New Report Outlines the Unique Social Needs of Liverpool

To coincide with the official opening of Western Sydney University’s latest high-rise campus in the Liverpool CBD – University researchers have released a compelling report, which details the social “complexities and contradictions” of the Liverpool region.

Professor Paul James, Director of the Institute for Culture and Society, is the lead researcher and author of the ‘Circles of Sustainability, Liverpool. Settling Strangers; Supporting Disability Needs’ (opens in a new window)(PDF,18MB) report, developed in collaboration with the Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre.

Professor James says Liverpool is one of Australia’s fastest growing and culturally diverse urban regions, with the nation’s highest concentration of recent arrivals.

“The population of Liverpool has more than doubled since 1991, with the region now home to 204,326 people of culturally and linguistically diverse communities, all in their different stages of settlement,” says Professor James.

“Disadvantage is high in the region, and youth unemployment is high in Liverpool compared to the rest of urban NSW. However, there are also economic, educational and occupational inequities – which are apparent in areas of the region which have high concentrations of affluence.”

Among its key findings, the ‘Circles of Sustainability’ report recognises Liverpool as a city with unique and varied social needs, with high levels of support required for:

• Settling migrants and refugees; and
• People with physical and emotional disabilities.

To understand the social needs of people in Liverpool, Professor James says the ‘Circles of Sustainability’ project undertook the difficult task of deciphering the needs of people in transition.

“This report provides an evidence-based understanding of the basic issues concerning the local community – including newly settled migrants and refugees. It also highlights the issues that local communities, the city, and the government should focus on – to provide adequate support for these vulnerable people,” he says.

The recommendations detailed in the report include:

• That working partnerships are developed with ethno-specific groups within the City of Liverpool, and potentially with surrounding local councils to design, develop and implement educational awareness in relation to disability access and inclusion.
• That effective communication pathways are established between the City of Liverpool’s disability inclusion and access committee, NSW Family and Community Services, and the National Disability Insurance Agency to ensure that local issues in relation to resettlement and disability are specifically included in the national rollout.
• That possibilities are explored to implement a Disability Ambassador program to promote disability inclusion within the City of Liverpool, with a specific sub-theme dedicated to new arrivals.

Western Sydney University officially opened its new Liverpool campus on Wednesday 13 June. The ‘Circles of Sustainability, Liverpool. Settling Strangers; Supporting Disability Needs’(opens in a new window)(PDF,18MB) was launched at the event.

For media enquiries, please contact media@westernsydney.edu.au (opens in a new window).

13 June 2018.

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