Australia is failing its most disadvantaged communities with little or no progress made in almost a decade, a new national report shows.
The Dropping Off the Edge report - which looks at social indicators including long-term unemployment, education standards, domestic violence and criminal convictions - shows disadvantage has become entrenched in many communities.
Produced by Jesuit Social Services and Catholic Social Services Australia, it finds social support structures aimed at addressing chronic aspects of disadvantage simply aren't working in some parts of the country.
The situation in Victoria paints a stark picture of the lack of progress, with 10 of the state's 12 most disadvantaged communities failing to improve their ranking since the previous report in 2007.
Eight years on, the Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows remains in the most severe bracket of disadvantage.
Over the same time frame, the Geelong suburb of Corio has slipped two brackets, into the most severe band.
The picture in NSW is no less bleak, with nine of the state's 12 most disadvantaged communities seeing no improvement in their rankings and others also sliding backwards.
For example, the Sydney suburb of Claymore was in the second least severe of six bands of disadvantage in 2007. It's now in the most severe bracket.
There have been similar slides in rural NSW communities too such as Walgett and Lightning Ridge.
"There are a small but significant number of communities that we have failed. They need a new structure and a new approach," Jesuit Social Services chief executive Julie Edwards says.
Catholic Social Services chief executive Marcelle Mogg agrees there must be a new tailor-made approach that directly targets issues at play in individual communities.
Without that, she says the nation will not be able to ease the economic costs that come with social disadvantage.
"This report outlines that residents in these communities aren't just dealing with one form of disadvantage, but multiple, complex barriers to individual wellbeing and community participation," Ms Mogg said.
The report was compiled using Australian Bureau of Statistics data, and other resources such as NAPLAN results, and the Australian Early Learning Index, as well data from human services agencies across the states and territories.
A new website, www.dote.org.au, which details the communities most at risk has gone live, allowing people to check on the social health of their communities via their post codes.
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