Residents in the inner-west electorates of Fraser and Gellibrand have provided contrasting answers to the Salvation Army’s Social Justice Stocktake.
Respondents from Fraser, which stretches from Spotswood to St Albans, taking in much of Maribyrnong and Brimbank, nominated housing and homeless and mental as their top issues of concern, while those in Gellibrand, which occupies Hobsons Bay and parts of Maribyrnong and Wyndham chose access to health and climate change.
The results from the nationwide study of the issues affecting both communities and individuals in each federal electorate, were released by the Salvation Army on Thursday and showed that those living Fraser shared similar concerns to the rest of the country.
Just as it was nationally, housing and homeless was the top community concern for Fraser with 59 per cent, ahead of mental health on 56 and financial hardship on 52 per cent.
The top issues of individual or self concern in Fraser was also the same as the nationwide result, with 48 per cent of nominating mental health, ahead of financial hardship on 39 per cent and housing and homelessness on 34 per cent.
Salvation Army spokesperson Warren Elliot said while Fraser’s results were in line with a majority of electorates nationwide, Gelibrand’s bucked the trend.
“In Gellibrand we noticed that access to health care is the top issue that people have raised for the community and climate change for themselves.”
Access to healthcare was nominated by 63 per cent of Gellibrand respondents, ahead of financial hardship and housing and homelessness which both recorded 61 per cent.
Climate change was the top issue for 46 percent of individuals in Gellibrand, ahead of mental health, and housing and homelessness.
Neither of the top issues in Gellibrand were ranked in the top three nationally and only access to healthcare came in the top five of both community and individual categories.
Warren Elliot said healthcare was more of concern in remote communities than inner-city electorates like Gellibrand, indicating a particular local problem in the electorate.
He said the electorate’s close proximity to the water and concern over rising sea-levels could have played a role in the climate change result.
However, Mr Elliot said the stocktake was more about presenting data than analysing and explaining reasons behind it.
“The aim of the document is to encourage community discussion about these issues.”
The results can be found at: https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/socialjusticestocktake/
Cade Luca
