Remote Australia Online

This monograph presents a rigorous quantitative assessment, against normative criteria, of the housing requirements of Indigenous people, and in doing so makes an important contribution to knowledge about the interrelationship between environmental health and economic status. This work provides, for the first time, national estimates of the housing need of Indigenous Australians, the regional variations between States and Territories and the 36 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission regional councils. It also provides a measure of their relative need compared to the non-Indigenous population, as well as the change over time between 1986 and 1991 with intercensal analysis. It will thus be an essential document for all policy makers and program managers in the housing arena at Commonwealth, State and Territory, regional and local levels, providing a baseline from which to assess Indigenous housing need and a guide to resource allocation.

Overviews government policies of intervention in the lives of Aboriginal families in the south-west of Western Australia; definitions of Aboriginality affected levels of service provided to Aboriginal people; part-Aboriginal children were placed in the legal guardianship of the state from 1905-1963; separation of families; removal of children; education; citizenship; youth homelessness; Aboriginal families today.

This special issue explores various dimensions of social justice from a global perspective and the national specificity of Australia. It particularly focuses on the issues of race and racism, woman and social justice, and the legal dimension of social justice. It includes pieces on Koori (aboriginal) struggles; multiculturalism; the issues of gender inequality, domestic violence, and paternalism; and law and social justice.

Colonisation is a key feature of modernity. The imperatives of modernity are space-conquering economic growth and its attendant processes of statist order building. Indigenous peoples, with their place-based, sustainable, state-free social order, have been chronic obstacles to modernisation to be overcome by whatever means - typically by violence concealed behind liberal legalities. The legal fiction that Australia was terra nullius (land of no one) justified the territorial acquisition of this continent and expropriation of Australia’s Indigenous people, denied their personhood, culture and governance systems, and legitimated their exclusion from most benefits of modernisation. The violence of this exclusion has been masked by law and ideologically managed by official and institutional denial. This article focuses on explaining the centrality of exclusion to modernity, and the consequences of exclusion still manifest in the placelessness of Australia’s Indigenous citizens and their de facto designation as non-citizens.

In this paper, drawing on in-depth interviews, we illustrate that despite the significant overall increase in the wealth of older Australians over the last two decades, a sizeable proportion of older Australians (65 and over) are in a vulnerable accommodation situation and many face the possibility of finding themselves homeless. This is especially so for those older Australians who are dependent on government for their income and are living in private rented accommodation. We show that the changing nature of the housing market means that often our informants were not able to find affordable, adequate and secure accommodation. The death of a spouse, rent increases and eviction are common precipitators of a slide into a situation of imminent homelessness. The restructuring of the welfare state and the virtual freeze on the building of social housing means that older private renters who face eviction often have nowhere to turn. Besides not being able to rely on the market or government, many have minimal or no family and social networks.

Approaches to providing stable housing and sustaining tenancies for Indigenous women are affected by their high mobility and poor service access, and compounded by differences between the structures and definitions of current services and perceptions of homelessness by Indigenous women. One hundred and four Indigenous women were recruited for interviews from temporary accommodation services in Darwin (64%) and Brisbane and Cherbourg (36%). The women were aged 19 to 63 years and nearly half were caring for children aged less than 18 years old. Three informal focus groups were held with women in temporary accommodation, two in urban Darwin and one in the town of Nhulunbuy (NT). Interviews were also held with Indigenous crisis accommodation providers, health and domestic violence services. The key findings of the research are: The high mobility and disconnection from community life of these women and their children means that they are often hidden and that standard homelessness services are unable to maintain contact with them. Factors contributing to the homelessness of these women and children include drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, family violence and debt. Feelings of shame and low literacy can prevent such women from: seeking help, reporting family violence, gaining access to services, and attending training programs.

Access by Indigenous people to mainstream public housing has increased by around 75 per cent between June 2000 and June 2004 (up from 6339 to 11 087 households respectively). There is a need to further boost the stock of larger dwellings to reduce overcrowding for Indigenous households in mainstream public housing, and to continue to improve the sustainability of tenancies. The research design had four elements: • A review of international literature on tenant incentive schemes. • An audit of Australian tenant incentive schemes. • Interviews with housing managers, tenant and community sector peak bodies. • Focus groups with tenants. The key findings of the research are: • Despite concerns about managing anti-social behaviour amongst some public housing tenants, implementation of tenant incentive schemes is small scale in Australia. • States and Territories, except Victoria, have implemented small scale tenant incentive schemes such as garden and tenant of the month competitions. • Housing managers' perceptions of tenant incentive schemes are that the benefits are marginal, they increase staff workload, run counter to the dominant philosophy of tenancy management, and promote inequalities amongst tenants.

This paper provides a conceptual framework for understanding why and how indigenous cultures require culturally specific management practices in social housing, using Australian Aboriginals to illustrate the ideas. The framework is adapted from the field of intercultural management and is used to reveal how social housing provision and management for Australia’s indigenous population has largely failed to provide culturally appropriate solutions.

Aboriginal households in Dajarra, Alpurrurulam and Mt Isa, while exceptionally mobile by Australian mainstream standards, are relatively stable in their customary attachment to their home community, local bush country, cultural region, and regional centre. There is a need to balance the local provision of housing and other services to outlying remote and rural communities and to rationalise service provision in regional centres.

Spatial Mobility Among Indigenous Australians: Patterns and Determinants

Despite the potential for government employment policies to influence the rate and incidence of migration among the Aboriginal workforce, little is known about the extent to which such policy impacts occur. This paper seeks to construct a base line for identifying these impacts by establishing the spatial structure of labour migration among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. It makes use of 1986 Census data to describe the volume and pattern of net and gross flows of working age Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders through the national settlement system. Significant differences are found between the spatial structure of movements occurring within remote areas as opposed to those taking place within closely settled parts of the country. It is suggested that the geography of the Commonwealth Employment Service network may partly serve to reinforce this variation. Whether changes in Aboriginal employment policy in the late 1980s have sustained, exaggerated or reversed the migration patterns revealed here awaits comparison with 1991 Census results.

“The characteristic of the Indigenous population which is widely acknowledged to have consequences for the efficient delivery of services is a propensity for frequent mobility over the short-term. At the same time, this is the one demographic variable where hard data and understanding are grossly deficient. This paper explores various dimensions of this dilemma with a view to considering potential implications for policy. It opens by reviewing what we know about short-term movement and extends this knowledge using an innovative technique for establishing the rate and pattern of short-term population displacement from census data. Other indicators of short-term movement are highlighted from household surveys and administrative data sets on the duration of stay in non-private dwellings. On the basis of this, recommendations are made regarding the use of usual residence data in rural areas and resident counts in urban areas for global estimation of service demand. Also stressed is the importance of including visitors in estimates of household size and composition. Finally, the limitations of official data collections on short-term movement are highlighted with a call for greater community-based research.”

The West Kimberley region of Western Australia is the latest potential focus of the minerals boom currently sweeping many parts of remote Australia. The major impetus is provided by the Browse gas project off the North West Shelf, while other mining initiatives are emergent alongside an expansion of tourism and aquaculture industries. These stirrings in the regional economy are set against a background of new administrative arrangements in Indigenous affairs and sustained projected growth in the Indigenous population. Not surprisingly, there have been growing demands for a detailed profile of socioeconomic conditions in the region set within a framework of understanding the dynamics of Indigenous labour demand and supply. In responding to this need, this study injects statistical information and analysis into deliberations regarding development futures and their possible impacts in the region. As such, it also provides a baseline against which any subsequent monitoring of impacts can take place.

This paper provides, for the first time, comparative national parameters of Indigenous population mobility. Using a customised 54 region internal migration matrix from the 1991 Census, preliminary findings are presented in regard to three broad perspectives on mobility. First, an analysis is provided of the relative propensity for Indigenous people to migrate. Secondly, the effects of migration on spatial redistribution are examined, particularly in regard to regional patterns of net migration gain and loss and the relative balance of population flows between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. Finally, the pattern of inter-regional migration flows is explored with a view to defining spatial networks of movement. Although Indigenous people are found to migrate at the same rate as the rest of the population, it is clear that their mobility behaviour is quite different from that of the general population. In particular, the pattern of Indigenous spatial interaction is found to be a far more localised phenomenon. A number of policy implications are identified in relation to the limitations of census data for migration analysis in remote areas, the variable effect of mobility on regional population change, and the estimation of client populations for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) regional councils in the face of widespread mobility.

A project under way at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research aims to establish, for the first time, comparative national parameters of Indigenous population mobility with particular reference to four distinct mobility perspectives, namely: the overall propensities to migrate, the net effect of migration on spatial redistribution, patterns of migration flow and resulting spatial networks, and the spatio-temporal sequence of individual movements over the life course. The first step in this process, presented here, involves a comprehensive review of the scope and content of existing research on Indigenous and non-Indigenous population mobility. This summary examination is necessary to identify gaps in understanding and thereby outline likely priorities for future research. The results show that quite different concerns and methodologies are evident in the literature on Indigenous population mobility compared with that pertaining to the movement of the Australian population generally. This, in part, reflects the often distinct cultural, demographic and economic contexts in which mobility occurs, but it is also indicative of a variable disciplinary bias in the analysis of migration. Major deficiencies are revealed in understanding some of the basic facets of Indigenous movement propensities and spatial redistribution relative to what is known for the rest of the population. As far as information regarding migration flows and the sequence of population movements is concerned, this deficit is commonly shared. In order to overcome these gaps in understanding standard techniques of migration analysis using census data are proposed. This paper considers the determinants of employment income for Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression techniques are applied to 1991 Census data to consider the question: does the lower income of these Indigenous people reflect differences in their factor endowments (like education) rewarded in the labour market, or are they rewarded differently for the same set of endowments than are non-Indigenous Australians. The results show that the main source of lower incomes for Indigenous Australians was their smaller endowment of human capital characteristics. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of these results.

“The largest escalation of mining activity in Australian history is currently underway in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Pilbara-based transnational resource companies recognise that major social and economic impacts on Indigenous communities in the region are to be expected and that sound relations with these communities and the pursuit of sustainable regional economies involving greater Indigenous participation provide the necessary foundations for a social licence to operate. This study examines the dynamics of demand for Indigenous labour in the region, and the capacity of local supply to respond. A special feature of this study is the inclusion of qualitative data reporting the views of local Indigenous people on the social and economic predicaments that face them. The basic message conveyed is that little has been achieved over the past four decades in terms of enhancing Indigenous socioeconomic status in the Pilbara. On the basis of planned economic development and corporate interest in pursuing Indigenous engagement, progress is now possible but major efforts are required from all interested stakeholders (Indigenous organisations, miners and governments) in order to ensure that this occurs.”

The majority of Indigenous Australians live in capital cities and regional centres and, as a result of a history of poverty and neglect, this group have experienced some of the worst housing and associated living conditions in the country. The right to housing is embodied in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the ‘ICESCR’) to which Australia is a signatory. As a result, Australia must ensure the full realisation of the right to adequate housing. The limited response of State and Federal Governments to the question of housing for Indigenous peoples is in violation of Australia’s obligations. This article examines issues of homelessness, overcrowding and rates of home ownership amongst Indigenous communities in Australia as indicators of the protection (or otherwise) of the right to housing of Indigenous peoples by the Federal and State Governments. It sets out the international law relevant to this issue and examines the extent to which this is applicable in domestic law. More specifically, the article introduces the development proposal for Redfern and ‘the Block’ area in particular being put forward by the New South Wales (‘NSW’) Government to illustrate the issues being addressed.

This final report on the findings from the Hanover Family Longitudinal Outcomes Study (HFLOS), is an integrated account of the changes that families experienced over the two-year period of the study. As such, it includes findings based on five waves of data collection referred to as: the baseline, 6-month wave, 12-month wave, 18-month wave, and the 24-month wave. It focuses on the changes experienced in the key areas highlighted in the two earlier reports: housing, income, employment and education, use of welfare services, support networks, child development and parent wellbeing.

Young people facing or experiencing homelessness in rural Australia have different experiences to their urban contemporaries. The foyer model is one response that could help young rural people establish themselves, without relocating them to cities away from their support networks. KEY POINTS • Young people (aged 16-25 years) in rural areas experience homelessness very differently to their urban peers, due to limited employment and education options and inadequate formal support networks. Young people in regional centres, such as Mt Baker, Mt Gambier, Launceston and Ballarat, preferred to stay in the region rather than access accommodation and emergency services in larger cities or towns, indicating that family and friendship support was essential to their wellbeing, connections that would be lost by relocation to urban services. • Gender is particularly significant in the pathway into and experience of homelessness affecting the reasons why young people are at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness and their ability to access services and accommodation. Further, race, sexuality, the presence of children and/or pets, employment status, and disability has an effect on young people’s access to services and accommodation. • Children and youth who had been placed into the care system and were under the ‘care of the Minister’ are very likely to experience homelessness, particularly in the context of insufficient foster places for vulnerable teenagers. Additionally, young people from low income families who have previously experienced homelessness are more likely to become homeless themselves. • Young people, generally, do not access services until they become homeless and often access services in an ad hoc manner, including Centrelink. This is generally due to the fact that they are not aware of services that can support them before they become homeless. Additionally, the young people are unlikely to be aware of the variety of benefits and assistance available to them (including through Centrelink), generally only accessing assistance through preestablished connections. This is particularly true for young men.

This report presents the outcomes of a research project conducted by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) Queensland Research Centre (UQ) on the characteristics and themes of the Australian Indigenous housing literature. The report examines the Indigenous housing literature from the 1970s through to the 2000s. The aim of this project was to critically review the literature on Indigenous Housing in Australia with a view to conceptualising the body of knowledge on the subject in theoretically and practically useful ways, and identifying gaps and unresolved research issues that have a bearing on the creation and maintenance of a reasonable quality of residential lifestyle for Indigenous people. The research investigated the characteristics of this field of research and its key themes. The project considers the relationship of the existing body of Indigenous housing research to the ‘Building a Better Future’ (BBF) vision and its projected Indigenous housing outcomes as established by the Housing Ministers’ Advisory Council of Australia in 2001. This report provides a substantial resource and reference for ongoing housing research. The report is structured so that specific Indigenous housing research themes or issues can be easily accessed and read independently or as a whole.

While young people living in rural areas face many of the challenges confronting urban youth, they are distinguished by factors that make their experiences of homelessness distinctive. This includes particular difficulties in finding employment; tight rental housing markets; and fewer services for homeless young people. Services for homeless young people tend to be concentrated in larger regional centres. Governments, in partnership with communities, can take steps to address these issues, with the foyer models, developed and implemented in Europe, offering considerable potential as a practical strategy of dealing with homeless young people living outside the capital cities. This project aimed to develop models of good practice in dealing with homeless young people in rural areas. Homelessness is often considered to be a problem of the capital cities and major urban areas, but there is a growing awareness of the non-metropolitan homeless population. Conventional accommodation services and supports may not be appropriate for homeless young people in rural areas, but it may be impossible to provide specialist facilities due to the sparseness of the population and limited resources. The shortage of both public and private rental stock in many non-metropolitan regions generates significant difficulties for many young people. Young people may become homeless because of limited housing opportunities in the private market and, once assisted, their transition from supported living to independence may be impeded by the same restricted access to stock. The researchers worked with accommodation support services in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia to: document the pathways into, and out of, homelessness for rural youth; determine the special challenges confronting homeless young people in the country compared with those in the cities; examine the national and international literature on models of service delivery to meet the needs of homeless youth; document current practice within Australia; and, develop and test models for improving service delivery to this group.

To conduct comprehensive treatment effectiveness studies, evaluators must frequently track, locate and interview service recipients long after program participation has ended. For some populations, this is an arduous task. But, despite wide variations in retention rates, the published literature from follow-up studies rarely provides information on their tracking, locating, or interviewing techniques. The present report concerns a 12-month follow-up study of individuals who were homeless and mentally ill, which achieved a remarkably high retention rate—over 70%. Quantitative information is presented on client characteristics related to locatability and agreement to be interviewed, as well as qualitative information on successful techniques, from a focus group session with research interviewers.

A survey of the housing needs of 101 people with mentally illness treated by the Central Western Area Mental Health Service were compared with data from the 1994 Australian Housing Study (Australian Bureau of Statistics). The results indicate that people with mental illness want housing similar to Australians in general. However, unemployment or very low incomes may affect their ability to realise their housing choices. Despite very low incomes most in the survey felt their rent was affordable. Preferences for housing types and factors relating to housing choice are described. The results are discussed in relation to the importance of housing in maintaining mental health.

This paper highlights the barriers that impede arriving to a solution by using the Western Australian Equal Opportunity Legal Forum, and suggests that "housing reconciliation" can only be achieved by both sides acknowledging the issues that each side ignore in their struggle to defend their positions. Admitting that "the emperor has no clothes on" is, in my view, the first step towards achieving "housing reconciliation". Our legal institutions work on the underlying assumption that the system works. This one-size-fits-all approach must be challenged. But questioning the functionality and adequacy of the legal system meets resistance. When hundreds of Aboriginal tenants lodge hundreds of complaints against Homeswest over several years, and from those hundreds only three cases end up being heard by the Tribunal, when in the history of the Act, of these three cases, only one has been successful, and when the one that has been successful only gets a shallow remedy, something is telling me that the system is not working for everyone, and that the "one-size-fits-all" approach is not achieving the Act's ultimate goal: the elimination of unlawful discrimination.

Despite the fact that indigenous Australians are known to be frequently mobile over the short term, statistical information regarding this population movement is grossly deficient. This has implications for the efficient and equitable delivery of services because such mobility impacts on the level and composition of service demand over time and space. This paper examines various means by which short-term population movement can be quantified to yield aggregate indicators of demographic impact. First, census data are used to establish the rate and pattern of inter-regional, short-term displacement. This reveals regional urban centres as net recipients of temporary residents while most rural areas experience temporary absenteeism. Secondly, results from household surveys are reported stressing the importance of including visitors to households in the estimation of service populations. Thirdly, administrative data on occupancy in urban hostels are used to derive indicators of the duration of movement. In conclusion, a number of policy and research implications are examined.