PORT AUGUSTA DRUG AND ALCOHOL CENTRE

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:29): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation questions about the proposed drug and alcohol centre at Port Augusta.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: In 2007 the commonwealth announced, in conjunction with the state government, that a drug and alcohol centre would open in Port Augusta. The centre was considered vital to stemming the tide of alcohol and drug abuse in our Aboriginal communities. It was anticipated that the centre would open last year. Instead, in February, it was announced that the tender process had collapsed and the project would not go ahead and the funding would be used to fund two centres, one in the North-West of the state and one in the South-East. These locations remain unspecified and the government is at risk of missing the boat on this. It can hardly be argued that the South-East is at the forefront of these issues. Port Augusta is a prime location aimed at maximising the centre's reach. My questions are:

1. Why was the proposed site for the centre moved from Port Augusta?

2. Has the minister been privy to this process?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:29): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. I understand this issue is fairly and squarely a federal one, but I happened to be in Port Augusta recently with minister Macklin opening a function there for Closing the Gap and some other health related activities. This issue was raised with us in the general discussion we had with members of the Aboriginal community and I understood minister Macklin to say that minister Plibersek had considered her position and had announced that she will be opening the centre in Port Augusta, but I am not aware of the time line.