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Tasmania's Guardianship and Administration Board wants more funding and staff to meet its increasing workload. It predicts that with an ageing population and increased dementia and mental health disabilities, more people will apply for guardianship and administration. The board makes decisions in relation to guardianship and administration issues, enduring guardians and attorneys and other interventions and wills. In its annual report to Parliament, the board said its operating budget in 2018-19 was $746,688, about 40 per cent under actual expenditure of $1.2 million. It said despite increases in workload and productivity and expenditure outstripping the budget for the past three years the budget had not been revised. "The continual shortfall has implications for the board and its ability to operate optimally, respond appropriately to growing need, and attend to future planning," it said. "The next financial period, 2019-20, will mirror this situation." Board president Rowena Holder said there had been a 12 per cent increase in new applications including a 10 per cent increase in guardianship applications and a 21 per cent increase in administration applications. Modelling showed new applications grew from 872 in 2013-14 to 1233 in 2017-18 and reaching 1848 in 2022-23. "The majority of applications before the board involve people over 65 years of age, with the most common disability being dementia," Ms Holder said. "The modelling showed the predicted growth in application numbers will continue due to increase dementia and mental health disabilities, and an ageing population. "The modelling indicated the board will require additional funding for hearings and additional administrative staff to meet its statutory functions." Ms Holder also said any changes to legislation - as recommended by the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute last year - would also require "appropriate resourcing". She noted that the board did not have video conferencing facilities which would allow greater participation of people at hearings. Ms Holder said she hoped Tasmania would move to a single civil and administrative tribunal model as in all other states. "For the board, a single tribunal has the advantage of sharing administrative supports, staffing and property, being able to enjoy better technology, such as a case management system, video conferencing facilities, digital on-line lodgement of applications and filing system and which centralised operations provides a greater profile in the Tasmanian community," she said.

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