APY Lands, Country Cabinet

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (15:34): I rise today to talk about the recent country cabinet visit to the APY lands. Before the cabinet arrived in the APY lands, I went with the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Kyam Maher, to Uluru so that we could take the back road to the far western communities, to Pipalyatjara and a number of the smaller communities around Pipalyatjara. We did that because they otherwise might well have missed out on the country cabinet visit, which is concentrated on some of the more eastern communities.

It was worthwhile taking the back road to Pipalyatjara, and I say that because a number of people had spoken to me about that particular road. The far western communities, probably the most remote communities in our state, are up there by the Western Australia-Northern Territory border. That back road to Uluru is the most direct way to a centre with a bit of economic activity. At some stage, I was asked to travel that not widely travelled road to get a feel for what it is like. You could tell that at times it would be a serious four-wheel drive track.

On the day we took the road, it was not too bad. There was still some water on the Northern Territory side, and we were greatly surprised, when we hit the Northern Territory border to come into South Australia, that the road had been graded. I said to the minister, 'I hope this road has not been graded because they got a sniff of the fact that a minister would be travelling along it.' I was given assurances by the road crews I bumped into over the cabinet visit that that was not the case. They had some equipment in the far west, and they went ahead and did that road. I hope that is the truth of the matter.

The hospitality extended to us in Pipalyatjara was, as always, really good. Getting down to the actual cabinet visit itself, there were some indelible memories. I am sure the country cabinet will go away with memories of a cabinet forum like no other they have had in this state. To be out there in the open air, with a big crowd of people turning up and camp fires going all over the place, was a pretty special setting. One of the interesting things about the forum was that not many questions were asked. It was an opportunity for people to get up and make a number of speeches.

Once again, the message that was driven home was the incredible importance of country, culture and community. As a local member, you often measure things in terms of not just the relationships but also the tangibles that are delivered. The roads in the APY lands are incredibly difficult at times, and the ambulance fleet that services those remote communities takes a hammering. We were able to announce the delivery of seven brand-new customised ambulances for the APY lands.

While mentioning the ambulances, I would just like to offer my heartfelt condolences to the family of Gayle Woodford, who have recently been witnesses to the court case. I cannot imagine what they have been going through, and I hope the sentence that is handed down fits the incredibly horrendous nature of the crime that was committed. As I said, my heart goes out to the family. In a very small way, I hope that now, when nurses go out in the new ambulances, they will always be accompanied. That is some incredibly small recompense for the enormous damage that has been done. What has happened should not reflect upon the people in the APY lands, incredibly friendly and hospitable people who put out the welcome mat—such good people. In addition to the ambulances, one of the other good things is the eventual delivery of the permanent dialysis service.

Time expired.