AIG’s remote laundries project: A lifesaving initiative for indigenous communities

In an effort to address health disparities in remote Aboriginal communities, AIG initiated the Remote Laundries Project in 2019. Now, prominent figures like Governor-General David Hurley are taking notice.

AIG CEO Liz Morgan-Brett talking with Governor-General David Hurley and his wife Linda. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

With eight out of 10 Aboriginal babies in remote Northern Territory communities contracting scabies before their first birthday, urgent action was needed.

Enter Aboriginal Investment Group, which in 2019 launched initiative ‘The Remote Laundries Project’, to address health issues faced by Aboriginal communities struggling with overcrowding and a lack of clothes washing facilities.

The initiative sees AIG provide communities with a free to use, purpose built laundry, while also providing employment opportunities for Aboriginal people in the area.

The Remote Landries project has even caught the attention of Governor-General David Hurley and his wife Linda, who made a visit to AIG’s Casuarina headquarters on Friday.

Since the project’s launch in 2019, four laundries have started operating in Barunga, Casuarina, Angurugu and Bickerton Island.

AIG CEO Liz Morgan-Brett talking with Governor-General David Hurley and his wife Linda and other AIG team members. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

There are also plans for new Remote Laundries to start operating in Borroloola, Gunbalanya, Ngukurr, Lajamanu, Kintore and Umbakumba in the future.

AIG first started the project in an attempt to protect remote communities from parasites like scabies.

The project also ensures they have access to clean bedding, towels and clothes to help improve overall health outcomes and protect the often overcrowded communities from parasites and bacteria.

Each laundry features four industrial washer-dryer stacks, the washing and drying cycles are provided at no cost and detergent, softener, and medical grade sanitiser are automatically dispensed into the wash.

In the five years of operation the Remote Laundries project has; spun over 40,000 cycles, injected $595,000 into their remote communities and provided 44 local Aboriginal people with jobs.