Survey hints at positive times ahead

TASMANIANS are an optimistic lot with a strong belief that good times lie ahead of us, early results in the Mercury’s Future Tassie Survey show.

More than 500 people have so far taken the time to complete the survey on the key issues facing our state.

Preliminary results show Tasmanians are in no doubt where they stand on the topics of political donations, council amalgamations, poker machines and mandatory sentences.

But there is less agreement on the merits of developments in national parks, on postal ballots for councils and the appropriate level of foreign investment in the state.

The survey is open until Christmas and the full results will be published in the Mercury in January.

Health and housing are the major issues facing the state says New Norfolk resident Sophie Eaves.

Ms Eaves said she was lucky not to have been personally affected by the topical welfare issues, but most people could relate.

“Everyone has the right to appropriate health services and the same goes for housing,” she said.

“Everyone should have somewhere safe and secure to live. The fact that there’s not a lot of that available — it’s really tough for a lot of people.”

The Mercury annual reader survey is called Future Tassie Survey this year.

Last year the newspaper’s Tassie 2020 online survey attracted more than 800 responses.

All Tasmanians are invited to log in and complete the survey and express ideas on how the state can achieve its full potential.

Ms Eaves is a recent TAFE graduate and works with Incat’s interior fit-out crew.

She said development was key to improving the state’s employment rates into the future.

“I think the more work there is development-wise is a great thing.

“It opens up a lot of opportunities to a lot of people.”