Muirhead vs Vernon Islands

Vernon Islands and Muirhead are nearby areas in the Northern Territory with very different footprints. Vernon Islands is sparsely populated and largely non-residential, with no residents and no schools within 3 km. In contrast, Muirhead is a larger residential hub of 3,689 people, featuring 14 schools within 3 km and a far larger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 173.

Both areas sit near the national figure for the number of people reachable within 30 minutes by public transport, where both have zero. This lack of transit access in Vernon Islands is consistent with its lack of infrastructure, while Muirhead has more connectivity with 4 public transport routes and 3 stops. The gap in street connectivity is also vast, with Muirhead having 181 intersections per square kilometre compared to none in Vernon Islands.