Title of Presentation Northern Mallee Community Leadership Program Presentation by Peter Norden AO Adjunct Professor RMIT University 19 th August 2013

Speaking from the background of: - criminal justice system and prisons - mental health and drug and alcohol - community development work - intergenerational family disadvantage - social policy and research (State / Federal) - public advocacy and reform ind of change? ind of change?

What kind of change? Change is inevitable, But …. can Australia still claim to be a land of hope and opportunity and a place which provides “A FAIR GO” for all Australians?

What kind of change? Australia’s Welfare 2013 Australian Institute of Health & Welfare “Where we live, our family structure, and our levels of education, all affect the quality of our lives and how long we can expect to live”

What kind of change? Australia’s Welfare 2013 – For richer, for poorer: In 2009, 13% of the Australian population was classified as being in relative income poverty (less than $19,967 per annum disposable household income) More than half of one parent families and two-thirds of people aged 60 and over had experienced poverty for one or more years between 2001 – % of lower income households were considered to be in “housing stress” (that is spending more than 30% of gross income on housing costs) in 2009, compared to 19% of households in 2003 More than 105,000 people (1 in 204 Australians) were homeless on Census night in 2011 (56% were male, 17% were aged under 12, 25% were aged 45 plus)

CAR Main Points Positive impact of social cohesion Strong correlations between social disadvantage factors Poverty concentrated and entrenched in certain areas Measures disadvantage by postcode area

CAR Map Vic Social Comparison – Vic Unequal in Life Disadvantage Degree of Disadvantage Middle range Degree of Advantage Advantage All others

Local Disadvantaged Postcodes LOCAL DISADVANTAGED POSTCODES: 3523Heathcote3549Robinvale 3465Maryborough3595Nyah West 3517Inglewood3472Dunolly 3556Eaglehawk3594Nyah 3450Castlemaine3467Avoca 3672Benalla3584Lake Boga

CAR Disadvantage Factors Social Disadvantage Factors Low Birth Weight Disability/Sickness Allowance Low Work Skills Mortality Year 12 Incomplete Imprisonment Early School Leaving Court Convictions Low Family Income Psychiatric Hosp. Admissions Long Term Unemployment Child Neglect Unemployment

CAR Spac Comp Vic Spatial Compression of Disadvantage - Vic 4.5 Percentage of Victorian Postcode areas needed to account for 25% and 50% of instances of each form of disadvantage N = Child Neglect Court Convictions Early School Leaving 12.9Low Family Income Imprisonment Unemployment Low Work Skills To Reach 50% To Reach 25%

Criminal Justice/Human Rights Intro Slide Criminal Justice and Human Rights The Australian prison population has grown at 3 times the rate of the national population over the last 20 years (ABS )

Prisons new mental asylums High Rates of Prisoners with Mental Illness 26% of prisoners met criteria for mental illness 20% - Major Depression 8% - Manic Depression (Bipolar) 7% - Schizophrenia 30% prisoners surveyed had attempted suicide Source: Victorian Prisoner Health Studies, DOJ, Feb 2003, p.30 & 36.

Prisons and Hep C High Rates of Prisoners with Hepatitis C 58% of prisoners tested positive for Hep C Virus 69% of prisoners admit to injecting drugs with most sharing needles 18.5% increase in prisoners found to be HCV carriers 220,000 plus Australians already infected 16,000 new infections each year Source: Victorian Prisoner Health Studies, DOJ, Feb 2003, p. 90

Coach Community Mentoring Community Leadership: How can this contribute? What are some approaches? What could be expected outcomes? What factors can’t be controlled?

CAR Social Cohesion Factors Social Cohesion Factors Availability of informal help Volunteering Participation in organised recreation/sports groups

CAR Early Sch/Unemp SC comp Across local populations EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING and UNEMPLOYMENT are strongly connected (0.64**) Connection remains strong (0.63) Low social cohesion plus Connection significantly weakens (0.28) plus High social cohesion N = 277 Impact of Community Development Interventions (Education)

CAR Low Inc/Imp SC comp Community Development Interventions Drives a Wedge in the Cycle of Disadvantage Across local populations LOW FAMILY INCOME and IMPRISONMENT are strongly connected (0.55**) Connection grows stronger (0.62) Low social cohesion plus Connection significantly weakens (0.18) plus High social cohesion N = 277

CAR Unemp/Imp SC comp Across local populations UNEMPLOYMENT and IMPRISONMENT are strongly connected (0.65**) Connection grows stronger (0.75) Low social cohesion plus Connection significantly weakens (0.22) plus High social cohesion N = 277 Impact of Community Development Interventions (Jobs)

Across local populations UNEMPLOYMENT and CHILD NEGLECT are strongly connected (0.68**) Connection remains high (0.56) Low social cohesion plus Connection drops (0.40) plus High social cohesion N = 277 Impact of Community Development Interventions (Children)

How to make a difference? HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? HOW TO HELP OUR FAMILIES AVOID THESE PITFALLS (CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND WELFARE DEPENDENCY)? HOW TO CREATE REAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR A FUTURE GENERATION OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN?

Community Development Programs aim to bring about change…. in individuals, families, and communities to be effective, they must be sustained to have broader social change….. they must also address structures

Some Observations or Warnings… Some Observations or Warnings …… How do these programs promote broader change rather than family upward mobility alone? Where is the role for social policy and advocacy as well as family support?

Australia at Crossroads WHAT CAN BE DONE TO SHAPE A MORE COHESIVE AND JUST AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY? Increased Prosperity Growing Social Divide Land of Opportunity for Some Increased Alienation for Others