Question

how does social factors affect the people of cape york?

Answer 1

A major problem in Cape York has been reliance on centralized hospital services, lack of adequate training for health professionals planning to work in remote areas, and a policy that does not always reflect the people's needs.The treated prevalence of psychotic disorders in remote communities of Cape York and the Torres Strait, Australia, has been shown to be elevated compared with the Australian population. Our study used a unique dataset to assess treated incidence and prevalence of psychotic disorders and mortality over a 23-year period in the adult Indigenous population of this region.

This report was commissioned by the Cape York Peninsula Development Association, with support from the then Queensland Department of State Development (now Tourism, Regional Development and Industry). The objective was to review the economic and infrastructure strategies set out in the 1997 Cape York Peninsula Land Use Strategy (CYPLUS) Stage 2 Report and develop specific strategies which position Cape York to take better advantage of economic and infrastructure opportunities.

In reviewing the strategies the report was to basically analyse progress to date, identify strategies that have not progressed, why not and develop ‘where to from here’ recommendations.

The overall vision expressed in the Terms of Reference is for a vibrant, broad and sustainable economy based on: a. Secure land tenure with multiple land uses

b. Economic benefits retained and reinvested in the region;

c. A suitably skilled workforce d. Necessary transport, energy, water, tourism and service infrastructure including the Peninsula Development Road supporting a diversified economy

d. Necessary transport, energy, water, tourism and service infrastructure including the Peninsula Development Road supporting a diversified economy

This report is to identify actions which contribute to achieving this.

As noted in the body of the report, it was found that the economic and infrastructure strategies could not be reviewed entirely in isolation. This is especially as the CYPLUS Report presented strategies as a cross-referenced set of interdependent strategies, but also because of the intrinsic relationships between economic, life style, conservation, industry sectors and infrastructure issues. The report begins with a reasonably extensive general situation review to set the contemporary environment for the specific sector strategy areas which follow. The ten years which have elapsed since CYPLUS have seen major changes in almost all aspects of the local, National and global operating environment. This has meant that many of the original strategies are less relevant, or have been overtaken by events. In these circumstances the approach that has been adopted has been to place emphasis on what is seen as ‘the way forward’ at a strategic level, rather than attempting to track the detail of each of the original strategies. This it was felt will make the best contribution to the objective set for this report and the vision expressed for Cape York.

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Different Operating Environment

In the ten years since CYPLUS Stage 2, the internal Queensland and global operating environments have changed dramatically.

In 1997, climate change was not the growing issue it is now seen to be. The possibility of a permanent drying of southern Australia was not anticipated. The Murray-Darling system had not been widely identified as being in crisis. The prospect of producing fuels, fibres and resins from renewable sources were not mainstream considerations and China had not emerged as the global resource hungry powerhouse it now is, with India likely to follow. Both ATSIC and DATSIP have ceased to exist, with dramatically different structures in place to address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander needs and issues.

The contemporary view of the likely future and the risks, opportunities and imperatives it represents has changed in keeping with these developments.

The underpinning principal for the CYPLUS process was for the sustainable development of the Cape York economy, fully recognising and accommodating natural heritage and conservation values and needs. Neither CYPLUS nor subsequent events have delivered this model.

Major Constraints There are three key major constraints on the development of Cape York infrastructure and a broader economy:

1. The standard of the road network, especially the Peninsula Development Road;

2. Limitations in the skills base available, which has a number of dimensions;

3. Level of access to the resource base due to requirements placed on natural heritage conservation and management.

The Road Network The standard of the road network is at the core of facilitation of both economic and supporting infrastructure development on Cape York. A 2000 – 2001 Investment Strategy report for the Peninsula Development Road noted a range of reasons for the importance of this road.

This included the general observation to the effect that the condition of the road is now a barrier to entry into a globally connected regional economy that has been rapidly developing with Cairns and Weipa as hubs. Whereas Cape York might still be remote from world markets, the Tropical North Queensland region is now a sophisticated economy, with links into Micronesia, Asia and the global economy. There is an international airport and deep water ports in Cairns, Weipa and Mourilyan. The Peninsula is now close to one of the largest and fastest growing population concentrations outside the south east corner of the State, with a range of support services, infrastructure and skills base to service a variety of industries.