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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-16 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS, HOUSING

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:54): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the Minister for Social Housing, both in that role and in his role representing the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, a question on the topic of APY lands housing and furniture provision.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: In July 2010, the federal Indigenous affairs minister withdrew $900,000 of federal funding from South Australia as part of the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing. This funding was withdrawn because South Australia failed to meet the target of 44 new houses, I believe by 11 houses. While South Australia was penalised, in fact, Western Australia exceeded its target and got a bonus of an extra $4 million of funding.

Meanwhile, just this week, we see reports in the media of newly built housing in APY lands being unfurnished, with tenants having no access to the furniture that is needed to make the houses both healthy and habitable. Groups such as the Salvation Army are concerned about the new state government built homes in the APY lands, and I certainly share those concerns. However, it is a case of 'deja vu all over again' on this issue.

Members with even the shortest memory will recall media reports from September 2011 that at least one load of furniture, paid for federally and built by the Playford Community Fund (comprising 40 kitchen suites, 200 mattresses, 250 pillows and 200 bed units), had been delivered to the state department to be delivered to the APY lands in January 2011 but was reported to be in storage awaiting the arrival of a second load. At that time, it was reported that the second container load, with wardrobes and other furniture, had been sent in August and had also gone into storage but a third load of furniture was under construction. However, we heard reports at that time that new housing was unfurnished, with Aboriginal people living in unfurnished housing, sleeping on the floor without mattresses and not having access to health hardware in their own homes.

The Executive Director of Families SA at the time was quoted as saying that the furniture was being stored to ensure that it would be distributed fairly after the second container load was delivered. He also went on to say that Families SA would be working with local agencies to address need, then transport and assemble the furniture in the next four weeks.

The then minister, minister Portolesi, made public comment in September 2011 that, in fact, discussions were occurring to arrange 'flat pack' furniture for housing on the APY lands, yet here we are, seven months later, again hearing reports of government housing being unfurnished. My questions to the minister are:

1. Can the minister provide us with an updated report on the status of all and any furniture sent under government auspices to the APY lands since 2011, identifying what furniture was sent, and when and where it was stored, and when and where and by what criteria it was distributed?

2. Can the minister indicate if any furniture earmarked for APY lands, under federal or state government auspices, including that built by the Playford Community Fund, has been lost in transit?

3. Can the minister provide data on the access to, and uptake by, people on APY lands to NILS in the same time frame, including the number of loans and the amount of loans and, if possible, what purpose these loans were used for?

4. Is there any furniture still in storage, under state government auspices or administration; and can the minister now guarantee that, if there is, it will be distributed as soon as possible to those people in desperate need?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:57): I thank the honourable member for her most important questions. I will take those questions to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation in the other place and seek a response on her behalf.

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