Kirsten Livermore (Capricornia, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. What progress has been made on delivering improved housing in the Northern Territory?

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Capricornia for her question. I am pleased to be able to report that there have been improvements in housing for Indigenous people in remote communities in the Northern Territory. This is important for many reasons, not the least of which is the reason highlighted by the most recent inquiry into child protection in the Northern Territory that was released last Monday. That report highlighted the role that overcrowded housing plays in the impact on family wellbeing. I think all of us would be aware that decent housing is vital if we are to see a safe environment in which children can grow up.

Our housing program in the Northern Territory is now on track to deliver 750 new homes, 230 rebuilds of homes and 2½ thousand refurbishments of homes by 2013, and all of that in remote communities in the Northern Territory. We did in fact exceed our target for the most recent financial year and, as at 11 October 2010, 82 new houses had been completed, and we have 101 houses under construction, in remote communities in the Northern Territory. Six hundred and forty-five refurbishments and rebuilds of houses have been completed and another 105 refurbishments and rebuilds are under way.

One of the other important parts of this program is our effort to build a strong Indigenous workforce. We have around 300 Indigenous people currently employed in this housing program—around 30 per cent of the housing workforce in these remote communities is Indigenous, well above our 20 per cent commitment. We have now got the program management costs down to eight per cent, which is a significant improvement. There are now independent assessments that show that this program is well on track. We do of course understand that we have got an enormous amount more to do in remote Indigenous housing, both in the Northern Territory and in other parts of remote Australia. We have made a very, very significant financial commitment to address that need and we intend to get on with the job.