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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-07-24 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON (15:17): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question on the subject of correctional facilities on the APY lands.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON: The government has this day admitted that it has rejected the recommendations of the Mullighan commission in relation to the establishment of a remand facility on the APY lands. This is a deeply disappointing rejection by the government of its obligations to the people on the Pit Lands. This matter has a long history. Members will recall that, in September 2002, the South Australian coroner published extensive reasons in relation to an inquest into the death of some young Aboriginal men as a result of petrol sniffing, and the coroner on that occasion laid out a blueprint for developing facilities to avoid a recurrence of those events. That was in September 2002. Notwithstanding the appointment of Bob Collins, Lowitja O'Donoghue and Tim Costello and sundry other committees, this government has been paying lip service to—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Celebrity advisers!

The Hon. P. Holloway: We're still waiting for your apology.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON: Since September 2002, during the entire term of this government, no action has been taken about those recommendations in relation to correctional facilities. It is worth quoting what the Mullighan report says about correctional facilities on the lands, as follows:

The report of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in November 2007 states that a feasibility study has been undertaken into the development of a low-level security correctional facility on the lands.

Then Mullighan goes on, and I ask members to take particular notice of this:

Investigation by [Mullighan] established that the feasibility study...was completed in September 2005—

two years before. The Premier's department said it was undertaking a feasibility study; it had in fact been completed, but there had been no government decision in relation to it. The Mullighan report continues:

...there is a need to establish a short-term facility for holding prisoners on the lands once the new police stations are established...Once prisoners are received in cells at a police station, there must be close supervision of them at all times to ensure their safety, which will require the attention of resident police officers. If the prisoner is to be kept in custody, usually on remand, it is an onerous burden on the police to maintain the required degree of supervision...

Mullighan continues:

The care of prisoners for longer than a brief period, such as overnight or during a day, requires the expertise of the Department of Corrections. A facility should be established on the lands adjacent to an all-weather airfield to which prisoners can be delivered by police and at which they can be adequately cared for by corrections officers...

So, as I have said, it is deeply disappointing that the government has chosen to reject those recommendations and to make the specious comment that the funds so saved will be used for child protection. My questions are:

1. What was the recommendation of the feasibility study delivered to the government in September 2005 and referred to in the report of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in 2007?

2. What was the cost of a correctional facility of the kind recommended by Mullighan?

3. What are the reasons for not implementing those recommendations?

4. Does the minister agree that it is more appropriate to send remand prisoners from the lands more than 600 kilometres south to Port Augusta than to have, as has been recommended time and again, a facility on the lands?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:23): I place on the record in this chamber that this government, more than any other government, has been committed—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: —and demonstrated its commitment—which is more than you did—to the APY lands. The honourable member has asked this question before in relation to a low-level security facility on the lands, and I have responded. Clearly, commissioner Mullighan was referring to a remand centre, and the government has decided, given the other priorities, that we will not be accepting that recommendation. I have also placed on the record of this chamber that the Department for Correctional Services will be constructing in the next few months prisoner beds for Aboriginal prisoners at Port Augusta, and we believe that this is a smarter way of dealing with the priorities. Also, in relation to the removal of prisoners from the lands and their return for court appearances, in a discussion I have had with the Chief Executive of Corrections, he said he believes that should be addressed on a case-by-case basis. As I have said, I have previously responded to this question, and today the government has formally responded to the recommendation.

The PRESIDENT: The time has expired for question time. However, before we go on, I remind members that there have been only 10 questions because of long-winded explanations and the number of supplementary questions asked by the opposition.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The President has a right, and interjections are wrong.

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