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Dropping off the Edge 2015 examines 29 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Tasmania across 21 different indicators of disadvantage.

Just six LGAs accounted for approximately 80% of the highest rank positions across the 21 indicators. These locations show high rates of:

• criminal convictions
• long-term unemployment
• juvenile offending
• young adults not participating in full time work, education or training
• disability
• low family income.

There was, however, also considerable diversity regarding the prevalence of other indicators. This variability suggests the need to be sensitive to specific local contexts. There were also hopeful signs regarding school engagement, with indicators reflecting readiness for school, Year 3 numeracy, unskilled workers, and Year 9 reading not as prevalent as other markers of disadvantage.

We can see that disadvantage is concentrated when we compare the 3% most disadvantaged LGAs to the rest of the state. Those living in the 3% most disadvantaged LGAs in the state are:

• more than twice as likely to have suffered domestic violence
• twice as likely to be disengaged from education and employment as young adults
• at least 50% more likely to have had some form of personal contact with the criminal justice system.

Locational disadvantage is entrenched

The data suggests that over the past seven years both Break O’Day and the Central Highlands continue to experience high levels of relative social disadvantage, appearing among the most disadvantaged LGAs in both 2007 and 2015.

The communities of Brighton, George Town and Tasman appear to have experienced a deterioration of their social circumstances over the past seven years while Derwent Valley remained steady or improved in relation to unemployment and court convictions.

Most Disadvantaged LGAs in Tasmania – comparison with previous years
(Locations listed alphabetically within bands)

Band	2015	2007
Most disadvantaged	Break O’Day Brighton Central Highlands George Town Tasman	Break O’Day Central Highlands Derwent Valley
Next most disadvantaged	Southern Midlands Glenorchy Circular Head	Brighton George Town Southern Midlands Tasman