American website  Cities Journal  has ranked our city No. 1 of the top 17 cities  to move to in Australia.

Tasmanian cities Hobart and Burnie managed to rank 16 and seven respectively, while capital cities Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane also placed.

Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the result was no surprise however, after the ``Northern Tasmanian capital'' claimed a string of awards last year.

``I've always believed for many, many years that we were the most liveable city and we were voted the most family-friendly city last year,'' he said.

``We have some great assets here, but it's the people that make Launceston. There's no doubt about that.''

Alderman van Zetten said Launceston's diverse multicultural background, low cost of living and low crime rate set it aside from other cities.

``It's fantastic.

``The buildings, the nature of our people and heritage make it a great place to live and bring up a family.''