Toothless tigers
It's simple: we want long-term thinking, but also more stuff now.
‘Tasmania Together’: A bold vision for the future
Back in 1999, Tasmania embarked on an ambitious journey of long-term planning and community consultation known as Tasmania Together. It was a bold initiative, driven by the idea that everyday Tasmanians—rather than just politicians and bureaucrats—should have a say in shaping the state’s future. The project sought to answer a fundamental question: What do we want Tasmania to look like in 2020?
Mirroring other countries and regions, the question was to see how to create the Tasmanian Tiger – not the thylacine but a fast growing state that would be noticed around the world.
With extensive public input, Tasmania Together created a framework of measurable goals across areas like health, education, sustainability, economic resilience, and social equity. It was meant to be a guiding light for policy and decision-making, independent of political cycles. But by 2012, the initiative was quietly dismantled, leaving behind little more than an archive of well-intentioned reports and progress updates.
Why did ‘Tasmania Together’ fail?
For all its ambition, Tasmania Together lacked one crucial element: teeth.
It was an advisory framework rather than a binding roadmap. Governments could pick and choose which parts to follow (or ignore), and there was little consequence for inaction. While it set aspirational targets, such as improving literacy rates and reducing inequality, it did not have the power to enforce these goals through legislation or policy mandates.
It became a toothless tiger.
Moreover, Tasmania Together was expendable. When political priorities shifted, the framework was quietly abandoned, dismissed as a bureaucratic exercise rather than a movement for genuine change. The idea of long-term visioning gave way to short-term political survival. By the time the Giddings Government officially scrapped it in 2012, few in power seemed to care.
Why Tasmania needs a new vision in 2024
Fast forward to today, and Tasmania faces a host of challenges that demand long-term thinking and decisive action. Housing affordability is worsening, health outcomes remain poor compared to the rest of the country, economic disparity is growing, and climate change presents an ever-increasing threat. The world has changed dramatically since 1999, and yet Tasmania still lacks a coherent, community-driven vision for the next 20 or 30 years.
A modern version of Tasmania Together could provide exactly that—a blueprint for a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable state. But this time, it must be stronger, more accountable, and more action-focused.
Reimagining ‘Tasmania Together’: A plan for the future
To avoid the pitfalls of its predecessor, a new iteration of Tasmania Together must be built with action, accountability, and adaptability in mind to give the tiger its bite. Here’s what that could look like:
1. Community-Driven, Not Politician-Led
The success of any long-term vision depends on its connection to real people, not just government officials. A new Tasmania Together must actively engage Tasmanians from all walks of life—workers, businesses, unions, students, Indigenous communities, and local councils. It should not be another top-down policy document, but a bottom-up movement driven by the people it seeks to serve.
2. Measurable Goals with Real Consequences
Targets mean little without mechanisms to achieve them. If Tasmania is serious about tackling issues like housing, health, and education, a new framework must include real benchmarks with clear policy actions attached. Governments, businesses, and communities must commit to these goals, and there should be public transparency around progress.
3. A permanent, independent oversight body
One of the biggest failings of Tasmania Together was that it relied on political goodwill. A new version must include an independent accountability body. One that reports directly to the public, not to government. Think of it as a watchdog for Tasmania’s future, ensuring that commitments translate into real action.
In 1999, the internet was in its infancy, and public engagement meant town hall meetings and printed surveys. In 2024, we can use digital tools, such as online surveys, social media forums, AI-driven insights, and real-time dashboards, to make community involvement easier, more accessible, and more representative.
5. A 2040 vision: Thinking beyond political cycles
Rather than focusing on the next election cycle, a modern Tasmania Together should set goals for 2040 and beyond. What kind of Tasmania do we want to leave for future generations? How can we ensure sustainable economic growth, agricultural outcomes, better education, a strong healthcare system, and a healthier environment? These are the kinds of questions that demand long-term, strategic thinking.
It will never happen
While the idea of reviving Tasmania Together in a modern, action-driven form is compelling, the truth is it will never happen. The will for genuine long-term reform simply does not exist within Tasmania’s political class. Short-term political survival always wins out over visionary policy. Governments change, priorities shift, and the need to secure the next election always outweighs any commitment to a 20-year plan.
To distort Saul Eslake’s quote, there’s more chance of me seeing a thylacine on my front lawn than getting Tasmania Together back on track.
Even beyond politics, apathy runs deep in Tasmania. The public, worn down by decades of unfulfilled promises and political inertia, has little faith in grand visions. Too many people are focused on surviving in the present rather than shaping the future. Without widespread public demand and sustained political pressure, a new Tasmania Together would simply become another well-meaning initiative that fades into irrelevance, just like its predecessor.
The unfortunate reality is that Tasmania will likely continue to drift—shaped not by a bold community vision, but by external economic forces, political convenience, and inertia. It’s a bleak truth, but one we must acknowledge. If Tasmania is to truly take control of its future, it will take more than a revived policy framework—it will take a revolution in public engagement and political accountability, and that seems further away than ever.