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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-11-18 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS, HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT

Ms BREUER (Giles) (15:02): Will the Minister for Housing update the house on developments regarding the provision of housing and employment for people in the APY lands?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Northern Suburbs, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability) (15:02): I thank the member for Giles for her question and thank her for her passion and strong advocacy for the people on the APY lands. As members will recall, I signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the APY Executive at the end of August which both committed and allowed the government to improve housing and employment opportunities on the APY lands.

The MOU is an important step that allows coordination with the APY so that we can implement the Remote Indigenous Housing National Partnership, which provides South Australia with more than $291 million over 10 years. The focus of the MOU and the national partnership is on increasing the supply of sustainable and suitable housing, reducing overcrowding and improving the condition of housing, developing responsible housing management services and creating meaningful employment and training opportunities for Anangu and the construction, maintenance and administration of the new housing.

The communities of Amata and Mimili were identified as priorities, and in this financial year 19 houses will be constructed in Amata and 18 in Mimili. I am pleased to provide the house with an update on the progress in these and other communities on the lands. In Mimili, six four-bedroom and four three-bedroom houses will be provided. Five floor slabs have already been poured and another five are being prepared, and wall and roofing framing is complete on two of these homes.

Some off-site construction for two one-bedroom and four two-bedroom houses is underway, and two transportable houses are on site and are at lockup stage. They are due for completion at the end of this month. These transportable houses will be used to accommodate families whose homes are undergoing refurbishment.

In Amata, site preparation, septic tank and service installation is underway on the six one-bedroom and five two-bedroom homes being constructed. Construction of another five three-bedroom and one four-bedroom houses has commenced off site. Like Mimili, two transportable houses are on site and lockup is due for completion by the end of this month. Again, they will be used to accommodate families whose homes are undergoing refurbishment.

Ms Chapman: There are four transportables.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: No, they are not all transportables.

Ms Chapman: No, four will be finished by the end of the month.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Four will be finished by the end of the month, yes. I am also pleased to inform the house that, in Fregon, two floor slabs have been poured and five others are about to be poured, for the seven three-bedroom houses being constructed on site. All these homes are scheduled for completion by 30 June next year and, by the end of June 2012, 28 new homes will have been provided in Mimili, 22 in Fregon and 30 in Amata.

This is all great news. As we know, safe, quality housing for Aboriginal people is fundamental to building sustainable, healthy and productive communities, but it is also important to provide the necessary assistance and social benefits around the houses. That is why we have included the 20 per cent employment target for Anangu in the construction and, importantly, in the maintenance and administration of these houses, and also why participation in the Homemaker service is a condition of tenancy. Further, a Housing SA regional manager has now been appointed to the lands to help communities move towards a public housing standard of management.

This government wants positive changes for the people of the APY lands. Real change is making a real and enduring difference to Anangu communities, and those changes are now underway.

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