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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-14 Daily Xml
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OUTBACK COMMUNITIES AUTHORITY

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (17:37): My question is to the Minister for State/Local Government Relations. Can the minister inform the chamber of the operation and work of the Outback Communities Authority?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (17:37): I thank the honourable member for his very important question. The Outback Communities Authority (OCA) was established on 1 July 2010 pursuant to the Outback Communities (Administration and Management) Act 2009. The functions of the OCA are to manage the provision of and promote improvements in public services and facilities for outback communities and articulate the views, interests and aspirations of these communities.

The OCA has given a commitment to keeping the outback communities informed about its work and seeking community views to ensure its priorities reflect the service and infrastructure requirements of the outback. In keeping with this commitment the OCA has scheduled its meetings to be held in various outback communities. These meetings are open to the public and provide an opportunity for residents to meet with the OCA members and discuss matters of concern and to hear firsthand the OCA's future strategies for service and infrastructure delivery for the outback. Minutes of each meeting are posted on the OCA's website in the days following each meeting.

In August 2011, I approved the OCA's inaugural strategic business plan and annual budget. The plan outlines what the OCA will do and how it intends to conduct its business over the next five years. In February and August each year, the OCA makes available to communities project grants to provide training and support for volunteers, the upgrade or establishment of community facilities or the purchase of equipment, material or resources such as whitegoods, playground equipment or sporting equipment.

The one-off funding has an upper limit of $10,000 with most grants allocated in smaller project amounts of less than $5,000. One of these funding arrangements allowed for a community playground to be installed in Iron Knob, which I attended with about 100 locals, and a very good day was had by all.

In late November 2010, the OCA wrote to all residents and landholders in this jurisdiction seeking comment on a draft policy document, 'Community Engagement—Our Commitment'. The draft document outlines the authority's approach to improving communication with people in the outback and explains how it proposes to engage the communities. The preparation and adoption of a public consultation policy by the authority is a requirement of the Outback Communities (Administration and Management) Act 2009. Residents from more than 26 outback communities responded to the nine-week call for feedback on the draft policy. The revised policy was formally adopted at the OCA's 10 March 2011 meeting.

Further to the recent consultation undertaken by the OCA in regard to the Outback Grants Program, finalised documents will be available in the near future from the OCA's website and office located in Port Augusta, and will be sent to all progress associations and those people who contributed to the consultation process shortly. Where it supports outback communities, the OCA has community affairs resourcing and management agreements with the local progress associations.

These agreements can relate to financial or other support to communities. This support can relate to funding to cover the administrative cost of running a progress association, UHF repeater maintenance, town maintenance (such as public conveniences and street lighting), airstrip maintenance, town waste management and the provision of local water supply. The authority also provides all outback communities with subsidy assistance funding at a three to one ratio for the provision of community water supplies.

In November 2010, the Andamooka Progress and Opal Miners' Association and the OCA reached agreement to transfer responsibility to manage municipal services previously run by the OCA on behalf of the community back to APOMA. Under the agreement, APOMA will have greater flexibility to make use of its resources and enable it to take a stronger strategic and leadership role in the delivery of services and infrastructure to the town.

In September 2010, the authority was successful in receiving more than $2 million in federal and state government funding to improve the safety of our four outback airstrips jointly managed by the authority. The funding was for Oodnadatta, Balcanoona, Glendambo and Mintabie airstrips. The upgrading of the Oodnadatta airstrip is due to start in March and agreement has been reached between the authority and the Oodnadatta Progress Association to transfer ownership of the airstrip to the authority.

The authority formally recognises and assists 33 communities in 31 locations across the outback. The communities are: Andamooka, Ash, Aroona, Beltana, Blinman, Bookabie, Cockburn—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: Cockburn—you've been there lately, have you?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Thank you very much for your contribution, John. I mean, it's about the only thing you have done for the communities out there. About the only thing you have done to contribute to anything that happens out there are your statements here. I continue: Coorabie, Copley, Dunjiba, Eastern Districts, Fowlers Bay, Gawler Ranges, Glendambo, Innamincka, Iron Knob, Kingoonya, Leigh Creek, Lyndhurst, Manna Hill, Marla, Marree, Mintabie, Olary, Oodnadatta, Parachilna, Penong, Pimba, William Creek, Woomera and Yunta.

On 15 February 2011, the OCA support personnel relocated to premises located at 12 Tassie Street, Port Augusta. This new location is shared with personnel from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA and represents a good collaborative opportunity and consolidated use of underused government accommodation. The previous operational office of the OCA was a private rental not fit for purpose.

The Andamooka Progress and Opal Miners' Association has limited time and resources necessary for the day-to-day delivery of essential services. With the expected growth in population at Andamooka and the associated demand for services directly resulting from the expansion of mining operations, it has become unsustainable and unrealistic to expect a volunteer organisation to continue to deliver these services. As such, APOMA has sought urgent assistance from the Outback Communities Authority.

The authority and APOMA, with my support, have agreed to establish a formalised Town Management Committee and the appointment of a town manager to oversee public services and essential infrastructure and to provide advice on plans for the future. The Town Management Committee comprises of five persons: Ms Cecilia Woolford, who is the independent chairperson; Mr Peter Allen, an APOMA representative; Mr Robert Hancock, an APOMA representative; Ms Jennifer Cleary, the OCA board member; and Mr Mark Sutton, the OCA general manager.

Ms Woolford's appointment is supported by the authority and APOMA. Ms Woolford has experience as chair and board member of a number of statutory and non-government boards at a state and national level, including the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board and Natural Resources Management Council Volunteer Committee. She possesses the skills necessary, particularly in the areas of governance, managing diverse opinions, engaging with people, communications and delivering on planned outcomes. I congratulate the OCR in responding quickly to APOMA's concerns and putting in place a solution that is both practical and supportive.

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