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ANTI-POVERTY WEEK

ANTI-POVERTY WEEK. Letter to the Prime Minister, State Premiers and Chief Ministers by the Leaders of Religious Faiths. Leaders of Faith Communities:. President, Uniting Church in Australia President, Catholic Bishops Conference Primate, Anglican Church of Australia

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ANTI-POVERTY WEEK

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  1. ANTI-POVERTY WEEK Letter to the Prime Minister, State Premiers and Chief Ministers by the Leaders of Religious Faiths

  2. Leaders of Faith Communities: • President, Uniting Church in Australia • President, Catholic Bishops Conference • Primate, Anglican Church of Australia • President, Federation of Islamic Councils • Senior Rabbi, The Great Synagogue • Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church • President, Baptist Union of Australia • President, Lutheran Church of Australia

  3. Call for National Forum for Reduction of Poverty • We believe that all Australians are entitled to a decent life, in which they have access to work, education, housing, food and recreation. • For a significant number of Australians, however, these basics are not available.

  4. Poverty in Australia • Australia has seen one of the sharpest growths in the incidence of poverty • Australia now stands fourth on the OECD list of percent of population living in poverty

  5. Risk of Losing National Character • Notions such as a “fair go” and “mateship” could become empty • We could become two, not one, country, and certainly not a “Commonwealth” • We risk becoming a country of “haves” and “have nots”

  6. CALL FOR A NATIONAL FORUM • Australia needs a national forum on poverty: • To reverse these trends • To focus on management of the adverse effects of global development on our country.

  7. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY • Successful development of such a strategy involves support of many sectors of the community. • But the prime responsibility rests with government • The Council of Australian Governments may offer a suitable platform

  8. Positive Outcomes are Possible • Obstacles to positive outcomes are enormous, but not insurmountable • Ireland and the United Kingdom are introducing national strategies to alleviate poverty. • Make this wealthy country one in which all Australians can live decently

  9. Jesuit Social Services Research • Unequal In Life (1999) analysed locational disadvantage according to postcode. • On the invitation of the Victorian and New South Wales government, we are updating and expanding this research analysis • Emeritus Professor Tony Vinson is the lead researcher

  10. LOCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE • Unequal In Life study (1999) measured the concentration of disadvantage for those living in a particular locality. • That study showed how social disadvantage can accumulate and how it is distributed across society. • The region of Maitland and Newcastle showed intensive levels of accumulated disadvantage

  11. Latest Research Indicators • Measured the proportion of the total incidences of disadvantage contained within postcode areas, for example: 1. Long term unemployment 2. Child abuse or neglect 3. Imprisonment • Directs interventions to those areas where problems occur in large numbers

  12. SPATIAL COMPRESSION OF DISADVANTAGE IN N.S.W. • Did a small number of postcode areas in N.S.W. account for a large proportion of the instances of disadvantage? • Measured by the percentage of postcode areas (total 587) needed to account for 25% and 50% of each form of disadvantage

  13. N.S.W. Postcode Areas

  14. N.S.W. Postcode Areas (2)

  15. N.S.W. Postcode Areas (3)

  16. N.S.W. Postcode areas with highconcentrations of disadvantage • 2166 Cabramatta Unempl/Prison/Abuse • 2170 Liverpool Unempl/Prison/Abuse • 2259 Charmhaven Unempl/Prison/Abuse • 2450 Coff’s Harbour Unempl/Prison/Abuse • 2480 Lismore Unempl/Prison/Abuse • 2560 Airds Unempl/Prison/Abuse • 2650 Wagga Wagga Unempl/Prison/Abuse • 2770 Mt Druitt Unempl/Prison/Abuse

  17. N.S.W. Postcodes (2) • 2566 Minto Prison/Child Abuse • 2830 Dubbo Prison/Child Abuse • 2800 Orange Prison/Child Abuse • 2430 Harrington Unempl/Prison • 2440 Kempsey Unempl/Prison • 2200 Hurstville Unempl/Prison • 2261 The Entrance Unempl/Child Abuse • 2168 Greenvalley Unempl/Prison • 2165 Fairfield Unempl/Child Abuse

  18. Concentration of Disadvantage • These 17 N.S.W. postcodes provided precisely two-thirds of the 63 localities needed to account for 25% of the instances of imprisonment, long-term unemployment and child abuse. • Eight postcode areas provided well over one-third (38.1%) of the 63 areas required. • These areas represent the “black holes” of poverty and disadvantage in N.S.W. which must be addressed now to avoid serious social consequences for the whole community.

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