Since its establishment in
1985 the Remote Area Developments Group of the Institute for Environmental
Science at Murdoch University has researched and or developed appropriate
technology in a number of areas related to the provision of water and
sanitation to remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. The
projects were a response to needs as expressed or observed during visits
to more than 18 communities in the Pilbara, Kimberley and western Central
Desert in 1987.
The projects were initially
funded by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, but we were pleased
that further funding was received from the National Health and Medical
Research Council, Australian Water Research
Advisory Council and from industry.
Feedback from users and potential
users is essential in the development and application of new technology.
We were helped by constructive criticisms at a workshop organized by
the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in June 1988, and at the Conference
on Science and Technology for Remote Communities held the following
month at Murdoch University.
The projects moved on, a display
facility was constructed to demonstrate the hardware and prototypes
of the technology, and improved versions were built in town camps around
the state on a trial basis.
