COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report 26 August 2020

Report highlights

Page 2 of 21

Report contents

Disclaimer ...... 4 1. Introduction ...... 5 1.1. Purpose of report ...... 5 1.2. Purpose of Working Group (Recovery Phase) ...... 5 2. Community and social indicators ...... 6 2.1. Community identified priorities ...... 6 2.2. Improving community confidence ...... 6 3. Business and Industry ...... 7 3.1. Economic change ...... 7 3.2. Key sector impacts ...... 9 3.3. Tourism sector cluster ...... 10 3.4. Local business ...... 10 3.5. City Events ...... 11 3.6. Performing Arts ...... 12 3.7. Sport and Recreation ...... 13 4. Employment, education and training ...... 13 4.1. Job change ...... 13 4.2. Employment change and unemployment ...... 14 4.3. Youth unemployment ...... 14 4.4. Jobseeker and Youth Allowance ...... 15 5. Community health, safety and wellbeing ...... 16 5.1. Public health reports of COVID-19 ...... 16 5.2. Physical health and wellbeing ...... 17 5.3. Household financial stressors ...... 17 5.4. Mental health and wellbeing ...... 17 5.5. Community safety ...... 18 6. Housing and accommodation ...... 20

Page 3 of 21

Disclaimer

This document is for information purposes only.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, council makes no statement, representation, or warranty (including, but not limited to, accuracy, reliability, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose) in relation to any information in this document. This includes information produced by council and/or referred to by council but produced/ maintained by third parties. Council further notes that it has no direct control over changes made to information produced/maintained by third parties (including, but not limited to, third party websites).

The user accepts sole responsibility and risk associated with the use of any information in this document, irrespective of the purpose of use. It is recommended that users consider independently verifying any information obtained from this document.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, council disclaims all liability (including, but not limited to, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs incurred as a result of the use of the information in this document.

Page 4 of 21

1. Introduction

1.1. Purpose of report

The purpose of this Social and Economic Monitoring Report is to present Ipswich City Council with the latest available indicators that help to estimate and monitor the broader social and economic impact of COVID-19 in Ipswich.

Important: Data presented in this report largely reflect the period from late June to early August 2020 which was a period of eased COVID-19 social restrictions in . On 22 August 2020 increased restrictions were put in place for people living in the Ipswich Local Government Area, together with neighbouring Local Government Areas listed on the Queensland Health website1. At the time of finalising this report on 26 August 2020, there were 16 active COVID-19 cases across Queensland, including six active cases in the Region.

As such, data contained within this report relating to community confidence and experience of eased restrictions will not be an accurate reflection of community views in late August. However, they are still provided for the purposes of monitoring change in the social and economic environment for the specified reporting period.

This information supports the work of Ipswich City Council’s COVID-19 Human Social & Economic Recovery Working Group as it transitions its focus from immediate response needs to strategies that support social and economic recovery. The report has been structured according to:

 Community and social indicators  Business, industry and employment indicators  Education and training indicators  Community safety and wellbeing indicators  Housing and homelessness indicators

The report will continue to be published on a monthly basis or as new data becomes available. Changes to social and economic indicators will be illustrated by the updated infographic accompanying each report. 1.2. Purpose of Working Group (Recovery Phase)

Ipswich City Council’s COVID-19 Human Social & Economic Recovery Working Group identifies and monitors the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 in Ipswich, to inform the council’s role in supporting social and economic recovery. Focus areas of the Working Group in the COVID-19 recovery phase:

 Opportunities to improve social connection, wellbeing and resilience in Ipswich.  Remaining responsive to changing needs of local businesses, services and organisations, to support their short-term viability and long-term sustainability.  Encouraging economic development and employment (in line with the Qld Government’s Economic Recovery Strategy);  Informing the planning and development of social infrastructure to address changes in service capacity or demand. Desired outcomes of the recovery phase will be refined over time in consultation with Ipswich City Council’s Mayor and Councillors, Executive Leadership Team and Working Group members.

1 Queensland Health Movement and Gathering Direction, 22 August 2020

Page 5 of 21

2. Community and social indicators

2.1. Community identified priorities

Council insights from the Strengthening Communities engagement program remain consistent with the last reporting period, with key community concerns reported as including:

 Unemployment and changed employment conditions  Financial stress and uncertainty  Social isolation and related impacts on mental health  Domestic and family violence  Community sector viability.

Ipswich City Council also continues to liaise with the Department of Housing and Public Works and specialist homelessness services to monitor change to the number of people experiencing homelessness and at-risk of homelessness2.

Applications for the COVID-19 Recovery Support Program close on 31 August 2020. Council allocated $300,000 to the Ipswich Community Repair and Replacement Fund and $100,000 to the Ipswich Community Operational Support Fund.

It is anticipated that Council will receive approximately 50 applications through these funding streams and a summary of applications, including a breakdown of the categories of applicants, will be available in the September reporting period.

2.2. Improving community confidence

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ eighth Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey (conducted early July 2020) collected information on life after COVID-19 restrictions.

The survey found around one in five Australians (18%) expected it would take more than a year for life to return to normal, while one in eleven (9%) felt life would never return to normal. These expectations are likely to have shifted in the last two weeks in Ipswich.

As noted in the last monitoring report from data collected in May 2020, community comfort levels are most likely to ease with the development of a vaccine, lower daily infection rates, and the availability of proven treatments3. One in five also recognised the important role that timely and appropriate communications plays in addressing their concerns.

2 COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report, published 8 June 2020. 3 49400DO002_2020 Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, Tuesday 26 May - Friday 29 May 2020, Australia, Persons aged 18 years and over, Comfort with activities as COVID-19 restrictions ease, By sex and age: Proportion.

Page 6 of 21

3. Business and Industry

3.1. Economic change

Economic modelling remains unchanged since the last monitoring report4 which estimated a drop of -10.9% in Ipswich’s GRP over the June Quarter. For context, this drop represents a lower level decline relative to estimates for Queensland and the nearby local government areas of and Logan.

An updated economic outlook report for Ipswich via NIEIR and economy.id5 was unavailable for this report edition. The September report to include updated figures for June Quarter and a forecast for September Quarter.

The Taylor Fry COVID-19 Financial Impact Index provides a regular snapshot of the likely financial impact of COVID-19 in local postcode areas, based on income and expenditure modelling relative to pre-pandemic levels.

As at 18 July 2020, the financial impact index reported that all Ipswich postcodes are likely to be experiencing a high financial impact (see Figure 1). The Taylor Fry website describes a high rating as meaning there’s a high probability that postcode residents:

 have experienced significant income loss, based on the industries of employment and pre-COVID income levels, and/or  have some savings buffer to cover immediate expenses, and/or  have a medium level of non-discretionary expenditure, relative to their income.

4 City of Ipswich COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report, published 28 July 2020 5 .id the population experts, economy.id.com.au/ipswich/covid-19

Page 7 of 21

Figure 1: TaylerFry COVID-19 Financial Impact Index, published 18 July 2020

Rosewood – 4306

Marburg – 4346

Riverview – 4303

Raceview – 4305 Ipswich East - 4304

Rosewood – 4340 Redbank Plains – 4301 Springfield Lakes - 4300

Rosewood 4e Source: Copyright 2020 Taylor Fry Rosewood 4346

Page 8 of 21

3.2. Key sector impacts

Economic modelling of the impact of COVID-19 in Ipswich remains unchanged since the last monitoring report6, however further detail has since been published relating to industry sector impacts in June Quarter7.

This further modelling estimates the change in economic output by industry in Ipswich in June Quarter may represent an overall drop of around $565 million. This estimate accounts for a for a $48 million output increase in the Health Care and Social Assistance Sector, while all other major industries in Ipswich recorded a drop in output, estimated to be worth a total value of $614 million.

The most significant drop by sector, represented as the percentage change in output for June Quarter (compared to 2018/19 quarter average) is as follows:

 Arts & Recreation Services: a 78.52% drop in economic output (-$25 million), and a 76.07% drop in value added through wages and taxes (-$10 million)  Accommodation & Food Services: a 63.34% drop in economic output (-$73 million), and a 63.30% drop in value added through wages and taxes (-$34.92 million)  Professional, Scientific, Technical Services: a 62% drop in economic output (-$88.5 million), and a 60.99% drop in value added through wages and taxes (-$45.90 million)8.

The most significant drop in terms of economic output value was estimated to have occurred in the Manufacturing industry (down $104 million) and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (down $89 million)9.

As noted in the introductory statements to Section 3.2, the most positive industry impact from COVID-19 has been experienced in the Healthcare and Social Assistance sector. This is estimated to represent a 16.57% increase in economic output (+$48.97 million) for June Quarter (compared to 2018/19 quarter average), and a 17.17% increase in value added through wages and taxes (+$35 million)10.

6 City of Ipswich COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report, published 28 July 2020 7 National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) Version 1.1 (May 2020). ©2020 Compiled and presented in economy.id by .id the population experts. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid.

Page 9 of 21

3.3. Tourism sector cluster

Economic modelling remains unchanged since council’s last monitoring report11 with modelling for September Quarter expected to be available for the next reporting period12.

Ipswich City Council’s consultation with the Ipswich Tourism Operators Network (ITON) during July 2020 noted an economic uptick occurring particularly during the school holiday period (29 June to 13 July).

Local attractions, nature and recreation areas reported an increase in enquiries and forward bookings. Local accommodation provider occupancy rates reportedly ranged between 15% and 30%, with providers near to hospitals experiencing higher trade associated with the re-start of elective surgeries.

Through the Ipswich Tourism Operators Network, open businesses have reported trade at around 40-50% of their standard operations. This represented an increase in trade of around 10% since council’s last engagement with ITON members in June. The majority (95%) of Ipswich retailers were reported as open during July with some experiencing challenges within their supply chain. 3.4. Local business

Ipswich City Council’s Business Concierge service continues to provide a point of continuity and support for local businesses and enables council to monitor trends in local business recovery needs13. A survey of 44 subscribing businesses between 6 and 17 July 2020 found:

 one quarter reported a 30-50% impact to their cashflow from COVID-19  half of the businesses surveyed (49%) were ineligible for other government grants, but informed of council’s Small Business Grants  nearly half (44%) were receiving JobKeeper payments  half (49%) reported no change in staff or hours of work as a result of COVID-19, while 23% reported reducing hours to save staff  around one quarter reported impacts to their casual workforce, including 13% that had lost between three and five casual staff  six of 44 businesses had rehired staff.

The most sought after advisory services through the Business Concierge program related to sales, cashflow and business sustainability. Through July and August, Ipswich City Council has engaged with more than 200 businesses as part of the Business Concierge service. Key findings and trends from this engagement will be reported as part of the September monitoring report.

Council has also allocated $200,000 towards the Ipswich Small Business Funding Program to support small local businesses. Applications opened on 14 July and closed on 14 August 2020 with 114 applications received. Of these application, 76 were eligible for consideration, 35 were ineligible and 3 were withdrawn. A summary of applications and total funding allocated will be available in the September reporting period.

11 City of Ipswich COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report, published 28 July 2020 12 id the population experts, economy.id.com.au/ipswich/covid-19 13 Ipswich First, 2020, How Ipswich City Council is supporting local businesses to recover from COVID-19

Page 10 of 21

3.5. City Events

City and cultural events can have a significant positive impact on people’s sense of civic pride, their social connection and the cohesion of local communities.

As shown in Figure 2, Ipswich City Council’s city-wide event bookings were on a strong upward trend in 2020. Since COVID-19 social restrictions were initiated in March, more than two thirds of these events have been cancelled, while 16% were postponed and 13% proceeded in a modified form.

More than half of the city events profile between March and July were for events attracting up to 500 people, while 38% were for events attracting a crowd between 500 and 5,000 people. Larger scale events drawing in over 5,000 attendees made up an 11% share of the March-July bookings profile14.

Findings from consultation during July indicate some local organisations and major community events have found it difficult to adapt their event plans to meet new regulatory frameworks. Ipswich City Council’s City Events team are providing support to these organisations.

Figure 2: Change to Planned City Events, July 2019-2020 City Events Calendar, July 2019 to July 2020 45 39 40 35 31 25 30 24 22 25 17 20 1213 14 12 12 15 10 10 9 8 6 7 6 8 10 3 2 3 23 2 5 01 0 0 0 0 01 0 0 1 01 0

No. events planned Proceeded No. cancelled No. postponed

Source: Ipswich City Council, City Events Calendar, July 2019 to July 2020

14 Ipswich City Council, City Events Calendar, July 2019 to July 2020

Page 11 of 21

Figure 3: City Event Bookings (pre-cancellation, postponements), March to July 2020 City Event Bookings (pre-cancellation/ postponement), March to July 2020

10, 11%

46, 51% 35, 38%

0-500 Attendees 501-5,000 Attendees Over 5,000 Attendees

Source: Ipswich City Council, City Events Calendar, March to July 2020

3.6. Performing Arts

As reported in Council’s last monitoring report15, this section captures the second round of results from a three-phase study of how audiences feel about returning to events in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data was first collected from audiences in May and July. The third round of data will be collected from audiences in September 2020.

The July round of the COVID-19 National Audience Outlook Monitor16 involved 15,656 participants across 152 organisations. Findings suggests that audiences are increasingly ready to attend cultural events as soon as permitted (representing 28% of audiences, up from 22% in May).

Additional findings of note:

 24% of respondents had attended a cultural event in the past fortnight.  More than two thirds felt comfortable attending a 100-seat venue, up from 44% in May 2020.  42% were currently making plans to attend a venue, up from 14% in May 2020.  72% expected to attend the same or more than before, long term. This finding was down from an average of 85% in May 2020.

15 City of Ipswich COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report, published 28 July 2020 16 Patternmakers, 2020. Patternmakers are a team of specialists across finance, economics, market research and sociology. The COVID-19 National Audience Outlook is made possible with support from Australia Council of the Arts, NSW Government, Creative Victoria, Western Australian Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, South Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet, and the .

Page 12 of 21

3.7. Sport and Recreation

With the introduction of Queensland Government’s Stage 3 restrictions in early July, community sport competitions were able to recommence. Restrictions on spectators at training and competitions were also relaxed requiring community clubs to implement measures for tracking attendance at training and games.

Several state sporting organisations have provided local clubs with QR Codes to improve attendance tracking. There have also been several funding opportunities opened to assist community clubs to return to play.

These include Council funding available through the Minor and Major Funding Programs as well as the COVID-19 Recovery Support Program. The QLD State Government has also released the Active Restart Infrastructure Recovery Fund.

4. Employment, education and training

4.1. Job change

Modelled job change in Ipswich remains unchanged since council’s last monitoring report17. Local jobs are modelled to have fallen -7.7% in the June Quarter 2020, equating to a fall of 5,967 local jobs in Ipswich.

If JobKeeper recipients are included then the overall job fall is estimated at -12.8% (or 9,956 jobs) for June Quarter.

The job fall rate in Ipswich is consistent with estimates for nearby local government areas of Brisbane and Logan18.

17 City of Ipswich COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report, published 28 July 2020 18 National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) ©2019 Compiled and presented in economy.id by .id the population experts

Page 13 of 21

4.2. Employment change and unemployment

The modelled economic impact of COVID-19 on employed residents remains unchanged since the last monitoring report19, suggesting a decline of -7.3% in June Quarter. It is anticipated that Small Area Labour Market Figures for Ipswich in June quarter 2020 will be released in late September 2020.

Regional labour force figures released for the Ipswich SA420 in July 2020 are presented here for information and context purposes only.

Due to the high standard errors associated with regional labour force survey data, it is not recommended for use to assess the impact of COVID-19. The ABS and QGSO recommend using 12-month averages to reduce the volatility of the underlying original data (rather than monthly figures).

Analysis of annual averages show the following for Ipswich SA4 in July 202021 indicates:

 a steady labour force participation rate 65.1% on par with the Queensland average.  employment growth of 0.9%, compared to Queensland’s -1% decline over the 12 month period.  an unemployment rate of 8.7%, up 1.8 percentage points over the year. The unemployment rate for this area was the third-highest of all 19 SA4s within Queensland (thus above the Queensland average of 6.7%). 4.3. Youth unemployment

Regional youth unemployment figures show the Ipswich SA4 maintains the fourth highest youth unemployment rate of all 19 SA4s in Queensland at a rate of 19.9%, an increase of 6.7% over 12 months22.

As noted in Section 4.2, the ABS and QGSO do not recommend using regional labour force data to assess the impact of COVID-19. As such, these youth unemployment figures are captured in this monitoring report to provide the latest available regional context for the month of July 2020 relative to figures in July 2019.

19 City of Ipswich COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report, published 28 July 2020 20 Ipswich SA4 region encompasses the Ipswich City Council area and parts of Somerset, , Regional and Brisbane City Council areas 21 QGSO Regional Labour Force, Ipswich SA4 July 2020 22 QGSO Regional Youth Unemployment, July 2020

Page 14 of 21

4.4. Jobseeker and Youth Allowance

On a monthly basis, the Australian Department of Social Services publishes the number of people who are eligible recipients of the JobSeeker allowance (generally aged 22+ years) and youth allowance (which excludes students, and generally for people aged 21 and under)23.

Latest published figures for Ipswich in July 2020 shows around one in 8 residents aged 15-64 years were receiving one of these allowances, which is consistent with the previous month’s figures, but an increase of 5 percentage points since March. For context, 11.4% of Queensland residents aged 15-64 years were receiving these allowances in July (also up 5.1 percentage points since March 2020).

As shown in Figure 4, the percentage of recipients across Ipswich local areas varies. The smallest percentage of recipients reported in the local areas of Karalee – Barellan Point (6.5% or 257 people aged 15-64 years) and Ipswich – North (6.9%% or 235 people).

The largest percentage of recipients in July 2020 was reported in the local areas of Riverview (25.6%, or 459 people), Leichhardt – One Mile (21.0% or 1,137 people), Goodna (17.7% or 1,287 people) and Redbank Plains (17.5% or 2,515 people).

Figure 4: JobSeeker and Youth Allowance recipients, March- July 2020 JobSeeker and Youth Allowance recipients, March - July 2020 (%)

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%

City of Ipswich 13.2% Rosewood 10.7% Brassall 14.1% Bundamba 15.7% Churchill - Yamanto 9.9% Ipswich - Central 17.2% Ipswich - East 15.5% Ipswich - North 6.9% Karalee - Barellan Point 6.5% Leichhardt - One Mile 21.0% North Ipswich - Tivoli 15.7% Raceview 10.6% Ripley 10.9% Riverview 25.6% Bellbird Park - Brookwater 8.8% Camira - Gailes 11.4% Collingwood Park - Redbank 15.3% Goodna 17.7% Redbank Plains 17.5% Springfield 8.6% Springfield Lakes 9.0% Greater Brisbane 10.1% Queensland 11.4%

Mar-20 Jul-20

Source: .id the population experts, JobSeeker and Youth Allowance recipients

23.id the population experts, JobSeeker and Youth Allowance recipients

Page 15 of 21

In terms of absolute numbers the number of people receiving JobSeeker or Youth Allowance was highest in Redbank Plains, (2,521), East Ipswich (1,853), Goodna (1,278), Springfield Lakes (1,179)24.

The most significant change in the number of recipients between March and July 2020 was recorded in Redbank Plains (+1,013 recipients) and Springfield Lakes (+722 recipients).

Figure 5: JobSeeker and Youth allowance recipients change March to July (#)

JobSeeker and Youth allowance recipients, change March to July (#)

+1,200 +1,013 +1,000 +800 +722 +577 +600 +424 +470 +353 +388 +415 +316 +304 +288 +283 +400 +205 +256 +234 +169 +193 +143 +129 +200 +115 0

Source: .id the population experts, JobSeeker and Youth Allowance recipients 5. Community health, safety and wellbeing

5.1. Public health reports of COVID-19

At the time of finalising this report on 26 August 2020, there were 16 active COVID- 19 cases across Queensland, including six (6) active case in the West Moreton Region. Of these active cases, 11 related to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster announced on 20 August 202025.

An overall total of 38 cases of COVID-19 have now been recorded in Ipswich since the pandemic was announced in March 2020.

Of these, 25 were overseas acquired illness, while 12 were locally acquired. One remains listed as under investigation26.

24 .id the population experts, JobSeeker and Youth Allowance recipients 25 Ipswich First, 26 August 2020 26 Queensland Health Current Statistics, 26 August 2020

Page 16 of 21

5.2. Physical health and wellbeing

Indicators of change to physical health behaviours remain unchanged since council’s last monitoring report27. These findings suggest that as social restrictions eased, more people were:

 spending more time outdoors  more than one in ten reported getting more sleep  one in four spent more time on exercise and physical activity  two in five reported more personal screen time.

In light of eased restrictions, Ipswich City Council’s Active at Home Program finished in late June and council-led physical activity sessions transitioning back to park based, face-to-face programs from mid-July. These sessions were run in accordance with Stage 2 restrictions. An Active Seniors program was also launched in July offering five free physical activity classes for 40 weeks of the year. These classes are planned to include Yoga, Ta Chi & Qigong, Strength and Fitness and Aqua Fitness. 5.3. Household financial stressors

As reported in the last monitoring report28, one in seven Australians in June (15%) had someone in their household experiencing one or more household financial stressors. This proportion was less than previously reported in April 2020 (22%).

Of those living in a rented dwelling, more than one in ten (11.1%) reported a member of their household experienced difficulty paying rent in the last four weeks or fearing eviction (similar to 10.9% in April)29.

More than one third of Ipswich households were renting in 2016, well above the Australian average (37.5%, compared to 29.4%). Reported rates of rental stress based on 2016 Census results were highest in Leichardt-One Mile (impacting 35.5% of rented households), North Ipswich – Tivoli (35%), and Ipswich –East (34.9%)30. 5.4. Mental health and wellbeing

Results from the ABS Survey on Household Impacts of COVID-19 conducted in mid- July31 found three in five Australians (60%) considered their mental health to be excellent or very good, while one in seven (14%) reported their mental health as fair or poor. This survey reflects slightly poorer results when compared to a 2007 survey by the ABS when two thirds of Australians (67%) considered their mental health to be excellent or very good, and 9% reported their mental health as fair or poor.

27 City of Ipswich COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report, published 28 July 2020. 28 City of Ipswich COVID-19 Social and Economic Monitoring Report, published 28 July 2020. 4940.0 - Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, 24-29 June 2020 30 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016. Compiled and presented in atlas.id by .id , the population experts, 31 4940.0 - Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, 24-29 June 2020

Page 17 of 21

5.5. Community safety

Between March and July 2020, overall reported offence rates per 100,000 persons have shown general levels of fluctuation. Notable rate changes include:

 Increased rate of assault offences, with a spike between June and July 2020, reaching an offence rate of 54.5 per 100,000 persons and an overall rate increase over 12 months of 21.4 per 100,000 (shown in Figure 6)  Reduced rate of offences against property since March 2020, and overall rate decline of 137.9 per 100,000 persons since July 2019 (shown in Figure 7)  Increased rate of drug offences since March 2020, and an overall rate increase of 35.4 per 100,000 persons since July 2019 (shown in Figure 8)  Fluctuating offence rates for breached domestic violence protection orders since March 2020, but an overall rate increase of 12.3 per 100,000 persons in the last 12 months (shown in Figure 9)

Figure 6: QPS Reported Offence Rates Against the Person, Ipswich LGA, 2019-2020

Reported Offence Rates Against the Person, 2019-2020 60 54.59

50

40 28.2 30

20

10

0

Homicide (Murder) Other Homicide Assault Sexual Offences Armed Robbery Other Offences Against the Person

Source: QPS, Reported Offence Rates by LGA to May 2020, https://www.police.qld.gov.au/maps-and-statistics

Page 18 of 21

Figure 7: QPS Reported Offence Rates Against the Property, Ipswich LGA, 2019-2020 Reported Offence Rates Against Property, 2019-2020 700.0

600.0 584.8 534.8 545.3 532.6 546.6 543.0 541.6 500.0 521.2 516.7 515.1 477.1 480.3 497.0 454.4 458.3 400.0 318.7 300.0 287.5 309.0 200.0 76.8 52.3 61.8 50.4 51.8 60.0 60.0 55.0 100.0 32.3 34.1 43.2 40.0 30.4 37.0 35.7 45.8 35.7 27.7 38.74 0.0

Unlawful Entry Arson Other Property Damage Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry) Fraud Handling Stolen Goods Offences Against Property

Source: QPS, Reported Offence Rates by LGA to May 2020, https://www.police.qld.gov.au/maps-and-statistics

Figure 8: QPS Reported Offence Rates of Other Offences, Ipswich LGA, 2019-2020 Reported Rate of Other Offences, 2019-2020 268.1 300.0 250.0 184.5 158.1 175.9 172.13 200.0 136.8 138.1 136.3 150.1 116.3 116.3 124.5 127.2 118.6 118.9 112.3 150.0 102.2 111.8 92.0 100.0 50.0 0.0

Drug Offences Liquor (excl. Drunkenness) Gaming Racing & Betting Offences Breach Domestic Violence Protection Order Trespassing and Vagrancy Weapons Act Offences Good Order Offences Stock Related Offences Traffic and Related Offences Miscellaneous Offences

Source: QPS, Reported Offence Rates by LGA to May 2020, https://www.police.qld.gov.au/maps-and-statistics

Page 19 of 21

Figure 9: QPS Reported Offence Rates of Other Offences, 2019-2020 Breach Domestic Violence Protection order, 2019-2020 90.0 85.4 77.5 80.0 70.4 71.3 68.2 67.8 69.11 65.0 66.3 70.0 64.7 62.5 60.0 61.6 55.9 56.8 56.3 60.0 52.7 54.5 47.3 61.4 50.0 56.6 58.1 57.47 54.0 54.9 55.9 55.3 55.0 56.1 50.1 52.0 52.5 52.3 40.0 46.1 45.7 43.6 44.6 44.1 30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0

Ipswich QLD

Source: QPS, Reported Offence Rates by LGA to May 2020, https://www.police.qld.gov.au/maps-and-statistics

6. Housing and accommodation

A review of housing indicators for the Ipswich region32 indicate the rental vacancy has been on a steady downward trend since the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, reaching an overall vacancy rate of 1.0% in July 2020. This reduced rental vacancy rate suggests rental shortage in Ipswich and may have implications for residents trying to renegotiate rental tenancies or relocate after September when COVID-19 economic support measures are rolled back. The reduced vacancy rate also creates a highly competitive market which will experience inflation and impact overall affordability for residents. This may in turn increase demand for social and crisis housing in Ipswich.

Weekly asking rents at 20 August 2020 (see Figure 11) suggests there has been a 2.5% increase in asking rents for all houses in the last month and a 0.8% increase over the rolling quarter (the average asking price for all houses was $342 per week).

The average asking sale price for all houses in Ipswich region was $392,900, down -04% over the rolling quarter (see Figure 12).

32 Geography defined by SQM Research

Page 20 of 21

Figure 10: Rental Vacancy Rate – Ipswich Region June 2018-2020

Residential Vacancy Rates Ipswich Region June 2018-July 2020

3.5% 3.0% 3.0% 2.7% 2.7% 2.8% 3.0% 2.5% 2.5%2.6% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.6% 2.5% 2.4% 2.4%2.4% 2.3%2.3% 2.4% 2.5% 2.2% 2.1% 2.1%2.2% 1.8% 2.0% 1.2% 1.5% 1.0% 1.0% 0.5%

0.0%

Jul-18 Jul-19 Jul-20

Jan-19 Jan-20

Jun-18 Jun-19 Jun-20

Oct-18 Oct-19

Apr-19 Apr-20

Sep-18 Feb-19 Sep-19 Feb-20

Dec-18 Dec-19

Aug-18 Aug-19

Nov-18 Nov-19

Mar-19 Mar-20 May-20 May-19

Source: Rental vacancy rates are compiled and published by SQM Research Pty Ltd,

Figure 11: Housing – Weekly Asking Rent Ipswich Region SQM Research Weekly Rents Index

Rolling Rolling Week ending Change on month quarter 12 month 3 year 20 Aug 2020 prev week % change % change % change % change

All Houses 342.8 -2.8 2.5% 0.8% -1.7% 2.6%

3 br Houses 313.0 -3.0 1.8% -0.7% 1.1% 4.7% Ipswich All Units 275.7 -0.7 -3.7% -5.8% -3.1% 1.5%

2 br Units 268.5 1.5 -0.7% 0.5% 0.1% 3.0%

Source: Rental listings data are compiled and published by SQM Research Pty Ltd,

Figure 12: Housing – Weekly Asking Sales Prices Ipswich Region SQM Research Weekly Asking Prices Index

Rolling Rolling Week ending Change on month quarter 12 month 3 year 25 Aug 2020 prev week % change % change % change % change

All Houses 392.9 3.4 1.0% -0.4% -0.2% 2.5%

3 br Houses 305.0 0.0 1.8% 1.7% -1.1% -2.9% Ipswich All Units 248.9 0.1 0.6% 4.1% 6.7% -7.3%

2 br Units 199.8 0.2 0.3% -2.4% -9.4% -9.2%

Source: property sales data are compiled and published by SQM Research Pty Ltd,

Page 21 of 21