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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-23 Daily Xml
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COPPER HILLS STATION

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:12): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question about Copper Hills in the state's north west.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Presently, indigenous residents of the state's north west who are imprisoned for even minor criminal offences are, at best, sent to Port Augusta or otherwise into correctional facilities in the metropolitan area or other rural areas. A great number of these individuals have had little exposure to mainstream culture, and even Port Augusta is located at least 800 kilometres from their homelands. Port Augusta prison is known to have a significant indigenous population, having a capacity of 299 high, medium and low security prisoners. There were 226 prisoners in custody at 30 June 2006 and we have, since then, seen a steep rise to 288 in June 2007.

Documents that I have obtained by a freedom of information request reveal that the department was investigating acquiring the leasehold of a property known as Copper Hills prior to the 2002 state election. My understanding—as the minister when that feasibility study was under way—was that the department was interested in establishing a correctional facility on property immediately outside the APY Lands, property that would be acquired by the state government. At that time, the FOI records show that the department made several visits to Copper Hills preparing to establish this facility, which would be developed for low-key prisoners based on the existing buildings and facilities.

By letter dated 9 May (that is, after the election), the director of community corrections wrote to Elders (the real estate agents) declining interest in Copper Hills, stating that 'after careful consideration of the department's requirements and priorities' they were no longer interested. Therefore, my questions are:

1. Was the minister aware of, or has the minister been briefed on, the Copper Hills proposal?

2. How many indigenous and non-indigenous prisoners are imprisoned at Port Augusta now?

3. Given the importance of preventing Aborigines being sent to mainstream prison for relatively minor criminal offences in the Pitjantjatjara lands, will the minister agree to reconsider and investigate the feasibility of a correctional facility close to the lands similar to that proposal for Copper Hills back in 2002?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:15): If my memory serves me correctly, the honourable member has either written to me or perhaps there was an FOI request in relation to the Copper Hills Station. I can advise that the Department for Correctional Services does not have an interest in that station, nor has it ever owned property in that area. Clearly, it was an issue that the honourable member (who was then minister for correctional services) was investigating at the time, but it was not an option taken up by the Rann Labor government.

I have previously advised the chamber that the Department for Correctional Services completed a feasibility study, several years ago now, for low security correctional facilities to be based in the APY lands. When I became minister, I provided the APY lands executive with a copy of that study.

The then cabinet social development subcommittee agreed that an explorative business case could be undertaken. That business case was noted by cabinet, but it was referred at that time to the minister for Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation for consideration in the context of broader government initiatives on the APY lands.

Clearly, this government has an excellent record of important initiatives and improvements on the APY lands. The honourable member may not be aware that the government has elected to provide 12 beds for traditional Aboriginal men at Port Augusta, and I understand that these will come online before the end of this year. We believe that these beds will better enable authorities to remove prisoners on remand from the lands to Port Augusta. The department believes that this is the best way to handle those prisoners.

There was also some suggestion of air travel in relation to the removal of prisoners from the APY lands, and that is something about which the department will use its discretion and judge on a case-by-case basis.

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