GRA Partners and Quantum Market Research launch new quarterly insight series

GRA Partners and Quantum Market Research have launched Western AustraliaNOW, a new quarterly research series designed to track Western Australian attitudes on the state’s most significant social, economic and policy issues.

 

The series is developed through GRA Partners’ market research service, powered by sister agency Quantum Market Research. It draws on more than 25 years of longitudinal social research and ongoing monthly tracking.

The series combines Western Australian sentiment with national benchmarking to identify where local attitudes differ from those in the rest of the country and how those views are changing over time.

The research explores the key issues Western Australians want focus on, including cost of living, confidence in Australia’s direction, trust in government, and overall community mood and outlook.

It finds that perceptions of success in WA have shifted significantly over the past 25 years, with traditional life milestones being replaced by a stronger focus on personal wellbeing, financial security, and a greater sense of control over one’s life.

The research tracks the issues currently dominating community priorities. Cost of living remains the defining concern for Western Australians (66%), while public healthcare has emerged as a significant issue (44%), substantially higher than in any other state.

Meanwhile, Western Australians’ mood is unstable – though notably, the proportion feeling balanced has increased to 42%, the highest across all states.

Each edition will examine an emerging issue directing the Western Australian landscape, while also tracking greater shifts in community priorities, mood and outlook. This inaugural edition focuses on housing and development, exploring how affordability pressures, density and neighbourhood character are redefining public attitudes towards future growth.

The research reveals that 49% of Western Australians support modest increases in housing supply, with nearly 40% accepting apartment developments.

Support, however, depends on how development is delivered, with factors including on- site parking, considered design, green space and appropriate height limits increasing acceptance, suggesting community resistance is often directed at poorly integrated development rather than additional housing itself.

Justine Conley, Director, Strategy, Research & Insights at GRA Partners, said: “Western Australia is often discussed through a national lens, but community attitudes here can differ markedly from those in other states.

“The purpose of this series is to provide a clear measure of what’s front of mind for Western Australians and how those priorities are changing over time, helping decision- makers respond with greater confidence.”

Mary Evans, Associate Director at Quantum Market Research, said: “For more than 25 years we have tracked how Western Australian attitudes evolve. That longitudinal lens is what separates genuine market shifts from short-term fluctuations.

“When you combine decades of trend data with ongoing tracking, you achieve a clearer understanding of how community expectations are changing and where the most major shifts are occurring.”

Each quarterly edition of Western AustraliaNOW provides:
• Current Western Australian attitudes on the issues that matter most to stakeholders
• National benchmarking to identify what is uniquely Western Australian
• A strategic exploration of one emerging issue reshaping the Western Australian context
• Ongoing tracking that allows organisations to monitor sentiment as it evolves.

The report is built on two complementary research programs:
• Australia Scan: Twenty-five years of longitudinal social research revealing the long-term social, cultural and behavioural shifts reshaping Australia.
• AustraliaNOW: Continuous monthly tracking capturing how current events affect community priorities, confidence and behaviour as they unfold.

You can read the inaugural report here.

 

About Western AustraliaNOW
Western AustraliaNOW is a new quarterly insights series that helps organisations understand what matters most to Western Australians.

Developed through the partnership between GRA Partners and Quantum Market Research, it combines more than 25 years of longitudinal social research with continuous monthly attitude tracking to provide one of the most comprehensive views of how Western Australia is changing.

Every edition goes beyond reporting the latest data. It explains what is changing, why it matters and what those shifts mean for organisations making strategic decisions.