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Far North Queensland in Australia

Far North Queensland is made up of Cairns (R), Townsville (C), Cassowary Coast (R), Tablelands (R), Douglas (S), Hinchinbrook (S), Charters Towers (R), Mareeba (S), and Burdekin (S).

Living in Far North Queensland

Far North Queensland Overall Liveability Index
Far North Queensland 2023
58.3
Australia
63.4
Adelaide
67.4
Central NSW
60.5
Central QLD
59.5
Central VIC
67.5
Darwin
58.5
Eastern VIC
63.9
Hobart
58.5
Melbourne
65.5
Northern NSW
58.8
Perth
67.4
Regional NT
53.0
Regional SA
67.7
Regional Tas
60.2
Regional WA
61.7
Rest of QLD
68.7
South East Queensland
63.7
Southern NSW
61.9
Sydney
65.9
The ACT
65.6
Western VIC
66.4
Collected May 2024

Use the values and experiences matrix to understand the relationship between what your residents believe makes somewhere a good place to live and how they experience their local area in that regard. The matrix highlights the attributes that your community believe needs to maintained and improved to advance overall liveability.

Greater Importance & Worse Experiences    Greater Importance & Better Experiences    Less important attributes

Far North Queensland Overall Liveability Index

Far North Queensland Overall Liveability Index 60.3

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index 63.4

Far North Queensland
Australia
Importance
Experience

Natural environment

Importance
Experience
68%
8.6
53%
7.9

Feeling safe

Importance
Experience
60%
5.1
63%
6.8

Health services

Importance
Experience
54%
5.6
45%
6.5

Affordable decent housing

Importance
Experience
52%
5.1
52%
4.7

Sense of community

Importance
Experience
44%
6.5
31%
6.5

Good job prospects

Importance
Experience
31%
5.5
29%
5.9

Shopping, leisure & dining

Importance
Experience
29%
5.5
28%
6.5

A lack of road congestion

Importance
Experience
28%
6.7
22%
5.6

Making your way

Importance
Experience
24%
6.1
32%
6.4

A prosperous economy

Importance
Experience
20%
5.5
15%
6.2

Social cohesion

Importance
Experience
19%
6.0
26%
6.7

Public transport

Importance
Experience
19%
3.3
40%
5.6

Cultural facilities

Importance
Experience
15%
5.7
16%
6.2

Opportunity for all

Importance
Experience
15%
6.0
18%
6.3

Education

Importance
Experience
14%
6.0
18%
6.7

Sports and recreation

Importance
Experience
8%
6.7
11%
7.2
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in Far North Queensland

Physical Health
How would you rate your physical health?
Do you think your physical health will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
6.8
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
12%
58%
29%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
12%
58%
30%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Mental Health
How would you rate your mental health?
Do you think your mental health will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
7.4
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
12%
70%
18%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
10%
65%
25%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Social wellbeing
How would you rate your social wellbeing?
Do you think your social wellbeing will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
7.1
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
11%
77%
12%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
9%
68%
23%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Financial circumstances in Far North Queensland

How would you rate your personal financial circumstances?
Do you think your personal financial circumstance will get worse, stay the same or get better over the next year?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
24%
55%
21%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
21%
51%
28%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
How often, if ever, are you late meeting your financial commitments?
Do you think the economic situation in your local area will get worse, stay the same or get better over the next year?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 4831)
Always late
2%
2%
Often late
7%
5%
Sometimes late
20%
27%
Never late
70%
66%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
38%
48%
14%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
35%
52%
13%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change in Far North Queensland

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
37%
46%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
34%
30%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
10%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
5%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
14%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among those that believe in climate change, 61% indicated that their local area is currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 26% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 8% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 36% somewhat confident. 51% were not confident.

Please select the extent to which climate change is impacting or will impact your local area in your lifetime?
How confident are you that your local area will be able to adapt to the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
61%
45%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
26%
40%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
13%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Very confident
8%
6%
Somewhat confident
36%
38%
Not very confident
35%
39%
Not at all confident
17%
13%
Don't know
4%
4%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among the group of residents that felt their local area is currently feeling, or will feel, the effects of climate change in their lifetime, the top local area climate-related events were: Cyclones (89%), Flooding (82%) and Extreme heat (78%). The top actions residents felt should be taken to address the effects of climate change in their local area were: Educate residents on how to live more sustainably (65%), Protect and enhance local biodiversity (62%) and Provide options for recycling waste (57%).

How is your local area currently, or how do you expect it will, feel the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
What do you feel are the best ways to address the effects of climate change in your local area?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 3660)
Cyclones
89%
12%
Flooding
82%
55%
Extreme heat
78%
75%
Sea level rise
44%
23%
Storms
41%
57%
Landslide
29%
6%
Droughts
26%
42%
Bushfires
20%
51%
Severe wind
17%
43%
Other
3%
3%
Earthquakes
0%
5%
Extremely cold temperatures
0%
18%
None of these
0%
0%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
65%
58%
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
62%
64%
Provide options for recycling waste
57%
53%
Conserve natural resources
54%
54%
Adopt renewable energy sources
53%
55%
More sustainable building and development practices
48%
48%
Reduce pollution of the environment
47%
58%
Encourage residents to buy locally
43%
36%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
42%
43%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
41%
41%
Create renewable energy sources
39%
46%
More sustainable transport options
34%
48%
Other
7%
6%
None of these
4%
2%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change on residents

Among those that believe in climate change, 44% indicated that they themselves are currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 40% expected to within their lifetime. Of those, 10% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 60% somewhat confident. 28% were not confident.

Please select the extent to which climate change is impacting or will impact you personally in your lifetime?
How confident are you that you personally will be able to adapt to the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
48%
44%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
34%
40%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
17%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Very confident
10%
10%
Somewhat confident
60%
53%
Not very confident
24%
27%
Not at all confident
4%
6%
Don't know
3%
4%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among the group of residents that felt they are currently feeling, or will feel, the effects of climate change in their lifetime, the top personal impacts were: Increased household running costs (85%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (62%) and Essential infrastructure vulnerability (51%). 55% feel climate change will reduce their quality of life somewhat, and a further 18% feel it will reduce their quality of life a lot.

How are you currently, or how do you expect to, personally feel the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Which of the following best represents how you believe the effects of climate change will affect your quality of life?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Increased household running costs
85%
81%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
62%
63%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
51%
39%
Challenges getting around
49%
38%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
40%
44%
My ability to access nature due to weather
39%
34%
Challenges accessing essential services
38%
28%
Loss or damage to your home/property
38%
27%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
34%
30%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
29%
27%
Reduction in air quality
23%
39%
Reduced value to your home/property
20%
13%
Other
3%
3%
None of these
0%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
It will improve a lot
0%
2%
It will improve somewhat
4%
7%
It will not change
15%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
55%
49%
It will reduce a lot
18%
22%
Don't know
7%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns & ideas in Far North Queensland

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Far North Queensland (n = 208)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
Inflation/Cost of Living
59%
59%
Law & order
55%
26%
Housing/Price of Housing
40%
54%
Healthcare/Hospitals
27%
19%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
16%
5%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
14%
15%
Transport
14%
18%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
14%
21%
Unemployment
10%
9%
Poverty/Inequality
10%
11%
The Economy
9%
13%
Environmental Concerns
8%
7%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
6%
14%
Population/Overpopulation
5%
13%
Taxation
5%
5%
Race Relations/Racism
5%
3%
Immigration
2%
5%
Education
1%
3%
Defence
0%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower