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non-remote areas were twice as likely as those in remote areas to report ‘cost’ as areason for not seeking dental treatment (33.7 per cent compared with 16.2 per cent).Data on reasons for not going to ‘other health professionals’ and to hospital byremoteness are reported in tables 9A.3.13 and 9A.7.1 (see section 9.7 for the latter).Survey data from the ABS 2006 CHINSThe ABS 2006 CHINS collected information on the number of Aboriginal primaryhealth care centres and state-funded community health centres located in discreteIndigenous communities 1 . Information was also collected on access to medicalprofessionals and whether any Indigenous health workers visited or worked withinthese communities (ABS 2007). Data were collected from a total of 1187 discreteIndigenous communities with a combined population of approximately 92 960people.Number of health care centres for discrete Indigenous communitiesAboriginal primary health care centres are community-controlled health facilitiesthat provide health care services and support to Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander people. In 2006, 107 communities (41 450 people) reported that anAboriginal primary health care centre was located in their community (45 per centof the total population participating in the 2006 CHINS). Seventy-one per cent ofAboriginal primary health care centres were located in very remote communities,9 per cent in remote communities and 20 per cent in non-remote communities.Distance to health care centres for discrete Indigenous communitiesOne-hundred and four discrete Indigenous communities (7743 people) had anAboriginal primary health care centre located within 10 kilometres of theircommunity (8 per cent of the total population participating in the 2006 CHINS).However, a larger number of Indigenous communities (417), with an aggregatepopulation of 25 486, reported being 100 kilometres or more from the nearestAboriginal primary health care centre (27 per cent of the total CHINS population).The NT accounted for almost half the communities located 100 kilometres or morefrom the nearest Aboriginal primary health care centre, followed by WA, with35 per cent of the communities.1 Discrete Indigenous communities are defined by the ABS as geographic locations inhabited by orintended to be inhabited predominantly (greater than 50 per cent of usual residents) by Aboriginalor Torres Strait Islander peoples, with housing or infrastructure that is managed on a communitybasis.OVERCOMINGINDIGENOUSDISADVANTAGE 2007