OUTBACK COMMUNITIES AUTHORITY

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:47): I seek leave to ask the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question regarding the Outback Communities Authority (OCA).

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Nominations for the Outback Communities Authority closed on 17 May 2013 and board membership is now confirmed. Can the minister advise us of the membership of the OCA?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:47): The OCA is comprised of seven members, four of whom have a direct interest or come from outback communities. The current members were appointed for three years on 1 July 2010 and their term expires on 30 June 2013. For that reason I have previously announced the opening of nominations and these nominations closed on 17 May. I was pleased with the number of applicants we received, and the calibre of the applicants who put themselves forward for consideration was very impressive.

It is no secret that residents of the outback and people who have a strong link with the outback are often resolute advocates for their communities, and this was certainly highlighted in the nominations that we received. Following consideration of the nominations, I am very pleased today to inform the chamber of the successful nominations to OCA. Appointments for membership have been made on an 18-month term for three members and a three-year term for four members. This differs slightly from the previous year when they were all established for three years, and this is to try to assist with greater continuity of corporate knowledge and skills and expertise.

The members of OCA who were reappointed for a further term are Mrs Frances Frahn and Mrs Margaret Heylen. They have been appointed for an 18-month term. Mrs Frahn from Holowiliena Station near Carrieton runs a family pastoral property in the Flinders Ranges with her husband and her parents. Her experience of living and working in the region provides her with valuable firsthand experience of the demands and challenges associated with living in an isolated community.

Mrs Heylen of Aldgate owns and operates a private consultancy in Adelaide, which has a focus on strategic and social planning, social research and policy development. Her extensive experience in community engagement has proved invaluable to the authority in developing and implementing its community engagement policies.

Mr George Beltchev will be reappointed for a three-year term. You might remember him from Country Health SA. He is a very wise and highly regarded man with quite an outstanding record and reputation. He is currently a part-time internal consultant with SA Health, working on matters of strategic significance to that organisation, and he is obviously aware of the issues facing remote communities, particularly from a health perspective.

OCA will have four new members. Mr Peter Allen from Andamooka has been a member of the Andamooka Progress and Opal Miners Association (APOMA) since 2007 and was the chair until 2012. Through his position as chair of APOMA he has helped to successfully facilitate many recent changes in Andamooka. He has been appointed for an 18-month term.

Ms Marilyn Turner, Ms Joyleen Booth and Ms Cecilia Woolford have all been appointed for three-year terms. Ms Turner of Maree has been co-lessee of the Maree pub since 2011. Prior to moving to Maree, she held a number of senior positions in federal government agencies in Canberra. Ms Turner is an active supporter of community projects and events, such as the Maree Races and the Camel Cup.

Ms Booth has comanaged a pastoral property located on the Strzelecki Track east of Lyndhurst since 2005 with her husband. A descendent of the Wangkangurru people, in 1994 Ms Booth was elected as a councillor on the Diamantina Shire Council in Queensland, a position she held until moving to South Australia in 2005. She was the council's first and longest serving Aboriginal woman.

Ms Cecilia Woolford has been appointed as the presiding member for her term. Since 2012, she has chaired the newly created Andamooka Town Management Committee, a committee established by the authority in response to the overwhelming pressure that was being placed on volunteers within the Andamooka community. Ms Woolford understands the strategic and operational needs of outback communities and possesses the skills necessary to provide leadership and sound direction for the authority. She has done an amazing job there and is held in very high regard by that community and key stakeholders she has had to work with, particularly in the areas of governance, managing diverse opinions, engaging with people, communications and delivering on planned outcomes. I congratulate Ms Woolford on her appointment and look forward to working with her in the future.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the board whose terms will expire on 30 June: Ms Jennifer Cleary, Ms Patricia Katnich and Ms Toni Bauer. I would particularly like to thank the outgoing chair, Mr Bill McIntosh AM. I was delighted to be able to attend the last meeting of the current board at Port Augusta just this month. Whilst there, I spoke to the OCA members and staff about the enormous contribution that Bill has made, not just with OCA but also during his time with the former Outback Areas Community Development Trust. He has been working, in one way or another, for that community trust for 25 years, and I think 17 of those years were as chair. It is an outstanding commitment, with an enormous amount of hard work and he has achieved a great deal for outback communities.

His hard work, his resilience, his unwavering purpose to do what is best for the community; his contribution has been invaluable and Bill has left OCA with a legacy of strong and determined leadership, which I know will leave the authority in good stead. On behalf of the government of South Australia, I want to thank Bill sincerely for what he has given to the outback and to the people who live and work in the outback who OCA represents.