How can we help?

I think this editorial, which appeared in today's Australian newspaper, says it all really. How on earth are we, the greater community of Australia meant to repair our indigenous communities if we don't know the full extent of what is going on?

Blind eye at Wadeye
Permit system remains a barrier to indigenous reform

IF the federal Opposition leader were to visit one of the country's most dysfunctional Aboriginal communities and no press were allowed to report it, would he make a sound? Apparently not. For when Kim Beazley went to Wadeye, 300km southwest of Darwin, yesterday he was forced to leave behind his usual retinue of reporters and photographers due to objections of the local "community". This is not the first time Wadeye, whose residents were recently compelled to clean up the place on pain of losing government funding, has tried to keep the press from reporting local goings-on. In 2002 Paul Toohey, then a journalist for The Australian, was prosecuted for visiting Wadeye without a permit. More recently another journalist for this newspaper, Ashleigh Wilson, was barred from the town during the gang warfare that racked the community in May. Curiously – and the reasons and details behind the deal that orchestrated her permit may never be known – Fairfax's Lindsay Murdoch has received access to the community and is presently there.

The moral of the story is that monsters live in the dark. Over the past year a series of stories highlighting the condition of Aborigines living in remote communities has shamed all Australia, starting with the report of a judge who initially sentenced an Aboriginal elder to just four months in jail for kidnapping, bashing and raping his 14-year-old "promised bride". Outrage reached a crescendo with the appearance of Nanette Rogers on ABC's Lateline during which the Northern Territory Crown prosecutor detailed a culture of physical and sexual abuse against women and children. For a moment it seemed the entire nation seemed determined to fix the horrific conditions within many Aboriginal communities. Yet across the country a rigid permit system controls access to remote Aboriginal communities and allows those with the most to gain from barring outsiders to say who is allowed in. State and territory bureaucrats likewise have an interest in the system as it keeps meddlesome journalists from reporting the negligence of governments. And as always, it is the weakest members of the communities who pay the price.

Opal fuel & Petrol sniffing - is Opal the answer?

The question of Opal fuel came up this morning. Specifically, the octane levels and possible problems with using Opal in one’s vehicle.

For those of you who are unaware, petrol-sniffing is a big problem amongst the indigenous communities.

Sniff petrol and you get high on the aromatics in normal petrol (or gasoline if you’re American). Sniffing can lead to brain damage and death.

So, in response our government and fuel companies did some experimenting and Opal fuel is the result.

The federal government is trying to get Opal fuel into all parts of the Territory. However, in the Alice, whilst we can buy Opal fuel, regular unleaded and premium unleaded fuels are still available.

At The Rock (Uluru or Ayers Rock Resort), only Opal fuel is available to visitors. This is an effort by the small village to reduce the petrol sniffing problems in the nearby Aboriginal community of Mutijulu.

As a person who only uses Premium or Ultimate Unleaded fuels with their octane levels of 95 and 98 respectively, the prospect of having to suddenly fill up with Opal’s 91 octane fuel did not impress me.

My fuel range was greatly reduced on the tank full of Opal. So much so that I will not be using Opal again unless I have no choice.

It is difficult to find specific or technical or even hearsay data on the potential problems of using Opal fuel. Given that 2 of the major roadhouses on the Stuart Highway are refusing to become "Opal only", there are obviously problems.

 May I recommend making the Pigs Will Fly website regular reading? I discovered this gem of a blog when researching Opal fuel this morning.

Testing

Just testing the email to blogger thingy.