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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-26 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON (15:44): I wish to speak in relation to misgivings I have about developments on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands. Before doing so, I associate myself with comments the Hon. John Gazzola made in his contribution today about Neil Sasche and his foundation and join with the honourable member in commending Neil for his exceptional efforts in support of research into spinal injury. He is an inspirational figure and all South Australians, and indeed all Australians, should be proud of his work and seek to support it.

The misgivings I have about developments on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands arise from two separate but related circumstances. First, on the lands there appears to be a contest involving the duly elected Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Executive Board. It is a board which has operated in difficult circumstances and which faces considerable challenges and requires support, but it is the board elected by the people on the lands. It is the board which, under the historic Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act enacted by the Tonkin Liberal government in 1981, is charged with certain responsibilities in relation to the lands. It is an important board.

There is another Aboriginal organisation, somewhat confusingly called AP Services, which operates out of Alice Springs and is closely associated with Mr Gary Lewis, and it has been using the funds that it derives from the lands in a way that seeks to advance its prospects. The fact is that AP Services does have a contractual obligation to supply certain services on the lands. For example, it has to undertake housing repairs and maintenance and other important functions. It is not providing those. It has, in my view, lost its way under its current management. It has paid almost $1 million to non-Anangu consultants, and has really achieved very little. However, this organisation seems to be favoured by the government.

The government commissioned, as it was required to do, a review into the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act and, in particular, the amendments which we passed in 2005. Those amendments made a number of changes. They were hotly opposed by a number of people but the government finally passed them with opposition support.

What has happened is that a review has been commissioned and the review appears to have gone outside the terms of its reference. As I read it and its recommendations, as tabled here on 30 October, it seems to be suggesting that the important statutory role of the APY executive board will be undermined and the responsibilities, powers and funds will be handed over to AP Services.

It is interesting to note that Mr Gary Lewis was a member of the review panel. Mr Lewis was also largely the cause of the 1985 amendments, because he had been elected as a member of the APY executive at an earlier time and refused to stand down, and as a result of that the government had to take decisive action and introduce legislation.

Now it appears that APY, the executive, is to be undermined by the government and the activities of AP Services are to be preferred. It is a most disturbing development and one that I hope my party will resist when we reach a position on it.

Time expired.

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