Media release – Peter Gutwein, Premier, 24 February 2022
Department Structures to Strengthen Tasmanian Outcomes
The Tasmanian Government is committed to improving departmental structures to deliver better services and outcomes for Tasmanians.
In line with recommendations made through the Tasmanian State Service Review undertaken by Dr Ian Watt, particularly in relation to the current siloed approach of our departmental structures, we will strengthen our departmental administrative structure to deliver better services and outcomes for children, young people, individuals and families.
The changes will be phased in from 1 July 2022, in a staged approach to be completed by 30 September 2022 and the Department of Communities will not exist after this date, subject to the passage of legislation for a new Housing entity.
Importantly, this isn’t about efficiencies, and no one will lose their job. In fact there will be increased investment across these services.
In 2016 we launched our nation leading Strong Families, Safe Kids reforms to deliver improvements, however, more needs to be done.
As a key part of this plan, we will consolidate the major functions supporting children and young people from within the Department of Communities, to the Department of Education, to strengthen skills and resources through shared capabilities. The new Department will be called the Department of Education, Children and Young People.
The change will ensure our systems, policies, processes and procedures are strong, consistent and build a culture where a child’s development, education and their safety, is everyone’s responsibility – from when a child is born, to when they complete their education and training.
On housing, we must also consolidate all our efforts across Government to deliver improved housing services and access to, and the supply of, social and affordable housing.
That’s why we will establish a new statutory authority, Housing Tasmania, reporting directly to the Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing to increase housing supply, continue to make housing affordable and ensure we leave no stone unturned to deliver the stock of houses and the services required to cater for growing demand.
The new statutory authority will have a skills-based board and will be able to use its balance sheet to leverage even more investment to create more housing options. The new authority will commence by 30 September 2022 subject to the passage of legislation, and next week in Parliament we will outline a range of strategies to further assist with access to and supply of housing in Tasmania.
The remaining functions from the Department of Communities will move to other departments where shared capabilities and alignment strengthen strategic outcomes, including Disability services, Women, Office of Aboriginal Affairs, Family and Sexual Violence, Veteran’s Affairs and Community Services and Development to the Department of Premier and Cabinet, while Sport and Recreation will transfer to the Department of State Growth.
Communities Tasmania Secretary, Professor Michael Pervan, will work with other heads of agency and oversee the transition plan over the next four months to ensure it is seamless and there is no impact on current services and staff.
Professor Pervan will transfer into the vacant position of Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, effective from 1 July this year, which is a vitally important state-wide leadership role for the State Service and is currently vacant.
As one of our most experienced secretaries I have confidence his extensive skills, background and experience will stand Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania in good stead and I know this agency will be in good hands under Professor Pervan’s stewardship.
I want to acknowledge Tasmania’s public servants for the work they do. By uniting capabilities across Government we will build better skills, systems and processes that in turn deliver better services and outcomes for Tasmanians.
Sarah Lovell MLC, Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations, 24 February 2022
Scrapped department shows a government in chaos
Peter Gutwein’s decision to scrap a major government department shows the Premier is too distracted by his own government’s instability to provide the leadership Tasmania needs.
Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations Sarah Lovell said the decision to abolish the Department of Communities Tasmania leaves several services under a cloud and shows the Liberals are tired and out of touch.
“After being re-elected on the promise of stable government the Liberals are now abolishing a department they established less than four years ago,” Ms Lovell said.
“Labor has concerns about several aspects of this, including the movement of children and youth matters to the renamed Department of Education, Children and Young People, particularly given the significant work of the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional settings.
“And, with child safety under significant pressure for some time and increased resources urgently needed, the Premier’s commitment to no job cuts is simply not good enough.
“Tasmania’s children and the staff with one of the hardest jobs in our community, all deserve better.
“There are also serious questions about future of other services including disability and women’s services, as they are absorbed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
“It is also a damning indictment of this government’s complete failure on housing that they have to create an entirely new statutory authority to oversee the crisis they created.
“These changes are a band-aid on a major injury and this government needs to do much more than change names and shuffle responsibility for public services.
“Our community and economy need real leadership, not more chaos.”
Media release – Shelter Tas, 25 February 2022
Announcement of Changes to Housing Tasmania
Yesterday, Premier Gutwein announced new departmental structures for Communities Tas and Housing. Crucially for our sector, the proposal includes a new statutory authority to be called Housing Tasmania.
This new body is tasked with increasing housing supply, continuing to make housing affordable and delivering the stock of housing and services required to meet growing demand.
On behalf of our board and our members, Shelter Tas has asked for more details, and for an assurance that the governance and structure of the new housing authority will include appropriate skills to support the services including social housing, emergency shelters, specialist homelessness services, tenancy support and the extensive and vital services provided by Housing Connect.
We look forward to working on the transition to the new structure, and ensuring the legislation is well suited to deliver better housing and homelessness services, with the outcome that every Tasmanian has the home they need.
As the state’s peak body for housing and homelessness across Tasmania, Shelter Tas looks forward to a productive working relationship with Housing Tasmania.
