Question about Tasmanian Health Service - Staff Location

Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Vanessa Goodwin

On 26 July 2014, the minister, Mr Ferguson, stated that in order to reflect the fact that we have a distributed model of health care delivery in Tasmania, the administration and secretariat of the new single Tasmanian Health Service will be situated in Launceston. I appreciate these are statewide positions. Can the Leader please advise -

(a) where staff appointed to these Launceston positions reside;

(b) whether staff appointed to these positions but residing in the south travel to and from home to their northern base in their own time or work time;

(c) whether travel and accommodation is paid for staff choosing to live away from their workplace, that is Launceston in this instance; and

(d) if the answer to (c) is yes, the amount paid for the last financial year for these staff?

Answer from Dr Goodwin

I thank the honourable member for Launceston for her question.

(a) This is not possible. Staff residence details are kept only for emergency contact purposes and it would not be appropriate to disclose this information publicly.

(b) The THS is based in Launceston. Executive staff travel in their own time if their point of departure is not Launceston, or are returning from a period of THS service at another site.

(c) Travel and accommodation is paid only for executive staff who are in acting roles and are not appointed to a substantive position. Executive staff who are permanently appointed are not being paid travel and accommodation costs to travel to Launceston.

(d) Further work is required to prepare this data and it will be provided to the member once it is finalised.

Tasmanian Health Service - Staff Location

Mrs Armitage question to the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Vanessa Goodwin

I was asked, before this answer was given, whether I wanted people's addresses or whether it was north or south. I indicated that I was very happy to hear whether they resided in the north or south and that I did not wish to be supplied their address. In answer to (a), could we get a separate answer? I am also interested to know how many staff have been permanently appointed and how many staff are still in an acting capacity.

Answer from Dr Goodwin

Mr President, I will take those supplementaries on notice.