Entrenched Poverty Demeans A Rich Nation
The Age
Tuesday February 27, 2007
SHOCKING as it is, yesterday's report that many Australian families live in desperate circumstances should not have been a surprise. Nor should people be startled to learn that disadvantage is concentrated in particular neighbourhoods - those intent on making money on the property market have long shunned certain areas. The evidence of the social ills afflicting too many Australians - from unemployment to poor health and education to domestic violence - has been unequivocal. But for most of us, living comfortably on decent wages and with more disposable income than ever before, it has barely registered.
Despite 15 years of sustained economic growth, people across the country - and notably in 40 towns and suburbs in Victoria - are suffering unimaginable hardship and, without appropriate intervention, the problems will escalate. Part of the solution, according to Dropping Off The Edge, the report by Professor Tony Vinson based on research commissioned by the Jesuits and Catholic Social Services, is to build stronger social cohesion by creating parent groups and neighbourhood events to mitigate the harm caused by unemployment and other disadvantage. The rest of the solution requires governments to invest heavily for the long term in health, early childhood education and other services. This means a commitment of at least eight years if the next generation is to have some hope of a better future. The alternative, according to Jesuit Father Peter Norden, is stark: "Start building more gated communities, prisons and mental health services."The Vinson report is a sad reminder that it is easy, amid the debates on climate change, asylum seekers and industrial relations, to forget the tragedies on our doorstep. The situation it documents is inexcusable in a wealthy, democratic country proud of its egalitarian heritage.
© 2007 The Age