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There has been extensive research on deprivation poverty using the consensual approach in this region with a number of national surveys in Australia, New Zealand and various Pacific Island Countries and Territories. In particular, the Kingdom of Tonga has pioneered surveys using the consensual approach to measure progress towards meeting UN SDG poverty targets and to improve policy interventions. Details of research in Vanuatu will be added shortly.
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Solomon Islands survey

In 2016, the Solomon Islands included a module on multi-dimensional deprivation in their national survey aimed at finding the necessities of life for all people of the Solomon Islands. The survey found that there is widespread consensus in the population about the importance of these items to the lives of people in the Solomon Islands today.
Mother and child in Tonga

Tonga has pioneered a multidimensional poverty measure to meet its SDG goals, which builds on the Consensual Approach. It combines low income with measures of deprivation - based on socially perceived essentials - to identify the poor. One in four adults and on in three children are in poor.
Sydney Australia, begging
![Sydney, Australia, street with beggar and passersby. Credit: Kgbo [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)] Sydney, Australia, street with beggar and passersby. Credit: Kgbo [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]](/sites/default/files/styles/feature/public/Image%20library/Beggar_in_Sydney%2C_Australia.jpg?itok=rtfeSO3t)
In 2014/15, the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey used a new set of questions to examine deprivation poverty. It found 10.7% of the population was in deprivation poverty defined as those who lacked two or more necessities because they couldn't afford them.
The Pacific Islands adopt the consensual method of measuring poverty
On 27 October, 2019, the Pacific Statistics Method Board approved in principle yesterday to use the Consensual Approach as their recommended method for SDG 1.2.2 for all the countries of the Pacific Islands. This approval was based on a long series of work in the region and will result in the measurement of deprivaiton indicators applicable to each country being incorporated into each country's national household survey. More details will be posted shortly.
Read:
'The Advantages of the Consensual Approach to poverty measurement' (pdf) briefing by Viliami Fifita, Shailen Nandy and Dave Gordon, presented to the Pacific Statistical Steering group in November 2015.
'Improving the Measurement of Poverty in the Pacific: The Case for a HIES Poverty Module' (pdf), presentation by Viliami Fifita to SPC, Noumea, New Caledonia, November 2014.