Tasmanian Government Insurance Office

The Tasmanian Government Insurance Office (TGIO) was a publicly owned insurance company operated by the Government of Tasmania. It was established in 1978 to provide general insurance services within the state of Tasmania, and was sold to GIO Insurance in 1993 as part of broader reforms to reduce government involvement in commercial enterprises.^[1]

The Tasmanian Government Insurance Office was created under the Tasmanian Government Insurance Office Act 1978, passed by the Parliament of Tasmania.^[2] The act established the TGIO as a statutory authority to conduct general insurance business on behalf of the state. Its operations included providing cover for property, motor vehicles, and public liability, and it also issued workers' compensation and marine insurance policies.

TGIO was part of a trend in Australian states during the mid-20th century to establish government-owned insurers to offer competition to private providers and ensure access to insurance in regional areas.

In the early 1990s, as part of state government reforms and moves to reduce public debt, the Tasmanian government began reviewing the role of government business enterprises. In 1993, the TGIO was sold to the insurance company GIO Australia.^[3]

After the sale, existing TGIO policies were transitioned to GIO Australia, and the statutory authority was dissolved. This move aligned Tasmania with other Australian states that were similarly privatising their state-run insurers during the 1990s.^[4]

During the 2025 state election campaign, comparisons were drawn between the TGIO and a Liberal Party policy proposal to establish a new government-owned insurer named TasInsure.^[5]

• Privatisation in Australia