Rural and isolated communities
I have chosen to focus my research on rural and isolated communities. Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, just under 70% of the population living in major cities. It also has one of the lowest population densities outside of its major cities. Due to this relatively little is done to help and support the individuals and communities living in these rural and remote areas.
Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with over two-thirds (69%) of the population living in major cities. It also has one of the lowest population densities outside of its major cities. Despite the vastness of Australia and the profound impact that this has on the lives of the peoples living in rural and remote areas, relatively little is known about families living in these areas of Australia compared to those living in major cities.
One kind of disadvantaged communities/groups is rural and isolated communities and towns. Examples of these kinds of towns are
Reasons that these communities are disadvantaged are:
Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with over two-thirds (69%) of the population living in major cities. It also has one of the lowest population densities outside of its major cities. Despite the vastness of Australia and the profound impact that this has on the lives of the peoples living in rural and remote areas, relatively little is known about families living in these areas of Australia compared to those living in major cities.
One kind of disadvantaged communities/groups is rural and isolated communities and towns. Examples of these kinds of towns are
Reasons that these communities are disadvantaged are:
- They face a lack of public transport and as a result are often restricted to the same routes and don't have access to a wide variety of fresh foods and vegetables
- Isolated from major cities and ports so fresh food is not readily available as it may spoil on the journey to the community
- There is a lack of knowledge about services that can help them so they do not seek help
- Limited services that can assist them however there are agencies that will help these communities as will be explored later
- Lack of education and employment opportunities, in small towns especially. This means that income is reliant on crops or farming which can be unpredictable due to Australian weather conditions
- Isolated from infrastructure such as hospitals and schools so many young children have to be home schooled or learn via distance education which often has a limited range of subjects offered. Lack of hospitals means that healthcare is often great distance away
- Lack of doctors and medical care, the government is offering incentives to encourage doctors to work in rural areas as there is approximately 120 doctors per 100 000 people in remote areas
This map clearly shows the concentration of the Australian population. In comparison to other countries such as the USA or England, there is a vast area of Australia that is either remote or very remote. These isolated areas are mainly situated in the west of the country which is largely due to the fact that Australia was colonised from the east and then spread inland and to the west coast.
The poverty cycle is relevant to these communities because there is limited job opportunities or chances for a higher education which means they fall into a cycle of poverty without much change in the living conditions between generations. This is mainly due to:
- There is a lack of job opportunities so there is a large population of unemployed people in these communities or the ones that do have jobs do not usually have a high income
- This means that there is not much chance of promotion so a person can't advance in their chosen career and earn more money
- Most of the children and young people living in these areas are educated through distance education or home schooled so they do not receive the highest standard of education, which they might in a more populated area. This means that may not progress to university and break out of the poverty cycle. In fact, in 2006 the number of people living in remote or very remote areas with a non-school qualification (i.e. bachelor degree or diploma) was only 40%. Comparatively, just under 60% of inhabitants of major cities had a non-school qualification.
- These children often join the same line of business as their parents, commonly agriculture, so they do not receive a tertiary education to improve their livelihoods and those of future generations. This a common within the poverty cycle