Mr BAYLEY – Minister, I have a question about the veteran wellbeing vouchers. In the Budget, veteran wellbeing vouchers are listed as making up a component of support for veterans. They’re small one-off payments of $100 each and that can be paid out twice per financial year, designed to allow veterans to access gyms or recreation centres at a discount rate.
A couple of questions here, how much of the $50,000 per year of the support for veterans is set aside and dedicated to the veteran wellbeing vouchers? How was the amount of $200 a year set and arrived at? I note, for example, that in relation to the Hobart Aquatic Centre it’s only one of four gyms where this can be used in Hobart. The $200 would cover about 17 per cent of the total annual cost of the cheapest concession membership. I acknowledge it’s a contribution, but for some people it may not be a significant contribution or at least enough to get them over the line to actually engage in some of these wellbeing activities. How much of the $50,000 is set aside and how was that amount set?
Mr BARNETT – Thank you for the question. There are some very good questions in there. There are quite a few and they are totally understandable because we’ve been monitoring this since it was launched in 2021. The whole purpose, of course, is to encourage our veterans to be healthy and active and have very positive wellbeing.
We now have 108 gyms, community recreation and sporting clubs involved as of 10 September 2024, and a total of 471 vouchers have been issued. Since 1 July 2024, the Veteran Wellbeing Voucher Program has doubled with veterans now entitled to two $100 vouchers per year, so it’s two lots of vouchers.
The application for the program is simple, with veterans able to apply for a voucher through the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s website. The activity providers can also register participation through the website. I’ve discussed this with the department during the last 12 months and we’ve had a promotion campaign during that time to encourage other organisations to come forward, to make themselves available to our veterans and then likewise promoting it to our veterans to make them more aware of this opportunity to be healthier and more active. We did briefly discuss this yesterday, and I think if the deputy secretary could add to that answer, that would be useful.
Ms GRAY – Through you, minister, the minister referred to continuous improvement and that’s a good way of looking at this program. The member has quite rightly pointed out and asked how much of the $50,000 is available for the vouchers and the full $50,000 is available for the vouchers every year.
Part of the decision to increase the voucher from $100 to $200 – two $100 vouchers – was because, despite some very good efforts at promotion – and we’ve promoted through advertisements in RSL newsletters on service, the discount and concessions guide, we’ve produced videos in 2023 for Remembrance Day to be shared on DPAC’s website and social media channels, we included reference to the vouchers and promotion of the vouchers in Active Tasmania’s newsletter Actively In Touch, and also through direct contact with state sporting organisations, sporting clubs and other activity groups – that resulted in an outstanding doubling in the past 12 months of the veteran’s vouchers. But, from 1 July 2024 we’ve decided – in the spirit of continuous improvement – to increase the amount to the $200 because from this $34,990 in the previous financial year, there’s room in that $50,000 to be able to offer a bit more.
The member also asked on what basis was the $100 commitment. Ticket to Play per child. We probably looked at other similar programs and based it on those. As you quite rightly point out, gym memberships are a little different to being able to play in the local footy team. However, as a parent of two young boys, I do know that sports can be quite expensive and Ticket to Play probably only gives you only one third of what you need.
Mr BAYLEY – A quick follow up, Chair, if I may. You mentioned there are now 108 venues that are offering this is a service and that’s really encouraging. Are you spending money to try to recruit more partner facilities to offer this service or to partner-up because we did a little bit of research and it may be out of date, I note that in Tasmania’s largest four largest cities, the number of gyms where these vouchers can be redeemed numbered less than 10. There’s not a widespread uptake at the at the facility level and there’s none in the regions from what we could see. It’s off-limits for some veterans who don’t have access to the facilities that will accept these cards.
Mr BARNETT – Thank you very much for that. Thank you also for doing your follow up research on that. It is appreciated and just to indicate that gyms aren’t necessarily the be-all and end-all. There’s a whole range of sporting and recreational activities. Particularly for veterans who are elderly, often they don’t go to the gym, so they go to other places. I just wanted to recognise that. I know the deputy secretary and/or the executive director have further to say on that.
Ms PINTO – Yes, we do recognise the fact that it can be limiting with the capacity of clubs or gyms for veterans to be able to attend. We want to make sure that the program is open to all veterans of any gender and also to broaden the capacity of the services that they could apply for, including more wellbeing-type service organisations or through organisations along those lines. It was broader than just attending a gym.
Mr BAYLEY – Yes, and you’re actively trying to expand that pool of partner organisations?
Ms GRAY – Through you, minister, the member asked whether we spend money to do that. We do that within our existing team and we actively engage with ex-service people who might apply, to get an understanding of what the broadening of that wellbeing scope might be so that you don’t have to be someone who wants to frequent a gym. We need to understand how we could broaden the parameters of the program so that we’re fully expending the funding that’s allocated every year.
Ms JOHNSTON – Thank you, Chair. On 25 July last year, my office wrote to you and the Treasurer on behalf of a constituent who was very distressed. He was a DVA gold card holder but was not TPI-endorsed because he was not of employable age, because he was 96 years old. It took some time for us to get a response from the Treasurer, eventually, in relation to his request for a discount on his rates. That information didn’t come through until 29 May this year, 10 months later. Unfortunately, as the Treasurer indicated in the letter, he wasn’t eligible for a discount on his rates. My constituent died three weeks prior to the letter being received from the Treasurer and his widow informed me that he was incredibly distressed at not being able to receive the concession and that he was waiting for a significant time for a response. It was something that mattered and it played on his mind at the time. What are you doing to ensure that veterans are responded to in a more timely fashion when they raise significant concerns. As Ms Butler has indicated, my constituent is not the only one who has been waiting for an answer around these concession matters.
Mr BARNETT – First, thank you very much for the question and I’m sorry to hear the report and advice that you’ve shared with me and the committee. It’s very sad and disappointing to hear that. I want to recognise that and I want to pass on my condolences to his wife and his family, and I’m very sorry for the circumstances which you have outlined today.
As a government, we can do better in that regard and I’ll take that on notice and follow‑up if that’s possible. I’ll do that with my department. I have certain protocols in my office in terms of responding to people, stakeholders and constituents and we need to follow that. From time to time those protocols are not met, so I’m very sorry to hear the information that you’ve shared with the committee.
