Lessons from Palm Island

At the moment there are few opportunities on Palm Island for employment and none for long-term economic independence. Nor is there a long-term master plan for sustainable development that takes its special topographical conditions, tropical climate and lifestyle of residents into consideration. Decisions on housing are taken in far-away Brisbane and post-occupancy evaluation is almost never done. Currently only four new houses are being built under the government's program. This number needs to be significantly increased. Likewise, the refurbishment of existing housing, as well as a major infrastructure upgrading, needs attention. It comes as no surprise that the state government's own “smart housing” website offers no information on housing for Indigenous communities.

The Queensland Government also needs to provide Indigenous residents with better design options for new houses. For example, climate-responsive houses would be more sustainable than current housing, and could be built without any additional cost. The current approach to housing is one of import substitution - both design and cost are imported. This denies local engagement with, and development of, a sense of ownership and pride in the built environment of the community.

So what exactly is the nature of dwellings needed? Palm Island is in the tropics. If design principles for building in the tropics are applied, housing would offer living areas facing north with generous verandahs, shaded by wide roof eaves and overlooking a tropical garden, with shade trees planted on the western side of the lot, removing a need for air-conditioning. If we reassess the way a building might relate to Aboriginal culture and how architecture might be derived from the specific needs of Indigenous people, we will recall the tradition of personal shelters in Aboriginal architecture which strongly express the “spirit of the place”. We should also remind ourselves of the need for a participatory role in the actual design and construction for the future occupants, including the community's youth.

However, current housing solutions are far removed from this and do not correspond with the residents' ideas and real needs. Houses are simply imposed upon the island, most of the time disrespectful of any orientation or context. Large covered decks for outdoor life are frequently forgotten, houses face towards hills, away from the sun and the view. A new approach to housing needs to be investigated and tested so that housing becomes a community inspired solution rather than a government convenience.

Wandering around the island today, one finds many half-finished houses where the building has not been sufficiently robust and landscaping is absent.

It is obvious that there is an immediate need for reduction of overcrowding and waste removal. One would think Queensland would have developed a vast array of knowledge of tropic-suitable housing models, and that these models would be commonly available, to develop housing more fitted to the climate and Indigenous cultural needs. It should have typologies that deal with local climate, topographical conditions and residents' lifestyles, with appropriate washing facilities and kitchens. These could have courtyards which might include pavilion-like extensions to cater for extended families and communal gatherings. They could also have larger verandahs for social events, with sliding doors that open onto the bush, thus ensuring good natural cross-ventilation and solar-orientation and, by avoiding solid walls, the house would impart feeling of being closer to nature.

Modular houses offer the potential for diverse internal configurations for floor plans and allow for the affordable addition of more rooms as they become necessary. Prefabricated houses compare favourably in cost, making better design affordable and reducing damage to the site during construction. Modular housing constructed off-site, and delivered by ferry in large components, could be put together by teams of trained Aboriginal builders in a short timeframe.

More local people would, therefore, be involved in the construction of these houses, thus further reducing costs, building up sustainable local expertise and bringing much needed employment to the community. Since the current system for delivery and maintenance of the housing stock is inappropriate, creating a new local housing association model that has a say in design decisions and is in charge of the ongoing management of the housing stock, would be a useful program to initiate. Any new authority, however, would need to encourage more and better informed consultation with residents.

At present, Palm Island residents do not have access to tools or building materials; there are no retail outlets such as a hardware shop where residents can buy building materials to repair houses; no workshops to practice craftsmanship; few adequate sports facilities for youth; no modern waste disposal plant; no landscaping; no barbeque facilities for families; no public toilets or reasonable public space; no decent public gathering spaces; no community garden; and, no decent townscape.

And as long as important buildings such as the council building, bank and post office are nothing more than run-down sheds, and there is no library, how can civic pride be nurtured? It is surprising that the treatment of Aboriginal people on the island has not attracted more international censure as the history of Palm Island is a raw example of the failings of “first world” government policy in respect of Indigenous people.

The Queensland Government and the community leaders on Palm Island need to be the agents of change and real progress, to give hope to the population and a chance at future economic development.