Transport and wellbeing edition ANZSEE 2015 Conference, 19-23 October 2015 Bruno Spandonide, RA PhD Flinders University

1. Bruno Spandonide
Research Associate, Ph.D
Flinders University
Ninti One
Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation
ANZSEE 2015 Conference, 19-23 October

2. Methodology
• Literature review, cost assessments, targeted survey on transport futures preferences, Multi-Criteria
Analyses, transport modelling and transport simulation.

3. Transport and mobility as means to access things that
promote wellbeing (Dockery and Hampton, 2015)

4. Conceptualising wellbeing in remote Australia
• Different ways to determine wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010
Nguyen and Cairney, 2013

6. Livelihood Outcomes
• As a complex process transport activities impact different inter-
related livelihood areas on multiple levels.
Health
Employment
Community
Connections
Education
Transport
Systems
Culture

8. Trip Purposes in Very Remote Locations
• In Abroriginal Central Australian very remote communities a majority of trips occur to
visit family and friends and going shopping.

9. © David Maurice Smith/Oculi.
90% of people are happy to travel
(Dockery and Hampton, 2015)

10. Transport Demographics in Very Remote Locations
• Gender and generational factors influence the mobility patterns of people living in very
remote locations.

11. More needs, less means

12. Road Access in Very Remote Locations
• Access to a roadworthy vehicle is critical in remote Australia. Not being able to register,
drive or maintain a vehicle are major problems in very remote communities.
Over 90% of vehicles
used for service delivery
are 4x4 vehicles,
as opposed to <10% for
people living remote
community

14. Fuel costs in Very Remote Locations
• Fuel costs exacerbate transport costs with adverse impacts on living costs (over-
amplified at several levels of the supply chain).
• Fuel is the major transport cost in very remote communities and typically
represents around 8% of average annual household incomes (as opposed to less
than 3% in non-remote areas).

15. © David Maurice Smith/Oculi.

16. Economic costs of Unsustainable Transport
The costs for the remote Australian economy are very significant:
• Poor transport infrastructure, equipment, qualification and services lead to decreased economic
participation in very remote communities.
• A situation of structural transport poverty means that people living in remote Aboriginal
communities allocate over 25% of their income to meet their transport needs.
To

17. © David Maurice Smith/Oculi.

18. Transport issues in Very Remote Locations
• People living in very remote Central Australian communities experience major transport issues in
terms of access to vehicle, license, registration and repair services.
• Women and children have a decreased access to vehicles, and license and particularly value public
transport.
• Young and old adult men experience significant issues to maintain vehicles and afford repairing
them.

19. © David Maurice Smith/Oculi.

20. Wider Impacts of Unsustainable Transports
Inaccessibility social costs are very significant:
• The socio-economic vulnerability of people living in remote communities is exacerbated.
• People have a reduced access to services.
This results in a decreased resilience of living out bush which contrasts with the depth of human and
cultural capital which are available.
Poor transport access and financial disadvantage, contributing to a situation of deep socio-economic
exclusion.
To

22. Transport Industry and Wellbeing
• Aboriginal people are under-represented in the transport industry in remote Australia (around 1%)
yet it could be a significant source of employment (over 4% nationally) (ABS, 2010; Deloitte Access
Economics, 2014).
• Significant progress has been achieved in the last decade in terms of work practices in the freight
industry. This was accelerated with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator reform and demonstrates
that national institutions are relevant for responding to transport issues.
To

23. © David Maurice Smith/Oculi.

24. Transport Policy to Increase Wellbeing
• A better access to transport and more services (telecommunication, local services, goods delivery,
mechanic services and community buses) is vital for sustaining a high level of wellbeing in remote
communities.
• Increasing the support for transport services, equipment and appropriate transport policy will have
long term positive impacts in remote communities.
• While innovation such as app-based transport services could be of use in remote communities,
critical needs are still evident in terms of transport equipment and access to public transport
services. The priority is to find a way out of the current situation of transport stress and
inaccessibility.
• The use of active transport and electric transport is relevant from a cultural appropriateness point of
view. Supporting the development of these forms of transport would help achieving greater quality
of life in remote communities by increasing their overall resilience.

25. Acknowledgements
This research is conducted by Ninti One, the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation and
Flinders University. Many thanks to David Maurice Smith who generously supported illustrating this presentation. David
provided some pictures from his work in Wilcannia, Living in the Shadows which can is showcased on Oculi’s website
http://oculi.com.au/.
Contacts:
For further information:
Mobility Report CW015
http://www.crc-rep.com.au/resource/CW015_ReconceptualisingMobility.pdf
Dockery M.A. 2014 Reconceptualising mobility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. CRC-REP
Working Paper CW0017. Ninti One Limited. Alice Springs.
Transport Futures Report CW017
http://www.crc-rep.com.au/resource/CW017_TransportCostsInRemoteCommunities.pdf
Spandonide B. 2014. Transport systems in remote Australia: Transport costs in remote communities. CRC-
REP Working Paper CW0017. Ninti One Limited. Alice Springs.
Bruno Spandonide
Research Officer
Ninti One Limited
Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation
Email: bruno.spandonide@nintione.com.au