Not-for-profit groups grapple with challenges of servicing a big state

The vastness of Western Australia poses many challenges for not-for-profit organisations attempting to deliver essential services to regional and remote communities.

It’s one thing to supply emergency accommodation in Perth’s CBD, but how about in Karratha, the Wheatbelt or Great Southern?

Or, if food is in short supply, how can it be delivered in time and still fresh to the Pilbara?

Some of WA’s leading NFP organisations address these challenges as the festive period recedes and residents and businesses in the state’s north battle major flooding and will need these services more than ever.

Delivering wherever there’s a need

Big distances inevitably make getting services to people in rural and remote areas difficult, says Uniting WA co-chief executive Jen Park, but the organisation is committed to expanding its services.

From its Albany office, Uniting WA supports clients throughout the Great Southern region.  

Among its newest services is the Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) team, whose staff specialise in recurrent and concerning behaviours, which limit the quality of life of clients and their families. 

“The PBS team identify unmet needs, which usually spark these behaviours in clients, and put in place strategies to reduce negative impacts,” Ms Park said. 

“The clients can receive support from the PBS team fully funded as Uniting WA is a registered NDIS provider.”

Uniting WA’s Individualised Living Services operation in Albany also supports about 40 clients living with a disability or mental health issues. 

Some clients live in supported accommodation with 24/7 support. Others receive ‘drop-in’ support in the community or in their own homes.  

Keeping pantries stocked

For Foodbank WA, the logistics of delivering food to rural and remote regions exposes the harsh fact it costs more than it does in the city.

“In our urban setting, the lack of public transport and high cost of fuel impact how our customers can access our services,” Foodbank WA chief executive Kate O’Hara said.

“To remedy this, we established our Mobile Foodbank service in September of 2019, starting out with just three locations.

“Due to the ever-growing need, this has expanded to 31 locations in just over three years. 

“For our regional branches, near fresh produce agricultural areas, in particular Bunbury, we are lucky enough to be supplied produce directly, so there can be more fresh produce in that branch when compared to regional branches.”

Overall, the Perth branch is Foodbank WA’s collection centre, and the fresh food supply fluctuates significantly depending on what is happening nationwide.

“We are impacted by natural disasters such as cyclones and flooding, the pandemic and also the cost of fuel,” Ms O’Hara said.

“Right now, we are seeing very little fresh fruit and vegetables come through our network of branches due to a national shortage as a result of the flooding over east, and a shortage of labour, which is affecting Western Australia as well as the rest of the country.

“In terms of vegetables, we are seeing fewer carrots and potatoes, which are easy for farmers to sell.

“Fruit availability is also limited to mainly apples and pears.

“We are very lucky to be receiving the fresh fruit and vegetables that we do get, which is the result of our long-standing relationships with the amazing growers who donate to us.”

Locals stepping up for each other

Anglicare WA works in communities across the state, from Kununurra to Albany. 

“While some of our services are statewide, like our Hardship Utility Grant Scheme and Emergency Relief and Food Access Service, we also have a strong presence in regional communities,” Anglicare WA chief executive Mark Glasson said.

“We work where the need is greatest and where we can have the most impact and we currently deliver 98 services across 83 locations.”

About 37 per cent of Anglicare WA’s service staff are based outside the Perth metro region. Another 24 per cent work statewide. 

“Our 2022-25 strategic plan has a particular focus on strengthening and developing our place-based approach,” Mr Glasson said. 

“We want to ensure our services are delivering for the communities in which our staff live and work.

“It’s no good someone in head office in Perth deciding what’s best for people living thousands of kilometres away. 

“It's essential to keep building links with the local communities in which we work.

“They are the ones who know what support is needed, where it’s needed, and the best way to provide it.”

Arts outreach far and wide

AWESOME Arts is a small not-for-profit company based in Northbridge, with Jenny Simpson as its passionate chief executive, who takes very seriously the responsibility of delivering access to arts to all – not just in the metro area.

“Our creative learning programs place two professional teaching artists into a school/community for up to three weeks at a time,” Ms Simpson said.

“Most of these residencies take place in regional and remote communities, and it is not unusual for our artists to travel in excess of 70,000 kilometres in a year to deliver these programs.”

Ms Simpson believes that while distance is an issue most regional, rural and remote communities have in common, each community has its own unique set of challenges.

For some communities it is a lack of key services such as childcare, policing, or supply of fresh food, while other communities struggle to maintain critical permanent staff such as teachers.

“Our approach when delivering programs is to work with each community to gain an understanding of the key challenges being faced,” Ms Simpson said.

“While we may not be able to deliver a whole solution, we can certainly be a part of the broader solution and make a positive contribution to that community.”

Despite the enormous will from NFPs, the key challenges of distance and costs remain.

“The greatest impediments to service delivery in regional, rural and remote Western Australia will always be cost, closely followed by the logistics of service delivery into remote areas, particularly in the wet season,” Ms Simpson said.

“Another factor that impacts service delivery is the transient nature of the rural-regional-remote workforce – particularly in schools and remote communities.”

Solutions lie in the partnerships with corporates operating in these regions, such as the resources industry.

With their input, distance and cost issues can be greatly reduced.