Date: 13 February 2006 - as appeared in Channel 7's today tonight

REPORTER: Rodney Lohse
BROADCAST DATE: February 13, 2006

A NEW survey has found the happiest and unhappiest places in the country. The good news is money does not necessarily affect your happiness.

Deakin University Psychology Professor Bob Cummins has just completed a survey of the entire country electorate by electorate to find the happiest and unhappiest places in the country.

"The objective is to measure the wellbeing of people in society how people feel about themselves," he said.

Over the past five years Professor Cummins has asked more than 30,000 people how they feel in relation to seven criteria: standard of living, health achievements, relationships, safety, sense of community and what they feel the future will be like.

"The happiest electorates tend to be those outside the capital cities," Prof Cummins said.

"They tend to be the rural towns small cities that are away from the major metro cities," he said.

The good news to come from the study is, in general, money does not necessarily buy you happiness.

"The power of money is its ability to help get over the hardships that appear in life," he said.

Professor Cummins said there were nine places in Australia where it was easier to keep fed, clothed, sheltered and healthy than anywhere else.

They are the electorates of Eden Monaro in New South Wales, which takes in towns like Bega and Batemans Bay; Richmond on the New South Wales north coast; Riverina which includes Wagga Wagga; Higgins, which is home to wealthy suburbs like Kooyong and Toorak in Melbourne; Murray which takes in towns Shepparton; Bendigo; Ryan in Brisbane's Western Suburbs and Mayo which takes in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs and the Hills.

The happiest place in the country is Wide Bay, home to Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Bundaberg and Gympie (and home to Aggregate Corporation's Head Office - Ed).

Reference http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=27019

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