Ms BROWN – Did SASS and Laurel House put in a budget submission?
Ms OGILVIE – Yes.
Ms BROWN – How much for?
Ms OGILVIE – Let’s see if we have that information for you. I have mentioned I have met with them on all this. We’ll just see if we can get the exact figure for you.
Ms BROWN – If you’d like, you can take it on notice.
Ms OGILVIE – They don’t have the document with them, so we’ll take it on notice.
Ms BADGER – I’ve got that figure here. They requested a total of $2.72 million for the 2024-25 delivery of the past Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) program. They’ve been informed that they’ll be provided $1.2 million, which is for Laurel House and SASS combined. That is a shortfall of $1.52 million, which I believe you acknowledged yesterday in the Legislative Council. So, they’re going to be awarded funding of $1 million for every $6 million of service delivery they need. In real terms, this means that the uplift in staffing they were able to achieve due to the announcements last year will now not be able to be sustained.
Could you further elaborate on what is currently available for the therapeutic services as per Laurel House and SASS’s budget submission? These have come under the HSB in table A2.2. What’s being delivered in terms of the children’s services, children and family and detail that? Again, I understand that’s quite detailed information, if you want take that on notice as well.
Ms OGILVIE – Let me see if we can answer that. Would you like to respond to that?
Ms GRAY – Yes, we do have a breakdown, but we would like to take that on notice just so we can be confident and verify all of the figures there relating to funding that’s coming not only through the state but through the national partnership agreement for both SASS and Laurel House.
We are continuing to work closely, as I mentioned previously, with what we see as deeply valued service providers. We’ve worked very closely with both SASS and Laurel through the response to the commission of inquiry. That close working relationship will continue to monitor demand and need. This, too, is to inform our negotiation with the Australian Government on the new national partnership agreement for family, domestic and sexual violence. Those negotiations have commenced. Also through the delivery of related recommendations on the commission of inquiry – the recommendations relating to workforce, service gap analysis and future funding needs, which are due by 2026. We continue to work closely with both of those organisations so we can inform how that funding relating to those recommendations is implemented, as well as the national partnership.
Ms BADGER – On the first question, as part of taking that on notice and that breakdown of the budget items in that table, can that also include the difference between the national partnership funding and what’s been contributed by the Tasmanian government?
Ms GRAY – Yes, that’s fine.
Ms BADGER – Thank you. My second question is, given that shortfall in funding for HSB and the services, we know there’s an increasing demand for those services and that will continue. What is the government going to do to support children and young people across this state when they desperately need those services?
Ms OGILVIE – We rely very heavily on the specialist services provided by those organisations. I’ve got a deep level of respect, and their dedication to the task that needs to be done is huge. But as you correctly point out, the demand is increasing. I find this incredibly sad for our state. As to how we best address that going forward in a contemporary environment, we have the National Cabinet work for this happening with additional funding. This budget is obviously set, but we continue to work very closely, particularly with Laurel House and SASS about a way forward. They have my support in that. Very supportive and want to assist.
Ms BADGER – No other set plans than continuing? Which is important, continuing work with Laurel House.
Ms OGILVIE – Mel Gray has a contribution.
Ms GRAY – I would note that SASS and Laurel House have been provided with additional funding through the Australian Government’s 500 Workers Initiative, along with funding from the commission of inquiry, which increases support and extends the Harmful Sexual Behaviours Program. Recommendation 21.03 of the commission of inquiry is for the Tasmanian government to establish a peak body for the sexual assault service system, including therapeutic interventions for children who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviours. There are a number of priority areas in Change for Children, the strategy relating to recommendation 19.1 of the commission of inquiry. The government is working across government agencies, but also in close collaboration with both SASS and Laurel House in relation to the harmful sexual behaviours priority area.
