Remote Australia Online

Based on the current research of the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation, this chapter presents an analysis of the 2012 Australian National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy data from very remote schools across Australia. The data support perceptions of apparent failure in remote education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The reasons for this failure are often attributed to disadvantage. In this chapter, the author proposes that the perceptions of failure are built on philosophical, sociological, economic, and psychological assumptions that may not be shared by those who are subjected to tests. It is therefore possible to critique remote education, not as a failure, but as a reflection of the values it embodies. That critique allows for different ways of understanding difference framed around the perspectives that come from the context of very remote schools.

This book distils learnings from a five-year research project conducted by the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation’s Remote Education Systems team, into one volume. The book is designed for educators, policy advisors, teacher educators and remote community members. Not only does it share what the project found, but it has several practical applications. Most importantly it tells the story of remote Aboriginal community members who want the very best out of education for their children—those who are grounded in the ‘red dirt’. It is a resource that we hope will be used for years to come. The book sheds light on the failures of the past, but offers solutions that will hopefully prevent the same failures from happening in the future.

This book addresses the socio-economic impacts of rapid economic development due to a global mining boom. It reviews the efforts taken by communities, governments and companies in Australia to deliver enduring benefits while minimising the negative consequences of rapid growth. In particular, the effects and tensions of new workforce arrangements, worker mobility and condensed mine life cycles on communities and economies are explored. Split into two parts, the first part of the book details various issues related to the socio-economic impacts of Labour Force Mobility and Rapid Economic Growth, while the second part focuses on measuring the socio-economic impacts of Rapid Economic Growth. Chapter contributors have technical and scientific backgrounds which have been informed by social perspectives. They understand the technical and economic spheres of the resources industries and recognize the gaps in the public policy which hinder regional economic development during a period of extraordinary growth and opportunity. The book is a useful resource for practitioners in the public policy, resources, community planning and economic development sectors as well as students in business, regional planning and human resources. Contents: 1 Long-Distance Commuting in Australia. Fiona M. Haslam McKenzie 2 The Socio-economic Impacts of Long-Distance Commuting on People and Communities. Fiona M. Haslam McKenzie 3 Analysing the Spatial Distribution of Changing Labour Force Dynamics in the Pilbara. Kate Rampellini and Bert Veenendaal 4 Reshaping Rural Communities ‘at a Distance’: The Resource Boom, FIFO and Non-mining Towns. Rachel Chapman, Matthew Tonts and Paul Plummer 5 Economic Impact Analysis in a Resource Industry Boom. Bryan M. Maybee and Daniel J. Packey 6 The Development Prospects of FIFO Source Communities. Fiona McKenzie 7 The Potential Value of Lifecycle Planning for Resource Communities and the Influence of Labour Force Mobility. Stuart Robertson and Neil Argent 8 Fly-In/Fly-Out Accommodation: Workers’ Perspectives. Anne M. Sibbel, Elizabeth Kaczmarek and Deirdre Drake 9 Aboriginal Mine Workers: Opportunities and Challenges of Long-Distance Commuting. Fiona M. Haslam McKenzie and Aileen Hoath 10 International Long-distance Commuting in the Resources Sector: Why Do Resource Workers Choose to Work in Australia but Live in Bali? Aileen Hoath and Amanda Davie

This book addresses the socio-economic impacts of rapid economic development due to a global mining boom. It reviews the efforts taken by communities, governments and companies in Australia to deliver enduring benefits while minimising the negative consequences of rapid growth. In particular, the effects and tensions of new workforce arrangements, worker mobility and condensed mine life cycles on communities and economies are explored. Split into two parts, the first part of the book details various issues related to the socio-economic impacts of Labour Force Mobility and Rapid Economic Growth, while the second part focuses on measuring the socio-economic impacts of Rapid Economic Growth. Chapter contributors have technical and scientific backgrounds which have been informed by social perspectives. They understand the technical and economic spheres of the resources industries and recognize the gaps in the public policy which hinder regional economic development during a period of extraordinary growth and opportunity. The book is a useful resource for practitioners in the public policy, resources, community planning and economic development sectors as well as students in business, regional planning and human resources.

This book addresses the socio-economic impacts of rapid economic development due to a global mining boom. It reviews the efforts taken by communities, governments and companies in Australia to deliver enduring benefits while minimising the negative consequences of rapid growth. In particular, the effects and tensions of new workforce arrangements, worker mobility and condensed mine life cycles on communities and economies are explored. Split into two parts, the first part of the book details various issues related to the socio-economic impacts of Labour Force Mobility and Rapid Economic Growth, while the second part focuses on measuring the socio-economic impacts of Rapid Economic Growth. Chapter contributors have technical and scientific backgrounds which have been informed by social perspectives. They understand the technical and economic spheres of the resources industries and recognize the gaps in the public policy which hinder regional economic development during a period of extraordinary growth and opportunity. The book is a useful resource for practitioners in the public policy, resources, community planning and economic development sectors as well as students in business, regional planning and human resources.

This book addresses the socio-economic impacts of rapid economic development due to a global mining boom. It reviews the efforts taken by communities, governments and companies in Australia to deliver enduring benefits while minimising the negative consequences of rapid growth. In particular, the effects and tensions of new workforce arrangements, worker mobility and condensed mine life cycles on communities and economies are explored. Split into two parts, the first part of the book details various issues related to the socio-economic impacts of Labour Force Mobility and Rapid Economic Growth, while the second part focuses on measuring the socio-economic impacts of Rapid Economic Growth. Chapter contributors have technical and scientific backgrounds which have been informed by social perspectives. They understand the technical and economic spheres of the resources industries and recognize the gaps in the public policy which hinder regional economic development during a period of extraordinary growth and opportunity. The book is a useful resource for practitioners in the public policy, resources, community planning and economic development sectors as well as students in business, regional planning and human resources.

This book addresses the socio-economic impacts of rapid economic development due to a global mining boom. It reviews the efforts taken by communities, governments and companies in Australia to deliver enduring benefits while minimising the negative consequences of rapid growth. In particular, the effects and tensions of new workforce arrangements, worker mobility and condensed mine life cycles on communities and economies are explored. Split into two parts, the first part of the book details various issues related to the socio-economic impacts of Labour Force Mobility and Rapid Economic Growth, while the second part focuses on measuring the socio-economic impacts of Rapid Economic Growth. Chapter contributors have technical and scientific backgrounds which have been informed by social perspectives. They understand the technical and economic spheres of the resources industries and recognize the gaps in the public policy which hinder regional economic development during a period of extraordinary growth and opportunity. The book is a useful resource for practitioners in the public policy, resources, community planning and economic development sectors as well as students in business, regional planning and human resources.

This book addresses the socio-economic impacts of rapid economic development due to a global mining boom. It reviews the efforts taken by communities, governments and companies in Australia to deliver enduring benefits while minimising the negative consequences of rapid growth. In particular, the effects and tensions of new workforce arrangements, worker mobility and condensed mine life cycles on communities and economies are explored. Split into two parts, the first part of the book details various issues related to the socio-economic impacts of Labour Force Mobility and Rapid Economic Growth, while the second part focuses on measuring the socio-economic impacts of Rapid Economic Growth. Chapter contributors have technical and scientific backgrounds which have been informed by social perspectives. They understand the technical and economic spheres of the resources industries and recognize the gaps in the public policy which hinder regional economic development during a period of extraordinary growth and opportunity. The book is a useful resource for practitioners in the public policy, resources, community planning and economic development sectors as well as students in business, regional planning and human resources.

Solanum centrale is a small Australian native plant adapted to arid environments which has a timeless tradition of use by Aboriginal peoples. In recent years, it has been incorporated in Australian bush food cuisine for its piquant flavour when used as a condiment in cooking and a flavouring in processed products. The fresh or dried fruit, although eaten in remote Aboriginal communities, is never sold for consumption as a whole fruit in commercial marketplaces. The flavour is considered by most to be rather acrid to be eaten whole in anything but small quantities, although as a flavouring ingredient, it imparts an attractive zest to food products. When used in processed products such as sauces, chutneys and dukkah, the S. centrale fruit content rarely exceeds 10%. Commercially, the term ‘bush tomato’ has been adopted for marketing purposes, although the correct common name is ‘desert raisin’; confusingly, the term ‘bush tomato’ officially pertains to several different edible species (Solanum chippendalei, S. diversiflorum, S. cleistogamum, S. coactiliferum and S. esuriale) and even one toxic species (S. quadriloculatum), but not to S. centrale (Latz, 1999). Of the thirteen main commercialized Australian native plant product species (including bush foods, flavourings and oils), Clarke (2012) ascertained that bush tomato was second only in production to the lemon myrtle industry; nonetheless, the total recorded farm-gate value in the year surveyed was little more than $0.5 M (AUD).

Poster: Harnessing technologies for the beef industry of remote Australia

Poster: A woman’s capacity – grass roots development of cattlewomen as leaders

Contemporary Aboriginal settlements: Understanding mixed-market approaches

Across Australia, regional bodies are working with communities and government to improve the use and management of natural resources. Remote regions present unique contexts and challenges for NRM compared to other regions due to:• variable climate • sparse population and • remoteness from markets and key decision makers. This study has focused on how NRM organisations across the Lake Eyre Basin can best engage with communities and government.

Microlaena stipoides (microlaena) is an important perennial grass in over 7 million hectares of native pastures in southern Australia and can survive and persist despite severe soil water deficits during summer. Many other pasture species survive similar conditions by relying on summer dormancy, which raises the possibility that microlaena may behave similarly. A field experiment using rainout shelters was conducted on an existing microlaena pasture in north-east Victoria. The experiment was a split-plot design with two watering treatments (‘summer storm’ or ‘summer dry’) as main plots and three defoliation treatments (nil, intense defoliation, strategic defoliation) as subplots. The ‘summer storm’ treatment resulted in the formation of new buds and tillers and increased basal cover from 1% in February to 18% in March. A glasshouse pot experiment examined the recovery of microlaena after different periods of drought and subsequent rewatering. In the pot experiment, microlaena withstood relatively short (up to 30 days) dry periods and then recovered when rewatered. Thus, it appears that microlaena is a persistent, perennial pasture plant that, although it survives very dry summers in Mediterranean areas, is not summer dormant. Microlaena does not exhibit summer dormancy in response to moisture stress and enter a quiescent stage, because normal growth is prevented by the lack of water, but it quickly recommences growth when soil water becomes available. The ability of microlaena to withstand summer soil water deficits and to recruit from seedlings make it a valuable pasture species across drought-prone environments, and this undoubtedly partly explains its very broad adaptation across eastern Australia.

RaNgelaNds ClusteR PROjeCtThis collaborative project will assist rangeland Natural Resource Management (NRM) groups to include planning for climate change impacts into their normal NRM planning processes to ensure: •informed decisions and strategic investments •long term sustainability of rangeland communities and industries.

In contrast to the widely perceived failure of government to adequately address the many challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in post colonial Australia, the Abo-riginal art movement has been a major national and international success. There have been four significant art sector reviews com-missioned by government identifying a range of issues that con-tinue to impact on the effective ongoing sustainable operations of remote Art Centres. These issues include business practices, governance, staff training, staff recruitment and retention, and infrastructure needs. Most Art Centres have seen falling sales, coinciding with a long term drop in profitability and increased dependency on funding. This affects financial and social resil-ience and sustainability of the individual artists and the commu-nity. Additionally, one of the more significant changes has seen a doubling of Art Centre funding. However, this new funding is for employment activities, not for the practise of art. This funding issue is related to the changing role of some Art Centres from predominately concentrating on the production and sale of art to concentrating on more social and cultural concerns. Despite these significant inquiries and their associated recommenda-tions, the policy and funding regimes for art centres have not resulted in improved stability or the anticipated increases in sales across the sector. Additionally, government policy making and at times radical changes in focus have also been determining factors.

Climate change is predicted to lead to warmer temperatures and more intense storms within the century in central and northern Australia. The ensuing impacts are anticipated to present immense challenges for remote communities, in terms of maintaining housing comfort, family health and wellbeing, engagement in education and employment, and community services and businesses. About 50 % of the Australian landmass is considered remote and it is home to a highly dispersed population of about half a million people (with 30 % being Indigenous people). Much of the population in remote Australia is considered highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change as they are highly exposed and sensitive to the impacts, with many having a low adaptive capacity. The lives of Aboriginal Australians living in remote communities are strongly influenced and governed by traditional customs, knowledge and practices. Even when living in large towns, people who are strongly connected to their country are able to blend knowledge from traditional and modern sources to adapt to the current climate. This article explores the extent of adaptive capacity of people to climate change in a small remote community and large service town in the Northern Territory of Australia and provides insights about their capacities and vulnerabilities. Results indicate that the social and cultural capital are of greater importance than commonly assessed and provide scope to enhance effective community-based climate adaptation.

Communities around the world adapt to warming climates in a number of ways. Adaptations can often be energy intensive or dependent on expensive infrastructure to cope with harsh weather, so the use of renewable energy and energy efficient housing is becoming an increasing feature in conversations about climate change adaptation. The cost of energy for households continues to increase, with this cost adding considerable financial pressure on low-income households in both developed and developing countries. The concept of ‘energy poverty’ is gaining utility around the world to highlight the prevalent dilemma faced by low-income households that they cannot afford the level of energy use to maintain their desired livelihood. In regions of the world with extended periods of extreme weather, households can allocate as much as 20 per cent of their budget on energy consumption to maintain comfortable housing. Research by the authors indicates that effective adaptation must not add to the financial burden on low-income households, if the liveability of Australia’s semi-arid region is to be sustained.

This book addresses the socio-economic impacts of rapid economic development due to a global mining boom. It reviews the efforts taken by communities, governments and companies in Australia to deliver enduring benefits while minimising the negative consequences of rapid growth. In particular, the effects and tensions of new workforce arrangements, worker mobility and condensed mine life cycles on communities and economies are explored. Split into two parts, the first part of the book details various issues related to the socio-economic impacts of Labour Force Mobility and Rapid Economic Growth, while the second part focuses on measuring the socio-economic impacts of Rapid Economic Growth. Chapter contributors have technical and scientific backgrounds which have been informed by social perspectives. They understand the technical and economic spheres of the resources industries and recognize the gaps in the public policy which hinder regional economic development during a period of extraordinary growth and opportunity. The book is a useful resource for practitioners in the public policy, resources, community planning and economic development sectors as well as students in business, regional planning and human resources.

This book addresses the socio-economic impacts of rapid economic development due to a global mining boom. It reviews the efforts taken by communities, governments and companies in Australia to deliver enduring benefits while minimising the negative consequences of rapid growth. In particular, the effects and tensions of new workforce arrangements, worker mobility and condensed mine life cycles on communities and economies are explored. Split into two parts, the first part of the book details various issues related to the socio-economic impacts of Labour Force Mobility and Rapid Economic Growth, while the second part focuses on measuring the socio-economic impacts of Rapid Economic Growth. Chapter contributors have technical and scientific backgrounds which have been informed by social perspectives. They understand the technical and economic spheres of the resources industries and recognize the gaps in the public policy which hinder regional economic development during a period of extraordinary growth and opportunity. The book is a useful resource for practitioners in the public policy, resources, community planning and economic development sectors as well as students in business, regional planning and human resources.

Extending lifecycles of housing in the builtenvironment through local capacities and effective service delivery is critical to sustaining the viability of remote desert settlements. Capacity for innovation is a fundamental attribute that enables people to actively participate in thisprocess.

Background: There remains an ongoing, urgent need for new drugs to combat human diseases. Plants have been a prime source of highly effective conventional drugs. The ethnopharmacological approach has been shown to be very successful.Aboriginal people maintain the oldest culture on Earth and have used plants as medicines for centuries. It is important to ensure that the Traditional Knowledge is protected such that benefits flow to Aboriginal people. Aims: To demonstrate how Western science can work with Aboriginal medicinal knowledge, with the goal of empowering Aboriginal communitiesboth culturally and economically. To use ethnomedical knowledge as a guide to identifying and developing plant compounds that may be useful in ameliorating or curing human diseases.

This chapter aims to examine technology studies which are both highly visible but rarely valued in almost every national curriculum. The first section of the chapter offers case studies of the way values, culture and context are implied in all technologies, drawing on cross-cultural work with technical projects in remote Indigenous Australian communities. Informed by the case studies, the second part of the chapter develops a theoretical model for the universal elements of technology. Teaching the skill of exploiting this holistic and universal approach to understanding technology is known as technacy education. Technacy in education is proposed as a third component of basic learning, alongside literacy and numeracy.

Waste paper is in large supply in landfills and increasing daily; especially where recycling is not economically feasible. Since termites obtain most of their energy requirements from the digestion of cellulose, there is an opportunity to utilise their services to break down this waste paper and utilise the resulting termite biomass as a food source for the aquaculture, pig, and poultry industries. Nutrients left behind in termite wastes may also be useful for horticultural purposes, particularly compost.

The importance of plants and other natural reserves as sources for biologically important compounds, particularly for application in food and medicine, is undeniable. Herein we provide a historical context of the major scientific research programs conducted in Australia that have been aimed at discovering novel bioactive natural products from terrestrial plants. Generally speaking, the main approaches used to guide the discovery of novel bioactive compounds from natural resources have included random, ethnobotanical and chemotaxonomic strategies. Previous Australian plant natural product research campaigns appear to have lacked the use of a fourth strategy with equally high potential, namely the ecologically guided approach. In addition, many large studies have sampled plant material predominantly from tropical regions of Australia, even though arid and semi-arid zones make up 70% of mainland Australia. Therefore, plants growing in arid zone environments, which are exposed to different external stressors (e.g. low rainfall, high ultraviolet exposure) compared with tropical flora, remain an untapped reservoir of potentially novel bioactive compounds. Research of Australian arid zone plants that is ecologically guided creates a new opportunity for the discovery of novel bioactive compounds from plants (and potentially other biota) for application in health care, food and agricultural industries.