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TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING.BOARD
EAST GIPPSLAND REGIONAL STUDY
\;. WORKING PAPER NO. 6
ACCESSIBILITY TO COMMUNITY SERVICES AND FACILITIES
SEPTFJ.mE.R '.1977
/ 711: 3099. 4603396 456 GIP:V Accessibility to wp6 ~ommunity services and facilities L__ TABLE O~ CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
INTRODUCTION 1
1 The Meaning and Characteristics of Accessibility 4
2 The Distribution of Population and 'Needs Groups" 8
3. Analysis of Accessibility to Specific Services 22
4. Policy Implications 34
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LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE Region Population Distribution in t..~e East Gippsland 2.1 9 1966/1976. 10 2.2 Population of Selected Towns in East Gippsland in Share of Total Regional Population by Age Group 2.3 12 Municipalities of East Gippslend, 1976. 40 kilo~~tres 2.4 Population Living within a Radius of Centres from Sale, Bairnsdale, Maffra and Orbost Urban 13 (by Age Group) 30th June, 1976. of East Population Aged e-4 years in Municipalities 2.5 14 Gippsland 1971, 1976. Age in Distribution of Population of Primary School . 2.6 15 East Gippsland Region 1971, 1976. Age in• Distribution of Popule.tion of Secondary School 2.7 16 East Gippsl~.nd Region 1971, 1976. Changes in the Dist:ribution of Population Aged 2.8 17 65 years and over 1971, 1976. Percentage Distribution by Municipality of Aged 2.9 19 Pensioners and Aged Population in East Gippsland. Distribution of Persons receiving Unemployment 2.10 20 _Benefits in East Gippsland 1974, 197C. I as a / Supporting Mothers receiving Benefit Payments ,/ 2.11 Percentage of Total Number of Supporting Mother 1976. 21 Benefit Recipients in East Gippsland, December,
Enrolments in Municipalities of East 3.1 Primary School 24 Gippsland. Gippsland. 24 3.2 Enrolments in Secondary Schools In East Services in Shires of East 3.3 Availability of Medical 28 Gippsland 1977. of Persons requiring 3.4 Distribution by Municipality 28 Hospitalization.in East Gippsland 1973 -1974.' Hospitals Attended by Persons Requiring Hospitalization 3.5 29 in East Gippsland 1973- 1974. of 3.6 Percentage Distribution of Hospital Attendances of East Gippsland by Residents of Municipalities 29 Hospital Attended 1973, 1974. in East Gippsland 3.7 Attendances at Bush Nursing Centres 30 1971/72, 1974/75. Gippsland, 3.8 Use of District Nursing Centres in East 1971/72, 1974/75. 31 Gippsland 3.9 Availability of Health Services in East Region, 1952. 31 the Aged in 3.10 Institutional Facilities for Care of East Gippsland. 33 LIST OF TP..BLES (cont'd)
3.11 Origin of Persons Attending Gippsland__ .Hame-and Hospital for the Aged. 33
4.1 Availability of Motor Vehicles at Private Dwellings 36 In East Gippsland 1971~ LIST OF FIGURES PAGE ':..FlGURE 1. Components of Accessibility - Idealised Model 4 8 2. Population Distribution 1976 Nuxnber of Aged Pensioners in East Gippsland, August 3. 18 1974 - April 1977.
Nuxnber of Persons Receiving Unemployment Benefit 4. 19 in East Gippsland, March 1974 to November, 1976. 22 5. Location of Primary Schools in East Gippsland. Catchment Areas of School Bus Services in East 6. 23 ._, Gippsland 1977 • 27 7. Hospitals and Nursing Centres in East Gippsland 27 8. Doctors Dentists and Chemists in East Gippsland 27 9. Ambulance Jfr~_s in East Gippsland. ""·- t •••• INTRODUCTION
1. A PROGRAMME OF REGIONAL PLANNING STUDIES During 1976/77, the Town and Country Planning Board, in conjunction with the East Gippsland Regional Planning Committee, is undertaking a programme of studies relating to various aspects of planning for the future of the East Gippsland Region.. The study programme is divided into a number of separate study activities and tasks, as summarised below:
1. STUDY ACTIVITY TASK 1. Demographic and Economic Factors A.;. Analysis of Structure B- Industry Analysis c- Projection of Employment and Population 2. Land/Resource Use Conflicts A- Review of Patterns B- Identification of Conserva tion Areas c- Rural Subdivision 3. Physical Infrastructure and Basic' A- Water Supply, Sewerage and Services Drainage, Waste Disposal B- Transport and Communication 4. The Availability of Social .A- Development of Methodology Services and .Facilities B- School Leavers Survey c- Accessibility of Ser-Vices D- Rural Industry Deqline E- Housing F- Care of the Aged 5. Legislative/Administrative A- State and Local Government Framework of Planning Planning Powers B- coverage of Planning Control 6. The role of Local Government 7. Role of Tourism in East A -Economic, Social and Gippsland Physical Impact of Tourism B- Implications of Seasonal Pattern c- Policy Requirements
2. THE NEED FOR AN ANALYSIS OF ACCESSIBILITY In choosing the specific matters to be analysed iri the study progranune the Board and the Committee have attempted to focus on the major issues in respect of which policies and progranunes are needed in order to promote the physical, economic and social well-being of the resi use of dents of East Gipp~land, and to foster the effective and wise the resources of the Region. One of these issues relates to the impact on the lives of the Region's residents of the isolation of the Region and the difficulty people in many parts of the Region experience in gaining access to community services and facilities. The nature of this problem was described in the committeeis Interim Regional Planning Statement in the following terms: "There are .a series of problems arising out of the location of East Gippsland at a distance from Melbourne and out of the population im balance (and hence the unbalanced provision of facilities) between Melbourne and the rural areas. The problem of distance or isolation also vafies considerably within the region since the eastern parts of Orbost_1'shire and. the Alpine areas are remote from the main centres near iihe coast. 2
"The decline in rural populations is accompanied by a decline in rural enterprises (such as milk processing and tilnber milling), which comprise . the economic base of the conununity, and also in community facilities and services {such as schools and post offices), which comprise the social base of the community. The situation is rather like a worsening to spiral with fewer facilities to support the people and fewer people support the facilities. (1)
Other organisations have also drawn attention to the significance of this issue in East Gippsland. Thus, in April 1976, the East Gippsland Regional Council for Social Development organised a seminar in of Orbost to discuss the matter of the impact of isolation on the l~ves residents in remote parts of the Region. That seminar developed a series of suggestions regarding appropriate measures to overcome the various difficulties identified. Earlier, in its comments on the Interim '"!:' Regional Planning Statement, the Regional Council pointed out the need for developing special strategies. for the provision of community services and facilities for sparse and isolated populations, noting in particular that: (i) the use of standards and procedures for providing community services developed in metropolitan urban settings may be completely inappropriate in regions such as East Gippsland; (ii) there was a need to develop different strategies and policies in different parts of East Gippsland, in recognition of the diverse character of the component parts of the Region.
It would appear therefore there is a sound basis for the Regional Planning Committee's conclusion in its Interim Regional Planning Statement that one of the principal planning problems in the Region requiring further study was "the problem of rural population decline related to the decline in rural enterprises, and community facilities and services in the smaller settlements." (2)
The importance of undertaking such an analysis was confirmad in the discussions between Board officers and individuals involved in social A. (3) planning in the Region undertaken as part of Study Activity 4, Task
3. SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF WORKING PAPER NO. 4 Working paper No. 4 presents the results of the analysis of the problem of accessibility to community services in East Gippsland incorporated into the current study programrne in response to the needs identified above. The analysis in Working Paper No.4 comprises the following elements: (i) Chapter 1 discusses the concept of accessibility to community services and outlines some of the ways in which obtaining access to services in remote and sparsely settled communities such as East Gippsland differ from··the ..pattern in large urean centres.
(1) East Gippsland Regional Planning Committee, Interim Regional Planning Statement, (July 1975), pp.21-23. (2) Interim Regional Planning Statement, p. 32. (3) Town and Country Planning Board, East Gippsland Regional Study, Working Paper No.2, Integrating Social and Strategic ?lanning. February 1977, pp.21-24. 3
1 (ii) Chapter 2 analyses the distribution of particular..!1.n.eecL.qroups_'. (as defined in Chapter 1) in East Gippsland; (iii) In order to illustrate the precise nature of the problem of lack of access to services in East Gippsland, Chapter 3 analyses the relationship between the distribution of a selection of services in East Gippsland and the location of the various 'needs groups' as described in Chapter 2~ (iv) Chapter 4 draws on the analysis in Chapter 2 & 3 to identify and discuss the particular factors which need to be considered in developing programmes and policies for the provision of commw1ity services and facilities in the specific circumstances of East Gippsland.
Developing appropriate and effective strategies and policies for improving access to community services in East Gippsland will require co-operative action by the large number of Commonwealth, State and tocal Government organisations and private agencies involved in the provision of community service~ ·and facilities. More particularly, continuing action by residents of such regions will be necessary. This Working Paper does not pretend to address all of the questions to which answers will be required in the formulation of such policies and programmes. Rather, consistent with the principles outlined in Working Paper No. 2, this paper aims to extend the information base available to those agencies responsible for planning the future provision of community services and facilities in East Gippsland (4)·As with other Working Papers in this series,the primary purpose of Wo~king Paper No. 6 is to facilitate discussion of the major issues involved in developing effective programmes and policies at the regional level .".i1 East Gippsland.
It should be noted that Working Paper No 6 is not directly concerned with the analysis of trends in population and availability of employ~· ment opportunities which th< !-legional Planning Committee saw as being directly related to the issue of accessibility to community services and facilities. That analysis has already been covered in Working Paper No. 1. Working Paper No. 6 will, however, use and extend the information contained in working Paper No. l as appropriate. Similarly, the Working Paper does .not address the matter of ·the availability of housing in East Gippsland, which is also the subject of a separate analysis (study Activity No.4, Task E).
(4) See Working Paper No. 2, pp.17-18. 4
1. THE MEANING ANP CHARACTERISTICS OF ACCESSIBILITY
1.1 Definition of Accessibility In simple terms, "adcessibility" ::efers to the ability·of individuals and groups to obtain and/or use the v~~ious services and facilities available within the community (whether provided by Governments or private orga.nisationsY. Understood in these terms, accessibility involves three separate elements: viz; (i) the existence within the comrr1Ut.1ity of various "need groups" whose economic, social and physical well being is dependent on their ability to obtain and use various services pcovided within the cornmunity (e.g. Children of school age, the sick, ·aged persons)~ (ii) the presence within the cornmunity of persons and organisations providing services and facilities designed to satisfy the requirements of "need groups" (e.g. schools, health care facilities, social service benefits). Activities of such persons, or organisatior.s may be funded either from Government or private sources; (iii) Communication links between the "naed groups" and the persons and organisations providing services and facilities.
In an idealised situation, the location of need groups and available services, and the communication links between them, would be such that the specific and aggregated needs of the various "need groups" wu~~ld be matched exactly by the services and facilities availc,ble. Thin idealised situation is shown diagramatically in Figure 1, which may be used as a simple model to clarify the concept of accessibility.
FIGURE 1 COMPONENTS OF ACCESSIBILITY (IDEALISED MODEL)
----··-----a---·--··--- ])
. I *--·)-- I ! I A I / -) _.. I·---- I. ' 5 Thus, in Figure 1: need or use (i) Area A represents those persons or groups who repres community social services. Area A may be conceived as persons) enting individual 'nee'if"".:fx-ou_ps' (school children, aged ..in the community; or the total of all need groups- ··· .. in the (ii) Area B represents the community services available region and may include such things as health care, education •. Once again Area B may represent__a~ and social welfare .. _ individual service or organisation (e.g. a school) or the- totality of services and facilities available in the community~ A and B. (iii) Area C represents the communications links between Communications links are composed of two kinds viz: (a) Physical communications link (transport, telecommun ications, and postal servi.c..:. .;;) ; and internal (b) Non-physical communications links (i.e. the social interaction networks, and information netw'Qrks that exist within the community -friends, relativ~s, bush nurses, clubs etc.); and to represent (iv) The inclusion of Area D in Figure 1 is designed the fact that the various "need groups", "community wider services" and "communication links" are all part of a community. to represeht The areas of A and B in Figure 1 are shown as being equal, need g=oups; the fact that, in an ideal situation, the needs of all available. The within the community are exactly met by the services not met by more eonunon situation, of course, is that all needs are arise from available services and facilities. This situation may following factors: the \ be The needs of the various 'need groups" may exceed or (i) location different from the services available in a particular under (i.e. there is a demand/supply imbalance). (Inclu~~ed are this heading is the situation where specific servi~Gs is available within a community, but the cost of services to pay); greater than the individua.l or group is prepared or a:ble the Whilst the services available in a community may match '\ {ii) may not requirements of "need groups", individuals or groups informa avail themselves of those services because of lack·of tion regarding the available services or an inability 'co links transport themselves to the service (i.e. conununication are inadequate.); inadequate (iii) There may be both a demand/supply imbalance and communication links. of Any or all of the above factors give rise to the existence to services within a community. In order to determine inaccessibility case the nature of the inaccessibility which exists in a particular it is necessary to have information on: groups' which {i) The characteristics and distribution of the 'need exist in a community; available in (ii) The character and cost of the various services that community; and (iii) The nature of the transport and co~unication li~ks ~ithin the the community and the availability of those links to various needs groups. 6
It should be noted that the above model does not-necessar'ily equate "needs groups" with those socio-economic groups in the community which are widely recognized as being disadvantaged in terms of their access to community services and facilities (e.g. the aged, aboriginals, -the unemployed)(S)Thus persons in all socio-economic groups have a need for access to health services and the above model is designed to include all groups within the community who seek to use community services and facilities, including those who may be regarded as having special needs.
1.2 Special Problems of Accessibility in Rural Regions In rural regions, as elsewhere, it is the specific disadvantaged groups identified in the Poverty Commission's Report which would appear to experience the greatest difficulty in obtaining access to community services and facilities. In addition, however, several investigations have pointed out that residents of many rural conununi ties experience special problems in obtaining access to community services, simply because of their location. Thus the Poverty Commission concluded that:
"Australia's rural population is widely scattered. It is not surpris ing that all services, wit}", the exception of primary education, are spread thinly through these areas. This means that many rural people are disadvantaged with respect to community services simply by their location.
"One basic service that is missing from rural.towns is that of a doctor.
"Other services, such as those provided by dentists and lawyers, are even less available than those of doctors and we must seriously question whether private enterprises is able to provide an adequate network of professional services in rural areas.
"In· addition to the lack of community services and professional people, rural areas have other particular problems such as a high proportion of aged and unemployed people. These problems generate a demand for community help which rural communities are ill equipped to meet."(6)
Similarly the report on Hospitals in Australia prepared by the Commonwealth Hospitals and Health Services Commission noted that: "The provision of comprehensive services in rural areas poses special problems. Even where there are good roads with easy and rapid communication between small towns, local expectations often demand the preservation of small and inefficient hopsitals. Strong local traditions are opposed to centralising ho~pital facilities at one centre, even if it is within thirty minutes driving time of saveral small towns \ihere existing under-staffed facilities could be better used for the maximu.'!\ development of community heal th services. It has ·been suggested that in some instances there would be a better case for invest ment in roads and the transport of patients than in ho!)pita1 buildings, with th€ consequent difficulty in recruiting suitable staff." (7)
(5) See Australian Government Commission of Inquiry into Poyerty, First Main Report April 1975, Poverty in Australia,· (A.G.P.S., Canberra 1975), p.17. (6) Poverty in Australia, p. 192. (7) Hospitals and Health Services Commission, A Report on Hospitals in Aus~.r~~-ia, (A.G. P. S. , Canberra 1974) , p. 84. -. '
7
In its Report on the Education of Isolated School Children in July 1976, the Senate Standing Committeon Education and the Arts described the special problems associated with the.education of children in isolated areas in the following terms: "For the individual, it is an educational problem since, in most cases the isolated child receives a restricted formal secondary education in because of the limited range of subjects available at small schools country areas or under the correspondence system. For the family, it can be an emotional problem when parents are compelled to send children away to school at an early age or when stress is placed on those mothers who lack confidence in adopting the teaching role.· It is also a social problem because some parents believe that the limited education facilities available result in a general lower level of formal education, and a significant proportion of the isolated population is moving from rural areas to the cities to ensure that their children are not educationally disadvantaged." (B)
1.3 The Particular Character of Isolation and Accessibility in East Gippsland The East Gippsland Region shares many of the characteristics of the regions which are the subject of the comments above.
;Indeed, in the Victorian context, East Gippsland is amongst the most isolated and least densely settled regions. Thus East Gippsland is the most easterly of Victoria's regions. Sale on the Princes Highway on the Western boundary is about 210 kilometres away from Melbourne, and the eastern boundary (the New South Wales border) is about 510 kilom etres away. The region is the third largest in area of the ten non-metropolitan regions in ·:he State, but the smallest in terms of population. Overall, regional population density (1.8 persons per sq. km. at 30th June 1976) is lower them any other region in the State except the Wimmera Region •• In addition to the remote location and low population density the topographical character of East Gippsland compounds the difficulty of gaining access to services from many parts of the Region. Much of the region is mountainous and the foothills which fringe the mountains are deeply dissected by a number of rivers, which provide narrow, winding, access routes for the main north-south highways which traverse the mountains.
The specific focus of this Working P~per, therefore, is to identify the particular problems facing 'need groups' in East Gippsland in their endeavours to gain access to community services and facilities arising from the specific characteristics of the region outlined above. Chapters 2 & 3 provide the data base for such an analysis by describing in turn: (i) the distribution of the population and various socio-economic groups within East Gippsland; and (ii) the distribution of a selection of community services and facilities currently available within the Region.
(8) Australian Senate, Standing Committee on Education and the Arts, Report on Education of Isolated School Children July 1976, pp.9-10. 8
2. DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION AND NEEDS GROUPS The purpose of Chapter 2 is to analyse the existing distribution of population and particular socio-econo~ic groups in East Gippsland, so a·s to provide a basis for assessing the relationship between the location of those groups and the community services and facilities available in East Gippsland (as aescribed in Chapter 3). In this way the nature and extent of the inaccessibility suffered by various 'needs groups' in East Gippsland can be highlighted.
The analysis in Chapter 2 is based on data from the population censuses conducted in 1971 and 1976 and on other data (relating to specific socio-economic groups) obtained from a variety of Government organisations. Since the distribution of population and 'needs groups' within a region is likely to change continuously, as well as describing the existing distribution of population and needs groups within East Gippsland, Chapter 2 also focusses on the way in which that distribution has been changing in the recent years. Such an approach recognizes that the effective provision of accessible community services on a continuing basis requires that those responsi ble for the provision of such services take into account the changes in the distribution of needs groups that may be occuring.
2.1 Distribution ~f Population One of the major factors determining the pattern of demand/need for community services in a region is the level and distributi0n of population in the region. Some community services meet the needs of the whole population (e.g. health care, post offices); othe.rs are related to specific age groups (e.g. primary and seconda~y education accommodation for the aged). Thus in analy~ing the relationship between the distribution of population and community services, it is necessary to focus both on the total population and its components.
(a) Total Population As indicated in Chapter l the East Gippsland Region is,overall, one of the least densely settled regions in Victoria. Within the East Gippsland Region, moreover, there exists wide varia tions in population density. Thus, Sale and Bairnsdale, the major urban centres in the region,have average population densities of 473 and 336 persons per square kilometre (based on 1976 census data) whereas the municipalities of Maffra, Bairnsdale (Shire), Avon, Orbost and Tambo have overall population densities of two persons or less per square kilometre.
The total population of the East Gippsland: Region at 30th June, 1976 was 52174 persons. Of this population, (i) 40.7% resided in the two largest centres in the Region - Sale (population 12111 persons) and Bairnsdale (9130);
(ii) 18.9% lived in the smaller urban centres of Maffra, Lakes Entrance, Orbost, Heyfield and Paynesville; and
(iii) The balance of the population lives in areas classified by the A.B.S. as 'rural". These areas include numerous smaller localities, whose populations at 30th June 1976 were as follows: Stratford 828, Mallacoota 572, Bruthen 568, Cann River 338, Omeo 280, Metung 279, Swifts Creek 264, Lindenow 248, Buchan 236, Nowa Nowa 190. The location and size of these urban centres is shown in Figure 2.
/ .... -,.. · ..,:~....._---·~~.J\'->~~ ... ·---.. --:~1·•,.,,._~u-•--'·•O•-· • -~~-""-· ""•-•• ---··• --;~,1-·--·-~' ••••• .. •·•-~·_..,_..,,_.,.,. ___ • ••" '"• ,. -·-•--~"'· •' -'• • ••• ., ... ,._. ____ ,.... -. ···•- "')"•••·----•··---·-· • ••• ..•• -·.·><; ___ __..,_, •-~·- ' . FIGURE 2: POPULATION OISTRIBUTION 9 1976 - .Al SOURCE: AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS r~ .Jr /-- ',i.__ ' ""'\ \..1 /' I I ( Omeo \ 9 /\ \ ) ...... , \. ___ / I / I '-- I
Marlo
~~ Lakes Entrance Metung
SCALE 20 10 0 20 40 I 121 1:;;?4 1 1966 % of 1971 I % of 1976 % of I Region Regier Region Major Urban Centres Sale 8,640 18.9 10,436 21.6 12,111 23.2 Bairnsdale 7,785 17 .o· 8,552 17.7 9,130 . 17 .5 Other Urban Centres Maffra 3,569 7.8 3,666 7.6 3,836 7.4 Lakes Entrance 1,837 4.0 2,591 5.4 3,023 5.8 Orbost 2,797 6.1 2,938 6.1 2,789 5.3 Heyfield 1,893 4.1 1,830 3.8 11699 3.3 Paynesville 611 1.3 958 2.0 1,242 2.4 Total Urban 27,132 59.2 30,971 64.0 33,830 64.8 Rural 18,658 '10.7 17, 1120 36 .. 0 18,344 35.2 . T 0 TA L 45,790 100.0 ·18,391 100.0 52,174 100.0 Source: A.B.S. Census data. TA..BJ.E 2. 2 POPUI.ATION OF SELECTED TOWNS IN EAST GIPPSLAND ---1954 1976 Stratford 881 828 Mallacoota n.2.• 572 Bruthen 830 568 Cann River 215 338 Omeo 458 280 Metung 191 279 Swifts Creek 386 264 0 Lindenow n.a. 248 r-l Buchan 284 236 Nowa Nowa 353 270 Source: A.B.S. Census data. .. -·· ·---·-~-.... .1.lU.. ·:·Location of Population by Age Grou.J2 .. Many community services and facilities. ... (..o..'9'•···ooho~, crccornmoda· · tion for aged .Persons) are designed to satisfy the needs of.· specific socio-economic groupings in the COI11lT"'lility. Thus as well as identifying the overall pattern of populatio~ distribution within the community, it is necessary to pay attention to the location of specific socio-economic groups if relevant services are to be provided where they are required within the community. Table 2.3 contains data on the age distribution of the population in the municipalities of East Gippsland at the time of the 1976 census. It will be seen that the share of most municipalities in the population in individual age groups in the region corresponds with their share in total regional population. There are however, some notable exceptions: (i) whereas Bairnsdale Shire and Bairnsdale Town account for 26% of total regional population, 36% of the region's population aged 65 years and over reside in thosemunicipal i ties; (ii) Sale City has a much higher proportion of the regional population in the 0-4 years age group than it does of total regional population. The results of a more detailed analysis of the distribution of population within East Gippsland at 30th June, 1976, which has particular relvance to the matter of the access of various needs groups to community services and facilities is summarised in Table 2.4. Table 2.4 shows that 94% or more of the population of.most age groups in East Gippsland live within 40 kilometres of the urban centres of the Sale, Bairnsdale, Orbost and Maffra. (The exception was the age group 5-14 years, where the proportion living within a 40 kilometre raaius of these urban centres was 91.5%). (c) Changes in the Distribution Population by Age Groups In analysing the changing age distribution of the population it is useful to focus on those specific age groups within the pop ulation for whom special conununity services and facilities and services are provided. Thus Tables 2.5 -2.8 inclusive focus on the changing distribution of the following groups of population in East Gippsland viz: Table 2.5 - Children aged 0";'4 years Table 2.6 - Children of primary school age (6-11 years inclusive) Table 2.7 - Children of secondary school age (12-17 years incl.) Table 2.8 - aged persons The important trends revealed by these tables include: (i) The decline in the population aged 0-4 years in all muni cipalities (except Sale City) between 1971 and 1976; (ii) The decline in the number of children of prirnary school age throughout the region (again with the exception of Sale City) between 1971 and 1976; and (iii) The decline in the number of persons aged 12-17 years in many municipalities in the region. TABLE 2.3 GIPPSLAND 1976 SHARE OF TOTAL REGIONAL POPULATION (BY AGE GROUPS) IN MUNICIPALITIES OF EAST MUNICIPALITY AGE GROUP (YEARS) ; i 15-19 20-64 65+ Not Stated Total ' 0-4 5-14 I No. Region I No. Region No. Region No. Region No. Region No.Region No. Region . I I I I Avon 1574 S.8 213 4.3 13 7.3 3000 5.7 I 288· 5.7 630 6.0 282 6.2 i Bairnsdale Shire 364 7.2 903 8.7 304 8.0 2283 B.4 544 11.0 15 8 •. 5 4473 8.6 I i Bairnsdale Town 775 15.4 1787 17.1 809 17.7 4501 16.7 1236 25.0 22 12.11 9130 17.5 Maffra 815 16.2 1764 16.9 748 16.4 4373 16.2 751 15.2 28 15.8 8479 16.2 Orneo 2.8 8 4.5 1605 3.1 N 149 3.0 302 2.9 116 2.5 893 3.3 137 r-i Orbost 581 11.5 1227 11.8 577 12.7 .3339 12.4 456 9.2 25 14.1 6205 11.9 (Part) Rosedale 83 1.6 162 1.6 54 1.2 446 1. 7 87 1.8 3 1. 7 835 1.6 Sale 1396 27.7 2454 23.5 1129 24.8 6241 23.0 854 17.3 37 20.9 12111 23.2 Tambo 588 11. 7 1205 11.5 481 10.5 3369 12 .5 667 13.5 26 14.7 6336 12.l •.·· - TOTAL 5039 10434 4560 27019 4945 177 52174 Source: A.B.S. 1976 Census Data TABLE 2.4 POPULATION LIVING WITHIN A Rn~IUS OF 40 KILOMETRES OF SALE BAIRNSDALE, ORBOST AND MAFFRA URBAN CENTRES (BY AGE •}ROUP) 30TH JUNE 1976 AGE GROUP LESS THAN MORE THAN TOTAL 40 KMS. 40 KMS. . . No. % of Total No. s of Total 0-4 4, 770 94.7 269 5.3 5,039 5-14 9,546 91.5 988 9.5 10,,134 15-19 4,328 94.9 232 5.1 4,560 20-64 25,340 93.8 1,679 6.2 27,019 65+ 4,661 94.3 286 5.8 4 ,94.5 177 I~ge Not Stated 165 93.2 12 6.8 Source: A.B.S. 1976 Census Data. TABLE 2.5 POPULATION AGED 0-4 YEARS IN MUNICIPALITIES OF EAST GIPPSLAND, 1971, 1976 1971 1976 % Change Avon 309 288 - 6.79 Bairnsdale (Shire) 355 364 + 2.53 Bairnsdale (Town) 867 775 10.61 Maf fra 880 815 - 7.39 omeo 187 149 -20.32 Orbost 723 581 -19.64 ~ Sale ~ 1,229 1,396 +13.59 Rosedale (Part) 83 . 588 Tambo 650 - 9.54 Total 5,200 5,039 - 3.09 Source; A.B.S. 1976 Census Data TP.BLE 2 -6 DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE IN EAST GIPPSLAND REGION, 1971, 1976 eairnsdale B'dale Rosedale TOTAL Age in Avon Shire Town Maff21a omeo Orbost Sale City Tambo Shire(Pt) E.G-. Years , l971 1976 1971 1976 1971 1976 197i 1976 1971 1976 1971 1976 1971 1976 1971 1976 1971 1976 1971 1976 .. , 6 62 67 70 ·, 91 145 193 176 179 37 28 112 135 202 247 116 118 7 20 927 1078 7 72 70 73 80 °199 127 193 173 45 29 149 132 209 311 135 132 11 23 1086 1137 8 65 67 93 75 185 178 210 159 39 36 139 94 238 235 144 131 12 13 1122 988 9 66 47 89 78 207 189 219 147 52 31 133 131 215 230. 132 104 14 15 1127 972 LO n 10 69 59 90 80 . 210 159 193 177 43 26 154 112 237 198 127 105 14 15 1137 931 11 69 59 87 83 163 . 147 197 ·170 57 26 168 114 208 .205 133 114 11 15 1093 933 TOTAL 403 369 502 487 1109 1053 1188 1005 273 176 855 718 1309 1426 787 704 69 101 6492 6939 Source: A.B.S. 1971, 1976 Census Data TABLE 2.7 GIPPSLAND IIBGION, 1971, 1976 DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS AGE IN EAST Rosedale TOTAL (T) Maffra ·0meo Orbost Sale (c) Tambo- Age in Avon B'dale (s) B 'dale (s) (pt) E.G. Years 1971 197~. 1971' 1976" 1971 1976 1971 1976" 1971. 1976 1971 1076 1971 1976 1971 1976 1971 1976 1971 197f) 32 31 -138 125 247 219 104 134 7 16 1084 1082 12 84 66 82 92 179 186 211 213 26 151 122 252 ~49 125 131 16 11 1099 1082 13 68 60 81 115 161 163 197 205 48 141 113 230 245 101 125 10. 14 1009 1110 14 68 59 78 118 145 212 200 183 36 41 26 125 132 220 243 101 106 13 15 998 1055 15 68 70 85 101 172 196 192 166 22 95 9 12 962 998 79 172 180 177 167 26 27 128 129 234 256 98 ...... '° 16 56 53 62 79 113 222 242 911 94 a 9 845 938 '17 57 55 59 76 135 159 170 168 21 22 762 734 1405 1454 623 685 63 77 6006 6265 TOTAL 401 363 447 581 964 1096 1147 1102 185 173 Source: A.B.S. 1971, 1976 Census Data TABLE 2.8 CHANGES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER IN EAST GIPPSLAND, 1971-1976 MUNICIPALITY/ NUMBER OF'PERSONS CENTRE 1971 1976 CHANGE l'J71-1976 AVON 197 213 + 16 BAIRNSDALE SHIRE (PAYNESVILLE) 411 (163) 544 (219) +133 (+56) BAIRNSDALE TOWN 986 1236 +250 i MAFFRA (MAFFRA) 601 (322) 751 (417) +150 (+95) "'~ (-10) I (HEYFIEID) (102) ( 92) 11 137 137 OMEO 11 ORDOST (ORBOST) 375 (190) 456 (253) + 81 (+63) (MALLACOOTA) (na.) ( 63) I SALE 706 854 +148 'I TAMBO (IJU Source: A.B.S. 1971, 1976 Census Data. .... ! - 18 - With respect to changes in the number of aged persons in various parts of the region, Table 2.7 shows that most of the increase in the aged population took place in the major urban centres and in coastal areas such as Paynesville, Mallacoota and Lakes Entrance. These trends have important implications for the pattern of service provision in thos centres. 2.2 Distrihution of Speci_fic Socio-Economic Groups . Age is not the only characteristic of the population to be considered in determining the existence of a 'needs group', requiring community seririces. Several other factors - e.g. level and source of income, of availability of employment opportunities, race (e.g. in the case aboriginals) are also important. Available data on the distribution far of all relevant socio-economic groups within East Gippsland is from comprehensive. Nonetheless by analysing such data as is available it is possible'to gain at least a tentative appreciation within of the distribution and particular character of needs groups to the East Gippsland. The following paragraphs review data ~elating distribution of several such grottps in East Gippsland: (i) Aged Pensioners Age pensions provide income support to residentially qualified aged persons who are in the following categories: men aged 65-69 and women aged 60-69 whose means do not exceed certain limits persons aged 70 or more irrespective of their means; and permanently blind persons aged 65 or more (men) or 60 or more (women) ,irrespective of their means. To be residentially qualified for age pension, a person must normally have resided continuously in Australia at any time for a period of ten years. An age pensioner's wife is not eligible for a pension in her own right is entitlted, subject to a means test, to a wife's pension. of Data relating to the distribution amongst municipalities (9) persons in East Gippsland receiving aged pensions in april 1977 is shown in Table 2.9, which also compares the distribution of pension recipients with the distribution of the aged population It will be seen that the distribution of aged pension recipients correspond fairly closely to the distribution of aged pensions, which, as noted above differs somewhat from the distribution of total population within, the region. Moreover, consistent with the growth in the number of aged persons in many parts of the Region, noted in Section 2.1 above, the number of persons in receipt of age pension in the Region increased by more than 1,000 between December 1974 and December 1976 (see Figure3)~ The proportion of aged pensioners in Victoria living in East Gippsland has risen in recent years increasing from 1.47% in May 1975 to 1.50% in April 1976 and 1.56\ in April 1977. Tables 9. It should be noted that the data in Table 2.9 and subsequent Security (i.e. Tables 2.10 and 2.11) derived from Department of Social coincide records, are based on postcode boundaries which do not necessarily are, exactly with municipal boundaries. The two sets of boundaries using such however, very close, so that the margin of error involved in data is small • . . . FIGURE 3: NUMBERS OF AGED- PENSIONERS I~ EAST GIPPSLANO AUGUST 1974 - APRIL 1977 ·5,2001 ~s~ooo '11!\i\[l.... ~i ----+------~--+------~~--- .4,soo !!:_i 4.• 600 .1111....----+------~--+.IL----~·~----4-_..,..--- J. \•> M~ .. s ·o M J s o· M s 1975 1976 1977 .-, -- 19 TABLE 2.9 PENSIONERS AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION BY MUNCIPIU:.ITY OF AGED AGED POPULATION IN EAST GIPPSL.'\ND* Aged Pensioners Persons Aged (April 1977) 65 years and over 4.3 Shire of Avon 3.07 of Bairnsdale 37.05 36~0 Town & Shire 15.2 Maffra 16.63 Shire of 2.8 Omeo 2.60 Shire of 9.2 Orbost 8.36 Shire of 13.5 Tambo 12.84 Shire of 17.3 City of Sale 19.37 (ii) Unemployed Persons of unemployed A comprehensive analysis of the characteristics as a special persons in East Gippsland is being undertaken (by the exercise for the East Gippsland Regional Study Department of Environment, Housing and Community Commonwealth into Development). It is necessary however to incorporate and distribution this analysis some general data on the number access to unemployed persons in East Gippsland, since of significance employment opportunities is clearly of fundamental to obtain access the ability of persons within the community to when, to many other services and facilities (particularly of such services as is conunonly the case, the cost of access is borne primarily by the individual}. benefit in the number of persons receiving unemployment Trends 1976 East Gippsland Region from March 1974 to Decerober in the with those are shown in Figure 4. These trends are_ comparable elsewhere in Victoria and Australia. (10) unemployment It is of particular interest to note where the Table 2.10 shows beneficiaries are located within the region. by municipality the distribution of unemployment beneficiaries Shire is in East Gippsland (Bairnsdale Town and Bairnsdale separate these shown as one unit, as it was not possible to of the years 1974, numbers), for the months of October in each unemployed persons 1975, 1976. Table 2.10 suggests that whilst throughout the Region, unemployed tend to are distributed of in SaleCity and in Tambo Shire. The proportion congregate municipaiities benefit recipie~ts located in those unemployment in the to be greater than those municipalities,-)share appears propor- workforce. Table 2.10 also suggests that the ~egional who are female tion of unemployment . -benefit recipients has increased in most parts of the Region. trends revealed by Figure 4, it (10) In assessing the implications of the Commonwealth Government anRounced must be borne i~ mind that inl976 the of proposals for as an interim measure pending consideration that, benefit assistance to depressed .~al ipdustries, unemployment a primary producer who would be payable, subject to a means test, to seeking work. is available for employment and is actively FIGURE 4: PERSONS RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT IN EAST GIPPSLANO MARCH 1974- NOVEMBER 1916 N.B. Not Seasonally Adjusted. 1100 :~r ~ill 90(! .:::: OOJ I~::; 70Cl ~:r ~f :-:·: 6~1 m~~ 500; ''.~j! 40~ ~ . ;::;:: M J S · 0 M J S 0 M J S D 1975 1976. 197Z ------TABLE 2.10. DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONS RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IN EAST GIPPSLAND 1972-1976 Municipality Percentage of Unemployment Ratio Male/Female Share of Beneficiaries in Region Residing Unemployment Beneficiaries Regional in·Municipality Workforce (1971) Oct.1974 Oct.1975 Oct. 1976 Oct.1974 Oct.1975 Oct.1976 Percent -· -- Avon Shire 2.4 4.1 4.4 3.0 2.2 3.4 7.2 Bairnsdale (T & S) 26.2 29.3 23.11 2.0 2.1 1.9 24.2 0 Maf fra Shire 14.0 16.2. 19.8 2.9 3.0 2.2 17.6 N Orneo Shire 1.2 2.4 2.1 3.0 2.4 2.5 4.3 Orbost Shire 15.8 9.1 5.8 1. 7 1. 7 0.9 13.4 Tambo Shire 17.3 15.0 15.6 2.2 4.1 2.2 11.7 City of Sale 23.5 23.9 28.9 1. 7 2.6 2.3 21. 7 TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0 -- - 100.0 Source: Department of Social Security and A.n.s. 1971 Census Data...... ,/· ~l . ------'~ii)_ ii•w,.;.c.rt i ;-;zj ·~-~~ Supporting mothers benefit provides.J.nc~rt·-for·-women · bringing up children on their own who do not qualify for a widows pension. Those eligible include unmarried mothers and mothers who are deserted.'de facto wives, deserting wives and de facto wives of prisoners. The number of suppvrting mothers receiving benefits has been rising in Australia; between 1973 to 1976 the number increased by 16.8%. There were 160 women in East Gippsland receiving supporting mothers benefit in November 1976. The number receiving these benefits in East Gippsland has generally increased in line with the increase in such numbers in Victoria as a whole. The distribution of women receiving supporting mother's benefit within East Gippsland is shown in Table 2.11. J In the Shire of Avon, there were no supporting mothers receiving benefit in December 1976. The remaining municipali ties are shown to have a share of supporting mothers receiving benefit similar to their share in the total population. TABLE 2.11 Supporting mothers receiving benefit payments by· ·shire.:as a percentage of the total number of supporting mother. benefit .reC:ipients in.·. EastGippsland, December 1976. Supporting mothers Percentage of . '·"' .. ·. receiving benefit total population Regional (June 1976) Shire of Avon 5.8 Shire and Town of Bairnsdale . 25~6 26.5 Shire of Maffra 18.1 16.5 Shire of Omeo .. 2.6 3.1 Shire of Orbost 15.7 1:2.1 Shire of Tambo 13.8 12.3 City of Sale 24.4 23.6 (iv) Aboriginals The most recent data on the numbers of aboriginals living in East Gippsland related to the year 1971. At 30th June, 1971, of the 405 aboriginal persons living in East Gippsland, 208 lived in Tambo Shire, 109 in Orbost Shire and 66 in Bairnsdale. 2.3 Summary of Distribution of Needs Group Sections 2.1 and 2.2 are far from comprehensive in their analyses of the distribution of socio-economic (needs) groups in East Gippsland. Nonetheless the data reveiwed above suggests that in.general the distribution of many needs groups in East Gippsland corresponds fairly closely with the overall distribution of population. There are, however, some important concentrations of specific needs groups within the region, as follows: (i) Aged persons in Sale and Bairnsdale and in a number of centres; (ii) Unemployed persons in Sale and the Shire of Tambo; and (iii) Aboriginal population in Orbost and Tambo Shire and in Bairnsdale. .· ... '»II. • 22 _."".:··· .... 3. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF ACCESSIBILITY TO SPECIFIC SERVICES The purposes of this chapter are: (i) to analyse the existing distribution of community services in East Gippsland in relation to the location of the specific population or "needs groups" they are designed to serve. (as outlined in Chapr.er 2); and (ii) to assess the way in which ~e distributio~ pf individual cormnunity services in East Gippsland affects the ability of residents in differentsparts of 1:hos~ regi9ns to obtain acc~$.S to those services. The analysis for each group of services will comprise three parts: (i) Description of the current location of services; (ii) Analysis of trends in the distribution and usage of services in relation to the changing location of "needs groups" as reviewed in Chapter 2; and (iii) Discussion of the implications of the pattern of accessibility to each service revealed by the preceding parts. It should be noted that the range of community services and facilities which could be subject to analysis in the above manner is very extensive. Thus the Report "Families and Children in Gippsland" prepared in July 1976 for the Gippsland Family and Child Care Planning Committee lists nearly ninety community services available in Gippsland area ranging from primarily Government provided services such as hospitals, health centres and special schools to voluntary community groups such as Parents without Partners, Alcholics Anonymous, the Jaycees and Rotary. (11) It is of course ·im!:>ossible to cover all such services in a single analysis of this kind, even if it were desirable. Thus the following analysis concentrates on the distribution of education, health "care and aged persons .facilities and services. (12). 3.1 Education The following paragraphs analyse the location of primary, secondary and technical schools within the region and summarize available data relating to the usage patterns of those facilities. (Information on the +~~tiQ~ qf pre-schools in the Region is still being assembled.) -~: . ' . .. . ·,: . :. I ~a~ion qf schools Jt) . '!f~~~®~i~ ~f~ ~+~t~-~~¥~~ ~oug~ut ~~ ~gio, ,,_ as shQwn; i~ ~+~e 5 •· . Thirty-.1:hr~e of the f:l.f;ty-seven primary schools in the Region had fewer than 30 enrol ments in 1975. Students living more than 5 km. from a State or registered primary school are eligible for transport by bus. (11) See Ricki Dargaeval, Families and Children in Gippsland, Report of the Gippsland Family and Child Care Planning Committee, (July 1976), pp. 118-125. (12) An analysis of the availability of housing in East Gippsland is being undertaken in Study Activity No. 4; Task E (see introduction). - . ,. \ ' /:';1" • \.,-- r-- - -.. ."'~· ~~ $.,. --\ \ <\ \ \ 0 0 \ 0 0 \ oP 0 0 \ 0 \ \ \ \ 0 0 \ ® \ ' \ 0 \ \ ·o o .. \ 0 - 23 That the distribution of primary schools in the of ~egion matches fairly closely the distribution the primary school-age population (shown on a municipal basis in Table 2.6) is reflected in the fact that in 1977 buses are serving only 14 primary schools in the region, carrying fewer than 400 children to and from those schools daily. (ii) High and Technical Schools State High Schools in East Gippsland are located in Sale, Bairnsdale, Orbost and Maffra. Registered High Schools are located in Sale, Bairnsdale and Stratford. In addition secondary classes are provided in higher elementary schools located at Omeo and Swifts Creek and at consolidated schools at Mallacoota and Cann River. Technical Schools are· located in Sale and Bairnsdale. The data in Table 2. 7 above shows that secondary school students are located throughout all municipal ities in the Region. A consequence of the distribution of secondary schooling facilities within the Region in relation to the location of the school age popul ation is that large numbers of students travel to the major high and technical schools each day by bus. Thus more than 1,000 students travel to secondary and technical schools in both Bairnsdale and Sale each day (300 travel to Maffra High School and 200 to Orbost High School) • The catchment areas of these bus services are shown diagramatically on Figure· 6 • (b) Analysis of Trends The distribution of primary and secondary schools in the over East Gippsland Region has been fairly well establi(~ed a long period of time. Thus, most of the primary schools now operating in the Region were operating in 1952 (13) although new schools have been opened, and schools closed in response to changes in the numbers available for enrol have ments in different parts of the Region. Where schools been closed,bus services have been provided to transport children to other primary schools. The availability of in secondary education within the region has been extended schools the same period with the opening of higher elementary at Omeo and Swifts Creek and consolidated classes at Mallacoota and Cann River. the Table 2.6 above showedthat in all munici.palities with exception of Sale City, the number of persons of primary and school age (6-11 years inclusive) declined between 1971 most 1976. Correspondingly enrolments in primary schools in municipalities in the Region also declined in that period sc.hool (see Table 3 .1). The number of students of secondary (the age (12-17 years inclusive) aiso declined in many areas exceptions being Bairnsdale Town, Bairnsdale Shire, Sale City and Tambo Shire). East Gippsland Region (13) See Central Planning Authority, Resources Survey (Government Printer, Melbourne, 1954). p. 102. ./ .. . Fl GURE- 6: BUS SERVICES TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS - CATCHMENT AREAS ..... @ Omeo ..... ' ..... ' "'-...... Swifts Ck ...... ' .• o.,...... 0$ " 0 f) \ " e Q Sterlingf9 \ .. 0 " • ...... &•••@Buchan ..4> Q ' 0 " 0 eo <1:11 'fl ,, 'f VI V 'ii ....0 .,, ~ -q 'If/ .. •4 Bruthen -Cl •"A Orbost : ;i.NowaNowa e 'Cabbage : • v Tree Ck ".. .v 'fl .. ,.. "' ".... SCALE 10 0 10 20 30 40 I r:?I 1~ l..,..:::=d Kilometres * * * * * Sale 1:1,000,000 Bairnsdale Orbost Maffra 24 TABLE 3.1 PRIMARY SCHOOL ENROLMENTS IN MtnHCIPfl..LITIES OF EAST GIPPSLAND Municipality Enrolments % Change in 1970 1975 %Change Primary SchC?ol Age Population 1971-1976 * ------Avon Shire 279 265 -5.0 -9.4 Bairnsdale Shire 423 431 +1.9 -3.0 Bairnsdale Town 1002 1012 -+:l.O -5.0 Maffra Shire 749 692 -7.6 -15.4 Omeo Shire Orbost Shire 7S4 621 -21.8 -16.0 Tambo Shire 740 716 ··3. 2 -10.5 Sal.a City * Calculated from Table 2.6. Source: Education Department TABLE 3.2 ENROLMEt'-l'TS AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS .AT EAST GIPPSLAND 1965-1975 SCHOOL ENROLMENTS 1965 1S70 1975 State High Schools Sale 481 470 717 Ba.irnsdale 787 851 1039 Maffra 412 504 510 Orbost 453 442 469 Technical Schools Sale 768 950 849 Bairnsdale 422 545 600 Other Secondarx Schools Seurce: Education Department. 25 Shire took Most of the giowth in Baitnsd~le Shire and Tambo urban centres place in the areas .of those shires cloSe to the at high of Bairnsdale and Sale respecti~ely. Etlrolments 1965 and technical achools in.the Region increased between in and 1975 as shown in Table 3.2. Sbme of this increase in the enrolments can be attributed to population growth fot a region, but it also reflects at the growing demand higher level of educational qualifications. (c) Implications and The consequences of the above distribution of schools taking school populations in East Gippsland and the changes in the place in those distribution were well summarised submission prepared by the Diocesan Education Advisory Education Council of the Dioces.e of Sale to the "Inquiry on Committee of Isolated School Children" by the Senate Standing case on Education Science and the Arts. The following studies are extracted from that submission: Primary School Children Example 1. 17 The Brammal family live in the Gibbo River district, of Omeo. miles north of Benambra and about 32 miles north 10 and There are four children, Richard 15, Peter 13, Kevin Benambra Colin 0. The last three named children·attend the "a very State School and have to travel by school bus over winding dust road". The journey takes about three-quarters winter, of an hour. The area has a high rainfall and, in The experiences below zero temperatures and snow falls. two of school bus for the area is driven, turn about, by and mothars. The bus leaves Gibbo River at 7.45 a.m. the are arrives in Banambra just before 9 a.m. Other children the picked up on route. Peter, the second boy, attends 11 level. primary school although he is at the secondary Form Example 2. is about The Gillies family live at Butcher's Ridge which in the 22 miles north of Buchan. There are three children 10 years, family, Leah Helene, aged 11 years, Carmel Marie, by school and Christopher Ian, aged 5. The children travel two-thirds bus to Buchan primary school over a winding road of which is a loose surface, second class road frequented by heavy timber trucks. S~condary School Children Example 3 five children Mr. and Mrs. Dan rhelan who farm at Dargo have will attend aged from 11 to 4 years. The eldest girl, Susan, Boarder's Kilbreda College at Mentone, about 200 miles away. includes fees for the year will cost them $750. This amount this basic board and residence plus tuition fees. On top of fee of $20, charge, the family will have to meet an entrance text uniform and clothing costs which could run to $114, to the stud books which range from $10 to $15, pocket money other ent of not more than $60 for the year, plus several expenses which include certain items of bedding incidental it and perxonal clothing requirements. All these charges, estimates should be noted, are very reasonable. Mrs. Phelan education that if all of her children continue their secondary ' ·-. 26 the to Higher School Certificate level, this would involve family, at present costs, in an expense of approximately bus $30,000 over the next 14 years. There is no school from Darga to the nearest secondary school at Bairnsdale Phelans which is 60 miles away along winding road, so the secondary have to send their children to boarding school for education. To aggrevate matters, there is no catholic in this boarding school for girls in Gippsland, so families schools. position must send their children to the Melbourne Example 4 1972 The A.B.C.'s Landline program on Sunday 19th November, featured the problem isolated children face in East Gippsland. Mr. and Mrs. D. Rogers one of the families from features, living on a farm at Walgulmerang, 90 miles school. Bairnsdale where their children attended secondary to catch The children arose at 4.30 a.m~ on Mo~day morning hour a bus for Bairnsdale at 5.30 a.m. '.r.fter a 2 to 2~ they journey the children arrived at Bairnsdale where 'they boarded during the school week. On Friday evening return returned home. Mr. Rogers claimed that the impending also felt to school on Monday overshadowed the weekend. He tended to that family unity suffered and that the children said that grow away from the family. F~her, Mr. Rogers the time schooling had co st . him $ 7, 000 so far, and by cost the last child finished school he expected it to meant him $15,ooo. The rural recession in East Gippsland in he could not send his children to boarding school the Melbourne as originally- planned. tn order to meet many costs of secondary schooling t~e family did without Rogers ~as home amenities and modern appliances. Also Mr. forced to slow down-development on his property. in respect of is clear from the. above case studies that it is It experiences secondary education tµat the resident of East Gippsland This is most difficulty ih obtaining access to services. the populations in. the distribution of schoois vis a'vis school implicit the described above. In respect of pri~ary school children, dramatic and the conclusion reached by the situation is less sununary Diocesan Education Committee may be cited as a reasonable of the situation: " •••-primary schools are relatively well distributed, the although some areas are poorly served e.g. along Bonang Highway and along the Cann Valley Highway. The relatively good distribution of primary schools has come about through a policy of the Education Department of Victoria dating back to the last a century, which covered the country districts with system of small rural schools in an effort to obtain maximum school attendance." 3.2 Health Services range of services Effective health c~re requires access to a hospitals, and facilities indluding medical practitioners, and chemists, nursing homes, clinics: dentists, optometrists, heart treatment. and a range of more specialised services such as are concent In general throughout Australia specialised services rated in the major centres of population. 27 in East (a) Nature and Location of Health Services Available Gippsland include The range of health services available in East Gippsland health hospitals·, district and bush nursing centresq (a community den centres in Lakes Entrance) clinics, nursing homes, doctors, The tists, nurses, chiropodists, optometrists, and chemists. is distribution of these various services within East Gippsland of service shown in Figures 7-9 inclusive. The overall pattern availability in the various shires in the region is summarised in Table 3.3. are distri With the exception of the Bush Nursing Centres which (b) most health buted throughout East Gippsland, Figures 7-9 show that major centres facilities in East Gippsland are concentrated in the provides an along the Princes Highway. The following paragraphs East Gippsland. analysis of the usage patterns of health services in (i) Hospitals of 15% During the year 1973-74, 8,582 persons (the equivalent (exclu of the total population) in the East Gippsland Region is ding .Rosedale Shire) was hospitalised (hospitalisation defined as being an in-patient at a hospital). the Table 3.4 shows that these 8,582 persons originated from to municipalities in East Gippsland in proportions similar the individual municipality's proportional share of the population as at the census date in 1976. Proportionally of more persons required hospitalization from the Shires the Avon, Maffra and Omeo than their respective shares in total (in terms of gross numbers of people these population 1 three shires have the smallest Fopulation). Table 3.5 shows that of the total number of persons requir ing hospitalisation in Bast Gippsland in 1973-74; in (i) 38.6% attended the East Gippsland Hospital Bairnsdale; (ii) 29.8% attended the Gippsland Base Hospital in Sale; (iii) 21% attended the hospitals at Maffra, Omeo and Orbost; and (iv) 9.7% were hospitalized outside the region (includ ing 7.7% in Melbourne). The data in Table 3.6 shows where residents of the individ ual municipalities in East Gippsland obtained hospitalization in 1973-74. The most significant pattern revealed by Table 3.6 are: in (i) where a hospital is located in a municipality general residents of that municipality are hospitalized in that hospitai; were (ii) more than half of the residents of Omeo Shire hospitalized in Bairnsdale. (The East Gippsland hospital.in Bairnsdale would be closer to a large proportion of the resid.ents of Omeo Shire than would the Omeo District Hospital. of the An interesting feature of Table 3.6 is the variation proportion of residents of various shires who seek hospital ization outside East Gippsland (including the metropolitan are). Presumably a significant proportion of these attendances would be to obtain services not available in East Gippsland...... FIGURE 8: DOCTORS, DENTISTS AND CHEMISTS IN ...... THE EAST GIPPSLAND REGION ...... JUNE 1977 ...... Q ...... " 0 Orbost w· . I SCALE 10 0 10 20 30 40 I lZ( !;;;;::::J k?1 Kilometres 1:1,000,000 0 Doctors 0 Dentists v Chemists i~-~ Regional Boundary ...... FIGURE 7: H\lPijALS AND NURSING CE_NiRES ...... '\ ., ..,..- - ' [--....\..,),.. ' \-"\ (-, .r ...... / '·~. ( ~'. ... )'-\ ~\ '/pmeo '-....__' 0 I ' - _ l . Swifts Ck. Gelantipy ..... I ----/ 0 ' ..... I 0 ~M~ '~ I ~ ...... I· Dargo 0 Buchan I 0 I \.\ 0 Cann River ) NowaNowa Orbost I Q. o. I J l · ___Maffra , I/-.- &.... "\ Sale SCALE \~ 20 10 0 20 40 \ . I lZ1 1:;;?"'1 \ kilometr's \ Hospital \ * \ @. District Nursing Cen~re o. Bush· Nursing Centre, .,,.,.,,,.,. ""'""' ' FIGURE 9:. AMBULANCE BASES IN EAST GIPPSLANO ~...- ' ,...... ~,,,r ' \~ <-...... I r ' ' .... ·/ ,_ ., ( ...... oomeo '-,. >"-\' \ \ ...... , I '--- ·l SwiftsCk. · ', I --.....;./ 0 .... , . I ..... I ' .... ~~ ' / I 0 Buchan . '· , 0 I Licola '\.\ . 0 ii:J· Bruthen ( o drbost Mallacoota I I Heytiel~Maft\ 1..r ...... ~ · -'dale SCALE 20 10 0 20 40 r lZl c;;;::?1 ·.\ 0 Ambulance bases kilometres 28 TABLE 3 .3 AVAILABILITY OF MEDICAL SERVI~ES IN SHIRES OF FAST GIPPSLAND 1977 ::s "'1 n :::: .... ti;:I 0 () ""'0- 0 m :z en 0 .... ill ::r 0 ::s c: ...... (1) 0 (1) (II 'ti (1) ::s s CD Ill IQ Ill Ill .... p. rt" <.Q .... >o ::s .... 0 ~ ....P. 0m ~ ..... ~. ... . n ::r ~ .... 0 t1 H· O ...... 0'< Ill rt (1) z ..... 0 Ill Ill 0 Pl Pl (.? ..... rt" Pl 0 Ill ..... (I> ..... I-' rt" .... 'ti Ill I-' ~~ rt Pl en Ul Ill t1 en ::s ~· ~ (I) I § p. !:? -. Ul n. Avon Shire Twice Weela.y visit. :~.· l 1 Bairnsdale 9 G.P. Physioth..., · 3 6 1 1 Town 5 specialists erapist Bairnsdale Shire 1 Maffra Shire 8 1 1 1 omeo Shire 1 2 Orbost Shire 3 2 1 3 Tambo Shire 2 2 3 Sale City 14 I 5 1 5 1 1 TABLE 3.4 DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONS REqt.:!RJNG HOSPITALIZATION IN EAST GIPPSLAND BY MUNCIPALITY 1973-74 Municipality Persons Requiring Proportion of Total Hospitalization Regional Population No. % of Total in Municipality (1976) F..egional Avon Shire 342 3.9 5.8 Bairnsdale Shire and Town 2360 27.5 26.5 Maffra Shire 1151 13.4 16.5 Omeo Shire 323 3.8 3.1 Orbost Shire 974 11.3 12.1 Sale City 2191 25.5 23.6 Tambo Shire 1131 13.2 12.3 Total East Gippsland 8582 Source: Hospitals, and Charities Commission. Th~ reasons for the high proportion of r~sidents of Avon Shire seeking hospitalization outside the region (29.5% being hospitalized in the metropolitan area) are unknown. 29 TABLE 3.5 HOSPITAI,S ATTENDED BY PERSONS REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION IN EAST GIPPSLAND 1973-74 I Hospital Persons I' % of Total Persons i Attendance at Hospitals I I in Region East Gippsland Hospital, BairnsC:ale 3,315 I 38.6 Gippsland Base Hospital, Sale 2,561 29.8 Maffra District Hospital. 833 II 9.7 I omeo District Hospital 125 1.5 Orbost District Hospital 907 I 10.6 Metropolitan Hospitals 657 7.7 Other 174 2.0 TOTAL 8,582 100.0 Source: Hospitals and Charities Conunission TABLE 3.6 PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF HOSPITALS ATTENDANCES OF RESIDB~~S IN MUNICIPALITIES IN EAST GIPPSLAND BY HOSPITAL ATTENDED, 1973-74 I Municipality jGipps-j East Maffra Omeo I Orbost Metro- Gipps- Dist- Dist- I Dist- politan !land i I land II rict. ric. t • I rict. and Base I i Other I Hosp. Hosp. I Sale i B'dale. l l I 35.6 Avon Shire 40.l I 2.3 21.9 - - Bairnsdale Shire i I and Town 2.2 87.5 0.3 - 0.2 9.7 Maf fra Shire 26.6 0.5 59.8 0.3 12.6 l! I 0.3 omeo Shire 1.2 . 54.1 - 3~.7 - 6.8 I 78.5 8.0 Orbost Shire 2.3 1 10.8 i 0.4 Sale City 1.6 0.5 ! 2.6 - - 5.2 I I 4.9 I 10.l Tambo Shire 2.5 82.4 l - - : l I l ' I I i I I East Gippsland I T 0 TA L i 29.8 38.6 9.7 1.5 10.6 9.7 Source: Hospitals and Charities Commission. - 30 - (ii) District and Bush Nursing Centres A vital component of the health care network in East Gippsland are the District Nursing Centres located---.. ______·-- at Bairnsdale, Sale, Maffra and Orbost and the Bush Nursing Centres located in the smaller centres in the Region (See Figure 7). The number of persons serviced by the Bu.sh Nursing Centres in each year since 1971-72 is shown in Table 3.7. Table 3.8 contains data on the use of district nursing centres in the Region. Details of the domicile of the persons using the District and Bush Nursing Centres in East Gippsland are unavailable. It is clear however, that the bush nursing centres play a vital role in providing primary henlth care in those parts of the region which do not have ready access to a hospital or health centres. TABLE 3.7 ATTENDANCES AT BUSH NURSING CENTRES IN THE EAST GIPPSLAND REGION, 1971-72/1974-75 CENTRE Numbers Assisted (Attendances) 1971-72 1972-73 1973-74 1974-75 Buchan Bush Nursing Centre 1,198 1,801 1,423 2,050 Cann Valley B.N.C. 1,143 1,561 1,506 Dargo B.N.C. 585 617 617 527 Ensay B.N.C. 1,123 984 895 2,048 Gelantipy B.N.C. 237 232 282 Mallacoota B.N.C. 1,783 2,111 n.a. 1,708 Swifts Creek 1,277 n.a. 2,155 1,669 Nowa Nowa Centre· (not available) Source: Hospitals and Charities Commission (iii) Doctors, Dentists and Chemists No information is available on the usage patterns of doctors, dentists and chemists in East Gippsland. (c) Trends It is interesting to compare the existing distribution of health facilities and services in East Gippsland with that which existed twenty-five _years ago, as reported in the Resources Survey of the East Gippsland Region undertaken by the Central Planning Authority in 1952 (See Table 3.9). Comparison of the data in Table 3.9 with that outlined above reveals that: (i) The number of hospitals in the region has remained unchanged but additional bush nursing centres have been opened at Cann Valley, Gl!!lantipy, Mc:.llacoota and Nowa Nowa;. .. 31 - TABLE 3.8 USE OF DISTRICT NURSING CENTRES IN EAST GIPPSLAND 1971-72/1974-75 LOCATION 1971-2 1972-73 1973-74 1974-75 Pat- Atter.d- Fat- Attend- Pat- Attend·- Pat- Attend- ients ances ients ances ients ances ients ances Bairnsdale 236 2424 305 3497 706 7348 679 9223 sale 57 1741 377 2903 308 2591 Maffra 74 1553 42 1602 35 2581 73 2681 Orbost - tr! 27 1871 33 171!.8 Source: Hospitals and Chari.ti.es Commission TABLE 3.9 AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH SERVICES IN EAST GIPPSLAND REGION 1952 Centre Services Available Hospital Bush Doctors Dentists (Bush or Nursing (Number) District) Centre Bairnsdale 1 4 4 Bruthen 1 Buchan 1 Dargo 1 En say 1 Heyfield 1 1 1 Lakes Entrance 1 Maf fra 1 4 1 Omeo 1 1 Orbost 1 3 3 Sale 1 9 3 Swifts Creek 1 Source: Central Planning Authority, Resources Survey, East Gippsland Region_, (Government Printer, Melbourne 1954) p. 102 32 (ii) Whilst the number of doctors and dentists have increased in some cent.res, there is no longer a doctor at Bruthen as the~e was in 1952, similarly, there is no longer a dentist available in Heyfield. (d) Implications Perhaps the most important features of the existing pattern of distribution of health services and facilities revealed by the foregoing analysis, is the concentration of most services in the major centres of the region located along the Princes Highway. Two particular consequences follow from this distribution. (i) Transport plays a vital role in enabling residents in many parts of the Region to obtain health centres. In this situation the critical importance of the airbulance service in transporting persons to hospital and/or other medical services is emphasised. The location of' ambu lance bases in East Gippsland is sho~m on Figure 9; (ii) In many parts of the region the bush nusing centre is the only source of primary health care. There is no doubt that residents in the remote parts of East Gippsland share the difficulties described by the Hospitals and Health Services Conunission as applying to most parts of rural Australia: "Special assistc.nce with transport costs is needed by many rural residents. Even where such assistance is available, it may be subject to means tests that result in hardship. Thus a farilily on an apparently reasonable income may experience considerable difficulty if it has to pay for regular flights to a remote capital city for essential treatment for one of its.me~hers. Travel by cheaper alternative means may be so much slower as to jeopardise a hard-won work opportunity. In addition, unless the country patient is to be admitted to hospital when attending for treatment or the fitting of protheses in the city, acconunodations costs can be a burden not experienced by the city dweller. There is the further difficulty of travel and acconunodation costs for relatives accompanying patients in such circumstances." (14) It would appear that these difficulties are most keenly felt in emergency situations similar to those described in an analysis of problems of health care access in remote communities in North Queensland: "When asked in the questionnaire "When do you feel most isolated?", the most corranon answer was "sudden illness or accident". In a discussion with a group of wives, when asked the same question, many gave the following.responses - heart attack, head or internal injury, snakebite, severe cut or burn to one of the men." (15). (14) Report on Hospitals in Australia, p. 84. (15) A.L. Brownlea and C.L. Ward, "Health Care Access Problems in Relatively Isolated Conununities in Northern Queensland and the Darling Downs." in papers of the First Australia·-New Zealand Regional Science Conference, (1976). p. 181. 33 3.3 C~RE OF AGED PERSONS The main institutional facilities for the care of the aged in East Gippsland are located in Sale and Bairnsdale with smaller facilities being located at Maffra and Orbost. The facilities and their capacities are listed in Table 3.10. The presence of these facilities in Sale and Bairnsdale enables these centres to act as "retirement centres" for the Region as a whole and·beyond. This is illustrated by the data in Table 3.11 relating to the origin of the immates of the Gippsland Home and Hospital in Bairnsdale. TABLE 3.10 INSTITUTIONAL FACILITIES FOR CARE OF THE AGED IN EAST GIPPSLAND Facility Capacity Gippsland home and Hospital for the Aged (Bairnsdale) 160 Clifton Waters Village (Bairnsdale) 160 Stretton Park (Maffra) 30 Eastwood Park (attached to 48 Gippsland Base Hospital) Ashleighc.House (Sale) 48 Croajingalong Village (Orbost) 16 .Gippsland Base Hospital (Sale) (Geriatric Beds) 50 Source: Hospitals and Charities Commission TABLE 3.11 ORIGIN OF PERSONS ATTENDING GIPPSLAND HOME AND HOSPI'l'AL FOR THE AGED Municipality/Area Percentage of Total Patients Bairnsdale Town and Shire 45.4 Tambo 10.l Yallo"1rn 6.0 Melbourne 5.0 Orbost 4.2 omeo 4.2 Maf fra 4.2 Other 20.9 100.0 Source: Hospitals and Charities Commission Recent developments in methods of caring for the aged have emphasised the importance of home-based and locally provided services in facilitating effective care for aged persons. Thus, whilst the concentration of the major institutional facilities for aged care in East Gippsland in the main urban centres is consistent with the distribution of the aged population revealed in Table 2.4 abov~, this will not obviate the need for the continuing provision of a range of services for aged persons (e.g. meals on wheels) in all communities in the Region. - 34 - 4. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The purpose of this chapter is to draw on the analysis in Chapters 2 and 3 to highlight some of the principal general issues surrounding the development of effective policies and programmes to improve the access of East Gippsland residents to community services and facilities. In this way it is hoped that the chapter will provide a basis for discussion amongst those responsible for providing specific community services and facilities in East Gippsland of ways and means of overcoming some of the problems highlighted in the precreding chapters. The basic argument of this chapter is that the development o~ ·~.~f,~ctiv~ policies and programmes to improve accessibility to community services and in East Gippsland will require action in respect of each of the following matters: (i) Clarifying the dimensions of the problem; (ii) Identifying real as distinct from apparent resource constraints; (iii) Developing increased administrative flexibility; (iv) Improving information availability; and (v) Recognizing the link between transport availability and accessibility. Each of these issues will now be discussed, drawing on the material outlined in Chapters 2 and 3 as appropriate. 4.1 The Dimensions of the Problem (a) The Number of People Affected The major.feature of the existing pattern of services as described in Chapter 3 is the concentration of most services (with the exception, for example, of primary schools and postal services) in the major centres of population along the Princes Highway and their immediate environs. As pointed out in Chapter 2, 90% of the population of East Gj~psland lives within a 40 km radius of the major centres of Sale, Bairnsdale, Maffra and Orbost, each of which has a wide range of services available. Thus for the majority of the population of East Gippsland most services are available within half an hour's driving time of their residence, a situation which is comparable with and, in some cases better than, the time taken to travel to similar services in the metropolitan area l•.nd other l~.~ge urban centres. Assessment of the situation in this way clarifies two important factors which are relevant to the formulation of programmes to provide social services and facilities in remote areas. Firstly the number of persons who would be the subject of any special programmes designed to provide services in remote areas is relatively small (involving for example some 3,500 people who live more than 40 km from ·the major centres o-: Sale, Bairnsdale, Maffra and Orbost) ~.. · Consequently the cash cost of any special scheme·§ to provide assistance would be fairly small. Secondly an area of special need relates to those households who do 35 not have access to a motor vehicle. These constitute only a small proportion of the population (See Table 4.1), but the special problems experienced by these persons need to be re·cognized. (b) The Impact of Distance There is no doubt that a major overriding factor influencing the formulation of effective programmes to improve the access of residents in remote parts of East Gippsland to community services is that of distance. It is important to bear in mind that distance affects the community in three ways, as follows: (i) Firstly, there is the objective fact that travel times between the more remote parts of the region and the major centres where services are located act as a barrier to the ability of residents in remote areas to obtain services. Associated with this is the high costs involved in making telephone calls to relevant services. (ii) Secondly, it is important to realise that the feeling of isolation experienced by residents in remote communities has an important influence on the attitudes and behaviour patterns of residents in remote communities. Agencies providing services therefore need to be aware of and responsive to, that feeling; and (iii) The uniform and infl€xible application of rules and gudelines appropriate to the administration of services in metropolitan and large urban communities may place residents of the Region in a de facto position of disadvantage. This is best illustrated by the following example relating to the administration of unemployment benefits derived from the Report "A Town's Acceptance of Commur~:!.ty Health" by the Lakes Entrance Community Health Centre. "2.4.l THE INCOME STATEMENT Step 1. An application for unemployment benefit is sent an "Interim Income Statement" which must be returned within 7 days before his application can be considered. Applicants are directed to personally hand in this completed form at their nearest C.E.S. employment office. In our case, and for most of East Gippsland, this is Bairnsdale, Where distance and other circumstances make this impossible, the Department of Social Security will, where proof is provided, accept return by mail. In this the Centre has been a strong advocate of its people, and returns by mail are accepted." "Step.2. If the Interim Income Statement is not back at the Regional Office :(Sale}, within 7 days the application is rejected. The 7 days "given" to the applicant is reduced, in practical terms, to 1 (one) day, because the 7 days take effect at the Regional Office from the time the pension clerk prepares the form at the Regional Office for issue by mail to the applicant. 36 TABLE 4.1 AVAILABILITY OF MOTOR VEEICLES AT.PRIVATE DWELLINGS IN EAST GIPPSLAND 1971 li:j I NO. OF DWELLINGS WITH .., __ ~;g~fg ~ l'tj ::r' IQ rt ,.,.. s: ~ ..... {ll ..... '• <: w r.n z ~ Illt-:' gJ ._. 0 < z rt 0 Ill ~o <(1) < Ill rt rt c+ ro P• CD ...... {ll rt i ..... P" ~,,."' ~o11 rt ..... 0 (1) 0 0 ::r' (1) 0 ..... p. ::s ::s rt ...... 0 0 0 ::s .... (1) ...... ID' ~ . 0 I {ll (1) (1) {ll :;i {ll 3.41 Orbost Shire 215 843 443 148 35 6,301 3.46 Tambo Shire 204 897 426 120 39 5,888 2.68 Omeo Shire so 220 163 89 10 1,868 1.68 Avon Shire 52 381 213 100 8 3,090 3.21 Maffra Shire 273 1136 629 271 37 8,515 2.86 Bairnsdale ShirE 107 537 362 113 . 15 3,741 4.89 Bairnsdale Town 418 1332 633 134 27 8,552 3.53 Sale City 368 1622 67.5 155 54 10,436 Source: A.B.S. 1971 Census Data. 37 "In our district the great majority of unemployed· aboriginal applicants have either misunde;·stood the meaniog of "7 days" or missed the return date by failing to appreciate the urgency involved. "Placing the blame on the applicant does not solve the enuing hardship and despair. Cases on record show that 26 families have so far failed to "qualify" over a period of an average 3 weeks each, without any income whatsoever. They come to us in desperation." "Step 3. Having ·passed the first test, and after the application is approved, the same "test" of eligibility comes up every fortnight. With each UB cheque is an "Income Statement" which.must be returned on the same day if it is to beat the deadline. If the recipient of UB fails to do so, "the benefit is terminated." The unemployed persons now has the option of making a new application, again running the sauntlet, and waiting a full 3 weeks for receipt of benefit." (16) 4.2 Identifying Resource Constraints the access to In forrnulating prog~Bl'!rnes and policies to improve conflict community services and facilities there is an ~~evitable of services between the desirable aim of providing as wide a range the resource as near as possible to the user of those services and effect that (both in terms of finance and manpower) available to provision. Clearly, especially in present circ1lmstances proposals to increase substantially the capital and manpower and resources devoted to the provision of community services of being facilities in East Gippsland would have little chance that implemented. A realistic approa.ch to this problem requires maximum attention be paid to making better use of available and resources, to implementing those low cost procedural identify administrative solutions which appear feasible, and to ing the most urgent priorities for action. real It is important, therefore not to underestimate the very resources changes that can be effected by a minimum injection of at the local level. The experience of the Lakes Entrance the Lakes Community Health Centre in acting as a catalyst within community Entrance community to marshal! the resources of that in to increase the level of real community service provision by a the Lakes Entrance area demonstrates what can be achieved that the modest conunitment of funds and manpower. Moreover given on focal effective provision of many community services depends (e.g. in action to meet demands which exist in most communities for the area of aged persons care), the essential need may.be people to act as catalysts within those communities. Gippsland It is apparent moreover, that many resid~nts of East in the accept that the requirements of efficiency and economy availab provision of individual services will dictate that the restricted ility of particular types of services will be somewhat views in East Gippsland. This is implicit for example in the expressed by regional residents at the Workshops organised throughout the Region early in 1976 };·y the East Gippsland by Staff of Lakes (16) A Town's Acceptance of Conununity Health, Report Entrance Community Health Centre (1976), pp. 23-24. 38 Regional Planning Committee, following the release of the Interim Regional Planning Statement. (17) The important requirement would appear to be to identify priority areas for action and to concentrate local and State effort on those priority areas. It remains true, however, that there are and always will be certain areas where access to services can be effectively maintained or increased only by increasing the physical, financial and manpower resources devoted to specific services. The analysis in chapters 2 and 3 for example suggests that access to dental care in some areas can only be effectively improved by raising the level of resources devoted to those areas. Similarly where new areas ·of need ~re becoming apparent (e.g. in the provision of services for aged persons in the Gippsland Lakes sub-region) , it will be necessary to anticipate effectively the need for such resources. 4,3 Developing Increased Administrative Flexibility Access to services in the remote regions of East Gippsland may also be enhanced by developing greater flexibility in the admini stration of programmes. It would appear for example that the difficulties experienced by the unemployed in meeting in the deadlines for applying for and/or providing information respect of inemployment benefits might apply to other socio is economic groups spread throughout the Region. Similarly, it necessary to recognise that whilst the trend towards decentralisation of service administration in Government welfare agencies has undoubtedly increased access to services on a region wide basis, there may still be differential impacts within regions arising from the pattern of location of those administrative agencies. 4.4 Information Availability Communities in remote areas often suffer from a lack of information regarding the community services and facilities which are available, particularly those provided by the st,1'J.te and Commonwealth Governments. (The matter of t~inforrnation available to residents in rural communities regarding Government services and facilities is currently being explored in a study being undertaken by the Board in conjunction with the Commonwealth Department of Social Security in South Gippsland. The results of this study should provide at least some hypotheses and insights which might be usefully further explored in East Gippsland.) bear .. Currently, just as individual private residents in general the full cest of travelling to and from services as they are required, so too do they bear the full responsibility for finding out the full details of Government assistance programmes which may be available to them. There is a need for Government agencies to make efforts to ensure that those persons who act as key contact points in rural communities have available to them the information necessary to advise residents of the services and facilities. in this respect the following rern,arks by the Gippsland Family· and Child Care Planning Conunittee would appear to be particularly relevant~ !·'.-., ... ;.." :i%~ (17) See East Gippsland Regional Planning Committee, Regional Community Workshops in the East Gippsland Region, April- 1976. 39 use and "The whole question of referral networks and appropriate in view of acceptability of services deserves further attention fields on Gippsland. the shortage of prc~essional staff in many that welfare "It is assumed by many involved in service delivery of support workers are the obvious persons to approach in search Whether this services, and they do indeed fill this function. by results of view is shared by the general public is questioned of the the Family Survey. While 70% of respondents knew that they would availability of welfare workers, most indicated of religion seek professional help from a doctor, or a minister survey of seven for a series of specified problems. Further, a the large Gippsland Welfare Agencies showed that in four of other profession centres, over 60% of the cases were referred by als rather than family/friends/self." (18) \ 'l'' • 4.5 Transport and Accessibility role which the Chapter 3 establishes fairly clearly the critical areas to obtain transport plays in enabling residents of remote access to community services and facilities. Improving may be as much accessibility to community services and facilities services and a matter of ensuring that the journey to available centre or a facilities (be it a primary school, a bush nursing as it is hospital) is as quick and as ccmfortable as possible locations. of constructing ad(~itional services in remote Once again the resolution of the particular difficulties with transport to community services will probably associated and involve co-operative active between public authorities individual local communities. Thus whilst, f'?r example, an services a remote location nay readily obtain transport to in to a neighbour, the effective time taken to gain access from by the the particular serJice needed will be greatly affected place. In condition of the road over which the journey takes get access to an emergency situation, it is the time taken to is the a service (rather than the distance travelled) which critical factor. (18) Families and Children and Gippsland. (p. 46) 40 EAST GIPPSI.AND RBGIONAL STUDY WORKING PAPERS NO. 1 DEMOGRAPHIC:: AJ>."'D ECONOMIC FACTORS (December 1976) ~ ~ NO. 2 INTEGRATING SOCIAL AND ST~TEGIC rf PLANNING • (February 1977) NO. 3 TOU?J.S.M (April 1977) NO. 4 TPl~.NSPORT AND COMr1iUNICATION (July 1977) NO. 5 BASIC SERVICES {i-\tigu~t:,)t~~)