In Every Community report by Anglicare Australia
Our national peak Anglicare Australia has released a report about the stark disadvantage of living remotely or regionally in Australia. The report called In Every Community is part of their Australia Fair series which is always grounded in solid evidence sourced from the Anglicare network.
Drawing on census data, interviews and case studies; the report builds a picture of service delivery outside metropolitan centres. Findings highlight two truths. Firstly, workforce shortages, inadequate funding models and fragile infrastructure create inequity for regional and remote areas. And secondly that ingenuity, resilience and commitment of locals show what is possible when services are locally resourced and trusted.
Top challenges for people living and working remote
- Workforce constraints
- Operational costs
- Infrastructure limitation
- Local strengths, capacity and innovations
Our concerns understood nationally is welcome
For those who live and work in regional Australia, none of the findings are new. And for most of them, Anglicare NT has a long history of advocating for change – the inequity of service distribution and pitfalls of needs-based funding are prime examples. Having these issues highlighted however, as a national concern worthy of policy change is very welcome. We commend Anglicare Australia for their report and the Australia Fair series.
Unable to ignore the positive side of regional life
Alongside the obvious challenges, the research tells a story of innovation and resilience. Of the lengths people will go to bridge gaps left by poor infrastructure and metro centric systems. It highlights the value of place based services and how much better they are at realistically meeting the needs of the community.
From the report: One of the greatest strengths of regional and remote services is that they are delivered by people who know their communities. This connection creates a foundation of trust, ensuring that support is not experienced as an external intervention, but part of the community itself. Place based organisations are able to design programs that respond to the realities of local life (page 8).
Other topics in the Australia Fair series have been Widening the Gap, the Poverty Premium, Ageing in Place, Valuing Every Contribution and Client Outcomes.
