E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Topics: Funding boost for former cashless debit card communities
EMMA PEDLER, HOST: Back when the cashless debit card wrapped up in October last year, the Federal government promised that they would invest in those communities, the card communities, for the benefit of the people who had been on the card to better support their economic futures. And the first details of this funding has just come through with 10.5 million or thereabouts headed towards the community of Ceduna. Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth joins us. Good morning.
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Good morning. Great to be with you.
EMMA PEDLER: How will this 10.5 million be distributed?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: This money is specifically for economic development. There's already been money secured and flowing into support services, but this is about listening to communities who have been talking about long term economic development. So, what is this money we’re investing for? Firstly, the Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation will be able to invest in a project they've wanted to do for some time to provide a new waterfront gallery located in Ceduna as a location for the public to visit and buy aboriginal artworks and providing a cultural tourism point along with the redevelopment of their existing Art Ceduna and Far West Languages Centre on the Eyre Highway. So, this is not just good for the Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation, but it's good for the town as well, drawing in tourists and really focusing on that really wonderful strength of Aboriginal art. The Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation applied for some rocket launcher infrastructure. They're already partnering with a company to get attention on space and so this permanent rocket launcher will provide a really important opportunity for jobs and training in the local area. So, both of these are extremely good projects that provide some economic security into the future.
EMMA PEDLER: I think last time we spoke, we heard a little bit about this kind of waterfront gallery concept. This was kind of, I think, flagged earlier on in the piece, but just the finance details hadn't come through. The Southern Launch and Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation partnership there with this space launch or rocket launch facility and space observatory. What's that going to look like, do you know?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I think there's already a partnership with Southern Launch. They are doing a range of work around space and so that really allows for the infrastructure, being a permanent launch facility and space observatory, being able to be put within community. It is really a partnership, which has already been developed, between the local community and Southern Launch. Obviously the location is a particularly good location from the company's perspective and so this will revive a really good solid partnership there in Koonibba.
EMMA PEDLER: We did hear from the company and the community at their first launch a couple of years ago now that there were job opportunities. People had been trained in things like traffic management and as far as the community went, the majority of people were excited at that employment future. Is this really to extend that into the future? Because the rocket launch facility really has just been kind of like a test site with only a couple here and there. Are you trying to make it a more common occurrence?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Yes, this will provide a permanent facility and so it provides that longevity. That training and investment does provide some long term stability. So, this is particularly exciting. I think it means that there's more willingness to invest in training and skills when you know that the permanent piece of infrastructure is there to be used on a regular basis.
EMMA PEDLER: We're speaking with Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth. We've just had a question come through, Minister about the funding from Pam Diment who said they were on the cashless debit card, the INDUE card. Pam wanted to know how come all the funding so far is aimed at Aboriginal organisations and not the whole community at large. She said it feels a bit strange when a lot of people, including myself, were on the card.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: It hasn't just been funding going to Aboriginal corporations. We've already secured more money for support services right across a number of service providers that provide services to a range of different people, including financial literacy as just one example. But there is a strong message here that to support people achieve economic participation we do need to invest in the infrastructure that actually can facilitate that and that is what this investment is about. But if you look at, for example, the Ceduna Arts hub on the waterfront as a cultural precinct that will draw tourists in, that's going to be good for the whole community, that's going to be good for shops in the town, it's going to be good for right across the region. So, I don't see this investment as being limited just to Aboriginal communities. Obviously it is going to the Corporation but there will be widespread benefits across the community.
EMMA PEDLER: With all this happening at the moment, with the cashless debit card announcement, with the funding, are we going to see more funding in other communities pop up over the next week or so?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: We obviously went through a tender process. We've been working with communities around economic development and economic opportunities. We'll continue to work with communities. I must say the different Ceduna organisations were very well organised. They had their applications ready to go and so it meant we've been in a position to be able to announce this funding and get these projects going.
EMMA PEDLER: Any plans in your future to head back to the community of Ceduna?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I very much hope to get to Ceduna. I’ve really enjoyed my time on the number of visits I've had to Ceduna and I look forward to coming again and really looking at the progress of these projects as well as the other investments that we've been making. Obviously it's also been the Yadu Health Medical Clinic and I look forward to starting to see those investments come to fruition.
EMMA PEDLER: Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth. Thank you for your time this morning.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Thank you.