The Sunshine Coast Community Foundation released its long awaited Vital Signs report on Tuesday, its second such report in the past two years. The first was released in October 2009.
Vital Signs is a comprehensive snapshot of the Sunshine Coast looking at key areas that help contribute to the overall well being and vitality of our community. The report in 2009 was a wake-up call for many and helped spur the creation of VOICE - a group of young people who want the Coast to be a place where the younger generation is excited and able to live, work and play.
We like to think that the 2009 report was a catalyst for change, for politicians to step up and take notice of the areas where we are struggling and where we are succeeding.
Have we made some strides since 2009? According to the 2011 report, we have in some areas, but in many others we are either stuck in the same mud spinning our wheels or we have gone full in reverse and are lagging behind.
Our community continues to show its age, which should not be a surprise to many, but the key factor in Vital Signs is while community aging is not in itself a bad thing, it is continuing to contribute to many challenges that the Sunshine Coast faces. In stark contrast to that, and despite the creation of VOICE and other initiatives to keep young people active on the Coast, young adults continue to leave the Coast at an alarming rate. Results of the Vital Signs indicate that young people do not have enough suitable choices for housing, job prospects and entertainment plus education options continue to be lacking.
Housing, particularly affordable housing options, is another area where the Coast is still struggling. Housing prices continue to bounce up and down and the lack of affordable housing options for many continues to be a challenge. Despite the efforts of government in creating mandates for affordable housing, and committees and groups such as Habitat for Humanity helping to build affordable housing on the Coast, this is an area where the Coast really needs to push on improving.
On the plus side, the Coast continues to be a strong advocate for the environment and the protection of our forests and waterways. We're starting to reduce our landfill disposal, and the way we are looking at recycling is improving as we get closer to a better Coast-wide recycling model.
Our health and wellness is one of the highest in the province. Stats continue to show that the Coast is a safe place to live with crime rates lowering, and the arts and culture sector continues to thrive.
With the municipal election looming on Nov. 19, it couldn't be a better time for our incumbent politicians and those seeking to unseat them to embrace this report and use it going forward to overcome the challenges that we are facing.
The Community Foundation and all its supporters should be thanked for their efforts. This report is vital to our present and our future.
