LIVING IN TASMANIA:

Tasmania has an enviable lifestyle and a diverse natural environment ranging from temperate rainforest and mountains on the west coast to sandy beaches on the east coast.

The capital, Hobart, and the northern centre of Launceston have all the services and facilities of thriving modern cities combined with easy access to beaches, rivers, lakes and national parks.  

Tasmanians are lucky enough to live in a place that is home to the world’s oldest plant and oldest tree, a place that still bears traces of its Gondwanan origins. Nearly 40 per cent of the State is protected wilderness, marine reserve, nature reserve or forest, much of it of such environmental significance that it has been granted World Heritage status. The island’s compact size means that within an hour’s drive of Hobart you can be in native forest surrounded by the tallest species of eucalypt in the world. 

Small enough to be intimate and large enough to have wonderful facilities, Hobart enjoys a spectacular location. The majestic Mt Wellington towers behind the Georgian warehouses of Salamanca Place, while nearby, elegant cruising yachts, fishing boats and Antarctic resupply vessels anchor beside fish punts and waterside cafes.

Transport

Tasmania’s comprehensive road system links all of its major cities and towns. The short distances between major centres and rural areas allow commuting without traffic congestion.

Tasmania’s public bus system services the urban areas of Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and some surrounding municipalities. A private bus company offers passenger services between Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, with links to the north-east. Private taxi companies operate in the major cities.

Cyclists are welcome on the State’s roads, and there are purpose-built cycling paths in some areas of the State.

Qantas and Virgin Blue fly into the state from a number of mainland capitals, including Sydney and Melbourne. Airports are located near Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport.  The Spirit of Tasmania I and II passenger and vehicle ships travel between Melbourne and the north-west coast city of Devonport. King Island, Flinders Island and other Tasmanian islands can be reached by air and sea.

For more extensive travel information, click here or visit one of the following websites:

Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources www.transport.tas.gov.au/about/transport_tas/public_transport.html

Metro Tasmania www.metrotas.com.au/

Tasmania’s Own Redline Coaches /www.tasredline.com.au/

Education

Tasmania’s education system offers academic, personal development and social instruction for all ages.

Schooling is compulsory from age six to 16. The State has more than 200 public schools and colleges, offering primary and secondary education and schooling for students with disabilities. The Tasmanian Open Learning Service caters for students who live in rural and remote areas of the State or are educated at home for other reasons. The public system is complemented by a long-standing private school system.

The University of Tasmania has campuses in Hobart, in the south, Launceston, in the north, and Burnie, in the north-west. Its student population of more than 13,000 has the option of studying traditional courses or those matched to Tasmania’s characteristics, such as Antarctic and Southern Ocean studies, agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, mining, forestry and environment and wilderness studies.

The Australian Maritime College, in Launceston, is the nation’s leading specialist in study relating to the shipping and fisheries industries. The college is a national centre for research and development and attracts students from throughout the Asia Pacific region.

TAFE Tasmania is part of a national system that provides technical and further education and training. The institute has campuses in the north, south and north west.

Department of Education www.education.tas.gov.au/about/schools.htm

TAFE Tasmania www.tafe.tas.edu.au/

University of Tasmania www.utas.edu.au/

Australian Maritime College www.amc.edu.au

Health  Services

Tasmania’s health services are both accessible and high quality.

The State has three major public hospitals - the Royal Hobart Hospital, the Launceston General Hospital and Burnie’s North West Regional Hospital. There are also private health facilities in the  three main regions.

Specialist care in areas such as neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, neo-natal intensive care, vascular surgery and specialised paediatric surgery, and a severe burns unit are available in limited locations. General medicine and general surgery, orthopaedic, gynaecological, ear, nose and throat surgery, obstetrics and paediatric services are available Statewide.

Department of Health and Human Services www.dhhs.tas.gov.au

Business

Tasmania has a positive business environment due to political and economic stability, low establishment and operating costs, a skilled and reliable labour force and excellent support and infrastructure.

Business costs, such as taxes, labour costs, and wage inflation, are significantly lower in Tasmania than other areas of Australia.

A Statewide hydro electricity grid provides a clean, reliable source of energy. A wind farm has been established on the north-west coast and a major global energy business is being built to bring natural gas to the State via a 300km undersea pipeline.

Primary industry plays a major role in Tasmania’s economy, alongside fisheries, forestry and manufacturing. The economy has expanded to include new industries focused on value-adding, services, innovation and knowledge-based activities.

Tasmanian firms have access to the latest technology. A fibre-optic cable between Tasmanian and continental Australia provides state-of-the-art, high-speed voice and data links between Tasmania and the rest of the world. Telecommunications costs are globally competitive.

Tasmanian Department of Economic Development  www.dsd.tas.gov.au