Sign in

Regional NT in Australia

Regional NT is made up of Alice Springs (T), East Arnhem (R), Barkly (R), Katherine (T), MacDonnell (R), Victoria Daly (R), Roper Gulf (R), West Arnhem (R), Coomalie (S), Belyuen, Central Desert, Litchfield (M), and Mount Isa (C).

Living in Regional NT in May 2025

Regional NT Overall Liveability Index
Australia
59.5
Adelaide
62.9
Central NSW
59.0
Central QLD
57.2
Central VIC
60.8
Darwin
52.6
Eastern VIC
58.0
Far North Queensland
52.9
Hobart
58.1
Melbourne
60.6
Northern NSW
55.7
Perth
62.9
Regional SA
59.4
Regional Tas
58.8
Regional WA
61.0
Rest of QLD
66.5
South East Queensland
59.2
Southern NSW
59.1
Sydney
64.1
The ACT
64.2
Western VIC
60.9
Collected May 2025

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

Regional NT Overall Liveability Index

Regional NT Overall Liveability Index 50.6

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index 59.5

Regional NT
Australia
Importance
Experience
Feeling safe
Importance
Experience
74%
2.8
65%
6.2
Affordable decent housing
Importance
Experience
65%
4.5
56%
4.5
Health services
Importance
Experience
55%
5.1
48%
6.1
Good job prospects
Importance
Experience
49%
6.6
29%
5.4
Natural environment
Importance
Experience
38%
7.0
50%
7.6
Sense of community
Importance
Experience
34%
5.9
29%
6.2
Shopping, leisure & dining
Importance
Experience
27%
3.3
26%
6.1
Opportunity for all
Importance
Experience
26%
5.5
19%
5.9
Making your way
Importance
Experience
25%
7.1
30%
6.0
A prosperous economy
Importance
Experience
22%
4.5
16%
5.6
Social cohesion
Importance
Experience
21%
4.6
26%
6.3
A lack of road congestion
Importance
Experience
15%
8.1
21%
5.3
Education
Importance
Experience
15%
5.1
20%
6.3
Sports and recreation
Importance
Experience
14%
6.4
9%
6.9
Public transport
Importance
Experience
13%
2.6
40%
5.2
Cultural facilities
Importance
Experience
8%
4.8
15%
5.8
The arrows indicate whether a difference is statistically significant. Significance testing helps determine if a difference between two groups is likely real (shown by an arrow) or due to random chance (no arrow).
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in Regional NT in May 2025

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?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
6.7
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
15%
57%
28%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
15%
56%
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?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
6.6
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
22%
62%
16%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
12%
64%
24%
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?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
6.1
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
6.5
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
22%
59%
19%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
11%
67%
22%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Financial circumstances in Regional NT in May 2025

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?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
6.2
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
5.7
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
22%
47%
30%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
27%
47%
26%
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?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 140)
Australia (n = 4683)
Always late
2%
2%
Often late
4%
6%
Sometimes late
29%
30%
Never late
64%
63%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
66%
30%
5%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
42%
48%
11%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change in Regional NT in May 2025

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
Australia (n = 4907)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
28%
43%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
38%
32%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
13%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
4%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
16%
11%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among those that believe in climate change, 53% indicated that their local area is currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 29% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 5% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 29% somewhat confident. 58% 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?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 124)
Australia (n = 4304)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
53%
49%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
29%
36%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
18%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional NT 2025 (n = 101)
Australia (n = 3585)
Very confident
5%
5%
Somewhat confident
29%
35%
Not very confident
37%
39%
Not at all confident
21%
15%
Don't know
8%
6%
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: Extreme heat (95%), Bushfires (67%) and Droughts (61%). The top actions residents felt should be taken to address the effects of climate change in their local area were: Provide options for recycling waste (47%), Conserve natural resources (46%) and Protect and enhance local biodiversity (45%).

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?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 102)
Australia (n = 3490)
Extreme heat
95%
74%
Bushfires
67%
50%
Droughts
61%
42%
Flooding
43%
48%
Storms
27%
53%
Severe wind
21%
44%
Cyclones
13%
24%
Extremely cold temperatures
10%
16%
Sea level rise
2%
24%
Earthquakes
1%
5%
Landslide
0%
7%
Other
0%
5%
None of these
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional NT 2025 (n = 101)
Australia (n = 3585)
Provide options for recycling waste
47%
47%
Conserve natural resources
46%
48%
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
45%
60%
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
43%
53%
Adopt renewable energy sources
42%
48%
Reduce pollution of the environment
37%
51%
More sustainable building and development practices
35%
44%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
29%
36%
Create renewable energy sources
29%
38%
Encourage residents to buy locally
20%
30%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
20%
35%
More sustainable transport options
17%
41%
None of these
5%
2%
Other
4%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change on residents

Among those that believe in climate change, 40% indicated that they themselves are currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 39% expected to within their lifetime. Of those, 9% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 47% somewhat confident. 36% 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?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 124)
Australia (n = 4304)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
40%
47%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
39%
37%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
21%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional NT 2025 (n = 96)
Australia (n = 3506)
Very confident
9%
8%
Somewhat confident
47%
52%
Not very confident
27%
30%
Not at all confident
9%
6%
Don't know
9%
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 (80%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (56%) and My ability to leave my home due to weather (51%). 37% feel climate change will reduce their quality of life somewhat, and a further 25% 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?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 96)
Australia (n = 3506)
Increased household running costs
80%
77%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
56%
61%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
51%
46%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
27%
40%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
26%
26%
Loss or damage to your home/property
26%
29%
Reduced value to your home/property
25%
15%
My ability to access nature due to weather
24%
32%
Reduction in air quality
24%
36%
Challenges accessing essential services
22%
28%
Challenges getting around
19%
36%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
18%
29%
None of these
1%
2%
Other
1%
3%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional NT 2025 (n = 96)
Australia (n = 3506)
It will improve a lot
2%
2%
It will improve somewhat
5%
7%
It will not change
25%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
37%
49%
It will reduce a lot
25%
22%
Don't know
7%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns in Regional NT in May 2025

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
Australia (n = 4907)
Law & order
86%
36%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
45%
15%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
27%
4%
Inflation/Cost of Living
24%
54%
Race Relations/Racism
21%
5%
Housing/Price of Housing
15%
50%
Healthcare/Hospitals
14%
20%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
11%
12%
Unemployment
11%
9%
Poverty/Inequality
10%
11%
The Economy
9%
12%
Taxation
6%
6%
Transport
6%
20%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
5%
13%
Education
4%
3%
Immigration
3%
7%
Environmental Concerns
3%
10%
Population/Overpopulation
1%
13%
Defence
0%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Residential Development and Local Area Decision-Making in Regional NT in May 2025

What concerns do you have with residential development (building more homes to accommodate more people) in your local area?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
Australia (n = 4907)
Lack of affordable housing
39%
38%
Rising housing costs
35%
35%
Changes to neighbourhood character
20%
21%
Strain on infrastructure and public services
20%
42%
Loss of green space or natural areas
13%
28%
Overcrowding
8%
18%
Environmental impact
7%
20%
Noise or disruption during construction
5%
10%
Increased traffic and congestion
3%
46%
Other
18%
5%
None/not applicable to my area
27%
5%
Don't know
2%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
What other concerns do you have with residential development in your local area?

What do you see as the potential benefits of residential development (building more homes to accommodate more people) in your local area?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
Australia (n = 4906)
Increased housing availability
45%
49%
More affordable housing options
37%
37%
Attraction of new residents and economic growth
33%
23%
Support for local businesses and services
32%
42%
Revitalisation of underused or vacant areas
22%
20%
Improved infrastructure and amenities (e.g. roads, parks)
17%
18%
Opportunity for more sustainable, energy-efficient housing
10%
15%
Greater diversity in housing types
6%
10%
Enhanced public transport options
5%
13%
Other
7%
4%
None/not applicable to my area
15%
13%
Don’t know
3%
3%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
What do you see as the other potential benefits of residential development in your local area?

To what extent do you feel your community’s views are considered in local area decision-making?
Regional NT 2025 (n = 147)
Australia (n = 4907)
Very well considered
5%
4%
Somewhat well considered
15%
27%
Not well considered
35%
34%
Not considered at all
40%
27%
Don't know
4%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower