‘Humpy town’ grows as Straddie public housing fails Indigenous: says MP
A project to build public housing for Indigenous people on North Stradbroke Island has failed as the government says one new house has been built in the past eight years.
Redlands Coast
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A project to build public housing for Indigenous people on North Stradbroke Island has failed with just one new government-funded house built on the island in eight years.
After this story was published, the state government said one four-bedroom house had been completed at Dunwich on February 17 but it was still untenanted.
The state government last week came under fire in state parliament over the island’s public housing scheme after it failed to show where houses had been built, despite a 2015 pledge that it was a “number one priority” for the island, after mining ceased.
Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson said outside parliament, the failed project had left Minjerribah with a major housing crisis.
The original housing plans included upgrading and increasing the island’s aged care housing facilities, known as Nareeba Moopi Moopi Pa Aged Care Hostel, in Dunwich.
In 2019, the state government prioritised a total spending of $8.5 million for the construction of an Indigenous cultural centre at Dunwich overlooking Deanbilla Bay.
Last year, Deputy Premier Steven Miles swooped on Redland and took over its housing strategy, claiming the council had failed to provide enough land for the state’s housing needs.
Redland City Council responded to those claims at the time and said it had never received a ministerial directive to update its 2011 housing strategy.
Outside parliament, Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson said the state government had failed to plan or prioritise the housing needs of First Nations people.
He said the lack of public housing for Indigenous people had also fuelled growth of “humpy” towns where houses were being built in the bush but without proper development applications.
He said One Mile, a community north of Dunwich, was not fully connected to the electricity grid or town water and sewerage.
“The Quandamooka indigenous people deserve better than what is happening at One Mile,” Mr Robinson said outside state parliament.
“Labor’s approach to aboriginal housing has clearly failed as nothing has been done despite promises in 2015 and the passing of the Stradbroke Island Bill to build housing at One Mile.
“There’s been no delivery and no action on Labor promises to Aboriginal peoples and the government has ignored their voices.
“Proper planning from a good government would have prioritised the island’s housing needs, while still supporting indigenous art — it’s not an ‘either or’ but a ‘both and’ approach that prioritises the housing needs.
“The government failed to plan and now has failed to deliver on their election promises on housing, small business, job creation, tourism and in every way for the people of North Stradbroke Island.
“The government never properly consulted the people of North Stradbroke Island and they continue to work in secrecy.”
Mr Robinson put Housing minister Leeanne Enoch on the spot last week when he asked her in parliament how many public houses had been built on the island since the 2015 legislation.
No number was revealed by Ms Enoch, a Quandamooka person of the island and there was no figure from her office, until after this story was published, when the state claimed to have built one house in the eight years.
A spokesman from the state Housing Department said, under the QuickStarts housing program, 71 new houses would be built in the Redlands region, which includes Minjerribah, by June 30, 2025.
He said the state had a planned investment of $20.3 million over four years, supporting more than 64 full-time equivalent jobs.
Ms Enoch told parliament the government had already committed a record amount of funding for public housing.
“We continue to work with all parties across the state to ensure we are seeing those properties built in appropriate places, whether that be in remote communities, in indigenous communities, right across southeast Queensland or in other parts of the state,” she told state parliament.
“We are working with local governments in particular around their local housing action plans.
“We continue to do that work with the Redland City Council, which I hope will continue to do that work with us.
“We have seen that having to be taken over by the state government in some ways. We will absolutely ensure that we are commencing more properties than we have ever seen before.”
Capalaba MP Don Brown rejected Mr Robinson’s complaint and said the local council, led by an LNP mayor, had failed to produce a housing strategy for a decade.
“What is more incongruous is that Mr Robinson is also protesting against the state government opening up land on the island for housing for traditional owners,” Mr Brown said.
But Mr Robinson said the minister’s response confirmed that no new homes had been built by the government to alleviate Aboriginal homelessness and said he had always supported Indigenous housing on the island.
Island Chamber of commerce president Colin Battersby said two businesses had closed on the island this month because of the lack of permanent housing.
“Socially, young families and long-term community members have had to leave the island to find affordable accommodation,” Mr Battersby said.
“Most of the others are unable to operate the hours and provide the level of service they would otherwise like.”
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