Bourke vs Paroo

Bourke and Paroo are both vast regional areas, though Bourke has a more walkable layout. In Bourke, the typical First Nations personal income is $627, which is well higher than the $446 seen in Paroo. This is consistent with a much lower First Nations unemployment rate in Bourke at 7.1%, compared to 16.0% in Paroo. Access to services also differs; for example, 28.1% of Bourke homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, while no homes in Paroo have this access.

Both areas have tracked similarly since 2011, with both remaining predominantly car-dependent. They share similar physical landscapes with almost identical terrain slopes and a similar share of people who speak a First Nations language. While Bourke is somewhat walkable, Paroo is mostly car-dependent, though both areas have a similar proportion of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries.