East Taieri Church community facilitator Joy Davis released results recently from research on Mosgiel she has conducted over the past two years.
She was pleased with the amount of "networking" the survey had enabled, but had some concerns with what she found.
Despite the area having a higher median income ($56,735) than Dunedin ($43,400), according to 2006 census figures, more than 40% of the population lived in areas registering five or higher on the social deprivation index (one is low, 10 is high).
Mosgiel was divided into three areas, Bush Rd, Mosgiel East and Mosgiel South, for census purposes, with Wyllies Crossing, East Taieri, Wingatui and Taieri, neighbouring.
On the social deprivation index, Mosgiel South rated a five, with an average income of $18,600; Bush Rd was a six, with an average income of $19,000; and Mosgiel East was a seven, with an average income of $19,400. The average income for all of Otago was $21,600.
"This would indicate there are a significant number of families in the Mosgiel-Taieri area that are not earning high incomes. More and more families just don't have enough to go around. I think it's just a sign of the times. I'm looking at finding out more about those families," Mrs Davis said.
She was organising a family expo day, to be held on October 10, which would highlight services available to people in the area. Further family-specific research would also be undertaken there.
"We think a lot of the families don't know what they can access. It's important to find local solutions," she said.
A Mosgiel Resource Group was established out of the survey to provide another forum to improve local networking.
It was "digging into" what services were available, particularly around parent support, and was looking at recruiting more SuperGrans in the area to assist families with basic home skills such as budgeting and cooking.
Along with revealing Mosgiel's socioeconomic characteristics, the survey also discovered what its residents liked, and did not like, about living there.
Making the "best-of" list were the fact it was flat and quiet, the Mosgiel Library, playgrounds, free parking, schools and the friendliness of the people.
However, residents were unhappy with trucks using the main street, the poor-quality swimming pool, the lack of activities for youth, people not picking up dog faeces and the kind of shops.
Youth East Taieri, with assistance from a University of Otago social work and community development student, would also undertake further research into the issues raised about youth in the Mosgiel area.
