Inclusive Thriving Community
Supporting the diversity of Western Australians to actively engage in community life.
Creating a better WA, for everyone
Research shows that there are powerful benefits to being part of a community including opportunities for support, connection, learning, fulfillment, and a focus on the greater good. An inclusive thriving community is one where the diversity of Western Australians are supported to actively engage in community life.
Key Outcomes
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More people have a stronger sense of belonging in their community
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There is reduced vulnerability and disadvantage across our community
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Community connection and participation are raised
Indicators of Inclusive, Thriving Communities
To measure the wellbeing and resilience of communities, we need to look at many different indicators to make sure we get the full picture of people’s lives. Important indicators include access to support networks, vulnerability to adversity, volunteering and voter participation, homelessness, crime rate and financial stress.
So, how is WA tracking against key community wellbeing indicators?
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Homelessness by Region
Percentage of people who are homeless. Homelessness is one important markers of social exclusion and disadvantage. In Western Australia, the proportion of the state's population who are homeless has continually shrunk since 2001.
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Support Networks by Gender and Age
Percentage of people who are able to get support in time of crisis. People with low social support are at increased risk of depression, anxiety and psychological distress, whilst strong social networks may help build resilience. In Western Australia, the number of people able to get support from people outside of their family has risen since 2010.
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Adversity by Region and Gender
Percentage of people experiencing a temporary or persistent hardship or trauma. In its broadest sense, the notion of vulnerability refers to the situation of individuals, households or communities who are exposed to potential adversity from one or more risks. It also refers to the resilience of these people or groups to the damage resulting from an adverse shock. The notion of vulnerability is a broad one, encompassing a variety of meanings. The word describes those who are physically or psychologically disadvantaged by adversity.
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Volunteering by Region
Percentage of people who have undertaken voluntary work in the last 12 months. Volunteering leads to higher life satisfaction, greater self-esteem and functional ability. Volunteers also display increased mortality and report fewer symptoms of anxiety and . There is a higher proportion of people in Western Australia who volunteer compared to the national figure, totalling more than 8.5 million volunteered hours.
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Voter Participation by District
Percentage of enrolled voters who participated in the most recent state general election. The level of voter participation can indicate a strong democracy. Trust in government is essential for well-being and social cohesion. Although voter participation is compulsory in Australia, it is still a useful measure of citizen engagement. In Western Australia, the percentage of enrolled electors was lower in 2017 compared to 2013, however there was an increase in the overall number of enrollments.
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Crime Rate by Region
Percentage of people who experienced a personal crime in the last 12 months. Crime can impact social cohesion through lower levels of trust and reduced community
engagement. Western Australia has a higher percentage of people who have experienced personal crime
when compared to the national figure, however this gap has narrowed since 2015.
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Financial Stress by Region
Percentage of households that experienced four or more indicators of financial stress in the last 12 months. Financial stress has been found to be linked to behaviours that affect quality of life, with people who experience financial stressors reporting poorer mental and physical health outcomes. A household can be said to be in financial stress if they experience four or more indicators of financial stress within a 12 month period.
How we’re helping to create a more inclusive WA
Lotterywest and Healthway are working to reduce disadvantage and increase community connection and belonging through grants for a wide range of projects, events and initiatives. We encourage all our grant partners to think about the impact they can have on equality, access and inclusion to improve the wellbeing of all Western Australians.
Image 100th Quairading Ag Show, Angie Roe Photography
Our investment in supporting Inclusive, Thriving Communities last financial year
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$77.7M
in grants awarded -
299
total number of grants funded -
119 grants
to raise community connection and participation -
164 grants
to support the outcome of reduced vulnerability and disadvantage across our community
Related Case Studies
![Bob Blackburn[1]](/media/hqiankcf/bob_blackburn-1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=870&height=300&rnd=133045321363600000&quality=80)
![Picture1[1]](/media/mavdfuwn/picture1-1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=870&height=300&rnd=133051352252900000&quality=80)
Dive deeper into your community
Use the Community Insights Tool to access the latest publicly available data on wellbeing indicators in WA. This tool is ideal for framing your project to your unique community and state of wellbeing.
Select the next wellbeing category you want to explore:
Acknowledgement of Country
The Western Australian Community Impact Hub acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are based, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation and extends that respect to all the Traditional Owners and Elders of this country. We recognise the significant importance of their cultural heritage, values and beliefs and how these contribute to the positive health and wellbeing of the whole community.
