Ms ROSOL – I’d like to turn to the community support levy, which is the levy collected from the gambling industry, and 25 per cent of it is for the benefit of charitable organisations. Last year in budget Estimates it was revealed that the community support levy had $1.23 million in unexpended funds. This year I believe in one of the estimates hearings yesterday, there was $2.4 million in the balance of unused funds. Are you able to update us on that levy and how much there is available at all please?
Ms OGILVIE – That’s actually a question for Treasury, unfortunately. I think your numbers are about right, but it doesn’t sit with my portfolio and I don’t have the detail.
Ms ROSOL – Now, Minister, I know that you’re not a gambler.
Ms OGILVIE – I’m not a gambler.
Ms ROSOL – You’re on record as saying that you would personally prefer it if pokies weren’t in the suburbs, but how do you feel about funds from the levy that was supposed to be used to support community organisations not being used, because if there is $2.4 million sitting there, that’s 25 per cent of that should be available for charitable organisations which would include the community sector. Will you ask the Treasurer to release these funds so community sector organisations can do more work?
Ms OGILVIE – I’m really concerned to make sure that everybody in Tasmania is safe and happy and protected. In relation to gaming and this money, because it doesn’t sit with me, I don’t have visibility of the process by which it is released. I’m very happy, though, at any time ‑ because I’m a pragmatic and sensible person ‑ to have any conversations with the Treasurer about what we think we could be doing better with that pool of funds. I would agree to do that.
Ms ROSOL – Okay, great, because 25 per cent of that money should be coming across to charitable organisations in the community sector.
Ms OGILVIE – We have some information.
Ms KELLY – Through you, minister. To provide a little bit of background, the Department of Premier and Cabinet runs the Gambling Support Program, which is the non‑regulatory harm minimisation program. Each year we put a submission through to Treasury for funding, and I can confirm that in 2024‑25, we received $5.145 million. That was to address four main program areas, so commissioning and managing specialist gambling support processes, such as online and in‑person –
Ms ROSOL – My understanding is that there is ‑ I can’t remember whether it’s 25 per cent or 50 per cent ‑ set aside for gambling support. But there’s 25 per cent set aside specifically, separately for charitable organisations as a separate thing from the gambling support.
Ms KELLY – That was the old community support levy and it’s been reviewed –
Ms ROSOL – It hasn’t been updated on the website then.
Ms KELLY – In 2023‑24 it was changed to the community support fund. I understand that 25 per cent of that is legislated for Active Tasmania, and some funding is kept aside by the Department of Treasury for administrative support and services and research. The remainder is for agencies to put in submissions to secure, and the Department Premier and Cabinet put in a very good submission every year for that. I confirm that in 2025‑26 we made our submission, and we’re just waiting to hear back on that.
Ms ROSOL – I will ask more questions in the next round.
