Remote Australia Online

Summary The aim of this study was to describe the burden and organism antibiotic resistance patterns of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) due to Staphylococcus aureus presenting in a remote Australian Northern Territory community in the Barkly region. We collated reported antibiograms of all skin and superficial soft tissue swab specimens obtained from the town's Indigenous medical clinic from 12 of the 13 months between November 2016 and December 2017. Clinician's notes for the consultation associated with each test request were examined to determine the nature of the clinical problem and to access other relevant data. Amongst 309 tissue swab specimens, S. aureus was cultured in 215 (70%), of which 202 isolations were from Indigenous Australians. Of the 215 S. aureus, 98 [46%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 31–52] were methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and 117 (54%, 95% CI 48–61) sensitive (MSSA). Significant numbers were also resistant to other frequently used oral antibiotics, with resistance to erythromycin in 52 (24%), clindamycin in 51 (24%), trimethoprim in 22 (10%) and fusidic acid in eight (4%). In the Barkly region of Australia's NT in 2017, community-acquired staphylococcal SSTI needing professional care is equally likely to be caused by MRSA as by MSSA.

Ephemeral gilgai wetlands of the stony-plains of arid Australia have a relatively high diversity of native plant species and are extensively utilised for livestock grazing. We sampled the standing vegetation (SV) and germinable soil seed bank (SSB) of 40 gilgais, comparing gilgais near and far from watering points, and continually stocked versus rarely stocked. Despite historically heavy stock grazing, we found no significant differences in native species richness between treatments, indicating the general resilience of gilgai vegetation. One contributing factor is the abundance of Atriplex nummularia ssp. omissa. Cover of this long-lived shrub did not differ significantly between treatments and was positively correlated with “highly palatable” species’ cover, suggesting that it may act as a nurse species. In contrast, two other long-lived species, Atriplex vesicaria and Astrebla pectinata, had significantly reduced cover or were absent near to watering points. These and other long-lived species had a poorly developed SSB and thus limited ability to regenerate from seed if killed by sustained heavy grazing. The absence of fifteen locally rare species (including 12 short-lived species) from water-near gilgais indicates the need for more intensive survey to determine whether the proliferation of watering points poses a threat to such species.

The last 42,000 years of hydrological history of Lake Frome, a large playa located in the arid part of northern South Australia, which is hypersaline and most often dry today, is reconstructed using a combination of ostracod assemblages, other microfossil remains, and the trace elemental composition of the selected halobiont ostracod species of Diacypris and Reticypris. The Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca of ostracod valves from 2 cores relate to significant hydrological changes that affected the lake over time. The reconstruction of the Sr/Ca of the lake’s waters, based on the Sr/Ca of ostracod shells, shows that when the lake fills the waters originate mostly from runoff, not from hypersaline waters located below the lake or the surrounding aquifers. The Last Glacial Maximum saw gypsum deflation from the lake. Prior to 25K yBP, Frome had a stable hydrological regime, permanent water and low salinities, with occasional freshwater conditions between 42 and 33K yBP. From 25 to 20.3K yBP, salinities fluctuated and ephemeral conditions operated. After that, until ∼14.8K yBP, a brine pool was located below the lake and was therefore under a different hydrological regime. Between 13 and 11.2K yBP, wet conditions occurred, but such conditions were not seen again during the Holocene.

The need for new models for delivery of therapy intervention to people with a disability in rural and remote areas of Australia

Acacias are a major component of the vegetation in arid and semi-arid Australia. The anatomy and histochemistry of phyllodes of four Acacia species, i.e. Acacia ancistrocarpa, A. stellaticeps, A. stipuligera, and A. robeorum with distinct phyllode morphologies, native to the Great Sandy Desert in north-western Australia were studied by combining light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and various histochemical tests. The aims were to identify anatomical and histochemical features of different species that could contribute to the plants' adaptation to their desert environment. The results showed that phyllodes of A. robeorum were more xeromorphic but less scleromorphic than those of the other three species, and phyllodes of all studied species, except A. robeorum, were more scleromorphic than xeromorphic. Major xeromorphic features as adaptations to drought include thick phyllodesand densely-packed long palisade mesophyll cells. Scleromorphic features are adaptations to low soil P availability and include thick cuticles, abundant sclerenchyma and lignified parenchyma cells. Isobilaterality, amphistomy, dense trichomes, and thick cuticles are likely structural adaptations associated with open vegetation. Histochemical adjustments of the phyllodes are also likely to contribute to the plants’ adaptations to drought.

Farming families in rural and remote parts of the world are often marginalized from social care. This article describes a phenomenological exploration of problems presenting to financial counsellors in remote south-eastern Australia. Individual and family issues, referral processes and professional competencies have been identified, along with suggested changes to service delivery. Complex psycho-social difficulties are revealed. Financial counsellors, working in isolation, are unable to adequately address these. However, no social work service has been accessible to many consumers living in remote farming communities. Social work, within interdisciplinary partnerships, is being piloted as a result of this study.

The nature of rainfall events is explored through six years of below average rainfall, associated with negative Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and three years of above average rainfall, associated with positive SOI (and strong La Niña conditions), at arid Fowlers Gap, Australia. There is a greater probability of rainfall in wet years, but the events themselves also change significantly. Rainfall depth per event was 116% larger on average in wet years than dry, and average event rainfall rate was 85% higher. However, these results are influenced by a small number of very large events in the wet years, and events of <2 mm occur at about the same rate in dry and wet years. Rainfall event profiles in dry years showed more Huff first quartile events likely to promote partitioning of rain into infiltration. In contrast, larger events in wet years showed a preponderance of Huff third quartile profiles likely to be associated with greater partitioning of rainfall into overland flow. This co-variation in rainfall event profile with annual rainfall, not previously described, is reasoned to increase the amplitude of ecological impacts of the SOI-related rainfall variability at this site.

Woody debris jams (WDJs) and the rate of wood fall into the channel were observed along an ∼18 km study reach of ephemeral Fowlers Creek. Fifty-five WDJs were recorded, including nearly 700 key large wood pieces. WDJs obstructed on average 31% of the channel width (maximum 98%), and had a mean projected area facing the flow of 9.7 m2. Abundance of WDJs is low in comparison with some humid forested streams, but channel obstruction is significant, owing to the many in-channel trees capable of supporting tall, stable jams of up to 3.3 m height, and the lack of wood decay in the arid conditions. The rate of wood recruitment to the channel was judged by tallying the debris that has accumulated through 6 months of no-flow conditions. Coarse wood recruitment averaged 1 piece/100 m/a or ∼0.03 m3/100 m/a. Again, this is low in comparison with forested catchments, but is comparable to the bottom end of the range of published recruitment rates. WDJ occurrence and hydro-geomorphic significance vary with position along Fowlers Creek, which exhibits channel contraction arising from transmission loss. The link between woody debris and channel form and process in this ephemeral stream is discussed.

Strongly developed vegetation banding in desert chenopod shrubland occurs on hillslopes having gradients of as little as 0·5 degrees and displays a stepped microrelief of about 10 cm. Surface runoff is shed from the bare surfaces in rainstorms of as little as 4–5 mm, and infiltrates readily within the vegetated bands. The banding thus functions as an efficient system for water redistribution, the landscape being divided into multiple bare runoff (water source) and vegetated runon (water sink) zones. Patterns of stone distribution across a study hillslope suggest that the vegetation banding is at least Holocene in age. The patterned shrublands thus represent an enduring component of this arid rangeland environment, and one whose unusual microhydrology should be preserved by informed management.

The Australia tourism industry faces challenges associated with a boom in minerals exports. The erosion of the price competitiveness of destination Australia associated with exchange rate appreciation has adversely affected inbound and domestic tourism while generating increased outbound tourism flows. The mining boom has also driven up labor costs, making it difficult for tourism stakeholders in mining areas to recruit and retain staff. This article highlights the importance of both tourism and mining to Australia, and the changes that are taking place in each sector. It employs a computable general equilibrium model to estimate the economic effects of the boom on Australia’s tourism industry and tourism market segments. A micro-level analysis, supplemented by input from key tourism organizations, then highlights the extent and range of tourism impacts associated with the boom, and the strategy implications for different groups of tourism stakeholders.

During November 1997, an extreme rainfall event caused flooding in the Olary Creek and created a terminal lake within mallee vegetation on Nagaela Station, far western New South Wales. To assess the effect of this rare event on native flora, six 25×25m2 grazing exclusion plots were established on flooded (4), and un-flooded control (2) areas. We investigated (i) the distribution of Nicotiana glauca in relation to the 1997 flooding event (ii) the variation in density of N. glauca soil-stored seed between soil in control and exclosure plots (iii) the allelopathic effects of N. glauca on germination of Lactuca sativa seeds. Analysis of N. glauca stem sections revealed a maximum of five growth rings, confirming an origin following the 1997 flood event. At a September 1998 assessment, no N. glauca were found across flooded and control plots. In October 2000 N. glauca occurred at densities of 24 and 12 N. glauca seedlings ha−1 in the flooded unfenced and fenced plots respectively. No N. glauca individuals were recorded either from control fenced or unfenced plots. The soil-stored seed study revealed that larger numbers of N. glauca seeds were recovered from the flooded open plot (1936±968) than in flooded fenced plots (856±428.12) but none was found in the control plots. Leachates obtained from dry leaves and twigs had a significantly greater negative impact (p>0.001) on germination of L. sativa seeds than leachates obtained from fresh leaves and bark. This study showed that the density of N. glauca is high in areas where grazing had eliminated competition from native shrubs and grasses. N. glauca is potentially a serious weed along the Olary Creek and ephemeral lake boundaries. Management strategies such as reducing grazing pressure from native and introduced animals and/or effective eradication programs should be adopted, to minimize further infestation.

This paper analyses the pattern of income support penalties applied to people participating in remote employment services over the period from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2018. Between 30,000 and 37,000 unemployed Australians were participating in these services at any given time over this period. Over 80% were identified as Indigenous. While remote program participants were covered by the same social security rules as those in non-remote areas, the programs that they participated in imposed different obligations on them and included different incentives for providers. These differences were justified by government officials on the basis that they were tailored to the unique circumstances of remote communities. The paper describes how the combination of more stringent obligations and inadequate protections for vulnerable people have contributed to a substantial escalation in penalties. Despite this, there is no sign that the participation of remote Indigenous people in employment services is increasing. In fact, there is evidence that many are rejecting the program

In semi-arid regions, woody floodplain plants have developed methods of tolerance to both flooding and drought. Understanding the limits of tolerance to drought is critical to the efforts of restoring these communities. In Australia, Tangled Lignum (Duma florulenta (Meisn.) T. M. Schust) is an ecologically significant floodplain shrub that dominates large areas of the Murray–Darling and Lake Eyre Basins. This study investigates the resilience of lignum plants to dry periods by examining the capacity of plants to regenerate from dormancy. In particular, this study sought to test the hypothesis that lignum regeneration is influenced by increasing duration of dormancy. Variability in regeneration response across the study period was also looked at in relation to regional rainfall and flow. Lignum plants were surveyed at 12 sites on the Murray River floodplain in north-western Victoria. Sites were monitored seven times between 2006–07 and 2012–13. This study found that although lignum can regenerate from dormancy, regeneration is not guaranteed and the likelihood of successful regeneration varies among locations and diminishes with increasing length of dormancy. Lignum communities should be managed to maintain condition and resilience to drought in order to give lignum plants the greatest chance of regeneration success.

Detection of vegetation change in arid Australian rangelands at different scales and with different ground-based techniques was investigated. Changes caused by grazing could not be detected without stratifying for spatial patterns at fine scales. Temporal variation in rainfall and grazing was such that species numbers fluctuated markedly; numbers were best assessed when favourable conditions produced the maximum response. More heavily grazed sites supported fewer species and composition was unstable over time; there was a threshold beyond which recovery did not occur. Several species were identified as useful indicators but it was not possible to reduce them to functional groups, to simplify interpretation.

Overall, the Australian population is ageing. The 2018 median Australian age was 37.2, which is estimated to grow to a median age of 39.0 in the year 2028. In 2018, people aged 65 years and over made up 15.6% of Australia’s population. This is projected to increase to 22% in 2061 and to 25% in 2101. As people live longer, the prevalence of chronic diseases will increase, resulting in increased health service utilisation by older Australians.

The introduction of money into previously non-monetary, alternative economies can lead to many socio-cognitive tensions, if money is perceived as having been imposed from the ?outside?, and disconnected from traditional ways of life. In this paper, we employ the lens of institutional theory to frame the phenomenon of money-use in remote Indigenous Australia. Through an immersive study in two remote communities, we develop themes of socio-cognitive tensions that arise as a result of disparity in exchange logics governing marketplace exchange in monetary marketplaces vis-a-vis historically non-monetary alternative economies. We draw upon emergent insights, and derive macro-marketing implications for the design of marketplace-literacy education, aimed at alleviating these tensions and enhancing well-being.

Woody shrub encroachment has been linked to environmental changes associated with pastoralism, such as fire regime shifts and overgrazing, throughout Earth's rangelands. Extinction of native fauna that are consumers of shrubs has also accompanied pastoralism in many areas; however fauna declines have rarely been considered as a driver of encroachment. Here we investigate the interacting impacts that wildfire and functional extinction of native granivorous rodents and a small introduced herbivore, the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), have on shrub seedling density in the Strzelecki Desert, Australia. Using data from field surveys conducted following wildfires in 2012, we show that shrub seedling densities were higher at burned than unburned sites in areas where rodents and rabbits were rare. However, at sites where rodents and rabbits were common, seedling densities were higher at unburned than burned sites and rodent activity was greater on burned sites during an optimal recruitment period. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that post-fire shrub recruitment is facilitated by the extinction of small mammals which consume shrubs and their seeds. Our study suggests that “rewilding” of small mammal assemblages may provide a mechanism to curb shrub encroachment.

The methods of assessment and monitoring of human impacts in remote arid lands are examined by taking as a case study contemporary oil exploration in the southern Simpson Desert of South Australia. The characteristics of arid ecosystems suggest that accelerated erosion is the most important process to monitor, and the efficacy of three remote sensing systems (Landsat, large-scale aerial photography and traditional field photographic techniques) is compared. On the basis of these evaluations, a cost model is suggested as a guide in formulating optimal multistage frameworks for monitoring remote arid sites.

This study investigated the diet and reproductive cycle of the southern sandslider skink Lerista labialis, in the dunefields of the Simpson Desert, central Australia. We dissected preserved specimens to obtain gut contents and measure gonad volume, and also live-captured animals from 1999 to 2000 to assess the impact of rainfall on population structure and body condition. This skink breeds during the austral summer. Males start spermatogenesis in July and testes volume is largest in December. Females have enlarged ovarian follicles in November and produce oviducal eggs from November to February. One or more clutches of two eggs are produced per breeding season. L. labialis specializes on termites, which represent 78% of the diet by percentage occurrence. The remaining 22% of this skink's diet comprises Hemiptera, Neuroptera and unknown prey items. Body condition, and probably increased reproduction and juvenile survival, were higher in 2000 (wet year) than 1999 (relatively dry year); proportion of juveniles also increased in the population in autumn, winter and summer 2000 compared to the previous year. Late rainfall in autumn 2000 may have triggered these demographic changes by increasing prey accessibility. Long-term research is required into growth rates, longevity and inter-annual population dynamics of L. labialis to fully evaluate its life history strategy.

This paper demonstrates how the voices of people affected by a policy can contribute to evaluation quality and utilisation. In this participatory mixed-methods approach, Indigenous Australians in remote parts of the Northern Territory of Australia were involved in evaluation of an intervention that significantly affected their daily lives. The evaluation was inspired by the ideas and values demonstrated in a both-ways learning model. This mixed-methods approach combines a people-centered participatory methodology with a more standardised policy-focused application of survey methods to contribute to policy development and local planning.The aim of the study was to hear from local people in communities and encourage them to share their views about changes in community safety. It provided a voice for Indigenous Australians affected by the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER), which sought to protect children in 73 Indigenous communities across the Northern Territory. The aim of the NTER was to create safer communities and to improve health, nutrition, educational outcomes, service delivery and engagement with Indigenous people. Regardless of views about the NTER, a clear gap in the evidence base for evaluation was to understand if people felt safer after the intervention. Increased police, safe houses, night patrols, health services, family support services and management of income support payments were introduced, but what did Indigenous people living in remote communities think? What was their experience and what will happen to the information they may choose to share?Adopting a mixed-methods approach that included a large-scale survey and qualitative research conducted with local Indigenous residents of remote communities strengthened evaluative findings, particularly for policy makers and community residents. A participatory research cycle was used to engage local people and return results in an ethical feedback process that aimed to build capacity on the ground and link into future planning. We sought to promote the role of evaluation in remote Northern Territory communities as a worthwhile way for local people to share their voice, stories and experiences with the policy makers whose decisions can so significantly affect their lives.

Education for Australian First Nations students living in remote communities has long been seen as an intractable problem. Ten years of concerted effort under Closing the Gap and related policy initiatives has done little to change outcomes beyond small, incremental improvements. Programmes and strategies promising much have come and gone, and most have died a quiet death. This apparent failure leaves the context of remote education ripe for the picking. If we can demonstrate what works and why, it may provide an answer to the problem. This systematic review aims to uncover what research reveals about what does make a difference to outcomes for students. The review found 45 papers that provide considerable evidence to show what is and is not effective. The review also found several issues that have little or no evidence and which could be the subject of more research.

Water is a scarce resource in arid regions, and hence water harvesting is critically important in these regions for which many different means are adopted including groundwater and rainwater harvesting. This paper examines the feasibility of rainwater harvesting from roof catchments in arid regions of Australia. For this, ten representative locations in the arid regions of Australia are selected. Also, ten different sizes of rainwater tanks ranging from 5 kL to 50 kL and three different combinations of water uses are considered. A model is developed to simulate the performance of a rainwater harvesting (RWH) system. It is found that the reliability of a RWH system is highly dependent on mean annual rainfall at the location of interest. It is found that a 20 kL tank can provide a reliability of 61%–97% for toilet and laundry use depending on the location within the Australian arid regions. At the current water price, RWH system is not financially viable in the Australian arid regions. The methodology adopted in this paper can be adapted to other similar arid regions of the world.

Rural and remote environments are challenging places in which to achieve health and well-being. In this woman-centered, grounded theory study, I explored the meaning of health and well-being as well as how it is achieved from the perspective of women living in remote inland parts of Australia. The study was based on semistructured interviews with 23 women living in geographically remote areas. The findings are presented as a model of the capacity to flourish. Flourishing describes an optimal achievable state of well-being, delineated by four interrelated dimensions of experience: control, connecting, belonging, and identity. I identify individual, contextual, and structural factors that enable and constrain the capacity to flourish. The findings suggest that approaches to understanding and promoting women?s health in remote areas should be more holistic and contextual.

Closing the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians relies, in part, on addressing the poor levels of nutrition in remote Indigenous communities (RIC). This article identifies and maps key influencers of food choice at the point-of-purchase (POP) in Australian RIC and identifies gaps in our knowledge. It is based on a narrative review of the literature pertaining to food in RIC from a range of disciplinary perspectives including nutrition, ethnography, public health, anthropology, and remote health to map POP drivers of food choice. In particular, the role of habit is identified as a key factor that has previously not been discussed in the literature. The conceptual framework can be used as a basis for future POP research in RIC and provides guidance for social marketers, public health, nutrition, and policy workers operating in this field.

People with disabilities living in rural and remote areas often have insufficient access to the allied health services that they require. Telepractice has emerged as a promising solution, yet little is known about whether it is possible to deliver quality disability therapy services via technology or of the considerations required to achieve positive outcomes. Multiple case studies using mixed methods were conducted to achieve in-depth examination of the telepractice services received by four children with disabilities and their families living in rural and remote Australia. Data analysis indicated that telepractice services were highly acceptable to parents and teachers and supported children to achieve positive outcomes for a variety of functional goals related to speech-language pathology and occupational therapy. Findings indicated that quality telepractice can deliver services consistent with contemporary disability expectations. Of critical importance were the skills of allied health professionals to facilitate person-centred practice and strong therapeutic relationships with children, parents, and other stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for children. Our findings indicate that telepractice is a legitimate option for therapy service delivery that has the potential to provide people with disabilities increased choice and control over the services they receive.