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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-02-09 Daily Xml
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APY Lands

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:28): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation in relation to the Amata swimming pool.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: On 8 December 2015, I asked the minister a series of questions in relation to the Amata swimming pool. On the APY lands, the swimming pool season lasts for six months, from the first week in October through to the last week of term 1's school holidays the following year. The Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation program of the Department of State Development provides around $180,000 to meet the pool manager's salary and other operating costs.

Last year, at the time of my questions, the Amata pool had already been closed for the first two months of the 2015-16 swimming pool season. Two months later, I understand the pool remains closed. That means the pool has now been closed for over four months, including the entire Christmas/school holiday period. My questions to the minister are:

1. How much funding did the Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation program allocate to the Amata pool this year?

2. How much of this funding remains unspent?

3. Has any of the allocation been redirected for the purpose of providing alternative recreational opportunities for the children of Amata, particularly during the school holiday period?

4. Is it the minister's expectation that any of the allocation not spent by 30 June this year, including unspent wages, will be returned to the Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation program, or will it be returned to Treasury?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:29): I thank the honourable member for the question and his ongoing interest in matters concerning the APY lands. The operation of swimming pools, operationally, is run through the education department. In terms of what happens with funding that remains unspent, I don't have an answer in front of me that I am able to give the honourable member, but I am happy to take that on notice and bring back a reply about any unspent funding and what occurs to that and seek an answer from the department for education who operationally runs the pools.

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