Tasmania Together PROGRESS REPORT 2004 This is a report to Parliament on what the people of Tasmania have achieved in the pursuit of the Tasmania Together vision © Tasmania Together Progress Report 2004 1 Together we will make Tasmania an icon for the rest of the world by creating a proud and confi dent society where our people live in harmony and prosperity. – Tasmania Together Vision 2 © Tasmania Together Progress Report 2004 Tasmania Together Progress Board The Hon Paul Lennon MHA, Premier both the environment and education areas. Work has commenced on a further Parliament House 30 benchmarks. The Board has started planning for the fi ve-year review, which HOBART TAS 7000 may see recommendations to modify a number of benchmarks where it is diffi cult to get measurable data. In addition to expanding the coverage of Tasmania Together through Dear Premier, reporting the Progress Board is actively engaging the community and has maintained strong links with state and local government. The Board appreciates I am pleased to present the 2004 Tasmania Together Progress Report, to be and values the support that has been given. tabled in Parliament in accordance with Section 10(1) of the Tasmania Together Over the last 12 months the Board has introduced the Partners Program, Progress Board Act 2001. which has signifi cantly increased engagement with the business and community Tasmania Together is a vision for how this community will be in 2020. sectors across the State. To date twelve partnership agreements have been It includes the community’s plan to realise that vision which we are now four signed and there is a growing list of potential partners. Our partners have years into. Tasmania Together is also a measurement system that shows what provided many of the stories in this report that tell us what people are doing to progress is being made. The longer we measure, the better we will understand move towards the targets set by our community. and be able to answer the question: “How is Tasmania going?” The enthusiastic take-up of the Partners Program shows the energy and This third progress report shows the growth of Tasmania Together in terms interest at all levels across the State to work on the achievement of benchmarks. of increased reporting, more positive results and progress towards the long-term Our partners are leading by example in their commitment and practical goals and objectives. contributions to achieving the Tasmania Together Vision: In this report 49 benchmarks show positive movement, with signifi cant “Together we will make Tasmania an icon for the rest of the world by creating achievements occurring in key education indicators, tourism, exports and a proud and confi dent society where our people live in harmony and prosperity.” perceptions of public safety. It is encouraging to see results from benchmarks The Tasmania Together Progress Board and staff hope the 2004 report is both that suggest young Tasmanians are more involved in improving their education, informative and useful to the Parliament and community. employment and decision-making opportunities. Also identifi ed are areas where long-term goals may not be met unless Yours sincerely performance improves. Twenty-four benchmarks show movement away from the Tasmania Together targets and the Board draws attention to the areas of family violence and children on care and protection orders. The Progress Board also needs to increase the number of benchmarks on which it reports. Productive work has been done with the community, Bob Campbell, Chairman government and the ABS to identify potential data sources and targets to August 2004 allow future reporting against more benchmarks. Three reference groups are currently working on proposals to complete an additional 15 benchmarks in © Tasmania Together Progress Report 2004 3 Contents THE THIRD PROGRESS REPORT 5 OUR ECONOMY 63 Summary 6 Overview 64 Background 7 The Benchmarks 66 Legislative Requirements 7 OUR ENVIRONMENT 79 WORKING TOGETHER: WHAT TASMANIANS HAVE DONE 9 Overview 80 The Progress Board’s Work 10 The Benchmarks 82 Community Sector 12 MANAGING THE BENCHMARKS 93 Business Sector 12 APPENDIX 1 95 Local Government 12 Glossary of Terms 96 State Government 13 APPENDIX 2 103 THE DATA 15 Explanation of Measures 104 How the Data is Presented 16 APPENDIX 3 117 Qualifying Comments 17 Process to Develop, Review and Revise Benchmarks 118 Interpretation and Evaluation of the Data 17 APPENDIX 4 123 OUR COMMUNITY 19 Index of Stories 124 Overview 20 The Benchmarks 22 OUR CULTURE 49 Overview 50 The Benchmarks 51 OUR DEMOCRACY 57 Overview 58 The Benchmarks 60 4 © Tasmania Together Progress Report 2004 The Third Progress Report PAGE 6 Summary 7 Background 7 Legislative Requirements 5 The Third Progress Report Summary These movements are detailed in the Overview 16.1.3 Proportion of employees in secure The 2004 Progress Report paints a more sections for each goal group: Community, employment comprehensive picture of progress towards the Culture, Democracy, Economy and Environment. 16.2.1 Level of research and development long term objectives of Tasmania Together. With the approach of 2005 and the range expenditure as a proportion of Gross Reporting against benchmarks in this third of Tasmania Together targets to be met in that State Product progress report gives a clearer indication of year, it is worth noting the benchmarks where 16.3.1 Level of population growth performances and trends – both positive and performance has achieved or exceeded those 16.3.3 Proportion of migrants negative – in relation to the targets set. targets: 18.1.1 Level of participation in VET, tertiary This year’s report shows an increased number 3.1.1 Voluntary participation in community education and university of benchmarks achieving positive results. While and service activities 19.1.1 Ranking of Tasmania on the performance across the goal areas of Tasmania 4.1.1 Proportion of people in full or part- Competition Index Together is relatively consistent, this report time education or training 19.1.2 Credit rating shows some improvement in the Community 5.1.2 Premature mortality 19.3.1 Export value benchmarks and a slight easing in the strength 5.3.2 Number of new entires into the 19.5.1 Level of Tasmanian business confi dence of performances in the Economy chapter. methadone program 19.6.1 Level of value added by manufacturing The 2004 Progress Report contains a 7.1.2 Number of qualifi ed ambulance industries per head of population number of positive education outcomes, paramedics in rural and regional areas 20.2.1 Tourism expenditure improved indicators of public safety and 9.2.1 Number of multicultural events in 20.2.2 Visitor numbers evidence that young Tasmanians are more Tasmania 21.4.1 Attendances at major cultural heritage involved in education, employment and 10.1.1 Percentage of teaching staff who have sites decision-making. Tourism, exports and received professional development 21.5.1 Number of Tasmanian publications business confi dence all evidence a strong specifi cally related to their role as added to the State record economy supported by population growth. teachers of indigenous studies 21.6.2 Percentage of signifi cant items Of the 104 Category 1 and three 15.1.2 Percentage of councils with youth conserved Category 2 benchmarks reported against advisory committees 21.6.3 Number of heritage documents and in this year’s Progress Report: 15.2.1 Number of performance-based audits artefacts publicly available in digital • 49 show improvement; conducted by the Auditor-General format • 24 show deterioration; and 16.1.1 Proportion of population in the 21.6.5 Percentage of recorded heritage sites • 34 report no change. workforce and cultural landscapes actively managed 6 © Tasmania Together Progress Report 2004 The Third Progress Report 23.3.1 The use of commercial food and non- The 2004 Government Activity Report more than 100 business, community and food GM crops in the open includes reports on action taken by State public-sector specialists to set the benchmarks environment agencies to contribute to the achievement of – the measures used to gauge progress 23.4.1 Percentage of land independently the goals and benchmarks. The Government towards the achievement of the Tasmania certifi ed for land management against Activity Report also identifi es the Government’s Together vision. The Tasmania Together international, national and state priority benchmarks. document was released in September 2001. standards This report highlights action taken by In August each year for the fi rst three years, 24.3.1 Breaches of National Environment Tasmania Together Partners – community and and every two years subsequently, the Progress Protection Measure air standards business sector organisations – committed to Board will report on what Tasmanians have been 24.3.2 Breaches of Australian Drinking Water realising targets in key areas. doing to achieve the goals and benchmarks and Standards whether the State is moving in the right direction For the fi rst time, the Progress Board has Background to achieve the targets that have been set. added interpretative comments in relation to Tasmania Together is the Tasmanian The Tasmania Together Progress Board data trends and performance relative to the community’s plan for the future: 24 goals to made its fi rst report through the Parliament 2005 targets alongside some benchmarks. be reached by 2020 and 212 benchmarks to to the people of Tasmania in 2002. A total of Of the benchmarks for which data trends measure progress towards the goals. 107 benchmarks can be measured at present have been assessed and comments made, Tasmania Together took the Community and work is in hand to identify or develop 41 either have achieved or are likely to Leaders Group (CLG) two and a half years of measures for others over time.