Northern Rivers Social Profile PROJECT PARTNER Level 3 Rous Water Building 218 Molesworth St PO Box 146 LISMORE NSW 2480 tel: 02 6622 4011 fax: 02 6621 4609 email: [email protected] web: www.rdanorthernrivers.org.au Chief Executive Officer: Katrina Luckie This paper was prepared by Jamie Seaton, Geof Webb and Katrina Luckie of RDA – Northern Rivers with input and support from staff of RDA-NR and the Northern Rivers Social Development Council, particularly Trish Evans and Meaghan Vosz. RDA-NR acknowledges and appreciates the efforts made by stakeholders across our region to contribute to the development of the Social Profile. Cover photo Liina Flynn © NRSDC 2013 We respectfully acknowledge the Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Rivers – including the peoples of the Bundjalung, Yaegl and Gumbainggirr nations – as the traditional custodians and guardians of these lands and waters now known as the Northern Rivers and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. Disclaimer This material is made available by RDA – Northern Rivers on the understanding that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. Any representation, statement, opinion or advice expressed or implied in this publication is made in good faith. RDA – Northern Rivers is not liable to any person or entity taking or not taking action in respect of any representation, statement, opinion or advice referred to above. This report was produced by RDA – Northern Rivers and does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian or New South Wales Governments, their officers, employees or agents. Regional Development Australia Committees are: Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 OVERVIEW OF THE REGION .................................................................................................. 3 THE PROFILE COMPONENTS ................................................................................................. 6 1. HEALTHY, SAFE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES ...................................................................... 6 1.1 PERSONAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING ................................................................................. 6 1.2 COMMUNITY CONNECTEDNESS ...................................................................................... 12 1.3 PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY SAFETY .............................................................................. 12 1.4 EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................. 15 1.5 LIFELONG LEARNING .................................................................................................... 16 1.6 RACISM ..................................................................................................................... 18 1.7 ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES ......................................................................................... 19 2. DYNAMIC AND RESILIENT LOCAL COMMUNITIES ................................................................... 21 2.1 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY .................................................................................................... 21 2.2 EMPLOYMENT ............................................................................................................. 23 2.3 UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ............................................................................................... 25 2.4 PARTICIPATION RATES .................................................................................................. 25 2.5 INCOME ..................................................................................................................... 26 2.6 EDUCATION AND SKILLS ................................................................................................ 33 3. SUSTAINABLE BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS ............................................................. 37 3.1 HOUSING ................................................................................................................... 37 3.2 TRANSPORT ................................................................................................................ 41 4. DEMOCRATIC AND ENGAGED COMMUNITIES ....................................................................... 46 4.1 LOCAL ELECTIONS PARTICIPATION RATE ........................................................................... 46 4.2 CIVIC PARTICIPATION.................................................................................................... 46 5. CULTURALLY RICH AND DIVERSE COMMUNITIES ................................................................... 48 5.1 PARTICIPATION IN ARTS, CULTURAL AND SPORTING ACTIVITIES ............................................ 48 5.2 WELCOMING DIFFERENCE AND DIVERSITY ........................................................................ 50 APPENDIX: COMMUNITY WELLBEING SURVEY .................................................................... 52 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 55 ACRONYMS ....................................................................................................................... 58 Northern Rivers Social Profile May 2013 i List of Tables TABLE 1 CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR REGION COMPARED TO NSW 3 TABLE 2 COMPARING LIFESTYLE REGIONS 4 TABLE 3 SELF-RATED HEALTH (EXCELLENT, VERY GOOD, OR GOOD) 6 TABLE 4 BURDEN OF DISEASE 10 TABLE 5 HEALTH INEQUALITIES 11 TABLE 6 SEIFA SCORES AND RANKS 11 TABLE 7 NAPLAN ABSENTEE DATA 18 TABLE 8 OLDER PEOPLE AS A PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION 20 TABLE 9 EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPATION 22 TABLE 10 DOMESTIC OVERNIGHT TRAVEL STATISTICS 22 TABLE 11 EMPLOYMENT OF WORKING POPULATION – SELECTED SECTORS 23 TABLE 12 LABOUR FORCE DATA 26 TABLE 13 WEEKLY PERSONAL INCOME 28 TABLE 14 CENTRELINK PAYMENTS 32 TABLE 15 HIGHEST EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 34 TABLE 16 MOST POPULAR TAFE COURSES BY LGA 36 TABLE 17 HOUSING TENURE BY LOCATION 38 TABLE 18 MEDIAN HOUSING COSTS BY LGA, DEC’12 38 TABLE 19 HOUSEHOLDS EXPERIENCING MORTGAGE AND RENT STRESS 40 TABLE 20 NUMBER OF HOMELESS PERSONS 40 TABLE 21 PASSENGER VEHICLES, BUSES AND MOTORCYCLES 43 TABLE 22 BUS FARE STRUCTURES 45 TABLE 23 EXAMPLE FARES IN NORTHERN RIVERS AND SYDNEY 45 TABLE 24 PARTICIPATION IN CIVIC ACTIVITIES 47 TABLE A1 WEIGHTING FACTORS FOR AGE AND GENDER FOR RANDOM SURVEY SAMPLE 52 TABLE A2 RESPONDENTS LOCATION BY LGA 53 TABLE A3 AGE OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS 53 TABLE A4 GENDER OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS 54 TABLE A4 CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS 54 TABLE A5 HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS 54 ii Regional Development Australia – Northern Rivers List of Figures FIGURE 1 FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION 7 FIGURE 2 ALCOHOL ATTRIBUTABLE HOSPITALISATIONS 7 FIGURE 3 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS 8 FIGURE 4 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY UNDERTAKEN IN THE PAST MONTH 8 FIGURE 5 SMOKING PREVALENCE 9 FIGURE 6 OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE PERSONS 9 FIGURE 7 INFLUENZA AND PNEUMOCOCCAL IMMUNISATION 10 FIGURE 8 VOLUNTEERING RATES 12 FIGURE 9 ASSAULT, ROBBERY, OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE AND SEXUAL OFFENCES RATES 14 FIGURE 10 PROPORTION OF CHILDREN ‘ON TRACK’ 15 FIGURE 11 PROPORTION OF CHILDREN ‘DEVELOPMENTALLY VULNERABLE’ 16 FIGURE 12 INTERNET CONNECTIVITY 17 FIGURE 13 SCHOOL LEAVERS PROGRESSING FROM YEAR 12 TO UNIVERSITY 17 FIGURE 14 EXPERIENCE OF RACISM 18 FIGURE 15 PATIENTS TREATED VS TOTAL BED NUMBERS 19 FIGURE 16 AGED CARE RESIDENTIAL PLACES 20 FIGURE 17 BUSINESSES BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 21 FIGURE 18 EMPLOYMENT OF WORKING POPULATION – SELECTED SECTORS 24 FIGURE 19 UNEMPLOYMENT RATES 25 FIGURE 20 WEEKLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME 27 FIGURE 21 AGE PENSIONS 29 FIGURE 22 CARERS PAYMENTS 30 FIGURE 23 DISABILITY SUPPORT PENSION RECIPIENTS 30 FIGURE 24 YOUTH ALLOWANCE PAYMENTS 31 FIGURE 25 NEWSTART ALLOWANCE RECIPIENTS 32 FIGURE 26 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND LABOUR MARKET OUTCOMES 35 FIGURE 27 TAFE COURSE COMPLETIONS 2012 35 FIGURE 28 WEEKLY RENTAL PAYMENTS 39 FIGURE 29 DURATION OF HOMELESSNESS IN THE NORTHERN RIVERS 41 FIGURE 30 REGISTERED MOTOR VEHICLES PER 1,000 PEOPLE (MARCH 2010) 42 FIGURE 31 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION PARTICIPATION 2012 46 FIGURE 32 OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE A REAL SAY ON ISSUES 47 FIGURE 33 PARTICIPATION IN CULTURAL ACTIVITIES 48 FIGURE 34 PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC ACTIVITIES 49 FIGURE 35 OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN ARTS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES 49 FIGURE 36 INDIGENOUS VS. NON-INDIGENOUS POPULATION AGE COHORTS 50 Northern Rivers Social Profile May 2013 iii This page is intentionally blank iv Regional Development Australia – Northern Rivers INTRODUCTION Understanding the social wellbeing of our region requires an examination of current conditions both in the context of living and working in the region and in relation to these conditions at a State and National level. While knowledge of our economic conditions in continues to develop, much less is known about the social conditions of the Northern Rivers. However, measuring and reporting these social conditions is critical to regional planning and local and State policy development. Better information about living conditions in the region will improve our capacity to plan for the future, capitalise on our strengths, build resilience and respond more effectively to those issues that cause disadvantage or exclusion for members of our population. This Northern Rivers Social Profile (the Profile) has been developed for these reasons. Purpose Regional Development Australia – Northern Rivers (RDA–NR)