 The Community Pulse is constantly gathering data on how the Port Phillip community is going with its journey towards sustainability. Here in 'Hot New Stuff' we present the latest information we have gathered with a brief analysis of each measure.
Each graph also gets a smiley face rating. If things are improving it gets a green smile, if things are pretty static it gets a yellow straight face, and if things are heading away from sustainability it gets a red sad face.
Metered Water Usage per Household (Sustainable Usage).
The below graph (data source: South East Water; DSE household projections) reports a significant reduction in metered water usage in the City of Port Phillip. The Australian Conservation Foundation estimate household water use makes up 16.4% of the total water usage per person.
We can further reduce our water consumption by looking at the goods and services we use. For example, food makes up 44.7% of our total water use, other miscellaneous goods and services make up 20.0%, alcohol and tobacco account for 5.8%, while clothes weighing in at 4.7%. There is a lot we can do in our everyday practices just by buying local, seasonal produce. For a list of local farmers markets check out: http://www.farmersmarkets.org.au/finder/vic.jsp For more on the ethical shopping check out: www.ethical.org.au
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Housing Affordability
Purpose
Home ownership and rental affordability is a useful indicator of the capacity of residents to access the private housing market. In Inner Melbourne, gentrification is resulting in higher land values and location desirability that in turn results in higher home purchase prices and rent levels attracts households with higher incomes and up-market lifestyle preferences. This, in turn, contributes to increases in housing prices and squeezes out low to moderate income households who can't afford to access the housing market. The alternative to the private housing market is social (public and community) housing and its relative supply is addressed in another SCPI indicator on the changes to the proportion of social housing.
Home ownership affordability
The table below measures the income required to purchase a median-priced dwelling in the City of Port Phillip between 1997 and 2006.
Home ownership affordability in Port Phillip has declined significantly between 1997 and 2006. In 1997 a household needed an income of $99,069 ($2007) to afford a mortgage for a median-priced house and an income of $53,824 ($2007) to afford a median-priced unit. By 2006, the income required to service a mortgage increased to $169,349 for a house and $94,484 for a unit. Over the 10 years from 1997 to 2006, threshold income increased by 71% for a house and 76% for a unit.
Comparing the City of Port Phillip and Metropolitan Melbourne
The following graph for houses and units compares the threshold income required to purchase a house/unit in the City of Port Phillip with Metropolitan Melbourne.
Notes:
1 The threshold income is the household income required to purchase a median priced dwelling at the prevailing interest rate given the following assumptions: the loan amount will not be more than 90% of the value of the dwelling, the loan period will be 25 years and no more than 30% of income will go towards paying off the loan...
2 The threshold income has been updated to current values (2007) using the ABS Consumer Price Index
Sources:
Median House Prices from LANDATA, Department of Sustainability and Environment (2006), A Guide to Property Values 2005; Interest rates from the Reserve Bank of Australia, www.rba.gov.au/Statistics; CPI from the ABS, www.abs.gov.au
The threshold income to purchase the median-priced house in the City of Port Phillip ranges from 1.9 to 2.2 times that for Metropolitan Melbourne and to purchase a median-priced unit, it is ranges from 1.2 to 1.4 times that for Metropolitan Melbourne.
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Street Parties
Though this measure can't claim to monitor all street parties in the City of Port Phillip it does catch all parties registered with the council and all those that involve street closures. The figure of registered street parties has grown from 18 in 2003-04 up to 29 in 2006-07. 25 street parties were registered this season (October 2007 to June 2008)which is above the average of 24.8. For more on this great way to get your neighbours together see Streetlife - Street Parties
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Penguin Population
The below graph shows the estimated penguin population on the St. Kilda Breakwater based on the number of breeding sites. This data has been collected by Earthcare St Kilda twice monthly since 1998. This provides a thorough and encouraging picture of the St Kilda penguin population as the estimated population and breeding sites has been steadily increasing from 2002-03 to 2005-06 although there is a slight decrease from the highest count recorded in 05-06 to the 2006-07 and the most recent count in 2007-08.
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Coming Up...
Community Events in 2009
As part of the Community Pulse Home Grown Sustinability series.
| Cheese-making |
14-02-09 |
Port Phillip EcoCentre |
| Sourdough Breadmaking |
01-03-09 |
Port Phillip EcoCentre |
| Productive Gardens |
21-03-09 |
Port Phillip EcoCentre |
| Ethical Shopping tour |
16-04-09 |
Port Phillip EcoCentre |
| Green Purchasing and investment |
12-05-09 |
TBA |
For more great info and practical know-how see Sustainable Living At Home - SLAHminars
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More information
For more information on the above workshops or the Community Pulse project, use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer call ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for The Community Pulse.
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