Anthony Albanese says $4bn commitment to NT remote housing key to close the gap

Anthony Albanese has hailed a $4bn investment in remote housing in the NT as a critical step to close the gap, in the most significant announcement for Aboriginal Australians since the referendum.

Anthony Albanese has hailed a $4 billion investment in remote housing in the Northern Territory as a critical step to close the gap, in the most significant announcement for Aboriginal Australians since the voice referendum defeat last year.

The Prime Minister landed in Binjari, near Katherine, on Tuesday morning to unveil the joint federal and NT government commitment which aims to halve overcrowding and build 2700 homes over the next decade.

“We want to close the gap,” Mr Albanese said.

“We want to have practical actions to improve the lives of First Nations people, and the first step in that – before you can address health problems, before you can address getting kids to school and getting people educated and getting people the opportunity of a good, well paying, secure job – is a secure roof over someone’s head.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to resident Stevie (left) as he tours a newly built community housing unit together with Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney and NT Senator Malarndirri McCarthy at Binjari near Katherine. PICTURE: Lukas Coch.

A focus on “practical” measures reflects a shift in focus from his election promise to implement the Uluru Statement – comprising an Indigenous voice, treaty and truth telling.

Asked about plans for a national treaty on Tuesday, Mr Albanese instead pointed to voice and treaty negotiations underway at the state and Territory levels.

Tuesday’s mammoth spending commitment works out to $1.5 million per house, a number Mr Albanese said took into account inflation, additional costs of working in very remote communities, repairs and maintenance for existing stock, and providing employment and skills to locals.

“We want to make sure that we get the right outcomes … that’s the objective here, to make a difference,” he said.

Albanese visited Binjari, near Katherine, to announce the landmark housing agreement on Tuesday. Picture: Justin Kennedy

Under previous funding agreements, 902 homes have been delivered to remote NT communities since 2017 out of 1617 approved – with the federal government responsible for more than two thirds of the completed builds.

The Territory government has spent just over half of the $1.1bn it pledged to invest in the decade to 2026-27.

Mr Albanese said the federal government would be “very much hands on” in the delivery of the new joint agreement.

Rusca Bros, a Darwin based construction company that builds prefabricated houses for remote communities, said they expected to expand their business to employ more locals.

“We’re thankful for the announcement today, which gives us an insight into the next 10 years and where we can possibly bring more apprentices on, and train more local and Indigenous kids in communities,” operations manager Derick Yates said.

He said construction and installation of the modular homes took about 12 weeks to turn around.

Local businesses expect to see more work over the next decade under to the housing agreement.

The Country Liberal Party said more should be done to recoup housing costs from remote tenants and that the housing spend was funnelling “more money into a broken system”.

“You can’t keep pouring money into a leaking bucket without fixing the leak,” Shadow Housing Minister Gerard Maley said.

Central Land Council chief executive Les Turner said the unprecedented spend on remote housing was “a most welcome step” for the 54 per cent of Indigenous Territorians who live in overcrowded homes.

He said it would help move the NT closer to the closing the gap target of 18 per cent overcrowding, and could also contribute to better outcomes in health, education, and employment.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese says $4bn commitment to NT remote housing key to close the gap