Danpoll
15th April 2005, 06:14 PM
Dunedin social indicator figures released
Fatter, poorer, happier
By David Loughrey
Dunedin people are fatter than the rest of New Zealand, earn slightly less, but generally feel better about their lives.
The results of a survey of social indicators have been released by the Dunedin City Council, showing residents’ social health.
The survey is part of three measures of civic health, with a business environment index already put together, and environmental measurements in the pipeline.
A national quality-of-life survey was released last month, showing Dunedin people had a more positive perception of their lives than the national average.
Those figures, and the latest survey, would be used to help form policy, council strategy and development, general manager Peter Brown said.
The figures gave a good indication of how Dunedin was going compared with national averages.
The social indicators were put together from a variety of sources, including the Ministry of Health, Statistics New Zealand and the Ministry of Social Development.
The details show Dunedin residents live longer. They have a slightly higher life expectancy than residents of the rest of the country, with a local average of 78.9 years.
The prevalence of obesity is greater than the national average — 21.6% compared with 20.9%.
The city performs slightly under the national average in hourly earnings and has slightly higher unemployment, but still has cheaper housing, despite recent rises.
Dunedin residents spend 37.8% of their household income on mortgage payments, compared with 47% nationally.
One area in which Dunedin excels is road safety and crime. There are 6.6 road crash deaths per 100,000 people, much lower than the 11.5 national average, and a 51.8% crime resolution rate against 45.1% nationally.
Mr Brown said the statistics would be updated regularly.
He was endeavouring to put the environmental survey together this year.
There were “a huge number” of possible measures, and staff were considering which to use.
The new survey will go before the council’s community development committee on Tuesday.
Fatter, poorer, happier
By David Loughrey
Dunedin people are fatter than the rest of New Zealand, earn slightly less, but generally feel better about their lives.
The results of a survey of social indicators have been released by the Dunedin City Council, showing residents’ social health.
The survey is part of three measures of civic health, with a business environment index already put together, and environmental measurements in the pipeline.
A national quality-of-life survey was released last month, showing Dunedin people had a more positive perception of their lives than the national average.
Those figures, and the latest survey, would be used to help form policy, council strategy and development, general manager Peter Brown said.
The figures gave a good indication of how Dunedin was going compared with national averages.
The social indicators were put together from a variety of sources, including the Ministry of Health, Statistics New Zealand and the Ministry of Social Development.
The details show Dunedin residents live longer. They have a slightly higher life expectancy than residents of the rest of the country, with a local average of 78.9 years.
The prevalence of obesity is greater than the national average — 21.6% compared with 20.9%.
The city performs slightly under the national average in hourly earnings and has slightly higher unemployment, but still has cheaper housing, despite recent rises.
Dunedin residents spend 37.8% of their household income on mortgage payments, compared with 47% nationally.
One area in which Dunedin excels is road safety and crime. There are 6.6 road crash deaths per 100,000 people, much lower than the 11.5 national average, and a 51.8% crime resolution rate against 45.1% nationally.
Mr Brown said the statistics would be updated regularly.
He was endeavouring to put the environmental survey together this year.
There were “a huge number” of possible measures, and staff were considering which to use.
The new survey will go before the council’s community development committee on Tuesday.