State Government may take more control of APY Lands corporation over infighting

THE State Government is threatening to seize greater control of the corporation running the APY Lands, unless its new executive board can stop infighting among its ranks.

Former APY Lands board chairman Trevor Adamson with Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher and Jamie Nyaningu outside the Mai Wiru community store at Pukatja.

THE State Government is threatening to seize greater control of the corporation running the APY Lands, unless its new executive board can stop infighting among its ranks.

A new board was elected late last week — a day after a member unsuccessfully tried to sack the corporation’s general manager, Richard King, from his government-appointed role.

As a result, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher sent a stern warning to the newly elected members, if cohesion was not restored he would abolish their roles.

“With the election of new representatives from APY communities, I expect that the APY executive will foster stability in governance,” Mr Maher said.

“There has been significant improvement in financial management, control, transparency and general operations of the administration and executive over the past two years.

“If these reforms do not continue, I may appoint an administrator.”

Former board chairman, Trevor Adamson, has unsuccessfully tried for the past nine months to oust Mr King for his role, claiming he had mismanaged the council.

The Government appointed Mr King as the corporation’s general manager in 2015 — the eighth manager since 2010.

Mr King said looked forward to working with the new board and representing the “whole” APY Lands, which has about 2500 residents.

“The board are there as elected members and the governing arm, in the end I’m happy to follow the resolution they make, but what I won’t do is undermine the board by listening to one to two voices that scream the loudest,” he said.

Opposition spokesman Terry Stephens said he had “fully supported” Mr King and hoped the election would be the fresh start the council needed.

“We’ve been concerned for a long time regarding the political infighting and revolving door of general managers, so we’re hoping these elections will be the start of a new era of stability,” Mr Stephens said.

“We would hope after the election; the board will work with the general manager to ensure services are delivered on the grounds so people aren’t disadvantaged.

“There is the ability for the minster to step in and remove the board, but ultimately we don’t want the people who live there to be disadvantaged because they have a board that can’t work together.”

The APY Land board members are elected for a three-year term and look after more than 103,000sq km of arid land in the far northwest of the state.

An attempt by The Advertiser to contact the former APY Lands chairman Trevor Adamson for comment, was unsuccessful.