Maralinga Tjarutja Lands

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:37): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation in relation to Maralinga Tjarutja.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Each year, the government provides funding to the Aboriginal Lands Trust, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara and Maralinga Tjarutja. This funding is provided to enable these statutory bodies to properly administer the lands they hold under their respective enabling legislation. Both the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act and the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 2013 include reporting provisions that provide the government with an opportunity to examine how the funding it provides is being spent and acquitted. For example, section 13A of the APY Act states:

The Executive Board must, no later than 31 December in each year, prepare and submit to the Minister an annual report on the operations of the Executive Board during the financial year ending on the preceding 30 June (and must provide a copy of the audited accounts for that financial year with the annual report).

The Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act 1984 does not contain a similar provision. My questions for the minister are:

1. What steps does the government take to ensure that any funding it provides to the Maralinga Tjarutja to administer its act is properly spent and acquitted?

2. Does the minister consider that the accountability of Maralinga Tjarutja could be strengthened, in a similar way to the arrangements with the APY Executive Board and Aboriginal Lands Trust, if it was to be subject to a statutory requirement that it provide the minister with an annual report and a copy of its audited statements?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:39): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in Aboriginal Affairs and in this area in general. The Maralinga Tjarutja lands are located in the far western region of South Australia, as the honourable member is aware. There are two bodies on the MT lands that are responsible for providing and administering services and money. There is the Maralinga Tjarutja Council that administers the lands vested in Maralinga Tjarutja and there is the Oak Valley Council, which is the major community on the Maralinga Tjarutja lands.

About six weeks ago, I spent some time in Oak Valley and was pleased with what I saw in terms of the functioning community, particularly the health services, the aged-care service and the newly restarted arts centre. I was pleased to be told by the community that some of the commonwealth funding for the new work-for-the-dole type provisions are being used by artists to work in the arts centre, producing some very high quality art and providing an income stream for the community.

In terms of governance arrangements, I am always open to any ideas that will improve governance arrangements in our Aboriginal communities. Certainly we have seen some large steps being taken forward for APY over the course of this year in terms of governance arrangements, and I am happy to look at the arrangements with MT and any improvements that can be made. I thank the honourable member for his questions and I certainly will take them into account and discuss them with my department.