As the article acknowledges, the average aboriginal life span is the longest it has ever been. However, the gap between them and the rest of Australia's population is growing.

Having spent several years living in the country, I am all too familiar with the huge difference in access to health care now I have moved to the city.

On of the other articles posted today talks about the extention to life span afforded by new medical technology. This is not nearly as accessible to the country side close to Sydney, and in remote communities, I would imagine, not at all.

The smaller towns in NSW sometimes cannot even attract a single doctor even in spite of the relative premium paid. If this is the case for some of the pretty little towns close to Sydney, the chances of getting a doctor to relocate to the remote aborginal towns must be very difficult. Even if the doctors were willing to relocate, the spread of people in the country means that to get even the most basic services to a handful of people is extremely expensive.

The comparison between the life expectancy of aboringinal people and the rest of Australia probably has more to do with geography than racism.