Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The alliance is also working with Tiwi Enterprises to establish a local labour hire company and has held a skid steer, backhoe and heavy truck driving course for eight Indigenous trainees so that they can work on the refurbishments at Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti. Because what we do not want to do is go into the communities and build houses anywhere that are totally inappropriate and walk away without any local people trained or engaged in work. This is a new model that will redesign the way in which Indigenous housing is delivered out bush, but Senator Scullion does not want to know about it. He does not want to know about the facts and he does not want to talk about some of the positive elements that this program is starting to deliver.

The first phase of work at Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island will improve the housing situation for more than 600 people. There will be 26 new houses that will have a collective capacity for 184 people, and the capacity for 80 visitors. This feature was requested by the community. What we are doing in this program is consulting with Indigenous people. You see, you cannot stand up here and say, ‘Don’t build houses anywhere, don’t build designs that are inappropriate, don’t talk to Indigenous people,’ and then say, six months later, ‘But you’ve got no outcomes.’ We have gone into communities and engaged with them and consulted them. Because the local population swells during the wet season, 75 of the 152 existing houses that are not up to standard are to be upgraded as requested. That is what the community wanted. Eighty new and replacement houses will be constructed over the life of SIHIP. And they are specially designed because the people at Groote Eylandt suffer from the Machado-Joseph disease. So there has been time taken to consult with the people about the design of the house that they want that suits their disability.

In Tennant Creek, the New Future Alliance is working closely with Julalikari Council and local subcontractors, who are doing the majority of the work in the town camps. As I mentioned, all 78 houses in the town camps will be refurbished and new homes will follow. There will also be an upgrade of power, water, sewerage and road infrastructure.