Trial Sites

Anangu Pitjantjatjara (SA)

Lead Agency Contact Details

Department of Health and Ageing

  • Peg Nicholls (08) 8237 8246
  • Helen Bulis (08) 8237 8064
  • Fiona Buzzacott (08) 8237 8263

back to contents

ICC Contact Details

Port Augusta

  • PO Box 2214, PORT AUGUSTA SA 5700
  • 38-40 Stirling Road, PORT AUGUSTA SA 5700
  • Tel: 08 8647 1500
  • Fax: 08 8641 0684

back to contents

Trial Site Profile

Geography

The AP Lands cover some 103,000 square kilometres in the far north west of South Australia.

The AP Lands are defined and protected under the Pitjantjatjara Lands Right (PLR) Act (SA) 1981. The title (freehold) to the land is held by Anangu Pitjantjatjara (the AP Council), an incorporated body established under the PLR Act.

The AP Lands are part of a much larger country of Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (NPY) people which covers some 350,000 square kilometres of South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and is known as the ‘cross border’ region.

Communities in the cross border region share strong language and cultural ties that operate irrespective of State borders.

Unified management and service delivery across the region is inhibited by different land tenure and service delivery arrangements that operate in three jurisdictions.

Communities

Pipalyatjara, Kalka, Murputja Homelands, Amata, Pukatja (Ernabella), Kaltjiti (Fregon), Mimili, Watarru and Iwantja (Indulkana). The communities range in size from approximately 650 at Pukatja down to small homelands groups.

Population

Estimated total 2600 in the AP Lands. Population is comparatively young with 34% aged under 15 and only some 9% over 55 years (source: Nganampa Health Council).

The total NPY population in the cross border region is estimated to be 5,000. There is a considerable mobility throughout the whole region, for family, ceremonial, access to services, and other purposes.

This represented 9.3% of the South Australian Indigenous population (23,410) and 0.5% of the Australian Indigenous population (410,003).

Community Partners

  • Anangu Pitjantjatjara (Land Council) and Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Services
  • Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Media Corporation
  • Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council
  • Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Education Committee
  • Ananguku Arts
  • Nganampa Health Council

Australian Government Sponsor and Partner

Ms Jane Halton, Secretary, Department of Health and Ageing

South Australian State Government Partner

Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation (DAARE)

Department of the Premier and Cabinet

back to contents

Shared Responsibility Agreements

An original SRA was endorsed by the Steering Committee in September 2003. This SRA is currently under review with potential to endorse a Regional Partnership Agreement under the Tjungungku Kuranyukutu Palyantjaku Regional Forum (the new Steering Committee formed in February 2005).

back to contents

Community Corner

PY Media (Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Media Corporation)

PY Media is seen as an essential service provider in the AP Lands and is an important community partner in the COAG Trials. It is an indigenous owned and managed organisation and a leader in remote communications, tasked with introducing modern technology to remote Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people and communities in a way that will truly benefit Anangu and be embraced as an enhancement to the Anangu way of life.

PY Media is recognised nationally as a leader in the delivery and management of remote communications and associated service delivery and training and has developed innovative technological solutions for Indigenous people living in remote Australia.

Related Links:

back to contents

[ back to navigation | back to top ]