The State Government is working with the Adelaide City Council and Aboriginal communities to establish a safer place to gather in the western parklands for people from remote communities who are visiting Adelaide.

In partnership with other agencies, the Department of Human Services (DHS) will establish the site with the aim of it being operational by the end of this month and continuing to early 2024, or longer if required.

SA Health’s Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia has supported this initiative with the establishment of a short-term dedicated pod within their existing Inpatient Withdrawal Service at Glenside. The aim is to offer culturally appropriate alternative alcohol and other drug treatment measures, which may include treatment for alcohol withdrawal or a supervised alcohol provision program.

The new site and support services will be an important addition to SAPOL’s Operation Paragon and will be staffed during the day by the DHS Remote Visitor Outreach Team that already provides supports and services to remote visitors.
$490,000 has been allocated to ensure the site meets people’s needs with cooking facilities, water, power, toilets, WiFi and links to other support services including health.

It will be backed by a wider initiative, which will include culturally-led diversionary activities such as sport and music programs, and will also trial enterprise and employment pathways for remote visitors.

The new initiative provides a targeted, culturally appropriate service response for remote visitors, designed in consultation with Aboriginal leaders and APY Lands visitors themselves.

The proposal is supported by Adelaide City Council and will include existing and temporary infrastructure.

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Attributable to Nat Cook

This new commitment builds on the $11 million over four years in the recent State Budget to support Aboriginal people from remote communities with flexible services and, importantly, staff who have language and cultural skills.

This site will create a culturally safe space for remote visitors to work with services and receive any support needed to improve connections in Adelaide.

Case workers providing in-reach services from the hub will be able to work one-on-one with people to provide therapeutic services such as trauma counselling, and accessing assistance for personal matters. Help with practical issues like ID, banking, budgeting, and accessing government services will also be available.

My Department continues a return to community service, where APY Lands visitors who have come to Adelaide for medical appointments, to see family, or for a host of other reasons, can find themselves stranded in Adelaide. We can arrange to help them return home by bus where it is their desire to do so.

Attributable to Joe Szakacs

This important announcement regarding safer gathering places for Aboriginal communities will directly support the extension of Declared Public Precincts.

This initiative shows our government’s commitment and leadership to provide a responsive service to support visitors from remote communities, while also keeping our businesses, workers residents and tourists feeling welcomed and safe.

Businesses and workers in the CBD, particularly in the North Terrace precinct, have been clear about recent antisocial behaviour and we are committed to addressing this through broad a range of police, health and community service responses. I welcome the commitment by Adelaide City Council to identify a suitable location in the parklands for a safer place to gather and the State Government has made a significant commitment to ensure it meets the needs of people who need help.

Attributable to Acting Lord Mayor Phil Martin

This is a truly complex and difficult matter that requires a culturally sensitive response.

We are working with the State Government, SAPOL and representatives of the Kaurna people to offer whatever assistance we can.

The Council fully supported the operation of a service hub that operated during Covid and which worked well.

Council met this week and unanimously voted to support this similar approach in the belief that it can work successfully again.

This is, however, a temporary measure. I know all elected members want to explore other and more permanent options to offer whatever assistance we can.

I want to express my personal thanks to the Premier, the Department of Human Services and especially to SAPOL for their thoughtful and compassionate response.