30 May 2008 

Welcome to the 10th Paper Tracker Newsletter.

Earlier this month, the report of the Mullighan Inquiry into child sexual abuse on the APY Lands was tabled in the South Australian Parliament. The report contains 46 recommendations aimed at creating a better and safer environment for children living on the Lands.

By law, the State Government must make a preliminary response to all 46 recommendations by the end of July and a full response by the end of October 2008. It is also required to report annually on progress made against the recommendations until 2013.

This month, we've added a new section to the Paper Tracker website to closely monitor the government's response to all of the recommendations.

So far the Government has accepted five of the 46 recommendations and has established a Taskforce to examine the others. Our tracking begins with the five recommendations that the Government has endorsed:

• Recommendation 5: school-based social workers
  Since January 2008, the Department for Families and Communities has based two full-time social workers in APY schools. The Mullighan Inquiry recommends increasing the number of social workers based in APY schools to at least six. Read more...
  
  
• Recommendation 32: restricting access to pornography
  On 6 May 2008, the Premier announced that a new Taskforce would investigate ways to restrict access to pornography in APY communities. Read more...
  
  
• Recommendation 34: child protection workers
  The State Government has accepted Commissioner Mullighan's recommendation that two child protection workers should be placed on the APY Lands. Read more...
  
  
• Recommendation 39: fully-operational police stations
  The Mullighan Inquiry highlighted the need for fully-operational police stations to be established in at least three APY communities ‘as a matter of urgency.' Read more...
  
  
• Recommendation 40: community-based sworn police officers
  In recent years the State Government has increased the number of sworn police officers based on the APY Lands. The bulk of those officers don't reside in Anangu communities but in administrative centres like Umuwa. Commissioner Mullighan has concluded that four officers should live in Amata, another four in Pukatja and four more in either Iwantja or Mimili. Read more...

Next month we continue our examination of the Mullighan Inquiry with an account of the report's strengths and weaknesses.

UPDATES
Earlier this month the Federal Government provided us with a written update on CDEP on the APY Lands. New information has also been received on a number of other topics, including:

• access to Opal fuel at Yalata,
• horticultural training at Mimili,
• the sun farm at Umuwa,
• the long-promised review of the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 1966, and
• reports of government activity on the APY Lands.
  Visit the UPDATES page...

Unanswered Questions
The Paper Tracker is still awaiting answers to questions it asked more than 10 months ago about Federal Government commitments to Umoona community. We also await information on questions asked about the APY Lands, Maralinga Tjarutja Lands, and the provision of interpreters for Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara speakers. Read more...

June visit to APY Communities
In the first week of June, the Paper Tracker will be visiting communities on the eastern side of the APY Lands. The visit is an opportunity to check in with Anangu about the work and focus of the Paper Tracker project. 

Good News
As always our "Good News and Positive Developments" page highlights Anangu achievements and initiatives. Read more...

Best wishes

Jonathan Nicholls

UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide

10 Pitt Street, Adelaide, 5000

T: 8202 5867 F: 8202 5842

E: jonathan.nicholls@ucwesleyadelaide.org.au

The Anangu Lands Paper Tracker is an online project of UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide that tracks government commitments to South Australia's Anangu communities. On our website you can find accurate, up-to-date information on projects and services that are important to Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people. Each month we send out a free e-newsletter spotlighting some specific government commitments and actions. To receive our e-newsletter, please subscribe online. We strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information. We will remove any inaccurate information as soon as it is brought to our attention. Please contact us if you have additional information on any of the issues highlighted in this newsletter or can provide us with an update.