Open letter to the Tasmanian Premier and Treasurer 

We are Tasmanians from every corner of the state — workers, volunteers, families, carers, educators, neighbours and community members — adding our names to this letter and our voices to an urgent call for you to ‘Prioritise all Tasmanians’ because we are deeply concerned about the future of our community services.

Many of us work in the community services industry. Many of us volunteer our time. Many of us rely on these essential services or know how easily we might one day need them ourselves. Together, we are speaking with one voice to say do not underfund the community services that tens of thousands of Tasmanians rely on every day, and which are now at breaking point.

All decisions have consequences. The choices made in May’s Budget will determine whether Tasmanians receive help early or fall into preventable crisis.

In a time of growing uncertainty, Tasmania needs a secure, stable and well-resourced community services industry more than ever. We call on the Government to demonstrate that every Tasmanian matters.

To show your support, please sign the open letter to the Premier and Treasurer and join us in calling on the Government to #PrioritiseallTasmanians.

Yours sincerely,

Tasmanians who believe in strong community services

If you would prefer to sign the petition on behalf of your organisation, you may do so. Please note, you are not expected to make a financial contribution. Contributions support the Change.org platform, not the campaign directly.

The petition will be tabled in Parliament by Kristie Johnston MP, Independent Member for Clark.

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To learn more about other ways you can support the campaign, please visit the Tasmanian Coalition of Community Service Peaks ‘Prioritise all Tasmanians’ website. We encourage you to also share the Coalition's social media posts on Facebook​, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

Angela Finch, a single mother of three children, knows as well as anyone the life-saving and life-changing value of community services. Watch Angela’s story (YouTube).

The Tasmanian Coalition of Community Service Peaks represents the following 20 organisations:

• Mental Health Council of Tasmania
• Council on the Ageing (COTA) Tasmania
• Shelter Tasmania
• Youth Network of Tasmania
• Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania
• Volunteering Tasmania
• Carers Tasmania
• Multicultural Council of Tasmania
• Ageing Australia Tasmania
• Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council (ATDC) Tasmania
• National Disability Services (NDS) Tasmania
• Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS)
• Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Tasmania Branch
• Tasmanian Family and Sexual Violence Alliance (TFSVA)
• Local Government Association Tasmania (LGAT)
• Health Consumers Tasmania
• Palliative Care Tasmania
• Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations (TASSO)
• Community Legal Centres Tasmania
• CREATE Foundation