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The absolute and percentage changes in population and number of households. Changes should be reported by location of the settlements and by settlement size (i.e. large, medium or small settlements). Changing populations have environmental effects. Settlements with growing populations are generally expanding, and therefore place additional pressure on the environment through development and increased human activity. Conversely, settlements with declining populations may lack the resources to address existing and emerging environmental concerns. There are also relationships between the land use pattern of population change and transport needs.
The first SoE report for Tasmania used urban centres and localities as the statistical boundaries most suitable for reporting on population distribution. This was because these boundaries were suited to the level of detail that could be included and information was available on demographic and social variables for urban centres and localities back to 1976. These boundaries also better represented the important regional population centres.
Tasmania's resident population at August 2001 was 456,652. Its share of the total population of Australia declined from 2.9% in 1976 to 2.7% in 1991 to 2.4% in 2001 (ABS 1994a and ABS 2001b). The statewide population decreased by 0.7% between 1996 and 2001. (ABS 2001) The change in population varied widely throughout the State, with notable falls in the west coast areas, most notably in Roseberry, Maydena, and Zeehan. In contrast to these falls, there are notable increases in other parts of the State. Marked increases in population have been seen in Old Beach, Pontville, and Dodges Ferry, suggesting a trend of people preferring to move to smaller places within easy reach of the larger cities. The pattern of population distribution in Tasmania appears to have shifted only marginally. In spatial analysis, a gravity centre of a region is the location of maximum accessibility for the greatest number of people. Shifts in the gravity centre provide a measure of change in population distribution and concentration. Gravity centre analysis was undertaken for the population of Tasmania for the 1991, 1996 and 2001 census. The results shown in the map indicate a slight shift to the south-east in the gravity centre of the Tasmanian population. These results are supported by the general population trends outlined in the analysis of urban centres and localities showing relative population growth in the east and south-east of the State.
Between 1996-01, these larger centres experienced a decline of 0.7% and their share of State population declined from 51.2% in 1996 to 47% in 2001. The total population of Tasmania declined by 0.7% over the same period. The population of Burnie/Somerset was fewer than 20,000 people as at the 1996 census. Within greater Hobart, a significantly larger statistical boundary than the Hobart urban centre, regional variations in population change at the level of census collector district (CCD) are evident in the following map of population change 1991-96. For example, population decline at New Norfolk contrasts with growth in commuter suburbs including Kingston and Sorell.
Between 1996-01, these centres experienced population decline of 0.9% and their share of State population decreased from 25% to 24.9%. (ABS 1996 and 2001) However, these trends also mask some significant regional variations. The rapid growth of fringe urban centres including Old Beach, Dodges Ferry, and Pontville contrasts with population decline in other centres. The population decline in some towns is partly attributable to industrial restructuring. Queenstown (10.6%) and George Town (8.7%) are two of the towns affected by industrial restructuring. The west coast mining communities of Rosebery, Zeehan and Savage River also experienced a decline in population between 1996 and 2001. However, populations tend to fluctuate in mining communities, along with the fortunes of the mines. Urbanisation has also resulted in formerly separate towns being linked to major centres through the journey to work: the populations of a number of these communities that are within commuting distance to urban centres have grown rapidly as a result. Two examples are Hadspen in the north (6.8% annual growth from 1996-01) and Kingston in the south (7.9% annual growth from 1996-01). The population of Old Beach and Legana have grown substantially, from being fewer than the threshold of 200 people for the locality or village class in 1976, to mid-size urban centres in 2001. Population trends of mid-size urban centres (1,000-19,999 people), 1976-01 Population centre 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 Change (%) 1996-01 Rosebery 2,534 2,675 2,102 1,637 1,439 1,115 -22.5 Queenstown 4,520 3,714 3,593 3,368 2,631 2,352 -10.6 Bridgewater 2,750 6,880 8,654 8,684 7,451 6,693 -10.2 George Town 5,296 5,592 5,315 5,026 4,522 4,129 -8.7 Deloraine 1,843 1,923 1,997 2,098 2,168 2,032 -6.3 Burnie/Somerset 19,115 20,368 20,665 20,505 19,134 18,095 -5.4 New Norfolk 6,679 6,243 6,152 5,822 5,286 5,011 -5.2 Smithton 3,235 3,378 3,414 3,495 3,313 3,149 -5.0 Penguin 2,502 2,616 2,801 2,876 3,030 2,910 -4.0 Westbury 1,006 1,161 1,222 1,292 1,280 1,241 -3.0 Ulverstone 8,793 9,413 10,055 9,923 9,792 9,515 -2.8 Latrobe 2,375 2,401 2,578 2,551 2,765 2,690 -2.7 Lauderdale 1,881 2,117 2,353 2,509 2,485 2,445 -1.6 Beauty Point 1,012 998 1,064 1,137 1,194 1,176 -1.5 Scottsdale 1,815 2,002 1,983 2,020 1,922 1,904 -0.9 Beaconsfield 936 898 1,064 1,088 1,014 1,007 -0.7 Huonville-Ranelagh 1,340 1,347 1,305 1,524 1,718 1,708 -0.6 Longford 1,785 2,027 2,437 2,601 2,829 2,827 -0.1 Sorell-Midway Point 2,183 2,544 2,882 3,199 3,596 3,606 0.3 St Helens 817 1,005 1,149 1,145 1,776 1,800 1.4 Evandale 529 614 723 772 1,033 1,057 2.3 Seven Mile Beach 464 682 847 947 1,057 1,084 2.6 Wynyard 4,348 4,582 4,705 4,679 4,509 4,635 2.8 Turners Beach 659 842 900 905 1,184 1,259 6.3 Perth 1,141 1,229 1,352 1,573 1,863 1,984 6.5 Port Sorell 772 859 1,173 1,494 1,818 1,937 6.5 Hadspen 619 908 1,089 1,334 1,730 1,848 6.8 Kingston 6,259 8,556 10,932 12,907 13,746 14,827 7.9 Legana n.a. 964 1,237 1,398 1,987 2,144 7.9 Bridport 725 885 980 1,165 1,234 1,352 9.6 Old Beach n.a. n.a. n.a. 492 1,708 1,979 15.9 Pontville 809 908 962 1,125 1,424 1,652 16.0 Dodges Ferry 442 743 1,091 1,550 2,077 2,476 19.2 Total 86,650 101,074 108,776 112,841 114,715 113,63 -0.9 Total Tasmanian population 412,300 427,200 446,500 452,837 459,659 456,652 -0.7 % total population in mid-size urban centres 21.0 23.7 24.4 24.9 25.0 24.9 Source: ABS Census Data 1976-02
Overall, localities and villages with a population of between 200 and 999 people increased their share of population from 4.7% to 6.7% between 1976 and 2001. The population of localities and villages grew by 0.4% between 1996 and 2001. During the period from 1976 to 1996, 17 centres reached the threshold of a minimum of 200 people and became classed as localities and villages for the first time. These included places such as Lewisham, Primrose Sands, and Opossum Bay in the south, and Dilston, Gawler, and Sisters Beach in the north. There are also some significant regional variations and variations between rural and fringe urban localities, and villages. The table highlights the legacy of industrial restructuring and rural decline in a number of localities, as well as economic development and renewal in others through emerging industry and employment opportunities. A number of east coast centres have experienced substantial population growth, as well as Strahan on the west coast. Towns of the Midlands, including Campbell Town and Ross, experienced further population decline between 1996 and 2001, while centres such as Howden and Eaglehawk Neck Beach increased their population. Centres such as Margate are increasingly viewed as commuter suburbs. Population trends of localities and villages (200-999 people), 1976-01 Locality or village 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 % change
Grindelwald n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 592 n.a. Maydena 537 461 384 381 331 247 -25.4 Zeehan 1,754 1,750 1,610 1,132 1,116 892 -20.1 Exeter 347 353 344 394 382 313 -18.1 Mole Creek 300 303 288 249 256 213 -16.8 Stanley 650 603 588 576 543 463 -14.7 Fingal 430 424 443 428 379 325 -14.2 Branxholm 275 273 264 262 266 232 -12.8 Triabunna 881 924 883 831 766 700 -8.6 Gawler n.a n.a 233 204 271 248 -8.5 St Marys 677 653 668 629 588 538 -8.5 Dilston n.a 223 281 304 323 296 -8.4 Campbell Town 936 879 867 820 816 755 -7.5 Margate 392 476 557 743 1,034 959 -7.3 Low Head 275 339 416 454 463 431 -6.9 Franklin 530 479 453 462 454 423 -6.8 Collinsvale n.a n.a n.a 278 297 277 -6.7 Tullah 267 1,894 1,117 718 268 250 -6.7 Lilydale 316 308 357 333 343 321 -6.4 Cygnet 720 715 832 924 851 800 -6.0 Carrick 227 291 340 325 331 312 -5.7 Currie 861 859 794 819 841 793 -5.7 White Beach (L) n.a. n.a n.a n.a 261 246 -5.7 Heybridge 378 395 396 370 341 324 -5.0 Kempton n.a 226 324 342 327 316 -3.4 Nubeena n.a 225 220 229 264 255 -3.4 Ross 301 289 283 282 275 266 -3.3 Sheffield 833 945 934 992 1,016 982 -3.3 Dunalley 247 203 286 306 286 277 -3.1 Primrose Sands n.a n.a n.a 569 698 678 -2.9 Ringarooma 287 223 262 235 232 226 -2.6 Bracknell 271 347 355 368 367 360 -1.9 Railton 926 857 906 996 878 862 -1.8 Bothwell 389 356 369 396 356 350 -1.7 Campania n.a n.a 207 232 230 226 -1.7 Kettering 285 288 318 295 314 310 -1.3 Snug 668 684 714 767 804 794 -1.2 Sisters Beach n.a n.a 158 241 277 278 0.4 Fern Tree n.a n.a n.a 599 584 593 1.5 Forth 227 273 288 314 342 347 1.5 Bicheno 414 674 661 705 700 711 1.6 Cressy 621 640 630 616 637 648 1.7 Dover 408 570 194 521 481 489 1.7 Ridgley 513 452 427 452 427 435 1.9 Gravelly Beach 522 535 583 591 559 581 3.9 Orford 351 378 458 502 461 485 5.2 Bagdad n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 646 682 5.5 Geeveston 900 860 753 826 778 827 6.3 Opossum Bay (L) n.a n.a n.a n.a 251 268 6.8 Swansea 376 428 411 418 495 529 6.9 Waratah 246 342 334 360 230 246 7.0 Lanena-Blackwall 455 439 478 507 488 524 7.4 Richmond 515 587 693 754 768 827 7.7 South Arm n.a n.a 343 455 496 536 8.1 Strahan 416 402 516 597 701 758 8.1 Oatlands 553 545 514 522 539 585 8.5 Scamander n.a n.a n.a 407 435 475 9.2 Lewisham n.a n.a 320 471 647 708 9.4 Otago (L) n.a n.a n.a n.a 470 514 9.4 Sulphur Creek 401 367 331 321 319 350 9.7 Eaglehawk Neck (L) n.a n.a n.a n.a 209 233 11.5 Howden n.a n.a 213 236 263 294 11.8 Cremorne 259 275 327 327 357 403 12.9 Leith n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 185 213 15.3 Woodbridge 300 259 260 253 246 286 16.3 totals 19,458 22,100 23,084 25,773 30,559 30,677 0.4 Population count 412,300 427,200 446,500 452,837 459,659 456,652 -0.7 % total pop 4.7 5.2 5.2 5.7 6.6 6.7 Source: ABS Census Data 1976-01
The population of Tasmania outside urban centres and localities declined by 2.5% between 1996 and 2001 in comparison with total population decline of 0.7% over the same period. This is consistent with the overall trend of increasing urbanization being experienced in most of Tasmania and other parts of Australia, caused by net population migration from rural areas to towns and cities. Core Human settlements Indicator HS 6 (ANZECC 2000) |
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