The Australia we want - Second Report

The Australia we want reports are an exercise in measurement informed by imagination and hope.

We have dared to ask fundamental questions about our future: what if we could live in an Australia where incarceration rates are falling, where the suicide rate is less than the road toll, where levels of violence against women and children have been significantly reduced?

Imagine an Australia where your postcode or cultural identity does not define your chance of getting an education or a job or living a long life? Imagine an Australia where creativity drives real innovation and achievement, not just in our arts, but also in our schools and local communities? Imagine a humane and sustainable Australia, where people are more connected and engaged in the communities they live and work in, and where this involvement is reflected in the way we form policies and laws? Imagine a generous and kind Australia where we take pride in supporting the less fortunate in our own communities, in our region and beyond? Imagine the Australia we want?

When we released the first report, I argued that too many of the discussions about Australia’s future are focused on our economy, not our lives, our relationships or the country we want to live in. I asked that we think of ourselves as more than passengers in an economy. I think the importance of maintaining our values and building flourishing communities should be the primary focus of our charities sector and the broader community.

This second report provides real insights into how well we are enacting our values. It tells us even more about how we are progressing towards that imagined Australia, and the findings make for interesting reading.

As I have said in many forums over recent years, we welcome anyone who can imagine a better Australia to become involved in the journey, to join CCA in a movement to own our futures and build our society on the values we want, the Australia we want …

Rev Tim Costello

Chair, Community Council for Australia

CCA acknowledges the generous support of the Centre for Social Impact in this project.