APY LANDS, FOOD SECURITY

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:40): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Can the minister update the house on how the government is addressing food security issues in the APY lands?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers, Minister Assisting the Premier in Social Inclusion) (14:40): I would like to thank the member for Reynell, and I acknowledge all her important—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —work that she does in advancing the cause of reconciliation. Shortly after I became the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, I visited the APY lands for the first time and heard directly from communities about concerns they had in relation to food generally.

I was similarly concerned, and I instructed my department to get to work with communities on a policy framework and a way forward that would address these issues—issues like the cost of food, the access to food and the supply of food. We did that, and we released in December of last year the APY Lands Food Security Strategic Plan.

The plan committed over $800,000 of new money and has a number of elements: it encourages local fresh food production; it has a focus on educating and improving community awareness in relation to diet and nutrition; and, finally, it seeks to bring together all levels of bureaucracy on the lands that are currently—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Madam Speaker?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Madam Speaker?

The SPEAKER: Sorry.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I could not hear myself, I'm sorry. Since I—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: When you're ready. You ready?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Since I launched the plan, I am pleased to report that there have been a number of significant achievements. The Arid Lands Garden/Horticulture Project is well underway at Watarru, and further beds have been approved at Sandy Bore and Kalka. The work on this project has been done by locals, and Aboriginal contractors have been employed, which, obviously, is contributing to local employment and skill development in the community.

Secondly, the Red Cross will shortly commence a new school holiday cooking and nutrition program, and the community development officer will also be working on the lands as part of that program. At a strategic policy level, I have established a cross-government action team, appropriately named APY-EAT, which is responsible and accountable for implementation of the plan, the pursuit of new initiatives, and the evaluation of results. That group has met three times—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: I've got all day.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will get back to the question.

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: The group looks at money management issues, consumer protection, healthy food and nutrition for vulnerable children, community store management and freight issues.

We know that service delivery in remote communities is always going to be incredibly difficult, and we must be flexible with our response to all issues—but, in particular, food security issues—as situations change. For instance, at the time that the food strategy was prepared, the Mai Wiru Regional Stores Council was deliberately included as a critical element in that plan.

We now know that it is negotiating with the federal government as to its future, and that will cause us to revisit the plan, but it has been proposed by some, including Mai Wiru, that the answer to the issue of food on the lands is for the government to provide a subsidy. That is not my view, that is not this government's view, because we need to find a solution that is sustainable, which is why we are taking a community development approach to this issue. We do not want to perpetuate a—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Norwood!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —welfare mentality.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Madam Speaker, while there is much work to be done on the lands in relation to a number of issues, I am very confident about the future.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop, you are warned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: You are shouting it. Members must understand that a lot of the comments that are made are picked up by the microphones, and one day the media are going to pick up some of the things that are said, if you are not very careful.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Morphett.