Campaign brings voices of South Hedland children to parliament

The End Child Poverty campaign is highlighting the voices of children from South Hedland, a region in Western Australia, to federal parliament. Despite being located in one of Australia's wealthiest areas, South Hedland's children are exposed to profound disadvantage. The campaign aims to develop a clear strategy to address childhood poverty in the region.

South Hedland, situated near the Port Hedland export hub, is one of Australia's wealthiest regions. However, children living in the area face significant challenges. Tania Murray, chief executive of the Youth Involvement Council in South Hedland, described the contrast as confronting. Children often live in substandard housing, experience overcrowding, and lack adequate air conditioning, even in a desert environment. Additionally, they face a lack of safety and a sense of being overlooked.

The Valuing Children Initiative's End Child Poverty campaign captured the voices of these children through recordings played to federal ministers and MPs. The Australian Bureau of Statistics' Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) revealed that South Hedland scored 989, lower than the broader Port Hedland area average of 1,011.

Sarah Quinton, the lead of the End Child Poverty campaign and executive director of the Valuing Children Initiative, emphasized the importance of children's direct input. Children in South Hedland, according to data, are frequently hungry, tired, and missing school. WA Commissioner for Children and Young People Jacqueline McGowan-Jones acknowledged the findings, noting the existence of a two-speed economy with substantial economic activity at the port but significant poverty rates in the region's children.

She called for a nationally legislated strategy to combat child poverty, advocating for child-centered poverty indicators and a definition of poverty that better reflects children's perspectives.