The Tasmanian Government has identified 13 state-owned sites that could be developed into new aged care facilities, with several of the potential locations in and around Hobart.

The announcement is part of a broader plan to increase aged care capacity across Tasmania and respond to growing demand from the state's ageing population. Sites identified in the Hobart region include locations at Taroona, Bellerive and Rokeby, while other potential sites have been identified in northern and north-western Tasmania.

The government plans to invite experienced aged care providers to consider the sites and submit proposals. The expression-of-interest process is expected to begin on September 26, initially allowing providers to put forward preliminary proposals before shortlisted organisations progress to a second stage.

Community consultation will also form part of the process as potential sites and development proposals are assessed.

The planned investment comes as Tasmania faces increasing pressure on its health and aged care systems. An ageing population has contributed to greater demand for residential aged care, while hospitals can also be affected when older patients remain in hospital because an appropriate aged care placement is not immediately available.

For Hobart and surrounding communities, additional aged care facilities could provide more options for older residents and their families. New facilities could also create employment opportunities across nursing, personal care, administration, hospitality and other support services.

The potential locations at Taroona, Bellerive and Rokeby place the Hobart region among the areas being considered for future development. However, the sites are potential locations at this stage, rather than confirmed new facilities.

The government says three sites—one in each of Tasmania's major regions—will ultimately be developed if there is sufficient interest from the aged care sector. The selection process is therefore expected to involve consideration of demand, suitability, development proposals and community feedback.

The proposal also reflects wider concerns about the relationship between aged care availability and hospital capacity. When older Tasmanians cannot access appropriate residential care, they can remain in hospital longer than medically necessary, placing additional pressure on emergency departments and hospital beds.

The state government has argued that additional aged care capacity could help address some of these pressures while providing more appropriate accommodation and support for older people.

For Hobart residents, the next stage will be watching which sites progress through the expression-of-interest process and whether providers show sufficient interest to move projects forward.

The September 26 opening of the process will begin a longer assessment period. Any eventual facility would still need to progress through planning, design, approvals and construction before opening.

The identification of the Hobart-area sites nevertheless represents an important first step toward potentially increasing aged care capacity in southern Tasmania.