Divorce and separation are highly distressing events in peoples lives especially when children are involved. Unfortunately it happens - a lot.
Building 'resilient communities' is one important step to mitigate the effects on our children - or possibly prevent or delay family break downs in the first place. Sticking the head in the sand and ignoring the issue doesn't help anyone.

The 'Jinx' of Noosa

The odds for a 'nuclear family unit' to last the distance are not great anywhere in western societies. It seems that Noosa has more then it's fair share of seperations though. There are rumours that Noosa was 'jinxed'. I am not superstitious. I've started to record some observations because so many families in my immediate surroundings as well as my own are affected. To clarify I am NOT a social scientist as the papers say, this was a misunderstanding. I have read psychology as part of cultural studies at Uni but my degree is in Design and Media. The purpose of this post is to start conversations around solutions.

People in Noosa Shire are more likely to be married ... they are also more likely to be separated, divorced or widowed.

Communities are made up of individuals. Everybody's story is different. But there are common trends. There is plenty of evidence that what's going on in a place can have a drastic affect on personal relationships. During the Traveston Dam 'Travesty' the Mary River Valley community experienced a surge of family breakdowns.
Working with the Noosa Biosphere social board we look at the Noosa Social Plan 2006-2016 for data. People in Noosa Shire are more likely to be married than their Queensland counterparts. They are also more likely to be separated, divorced or widowed. In 2001, for example, 13 percent of the Noosa Shire population was either separated or divorced compared to just 11.6 percent of the Queensland population.
Recommendations marked high-and ongoing:
Develop strategies to increase opportunities for Noosa residents to connect socially and in particular those residents who have the potential to be socially disconnected. 

What could be the reasons?

What are the real reasons for the high incidence of divorce in a place many call 'paradise'? What are common factors? Some of my observations are:

Down shifting: Noosa has a high proportion of 'transient population'. People come to settle to make a fresh start. Down-shifting of expectations can be a source of stress. The lack of real career opportunities. Making a fresh start, building a new social network is not easy - especially if there is no permanent work place to 'anchor' a social life around.

Big holiday homes for some vs high cost housing for our community. There are plenty of huge holiday homes standing empty most parts of the year, whilst our 'permanent' community struggle with high cost of housing.

Holiday Bliss vs Reality: Tourism is one of Noosa's most important industries. We see the wealth, the holidaymakers, the wedding bliss right in front of us. Settling here, means in many cases to serve either the tourism industry, holiday home owners or people who have settled here after a successful working life. Incomes in these particular service industries are typically low and mostly offer no real career opportunities.

What can be done?

Are we doing enough to build resilient healthy communities, where young families have real opportunities and a 'fair go' at making it work?

A family break-up affects children in many cases adversely throughout their lives. Beyond mediation services are we doing enough to buffer the fall-out of separation? 

The financial, housing and safety pressures can be extremely daunting whilst struggling with the emotional trauma of separation, making moving on and being 'good for the children's sake' so much harder. This is where we as a society and how we design our places can make a real difference.

The Noosa Social Plan's recommendations to develop strategies for social connections need to go much deeper then leisure activities or similar.  I believe the key for improvements lie in truly sustainable and affordable housing and an integrated and holistic planning approach to 'neighbourhood'. 'Smart growth' not developer driven 'sprawl' is needed. Creating a connected, vibrant, resilient and sustainable community has a lot to do with how a place is designed. Architecture and planning affects us all. It plays a huge part in our individual well being, our relationships and the well-being of our communities.

The Noosa biosphere reserve as a tourist destination needs a resilient community to prosper. Lets take our community's well-being with all it's problems and realities serious.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic. Feel free to comment below.