Media Release
Wednesday August 5th 2026
Call for review of LGBTIQA+ health funding as Tasmania overlooked
Equality Tasmania has called on LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) to review its decision to fund health projects in every state except Tasmania.
On Monday, the Federal Government and LHA announced recipients of Government LGBTIQA+ health grants totalling $8.1 million across every continental state and the ACT, and across a variety of identity and intersectional groups.
Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Andrew Badcock, said,
“Tasmania has the highest rate of LGBTIQA+ mental health risk and suicide ideation among all the states and territories, high rates of housing and income risk, the most dispersed population across regional and rural areas, and the most recent legacy of criminalisation, yet zero applicants from our state were funded.”
“Some national projects were funded but their per capita spend in Tasmania will be very little.”
“This is an example of the unique disadvantages facing LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians being overlooked and forgotten.”
“We urge LHA and the federal government to work together to ensure at least one Tasmanian project is funded in this and every round.”
“It’s not too late to rectify this mistake and ensure national LGBTIQA+ funding is truly national, and supports projects in every Australian state and territory."
LHA disbursed the $8.1 million of funds provided by the Federal Government.
The Northern Territory also missed out.
The Federal Government has also provided $10 million for LGBTIQA+ health worker training to organisations based in Sydney and Melbourne.
Below is a table showing amounts disbursed by state and territory. The first line is the amount for organisations that have a specific state-based mandate (eg ACON or Qld Positive People). The second line adds to the state total all funding for national organisations or projects based in that state (eg Minus 18’s national digital platform is based and staffed in Victoria).
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Andrew Badcock on 0400 884 149.
NSW
$1,790,000
$2,390,000
Victoria
$1,005,000
$1,749,000
Queensland
$2,099,000
$2,099,000
WA
$600,000
$895,000
SA
$300,000
$300,000
ACT
$698,227
$698,227
Tasmania
$0
Northern Territory
$0
National projects
$1,639,000
$0 (after funding for national projects is added to the states where they are based and staffed, and subtracted from the total for national projects)
