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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-25 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:45): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question about roads on the APY lands.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The opposition has recently been highlighting the neglect of road maintenance under this government and the impact on road safety. My question today relates to the road safety of one of the most vulnerable communities in this state. The road accident fatality rate amongst people living in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands is three times that of other South Australians. The road network within the APY lands is around 4,000 kilometres, of which less than 20 per cent is sealed, formed or sheeted.

In June 2007, the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure took over the management of the upgrade and maintenance of roads in the APY lands. The total funding for routine and periodic maintenance, together with upgrading work for the current financial year, amounts to $639,609. The current funding represents:

a 57 per cent decrease in the funding compared to the 2005-06 financial year;

the current funding represents merely a tenth of the level of funding estimated by a 2006 consultant's report; and

merely a third of the level of funding sought from the Aboriginal unit within the Premier's department in the 2008-09 budget process.

The opposition has been advised that the condition of the roads in the APY lands has become so bad that routine patrol grading is now taking up to 13 passes on some sections of the roads compared with seven to nine passes expected on a formed and sheeted unsealed road. My questions to the minister are:

1. What is the level of road death and injury amongst Aboriginal South Australians?

2. What is the government doing to bring down this rate?

3. In particular, when will the government address the backlog in road maintenance on the APY lands?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for his question in relation to road safety. In relation to road safety on the APY lands in particular, and the issues in relation to the APY lands, I think it is very much hypocritical of those opposite even to suggest that this government has taken no action. Clearly, this government has addressed so many issues on the APY lands.

The Hon. P. Holloway interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: As my colleague the Hon. Paul Holloway said, those opposite did not even have any police officers there. Yes, clearly a body of work is to be undertaken; and this government has shown the way and undertaken that body of work. It is very easy for the honourable member to throw around statistics such as that—'cheap shots', I think is probably a good way of describing it. I am advised that in this financial—

The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: What?

The Hon. P. Holloway: He asks the question and answers it himself!

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: He answered it himself; precisely.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: The state government will spend $267.8 million this financial year alone on road maintenance, road rehabilitation, resurfacing and other road investment—nearly double, I am advised, what the Liberal government's road transport investment was in 2001-02. In relation to our Aboriginal community—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: —clearly there are some special needs in relation to licensing, in particular. It is something on which I know the Road Safety Advisory Council has been working, and—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister will resume her seat.

An honourable member interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: No. I told the minister to sit down until you came to order, and still you have not come to order.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: As I was saying, with respect to this government's commitment to road maintenance and road safety, clearly, the figures I have just put on the record speak for themselves. As I said, the hypocrisy of those opposite to suggest that this government does not care about the wellbeing of those on the APY lands really is astounding.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: When were you up there last?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: Well, I was up there, actually, about a year or so ago.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: Yes, I have. Why would I not go up there?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I place on record that I have been to the APY lands and, like everyone else, I appreciate the many challenges that face those who live on the lands. Clearly, there are different challenges facing the Aboriginal community, particularly in relation to youth in terms of licensing. The government will always work with those government officials already on the lands to ensure that those young people on the lands have just as much of an opportunity to obtain their licence as anyone else. Obviously, there are reasons for the statistics quoted by the honourable member in relation to the behaviour of some of the people who live on the lands. Again, in relation to how much we spend, I have already placed that information on the record. We will continue to work with the communities to ensure that we do see road safety improvements on the APY lands.

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