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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-04-04 Daily Xml
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ISOLATED CHILDREN'S PARENTS' ASSOCIATION

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:50): Last Friday, 30 March, I attended the 2012 state conference of the Isolated Children's Parents' Association, known as Mountains and Milestones. It was held at the Wilpena Pound Homestead. I was also pleased to join at that conference, from the House of Assembly, the member for Stuart, Mr Dan van Holst Pellekaan, and the member for Flinders, Mr Peter Treloar.

The conference delegates and guests were welcomed by Mrs Tammy Crawford, the branch president of the Flinders Ranges branch, which is celebrating its 21st birthday this year. Mrs Helen Williams, the ICPA state secretary, did an introduction of all the guests who were at the conference, and that was followed by a special welcome by Mrs Anneleise Dolphin, the current state president. The delegates and guests went for a short walk away from the conference venue and witnessed an official conference opening and welcome to country by Mr Arthur Coulthard.

There was also a report from the federal council of the ICPA, from Mrs Sam Starcevich of Western Australia, and that was followed by a presentation by Mrs Pauline Smart, the Principal of School of the Air. Our federal colleague, the member for Grey, Mr Rowan Ramsey, addressed the conference, and that was followed by a speech by Ms Penny Goldsworthy, a social worker with Remote and Isolated Children's Exercise Inc., otherwise known as RICE.

I was also pleased to listen to a presentation by Mr Bill McIntosh of Blinman, representing the Outback Communities Authority. Mr McIntosh has had a very long period of service in relation to the previous outback areas community development trust and many other organisations which represent those people in South Australia who live outside of council areas. There was also a presentation by Mr and Mrs Garry and Jeanette Coombes, who come from the organisation called REVISE, which stands for Retired Educator Volunteer's for Isolated Students Education.

The delegates came from all over the outback of South Australia and represented the following branches: Eyre, Port Augusta, Flinders Ranges, Marla/Oodnadatta, North East, North West and Far West. The bulk of the conference was in a marquee situated next to the homestead. It was great to be listening to speakers and watching emus walking past having a feed on the abundant pasture outside of the marquee.

I want to conclude with a bit of a summary of some of the motions put up at the conference which were passed. The first one, from the North West branch, was asking that the Minister for Education and Child Development provide a solution to the appalling internet platform that our remote and isolated students at School of the Air currently use. There was also another motion agreed to, and that was that the state council of the ICPA request a dedicated bandwidth for distance education students and that that bandwidth be aligned to actual internet usage.

There was also a motion from the north-west branch that the government ensure that funding remains in place to assist remote and isolated children to attend face-to-face school events. There were a number of other motions and business on the day. I congratulate the executive of the ICPA. They are a very professional body that travels long distances to represent the people that have education by distance.

Time expired.

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