Uncovering what truly matters: progress to a wellbeing economy

Looking beyond traditional economic measures like GDP, allows us to dive into Australians’ everyday experiences and overall wellbeing.

For over a decade, SGS Economics and Planning has been reporting on the state of Australia's economic performance across cities and regions. Building on this foundation, we’ve developed the SGS Cities and Regions Wellbeing Index (CRWI) – a groundbreaking study that examines how public policy decisions impact people's lives in different areas by considering multiple aspects of wellbeing to gain a more complete understanding of Australia's regions.

Our findings reveal distinct wellbeing gaps between regional and rural areas. These differences suggest potential disparities in accessing vital services for people living outside metropolitan areas. The Index, which will be released annually, focuses on the socio-economic wellbeing gap between residents of capital cities and those in regional areas.

The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated how physical health, mental wellbeing, and the economy are deeply interconnected within communities. Where people live greatly influences their overall wellbeing and how they experience society, the economy, and climate change.

However, current data only tracks changes in the country's overall economic output (Gross Domestic Product or GDP) at the national and state levels. As a result, we have limited information about the specific impacts of policy decision and economic shifts on different regions and communities across Australia.

The CRWI aims to fill this gap by shedding light on the socio-economic wellbeing of various regions in Australia by examining the familiar GDP and breaking it down into economic activity at the local level, called Gross Regional Product (GRP).

In addition, six other wellbeing indicators are considered: income and wealth, employment, knowledge and skills, housing, health, equality, and environment. This comprehensive approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of people's experiences in different areas. Supported by an interactive dashboard, the CRWI encourages users to understand how their area is performing across all seven wellbeing indicators, how this compares with other areas and critically, what this might mean for developing federal, state and local responses.

Explore the report and interactive dashboard at www.sgsep.com.au/projects/sgs-wellbeing-index

We chatted with Carl-Austin Behan OBE DL, the youngest and first openly gay Lord Mayor of Manchester, UK (2016-17) and the current LGBTQ+ Adviser to the Greater Manchester Mayor, to pick his brain on how to run Pride events.

When it comes to organising Pride events, Carl thinks the key is community engagement: “Work with the friends’ groups, local charities, schools, churches in the area and community leaders – who are quite the force and have their ears on the ground. Facilitate but don’t dictate how it should work.” Carl believes there is no one-size-fits-all for Pride events, it all depends on the scale and type of event and they should be varied and diverse to best meet community needs.

For local authorities, Pride is also an opportunity to bring tourism to the area, although engaging with businesses and sponsorship can pose challenges. Carl warns: “When you’re flying the flag, make sure it’s not just people rainbow washing – it’s about the fact that they believe what they are signing up to and what they are involved in.” He recommends asking commercial companies to pay to be involved and then using their contributions to cover costs like road closures. This approach can ensure that local community groups and charities still have free entry.

Carl identifies cost as the biggest challenge for local authorities, “We all know that grants are disappearing, but as much as possible, try and keep it free so everyone feels included. As soon as you put any sort of charge on there, it can stop people from getting in.” However, Carl does suggest that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for donations – just be totally transparent about where the money is going and how it helps keep the event free for future years.

On that note, Carl flags that another major challenge is people who question every penny that is spent. “There are comments like: ‘If you’re putting on a gay pride, why are you not putting on a straight pride?’ Which are ridiculous! When was the last time that you know two straight people got attacked for being who they are?” As a result, Pride event security and safety are vital to consider, “You never know who is going to turn up at these events. You could end up with some people who are very homophobic, so you’ve got to always take that on board and make sure that people feel safe in these spaces.”

Most important of all, when organising any Pride event, local government should focus on making sure the event aligns with the true origins of Pride –inclusivity. Carl advises to “Make sure everyone feels included right from the start. Work with all the communities within the LGBTQ+ community, people who are queer of colour, and disability groups. I’ve seen so many times where ‘accessible friendly’ means just a small raised platform in front of the stage but they’ve not thought about access through the whole site.”

Although organising and pulling off a successful Pride event can be a huge task of its own, it’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the work that local government needs to be doing to improve LGBTQ+ safety and inclusivity within their communities. Carl closes on this crucial point: “It’s about making sure the community groups feel like they are a part of their local authority all year round. If you’re going to fly the flag on Pride Month, make sure you’re doing it all year round. I think one thing for me is permanent visibility is permanent acceptance.”