When the population clock stops ticking: An indicative study of population ageing in Tasmania

Population ageing and its associated shift to natural decline are occurring unevenly across and within the various regions of the world. This regionality has particular implications for Australia, where the extent and speed of population ageing differs markedly across and within each State and Territory, but where essentially egalitarian federal policy holds sway over much that affects regional development. As Australia's fastest ageing state, Tasmania will be the first to deal with the major consequences of population ageing. But as the first 'cab off the rank', Tasmania will also in many ways have to define these consequences for the rest of Australia. This paper offers a conceptual and indicative look at just some of the associated issues.