Melbourne wins bogus “most livable” award for 7th consecutive year

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By Leith van Onselen

Of all the idiotic ‘awards’ handed out, The Economist’s ‘Most Livable City’ must surely rank near the top. For the seventh consecutive year, The Economist has named Melbourne the most livable city in the world. From The Age:

Melbourne’s seventh consecutive year at the top of The Economist’s liveability index was welcomed by the city’s politicians and promoters, but planners and housing experts scoffed at the result.

The ranking held steady at top spot despite the obvious pressures on the city as its population swells dramatically – by around 2000 people a week…

“The results don’t mean that Melbourne is most liveable for everyone,” said Deloitte Access Economics partner Daniel Terrill.

The report is sold to corporations so they can decide on extra pay levels for executives who move abroad. It recommends a percentage employees should get on top of their salary if they are asked to live in a city with a poor liveability ranking…

The Economist ranks each city a total score out of 100 for stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Housing affordability is not considered…

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle lauded the result, declaring it was the only time a city had been awarded the top spot seven years in a row…

Premier Daniel Andrews said the ranking was a “win for all Victorians, who contribute so much to making Melbourne the best place to live in the world”.

“Liveable for whom?” Melbourne University urban geographer Kate Shaw asked. She said the number one ranking ignored Melbourne’s growing economic divide between rich and poor…

The report glossed over the realities of life in Melbourne for many, said Emma King from the Victorian Council of Social Services…

And RMIT planning academic Elizabeth Taylor said The Economist’s index was only a ranking of the comfort of cities for executives.

“The Economist also ranks Melbourne as one of the top 20 most expensive cities in the world but I don’t see us bragging about that one.”

I’m a proud Melbournian but believe this award is complete and utter bullshit. Livability in Melbourne has been badly eroded over the past decade as the city’s population has swelled by nearly one million people, or 26%, without a commensurate boost in public services and infrastructure.

The result has been a shocking decline in housing affordability, worsening traffic congestion, crush-loaded public transport, schools and hospitals, as well as increased crime rates. Real per capita GDP and wages & salaries across Victoria have also recorded minimal growth over that time.

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“World’s most livable”? Yeah right, and I’m Elvis.

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.