NT Government’s sluggish Home Improvement Scheme rollout getting better, data shows

THE NT Government’s sluggish Home Improvement Scheme appears to have finally kicked into gear, with new figures showing a surge in application approvals. VIEW IT IN CHART FORM.

Ed Hardy, of Hardy Landscaping, has benefited from the Home Improvement Scheme. Picture: Che Chorley

THE NT Government’s sluggish Home Improvement Scheme appears to have finally kicked into gear, with new figures showing a surge in application approvals.

Data released to the Sunday Territorian shows 2207 vouchers worth a combined $11.39 million had been sent out to households across the NT as of May 29.

In terms of speed, the NT Government assessed and approved a similar number of Home Improvement Schemes in the nine days to May 29 as it did in the first month of the program.

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It comes as Chief Minister Michael Gunner, at a parliamentary hearing on Thursday, revealed the funding pots that the Government was raiding to pay for the oversubscribed $100 million scheme, which was originally set to cost $30 million.

A total of $27 million will be taken from the NT Government’s $100 million Public Housing Stimulus program, which was launched in April last year to support tradies through upgrades on public housing.

Another $30 million will come from a “capital works cash pool”, which budget papers show was worth $803 million in 2019-20.

A further $20 million was taken from the lacklustre $89 million Local Jobs Fund.

Hardy Landscaping owner-operator Ed Hardy. Picture: Che Chorley

Ed Hardy, owner-operator of Hardy Landscaping, said his company had written about 30 quotes for people wanting to apply for the Home Improvement Scheme, though he wasn’t sure how many had been used in applications.

So far he’s had three vouchers come through.

Mr Hardy, whose 10-year-old business had been doing OK despite the pandemic, said those projects would keep his crew busy for at least three weeks altogether.

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The Government has set itself a target of assessing 1000 Home Improvement Scheme applications a week since it bolstered the number of public servants working on the package from 13 to 74, with more people still to come.