- Cook
Government announces $140 million to improve housing for remote and town-based
Aboriginal communities
- Part of Cook Government's $350 million Remote
Communities Fund
- First part of funding of $350 million Remote
Communities Fund enabled transfer of power and water services
The Cook Labor Government
has announced a $140 million investment over four years to improve housing
supply for remote and town-based Aboriginal communities.
Thirty residents of
Burrinunga community at Derby are the first to benefit through the funding with
refurbishment works to nine houses set to begin in March 2024. The extensive
works include new bathroom and kitchen fixtures, roof and ceiling repairs, new
doors and windows, cabinetry, tiling and fresh paint.
The funding and a Housing
Management Agreement between the Department of Communities and the Burrinunga
Aboriginal Corporation mean the houses will be refurbished in accordance with
the Residential Tenancies Act and managed and leased by the Department
on behalf of the Corporation.
Negotiations for Housing
Management Agreements with four other Aboriginal town-based communities are
currently underway.
Bondini and Woodgamia in
the Mid West and Nambi Village and Wongatha Wonganarra in the Goldfields have
been prioritised for funding due to the age and condition of the housing, the
proximity to trades and the community interest in a formal housing agreement.
The further rollout of
the four-year funding will include the construction of new houses in other
Aboriginal communities across the State to reduce overcrowding.
An additional $10 million
has also been set aside for repairs to local roads and landfills in some
Aboriginal communities to support housing improvements.
This is all part of the
Cook Government's $350 million Remote Communities Fund to improve water and
power services and boost housing availability in remote Aboriginal
communities.
Comments attributed to
Housing Minister John Carey:
"The Cook Labor Government is committed to improving outcomes for
Aboriginal people living in regional and remote areas.
"The $140 million is part
of our $350 million Remote Communities Fund which was established to improve
housing and water in remote Aboriginal communities after the former Liberal-National
Commonwealth Government withdrew from its long-standing commitment to fund remote
housing in Western Australia.
"The $350 million Remote Communities Fund will significantly improve
water and power infrastructure in remote Aboriginal communities, as well as
expand the number of available homes through refurbishments and new builds.
"Not only will this
benefit the people living in remote communities but also help to sustain the
communities in which they live."
Comments attributed to
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti:
"Our Government is
committed to supporting strong and resilient Aboriginal communities.
"To do this we must
address the fundamentals of well-being, such as health and mental health,
housing, education and culture, which is why this investment is so important.
"Delivering appropriate
housing to remote communities supports
the well-being of residents and contributes to Closing the Gap.
"It also provides empowerment and
self-determination for remote communities, which aligns with the Cook Government's
Aboriginal Empowerment Strategy."
