Eacham vs Ravenshoe

Eacham and Ravenshoe are nearby Queensland areas with very different layouts and outcomes for First Nations people. Ravenshoe is a more compact, somewhat walkable hub where 77.7% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services and 78.9% are near groceries. In contrast, Eacham is car-dependent, with only 11% of homes near health services and 28.4% near groceries. There is also a sharp divide in First Nations employment and education; the unemployment rate is far higher in Ravenshoe (40.4%) than in Eacham (8.6%), while Year 12 completion is far higher in Eacham at 42.2% compared to 25.4% in Ravenshoe.

Both areas share a total lack of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. This common lack of transit sits alongside a significant gap in First Nations income, which is well higher in Eacham, where the typical household earns $1,286 compared to $890 in Ravenshoe. This is consistent with Eacham having a larger First Nations population and a higher share of people who speak a First Nations language.