APY Art Centre Collective

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:00): My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Arts on the APY Art Centre Collective. On what occasions has the Minister for Arts visited the premises, the galleries or the studios of the APY Art Centre Collective, and what is her understanding of their work?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for her question. Obviously, I will refer those questions to the Minister for Arts in another place and bring back a reply. From my point of view, I have certainly visited regularly not just the APY Art Collective in its former home on Light Square but also at its current home in Thebarton.

I also have visited and continue to visit on many occasions some of the constituent art centres that make up the collective, from Iwantja Arts at Indulkana on the APY lands, Ernabella Arts at Pukatja, Kaltjiti Arts at Fregon—Ernabella Arts not being a member of the collective, but I regularly visit it as well—Lil Ninuku Arts at Kalca near Pipalyatjara and Maruku Arts at Mutitjulu, which is a member of the collective.

Certainly, as I regularly visit arts centres, they are often one of the hubs of Aboriginal communities, and I know that particularly during COVID they provided distribution centres for all sorts of things, including food, health needs, safety and protecting the community. In terms of the Minister for Arts, I will be happy to pass on that question and bring back a reply.