NT government delivers remote housing in Yirrkala

There is a buzz of excitement around the Yirrkala community with three five-bedroom homes in the new 30 lot housing subdivision completed in January 2023.

The Northern Territory Government is delivering remote homes in Yirrkala. Picture: Contributed for sponsored post.

The Northern Territory government is delivering remote homes across the Northern Territory as part of the $2.1bn Our Community. Our Future. Our Homes. remote housing investment package, jointly funded with the Australian government.

One of the communities to recently see upgrades from the program is Yirrkala, located on the east coast of the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land, about 18km south of Nhulunbuy.

In June 2022, Territory contractor Earthbuilt Pty Ltd completed the construction of a new 30-lot residential subdivision in Yirrkala, providing serviced land to build new homes in the community.

The subdivision includes concrete paths and driveways, road side kerbing, formalised drainage and street lighting.

It forms part of the Northern Territory government’s commitment of $432.8m into land servicing and headworks infrastructure to support the remote housing investment package.

Northern Territory government’s commitment of $432.8m into land servicing and headworks infrastructure to support the remote housing investment package. Picture: Contributed for sponsored post.

Location of the lots was decided in consultation with the community through local decision making.

Local decision making is one of the key principles of the investment program which means community residents make decisions on how remote houses are designed, built and delivered for their community.

Residents are consulted on all aspects of design including built form (blockwork or modular) and number of bedrooms, right down to the colour of their homes.

WTD Construction was awarded the first package of works to construct 13 homes in the new subdivision.

WTD commenced construction in August 2022 and the first three, five-bedroom blockwork homes are now completed, ready to be handed over to tenants in February.

There is a buzz of excitement around the Yirrkala community; particularly among the families who have been pre-allocated the new homes.