The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released new data that details the average wages in local government areas.

West Wimmera Shire topped the list for the lowest wages in the state, with an average of $34,267.

Yarriambiack Shire had the third lowest with $36,624.

Wimmera Development Association executive director Ralph Kenyon said there was a number of reasons why wages were lower in rural areas.  “There are less people receiving paid wages in regional areas as lots of people run their own business instead,” he said.

“There are also less professional people and less professional positions in regional areas, as jobs requiring a higher qualification were often in metropolitan areas or regional cities.”

Mr Kenyon said it was important to take the figures with a grain of salt as they were often not a true reflection of society. 

West Wimmera Mayor Annette Jones said low income was a regional issue. “The implications are shown through various health and wellbeing data from across the Wimmera,” she said.

Cr Jones said while average income was not something council had control over, it was important to take income into account when making decisions.

”It’s a challenging balancing act to keep rates affordable and continue to provide services to a high stand and at the same time balance a tight budget,” she said.

Kaniva resident Kelvin Moar said statistics did not surprise him.

“The drought wouldn’t have helped at all,” he said.

“During the past few years there would have been a lot of people who work part time or casual who wouldn’t have been able to get much work.”

West Wimmera and Yarriambiack shires also had the highest percentage of people on the Newstart allowance from Centrelink, with 79 per cent of residents in each shire.

Despite the low wages, West Wimmera has the second lowest unemployment rates in the state, with 2.8 per cent.