This section provides key references for emergency management and Indigenous environmental health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environmental health practitioners.
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
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 details a strategy intended to address emergency management in remote Indigenous Australian communities. The strategy, developed through extensive consultation with members of Indigenous communities, provides a framework for a coordinated and cooperative approach to all aspects of emergency management. Essentially the report includes seven priorities and lists specific goals and guiding actions to ensure the fulfillment of each priority.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract