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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-12-02 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER (15:47): As most people know, I have for a long time taken an interest in Aboriginal affairs, and particularly the welfare of the people on the Pitjantjatjara lands. Many would know also that I have a habit of listening to regional radio. This morning, Mr Jonathan Nicholls, of UnitingCare Wesley, was interviewed by Kieran Weir on 639, beginning with an interview on the recalcitrance of various state governments in providing renal dialysis at a convenient location for Aborigines; and moving on to the shocking state of roads, which makes it more difficult still for these people to access medical care.

They covered a number of issues and, in particular, a newsletter called Paper Tracker, which is put out by UnitingCare Wesley, and I quote from some of the interview, as follows:

[Weir] Wesley UnitingCare also looks at other, a range of government promises where some of the statements don't match the reality, and you're highlighting that since 2004 the state government's repeatedly stated that SA Police regularly hold blue light discos in the majority of Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara communities, but you say this simply doesn't match up with what's really happening on the ground.

[Nicholls] That's right. There certainly are some discos happening, but there have been long periods of time in the last couple of years when none were happening...what was our frustration was that during that period the South Australian government is still making submissions to parliamentary inquiries saying we regularly hold discos in all of the main communities on the lands and that simply wasn't the case...of eight planned about one in three had been cancelled.

There is this further quote:

...the problem is governments do something once or twice and then keep telling the story as if it's happening again and again and they're maintaining this momentum, and our frustration is, or our concern is, that we need to put pressure on governments on all sorts of issues, not just Aboriginal issues, so that they keep doing the good things...again and again, rather than one off and they just tell the story as if things are ongoing when they're not.

So, I got the Paper Tracker, and I will outline some of the issues this government has spun and not performed on—and I will read as many as I can in the time I have available. The Paper Tracker states:

TKP [Tjungungku Kuranyukutu Palyantjaku] was established in 2005 and initially kept Anangu informed on its work through a well-planned communication strategy. For more than two years, however, no new information on its workings has been publicly released. In mid 2006, the TKP developed a draft 'Action Plan'. More than three years later, this document has still not been finalised or publicly released.

The Paper Tracker goes on to indicate that, of 14 Anangu students enrolled in year 12, four are expected to complete their SACE certificate. The Paper Tracker goes on to state:

The substance misuse facility in Amata has rarely been used for its intended purpose, with only seven residential clients accommodated at the facility since it opened for business over 16 months ago. The facility has, instead, been used to provide temporary accommodation to a large number of visitors to the area including building contractors, journalists, Centrelink staff and visitors from the Northern Territory...

The PY Ku Network was supposed to make it easier for Anangu to access [broadband]...Two months ago, the State Government reported that the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure would spend $265,000...in 2009/10. Last week, however, this Department advised the Paper Tracker that it had not allocated any funding for this purpose in 2009/10 (nor had it spent any funding...in 2008/2009)...the State Minister for Mineral Resources Development...highlighted substantial growth in mining exploration...In contrast, the Minister's department recently advised...that funding 'to deliver ongoing training and development' to Anangu had 'decreased since 2007'. The Paper Tracker is concerned that the state government may not be matching its efforts to encourage mining exploration on the...land with a comparable push to make sure Anangu are 'job ready' if and when a major mining project is established.

There are a number of others, but my final statement is: spin, more spin and no action.

Time expired.

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