Ark House Bourke
Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: I ask the Hon. Eric Roozendaal on behalf of the Hon. Kevin Greene, Minister for Community Services, the following question without notice. Is the Minister aware that people in Bourke had worked on a plan and consulted the Department of Community Services to have a safe house for Aboriginal children up to 10 years of age in order to protect indigenous children of Bourke from alcohol-related violence and to address the complicated issue of child abuse? Will the Minister indicate specific reasons why plans for Ark House were rejected? In particular, is the Minister aware of the report entitled, “We’re the Same Mob Fighting for the Same Thing”, which focuses on the indigenous people of Bourke? The report states: “Bourke housing for Aboriginals, particularly on the Reserve, remains scarce, and sub-standard. Drug and alcohol abuse, for example, remains one of the major health problems the Aboriginal people of Bourke continue to have a marginal place in Bourke’s economy and political structure”. Will the Minister indicate what measures will be implemented by the Government to address the socio-economic problems faced by the people of Bourke?
Deferred answer to Ark House in Bourke
On 7 November 2007 Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes asked the Minister for Roads, representing the Minister for Community Services, a question without notice regarding Ark House in Bourke. The Minister for Community Services provided the following response:
A number of community members in Bourke have submitted a proposal aimed at providing a place of safety for children in Bourke. Staff from the Department have been working closely with these community members to provide advice on a number of alternatives for the provision of short term care and accommodation for children in Bourke.
I understand that this group of community members has obtained a building that it believes is suitable for such a purpose and that two people have been engaged as house-parents and applied for registration with the Far West Family Day Care Scheme. The group expects to commence operation as a Family Day Care venue, known as the Ark House, in the near future.
Departmental staff will continue to work through any legal, procedural and policy issues that might arise out of this initiative.