The outer suburbs' 5.2m population is growing at twice the national average
One in five (21%) outer suburban residents is living in 'financial survival mode'
Outer suburbs report highest rates of negative emotions sparking mental health fears
Leading advocacy group calls for appointment of Minister for Growth Areas
Years of underestimating the population and potential of growth areas has created mounting economic, mental health and infrastructure issues in Australia's fastest growing communities, according to new research.
An analysis of over 80,000 interviews was commissioned by the National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA), the leading voice advocating for the 5.2 million residents of outer metropolitan growth areas. Its findings paint a picture of communities consistently overlooked by government and areas that are a key national economic asset well placed to support the recovery of the Australian economy, says NGAA CEO, Bronwen Clark:
"Our outer suburbs are home to the most essential workers and faced the strictest lockdowns. These are the communities that saw us through the pandemic and to date governments have failed to understand their needs. Now, governments must join the dots between high Covid rates, high outbreak risk factors and the lag in social infrastructure in fast growing outer suburbs," she says.
"This starts with appointing a dedicated Minister for Growth Areas. This position will help to deliver stronger planning that distributes infrastructure, jobs and housing more evenly across metropolitan areas, to take advantage of the many opportunities and huge potential in growth areas," continues Ms Clark.
The research found that following the pandemic, one in five (21%) outer suburbs residents reported that they are living in a 'financial survival mode'. This has left more than half (51%) struggling to pay at least one bill, particularly energy, groceries, rent and personal loans. This figure reaches 64% for the under 40s.
Greater access to local jobs is key to addressing financial stress in these communities, continues Ms Clark: "The outer suburbs are home to a big workforce that commutes into CBDs while their local economies are well placed for strong economic and jobs growth. A key task for a Minister for Growth Areas would be drive the creation of industry hubs in these areas to take advantage of the vast growth areas workforce and ample land ready to be transformed into industrial, manufacturing and high employment zones," she adds.
Revitalising job opportunities may also help alleviate the looming problem of mental health issues in growth areas, where residents were more likely to feel stressed (63%), frustrated (61%) and anxious (57%) than the national averages (60%, 59% and 55% respectively).
"Despite being hardest hit in recent years, less than half (46%) of growth area residents accessed mental health support in the past 12 months, compared to 52% nationally," says Ms Clark. "This is fuelled by a lack of mental health services, with caseloads of some growth area providers being twice the national average. Government must step up with funding for these vital services.
"Australians are flocking to the outer suburbs to live the Australian dream of home ownership, spurred on by the HomeBuilder grant," says Ms Clark. This has led to soaring house prices and a record rise in land sales and building approvals.
The research found that the majority of people in growth areas are embracing their neighbourhood and are more likely to stay local for dining, entertainment (68%), and shopping (63%) needs, highlighting the potential benefits from a greater government focus on supporting small businesses in growth areas.
"Growth areas are home to vibrant communities that are growing twice as fast as the rest of the country. COVID-19 has shown that Australia's economic prosperity depends heavily on our vast growth areas workforce," adds Ms Clark.
"It's now critical that a Minister for Growth Areas be appointed to lead an urgent national response to growth area inequities and COVID-19 recovery." she adds.
