People working with technology in remote communities

Number 23 SWIMMINGSWIMMING POOLSPOOLS -- makingmaking aa dreamdream realreal From automotive training to apprenticeships Maintaining community roads How to measure impact BUSH TECHS • Waterless composting toilets • Used oil (with bonus poster) Is this a picture of the future? Community kids with chlorine bleached hair taking part in swimming as a sport? These swim stars are at Burringurrah, where the pool was built by the WA Department of Housing and Works. Pools Number 23 are costly to build and maintain but, as our feature story shows, the list of benefits continues to grow. Thank you to readers who filled in the survey in the last issue. Most of you told us the magazine was the better for being targetted and was well pitched to its intended audience. The draw for the BBQ was won by a reader in the Top End NT. One reader would like to see more pictures and easier text for community people who have English as a second language. CAT is planning more visual products, like the used oil poster inside this issue. The Our Place radio series is taking stories about technology across the country. The stations that play Our Place are listed on the back cover. There’s more about the survey on our website at www.icat.org.au. And your feedback is always welcome. Kathie Rea, editor

3 BUSHLIFE 11 REFLECTING ON OUR WORK Stephanie Allen talks about women’s health and The needs may be obvious but from a service provider’s wellbeing camps in Tasmania. point of view, some communities are hard to assist. Michael Martin looks at how viability might be increased 4 NEWS but reflects that there are no easy answers out bush. 6 LIVELIHOODS – ARTS DEVELOPMENT 12 TRAINING TO WORK It’s a baby among arts centres but Waralungku Arts Two young people talk about the decisions they made already is working as a catalyst to the next stage of which led to automotive training and to apprenticeships. development for all the arts in the Borroloola region. 14 TECHNOLOGY - ROADS 8 SWIMMING POOLS A community’s internal roads can be an asset or liability. People in communities want pools for a lot of good Trevor Webb outlines how preventative maintenance will reasons. But data is now in on an unexpected benefit help. – rapid improvements in children’s health. Hannah Hueneke reports on how some communities have built 16 INTERNATIONAL – IMPACT ASSESSMENT and are maintaining their pools. A project is finished according to plan. But what difference did it make? Steve Fisher explains how BUSH TECHS to start identifying and measuring impacts (not just outputs). This article is the third in the Our Place series centre pages #22 Used oil on increasing ‘viability’. pull-out to keep #23 Waterless composting toilets 19 REVIEW insert TECHNOLOGY POSTER Centre Bounce, an exhibition and book by Jesse Marlow. Ryan Mallard looks with an insider’s eyes at these #2 When it’s time to change the oil… photographs of community football. 20 CAT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

FRONT COVER: The delight Our Place ISSN: 1325-7684 on these young faces may tell Our Place is published three times a year by the Centre for Appropriate Technology, an Indigenous science and technology organisation, which seeks to you all you need to know but secure sustainable livelihoods through appropriate technology. there’s much more to swimming Subscriptions: Free to people living or working in Indigenous communities. pools as our story shows. CAT Tel: (08) 8951 4311 Email: [email protected] staff member Elliat Rich photo- Opinions expressed in Our Place are those of the authors and not necessarily graphed these girls from Yipirinya those of the CAT Board or staff. school enjoying the cool waters Our Place number 23, 2004 of Alice Springs pool. Photos on © Centre for Appropriate Technology Inc pages 8 to 10 are by Elliat and 32 Priest Street, Alice Springs NT 0870 Print Post: 545270/00016 Hannah Hueneke, and feature Editorial: Kathie Rea students from Irrkerlantye and Design by Maxine Addinsall Yipirinya at the public pool and Used oil poster by Elliat Rich Yirara College students in their Printing by Colemans Printing campus pool. The production of Our Place is funded by the www.icat.org.au Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services.

2 BUSH LIFE Health and wellbeing out on country

tephanie Allen is co-facilitator of the Aboriginal S Women’s Health and Wellbeing Camps in Tasmania. She talked to Our Place about how the camps work for women. Why do you hold the camps? “We have only two rules. First is the “We have the camps because we’re rule of two feet. There’s even a sign concerned with the health of women. to go with it, showing two feet. If you Stephanie Allen We take our children, all the girls, don’t want to take part in anything, and boys up to seven years. The you talk with your feet, not with periwinkles, werriwa - I don’t know women say what they want, what anything else. the other name for that. topics they want to cover. “Rule two is about our busy bees, “There’s yarning and storytelling; we “At the last camp the topic was they’re the ones who are always like ghost stories. That’s one of our healing. We talked about what buzzing, and our butterflies, who favourites, storytelling around the healing meant to the women. There take things more gently. No one campfire. There’s singing, talking were many different opinions - not can criticise our busy bees for being about issues, going on walks. just healing your outside, also about busy or our butterflies for doing what Sometimes we’re talking about big healing your spirit. We talked about they do. If there’s an activity on, you issues like the logging threat to bringing changes in your life to heal make your choice of which group Toolumbuna, a women’s site near the your body, like eating less takeaway you want to be in or not to take part town of Mole Creek. food. in this activity. “I see a lot of hype; this is an “We go country for camps. A lot of us “It’s good we’re not with any opportunity for moving forward. It’s are city people. The camps are time organisation. We talk and come about time that what we’re putting to get connection with country. to our own views. Sometimes we in, we’re getting out, so we can go forward, not stand still.” “We have four to six camps a year. put recommendations up and push Camps are aimed at about 20 for them to happen. One of our although there were 32 women and aims is to have an Indigenous young ‘uns at the largest camp. The woman at Women Tasmania (state most recent camp was 20 women government) to encourage young and one teen girl. We don’t have women’s involvement in the women’s baby sitters. We share caring for leadership program. the kids. We go back to basics, “There’s lots of gunnas about, we’re we take our camp right back to not these gunnas, we are going to our culture, in our country, with our do something.” cultural connections.” What do you do on the camps? How do you organise the camps? “We do a lot of craft activities “I’m facilitator, Launceston based. relevant to our culture. We make My co-facilitator in Hobart is Ruth shell necklaces. I brought a shell Langford. We’re supported with office mobile with me as a gift from my Stephanie Allen (left) presents facilities by organisations: first, the countrywomen to the traditional a shell mobile as a gift from her Indigenous Women’s Legal Service owners here. It’s an abalone shell countrywomen to M K Turner, a senior Arrernte woman who welcomed and now Project Hunn (a sports and on top with strings of smaller shells Indigenous women from across recreation organisation). and pieces of coral. “The women set out guidelines to a gathering in Alice for the camp, what’s important to “We take cultural food for healthy Springs. Shells and pieces of coral are strung from an abalone shell. them. Counselling is available whilst eating; kangaroo and shellfish, PHOTO: Sabina Knight. on camp. (Stephanie is a qualified mutton bird, mutton fish (what you mental health counsellor.) call abalone, we call mutton fish), to page 4

3 BUSH LIFE NEWS Women’s camps Planned from page 3 Who comes to camps? “Women, from little through to elders. I see some of our community maintenance women and say we’ve got a camp coming up. Women talk to other women and spread the word. We have others come in, people with works something to talk to us about, from mainstream services and Aboriginal organisations. Planned maintenance runs have “We’re all about empowering halved the incidence of power and women with our camps. The water restrictions for a group of 22 women teach and learn. One small remote communities in the woman might say I know about Kimberley. painting and she’ll lead that. There are craft sessions, parenting skills, To June this year, only six power/ budgeting. Whatever is of concern water restrictions had been reported to any woman. Every woman has by communities as being a problem. Bulanjarr resident Garry Clancy the right to have her say and be Fourteen were reported in the same checking the fuel level of the powerhouse fuel tank. listened to.” period last year. Would you tell us a bit about This is the third year that CAT Derby yourself has run a planned maintenance Galamunda, Kurlku, Majaddin, “I was born on Flinders Island program for essential services Milliwindie, Mimbi, Mingalkala, and grew up there and on Cape in these communities. Initially Ngarantjadu, Pantijan, Rocky Barron Island. My family name is supported by ATSIC Malarabah Springs, Tirralintji, Wamali, Mansell. I left 25 years ago, went Region, the program now is funded Windjingayre, Yarri Yarri and Yulmbu to the mainland. From the islands, by the Commonwealth. (Tablelands). Tasmania is the mainland and we Currently, CAT Derby is managing call the rest of Australia ‘the big The other small community in the two contracts for planned and island’. program is Cone Bay (Larinyuwa). preventative maintenance to the CAT contracts Maxima Pearling, “Later, I did some TAFE bridging power and water supplies of the 22 which has a pearling lease nearby. courses and then studied at Curtin remote communities. A crew comes ashore in their University. I completed a Bachelor service boat to carry out specified The contractors visit each commu- Applied Science, Indigenous maintenance. CAT organised for nity once a month on average to Community Health, specialising in the community to make available service the engines that power the mental health and counselling. a quad motorbike so service crews water and energy supplies. Service can get to the water supply on the I have five children, aged from 18 crews also carry out preventative hill. to 25 years, and 14 grandchildren maintenance, complete small break- now. Two new grannies arrived this down repairs, and clean and weed The contractors supply a report winter.” around the services. for each visit to each community. CAT Derby staff make random site CAT Derby arranged a helicopter visits for quality control and work out for Top End Contracting to serv- Stephanie Allen spoke to solutions to emerging problems; e.g. ice scommunities that were isolated Our Place while visiting Alice wet weather access, to ensure the during the wet season. The contrac- Springs for an Indigenous maintenance plan is carried out. tor also installed solar powered bat- Women’s Gathering. The tery chargers in some communities A portable field water testing kit gathering was organised by the to keep up voltage levels on the has been purchased to extend Regional Women’s Advisory power house batteries when the the capacity of the program. An Council (which advises the community was vacant. environmental officer with Rio Tinto Deputy Prime Minister) and will be assisting CAT Derby staff the Indigenous Communities Top End Contracting services 21 to establish test procedures. This Coordination Taskforce. communities; Balginjirr (Lower is one of seven projects in the Women came from each of Liveringa), Bawroogoora, 2004 CAT – Rio Tinto fellowship the eight Council of Australian Bedunburra, Bidijul, Biridu, program. Government (COAG) trial sites. Bulanjarr (Mowla Bluff), Djilimbardi,

4 NEWS Radio - the ‘new’ communication technology

All through the day and well into the The network of 15 repeaters night people are talking via radio in provides coverage across large the Ngaanyatjarra Lands of Western tracks of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. Australia. Adults remember HF radio Radio is free and continuous. and have picked up UHF with the The network is used to arrange familiarity of an old blanket. Teens meetings, broadcast social news, The UHF hand-held receiver, a tool and children have keenly followed report emergencies, find out who for keeping language strong on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. their lead. is where and check the progress of travellers. Families are connected across some 120,000 square kilometres by a It’s also for just chatting and The repeaters have aerials ranging radio repeater network. Old people, maintaining contact, which keeps in height from 18 metres on a good children and all in between are using language strong and reinforces hill to 58 metres on flat terrain. The simple, 40 channel UHF hand-held cultural ties. box of electronics at their base is receivers. Radio users are connected on one state of the art and set up for ready Yarnangu have taken up the network duplex channel and also served by upgrade. The repeaters sites are as their own, validating the decision local channels. Select the school solar powered and included in the to invest in the more expensive channel or the health service regular maintenance runs of Shire UHF network, rather than fund a channel or one of a dozen others staff. HF network, which offers cheaper and join in a party-line. A welcome side-benefit of the infrastructure but requires expensive But mostly people use the ‘chat network is a reduction in bushfires receivers. room’, switching between repeater which flare out from the emergency The Ngaanyatjara Community channels as they move through beacons people send up if they are Council and the Shire of country. stranded due to vehicle breakdown. Ngaanyatjaraku decided to ensure Very often someone has a hand- The lack of privacy in the chat room affordability at the user end. A HF held and is close enough to send a has made no dint in its popularity. To receiver costs several thousand message. reduce listeners, people can switch dollars. A UHF hand-held receiver to a local channel if they are within Staff vehicles and an increasing retails at under $100, even on the range of each other. If they want number of private vehicles are being lands. privacy, they use the telephone. fitted with UHF car radios, which Ngaanyatjara Community Council cost hundreds of dollars but have People are finding the funds to reached agreement with the a much wider range than the hand- buy a receiver but the cost of Commonwealth to consolidate other helds. disposable batteries may choke ‘communications’ grants with funding use. The batteries are simple AAAs In the second phase of the project, received under the Networking the but old people, in particular, may go now underway, six communities not Nation scheme. The Shire took on through a set a day. The demand is reached by the network will receive project management and the UHF for a robust hand-held with a built in stand-alone repeaters for local area network was in use by early 2003. rechargeable battery pack. contact.

Chainsaw maintenance

Students receive on site training during a short course in chainsaw maintenance and operation. Day one was learning how to use, clean and sharpen a chainsaw in the workshop at CAT. On day two, students gained practical experience under the supervision of lecturers Sean Boyce and Trevor Haddon.

5 TYPELIVELIHOODS OF STORY Waralungku Arts in Borroloola “We’re too far hidden up here”, Phillip Timothy, chair of the Board of Waralungku Arts, explains. Board members plan to move the art centre from an old store tucked amid service buildings up to the town’s entrance, directly across from the caravan park. “We’ll go to the main road; tourists will see. There’s big trees, people can sit outside and work.”

The centre name, Waralungku, is the place name for the Burketown Crossing on the McArthur River, just outside of Borroloola. It is associated with the Hill Kangaroo dreaming. An imprint of its feet, tail and hind quarters are located at this site.

Phillip Timothy, chair of the Board, painted a dugong near the entrance to the arts centre. Culture is strong in the Borooloola region and dugong are important in ceremony and traditional hunting. Timothy is an established public artist; his large with opportunities such as the Barkly paintings adorn the walls of the council building and the amenities block at the airport. Festival. The arts centre – established by Mbuntji Aboriginal Resource Association with ATSIS support - already has brought a developmental The vacant building the board will lease has two wide verandas - painting leap. In 2003, Waralungku exhibited spaces for both women and men, and a place to meet visitors and potential for the first time at Desert Mob, buyers. Fit out will be completed for an opening during the next tourist an annual showcase of work from season. Aboriginal art centres, held in Alice Since it opened in February 2003, the use of the arts centre has grown. Springs. A Waralungku exhibition at “Many more artists are coming in”, Timothy says. “Some paint different style; Nyinkka Nyunyu cultural centre in some same style. Some never painted before. They do pictures to tell their Tennant Creek in May brought good stories.” feedback. There’s even talk of the beginnings of a ‘Borroloola style’. Paintings line the wire shelving around the walls, while wooden sculptures of animals, boomerangs, coolamons and spears crowd the benches and cluster Two Borroloola artists will have on the floor. Bright acrylic colours reflect land, stories, food and history of the exhibitions in Darwin later this year; Borroloola region. Sales income of $70,000 in the first year was encouraging. Stewart Hoosan at Karen Brown Now, an ATSIS capital grant will assist Board members and staff to outfit the Gallery and Nancy McDinny at Raft centre. arts space. Both sold work at the Aboriginal and Oceanic Art Fair in Sales of art and craft are nothing new in Borroloola. Coordinator Peter Sydney earlier this year. Meanwhile, Callinan estimates that Waralungku Arts sales represent about a third of art Gadrian Hoosan, their son, made and craft sales in the town. Producers sell directly to visitors or through outlets friends amongst performers in the such as the hotel. In this reckoning the arts centre is another outlet for sale. growing hip hop movement. Hip hop But Waralungku Arts has a much wider brief - developing artists, providing has become a powerful medium for opportunities for visitors to meet producers, marketing and introducing new self expression amongst the young mediums, such as screen printing. from Redfern to Cairns. Gadrian is Callinan used to travel from Barkly Arts in Tennant Creek to Borroloola and deputy chair of Waralungku Arts and outstations to visit a core group of emerging artists and connect them up a member of the Sandridge Band.

66 TYPELIVELIHOODS OF STORY The Ngadiji Dancers have been dancing for years and toured once before. For years, they’ve been talking of touring again. The Arts Centre has been the catalyst, taking the group to the next stage in its development. Waralungku Arts is a point of contact and has sourced money for travel, run workshops and provided organisational support. The Arts Centre is a catalyst to the next stage of development for all the arts. Working for her art Assistant coordinator Madeline Dirdi puts through a credit transaction. School’s out so her daughter Vicki is on hand to help. Madeline Dirdi joined Waralungku Arts as assistant coordinator in June 2003. “I’ve always wanted to work A centre for all the arts from around the Gulf region and in the arts industry”, she says. The Waralungku Arts supports all art from Canberra and Tennant Creek. idea started when Madeline got A forms. The centre helped local A Cairns-based hip hop reggae grades for her arts subjects while band High Tide to organise a tour outfit also performed for the large a schoolgirl at Kormilda College in to Hodgson Downs, Mataranka, crowd. Waralungku will build on this Darwin. Katherine and Tennant Creek during success next year. Dirdi greets artists and visitors, NAIDOC week. Waralungku Arts has a strategy catalogues and prices artwork, and High Tide was able to promote its of tapping into infrastructure and generally keeps the stock in order. tour with a music video made by the making links with organisations “So if there is a buyer and we sell to media group at Papulu Apparr-Kari in areas where there are family him, we have all the information in Language Centre (PAK) in Tennant connections - into the Barkly region the computer.” Creek. The arts centre organised (which explains this saltwater Dirdi has an apprenticeship under the video shoot in Borroloola and out participation in the Desert Mob the Structured Training Employment on the islands. Editing by PAK has exhibition) and also across the Gulf. Program (STEP) and is studying for produced a clip of a self-titled song Borroloola women are strong in their the certificate II in museum practice with clever visuals, like fades from traditional dances and in May, six at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous band members holding fishing spears women went on tour through eastern Tertiary Education. The course takes to holding guitars, and a melody line Queensland with dancers from her on visits to other art centres and that stays with you - “high tide, the Mornington Island. Borroloola people to Nyinkka Nyunyu cultural centre in band from the island”. have cultural and family connections Tennant Creek for site work training. High Tide first recorded at Borroloola with Mornington Island. It was three weeks on the road, performing in Madeline is continuing her own art as part of a six week course in practice and entered the Telstra contemporary music with trainers schools, universities, arts centres and women’s centres in Brisbane, National Aboriginal and Torres from Charles Darwin University. That Strait Islander Art Awards with a Cherborg, Woodfood, Corray, was in 2002 when band members striking screen print of a magpie Nungenna and other communities on were among the participants in the goose. Currently, her work is printed the Sunshine Coast. Barkly Arts music program, run at Batchelor Institute. Waralungku from Tennant Creek. Another two The Borroloola women, performing as Arts now owns equipment for screen bands – the Sandridge Band and the Ngadiji Dancers, complemented printing on paper and on cloth. The the Robinson River Band - and the Mornington Island troupe, which next step is to have a trainer visit to individuals also recorded songs. is mostly male and so strong in set up and hold artists’ workshops. performing men’s dances. The six young people who make Brought up in Gunbalanya, her father’s up the Sandridge Band are now The Mornington Island dancers have community, Madeline returned to her receiving training in performance extensive experience in performing mother’s home when she married a skills. The band makes regular and touring. They also bring well man from Borroloola. She is the very appearances at the Borroloola pub. established networks. Well before proud mum of Mackewan, 12, who A Battle of the Bands competition the tour, a group from the island plays with the Borroloola Cyclones, was held during the rodeo in August, visited Borroloola and stayed at an a junior soccer team that lives up to a key event on the Borroloola outstation for two days, dancing its name. Her daughter Tiffany is 11 calendar. With $1,500 in prize and leading talk about developing and Vicki is 6. money, Waralungku drew six entries a show. Story and photos by Kathie Rea

7 A swimming success:

You are eight years old and it is another 40 degree day in your remote disease. “Other benefits we have community. Way too hot for playing footy. The dogs are hogging all the found are an improvement in social shade in the yard. Inside the house, there’s no breeze and your big circumstances,” Tennant says. brother has taken over the couch. The play equipment, a long dash ”Kids were attending school more often, they had a social meeting away across hot open ground, burns your skin. You are flopped on the place, the crime rates dropped. In verandah, dreaming about jumping into the cool sparkling blue water the communities that we went to of a swimming pool. they’re finding that it’s terrible now In this article Hannah Hueneke looks at how some communities have in the winter because the kids have nothing to do.” gone about building a swimming pool, and how swimming pools can be good for your health and well-being. So how did these small, remote communities manage to build swimming A pool seems like an impossible dry, dusty environments. Not only is pools? Each has a different story. dream for many communities. Indeed, ear disease painful but recurrent ear it is a very expensive and water- disease can lead to perforation of Building a pool hungry project that could take years the ear drum which can in turn cause In recent years, three large pools to achieve. A pool also requires an hearing loss – disadvantaging people were built with funding from the WA ongoing commitment to find money for well into adulthood. By reducing Department of Housing and Works maintenance and supervision. But it’s rates of ear disease, swimming pools and are managed by the Royal not impossible – some communities provide lifelong benefits. Lifesaving Society, which provides have realised their dream. School Another health problem that can be a full-time caretaker/supervisor at means pool, so kids are turning up addressed by swimming pools is each pool. to lessons. Young women enjoy the skin sores, which Tennant points evening pool parties held fortnightly. At Areyonga, in Central Australia, out, also can lead to longer term Local people are employed to there was a quite different story. Here illness: “Skin sores grow Group A maintain the filters and chlorination, the community took the initiative and streptococcus which is a causative while others remember with pride found resources to fund, construct, organism for rheumatic heart disease, their role in its construction. maintain and supervise their own and Aboriginal children in remote swimming pool. Areyonga’s pool locations of Australia have high rates People in communities want pools story began in 1996 when the people of this potentially fatal disease. It for a lot of good reasons – happier drew up a wish list of how they is also the causative organism for kids, higher school attendance rates wanted to improve their community. glomerular nephritis which can lead and community pride, to name a few. People raised capital infrastructure to end stage renal disease in adults. However, an unexpected but very grants for projects such as relocating welcome extra benefit has emerged: And that means dialysis.” the loud, smelly power station from rapid and significant improvements As the statistics in box 1 show, the centre of town and building new in children’s health, as shown in a swimming pools can make a big houses. Via clever money-saving recent study by the Telethon Institute difference in reducing the number strategies, such as employing local for Child Health Research in Western of children getting sick from these labour whenever possible, buying Australia. (see box 1, page 10) diseases. “During the study the bulk construction materials and Mary Tennant, a population sciences kids were dunking in this lovely working on several projects at the researcher in the Aboriginal health chlorinated water almost daily, and one time, the community managed section at the Institute, explains that the bugs were being washed away,” to make good savings on the works. ear disease is a disease of poverty Tennant explains. But the positive Each time they made a saving, they – due mainly to overcrowding, lack impact of a swimming pool isn’t tucked it away for the swimming pool. of access to clean water and living in confined to reductions in rates of The full story of Areyonga’s unique

8 communities building and running pools approach to achieving community Building the pool is only one part of before the pool is built. goals is recorded in a Best Practice the total effort and cost. To make sure With commitment, research, and video and booklet produced by the the pool stays a health asset, and not planning, a swimming pool is an Northern Territory Department of a risk, it has to be well maintained achievable goal that brings real Local Government. and supervised. Maintenance and benefits for children’s health and supervision will cost a fair bit of money. community wellbeing. Ngukurr, on the Roper River in Here again communities have come South East Arnhem Land, provides up with innovative ways to cover Opportunity in the NT another example of how long- these costs and keep their pools term community commitment and open. At Areyonga, the pool workers Remote communities in the Northern dedication to a shared goal can are paid with money collected from Territory may apply to participate in a achieve success. To get the pool at entrance fees and kiosk profits, and new Pools in Remote Areas (PIRA) Ngukurr, everyone involved in the the community council has committed program. The program is aimed at CDEP program (about 350 people) part of the profits from the community health and education benefits, and gave $2 from their weekly pay for store for repairs and maintenance would bring livelihood opportunities. a period of two years. This covered (estimated at up to $15,000 per To be eligible, communities have to about a quarter of the cost of building year). At Yuendumu, funds from the agree to take part in a study into the a four-pool swimming complex. The youth program (mainly from selling health and other effects of regular community raised the remaining hamburgers and soft drinks at the pool use and to participate in a funds by applying for grants. disco) go towards pool maintenance. training scheme that will allow local Using a different strategy, the At Pularumpi, the CDEP scheme residents to be part of running the Western Australian communities covers the caretaker salary. pool day-to-day. of Papulankutja, Warakurna Both Areyonga and Ngukurr Communities would have and Warburton built their pools communities had to have to provide one third of using profits from the community a strong commitment to overall construction store, again in combination with achieve their goal. In costs, although this various grants. In Woorabinda, in Areyonga, this meant can include in-kind Queensland, a 20% surcharge was that lesser goals, such contributions. The placed on all alcohol sold at the as purchasing Toyotas NT Government local licensed premises. This gave for the community, and Commonwealth a deposit after two years and within had to be put off. At Government pay four years the pool was paid off. The Ngukurr, at one stage, the other two-thirds. WA Department of Aboriginal Affairs money saved up for Local councils have gave $130,000 at the completion the pool had to be spent to put in the application. of the pool for the amenities block. on a housing project that the Communities have to supply a As these examples show, it may be community deemed more urgent. In strong business plan that describes easier to get government grants if the both communities, it took years of how the pool will be managed and community has already demonstrated work to have the pools built. And maintained in the long term. No commitment by saving a reasonable they have had to make a long term funding will be available for pool part of the funds. commitment to funding maintenance, operation or repairs. repairs and supervision. They Maintaining a pool know the pool will always cost the For more information, contact your community money – up to $15,000 regional office of the Department of So what happens after you have each year at Areyonga. It will always Community Development, Sport and built the pool – can you just sit back, require a trained supervisor/lifeguard Cultural Affairs. relax, and dabble your toes in the to prevent drowning. This ongoing cool blue water? Unfortunately, no. commitment is best talked through to page 10

9 A SWIMMINGTYPE OF STORY SUCESS Box 1 Improvements in children’s health Communities with Children in remote communities often suffer high rates of skin sores which swimming pools: contribute to the prevalence of chronic renal disease and rheumatic heart There are pools at Ngukurr, Nauiyu disease. Children also suffer from very high rates of middle ear infections, Nambiyu, Areyonga, Pularumpi, causing deafness that seriously affects the education and quality of life of Santa Teresa, Yuendumu and both children and adults. Wadeye in the Northern Territory, A study team at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research at the at Papulankutja, Warakurna, Warburton, Jigalong, Yandeyarra, University of Western Australia looked at rates of skin sores and middle Burringurrah and Karalundi in WA, ear infections in two communities before and after pools were built. The and at Cherbourg, Kowanyama, results showed that 18 months after the pools opened, prevalence of skin Laura Town, Thursday Island and sores fell from 62% to 18% in one community and from 70% to 20% in Woorabinda in Queensland. the other. Prevalence of severe middle ear disease fell from 32% in both communities to 13% in one and 18% in the other. These figures represent real and dramatic improvements in the quality of life of children in these For more information communities. In an article published in the British Medical Journal, the study team observes that while programs for housing, sanitation, nutrition, A useful starting-point for education and health care are vital, “consideration should also be given investigating the feasibility of a to building and maintaining swimming pools”. “The costs involved will swimming pool is a CAT paper be a small price to pay for the reduction in severe chronic disease and called Swimming pools in remote improved health, educational, and social outcomes.” Indigenous communities: Some basic information for planning Reference: “Benefits of swimming pools in two remote Aboriginal communities a pool. This was produced in in Western Australia: intervention study”, British Medical Journal, volume 237, collaboration with the National 23 August 2003. It is available online at: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/ reprint/327/7412/415 Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University. FEASIBILITY: Who pays for maintenance? The publication has four sections. Good maintenance is essential to keep the pool safe and open for In the first, some of the health risks swimming. However, it can be costly. Remoteness, water quality, pool and benefits of a pool are outlined. and filter type, and choice of chemicals all can affect costs. Annual costs The second outlines results from a are generally around $10,000 but can be up to $45,000. On top of that, survey on how pools were built and caretaker/supervisor salaries might be around $30,000 per year. One of are run in communities throughout the most important things when considering building a pool is to think Central Australia. The third section about how this maintenance will be funded each year. See the main story is an investigation of the technical for a look at ways other communities have managed this. issues. Lastly, it contains an assessment of the feasibility of monitoring water quality. The paper FEASIBILITY: Is there enough water? is available online at: http://eprints. anu.edu.au/archive/00000318, or When thinking about a pool, check if the community’s water supply is contact CAT; telephone (08) 8951 adequate. A 25 metre pool could use up to 4,000,000 litres of water per 4311, and ask for a copy to be year. In a community of 500, this works out to a relatively small proportion posted to you, free of charge. of total usage, at around 22 litres per person per day. As well as water supply, you will need to consider how you will deal with Another starting point is the Best backwash water (from cleaning filters or when the pool is emptied for Practice: Swimming Pools video maintenance). Backwash water cannot be released into a septic tank or and booklet, which features onto the ground surface. It must go into a community sewerage system, a Areyonga. It is available from the common effluent system, a piped stormwater drainage system, or, if none NT Government; telephone (08) of these are available, the water can be safely discharged into a specially 8999 8458. constructed absorption or evaporation trench.

10 REFLECTINGTYPE OF ON STORY OUR WORK No easy answers out bush

Here’s a story about a community that is on the edge. From a service provider’s point of view it is as tough as it gets but for the people who live there it is home. Michael Martin asks: What, if anything, should be done to help?

There’s a two hectare block of regimes and annual budgets, and One way forward is to look at land with six houses on it, and a agreeing responsibilities between the ‘building blocks of viability’ community hall. The houses are the residents and service providers. proposed in Our Place number 21. almost 20 years old but are still The houses and infrastructure are How does this community stack up habitable. There’s a reticulated water now in marginally better condition and does this give any clues as to supply and a community generator. than they were two years ago where further interventions should Two kilometres down the road is a but, despite our best participatory be directed? township with a pub, general store methods, community capacity is still • ASPIRATIONS People have and a handful of houses. Around 50 pretty much where it was. been consulted regularly over people live more or less permanently In retrospect, this outcome isn’t the years about their aspirations: in the area, with a lot of to-ing surprising. Due to the remoteness why they want to live there and and fro-ing to nearby, larger centres. of the location, we could only afford what they want for the future. Their Some people live in the community to get there for a few days every few responses are consistent. They houses; others in caravans and months. We had great community want to live there because it is their bush shelters on freehold blocks in meetings where people made good, country where they belong. They the township. The capital city media informed decisions and all sorts of want a small, quiet community would have a field-day: ‘third-world agreements, but then we weren’t where kids can grow up in safety. living conditions’ everywhere you there to assist in implementing those They want other community look. agreements. members who live elsewhere to Residents are not paying any rent or come back. ‘chuck in’ towards the upkeep of the • INFRASTRUCTURE Basic houses and infrastructure. There is housing and infrastructure are no functional community organisation available in the community. to grant funds to, and no managerial Improvements are needed, but this capacity in the community. When isn’t the main problem. something needs fixing, the most • SERVICES Basic services are vocal residents just head to town available. The one-classroom and knock on agency doors until school is excellent, there is a someone coughs up. Someone regular RFDS clinic, and basic usually does, because the needs supplies are available from the are obvious, but it is a frustrating store. Transport is a problem but process on both sides. The residents So what happens next? Without some people do manage to buy feel aggrieved that they have to beg further support, the facilities will private vehicles. for what are obviously basic rights, deteriorate again. Perhaps people • LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITY People and the service providers feel bad will decide that living there is just too have access to a CDEP program, about applying another bandaid that hard, and they will move to larger although it is managed from a they know will soon fall off. communities where more services distance so supervision is lacking. People go hunting and do some CAT has been a player in this are available. That would make life arts work. There is potential for situation for the past two years. easier for service providers but I think some employment by the local We were asked to manage a it is unlikely to happen. Numbers shire, and on surrounding pastoral program of repairs and upgrades rise and fall, but people have been properties. to the community houses and to there continuously for 25 years. So try to build some ‘community for service providers, I don’t think These four building blocks tell us capacity’ for self-management. We the challenges will go away. We why people are there. The next had optimistic goals about getting can choose to do nothing but then we three tell us why it is a difficult the community corporation up and are rightly held responsible for people situation for service providers. running, establishing maintenance living in substandard conditions. to page 12

11 TYPE OF STORY TRAINING No easy answers TheThe pace-setterpace-setter from page 11 • VULNERABILITY There is constant tension between different families. The usual way people deal with this Celestine drew on that reserve of is to leave the community for some courage again to go underground time. This coming and going makes at the Granites gold mine. Twice community management difficult. she went underground with dump • ASSETS AND RESOURCE truck drivers to get a load. “I was FLOWS This is clearly part of the very scared the first time, wondering problem. People are not contributing what if I can’t breathe?” The heavy to maintenance of the community trucks travel down tunnels with a infrastructure. This leads to regular mere half-metre’s grace on each failure of infrastructure and to a side. Celestine overcame her fear feeling of vulnerability. The lack of and spent a whole day underground a community organisation makes ELESTINE Rowe was selected with the underground fitter, working it hard for external resources to be C on heavy and light vehicles. provided. for work experience at the Granites • GOVERNANCE The heart of the gold mine after being a runaway She saw the work of the mine first matter. People do not have the success in the beginner’s class in hand – the huge underground drill, experience or skills to work together Automotive at CAT. Lecturer Trevor the bogger grabbing rocks to be to make and implement decisions Haddon said the one girl in his class carried in trucks to the surface. about collective management of the was way out in front. Celestine spent her two weeks of community. Celestine has long been interested work experience in role of ‘light A way forward is to provide some in mechanics. When she was vehicle fitter’ at Dead Bullock Soak sustained, regular support on working on a cattle station, she Workshop. “I was the first female community governance. I don’t mean was always trying to help with the fitter they’d seen. I told them not to training in how to run meetings. I mean cars. That’s man’s work, she was treat me any different. I wanted to establishing functional arrangements told, there’s work for you indoors, see how I went.” for making and implementing cooking and cleaning. decisions and allocating resources. She didn’t find it hard to get up at Celestine said she started the This is not something that the 4am for a 6am start. Along with automotive course just to learn residents can do on their own but it is everyone else, Celestine worked more about cars. “If my car breaks also not something that can be done a 12 hour shift with three breaks. down, I can either fix it myself or by a contracted service provider People fly in from all over Australia make sure I don’t get ripped off by in another place. What is needed to work two weeks on, one week mechanics just because I’m a girl.” is a support model that carries out off, rotating through a week of day Now she has bigger ambitions. “I functions that the residents can’t shift and a week of night shift before would like to set up a car workshop do, such as financial management a week off. Celestine worked two in my family’s country west of Alice and procurement, while engaging night shifts which was hard she Springs and teach other people.” the residents in the things they said, but she’s confident she’ll get have to do, like paying some rent. The way ahead wasn’t always so used to it. Somehow or other, the governance promising and Celestine now hopes Celestine describes the food in the arrangements need to incorporate she can encourage others. “I tried staff canteen as lovely. She had her the needs of people living in the hospitality for some years and got own room in a row of rooms. After township too. It would make sense to tired of it. So I changed my job work she watched television in the provide this support through existing preference to mechanics. There is TV room or went to the social club, local networks such as the school, always something better if you don’t where she hung out with her work township businesses and the CDEP. like the first work you try.” mates, all men, who looked out for Of course it comes back to money. The schoolgirl netball and athletics her. There were some women at Who is going to pay for this champion also has been writing the social club who worked in the governance support? In the current stories and poems for years. “Poetry kitchens or as drivers or cleaners. climate, I really don’t know. Without it, for me is the way to help express “How come you’re with them,” they’d though, the problems won’t go away. my deep feelings and thoughts on ask, “what are you working as?” “I’m a fitter,” Celestine told them. “Ah, There are no easy answers out bush. all the drama that goes on around me.” Over the past year she has that’s it then.” Michael Martin is summoned up the courage to read Celestine was keen to get back to a project officer her poetry out loud, at a national the mine. “They reckon they got faith engineer with CAT, writer’s festival in Sydney and a in me,” she said, “the supervisors, based in Cairns. NAIDOC event in Alice Springs. all my workmates.”

12 TRAINING

Celestine Rowe and Jimmy Tsavaris recently completed the certificates I and II in Automotive at CAT. In the break between courses, they completed two weeks on-site work experience at the Callie underground mine site at the Granites, NT. The Central Land Council is collaborating with Newmont to place Aboriginal people at the mine. Celestine and Jimmy are now fitter apprentices at the Granites. Our Place asked them about the choices they’ve made. andand thethe naturalnatural

W HEN it comes to mechanics, he’s a natural, Jimmy Working on the mines Tsavaris, and a man with a plan, or several, which he lays out with a shy and winning confidence. “It’s a goal I’ve wanted, to go to the mines”, Jimmy says. “I told Trevor but I was really surprised when one day Jimmy hopes one day to have his own business, to set up he rings me up and says, so do you want to go to the an auto shop, and study to gain qualifications as a panel mines? I said yes, for sure. That was Granites.” beater and spray painter. Was the mine like you expected? For now, he’s very happy to be heading back to Granites. “The mine was totally different to how I’d guessed it He has a fascination for heavy vehicles, particularly the would be. There’s an underground mine and an open huge heavy dippers that have cabin fronts the width of a cut. I had thought the hole would be right there, outside house. where we were staying. The open cut was 30kms away Jimmy says it was when he was in Tennant Creek last and the underground mine 150 kms away. We’d start year, going bush with Julalikari CDEP on construction work at 5.15am, when we got on the bus to go to the and fencing projects, that he did some thinking. “I looked closed mine.” at where my life was going. I realised I wanted to get a What’s so attractive about they mines? The qualification, get back to working with tools. I didn’t want money? to go through life without a certificate.” “The money is part of it, the money is good. I was happy “When I started the first certificate course, I found I knew out there (on work experience). Everyone welcomes a bit much. It felt like I was a second assistant to Trevor.” you with open arms; it’s like a family. There are about It was CAT lecturer Trevor Haddon who dubbed Jimmy 15 Aboriginal people there and that’s good but it’s ‘the natural’. everyone who is welcoming. There are people from overseas - Zimbabwe, Ireland, Scotland - and from all He may or may not have been born to it but Jimmy has over Australia – Queensland, Perth, South Australia, had motor oil under his fingernails since he was a boy. His Darwin, Kununurra.” father, Andrew, was a motor mechanic: “He inspired me. I always worked on his cars.” Jimmy was just 10 when Does you have any advice for others considering he started helping with rebuilds on cars at home. Andrew mechanics? Tsavaris had a small business in Tennant Creek, Tsavaris “You have to be really keen on it and, if you are, stick Mobile Mechanicals. with it. There’s a lot of good options. You could become someone like Trevor, become a lecturer, or try to get a And just when you start thinking that Jimmy’s role models job in the automotive industry.” are all mechanics, he tells you about his mum, Doris Tsavaris (formerly Curtis). She brought me up on her And does he have a car himself? “Did you see my car, own until I was 10, he says proudly. Doris worked in the the blue XD, it’s kind of wild,” Jimmy says, grinning. He hospital at Tennant Creek, then for Territory Housing and bought the Ford Falcon from some tourists when he was now Corrections. “She’s a smart lady”, her son says. 15. It had broken down and they sold it to him for $1000. “She taught me how to cook, how to clean, how to look Jimmy rebuilt the car with a faster engine and gave it a after myself.” At 17 he was living independently in Alice unique paint job. Next he plans to work on the interior Springs, working at an automotive shop. and then another spray paint and then there’s some additions he’s got in mind. Plans and more plans. Later, Jimmy went back home to Ali Curing to help his Kathie Rea parents in the bakery business started by his grandfather. But, while in Alice Springs, he had worked on heavy Photos: Celestine Rowe and Jimmy Tsavaris in the vehicles and got the bug. CAT automotive workshop

13 TECHNOLOGY PPreventionrevention andand curecure The importance of a well designed and well maintained internal road is evident to those living at its edge. A community’s internal roads can be an asset or a liability. How well a road performs has a lot to do with how well it is formed to begin with. But preventative maintenance will always pay off. Some jobs, like clearing out culverts, require no special In the Kimberley, roads that are not skills. Other jobs – road patching, curbing and speed humps - can formed above surrounding terrain will be a cost effective CDEP project and are the subject of an upcoming become rivers during the wet. BUSH TECH. Here Trevor Webb explains the role of preventative maintenance.

Road inspections Dust Control Internal roads should be inspected Dust from an unsealed com- is usually determined by the fund- each month by someone who is munity road contributes to poor ing available. Ongoing maintenance aware of the importance of preven- housekeeping, ill health, reduced can repair faults before they cause tative maintenance. The inspector’s road safety, increased wear and a major degeneration of the road reports will identify emergency tear on vehicles, and greater road surface. works to be carried out quickly and deterioration. Barriers preventative maintenance to be pri- The prime factors for the creation Bunds of earth, trees and shrubs oritised with service organisations. of dust from unsealed roads are between a road and housing has Road conditions can affect: a ‘loose’ surface and strong, dry been shown to reduce the penetra- • human health (eye, ear, throat, winds due to natural elements, but tion of sound and dust pollution. lungs, skin) in particular, air currents caused Mechanical stabilisation • safety (vehicle, pedestrians, by fast-moving vehicles. Climate is Unsealed areas of heavy use can animals) also a major factor; for example, the be cement stabilised as shown on • environment (plants and hot and dry areas of the Kimberley the t-junction (below). The mixing of waterways) are more prone to dust generation 2-3% cement with the road sheeting • wear and tear on vehicles in the dry season. followed by compaction will reduce • longevity of roads. Airborne dust contains soil, exhaust wear and dust. Inspection reports would include the soot, lint, pollens, animal matter, Chemical dust suppressants minute particles from brake linings date and the inspector’s name, and There are many dust suppressants should document and prioritise work and tyres, fungi, heavy metals, on the market that can be used dur- requirements under these headings: cancer-causing toxic substances, ing road construction or sprayed • drainage and erosion bacteria and viruses. These onto an existing road using a water • dust abatement contaminants are a hazard to all truck: • vegetation growth into those who live within the 500 metre • binders for humid conditions and • pavement / onto curbs corridor of a road, causing breathing heavily-travelled roads • speed-hump condition and sight ailments (eye, ear, throat • lignosulfonates for arid conditions • signage condition and and lung diseases), viruses and • petroleum-based products for requirements skin ailments. long-term treatment of roads • curbing condition with light traffic. • pavement potholes Short of sealing all community roads • pavement lamination with a bituminous surface, there Chemical dust suppressants are • road verges is no way to totally prevent dust affected by road base material and • road shoulders emissions. For low-volume, low- weather conditions, providing only • road sweeping requirements. cost roads, sealing is usually not limited life. economically feasible. Other less A standard report sheet will satisfactory methods must be used encourage accurate and consistent to reduce the amount of dust emis- records. sions from unsealed roads. Dust control methods fall into four main With regular inspection reports, categories. decisions can be made about the maintenance work to be done, in Construction and maintenance what order it needs to be done and practices who will do it. This relates to the original design Dust control - Cement stabilised road and construction of a road, which junction.

14 TECHNOLOGY Prevention and cure - maintaining internal roads Road sweeping Signage It is recommended that sealed Signs within communities will slow internal roads are swept three to down traffic. People can walk more four times a year – in the Kimberley, safely and less dust will be produced. immediately after the wet season Other signs will assist in preventing and then a further few times or more depending on sand and silt damage to unsealed access roads. build-up. In the Kimberley, it is important to reduce unnecessary traffic on Brooms are required to sweep unsealed community access roads away the build-up of sand and other because of the heavy wet seasons rubbish on the road surface, and poor subsoils. Unsealed roads How a road performs has a lot to do particularly near kerbing or on with a pindan or blacksoil sub-base with how well it is formed corners. If this build-up is left on the often suffer expensive damage each road, traffic pounds it into the surface year from heavy traffic after the wet of the bitumen, causing damage season has begun. Due to geological to the surface, and eventually and geographical restrictions, it is potholes. often hard to access top quality A build-up of soil and rubbish also road-sheeting materials. increases wear and tear on vehicles, Unsealed roads in the Kimberley becomes a hazard for vehicles and are prone to heavy water damage pedestrians and leads to increased on a regular basis. Stopping traffic airborne dust. on unsealed roads to give them time If required, bitumen patching work to dry out and form a firm pavement could be carried out in conjunction Poor drainage and shoulder maintenance can reduce this. Communities will will lead to roadside erosion as rising or with internal road sweeping. This benefit from closing their access receding floodwaters eat away the soil. will be covered in an upcoming roads to heavy vehicles for a short BUSH TECH. time after heavy rain to prevent needless damage. Drainage and shoulders Too often, this critical issue is ignored when building and maintaining local roads. When drainage is poor, the best efforts to rehabilitate or maintain roads will bring disappointing results, especially in the Kimberley where the wet season can repeatedly destroy roads. As always, the outcomes of a roads program directly relate to the funds that are budgeted towards it. Roads that are not formed above surrounding terrain will become rivers during the wet. Poor drainage and shoulder maintenance Culverts will only operate efficiently if will lead to erosion of roads. they are cleaned out on a regular basis. When water can be drained off roads and out of their sub-base roadbed soils, the road will invariably become easier to maintain and reduce damage to both sealed and unsealed surfaces. Keeping the shoulders and road verges formed and clear of vegetation will enable water to be carried away from the Road maintenance for CDEP road. projects is the subject of an upcoming BUSH TECH information Many of our surface problems come from wet and weak soil conditions below sheet. the road. Since gravel roads generally carry low volumes of traffic and do not have large budget allocations for maintenance, we must do what it takes to BUSH TECH #14 contains more re-establish and / or keep drainage working on gravel roads. These drainage information on dust control. See the methods include form, bunds, spoon-drains, drains, ditches and culverts. CAT website at www.icat.org.au, or telephone (08) 8951 4311 and Roadside ditches or spoon-drains can become obstructed from eroded soil or ask for a copy to be posted to you. debris. They must be cleaned at regular intervals to ensure water runoff does not back-up and soak the road’s base course. Failure to do this will cause Trevor Webb is Project Officer unsealed roads to become an impassable, boggy mess and sealed roads to with CAT Derby. have a separation or de-lamination of the seal from the sub-course, which will eventually promote large potholes.

15 INTERNATIONAL What difference does it make?

How do we measure the impact of community organisations and programs? Why assessing impact In continuing the series of articles in Our Place on the viability of remote counts communities, we look at impact. As described in Our Place 21 and 22, When it comes to remote communities, ‘viability’ is critically important to Indigenous people and to agencies and too many people make too many service providers working with outstations and homelands. For people to assumptions about programs based work out how their community might become more viable in the future and on limited knowledge. When a to argue for greater support, they have to be able to demonstrate the likely program is finished, we tend to move impact of any investment in housing, infrastructure, training or governance. on to the next one without a proper This starts with identifying and measuring impacts. consideration of what has been learnt Knowing what impact is along the way. Without gaining these insights, The concept of impact remains to renovate the derelict community outsiders make snap judgements hazy in the minds of many program hall so that it can be used again. The staff required to report on the work about the value of a program. This grant carries some conditions, such harms future programs. It is all too they have done and the resulting as the way in which the work is done achievements. Impact can be easy to visit a deserted community (mainly by CDEP), a requirement facility that looks neglected and defined as the range of positive and that training should be a part of the negative changes affecting a group of then assume that it was a waste project and a date by when the work of money, when a closer measure people and which are brought about should be completed. by an intervention from outside. An of the impact could reveal training ‘intervention’ is a change in policy, The impact of the project is the benefits for the people who learnt technical, economic, governance chain of direct and indirect, positive how to build it, regular use by groups or other influences on a group of and negative effects on the people visiting the area to spend time with people. affected by the hall. Even in this relations, a space where the council example, they may be complex, as can meet, the only public location for An example will show these shown in the diagram below. the telephone, a kids play room in the definitions in practice. Suppose that wet season and so on. Tracing these a grant is made by a government impacts takes time and skill. Jumping department to the community council to conclusions is much easier.

Illustration: Joanne Simpson 16 INTERNATIONAL The principles of impact assessment Community hall project For impact to be measured Purpose: To strengthen the capacity of Community A to undertake effectively, projects and programs projects should be designed in such a way Objectives: that the results of the work are clear 1. To renovate the community hall at the outset. People affected by the 2. To involve ten community members in the project work should be involved in defining 3. To enable five people to complete a training course in building the objectives and the indicators of maintenance. change that they would like to see 4. To encourage more people to live in the community, making use of achieved. There should be a single under-used facilities and supporting the case for better services. defined purpose of the project, 5. To provide an opportunity for the community council to oversee behind which several objectives can improvements to housing and infrastructure, starting with a single be organised. Using the example of project. the community hall again, this could be described as shown on the right.

One method of designing projects The work of a project or Example: to achieve defined objectives and to program Homemakers program provide for measurement of impact is Training program the logical framework, which follows ACTIVITY an approach based on defined A tangible result, expressed Example: objectives, measurable indicators as a quantity Three training courses delivered and a means of measuring each. A solar energy system installed Information provided on choices The diagram on the right presents of toilet the principles of a logical framework OUTPUT approach. A change in characteristics, Examples: often expressed as a quality Well-being but also able to be Capacity measured as a numeric Safety change Happiness OUTCOME Skills For outputs to achieve outcomes, other factors play a part, such as opportunity, Secure transport routes make a support, policy, funding. difference in many ways. At Mary Pool in the Kimberley.

Case Study 1

Social benefits of lighting A good example of the challenges of accounting for quality improvements comes from Nepal. A consultant carried out an evaluation of some small power-generation projects serving mountain villages. In addition to the conventional economic analysis of costs and benefits, a major conclusion that he reached was that the villagers valued the importance to the community of being able to walk the streets safely after dark due to street lighting and the stronger sense of community brought about by people being able to meet and talk under the lamps.

A similar story from another continent is where teachers in one Andean village noticed that the grades of schoolchildren improved when electric lighting came to the community as they found it much easier to do their homework at night. Peruvian villagers in a Satellite television is shared in the public meeting place. village square. Photos courtesy ITDG to page 18 17 INTERNATIONAL

Collecting the right information Case Study 2 from page 17 To measure the difference that a program makes, information must be collected. This is the hard part, especially in places where turnover of staff and mobility of community members is high. Information gathered needs to be useful in Bicycle trailers for small businesses. working out whether the outputs of the project have been achieved and then to what extent they contribute Many uses for one good idea to the expected outcomes. Bicycles have long been the workhorse of many people living in rural It is very easy for any project officer areas of Asia. In Sri Lanka, engineers of international development or project manager to concentrate agency ITDG introduced a cycle trailer, designed to be manufactured only on the things that they can see, locally, as a means of increasing the load-carrying capacity of the touch and photograph. Measurement bicycle, mainly for farmers and tradespeople. Since the trailer was made is by its nature quantitative. It available on the market some 15 years ago, innovative users have measures numbers. But changes in found new ways to get the most benefit from it. There are now bicycle quality of life do not easily translate ambulances, mobile shops and even a library (see www.itdg.org). Many into numbers on a grid or a balance of the benefits of these new versions are not immediately apparent and sheet. certainly difficult to measure and to value. The best way to measure outcomes is to start by identifying positive and negative changes. Do this by recording what people say (increases in dollars, changes in Further reading has happened in the community, travel time, numbers of people, etc.). Enterprise Development Impact even if it seems relatively minor or But where this is not feasible, such assessment Information Service unconnected: as for intangibles, then impacts are (undated) Basic impact assessment described in words. For example, “The children play over there now” at the project level. “since the fence was erected, several www.enterprise-impact.org.uk/word- “We don’t go into town as much as families said that they noticed that files/CoreText2.doc we used to” more bush tucker was available”. “We use the generator more at CARE (2000) Impact Guidelines night” Steps in the right direction www.kcenter.com/care/dme/default. “He’s always messing around with htm For Indigenous organisations and the car engines” programs, great strides towards Enterprise Works Worldwide (2004) “There are lots of meetings” better impact assessment will come Measuring results (website section) “We are thinking off getting another from getting the basics right in the www.enterpriseworks.org/progresults. telephone and a fax machine”. first place. Even if funders are only asp Take the details away with you and interested in ticking the box marked Simanovitz (2001) Background think about what they say. Follow ‘output achieved within budget’, paper for Virtual Meeting on Impact up with further questions. Often a program staff need to put greater Methodologies. snapshot or an anecdote (a short effort into gauging impact. It is one www.ids.ac.uk/impact/howtodo/ account of an experience) will speak firm way to tip the balance of policy VirtualmeetingBg.doc volumes for what has happened and funding towards recognising the Fowler (2002) Measuring non-tangible locally. This change can often be demand for services and the benefits outcomes; the challenge for impact traced back partly or wholly to the that people value, rather than simply assessment. Paper for ANU workshop project. The skill and the excitement working out how best to deliver them. of the same title. of measuring impact lies in hearing It underpins the work of achieving www.mande.co.uk/docs/Fowler%20 about and observing change. more viable remote communities. Presentation.pdf In essence, the story of the impact Steve Fisher Hussain (2000) Monitoring and of the project is told. The changes Steve Fisher is Chief Operating evaluating impact on livelihoods; identified are then recorded as Officer at CAT lessons from experience. outcomes against the indicators www.livelihoods.org/post/Docs/hus- defined at the beginning of the ME01.rtf project. Wherever possible, these are measured as quantities

18 KinshipKinship ofof thethe guernseyguernsey

REVIEW Centre Bounce: Football from Australia’s Heart is an exhibition and also a beautifully produced book of black and white photographs that celebrate NT community football. In Jesse Marlow’s photos, “I can see the red dirt earth, the eye-to-ball intensity of the players, the remote but totally familiar landscape”, AFL champion Michael Long writes in a foreword to the book.

Victorian singer/songwriter Neil Murray writes of how he The way that Jesse has taken the photos makes you feel got his love for the game back when he went to Papunya. you’re standing there. In ‘Team Huddle’ (top), you’re right He felt completely accepted by teammates “superbly there, just behind the players. The strong lighting in the gifted at running, marking, dodging, weaving and knowing exhibition really brings the photos to life. where their teammates were around them”. In the photo ‘On-field agility’ (left)*, the feet on the Marlow, a photographer, travelled grass are the centre of focus. Who is faster, the to Alice Springs, Daly River, Gunbalanya, guy with the boots or the guy without? The Papunya, Titjikala, the Tiwi Islands and player without is just about to evade, will Yuendumu to capture moments at he make it? Yes, but the other might just matches, training, sports weekends get his guernsey. and grand finals. There’s the team sitting in a row - ‘Ntaria- The Centre Bounce exhibition, was Hermansburg Bulldogs concentrate in at the Araluen Centre in Alice Springs the rooms’. They look like a real footy earlier this year. Local champion Ryan team. It’s like you’re a fly on the wall. It’s Mallard took a look for Our Place. just before the start and they’re thinking “Jesse Marlow’s photos capture the culture about their game. of footy from the perspective of Aboriginal In ‘Sunset kick, Titjikala community’ (left)*, communities. People just don’t get to see this Jesse has caught the fundamental action of kicking everyday. This is rural football. a football. The setting is a hard dirt ground. There’s a Community footy is family, from kids to grandparents; boy doing a drop punt; no boots, no grass. It’s a perfect wives, sisters, brothers. It’s the pride of the community. drop of the ball; you can see where his foot is. It’s The young look, listen and learn. Older people straight out of the textbook. When you kick you need pass on what they know. Aunties have got your whole body. His arm is out for balance. It more tips than the coach. looks off balance now but won’t be when the foot comes through. It’s the fundamental Rivalry is strong between teams. Family kicking style, how everyone does it. It groups from the community put together doesn’t matter who you are, where you teams, so there’s a lot of pride in are, in the big city or out in the bush.” representing the team, wearing the guernsey. You represent your home, Centre Bounce: Football from Australia’s your family. You represent where you heart by Jesse Marlow. The book is come from. published by Hardie Grant Books. RRP $39.95 paperback and $49.95 hardback. Jesse has captured all this, from the The exhibition of 40 framed, black and white portraits to the crowd celebrations to the photographs is managed for NT touring by action photos and the team huddles. He’s Artback NT Arts Touring, www.artbacknt.com.au. captured the innocence of football, just the playing of it. There are so many moments; seeing them together is Ryan Mallard plays full forward with Pioneers very touching. and was 2003 Minahan Medallist in the Central Being a team is about more than going to training twice Australian Football League. The CAFL teams and playing a game once a week. Sure you can go out play a round robin with the country teams at and play a game but to really know how to back each the Lightning Carnival at Easter. Ryan works as other up on the field you’ve got to be a team. You’ve got Information Technology Trainee at CAT. to be like family. * Full photographs not shown

19 BUSH TECHS TECH POSTERS BUSH TECHS tell you what we’ve learnt about #1 How to look after your bore working with technology in remote communities. #2 When it’s time to change the oil Many are fact sheets. (inside this issue) Some summarise emerging issues. For a free copy of a BUSH TECH or TECH POSTER, please telephone CAT on (08) 8951 4311. BUSH TECHS are published in each issue of Our Place. Pullout BUSH TECHS #22: Used oil and #23: Waterless composting toilets from the centre of this issue. #1 Hot water The Bush ‘Microwave’ has #2 Renewable energy a fire-box underneath and #3 Stormwater harvesting is constructed with hollow #4 Rainwater harvesting walls. The heat flows up #5 Gas fittings through the walls and out #6 Carbon farming through the chimney. The #7 Feasibility of gas and dual fuel fire-box is insulated to #8 How to get a telephone maintain heat transfer and #9 Disinfecting a rainwater tank the door seals the heat. It #10 Creek crossings weights 75 kg so can be Peter Howell in the CAT #11 Maintaining your air conditioner easily shifted undercover Workshop with a Bush Microwave he has just #12 Choosing the right door to avoid rain or wind. completed for a community #13 Choosing a landfill method • East to transport in the Kimberley. #14 Dust control • Fuel efficient #15 Choosing the right toilet • Compact and robust #16 House warming From steel shelters to crowbars, the CAT Workshop #17 Landfill design manufactures bush-hardy products designed for #18 Pit toilets remote locations. The workshop also can help with #19 Maintaining your tip custom-made solutions to your queries. #20 Local radio networks #21 Water bores Workshop products are for sale on a cost recovery basis. #22 Used oil For specifications and prices, please telephone Linton #23 Waterless composting toilets Espie at CAT on: Phone: (08) 8951 4311 For a free copy of a BUSH TECH or TECH POSTER, Fax: (08) 8951 4333 please telephone CAT on (08) 8951 4311. Email: [email protected]

Our Place Radio is broadcast on stations across mainland Australia and in the Torres Strait Islands. You can tune into Our Place radio on these stations: CAAMA 8KIN FM, Alice Springs 4MOB Mt Isa Gadigal Information Service, Sydney 5NPY Media Umuwa, Pitjatjantjara Lands Nggaayatjarra Media, Wingellina, WA 5UMA Port Augusta Radio Larrakia, Darwin 5UV Nunkuwarrin Yunti, Adelaide Walpiri Media, Yuendumu, NT 6AR, Perth 3CR Melbourne 6FX Fitzroy Crossing 3KND Melbourne 6GME Broome 4AAA Brisbane 6PRK Halls Creek 4CLM Cairns 6WR Kununurra 4K1G Townsville Mulba Radio, Port Hedland The Our Place Radio show BRACS stations in the Top End via TEABBA (Top End Aboriginal Bush is now in its third year. Broadcasting Association); in the Pilbara and Kimberley via PAKAM (Pilbara Adrian Shaw produces a 20 minute report each and Kimberley Aboriginal Media Association); in the Torres Strait Islands on fortnight, which presents the Moa Island, Yam Island and via TSIMA (TSI Media Association). voices and perspectives of Other stations pick up the show via the National Indigenous Radio Service Indigenous people along with and TAPE, the Aboriginal Program Exchange. commentary on a technology theme.