Brookton vs Gnowangerup

Gnowangerup and Brookton are both rural Western Australian areas, but they differ in accessibility and First Nations outcomes. Gnowangerup is more walkable, with 56.1% of homes having a 15-minute-city walkshed and 53.9% within a 15-minute walk of groceries, compared to 44.2% and 43.6% in Brookton. This extends to health services, which are within a 15-minute walk for 34.5% of Gnowangerup homes, far higher than the 23.7% in Brookton. First Nations residents in Gnowangerup also have higher Year 12 completion rates (27.3% versus 18.4%) and higher typical personal incomes ($483 versus $347).

Both areas have tracked similarly over time as mostly car-dependent places, though the gaps in walkability and First Nations outcomes remain. They are similar in size and composition, each having around 130 First Nations residents. While Brookton has a higher share of First Nations people speaking a traditional language (8.8% versus 0.0%), it also has a far higher First Nations unemployment rate at 38.6%, compared to 25.5% in Gnowangerup.