Dr WOODRUFF - Continuing with some questions about the budget: on the Keeping Children Safe website, there's a section titled 'Tasmanian Government's interim response to the commission of inquiry'. It has a list of 15 actions and associated budget allocations for a total of around $50 million. We assume this list is what has been or is being delivered with the $30 million allocated in this year's budget and the Supplementary Appropriation Bill funds. Can you confirm that that is the case?
Mr ROCKLIFF - There has been $30 million allocated in the 2023-24 budget, as you say, to fund priority actions to keep children safer in advance of the release of the final commission of inquiry report. That was announced in the budget in May. That includes $2.185 million contingency funding held by the Department of Premier and Cabinet as well. There's $25.091 million to enable implementation of the urgent recommendations from the final report.
Dr WOODRUFF - The list of 15 actions, that's what I'm asking you to confirm: is that what that money relates to the funding for?
Mr ROCKLIFF - In terms of the $30 million, there's $5.8 million for the Ashley Youth Detention Centre to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in the centre. We've got the $3.2 million for the Department of Health to establish a child safety and wellbeing framework, panel and service to oversee, monitor and investigate child safeguarding concerns -
Dr WOODRUFF - I appreciate that, but I want to know if the money that's been announced, the $50 odd million and the actions that you're describing, are they for the list of 15 actions from the Government's interim response to the commission of inquiry or are they to do with anything else?
Mr ROCKLIFF - I've got the full breakdown here, including the $5.5 million to support other priority actions identified by the commission across government. That is part of the $30 million. There's $750 000 for the establishment of the Child Sexual Abuse Implementation Monitor; $850 000 for the centralised coordination of code of conduct complaints; $1 million for oversight and coordination; $4.3 million in additional funding for the Child Safety Service and support for families at risk; and $1.5 million for immediate supports to victims/survivors added to the matters that I've spoken about before.
Ms GALE - The 15 actions are included in the $30 million.
Mr ROCKLIFF - It covers those areas that I spoke of, yes.
Dr WOODRUFF - Thank you. My question following that is that the commission of inquiry recommended an enormous body of work that must happen in terms of, as you've already said, injecting money into services that are completely inadequate at the moment, out of home care particularly. How will that money be allocated? What is the mechanism for allocating that money in this financial year? Will you be having a supplementary appropriation budget, another bill that will come to parliament? There is no money in the existing Government budget to put, for example, a big injection of money into out of home care. We are concerned that existing services will have to be cut in order to do the work that the commission of inquiry has required.
Mr ROCKLIFF - There'll be no services, frontline services especially, particularly in an area of child safety, that will be cut.
Dr WOODRUFF - We already know of an Aboriginal education worker whose role was removed so that work could be directed into the commission of inquiry. That was one example I have raised with you before.
Mr ROCKLIFF - What we will do and what we need to do is some important policy work, investigation that will require and be presented as part of the 2024-25 budget process in terms of the investment, the enormous amount of legislative work required as well. There is considerable investment between now, essentially, and 1 July that we have announced to the uses I have just spoken of, and developing the policy now and the implementation of that investment between now and the announcement of the next budget. That work is being undertaken now to inform the investment required.
Dr WOODRUFF - Are you saying that there wouldn't, for example, be any additional money put into out of-home care between now and the July budget, even though there are many actions that need to have direct and substantial investment from government within this financial year? We would like to understand whether you will be bringing another supplementary appropriation bill to parliament in the new year so that work can be done.
Mr ROCKLIFF - I have mentioned $4.3 million in additional funding for the child safety service and to support families at risk. That, I believe, supports the question you are asking in terms of investment in that critical area. If there is a need for investment between now and the next budget identified in the policy work, there is no barrier to implementing a supplementary appropriation bill to support that investment.
Going back to recommendation 9.1, in terms of:
The Tasmanian Government should provide one off funding to help implement the Commission of Inquiry's recommended out of home care reforms and significantly increase ongoing funding of out of home care, including out of home care services provided by Child Safety Services (such as out of home care governance and case management).
We have accepted the recommendation and the implementation of the recommendation will be by 1 July 2024, which will be after the announcement of the next budget.
Dr WOODRUFF - For the next budget and for the successive budgets after that, will you commit to creating a separate budgetary category for the commission of inquiry expenditure? It is something that many in the sector and victims/survivors have asked for because it is a critical part of being able to see that the Government is not hooking money out of existing service delivery to put towards commission of inquiry-funded work and we can track it. It is going to be difficult, it is going to be going for another six or more years. Can you make a separate allocation for commission of inquiry investments in the budget?
Mr ROCKLIFF - I understand why the question is being asked. I have asked a similar question in terms of aspect of transparency, but also for the Tasmanian community to identify the level of investment being made.
Ms GALE - We are currently in discussions with Treasury about how that might happen.
Dr WOODRUFF - That would be very welcome.
Mr ROCKLIFF - Whether and how the work that has been done, as I alluded to as well. It would be my intent to ensure that is open and transparent.
