Town Planning and Landscaping

Introduction Town planning and landscaping in Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara communities took on a new perspective when they became the recipients of large amounts of Federal Government finance during the 1970¹s. This finance was for the development of their communities and included the following: The initiation of new housing programs Upgrading water and electrical supplies Upgrading and building new airstrips Building new stores and community halls Designing new road systems Constructing sports complexes including ovals and basket ball courts Establishing new communities and homelands

The increase in sporting activities caused the growth of sports ovals and complexes which could result in serious dust hazards and water erosion problems for the community.

As these new developments progressed, problems began to emerge. Building programs increased the number of roofs in each community resulting in more storm water being produced. Much of this water drained into the road systems and was channelled down the slope causing erosion and environmental damage. The need to expand essential services became obvious when the water and electricity supplies became over taxed. Growth and development was happening in every community and every body realized that town plans had to be drafted. These plans needed to include:

• sufficient land for housing
• a suitable road system
• a storm water management program
• the supply of essential services
• the provision and maintenance of family relationships
• sufficient land for sporting complexes
• sufficient land for schools and clinics
• sufficient land for people

Town plans are not simply beautification programs. They have a major effect on the lifestyle of everybody in the community. Therefore a forum of local people, with a directive role in town planning issues, should be formed to work with the town planning specialists. The plans that architects and engineers propose, should be developed together with the forum who would be the contributors of local, cultural and physical knowledge.

Town planning and landscaping needs to be a community activity with the results representing the ideas of community members.

Town plans need to be user friendly. They need to contain a flexibility, which can accommodate changes in the social and cultural environment of a community. Good town planning should include the following factors:

• Consultation: The best town plans are those which are drafted within the community. When town planning specialists develop plans on site with members of a community, everybody interacts and therefore contributes to a plan which will be embraced by the community. This is how user friendly town plans are developed. It is essential that the level of consultation result in outcomes, which represent the town planning goals of the community and the town planning specialists.
• Topography: As part of developing a town plan the natural landform should be studied and the natural drainage patterns noted. Local knowledge should be gained and include information on creek flows, prevailing winds, land which is subject to flooding etc. A good town plan will be designed around the topographical features of the area.
• Land: Sufficient land needs to be set aside for developments. These developments include housing areas, industrial areas, schools, clinics, the community office, sporting complexes, storm water management programs, arts and craft centers, the local store, open areas for people etc. This is a very significant part of any town plan and requires the input of all community members.
• Roads: These become the artificial drainage systems for storm water within the community and care should be taken when designing them. Features should include satisfactory width, slope, drainage points for storm water, relationship to the contour, access and relationship to median strips.
• Vehicle Control: There are often many open areas around communities which are used by people and vehicles. Care should be taken to establish people areas which should remain separate from vehicle areas.
• Dust Control: Good town plans should identify land areas surrounding communities, which can be suitably managed to reduce the amount of airborne dust in the environment. Town plans should include management programs to preserve and sustain the balance of vegetation cover on land surrounding communities. Seasonal fire management programs need to be integrated with preservation programs.
• Storm Water Management: Town plans should include an effective storm water management program. Sufficient land should be set aside around buildings and houses to collect and use the storm water they produce. Road systems within the community should be designed to collect storm water, which should be drained at regular intervals to irrigate trees.
• Essential Services: Sufficient land should be set aside for the installation and maintenance of essential services. The positioning of these services requires consultation with members of the community.
• Town planning and landscaping is an integrated activity between town planning specialists and communities of people. The process is ongoing and therefore should contain opportunities for further development to meet the needs of our changing world.

Publications
The following articles and fact sheets have been produced to help those working with town planning and landscaping on Aboriginal lands in Central Australia.

Articles

• Environmental Degradation and Rehabilitation in Aboriginal Communities and Outstations in Central Australia
• Storm Water Management in Communities on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands
• Mound Building in Community Landscaping on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands

Fact Sheets

• Planning Work -1
• Tourism - 1
• Contolling Cars and Trucks - 1
• Storm Water Management - 1
• Establishing Trees and Shrubs Under Dryland Conditions
• Site Revegetation - 1