Darwin is a city in the Northern Territory of Australia expecting a 'boomtown' scenario due to significant natural resource developments in the Greater Darwin area. The experience of 'booming' has a range of impacts upon communities. Housing is a key area of impact, particularly for the most vulnerable members of a population, who may not reap the benefits of the 'boom'. In Darwin, new resource developments will begin in the context of record high house prices, high rents and high homelessness rates. This literature review explores what is known about the housing-related impacts of boomtowns and considers the likely housing-related impacts of a boomtown scenario in Darwin. While the city's diverse economy and population size may provide some insulation from severe boomtown impacts, housing availability and affordability is likely to be negatively impacted. The implications of this for the most vulnerable members of the greater Darwin population require careful consideration.

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Three case studies are presented here to demonstrate some effective professional learning approaches set in remote contexts. Through the use of case studies, this chapter illustrates and discusses how remote workforce training is conducted in the school education sector in remote northern Australia. Workforce training in this chapter is geared towards professional learning required to build the capacity of school leaders located a long way from urban and city locations. Each case study focuses upon the interplay between the quality of professional learning opportunities available to remotely located participants and the use of technologies to support learning in remote locations. Issues emerging from the case studies are discussed, with particular attention paid to the enabling nature of the selected technologies. The chapter concludes by proposing some future directions and potential research activities.