Title of Presentation

Northern Mallee

Community

Leadership

Program

Presentation by

Peter Norden AO

Adjunct Professor

RMIT University

19th 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?

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 – 2009

•22% 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

DisadvantageDegree of DisadvantageMiddle rangeDegree of AdvantageAdvantageAll others

Local Disadvantaged Postcodes

LOCAL DISADVANTAGED POSTCODES:

3523 Heathcote 3549 Robinvale

3465 Maryborough 3595 Nyah West

3517 Inglewood 3472 Dunolly

3556 Eaglehawk 3594 Nyah

3450 Castlemaine 3467 Avoca

3672 Benalla 3584 Lake Boga

CAR Disadvantage Factors

Social Disadvantage Factors

Low Birth Weight

Disability/Sickness Allowance

Low Work Skills

MortalityYear 12 Incomplete

ImprisonmentEarly School Leaving

Court ConvictionsLow Family Income

Psychiatric Hosp. Admissions

Long Term Unemployment

Child NeglectUnemployment

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 = 647

8.32.7Child Neglect

11.13.9Court Convictions

12.44.4Early School Leaving

12.9Low Family Income

7.32.1Imprisonment

11.34.1Unemployment

11.64.2Low Work Skills

To Reach50%

To Reach25%

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 1351.0.55.031)

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 yearSource: 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**)

Connectionremains strong(0.63)

Low social

cohesionplus

Connectionsignificantly

weakens(0.28)

plusHigh 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**)

Connectiongrows

stronger(0.62)

Low social

cohesionplus

Connectionsignificantly

weakens(0.18)

plusHigh social

cohesion

N = 277

CAR Unemp/Imp SC comp

Across local populations

UNEMPLOYMENT

and

IMPRISONMENT

are strongly connected

(0.65**)

Connectiongrows

stronger(0.75)

Low social

cohesionplus

Connectionsignificantly

weakens(0.22)

plusHigh social

cohesion

N = 277

Impact of Community Development Interventions (Jobs)

Across local populations

UNEMPLOYMENT

and

CHILD NEGLECT

are strongly connected

(0.68**)

Connectionremains

high(0.56)

Low social

cohesionplus

Connection drops(0.40)

plusHigh 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

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