The latest Australian Unity Wellbeing Index (refer page 5) has found what most rural and regional people have always known –
that living outside of major urban centres will make you happier.
The recent increase in the popularity of either a sea change or tree change indicates that this is no longer a best kept secret.
The report, ‘The Wellbeing of Australians – differences between statistical sub divisions, towns and cities’, authored by Professor Bob Cummins from Deakin University, shows that people who live in regions with a relatively small population have an increased sense of belonging and safety, which contributes greatly to their wellbeing.
Using a Personal Wellbeing Index, this research measured people’s overall feeling of wellbeing through satisfaction with their health, personal relationships, personal safety, standard of living, achieving in life, community connection, future security and spirituality/religion.
The report combines the data from over six years of Australian Unity Wellbeing research, a total sample of approximately 35,000 people, and profiles the wellbeing of Australia according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Statistical Sub Divisions.
It found that areas outside the centre of major cities tend to have high wellbeing and once the population of an area exceeds 40,000 people, wellbeing starts to fall.
Professor Cummins says that this outcome is driven by feeling connected to your community. He says this is difficult to achieve in larger towns and cities, but appears to be highly evident in smaller towns and country regions.
The report also highlights the fact that the relative wealth of an area is not a major contributor to any increased feeling of wellbeing.
There is no doubt that Local Governments are working hard to build strong, vibrant and inclusive communities, whether this be in country areas or our cities.
But the larger the community the more difficult the communications task and ensuring that all groups and individuals can become involved and do not slip through the cracks.
Both here and overseas more and more councils are now using an array of approaches to communicate, particularly making use of online means to both provide information and receive feedback from residents 24/7 (refer Councils connect online on page 20).
If your Council has come up with innovative ways to increase community connectivity and inclusiveness contact FOCUS and we will assist in sharing your successes.
