This section provides recent references compiled from our bibliographic database relevant to Indigenous environmental health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environmental health practitioners. References include journal articles, reports, theses, and other literature. To access our complete database please use our bibliography.
This publication draws on the Report on government services 2013 to present data specific to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. It reports on the delivery of mainstream services to Indigenous people including services for:
Performance reporting focuses on the degree to which the objective for a service is met. The report details the objective (outcomes) for each service stated and the performance indicators measuring the achievement of each objective.
Improvements in reporting by Indigenous status has allowed for detailed reporting for Indigenous children enrolled and attending preschool and elapsed times for aged care services to Indigenous people.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This report has been prepared as part of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG) Rural-remote and Indigenous local government program. In 2011, ACELG released a report which found that the current demands and expectations placed on rural-remote and Indigenous local government councils could not be maintained, especially if they continued to grow unrestrained. The current report focuses on:
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This factsheet provides information on the construction and maintenance of Indigenous housing, in particular, best practice approaches to construction and maintenance. The key message is investment in housing should enhance how a house functions for its residents.
The issues addressed in this factsheet include:
Best practice approaches draw on the information provided in the National Indigenous housing guide produced by the Australian Government's Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, and the Housing for health program developed by Healthabitat.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This Western Australian (WA) Department of Planning website provides PDF copies of layout plans for Aboriginal settlements in WA.
Each layout plan illustrates how land is used in a community. The plans show which areas are classified as:
Extra maps, images and written reports are available for some communities. Where written reports are available, they include descriptions of a community's essential services including drinking water, wastewater and rubbish disposal.
Digital versions of layout plans can be ordered through the website by special request.
The layout plans are produced by the WA Department of Planning on behalf of the WA Planning Commission in partnership with the WA Department of Housing, as part of the WA Planning for Aboriginal communities program.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This publication reports on indicators relevant to health status and health outcomes, determinants of health and health systems performance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in New South Wales. The report is based on the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health performance framework 2010: detailed analyses report. Jurisdiction-specific and national comparisons are both presented.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This publication reports on indicators relevant to health status and health outcomes, determinants of health and health systems performance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the Northern Territory. The report is based on the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health performance framework 2010: detailed analyses report. Jurisdiction-specific and national comparisons are both presented.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This publication reports on indicators relevant to health status and health outcomes, determinants of health and health systems performance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Queensland. The report is based on the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health performance framework 2010: detailed analyses report. Jurisdiction-specific and national comparisons are both presented.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This publication reports on indicators relevant to health status and health outcomes, determinants of health and health systems performance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Victoria. The report is based on the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health performance framework 2010: detailed analyses report. Jurisdiction-specific and national comparisons are both presented.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This publication reports on indicators relevant to health status and health outcomes, determinants of health and health systems performance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Western Australia. The report is based on the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health performance framework 2010: detailed analyses report. Jurisdiction-specific and national comparisons are both presented.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This overview is a summary of Indigenous health and welfare at the national level. Topics covered include:
The report compares Indigenous statistics to the non-Indigenous statistics on the same health and welfare issues and provides time series data where available. It relates the picture of Indigenous health and welfare to the goals set by the Council of Australian Governments and the raft of measures under Closing the gap agreement aimed at reducing the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. For the first time, the report looks at the impact of chronic diseases on the life expectancy gap, currently estimated to be 12 years for men and 10 years for women. It shows that about 80% of the mortality gap can be attributed to chronic diseases, most significantly heart diseases (22%), diabetes (12%) and liver diseases (11%).
The report is accompanied by nine online papers on specific topics, available from the Indigenous observatory: Indigenous life expectancy and mortality, child safety, eye health, disability, access to health services, chronic disease and older people.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This report presents research undertaken by Queensland Health on the blood lead levels of children between one and four years of age living in Mount Isa, Queensland. It is a follow up study to one completed in 2007. The aim of the current study was to continue the monitoring of blood lead levels in this age group. The results revealed a significant decline between study surveys, however for Indigenous children, on average, they have higher blood lead levels. The report discusses the implications of the results.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This publication provides a framework to facilitate an understanding of the issues which arise in the provision of infrastructure for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The main focus of the guide is the installation and maintenance of infrastructure which is appropriate and sustainable for remote Indigenous communities. The importance of community in this process is highlighted in the guide.
The National Indigenous infrastructure guide complements the existing National Indigenous Housing Guide and the Environmental Health Handbooks. The guide provides information on:
The guide was produced by the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT) with funding from the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This publication provides a framework to facilitate an understanding the issue of telecommunications management which arises in the provision of infrastructure for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The main focus of the guide is the installation and maintenance of infrastructure which is appropriate and sustainable for remote Indigenous communities. The importance of community in this process is highlighted in the guide.
The National Indigenous infrastructure guide complements the existing National Indigenous Housing Guide and the Environmental Health Handbooks. The guide provides information on:
The guide was produced by the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT) with funding from the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This publication provides a framework to facilitate an understanding the issue of transport management which arises in the provision of infrastructure for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The main focus of the guide is the installation and maintenance of infrastructure which is appropriate and sustainable for remote Indigenous communities. The importance of community in this process is highlighted in the guide.
The National Indigenous infrastructure guide complements the existing National Indigenous Housing Guide and the Environmental Health Handbooks. The guide provides information on:
The guide was produced by the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT) with funding from the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
The central Australia region covers 830,000 square kilometres; with a population of over 46,000 people, 44% identify as Indigenous Australians. Over 32,000 people live in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Yulara. The remainder of the population live in 45 remote communities and outstations. The regional plan has six action areas:
Central Australia is unique in the need for flexible service delivery cross-borders, providing emergency care to more than 4,000 people living outside of the NT, including those people residing in South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
The Environmental Health Needs Survey was conducted over 2007 and 2008 and is the third survey in a series which surveyed housing, services, utilities, community infrastructure and the immediate living environment in discrete Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. Data collected related to over 15,000 residents from 232 communities. This publication reports the outcomes of this survey and provides a comparison with the outcomes of the 1997 and 2004 surveys.
The survey was conducted by environmental health practitioners who work with and in discrete Aboriginal communities. The practitioners visited the communities to survey existing infrastructure. Information was also collected about levels of community satisfaction and any concerns with the provision of essential, municipal and allied services which influenced and affected environmental health in the communities.
The core environmental health and infrastructure issues covered in the report were:
The report provides an evidence base which highlights the continued environmental health issues faced by many of the communities who participated in the survey. It is the foundation for the future direction of service plans and delivery in discrete communities.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This report provides thorough information on expenditure on both Indigenous specific services and the estimated Indigenous share of mainstream services by the Australian, state and territory governments. The report highlights the difficulties in providing this information and sets out ways that this information can be better collected and analysed by jurisdictions.
The report is arranged around the seven Closing the gap building blocks: early childhood; schooling; health; economic participation; healthy homes; safe communities; and governance and leadership. Total Indigenous expenditure in 2008-09 was estimated to be $21.9 billion or 5.3 per cent of total general government expenditure. Estimated expenditure per head of population was $40,228 for Indigenous Australians, compared with $18,351 for non-Indigenous Australians.
Expenditure on services related to Indigenous Australians is thought to be greater than for non-Indigenous Australians because of differences in levels of disadvantage, more intensive use of services by Indigenous Australians, and the greater cost of providing these services (because of factors such as more Indigenous Australians living in remote areas).
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Through the use of both qualitative and quantitative data this report examines the impact of temporary Indigenous population mobility on the provision of effective service delivery in regional service centres. It gives consideration to the mobility networks of Indigenous people and focuses on the West Kimberley as a case study to explore this population dynamic. It describes the nature of the population movement unique to this area and offers suggestions for policy makers and service providers to apply what is known for developing services to better meet the population characteristics of this area.
The report is structured into three main areas, the first describes local and historical aspects of the economy and demography in the area. The second focuses on the case study which uses administrative education data from primary schools and local narratives including interviews with services deliverers to examine the incidence, duration and direction of the population. The final area evaluates existing service delivery and offers considerations for best practice to engage with highly mobile populations. It identifies wider data collection implications for service delivery and resource allocation.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This video presents a forum held in August 2009 to discuss environmental health issues in the Northern Territory, particularly in relation to the 'Intervention' affected communities. The purpose of the forum was to:
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
This is the second report in a series, providing the most recent data on Indigenous housing across Australia. Data provided relate to: home ownership; renting, public housing; Indigenous community housing organisations; overcrowding; and presence of essential services, such as sewerage and water supply.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
The Council of Australian Governments commissioned the Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth Service Provision in 2002 to provide regular reports against key indicators of Indigenous disadvantage. In 2007, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to 'closing the outcomes gap between Indigenous people and other Australians over a generation'. This report (third in the series) provides indicators of Indigenous disadvantage, with a focus on areas where governments can make a difference.
This publication reports on seven strategic areas for action:
The report consists of three parts:
The report documents that some outcomes have deteriorated, including Indigenous people's involvement with the criminal justice system. Many environmental and behavioural risk factors that contribute to poor health outcomes have not improved. There were improvements reported in some of the economic indicators, such as home ownership and employment rates and in some child health outcomes. For some indicators where there have been improvements outcomes for non-Indigenous people have also improved, meaning a gap in outcomes persists.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract