The new Tasmanian Population Policy Planning for our future was released on 3 July 2024 to lead the state’s move towards a more balanced and sustainable population.
The purpose of the policy is to better prepare for and manage future population changes as a shared responsibility across all levels of government.
The policy provides a strategic framework to bring together planning, housing, skills and training, workforce development, urban renewal, and infrastructure and transport, while maintaining a focus on improving wellbeing outcomes for all Tasmanians.
Liveability - increasing liveability through better infrastructure planning and delivery, greater housing supply and diversity and improved services.
The people and skills we need - attracting and retaining the people and skills we need to support current and future generations.
Sustainability - improving sustainability for current and future generations by understanding available data and learning from innovative initiatives to inform systems change.
Intergenerational wellbeing is central to these priorities and is the key driver for the policy.
The policy priorities were developed through consultation across government agencies, local businesses, key industries and community members. You can find the priorities listed in the Population Policy
After a period of high growth, Tasmania’s population growth rate has now slowed. Without population planning, Tasmania is more likely to face a slowing economy, a shrinking workforce, and a reduced capacity to fund essential services.
This is why the next phase of population planning is focused on the retention and attraction of younger residents and working-age people. A more balanced population demographic is better equipped to prepare, plan for and manage future challenges and opportunities.
The policy is for all people living in Tasmania, whether they were born locally, have moved here, or are considering moving here. The focus is on the future of our state and creating a solid economic and social foundation for intergenerational wellbeing.
Achieving the policy’s goals will require innovative and connected efforts across the public and private sectors, including through targeted projects and initiatives developed in consultation with stakeholders.
The population data dashboard is a free online resource that presents population projection data for Tasmania in an interactive, easy to use format.
It has been developed in collaboration between the Department, the Department of Treasury and Finance, and demographer Dr Tom Wilson.
The dashboard is regularly updated and will expand over time. It will be of particular use to government agencies, local councils, planners, developers, investors, businesses, and service providers. The population data dashboard can be found at population.tas.gov.au.
Tasmania’s Population Policy is an update of the 2015 Population Growth Strategy. To learn more about the strategy and the development of the new policy, visit the Background and development of the Population Policy website.