Plight of remote Australians is 'a global shame'

The well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other people living in remote Australia is not improving. If anything it is getting worse, the Chairman of Ninti One, Dr Tom Calma AO, says.

Dr Calma, who has devoted much of his life to improving the circumstances of remote Australians, will present a forthright assessment on their present plight at a special meeting hosted by Ninti One in association with the G20 Summit and the 10th Eidos National Public Policy Congress this week.

'Remote Wisdom – innovation for remote Australia and its relevance to policy' will take place at the Brisbane Powerhouse, 119 Lamington Street, New Farm, Queensland on Friday, November 7 from 9.15 to 2pm.

The event will showcase some of Australia's latest and hottest research into the issues confronting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other remote Australians, covering issues such as pastoralism, the impact of mining, population mobility and remote education.

A highlight will be an interview between veteran ABC journalist and Kerry O'Brien and Dr Calma, exploring the challenges and opportunities which lie ahead for a region which generates much of the nation's wealth – yet remains neglected and left behind in many respects.

"Research is imperative in order to properly understand and improve the lives of people living in remote Australia," Dr Calma says.

"We need Federal Government commitment to both research and policy that extends well beyond the political cycle, with bipartisan support. It is no good if the tap is turned on and off again.

"We need effective partnerships between academia, industry, government and the community to develop the policies necessary for the advancement of remote Australia."

Dr Calma said that the CRC Program, is the only Commonwealth program that can provide these linkages across all sectors of the economy and which enables close involvement by the community and end-users.

"We know from past, bitter experience the policies imposed from on high and afar seldom work well in remote Australia. Only when you truly engage the people who live there do you get results.

"At the moment there is evidence that the well-being of remote Australians is at increasing risk, and urgent action is needed to reverse this trend and to begin building a more optimistic, prosperous and equitable future for them."

The Managing Director of Ninti One, Rod Reeve will outline a holistic strategy for addressing the inequity that now exists between coastal and remote Australians.

This will involve significant improvements to education, employment and infrastructure, in addition to well thought-out climate change adaptation strategies.

Rod Reeve will describe Ninti One's famed Aboriginal Community Researcher program which is enabling researchers and policymakers to discover answers to complex policy issues affecting remote Australia which have hitherto been hard to learn.

The 'Remote Wisdom' conference will also feature:
• Associate Professor John Guenther of the CRC for Remote Economic Participation, on prospects for reinventing remote education
• CRC-REP's Sally Leigo outlining a powerful new technology for sustainable grazing in the Australian rangelands and worldwide
• Professor Fiona Haslam McKenzie on the impact of fly-in fly-out and other aspects of mining development on remote communities, and ways to develop enduring value for locals
• Associate Professor Mike Dockery on the unique mobility of the remote Australian workforce and community and how this fits in with flexible economic growth.

Provided by NintiOne.com.au