Survey sees sunny side
QUEENSLANDERS are a pretty positive bunch, according to the results of the Gold Coast Bulletin’s Your Say 2020 sentiment survey.
The biggest ever survey of its kind in Queensland, more than 8000 Queenslanders went online to answer 49 questions ranging across jobs, the economy, the environment, COVID and elected leaders.
The answers gave a comprehensive look at ourselves, highlighting how much faith we have in the future but also uncovering concerns in specific regions and issues that need to be addressed. The top three words used to describe the state are ‘beautiful’, ‘sunny’ and ‘safe’.
We also see ourselves as ‘friendly’, ‘relaxed’, ‘warm’ and ‘great’, a top place to live, raise a family and retire.
Asked how optimistic we are about the future, Central Queensland, Brisbane North and South and the Sunshine Coast are the most upbeat.
All results combined, we are as a state just over the halfway point between positive and negative about the future – pretty good going in the middle of an economic downturn and global pandemic.
But if we feel on average that we sit just above hanging in there, we are split along gender lines, with women being much more positive about Queensland’s future than men.
The good news is our youngest adults – 18-24 years and 25-34 years – are our most positive about the state they live in.
Labor voters are also pretty hopeful, far above the borderline average.
As a place to raise a family, the Sunshine Coast leads the pack, followed by Greater Brisbane north and south, and Central Queensland.
Even the least enthusiastic
– Far North and North Queensland – reckon Queensland is still pretty special. But the rankings shuffle depending on age.
Those aged 45-54, who presumably are in the throes of raising kids or have already, rate Brisbane North as the top spot to raise a family, followed by the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane South then the Gold Coast.
Those in the age bracket starting a family – 25 to 34 years – see things very differently: North Queensland comes out on top, while the Sunshine Coast ranks lowest.
We are across the board a top spot for people over 65 years old, though interestingly, the younger the respondents, the better they thought it was for our seniors.
The Sunshine Coast and Central Queensland have the happiest retirees, a positive vote reflected by the communities they live in.
People from the Sunshine Coast were most positive about what Queensland has to offer the elderly, followed closely by those in Brisbane North.
Below the average, North Queensland and their neighbours in the far north were less overwhelmingly positive but still thought we offered a pretty good spot to be in our twilight years. But for all the positives, drill down further, and we are a state divided.
The Gold Coast and North Queensland are angry and frustrated, at least as negative about Queensland’s future as Central Queensland, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast are positive.
On the Gold Coast, familyage adults are really feeling the pinch, with those between 25 and 44 really feeling the COVID gloom.
Your Say 2020 was a selfselection sentiment survey conducted across News Queensland’s metropolitan and regional websites from September 1-10.