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

Senator Scullion keeps saying, ‘When?’ You obviously failed to hear that I said contracts were not actually signed until November of last year. This was under your model, the strategic alliance: ‘Let’s get out there; let’s have three alliances; let’s actually advertise for tender, get expressions of interest, award the tender and sign the tender contract.’ That was done in November of last year under the model your government put forward.

But, before any of that work is actually started, the alliance group is engaging with the community to bed down an important range of issues. There is land tenure: all of this sits on a 40-year lease. It has to be negotiated with the Land Council. There is land use and planning of the area, housing design, priorities, options, jobs and training opportunities, and how local businesses can benefit—experience tells us that the cookie cutter approach does not work for Indigenous housing. We have established in each community Indigenous housing reference groups that actually provide advice and recommendations on the community and cultural issues affecting housing work. We have listened to Indigenous people, who have said to us, ‘Don’t just come in here and build houses and upgrade our houses. Talk to us.’ So we have set up Indigenous housing reference groups in communities to advise this work.

This is a comprehensive package for Indigenous housing in this country and it has never been done in any way like this before. It is a package that was put on the table by the Howard government. It is a package that we have picked up and refined—we have asked for Indigenous employment and training targets—but, by and large, it is the same package that both governments committed to in September 2007.

The first round of packages has reinforced the importance of meaningful engagement. As I said, on Groote Eylandt the engagement was to ensure that the houses that were built actually met the needs of the people who suffer with disability in that community. As I said, some people have questioned the wisdom of investing in existing remote housing stock rather than directing all SIHIP funds to new construction. I would say this: to not invest in existing stock would represent a waste of our resources. Refurbishment has not just meant a coat of paint. It has meant a complete upgrade. (Time expired)