Homelessness in Queensland mining communities: A down payment on Australia’s wealth or inevitable product of a neo-liberalist society’s response to the cyclical fortunes of mining

Shane Warren,Donna Mcdonald,Donna Mcauliffe

doi:10.36251/josi.94

Abstract

The mining boom in Australia of the first decade of the Twenty-First Century yielded prosperity for many Australians living in rural, regional and urban locations. This sense of prosperity was grounded in the widely reported experiences of people usually employed directly through the mining industry, or related industry, on high incomes, able to afford regular overseas holidays, ownership of multiple properties, material possessions and other hallmarks of an affluent lifestyle. However, less attention was given to vulnerable and homeless Australians in mining communities who did not benefit at all during the mining boom. In fact what evidence does exist indicates their disadvantage was further compounded through the high cost of housing. It is now widely accepted that the mining industry has been in a state of downturn over the last three years and this has served to highlight the social issues facing mining communities now and into the future. What is to be learnt from the decade long mining boom? Specifically this paper critiques the evidence, research literature and theories about urban-centric homelessness and assesses their relevance to homelessness in mining communities. This paper argues that the dynamics of homelessness in mining communities challenge existing homelessness theory and knowledge and argues that further evidence is needed to properly understand structural causes of homelessness in mining communities and to guide policy responses that may help prevent homelessness or otherwise assist homeless people access housing and support services. Identifying the mining boom and mining downturn cycle will be explored. Finally this paper outlines the case for further research to improve policy and planning responses to address homelessness in these communities taking into account planning requirements to address the mining boom and down turn cycle.

Highlights

Despite the best efforts of numerous scholars over the last 30 years, homelessness research has tended to focus mainly on the experiences of homeless people in large metropolitan cities
The academic and media focus on homeless people as almost exclusively rough sleepers in urban areas has reinforced the stereotype of homeless people as the older man or woman with alcohol problems sleeping in a public park or homeless young person involved in substance abuse, crime and prostitution in CBDs of capital cities
Much of the traditional, orthodox understanding of homelessness, which has emerged from large urban communities, appears inadequate when applied to the experiences of homeless people in mining communities

Summary

Introduction

Despite the best efforts of numerous scholars over the last 30 years, homelessness research has tended to focus mainly on the experiences of homeless people in large metropolitan cities. The social disadvantage indicators at the peak of the mining boom, namely the level of unaffordable housing, relative access to health and other vital community services, high demand on community infrastructure and evidence of family breakdown, domestic violence and substance abuse include indicators such as high levels of unemployment, people who have been caught with high levels of debt and ongoing housing affordability issues for people on low incomes. All of these issues need to be understood in terms of their contribution to the structural causes of homelessness in mining communities.

Bowen Basin

Conclusion

Treasury and

Findings

Biographical notes