Happiness index is a vital statistic, and Tim's up for it
Dennis Shanahan and Natasha Robinson
December 16, 2005

STATISTICS are used to measure almost every aspect of our lives, says Tim Fischer - except the one that really counts.

The former deputy prime minister reckons the nation should launch a wellbeing and happiness indicator, to be collated and controlled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics just like the consumer price index of inflation.

Saying the concept was a "straight pinch" from the tiny mountainous South Asian kingdom of Bhutan, and is being tested in the northeast Victorian shire of Indigo, Mr Fischer believes the time has come for a national measure of wellbeing and community cohesion.

"People today are seeking a better life and work balance, communities and governments are starting to seek ways of better measuring progress - so let the light shine on life beyond the economic template," Mr Fischer says in a speech to be given at the Australian National University today.

In accepting an honorary doctorate, Mr Fischer says: "One comprehensive Australian community cohesion and wellbeing index is now desirable, and can be driven from the bottom up."

Referring to the racial tensions in Sydney after the Cronulla riots, he says the index "would help to some extent in projecting hotspots of community negativity".

Mr Fischer says the index is loosely patterned on the Indigo Gross National Happiness Index, "which is helping to boost the desirability of living in and visiting Indigo Shire in northeast Victoria".

The Bhutanese Gross National Happiness concept has five main ingredients: environment and climate, economy, governance, security and law and order, and cultural cohesion.

Indigo Shire tourism director Seane Pieper said the wellbeing index had been in place for a year and was running at 69 per cent.

"Individual responses can range from as low as 20 per cent, for someone who's really down, up to 80 for someone who's won a Lotto prize, but the average is around 70 per cent," he said.

Mr Pieper said that although there was only a small amount the shire could do to lift happiness, the index did allow the council to form its priorities and detect community concerns.

In the shire's alpine town of Beechworth, locals were divided by the thought of their index being taken up nationwide.

"As shopkeepers, we'd prefer to be able to pay less to recycle our cardboard at the tip than to have the Government spend money on a happiness index," Craig Newton said.

Retired corporate lawyer-turned folk singer Bernard Bolan said he was cynical about the happiness survey when it was first launched, but has since changed his mind. "In human nature there's a great tendency to focus on things that are wrong. You suddenly realise there's a lot to be grateful for," he said.