Happiest, safest and hardest working areas in Australia revealed in Bond University’s Happiness Index

The nation’s happiest municipality has been revealed in a huge study that’s identified Australia’s strongest communities, hardest working areas and safest shires. See how your region compares among the rest.

Exclusive: Lifehack 101... If you want to be really happy, live in Victoria.

More specifically, move to Nillumbik, because research proves the leafy Victorian shire offers the best of all worlds, and Australia’s best quality of life.

However, if it’s safety you seek, Sydney’s Ku-ring-gai and Woollahra are your best bets.

The findings are the result of a landmark national research project by Queensland’s Bond University, released exclusively to News 360.

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT:

REGIONS SMASH CITIES FOR HARDEST WORKERS

HOUSE PRICE SHOCK AS REGIONAL AFFORDABILITY TUMBLES

Ku-ring-gai mayor Jennifer Anderson is not surprised her shire is viewed as one of Australia's safest, smartest and offers a great quality of life. Picture: Supplied

The Happiness Project analysed Census and other publicly available data to measure 540 Australian municipalities across nine key categories affecting quality of life; housing affordability, education, community, jobs, wealth, accessibility, work-life balance, health and safety. Each life area was scored out of 10.

It found ratepayers in Nillumbik, northeast of Melbourne, had the highest overall quality of life in Australia, which made them the happiest.

Hot on Nillumbik’s heels were Sydney’s pretty Ku-ring-gai, Victoria’s well-heeled Boroondara and coastal Surf Coast Shire (incorporating Torquay and the Great Ocean Road) and Mosman on Sydney’s exclusive north shore.

Rounding out the Top 10 happiest local government areas (LGAs) in Australia were Bayside (Vic), Cambridge (WA), Adelaide Hills (SA) Burnside (SA) and Peppermint Grove (WA).

Tasmania’s picturesque capital Hobart came in at number 16.

The Happiness Project discovered the farmers and miners of the Queensland, South Australian and West Australian outbacks were the hardest working in the country; working the longest hours.

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT:

AUSTRALIA’S HAPPY HOTSPOTS REVEALED

WHERE TO FIND THE KINDEST AUSSIES

The work-life balance category, which took into account the number of hours of unpaid domestic labour such as house cleaning, as well as work hours, found the Australian LGAs with the worst work-life balance were all in remote or very remote Western Australia while the municipalities with best work-life balance in Australia were Burwood, Cumberland, Fairfield, Rockdale and Strathfield – all in Sydney.

Australian demographer Bernard Salt said it was not surprising leafy or coastal municipalities within commuting distance of capital cities rated best in the quality of life category.

Quality of life was closely linked to fulling employment and good pay, as well as to affordable housing and other environmental and lifestyle factors such as being part of a safe, friendly community and having access to green spaces or beaches, fresh air and a variety of leisure options, Mr Salt said.

It was often possible to achieve all these things by living slightly outside major cities rather than in their CBDs, he said.

Bernard Salt said it was possible to find affordable housing, safe and friendly communities as well as green spaces by living slightly outside major cities. Picture: AAP

Lead researcher on the Bond University Happiness Project Caroline Graham said, as a general rule, major city areas with higher proportions of younger, never-married people had performed better in the realm of work-life balance.

The Weddin Shire, 390km west of Sydney and which includes Grenfell, the birthplace of Henry Lawson, had the worst work-life balance in NSW.

It couldn’t be more different in Victoria’s Nillumbik shire, where residents Ron and Marjorie Mendles say the living is easy.

The elderly couple are not in the least bit surprised their laid-back corner of the world, just 25km northeast of Melbourne’s CBD, has beaten out the rest of the country to take pole position in the Happiness Project’s quality of life category.

Aged 80 and 83, the Mendles have lived on their undulating acre block in Wattle Glen since 1966.

The back half of the block is bush and there was a time when they didn’t even have fences between neighbouring properties, although that’s changed now.

“It’s the clean air and the whole feel of the place. The peace and quiet that we like,” Mr Mendles said.

Victoria’s Shire of Nillumbik is the happiest place to live, according to Bond University’s Happiness Index Picture: Tim Carrafa

Nillumbik mayor Karen Egan said the municipality was unique in combining the best of the natural environment with the best of suburban culture, including a rich arts scene.

Residents of Nillumbik had one of the highest life expectancy rates in Victoria, she said.

“Our shire is characterised by lush, green open spaces, sports fields and active hiking and cycling trails along with a medley of wineries and boutique restaurants just a stone’s throw from Melbourne’s CBD,” Ms Egan said.

When it came to safety, the Sydney municipalities of Ku-rin-gai and Woollahra both scored perfect 10s on the nationwide index, which analysed homicide and assault rates as well as self-reported safety levels.

Ku-ring-gai also scored highly in other categories including the overall highest quality of life and education levels. It also has one of the highest proportions of couples in New South Wales.

Scott and Anna-Lisa Ryan live with their children in Ku-ring-gai, which scored highly in safety, quality of life and education levels. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Ku-ring-gai mayor Jennifer Anderson said Ku-ring-gai was chosen by generations of families, and also newcomers to Sydney for its tree-lined streets, high quality housing, beautiful gardens, parks, playgrounds and wide range of sporting facilities.

“All in proximity to stunning national parks,” Ms Anderson said. “Within minutes you can be on a train to the CBD or escape to the tranquillity of Middle Harbour water views at Roseville Chase or the variety of bush walks that feel a million miles from the city. Ku-ring-gai is well known for its excellent schools and importantly, as a safe place with a low crime rate where everyone can enjoy life to the fullest.”

Personal trainer Scott Ryan, 34, was born and bred in Ku-ring-gai and has decided to raise his own family in the area.

Married to Anna-Lisa and with three very young children, Mr Ryan said Ku-ring-gai was the sort of place kids could ride their bikes to school and play safely in the streets.

And it was just 20 minutes to the city and 20 minutes to the beach.

“It’s so close to everything but it’s not too congested and feels 100 per cent safe here,” he said. “It’s a great place to bring up kids.”

Other New South Wales centres which performed well in the safety stakes were Kiama, Mosman, North Sydney, Upper Lachlan Shire and Willoughby, coming equal third in the rankings alongside the Victorian municipalities of Surf Coast, Queenscliffe, West Wimmera, Towong and Buloke.

The Borough of Queenscliffe in Victoria is Australia’s strongest and most connected community and also one of its safest. Picture: Peter Ristevski

The Borough of Queenscliffe, at the very tip of Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, also claims the title of Australia’s strongest and most connected community.

Clinical psychologist and Bond University academic Jodie Bradnam said strong communities had a sense of belonging, built on a foundation of shared values.

Queensland’s safest LGA was Noosa while Tasmania’s safest was Break O’Day, in the state’s northeast.

The Bond University project revealed a link between the average age of the population in an LGA and its level of safety, with shires that had a higher percentage of older residents typically safer than those with younger residents.

Areas with higher male populations, younger populations and regional and remote areas also typically had lower safety scores.

Head of Criminology at the University of Sydney Law School, Professor Murray Lee, said men were more likely to offend “in just about every offence category” than women.

Find out more about Bond University’s Australian Happiness Project here.

With Bond University student journalists Niamh Sullivan, Amy Forrester, Cloe Read, Emily Selleck, George Lysnar and Emily Bradfield.

Data was taken from the most recent 2016 Census and other public sources to score each LGA out of 10 in nine categories: housing affordability, education, community, jobs, wealth, accessibility, work-life balance, safety and health. Each category draws on a number of factors for its score, and each LGA is also given an overall quality of life score, resulting in a searchable online map.

Originally published as Happiest, safest and hardest working areas in Australia revealed in Bond University’s Happiness Index