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Albanese faces calls to fix broader NT housing crisis

Anthony Albanese faces calls to free up more housing supply in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine after unveiling a $4bn investment for social housing in remote communities over the decade.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media after touring a newly built community housing unit at Binjari near Katherine.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media after touring a newly built community housing unit at Binjari near Katherine.

Northern Territory builders have called on the federal government to develop an “urgent housing ­action plan” to increase supply in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine after Anthony Albanese unveiled a $4bn investment for social housing in remote communities.

The extra $4bn was welcomed on Tuesday by Northern Territory builders for providing a boost for the construction sector and the local economy, but they warned it would do “nothing to address the wider housing crisis”.

Northern Territory Master Builders chief executive Ben Carter said it would “take only a relatively small fraction of this $4bn to make a huge dent in the Territory’s housing crisis and activate a surge in private-sector housing that’s desperately needed”.

“Tackling the housing crisis can’t just be about social housing. Increased home ownership is vital as a driver of social and economic wellbeing,” he said.

“Much of Australia’s national security is now oriented to Northern Australia and $6.2bn is forecast to be spent by the Australian and US Departments of Defence on infrastructure and facilities over the next five years.

“Increased housing supply in Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine is fundamental to bringing and keeping the population needed to construct and sustain defence infrastructure. The federal government needs an urgent housing action plan with the NT government to support the delivery of ­defence infrastructure and force posture in the north, which is fundamental to national security.”

Speaking in the community of Binjari, near Katherine, the prime Minister committed the federal government to ­investing $4bn with the NT government to help deliver 270 homes a year over the next decade in remote communities.

Mr Albanese has reframed his Indigenous affairs agenda following the defeat of the voice to parliament referendum in ­October to focus more strongly on practical issues such as jobs, education, housing and justice.

Under the new plan, the government claims the cost of each new home would amount to about $817,000 per 3 bedroom house – despite Mr Albanese not contesting a costing of close to $1.5m per house – leaving left over funds for repairs and maintenance.

Mr Carter said the cost of building was “very high” ­because of the difficulties in getting building materials to work sites. “These communities are often without basic infrastructure so it’s as much community building as it is home building,” he said. “It’s not a casual undertaking but they are challenges that the Territory’s construction sector overcomes every day.”

Mr Albanese said the high cost of building was a result of the isolation of the remote communities and that the government was “looking at three-bedroom homes on average”.

“Many of them, of course, are in very remote communities,” he said. “And with that comes additional costs. We accept that.”

Acting opposition spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians Perin Davey reaffirmed the ­Coalition’s call for an audit of funds being spent to help Indigenous Australians “so we can understand where government money and resources can be better used”.

Read related topics:Anthony Albanese

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/albanese-faces-calls-to-fix-broader-nt-housing-crisis/news-story/f760b4f30492bd90ca337e5886a15506