The ACT Government has launched a wellbeing framework to measure quality of life, to be used to inform Government priorities and spending.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr launched the framework last week, and said the ACT is “more than an economy”.
“The ACT Wellbeing Framework is made up of 12 domains that matter most to Canberrans when considering their quality of life,” Mr Barr said.
“Our performance across the 12 domains will be measured by a range of indicators that the Canberra community told us are important measures of their wellbeing.”
The framework will look at Canberra’s performance in the areas of: health, safety, living standards, housing and home, environment and climate, social connection, education and lifelong learning, time, identity and belonging, governance and institutions, access and connectivity, and economy.
The framework says some indicators will draw on established measures, with information and data collection already available, while others will “require further exploration” for effective measurement and reporting.
ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury welcomed the release of the framework, and said “it is well and truly time” that progress was measured beyond economic success.
“People and the environment should be at the centre of Government budgets and decision-making,” he said.
“For wellbeing indicators to be used meaningfully, it will be vital that ACT budget allocation from here on is determined based on meeting the strategic indicators.
“Economic management should prioritise improving our quality of life, rather than the production and consumption of material goods.”
The ACT Council of Social Services (ACTCOSS) also welcomed the launch; CEO Emma Campbell said the organisation will be “closely monitoring the Government’s performance” against the indicators.
“We welcome the attention that the ACT Wellbeing Framework gives to specific groups in our community whose wellbeing may be hidden by standard economic measures,” Dr Campbell said.
“ACTCOSS has long highlighted the disadvantage hidden behind the ACT’s high averages on most standard measures. The Framework pays close attention to inequality in all its forms.”
According to the Government, the Framework will break down aggregate information and data by specific groups, to drive focus on areas where wellbeing outcomes for these groups may not be as high as the broader population. A ‘dashboard’ of initial indicator data is expected to be released later this year, along with further information about specific data services.
For more information on the wellbeing framework, visit act.gov.au/wellbeing
