Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Slicker in the city? It ain't necessarily so

A study conducted by the University of Canberra's National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (Natsem) using census data from 1996 and 2001 reveals that the high cost of accommodation in Sydney and Melbourne in comparison to other cities and country areas pretty much levels out the disposible incomes of all us in Australia.

This is a dangerous conclusion. I don't think it's reasonable to take the 'average' income and 'average' housing cost for Sydney and compare it to other cities and towns in Australia, especially consider the vast number of people that commute from the Central Coast and Wollongong area to Sydney on a daily basis, thereby earning "Sydney" incomes while experiencing "major urban area" housing costs.