Registration fees for a Working with Vulnerable People check will be waived for volunteers in a two-year pilot. The move was announced by the Tasmanian Government last week.

Various bodies had been urging the government to scrap the $22.44 volunteer registration fee, saying it had become an unnecessary barrier to volunteering in a time of rising living costs and increasing regulation.

Many other states do not charge volunteers a fee for an equivalent registration, while Tasmania’s fee is also the highest. The move will reduce state government revenue by around $600,000 over the next two financial years.

“This is a fantastic result for the thousands of volunteers who are the backbone of our community and sporting clubs. The Government has listened, and we applaud their action,” Clubs Tasmania CEO Steve Old said.

Peak organisation Volunteering Tasmania has been lobbying for this move over a number of budget cycles, including recent joint advocacy with Clubs Tasmania.

“We hear regularly from our members and the wider volunteering industry that the cost-of-living crisis has impacted volunteer participation in recent years, with the cost of Working with Vulnerable People registration becoming a barrier for many to take up volunteering,” said CEO Mel Blake.

She said it was heartening to witness the recognition and prioritisation of the 332,100 Tasmanians who volunteer and the organisations who rely on them.

“This is a vital step towards addressing our declining formal volunteer rates and supporting an inclusive, thriving and celebrated culture of community participation in Tasmania,” Blake added.

She noted that the scheme needed to last longer than the two-year pilot, with Volunteering Tasmania working on initiatives to ensure more Tasmanians choose to volunteer and take up this opportunity.

The organisation declared that it will continue to advocate for the other priorities in its 2025-26 Budget Submission, including:

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