❓ The WA government suspended services to 25 remote Aboriginal communities deemed unoccupied since 2016, redirecting funds to occupied communities. The government states this is not a cost-saving measure but a reallocation of resources.
AnsweredQoN 161Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
REMOTE ABORIGINAL
COMMUNITIES — SERVICES SUSPENSION
161. Hon PETER COLLIER to the minister representing the
Minister for Housing:
I refer to The Australian article of 9 March 2020 by Paige Taylor titled ''Labor cuts basic
services for remote Aboriginal settlements''.
(1) Will the minister confirm
whether services to Aboriginal communities have been suspended?
(2) If yes to
(1), will the minister provide a list of those towns that have had services
suspended, the services that have been suspended and the date on which those
services were suspended?
(3) If yes to (1), what is the
expected savings, listed by community, from suspending services?
COMMUNITIES — SERVICES SUSPENSION
161. Hon PETER COLLIER to the minister representing the
Minister for Housing:
I refer to The Australian article of 9 March 2020 by Paige Taylor titled ''Labor cuts basic
services for remote Aboriginal settlements''.
(1) Will the minister confirm
whether services to Aboriginal communities have been suspended?
(2) If yes to
(1), will the minister provide a list of those towns that have had services
suspended, the services that have been suspended and the date on which those
services were suspended?
(3) If yes to (1), what is the
expected savings, listed by community, from suspending services?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the Leader of the Opposition
for some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Housing.
(1) The
arrangements for the delivery of essential and municipal services in remote
communities in Western Australia changed dramatically following the
commonwealth government's decision in 2014 to unilaterally transfer
responsibility and contract arrangements for its municipal and essential
services—MUNS—program to the state government. Since the
transfer, the state government has determined that 24 of the 85 communities
previously serviced only by the commonwealth government under MUNS are now
unoccupied. This has been established through visits to the communities and
consultation with community members, service
providers and other relevant stakeholders. In some cases, it is apparent the communities
have been unoccupied for many years. The state government has also established
that one community, previously serviced by both the state government and the
commonwealth government, is now unoccupied. Rather than continue to fund
services to unoccupied locations, the state government has suspended services,
until such time as any residents return. Funding for those suspended services
is then redirected to provide additional services for occupied communities.
(2) The
locations and dates of suspension are in a list. Madam President, it is a list
of 25 locations and dates ranging from 2016 to more recently, and I ask that it
is incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted.
The following material
was incorporated —
1
BIDIJUL
1
July 2016
2
BRUNBRUNGANJAL
1
Nov 2018
3
BULINJARR
(MOWLA BLUFF)
1
July 2016
4
COCKATOO
1
July 2016
5
CONE
BAY
1
July 2016
6
DARLU
DARLU
1
Nov 2018
7
DJIBBINJ
1
July 2016
8
GUBILI
1
July 2016
9
JABIR
JABIR
1
July 2018
10
JANTERRJI
1
Nov 2018
11
JULGNUNN
1
July 2018
12
KURLKU
1
July 2016
13
MADDARR
1
July 2018
14
MARUNBABIDI
1
July 2016
15
MORARD
1
July 2018
16
MUDNUNN
1
July 2018
17
MUNMARUL
1
July 2016
18
NORMAN
CREEK
1
July 2016
19
NORTON
BORE
1
Nov 2018
20
OSMOND
VALLEY
1
Nov 2018
21
ROCKY
SPRINGS
1
July 2016
22
YANDARINA
1
July 2016
23
YARDOOGARRA
1
July 2016
24
YARRI
YARRI
1
July 2016
25
YIRAMALAY
1
Nov 2018
(3) The
suspensions have not resulted in savings or reduced the state government's
level of investment. Instead, this approach has allowed for more funding and
services to be provided to occupied communities.
for some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Housing.
(1) The
arrangements for the delivery of essential and municipal services in remote
communities in Western Australia changed dramatically following the
commonwealth government's decision in 2014 to unilaterally transfer
responsibility and contract arrangements for its municipal and essential
services—MUNS—program to the state government. Since the
transfer, the state government has determined that 24 of the 85 communities
previously serviced only by the commonwealth government under MUNS are now
unoccupied. This has been established through visits to the communities and
consultation with community members, service
providers and other relevant stakeholders. In some cases, it is apparent the communities
have been unoccupied for many years. The state government has also established
that one community, previously serviced by both the state government and the
commonwealth government, is now unoccupied. Rather than continue to fund
services to unoccupied locations, the state government has suspended services,
until such time as any residents return. Funding for those suspended services
is then redirected to provide additional services for occupied communities.
(2) The
locations and dates of suspension are in a list. Madam President, it is a list
of 25 locations and dates ranging from 2016 to more recently, and I ask that it
is incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted.
The following material
was incorporated —
1
BIDIJUL
1
July 2016
2
BRUNBRUNGANJAL
1
Nov 2018
3
BULINJARR
(MOWLA BLUFF)
1
July 2016
4
COCKATOO
1
July 2016
5
CONE
BAY
1
July 2016
6
DARLU
DARLU
1
Nov 2018
7
DJIBBINJ
1
July 2016
8
GUBILI
1
July 2016
9
JABIR
JABIR
1
July 2018
10
JANTERRJI
1
Nov 2018
11
JULGNUNN
1
July 2018
12
KURLKU
1
July 2016
13
MADDARR
1
July 2018
14
MARUNBABIDI
1
July 2016
15
MORARD
1
July 2018
16
MUDNUNN
1
July 2018
17
MUNMARUL
1
July 2016
18
NORMAN
CREEK
1
July 2016
19
NORTON
BORE
1
Nov 2018
20
OSMOND
VALLEY
1
Nov 2018
21
ROCKY
SPRINGS
1
July 2016
22
YANDARINA
1
July 2016
23
YARDOOGARRA
1
July 2016
24
YARRI
YARRI
1
July 2016
25
YIRAMALAY
1
Nov 2018
(3) The
suspensions have not resulted in savings or reduced the state government's
level of investment. Instead, this approach has allowed for more funding and
services to be provided to occupied communities.
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