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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-05-19 Daily Xml
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SERVICE SA

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:51): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Government Enterprises a question about Service SA and the APY lands.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Service SA provides the South Australian community with a range of convenient access options for obtaining a wide range of government services. It delivers quality and responsive customer service face-to-face and through a call centre and online network. Service SA is recognised both domestically and overseas as a leader in service delivery. My question is: will the minister advise the chamber about recent initiatives to promote Service SA in the APY lands?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (14:52): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his ongoing interest in these important policy areas. As members are aware, the Rann Labor government is committed to Closing the Gap and addressing Indigenous disadvantage across urban, rural and remote areas throughout South Australia.

As a result of this commitment, last year Service SA commenced service delivery through the PY Ku rural transaction centres in the Mimili and Amata communities on the APY lands. This was an attempt to raise the standard and range of services delivered to families to be broadly consistent with those provided to other South Australians in communities of similar size, location and need.

Service SA also assisted the APY communities by installing telephones, EFTPOS machines and signage to enable delivery of services; a free call service, which includes a 1800 number; and free access to phones. A Service SA centre has also been established which enables Anangu to receive advice on state government services. Both locations are supported by the Port Augusta Customer Service Centre, and I am very pleased to advise that news regarding the service delivery in these two locations has spread to other communities, assisting Service SA's promotion of the services.

These communities already had access to a number of services, including driver's licensing, registration renewal, fine payments, birth, death and marriage certificates and other general information. I can inform members that recently Service SA staff members travelled to the APY lands to visit these operations in the communities of Amata, Mimili and Fregon. The trip provided an opportunity for staff to hold discussions and consultation with community elders on improving service delivery, supporting the service centre and providing stable and consistent employment for community members. Service SA staff have received a really positive response to these discussions.

Discussions were also held with the centre manager to strengthen relations with Service SA and to encourage ongoing support and training. In the Fregon community centre the new virtual call centre operator, Ms Geraldine Curley, is doing a great job and, in line with the numerous advances Service SA has seen in recent times, a website has been set up which will allow VCC operators to make outbound survey calls and calls to the APY lands hotline as part of the new role.

I am very pleased to inform members that the particular trip I talked about provided staff with an excellent opportunity to promote Service SA and encourage the uptake of services. Another initiative involved providing a number of footballs with the Service SA logo on them. These have been distributed to the people of the PY Ku community to promote the rural registration campaign 'Renew your driver's licence and receive a free football'. Staff gave away 10 Service SA footballs to children within the communities, and I have to say the feedback was that it was a very big hit. Service SA will continue its support and work with the community leaders to help expand services and try to deliver real value to this important part of Australia.

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