APY Lands, Food Security

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:17): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation a question about the APY food security strategy.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: The government released a report yesterday presumably authored by the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, who now have responsibility for the strategy. It states that the annual report, which was a key component of the strategy, will cease and that the strategy has been cut short by two years because the government believes that the key priority areas have been addressed. My questions to the minister are:

1. If not DCSI, who was the author of the report?

2. Given that the government admits that many objectives of the strategy have not yet been achieved, why has the government abandoned the strategy in the annual reporting?

3. What role will Matrix on Board play in APY food security and who will have oversight of food security issues in the 50 per cent of community stores not administered by Mai Wiru?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. This government, of course, as I have said many times, is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people living on the APY lands and is continuing to deliver on this commitment by following through the plan to increase the availability and consumption of healthy food. Poor nutrition is one of the prime causes of the higher rate of obesity and diabetes, high blood fats and hypertension amongst Aboriginal people living in the communities of the APY lands.

In December 2010, the then minister for Aboriginal affairs launched the APY Lands Food Security Strategy 2011-2016. The purpose of the strategy aimed to provide a framework to address the structural and systemic challenges of improving food security for Aboriginal people living on the APY lands. In 2011, the APY Lands Food Security Executive Action Team (APY-EAT) was formed and included representatives from the state and commonwealth governments, service providers and the APY executive. It was led by the then Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation division of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, now known as the Department of State Development, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation.

The APY-EAT identified seven priorities to guide activity under the strategy: financial wellbeing, freight improvement, consumer protection, store management supports, education, home management supports and discrete project development. APY-EAT also guided the production of evaluation reports in years 1 and 2 of the strategy and these reports were published online, I am advised. In July 2013, the responsibility for the lead of the strategy was transferred to the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion for 12 months under machinery of government changes. The 2013 budget of $360,000 for the strategy was also transferred. This included the salary and on-costs of a senior project officer.

This budget was also used to fund Ninti One, a company that employs Aboriginal researchers to learn more about the purchasing, eating and cooking habits of Anangu. Building on the findings of previous freight reports commissioned as part of the strategy and recognising the need to work closely with APY lands stakeholders in driving the strategy, it was agreed that activity under the strategy would support a review of the food procurement supply chain by Mai Wiru and Foodbank SA.

The purpose of the review was to develop a new way of providing lower cost and better quality food to Mai Wiru stores on the lands. The process was facilitated and funded by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet with assistance from the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion. In early 2014, Mai Wiru and Foodbank presented a business plan outlining a new model of operating, which is intended to:

deliver fresher fruit, vegetables and meat at a cheaper store price through reduced transport time and improved cold chain integrity;

maintain the funding for Mai Wiru community benefit programs that support cultural and ceremonial activities and participation in sporting activities; and

ensure the financial viability of Mai Wiru and remove the need for any future government funding.

Mai Wiru expects the price of healthy foods, I am advised, to be reduced by about 10 to 15 per cent. Other stores at Mimili and Indulkana are in discussions with Mai Wiru regarding use of the new freight service. The business plan identified the need for $600,000 in transitional funding to support the project. This proposal was strongly supported by APY lands stakeholders, I am advised.

In June 2014, following a presentation of the business proposal, a decision was made by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation that it would be appropriate to focus the government food security effort on supporting this project. It was agreed that part of the funding necessary to support the project will be provided through contributions from the South Australian government of $100,000 and the commonwealth government of $300,000, with the remainder of $200,000 sourced through a loan arrangement with Indigenous Business Australia.

Mai Wiru commenced the new freight service from Adelaide to the APY lands on Monday 15 September of this year. The Department for Communities and Social Inclusion is currently trialling the ordering of all goods for the Home and Community Care program at Pipalyatjara via the local store to help increase their buying capacity. In terms of food accessibility, this government, through the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, partnered with the commonwealth government to provide a range of money management services on the APY lands, ranging from community education about general money issues to individual assistance with debt management.

A recent independent survey of money issues on the APY lands revealed that the biggest worry of Anangu was 'not having enough money to buy food'. Another key initiative related to food use, in which DCSI partnered with Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation to develop a 2014 Calendar of Healthy Meals, which was distributed throughout the lands. In-store cooking demonstrations on the APY lands to promote the use of recipes was also utilised.