GOVERNMENT TOOLS
CONSULTING
Living in Australia 2026
One Country, Many Priorities
Save your place
Tuesday 1 September 2026, 1:00pm AEST / 12:30pm ACST / 11:00am AWST
Australians share a remarkably consistent vision for the future: communities that are safe, affordable, connected and environmentally responsible, with access to the services and opportunities people need to thrive.
But the conditions shaping liveability are not the same everywhere. Housing affordability means something different in an established inner suburb, a fast-growing metropolitan fringe and a popular regional lifestyle destination. Access to healthcare, transport and employment also changes significantly depending on population size, geography and distance.
Jacquie Norton, Senior Social Researcher at Informed Decisions, will share the findings of the Living in Australia 2026 study, drawing on the views and experiences of more than 5,000 Australians.
She will explore what people value most, how Australians are experiencing their communities today and how liveability differs across ten distinct place typologies – from established metropolitan areas to regional, rural and remote communities.
You’ll see why national averages can conceal important local differences, and how place-based evidence can help councils and other decision-makers identify community strengths, understand unmet needs and focus attention where it can have the greatest impact.
Have a question for the presenter? Submit it when you register.
Drawing on Living in Australia 2026, Informed Decisions’ annual national study of community values, experiences and priorities.
PRESENTED BY
Jacquie Norton
Senior Social Researcher
Brigid Quinlan
Social Researcher
Daniel Evans
Head of Customer and Commercial (Government)
Who this session is for
This session is for people responsible for understanding communities, shaping places and making decisions about future investment.
It will be particularly useful for local and state government professionals working across strategic and social planning, community engagement, corporate planning, infrastructure, transport, housing, economic development, community services, health and wellbeing, and advocacy.
It will also be valuable for organisations that plan and deliver services to communities, including those working in healthcare, emergency management, public transport, utilities, education, housing, infrastructure and regional development. Understanding what residents value, and how those priorities differ across Australia, can help organisations plan services, prioritise investment and respond to changing community needs.
The decisions made today about housing, services, infrastructure and the environment will shape community liveability for years to come. Those decisions are stronger when they reflect both the wider national context and the lived experience of local residents.
What we’ll cover in this session
What kind of Australia do people want?
The shared vision Australians expressed for a safer, fairer, more affordable and environmentally responsible future.
What makes somewhere a good place to live?
The attributes Australians value most, including safety, nature, housing, public transport and healthcare, and how these priorities are connected.
How is Australia's liveability changing?
What the 2026 Overall Liveability Index tells us about people's experiences of their communities and how these have changed over time.
How our priorities differ
How values, experiences and priorities differ across ten metropolitan, regional and rural place typologies.
The defining challenges for each type of place
From affordability and urban heat in established metropolitan areas to infrastructure lag in outer growth communities, housing pressure in regional lifestyle areas, and service access in rural and remote Australia.
Why local evidence matters
How organisations can move beyond national averages to understand what matters locally, where community needs are being met, and where the greatest gaps remain.
