Tumut vs Queanbeyan

Tumut and Queanbeyan are both regional New South Wales centres, but they differ sharply in accessibility and First Nations outcomes. Queanbeyan is much more walkable, with a score of 5.9 (somewhat walkable) compared to Tumut's 3.8 (mostly car-dependent). This is seen in the huge gap in public transport access, with 89.0% of Queanbeyan homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop compared to just 23.9% in Tumut. There are also significant gaps for First Nations residents; those in Queanbeyan have a typical personal income of $910, while those in Tumut earn $529. Year 12 completion is also far higher in Queanbeyan at 46.4% compared to 31.0% in Tumut.

While these gaps in income and education remain wide, the two areas are very similar in the proportion of people who speak a First Nations language, at 7.2% in Tumut and 6.5% in Queanbeyan. This shared cultural trait exists alongside a contrast in employment, as the First Nations unemployment rate is well higher in Tumut at 13.7% compared to 5.5% in Queanbeyan.