Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

What we have to do is get these things done. We have a program which will design housing for Palm Island which will be hardy, cyclone proof and at a fraction of the cost. I have a plan in at Palm Island Council at the moment to do a test case on one of these houses. It will see no outside labour come in; it will be a totally local build, totally local engagement, and a product that the people on Palm Island will want.

In 2007 we had a plan for 46 houses to be built in a subdivision on Palm Island. None of those houses have been built, not one. Over $700 million is sitting there, waiting to go into Indigenous housing, and nothing can be built on Palm Island. It is an absolute disgrace and it must be known. The government is just sitting on its hands, going from committee to committee, and it just does not happen. It should happen. We have a plan to make it happen with 46 houses. The next census this year will show a marked increase in the population of Palm Island. We have to look after this thing. We have up to 20 people living in these houses all over the place.

We have a situation on Palm Island where education is just going out the window. There are more problems in a square foot of Palm Island than there are in every other Indigenous community in Australia. It is a tough place, but it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The people there have the mood for change; the people there are trying to change. The government should make every effort to facilitate that change and bring them on board. Those are my thoughts on this issue. We always have defence needs, health needs and all that sort of thing in Townsville, but those are the key areas that I believe should be addressed.

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