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Western VIC in Australia

Western VIC is made up of Greater Geelong (C), Wattle Range (DC), Surf Coast (S), Moyne (S), Glenelg (S), Horsham (RC), Mildura (RC), Warrnambool (C), Golden Plains (S), Southern Grampians (S), Northern Grampians (S), Yarriambiack (S), Corangamite (S), Colac-Otway (S), West Wimmera (S), Wyndham (C), Swan Hill (RC), Buloke (S), Queenscliffe (B), Hindmarsh (S), Gannawarra (S), Moira (S), and Wodonga (C).

Living in Western VIC

Western VIC Overall Liveability Index
Western VIC 2023
67.1
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
Southern NSW
61.9
Sydney
65.9
The ACT
65.6
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

Western VIC Overall Liveability Index

Western VIC Overall Liveability Index 66.4

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index 63.4

Western VIC
Australia
Importance
Experience

Natural environment

Importance
Experience
64%
8.7
53%
7.9

Feeling safe

Importance
Experience
63%
7.1
63%
6.8

Health services

Importance
Experience
53%
6.2
45%
6.5

Affordable decent housing

Importance
Experience
53%
5.2
52%
4.7

Sense of community

Importance
Experience
41%
7.0
31%
6.5

Good job prospects

Importance
Experience
33%
5.8
29%
5.9

Making your way

Importance
Experience
29%
7.1
32%
6.4

Shopping, leisure & dining

Importance
Experience
26%
5.9
28%
6.5

Education

Importance
Experience
23%
6.5
18%
6.7

Social cohesion

Importance
Experience
23%
6.6
26%
6.7

Public transport

Importance
Experience
22%
4.6
40%
5.6

A lack of road congestion

Importance
Experience
19%
7.2
22%
5.6

Opportunity for all

Importance
Experience
18%
6.5
18%
6.3

Cultural facilities

Importance
Experience
11%
6.1
16%
6.2

A prosperous economy

Importance
Experience
11%
6.2
15%
6.2

Sports and recreation

Importance
Experience
11%
7.6
11%
7.2
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in Western VIC

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?
Western VIC (n = 178)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Western VIC (n = 178)
10%
57%
33%
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?
Western VIC (n = 178)
7.4
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Western VIC (n = 178)
11%
58%
31%
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?
Western VIC (n = 178)
7.1
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Western VIC (n = 178)
7%
66%
27%
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 Western VIC

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?
Western VIC (n = 178)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Western VIC (n = 178)
15%
53%
32%
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?
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 4831)
Always late
3%
2%
Often late
7%
5%
Sometimes late
29%
27%
Never late
61%
66%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Western VIC (n = 178)
29%
55%
16%
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 Western VIC

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
36%
46%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
31%
30%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
8%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
10%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
15%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among those that believe in climate change, 51% indicated that their local area is currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 35% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 9% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 36% somewhat confident. 50% 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?
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
51%
45%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
35%
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
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Very confident
9%
6%
Somewhat confident
36%
38%
Not very confident
40%
39%
Not at all confident
10%
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 (70%), Bushfires (69%) and Flooding (65%). 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 (72%), Reduce pollution of the environment (64%) and Protect and enhance local biodiversity (62%).

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?
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 3660)
Extreme heat
70%
75%
Bushfires
69%
51%
Flooding
65%
55%
Droughts
64%
42%
Storms
62%
57%
Severe wind
56%
43%
Sea level rise
37%
23%
Extremely cold temperatures
23%
18%
Earthquakes
7%
5%
Landslide
6%
6%
Cyclones
4%
12%
Other
3%
3%
None of these
0%
0%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
72%
58%
Reduce pollution of the environment
64%
58%
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
62%
64%
Provide options for recycling waste
59%
53%
Conserve natural resources
59%
54%
Adopt renewable energy sources
57%
55%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
49%
41%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
49%
43%
Create renewable energy sources
48%
46%
More sustainable building and development practices
43%
48%
More sustainable transport options
43%
48%
Encourage residents to buy locally
39%
36%
Other
8%
6%
None of these
1%
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, 17% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 50% somewhat confident. 31% 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?
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
38%
44%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
47%
40%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
15%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Very confident
17%
10%
Somewhat confident
50%
53%
Not very confident
27%
27%
Not at all confident
4%
6%
Don't know
2%
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 (81%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (59%) and My ability to leave my home due to weather (42%). 53% feel climate change will reduce their quality of life somewhat, and a further 20% 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?
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Increased household running costs
81%
81%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
59%
63%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
42%
44%
My ability to access nature due to weather
36%
34%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
36%
39%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
33%
30%
Reduction in air quality
32%
39%
Challenges getting around
31%
38%
Challenges accessing essential services
28%
28%
Loss or damage to your home/property
26%
27%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
23%
27%
Reduced value to your home/property
13%
13%
Other
3%
3%
None of these
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
It will improve a lot
0%
2%
It will improve somewhat
6%
7%
It will not change
16%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
53%
49%
It will reduce a lot
20%
22%
Don't know
4%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns & ideas in Western VIC

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Western VIC (n = 178)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
Inflation/Cost of Living
54%
59%
Housing/Price of Housing
50%
54%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
27%
15%
Healthcare/Hospitals
27%
19%
Transport
25%
18%
Law & order
21%
26%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
21%
21%
Population/Overpopulation
13%
13%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
13%
14%
The Economy
12%
13%
Unemployment
8%
9%
Poverty/Inequality
7%
11%
Environmental Concerns
5%
7%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
4%
5%
Taxation
4%
5%
Immigration
3%
5%
Education
3%
3%
Race Relations/Racism
2%
3%
Defence
2%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower