Despite Tasmania’s relative insulation from the worst of the pandemic, COVID-19 has served to create and exacerbate challenges to life in Tasmania. It has also revealed opportunities. As the size, composition and geographic distribution of the Tasmanian population is impacted, the Tasmanian Department of State Growth has commissioned this research to inform its update of Tasmania’s Population Strategy.

The report addresses the following key questions:

1. In light of the revised population projections, what are the likely key influences over the next five years, ten years and beyond?
2. What changes arose through 2020/2021 and amid COVID-normal that impact liveability in Tasmania?
3. How might Tasmania best leverage opportunities that have arisen out of the pandemic to retain residents and attract migrants from interstate and overseas to sustain the population and support growth?
4. In the context of above, are the three pillars of Tasmania’s Population Growth Strategy – job creation and workforce development, migration, and liveability – still fit for purpose? How might they need to be adapted?