ROBINVALE has been identified as one of the most disadvantaged suburbs in
Victoria according to new socio-economic data.
Australian Bureau of
Statistics (ABS) data from the 2011 Census was used to compile the
Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) report, which ranks areas in Australia
according to relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage.
Figures for
the Swan Hill area show the level of disadvantage has increased in some parts of
the region since the last report in 2006.
Robinvale, which was ranked by the
ABS as the 19th most disadvantaged suburb in Victoria in 2006, is now the 10th
most disadvantaged area of the state.
Both Swan Hill and Lake Boga also saw
increases in their disadvantage rankings, and were identified as the 249th and
271st most disadvantaged Victorian suburbs respectively.
For the purposes of
SEIFA, the ABS broadly defines relative socio-economic advantage and
disadvantage in terms of people’s access to material and social resources, and
their ability to participate in society.
Swan Hill Rural City Council’s
director of community and cultural services Bruce Myers said council was aware
of the figures, with numerous programs aimed at stemming the slide towards
further disadvantage.
“A lot of them are only pilot projects and they are not
going to solve the problems immediately,” he said.
For more of this story, see Monday’s Guardian (April 8).
