Abstract

The aims of my research are to identify the degree and causes of urban indigenous poverty in NSW using multiple indicators such as income, housing, education, health (including substance abuse, disease, mortality rates) and crime .  Data from the ABS National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey Expanded CURF file will be utilised to econometrically test the causes of indigenous poverty in urban NSW. Following this, the efficacy of current policy approaches will be assessed, specifically whether the transition to policies of 'self determination' have actually been welfare improving. I intend to test whether there has been a reduction in relative poverty of urban indigenous people in NSW over time, and also whether such policies are reducing welfare dependence, thereby improving self determination. A combination of Sen's capability approach and statistical analysis will be applied in this section. Time series data including but not limited to census data will be used to test changes in the difference between indigenous and non-indigenous poverty indicators over time.