According to a recent government report, there are more Tasmanians getting welfare support than residents who are fully employed. Based on the figures provided by the Commonwealth Department of Human Services, more than 160,000 Tasmanian residents depend only on income support benefits, with over 50,000 parents relying on the family Tax Benefit system. Meanwhile, the state's workforce slightly increased last May up to 151,400.
It must be noted that the
Tasmanian state also gets a bigger share of the $90 billion welfare budget compared to the other states with almost $4 billion benefits to be paid in 2006. The Commonwealth Government also predicted that the number of dependents to income support would continue to increase in the succeeding years. Although the employment boom in Tasmania during the recent years has decreased the number of Newstart Allowance (unemployment benefit), it was countered though by the sudden increase of Disability Support Pensions. Currently, there are 25,000 Tasmanians receiving the disability pension.
The island of Tasmania is found 200 km south of the eastern side of Australia. The Australian state boasts itself as a Natural State considering its largely
unexploited natural environment. Less than half of the state pertains to reserves, World heritages, and National Parks.
