‘Monumental stuff-up’: taxpayers fund $22.8m in ‘unusable’ personal protective equipment

Tasmanian health officials spent $22.8m of federal and state taxpayers’ money buying personal protective equipment now classed as “unusable” and set to be dumped.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has confirmed $22.8m was spent on ‘unusable’ PPE. Picture: Chris Kidd

Tasmanian health officials spent $22.8m of federal and state taxpayers’ money buying personal protective equipment that is now classed as “unusable” and set to be dumped.

The Labor opposition on Thursday night labelled the revelation “one of the worst examples of waste in Tasmania’s history”, amid calls for an independent inquiry. Sources suggested the PPE, including face masks, was ordered during the pandemic but did not meet specifications.

The government suggested the PPE was unusable chiefly because it was out of date, after stockpiling it based on expert ­advice.

“The supply of PPE was needed in response to the Covid pandemic,” a government spokes­woman said. “It was a vital investment for public health and safety and we stand by the decision to be properly prepared to protect Tasmanians lives.”

Even so, the government confirmed “legal proceedings” were under way relating to supply of “unusable” surgical masks.

Opposition health spokeswoman Anita Dow told The Australian the wastage, confirmed in government answers to written questions put by Labor through parliament, was “staggering”.

“This Liberal government has made an artform of wasting taxpayers’ money but this takes it to another level,” she said.

“Premier and Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff should be ashamed of this monumental stuff-up. It’s symptomatic of a government that is incompetent and chaotic. The Premier should take responsibility and apologise to the people of Tasmania and order an independent investigation into how this occurred.”

Mr Rockliff’s answers to the parliamentary questions said the government acted on “expert advice” in seeking to maintain a six-month PPE stockpile “due to recent uncertainties in international supply chains and the critical need for certainty of supply”.

Of the $22.8m in “unusable” PPE, $18.6m was purchased in 2019-20 and $4.2m in 2020-21.

PPE purchased after March 13, 2020, was 50 per cent funded by federal taxpayers.