Public hearings and meetings –Wednesday 29 April 2009

On its third day of hearings in Central Australia, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs will visit the small communities of Amata and  Kaltjiti  in the  Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands at the top end of South Australia.

The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands have a population of 3 000 people living in 50 municipalities and up to 50 occupied homelands.  The Anangu culture is strong, and Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara is the first language.

As part of its investigation of remote store service, capacity and conditions in the APY lands the Committee will visit two stores:

·       Amata, servicing Tjurma homelands and other nearby lands

·       Kaljiti (Fregon), servicing Irintata and homelands.

The Chairman of the Committee Mr Richard Males MP stated:

“In 1981 the South Australian Government’s  Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act gave Aboriginal people title to more than 103 000 square kilometres of traditional country  in the far northwest of South Australia.

The visit to Amata and Kaltjiti will give the Committee an opportunity to speak with Anangu who have ownership of their country and of their local store. Many of these stores have been managed by non­Indigenous people for the owners with mixed results. The Committee wants to learn what makes for a good or bad store in these communities.

The Committee members are thankful to remote communities in Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands for receiving us to conduct public hearings and community meetings to hear their views.”

Public hearings and meetings –Wednesday 29 April 2009

Amata — Public hearing  10.00am
Community meeting  10.45am – 12.30 pm

Kaltjiti — Public hearing  2.15pm
Community meeting  3.45pm – 4.30pm