This is Australia, not here. Aboriginals, not colonials.
The health effects? In summary: Less likely to die on the roads; Less likely their lives will "spiral out of control" due to unlicensed driving penalties; And: "It definitely makes you feel a lot better. It keeps you out of depression," apparently; Er, that's it (Ed.).
So, I think what we're talking about here is "tackling social exclusion": in a society where nearly everyone drives, non-drivers are the "losers".
Pass the painkillers, the blinkered world view of this article has given me a headache!