Undertaken between September 2020 and January 2022, this research project sought to document the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions and other government measures on Aboriginal people in the Kimberley, and how Aboriginal communities and organisations responded to these measures.

The project team focused on seven case studies, and interviewed dozens of people resident in remote communities, as well as staff of Aboriginal organisations and public officials who were involved in the response.

The report findings outline the crucial role played by Aboriginal organisations in interpreting government directives for local people, but notes that the capacity of such entities at local levels was variable. The findings also highlight an inadequacy of data collected by government agencies around housing, population levels, mobility and infrastructure in Aboriginal communities across the region, which greatly hindered the agility of government responses during the first wave of COVID-19.