Environment and Resource Management

Human settlements: Liveability

Author

Mark Cushing, Environmental Protection Agency

Reviewer

Peter Newton, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Key findings

Environmental quality

Neighbourhood amenity

Individual wellbeing

Indicators and summary of status


Indicator

Status of indicator

Environmental quality

Proportion of land conserved

The amount of terrestrial protected land conserved has increased by 0.9%.

Number of noise complaints

The number of environmental noise complaints increased in 2005-06.

Urban green space

Since 2003 increased funding has been available to support open space, sport and recreation opportunities throughout Queensland.

Distribution of open space, sport and recreation projects

The number of local government development programs across Queensland to support open space and sport and recreation activities has increased.

Neighbourhood amenity

House price: income ratio

In 2006 55.9% of median income went towards the purchase of a home-this represented an 18% increase in three years.

Changes in community renewal areas

Zone residents in the community renewal areas believe their quality of life will improve over the next two years.

Individual wellbeing

Life expectancy

Overall people's life expectancy is increasing; however, Indigenous persons' life expectancy is significantly lower than that of non-Indigenous persons.

Disparity in Indigenous and non-Indigenous health status

The disparity between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous community in health-related issues is significant and is a matter for concern.

Urban socioeconomic inequality

The number of socioeconomically disadvantaged Queenslanders increased between 1996 and 2001. More recent qualitative information to measure the recent trend of socioeconomic inequality in Queensland is not available.

Community attitudes and action

In general the Queensland community rates quality of life and health as good.

Importance

Newton (2006) defines the performance of human settlements in three key areas: environmental quality, neighbourhood amenity and individual wellbeing. The Economist Intelligence Unit assesses living conditions in 127 cities around the world by rating liveability through 40 indicators grouped into five categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. These factors, however, do not equate to sustainability as measured through ecological footprints, although both are related (see Chapter 2, Sustainability).

Emerging issues such as climate change, water supply, housing affordability, rising oil prices, mobility and open space are some of the factors that affect quality of life. Maintaining and improving liveability for current and future generations will require 'sustainable development', to assist with meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Environmental quality

The quality of the environment is closely linked to liveability; factors such as air quality, pollution, ecosystem health, water quality, noise and land use all affect a person's quality of life. Liveability can be enhanced, especially in urban areas, through the protection of green space for environmental and recreational purposes. Climate change effects including drought, heatwaves, rainfall variability, sea level rise and depleted water resources will have implications for future wellbeing and environmental quality.


Figure 9.21 Number of noise complaints to EPA and local governments, 1999-2000 to 2005-06
Source: EPA

Neighbourhood amenity

Newton (2006) suggests that a range of housing designs, subdivisions and infrastructure planning factors need to be considered in successfully creating liveable and sustainable communities. The development of energy-efficient dwellings, construction of water-smart housing and sustainable residential development are key factors in achieving liveable and sustainable communities.

Changing population and settlement patterns, including the growing proportion of older people and single-person households, mean that demands for housing types in particular locations are changing.

Housing affordability has a significant impact on liveability, especially in high-growth areas such as inner-city, near-city and coastal centres. Many families and individuals struggle to meet rent or mortgage payments and also cover costs associated with a reasonable standard of living. Rural and remote areas including Indigenous and mining communities are showing evidence of a lack of affordable housing supply to meet increasing demand.

Social capital is a measure of people's interaction and participation with one another in homes, workplaces, neighbourhoods, local associations and a range of formal and informal meeting places. This interaction assists in building the wellbeing of a community (ABS 2004b).

In all communities, including remote, rural and urban, the ability to travel to places of employment, health services and recreation with ease is an important factor in assessing liveability. Other factors such as urban road congestion and increased journey times all influence an individual's sense of wellbeing. Well-integrated, frequent and reliable public transport networks assist in minimising urban road congestion. As the global demand for oil increases and supply decreases, with experts predicting that oil production is likely to peak some time in the next 10 years, the future cost of oil is likely to increase pressure on mobility and accessibility issues in the community.

Table 9.16 House price and household income

Year

Median house price ($)

Weekly purchase cost ($)

Median household income ($)

Purchase cost as % of income

2000

144 250

241

702

34.3

2001

147 000

224

738

30.4

2002

167 000

247

753

32.8

2003

200 000

290

766

37.9

2004

255 000

389

823

47.3

2005

280 000

445

862

51.6

2006

310 000

500

894

55.9

Source: Department of Housing

Individual wellbeing

Wellbeing depends on all the factors that interact within a culture and can be seen as a state of health or sufficiency in all aspects of life. At the individual level this includes the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of life (ABS 2001b).

Income and employment are important components of a good quality of life. Their lack can be barriers to acquiring adequate housing, improved health, education and social interaction through participation in sport and recreation activities.

Personal safety is another aspect of an individual's quality of life. The protection of life and property and the preservation of peace and safety are key attributes of individual rights.

Pressure and condition

The pressure and condition component of this report focuses on a range of indicators from the previous reporting period to assist in determining Queensland's liveability.

Environmental quality

In 1999, 3.9% of Queensland's terrestrial area was protected; in 2002 this rose to 4.1%; and it increased to 4.8%, or 8 266 013 ha, in December 2006. Publicly accessible open space caters for a range of community and environmental needs, including preserving rural and scenic landscapes, preserving biodiversity, providing outdoor recreation, and maintaining air, water and habitat quality. The majority of outdoor recreation activities take place within state lands and waters-national parks, state forests, beaches, regional parks, regional trails, water reservoirs and reserves, as well as land acquired for regional open space. The terrestrial protected estate in South East Queensland is currently about 347 000 ha, comprising about 15.5% of the region; this represents a 1.5% increase since 1995.

The pollution associated with excessive noise from transport, industry and residential activities can have a significant impact on people's quality of life. In urban areas road traffic noise caused by trucks and cars is the major source of environmental noise. As housing densities increase, without planning for noise mitigation, the unwanted sound from neighbours may have a growing impact on community health and wellbeing. Environmental noise can cause physical symptoms such as headaches and loss of sleep, but most complaints arise from general annoyance.

Constant exposure to unacceptable levels of noise can have cumulative effects on people's health and wellbeing. The number of noise complaints recorded by the EPA has declined since 1999-2000, while the number of noise complaints recorded by local government authorities has increased (Figure 9.21).

Neighbourhood amenity

The Queensland Business Review (2007) reported that, despite solid population growth and high levels of housing demand, fewer homes are being built than are needed. The latest ABS figures show that the number of new housing constructions in Queensland had fallen by 1.1% in 2006; this reduction reflects the lack of affordable supply.

At present 33% of Queensland households are currently in dwellings rented from a private landlord. Population growth and development activity have caused rent increases, particularly in the past two years. Low-income households will face pressure to move from areas where they have established networks and services in search of lower rent. The Department of Housing considers that rents exceeding 30% of gross income are unaffordable to low-income households; those who exceed this rate are considered to be in 'housing stress'. The percentage of very low- and low-income households currently experiencing housing stress in Queensland is 34%.

The most popular form of housing tenure in Australia for many years has been home ownership and residential property accounts for two-thirds of household wealth in this country. Almost 62% of Queensland households currently own or are purchasing a home, and the pressure of increasing land values and house prices may become barriers to future home ownership. In 2006 the percentage of the median weekly income going towards the purchase of a Queensland home was 55.9%; this represented an increase of 18% since 2003 (Table 9.16).

Individual wellbeing

Queensland Health (2004) reported that only 76% of Queenslanders in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged group rate their health as excellent, very good or good, compared with 82% in the least disadvantaged group. Current trends in community safety reveal that in general 94.2% of Queenslanders felt safe when at home alone during the day in 2006 (QPS 2006). People living in remote areas of Queensland report higher satisfaction with life, particularly in terms of safety and feeling part of the community, and are more willing to help one another than those living in urban and rural areas (Queensland Health 2004).

Life expectancy at birth has risen to approximately 78 years for Queensland males and 83 years for Queensland females (ABS 2006a). Physical inactivity is believed to be responsible for about 7% of the total burden of disease in Australia.

Good health is a vital component of an individual's overall quality of life. In Queensland, cancers cause the largest disease burden, followed by cardiovascular disease and mental disorders.

Overweight and obesity are major causes of ill health and death in Queensland and are closely related to lack of physical activity and diet. Poor nutrition is estimated to cause 16% of the burden of disease in Queensland, about twice that of smoking (Queensland Health 2006). People in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas are more likely to be overweight or obese and physically inactive.

About one in eight people, or 13% of the population, report long-term mental health or behavioural problems and suicide remains a problem. About 500 people suicide each year; of these, 81% are male (Queensland Health 2006).

Of particular concern is the disparity between the health status of Indigenous Queenslanders and that of the non-Indigenous population. Some of the major pressures leading to this disparity are inadequate housing, smoking, lack of education and unemployment. Flow-on effects resulting from these pressures include respiratory illness, obesity, diabetes and heart disease (Figure 9.22).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men have a life expectancy 22.5 years lower than that of other Queenslanders, while that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women is 24.6 years lower than that of other Queenslanders. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infant mortality rate is double that of other infants (Queensland Health 2006). In general, the health of the Indigenous population is poorer than that of the non-Indigenous population. Queensland Health (2006) reports that one-fifth of the total death and disability burden is due to socioeconomic inequality. People in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage have about 50% higher rates of avoidable deaths and hospitalisation.

Liveability components such as low income, low educational attainment, high unemployment and unskilled occupations provide an indication of those geographical areas experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. The Australian Bureau of Statistics developed the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) scores as a means of measuring disadvantage; this includes a Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) to reflect the socioeconomic disadvantage related to specific geographical locations.

Uniting Care (2006) found the average IRSD score for Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) in Queensland to be 996; 10% of Queensland SLAs have a score below 921. A low IRSD score occurs on the index when a specific geographical area has many low-income families and people with little training who are unemployed or in unskilled occupations.

In 1996, 153 600 Queensland people were considered to be relatively disadvantaged. This number increased to 197 000 people in 2001. Table 9.17 ranks the 30 Queensland Statistical Local Areas experiencing the greatest relative disadvantage.


Figure 9.22 Variations in health among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queenslanders
Source: EPA; ABS 2004a

Table 9.17 Queensland's most disadvantaged Statistical Local Areas

SLA

Population

IRSD

Aurukun (S)

999

472.08

Mornington (S)

845

595.44

Hinchinbrook (S)- Palm Island

2 098

709.28

Inala

12 420

718.16

Wacol

3 017

746.88

Torres (S)

8 372

772.80

Burke (S)

2 143

776.64

Woodridge

17 967

797.36

Eagleby

8 381

811.68

Kingston

12 459

817.60

Garbutt

2 278

832.24

Mount Morgan (S)

2 776

843.44

Darra-Sumner

3 698

851.12

Acacia Ridge

6 639

865.92

Waterford West

5 356

866.80

Cook (S) (excl. Weipa)

5 819

867.44

Cairns (C)-Pt B

6 775

871.52

Richlands

862

875.04

Vincent

2 642

875.60

Marsden

17 573

876.24

Beenleigh

7 698

879.20

Caboolture (S)-Central

16 519

881.20

Loganlea

7 182

881.52

Carpentaria (S)

3 589

882.24

Archerfield

586

886.16

Tiaro (S)

4 467

886.24

Murgon (S)

4 572

886.40

Deception Bay

16 741

893.76

Herberton (S)

5 110

894.64

Zillmere

7 509

900.40

Source: ABS 2001a

Response

Environmental quality

The South East Queensland Regional Plan seeks to provide a high-quality and accessible regional open space network. Policies that identify and develop publicly accessible open space involve community, landowners and other stakeholders in developing and managing a regional open space network.

Publicly accessible regional open space will be developed and managed in consultation with Traditional Owners, interested community members, groups and industry bodies, private landowners, local government, and relevant state and land management agencies.

Acoustical environmental values are being enhanced or protected under the Environmental Protection (Noise) Policy 1997 to improve the wellbeing of the community, including ensuring an individual's opportunity to have sleep, relaxation and conversation without unreasonable interference from intrusive noise.

Neighbourhood amenity

The Department of Housing is developing a range of initiatives aimed at supporting the supply of affordable housing by the private and not-for-profit sectors. Initiatives already introduced include a resource kit that acknowledges the important role local governments play in improving opportunities for these sectors and in supporting the supply of affordable housing. The department also worked with the Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation to prepare a State Planning Policy and supporting Guideline for Housing and Residential Development, which encourages the supply of a range of housing forms to meet the diverse housing needs of Queensland communities.

The Department of Housing has recently developed a conceptual model, Queensland Home-link, to stimulate the supply of affordable housing in Queensland. It has been developed in conjunction with the Queensland Treasury Corporation using inputs relative to the Queensland market. The model is designed to deliver a new supply of affordable residential private rental properties for low-income households. The Queensland Government's proposal involves all levels of government and is contingent on agreement from the Commonwealth Government to participate in and fund this concept.

Other tools and services available include guidelines on the design, development, delivery and management of affordable housing, and a brokerage service to assist private and not-for-profit sectors with proposals for affordable housing. The department also monitors and responds to the closure of private residential services and caravan parks that supply affordable housing.

The Housing Affordability Strategy will ensure that the State's land and housing is on the market quickly and at the lowest cost, by significantly reducing the timelines and associated holding costs of bringing new land to market. The government will improve the efficiency of the planning and development system, increase the supply of new land, make better use of existing urban land and simplify and make infrastructure charging clearer and more transparent.

Community Renewal is a Department of Housing initiative that provides a coordinated approach to the delivery of a range of services and physical improvements in communities experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. Established in 1998, Community Renewal works in partnership with local, state and federal governments, business, residents and the community to find new solutions to the community's key problems.

The program focuses on 10 communities that were identified in collaboration with Queensland Treasury's Office of Economic and Statistical Research using a range of social and economic indicators. These renewal zones include fringe urban areas in Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns, and one remote Aboriginal community. Projects delivered in the selected communities are diverse and respond to a range of locally identified priorities such as stronger families, community safety, education and skills, economic development, access to jobs, health and wellbeing, community infrastructure, culture and identity, and access to local services.

The program evaluates the success of funded projects by tracking the outcomes achieved through these projects, which aim to increase community wellbeing and liveability. One of these evaluations, the Community Life Survey, involved surveying a sample of residents in every zone and comparing results to a Queensland benchmark. The survey conducted in February 2007 found that in these renewal zones, 35% of residents are 'very satisfied' with their neighbourhood as a place to live compared to 58% across the Queensland benchmark, and 48% of residents in the zones claim they are 'satisfied' with their neighbourhood, compared to the Queensland benchmark of 35%. Zone residents are more optimistic, 38% of them believing that their quality of life will improve in the next two years, compared to only 23% in the general Queensland population.

Individual wellbeing

Queensland Health is committed to protecting health, preventing disease, illness and injury, and promoting health and wellbeing through efforts focused on communicable diseases; drugs, alcohol and tobacco; food and nutrition; a healthy and safe environment; and physical activity.

The Queensland Government is working towards transforming the public health system by committing $6.367 billion in just over five years to 2010-11. This will help to promote healthy lifestyles to prevent or reduce illness, to identify disease earlier, and to better manage existing conditions. The Queensland Strategy for Chronic Disease 2005-2015 has been developed in partnership with a broad range of service providers and other stakeholders. This strategy helps prevent chronic disease by reducing risk factors such as smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity and alcohol misuse.

The Australian Better Health Initiative also represents a collaborative approach by the Australian Government and states and territories to target priority areas for actions that aim to shift the focus of the health care system towards promoting good health and reducing the burden of chronic disease. The Australian Government will contribute $250 million and the states and territories will provide $250 million over the next four years. Queensland Health will contribute $48.25 million over the four years from 2006-07.

The Queensland Government Implementation Plan for the National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health is focusing on providing quality health outcomes in Indigenous communities. The five key priorities of this plan in Queensland are:

The Queensland community is increasingly recognising the quality-of-life benefits associated with participation in recreational activities. The Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation (DLGPSR) is working with Queensland's local governments and other organisations to ensure that Queensland's recreation needs are met into the future. DLGPSR provides expertise on planning and development of open space, recreation and parks. The Local Government Development Program and other initiatives have provided increased funding to support open space, sport and recreation opportunities throughout Queensland (Figure 9.23).

DLGPSR acknowledges the contribution of sport and active recreation to the outcomes sought to improve the lives of Indigenous Queenslanders. To guide the department, the Active Murri and Ailan People Strategy, supported by the department's Corporate Plan, has been developed aiming to improve policy, programs and services delivered to help Indigenous people throughout urban, rural and remote Queensland to become active.


Figure 9.23 Distribution of open space, sport and recreation projects in the Local Government Development Program 2004-06
Source: DLGPSR 2003

References

ABS 2001a, Census of Population and Housing, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra.

ABS 2001b, Measuring Wellbeing-Frameworks for Australian Social Statistics, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra.

ABS 2004a, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People at a Glance, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra.

ABS 2004b, Measuring Social Capital-An Australian Framework and Indicators, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra.

ABS 2006a, Australian Social Trends, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra.

ABS 2006b, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey 2004-05, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra.

ABS 2006c, Queensland at a Glance, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra.

DLGPSR 2003, Open Space for Sport and Recreation-Planning Principles and Implementation Notes, Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation, Brisbane.

Newton, P.W. 2006, Human settlements, theme commentary prepared for the 2006 Australian State of the Environment Committee, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra, viewed December 2006, www.deh.gov.au/soe/2006/commentaries/settlements/index.html.

QPS 2006, Annual Report 2005-2006, Queensland Police Service, Brisbane.

Queensland Business Review 2007, Low building numbers contribute to housing affordability crisis, viewed March 2007, www.qbr.com.au/index.cfm?storyid=30680&cp=displaystory.

Queensland Health 2004, Health Determinants Queensland 2004 Public Health Services, Queensland Health, Brisbane.

Queensland Health 2006, The Health of Queenslanders 2006. Report of the Chief Health Officer, Queensland, Queensland Health, Brisbane.

RAIA 2002, Housing Conditions in Australia, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, viewed March 2007, www.archicentre.com.au/html/home.php.

Uniting Care 2006, A Scan of Disadvantage in Queensland, Centre for Social Justice, Brisbane.

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Last reviewed 18 May 2011
Last updated 13 February 2008

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