A Response to the National Water Initiative from Nepabunna, Yarilena, Scotdesco and Davenport Aboriginal Settlements
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
36 A response to the National Water initiative from Nepabunna, Yarilena, Scotdesco and Davenport Aboriginal settlements Scotdesco and Davenport Yarilena, initiative from Nepabunna, response to the National Water A A response to the National Water Meryl Pearce Report initiative from Nepabunna, Yarilena, Eileen Willis Carmel McCarthy 36 Scotdesco and Davenport Fiona Ryan Aboriginal settlements Ben Wadham 2008 Meryl Pearce A response to the National Water Initiative from Nepabunna, Yarilena, Scotdesco and Davenport Aboriginal settlements Meryl Pearce Eileen Willis Carmel McCarthy Fiona Ryan Ben Wadham 2008 Contributing author information Dr Meryl Pearce is a Senior lecturer in the School of Geography, Population and Environmental Management at Flinders University. Her research focuses on water resource sustainability. Associate Professor Eileen Willis is a sociologist with research interests in Aboriginal health with a social determinants focus. Carmel McCarthy has broad ranging expertise in social, medical, and educational research. Fiona Ryan has participated in research projects related to Aboriginal issues and Aboriginal languages. She has a Masters in Applied Linguistics from Adelaide University and has worked extensively in the area of adult education. Dr Ben Wadham is a senior lecturer in the School of Education, Flinders University. His research has focused on Aboriginal reconciliation and Australian race relations from a governance and policy perspective. Desert Knowledge CRC Report Number 36 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: 1 74158 085 4 (Print copy) ISBN: 1 74158 086 2 (Online copy) ISSN: 1832 6684 Citation Pearce M, Willis E, McCarthy C, Ryan F and Wadham B. 2008. A response to the National Water initiative from Nepabunna, Yarilena, Scotdesco and Davenport Aboriginal settlements, DKCRC Research Report 36. Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre, 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. 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 2008 The work reported in this publication was supported by funding from the Australian Government Cooperative Research Centres Program through the Desert Knowledge CRC; the views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Desert Knowledge CRC or its Participants. This research report was supported by the Commonwealth Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs; CRC for Aboriginal Health; Desert Knowledge CRC and United Water; and the Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Division, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, South Australia. DPC-AARD does not necessarily endorse the recommendations or conclusions of the report. II Desert Knowledge CRC A response to the National Water Initiative from Nepabunna, Yarilena, Scotdesco and Davenport Aboriginal settlements Contents Abbreviations/Acronyms IX Acknowledgements X Executive summary 1 Chapter one: Introduction 5 Chapter two: Literature review: Utility stress and Aboriginal poverty 15 Chapter three: Methods used in this study 23 Chapter four: Cost of living at Nepabunna 35 Chapter five: Water use at Nepabunna 47 Chapter six: Cost of living at Yarilena and Scotdesco 65 Chapter seven: Water use at Yarilena and Scotdesco 87 Chapter eight: Cost of living at Davenport 105 Chapter nine: Water use at Davenport 115 Chapter ten: Conclusion and recommendations 127 Recommendations arising from the study 137 Closing statement 138 References 139 A response to the National Water Initiative from Desert Knowledge CRC III Nepabunna, Yarilena, Scotdesco and Davenport Aboriginal settlements Tables Table 3.1: Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) sample serve sizes of the five food groups 29 Table 3.2: Approximate quantities of the five food groups recommended by the AGHE 29 Table 4.1: Population of Nepabunna at the time of the 2001 ABS Census 36 Table 4.2: Household size at Nepabunna, May 2006 38 Table 4.3: Employment in Nepabunna 38 Table 4.4: Labour force status for residents of Nepabunna 38 Table 4.5: Median weekly income for Indigenous Locations in SA north-east Indigenous area 39 Table 4.6: Weekly income of the hypothetical family at Nepabunna 40 Table 4.7: Travel, utility and rental costs for a hypothetical family at Nepabunna, 2006 41 Table 4.8: Weekly and yearly medical and associated costs for a hypothetical family at Nepabunna 41 Table 4.9: Comparison of costs for weekly food items in Nepabunna and Adelaide 43 Table 4.10: Estimated weekly and yearly costs for food, health consumables and health hardware 43 Table 4.11: Average weekly and annual expenses for the hypothetical family 44 Table 4.12: Weekly expenses for the hypothetical family at Nepabunna 45 Table 5.1: A summary of the bore water quality at Nepabunna 48 Table 5.2: Average daily per capita domestic water use at Nepabunna 49 Table 5.3: Daily water use at one household: weekdays and weekends 49 Table 5.4: Increase in per capita water use at one house in relation to maximum daily air temperature 51 Table 5.5: A comparison of evaporative coolers and refrigerative air-conditioners 54 Table 5.6: Average daily water use in non-residential buildings at Nepabunna 55 Table 5.7: Average water use at Nepabunna in relation to results from other studies 55 Table 6.1: Population of Yarilena 2002 65 Table 6.2: Age composition of the Aboriginal population at Yarilena, 2002 66 Table 6.3: Age composition of the Aboriginal population at Yarilena, July 2006 66 Table 6.4: Household size at Yarilena, July 2006 67 Table 6.5: Employment of Aboriginal people in Yarilena 2002 67 Table 6.6: Labour force status for residents of Yarilena 67 Table 6.7: Employment in Yarilena 2006 68 Table 6.8: Median weekly income for Indigenous Locations in Ceduna (DC) IARE 68 Table 6.9: Calculation of the income of the hypothetical family in Yarilena 69 Table 6.10: Selected travel, utility and rental costs for the hypothetical family 70 Table 6.11: Weekly and annual medical and associated costs for the hypothetical family 71 Table 6.12: Estimated weekly and annual costs for food, health consumables, health hardware and clothing 72 Table 6.13: Average weekly and annual expenses for a hypothetical family 73 Table 6.14: Comparison of costs and percentage differences between Adelaide and Yarilena 74 Table 6.15: Population of Scotdesco 75 Table 6.16: Age composition of the Aboriginal population at Scotdesco, 2002 76 Table 6.17: Age composition of the Aboriginal population at Scotdesco, 2006 76 Table 6.18: Household size at Scotdesco in June 2006 77 Table 6.19: Employment of Aboriginal People in Scotdesco 2002 77 Table 6.20: Employment in Scotdesco 2006 78 Table 6.21: Median weekly income for Indigenous Locations in the West Coast Indigenous Area 78 Table 6.22: Calculation of the income for hypothetical family 1 79 Table 6.23: Calculation of the income for hypothetical family 2 79 IV Desert Knowledge CRC A response to the National Water Initiative from Nepabunna, Yarilena, Scotdesco and Davenport Aboriginal settlements Table 6.24: Calculation of the income for hypothetical family 3 79 Table 6.25: Selected utility costs for household 1 80 Table 6.26: Travel costs for hypothetical family 1 80 Table 6.27: Weekly and annual medical costs for hypothetical family 1 81 Table 6.28: Comparison of costs between Adelaide and Scotdesco 81 Table 6.29: Comparison of total supermarket costs for hypothetical family 1 82 Table 6.30: Average weekly and annual costs for the hypothetical family 1 82 Table 6.31: Income of hypothetical family 2 82 Table 6.32: Selected utility costs for the hypothetical family 2 82 Table 6.33: Scotdesco travel costs for hypothetical family 2 82 Table 6.34: Weekly and annual medical costs for hypothetical family 2 83 Table 6.35: Average weekly and annual expenses for hypothetical family 2 83 Table 6.36: Comparison between Adelaide and Scotdesco of costs 83 Table 6.37: Comparison of total supermarket costs for hypothetical family 2 83 Table 6.38: Income of hypothetical family 3 (one adult) 84 Table 6.39: Utility costs for one adult at Scotdesco 84 Table 6.40: Travel costs for one adult at Scotdesco 84 Table 6.41: Medical and associated costs for one adult at Scotdesco 84 Table 6.42: Average weekly and annual expenses for one adult at Scotdesco 85 Table 6.43: Weekly expenses for each hypothetical family at Scotdesco and percentages of weekly income 85 Table 7.1: Average daily per capita domestic mains water use at Yarilena 88 Table 7.2: Average daily per capita mains water use in the fifteen houses at Yarilena 89 Table 8.1: Population of Davenport 105 Table 8.2: ABS (2002) employment data for Davenport (15 years and over) 108 Table 8.3: Employment data for Davenport (15 years and over), data collected in February 2007 108 Table 8.4: Median weekly income for Indigenous Locations in the Port Augusta Indigenous area 108 Table 8.5: Income of the hypothetical family at Davenport (two adults and one child aged under 13