Research finds basket of essential items to live a healthy life double the price in remote WA communities

Families living in remote WA communities pay up to twice as much for everyday items than Perth families, a new study has confirmed.

The research, led by The Kids Research Institute Australia, examined the cost and availability of essentials linked to healthy living practices in remote Aboriginal communities across the Kimberley.

A basket of essential items — including soap, shampoo, laundry powder, fresh and frozen vegetables, fruit, antiseptic and bandages — cost between $39 and $48 in remote Kimberley stores.

The same items cost just $20 in Perth and $22 in Broome.

The data — collected as part of the See, Treat, Prevent Skin Sores and Scabies trial — also revealed the availability of essential items were inconsistent in remote Kimberley communities.

Across 23 stores, a complete basket of essential goods was available just 57 per cent of the time, with basic first aid and hygiene products among the items most commonly missing.

Lead author Stephanie Enkel, from the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, said the results were concerning.

“We didn’t set out expecting availability to be such a significant issue, but we found that a complete basket of essential items could only be purchased a little over half the time,” she said.

“The items we looked at are basic necessities, and for them to be unavailable so often is concerning.”

The study also found that refrigerators and washing machines were, on average, about 45 per cent more expensive in remote community stores than in Perth and Broome.

Dr Enkel said the findings pointed to the need for policy responses to improve equity in remote communities, including price relief on essential household and hygiene items, freight subsidies, and minimum stock requirements for key health-related products.

“People should have the opportunity to live wherever they choose and have the ability to lead healthy lives,” she said.

“What we’re seeing is that the cost and availability of essential goods are hampering people’s ability to maintain their basic health.

“This is one part of a much bigger health equity story, where social and environmental conditions continue to make healthy living harder in remote communities.”

The research comes as the Kimberley has been at the epicentre of a diphtheria outbreak — a highly contagious and potentially fatal bacterial infection that can spread more easily in poor living conditions.

There have been 194 cases recorded in the State this year with 149 of those in the Kimberley.

It can spread through close contact with respiratory droplets, infected skin sores or contaminated items such as bandages and shared towels.

Most cases recorded have been through skin to skin contact and have disproportionately impacted the Aboriginal community.