Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-10-24 Daily Xml

Contents

National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:44): Which Aboriginal communities has the minister met with to explain her inactions on this?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:44): I have met a number of Aboriginal people since I became minister, and I have had a number of meetings with staff and board members of the housing authority. Indeed, we recently announced the new housing authority board members, which includes an Aboriginal representative, Ms Shona Reid, who would be known to a number of members of this parliament, specifically to work on an Aboriginal housing strategy.

The feedback that the housing authority and the government has had so far is that Aboriginal people feel that they had lost a voice within government in terms of Aboriginal housing. Under the watch of the previous premier, when he had the portfolio of housing, Aboriginal housing was mainstreamed within the Housing Trust portfolio, and we are working to rectify that. I recently met with a particular group which has a focus on Aboriginal homelessness services as well. They are very pleased that we are going to be developing a strategy and they raised a number of issues with me.

We have been reaching out to Aboriginal people on this issue and we will be developing an Aboriginal housing strategy as part of our requirements under the National Homelessness and Housing Agreement to develop a general housing and homelessness strategy in South Australia, and I think that will be very warmly welcomed.