This research project will explore how Aboriginal Investment Gorup's (AIG) community-operated laundries in remote Indigenous communities support better health and wellbeing. Remote Indigenous communities face higher rates of infections compared to metropolitan areas of Australia, and can lead to life-long illnesses such as Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). These infections are linked to overcrowding and limited access to clean clothes and bedding. By providing accessible washing facilities, these laundries may help reduce disease rates and improve overall community health. Our approach is community-led, working directly with local communities to understand their needs, define success measures, and ensure the research reflects their lived experiences. Instead of imposing external metrics, the research is co-designed so that communities can identify what outcomes matter most to them.
The study follows a three-phase evaluation plan: 1. Understanding operations – Examining how laundries function in different communities and identifying opportunities to improve them. 2. Measuring impact – Gathering health, social, cultural and economic data to assess how laundries contribute to reducing infections and improving health and wellbeing. 3. Community perspectives – Listening to community members about their experiences and ensuring their feedback shapes future Laundry iterations.
Alongside evaluating health and social outcomes, this project will develop a health economic model to assess the cost-benefit of the Remote Laundries project. We will conduct a cost-benefit analysis, comparing the costs of building, running, and maintaining the laundries with the economic benefits of reducing disease rates and associated healthcare costs. This model will help determine whether the laundries are a cost-effective public health intervention, supporting decision-making for future funding, scalability, and sustainability. By integrating community-specific economic indicators, we ensure that findings are locally relevant and useful for policymakers, service providers, and Indigenous organisations.
By working with Indigenous communities and organisations, the research ensures findings are culturally relevant and practically useful. Working directly with AIG throughout the co-design and co-implementation of this research will ensure direct translation of evidence into practice. The project’s insights will help guide future Laundry enhancements, inform policymakers, and support sustainable expansion of laundries to other communities in need.
Last updated01 July 2026