Changes now in effect to improve lives of Tasmanians

Jeremy Rockliff,Premier

The Tasmanian Liberal Government is continuing to deliver for all Tasmanians, in the areas that matter most.

From today, a number of changes will come into effect to improve the lives of Tasmanians with cost of living assistance, improved health, education, and community outcomes, community safety, housing, and further assistance for businesses and job-seekers.

Specific measures now in effect include:

• Increasing the annual Pensioner Rates Remission from $326 to $345 for TasWater customers, and from $479 to $507 for non-TasWater customers, an increase of 5.8 per cent;
• Increasing the annual electricity concession from $514 per year to $575 per year, an increase of $61 or 11.88 per cent;
• A $119 electricity bill discount to top up the concession increase to $180 as a Winter Bill Buster support measure for concession customers;
• Aurora no longer charging for aurora+ and beginning the $1.7 million Aurora Customer Support Fund and YES incentive payment extension;
• Increasing the water and sewerage concession from $205.22 ($102.61 for water, and $102.61 for sewerage), to $211.50 ($105.75 for water and $105.75 for sewerage);
• Expanding the MyHome Shared Equity Program to increase eligibility and provide more options for people to buy a home, making it easier to save for a deposit and make loan repayments more affordable;
• Extending the First Home Owners Grant of $30,000 for another 12 months;
• Extending the payroll tax rebate scheme for youth employees and for apprentices and trainees for two years to encourage businesses to employ young Tasmanians;
• Doubling the land tax tax-free threshold to $100,000 and the upper tax threshold increasing to $500,000;
• Reducing the tax rate applying to land valued between $100,000 and $500,000 from 0.55 per cent to 0.45 per cent;
• Extending the eligible period for the First Home Buyer and Pensioner duty concessions for a further 12 months from 1 July 2022, and increasing the dutiable value cap from $500,000 to $600,000, with the new cap to apply retrospectively from 1 January 2022;
• Expanding the Tasmanian Government Building and Construction Training Policy to ensure 10 per cent of labour hours on civil construction projects valued over $5 million will now support workers undertaking training;
• Transitioning TasTAFE to the new Government business model;
• THA grant deeds to come into effect that include funding of $600,000 for women in leadership and a further $600,000 to deliver mental health support and assistance programs;
• Sanitary items to be available at the Launceston General Hospital, Mersey Community Hospital and North-West Regional Hospital;
• New regulations to come into effect to improve the management of farmed deer;
• Allowing victim-survivors to seek greater financial support as a result of trauma or injuries, easing any financial burdens during an extremely difficult and vulnerable time in their lives;
• Automatic mutual recognition of most occupational licences in Tasmania to commence;
• Ticket sales for Agfest to commence, with the event supported with funding from the Tasmanian Government; and
• Crumb rubber to be introduced through our State Road resurfacing program

Tasmanians priorities are our priorities, and we will continue to deliver strong actions such as these in the areas they care about to improve their lives for the better.