Welcome to the first edition of Policy In My Backyard!
Policy In My Backyard, affectionately known as PIMBY, is brought to you by the Tasmanian Policy Exchange.
What can you expect from PIMBY? Our aim is to bring you evidence-based analysis and insights to inform public policy in Tasmania. To do this, we will draw on innovative research from across the University of Tasmania and beyond. PIMBY will focus on the big challenges facing Tasmania: the cost of living, climate change, the energy transition, technology and the changing nature of employment, good governance, and regional development.
We hope PIMBY will shape debate and contribute to better policy outcomes for all Tasmanians. To kick things off, we asked members of the TPE team to share their one policy wish for 2025!
Frieda, Research Fellow
I hope we can develop a more collaborative approach to strategic regional planning. This would mean all levels of government working with communities to improve liveability and housing affordability in Tasmanian cities and towns. In Hobart, we would benefit from better governance and promoting medium-density development – especially along the northern suburbs transit corridor – as part of a long-term, transparent vision for the city. We also need to minimise the impacts of climate change by planning for things such as more porous surface areas, lighter house colours, and keeping green space. These challenges and solutions matter not only for Hobart but for all of Tasmania.
Judith, Graduate Researcher
As an environmental economist, I would like to see us build on the Tasmanian Government’s commitment to increasing recycling and creating a sustainable circular economy. Recycle Rewards, the state’s new container refund scheme, starts in May 2025. Tasmanians will be able to return drink containers for a 10-cent refund at 49 locations statewide. While other states have used similar schemes to reduce waste, create jobs, and strengthen local economies, the success of Recycle Rewards will depend on awareness and access to refund points. Every recycled drink container is a step towards a more sustainable future, so let’s hope that Recycle Rewards is cost-effective, easy to use, and well-promoted.
Kimberly, Policy Analyst
My policy wish for 2025 is that our state takes a lead on improving the quality and use of public transport in innovative ways. We might be the most car-dependent state in Australia, but the successful Derwent Ferry trial has shown that commuters will jump at the chance to use good quality, affordable public transport. We need to embrace new technology (such as the Metro App) and develop services that are safe for workers and passengers, efficient, and reliable. Improving public transport is vital for reducing our emissions, increasing economic productivity, and ensuring all Tasmanians can move easily around our beautiful state.
Lachlan, Research Fellow
My policy wish might surprise people familiar with our climate work: I’d like Tasmania (and everyone else) to abandon its net-zero emissions target. Net-zero requires us to balance our carbon emissions with removals, but if there is already too much CO2 in the atmosphere, reaching net-zero won’t solve the problem. Instead, Tasmania should embrace an ambitious carbon budget based on our historical contribution to climate change, our relative ability to pay for emissions abatement, and the imperative of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees. A properly designed carbon budget for Tasmania would calculate the reductions and removals required to achieve a safe level of carbon pollution, then attribute responsibility for getting there in an equitable way.
Logan, Graduate Researcher
I would love to see Tasmania develop its own anti-trafficking and anti-exploitation policies. Our small island is not immune to human trafficking or exploitation – migrant workers, refugees, international students, Indigenous people, and children are all at risk. The federal government has taken action, but it is mostly focused on business reporting. We could follow the example of New South Wales, where the Anti-slavery Commissioner’s strategic plan shapes policy. We need more awareness of what trafficking and exploitation look like here – whether it’s seasonal agriculture work, refugees, or vulnerable children. Then, we can educate our communities, train first responders, and start pushing for real change and justice.
Richard, Director
Tasmania’s renewable hydro and wind power gives us a head start on the rest of the world in the transition to a zero-emissions economy. However, our transport system and industries still depend on fossil fuels such as diesel, gas and coal. These make up 52% of our total on-island energy use. My hope for 2025 is that we reset our approach to the energy transition. This needs to involve working collaboratively with communities across Tasmania to build a consensus around appropriate renewable electricity projects to future proof Tasmanian industries, address climate change, and deliver long term benefits for our state.
Rob, Deputy Director
Democracy is on the backfoot around the world, so I hope we see further improvements to Tasmania’s electoral finance regulations. The amendment to the Electoral Funding and Disclosure Act 2023 to ensure all political donations over $1,000 are published is a great start – if it passes the Legislative Council. However, we also need limits on how much candidates can spend during election campaigns. Evidence from other countries shows that high campaign spending limits reduce the quality of democracy, and strict limits do the opposite. The recent federal changes have highlighted that reforms need to be designed so that they don’t shut out new parties and independent candidates.
Sarah, Policy Analyst
I hope that in 2025 we act to minimise harm from electronic gaming machines. In December 2024 alone, Tasmanians lost $16.5 million to pokies—money that could’ve been spent elsewhere in the economy. Losses hit disadvantaged communities hardest: West Coast residents lost $427 per person last year, while Hobart residents lost $64. Research shows gambling’s negative impacts include physical and psychological ill health, suicide, financial distress, family dysfunction, domestic violence, and more. In 2022, the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission recommended a pre-commitment card with loss limits. There are promising results from other jurisdictions that use this approach. The most commonly touted alternative, facial recognition technology, has been shown to enforce bans without reducing wider harms.
Maybe these policy wishes strike a chord with you. Maybe you think that they’re too ambitious, or not what Tasmania should be focusing on right now. Either way, at the TPE we strongly believe that open, informed discussion leads to better decision making, more effective policies, and better outcomes for all Tasmanians. And that’s what PIMBY is all about.
We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with some new insights in our next article! In the meantime, you can get in touch with us by emailing tas.policyexchange@utas.edu.au.