People are making the move to Tasmania, almost in droves.
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It is something that has happened occasionally over the years – mainlanders making the move for a quieter lifestyle, cooler climate or cheaper real estate.
One woman told The Examiner last year she moved here for the rain, after suffering drought on her farm in NSW. She, unsurprisingly, now calls the North-West her home.
People from overseas have moved here over the years for some of those same reasons.
But a wave of tree changers has been far more obvious in the past few years.
While Australia has lagged behind much of the world as far as access to fast internet, it is slowly catching up.
That has allowed businesses to operate in smarter ways, employing freelancers, and allowing people to work remotely.
That essentially means, in many cases, people can choose where they want to live, based on lifestyle choices.
And how could Tasmania not be at the top of the list for lifestyle?
It’s something the Sunday Examiner has begun exploring, with a new regular feature, My Island Home – launched last week.
Already, a number of tree changers have written in sharing their stories about why they now call Tasmania home.
The state government announced on Friday it would work with business groups and councils in a bid to move more federal public service jobs to the state when the federal government decentralises its bureaucracy from Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the state would present the federal government with a competitive package to get a share of relocated jobs or agencies.
There are, of course, difficulties that come with an influx of residents and visitors.
Tasmania’s South is experiencing a housing “crisis”, and the government needs to ensure that doesn’t spread to the North – something that looks somewhat likely at the moment.
While action is being taken to reduce the stress on housing and affordability, more needs to be done. That is especially the case as the government looks to attract more people here.
And if we want to keep our “better lifestyle” brand, the cost of living needs to addressed and controlled.