Social polarisation divides Australian cities
Almost one-third of people in Australia's metropolitan cities live in communities that are vulnerable according to a new book from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).
Professor Robert Stimson, Director of the Institute at the University of Queensland and one of the book's authors, said the communities were struggling to adjust to the new economy and were suffering from the adverse impacts of globalisation and economic restructuring.
"Their vulnerability is associated with continuing high rates of unemployment, low levels of household income, and low levels of human capital," Dr Stimson said.
Relatively few workers in the vulnerable communities are participating in new growth industries and occupations associated with the informational economy, and relatively high concentrations have housing financial stress and are living in households dependent on social security payments."
In contrast, around 28 per cent of people in Australia's metropolitan city regions are living in communities of opportunity, and these are mainly found in the inner city suburbs, the higher status middle suburbs, and a few outer growth suburbs.
The book identifies four distinct clusters of community vulnerability within the capital city regions of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra. But the patterns vary markedly between these cities.
The most vulnerable communities are 18 Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) described as an ?extremely vulnerable old manufacturing economy' cluster. These places are only found in Adelaide and Melbourne, and include Elizabeth and Enfield in Adelaide, and Sunshine, Preston, Broadmeadows, Coburg, Maribyrnong, Moreland North, Dandenong, and Geelong in metropolitan Melbourne.
"Many of these communities were developed with a strong emphasis on public housing estates associated with the rapid growth of manufacturing industries in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. They have become some of the most unfortunate victims of structural economic change," said Professor Stimson.
The AHURI book also identifies how Australia's metropolitan city regions contain many localities that are clearly communities of opportunity. "These are places where the labour force is increasingly becoming engaged in the new growth industries and occupations. They have high levels of human capital, household incomes are on the rise, and there is a relatively low incidence of employment and socially disadvantaged groups," said Professor Stimson.
The communities of greatest opportunity are a group of 31 SLAs that form a ?global economy high income opportunity' cluster 18 of which are found mainly in Sydney's North Shore and eastern suburbs. A few such places are found in eastern Melbourne and Perth's western suburbs, but Brisbane has only one. Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart have none of these communities
"Our research shows how there are a number of stark dichotomies emerging in Australia's major cities, the most important contrast being the increasing differentiation between the gentrifying and higher status inner and middle suburban communities that are linked strongly to the new economy compared to the outer suburbs that are largely still trapped in the old economy with high levels of unemployment, dependency on social security payments, and high levels of housing financial stress" said Professor Stimson.
The AHURI book, Community Opportunity and Vulnerability in Australia's Cities and Towns: Characteristics, Patterns and Implications, was written by Professor Robert Stimson, Dr Scott Baum, Dr Pat Mullins and Mr Rex Davis from the University of Queensland, and Associate Professor Kevin O'Connor from Monash University. It is published by the University of Queensland press. The book is being launched on Monday 29 November at the National Housing Conference in Sydney.
Further details, contact: Professor Robert Stimson mobile: 0411 020627 or Dr Scott Baum on mobile: 041 262 5298
