12-13 December 2007

From Hobart we travelled to Launceston where we held a community consultation, a business roundtable and meetings with Ministers and Shadow Ministers.

One issue that struck me as concerning was the lack of availability of before and after school care provided on site for public school students, particularly in the primary years. This was raised on a number of occasions as an added impediment to people engaging in paid work while managing their caring responsibilities.

People living outside the major regional centres were experiencing difficulties in accessing essential services, particularly in circumstances where they were caring for a disabled child or adult. There was a perception that essential services were being centralised thereby increasing the sense of isolation that many people felt outside the two major centres. This problem is magnified by the lack of transport options in regional areas. The lack of employment opportunities for skilled workers was also raised as a barrier to economic independence for women.

The largest employers in Launceston were small business and state government. Business representatives agreed that flexibility in workplace arrangements was important but without addressing the issue of job redesign progress was varied. Some considered the absence of any paid maternity leave had a negative impact on the retention of women in the workplace, however there was a view that any system would need to be at a nil cost to business.

While we were in Tasmania, new figures were released showing that Tasmania has experienced the most rapid ageing of the population over the last twenty years, and subsequently has the highest median age of all states and territories at 39.1. This is influenced by the fact that Tasmania is an increasingly attractive retirement destination and that many younger Tasmanians leave to pursue work opportunities. Lack of retirement savings for women emerged as a common theme given the age profile and lack of availability of superannuation for women in the earlier years.

Thank you to all the people who participated in the Tasmanian leg of the Listening Tour. I look forward to hearing more from you through the blog over the next few months.

Liz