Tasmania has always been somewhat shackled by its small population growth.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While small communities are what makes the island state charming to some, it is also something that holds us back from growth in services such as health facilities and retail.
A report from the University of Tasmania demographer Lisa Denny, published in June, outlined the stark reality of population decline, particularly in regional areas such as the North-East or East Coast.
The report warned these areas are at risk or are experiencing net population decline and are increasingly at risk of disappearing entirely if population strategies are not implemented as a matter of urgency to halt the decline. The report said skilled migration is key in halting the decline in these areas because skilled people will bring new industries or bolster existing ones.
Skilled migrants are coming to Tasmania all the time, they are growing in population but The Examiner revealed on Saturday that many are turning their backs on Launceston.
The reason - because of the racism they face. Saturday's editorial outlined the unacceptable behaviour of Tasmanians who play sport, who are prejudicing those who have a disability but who want to participate.
That this kind of behaviour is extending to migrants is clearly unacceptable.
Migrants are even making excuses for the behaviour of said Tasmanians, saying their lack of exposure to other nationalities is at fault. Let's make this next statement very plain - there is no excuse for that kind of behaviour. Mental Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff has thrown down the challenge to his parliamentary colleagues and the wider community and is aiming for Tasmania to become a bully-free state.
While that might seem like a lofty goal and a difficult path to carve, the experiences of our migrant community, or potential migrant community, shows it's a goal worth pursuing. There is no room in Tasmania for people who harbour that kind of hate, whether it's directed at a migrant or someone with a disability.
Kindness costs nothing - and our migrant communities deserve our respect.