Time to start planning for increase in population
FOR many years Tasmania’s population has remained relatively static. For the first part of the past decade the number of people living in the state hovered around 510,000515,000 and there was even a 0.57 per cent drop between 2011 and 2012.
More recently there has been a steady increase, with the latest 2021 census showing 558,000 who call Tasmania home.
Forecasts released by the federal government on Wednesday show the numbers will grow to 647,000 by 2032-33, mainly driven by overseas migration.
Population growth is generally considered a good thing. It drives economic growth. More people means a bigger workforce, more tax revenue, more demand for goods and services and more homes being built.
It also brings growing pains. A tight housing market will become even tighter, there is likely to be greater congestion on our roads and there is more pressure on health and education infrastructure.
The type of population growth matters too. If the growth is in younger people who raise families and fill job vacancies, this generates more income. If the growth is in retirees, the benefits are fewer because an ageing population increases pressures on health care and jobs are more difficult to fill.
The forecast growth means that governments need to start planning without delay.
If there are going to be roughly 90,000 more people in 10 years time there will be more demands on key infrastructure. Already governments are struggling to maintain a viable and efficient health system. Imagine what it might be like with a few extra thousand people in the mix.
Some will argue that governments should concentrate on housing and taking care of existing Tasmanians, rather than encouraging an influx in migration. This is an ignorant position. Yes, the growth has to be controlled, but Tasmania needs more workers to fill vacancies in areas such as health and aged care, the rural sector and hospitality. Migration can be a key part in filling those positions and help to build a brighter future.