expansion design has been informed by key stakeholders and clinicians, as well as research into expected patient demand by specialist health planners.
“Throughout the expansion, the ongoing delivery of health services and patient safety will remain our top priority.”
The main works involve renovating the Lower Ground and Level 3 of J-Block, as well as building works in the hospital forecourt on Liverpool Street and the Lower Ground of H-Block.
To enable construction, the ED will temporarily relocate to Argyle Street, where a temporary ED entrance will be built.
Media release – Guy Barnett MP, Deputy Premier and Minister for Small Business, Trade and Consumer Affairs, 29 August 2025
Tasmania showcases world-class wines on the global stage
Tasmania is proudly taking its wines to the world, with leading producers returning from a highly successful inaugural masterclass in Singapore.
Eleven of Tasmania’s premium wine producers were represented, with five attending in person to share their wines, stories, and passion with Singapore’s top wine trade and media.
Hosted by internationally respected wine expert Benjamin Hasko MS MW, the event generated strong interest from buyers, many of whom signaled their intention to purchase Tasmanian wines.
Minister for Trade, Guy Barnett, said the Tasmanian Government is delivering for exporters and growing the State’s reputation for excellence on the international stage.
“We are helping our world-class producers reach new markets, expand their businesses, and create more opportunities here at home,” Barnett said.
“Singapore is a sophisticated and high-value market, and Tasmania’s exceptional chardonnay and pinot noir are a perfect fit.
“We are working together to move our State forward and to succeed globally.”
The event, delivered in partnership with Wine Tasmania, showcased 34 Tasmanian wines to Singapore’s most influential trade and media representatives.
Participating producers included: Delamere, Domaine A/Moorilla, Ghost Rock, Glaetzer Dixon, Holm Oak, House of Arras, Mewstone, Pressing Matters/Ossa, Small Wonder, Spring Vale, and Stargazer.
Wine Tasmania CEO, Sheralee Davies, said Singapore was identified as a priority market through robust global research.
“Singaporeans value quality, provenance and authenticity – all of which Tasmanian wines deliver. This masterclass has opened doors, strengthened connections, and positioned Tasmania as a world-class wine region,” Davies said.
The Government-supported initiative is part of a broader trade strategy to diversify markets and boost exports.
With Tasmania’s wine production projected to quadruple by 2040, international market development is critical.
Following the success in Singapore, Wine Tasmania will welcome a delegation of leading Singaporean wine trade representatives to Tasmania in January 2026, providing first-hand experience of the island’s vineyards and producers.
Minister Barnett said we are working hand-in-hand with industry to strengthen Tasmania’s international reputation, creating new opportunities, and building resilience in our economy.
“It’s a fantastic story of Tasmanians working together and delivering results on the global stage,” Barnett said.
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