Linked up lives

Suburbs are springing up to cope with a rapidly growing population, yet many families have little or no supporting public transport links to the CBD or across suburbs, lack employment opportunities to keep parents close to their children's schools, and have inadequate access to educational opportunities. And women pay the biggest price in terms of forsaken or curtailed careers, according to the results of a four-year study into the balance between work, home and community in 10 Australian suburbs to be published next week. The report, co-authored by social researcher Philippa Williams from the University of South Australia's Centre for Work and Life, finds some families are being lured into so-called planned communities by low housing costs and promises of easy lifestyles only to realise the crippling commute to work costs the family a job, almost always that of the mother... Photo: Andrew Jeffrey