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Mateship still strong among Aussies with 3 in 4 trusting their neighbours

A fascinating study commissioned by Couriers Please revealed that 3 in 4 Aussies (74%) trust their neighbours. Nearly half said they would trust their neighbours with big responsibilities like looking after their pets (49%) and leaving their home key with them while they are away (46%). The study shows that face-to-face inter¬actions with neighbours is still important to most Australians, and that there’s still a strong essence of mateship ingrained in the Australian psyche.

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Baby Boomers more likely to trust their neighbours than Millennials

Baby Boomers are 20% more likely to trust their neighbours, (84% of Baby Boomers compared to 64% of Millennials). Baby Boomers grew up and were shaped in a time where communities were centred on face to face interaction through neighbourhoods, local clubs and churches, whereas Millennials have grown up with digital devices at their fingertips, facilitating a different type of community – the online community.

Baby Boomers were also shaped in an era of detached homes, with low fences at the front to allow for that neighbourliness and establishing ‘friends over the fence’. For Millennials, community has been redefined as we see more vertical communities emerge with increasing densification and apartment living.

Baby Boomers are also more likely to be home owners and therefore ingrained in their community for longer periods of time. Millennials are more likely to rent and are moving homes more frequently. Renters move on average every 1.8 years compared to every 8 years for those who own their home with a mortgage, and every 18 years for those who own their home outright. As home owners, Baby Boomers are more likely to have set down roots in their communities, and a longer time to build that trust with their neighbours.

38% of us trust our neighbours more than we did 10 years ago

Due to affordability and urban sprawl, Aussies today are living further away from our friends and family now than we did ten years ago. This means we rely on our neighbours more now than we have in the past, and put greater trust in them to help out with tasks when we are away from home. In a growing digital age, the relationships we have with our neighbours can be vitally important to help combat social isolation and build a sense of community.

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Australia Towards 2031

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