$12.4m housing upgrade in remote NT homelands turns ‘tin sheds into liveable dwellings’
‘Tin sheds’ have been turned into ‘liveable dwellings’ in one NT community, with both the feds and the NT government putting more than $12m into the upgrades. Find out more.
A multi-million dollar housing upgrade in one NT community has turned “tin sheds into liveable dwellings,” the chief executive of the Central Land Council says.
More than 40 homes across the Iylentye, Inkawenyerre, Inkwelaye, Indaringinya, Arlparra, and Atheley homelands have been upgraded to the tune of $12.4 million, with the Territory and federal governments backing the upgrades.
“The funds have turned tin sheds into liveable dwellings and provided essential infrastructure like bathrooms and kitchens enabling many people to live more healthily and happily on their ancestral lands,” Central Land Council chief executive Les Turner said.
The homelands, located roughly 200km northeast of Alice Springs, were upgraded as part of the homelands housing infrastructure program (HHIP).
“Through the HHIP, the Albanese Government is delivering targeted improvements to housing and essential infrastructure that support better health and wellbeing,” federal indigenous Australian minister Malarndirri McCarthy said.
In the NT, more than 160 homelands are earmarked for upgrades under the HHIP, which the federal government has put $220m towards.
The Territory government commits $40m a year to support the homelands by providing services such as water, power, and sanitation.
“These upgrades are much more than bricks and mortar – they are about improving the quality of life for First Nations families living in homelands, as part of our commitment to Closing the Gap,” Ms McCarthy said.
NT housing minister Steve Edgington said “better housing leads to improved wellbeing across the board”.
“Children perform better in school, and communities experience better health and employment outcomes,” he said.
Lingiari MHR and special envoy for remote communities Marion Scrymgour said the government was improving housing across her giant electorate – which covers the entire Territory except the Darwin region, and includes the remote territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
“Providing remote Territorians with access to suitable housing is the first step in building strong, vibrant communities,” she said.
