Delivering drinking water to Dajarra, North West Queensland

Abstract:

In Dajarra, the supply of drinking water was a long-term problem that affected the quality of life in the town. As a critical service that required substantial improvement, the Dajarra water problem was selected as a case study for the second stage of CP5, which provides the data for this report. Core Project 5 addressed five research questions at sites across arid zone Australia (see Moran 2006): • What are characteristics of the interplay between demand and supply of services, according to the perceptions of consumers and service providers engaged at the local interface? • What are the conditions that permit successful practice to develop between consumers and service providers? • At what scales of governance should different service delivery functions be assigned to optimise both demand and supply based criteria? • What are the service type and delivery style priorities of consumers within a specified budget framework, and what is their capacity to participate and willingness to contribute to services? • What are the critical issues and strategies to improve the service system, including the strengths and weaknesses of different technology and governance options?