The Settlements Chapter reviews the social, economic and environmental state of Tasmania's settlements. Twelve specific issues were considered in the 2003 SoE Report with regard to settlements. These issues were grouped broadly under the topics of condition, processes and agents of change, and waste management and contamination. Issues included are: population and settlement patterns; environmental health; acoustic environment; bushland and landscape; drinking water quality; social and economic conditions; education; transport; energy sources and use; solid waste; and hazardous waste. More detailed information on these issues is provided in the Settlements Chapter.

Population and Settlement Patterns: Tasmania's resident population at August 2001 was 456,652, according to the Census of Population and Housing 2001 (ABS 2001), a decline of 0.7% since the 1996 census. The 2001 derived estimated resident population (ABS 2002) is 471,604. The most recent estimated resident population (March 2003) is 476,199. Tasmania's share of the total population of Australia declined from 2.9% in 1976 to 2.7% in 1991, 2.6% in 1996 and 2.4% in 2001. March 2003 figures reveal that the percentage remained relatively stable since the 2001 census (ABS 2001 and ABS 2003).

Environmental Health: Efforts to address environmental pollutants with implications for human health include: removal of lead petrol; reduction in workplace exposure to hazardous chemicals and wastes; and banning of smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces. A decline in melanoma rates may reflect increasingly proactive measures to minimise exposure to direct sunlight. Surveys have shown that Australian produce is of high quality with respect to residues and contaminants, and none were found in any Tasmanian produce sampled. There are still concerns with lead exposure from older homes, and involuntary exposure to cigarette smoke. A report was released in July 2003 recommending that the current smoke free areas legislation be extended.

Acoustic Environment: Half of the 4,000 public complaints received each year in relation to environmental harm are in response to noise. In order of significance, sources of excessive noise are from dogs, other domestic sources, secondary industry, and motor vehicles/traffic. Road transport is the most widespread source of noise pollution. The reduction of vehicle speed limits in residential streets to 50km/h may have contributed in reducing noise in residential areas in Tasmania. However, there is little monitoring known which documents such improvements. Noise surveys to assess and measure the acoustic environment at suburban or regional scales are generally not undertaken in Tasmania.

Drinking Water Quality: The quality of drinking water to major urban centres is generally very good in Tasmania; a significant proportion of Hobart's water is sourced from highland catchments. Catchment water management issues are important in ensuring provision of clean drinking water; to this end, major catchment studies for critical drinking water catchments have been completed or are progressing. Small local government water supply systems in rural areas experience the most problems with microbiological water quality, with a significant source being sewage effluent. However, measurable improvements are being made such as through the State's Clean Water Program. In the period 2001-02, the Department of Health and Human Services reported that three bulk water supply systems (compared with six in 2000-01) did not comply with Public Health Act 1997 - Guidelines for Water Quality microbiological requirements (DHHS 2003). The number of water supplies in compliance with national standards increased to 61 compared to 46 in 2000-01 (DHHS 2003). Issues include that there are limited data available for reporting on drinking water quality other than for microbial pollution.

Social and Economic Conditions: Social and economic well-being can be measured through equity, employment status, income, economic activity, housing, and education. Unemployment is a key integrating indicator in assessing social and economic conditions (refer to discussion above). Housing affordability is a further measure. In June 2001, Tasmanian home loan affordability was at its highest since 1994, driven largely by falls in interest rates that resulted in average monthly loan repayments also decreasing (REIA 2001). The picture in Tasmania is one of relatively high housing affordability: almost 70% of households either own or are purchasing their own homes. High levels of home ownership, or the capacity to take on mortgage loans, suggests that Tasmanians are relatively well-off and that home ownership contributes significantly to quality of life. There are also recent positive changes through increasing tourism investment, new investors in Tasmania, retirees coming to the State, and families moving for the safety and lifestyle. In the December quarter 2002, Tasmania's population increased by 2,272 persons (0.48%) compared to the same period in the previous year.

Education: School participation rates for Tasmanian students have shown a marked improvement with retention in schools of students from Year 10 to Year 12 rising from 71.6% in 2000 to 75.0% in 2002, which put Tasmania fourth of the Australian states and territories, and compared favourably with the Australian average of 76.5%. Participation in vocational and tertiary education of the general Tasmanian population aged 15-64 is rising steadily, moving from 13.7% in 1999-2000 to 14.2% in 2001-02. Attendance at tertiary institutions increased from 2.8% of the total population in 1996 of 459,659 to 2.9% of the population in 2001 of 456,652.

Transport: Trends relevant to transport patterns include increasingly dispersed residences, increases in car ownership, and increases in car usage for travel to work. Development of high level outlet roads increases the threshold distance people are prepared to drive to key employment centres. Numerous innovations have been undertaken by Metro Tasmania to offer alternative bus services and to cater to wheelchair passengers. There are uncertainties about the average fuel efficiency of the Tasmanian vehicle fleet, and Tasmania traditionally has the oldest vehicle age.

Energy Sources and Use: Total and per capita energy consumption continues to rise in Tasmania, although the rate of increase has declined in the most recently available data. Data available from ABARE for 1997-98 indicated energy consumption for Tasmania of 203.4 GJ/capita. Tasmania uses less energy than any other State or Territory in Australia and hydro-electricity in Tasmania produces nil greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately half of Tasmania's total energy requirements are sourced from non-renewable sources such as petroleum products and coal. Energy consumption has historically increased at the same rate as economic output in the State, although most recently available statistics suggest that the State economy grew at a slightly greater rate than energy use.

Solid Waste: Currently there are 35 permitted landfill sites in Tasmania compared to 99 sites in 1994. As in other Australian states, there are an unknown number of smaller, mostly rural disposal sites operating without approval. Many of the closed sites have undergone or are undergoing rehabilitation. The Landfill Code of Practice (1996) is being replaced with an updated document that will reflect current world best practice and will provide operators with a framework for operation and rehabilitation. This document will be released in January 2004 with all operators of landfills expected to comply with the Code within a reasonable time frame. Several of the larger landfills, for instance, those at Glenorchy, New Norfolk and Hobart have been operating for several decades and, in keeping with the environmental protection standards of the time, were primarily designed and constructed using natural attenuation liners. Operators of these sites attempt to continually improve their site's environmental performance by ongoing surface and groundwater monitoring, operation management and improved infrastructure. However, the sites often have significant and severe limitations that are difficult to overcome. Surface and groundwater contamination is therefore a legacy of these sites and historical landfilling practices. These sites require post-closure monitoring to determine the scope and degree of any contamination and potential risk to groundwater aquifers and surface waters. In line with the Tasmania Together goals, alternate methods of waste disposal are being examined which may see a reduced reliance on landfilling as emerging waste management technologies become available.

Hazardous Waste: Tasmania's small population and less dense and diverse industrialisation have resulted in relatively low annual volumes of controlled wastes and hence lower waste management pressures than other mainland states. Economies of scale have consequently often lead to problems with the establishment and operation of hazardous waste reuse, treatment and disposal facilities in Tasmania. Waste generators incur significant difficulties in managing their wastes in an environmentally responsible and timely manner. The diverse nature of the waste stream means that no single method of treatment or disposal will deal with all harmful wastes. Landfilling to approved sites, with or without pre-treatment, remains the primary means of managing controlled wastes, however waste avoidance, followed by waste minimisation and resource recovery remain priority actions. A number of waste management facilities currently permitted to accept controlled wastes do not meet accepted best practice environmental or engineering standards. The absence of purpose built facilities within the State to manage certain wastes means that they require threatment on the mainland and are transported under the requirements of the National Environment Protection (Movement of Controlled Waste Between States and Territories) Measure.

Contaminated Sites: The number of suspected but not confirmed contaminated sites is unknown, but is likely to be in the order of many hundreds. The number of known contaminated sites in Tasmania was 81 in May 1995. In 2003, the number of known contaminated sites is 67. There are a number of possible explanations for this decline, and these are discussed in the Contaminated Sites Issue Report.