Mintabie Township

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:17): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement on the review of the Mintabie township.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I rise today to inform the council that the state government will review the Mintabie township lease agreement in partnership with Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara and the federal government. As part of the review, the government will consider returning ownership and management of Mintabie, which is located on the APY lands, to the traditional owners. On many recent visits to the APY lands, I have been told by residents and service providers that many of the operations at Mintabie were detrimental to the wellbeing of Anangu and that change was required.

The Federal Court found that Nobby's Mintabie General Store operator, Mr Lindsay Kobelt, engaged in credit activity that contravened the commonwealth National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 and the commonwealth Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001. The court found that Mr Kobelt withdrew almost $1 million from customers' accounts over a period of around 18 months, including $56,944 in one 24-hour period. On 13 April, Mr Kobelt was ordered to pay $167,500 in penalties.

The practices outlined in the Federal Court decision are disgraceful and cannot be tolerated. The review that we have initiated follows on from these Federal Court findings and from discussions with the APY Executive and the federal government.

Following the Federal Court's findings, the state government has also cancelled Mr Kobelt's commercial licence, meaning that his store can no longer trade. His application for a residential licence is also under consideration by the state government.

The Federal Court's findings against Mr Kobelt and the review the state government has initiated send a strong message to any operators who are engaging in unethical and predatory book-up practices that they may be prosecuted. I have also today written to other Mintabie traders advising them that the improper practices associated with book-up in Mintabie are unacceptable and that the state government will be closely monitoring the business practices of all operators.

On my travels across the APY lands, I also heard that it is important that people living in remote communities have access to fair forms of credit. That is why we have engaged MoneyMob Talkabout to provide no-interest loans as well as financial counselling. In conjunction with the review, the state government will be providing a $300,000 grant to MoneyMob Talkabout to increase their ability to provide Anangu with access to a financial counselling service and to connect those seeking credit with an accredited provider.

This funding will have flow-on benefits to Aboriginal people living on the APY lands, ensuring that families are not locked into prolonged dependence on unlicensed credit providers engaging in unconscionable business practices. MoneyMob Talkabout is an accredited provider of no-interest loans through the not-for-profit agency Good Shepherd Microfinance. The agreement with MoneyMob means that people can access fair credit options. It will also allow them to address financial issues such as paying fines or dealing with Centrelink payment issues. This funding announcement will enable MoneyMob Talkabout to deliver more extensive financial literacy education to local Aboriginal people and increase the number of no-interest loans delivered on the APY lands.

I wish to thank the APY Executive, who are nominating Anangu to be involved on the review team, and the federal government, particularly the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, for the cooperative way we have been working together on this issue. We are putting those people taking advantage of Anangu on notice: we are watching you, and your behaviour cannot continue. I will provide the chamber with further updates as the review progresses.