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An unprecedented 10-year, $4 billion remote housing partnership agreement will embed Aboriginal leadership in all aspects of the housing system.
The agreement, which was signed last week in the Tiwi Islands, marks the largest housing investment the Northern Territory has seen to date.
A total $4 billion in joint territory and federal funding will be used to repair existing housing infrastructure and build new housing across 73 remote communities, following decades of advocacy from Aboriginal housing organisations and the NT’s four land councils.
Up to 2,700 new homes will be constructed across the NT with the goal of halving overcrowding within the next 10 years. A further $240 million will be invested in improving housing and essential infrastructure on Aboriginal homelands.
The partnership agreement marks a turning point in the NT remote housing sector towards an Aboriginal community controlled model of housing.
As noted by Aboriginal Housing Northern Territory (AHNT), the territory’s peak body for Aboriginal housing, the agreement “signals a pivot towards restoring Aboriginal self-determination in the remote housing system and transitioning control of Aboriginal housing to Aboriginal people and organisations”.
The AHNT, which will receive $1 million in funding to model how community control would work, described the agreement as “a once-in-a-generation opportunity”.
“This agreement is a directive and an opportunity for governments to work towards Aboriginal leadership of Aboriginal housing in the NT, and it will flex as needed to reduce overcrowding,” said Skye Thompson, CEO of AHNT.
“That means significantly ramping up repairs and maintenance of remote community housing as well as (ultimately) building new housing on homelands.”
“Our vision of Aboriginal housing in Aboriginal hands is coming to life – and I thank both governments and the land councils for your strong commitment to this shared goal,” said Thompson.
Linda Burney, federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, stated this is “a landmark housing agreement that is designed to tackle the problem of overcrowding in First Nations communities in the Northern Territory”.
“This is about a new way of doing things – in genuine partnership with communities and land councils to create a better remote housing system.”
Selena Uibo, NT Minister for Remote Housing and Homelands, underscored the role of the partnership agreement in strengthening Aboriginal businesses across the territory.
“We know that this has made a positive impact on the lives of many thousands of Aboriginal people, and this investment will not only yield more homes, but will also unleash a pipeline of construction over the next 10 years that boost our Aboriginal workforce and benefit businesses across the territory,” she said.
