Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time APY Lands, Food Security APY Lands, Food Security The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA Legislative Council APY Lands, Food Security The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:08): I would like to ask a question of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Will the minister inform the chamber about how food is being delivered to the APY Lands with increased quality and at a lower price? The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation APY Lands, Food Security The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:09): I thank the member for his question and his ongoing interest in the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people, particularly those living in the APY lands. Again, the provision of healthy, reasonably costed food is an issue that has been raised by a number of people in this chamber in the past. There have been a great many attempts to bring about better solutions to this problem. Some have gone well; some haven't gone as well. One program seems to be making very good progress. It goes without saying that fresh, wholesome food is absolutely necessary to the health and wellbeing of all South Australians. The majority of the foods essential to a well balanced and healthy diet are perishable—fruit, vegetables, dairy products, meat and fish. For most people living in very remote communities the prime source of food is the local store. The nearest major store to the APY lands is Alice Springs, more than 400 kilometres away from most communities, which is where, until recently, all the goods in the community stores were being transported from. Alice Springs, in the very centre of Australia, grows little of its own produce, so the fruit and vegetables going to the APY lands were sourced from all over Australia. This long supply chain, in excess of 2,000 kilometres, caused significant degradation in food quality and high prices for consumers. Mai Wiru is an Anangu-owned and controlled organisation, and is providing reliable food distribution services, with a high quality food standard. I was able to see for myself some of the fresh produce at Fregon and Amata stores during my recent visits to the APY lands. The delivery truck was just leaving Fregon as I arrived, and I could see for myself the shelves being stocked by staff, showing not only the fresh produce but also some of the local employment opportunities it is creating. In 2012 Mai Wiru came together with Foodbank SA to create a new plan focused on the logistics chain of how food reaches the APY lands. By focusing on much better coordination of purchasing and transport logistics, it has allowed Mai Wiru to keep costs down and improve significantly the quality of food delivered to the APY lands. Instead of a fragmented approach, where stalls had individual arrangements to source food, Mai Wiru now services community stores on the lands in a coordinated approach. Both the state and federal governments have supported Mai Wiru to set up this enterprise. However, Mai Wiru is now fully self-funded. Since September, fresh food and vegetables are being collected at the Pooraka markets every Tuesday and being freighted to the APY lands on Wednesday in a B-triple road train, with the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables and some meat products falling by as much as 25 per cent. The Mai Wiru freight service is also benefiting school breakfast programs and the cost of other items, including bulky items such as furniture and white goods, that are available for cheaper prices at the Pukatja store. This service is delivering positive outcomes across the APY community. The result has been fresher food delivered to community stores, lower prices for many healthy foods, a secure and sustainable transport service to major APY communities, and job and training opportunities for Anangu. However, it is not only the freight service being used to make fresh produce available at a level of quality that residents are happy with but it is also being used to bring back materials from the APY lands. Medical waste from APY health clinics is being safely returned to Adelaide rather than being disposed of on the lands, and the freight service has allowed cardboard and other recyclable items to be brought back to Adelaide for recycling. This Mai Wiru initiative is a great example of a successful Aboriginal enterprise that is providing a great service to its communities and, importantly, employing local Anangu and providing a source of income and training. The recent launch was a great event, and I would like to thank all those involved with this event. Some special mentions to Robert Stevens, Mai Wiru senior executive officer, David Schomburgk, general manager, Mai Wiru Regional Stores Council, Richard Pagliaro, chairman of Together SA, and those from Toll Holdings and Foodbank SA, who have provided a lot of help and support.