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Regional SA in Australia

Regional SA is made up of Northern Areas (DC), Cleve (DC), Port Augusta (C), Port Lincoln (C), Whyalla (C), Loxton Waikerie (DC), Alexandrina (DC), Barossa (DC), Port Pirie City and Dists (M), Berri and Barmera (DC), Lower Eyre Peninsula (DC), Light (RegC), Victor Harbor (C), Mount Gambier (C), Copper Coast (DC), Grant (DC), Ceduna (DC), Wakefield (DC), Yankalilla (DC), Yorke Peninsula (DC), Kimba (DC), Clare and Gilbert Valleys (DC), Flinders Ranges (DC), Mid Murray (DC), Wattle Range (DC), Barunga West (DC), Tumby Bay (DC), Robe (DC), Streaky Bay (DC), Murray Bridge (RC), Renmark Paringa (DC), Mount Remarkable (DC), Kangaroo Island (DC), Kingston (DC) (SA), Elliston (DC), Franklin Harbour (DC), Peterborough (DC), The Coorong (DC), Tatiara (DC), Onkaparinga (C), Adelaide Plains (DC), Karoonda East Murray (DC), Naracoorte and Lucindale (DC), Goyder (DC), and Roxby Downs (M).

Living in Regional SA

Regional SA Overall Liveability Index
Regional SA 2023
67.7
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
Far North Queensland
60.3
Hobart
58.5
Melbourne
65.5
Northern NSW
58.8
Perth
67.4
Regional NT
53.0
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

Regional SA Overall Liveability Index

Regional SA Overall Liveability Index 67.7

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index 63.4

Regional SA
Australia
Importance
Experience

Feeling safe

Importance
Experience
67%
8.0
63%
6.8

Natural environment

Importance
Experience
63%
8.6
53%
7.9

Health services

Importance
Experience
58%
5.1
45%
6.5

Sense of community

Importance
Experience
53%
7.7
31%
6.5

Affordable decent housing

Importance
Experience
41%
5.7
52%
4.7

Good job prospects

Importance
Experience
35%
5.2
29%
5.9

A lack of road congestion

Importance
Experience
33%
7.9
22%
5.6

Making your way

Importance
Experience
24%
6.5
32%
6.4

Social cohesion

Importance
Experience
23%
6.8
26%
6.7

Shopping, leisure & dining

Importance
Experience
20%
5.1
28%
6.5

Sports and recreation

Importance
Experience
20%
7.5
11%
7.2

A prosperous economy

Importance
Experience
19%
6.6
15%
6.2

Opportunity for all

Importance
Experience
17%
6.5
18%
6.3

Education

Importance
Experience
15%
5.7
18%
6.7

Public transport

Importance
Experience
8%
2.1
40%
5.6

Cultural facilities

Importance
Experience
5%
5.3
16%
6.2
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in Regional SA

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 SA (n = 113)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional SA (n = 113)
16%
63%
21%
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?
Regional SA (n = 113)
7.4
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional SA (n = 113)
6%
69%
25%
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?
Regional SA (n = 113)
7.3
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional SA (n = 113)
8%
76%
16%
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 Regional SA

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 SA (n = 113)
6.4
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional SA (n = 113)
17%
61%
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?
Regional SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 4831)
Always late
0%
2%
Often late
3%
5%
Sometimes late
33%
27%
Never late
64%
66%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional SA (n = 113)
25%
58%
17%
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 Regional SA

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Regional SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
40%
46%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
28%
30%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
11%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
7%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
13%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among those that believe in climate change, 44% indicated that their local area is currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 36% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 6% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 45% somewhat confident. 45% 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 SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
44%
45%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
36%
40%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
20%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Very confident
6%
6%
Somewhat confident
45%
38%
Not very confident
37%
39%
Not at all confident
8%
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: Extreme heat (68%), Bushfires (59%) and Droughts (53%). The top actions residents felt should be taken to address the effects of climate change in their local area were: Protect and enhance local biodiversity (67%), Provide options for recycling waste (51%) and Educate residents on how to live more sustainably (48%).

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 SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 3660)
Extreme heat
68%
75%
Bushfires
59%
51%
Droughts
53%
42%
Severe wind
38%
43%
Sea level rise
34%
23%
Flooding
34%
55%
Storms
30%
57%
Extremely cold temperatures
13%
18%
Other
5%
3%
Cyclones
3%
12%
Landslide
0%
6%
Earthquakes
0%
5%
None of these
0%
0%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
67%
64%
Provide options for recycling waste
51%
53%
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
48%
58%
Conserve natural resources
44%
54%
Adopt renewable energy sources
43%
55%
More sustainable building and development practices
41%
48%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
40%
41%
Create renewable energy sources
39%
46%
Reduce pollution of the environment
37%
58%
Encourage residents to buy locally
33%
36%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
21%
43%
More sustainable transport options
14%
48%
Other
12%
6%
None of these
2%
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, 18% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 49% somewhat confident. 26% 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 SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
41%
44%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
36%
40%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
23%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Very confident
18%
10%
Somewhat confident
49%
53%
Not very confident
24%
27%
Not at all confident
2%
6%
Don't know
7%
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 (88%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (73%) and Essential infrastructure vulnerability (47%). 43% 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?
Regional SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Increased household running costs
88%
81%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
73%
63%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
47%
39%
Challenges accessing essential services
33%
28%
My ability to access nature due to weather
31%
34%
Challenges getting around
30%
38%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
23%
44%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
20%
30%
Reduction in air quality
14%
39%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
13%
27%
Loss or damage to your home/property
13%
27%
Reduced value to your home/property
11%
13%
Other
5%
3%
None of these
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
It will improve a lot
0%
2%
It will improve somewhat
6%
7%
It will not change
25%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
43%
49%
It will reduce a lot
18%
22%
Don't know
8%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns & ideas in Regional SA

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Regional SA (n = 113)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
Inflation/Cost of Living
48%
59%
Healthcare/Hospitals
47%
19%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
38%
21%
Housing/Price of Housing
26%
54%
Transport
25%
18%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
19%
15%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
18%
14%
Law & order
16%
26%
Unemployment
13%
9%
Environmental Concerns
11%
7%
The Economy
11%
13%
Taxation
6%
5%
Immigration
6%
5%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
5%
5%
Population/Overpopulation
4%
13%
Poverty/Inequality
4%
11%
Education
2%
3%
Race Relations/Racism
0%
3%
Defence
0%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower