The Tasmanian Government is backing in our volunteers by removing a financial barrier.
Minister for Community Services, Roger Jaensch, said the Tasmanian Government will make registering for Working with Vulnerable People Cards free for the next two years, as part of the 2025-26 Budget.
"This initiative will reduce barriers to volunteering, reduce the administrative burden for organisations that host volunteers, but importantly, it will reduce expenses for volunteers in a time of cost-of-living challenges," Minister Jaensch said.
"The 2025-26 Budget builds a better Tasmania: now, and for the future, and it continues to address the key concerns in the community such as cost of living.
"That's why for the next two years we have committed $300,000 each year to pilot making the Registration to Work with Vulnerable People free for volunteers."
Minister Jaensch said this announcement coincided with National Volunteer Week.
"Tasmanian volunteers make an incredible contribution to our communities every day, the contribution of volunteering is estimated to bring our state $4 billion in benefits," Minister Jaensch said.
"There are over 332,100 volunteers in Tasmania, and every single one of them deserve praise. Our Government is doing what it can to make volunteering easier, which is why we are developing Tasmania's first Volunteering Strategy and five year action plan.
"Tasmanian volunteers are critical to communities right across the State, in diverse areas from the sport and the arts, through to health and community services, aged care, emergency management, education and conservation.
"We know volunteering can be life-changing both for volunteers and the recipient individuals, organisations and communities.
"Our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future focuses on developing stronger communities, which is exactly what our volunteers do. That's why we're backing them in with this subsidy and developing Tasmania's first Volunteering Strategy which is due to be released by 30 June 2025."
Volunteering Tasmania CEO, Mel Blake, said on behalf of our members and the Tasmanian volunteering industry, we are thrilled with the Government's decision to remove the Working with Vulnerable People registration fees for volunteers.
"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," Ms Blake said.
"It is truly 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."
