INDIGENOUS OFFENDERS

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation on the topic of justice reinvestment.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Across the nation, Indigenous Australians are 14.3 times more likely to be in prison than other Australians. As of June 2011, in South Australia Aboriginal people were in fact 16.7 times more likely to be in prison than other South Australians. It is a shameful figure across the nation and the SA record is even more dismal. The ABS figures indicate that in 2011 in South Australia, Aboriginal people in fact made up less than 2 per cent of our population as a state but almost 24 per cent of all prisoners—and that number is rising.

On a more positive note, I draw the minister's attention to the landmark report released this week, 'An economic analysis for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders: prison versus residential treatment' which was launched in the federal parliament. It showed that $111,000 can be saved per year, per offender by diverting non-violent Indigenous offenders with substance use problems into treatment instead of prison.

The report, which was produced by Deloitte Access Economics, also revealed that a further $92,000 per offender in the long term would be saved due to lower mortality and better health related and other quality of life outcomes. That report simply says justice reinvestment, investment in rehabilitation residential facilities, will in fact keep people out of prison. My questions to the minister are:

1. Has the minister read the report?

2. Will he undertake to read the report if not?

3. Will he then indicate to this council whether he is committed to a strategy of justice reinvestment, specifically ensuring that we have Aboriginal rehab beds for drug and alcohol in this state? In doing so, will the minister commit to a transparency in detailing the number of Aboriginal specific, not mainstream, rehab beds that currently exist for Aboriginal people, and how that compares over previous years?

4. Will he also commit to discussions with Kalparrin community about the closure of that facility that was a proudly Aboriginal run community rehab facility?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:19): Reports like this are very important. They empower governments and communities to bring to bear their resources to address disadvantage. We have come a long way in many areas and evidence-based policy is central to us in helping to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians across a number of variables, including of course the disproportionate detention of Aboriginal people in prisons and youth justice centres.

As Aboriginal affairs minister, my role is not only to work across all levels of government to improve the delivery of services and facilitate the development of policy and programs but also to engage with Aboriginal South Australians in a way which delivers sustainable economic, environmental and social benefits to their communities and also empowers them to make decisions that impact on their own lives.

So this government is committed to reducing the levels of disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal South Australians. This is demonstrated by:

the targets in the South Australian Strategic Plan and the increased prominence given to Aboriginal people;

our commitment to the National Indigenous Reform Agreement; and

our signing of an overarching bilateral Indigenous plan with the Australian government in 2010.

Most importantly, we are tackling problems in collaboration with Aboriginal people, involving Aboriginal people in planning, design and delivery of initiatives which, in my opinion, is the only way of achieving sustainable outcomes.

I thank the honourable member for her most important question. It is true to say that we face significant challenges, but the most recent report on government services highlighted that our Aboriginal prison population, while under the national average of about 26.5 per cent, is still unacceptably high, with an average of 23.7 per cent.

I am pleased to say that there is some good news. I am very firmly of the view that education has many benefits for people throughout their lives, not just while they are in school, and education will set the groundwork for allowing people to participate more fully in our society. This is why I am pleased to note that South Australia more than doubled the retention rates of Aboriginal students from years 8 to12 from 30 per cent in 2002 to 64 per cent in 2011. The magnitude of increase was higher than that recorded in any other state or territory and that has, of course, something to do with the fact that we put every child first as part of our state's Strategic Plan, as part of the Weatherill government's commitment that we have every chance for every child and that applies equally to our Aboriginal children.

South Australia also recorded the largest increase in national retention rates for Aboriginal students from years 10 to 12 from 41 per cent in 2002 to 68 or 69 per cent in 2011. Yes, there is more work to be done and I look forward to working with the local Aboriginal communities to do that and into the future.