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In the first year of its operations in 1978/79 the Outback Areas Community Development Trust made financial contributions to ten outback communities including the then Coober Pedy Progress and Miners’ Association Inc. Funds made available in that first year amounted to $93,500. MORE >>
Special Projects in 2003/2004
In April 2003, in collaboration with Transport SA and the SA Pastoral Board, the Trust revised and re-issued the detailed map of the locations of the UHF radio repeater towers in the out-of-council areas. These maps have proven to be very popular amongst communities and tourists. Due to the rate of erection of new repeaters, the map will be revised and reprinted in March 2004. For the new maps, the Trust is looking at putting special driving tips on the maps that could be useful for tourists in decreasing the rate of road accidents on outback roads. Maps are available from the Trust free of charge, please see 'contact us.'
Both as consequence of its expanded role since the 1999 independent review of its operations and the celebration of 2002 as the 'Year of the Outback' the Trust has both finalised and commenced a diverse range of special projects during 2001/2002. These are listed below.
Contract: In early 2003 the Trust entered into a two-year contract with Gambier Electronic Pty Ltd. to maintain the existing UHF repeater towers that are owned by outback communities and to site and erect additional towers where network gaps exist. In the past this work was subsidised on an intermittent basis. The process is now more formalised in response to the blank spots evident from a recent map of the UHF tower locations, produced by the Trust. The heightened awareness has arrived from the risk factors associated with the increasing number of people now driving in the outback.
A map identifying UHF repeater tower locations and Public Access Routes can be obtained by contacting the Trust.
Television and radio service agreement for outback SA
In June 2003 the Trust entered into a new two-year agreement with Central Communications (Alice Springs) Pty Ltd. The agreement requiring Central Communications to inspect and service television and radio re-broadcast systems at eight remote community centres and to provide help-desk and call-out services to two other communities. The Trust picks up the initial cost of this servie and seeks reimbursement from the communities at a susidy ratio that varies according to the frequency of inspection.
Although it varies from centre to centre the transmission and receiving systems at these centres assist with access to ABC, SBS, Seven Central and Imparja television and with ABC regional and national radio and CAAMA radio.
In response to safety concerns and the likelihood of an increase in four-wheel-drive visitation with the 'Year of the Outback', the Trust, in collaboration with the Northern and Western Regional Office of Transport SA at Port Augusta, facilitated the preparation of a detailed map of the location of the licensed Citizen Band UHF radio towers in the out-of-councils areas.
The map, which accurately fixes the tower positions in relation to the public roads, shows their optimum signal radii and gives their call signs, was completed in late calendar 2001. It has been made available free-of-charge at a number of locations and has proved very popular.
During 2002, the Trust commissioned the preparation of a book to document what is known about the old pastoral stock routes of the northern, out-of-Hundreds areas of the State. The book is being prepared by Trust contractor Leith Yelland to coincide with 2002 'Year of the Outback'.
Funding contributions toward the text have come from the Pastoral Board, the Office of the Surveyor-General, Tourism SA, the former Department for Water Resources and the Arid Areas Catchment Water Management Board.
Copies of the book, titled ‘Pads, tracks and waters: South Australia's Pastoral Stock Routes' are available from the Trust, various outback locations and from Service SA customer service centres.
To purchase a copy of the book online, visit the Service SA online shop.
Youth Advisory Group
In June 2002, the Trust's Community Development Officer facilitated the formation in Penong of the first Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) to relate to a progress association in the out-of-councils areas. The impetus came from information obtained at a workshop organised in May 2002 by the Office of Regional Development.
The YAC was formed at a meeting of the Penong and Districts Progress Association Inc. which was attended by local young people.
The group will provide youth input into community sustainability and the intention is to replicate the Penong group in other remote communities.
This report was launched on 14 September 2005 by the Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Hon. Rory McEwen MP. The report is a unique document providing useful and detailed information about the lives of Outback South Australians gathered over ten months of detailed research by consultants, URS Sustainable Development Australia through interviews and surveys of Outback residents and a review of existing data.
The 130 page document will be of interest and importance, not just to people living in the Outback, but to all SA residents and interest groups for many years to come and it can be updated and expanded over time.
State of the Outback Report (Full Report - High Resolution)
Full Report - High Resolution PDF (10754 kb)
State of the Outback Report (Full Report - Low Resolution)
Full Report - Low Resolution PDF (1346 kb)
State of the Outback Report (Executive Summary - High Resolution)
Executive Summary - High Resolution PDF (1248 kb)
State of the Outback Report (Executive Summary - Low Resolution)
Executive Summary - Low Resolution PDF (106 kb)
