“ Labor will address overcrowding and create jobs in remote Indigenous communities with a $1.5 billion, 10-year investment.
Housing shortages and chronic overcrowding contribute to poor outcomes in health, education, employment and community safety for residents living in remote communities.
Labor’s Warren Snowdon (MHR) and Senator Malarndirri McCarthy
Download Press Release Here
Labor $1.5 billion, ten-year Housing investment.
” The Torres Strait Island Regional Council put it best in its statement outlining its federal election initiatives:
Homelessness and housing stress can profoundly affect the mental and physical health of individuals and families, as well as impact on their education and employment opportunities, and their ability to participate fully in the community “
See Housing: the first building block to better Indigenous health article Part 3
“ The Queensland Government remains committed to providing quality housing across our State’s remote communities under our 1.08 billion commitment over 10 years,
Federal Labor’s commitment will only strengthen the work we are already doing to assist those living in communities such as across Leichardt
“For 50 years, Australian governments have joined with us to provide homes in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,”
Deputy QLD Premier and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Jackie Trad said quality of living simply can’t be achieved if people don’t have a roof over their heads. Part 4
“WA has consistently argued that the Commonwealth has historic and moral obligations to provide ongoing funding support for remote communities that, in WA, are home to an estimated 12,000-14,000 of the country’s most disadvantaged people.
“It is gratifying to see that a Federal Labor Government will recognise and honour that responsibility – something the Morrison Government has flatly refused.”
McGowan Government welcomes Federal Labor pledge to support remote housing in WA ” See Part 5 Below
NACCHO Recommendation 5.Improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing and community infrastructure
- Expand the funding and timeframe of the current National Partnership on Remote Housing to match at least that of the former National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing.
- Establish and fund a program that supports low cost social housing and healthy living environments in urban, regional and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
See all 10 NACCHO #VotesACCHO Recommendations HERE
In 2014-15, more than half of Indigenous Australians in very remote areas lived in overcrowded households, and overcrowding is the leading contributor to Indigenous homelessness.
They said a Labor Government would:
- Provide a decade of funding certainty to the Northern Territory, by committing an additional $550 million over 5 years from 2023-24, double the commitment by the Liberals.
- Provide $251 million in funding to Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia in 2019-20.
Following these interim arrangements, Labor will work with the States and Territories to develop a genuine, ongoing partnership to tackle the issue of overcrowding, as part of the Closing the Gap Refresh.
When last in office, Labor initiated the National Partnership Agreement for Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH), which saw a record $5.4 billion invested over 10 years to reduce overcrowding and address chronic housing shortages.
An independent review of NPARIH in 2017 found it had built or refurbished 11,500 homes in remote areas, successfully decreasing the proportion of overcrowded households in remote and very remote areas.
The review also found that a further 5500 houses are needed to meet the existing shortfall of housing and accommodate future population growth by 2028.
Part 2 2019 World Indigenous Housing Conference.
The 2019 World Indigenous Housing Conference will bring together Indigenous leaders, government, industry and academia representing Housing, health, and education from around the world including:
- National and International Indigenous Organisation leadership
- Senior housing, health, and education government officials Industry CEOs, executives and senior managers from public and private sectors
- Housing, Healthcare, and Education professionals and regulators
- Consumer associations
- Academics in Housing, Healthcare, and Education.
The 2019 World Indigenous Housing Conference #2019WIHC is the principal conference to provide a platform for leaders in housing, health, education and related services from around the world to come together. Up to 2000 delegates will share experiences, explore opportunities and innovative solutions, work to improve access to adequate housing and related services for the world’s Indigenous people.
Event Information:
Key event details as follows:
Venue: Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
Address: 2684-2690 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach QLD 4218
Dates: Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd May, 2019 (24th May)
Registration Costs
PLEASE NOTE: The Trade Exhibition is open Tuesday 21st May – Thursday 23rd May 2019
Please visit www.2019wihc.com for further information on transport and accommodation options, conference, exhibition and speaker updates.
Part 3 Housing: the first building block to better Indigenous health April 24
Craig Johnstone Media Executive at Local Government Association of Queensland
Both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Bill Shorten were in northern Australia recently (Darwin and Townsville respectively).
Both have brought their chequebooks, but there is one pressing policy issue that impacts many people in north Queensland and the NT but has received scant attention, not only during this campaign, but for many months.
So far in this campaign, there have been many announcements on indigenous policy: promises of better funding for mental health services, hospital upgrades, a plan to address rheumatic heart disease and a range of other public health initiatives.
Bill Shorten has said that West Australian Senator and long-time Aboriginal advocate Pat Dodson would become indigenous affairs minister under a federal Labor government.
Scott Morrison, too, has zeroed in on the scourge of suicide in indigenous communities, promising millions of dollars to address mental health.
The Guardian last week published a rundown of the pronouncements of Labor, the LNP and The Greens propose on indigenous policy.
But missing from the raft of promises by both sides of politics is an acknowledgment that the simple provision of proper shelter has a powerful impact on the physical and mental health of everyone, including indigenous communities.
Overcrowding, homelessness and generally inadequate housing are among the most persistent problems indigenous communities confront. There was a program to tackle this. The National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing provided billions of dollars of investment in building new homes and maintaining existing homes in these communities.
The Government’s own review of the program showed it was making progress but that more work needed to be done to achieve lasting success.
On 30 June last year, it ceased. And neither of the major parties has gone anywhere near promising to revive it.
Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs counts shelter as among the most basic of human physiological needs. Unless this need is met, people are not motivated to achieve higher level needs, like financial and emotional security, health and well-being.
The Torres Strait Island Regional Council put it best in its statement outlining its federal election initiatives: Homelessness and housing stress can profoundly affect the mental and physical health of individuals and families, as well as impact on their education and employment opportunities, and their ability to participate fully in the community.
The latest Closing the Gap report stated that indigenous Australians are three times more likely to experience overcrowding than non-indigenous Australians. This despite the report and all sides of politics acknowledging that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people need to secure appropriate, affordable housing as a pathway to better lives.
Yes, the investment proposed is significant _ $5.5 billion nationally over the next 10 years. But what price better health and education outcomes for indigenous communities?
Part 4 : The Palaszczuk Government has welcomed Federal Labor’s commitment to address overcrowding in remote communities.
The $1.5 billion, ten-year investment will go a long way towards closing the gap in remote housing disadvantage across Queensland.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Jackie Trad said quality of living simply can’t be achieved if people don’t have a roof over their heads.
“The Queensland Government remains committed to providing quality housing across our State’s remote communities under our 1.08 billion commitment over 10 years,” Ms Trad said.
“Federal Labor’s commitment will only strengthen the work we are already doing to assist those living in communities such as across Leichardt
“For 50 years, Australian governments have joined with us to provide homes in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” she said.
Housing Minister Mick de Brenni said that all ended last year under the Federal LNP.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders have said it was profoundly disappointing to see the Morrison Coalition turn its back from a shared responsibility to Queensland’s remote communities.
“Queensland Labor has joined calls to the Federal Government to continue to fund remote indigenous housing and I wrote and met repeatedly with the outgoing Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion over the past 12 months. All he showed Queensland’s First Nations people was contempt.
“It’s pretty clear that Prime Minister Scott Morrison seems comfortable being the first PM in half a century to turn his back on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
“And what’s just as bad is that Deb Frecklington’s Queensland LNP has continually refused to reach out to their colleagues in Canberra and ask them not to turn their backs on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
“Further, the Queensland LNP has stood by and done absolutely nothing while their Morrison Coalition in Canberra stripped $1.6 billion from housing funding for Queenslanders – a plan designed to wipe out remote communities.
Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said only a Shorten Labor Government has a plan for all Queenslanders.
“The Palaszczuk Government will provide pathways to secure better futures, to help close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queenslanders.
“Had Queensland been given our fair share from the Morrison LNP Government, we could have built 189 3-bedroom homes in remote communities in just one year,” Ms Lui said.
Mayor of Palm Island Shire Council Alf Lacey said an investment of $112 million in the 2019-20 Budget from the
Commonwealth coupled with the existing spend is all that would have been needed to address overcrowding – and save the 600 jobs in remote communities.
“It will change and save lives – this funding will help to address overcrowding, protect jobs and allow further economic investment in the region, while a longer-term agreement is negotiated,” Mr Lacey said.
Part 5. WA McGowan Government welcomes Federal Labor pledge to support remote housing in WA
- Offer would double Coalition’s commitment and offer long-term stability
- State continues unyielding position to hold Commonwealth accountable
- Housing is key to achieving Closing the Gap targets for Aboriginal people The McGowan Government’s fight for a better Commonwealth funding deal for remote communities across Western Australia has seen Federal Labor commit to deliver a national 10year, $1.5 billion agreement if it wins government on May 18.
The pledge was welcomed by Housing Minister Peter Tinley and Treasurer Ben Wyatt who have led the State’s fight for a better deal.
Federal Labor’s vow to provide additional funding contrasts starkly with the Federal Coalition which walked away from the previous 10-year, $1.1 billion funding deal when it expired on June 30 last year, claiming responsibility for remote communities rested solely with the State.
Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten confirmed today that a Federal Government led by him would address overcrowding and create jobs in remote indigenous communities with a $1.5 billion, 10year investment.
At least $120 million of that package would flow to WA in the coming financial year (2019-20), doubling the amount supplied by the Coalition Government as a one-off exit payment from the previous long-term agreement in December last year.
That $120 million offer only came after WA rejected the previous offer of $60 million payable over three years and launched a public campaign urging a new long-term agreement to help support some of Australia’s most disadvantaged people.
Tellingly, Mr Morrison and his Aboriginal Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion refused to negotiate a new long-term deal and provide financial certainty for the provision of housing in remote communities.
Poor outcomes in health, education, employment and community safety for those living in remote communities can be largely attributed to housing shortages and chronic overcrowding.
The McGowan Government currently spends about $90 million annually supporting housing and essential services such as power, water and waste management in about 165 remote communities across the State.
Comments attributed to Housing Minister Peter Tinley:
“If we are to have any chance of achieving the aspirational targets of Closing the Gap Refresh then we need to put roofs over people’s heads.
“This is not something the State can do, or indeed should do, on its own – it requires a working, collaborative, sustainable and enduring partnership with the Commonwealth.
“It’s great to see that Bill Shorten is stepping up and is willing to open doors, rather than walk away from this challenge the way Scott Morrison has.”