TasCOSS is seeking government funding for a role intended to co-ordinate input from the family and sexual violence sector into government strategies and policies.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The organisation in a submission to the 2022-23 state budget said this would provide the government with a single point of contact for the sector.
"Tasmania is the only jurisdiction without a co-ordinated, jurisdiction-wide, non-government specialist sector voice to engage in the development of local and national policy responses relating to family and sexual violence," it said.
TasCOSS said the position was intended to result in better outcomes for individuals who engaged with mainstream and specialist services.
It said the person appointed to the role would need to assess the impact and underlying factors contributing to family and sexual violence in Tasmania and ensure the voices of people with lived experience are embedded in government policies and initiatives.
It has requested $834,000 for a five-year contract which wages including superannuation to start at $136,356 in the first year and end on $152,943 in the fifth year.
TasCOSS has requested $170,000 over two years for it to establish a Digital Consumer Reference Group.
It said the state had the worst digital inclusion levels in the nation, according to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index, and while inclusion had increased each year, Tasmania continued to trail behind the rest of Australia and the gap was widening.
The index places Tasmania well below the national average on digital access and digital abilities and slightly below the national average for affordability.
TasCOSS said the results of the index in 2021 were worse than the results obtained in 2020.
"Digital access and the ability to use digital technologies is now an essential part of daily life, in much the same way as other services such as electricity and water," it said.
"Education, work opportunities, health and government services, social connections and finding reliable information - especially in times of crisis - are increasingly accessed through digital technologies.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the digital divide in our state that, without coordinated action to address barriers and implement solutions is at risk of becoming even wider."
The social services body said the reference group would provide advice to the government on gaps in access, affordability and digital literacy programs across the state and set short-term and medium-term targets for living Tasmania's digital inclusion levels.
The state budget will be handed down in May.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
