Elders call for royal commission into Pilbara child protection crisis

In short:

Aboriginal elders want a royal commission into child protection failures in Western Australia's north.

Government ministers, as well as the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, have flown to Port Hedland to discuss the issues.

What's next?

An independent roundtable meeting will convene in Perth later this week, facilitated by Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter.

Aboriginal elders are calling for a royal commission into Western Australia's child protection agency and the minister's resignation amid concerns about the living conditions of some Indigenous children in the Pilbara.

Two government ministers and their advisors today flew to South Hedland, 1,600 kilometres north of Perth, for meetings spurred by reporting in The Australian newspaper claiming more than a dozen children were living unsupervised at a home in town.

The government has disputed that reporting, but admits an investigation into what had happened took too long.

Nyamal elder Linda Doogiebee-Dridi (Milbugana) accused WA's child protection agency of being negligent in their care of children in the town, and claimed the state government had continuously failed to engage with elders.

'Blatant disrespect'

Ms Doogiebee-Dridi said she was aware of the issues at the home in question in Frisby Court, but felt as though community elders had been left in the dark about what was being done to help the children.

She said Child Protection Minister Jessica Stojkovski, who also visited town last week after the report was published, disrespected some elders by not meeting with them.

"This is our country, we were born here, grew up here, but we are not invited to sit at the table and have conversation," she said.

"The minister, who blatantly disrespected us … it does create frustration and anger."

Aside from calling for Ms Stojkovski's resignation, Ms Doogiebee-Dridi said she felt strongly that a royal commission needed to happen so there was "a focal point for us to have a voice".

"We co-design a kind of footprint to go forward with, to ensure our young people are getting education and learning,"she said.

Commissioner lands in Port Hedland

The National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter, also flew to the port town today for talks with locals.

Ms Hunter's commission is an independent body, tasked with advocating for the wellbeing and rights of young First Nations people, with the ability to launch formal inquiries.

She said she planned to convene a roundtable on child safety in Perth later this week after consulting with Pilbara residents "with direct knowledge and experience" of the issues facing Aboriginal children.

Ms Doogiebee-Dridi said she was optimistic about the meeting, which was being billed as a "culturally safe forum" that would also address the "systemic issues" plaguing communities.

"I'm hoping she'll listen about the issues happening in our community. We've only just started collectively grouping together," she said.

Minister will not resign

The issue has engulfed all sides of politics in WA, with Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas also flying to South Hedland on Tuesday evening, accusing Labor of trivialising and playing down the seriousness of the problem.

"We are dealing with children's lives here," he said.

"If [the minister] is not capable of dealing with it without the bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo which she trotted out over the last week or so, then the premier should put a senior minister in who can do the job."

Shadow Minister for Child Protection, Nick Goiran, called for the reinstatement of a standalone child protection body.

"If you have a standalone department for child protection, you've got a director-general who's got one job to do and that is to keep children safe," he said.

Speaking in South Hedland today about the Frisby Court issues, Minister for the Pilbara Amber-Jade Sanderson said it was clear there had been "missed opportunities for escalation of acute cases".

She announced a child health safety leadership group, bringing together government, non-government and local council representatives, will meet weekly.

Ms Stojkovski said there were also plans to expand the opening of the town's night space to seven nights a week.

She said she would not resign.

"I want to see that where we see a problem, that we can fix it, and that's what I am dedicating myself to,"she said.

Ms Stojkovski confirmed the investigation into the Frisby Court home was closed and the family had been removed.

"My understanding is that they are getting all of the supports that they need to keep those children safe," she said.

In regard to the criticism that the child protection minister did not meet with elders, she said she met with some last week, but committed to returning so she could meet with more.

"Admittedly, it was a short trip last week because we had parliamentary duties, but at that time I committed to coming back, which is what I have done today," she said.

While the minister would not say which elders she met with last week, she did speak with Dorothy Papertalk, who lived on Frisby Court.

An onslaught of tradesmen have attended the home and done repairs since the issue first came to light last weekend, which Ms Stojkovski denied was tied to cleaning up the street for the commissioner's visit.