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Regional WA in Australia

Regional WA is made up of Greater Geraldton (C), Pingelly (S), Broome (S), Collie (S), Karratha (C), Busselton (C), Cuballing (S), Albany (C), Wyndham-East Kimberley (S), Toodyay (S), Ashburton (S), Harvey (S), Dardanup (S), Halls Creek (S), Bunbury (C), Jerramungup (S), Northampton (S), Murray (S), Kalgoorlie-Boulder (C), Yilgarn (S), Port Hedland (T), Denmark (S), Northam (S), Victoria Plains (S), Mandurah (C), Carnarvon (S), East Pilbara (S), Wongan-Ballidu (S), Bridgetown-Greenbushes (S), Gingin (S), Esperance (S), Merredin (S), Shark Bay (S), Moora (S), Kellerberrin (S), Brookton (S), Mount Marshall (S), Dundas (S), Augusta-Margaret River (S), Ravensthorpe (S), Manjimup (S), Laverton (S), Donnybrook-Balingup (S), Beverley (S), Carnamah (S), Morawa (S), Chittering (S), Meekatharra (S), Wagin (S), Kent (S), Mingenew (S), Dandaragan (S), Broomehill-Tambellup (S), Capel (S), Irwin (S), Waroona (S), Plantagenet (S), Boddington (S), Kojonup (S), Bruce Rock (S), Boyup Brook (S), Coolgardie (S), Coorow (S), Cunderdin (S), Derby-West Kimberley (S), Exmouth (S), Gnowangerup (S), Goomalling (S), Katanning (S), Kulin (S), Mosman Park (T), Nannup (S), Ngaanyatjarraku (S), Three Springs (S), Trayning (S), Woodanilling (S), and York (S).

Living in Regional WA

Regional WA Overall Liveability Index
Regional WA 2023
61.8
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 SA
67.7
Regional Tas
60.2
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 WA Overall Liveability Index

Regional WA Overall Liveability Index 61.7

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index 63.4

Regional WA
Australia
Importance
Experience

Feeling safe

Importance
Experience
67%
6.4
63%
6.8

Natural environment

Importance
Experience
62%
8.3
53%
7.9

Affordable decent housing

Importance
Experience
58%
4.2
52%
4.7

Health services

Importance
Experience
45%
5.3
45%
6.5

Good job prospects

Importance
Experience
44%
5.9
29%
5.9

Sense of community

Importance
Experience
42%
6.9
31%
6.5

Making your way

Importance
Experience
30%
6.8
32%
6.4

A lack of road congestion

Importance
Experience
25%
7.5
22%
5.6

Education

Importance
Experience
21%
5.2
18%
6.7

Shopping, leisure & dining

Importance
Experience
20%
4.7
28%
6.5

Opportunity for all

Importance
Experience
18%
6.3
18%
6.3

A prosperous economy

Importance
Experience
18%
6.2
15%
6.2

Social cohesion

Importance
Experience
17%
6.5
26%
6.7

Sports and recreation

Importance
Experience
15%
7.1
11%
7.2

Public transport

Importance
Experience
11%
3.3
40%
5.6

Cultural facilities

Importance
Experience
8%
5.6
16%
6.2
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in Regional WA

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 WA (n = 317)
6.8
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional WA (n = 317)
12%
54%
34%
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 WA (n = 317)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional WA (n = 317)
11%
64%
26%
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 WA (n = 317)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional WA (n = 317)
7%
71%
21%
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 WA

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 WA (n = 317)
5.9
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional WA (n = 317)
22%
47%
31%
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 WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 4831)
Always late
2%
2%
Often late
7%
5%
Sometimes late
25%
27%
Never late
66%
66%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional WA (n = 317)
35%
52%
13%
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 WA

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Regional WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
31%
46%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
36%
30%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
11%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
6%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
15%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among those that believe in climate change, 56% indicated that their local area is currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 30% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 4% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 42% somewhat confident. 49% 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 WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
56%
45%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
30%
40%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
14%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Very confident
4%
6%
Somewhat confident
42%
38%
Not very confident
37%
39%
Not at all confident
12%
13%
Don't know
5%
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 (83%), Bushfires (57%) and Droughts (56%). 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 (62%), Conserve natural resources (52%) and Educate residents on how to live more sustainably (52%).

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 WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 3660)
Extreme heat
83%
75%
Bushfires
57%
51%
Droughts
56%
42%
Severe wind
33%
43%
Sea level rise
28%
23%
Flooding
24%
55%
Storms
23%
57%
Cyclones
23%
12%
Extremely cold temperatures
7%
18%
Earthquakes
4%
5%
Other
4%
3%
Landslide
1%
6%
None of these
1%
0%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
62%
64%
Conserve natural resources
52%
54%
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
52%
58%
Provide options for recycling waste
51%
53%
Reduce pollution of the environment
44%
58%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
43%
41%
Adopt renewable energy sources
42%
55%
Create renewable energy sources
35%
46%
More sustainable building and development practices
34%
48%
Encourage residents to buy locally
30%
36%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
26%
43%
More sustainable transport options
22%
48%
Other
5%
6%
None of these
3%
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, 7% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 56% somewhat confident. 33% 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 WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
45%
44%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
40%
40%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
16%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Very confident
7%
10%
Somewhat confident
56%
53%
Not very confident
27%
27%
Not at all confident
6%
6%
Don't know
4%
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 (67%) and My ability to access nature due to weather (37%). 46% 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 WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Increased household running costs
80%
81%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
67%
63%
My ability to access nature due to weather
37%
34%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
36%
44%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
28%
39%
Reduction in air quality
24%
39%
Challenges accessing essential services
24%
28%
Loss or damage to your home/property
19%
27%
Challenges getting around
18%
38%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
16%
27%
Reduced value to your home/property
14%
13%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
10%
30%
Other
4%
3%
None of these
2%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Regional WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
It will improve a lot
0%
2%
It will improve somewhat
9%
7%
It will not change
16%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
46%
49%
It will reduce a lot
18%
22%
Don't know
12%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns & ideas in Regional WA

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Regional WA (n = 317)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
Inflation/Cost of Living
49%
59%
Housing/Price of Housing
47%
54%
Law & order
31%
26%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
29%
15%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
27%
21%
Healthcare/Hospitals
22%
19%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
14%
14%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
11%
5%
Unemployment
11%
9%
Transport
10%
18%
The Economy
9%
13%
Environmental Concerns
9%
7%
Poverty/Inequality
8%
11%
Race Relations/Racism
7%
3%
Population/Overpopulation
6%
13%
Taxation
4%
5%
Education
3%
3%
Immigration
1%
5%
Defence
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower