1. Social Wellbeing and the Environment in the Inner West
Inner West Council

2. Research objectives Provide baseline and comparative data Questions on
For strategic policy discussions
Future service scoping
Wellbeing (what’s important, choice and control, social connectedness, isolation and support, community and political participation social inclusion)
Local government (what’s important, knowledge, service delivery and governance)

3. Method

4. Methods Interviews and discussions with Executive to scope
Review other surveys for comparison questions and data
Multi-modal survey (predominantly online)
N=1,000
Possible follow up focus groups to interrogate results

5. The Respondents
55%
45%
17% 4% 8%

6. Social Wellbeing

7. What’s important in life
The ‘Lifestyle Community + Transient Population’ effect: family time not as important, but leisure time is.

8. What’s important about the Inner West

9. Level of choice and control in life
Inner West residents feel slightly more in control of their life than the average Australian

10. Participation in the community
50%
involved in a
social group
33%
involved in a community support group
15%
involved in a civic or political group

11. Political participation and engagement
The most common two actions do not see Inner West residents ‘go out of their way’

12. Community connectedness
Generally more trusting of fellow community members than the average Australian, but also less certain of this
(38% vs. 17%)

13. Access to support
Between a quarter and a third of Inner West residents would not be able to access support when they need it. Comparatively, about 5% of Australians are not able to access support in times of crisis.
55%
Of Inner West residents say they have provided this support to someone in the last four weeks

14. Who people would turn to for help
The ‘Transient Population’ effect: non-family members are a stronger source of support for Inner West residents when compared to the average Australia
Most Australians
would turn to
Family (80%)
Friend (65%)
Work colleague or neighbour (20%)
Professionals or charity (10%)
Local council or government services (5%)

15. Who is part of this community?
Inner West residents less inclusive than your average Australian

16. Local Government

17. Who is best able to make decisions about the Inner West?
Inner West residents are more certain which level of government knows best about their area.
But it isn’t automatically local government.

18. Residents of Stanmore less likely to know which ward they live in
Knowledge of Council
Residents of Stanmore less likely to know which ward they live in
Verbatim indicate amalgamations are a factor, alongside history, and the ‘Global Sydney’ effect

19. What’s important about what Council does? (1/2)
What makes the
Inner West tick?
Cycleways
Planning
Child care
Aged care
Arts and culture
Promoting the area

20. What’s important about what Council does? (2/2)

21. Service delivery and governance – 1/2

22. Service delivery and governance – 2/2

23. Some implications and thoughts
The Inner West being is often regarded one of the most progressive and socially and politically engaged communities in Australia
There are elevated levels of concern / agreement etc. about issues of social wellbeing – but not to the level one might expect
This is perhaps a function of the very high levels of diversity in the enlarged Inner West council area
It may very well be a ‘microcosm’ of Australia