Recent News

TASS Forum Tuesday 18 October 2022

Residential Aged Care, Supported Accommodation

and Retirement Village Living

Time:  1.30pm to 3.30pm (including afternoon tea)

Venue: Motor Yacht Club of Tasmania (MYCT) 1 Ford Parade, Lindisfarne

If there is anything you wish to know about Residential Aged Care, Retirement Village Living or Supported living make sure you come along to this Forum.

We have a panel of expert presenters including a leading nursing home/retirement village CEO, Government agencies and the Council of the Ageing (COTA) who will be able to cover every aspect of aged care living and answer all your questions from what to expect to how much various options cost and much more.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance by Tuesday 11 October to John Chalmers, 0448 731 845 or by email to info@tass.org.au.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 18 October, please mark it on your calendar now!

We are planning to hold a Northern Forum on the same topic on Tuesday 15 November. Further details will be circulated as soon as arrangements have been finalised.

Welcome to Spirit Super

TASS is pleased to welcome Spirit Super as our first sponsor. The Spirit Super logo will appear in Super News and on our website and they will also provide editorial content on matters of interest.

Many of our members are already familiar with Spirit Super having investment accounts.

In 2017, the Tasmanian Government made major changes to the public sector superannuation fund RBF that included transferring members with accumulation accounts to Tasplan Super.

On the 1st April last year, Tasplan Super merged with MTAA Super to become Sprit Super.

Spirit Super remains based in Hobart with more than 200 local employees, a great example of keeping jobs in Tasmania. Spirit Super is still proudly Tasmanian.

This sponsorship will help us better promote and support TASS membership and make us stronger.

“10% Cap” Legislation Campaign Update

TASS Executive members met with Sen. Carol Brown on 21 April to discuss the 10% Cap Issue and what the Labor party could or would do in relation to a potential review of the legislation as suggested by Sen. Eric Abetz as part of his ongoing support.

Sen. Brown is individually supportive of TASS’ position, but bound by Labor processes. She gave a commitment to take the issue to the Tasmanian Labor caucus members, and then, with their support, to the broader caucus and then into parliament for action.

The Greens have told TASS that they support a Senate inquiry in principle, and that if there is any indication that a new Labor government would seek to legislate changes, then a Senate inquiry into such legislation would be the most pertinent avenue to inquire into this issue.

Senator Jacqui Lambie has previously indicated support for TASS in doing whatever she can to assist. Andrew Wilkie MP has been steadfast in his support for TASS’ campaign to have this inequitable and unfair legislation repealed.

We have also had undertakings of support from some minor party candidates from United Australia Party and One Nation.

What we haven’t got is a commitment from the Liberal Party for at least a review. They are continuing to run the line that the Act is doing what was always intended and won’t be changed.

We will continue to try to convince them that a review is the only sensible course of action at this stage.

John Minchin

President

TASS Forum - “All you wish to know about Residential Aged Care and Retirement Village living”.

The planned  Forum scheduled for Tuesday 17 May 2022 in Hobart has been postponed until later this year.  We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

We will publicise the new arrangements in Super News in due course.

New Executive for 2022

At the AGM on 15th March, the following members were elected to the Executive. We welcome Ross Butler to the Executive for 2022

TASS AGM Tuesday 15 March

Guest Speaker

We are pleased to advise the guest speaker for the TASS Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 15 March is Professor James Vickers.  

Professor James Vickers is the Director of the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre.  This Centre is at the forefront of research and support for issues confronting people with dementia and their carers. Its projects are being carried out in Tasmania and nationally, across research fields such as neuroscience, medicine, nursing, psychology and sociology, health, economics and policy.

The Wicking Centre is a flagship of the University’s College of Health and Medicine and was established in 2008.  

The Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre (WDREC) is unique in Australia as an integrated dementia centre that is active across a range of disciplines, seeking to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers. The WDREC aims to:

• Better understand the diseases affecting the brain that cause progressive decline in functioning affecting memory, problems solving skills, function and social behaviour;
• Develop evidence-based models of care provision for people with dementia and their carers;
• Explore the trajectory of brain and functional changes in ageing through dementia;
• Provide educational programs to build knowledge and understanding of dementia within the community.

Professor Vickers’ talk will cover the work being undertaken at the Centre and how its work is of benefit to older Tasmanians.  His address is sure to be of interest to all who are able to attend.

Kind regards

John Minchin

President

Link to Professor Vicker's profile

TASS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Tuesday 15 March 2022

Venue: Motor Yacht Club of Tasmania (MYCT), 1 Ford Parade, Lindisfarne

(Access from East Derwent Highway, via Lincoln Street and Park Road) Parking is available at the MYCT or on the street

Time: 1:30 to 3:00pm (including afternoon tea)

Guest Speaker: Professor James Vickers, Director of the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre

RSVP: By 5:00pm Thurs 10 March 2022 to John Chalmers, 0448 731 845, or info@tass.org.au

Concessions and Rebates for Older Tasmanians

The Tasmanian Government currently offers a range of concessions and rebates to older Tasmanians (those on pensions, or with low and fixed incomes). These cover such items as electricity, council rates, water and sewerage, stamp duty discount, vehicle registration and taxes, licences and many others.

TASS has written to the Premier requesting confirmation that, if successful in the upcoming State Election, his Government will continue to provide these concessions and rebates into the future, and in particular that they will be included in the upcoming 2021-22 State Budget.

TASS also wrote to the Opposition and Greens asking that, if successful in the upcoming State Election, they will support the continued provision these concessions and rebates into the future, and in particular that they will be included in the upcoming 2021-22 State Budget.

TASS also stated that it believes that these concessions and rebates should be indexed to reflect the change in the costs of the underlying services being supported. The costs of these services are increasing faster than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and in order to maintain the benefits of the concessions and rebates, an appropriate index needs to be developed by Treasury, in consultation with key stakeholder organisations such as TASS.

Our members are encouraged to contact their local candidates to reinforce our position on these concessions and rebates.

April 2021

Executive Committee 2021

At the AGM in March 2021, the following Executive members were elected.

President: John Minchin

Vice-President: John Pauley

Secretary: John Chalmers

Treasurer: Michael Walker

Membership Officer: Charles Thomas

Super-News Editor: Jeneane Thomas

Exec members: Christopher Bevan, Ross Brown, Stephen Graetzer, Murray Harper, Jean Walker.

There remains one vacancy on the Executive. Please contact John Chalmers, Secretary, if you are interested in being considered for that position - Email secretary@tass.org.au, or Phone 62491240 or 0409491245

Superannuation issues

TASS has recently raised its concerns about some superannuation issues with the Premier. These relate to changes to the Superannuation Commision structure, and to the planned use of $200M from RBF for COVID recovery projects. The linked article from the Examiner deals with these matters.

https://www.cpsu.com.au/2020/10/public-sector-super-worry/

Change To TASS Banking Arrangements

The TASS Executive has decided to consolidate it's banking with the one organisation. We have opened accounts at MyState Bank.

For members who renew using direct deposit either online or at a branch, changes will be minimal. The Bendigo Bank account that you have been depositing into will be replaced by:

MyState Account BSB: 807-009
Account Number: 30137067
Account Name: Tasmanian Association of State Superannuants.

In Tasmania, MyState has branches at Glenorchy, Hobart, Kingston, New Town, Rosny, Kings Meadows, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport.

For those who pay by cheque, there is no change: TASS remains the Payee.

If you have TASS’s account details saved in your online banking address list, please ensure that you alter the details to those above.

The online membership forms will be updated with this new information in the near future