Complex and entrenched disadvantage is experienced by a small number of communities across Australia that have shown few signs of improvement in the past 15 years.

Dropping off the Edge 2015: concentration of disadvantage in Australian communities and dominant factors within:

• In New South Wales: just 11 postcodes (1.8% of total) account for 21.4% of the most disadvantaged rank positions. Dominant factors in these postcodes include criminal convictions, unemployment, no internet access, domestic violence, lack of qualifications and young adults not fully engaged in work or study

• In Victoria: just 11 postcodes (1.6% of total) account for 13.7% of the most disadvantaged rank positions. Dominant factors include unemployment, criminal convictions, disability, low education and child maltreatment, family violence and psychiatric admissions

• In Queensland: just 11 statistical local areas (2.3% of total) account for 26% of the most disadvantaged rank positions. Eight of these SLAs are considered ‘very remote.’ Dominant factors include young adults not fully engaged in work or study, long-term unemployment, prison admissions, no internet access, low family income and criminal convictions

• In South Australia: just seven statistical local areas (5.5% of total) account for 57% of the most disadvantaged rank positions. Dominant factors include unemployment, long-term unemployment, overall level of education, criminal convictions and young adults not fully engaged in work or study

• In Tasmania: just six local government areas (21% of total) account for 80% of the most disadvantaged rank positions. Dominant factors include criminal convictions, long-term unemployment, juvenile offending, young adults not fully engaged in work or study, disability and low family income

• In Western Australia: just six local government areas (4.3% of total) account for 28.6% of the most disadvantaged rank positions. Dominant factors include no internet access, young adults not fully engaged in work or study, overall education, Year 3 reading and prison admissions

• In Northern Territory: just four statistical local areas (25% of total) account for 47% of the most disadvantaged rank positions. Only one of 16 statistical local areas recorded no ‘most disadvantaged’ rankings

• In Australian Capital Territory: just two postcodes (7% of total) account for 25% of the most disadvantaged rank positions. Dominant factors include rental stress, limited qualifications, low family income, no internet access, limited work skills, disability and unemployment.

Experiences of disadvantage in Australia are not evenly distributed across the community: they are geographically concentrated, complex and persistent. A new approach is needed, particularly in the 3% of communities that bear the greatest burden of disadvantage within each state and territory.

Governments must also immediately commence a conversation with the community about how to turn this around and take concerted action to provide equal and fair opportunities in life for residents of these communities.

In order to do this, Jesuit Social Services and Catholic Social Services Australia call on national and state governments, in partnership with the community, to act immediately to put in place appropriate structures, plans and resources targeted to the communities in order to turn around this unjust situation.

Without such action there is a significant risk that some of the country’s most severely disadvantaged communities will continue to ‘drop off the edge’.