ARIA Award

The ARIA Award goes to...

Well, perhaps I should explain what ARIA is. No, it's not the Australian Recording Industry Association. It's the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia. This was developed by the Commonwealth Dept of Health and the National Key Centre of Social Applications of Geographic Information System in 1997 (there is such a centre!... I wonder what else they do other than ARIA awards...).

The ARIA measures how far you are, from any one point, to the nearest urban centre. There are 5 major categories: major city, inner regional, outer regional, remote and very remote. There is also a category called 'migratory' but unless this relates to birds or the nearest urban centre is liable to move, I'm not really sure what that one means.

The class of remoteness is assessed according to the 'restriction upon accessibility to the widest range of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction'.

But what does this really mean in practice:

Goods

• I stock up on my favourite toothpaste and soaps whenever I'm in town
• Passing visitors bring me out emergency supplies when I miscalculate stocks
• I have all the non-fiction books I'll need for the next year piled up around me
• If my laptop dies, I'm stuffed
• I've learned to live without a highlighter. It' s just not high priority enough to remember on town trips.

Services

• My front and back screen doors don't close properly. They will continue not to close properly until we either get a training course for the young fellas on CDEP or I get new doors
• The dogs get into my bin on a regular basis (bins are emptied sporadically, all depends what the fellas are doing that day)
• My tax is overdue. I keep forgetting to do something about it, but it all seems too complicated to work out. Calling up, explaining, sending the papers, etc
• Getting something laminated requires more organisation than it's worth.
• My hair is getting long, and I'm resorting to leave-in hair conditioner.
• One day, I'm going to have to work out how to get that pinboard mounted onto my office wall. Myself.

Opportunities for social interaction

• Thankfully, I like my own company.

So, the ARIA goes to ... Kanpa!