Dropping off the Edge: the distribution of disadvantage in Australia
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Dropping off the Edge is a major study mapping levels of social disadvantage across Australia. It finds that pockets of concentrated and severe social disadvantage have become entrenched across rural, remote and suburban Australia.
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Factors causing intergenerational poverty
The report details the major factors that cause intergenerational poverty, including:
- low income
- early school leaving
- limited computer and internet access
- physical and mental disabilities
- long term unemployment
- prison admissions
- confirmed child maltreatment
The study found that 1.7% of postcodes and communities account for more than seven times their share of top rank position of these major factors.
Policy recommendations
The report recommends that policy development be targeted to those communities suffering the greatest disadvantage. Policy recommendations include:
- Health
- Concentration on the early years of life, including:
- post-natal outreach services
- parenting support programs
- childhood diagnostic services
- adolescent health services
- Concentration on the early years of life, including:
- Education and Training
- Improving early education programs and pre-school attendance
- Improving primary schools
- Providing financial incentives to attract experienced and successful teachers to the most disadvantaged schools
- Providing 18 hours per week of free preschool to three and four year old children living in the most disadvantaged areas
- Skills development for disengaged young people
- Community Strengthening
- Building local community cohesion projects alongside tangible measures including training and work placement
- Creating and funding community strengthening projects of appropriate duration which exemplify "best practice"
- Transport
- Improving transport options to enable people to travel to jobs and access vital health, education and human services, in both rural and urban areas
- Data Collection
- Establishing an Australia-wide uniform social data system to illuminate the spatial distribution of social disadvantage
- Improving intergovernmental co-ordination in the collection and policy application of social data.
Areas of National High Priority
The report recommends more Commonwealth-led initiatives to reduce disadvantage, starting with the following ten areas of high national priority:
- New South Wales: Windale, Bowraville-Kempsey
- Victoria: Rosebud, Braybrook
- Queensland: Mt Morgan, Woodbridge
- Tasmania: Southern Midlands, Break O'Day
- ACT: Narrabundah, Causeway
- South Australia (programs in place): Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands, Onkaparinga, North Western, Port Augusta, Salisbury, Murray Bridge
- Western Australia (programs in place): East Kimberley, Kwinana, Lower Great Southern, Girrawheen/Koondoola/Balgra/Mirrabooka, Armadale, West Pilbara