News

What we've heard so far

13 June 2024

A cloud of words that demonstrte the key themes from the feedback we received. Some words are bigger than others.

Almost 70 people have completed our survey since our engagement began. We have heard from people online, at community events and in different languages through our Community Connectors program.

Overall there is a high awareness in our community of climate change and its impacts.

Who we heard from

  • Most of the people who responded identified as women. Many of them had caring responsibilities.
  • Many people we heard from were born overseas or speak a language other than English
  • Many people were older than 55.
  • About 15 to 20% of the people we heard from had chronic health issues, a disability, or mental health challenges.

What we heard

What does the information tell us about our most vulnerable?

  • Extreme heat, storms, and floods affect people differently.

    While many people are better able to cope, there are members of our community that need additional support.

  • Among the people who reported that their house gets really hot and that they have nowhere to go, half were older 55 and most were from a non-English speaking background.

    For context, in Merri-bek there are:

    • 30,099 people over the age of 60 and
    • 59,120 people that speake a language other than English at home.

  • We know from research that older people, babies, First Nations peoples, and other groups are likely impacted by extreme heat differently.

    There is also a growing body of work on how people from non-English speaking backgrounds experience extreme heat differently.

Sources


What do we know from other places in Australia?

Extreme heat is an important issue across Australia. Both Sweltering Cities and The Australian Council of Social Service conducted national summer surveys in 2024. Here are some of the key findings.

Sources

Renting presents unique challenges

An upcoming thesis from University of Melbourne focused on the experiences of renters. The writers spoke to 109 people who were all renters in Merri-Bek. Here's what they heard.