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Tasmania faces a number of challenges in ensuring the wellbeing of all members of the community. The changing demographic structure and changing workforce have increased social and economic pressures within the community, and Tasmania's small and decentralised population poses further challenges to the provision of effective welfare services.

Many members of the community require assistance with different aspects of life. The following table provides an overview of the numbers of people who may utilise community services, including older persons, families with children and persons with a disability.

SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL NEED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSISTANCE - Tasmania
			Period	Tasmania
Population
	People aged 65 and over		30 June 2003p	67,531
	Children aged 0-11		30 June 2003p	76,635
	Total population		30 June 2003p	477,094
Families in Tasmania
	Couple family with children		7 August 2001	54,235
	Couple family without children		7 August 2001	47,674
	One parent family		7 August 2001	20,476
	Other family		7 August 2001	1,693
	Total families		7 August 2001	124,078
Persons with a disability
	Core activity(a) restriction		1998	81,500
	Schooling or employment restriction		1998	49,200
	All with specific restrictions(b)		1998	90,600
	Without specific restrictions(c)		1998	14,500
	All with disability		1998	105,100
Mental health
	Persons with long term mental and behavioural problems(d)		2001	47,100
	Persons aged 18 years and over: Level of psychological distress(e)
		High (22-29)	2001	35,200
		Very High (30-50)	2001	12,900
(a) Core activites comprise communication, mobility and self care. (b) Total may be less than the sum of the components as persons may have both a core activity restriction and a schooling or employment restriction. (c) Includes persons who need assistance with health care, paperwork, transport, housework, property maintenance or meal preparation. (d) Conditions which have lasted or are expected to last for 6 months or more. (e) As measured by the Kessler 10 scale, from which a score of 10 to 50 is produced. This is a scale of non-specific psychological distress based on 10 questions about negative emotional states in the 4 weeks prior to interview. Higher scores indicate a higher level of distress, while low scores indicate a low level of distress. Source: Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories, June 2003 (cat. no. 3201.0); 2001 Census Basic Community Profile and Snapshot, Tasmania; Disability, Ageing and Carers: Summary Tables, Tasmania, (cat. no. 4430.6.40.001); National Health Survey: Summary of Results (cat. no. 4364.0).