Local government’s crucial role recognised in the Change for Children Strategy 

The Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) welcomes the release of the Change for Children Strategy by the Tasmanian Government. This important strategy reflects a comprehensive, whole-of-community approach to preventing harm to children and ensuring their safety and wellbeing.

LGAT provided feedback on the first iteration of the strategy, strongly advocating for an approach that embraced sustainable cultural and systemic change, recognising that real and lasting improvements in child safety require collaboration across all levels of government and the community.

We commend the Tasmanian Government for its responsiveness in redrafting the strategy to reflect a preventative, whole-of-community approach. This approach acknowledges the crucial role that councils play in making communities safer for children.

The strategy’s guiding principles inform its implementation and evaluation, and we are pleased that the distinctive role of local government has been acknowledged in Principle Six. This recognition emphasises the essential role that local councils and community organisations already play in upholding child safety and wellbeing.

Over the past 18 months, LGAT has actively engaged with the government during the development of the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023 and the practical implementation of the Child Safe Standards. Throughout this process we have consistently advocated for local government’s involvement, ensuring that with appropriate resourcing, councils can effectively support the statewide, community-focused implementation of these standards.

In February 2024, LGAT began contributing to the State Government’s implementation of the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendation to develop a whole-of-government child sexual abuse reform strategy. This strategy is aimed at preventing, identifying, and responding to child sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviours.

As a Change Leads Organisation, LGAT’s Safeguarding Children Team is leading key initiatives to help councils enhance child and community safety. Our focus is on supporting councils to implement the Child Safe Standards under the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act and aligning with the Tasmanian Government’s broader system reforms. The Safeguarding Children Team has also developed a program of regional in-person workshops for council staff and elected representatives. These workshops are designed to aid the identification and awareness of child abuse and outline the principles of trauma-informed practices.

Councils across Tasmania have demonstrated a strong commitment to a coordinated, statewide approach to meeting the Standards. Local government’s contribution to reform will be through practical action and partnerships within local communities, ensuring that child safety remains a priority at all levels.

Our work is guided by Recommendation 19.1 of the Commission of Inquiry and supported by State Government funding. Our goal is not only to assist councils in implementing the Standards but also to drive sustainable, practical actions that prevent child sexual abuse and promote cultural and systemic change. We are committed to building capacity within local government, increasing knowledge about child sexual abuse prevention, and supporting the implementation of priority recommendations from both the Commission of Inquiry and the Royal Commission.