North-Eastern NSW vs Townsville - Mackay

North-Eastern NSW and Townsville - Mackay are both expansive regions, but they differ significantly in their First Nations communities. In Townsville - Mackay, 42.6% of First Nations people complete Year 12, which is far higher than the 28.3% in North-Eastern NSW. This is consistent with a much higher share of people in Townsville - Mackay speaking a First Nations language (11.0% compared to 3.1% in North-Eastern NSW). Townsville - Mackay also has a slightly larger First Nations population, with typical household incomes for this group being a little higher than in North-Eastern NSW.

Both regions are mostly car-dependent and share very similar First Nations unemployment rates of around 12.7%. While they are alike in these ways, the gap in access to local parks is widening, as Townsville - Mackay now has a much higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park (76.5%) than North-Eastern NSW (66.7%). Conversely, North-Eastern NSW has a higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of public transport.