ANMF Tasmania Calls on Government To Ensure Safety of Nurses and Midwives

WHAT: ANMF Media Doorstop
WHERE: Royal Hobart Hospital – Campbell Steet Entrance
WHEN: 10:00am, Friday 8 May, 2026
WHO: ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd and ANMF members will be available for media interview

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Tasmania Branch today called on the Tasmanian Government to take action to keep nurses and midwives safe and provide support for them while they deal with a cost of living crisis.

ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd said the ANMF recently wrote to the Premier regarding the significant cost of fuel in addition to ever increasing costs of living seeking an allowance for shift working nurses and midwives to assist in covering the increasing expenses of fuel.

“The ANMF acknowledged the action by the Tasmanian Government in making public transport free, halving the commonwealth fuel excise and passing legislation to ensure transparency of fuel levels and providing better regulation,” Ms Shepherd said.

“However, these measures will have limited benefit of shift working nurses and midwives.

“Our members are continuing to serve their communities with rising costs of living and despite the significant cost of fuel. While free public transport is a great initiative, the reality is that our members will not be able to utilise this initiative as shift working nurses and midwives cannot catch public transport due to their shift start and finish times and that there is no public transport in regional areas in Burnie that is even reliable.”

Ms Shepherd said many members have taken the initiative where suitable to ride to work as an alternative to driving or public transport.

“However, many have then had to bear the brunt of replacing bikes and equipment that were stolen from the RHH in recent weeks.

‘While placing a roof on the RHH bike shelter is a start, more needs to be done to ensure that these nurses and midwives have a fully secure area to store their bikes and equipment, when they are riding to work.”

Ms Shepherd said realistically this means that in order to get to work the majority of nurses and midwives are required to drive and in a cost of living crisis, this means for a 0.84FTE shift worker they are likely spending over $115.00 a fortnight on car parking.

“However, this is a cost that many nurses and midwives are not able to bear and therefore resort to parking at the Domain and walking into the RHH and then returning after a late shift between 10-11pm at night, or later if overtime is worked.

“This places nurses and midwives at considerable risk walking to their cars late at night with limited visibility and in an isolated position. This is unsafe and places those that are caring for our communities, in an extremely vulnerable position and shows a distinct duty of care by the Tasmanian Government for this critical workforce.”

The ANMF therefore will be meeting with the Health Minister today and will seek the Ministers consideration of:

• Dedicated bike shelters that are fully secure to house both bikes and bike riding equipment
• Subsidised and capped price car parking across the State or Provided Staff Parking
• Re-consideration of fuel allowances for shift working nurses and midwives who are not able to utilise free public transport.

-End-

Media contact:
Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary
Mobile: 0400 884 021
Email: Emily.Shepherd@anmftas.org.au