2017-04-11 P&E Agenda Attachment 1 to Item 1 Housing Needs Assessment

4.1.4      Key Workers
Characteristics of Key Workers
Section 2.1 identified that Noosa Shire’s economic structure is dependent on population driven
industry sectors and tourism with retail trade 26% higher than the Australian average; and
accommodation and food services almost double the Australian average.

It is well recognised that these industries are among the poorest paid of any industries and have
lower full-time employment rates. Part-time work accounts for around 35%-40% of total
employment within the broader Sunshine Coast Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4), compared to
around 25%-30% in other similar regions (see Section 4.2); and Noosa Shire has considerably
lower household incomes than SEQ and Queensland. In 2011, the Shire reported a median
household income almost $200 below the SEQ Region and almost $300 below the State (Noosa
Shire Council, 2015).

Implications for Housing
The lack of accommodation for key workers has long been an issue across the Sunshine Coast.
Again the difficulty of obtaining and sustaining housing in an unaffordable market is exacerbated
among people with low incomes employed in the key industries of the coast. An additional
consideration in Noosa Shire is that these people need to be located in proximity to or with good
access at all hours to key tourist and hospitality areas, which places greater premiums on the
availability and cost of accommodation.

‘Key workers’ (or workers in Noosa Shire’s key industries) are crucial to the economy. In Noosa
Shire they are frequently younger, single people, some of whom are travelling. However some are
simply young people living in the Shire or elsewhere on the Sunshine Coast who need their own
accommodation. Their accommodation needs are usually fairly basic and small, however location
in relation to work and transport is critical. This accommodation is poorly provided at the present
time, and accounts for some workers staying in resort accommodation, some in a share situation.
There is also considerable inflow to Noosa Shire in terms of workers living elsewhere on the
Sunshine Coast.

4.1.5      People Escaping Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is a major contributor to homelessness – 24% of homeless Queenslanders cite
domestic violence as the cause (consistent with nationally reported data)13. Violence is a major
driver of homelessness for men and women. Research shows that 61% of victims are women and
39% are men14. Violence in the home is also an issue for young people, with one of the three
main reasons that young people aged 15-24 years report for being homeless15. While data is not
available at LGA level, these state and national trends are also likely to be reflected in the Noosa
Shire.




13
     Homelessness Australia, undated
14
     Research findings from the 2012 ABS Personal Safety Survey and Australian Institute of Criminology cited
in: Violence Against Women: Key Statistics, produced by Australia’s National Research Organisation for
Women’s Safety. And: Male Victims of Family Violence: key Statistics, produced by the One in Three
Campaign.
15
     Mission Australia, 2016



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