Action needed in Indigenous communities as overcrowding his ‘critical levels’: LGAQ

The state’s local government body has warned overcrowding has hit “critical levels” in Indigenous communities, as a Queensland mayor says locals in his community are being forced to move elsewhere.

The state’s local government body has warned overcrowding in Indigenous communities has hit “critical levels”, as a North Queensland mayor says locals in his community are being forced to move elsewhere.

Wujal Wujal Mayor Bradley Creek estimates that of the 300 residents living in his community in the state’s far north, about 20 were sleeping rough.

The Mayor said families of up to ten people were living in two to three bedroom houses, while some residents had been forced to move away from the community because there were not enough homes.

“Some of them of are moving away to Cairns and renting a place out there – it shouldn’t be the case,” he said.

“It makes me feel not good, I’ll be honest.”

Mr Creek said he wanted another 100 houses to be built in Wujal Wujal.

Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive Alison Smith said overcrowding in many remote Indigenous communities had reached “critical levels” with devastating flow-on effects.

LGAQ chief executive Alison Smith.

Ms Smith said construction of new houses in remote and discrete First Nations communities was key to improving health and education outcomes.

“An estimated 2000 new builds will be needed to address the existing level of overcrowding across Queensland’s remote and discrete First Nations communities,” she said.

The LGAQ wants the federal government to allocate $100m a year over five years to boost housing supply and reduce overcrowding in remote communities.

Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch on Sunday defended the state government’s investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing, as she vowed to push for “ongoing funding” from the federal government.

“In 2018 the then federal government unilaterally backed away from a longstanding joint state and federal commitment to invest in Remote Indigenous Housing,” the Minister said.

Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“The Palaszczuk Government stepped in with a $40 million investment that has delivered 17 Housing Investment Plans, which will see up to 95 new homes and home extensions built and support about 125 local jobs.

“The councils will use these funds to address overcrowding, maintain a pipeline of future development, extend existing homes, create new housing allotments and build new homes.”

Multiple stakeholders last called for a state government-convened housing summit – something the LGAQ said could be a “good start”, but they would prefer a national summit.

The state’s Housing Department said 82.1 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland lived in “appropriately sized” homes with no overcrowding, as of 2021.