Infrastructure is limited, with variable energy and water supply that sometimes cuts out for multiple weeks. Services such as medical care, food stores and postal services may only be accessed through expensive charter flights or long drives which rely on well-maintained private vehicles. Houses are overcrowded and living standards can be incredibly poor. Moreover, the environmental conditions in this unique part of the world are highly variable: ephemeral rivers rise up and prohibit road access for many months, the terrain is rugged and changeable, and temperatures and humidity are becoming more severe with climate change. Sealed roads are rare and dirt roads require constant maintenance to remain passable.

Empty or ‘orphaned’ Country is considered one of the biggest threats to conservation efforts and the continuation of Indigenous culture. When Country is populated and actively managed, there are far-reaching benefits for the environment, culture and people. For decades, government funding for remote infrastructure and services has been unreliable and dysfunctional, undermining the capacity for people to live and work on homelands. Existing services and support for remote communities is inadequate to meet these challenges and enable people to live on their ancestral lands year-round. KKT is informed by the knowledge that Country needs people.