Lisa Denny - Workforce Demographer

14/10/2026

It is a pleasure working with the Future Populations Network and the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT).

Over the last 18 months, I have designed and delivered a capability building program aimed at strategically developing the capability of local government to better understand changing population dynamics in Tasmania and to use a demographic-lens to inform decision-making and planning.

The focus of the program of work with the Future Populations Network has been on how to achieve demographic resilience over the longer term and will continue to be our focus over the next nine months or so.

Demographic resilience is explained as a community's capacity to adapt to changes in population size, growth rates, age structure and composition while maintaining a viable workforce, sustainable services, appropriate housing, economic and social infrastructure, community wellbeing and a sustainable local economy.

The program of work is underpinned by the theoretical framework of the demographic realities of the 21st Century (see comments section) and the six steps to achieving demographic resilience.

1. Understand changing population dynamics - what is driving population change and why?
2. Predict demographic change - being able to better predict population change provides for more effective longer term planning and the ability to influence and shape future population change
3. Understand the implications of this change - how are the needs of the community changing alongside population change?
4. Develop informed planning and policy responses to proactively shape, strengthen and sustain economic and social systems over the longer term
5. Track and monitor population change against projections
6. Continue to adapt to changing population dynamics

If you are in local government in Tasmania (either as an elected representative or professional officer) and you would like to join the Future Population Network, there is further information and link in this article.
https://www.lgat.tas.gov.au/news-and-events/latest-news/future-populations-network-building-population-capability-across-tasmania

24/09/2026

🔎 Work with TasCOSS: Industry, Strategy & Impact Lead

This is an opportunity to bring people together, tackle big challenges and help create lasting change for Tasmania’s community services industry, and the people and communities it supports.

As TasCOSS’s Industry, Strategy & Impact Lead, you’ll build strong partnerships, turn ideas and evidence into action, and help shape a more sustainable, innovative, valued and resilient industry.

If you’re a strategic thinker and natural collaborator who wants to make a meaningful difference, we’d love to hear from you.

💼: https://tascoss.org.au/industry-strategy-impact-lead-job/

20/09/2026

One week to go to share your experiences of living in Tasmania - Why do you live where you live? If you moved there, why? What is easy, what is hard? What do you need that you can't get where you live? What is the likelihood that you may move? Why?

Help us shape Tasmania's future. The more we understand about why people live in Tasmania, the more we can improve wellbeing for current and future generations.

With 2,500+ voices sharing their experiences so far, we are particularly keen to hear from more people living in the Brighton, Clarence, Glenorchy, Latrobe, Launceston, Meander Valley, Northern Midlands and West Tamar LGAs.

The more we understand about why people live in Tasmania, the more we can improve wellbeing for current and future generations.

17/09/2026

Interested in why I joined the Tasmanian Council of Social Service Board and why I think a strong community services industry is vital for Tasmania and our collective future? Read here 😊

👋 Get to know TasCOSS Board Vice President, Dr Lisa Denny, and what drives her commitment to Tasmania’s community services industry.

Lisa shares why she joined the TasCOSS Board in 2023, the experiences that have shaped her perspective, and her thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

She also reflects on the important role TasCOSS Members play in strengthening our collective voice and helping build a thriving Tasmania.

▶️ Watch Lisa’s interview (YouTube Shorts): https://youtube.com/shorts/8-6VhrIZ7mc
🔗 Read Lisa's profile: https://tascoss.org.au/lisa-denny-profile/

15/09/2026

Current public discourse relating to immigration for Australia is missing a critical demographic lens.

Alongside the deregulation of Australia’s ‘migration system’ since the late 1990s, the advanced stages of the demographic transition was also playing out. Over this time, population growth in Australia shifted from one dominated by ‘slow demography’ to one dominated by ‘fast demography’.

While ‘solutions’ to Australia’s immigration ‘problem’ have centred on the number of immigrants, the types of visas, caps, targets and the annual proportion of the population from NOM (net overseas migration), housing, skills and education systems, using an economic lens, better understanding the complexity of population change through a demographic lens will enable more predictable and reliable planning, provisioning and investment into the future.

The Demographic Transition, Fast Demography and Slow Demography explain Australia’s changing demographics

11/09/2026

Aged 18 to 29 years? Living in Tasmania? This is your chance to have your say💥
Of the 1900+ responses so far, your voice is missing. 😢
Tell us about your experiences living in Tasmania.....
What is easy? What is hard? What do you like most? What do you like least? What do you need that you can't get? What is the likelihood you will leave? Why?

https://form.typeform.com/to/kQjcqemw?typeform-source=tasmanian.com.au

Please share widely :-)

10/09/2026

Are you aged 18 to 24 and living in Tasmania? We want to better understand your experiences living in Tasmania - what’s easy? What’s hard? What do you like most? Like least? What do you need?
We need your voices to inform decision-making going forward. Please share your thoughts and share widely 🙏🤗.

To better understand what Tasmanians need in the future, we’re inviting you to participate in a short survey about your experiences living here. We’d love to know what is easy or hard about living in Tasmania, how connected you feel to your community, and the things that may influence you to leave or stay in your local area and in Tasmania.

✖️ tasmanian.com.au/population-survey

The survey takes 7 minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. It is open to anyone age 18 or older who is either currently living in Tasmania, or has lived here sometime in the past five years.

Share your thoughts, and you can choose to go into a prize draw to win one of five $50 gift cards.

Thank you for helping to shape Tasmania’s future!

This study has been approved by the University of Tasmania Human Research Ethics Committee (H40733).

07/09/2026

📣 18-25 and living in Tasmania?

A statewide Population Survey is underway to help inform future policy, community projects and initiatives across Tasmania.

Young people's experiences, priorities and aspirations are an important part of Tasmania's future, and it's important they're represented in the research findings.

The results will help inform the work of Tasmanian (Brand Tasmania) and the Tasmanian Government, providing insights into what matters to Tasmanians and helping shape future priorities, planning and projects.

If you're aged 18-25, this is an opportunity to make sure your perspective is heard and included. You can also go into a prize draw to win one of five $50 gift cards.

👉 Take the survey here: https://tasmanian.com.au/population-survey/

07/09/2026

Keen to hear from more 18 to 29 year olds living in Tasmania. if that’s you, or someone you know, please share and consider sharing your thoughts about living in Tasmania.

To better understand what Tasmanians need in the future, we’re inviting you to participate in a short survey about your experiences living here. We’d love to know what is easy or hard about living in Tasmania, how connected you feel to your community, and the things that may influence you to leave or stay in your local area and in Tasmania.

✖️ tasmanian.com.au/population-survey

The survey takes 7 minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. It is open to anyone age 18 or older who is either currently living in Tasmania, or has lived here sometime in the past five years.

Share your thoughts, and you can choose to go into a prize draw to win one of five $50 gift cards.

Thank you for helping to shape Tasmania’s future!

This study has been approved by the University of Tasmania Human Research Ethics Committee (H40733).

06/09/2026

Tomorrow, Tuesday 8th of September, is International Literacy Day.

For 60 years, International Literacy Day (ILD) has taken place on 8 September around the world to remind policy-makers, practitioners, and the public of the critical importance of literacy for creating a more literate, just, peaceful, and sustainable society.

This year's theme is literacy for people, the planet and prosperity.

With all the noise and busy-ness of responding to the multitude of headwinds (crises) we face in Tasmania, we risk losing sight of the important progress we have made in our aspiration for 100% literacy. Not prioritising and appropriately resourcing our efforts to ensure *all* Tasmanians are supported to become literate threatens the state's longer term prosperity and the ability to mitigate against these headwinds.

For those young Tasmanians who start behind or experience other challenges to learning to read and write, it is critically important that they receive the support and intervention they need, when they need it, and at the intensity they need, to enable them to enjoy the life long benefits of being literate.

Being supported to become literate is not only a fundamental human right, it has the power to change the life trajectory for a person, their family, a community and an economy.

ILD 2026 provides an opportunity to take stock of progress, deepen understanding of persistent and emerging challenges, and shape future literacy agendas in a rapidly changing world.

There is no doubt that Tasmania is in the midst of a challenging juncture. The best opportunity we have to shape the prosperity of our future and our place is by prioritising our investment in our people - their literacy - and thus their ability to participate fully in civic life, society and our economy.

International Literacy Day | All you need to know about this day: date, history...