Tasmania’s population shifts slightly due to growing resident base in greater Hobart
The centre of Tasmania’s population has shifted thanks to a growing resident base in greater Hobart.
Tasmania
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IT’S official — the centre of Tasmania’s population has shifted slightly to the South East thanks to a growing resident base in greater Hobart.
Old Beach-Otago on Hobart’s Eastern Shore was Tasmania’s fastest growing area in 2018-19, according to the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), with a growth rate of 3.8 per cent.
The figures, which predate the COVID-19 crisis, reveal that greater Hobart increased by 3400 people (1.5 per cent) in 2018-19, while the rest of the state increased by 2700 (0.9 per cent).
The largest population gains were recorded in Rokeby and Sorell-Richmond, which both grew by 240 people.
If you have ever wondered where the centre of Tasmania lies according to population distribution, the ABS says that is near Woods Lake in the Central Highlands and the exact point shifted 350m southeast over 2018-19.
Port Sorell in the North-West had the third highest growth rate (3.1 per cent) and the largest net gain of “internal migrants” in 2018-19, with 190 people moving to the town from elsewhere in Tasmania.
Rokeby had the largest natural increase (number of births versus deaths) of 80 people and Hobart’s Sandy Bay had the largest influx of people from overseas (a net gain of 320 overseas migrants).
Brighton Mayor Tony Foster said Old Beach had long been the municipality’s “jewel in the crown” but he predicted growth would soon slow.
“Old Beach has always been the pearl of Brighton,” Cr Foster said.
“It’s 20 minutes from Hobart, has a beautiful vista of the river and mountain and great walking tracks. But we are fast running out of residential land, so I don’t see it having the same growth that we’ve had over the past 30 years.” Cr Foster predicted northern areas including Pontville and Mangalore would become the next hot spots for Brighton, which is Tasmania’s youngest and fastest-growing municipality.
“There might be a movement toward city living but there are still a lot of people who want to move to the countryside,” Cr Foster said.
Tasmania’s highest density suburbs are West Moonah, with 2300 people per square kilometre, Moonah (1900) and Sandy Bay (1800).
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