The Working Paper Series

Sustainability: A case study of Ann Ingamells Working Paper and its environs 62 2010

Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs

Ann Ingamells Contributing author information

Dr Ann Ingamells teaches community development in the School of Human Services and Social Work at Griffith University.

This is a working paper of Core Project 4 – Sustainable Desert Settlements Research, of Desert Knowledge CRC, Core Project Manager: Dr Kurt Seemann, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University.

Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper #62

Information contained in this publication may be copied or reproduced for study, research, information or educational purposes, subject to inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source.

ISBN: 978 1 74158 152 4 (Web copy) ISSN: 1833-7309 (Web copy)

Citation Ingamells A. 2010. Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs, DKCRC Working Paper 62, Desert Knowledge CRC, Alice Springs.

The Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre is an unincorporated joint venture with 28 partners whose mission is to develop and disseminate an understanding of sustainable living in remote desert environments, deliver enduring regional economies and livelihoods based on Desert Knowledge, and create the networks to market this knowledge in other desert lands.

Acknowledgements

The Desert Knowledge CRC receives funding through the Australian Government Cooperative Research Centres Program. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Desert Knowledge CRC or its Participants.

For additional information please contact Desert Knowledge CRC Publications Officer PO Box 3971 Alice Springs NT 0871 Australia Telephone +61 8 8959 6000 Fax +61 8 8959 6048 www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au

© Desert Knowledge CRC 2010 Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells

Contents

List of tables ...... i Preface and acknowledgements...... ii Abstract ...... ii Sustainability – A case study of Birdsville and its environs ...... 1 General characteristics ...... 1 Education...... 6 Health ...... 6 Housing ...... 7 Facilities ...... 8 Religion ...... 9 Livelihoods...... 10 Stocks and flows – an overview ...... 11 Water...... 11 Power ...... 12 Food ...... 12 Metals and minerals ...... 13 Dust ...... 13 Communications ...... 13 Economy...... 13 The cattle industry...... 13 Road construction and plant hire...... 14 Tourism ...... 15 Conclusion...... 16 References...... 17

List of tables

Table 1: General characteristics: Birdsville and Bedourie ...... 2 Table 2: Shire characteristics...... 2 Table 3: Birdsville and Bedourie populations ...... 3 Table 4: Population projections...... 4 Table 5: Selected medians and averages by Aboriginal status, Diamantina and .. 4 Table 6: Individual income $ per week ...... 5 Table 7: Household income, Diamantina ...... 5 Table 8: Level of education by Aboriginal status, Diamantina Shire...... 6 Table 9: Type of educational institution attending, by Aboriginal status, Diamantina Shire... 6 Table 10: Tenure type...... 8 Table 11: Summary of facilities ...... 8 Table 12: Religious affiliation by Aboriginal status, Diamantina Shire ...... 9 Table 13: Industry of employment, Diamantina Shire ...... 10 Table 14: Occupation by Aboriginal status, Diamantina Shire ...... 10

Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs Desert Knowledge CRC i Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells

Preface and acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the and Yarluyandi People of Birdsville and environs, Diamantina Shire Council, residents of Birdsville and Bedourie for their welcome and willingness to share their local knowledge. Acknowledgements must also go to Colleen Wall and Bea Rogan who have made several trips to Diamantina with the author.

Abstract

This paper provides a general profile of Birdsville and its environs. It also discusses some of the features that contribute to sustainability, with a particular emphasis on local capacity and determination to translate locally existing stocks into flows that sustain human life and make the settlements viable. The paper draws on a range of secondary sources, particularly data available from Australian Bureau of Statistics, and it supplements this with learnings from several trips to Birdsville over the period July 2007 – June 2009. The paper concludes that an active community and effective governance have established the economic and social conditions that make sustainability possible. This achievement is the more meaningful for the recognition that vulnerability remains and in such a remote and arid region sustainability can never be taken for granted.

ii Desert Knowledge CRC Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells

Sustainability – A case study of Birdsville and its environs

Sustainably developing the Diamantina Shire Council motto

Walkabout (Walkabout 2008), the Fairfax Australian Travel Guide, describes Birdsville in the following way:

Located over 1600 km west of in the vast Diamantina Shire, Birdsville sits on the edge of the and operates like some kind of mysterious magnet to people who want to go to the most isolated place on the continent..

Photograph by Ann Ingamells

This paper provides a general profile of Birdsville and its environs. It discusses general characteristics and demographics, drawing largely on publicly available data. It illustrates some ways in which sustainability has been achieved through determined, and at times innovative, translation of stocks into flows that support human life and livelihood. In this it draws on the author’s regular visits to the area over the period July 2007 – June 2009. A number of features emerge as contributing to a level of sustainability, and these include strong local governance, an economic base consisting of three industries capable of offering full employment, that Aboriginal people remain on their traditional country, that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people work together for a good life in common, and that some local residents who have accumulated personal capital over the years have reinvested in vital infrastructure (shops, hotel) so that services remain collectively available.

General characteristics

Birdsville, in the west of Queensland (25º 53’S 139º 21’E), sits at the intersection of the Queensland, and borders. Established as Diamantina Crossing in 1881, the town was a customs depot and toll booth for moving livestock between South Australia and Queensland until federation. The name was changed to Birdsville in 1885 (Nolan 2003).

Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs Desert Knowledge CRC 1 Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells

Birdsville and Bedourie, two hundred kilometres away, are the only two towns in Diamantina Shire. There was a third town, Betoota, but it became uninhabited when the last resident died in 2004. Despite the 200 kilometres that separates them, Birdsville and Bedourie are closely related. There is much movement between them; they cooperate, compete, and their interdependence is one key to sustainability. Birdsville contributes the iconic status that attracts tourists and Bedourie is the administrative base for the Shire. Diamantina Shire covers almost 95,000 square kilometres and has a total population of 307. It is not easy to achieve sustainability in such small, remote and arid settlements, and the fate of Betoota stands as example of the desert’s readiness to reclaim what was once a vibrant settlement.

The Wangkangurru/Yarluyanda people of the Simpson Desert began to settle around Birdsville, which is part of their traditional country, during the big drought of the 1890s. Trips to the desert, taking along older and younger family members, remain a central part of life. Some of the older people still maintain unbroken connection to the Simpson Desert and there is a native title claim current. Traditional language is not spoken at home, and only a few community members have some facility with their traditional language. Families are now quite dispersed with younger generations settling elsewhere for careers and to raise families, but the pull to Country remains strong, and a core of people stay, with successive generations returning over time.

Table 1: General characteristics: Birdsville and Bedourie Birdsville Bedourie Year established 1887 1888 Distance from Brisbane 1593 1603 Distance from (kms) 1573 1764 Distance from Mt Isa (kms) 674 483 Birdsville–Bedourie distance 191 191 River Diamantina Eyre Creek Postcode 4482 4829

Nolan (2003) records the population of the Diamantina Divisional Board in 1900 as 600. However, the population has been around 300 since at least the 1970s.

Table 2: Shire characteristics Shire area 94,832 Shire population 307 No. of wards 1 No. of Councillors 7, reduced to 5 in 2008 Source: ABS 2008a

In settlements that are so remote and so small that markets barely operate, the role of governance, and local government specifically, is central to establishing conditions capable of sustaining life and making it possible for people to meet their aspirations. Governance operates in the tension between demographics that are so small and distances that are too great to cover, so it is difficult to sustain an economic base (Diamantina Shire Council 2007). The shires of far west Queensland resisted the recent Queensland local government amalgamations, fearing that their capacity to govern would be compromised by even greater distances than they currently contend with. A reduction in the number of Councillors was the only loss.

2 Desert Knowledge CRC Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells

Table 3: Birdsville and Bedourie populations Birdsville Bedourie People 115 142 Male 59 78 Female 56 64 Aboriginal* persons 39 40 0–4 9 8 5–14 13 16 15–24 11 26 25–54 60 72 55–64 12 12 +65 9 8 Source: ABS 2007a, 2007b ABS statistics use the term ‘Indigenous’, but we use the term ‘Aboriginal’ in deference to how people in Diamantina Shire refer to themselves.

Birdsville 2006 Census Aboriginal Birdsville 2006 Census Non-Aboriginal

Males Females Males Females

65+ 65 60- 60-+ 55-64 6455- 5950- 5950- 45-54 45-54

40- 4940- 49 4435- 35-44 3930- 3930- 3425- 3425- Age group 20-29 20-29 2415- Age group 2415- 10-19 10-19 145-9 145- 0-4 90- 4 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 10.0 20.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 Percentage Percentage

Bedourie 2006 Census Aboriginal Bedourie 2006 Census Non-Aboriginal Male Female Male Females s s s 65 65 60-+ 60-+ 55-64 6455- 5950- 5950- 45-54 45-54

4940-

4940- 4435- 35-44 3930- 3930- 3425- 3425- 20-29 Age group 20-29 2415- Age group 2415- 10-19 1910- 145- 145-9 0-9 0-4 4 10.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 Percentage Percentage

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Queensland 2006 Census Indigenous Queensland 2006 Census Non-Indigenous Males Females Males Females

65+ 65+ 60-64 60-64 55-59 55-59 50-54 50-54 45-49 45-49 40-44 40-44 35-39 35-39 30-34 30-34 25-29 Age groupAge 25-29 20-24 group Age 20-24 15-19 15-19 10-14 10-14 5-9 5-9 0-4 0-4 10.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 Percentage Percentage

Sources: ABS 2008b, 2008c, 2008d

Population numbers in Diamantina Shire are fairly stable. At the core of population sustainability are the Aboriginal population and long-term settler families. Both may leave from time to time and young people may leave for some periods of their lives, but the pull of Country is strong and a core population endures. The most significant mobility is seen among non-Aboriginal professionals, who leave 2–5 years after arriving, and young people. Since all young people go away to high school and many do not return, this is a significant loss to the community. The other mobility issue is that several families leave for the summer, which means that some businesses only operate from March to October.

Table 4: Population projections 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2026 324 326 304 310 310 311 311

Source: 2008Median age is increasing in Diamantina Shire, natural increase is small, and net migration hovers around +/-3 (Queensland Government 2008).

Table 5: Selected medians and averages by Aboriginal status, Diamantina and Queensland Diamantina Queensland non- Aboriginal non-Aboriginal Aboriginal Aboriginal Median age of person 35 34 20 36 Median individual income $/wkly 553 613 318 481 Median household income $/wkly 725 1,100 899 1,037 Median housing loan repay $/monthly 823 0 1,192 1,300 Median rent $/wkly 90 80 150 205 Average number of persons per bedroom 1.3 1.1 1.3 1.1 Average household size 2.6 2.3 3.5 2.6 Source: ABS 2006 Census

Table 5 suggests that the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in terms of age, income and living standards is much less for Diamantina than for Queensland generally. This may reflect a number of things. The community aspires to a good standard of living across the whole community; Diamantina Shire Council supports this and has policies to achieve it, one of which is a policy to maintain full employment.

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Table 6: Individual income $ per week Diamantina Queensland Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal Negative/nil income 0 3 6,568 197,287 $1 – $149 4 7 5,957 205,719 $150 – $249 6 15 16,745 415,005 $250 – $399 6 23 12,180 412,998 $400 – $599 11 53 11,982 461,288 $600 – $799 9 35 6,832 353,111 $800 – $999 0 20 3,888 249,072 $1000 or more 12 40 5,463 520,220 Not stated 13 33 8,338 283,296 Total 61 229 77,953 3,097,996 Source: ABS 2007c

In Diamantina Shire, 19.7% of Aboriginal people 15 years and over stated their income as $1000 or more per week. By contrast, 7% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over in Queensland stated their income as $1000 per week or more.

Table 7: Household income, Diamantina Household income – Household with Non-Aboriginal weekly Aboriginal person households Negative/nil income 0 0 $1 – $149 4 3 $150 – $249 0 3 $250 – $349 0 0 $350 – $499 0 0 $500 – $649 6 8 $650 – $799 4 3 $800 – $999 0 4 $1,000 – $1,399 4 15 $1,400 – $1,999 0 10 $2,000 – $$2,499 0 0 $2,500 – more 4 3 Partial 10 7 Not stated 0 5 Source: ABS 2006 Community Profile

In Diamantina 34% of households have an Aboriginal person. Of these households, 23% have an income over $1000 per week while 45% of non-Aboriginal households have an income over $1,000 per week. Across Queensland, 38% of households with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person have income of over $1000 per week.

Employment and wage levels in Diamantina are dependent on continuing industry activity. While there are no immediate threats to local industry, long-term sustainability depends on continuing creation of and investment in new industry opportunities.

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Education

Birdsville and Bedourie both have public primary schools. The school populations fluctuate, but around 8–12 children attend each. The schools are 200 kilometres apart, but work together for sports, swimming carnivals, excursions and events. They share a teacher’s aid. Children from the outlying stations who do not attend the schools do come into town when there is a swimming carnival or other fun activity. There is a playgroup, with 2–3 children run by local parents. There is no childcare, and no services addressing school–to–work transition from a local perspective. All children go away to boarding school when they reach high school age. From Birdsville, high school students go to a variety of places including Charleville, Toowoomba, Adelaide and Brisbane. From Bedourie, many students go to Mt Isa.

Table 8: Level of education by Aboriginal status, Diamantina Shire Qualifications Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal Not stated Total Postgraduate 0 0 0 0 Bachelor 0 4 0 4 Adv Dip/Diploma 3 5 0 8 Certificate 0 25 0 25 Not stated 0 6 14 20 Total 3 40 14 57 Source: ABS 2007c

Table 9: Type of educational institution attending, by Aboriginal status, Diamantina Shire Current education Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal Not stated Total Preschool 0 3 0 3 Primary: Government 6 11 0 17 Primary: Non-government 0 0 0 0 Secondary: Government 4 0 0 4 Secondary: Non-government 0 3 0 3 TAFE 0 5 0 5 University 0 11 0 11 Not stated 8 0 18 26 Total 18 33 18 69 Source: ABS 2007c

In education statistics, there are significant differences between Aboriginal and other residents. This may reflect different cultural values, and/or enduring inequalities.

Local people are aware that school closure could have a domino effect on ability to retain population, and therefore on sustainability.

Health

Birdsville used to be serviced by Australian Inland Mission (AIM), which provided nurses and a small hospital. Eventually, however, the hospital became outdated, and AIM (now called Frontier Services) withdrew as it would have been too costly to bring the hospital up to contemporary standards. The community took on the challenge of raising funds for its own health facilities. In Bedourie, the Aboriginal Corporation applied to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) for funding for a health clinic, and this became the resource for the whole community. In Birdsville, the Council, community and federal government provided funds, and with a very small top-up from state government a new, well equipped health clinic was built. Council contracts staff for both clinics from a private

6 Desert Knowledge CRC Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells agency, North and West Queensland Primary Health Care. Queensland Health provides one Indigenous Health Worker who works across five widely dispersed outback towns. The Royal Flying Doctor Service visits both settlements fortnightly and is on call for emergencies. A range of specialists visit on a regular basis and the community feels well serviced on most fronts. Dental services are hard to secure, and are very costly for most families, who travel to Brisbane, Adelaide or Mt Isa to see a dentist. The health clinics are often the first point of call for people needing to access other human services. Aged care services, for example, are in Longreach. Workers visit irregularly but are in touch through the clinics.

The health clinic arrangements are unusual in a number of ways. Firstly, they illustrate high- level involvement of local government in health services provision. Secondly, they illustrate significant collaboration between the Aboriginal organisations of the Shire and the Shire Council to meet the needs of the whole community. Further, they demonstrate stronger than usual involvement of federal government and weaker than usual state government involvement in health provision.

Although both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal residents equally access the health services, health professionals identify that Aboriginal people here, as elsewhere, have higher incidences of some diseases. Further health data could be instructive.

Housing

Diamantina Shire has been very active in the provision of high quality, air-conditioned housing. The Shire owns most housing stock in both towns, making it the landlord for a significant percentage of the population. Residents pay subsidised rents, which the Council regards as an important way to keep people in the Shire, given that the cost of living is high in other ways. There are some State government Community Rent Scheme houses in both Bedourie and Birdsville, and a small number of houses are owned by the Aboriginal Housing Corporation in Bedourie and by Marula Aboriginal Corporation in Birdsville.

Nevertheless, there is a severe housing shortage in the Shire. In Bedourie particularly there is a waiting list and people are living in temporary accommodation (cabins, caravans and occasionally tents) pending a house becoming available. There are jobs that need filling, but the Shire cannot fill them until there is somewhere for the new employees to live.

Recently, the Shire opened new land for residential development, undertook the development of that land, constructed houses and is the realtor for their sale. Housing construction costs are high due to absence of any local building materials and the very expensive transport costs.

While renting is the norm in Birdsville and Bedourie, the Council is currently trying to shift towards a private housing market. It is providing incentives, so that loans are not much more than people have been paying in rent. The subsidised rents, which are critical to keeping the cost of living down and maintaining population numbers, do operate against a readiness by people to invest in real estate. Nevertheless, there is a slow take-up of private house purchase.

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Table 10: Tenure type Tenure type Diamantina Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal Fully owned 0 10 Improvised home 3 Being purchased 5 0 Rented 30 47 Not stated 0 0 Source: ABS 2007c

Facilities

Both towns have irrigated sports ovals, race courses and community halls that are used for sporting, recreation and social activities. Birdsville also has a gym and tennis court. Bedourie has a beautiful artesian spa and swimming pool. The swimming pool in Birdsville is in the school grounds. This is problematic, as the pool cannot be used unless the teacher is present. Both towns have modern children’s playgrounds.

Both towns have a roadhouse that operates as the general store and café. Birdsville Hotel has motel accommodation and meals. The caravan park in Birdsville is Council owned and leased to a private operator. The Council owns a camping ground in Bedourie. There is also a caravan park at the Simpson Desert Oasis Roadhouse. Motel accommodation and meals are available at the Royal Hotel Bedourie and the Simpson Desert Oasis Roadhouse.

There is a bakery and a café/art gallery in Birdsville. In Bedourie the Hotel and the Roadhouse are the only eateries. There is only one general store in each town and therefore no choice and no competition. Many Bedourie people shop every couple of months in Mt Isa, which is about five hours’ drive away. Some Birdsville people shop by phone/internet. It is not possible to purchase clothes, toys, furniture, and hardware in either Birdsville or Bedourie.

Table 11: Summary of facilities Birdsville Bedourie Accommodation Yes Yes Airport Yes Yes Ambulance Yes Yes Bakery Yes No Banking facilities Limited Limited Bottled gas Yes – refill No Coach stop Yes Yes Community hall Yes Yes EFT at point of sale Yes Yes Fuel Yes Yes Golf Yes – sand Yes – sand Hospital No No Library Yes Yes Mechanical services Yes Yes Medical facilities Yes Yes Newsagent No No Picnic area Yes Yes Police Yes Yes

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Birdsville Bedourie Post office Yes Yes Public bar Yes Yes Public telephone Yes Yes Race track Yes Yes Restaurant Yes Yes Sporting facilities Yes Yes Convenience store Yes Yes Swimming pool School Yes Takeaway food Yes Yes Visitor centre Yes Yes Place of worship No No Source: Table compiled by author

Diamantina Shire Council has a Community Development and Human Services Plan, along with a Community Assets Plan which is designed to build social capital and improve quality of life for residents (Diamantina Shire Council 2004). Through this, Council provides sports and recreation facilities in both towns. Council provides grants for clubs and social activities. Both towns have small libraries, and stock is provided and exchanged by the Queensland State Library regularly.

Locals are aware that key facilities such as shops, fuel outlets and hotels are central to the towns’ abilities to attract and retain people and sustain a tourist presence. Local investment in these critical facilities has been significant in riding the ups and downs of demand and maintaining viability. Religion

In Birdsville, the Australian Inland Mission (Presbyterian, now Frontier Services, Uniting Church) had a significant presence. While they have now withdrawn, a Uniting Church Minister continues to visit. Catholic and Anglican ministers also visit periodically.

Table 12: Religious affiliation by Aboriginal status, Diamantina Shire Status not Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal stated Anglican 10 35 0 Baptist 3 3 0 Catholic 8 44 3 Lutheran 0 6 3 Pentecostal 0 3 0 Presbyterian 27 8 0 Salvation Army 0 3 0 Uniting Church 11 11 0 Christian (not further defined) 6 Australian Aboriginal Traditional Religion 0 0 0 No religion 14 46 0 Religion not stated 6 12 23 Source: ABS 2007c

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When checking the above information with Aboriginal people in the Shire, it became apparent that several people do hold Australian Aboriginal Traditional Beliefs, but have not recorded them on the census form. This is likely to be an effect of the way religions are ordered on the census form and that people also identify with a Christian denomination. Reading down the list, people may have ticked the Christian denomination, and so did not read on and see the category Aboriginal Traditional Beliefs. When we raised this with them, they expressed surprise that it was there and said that they would look out for it next time.

Livelihoods

There are a number of people in Birdsville and Bedourie whose livelihood strategies involve working or operating a business for part of the year, and leaving for the coast during summer. A small business can be a way of making enough money for a family to survive in a small desert town, but not an income comparable to even the basic wage. However, people value other things, such as living simply, being close to the desert, having space in their lives to paint, write or pursue interests in history, the environment and so on.

There were four people in Birdsville at the time of the 2006 census who identified as unemployed. In Bedourie there were no people who identified as unemployed, although there were 10 people who identified as not in the labour force. ABS lists 5.6% in Birdsville and 0.0% in Bedourie as the unemployment rates, compared with 5.2% in Australia. It is part of the aspiration of these two towns that everyone ‘works’.

Table 13: Industry of employment, Diamantina Shire Industry of employment Birdsville Bedourie Diamantina Sheep/Beef Cattle/Grain farming 15 33 62 Local government administration 11 34 40 Supermarket and grocery 15 15 Accommodation 8 9 Cafés/Restaurant/Takeaway 7 Construction services 5 10 Building completion services 5 Legal and accounting 3 Source: ABS 2007c

Table 14: Occupation by Aboriginal status, Diamantina Shire Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal Males Females Total Males Females Total Managers 0 0 0 23 12 35 Professionals 4 0 4 6 7 13 Technicians and trades workers 0 6 6 15 6 21 Community and personal service 0 5 5 3 9 12 workers Clerical and administrative workers 0 3 3 0 11 11 Sales workers 0 0 0 0 3 3 Machinery operators and drivers 12 0 12 9 0 9 Labourers 8 5 13 22 8 30 Inadequately described/Not stated 0 0 0 3 0 3 Total 24 19 43 81 56 137 Source: ABS 2007c

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Stocks and flows – an overview

Stocks are aspects of the natural resource base, and flows are interventions that make these resources productive in sustaining human life. The relationship between stocks and flows requires human intervention, and therefore depends upon human capital and is impacted by political and technical factors. The settlements discussed in this paper have shown some ingenuity and significant determination in translating stocks into flows.

Water

Water is the primary resource in settling and sustaining human life in any region. Diamantina Shire is arid country with an average annual rainfall of 150 mm. This could not provide its 304 residents with domestic water, let alone develop an economic base. It is true that Aboriginal people survived the harsh environment with its extensive droughts and intermittent floods for centuries before the townships were established. However, many early European explorers and settlers perished for lack of water. The settlements of Birdsville and Bedourie now have plentiful access to water provided from the (GAB) via bores. Diamantina Shire Council takes responsibility for domestic water provision and all homes have equitable access to water.

The GAB covers an area of 1.7 million square kilometres and stores over 65,000 million megalitres of water. The township of Birdsville currently accesses the GAB via a bore, sunk in 1962, to a level of 1.28 kilometres. Water is extracted at a temperature of 98 degrees and cooled before being piped to residents’ homes. The township of Bedourie accesses the GAB via a bore sunk to 400 metres, which provides a daily flow rate of 3.5 million litres (Queensland Government 2006).

Water was critical in opening the area to pastoral holdings, which represent one of the three central economic activities of the Shire. While bordered on its western side by the Simpson Desert, much of the eastern part of Diamantina Shire is . Here, at the lowest point in Australia, a network of rivers, reduced to a few waterholes for most of the year, become a great floodplain during the northern wet season. Floods are welcomed in the Shire both because they transform the desert and lift people’s hearts and because they provide the nutrients that produce the next year’s pasture, as well as topping up rivers, streams and water holes.

Diamantina Shire Council is currently investigating the feasibility of a water bottling business. Initial tests have shown the water accessed from the GAB in Bedourie is of excellent quality. Such explorations of possible business opportunities are seen by Council as incubator efforts to pave the way for an investor to take up the opportunity. Council is continuously seeking ways of transforming stocks into flows that will benefit the economic sustainability of the Shire. As in all communities there are tensions between short-term exploitation of resources and long-term sustainability, and there are a few residents who are watchful around this.

So much access to water in such hot and arid country is highly appreciated by residents. However, there is little incentive to conserve water. Residents are divided, with some keen to ‘green’ the towns as well as sell the water, and others more prone to conservation of water resources and respect for the diminishing reserves of the GAB. The recent water planning process engaged in by the Queensland Government will impose a new set of regulations and costs in relation to water, which have not had an impact yet, but may in the future (Larson 2006).

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Power

Birdsville is home to the only operating geothermal power station in Australia. This currently provides about 30% of its electricity. It is backed up by a 300 kW LPG gas generator, which in turn is backed up by two 300 kW diesel generators. This graduated back up allows for variations in demand created by significant tourist influx at some points during the winter months, and heavy use of air conditioners in the summer months. At quiet times when the geothermal can provide all the power, the power station with the gas and diesel generators is temporarily closed.

Ergon Energy first provided the town of Birdsville with power in 1964. At that time it was recognised that the pressure of the water exiting the bore could drive a hydroelectric generator with a capacity of 8 kW. Residents say this powered lights, could boil a kettle and was barely enough to run a refrigerator. It was replaced by diesel generators in 1976. In 1992 the Organic Rankine Cycle Engine, or geothermal power generator, was commissioned (Ergon Energy n.d.). There have been a number of technical hitches along the way, but according to Chopra (2005), the plant saves 42,000 gallons of diesel fuel (estimated at A$135,000 for a year at 2003 fuel prices) and 430 tonnes of CO2 emitted. Ergon Energy (n.d.), however, claims that the plant is old and may have little life expectancy beyond 2009.

The power stations in Birdsville and Bedourie are similar, both new in 1999, and both housing the LPG gas and two diesel generators. The maintenance of the power apparatus is contracted to local business people.

The Shire hopes that Birdsville will be selected as part of an investigation of hot rocks technology as a further means of accessing power. This technology, while also geothermal, operates through a closed loop system requiring an injection of fluid under high pressure to re-open cracks in the rocks, to allow ongoing circulation of fluid and capture of steam.

Food

While there are 14 cattle stations in Diamantina Shire, there is no other food grown commercially or for local consumption in the Shire. The people of the Shire are dependent on importing their food, and each individual family seems to have a different strategy for doing this. No family seems completely happy with their solution. There is a store in each town that buys produce in, and a bakery in Birdsville. Some people do shop locally, and most people top up their supplies locally. Most people in Bedourie make 2–3 trips a year to for food and other supplies. People in Birdsville are more isolated, and many purchase supplies via internet or phone and have them trucked in. Trucks come though the Shire fortnightly in winter when the population is expanded by tourists. In summer however, trucks are less frequent, and getting fresh fruit and vegetables locally is more difficult. During floods, trucks cannot enter either town. Planes fly in year round, but because of small runways, the planes are small and cannot carry produce.

Given the ready access to water, it seems surprising that there is no market garden in either town. In our interviews with families we discovered a minority who grow some vegetables in their garden in winter. Birdsville School has a small vegetable garden that is protected from winds and sun by shade cloth. In the past there was a Chinese market garden in Birdsville, which is reputed to have been operational until 1952, but not since. Birdsville Health Clinic is currently leading a move to establish a community garden where residents can work together to grow vegetables for the town. This is supported by Diamantina Shire Council, who are fencing and preparing the plot.

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Metals and minerals

While surrounding areas external to Diamantina have been mined for gold, copper, lead, zinc, gypsum, oil, gas and petroleum, the Shire itself has been little exploited. Perhaps reserves are smaller or less accessible than elsewhere. There is mining activity in some small sites, mainly gold and copper, and a few diamonds. As the state government looks harder at how the state economy can be enhanced, it is likely to foster further exploitation of resources in outback Queensland. Seismic crews are active in the Shire, but there is little feedback to locals about what is being identified. There is local nervousness about the future impact of mining. There may be big money in such natural resources, but it does not necessarily flow locally, can create environmental damage and upset the social equilibrium of the place, putting pressure on local roads, housing and water, with next to no financial return for the Shire or the people of the Shire. At the same time many families see loved ones traveling to mines outside the Shire for higher wages, and Council too regularly loses trained and ticketed staff to the mines.

Dust

Mention should be made of dust, if only because it is a natural phenomenon in such abundance in Birdsville and Bedourie. Huge dust storms are a common occurrence, and Birdsville dust has even been found in Brisbane. It is a diminishing stock, with significant loss of soil particle from dust storms (Knight et al. 1995). In the past, life in western Queensland towns was often made unbearable by dust. One resident told us the story of how the dining room ceiling of the Birdsville Hotel collapsed under the weight of accumulated dust onto the dining table, just as his mother served a roast dinner to hotel guests, including the then Trans Australian Airlines (TAA) pilot who regularly stayed over. Roof cavities are now better sealed against dust, although new residents say it takes them some time to get used to the constant layer of dust through the houses.

Communications

Planes fly from Brisbane to Mt Isa return each week, stopping at Birdsville and Bedourie in each direction, and there is a weekly mail plane from Port Augusta which delivers to the stations between Port Augusta and Birdsville. Mail takes a while to arrive then, and there are no daily newspapers. Telephone services are now good, and recently the federal government made satellite internet access via Bigpond available at subsidised prices. Diamantina Shire Council continues to lobby for optic fibre. Trucks come through both settlements at fortnightly or three weekly intervals with supplies, but there is no courier service. Economy

Diamantina Shire has a threefold economic base: cattle, tourism and construction. This means that the Shire is well connected to the Australian and global economies, and is able to provide employment for all residents.

The cattle industry

While the land appears bare, sandy and arid, early European settlers recognised the potential of the wide floodplains of the channel country for raising and fattening cattle. There have been many disappointments along the way, with stock lost to droughts and floods, but knowledge and management techniques have improved over time, and now the various grasses/bushes of the area support a thriving cattle grazing business. There are 14 cattle stations across the Shire, largely owned by stock companies rather than by single families. The Kidman properties are part of a string of very large stations across several states,

Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs Desert Knowledge CRC 13 Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells facilitating sophisticated management practices that allow animals to be moved at various stages of their growth to access the best fattening conditions. Some local graziers have grown up in the area and their families have raised cattle there for two or more generations. They have an extensive knowledge of the land and how to manage it and make it productive. The industry has become increasingly sophisticated and technical, and station managers now have in-depth knowledge of the various grasses of the channel country and desert. While many local people worked as stockmen in the past, the nature of stock and pastoral management has now changed. Managers rely on hiring contractors for intensive work, and cattle are often moved between stations to optimise fattening conditions. This confidence, and possibly the financial and institutional resources which accompany it, make graziers a locally influential group. They are well represented on Diamantina Shire Council, and exercise their leadership in a number of ways, including re-investing capital in the towns.

The settlements of Birdsville, Bedourie and Betoota developed around the growing cattle industry, as service centres and supply depots. However, most cattle stations now buy in food and other commodities from outside the area, and do not depend on local stores or services. This has affected the nature of the towns, with services now constructed more around tourism than cattle.

A collaboration of some channel country properties has resulted in organic beef production, with exports all over the world (OBE Organic 2005). This innovation optimises use of the pristine environment to transform the business of cattle raising into an exciting venture that takes operators and their employees overseas and into international marketing and which brings overseas visitors to Birdsville. Coincidentally, it has transformed the opportunity for younger generations of farming families to stay and run highly technological and innovative businesses, which demand more and different skills from traditional Australian outback farming.

The contribution to the Australian economy of the Diamantina cattle industry is difficult to ascertain and requires further research. OESR (2008) reports $3.6 million of livestock disposals from the area in 1998–99 (latest available data). Locals, taking into account paddock to table revenue, suggest the industry supports a contribution more like $50 million to the Australian economy.

Road construction and plant hire

Diamantina Shire Council has been proactive in turning its isolation to advantage. Because of distances, it is not cost effective for state and federal governments to bring machinery and contractors into the Shire to construct and maintain roads. Nor is it cost effective for other contractors to move heavy machinery into the Shire. Given that many of the main roads in the Shire are not yet sealed, the Shire contracts the constant grading of the main roads. The Shire has invested in heavy equipment which it leases to all construction projects. The combination of plant hire, road maintenance contracts and road construction provides the bulk of the Shire’s financial base. It provides significant employment and revenue, which is reinvested for social purposes.

In terms of employment, it is road construction, rather than tourism or cattle, which provides the majority of jobs. Council provides around 50–70 jobs, and is a significant provider of apprenticeships, traineeships and other forms of training. It is this Council operated business that makes it possible for the towns to achieve full employment.

Because of distances, the road gangs live in road camps for 10 days at a time and then return to town for a four-day weekend. This industry provides a reason for young people to return home after high school. They work with Council, gather skills and qualifications and while they may go away to work on the mines for a period, some do return.

14 Desert Knowledge CRC Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells

Tourism

Hart (2000) identifies aesthetics, or natural beauty, as a stock. Local residents very much appreciate the beauty of their place, for all sorts of reasons. For Aboriginal people the place, the land, the law and the connection to the old people and to special places are profound. They speak readily of their love of the heat, the shimmer, the mirages, the waterways, the bird and fish life, the sunsets, the explosion of life following floods and the isolation. Long-term residents also love the place, its beauty, its history and the rhythms of its seasons. Some have chosen to live in Birdsville because of the desert, because it is wild and isolated and speaks to them aesthetically.

Sustainability depends on people coming, and some people staying. Aesthetics contributes to this. It is not an easy place to live, and, as residents say, is not for everyone. The harsh climate, winds, dust and sheer isolation test people. Yet people find something there to keep them. Not everyone can readily appreciate desert aesthetics. One photographer told us that tourists need to be educated to appreciate the beauty of what is before them: if tourists have seen how beautiful the landscape can appear in a photograph, they are more likely to appreciate it when they see it.

The resource also contributes to sustainability because the desert is a great attraction to both Australians and international visitors. People travel there for 4WD adventures or even motorcycle adventures. People travel there for the Birdsville races, for spiritual renewal, to connect with nature, to pursue an interest in Australian history and exploration, to write, to paint, to enjoy space and just to see the place, or to get far away from urban sprawl and noise. Whatever the purpose for tourists, there is an element of testing oneself in traveling so far into the Australian outback, and aesthetics is part of that experience.

There is some tourist infrastructure in both towns, such as tourist information centres, some interpretative plaques and some promotion by Queensland Tourism and Diamantina Shire Council. While Bedourie would like more tourists to pass through and stop in, it is Birdsville that has the iconic appeal and is the tourist destination. Birdsville is the beginning or end of the track across the Simpson Desert, and this is significant in terms of tourist traffic. Most outback tours and tour operators bring tourists through the Shire. Estimates vary from 25,000 to 50,000 tourists coming through in a year. Everyone acknowledges tourism is important to the shire and to the businesses in the Shire. However, it is a short tourist season, from Easter to about September. The rest of the year is very quiet. Most people agree there is still work to do to make the most of the tourist potential of the area. There are some tensions between tourism, grazing and cultural concerns and these act as inhibitors on the development of an industry that promises a significant contribution to sustainability.

National Parks represent 25% of the Shire, with Simpson Desert, Diamantina Lakes and Astrebla National Parks all attracting tourists. For the Simpson Desert National Park alone, approximately 4000 national parks permits are issued each year, with a permit covering at least two people.

Most tourists stay one or two nights, although Birdsville businesses have actively negotiated with tour operators to spend two nights in town, thereby almost doubling tourist dollars to the town. Local businesses depend on tourism for their income, with the Birdsville Races alone estimated by businesses to contribute 15–20% of annual income.

In late August or early September each year the tiny town of Birdsville is swelled by up to 6000 people who attend the Birdsville Races. It is hard to estimate the impact of this annual cycle of events on sustainability. Events, including the big Birdsville races, the smaller regional races, gymkhanas, rallies, rodeos and sports events, contribute significantly to the viability of local businesses. They keep local people engaged in social activity and traveling

Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs Desert Knowledge CRC 15 Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells between towns across the region. They bring in celebrities and activities of interest. They mobilise volunteers among community members and contribute to social capital. They also have a significant impact on community energy, with people both contributing and participating. An economic and social impact study of the Birdsville Races could be instructive. Conclusion

On the edges of the great central desert, these two little settlements of around 120 people each, have carved out a level of sustainability which is remarkable. Three industries, cattle, tourism and road construction, provide jobs for all. Infrastructure is reliable and relations between cultural groups are good, and in some ways exemplary. It has only been since the 1970s that services, infrastructure and facilities have improved. This has changed quality of life dramatically, and residents are very appreciative. There are some tensions, as in any place, and some vulnerabilities, yet the Shire has achieved a level of governance adequate to addressing these. Survival and sustainability have been won through local knowledge and effort, rather than through the policies of central government. It is likely that these small settlements contribute at a scale beyond their size to national economies and wellbeing. Nevertheless, sustainability is never taken for granted, and any number of events could trigger a cascade of losses that would put sustainability under threat. Further research into how the communities of these towns address tensions and approach change may give some insights into how they have achieved their current level of sustainability.

16 Desert Knowledge CRC Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs Desert Knowledge CRC Working Paper 62: Ann Ingamells

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18 Desert Knowledge CRC Sustainability: A case study of Birdsville and its environs DKCRC Partners