SOUTH EAST TASMANIA

South East Tasmania (Statistical Area Level 4) is a large region of approximately 23,820 square kilometres and encompasses about one-third of Tasmania. It surrounds the capital city of Hobart, and includes the Tasman Peninsula, Bruny Island and the Huon Valley, as well as many other rural parts of the state. While large in size, South East Tasmania had just over 20,900 people aged 20-64 years in 2011. The University of Tasmania, the only university in this state, has a campus in Hobart which is the closest campus serving this region. Other campuses in Tasmania are in Launceston in the north and Burnie in the northwest of the state. There are also seven TAFE campuses within the Hobart region.

From 2001 to 2011, the rate of attainment of higher level qualifications in South East Tasmania increased from 27.1% to 41.2% (14.1 percentage points), but remained below the average for Australia (49.9%) in 2011. The increase in higher level qualifications was mainly certificates III and IV. In 2001, 14.2% of 20-64 year olds in South East Tasmania had a certificate III or IV compared with 20.9% in 2011.

Age group	2001	2011	Change
	%	%	percentage points
20-29 yrs	23.8	37.5	13.7
30-39 yrs	27.8	45.9	18.1
40-49 yrs	30.0	43.1	13.1
50-59 yrs	26.6	40.7	14.1
60-64 yrs	23.3	36.3	13.0
Total 20-64 yrs	27.1	41.2	14.1
Source: ABS Censuses of Population and Housing, 2001 and 2011

Between 2001 and 2011, the working-age population of South East Tasmania grew by 11.3% (about 2,100 people). There was a decline in the number of younger people and an increase in older people.

South East Tasmania has seen an inflow of population in recent years, with approximately one quarter (23.6%) of 20-64 year olds who lived in South East Tasmania in 2011 stating they lived elsewhere five years prior. Of these, nearly one half (45.5%) came from elsewhere in Tasmania, with over one third (38.2%) from Hobart alone. Younger people were more likely to come from Hobart, while older people were more likely to have come from elsewhere in Australia - possibly for retirement reasons.

While the number of people aged 30-39 years decreased, the rate of attainment of higher level qualifications among this age group increased. In 2011, more than one third (35.8%) of those with higher level qualifications in this age group lived elsewhere five years before, indicating an inflow of people with higher level qualifications.

The second biggest increase in the rate of attainment of higher level qualifications was among 50-59 year olds, which rose 14.1 percentage points (from 26.6% to 40.7%) between 2001 and 2011. The population aged 50-59 years also increased over this period. In 2011, nearly one quarter (24.2%) of 50-59 year olds with higher level qualifications had lived elsewhere in 2006.

In 2011, a smaller proportion of 20-64 year olds with higher level qualifications were employed in South East Tasmania (75.4%) than nationally (83.1%), and a higher proportion were not in the labour force (20.4% compared with 13.4%). Most of this difference is attributable to lower employment and workforce participation among the older population. Less than two thirds (65.2%) of 50-64 year olds with qualifications were employed, compared with 77.3% nationally. A higher proportion of people aged 50-64 years with qualifications in South East Tasmania were not in the labour force (30.8%), compared with 19.8% nationally, indicating a higher proportion of people with qualifications in this age bracket in this region have retired.

Encompassing such a large area, there is a lot of variation in the rates of higher level qualifications in the region. The highest percentage point growth in attainment between 2001 and 2011 was found in Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) near the capital city: including Cygnet (18.8 percentage points), Huonville - Franklin and Geeveston - Dover (both 15.4 percentage points), with the smallest growth found in the interior regions of South East Tasmania: including Central Highlands (9.9 percentage points) and Southern Midlands (11.8 percentage points).


However, despite having the highest percentage point growth in attainment over this period, the rate of attainment for Geeveston - Dover in 2011 was still quite low (39.0%) compared with the nearby SA2s of Bruny Island - Kettering (55.0%), Cygnet (49.1%) and Huonville - Franklin (44.8%) which are closer to Hobart.

A larger proportion of 20-64 year olds with higher level qualifications (31.1%) in South East Tasmania worked in Hobart than those without qualifications (16.7%). Approximately one half of those with qualifications from Southern Midlands (47.1%), and Derwent Valley (46.9%) commuted to Hobart for work. Similar proportions of those with qualifications commuted to Hobart from Huonville - Franklin (40.1%) and Bruny Island - Kettering (38.5%). Approximately one fifth of those in Cygnet (21.1%) commuted to Hobart for work, while less than 10% from Triabunna - Bicheno (9.2%) did so.

Analysis of South East Tasmania highlights the variations that exist within regions. The increase in the rate of attainment of higher level qualifications was largely driven by an inflow of qualified population from Hobart for younger people and elsewhere in Australia for older people. The inflow of people with higher level qualifications was mostly in the older age groups (50-64 years old) who were more likely to be not in the labour force than nationally. Closer examination of the SA2s in South East Tasmania shows higher levels of qualifications in areas directly surrounding the capital city. In these SA2s, a higher proportion of people with higher level qualifications were working in Hobart than people without a qualification.