Gabby Sutherland ‘Plastic Bottle Creek' Nauru Series. Original - Photo montage pastel drawing.

In 2013 - 2018, an estimated 35,000 - 60,000 Australian and Fijian made plastic water bottles, were imported into Nauru, each week, by the Australian Government, paid for by the Australian taxpayer. Toxic chemicals leached into the water bottles when the Fijian made bottles melted in the scorching heat. Nauru’s only water reservoir has been contaminated by mining. Consequently, Nauru has no natural potable water. People seeking asylum detained in the camp were not permitted to have water bottles. Despite having access to an abundance of rocks, security guards claimed they would use the water bottles as projectiles. Once people moved out of the mouldy camp, into the refugee compounds, they had to buy their own bottled water at exorbitant prices.