‘Disadvantaged’ Doveton hits back

By Callan Date
DOVETON has been ranked in the top 10 most disadvantaged suburbs in Victoria.
Imprisonment, unemployment, criminal convictions and childhood injuries were among the many indicators used to determine Doveton’s poor ranking in the study.
The report, titled Dropping Off The Edge, was released on Monday by Sydney University professor Tony Vinson.
With an estimated population of just over 10,000, Doveton including Eumemmerring, was ranked ninth on the list. Other indicators used in the study included domestic violence, incomplete education and access to the Internet.
“Our findings demands recognition of a common pattern associated with inadequate education and training – unemployment, low income, poor health and making ends meet by criminal needs,” Prof Vinson said.
However, Casey Citizen of the Year and long-time Doveton resident Margaret Fairhurst was quick to defend her community and highlight the positives of the area.
“I have lived here for 30 years and I don’t see us as being that disadvantaged,” she said.
“We may have a lot of single parent families and single-income households but there are many people that are doing well.”
The study is aimed at highlighting troubled suburbs to the government in the hope some action is taken. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Tax Office and Centrelink was used to calculate the findings.
Project manager Father Peter Norden said the alienation of whole communities within mainstream Australian society shouldn’t be tolerated.
“We need targeted, coordinated action now from Federal and State Governments before these communities fall off the edge,” he said.
On the bright side for Doveton was Professor Vinson’s finding that communities which have a strong sense of unity and togetherness can overcome the worst effects of unemployment and violence.
The Doveton and Eumemmerring Neighbourhood Renewal (DENR) program has been vital in bringing together the range of different cultures that make up the area and fostering strong community bonds. Events such as the Doveton Australia Day festival, Myuna Farm Christmas carols, Doveton Show and Doveton Eumemmerring garden competition have all been successful programs run by DENR.
“Up until a few years ago all we got was bad publicity,” Ms Fairhurst said.
“If something bad happened it always seemed to happen in Doveton. But it is all changing now.”
Ms Fairhurst was full of praise for DENR and the work being done by the group.