LGAT launches Future Populations Network
The Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT), in partnership with the Department of State Growth, Dr Lisa Denny, and the Tasmanian Policy Exchange, has launched the Future Populations Network. This is a strategic initiative aimed at equipping local governments with the tools and knowledge to respond to Tasmania’s evolving demographic landscape.
The Network will deliver a three-stage program to build the capability of local government and regions to develop and implement regional population strategies to guide public and private sector infrastructure and services planning, policy development and decision making.
The first stage focuses on building the capability within local government to understand population dynamics and apply demographic analysis in planning and decision-making.
To support this work, we have released a scene setting paper (Tasmania's Population: The Current Reality) that outlines six key demographic realities shaping Tasmania’s population trends, with implications for local government planning, infrastructure, and policy development. The realities are:
- Population projections are not forecasts
- Populations can be growing and ageing at the same time
- Population ageing is unavoidable
- Population age structures are more important than population size and growth rates
- Population measures such as size and growth rate are the aggregation of decisions made by people
- Demographic resilience is essential.
The report reveals that while population growth is expected to continue in the short term, it will slow significantly, with many Local Government Areas (LGAs) projected to experience population decline by 2037. A key driver of this trend is population ageing, with Tasmania already classified as “hyper-aged”, with 22.1% of its population aged 65 or older.
This foundational resource sets the scene for strategic planning and supports the work of the Future Populations Network in building capability across councils to respond to Tasmania’s changing demographic landscape.
We are also hosting a series of workshops, webinars and resources designed for elected representatives, executive leaders and senior officers that will be created and delivered over the next 12 months.
These events start with a webinar where Dr Lisa Denny will share insights from Tasmania's Population: The Current Reality. Attendees will discover how trends vary across local government areas and why understanding these changes is essential for future planning. We are offering this webinar across three different timeslots:
| Monday 8 September 3:30pm | Register here. |
| Wednesday 10 September 10:00am | Register here. |
| Monday 15 September 9:30am | Register here. |
Want to be involved?
Local government leaders and staff are encouraged to participate in this important initiative. To express interest and stay informed, please complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form.