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Living in Australia community views

The Community Views team surveyed 214 residents from Southern NSW in May 2024.

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About the Living in Place community survey
Understanding Health and Wellbeing
Understanding Housing
Understanding Transport Infrastructure
Understanding Social Infrastructure
Understanding Financial Wellbeing and Economic Confidence
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Southern NSW in Australia

Southern NSW is made up of Goulburn Mulwaree (A), Wollongong (C), Bega Valley (A), Shoalhaven (C), Eurobodalla (A), Shellharbour (C), Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional (A), Kiama (A), Snowy Monaro Regional (A), Wingecarribee (A), Hilltops (A), Yass Valley (A), and Upper Lachlan Shire (A).

Living in Southern NSW

Southern NSW Overall Liveability Index
Southern NSW 2023
61.5
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
Regional WA
61.7
Rest of QLD
68.7
South East Queensland
63.7
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

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Southern NSW Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Southern NSW
Australia
Importance
Experience
Natural environment
65%
8.8
53%
7.9
Feeling safe
64%
7.6
63%
6.8
Health services
56%
5.0
45%
6.5
Sense of community
52%
6.9
31%
6.5
Affordable decent housing
45%
4.0
52%
4.7
A lack of road congestion
33%
6.5
22%
5.6
Shopping, leisure & dining
28%
5.0
28%
6.5
Making your way
26%
6.0
32%
6.4
Social cohesion
26%
6.3
26%
6.7
Public transport
21%
3.6
40%
5.6
Opportunity for all
20%
5.7
18%
6.3
Good job prospects
19%
4.7
29%
5.9
Education
15%
5.5
18%
6.7
A prosperous economy
12%
5.8
15%
6.2
Sports and recreation
11%
6.8
11%
7.2
Cultural facilities
6%
5.5
16%
6.2
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

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Health and Wellbeing in Southern NSW

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?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Southern NSW (n = 214)
9%
61%
30%
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?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
7.3
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Southern NSW (n = 214)
8%
68%
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?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Southern NSW (n = 214)
9%
69%
22%
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
Download data

Financial circumstances in Southern NSW

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?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
6.1
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Southern NSW (n = 214)
20%
54%
26%
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?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 4831)
Always late
1%
2%
Often late
8%
5%
Sometimes late
19%
27%
Never late
71%
66%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Southern NSW (n = 214)
37%
49%
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
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Impacts of climate change in Southern NSW

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
43%
46%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
26%
30%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
9%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
6%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
16%
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 28% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 2% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 30% somewhat confident. 65% 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?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
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
28%
40%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
17%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Very confident
2%
6%
Somewhat confident
30%
38%
Not very confident
43%
39%
Not at all confident
21%
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: Bushfires (88%), Flooding (75%) and Storms (72%). 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 (66%), Conserve natural resources (58%) and Educate residents on how to live more sustainably (56%).

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?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 3660)
Bushfires
88%
51%
Flooding
75%
55%
Storms
72%
57%
Droughts
54%
42%
Severe wind
51%
43%
Extreme heat
50%
75%
Sea level rise
39%
23%
Landslide
15%
6%
Extremely cold temperatures
14%
18%
Other
4%
3%
Cyclones
1%
12%
Earthquakes
0%
5%
None of these
0%
0%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
66%
64%
Conserve natural resources
58%
54%
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
56%
58%
Reduce pollution of the environment
51%
58%
Adopt renewable energy sources
51%
55%
Provide options for recycling waste
50%
53%
Create renewable energy sources
46%
46%
More sustainable building and development practices
45%
48%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
43%
41%
Encourage residents to buy locally
40%
36%
More sustainable transport options
32%
48%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
31%
43%
Other
8%
6%
None of these
2%
2%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Download data

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, 9% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 49% somewhat confident. 37% 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?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
47%
44%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
38%
40%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
14%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Very confident
9%
10%
Somewhat confident
49%
53%
Not very confident
27%
27%
Not at all confident
10%
6%
Don't know
5%
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 (83%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (63%) and Challenges getting around (50%). 50% feel climate change will reduce their quality of life somewhat, and a further 26% 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?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Increased household running costs
83%
81%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
63%
63%
Challenges getting around
50%
38%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
41%
39%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
39%
30%
Challenges accessing essential services
33%
28%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
33%
44%
Loss or damage to your home/property
32%
27%
My ability to access nature due to weather
29%
34%
Reduction in air quality
23%
39%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
19%
27%
Reduced value to your home/property
8%
13%
Other
5%
3%
None of these
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
It will improve a lot
0%
2%
It will improve somewhat
5%
7%
It will not change
15%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
50%
49%
It will reduce a lot
26%
22%
Don't know
4%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Download data

Concerns & ideas in Southern NSW

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Southern NSW (n = 214)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
Housing/Price of Housing
58%
54%
Inflation/Cost of Living
52%
59%
Healthcare/Hospitals
42%
19%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
20%
21%
Transport
18%
18%
The Economy
17%
13%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
13%
14%
Unemployment
13%
9%
Law & order
13%
26%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
12%
15%
Poverty/Inequality
11%
11%
Population/Overpopulation
10%
13%
Environmental Concerns
7%
7%
Education
5%
3%
Immigration
4%
5%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
2%
5%
Taxation
2%
5%
Race Relations/Racism
1%
3%
Defence
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower