IT has taken a Bond University project to find out what so many people know – Redland residents are among the happiest in Queensland.
Researchers found that people living Brisbane and the Redlands had the best quality of life the state has to offer.
Brisbane and the Redlands took out the top two places, with the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Noosa also featuring in the top 10.
The researchers measured 540 Australian local government areas, judging them on nine key categories which affect quality of life – housing affordability, education, community, jobs, wealth, accessibility, work-life balance, health and safety.
Redland City Council mayor Karen Williams was chuffed about the project which rated Redlands 6.7 out of 10.
“The results highlight what we have long known – Redlanders love living on Redlands Coast,” Cr Williams said.
“Redlands Coast scores particularly well in the categories of accessibility (at 9.3) followed by safety, education and employment.
“I believe it is the residents who need to take credit for this result. Redlanders are welcoming and generous and proud of their city, which plays a large role in generating happiness across the city.
“As I walk around the Redlands Coast I am always proud to be mayor of this great place and believe it is the residents who have made it what it is today.”
Researcher Donna Henson said happiness was a hard thing to measure although quality of life was more quantifiable.
Cr Williams said the study also named Redlands as the third smartest in Queensland.
“We know we have some great local schools and hardworking local business people so it is no surprise our local grey-matter ranks so highly,” Cr Williams said.
Cr Williams said despite the results, council acknowledged improvements could be made.
“Council is currently working on a number of projects in response to community engagement, including our transport strategy, which is currently open for public consultation,” Cr Williams said.
“A key part of this will be advocating to other levels of government to improve key transport routes.
“We have also identified education and training as a key sector priority and will work to grow our education offering by working with universities to offer more opportunity, so you can expect the smarts rating to also increase.”
For more information on Bond University’s Happiness Project, visit //bond.edu.au/intl/happiness-project/.