Hobart teenagers Oscar Wadsley and Konan Masuda speak out about Tasmania’s youth brain drain

Hobart teenagers Oscar Wadsley and Konan Masuda love living in the state’s capital but are concerned about the number of their peers who are moving interstate. Find out why.

Konan Masuda 18 and Oscar Wadsley 18 who are part of the youth committee for Greater Hobart to improve outcomes for young people. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Young people say inaccessible public transport, exorbitantly high rents, and the soaring cost of living are leading to a brain drain of Hobart’s “best and brightest” as they flock to the mainland to seek better opportunities.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Tasmania had the weakest population growth in the country in the year to September 2023 at just 0.29 per cent, compared to a national average of 2.52 per cent.

While the state saw a net overseas migration inflow of 825 people in the September quarter, it recorded a net interstate outflow of 744 people in the same period, which was the sixth consecutive quarter of negative growth in that measure.

Oscar Wadsley, 18, of Allens Rivulet, said while he saw himself staying in Hobart to embark on a career as a doctor, there were many factors that made it difficult for young people to envisage a rich and fulfilling future for themselves in the state capital.

“So many of the people I know, some of the best and brightest young Tasmanians, are already gone or are thinking about going,” the first-year university student said.

Committee for Greater Hobart student participant Oscar Wadsley and Konan Masuda, far left, with CEO Danny Sutton, centre. Also pictured (L-R): Jaxi Peach, Sam Eccleston and Aisha Bissett. Picture: Chris Kidd

“Because there’s so much out there and it often seems like other places will actually appreciate what they want to do a bit more.”

Mr Wadsley participated in a youth workshop organised by the Committee for Greater Hobart last year, which found that some of the key issues facing young people in the region were limited public transport options, the implications of climate change, and a lack of affordable housing, services, and job opportunities.

The committee has recently launched a public awareness campaign calling for an “interconnected” and “community-owned” plan for the future of the region.

Konan Masuda, 18, of Coningham, also participated in the youth workshop and said he loved living in Hobart because of how “interconnected” the community was.

But the Year 12 Hobart College student said he was being forced to seriously consider moving to Melbourne or Sydney to begin his university studies due to a lack of suitable options for him at the University of Tasmania.

“I’d have to move states to partake in the degrees that I’m interested in, which is a huge financial barrier, I think, for many people in Hobart,” he said.

Young Hobartians have identified poor public transport services as a key issue facing the region’s youth. Picture: Linda Higginson

Mr Masuda, who wants to undertake a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, echoed Mr Wadsley’s concerns regarding public transport, saying that before he had his P-plates, he had to walk 45 minutes to reach his nearest bus stop.

Mr Masuda believes one of the ways outcomes could be improved for young people in Hobart would be for Tasmania’s minimum voting age to be lowered from 18 to 16. He recently went to Canberra with the Make It 16 organisation to lobby politicians to change the laws.

“I feel that even though there are organisations that provide some sort of [vehicle] for young people’s voices to be heard, it’s still not enough for me, which is why this campaign was very attractive and why I’ve been heavily involved in this,” he said.

“I just missed out on voting in the state election and I was extremely sad about that. Because I could have had a potential impact.”

Originally published as Hobart teenagers Oscar Wadsley and Konan Masuda speak out about Tasmania’s youth brain drain