Seer identifies Australia’s most vulnerable communities due to the Covid-19 crisis

Seer has identified Australian communities who are likely to be the most vulnerable as a result of the Covid-19 crisis due to unemployment and mortgage and rental stress.

Our suite of maps and charts use Open data to help not-for-profits, Government and philanthropists make evidence-backed decisions on programs and strategies to respond to the Covid-19 crisis.

These front-line organisations are assisting communities who were already in distress pre-Covid-19 and are now formulating responses to help those who are most likely to bear the brunt of the economic aftermath of the crisis.

“Communities are emerging as vulnerable who would not have been considered so before the crisis.”

Being able to visualise where the greatest needs are in a community is essential to formulate effective responses quickly.

Being able to visualise where the greatest needs are in a community is essential to formulate effective responses quickly.

Seer’s Vulnerable Employment and Household Stress Bubble Charts give a view to the most vulnerable communities based on the percent of people employed in vulnerable industries and occupations and the levels of mortgage and rental stress experienced in those communities.

The most recent Open data powering these charts is drawn from the 2016 Census and Data by Region ABS collection and includes:

• Vulnerable industries of Accommodation and food services, Retail trade, Arts and recreation services
• Vulnerable occupations of Community and personal service workers, Sales workers, Labourers
• Percent of renting households in rental stress
• Percent of mortgaged households in mortgage stress
• Total population

 

Seer has compiled a list of the 10 communities, based on Statistical Area Level 2 populations (about the size of a suburb) in each state likely to be hardest hit by the economic effects of Covid-19 as a result of people suffering loss of employment due to the cancelled economy and the intersection with mortgage and household stress.

This includes many communities not previously regarded as vulnerable – including Pyrmont and Haymarket in NSW, Surfers Paradise and Cairns City in Queensland and Melbourne city or Southbank in Victoria.

New South Wales

The 10 most vulnerable suburbs in NSW facing housing stress are:

1.     Sydney – Haymarket – The Rocks	6. Fairfield
2.     Auburn – North	7. Pyrmont – Ultimo
3.     Lakemba	8. Liverpool
4.     Wiley Park	9. Bankstown – North
5.     Warwick Farm	10. Redfern – Chippendale

Vulnerable areas in NSW are typically characterised by high rates of rental stress. Areas such as Sydney – Haymarket – The Rocks and Pyrmont – Ultimo have many residents employed in the accommodation and food services industry and as community and personal service workers, while areas such as Auburn North, Lakemba and Wiley Park have residents employed in a mixture of vulnerable industries and occupations.

Victoria

The 10 suburbs most vulnerable to housing stress include:

1.     Carlton	6.     Wollert
2.     Melbourne	7.     Footscray
3.     Clayton	8.     Dandenong
4.     North Melbourne	9.     Roxburgh Park – Somerton
5.     Parkville	10.  Cranbourne West

Carlton exhibits high rates of rental stress and has many residents employed in a mixture of vulnerable industries and occupations. Melbourne also exhibits high rates of rental stress, and has many residents employed in the accommodation and food services industry and as community and personal service workers. Areas such as Wollert, Roxburgh Park – Somertonand Cranbourne West exhibit high rates of mortgage stress and have many residents employed in a mixture of vulnerable industries and occupations.

Queensland

Queensland’s suburbs facing housing stress include:

1.     Southport – North	6.     Pimpama
2.     Surfers Paradise	7.     Spring Hill
3.     Manoora	8.     Cairns City
4.     Bundaberg	9.     Woodridge
5.     Fortitude Valley	10.   Kelvin Grove – Herston

Many residents in areas such as Surfers Paradise, Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill and Cairns City are employed in the accommodation and food services industry and as community and personal service workers.

South Australia

1.     Adelaide	1.     The Parks
2.     Elizabeth	2.     Christie Downs
3.     Davoren Park	3.     Salisbury North
4.     Smithfield – Elizabeth North	4.     Salisbury
5.     Hackham West – Huntfield Heights	5.     Munno Para West – Angle Vale

Adelaide exhibits high rates of rental stress and have many residents employed in the accommodation and food services industry and as community and personal service workers.

Australian Capital Territory

1.     Belconnen	6.     Casey
2.     Civic	7.     Franklin
3.     Bruce	8.     Bonner
4.     Gungahlin	9.     Turner
5.     Braddon	10.   Dickson

Areas such as Belconnen and Bruce have many residents employed as community and personal service workers.

Tasmania

1.     Bridgewater – Gagebrook	11.  Newnham – Mayfield
2.     Ravenswood	12.  Mayfield
3.     Invermay	13.  Hobart
4.     Mowbray	14.  Glenorchy
5.     Rokeby	15.  Mornington – Warrane

Hobart has many residents employed in the accommodation and food services industry and as community and personal service workers, while areas such as Bridgewater – Gagebrook, Ravenswood and Invermay have many residents employed in the retail trade industry and as labourers.

Western Australia

1.     Mandurah	6.     Ellenbrook
2.     Alkimos – Eglinton	7.     Byford
3.     Balga – Mirrabooka	8.     Seville Grove
4.     Carramar	9.     Girrawheen
5.     Bertram – Wellard (West)	10.   Perth City

Perth City exhibits high rates of rental stress and have many residents employed in the accommodation and food services industry and as community and personal service workers. Areas such as Carramar, Ellenbrook and Byford exhibit high rates of mortgage stress, and have many residents employed in the retail trade industry and as community and personal service workers.

Northern Territory

1.     Darwin City	6.     Moulden
2.     Tiwi Islands	7.     Rosebery – Bellamack
3.     Coconut Grove	8.     Bakewell
4.     Palmerston – South	9.     Stuart Park
5.     Gray	10.   Driver

Darwin City exhibits high rates of rental stress and have many residents employed in the accommodation and food services industry and as community and personal service workers. Areas such as Palmerston – South and Rosebery – Bellamackhave many residents employed as community and personal service workers.

Household mortgage or rental stress is commonly defined as more than 30% of household income being spent on mortgage or rent. Seer’s Vulnerable Employment and Household Stress Bubble Charts give a view to the most vulnerable communities based on the percent of people employed in vulnerable industries and occupations and the levels of mortgage and rental stress experienced in those communities. Many residents of these suburbs are employed in areas that have become vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the social and economic impact of COVID-19 continues to escalate, Seer believes it is more critical than ever to empower people working and supporting vulnerable communities with insightful data to help problem solve in the face of tough decisions.