Part A of former Australian Public Service Commissioner Peter Woolcott AO's independent report has been tabled in Parliament.
The Woolcott Review forensically looked at the actions of government agencies, responses to information and concerns raised by the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings.
Mr Woolcott has found that all matters raised by the Commission of Inquiry have been identified by the Tasmanian Government.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said our Government committed to the most expansive reform program in Tasmania's history when it accepted all 191 recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry report.
"Since 2023, we have continued to demonstrate that we are delivering the recommendations to keep children safe," Premier Rockliff said.
Mr Woolcott's finding provides confidence to the Tasmanian community when it comes to the Government identifying and taking action against State Service employees who breached the code of conduct related to child sexual abuse.
Premier Rockliff welcomed Mr Woolcott's observations in relation to the significant improvements made to the handling of complaints regarding State Service employees and officers.
These improvements include:
The strength of the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023 and the Office of the Independent Regulator were highlighted in the independent report.
"It is pleasing to know this legislation is operating as intended and improving the safety of children through additional oversight of complaints," Premier Rockliff said.
"There is more work to be done to ensure the safety of Tasmanian children and young people in our institutions, and the Government is committed to this.
"I extended my sincere appreciation to Mr Woolcott for his work and his extensive information collection, analysis and stakeholder engagement."
A request from Mr Woolcott to split the report into two parts was accepted by the Government in October.
The first and major part of the report has been released today and focuses on disciplinary matters, employment frameworks and the culture in which these operate.
The second part of Mr Woolcott's report will be completed prior to the end of the year. It will provide a considered view of regulatory oversight arrangements and their intersection with the justice system.
The Tasmanian Government's response to the Woolcott Review report will be considered and released after the final part of the review is received later this year.
The Woolcott Review final report is available on the Keeping Children Safe website.
