APY LANDS, FOOD SECURITY

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:58): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, representing the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, questions about food security on the APY lands.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: The Mai Wiru Regional Stores Group stated that between January and June of last year they reduced the cost of the standard market basket measure, which is a collection of basic essential items, in all stores by up to 19.85 per cent. My office assisted in a comparison of this basket cost between the average of stores on the lands and a supermarket here in Adelaide, in conjunction with the Hon. Tammy Franks, and the differences were plain to see. Food is still far too expensive on the lands for people who are usually living in the harshest of economic conditions.

Mai Wiru has called on the state government to assist all community-owned stores to reduce their margins in fresh fruit and vegetables by 10 per cent, in addition to an initiative of the Amata store to reduce theirs by 10 per cent. If the government agrees to this, the Amata store has agreed to reduce its margins by a further 5 per cent, a total of 25 per cent at this store. The minister gave the following answer to a question without notice on 28 February 2012:

The APY lands food security strategy will consider store pricing and food supply chain issues to investigate the most appropriate and effective mechanisms to promote a sustainable food supply for Anangu. The effect of food, freight and other subsidies will be considered.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Will the government assist Mai Wiru and the community stores to drop their margins by a further 10 per cent? If not, why not?

2. If the minister's plan considers food pricing as a part of its strategy, why has this lauded scheme not improved the situation on the APY lands?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for his most important question on food security in the APY lands. I undertake to take that question to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation in the other place and seek a response on his behalf.