[**Xena**]

There was an article in The Age on the most family friendly cities in Australia:

http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/life-style...0116-2cspn.html

I was pretty happy to see Launceston at the top of the list Especially given DH has turned down jobs much more highly paid so that we can raise uor children here.

So what do you think of the list? I think the tricky thing is that whilst small cities may often be the most family friendly they are also quite often the hardest places to find certain jobs. This doesn't make them overly viable unless you're lucky enough to have work in them.

This post has been edited by EBmel: 16/01/2013, 12:07 PM

Reason for edit: Added EB link

[71Cath]

I was happy to see Canberra as number 2 - I certainly think it is pretty nice!

I agree that it is all very well to say that the smaller cities are more family friendly, but people need to go where the work is, so that can limit options sometimes.

[PrincessPeach]

I was surprised to see the Gold Coast so far down the list, but then when the local newspaper was saying a lot of it is to do with our poor public transport system & overcrowded childcare centres & schools, then I agree.

Let's hope that this list spurs the local governments into action to improve.

[cinnabubble]

You couldn't pay me enough to live in a large country town.

[skylark]

I was surprised to see the Gold Coast so far down the list, but then when the local newspaper was saying a lot of it is to do with our poor public transport system & overcrowded childcare centres & schools, then I agree.

Let's hope that this list spurs the local governments into action to improve.

I was reading that this morning, and thinking "what the heck? The Goldy is so family friendly!" but then I thought about the vast swathes of suburbia which are actually very poorly serviced. We live in the very narrow beachside strip, and I cannot fault the experience we've had with public transport, education, childcare etc over the years, but once you go inland only a little way the services do drop off fast. From a purely lifestyle perspective though, it is amazing for our son here with the outdoor and beach activities, and I feel that public events and libraries that sort of stuff are way better for families than in Sydney and Melbourne where we were previously.

[HollyOllyOxenfre...]

It's an interesting list. I do wonder though, are bigger cities like Sydney and Melbourne considered in terms of council areas or greater metro areas? We technically live in the greater Sydney metro area, but our lifestyle where we are is far more family friendly than it would have been if we'd stayed living in the city.

I tend to think it's what you make of it too, and also what you enjoy doing as a family. We live near a large parklands area which offers bike riding, parks, ropes courses, bushwalking, a small farm and all sorts of things for DS. We're also close enough to the city that as DS gets older it's easy for us to get to museums, art galleries and other entertainment. Best of both worlds in my opinion, but for others it would be either way too close or way too far from the CBD.

[**Xena**]

You couldn't pay me enough to live in a large country town.

Yes but the article wasn't about personal preference. Obviously if you as a person love frequently visiting nightclubs or concerts then Launceston would be almost last on that list

From what I can tell they took into account proximity and availability to access schools, parks, work, childcare and other infrastructure, class sizes, crime rates, housing affordability, traffic.

[baddmammajamma]

Having been to several of the lovely cities on that list, I can certainly see the appeal for many families!

I think 71Cath & Xena raise a good point. Depending on your field of work, it might not be feasible to live in a smaller city.

And here's my concern with my "ASD/Special Needs Mum" hat on:

Very few smaller cities offer the type of specialist resources that you can find in a major metro hub like Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane -- not just breadth, of course, but also the access to deep expertise. For that reason alone, I wouldn't want to make the move from Sydney (and there are many other non-ASD related reasons I am happy to stay put).

Every time we take a family road trip and pass through idyllic small towns or regional cities, my first thought is "I wonder how close the nearest developmental paed is?"

My views are very much colored by my family's needs, and our primary need is to be somewhere leading edge when it comes to ASD/ADHD/Twice Exceptional stuff.

This post has been edited by baddmammajamma: 16/01/2013, 10:56 AM

[Chelli]

I recently attended a conference and world cafe about how Launceston can become a "Child Friendly" city. There were some great ideas and forward thinking leaders in the community. Seems they are on their way to achieving the goal with number 1 spot of Family Friendly status

[baddmammajamma]

I recently attended a conference and world cafe about how Launceston can become a "Child Friendly" city. There were some great ideas and forward thinking leaders in the community. Seems they are on their way to achieving the goal with number 1 spot of Family Friendly status

I've heard such lovely things about Launceston. Xena, we are planning a trip down to Tasmania...you'd better watch out! I might show up on your doorstep!