Ms ROSOL (Bass) – Honourable Speaker, I thank the member for Lyons, Mr Jenner, for bringing this motion forward today. The Greens will be supporting this motion as it raises an important issue for a large number of Tasmanians who are neurodiverse, and it calls for the government to do better for them. There are as many as 17,100 Tasmanians on the autism spectrum, and the recent closure of Autism Tasmania is a devastating outcome for them. Over the past 33 years, Autism Tasmania has provided critical support, advocacy and assistance to individuals on the autism spectrum and their families across the state. As the motion states, 4500 Tasmanians with autism receive funding from the NDIS. Not everyone with autism needs or wants NDIS support, but this gap potentially speaks to how challenging it can be for neurodiverse people to access the supports they need. This further highlights the importance of having a well-functioning and supported peak advocacy body. The need for this service in Tasmania is high.
According to a 2024 Autism Tasmania public submission, the Tasmanian autistic community consistently has among the worst outcomes of any disability and vulnerable population groups, including low rates of school completion with high rates of school refusal, high rates of underemployment and unemployment, extreme rates of mental ill health, including a seven times greater risk of suicide, poor health outcomes, with a 20‑ to 36‑year life expectancy gap, and extreme levels of marginalisation and social isolation.
Despite these facts and the clear need for advocacy and support they attest to, the Tasmanian government continues to claim that it simply does not have the money to fund services like Autism Tasmania, or that doing so is the federal government’s job. Yet, somehow, it can find hundreds of millions of dollars for a football stadium that will cost far more than the already outrageous $750 million they have quoted. Let us not mince words; we all know that this project will blow out to close to $1 billion and the true price tag for this stadium will be astronomical. Meanwhile, services such as Autism Tasmania and other services like Disability Voices Tasmania that actually change lives and provide support to those in need are left to crumble due to a lack of investment.
This is a government that continually puts big flashy projects ahead of basic needs. It washes its hands of responsibility for services like Autism Tasmania and Disability Voices Tasmania, instead pushing the blame onto the federal government and claiming that it is a Commonwealth issue. However, when it comes to securing funding for projects like a new stadium or a Tasmanian AFL team, this government is suddenly more than willing to put up the money and lobby at the national level. The contrast is stark and shameful. The Greens believe that there should be no abdication of responsibility when it comes to safeguarding the rights of Tasmanians, especially vulnerable Tasmanians.
Earlier this year, the Greens wrote to both the Premier and the Minister for Disability Services urging them to make a strong submission and attend the hearings of the Senate inquiry into the recent federal government NDIS legislation changes. Disability service advocates have made it clear that they fear these reforms will only create further gaps in services for those who desperately need them, especially in Tasmania. But what response did we get from the Government? A lukewarm, half-hearted answer and a no-show at the hearings. The Minister for Disability Services stated that Tasmania made a joint submission back in May, before the closure of Autism Tasmania and Disability Voices Tasmania, with the Council for the Australian Federation, but this was nothing more than a generalised response pulled together with the exclusively Labor state governments. The word ‘Tasmania’ did not even feature in the report, and there was no specific focus on the unique needs of Tasmanians. The state government missed a crucial opportunity to advocate for our people. The fact that the minister did not even bother to attend these hearings in person speaks loudly about her commitment, or lack of. How can this government claim to support disability services and Tasmanians living with a disability when they do not even show up when critical opportunities to speak present themselves?
The lack of proper representation and advocacy from our state government is a disgrace, and the failure to keep disability services running in Tasmania is just the latest example of government negligence. Peak bodies that have been providing a valuable service for Tasmanians living with disability, working closely with autistic individuals and their families to ensure equity, fairness, and understanding, are now closed. With their closure, people with disability and their families are being left without crucial support networks and Tasmanians are being forced to look elsewhere for help. Tasmania is now the only state without a peak service for autism. Families should not have to move states to get the support and advocacy they need.
Autism Tasmania’s closure leaves a massive gap in services. Smaller volunteer-run groups like the Regional Autistic Engagement Network, while admirable, simply do not have the funding or capacity to fill that void.
The government’s constant passing of the buck is unacceptable. The Minister for Disability Services claims that the federal government’s decision not to extend funding to disability organisations is to blame, but where is the state government’s advocacy? Where is their plan to ensure that Tasmanians are not left behind? It is telling that this government will fight tooth and nail to bring a football team to Tasmania and throw hundreds of millions of dollars at a stadium but will not boldly and publicly advocate for the federal government to maintain funding for essential disability service providers like Autism Tasmania and Disability Voices Tasmania.
The Greens have long called for proper investment in neurodiverse communities and for the state government to step up and take responsibility when it comes to supporting Tasmanians with disabilities. Instead of pouring billions into an unnecessary stadium, the government could invest that money into services that would make a tangible difference to people’s lives.
This is about more than just a lack of funding, it’s about the government’s failure to prioritise the needs of its people. Autism Tasmania and Disability Voices Tasmania have either closed or are providing much-reduced services without the government speaking up for them to be funded. We need a government that will stand up for all Tasmanians, especially our most vulnerable, and ensure that services like Autism Tasmania receive the funding and support they need to thrive. It’s time for the government to stop hiding behind excuses and to put Tasmanians first.
We call on the Premier and the Minister for Disability Services to urgently intervene and provide immediate funding for services and peak bodies that will meet the needs of people who live with disability. We call on them to make a real commitment to the long-term support of neurodiverse communities across the state. Anything less is a failure in their duty and the people of Tasmania deserve better.
