Equal Opportunity Tasmania

Annual Report 2023–2024

How to use this report

We wrote some words in bold.

What’s in this report?

Equal Opportunity Tasmania
What is this report about?
Word list
Contact us

Equal Opportunity Tasmania

The Anti-Discrimination Commissioner works at Equal Opportunity Tasmania.

We just call them the Commissioner.

Discrimination is when someone treats you unfairly because of a part of who you are.

Someone might experience discrimination because of their:

• disability
• race.

Someone might experience discrimination because of their:

• religion
• age
• sexuality – who they love and are attracted to
• gender.

Your gender is what you feel and understand about who you are as a person.

You might think of yourself as a man or a woman or something different.

You can choose the words that are right for you.

Someone might also experience discrimination because they have:

• a criminal record
• family responsibilities, like caring for a member of their family.

There are many other types of discrimination that are covered in the Act.

The Commissioner talks to the government about discrimination.

The Commissioner does research about how to stop discrimination.

The Commissioner looks at laws and policies.

A policy is a plan for how we should do things.

Our policies are where our rules come from.

The Commissioner also looks at complaints.

When you make a complaint, you say that someone hasn’t treated you:

• fairly
• the same as other people.

This includes complaints about:

• discrimination
• harassment – when someone treats you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable
• behaviours that are against the law.

We work to stop discrimination in the community.

We also work to stop negative attitudes towards other people in the community.

Attitudes are what you:

• think
• feel
• believe.

12 people work on our team.

What is this report about?

This report talks about what we did from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.

Complaints

We follow a law called the Anti‑Discrimination Act 1998 (Tasmania).

We call it ‘the Act’.

The Act talks about what people can make complaints about.

Complaints are an important part of our work.

242 people made a complaint to us.

People can make a complaint about discrimination.

108 people made a complaint about disability discrimination.

We supported 2 people with disability who made complaints.

These complaints were about:

• accessible parking
• how they were treated at work.

We also got lots of complaints about discrimination based on a person’s:

• gender
• age
• race.

People can make a complaint about sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is when someone:

• makes you do sexual things you don’t want to do
• does sexual things to you that you don’t want them to do
• asks you to do sexual things you don’t want to do
• says sexual things you don’t want to hear.

28 people made a complaint about sexual harassment.

People can make a complaint about offensive conduct.

Offensive conduct is when someone says or does something that hurts your feelings.

They do these things because of something you can’t change about yourself.

For example, someone might make rude jokes about your:

• race
• age
• disability
• sexuality.

People told us about offensive conduct 294 times.

People can make a complaint about inciting hatred.

Inciting hatred is when someone shows how much they hate someone in a public area because of someone’s:

• disability
• gender.

Someone might also show how much they hate someone in a public area because of someone’s:

• race
• religion
• sexuality.

Inciting hatred can be someone who:

• shouts mean things
• puts up mean notices or signs
• makes fun of someone else.

People told us about inciting hatred 89 times.

Most of these complaints were about a person’s:

• race
• disability.

People can make a complaint about victimisation.

Victimisation is when someone treats you badly because you:

• made a complaint
• helped someone else make a complaint about discrimination.

People told us about victimisation 148 times.

People told us places they go to work is where discrimination happens the most.

Dealing with complaints

We looked at all the complaints.

We worked out 115 complaints matched the Act.

We had meetings with:

• the person who made the complaint
• the person or organisation they made a complaint about.

This helped deal with 56 complaints.

60 complaints didn’t match what the Act covers.

This meant we couldn’t help those people deal with their complaint.

11 complaints were sent to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

We call it the Tribunal.

The Tribunal is like a court.

The Tribunal:

• holds hearings – formal meetings
• makes decisions about complaints.

We can send your complaint to the Tribunal if we think the Tribunal should look at it.

We will tell you if we send your complaint to the Tribunal.

Talking to us

We want to do our best to make sure you can talk to us.

You can talk to us in different ways, such as:

• in person
• on the phone
• on our website.

You can also:

• send us a letter
• send us a text.

You can find our contact details on page 15.

656 people contacted us for advice.

292 people told us about their experience of discrimination based on their disability.

201 people told us about their experience of discrimination based on their race.

Our ‘Report it!’ form

We have a form you can use.

It’s called Report it!

You can use Report it! to tell us about your experiences with discrimination.

You can tell us if you:

• saw discrimination
• experienced discrimination.

You can use the Report it! form online.

www.antidiscrimination.tas.gov.au/resources/forms/report-it

Or you can:

• print the Report it! form and fill it out
• return the form to the Commissioner.

You don’t have to say who you are when you fill out the Report it! form.

85 people filled out the Report it! form.

48 people told us about their experience of discrimination based on race.

3 people made a complaint after they used the Report it! form.

Training and learning

During the last year, lots of people wanted to learn about:

• laws about discrimination
• the rights of workers.

Rights are rules about how everyone should be treated fairly.

We held 148 training sessions in places people work.

We held 69 information sessions with the community.

Connecting with the community

We held one big event last year.

We support the idea to make a Human Rights Act for Tasmania.

We have talked to people and groups in the community about how a Human Rights Act can protect people.

Exemptions

The Commissioner can decide if organisations don’t need to follow parts of the Act.

But they must have the right reasons.

We call this an exemption.

You should check if an exemption applies to you.

An exemption makes discrimination lawful in some places.

If an exemption doesn’t apply to you, then you may need to talk to us about it.

An exemption lasts no more than 3 years.

9 people asked us for an exemption.

The Commissioner:

• said no to  5 exemptions
• said yes to 1 exemption
• is still deciding about  2 exemptions.

Another person asked for an exemption.

But they don’t want it anymore.

Policy work

Each year we look at policies based on the Act.

We look at how policies connect with discrimination.

We look at what:

• works well
• can be better.

Word list

This list explains what the bold words in this report mean.

Attitudes are what you:

• think
• feel
• believe.

When you make a complaint, you say that someone hasn’t treated you:

• fairly
• the same as other people.

Discrimination is when someone treats you unfairly because of a part of who you are.

The Commissioner can decide if organisations don’t need to follow parts of the Act.

But they must have the right reasons.

We call this an exemption.

Your gender is what you feel and understand about who you are as a person.

You might think of yourself as a man or a woman or something different.

You can choose the words that are right for you.

Harassment is when someone treats you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Inciting hatred is when someone shows how much they hate someone in a public area because of someone’s:

• disability
• race
• religion
• sexuality
• gender.

Offensive conduct is when someone says or does something that hurts your feelings.

They do these things because of something about you that you can’t change.

A policy is a plan for how we should do things.

Our policies are where our rules come from.

Rights are rules about how everyone should be treated fairly.

Sexual harassment is when someone:

• makes you do sexual things you don’t want to do
• does something sexual to you that you don’t want them to do
• asks you to do sexual things you don’t want to do
• says sexual things you don’t want to hear.

The Tribunal is like a court.

The Tribunal:

• holds hearings – formal meetings
• makes decisions about complaints.

Victimisation is when someone treats you badly because you:

• made a complaint
• helped someone else make a complaint about discrimination.

Contact us

You can call us.

(03) 6165 7515

If you live in Tasmania, you can also call us on another number.

1300 305 062

You can email us.

office@antidiscrimination.tas.gov.au

You can text us and we will call you back.

0409 401 083

You can contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS).

131 450

You can also contact the National Relay Service.

If you’re using the internet:

• go to internet-relay.nrscall.gov.au
• enter 1300 305 062.

If you want to talk to someone on the phone:

• call 1300 555 727
• ask for 1300 305 062.

You can visit us.

Level 1 54 Victoria Street Hobart TAS 7000

You can find us on Facebook.

www.facebook.com/antidiscriminationtasmania

You can visit our website.

www.antidiscrimination.tas.gov.au