HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-07-07 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

UMEEWARRA MISSION AND CHILDREN'S HOME

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:49): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Industrial Relations, representing the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, a question about Umeewarra Mission and children's home.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The minister may be aware of the Umeewarra children's home causing some controversy of late. Certainly, my office and offices of other Greens MPs have been contacted about this issue. I understand that the Aboriginal Lands Trust say that the buildings of the Umeewarra children's home—which was once a mission run by the Christian Brethren in Port Augusta from 1937 to 1995—will be on sustainable use and derelict. It is the subject of a demolition notice and, as the pages of The Australian showed us last week, it is coming to a head, where it looks like these buildings will be bulldozed.

I understand that minister Portolesi has made a statement that she may undertake activities to try to preserve at least part, if not all, of the home and that this has great significance particularly to the children who were raised in this home, who see it as something very important to them. Certainly, as a member of the Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee, I visited that community and I understand their connection to this particular building. My questions are:

1. What consultations have taken place in the past few years on this issue?

2. What decisions were made as a result of those consultations?

3. How were they communicated to the Davenport community and other stakeholders?

4. What consideration has been given by this government in terms of repair and maintenance of the buildings that are currently derelict?

5. Have any costings been done in regard to being able to address perhaps the preservation of these buildings?

6. Is the option to preserve them still on the table?

7 What time frame does the minister give before we know the answer to these questions?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for what I consider are very important questions. I will take them on notice and advise my colleague in the lower house and ensure she gets an answer as soon as possible.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT