Case Studies
Client
Sunshine Coast Council
Challenge
Understanding the Sunshine Coast's key and essential workers: their importance to the local economy, their socio-economic profile, where they work and how far away they live, and their ability to afford housing.
Highlights
.id (informed decisions) used our established methodologies and combined our expertise in local economics, demographics and housing, to provide a detailed report on the Sunshine Coast's key workers.
Results
This research will inform the development of affordable housing actions and support Council's engagement with developers and other housing stakeholders.
Feedback
This case study provides Council with evidence to support our actions endorsed in the Sunshine Coast Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2023. Investment in housing for our key workers is essential to enable the realisation of the Sunshine Coasts’ economic aspirations, now and in the future.
- Sunshine Coast Council
Understanding a local area's key workers is essential for any economic, housing or social planning. Sunshine Coast Council engaged .id (informed decisions) to create a detailed profile of local key workers to support Council's strategy and policy work, as well as their engagement with local housing stakeholders.
This report provides insights to guide Council’s decision making in relation to actions identified in the Sunshine Coast Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2023.
Key findings
Key workers are essential to the Sunshine Coast's economy, representing 70% of the region’s workforce in 2021. This group spans healthcare, retail, hospitality, and education sectors, playing critical roles in supporting local residents, businesses, and services.
Key workers are vital to the Sunshine Coast economy
Of the 96,000 key workers in Sunshine Coast, 91% living locally. This workforce has been growing significantly, outpacing the broader South East Queensland average. Key occupations include sales assistants, registered nurses, and aged care workers.
Despite their significance, key workers face lower median incomes, with notable income disparities for female workers.
Key workers are spread across the LGA
Key workers are dispersed throughout the Sunshine Coast, yet they tend to cluster in specific activity centres based on the occupation.
About half of Sunshine Coast's key workers live within 10 kilometers of their workplace, although 25% commute more than 20 kilometers. Commutes vary by occupation, with younger workers living closer to their jobs. Occupations such as Welfare Support Workers and Nurses have longer median commuting distances. Most key workers (88%) rely on private vehicles.
Key workers face housing affordability issues
Key workers experience higher levels of housing stress compared to other workers. Most key workers cannot afford to own a home.
While renting remains reasonably viable, there is a large variance in the housing and rental affordability of key worker households by occupation groups. Key worker households are at the greatest risk of being priced out of Sunshine Coast.
Demand is growing
Key worker demand is expected to grow by 75% by 2041, requiring an additional 31,000 dwellings to support economic and community needs. Addressing these challenges through affordable housing, urban planning, and targeted policies will be vital for sustainable regional development.
Who are key workers?
Key workers are generally lower paid workers in occupations considered important to the effective functioning of a city. There is no standard definition of key worker occupations.
For the purpose of this report, the key worker definition was based on traditional key worker occupations identified in AHURI Final Report No. 355, as well as a selection of occupations specific to the role and function of the Sunshine Coast's economy.
Work with .id to understand your key worker housing needs
Sunshine Coast is one of many councils we have worked with to explore the interplay between affordable housing and the local economy.
Our expertise in local economies, housing and demographics, along with our decades of work with local governments, gives us unique insight and capability.