Northern territory

Dropping off the Edge 2021 finds disadvantage is disproportionately located in a small number of communities in regional and remote areas of the Northern Territory, which experience a complex web of disadvantage that makes it challenging to improve life opportunities.

 Key findings

  • Disadvantage is concentrated in a small number of communities within the Northern Territory.

  • Eight areas, about 13% of locations, account for 46% of the most disadvantaged rank positions across all indicators.

  • These communities experience a complex web of disadvantage that make it challenging to improve life opportunities.

  • All of the top 10 disadvantaged areas in the Northern Territory were outside Darwin — yet just one-third of locations are located outside Greater Darwin.

 

ABOUT 13 per cent OF LOCATIONS, ACCOUNTED FOR 46 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:

  • Eight areas, about 13% of locations, account for nearly half (46%) of the most disadvantaged rank positions across all indicators.

  • Three areas, about 5% of locations, account for 25% of the most disadvantaged rank positions across all indicators. This is a five-fold overrepresentation, indicating the heavy burden of disadvantage borne by a limited section of the community.

 

 ….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.

  • Ten areas in the Northern Territory that ranked as most disadvantaged on at least 5 indicators.

  • Two locations in the Northern Territory had 11 or more indicators in the highest 5% across the Territory.

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 the Northern Territory

 
BandSA2 NamePopulationLocation
Most Disadvantaged Locations
1East Arnhem8,559Rest of NT
1Elsey2,650Rest of NT
1Gulf4,731Rest of NT
1Sandover - Plenty4,553Rest of NT
1Tanami3,265Rest of NT
1Tennant Creek3,302Rest of NT
1Thamarrurr2,912Rest of NT
1Tiwi Islands2,743Rest of NT
1West Arnhem5,508Rest of NT
1Yuendumu - Anmatjere2,407Rest of NT
Least Disadvantaged Locations
Brinkin - Nakara3,335Greater Darwin
Fannie Bay - The Gardens3,737Greater Darwin
Larrakeyah3,983Greater Darwin
Leanyer4,527Greater Darwin
Nightcliff3,812Greater Darwin
Parap2,910Greater Darwin
Rapid Creek3,441Greater Darwin
Stuart Park4,363Greater Darwin
Virginia3,557Greater Darwin
Woolner - Bayview - Winnellie2,749Greater Darwin