Spatial and Community Dimensions of Poverty

Professor A. Abigail Payne and Dr Rajeev Samarage

Poverty remains an issue that Australia must address. The importance of addressing entrenched and persistent poverty is ever more important given 2020 events such as devastation from the bushfires and the economic issues that have resulted from our needing to address COVID-19. As a country, poverty rates fall below those observed for the USA but above those observed for the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Poverty, when measured at a community level, ranges from 0 percent to well over 60 percent. For more than 40 percent of our communities, current poverty rates in Australia are simply unacceptable. This colloquium will explore the dynamics of community poverty rates. The presentation and discussion will reflect on the findings in a soon to be released report in the Melbourne Institute Breaking Down Barriers series (supported by the Paul Ramsay Foundation).

This regularly held colloquium will showcase our projects and researchers. This is a forum that encourages discussion on how research insights should inform policy and practice. More information on the series is available here.