PROFILE OF

Health and
Wellbeing in
Greater Dandenong
2016
 Foreword

The Profile of Health and Wellbeing summarises the latest available information about the
population of Greater Dandenong, its social conditions and the health and wellbeing of its
residents.

Information presented here encompasses topics such as population, cultural diversity and
settlement, education, employment and incomes, housing and transport, crime and family
violence, nutrition, obesity and physical activity, social inclusion and mental health, smoking,
alcohol consumption and other drug use and sixteen other topics.

The contents of this Profile are drawn from State and Federal Government departments, the
Australian Bureau of Statistics, a selection of research organisations and academic reports.

It is intended that the Profile may assist local agencies in their service planning and development,
advocacy, submission preparation and social research.

The Profile is available in PDF format on the Greater Dandenong website, at:
www.greaterdandenong.com. From there, select the tab Live, then click on the heading Your
Wellbeing and select Profile of Health and Wellbeing in Greater Dandenong.

For further information about these topics, or to obtain a hard-copy of the Profile of Health
and Wellbeing in Greater Dandenong please contact the Greater Dandenong Council on
8571 5100 or Council@cgd.vic.gov.au.or go to www.socialstatistics.com.au
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Population
Population ............................................................................................................. 1
Births ..................................................................................................................... 2
Families ................................................................................................................. 4
Young People ........................................................................................................ 5
Older Residents ..................................................................................................... 7
Indigenous Residents ............................................................................................ 9
Cultural Diversity ................................................................................................ 10
Migrant Settlement ............................................................................................. 11
Asylum-seekers ................................................................................................... 12
Spoken Languages............................................................................................... 13
Literacy ................................................................................................................ 14
Social Conditions
Educational Outcomes .................................................................................. 17
Employment and Unemployment ................................................................. 19
Incomes and Social Disadvantage ................................................................. 22
Gambling ....................................................................................................... 24
Gentrification................................................................................................. 25
Housing .......................................................................................................... 26
Active Travel and Public Transport ................................................................ 28
Crime and Safety ........................................................................................... 30
Family Violence.............................................................................................. 31
Social Inclusion .............................................................................................. 33
Arts and Culture............................................................................................. 36
Internet Access and Use ................................................................................ 38
Aspects of Health
Mortality ............................................................................................................. 39
Disability .............................................................................................................. 41
Mental Health ..................................................................................................... 42
Smoking............................................................................................................... 44
Alcohol Consumption .......................................................................................... 46
Illicit Drug Use ..................................................................................................... 49
Suicide ................................................................................................................. 52
Nutrition .............................................................................................................. 53
Diabetes .............................................................................................................. 55
Obesity ................................................................................................................ 56
Sport and Recreation .......................................................................................... 57

Bibliography ............................................................................................ i
Population
 POPULATION Population
After a period of stability, the population of Greater Dandenong
has commenced a sustained period of moderate, steady growth,
which is likely to persist.

Estimated & Forecast Population: Greater Dandenong, 1996-2031

200,000
190,641
The population of Greater Dandenong settled at 190,000

around 130,000 during the decade to 2006 before 180,000

swelling to 156,000 by 2016. Recent population 170,000

160,000
growth is largely the consequence of residential
150,000

developments in Keysborough South and central 140,000

131,796
Dandenong, as well as construction in dispersed 130,000
128,830
locations throughout the city. 120,000

110,000

100,000

Population in Greater Dandenong:

156,000 in 2016
Half aged less than 35
Annual growth of 2,300
179,000 residents by 2026

Forecast Population Growth, by Age: Greater Dandenong, 2016 to 2026

16,000
Greater Dandenong: 2016

14,000
Greater Dandenong: 2026
In the decade to 2026, the local population

12,000
is projected to rise by 15% or 23,000, to
179,000 reflecting an average annual
10,000

growth of 2,300 persons. This forecast

8,000
includes expected growth of:
6,000
* 0-14 year-olds: 22% or 6,400
4,000
* 15-24 year-olds: 3% or 600
2,000 * 65+ year-olds: 28% or 6,500

0
85+
10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84
0-4

5-9

1
 BIRTHS Families, Births and Children
Nearly 2,500 children are born to residents of Greater Dandenong
each year. Most of their parents are born overseas and speak
languages other than English at home.
Births
Annual Births: Greater Dandenong, 2001-2015

2,600

2,500 2,439

2,400
In 2014/15, 2,439 births were recorded in
Annual Birth Notifications

2,300

2,200 Greater Dandenong, an increase of 707 per

2,100 annum, or 38%, since 2001. The future

2,000 population of children is uncertain and will
1,900 depend largely on the volume of new
1,800 1,732 housing developments in the city which
1,700
tend to attract young families.

Maternal Birthplaces: Greater Dandenong 2014/15

Per cent of Mothers
More than four-fifths 0 5 10 15 20

(82%) of residents who Australia 18.4

India 15.7
gave birth in 2014/15
Vietnam 10.3

were born overseas, in Cambodia 7.1

countries such as India, Afganistan 7.1

Sri Lanka 5.6

Vietnam, Sri Lanka,
China 4.8

Cambodia, Afghanistan Pakistan 3.3

Burma
and China. 2.5

New Zealand 2.3

Sudan 1.9

Phillipines 1.8

Malaysia 1.3

Thailand 1.3

Iran 1.2

In addition, almost three-quarters (71%) of these women speak languages other than English in their
homes. Among them are Vietnamese, Punjabi, Khmer, Dari, Kaswahilli and Mandarin.

2
Birth Rates by Age: Greater Dandenong & Melbourne, 2013 Birth Rates
140 Greater Dandenong : 2013 In 2013, birth rates were higher among
Metropolitan Melbourne: 2013
women aged 15-29 in Greater Dandenong
120
122

112 114
than for Melbourne, and lower among
100
women over 30 a circumstance common
Births per 1,000 women

80
to localities of social disadvantage. The
79
average number of children a woman
78

60
59 59 would have in a lifetime, based on 2013
40 birth rates, is 1.8 slightly higher than the
31 metropolitan level of 1.7.
20
19
15
10 7
0
15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44

Births in Greater Dandenong:

2,400 each year
Four in five have overseas-born parents
Three-quarters have parents who speak languages
other than English at home
Birth rates among younger women (<25 years) are
double metropolitan levels

Average Children ever Born by Age and Education Level:

Circumstances which Influence Birth Rates Victoria, 2011

Birth rates are markedly influenced by

educational experience, birthplace and
generational factors. In Victoria, the
average number of children ever born to
women is highest among those with limited
education. For example, among women
aged 25-29, average children born to those
with no post-school qualifications is four
times that for women with a degree.

3
 FAMILIES
Nearly four-fifths of the 47,000 households in Greater Dandenong are
families and the balance lone person households. Among the 37,000
family households, 30% are couples, 46% couples with children, 19%
headed by a single parent and 5% were other family types. Four-fifths
of families with young children have overseas-born parents
compared with a quarter of families across Victoria.
Family Types: Greater Dandenong, 2011

Marriage
Half of the residents of Greater Dandenong are
formally married a proportion which rises
from one in seven young adults, to two-thirds
of working age residents, before declining to
just over a quarter of residents over 85.

De facto Marriages
The popularity of de facto marriages has soared in recent decades, with the proportion of Australian
couples who live together before becoming formally married rising from 16% in 1975 to 77% in 2013.
Per cent of Persons Living Together who are in Defacto Marriages, by Age: Aust. 2011
70
64

60
Per cent couples defacto married

50
De facto marriages are more popular among
41
40 younger people (diagram at left), those with
no children, atheists and people born in Hong
30
23
Kong, Taiwan, Singapore or Australia.
20 16
13
11
10
10 8
6

0
20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64

4
 YOUNG PEOPLE
Young People
Nearly half of the young people in Greater Dandenong were born
overseas and most speak languages other than English at home. Local
young people experience high rates of early school leaving,
disengagement and unemployment.

Population
In 2015, 27,000 residents in Greater Dandenong were aged 12-25 years,
accounting for one-fifth of the population of this city. They include 120
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. The number of young people in this City is expected to rise by a further
2,000 in the decade to 2025
Birthplaces: persons aged 12 to 24, Greater Dandenong, 2011

Cultural Diversity
Nearly half (46%) of residents aged
12-25 were born overseas, in
birthplaces such as India, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Sri Lanka, China, Bosnia,
Philippines and Sudan.

Languages: persons aged 12 to 24,

Greater Dandenong, 2011
Spoken Languages & English Fluency
Over two-thirds (68%) of 12 to 24 year-olds
speak languages other than English at home
(compared with 30% across Melbourne),
including Vietnamese, Khmer, Punjabi,
Cantonese, Mandarin and Arabic. One in 25
local young people has limited fluency in the
use of spoken English, a condition most
widespread among those who speak languages
such as Burmese (27%), Persian (14%), Dari (14%),
Hazaraghi, Khmer and Arabic.

5
Per cent of 20-24 year-olds who had Left School before
Completing Year 11: Greater Dandenong, 2011

Educational Outcomes
In 2011, 13% of 20 to 24 year-olds in
Greater Dandenong had left school
before year 11 - compared with 10%
across Melbourne. Approximately half
of those from Burma, Afghanistan and
Macedonia had left school early, compared with one in seven from Australia and fewer than one in ten
young people from India, Sri Lanka, China and Vietnam.
Just over a third (37%) of 19-20 year-olds in Greater Dandenong were attending university and other
tertiary institutions, compared with 46% of those across Melbourne.

Unemployment
In 2011 (the latest year for which such data are available), the unemployment rate in Greater Dandenong
stood at 26% among 15-19 year-olds and 13% among 20-24 year-olds - higher than the Victorian level of
9%. In the same year, disengagement rates were the second highest across Melbourne, with 16% of 20-24
year-olds not in paid employment or enrolled in education including 19% of females and 13% of males.
Number of 20-24 year olds Disengaged, by Birthplace: Greater Dandenong, 2011
Number of persons
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 Among disengaged young adults,
Australia 567 those born in Australia accounted
India 161
Cambodia 95
for about a third. Others were
Afghanistan 83
born in India, Cambodia,
Vietnam 80
New Zealand 54 Afghanistan, Vietnam and New
China 41
Pakistan 39
Zealand.
Sri Lanka 39
Bosnia 31
Sudan 27
Iraq 20
Young People in Greater Dandenong
27,000 residents are aged 12 to 25
About half (46%) of them were born overseas
Over two-thirds (68%) speak languages other than English at home
One in eight (13%) are not in paid employment or enrolled in education

6
 OLDER PEOPLE Older Residents
Older people in Greater Dandenong are culturally diverse, with almost
three-quarters born overseas, half speaking languages other than English at
home and a quarter having limited English fluency. Levels of financial
dependency among older residents are relatively high.

Population: In 2015, 15,800 people in Greater Dandenong or one in ten

residents were aged 70 years or more. In the decade to 2025, this number
will grow by about 5,700, or 36%, to 21,500. Meantime, the population aged
85+ is forecast to swell from 3,000 to 4,100 a rise of 37%.

Cultural Diversity
Nearly three-quarters (71%) of
residents aged 70+ are born overseas
higher than the metropolitan level of
54%, and the largest proportion in
Victoria.
Their birthplaces include Italy, the
United Kingdom, Vietnam, Greece and
Sri Lanka. 27 residents are Aboriginal or
Torres Strait Islanders aged 70 or more.

Spoken Languages
More than half (54%) of residents
aged 70+ speak languages other than
English at home, including Italian,
Greek, Vietnamese, Cantonese and
French.

7
English Fluency
Over a quarter (27%) of residents aged 70 or more - or half of those who speak languages other than
English at home have limited fluency in the use of spoken English, the highest proportion in Victoria.
These include nine-tenths of older residents who speak Cantonese, Khmer, Mandarin, Vietnamese
Albanian, Turkish and Serbian.

Household Types
More than half (58%) of residents aged 65 + Household Types, Persons aged 65+, 2011

live with a partner, a quarter (25%) live alone and the

balance live with their children, other relatives or in
group homes.
Approximately 3,200 residents aged 70+ live alone,
including 1,100 from Australia, 280 from Italy, 230 from
England, 110 from India and 100 from Sri Lanka.

Home Ownership
About one in four (82%) older residents aged
70+ own, or are buying, their home similar to
the metropolitan level, of 87%. Levels of home
ownership range from less than 70% among
Indian or Sri Lankan residents to over 90%
among those from Italy, Malta and Macedonia.

Incomes & Employment

Levels of employment and income among residents approaching retirement age are relatively low. Among
55-59 year-olds in 2011 for example, median incomes (at $471) and the proportion of these residents who
were in paid employment (56%) were both the lowest in Melbourne.
As a result, many older residents retire in conditions of financial insecurity and welfare dependency.
In 2014, 5.1% of residents aged over 65 were dependent upon the disability pension - the highest rate in
metropolitan Melbourne. Moreover, nearly four-fifths (78%) of these residents were in receipt of the aged
pension in 2014 - 12.2% more than the metropolitan average and the second highest proportion in
Melbourne. Similarly, 10.8% of the population of Greater Dandenong had a Health Care Card in 2014 - the
highest proportion in Melbourne and substantially more than the metropolitan figure of 6.7%.

8
 INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Indigenous Residents
Population
The number of indigenous people counted by the Census in
Greater Dandenong trebled from 150 in 1981, to 491, or 0.4% of
the population, by 2011.

Per cent of Population by Age: Indigenous and

Non-indigenous Residents, Greater Dandenong, 2011
Local indigenous people are relatively young,
14
Not Indigenous
Indigenous with approximately a third (34%) aged less
12
than 15 years nearly twice the corresponding
Per cent of population

10
proportion of the general population (18%).
8
Conversely, just 7% are aged 65 years or more,
6
compared with 14% of all residents.
4

0
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
0-4
5-9

85+

Families with Children by Type: Indigenous and

Families Non-indigenous Residents, Greater Dandenong, 2011
80
Over half (55%) of indigenous families with 71 70

Per cent of families with children

children are one-parent families, compared 60

50
with 29% among the general population. In 55
45 40
2011, birth rates among teenage indigenous
30
29
residents across Melbourne stood at 33 per 20

1,000 15-19 year-olds, over seven times the 10

0
general teenage birth rate.
Couple with children
.
One parent

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents

Number nearly 500 in Greater Dandenong
A third (34%) are aged less than 15
Three times more likely to be disabled (6.8%) as the general population (2.8%)
A third (34%) own their home, compared with 69% of the general population
Over half (55%) families with children are headed by one parent
Nationally, twice as likely to be developmentally vulnerable in their first year of primary
school (43% v. 21%)
Over half (55%) left school before completing year 11

9
 CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Greater Dandenong is the most culturally diverse municipality in Victoria,
with residents from over 150 nations and a continuing influx of settlers.
Birthplaces
Over half (60%) of the residents of Greater Dandenong were born overseas,
in nations such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India, China, Italy, Greece,
Bosnia, Afghanistan, New Zealand and Britain.

1991 population
Iraqi 440 Population increase to 2011
20

Chinese 1,700 1,600

Cambodian 2,600 2,800

Indian 2,250 7,750

Vietnamese 7,300 4,400

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000

In the 20 years to 2011, the proportion of

residents born overseas rose from 46% to 56%,
including a rise of 7,750 in the number of
residents from India alone.

Religion Religions: Greater Dandenong, 2011

Cultural diversity in Greater Dandenong is 50.3

50
reflected in its wide range of religious faiths. These
include Christianity [50%], adhered to by 50% of 40
Per cent of residents

residents, Buddhism [18%], Islam [11%] and 30

Hinduism [4%].
20 17.6 17.0

10.8
10
4.3

0
Christianity Buddhism Islam Hinduism Other / no
religion

Change in Population 1991-2011, Selected faiths, CGD

In the 20 years to 2011, the number of people of
various faiths in Greater Dandenong has
increased markedly.

10
 MIGRANT SETTLEMENT
In 2014/15, 2,200 immigrants, from over 70 birthplaces, settled in
Greater Dandenong. About one in five, numbering 450, were
humanitarian settlers, largely from Afghanistan, Burma, Iran and
Thailand.

Historically, settlement in Greater

Dandenong has proceeded in waves,
including Greek and Italian settlement in
the 1950s and 60s, followed by
immigration from Vietnam and
elsewhere, and a more recent surge in
settlement from India and Sri Lanka.

Settlement by Birthplace: Greater Dandenong, 2011/12 to 2014/15

In the period from August
2011 to June 2015, 9,058
recently-arrived migrants
settled in Greater
Dandenong. Nearly a third
of them (numbering 2,700)
were refugees, largely
from Afghanistan, Burma,
Thailand and Iran. The
number of settlers in
Greater Dandenong during
this period is illustrated at
right and compared with the population from the same birthplaces at the time of the 2011 Census.
The 2011 Census findings reveal that, in the 18 months after arrival, local humanitarian settlers 1 typically
face unemployment rates seven times metropolitan levels, receive incomes half the Melbourne average
and experience levels of early school leaving three times metropolitan rates.

1
To illustrate the conditions of humanitarian settlers, those from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Burma were considered since a high proportion of recent settlers from
each of these nations is known to have immigrated to Australia under humanitarian provisions.

11
 ASYLUM-SEEKERS
In March 2015, about one in three (31%) asylum-seekers in Victoria,
numbering 2,950 people, were living in Greater Dandenong nearly two-
thirds of them (1,821) in Dandenong.

Per cent of Asylum-seekers

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Greater Dandenong 31.0

Brimbank 17.4

Whittlesea 9.1

Casey 9.0

Hume 6.5

Wyndham 4.3

Maribyrnong 3.9

Darebin 3.6

Moreland 3.5

Greater Shepparton 2.3

Greater Geelong 2.0

Hobsons Bay 1.1

Mildura 1.1

Swan Hill 0.9

Whitehorse
Per cent of Asylum-seekers
0.8
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Manningham 0.7

Monash 0.5 Iran 30.9

Banyule 0.5
Sri Lanka 22.4
Melbourne 0.4

Kingston 0.3 Afghanistan 18.2

Colac Otway 0.2

Pakistan 10.1
Moonee Valley 0.2

Stonnington 0.2 Stateless 8.6

Boroondara 0.2

Maroondah 0.2 Iraq 2.5

Yarra 0.1
Vietnam 1.4

Burma 1.2

Sudan 1.2

Lebanon 1.0 Among asylum-seekers in Victoria:

Somalia 0.8 About five in six (82%) are male
Bangladesh 0.8 Two-thirds (65%) are aged 18 to 35

Palestine 0.2 Most (82%) were born in either Afghanistan,

Syria 0.2
Iran, Pakistan or Sri Lanka

India 0.1

Indonesia 0.1

12
 SPOKEN LANGUAGES
Spoken Languages
Nearly two-thirds of the residents of Greater Dandenong speak languages other than English in their
homes, one in seven has limited fluency in English and one in three has very limited English literacy.

Spoken Languages: Greater Dandenong, 2011

Spoken Languages
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of residents speak
languages other than English the largest
proportion in Victoria (31%: metropolitan
Melbourne). Widely-spoken languages include
Vietnamese, Khmer, Chinese, Greek, Punjabi
and Sinhalese.

The distribution of people who speak languages other

than English at home is illustrated in the map at left,
which points up the high concentration of non-
English-speakers within Greater Dandenong,
southern Monash and in the northern and western
suburbs of Melbourne.

Limited English fluency by Birthplace: 2011

English Fluency
One in seven (14%) residents has limited
fluency in spoken English four times the
metropolitan level of 4%.

Among residents who speak languages

other than English at home, 39% have
limited English fluency, including 50% of
women and 30% of men.

13
 LITERACY Literacy
One in seven residents has limited English literacy. They are largely born
in non-English-speaking countries, older and not employed.
The information presented here is drawn from the findings of the
201112 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult
Competencies, which assessed respondents ability to understand
written English. Persons at, or below, the lowest level of literacy are
described here as having limited English literacy.

Literacy: Age and Gender 35

31.4
One in seven (14%) Australians 30
Per cent of persons with limited English literacy

Males 28.2

has limited literacy. This Females

24.2
25
proportion falls with increasing
19.2 19.4
age, before climbing steeply to 20 17.7
16.7
70% among those aged 65 to 74. 13.9 14.3 14.2
14.0
15 12.8
11.9
Among younger age groups a 10.5 10.2 10.0
10.8
10.0
9.0 9.4 9.2 9.2
10
higher proportion of males than 7.5 7.4

females have limited literacy, 5

whereas among older

0
1519

2024

2529

3034

3539

4044

4549

5054

5559

6064

6574

Total
Australians, limited English
literacy is more prevalent among
women.

Per cent of Persons at or below Literacy Level One, by Age and whether
English is a first or second language: Australia, 2012
English as a First or Second Language
Per cent of Persons at or below Literacy Level One

Limited English literacy is about

twice as prevalent among those for 50
whom English is a second language. 45.8
40

30
21.7 16.5
20
NESB Non-English-speaking backgrounds
ESB English-speaking backgrounds (born 19.3 10
in Australia or main English-speaking 9.4
nations) NESB 8.8
0
ESB 1534 years
3554 years
5574 years

14
Literacy and Employment Per cent of Persons at or below Literacy Level One,
by Sex and Labour Force Status: Australia, 2012

30
Males
24.9
25 Females 24.0

Per cent of Persons at or below

20

Literacy Level One

17.2

15
11.5
11.0

10 8.3

The prevalence of limited English literacy is 5

lowest among those in paid employment, 0

Employed Unemployed Out of the labour force
higher among people who were
unemployed and higher still among those not in the labour force. In each labour force category, more
males than females have limited literacy
Estimated Per Cent of Residents with Limited Literacy
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Greater Dandenong 26.2 The Prevalence of Limited English

Brimbank 25.2
Literacy among Victorian Municipalities
Whittlesea 22.1

Hume 20.4

Darebin 19.2
Estimates based on the findings of the
Maribyrnong 18.9
2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills
Moreland 18.9

Monash 18.1 Survey, coupled with information about

Manningham 18.0

Hobsons Bay 18.0 the population of selected segments of

Casey 17.8

Moonee Valley 17.0

the community, indicate that 26% of 15
Melton 16.9
to 74 year-olds in Greater Dandenong,
Kingston 16.5

Metro Melbourne 16.5 numbering 21,000 - have limited English

Wyndham 16.2

Victoria 15.9 literacy, compared with 16% of

Knox 15.4

Whitehorse 15.1
Victorian residents.
The estimated prevalence of limited
Frankston 14.3

Regional Victoria 14.3

Banyule 14.1 literacy ranges from approximately one

Glen Eira 14.1

Cardinia 13.9 in four 15-74 year-olds in Greater

Mornington Peninsula 13.6

Yarra Ranges 13.3

Dandenong, Brimbank and Whittlesea,
to a little over one in ten in Port Phillip.
Maroondah 13.1

Yarra 12.5

Boroondara 11.8

Nillumbik 11.5

Melbourne 11.5

Stonnington 11.3

Bayside 11.2

Port Phillip 10.9

Most Affluent 5 Localities 12.9

Least Affluent 5 Localities 24.8

15
Social Conditions
 EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
Educational Outcomes
Young people in Greater Dandenong experience less favorable early
school development, leave school earlier, less often attend university,
are more often disengaged from employment and education and are
more likely to be unemployed later in life, than those throughout
Melbourne.
Early Childhood Progress
The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) measures the
progress of all pupils in their first year of school across Australia, in five domains of development: physical,
social, emotional, language and cognitive, and communication and general knowledge.
The 2015 AEDC findings revealed that 28% of prep pupils in Greater Dandenong were developmentally
vulnerable (that is, among the lowest 10% across Australia) in one or more of these fields of development
substantially more that the Victorian level of 20% and the second highest rate in Melbourne.
For each metropolitan municipality, the percentage of prep pupils who are considered developmentally
vulnerable in one or more domains, is illustrated in the diagram below.
Percent Prep. Pupils Developmentally Vulnerable in one or more Domains by metropolitan Municipality, 2015
35

31
Per cent of Prep. Pupils who are vulnerable in one or more areas

28.3
30

27.1
26.4
25.6
23.5

25
22.5
20.9
20.9
20.8
20.2

21
19.9
19.5
18.9
18.8

20
17.1
16.3
16.2
16.2
15.9
15.8
15.1
14.2
13.9
13.7
13.3
13.3

15
12.3
11.7
11.1
10.1

10

0
Mornington Pen.

Victoria

Greater Dandenong
Stonnington

Port Phillip

Whittlesea
Boroondara

Cardinia
Nillumbik

Moonee Valley

Melbourne

Brimbank
Whitehorse
Kingston

Maribyrnong

Melton
Manningham
Glen Eira

Darebin

Moreland

Casey

Hume
Wyndham
Maroondah

Hobsons Bay

Frankston
Monash

Yarra Ranges
Banyule

Knox
Bayside

Yarra

Locally, the proportion of prep pupils who are developmentally vulnerable, ranges from 44% in
Dandenong South, to 33% in Springvale, 31% in Dandenong, 28% in Noble Park and Noble Park North and
25% in Keysborough.

17
 Pre-School Program Participation
The earlier, 2012 AEDC, found that the proportion of
prep pupils in Melbourne who had not participated in
pre-school, ranged from its highest level of 12.1% in
Greater Dandenong, to its lowest of 2.8% among
those at Stonnington.

Early School Leaving

The 2011 Census disclosed that 13% of young adults aged 20-24 in Greater Dandenong had left school
before completing year 11, compared with 10% across metropolitan Melbourne. Those who had most often
left school early included young adults from Afghanistan and Burma - of whom about one-half had left
school before completing year 11 compared with 8.5% of Victorian residents that age.
Youth Disengagement
In 2011, 16% of 20-24 year-olds in Greater Dandenong were neither in paid employment nor enrolled in
education - the second highest level of youth disengagement in Melbourne and higher than the
metropolitan level of 12%. At 19% disengagement levels were higher among females than males (12%).

Local educational outcomes

More than one in four (28%) prep. pupils are developmentally vulnerable
More than one in ten (12%) children did not attend kindergarten before primary school
13% of young adults had left school before completing year 11
including half of those from Afghanistan and Burma
One in seven (16%) young adults (20-24) are not at school or in paid work
Women aged 30-39 with a degree are twice as likely to be employed as those with year 10 only.

Employment Rates by Educational Attainment:

Persons 30-39 years of age, Victoria, 2011
Education & Employment Prospects
The 2011 Census found that, among Victorian
residents aged 30-39 years, 80% of those with
a degree were employed, compared with 53%
of people who had left school before
completing year 11.

Among women the same age, this contrast is

more striking, with 72% of females with a
degree employed, compared with just 36% of
early school leavers.

18
 EMPLOYMENT & UNEMPLOYMENT
Employment and Unemployment
Unemployment rates in Greater Dandenong are almost twice metropolitan levels and especially high
among local refugees, while the employment of residents tends to be concentrated among labouring,
process work and trades occupations.

Unemployment Rates: Greater Dandenong: 2008-2015

Unemployment of Residents 14 and metropolitan Melbourne, 2008-2015
Local unemployment levels have 12.3
12
fluctuated in the past decade,
reaching 12.3% by March 2015 - 10

almost twice the metropolitan

Unemployment Rate

8
average of 6.7%, and the highest 6.7

rate in Victoria. 6

2 Greater Dandenong
Metro Melbourne

0
Nov-08

Nov-09

Nov-10

Nov-11

Nov-12

Nov-13

Nov-14
Jul-08

Jul-09

Jul-10

Jul-11

Jul-12

Jul-13

Jul-14
Mar-08

Mar-09

Mar-10

Mar-11

Mar-12

Mar-13

Mar-14

Mar-15
Unemployment levels are highest in Dandenong (22%) and lowest in Keysborough (6.6%).

Employment in Greater Dandenong

Unemployment rate was 12.3% in mid-2015 nearly twice metropolitan levels
Rates twice as high in Dandenong (22%) as elsewhere in the City
54,000 residents are in paid employment
Most common local occupation is labouring
Most common industry is manufacturing
Two thirds of employed residents work outside Greater Dandenong
76,000 people work within the municipality

19
Unemployment by Age: Greater Dandenong & Victoria In 2011, the peak unemployment
rate was 26% among 15-19 year-
olds in Greater Dandenong - higher
than the corresponding Victorian
rate of 16%. Unemployment rates in
Greater Dandenong declined among
those in their middle to older age.

Unemployment rates among

women and men in each age group
differed only slightly.

Unemployment by Selected Birthplace: Persons aged 25 to 44, Greater Dandenong, 2011

In 2011, unemployment
rates ranged from 37%
among 20-44 year-old
residents from South
Sudan, to 3.9% among
those born in Australia.
Among residents of most
birthplaces, differences
between female and male
rates were modest.

The 2014 Stress and Wellbeing in Australia Survey found that

people who were unemployed experienced higher levels of
stress, anxiety and depression than those in paid employment
or retirement, and reported that the stress arising from their
unemployment was having a damaging impact upon their
mental and physical health (Casey and Liang, 2014).

20
Employment of Residents
In 2011, 54,000 residents of Greater Dandenong, or two-fifths of the population, were in paid employment.
Occupations Occupations: Greater Dandenong and metropolitan Melbourne, 2011

Principal occupations
8
Labourers
were labouring, 17

13
accounting for 17% of Technicians and Trades Workers
16

employment, technicians Machinery Operators and Drivers 6

14
and trades, representing Clerical and Administrative 15
Workers 13
16% of jobs, and
24
Professionals
12
machinery operators and
9
drivers (14%). This Community & Personal Service
9

10 Melbourne
pattern of occupations Sales Workers
9
Greater Dandenong
differs from Victoria in its Managers 13
7
higher proportion of
0 5 10 15 20 25
labourers (17% compared Per cent of persons in paid employment

with 8% across Melbourne) and in the lower percentage of managers and professionals which are both
about half of the metropolitan levels.
Places of Work Municipality of Employment: Residents of Greater Dandenong, 2011

Of the 54,000 residents in paid

employment, about a third (30%) work
in Greater Dandenong and about one
in ten are employed in either Kingston,
Monash or Melbourne municipalities.

Employment within Greater Dandenong

The 2011 Census recorded that 76,600 people worked in Greater Dandenong, an increase of 2,600 over the
2006 number. Greater Dandenong residents account for one in five of those who are employed within this
City.

21
 INCOMES & DISADVANTAGE
Incomes and Disadvantage

In 2011, the median individual weekly income in Greater Dandenong stood at

$395 the lowest level in Melbourne. In the five years to 2011, individual incomes
rose by 15% (exactly in
line with inflation)
compared with 23% for
metropolitan Melbourne.
Local incomes declined
to 67% of metropolitan
incomes by 2011, compared with 71% in 2006.

Median Incomes by Sex: Greater Dandenong,

2011

At $533 per week, median income

levels among males were 58% higher
than those for females, at $338. The
disparity between female and male
income levels was most prominent
among residents of working age.

Median Income by Sex and Birthplace: Victoria, 2011

Incomes differ widely among people of various

birthplaces. Among residents born in Australia, the
median individual weekly income was $932 in 2011,
compared with $241 among residents from Iraq and
$256 among those from Burma.

22
SEIFA and Disadvantage
SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage: Melbourne Municipalities, 2011

The 2011 Index of Relative Socio-

economic Disadvantage measures
social and economic disadvantage
based on educational levels,
unemployment, incomes, English
fluency, home ownership and other
considerations. On this index, Greater
Dandenong is rated as the most
disadvantaged municipality in Victoria
as it was in 2001 and 2006. The 2011
index for each metropolitan
municipality is illustrated at left.

The distribution of socio-economic

disadvantage, measured by the 2011
SEIFA index, is illustrated in the map,
at right. Notably, regions experiencing
the most pronounced disadvantage
illustrated in the pale shades and
denoted by the lower numbers are
largely situated in the north, west and
southeast of Melbourne, including
Greater Dandenong and portions of
the neighbouring municipalities
Frankston, Casey and Monash.

23
 GAMBLING Gambling
In 2014/15, $117 million was lost to electronic gaming machines
(EGMs or pokies) in 15 clubs and hotels in Greater Dandenong,
equivalent to $998 per adult. This represents the highest rate of
losses per adult in Victoria, and is nearly twice the metropolitan
average of $564 per adult.

Gambling Losses EGM Gambling Venues in Greater Dandenong

EGM losses per adult in Greater Dandenong,

the least affluent municipality in Melbourne,
were seven times higher than in Boroondara,
the most affluent municipality.

Since the introduction of EGMs to Victoria in

1992/3, over $2.7 billion has been lost to EGMs
within Greater Dandenong alone equivalent
to more than $50,000 per household in this
community.

Gambling Machines
981 EGMs are licensed to venues within
Greater Dandenong, with 952 actually installed
in 15 hotels and clubs throughout the city.

Gambling venues in Greater Dandenong are illustrated in the accompanying map. Under the caps
introduced by the State Government, no more than 989 EGMs may be installed in Greater Dandenong.

EGM Gambling in Greater Dandenong Average annual gambling

952 EGMs installed in fifteen local hotels and clubs loss per machine in this city
Equal to 8.1 EGMs per 1,000 adults among the highest in Victoria in 2014/15 was $123,000.
$117 million lost to EGMs in 2014/15 - equivalent to $300,000 a day
Loses equivalent to $998 per adult highest rate in Victoria
$2.7 billion lost in Greater Dandenong since introduction of pokies
For each dollar lost to pokies at local clubs, 7 cents is returned to
the general community [as gifts, donations, sponsorships, volunteer expenses
and veteran support]

24
 GENTRIFICATION Gentrification
Current evidence indicates that Greater Dandenong has entered a
period of relative improvement in socio-economic conditions a
process popularly known as gentrification.
Measuring Gentrification
To evaluate the extent and direction of socioeconomic changes in
recent years, changes in six key conditions - education, incomes,
unemployment rates, occupations, English fluency and birth rates
among young women were documented from 2006 to 2011, for all
metropolitan municipalities. These changes were standardised and combined to measure gentrification in
each municipality.
The findings, depicting the overall extent and direction of socioeconomic change between 2006 and 2011,
are illustrated below. Notably, the direction of change in Greater Dandenong over this period signifies a
level of gentrification which is the fifth highest in Melbourne during this period.
Gentrification: metropolitan Municipalities, 2006-2011
Whittlesea 25.9
Maribyrnong 23.2
Hobsons Bay 17.6
Darebin 16.5
Greater Dandenong 15.4
Moreland 11.3
Hume 11.1
Brimbank 10.5
Moonee Valley 8.5
Kingston 6.4
Frankston 4.7
Yarra 4.5
Port Phillip 0.4
Improvement in socio-economic Knox
Improvement in socio-economic
-0.4
conditions less than for metropolitan Casey conditions greater than for
Melbourne Mornington Pen. -2.8 metropolitan Melbourne
Yarra Ranges -3.0
-3.5 Melton
-4.2 Banyule
-6.2 Bayside
-6.3 Wyndham
-7.5 Maroondah
-7.7 Glen Eira
-9.8 Stonnington
-10.8 Nilumbik
-13.1 Whitehorse
-14.1 Boroondara
-14.3 Cardinia
-14.4 Monash
-15.6 Manningham
-20.7 Melbourne

-30.00 -20.00 -10.00 0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00

Average of six standardised measures of socio-economic change for 2006 to 2011

25
 HOUSING Housing
While local housing stock and levels of home ownership are
similar to metropolitan patterns, house prices have outstripped
incomes for nearly two decades, aggravating financial stress for
households and individuals.

Housing Structure

In 2011, 70% of households in Greater Dandenong were

detached, 22% were flats and 7% semi-detached. However,
although flats account for little more than a fifth of private dwellings in Greater Dandenong, they account
for half the recent growth in the number of households in this City.

Housing Tenure Per cent of Persons Renting their Homes,

by Selected Birthplaces: Greater Dandenong, 2011
In 2011, nearly two-thirds (65%) of private dwellings
in Greater Dandenong were owned or being
purchased by their occupants. A third (32%) of homes
were rented, compared with 28% of metropolitan
homes.

Home ownership levels are lowest among recent

settlers: 90% of Sudanese residents and over 75% of
those from Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan rent their
accommodation, compared with fewer than one in
ten from Italy, Greece, Malta or Macedonia.

Housing Affordability
Median House Price: Greater Dandenong, 1986-2015

Local house purchase prices trebled from 1996

to 2010 (after inflation), followed by a 6% fall
to 2015 (diagram at left)

In the decade to 2011, local price increases

outstripped growth in incomes, with the
median cost of houses in Greater Dandenong
rising from 10 to 19 times local, median
personal incomes, during that period.

26
Rental Affordability Per cent Rental Properties Affordable, Greater Dandenong and Casey 2000-2015
In 2015, the average cost of renting a 90 83.2
Greater Dandenong Casey
three-bedroom house was $340 - less 80
74.5

than the metropolitan average of $360. 70

The proportion of rental properties 60

affordable to Centrelink recipients in 50

Greater Dandenong fell from 81% in 40

2001, to 13% in 2015, aggravating

30

financial difficulties faced by many 21.8

20
renters.
10 13.3

Homelessness 0
Sep 2000

Sep 2001

Sep 2002

Sep 2003

Sep 2004

Sep 2005

Sep 2006

Sep 2007

Sep 2008

Sep 2009

Sep 2010

Sep 2011

Sep 2012

Sep 2013

Sep 2014
Mar 2000

Mar 2001

Mar 2002

Mar 2003

Mar 2004

Mar 2005

Mar 2006

Mar 2007

Mar 2008

Mar 2009

Mar 2010

Mar 2011

Mar 2012

Mar 2013

Mar 2014

Mar 2015
Homeless people include those in
employment-related poverty, with
mental or other disabilities, alcohol or other drug-related problems, or who are escaping a violent home
and other conditions. Percent of Homeless Persons, by Type of Shelter: Greater Dandenong, 2011

Approximately 620 people in Greater

Dandenong were homeless in 2011 a
similar rate to metropolitan
Melbourne. Most resided in boarding
houses, private hotels, government-
supplied shelters or in temporary
arrangements with friends.

Non-Private Accommodation
In 2011, 2,794 residents of Greater
Dandenong resided in non-private
dwellings, more than half of them in
nursing homes or retirement
accommodation.

27
 ACTIVE AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT
One in six employed residents travel to their workplace by public
transport, one in forty walk or cycle and the balance use private
transport.

Public, 16.6 Active, 2.4

Residents Modes of Travel to
Work, 2011

Private, 86.6 Each day, 48,000 residents travel to work, 17% take public
transport, 2.4% walk or cycle (active transport), and 87% use
private transport.

Active and Public Transport in Greater Dandenong

1 in 6 working residents travel to work by public transport
A further 1 in 40 cycle or walk to work
1 in 7 residents cycle at least once a week
- two-thirds are male
- two thirds are children or teenagers
- most cycle for recreation

Active or public transport

70
71
The popularity of public and active transport declines
Walked only
Per cent of persons who travelled to work

60
59 with increasing distance from the CBD, from 71% among

50 46
employed Melbourne residents, to 19% among those in

40
Greater Dandenong and 11% of those in Casey (left).
31.8
30 26

19
Per cent of workers to travel by walking,
20
13.4
active or public transport
11
10 7.5
2.7 1.9 0.9
0
Melbourne Yarra Stonnington Monash G. Casey
Dandenong Melbourne 31.8
Yarra 13.4
Port Phillip 8.5
Walking Stonnington 7.5
Boroondara 4.1
Mornington 3.7
The prevalence of walking as the sole Maribyrnong 3.1
Banyule 3.0

means of travel to work, follows a similar Darebin

Whitehorse
2.9
2.9
Bayside 2.9
pattern. Walking is most popular in Moreland 2.9
Glen Eira 2.8
Moonee Valley
central Melbourne and inner-urban Monash 2.7
2.7

Hobsons Bay 2.1

municipalities and least widespread in Kingston

Cardinia
2.1
2.0
Yarra Ranges 2.0
outer areas (Diagram at right). Greater Dandenong 1.9
Frankston 1.6
Maroondah 1.6
Nillumbik 1.5

Per cent of Persons who Travel to Work by Manningham

Knox
1.4
1.4
Walking Only: Metropolitan Melbourne, 2011 Wyndham 1.3
Hume 1.2
Brimbank 1.1
Melton 1.0
Whittlesea 1.0
Casey 0.9

0 5 10 15 20 25 30
28 Per cent of persons who travelled to work
 The percentage of people
who walk to work is
illustrated in the
accompanying map.
Darker areas denote
places of residence from
which people more often
walk to their place of
employment. These tend
to be clustered around
the Melbourne CBD and
major activity centres.

To measure accesssibility of local, essential services to walking, the minimum distance was calculated
between each of the homes of Greater Dandenong, and the nearest of each of these four services: child
care, kindergarten, primary school and secondary college. The percentage of households in each suburb
that are situated within 1 km of these services, is shown below.
Suburb Child care Kinder Primary Secondary
Dandenong 90 82 91 68
Dandenong North 78 85 95 48
Keysborough 47 83 99 81
Noble Park 93 96 100 67
Noble Park North 24 64 100 70
Springvale 92 85 93 63
Springvale South 100 100 100 52
Keysborough South 17 45 99 59

Notably, residents in Noble Park North, Keysborough and Keysborough South are generally more distant
from child care than those in other suburbs. For instance, just 17% of Keysborough South residents and
24% of those in Noble Park North, live within 1 km of a child care centre, compared with 93% of residents
of Noble Park.

29
 CRIME & SAFETY Crime and Safety
The local rates of crime in several important categories have
increased in recent years and are currently among the highest in
Melbourne.
Rate Comparison
In 2014/15, crime rates in Greater Dandenong were:
47% higher for overall offences
68% higher for drug offences and the third highest rate in
Melbourne
57% higher for violent offences (outside the home) and the second highest rate in Melbourne
26% higher for property offences
Crime Trends
In the decade from 2004/5 to 2014/15, crime rates in Greater Dandenong have:
risen by 22% for all offences
increased 62% for drug offences
declined by 13% for property offences
grown by 84% for violent offences though in past 5 years growth has been solely in family incidents.
In the same period across Victoria, overall rates of crime rose 5% and property crimes declined 17%, while
violent crime rates increased by 49% and drug offences by 76%.
Violent Crime Rate: 2004-2015 Drug Crime Rate: 2004-2015
2000 Greater Dandenong 1,854 900 Greater Dandenong
815
Total Victoria Total Victoria
1800 800
1600
Offences per 100,000 population

Offences per 100,000 population

700
1400
600
1200 503
1,008
1,163 500
1000
484
800 400
779
600 300

400 275
200
200
100
0
0

Violent Offenders
Victoria Police records show that in 2011, 1,322 residents of Greater Dandenong were alleged to have
committed violent offences, representing 9.7 violent offenders per 1,000 population the highest rate in
Melbourne and over twice the metropolitan rate of 4.7 per 1,000 adults.

Personal Safety
Locally, the findings of a survey conducted among residents of all Victorian municipalities and published in
2012 by VicHealth, revealed that 52% of residents of Greater Dandenong feel safe walking alone in their
area at night, the second lowest proportion in Melbourne after Brimbank, at 45%.

30
 FAMILY VIOLENCE
Family Violence
Population surveys suggest that one in four women experience violence within
their home or a relationship during their lifetime. Available evidence indicates
that such violence may be even more prevalent in Greater Dandenong.

Prevalence of Family Violence

Population surveys offer the only sound method for measuring the prevalence
of family or intimate partner violence. The most recent of these, the 2012
Personal Safety Survey, featured interviews with 17,050 people from randomly-
selected households throughout Australia. Overall, 2.3% of women and 0.6% of
men stated that they had experienced violence by a former or current partner, boy
or girlfriend, or date during the previous year. Approximately one in four women (28%) and nearly one in
ten men (9%) had experienced violence by a former or current partner, boy or girlfriend, or date since age
15 the equivalent of nearly 17,000 women and 5,400 men in a community the size of Greater Dandenong.
The survey findings indicated that women accounted for nearly four-fifths (79%) of those who had
experienced violence from an intimate partner during the previous year and over three-quarters (76%) of
those who had experienced such violence since the age of 15.

What proportion of people experience family violence and child abuse?

What the findings of the 2012 Personal Safety Survey show
Past year: 1 in 40 women
1 in 150 men
Lifetime: 1 in 4 women
1 in 10 men
In childhood: 1 in 10 experience physical abuse
1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys sexually abused
Locally: callouts to family incidents 33% higher than metro average
rates of substantiated child abuse 67% higher than metro rates

Local Measures of the Incidence of Family Violence

Local measures of the incidence of family violence and child
abuse are less reliable, since they only reflect those instances
of violence which reach the attention of responsible agencies,
such as the police, the courts and the State Government.
Information from these sources though, suggests that
violence within families in Greater Dandenong may be more
widespread than the average for metropolitan Melbourne.
Family Violence in Greater Dandenong

31
The number of family-related alleged violent offences per 100,000 residents, documented by Victoria
Police, stood at 807 per 100,000 residents in 2014/15 87% higher than the metropolitan average and the
second highest rate in Melbourne.
900

816
Police Callouts to Family Incidents (per 100,000 pop.)

807
800
Family-related Alleged Violent Offences per 100,000 residents

715
700

621
615
611
610
602
600

539
464
459
500

442
440
440
436
434
406
376
369
369
400

321
315
299
295
276
266
264

300
245
203
194

200
126

100

Melbourne

Greater Dandenong
Stonnington

Port Phillip

Mornington Pen.
Maribyrnong
Glen Eira

Whittlesea
Nilumbik

Darebin
Boroondara

Moreland

Cardinia
Wyndham
Moonee Valley
Maroondah

Frankston
Yarra Ranges

Brimbank
Hobsons Bay
Banyule
Whitehorse

Knox
Kingston

Melton
Manningham
Bayside

Yarra

Casey

Hume
Monash

Child Abuse
In 2010/11, the rate of child abuse substantiations in Greater Dandenong was 11 per 1,000 children aged 0
to 17 years more than the Victorian rate of 6.7 per 1,000 and the second highest level in metropolitan
Melbourne (after Frankston).
Child Abuse Notifications per 1,000 0-17 year-olds, 2010/11
12.4
Substantiated Child Abuse per 1,000 0-17 year-olds, 2011/12

12
11.0

10
8.7

7.7
8 7.3
6.7 6.8
6.3 6.4
6.0 6.0
5.7 5.8 5.9 5.9
6 5.3 5.4
5.0 5.1 5.2
4.6
3.9 4.1
4 3.6
3.0
2.4 2.5
2.1 2.2
1.8
2 1.6

0
Melbourne

G. Dandenong
Stonnington

Port Phillip

Mornington Pen.
Maribyrnong
Glen Eira

Whittlesea
Nilumbik

Darebin
Boroondara

Moreland

Cardinia
Wyndham
Moonee Valley

Maroondah

Frankston
Brimbank
Hobsons Bay

Yarra Ranges

Banyule
Whitehorse

Knox
Kingston

Melton
Manningham
Bayside

Yarra
Hume

Casey
Monash

32
 SOCIAL INCLUSION Social Inclusion
In recent years, a number of surveys have examined aspects of
affiliation with local communities, participation in community
groups and involvement in decision-making. Their findings indicate
that Greater Dandenong residents are less engaged in community
and civic life than elsewhere.

Limitations of Local Area Surveys

Before proceeding further, it should be cautioned that while prospective survey respondents are randomly
selected, those interviewed in each municipality do not represent a random sample of its residents, as
many decline to participate in such surveys. The minority who do participate in such surveys are therefore
not a balanced representation of the residents of each municipality. In addition, whatever their level of
involvement in a local community, the intensity, scale and nature of social interaction that people actually
desire may vary widely from one person to another. For some, a lack of involvement in community groups
or decision-making bodies may simply reflect a preference for other social outlets.
The findings of local area surveys about peoples participation in their local community should therefore be
interpreted with caution.

Acceptance of Cultural Diversity

In response to an inquiry in the 2012 VicHealth survey, 51% of Greater Dandenong respondents expressed
acceptance of diverse cultures. Higher levels of acceptance of cultural diversity were found in inner-urban
localities such as Yarra, where 78% of respondents affirmed their support.
Acceptance of Cultural Diversity and Percent Residents who are Managers/Professionals, 2011

96 Yarra

Indeed, acceptance of
Acceptance of Multiculturalis m, CIV 2006

Monash Boroondara
94 Whitehorse
Port Phillip
Darebin Melbourne cultural diversity tends to be
Glen Eira
Manningham
92 Maroondah
Maribyrnong
Stonnington associated with higher
Whittlesea Moonee Valley
Moreland
Banyule Bayside incomes, educational
Wyndham Nillumbik
90
Mornington Pen.
Hobsons Bay (S) attainments and
Brimbank Kingston

88 Greater Dandenong Knox

employment in professional
Hume Yarra Ranges (S)
occupations, with low levels
Frankston
86
Melton
Cardinia
of youth disengagement, and

84 with inner-urban residence.

Casey

82
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
% Managers/Professionals [% of employed residents], 2011

33
Participation in Community Groups
Several recent surveys have inquired about participation in social groups within the community.
Availability of Community Groups: Surveys commissioned by the Department of Planning and Community
Development (DPCD) (2008) found that 41% of Greater Dandenong residents affirmed that there was a
wide range of community groups in their area the second lowest proportion in the state, and less than
the Victorian figure of 64%.

Membership of Community Organisations: Community Participation: Greater Dandenong & Victoria

The survey also determined 53

Involved in their local school
39
that 49% of residents were
Victoria
members of community On a decision making committee
23
14 Greater Dandenong
organisations, compared with
64% across Victoria the Involved in citizen engagement in 51
past year 27
second lowest proportion in
Attended local event in past 6 61
the State. months 37

Just over a third (37%) of

64
residents had attended a local Wide range of community groups
41

event in the previous 6 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

months, compared with 61% Per cent of residents

across Victoria.

Participation in Decision-making Bodies and Schools: A 2012 VicHealth survey found that 27% of Greater
Dandenong residents and 51% of those across Victoria had been involved in citizen engagement in the past
year.
Another question, featured in the 2008 DPCD survey, found that 14% of local residents were on decision-
making committees compared with 23% of Victorian residents. The survey also found that 39% of local
parents were involved in their school the fourth lowest level among the 79 municipalities in Victoria and
less than half the state average of 53%.

Influence upon Important Issues: The 2014 General Social Survey, a national investigation, found that 47%
of respondents felt that they were seldom or never able to have a say within the community on important
issues a proportion which ranged from 54% among people with incomplete secondary education to 39%
among those with a degree. At 45%, women were slightly less likely to feel that they had little influence
upon important issues than men (49%). Survey findings on this question differed little with age.
Similarly, 52% of respondents to the 2007 Victorian Population Health Survey stated that they felt valued
by society, this proportion fell to 30% among unemployed people and 22% among those experiencing
severe psychological distress. Such circumstances, which match conditions in Greater Dandenong, may
explain some of the low levels of resident engagement in community life in Greater Dandenong.

34
 Volunteering: About one in ten (11%) Greater Dandenong
residents volunteer at some time in a year the second lowest
level in metropolitan Melbourne (after Brimbank) and about half
of the corresponding state-wide percentage of 19%.
Volunteering by Age and Sex: Greater Dandenong & Victoria, 2011

Higher levels of volunteering within

metropolitan areas are associated
with greater levels of literacy, English
fluency, educational levels, incomes
and citizen engagement. Educational
attainment in particular is strongly
associated with the likelihood of
volunteering, with 22% of people
with year 11 or 12 education
volunteering in the 12 months before the 2011 Census, compared with 14% of those with year 10 only.

Discrimination
A matter of wide concern is the prevalence of
discrimination in the community. Nearly one in
five (19%) participants in the National 2014
General Social Survey reported that they had
experienced some form of discrimination in the
previous year, including 18% of Australian-born
residents and 24% of migrants.
Principal reasons given by migrants for
Experience of Discrimination by Migrants
National survey results show reasons including: discrimination included skin colour, nationality,
Nationality 11% language, appearance, disability or other health-
Skin colour 5%
Language 4% related reason, and age. By contrast, most of the
Clothes/appearance 2% Australian-born respondents who experienced
Age 3%
Health or disability 1% discrimination cited age (25% of those reporting
Other factors 7% discrimination) disability or health issue (13%) or
other pretexts (36%). Over a third (38%) of
homosexual respondents experienced discrimination, compared with 18% of heterosexuals, suggesting
sexual identity as a further reason for discrimination.

35
 ARTS & CULTURE
Arts and Culture
National Participation Trends
The 2013/14 National Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural
Events found that libraries, botanical gardens and zoos are among the
more popular cultural venues. Women more often attend than men,
especially libraries, musicals and dance performances.

Per cent of Persons who Attended Selected Events during the Previous Year,
by Sex: Australia, 2013/14
40.2
Attendance at these facilities
Libraries 27.6

Botanic gardens 39.5 generally differs little with

34.7

Zoos & aquariums 32.3

35.5 age, with the exception of
33.9
Popular music concerts 31.3 classical music where
Art galleries 30.1
23.8 attendance increases with age
Museums 29.8 Females
26.4
19.2 Males
and popular music concerts
Other performing arts 15.3

Theatre performances 19.2 where attendance halves

12.7

Musicals and operas 10.9

18.6 across the age span.
Dance performances 7.0
12.6
However, attendance at some
Classical music concerts 10.0
7.7 of these events varies widely
0 10 20 30 40 50
with educational attainment.
The proportion of people who visit a library, museum or art gallery during the previous year is twice as high
among people with a degree than among those who did not complete year 12.

70
Public library
61
Per cent of Persons Attending in the Previous

60 57 Museum/art gallery Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues, by

Educational Attainment: Australia, 2014
50
Incomes are also associated with cultural
40
participation, with approximately nine-tenths
Year

30
30
23 of Australians on annual incomes above
20 $120,000 attending arts events during the
past year, compared with five out of ten
10
among those on incomes below $20,000. This
0
Degree Incompete secondary is scarcely surprising, since the average price
of a ticket to a professional artistic or
dramatic performance costs approximately 12% of median household income (Australia Council for the
Arts, 2015), equivalent to 26% of the median household income in Greater Dandenong.

36
Local Trends Per cent of Residents who had Participated in an
Arts Activity or Event during the Previous Year, 2012
Locally, the 2012 VicHealth Indicators
Boroondara 82.6
Port Phillip 81.1
Survey found that levels of participation in
Stonnington 80.2
Melbourne
Glen Eira
80
arts activities or events were lower among
79.1
Nilumbik 77.3
Yarra 75.1
residents of Greater Dandenong than the
Bayside 75
Monash 71.7
Victorian average, with 50% of residents
Whitehorse 70.7
Maroondah 69.4
participating during the previous year,
Banyule 67.7
Knox 67.5
compared with 64% of Victorian residents.
Yarra Ranges 66.8
Moonee Valley 66.8 Reflecting the decisive influence of
Maribyrnong 65.2
Hobsons Bay 64.7 income, participation levels were highest
Darebin 64.5
Moreland 64 in the more affluent metropolitan localities
Cardinia 63.9
Mornington Pen 62.4 and lowest in rural communities and
Manningham 61
Kingston 59.9 disadvantaged metropolitan areas, such as
Hume 58.6
Wyndham 57.4 Greater Dandenong, Brimbank, Frankston,
Brimbank 54.5
Casey 53.6 Melton and Whittlesea.
Whittlesea 53.1
Melton 51.3
Frankston 50.5
Greater Dandenong 49.8

0 20 40 60 80
Per cent of Residents who Created Art or Craft
during the Previous Year, 2012
One fifth (20%) of residents of Greater Stonnington 44.9
Boroondara 43.6
Port Phillip
Dandenong had made or created art or Cardinia
43.5
41.8
Nilumbik 41.1
craft in the previous year (diagram right), Whitehorse 40.6
Hobsons Bay 38.9
compared with over a third (35%) of Maribyrnong 38.5
Yarra 38
Victorians. Glen Eira 37.5
Melbourne 37.4
Darebin 36.7
Childrens Leisure & Cultural Activities Yarra Ranges 35.8
Moreland 35.7
The 2012 Survey of Children's Participation Wyndham 34.4
Knox 33.8
in Selected Cultural and Leisure Activities Kingston 33.8
Mornington Peninsula 33.7
found that 5-14 year-old girls across Maroondah 33.6
Frankston 33.4
Australia more often read for pleasure Bayside 33.4
Banyule 33.2
than boys at any age, with 77% of girls Manningham 32.6
Whittlesea 31
reading for pleasure during a two-week Casey 30.8
Hume 30.6

period, compared with 65% of boys. The Monash 30.1

Melton 29.9
Moonee Valley
average time spent in such pursuits, was Brimbank
28.2
27.9
Greater Dandenong 20.4
6.9 hours among girls and 6.3 for boys.
0 10 20 30 40 5
Girls (19%) were also more likely to play a musical instrument than boys (16%), and more often participated
in dancing (27% compared with 4%).

37
 INTERNET
Patterns ofACCESS & USE
Internet Access and Use
Levels of access to the internet by residents and its use as a means
for communicating with local or other levels of government, are
more limited among residents of Greater Dandenong than for
others in Melbourne.

Internet Access
The 2011 Census found that 18% of households in metropolitan
Melbourne did not have internet access. In Greater Dandenong by contrast, 27% of households had no
internet access the largest proportion in Melbourne.
Household Internet Access: Greater
Dandenong and metropolitan Melbourne, 2011
The proportion of households in Greater
Dandenong that were connected to the internet
had surged by 21% during the previous five years.
(Figure, right)

Patterns of Internet Usage

The 2014 General Social Survey found that a third
of Australians had not accessed any government
services via the internet during the previous year a figure that had halved from 66% eight years earlier.
Lack of access to government services on the internet differed little with gender, but varied widely with
educational attainment, from just 13% of people with a degree, to 37% of those with incomplete secondary
education.

Per cent Persons who had Not Accessed

Government Services via the Internet in
the Previous Year, by Educational
Attainment: Australia 2014

38
Aspects of Health
 MORTALITY Mortality
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy from birth provides some suggestion of overall
physical health. In the 1880s, life expectancy at birth was 47
years. By 2013, it had almost doubled, to 81 years among males
and 85 among females.
90

Males 84.7
85 Females

Mortality Rates 80

Life Expectancy
80.5

Australian mortality rates remain below 10 per 1,000 75

persons, or 1%, in all age groups to 64 years. Above

70

that age, rates rise to 144 per 1,000 over the age of 85
for males (a one- in-seven chance of death each year)
65

and 124 per 1,000 among females (a one-in-eight 60 1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2013
prospect of death). Year of Birth

Mortality Trends
Deaths prior to 1 year of age, per 1000 live births

60
57.9
Improvements in health care, nutrition, hygiene,
50

road safety and other conditions have contributed

40
to a marked decline in death rates across Australia
30
in the past half century.
20 Infant mortality in Australia fell from 250 per 1,000

10
in 1850, to 104 by the opening years of the
3.6
twentieth century, before plunging to 3.6 by 2013.
0
1921

1931

1941

1951

1961

1971

1981

1991

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2013

Mortality rates have also declined among other age

groups: by 2013 rates had fallen to little more than a tenth of their 1951 levels among people aged 1 to 4
years and declined by approximately two-thirds among people in most other age groups.
160
8.0
Males 2013
Males 2013
140 Females 2013
7.0 Females 2013

6.0 120
Deaths per 1,000 persons
Deaths per 1,000 persons

5.0 100

4.0 80

3.0 60

2.0 40

1.0 20

0.0 0

39
Local Mortality Rates
Each year, approximately 900 residents of Greater Dandenong die, representing a standardised mortality
rate of 6.0 similar to the Victorian rate of 5.7. Major causes of death in Greater Dandenong include
diseases of the cardiovascular system, accounting for 31% of mortality, cancer, representing 28% of deaths,
and diseases of the respiratory system which contribute to 10% of deaths. Together, these conditions
account for two-thirds of mortality in Greater Dandenong and a similar proportion across Victoria.

Mortality Rates and Social Disadvantage

Disadvantaged localities exhibit a general tendency for higher mortality rates, after taking the age profile of
the local population into account. In 2013 for instance, the age-standardised mortality rates among people
in the most disadvantaged five municipalities in Victoria (Brimbank, Central Goldfields, Loddon, Greater
Dandenong and Mildura) stood at 6.3 deaths per 1,000 population, 39% higher than the corresponding rate
of 4.5 deaths per 1,000 residents in most affluent municipalities in the State (Bayside, Boroondara,
Manningham, Nillumbik and Stonnington)
Similarly, suburbs ranked among the most disadvantaged on the 2011 Index of Relative Socio-economic
Disadvantage tend to feature the higher mortality rates, while the least disadvantaged suburbs exhibit
lower rates.
SEIFA Index of Relative Disadvantage 2011, and Age-adjusted Mortality Rates Victorian Suburbs 2011-2013
10

Sydenham

9
Standardized Mortality Rate - per 1,000 population

Robinvale
8
Heidelberg West Noble Park

7
Broadmeadows
Dandenong

6 Dandenong North

Springvale

4
Toorak

Beaumaris
3
750 800 850 900 950 1000 1050 1100 1150
< More disadvantaged ..... Index of Socioeconomic Disadvantage..... Less disadvantaged >

40
 DISABILITY Disability
In 2011, the Census inquired as to whether respondents had a disability
requiring them to obtain daily assistance with mobility, communication
or personal care. Such individuals have severe or profound disabilities
termed disability here. Within Greater Dandenong, 8,460 residents, or
6.6% of the population, have a disability - higher than the metropolitan
average of 4.7%.

Age Disability by Age: Greater Dandenong and metropolitan Melbourne, 2011

The prevalence of disability rises from less

than 2% among residents aged up to 24, to
4% among those aged 25-64, then to 57%
among those of retirement age.

Number of Persons with a Disability,

by Birthplace: Greater Dandenong, 2011

Birthplaces
The number of people of each birthplace
who have a disability largely reflects the
overall mix of birthplaces in the municipality
and their age profile.

One in 14 residents (6.6%) has a severe or profound disability

Most (57%) are women
Over half (57%) are of retirement age
More than two thirds (69%) are overseas-born
Approximately four-fifths (82%) live in a private home
Over 1,000, or 12%, live alone

41
 MENTAL HEALTH Mental Health
Nearly one in five (18%) Australians aged 15 years and over have a mental
health condition (Australian General Social Survey, 2014), including anxiety
disorders and disturbances of mood.
The Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders
The Mental Health Survey, conducted by the ABS in 2007, inquired into a range
of mental conditions experienced by Australians, differences in the prevalence
of mental health disorders among segments of the population and risk factors.
The proportion of
people who had
experienced any
kind of mental disorder in the previous 12
months was higher among women and declined
markedly with age, as depicted in the
accompanying diagram (ABS, 2008).

Prevalence of Mental Disorders

by Age and Gender, 2007

Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders in the Past Year, by Category: Australia, 2007

Among the broad categories of

mental disorder documented in
the survey, were anxiety
disorders, accounting for 11% of
males and 18% of females, mood
(affective) disorders, experienced
by 5% of males and 7% of females,
and substance abuse conditions,
reported by 7% of males and 3%
of women. The prevalence of a
range of mental health disorders
is portrayed at left.

42
 Mental health conditions are most common among:
Women
People on low incomes
Heads of one-parent (vs. two-parent) families
Those without a degree or job
Homosexuals
People who are separated or never married
Those in poor health

Sources: 2007 Mental Health Survey (ABS, 2008), 2010 General Social Survey (ABS, 2011b)

Local Level Surveys

Locally, the 2008 Victorian Population Health Survey found that 15.5% of Greater Dandenong residents
experienced high levels of psychological distress, compared with 11.4% of Victorian residents. (Dept.
Health, 2009h). However, the more recent 2011/12 Victorian Population Health Survey found that 12% of
Greater Dandenong residents were experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress similar
to the Victorian proportion of 11%.
A further local-level survey of mental health focused upon the wellbeing of adolescents. Conducted in 2009
and published by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in 2012, the
survey found that a relatively high proportion of adolescents in Greater Dandenong had unfavourable
psychological development, were not satisfied with their lives or had few trusted people in their lives.

Measures of Adolescent Mental Wellbeing: Greater Dandenong and Victoria, 2009

Per cent of adolescents not satisfied with quality of life, 22.9

2009 30.6

Victoria
13.9
Per cent adolescents who do not have someone to turn
to for advice about problems, 2009 Greater Dandenong
26.3

30.7
Per cent adolescents who do not have trusted adult in
life 40.3

Per cent adolescents without positive psychological 38.9

development, 2009 53.3

0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Per cent of Adolescents

43
 SMOKING Smoking
About one in eight people smoke daily, with smoking most common
among men, young to middle aged adults, those with psychological
problems and people with limited education or incomes.

Effects of Smoking
Smoking is responsible for various respiratory and cardiovascular
effects, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, heart attacks,
aneurisms and stroke and is linked to a higher incidence of pancreatic,
lung, bladder and cervical cancers. In the United States, smoking is believed to cause nearly one in five
deaths, reducing the average life span by 13 years in males and 15 years among females (American Cancer
Society, 2009). Smoking likely has similar implications for health and the human life span in Australia.
Australian estimates implicate smoking in approximately 22,000 deaths each year equivalent to four-fifths
of all drug-related mortality, or a possible 140 deaths annually within Greater Dandenong (ABS, 2011k).

Societal Costs of Drug Use

Measures of the financial and health costs of drug use place tobacco at the top of the list. The cost of drug
use (adjusted to 2015 dollars) is estimated at $74 billion per year - the equivalent of $107 million within
Greater Dandenong each year. Tobacco accounts for an estimated $42 billion, alcohol for $21 billion and
illicit drug use for $11 billion (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2013). Focusing upon the
contribution of drugs to human illness, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (2014) concluded
that tobacco accounts for 8.3% of the burden of disease in Australia, alcohol for 2.7% and illicit drugs 2.6%.

Prevalence of Smoking
In 2013, the National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that 13% of Australian adults smoke daily and
a further 3% on an occasional basis. At 14%, the prevalence of daily smoking is higher among men than
women (11%). Current smoking by age and gender, Australia, 2013
20
The prevalence of smoking also rises with
18
age, peaking among middle aged
Per cent of People who are Current Smokers

16
Australians, before declining among more
14
senior age groups. Local area surveys 12

indicate that the prevalence of smoking may 10

be higher in Greater Dandenong than the 8

6
state average. The Department of Health
4 Males
(2012) reported that 23% of Greater Females
2
Dandenong respondents smoked in 2010, 0
1217 1824 2529 3039 4049 5059 6069 70+
compared with 19% of those across Victoria.

44
Smoking and Community Characteristics
The prevalence of daily smoking also varies with employment, socio-economic circumstances, nationality,
mental health and other circumstances. The 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that 20%
of people over 14 years of age in communities of the lowest socioeconomic status smoke daily, three times
the corresponding proportion of people living in the most affluent localities (7%). The survey also found
that those who were unemployed or unable to work are twice as likely to smoke as the general population.
The 2011/12 Australian Health Survey reported similar conclusions, finding that smoking was more
prevalent among the lowest fifth of income earners, at 24%, than among the highest fifth (10%). Similarly
23% of people with year 10 educational levels or less smoked, compared with 11% of those who had
completed year 12.
The same survey determined that the national prevalence of smoking ranged from 8% among south-east
Asians, to 18% among Australian-born residents, and 26% among those born in north Africa or the Middle
East.
The 2012-13 Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey found that 42% of indigenous
Australians aged over 14 smoke daily.
Smoking is also more prevalent among people with poorer physical or mental health, the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare reporting that smokers are more likely than others to rate their health as
poor, have asthma, have been diagnosed with mental illness and to report higher levels of psychological
distress (2012e).
Recent Trends Prevalence of Daily Smoking: Australia, 1991 to 2013
30
The National Drug Strategy Household
25.0
Survey documented some favourable 24.3
Per cent of Australians aged 14+ who

25 23.8

21.8

trends in the prevalence of active and 19.4

20
17.5
passive smoking. At 13%, the proportion 16.6
15.1
Smoke

15
of Australians who smoked in 2013 was 12.8

little more than half its 1991 level of 24% 10

(Australian Institute of Health and 5

Welfare, 2013). Moreover, the proportion

0
of dependent children who breathe smoke in 1991 1993 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

the home, termed passive smoking, has plunged from 31% in 1995 to 3.7% by 2013.
Smoking and Pregnancy
Smoking during pregnancy is associated with an increased likelihood of miscarriage, premature and
stillbirth, low birth weight and infant mortality - including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (2012e) reports that 12% of Australians smoked before learning they were
pregnant, and 8% persisted afterward. Pregnant women aged less than 35 years were more likely to have
smoked at some time during their pregnancy (13%) than older women (8%).

45
 ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Alcohol Consumption

Effects and Costs of Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol consumption contributes to a variety of health
conditions, among them:
liver disease including cirrhosis, hepatitis and cancer
chronic brain damage accompanied by memory loss,
personality changes and dementia
cancers of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, gastrointestinal system, breast and liver
foetal developmental defects including heightened risk of neonatal cerebral palsy
cardiovascular diseases such as heart damage, stroke and hypertension.
Approximately 700 Victorians die from the effects of alcohol each year (Dept. Human Services, 2006).
Alcohol use among parents contributes to problems of development in their children, including impaired
physical and mental development, learning difficulties, abuse and neglect and alcohol-related problems in
adolescence (Beck, 2013; Freisthler, 2012; Hooper et al, 2012; Sims and Iphofen, 2003).
Alcohol intoxication is also implicated in almost half of assaults, contributes to a third of road accidents
leading to injury or death and causes at least 3,300 deaths each year across Australia. (National Drug
Research Institute, 2013a, 2013b, 2013c, 2013d; OLeary et al, 2012; Hulubowycz, 1994).
In 2013, the Australian Institute of Criminology put the cost of alcohol misuse upon the Australian economy
at $14.2 billion per annum the equivalent of $93 million each year within Greater Dandenong alone.

Pregnancy and Parenthood

Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, especially the first trimester, is responsible for fetal alcohol
syndrome, a condition characterised by stunted fetal growth, facial distortion, damage to the central
nervous system and a variety of chronic physical, behavioural and mental disorders. As a consequence, the
National Health and Medical Research Council recommends abstinence during pregnancy.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare observes that 51% of Australian women drink during
pregnancy and 66% during breast feeding, though nearly all of those surveyed stated that they reduced
their alcohol consumption at these times (2012e).
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development reports on the prevalence of serious
alcohol-related problems among Victorian parents, revealing that 11.5% of parents with children consume
alcohol at least once a week, at levels which predispose them to short-term harm (Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development, 2007).
In its 2015 publication The Hidden Harm: alcohols impact on families and children, the Foundation for
Alcohol Research and Education concluded that one in five, or approximately one million children are
affected in some way by the drinking of others and that over 10,000 Australian children are embroiled in

46
the child protection system, at least in part due to a carers excessive alcohol consumption (Laslett et al,
2015).

Alcohol and Young People

Alcohol consumption is linked to a variety of unfavorable patterns of behavior by young people. The 2004
Victorian Youth Alcohol and Drug Survey found that, while under the influence of alcohol, approximately
one in five 16 to 24 year-olds had
verbally abused someone, one in
seven had attended work, one in ten
drove a car, and one in twenty
committed violence (DEECD, 2007).

Prevalence of Selected Behaviors under the Influence of

Alcohol, by Sex: Persons aged 16-24 years, Victoria, 2004

Prevalence of Alcohol Consumption

The 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that 78% of Australians consumed alcohol in the
previous 12 months, 44% drinking at least weekly and 6.5% daily. A similar proportion of males and females
consumed alcohol in the past year (81% and 76% respectively) though at 8.5%, more men drink alcohol
daily than women (4.6%). Daily consumption of alcohol rises with age, from one in a hundred young adults,
to one in seven among people aged 70 years or more.
Daily Alcohol Use by Age and Sex: Australia, 2013
25
The prevalence of alcohol
consumption in Australia declined Males
20.5
Per cent of Persons who Drink Daily

20 Females
moderately in the 12 years to 2013,
from 82% to 78%. However, the 15
proportion of people who consume
alcohol daily fell more substantially 10 10

during the same period, from 10.2%

to 6.5%. 5

0
1217 47 1824 2529 3039 4049 5059 6069 70+
Prevalence of Lifetime Risk of Alcohol-related Harm, Excessive Alcohol Consumption
by Age and Sex: Australia, 2013
35
The 2013 National Drug Strategy
31.9
Household Survey determined the
Per cent of Persons at Lifetime Risk of Alcohol-

30
proportion of Australians whose pattern
25 and intensity of alcohol consumption
would, if sustained indefinitely, place
related Harm

20

14.6
them at risk of harm over their lifetime,
15
called lifetime risk. Nearly one in five

10 (18%) Australians, including a quarter of

Males
males and one in ten females, were at
5 Females
lifetime risk of alcohol-related harm, with
0 those in their late 20s at greatest risk
1217 1824 2529 3039 4049 5059 6069 70+
(32%).

An earlier investigation, the 2010 National Drug Strategy

Household Survey, concluded that levels of risky or high
risk alcohol consumption across Australia varied little with
educational level, employment or socio-economic status
(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012e). However,
pronounced differences were found in relation to languages
spoken at home, with 11% of English speakers drinking
alcohol at levels which exposed them to risk, compared with
just 2% of non-English speakers.
Geographic location is also associated with variation in alcohol consumption, with 9% of major city dwellers
consuming alcohol at risky levels, compared with 12% of people in regional areas and 16% of those in
remote localities (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012e).

Local Patterns of Alcohol Consumption

Several measures of alcohol consumption and its consequences are available at a municipal level. They
include the 2011/12 Victorian Population Health Survey, Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development Adolescent Profiles, and measures of local hospital admissions for alcohol-related injury and
alcohol-related driving infringements. These sources generally indicate that the level of alcohol
consumption among Greater Dandenong residents differs little from metropolitan levels.

48
 ILLICIT DRUG USE Illicit Drug Use
About one in seven Australians use illicit drugs at least once a year, with
marijuana and pharmecuticals the most widely used. Information about
the use of illicit drugs at both a national and local level, is limited and
imprecise.

Prevalence and Patterns of Illicit Drug Use

The 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey inquired into
smoking, the consumption of alcohol, the use of illicit drugs and misuse of
pharmaceuticals among a random selection of 24,000 Australians aged 14
and more. The survey found that nearly half (42%) of Australians had used an illicit drug in their lifetime
and one in seven (15%) in the previous year. The proportion of Australians aged 14 years or more, who had
used illicit drugs in their lifetime or in the previous 12 months, changed little in the period 1995 to 2013.

Drugs most widely

Per cent of Australians aged 14 or more
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 used in the
Marijuana/cannabis 10.2 previous year were
Pain-killers 3.3 marijuana, pain
Ecstasy 2.5 killers, ecstasy and
Amphetamines 2.1 cocaine.
Cocaine 2.1

Tranquillisers/sleeping pills 1.6

Hallucinogens 1.3
Prevalence of the
Synthetic Cannabinoids 1.2
Use of Illicit Drugs in
Past Year:
Inhalants 0.8 Australians aged 14
or more, 2013
New Psychoactive Substances 0.4

Other opiates/opioids 0.4

Ketamine 0.3

Injected drugs 0.3

Methadone 0.2

Heroin 0.1

GHB 0.1

Steroids 0.1

49
Males were more likely than females Cannabis 7.6
12.8

to have used illicit drugs in the 1.8

Females
Ecstasy
3.2 Males
previous year (18% vs. 12%) or in
1.4
Cocaine
2.9
their lifetimes (46% vs. 33%). Males
1.5
Amphetamines
also predominate among users of 2.7

0.7
most types of illicit drug. Hallucinogens
1.9

0.5
Inhalants
1.1
Gender and Use of Selected Illicit Drugs
0.2
in the Past Year: Australia, 2013 Ketamine
0.4

0.1
Heroin
0.2

0.1
GHB
0.1

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Per cent of persons who used in past year

Illicit use of any drug

25 Cannabis
Ecstasy
Meth/amphetamines
20 Cocaine
People in their 20s are most likely to
Per cent of Persons

have used such drugs during the past

15
year.

10
Age and Use of Selected Illicit Drugs in the
Past Year: Australia, 2013
5

0
1419 2029 3039 4049 5059 60+

Cannabis
Cannabis, the most popular illicit drug, has been used by about a third (35%) of Australians over 14 and one
in ten in the past month. Cannabis is most popular among those who are male, in early adulthood,
homosexual, indigenous, unemployed, never married or from non-English-speaking households. Its
popularity bears little relationship to income, socio-economic status or geographic location, though.

Ecstasy
Ecstasy, the next most popular illicit drug, has been used by a little over one in ten Australians (11%) at
some time in their lives and in the past month by 2.5% (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2013). A
2013 survey of regular users of ecstasy and similar drugs found that most were male students or employed
young adults and often used other drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine.

50
Amphetamines - including Ice
Amphetamines have been used by about one in 14 (7%) of Australians over 14 years in their lifetimes, and
by one in 50 (2.1%) in the previous year. For about half of those who had used this drug, the major form is
ice, with others including speed, base or tablet or other forms. The use of these drugs is most popular
among adult males.
The National Drug Household Survey (2013) reported that the methamphetamine use has remained stable
in recent years, with 2.1% of Australians reporting its use in the previous year in both 2010 and 2013.
However the use, potency and adverse effects of ice a potent, crystalline form of the drug may have
surged in recent times. The Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System found that the proportion of a
sample of 100 drug users who had use ice in the previous 6 months rose from 13% in 2009, to 45% by 2013
(Quinn et al, 2015). Moreover, the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre reports that of people who
used amphetamines during the past year, the proportion who used ice rose from 22% in 2010 to 50% by
2013 (2015). Similarly, 73% of the drug-using sample surveyed by the Illicit Drug Use Reporting System
consumed ice in the previous six months, compared with 21% using speed and 5% base. Recent years have
also witnessed a surge in the purity of drugs seized by police and other authorities, from an average of 12%
in 2008/9, to 61% in 2014 (Quinn et al, 2014; Sindich and Burns, 2015). The National Drug and Alcohol
Research Centre (2015) estimates that amphetamine-related deaths have risen from 85 in 2011 to 170 in
2013.
Pharmaceuticals
The 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey found
that approximately one in twenty Australians (4.7%) have
used pharmaceutical drugs for non-medical purposes in
the previous year and a little over one in ten (11.4%) in
their lifetime. Misuse of pharmaceuticals differs little with gender but is more widespread among adults
under the age of 40. (diagram, right) Past Year Illicit Use of Pharmecuticals, Australia, 2013
8
Those most widely misused include pain killers,
6.9
7
tranquillizers or sleeping pills, opiates and
steroids. (below) Past Year Use by Type, 2013 6

3.3
5 5.4
Per cent of persons

3
Per cent of Persons

3
2
1.6 2
Males
1
Females
1
0
0.4
1419 2029 3039 4049 5059 60+
0.2
0.1
0
Pain-killers Tranquillisers Other opiates Methadone Steroids

51
 SUICIDE Suicide
Each year in Australia, approximately one person in 1,000 takes
his or her life. Suicide rates are highest among males, at 17 per
100,000 in 2012 nearly three times higher than the female
rate of six per 10,000.

Suicide rate by gender and age, Australia 2012

Suicide Trends
While the suicide rate among females has
remained fairly steady throughout the past
century or so, the male rate has fluctuated
widely, exceeding 20 per 1,000 in 1926-30 and
again in the period 1986-2000, before declining
to its present level of 17.

Suicide rate by gender: 1897 to 2013,

Australia

Suicide Rate by Sex: Persons aged 20 to 24,

Australia, 1921 to 2012

One of the notable trends in this period has

been the quadrupling in the suicide rate among
20-24 year-old males, from about 9 per 100,000
in the late 1940s, to 34 per 100,000 in the
1990s, followed by a decline to 18 per 100,000,
by 2012.

52
 NUTRITION Nutrition
Levels of healthy consumption of fruit and
vegetables in Greater Dandenong are lower than
the Victorian average. In addition, financial
pressures cause a significant proportion of
residents to skip meals on occasion.

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

A succession of surveys and other research in recent years, have inquired into the dietary habits of
Australians. Much is concerned with the consumption of fruit, vegetables and high-calorie foods.
The Victorian Health Monitor found that 57% of Victorian adults consume less than one serve of fruit per
day a figure which declines with age, from 68% among 18 to 34 year-olds, to 44% among people aged 65
to 75 years.
Just over one in five (21%) Victorian adults consume less than one serve of vegetables each day a
proportion which also decreases with age, 80
<1 Serve of vegetables per day
from 26% among 18-34 year olds, to 14% of 70 67.8 <1 serve of fruit per day

people aged 65 to 75 years.

60

50
43.9
Per cent of Persons who Consume Less than one
Serve of Vegetables or Fruit per day, by Age: 40
Australia 2011
30 25.7

20
14

10

0
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-75

The 2011/12 Victorian Population Health Survey found that 5.7% of Greater Dandenong residents met
vegetable consumption guidelines, compared with 7.2% of Victorians, and that 53% of residents met the
corresponding guidelines for fruit, compared with 45% of Victorian residents.
A notable omission from the research reviewed here, is the subject of protein deficiency. In light of the
well-documented association between chronic illness and protein insufficiency and the relatively high cost
of protein-rich foods such as meat and fish, protein deficiency may be of relevance for older populations
and for disadvantaged communities.

53
 High-Calorie Foods
About a third (30%) of Australians in school years 6 to
8 eat two or more serves of biscuits, donuts, cakes,
pie or chocolate each day, while a similar proportion
(33%) consume two or more serves of sweet drinks.
Among the general population, males, Australian-born
youth and people from less affluent households, are
most likely to consume such high-calorie foods or
sweet drinks. Of the most disadvantaged fifth of young people for example, 23% consume three or more
serves of sweet drinks each day, compared with 12% of those among the most advantaged fifth and 15% of
the most disadvantaged young people eat three or more serves of high calorie food daily nearly twice the
corresponding proportion of 8%, among the least disadvantaged (Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development, 2007). However, the 2012 VicHealth Indicators Survey revealed that 13% of
people in Greater Dandenong consumed soft drinks daily, similar to the Victorian level, of 12%.

Food Security
The extent to which households can reliably maintain a supply of quality
food is sometimes termed food security. A number of inquiries have been
made into levels of food security among the general population,
documenting the affordability of food.
The 2009 Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Survey found that 5% of
children aged up to 12 lived in a household where the carer had run out of
food at some time in the previous year and could not afford more. Notably,
16% of single-parent households reported such circumstances, compared
with 3% of two-parent households (Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development, 2010).

In the earlier, 2007 Community Indicators Survey, respondents were asked if, in the previous 12 months,
they had run out of food and could not afford more. Overall 6.1% of Victorians reported such a food
shortage, compared with 10.2% of Greater Dandenong residents the second highest proportion of
residents in the state.

Among participants in a 2013 survey of Greater Dandenong residents, 24% stated that they had run out of
food during the previous month and had not been able to afford more. Most were young or in their middle
age. Asked what would help them to prepare healthy meals, most of those surveyed favoured either
cheaper fresh food, information about cooking, assistance with shopping or preparing food, or more
convenient transport to fresh food outlets.

54
 DIABETES MELLITUS
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a condition characterised by high blood sugar.
There are two major types of diabetes. Type 1, otherwise known as
juvenile onset or insulin-dependent diabetes, generally appears
during pubescence and is usually managed by insulin injection.
Type 2 or late onset diabetes, accounts for 85% of diabetes
mellitus, and is most prevalent among people who are overweight,
engage in a sedentary lifestyle or have a family history of the
disease. It is generally treated with a blend of exercise and dietary modification. In 2004/5, $990 million
was spent treating diabetes and its effects (ABS, 2012c), the equivalent of over $1.3 billion today and $7.3
million within a community the size of Greater Dandenong.

Prevalence
Since many cases of diabetes mellitus are undiagnosed, the exact prevalence of the condition is not known.
However the Australian Health Survey 2011/12 found that 4% of respondents stated that they had been
diagnosed with diabetes and currently had the condition a proportion which rose with age, from 0.5% of
people aged 15-24, to 14% of those aged 75 or more (ABS, 2012g).

Prevalence of Diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus, by Age: Australia 2011/12

18 The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is
16
16 expected to rise markedly in the future,
14.3
14
with research sponsored by the Baker
12
Heart and Diabetes Institute in
Per cent of Persons

10
8.2
Melbourne forecasting that one in
8
seven Australians, or about 14% the
6
4.1 population, will have the condition by
4
1.8
2050.
2
0.5 0.7
0.1
0
A local estimate of the prevalence of
014 1524 2534 3544 4554 5564 6574 75+
diabetes mellitus, provided by the 2008
Victorian Population Health Survey, reported that 6.6% of Greater Dandenong residents had diagnosed
diabetes, compared with 4.8% of the Victorian population.

The survey concluded that diabetes was most prevalent among:

people from Europe (15%)
those in receipt of the lowest 20% of incomes (5.9%, vs 2.6% of those on the highest incomes)
among people with limited education (8.1% of people with yr 10, compared with 2.8% with yr 12).

55
 OBESITY Obesity
Obesity, resulting from the deposit of fat where energy intake
exceeds requirements, contributes to diabetes mellitus,
hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, gout, sleep
apnea, breast and uterine cancer and gall bladder disease.
More than one in four adults are obese.

Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults

In 2011/12 the Australian Health Survey determined the body
mass index (BMI) of each survey respondent, concluding that 28% of both females and males were obese
the equivalent of 30,000 residents in Greater Dandenong. The prevalence of obesity rose with age, from
17% of 18-24 year-olds, to 36% of those aged 55-74, before declining in later years (ABS, 2012c). (diagram,
below right)

Prevalence of Obesity among Australian Adults (BMI

measurement): Australian Health Survey, 2011/12
The findings of a number of
investigations point to a rise in the
national prevalence of obesity over
nearly two decades, from 57% in 1995
(Aust. Institute of Health and Welfare,
2012a) to 63% by 2011/12 (ABS,
2012c).
The national survey found that almost
two thirds (63%) of women in the
lowest of five socioeconomic groups
were overweight or obese, compared
with 47% of those in the highest
group. The proportion of men who were overweight or obese differed only slightly with socio-economic
status.
Viewed from the standpoint of communities, as distinct from individuals, the prevalence of obesity among
metropolitan municipalities, documented by the Department of Health in 2010, reached its peak among
municipalities with lower average incomes, educational attainments, breast feeding rates and volunteering
levels.

56
 SPORT & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation
Greater Dandenong residents are more often
sedentary, and less physically active or involved in
organised sporting activities, than others throughout
Victoria.

Physical Activity among the General Population

Physical activity among children and adults lowers the
likelihood of heart disease, prevents stroke and high
blood pressure, minimises the likelihood of type-two diabetes, lowers the prospect of breast and colon
cancer, builds healthy bones, muscles and joints and promotes mental health and social connection
(Department of Education and Early Development, 2010).
Levels of physical activity are slightly higher among men than women and decline with age (ABS, 2011h).
The 2011/12 Australian Health Survey inquired about the physical activity respondents undertook in the
previous week, finding that 67% of Australians were either sedentary (35%) the lowest category of
physical activity - or engaged in low levels of exercise (a further 31%). The prevalence of sedentary
behavior rose with age, from 21% among 15-17 year-olds, to 40% among those aged 65 to 74. A third (33%)
of Australian males aged 15 or more were sedentary, compared with 38% of women (ABS, 2012c).
Per cent of People who are Sedentary, by Age and Sex: Australia, 2011/12
70
65.6

60 Males
Per cent of People who are Sedentary

Females
50 46.1
41.7
37.7 36.6 38.9
40 37.2
34.9 34 34.6 34.8
31.5
28.7
30 27.4 27.4

20
14.5

10

0
15-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+

Circumstances associated with a physically active lifestyle were explored in the Victorian Population Health
Survey 2008, which documented a higher prevalence of sedentary behavior among people who smoked,
were obese, experienced psychological distress, or in poor self-rated health (2010f). The sequence of cause
and effect which underlies these findings, is not clear.

57
The 2012 VicHealth Indicators Survey approached the same issue from another vantage point, exploring the
amount of time respondents spent sitting each day. The proportion of people who sat for 7 hours or more
each day may in part reflect employment status, with males (at 39% vs. 28% of females), employed people,
those on higher incomes and inner-metropolitan residents (where employment levels are highest) among
those most likely to sit for sustained periods (ABS, 2012a).
Local Measures
Surveys paint a picture of relatively sedentary physical activity among residents of Greater Dandenong,
with results published by the Department of Health revealing that 34% of Greater Dandenong residents do
not meet physical activity guidelines - higher than the Victorian average of 27% (VicHealth, 2012a).
Similarly, the 2011/12 Victorian Population Health Survey found that 14% of Greater Dandenong residents
were sedentary
6 Victoria
Sedentary lifestyle (according to the
Greater Dandenong
14
particular measure
employed in this
27
Do not meet physical activity survey), the highest
guidelines
34
level in Melbourne
and almost three
Engaged in organised sport in
43 times the Victorian
past year
32 level of 6%.

0 10 20 30 40 50
Per cent of residents A 2008 Victorian
Government survey found that 32% of Greater Dandenong residents participated in organized sport,
compared with 43% of Victorians (DPCD, 2013).

Physical Activity and Young People

Australian guidelines recommend that children and young people participate in at least an hour of
moderate to vigorous physical activity daily, to foster physical development and enhance self-esteem
(Dept. Health, 2012a).
15
Sedentary lifestyle (15-17 year olds)
The 2011/12 Australian 31

Health Survey found that

31% of 15-17 year-old males 29
>1 hour of daily physical activity (6-8
were active on a regular year olds)
15
Females
basis, compared with 11% of
Males
young women. Conversely, Active on a regular basis (15-17 year
11

olds)
sedentary lifestyles were 31

twice as prevalent among

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Per cent of residents

58
15-17 year-old females (29%) than males (15%) (ABS, 2012c). A further national survey also concluded that
boys are more active than girls, with 31% of 6 and 8 year-old boys engaging in at least one hour of physical
activity each day, compared with 15% of girls (cited in Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development, 2007).
It is reported that 66% of Australian children aged 9-11 participate in organised sport, a proportion which
declines slightly to 56% among 5-8 year olds and to 60% among children aged 12-14. Among those who
participate in sports, a greater proportion are males, born in Australia (61% vs. 52% of overseas-born) and
members of two-parent families (64% vs. 48% of those in one parent families) (ABS, 2012a).
A further glimpse of patterns of sport and physical recreation
among Australian and non-Australian born people is presented
by the 2009 National Survey of Children's Participation in
Cultural and Leisure Activities, which found that Australian

children from non-English speaking

countries were less likely than others
to participate in tennis, swimming,
netball, football or other physical
pursuits, outside of school hours.

Per cent of Children Participating in

Selected Sports, Outside School Hours,
by Birthplace: 2009
By contrast though, levels of
participation in TV and other screen-based activities, homework or reading for pleasure differed little
between these groups of children.
Local Measures
The 2009 Victorian Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Survey found that 12% of young people in both
Greater Dandenong and Victoria engaged in the recommended level of daily physical activity (Dept. Health,
2012a). The Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Survey, on the other hand, reported that 61% of children
(aged less than 14 years) in Greater Dandenong were physically active for one hour each day, somewhat
lower than the Victorian level of 71% (Dept. Health, 2012a).

Patterns of Sport and other Physical Recreation

The 2014 General Social Survey, conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistic (ABS), found that 70% of
Australians had participated in sport or recreational activity in the past year a 4% decline from 2010.
Levels of participation in sport or physical recreation diminished with age, from 90% among 15-17 year-
olds, to 81% of 18-24 year olds and 69% of people aged over 25 years.

59
The 2013/14 ABS Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation Survey investigated differences in the levels
of involvement of women and men in a variety of sports. Many sporting activities, such as fitness or gym,
walking, jogging and swimming were popular among both men and women. Others, such as yoga, pilates,
dancing and netball were decisively more popular among women, while men predominated among those
who favored cricket, football and fishing.
Per cent of Males who Engaged in Sporting Activity in the Previous Year, Selected Sports: Australia, 2013/14
Fitness / Gym 15.9
Walking for exercise 13.6
Cycling / BMXing 8.5
Jogging / Running 8.1
Golf 6.6
Swimming / Diving 5.0
Outdoor soccer 3.5
Tennis (indoor and outdoor) 3.4
Basketball (indoor & outdoor) 3.1
Outdoor cricket 2.3
Australian Rules football 2.3
Indoor soccer 2.0
Fishing 1.9
Footballs: Touch, Oztag, Gaelic, American 1.8
Surf sports 1.7
Bush walking 1.4
Lawn bowls 1.4
Martial arts 1.2
Rugby union 1.1
Squash / Racquetball 0.9
Rugby league 0.9
Canoeing, Kayaking, Dragon boat racing 0.8
Hockey (indoor and outdoor) 0.7
Athletics, track and field 0.7

Per cent of Females who Engaged in Sporting Activity in the Previous Year, Selected Sports: Australia, 2013/14
Walking for exercise 24.7
Fitness / Gym 18.9
Swimming / Diving 7.6
Jogging / Running 6.7
Netball (Indoor and outdoor) 4.1
Cycling / BMXing 4.0
Yoga 3.0
Tennis (indoor and outdoor) 2.7
Dancing / Ballet 2.2
Pilates 2.0
Bush walking 1.7
Golf 1.4
Outdoor soccer 1.3
Basketball (indoor & outdoor) 1.3
Footballs: Touch, Oztag, Gaelic, American 1.3
Martial arts 1.2
Horse riding, Equestrian activities, Polo 1.2
Aerobics 0.9
Aqua aerobics 0.8
Lawn bowls 0.6
Hockey (indoor and outdoor) 0.6
Volleyball (indoor and outdoor) 0.6
Canoeing, Kayaking, Dragon boat racing 0.5
Athletics, track and field 0.5
Ice / snow sports 0.5
Badminton 0.5
Indoor soccer 0.4

Patterns and levels of participation in physical recreation also vary widely with age. Aerobics, football,
running, basketball, swimming and Aussie rules football are popular physical activities among young
Australians, while walking, aerobics, golf, lawn bowls, swimming and tennis are favored by people of
retirement age.

60
Local Trends
A glimpse of local trends was provided by the findings of the Greater Dandenong Sport and Active
Recreation Survey, conducted among residents aged 15 years or more, in 2015.
The survey revealed that walking, running, cycling, aerobics and swimming were among the more popular
activities a finding consistent with national trends. These results are illustrated in the accompanying
diagram. Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation:
Greater Dandenong Residents aged 15 years or more, 2015
Levels of participation in the 61%
60%
more popular activities were
similar among women and 50%
Participation Rate

men, with the notable

40%
exceptions of cycling,
30%
basketball, soccer and
Australian rules football, which 20%
15% 15% 15% 15%
were more popular among
10% 7%
males, and dancing and yoga, 6%
5% 5%
4%
3% 3%
2% 2% 2% 2% 2%
1% 1% 1%
which were most widely 0%

favoured among females.

Participation in Sport and
Recreation,
Greater Dandenong Residents aged 18 to 24 years, 2015
50% Residents aged 18 to 24 years favoured
45% 44%
walking (44%) and jogging (31%), while
40% among those aged 65 or more, walking
35% (71%) was the most popular form of
Participation Rate

31%

30% physical recreation.

25%

20% 18%

15%
15%
12%
10% 10%
10% 8%
7%
5%
4% 4%
5% 3% 3%
2% 2%
1% 1% 1%

0%

61