A nationwide survey that led to widespread engagement with national leaders on improvements in mental health, housing affordability and family violence is being run again to capture the current social justice concerns of local communities.
The Salvation Army is asking Australians to participate in the survey to help identify the most pressing challenges people are facing in their community.
First released in 2022, the ground-breaking National Social Justice Stocktake provided an overview of what mattered most to people across 151 electorates and eight state jurisdictions. It uncovered mental health and housing affordability as the top two concerns nationally, with alcohol and drug misuse, family violence and homelessness rounding out the top five.
"Data from the first survey was invaluable. Our report provided a range of solutions, with many improvements implemented by government, local communities and individuals," said Jennifer Kirkaldy, The Salvation Army's General Manager of Policy and Advocacy.
"We were inspired to see genuine interest from community leaders to understand the findings and prioritise our recommendations. Since the first stocktake, we have welcomed some great initiatives such as progress towards a National Housing and Homelessness Plan and a modest increase to JobSeeker, but there is still so much to do.
"As the cost-of-living crisis deepens on the back of a global pandemic, The Salvation Army is undertaking this survey again to identify the most pertinent issues our community is facing right now. These findings will allow us to advocate for positive change where it's needed most."
Ms Kirkaldy said the original survey found many people felt overwhelmed by social justice issues. "Some people shared they felt hopeless when asked how Australia can address these issues. Our report aims to alleviate this by outlining practical solutions for everyone," she said.
"If you can spare a few minutes to share what you are experiencing in your community, you will be helping us to transform Australia. This stocktake has become a crucial part of our advocacy, changing leaders' perspectives on social justice."
