Below are links to the final report from the Quality of Life Survey 2004. These can be downloaded in individual sections which are smaller in file size, or as a single pdf.
Quality of Life In New Zealand Cities Rated Positively In New Survey
Dunedin (16 March 2005) – The vast majority of New Zealanders living in cities are positive about their quality of life, regardless of where they live in the country, according to the Quality of Life 2004 Survey.
The survey of New Zealand residents found that 88 percent of the people rate their overall quality of life positively, a similar pattern to that found in other parts of New Zealand.
Jim Harland, Quality of Life Project Sponsor, said the survey results are encouraging because they indicate that local authorities in large urban centres are generally delivering on goals set to ensure people are comfortable with their living environments and amenities.
“Large urban areas face a number of challenges in ensuring communities have a good quality of life and this survey indicates those communities are generally being administered well,” he says.
However, the survey also indicates there are some areas in which Cities can work to improve the quality of life for residents. This includes opportunities to work with Central Government organisations to examine the causes of some differences in Quality of Life both between Cities and between these larger Cities and elsewhere in New Zealand.
The survey found, for example, that City residents are more likely to express some level of dissatisfaction with the balance between their work and other aspects of their life than those living elsewhere. Two thirds of New Zealand residents are either satisfied or very satisfied with their work-life balance, but 18 percent of 12 Cities residents had some level of dissatisfaction with this compared with only 15 percent of people elsewhere.
Residents of the 12 Cities are also less likely to agree or strongly agree that a sense of community with others in their neighbourhood is important – with 77 percent of 12 Cities residents agreeing with this, compared with 81 percent of people living elsewhere in New Zealand. On the other hand, 56 percent of 12 Cities residents are more likely to cite social networks based on similar interests compared with 49 percent for those living outside larger urban areas.
Mr Harland said there could be a variety of factors causing these differences, including transport networks, stress factors, cultural disparity, greater diversity among people and wider opportunities available in urban communities.
“The purpose of this study is to identify these issues facing urban communities with the objective of working with central government, community organisations, businesses and residents to improve the lives of people living in Cities,” he said.
The Quality of Life 2004 Survey reveals that residents of the 12 Cities are more likely to have experienced negative stress most or all of the time than those living in the rest of New Zealand (15% compared to 11%).
“Whether the way we run our Cities is causing this is something we can now look at,” Mr Harland said.
The Survey also unveils some attitudes that are likely to be looked at more closely by some social services agencies. For example, 21 percent of residents surveyed said that in the past 12 months there has been at least one instance when they or someone in their household have wanted to visit a doctor but had not done so. This was primarily because of the cost involved.
The survey also shows 28 percent of residents feel unsafe or very unsafe in their City centre, higher than those living elsewhere in New Zealand (19%). Female residents of the 12 cities are slightly more likely to feel unsafe than males.
Transport attitudes have also been surveyed with 55 percent of 12 Cities respondents saying they have not used public transport in the past 12 months, while 25 percent of this group said they thought it difficult to access public transport.
The survey shows that residents living in the 12 Cities are as confident as people living elsewhere that their Council has made decisions in the best interest of their City or District.
However, understanding of Council decision-making processes is less evident in the Cities, with 29 percent of residents more likely to say they did not understand their Council’s decision-making process compared with 23 percent outside of cities.
“Through work like the Quality of Life 2004 Survey we can engage with our communities to gain a better understanding of their perceptions on important well being issues like these and we can work with people to address any problems or gaps”, says Mr Harland.
Bob Harvey, Chairperson of the Local Government New Zealand Metropolitan Sector Group, said, “mayors are very supportive of the Quality of Life project and believe that the latest survey results will assist in individual cities advocating specific issues within their communities. Mayors of the 12 Cities are appreciative of the collaborative team work that has gone into the latest survey and involvement with the Ministry of Social Development”.
About the Quality of Life 2004 Survey
The Quality of Life 2004 Survey is a partnership between 12 Quality of Life Project Cities and the Ministry of Social Development. The 12 cities are: North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland, Manukau, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Porirua, Hutt, Christchurch, Dunedin and Rodney District.
The 2004 survey is part of an ongoing series of surveys and research exploring quality of life and well-being issues. This information will be used to help inform central and local government policy makers to inform quality of life for New Zealanders. The information will be particularly useful for cities undertaking monitoring of progress toward achieving community outcomes under the Local Government Act.
Survey interviews were conducted over the telephone with 7,800 people, with a margin of error of +/- 1.2% on the 6,300 interviews conducted in the 12 cities and +/- 1.1% on the total New Zealand sample of 7,800.
For further information:
Jim Harland
Quality of Life Project Sponsor/ Chief Executive
Dunedin City Council
Phone: (03) 474 3851
Email: jharland@dcc.govt.nz
For technical information:
Kath Jamieson
Research Team Project Coordinator
Christchurch City Council
Phone: (03) 941 8885
Email: Kath.Jamieson@ccc.govt.nz
Quality of Life Website: www.bigcities.govt.nz
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