Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Australian Politics and Policy
Council. Nevertheless, a lack of major conservation-related issues 24 at the 2018
state election probably resulted in a significant decline in the Greens vote, and they
wononlytwoofthe25lowerhouseseatsavailable.
The economy
Traditionally, Tasmania’s major industries have been mining, agriculture, fishing
and forestry. During the period of hydro-industrialisation, major metal and forest
productprocessingplantswerealsoestablishedinthestate.Aquaculturehasgrown
from a relatively small industry in the late 1980s so that Tasmania is now a large
producer of seafood, particularly salmon. However, the narrow industrial base
means that average Tasmanian household income is almost 19 per cent below the
nationalaverageand,asaconsequence,Tasmaniaismorereliantthanotherstates
on federal Goods and Services Tax and grant revenue for the provision of public
services and infrastructure. A reliance on exports, a small number of relatively large
processing industries, the vagaries of interstate and overseas transport and reliance
on federal transfers have combined to make Tasmania particularly susceptible to
downturns in the Australian and international economies. From the late-1990s,
improvements to sea and air passenger transport sparked a growth in tourism,
whichhasnowbecomeoneofthestate’smajorindustries.Educationhasalso
grown in importance, attracting more overseas fee-paying students, albeit from a
relatively low base. One outcome of the decades of debate over forestry, mining and
the environment is that some 42 per cent of Tasmania is protected in the World
Heritage Area, national parks or other reserves. Tasmania’s natural environment
and clean air, and its reputation for excellent food and drink products are key
factors in attracting visitors and students to the state. As of 2018, these factors were
contributing to strong economic growth and, for the first time in over a decade, the
Tasmanian economy was outperforming the economies of the mainland states.
Key issues
The much smaller scale of Tasmania’s political system, compared with the other
Australian states, is significant. Another distinctive feature of the island state is its
relatively dispersed population. There are three distinctive and competitive regions
– Greater Hobart and the south; Launceston and the north-east; and the northwest
and west coasts, including Devonport and Burnie. These regions have different
industrial bases, economies, needs and expectations. Despite the small size of the
state, each region has its own daily newspaper that champions causes for its district.
24 Whitson 2018. Although salmon farming was an issue, its restriction lacked significant support,
and the earlier question of a pulp mill on the river Tamar had been long buried.
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