Economic Background EWB PDF

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EWB project first assignment...

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Assignment Title: Engineering Communication Assessment Task 2a 1. Introduction Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a non-profit organisation which aims to improve the quality of life for individuals & communities across the world through the implementation of engineering projects. EWB Australia is a subsidiary of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) with the objective to “create social value through engineering” (EWB Australia, 2020). They aim to provide human-centred engineering projects to improve community life. They focus on disadvantaged Indigenous Australian populations to provide engineering and infrastructure projects. In collaboration with the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CfAT), they aim to “explore appropriate technology which supports Traditional Owners living and thriving on homelands and outstations, with a focus on CfAT’s work with communities in the Cape York region of Far North Queensland.” (EWB Challenge, 2020) A key facilitator of improving the quality of life of communities is access to energy especially in remote communities in the region of Cape York. To determine the most effective manner to implement access to energy, a comprehensive knowledge Cape York’s background in various parameters needs to be established. This will allow for the problem to be specifically identified and analysed within these set parameters. 2. Background – Economic The regional economy of the Cape York region has a dynamic connection to the land. Due to the ruralised framework of its economy, Cape York’s economic stability is based off its high environmental value through its abundance of natural assets. Thus, its economy is largely driven by mining, agriculture & tourism. These industries are primarily consolidated in certain regions of Cape York. Mining in the north-west, agriculture (cattle & horticulture) in the south-east and tourism throughout the region particularly concentrated around national parks (Queensland Government [QLD GOV], 2014). The remoteness of the region means its connection to the state economy is limited by the road network and transportation services in the region. However, due to the it’s close proximity to Micronesia and Asia, it has a dynamic link to the global economy (Kleinhardt Business Consultants, 2007). This has allowed the region to improve the economic contribution to resource exports. Cape York is also an important cattle grazing and horticultural region because of its access to extensive land with minimal population. The unique location of Cape York results in early season cropping meaning crops are ready for market before the rest of state. Consequently, Cape York crops control the beginning of seasonal foods, thus significantly improving their economic input. Due to the reliance on the natural resources (mining, agriculture & tourism), a considerable amount of land is used for the economy thus resulting in communities living remotely with no region central business district which the population is centred around.

3. Background – Specific to mobile power supply The national electricity distribution extends to the south-east of the Cape York region where a considerable amount of the population lives (especially around Cooktown). This is where

economic input in the region converges for exportation and sale (QLD GOV,2014). The minimal population across the region means extending the electrical network isn’t a viable option. As the rest of the region is centred on mining, agriculture & tourism, these industrybased communities often have their own isolated power supplies. Most of these isolated systems are run by diesel generators, with the cost of their maintenance being higher than in less remote areas (QLD GOV, 2014). The weather characteristics of the region (cyclones, wet season climate, etc.) also lead to damages incurred thus increasing the frequency of maintenance. Some of these communities often fund their own electricity supply such as mining establishments and remote farms. Ergon Energy manages the distribution of isolated electricity systems with a majority of their operations being run by diesel generators. “We own and operate 33 isolated power stations providing electricity to isolated communities which are too remote to connect to the national grid” (Ergon Energy, 2020) The Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS] (2018) found that there were 390 small-scale solar panel installations in Cape York which has a land area of 11,296,069.7 hectares (ABS, 2018). This means that there is one solar installation for every 28,964 hectares. The sparse availability of electricity limits people’s ability to establish housing and infrastructure in the region. With limitations of electricity availability, this limits the growth of community infrastructure to support growth. As transportation is difficult in remote regions of Cape York, transporting diesel to isolated power supplies is difficult, thus self-sustaining energy systems is required, most easily found as mobile solar power systems. 4. Conclusion The Cape York region is unique due to its isolation in relation to the rest of Australia. This has established Cape York with a unique economy that has impacted the way of life in the region. The economy is driven primarily by mining, agriculture & tourism. These dominant industries also impact Cape York’s population, leading to small pockets of population often centred around necessities such as water supplies or electricity systems and electricity distribution is limited. This is significantly limited as there are only 390 solar installations in the region (ABS, 2018). Thus, a mobile isolated power supply is required that can provide populations with a sense of living flexibility unseen in the region to grow population and economy.

References Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2018). Cape York (SA2)(315011396).

https://itt.abs.gov.au/itt/r.jsp? RegionSummary®ion=315011396&dataset=ABS_REGIONAL_ASGS2016&geoconc ept=ASGS_2016&measure=MEASURE&datasetASGS=ABS_REGIONAL_ASGS2016&dat asetLGA=ABS_REGIONAL_LGA2018®ionLGA=LGA_2018®ionASGS=ASGS_2016 Engineers Without Borders. (2020). About EWB. https://www.ewb.org.au/about/aboutewb/ EWB Challenge. (2020). Centre for Appropriate Technology https://ewbchallenge.org/centre-appropriate-technology Ergon Energy. (2020). Isolated & remote power stations. https://www.ergon.com.au/network/network-management/networkinfrastructure/isolated-and-remote-power-stations Kleinhardt Business Consultants. (2007). CYP Regional Economic & Infrastructure Framework https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representa tives_committees?url=jscna/subs/sub0212%20attach%20d.pdf Queensland Government. (2014). Cape York Regional Plan. https://www.dlgrma.qld.gov.au/resources/plan/cape-york/cape-york-regionalplan.pdf...