Australian capital territory
Dropping off the Edge 2021 finds disadvantage is disproportionately concentrated in just seven communities in the ACT, which face a lack of skilled work and low household incomes.
Key findings
Disadvantage is concentrated in a small number of communities within the ACT.
Seven areas, about 7% of locations, account for 34% of the most disadvantaged rank positions across all indicators. This is a three-fold overrepresentation.
Given the relative affluence of the ACT compared with other states and territories, these disadvantaged communities can get overlooked. The disadvantage, including low income and lack of education, make it challenging to improve life opportunities.
Many of the disadvantaged areas in the ACT are in the north-west and the south of the ACT. Some of these communities experience disadvantage on multiple fronts.
Low income and unskilled workers are the indicators that most strongly represent disadvantage in the ACT.
ABOUT 7 per cent OF LOCATIONS ACCOUNT FOR 34 per cent OF THE MOST DISADVANTAGED RANK POSITIONS ACROSS ALL INDICATORS.
Locational disadvantage is concentrated
A limited number of communities disproportionately occupy the most disadvantaged positions across the various indicators:
Seven areas, about 7% of locations, account for 34% of the most disadvantaged rank positions across all indicators. This is close to a five-fold overrepresentation.
Most disadvantage in the ACT is located in the north-west and the south of the territory.
….and occurs on multiple fronts
Disadvantage is difficult to shift when it occurs across multiple areas of life, as these challenges combine to create what can seem to be insurmountable hurdles.
Seven locations rank as top 5% disadvantage against five or more indicators.
Three locations rank as top 5% disadvantage against seven or more indicators.
Areas experiencing multilayered disadvantage generally tended to experience lower incomes, but there is variety in their other areas of significant disadvantage. Different areas rank highly on different indicators, highlighting the diversity of disadvantage between communities and the need to explicitly consider the individual community context when addressing disadvantage.
THERE IS IMMENSE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC COST TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AS A RESULT OF SUSTAINED DISADVANTAGE.
Most disadvantaged locations in ACT
| SA2 Name | Population | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Most Disadvantaged Locations | ||
| Belconnen | 7,634 | ACT |
| Charnwood | 2,860 | ACT |
| Florey | 4,655 | ACT |
| Gilmore | 2,719 | ACT |
| Holt | 4,863 | ACT |
| Lyons (ACT) | 3,141 | ACT |
| Macquarie | 2,824 | ACT |
| Moncrieff | 4,388 | ACT |
| Reid | 1,721 | ACT |
| Richardson | 3,006 | ACT |
| Least Disadvantaged Locations | ||
| Amaroo | 5,899 | ACT |
| Barton | 1,691 | ACT |
| Casey | 6,819 | ACT |
| Chapman | 2,775 | ACT |
| Curtin | 5,331 | ACT |
| Forrest | 1,766 | ACT |
| Hall | 291 | ACT |
| Holder | 2,647 | ACT |
| Nicholls | 6,908 | ACT |
| Yarralumla | 3,099 | ACT |