Tasmania best place to weather COVID-19 storm – people even endured quarantine to be here

A quick glance at the global death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic – which now sits at well over one million – should instil in every Australian a renewed sense they are living in “the Lucky Country”, writes Jenna Cairney.

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THERE can be little doubt 2020 is a very good year to be in Tasmania rather than on the mainland.

At the time of writing, Friday night revellers are beginning to gather at the outdoor tables which line the edge of Salamanca Square in Hobart.

And across the state people are downing tools for the weekend and making their way to a pub for a beer on a long spring evening.

Restaurant Jack Greene at Salamanca.

It almost goes without saying right now that we are leading a blessed life.

You only need to listen to stories from people in Victoria to see how quickly and dramatically things can turn for the worse.

And a quick glance at the global death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic – which now sits at well over one million – should instil in every Australian a renewed sense that they are living in “the Lucky Country”.

It is, therefore, little surprise that people are continuing to move to Tasmania undeterred by the mandatory two-week quarantine period, as our story on Page 1 shows.

Indeed, any reasonable consideration of the facts would suggest Tasmania is likely to see a renewed influx of people making the move south once restrictions have been lifted.

Mainlanders lived through a summer bushfire season from hell followed by p

Views of the remains of the horse stables after the devastating New Years Eve Bushfires wiped out 3 of the Buchanan Family homes located in Euro Bodalla Shire. January 25, 2020. DailyTelegraph/Gaye Gerard

rolonged lockdowns.

Should working from home become the new norm, there will be ample opportunity for tree-changes.

For many people, population growth will be seen as a double-edged sword where economic growth is traded for the quiet pace of life we all love and enjoy.

The great hope has to be that with wise investment in infrastructure and innovative job creation we can keep the things we love about Tasmania and keep away the things we don’t.

Notably, the local government area of Sorell as one of the state’s hot spots in terms of population growth.

This shows how the Morrison Government’s announcement of $187m to duplicate the causeway that links Sorell to the city is well-timed and forward-thinking.

Of course, many Tasmanians will also rightly voice concerns about how any influx of newcomers will find employment in circumstances where the job market is already proving difficult for many.

This would seem to be especially so at a time when our key tourism and hospitality sector is struggling.

It is in this context that everyone’s spirits should be buoyed by reports that Conde Nast Traveller has released its 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards, with Tasmania coming in as the number one island in the South Pacific.

And it’s almost certain that as things start to heat up for summer, the relative cool of our southern paradise will lure a large number of visitors from the mainland.

In a year when overseas travel is definitively off the table, here’s hoping more Australians than ever discover what we have to offer.