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HOUSING AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES: COMMUNITY FACILITIES

This article is part of a comprehensive series released as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing: A focus on children and youth.

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Note: In this section 'children' refers to people aged 0–14 years. The terms 'youth' and 'young people' refer to people aged 15–24 years. Data presented are from the ABS National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2008 (cat. no. 4714.0).

KEY MESSAGES In 2008: most children and youth had access to community facilities needed for child health and development, such as outdoor playing fields or play areas (95%) and health care clinics (81%).

Community facilities such as public playing fields, schools and health care clinics contribute to greater community cohesiveness and are important for child and youth development and wellbeing. In the 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS), information about access to community facilities was collected, however information about the quality of the facilities was not collected.

In 2008, most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people had access to facilities such as a school (95%), outdoor playing fields or play areas (95%), supermarket/shop with fresh food (95%), community centre (85%), police station (84%), or health care clinic (81%) located in their suburb, town or community.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth living in non-remote areas were more likely than those in remote areas to have access to some key community facilities, such as a hospital (76% compared with 56%), a pharmacy or chemist (91% compared with 42%), a community hall/centre (88% compared with 73%) and a police station (86% compared with 78%).

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