$550M HOUSING BATTLE OVER
Gunner, PM finally sign remote deal
Residents the real winners in remote housing stoush
A REMOTE housing standoff between the Territory and Federal governments – which saw $550 million in funding frozen – is now over.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner and Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday signed the long-awaited National Partnership Agreement on Remote Housing in the Northern Territory, the Sunday Territorian can reveal.
The months-long stoush saw Mr Gunner accuse Mr Morrison of putting children’s lives at risk by withholding the cash from his June commitment of delivering $110 million a year for five years to build and maintain housing in remote NT communities.
But the Prime Minister insisted it was the NTG holding up the agreement by not agreeing to formalise involvement from the Territory’s four land councils or to indigenous employment targets.
Mr Gunner had written off the “unrealistic” Aboriginal employment targets as a “penalty system”.
Yesterday, both the Prime Minister and Chief Minister rushed to claim victory for the resolution of the agreement.
“The Territory Labor Government has fought long and hard for the housing funding that was promised to us nine months ago. We’ve now won that fight,” Mr Gunner said.
“When you invest in housing and address indigenous disadvantage, you are investing in generational change – and saving money in the long term.”
The PM said his government had always been committed to the agreement.
“After months of the Gunner Labor Government playing political games to distract from their own financial mismanagement they have finally agreed so we can now just get on with it,” Mr Morrison said.
“This agreement will help tackle the severe overcrowding that still persists in many remote NT communities by working with indigenous communities and by setting a strong 40 per cent indigenous employment target as a starting point.” The program currently averages 52 per cent indigenous employment.
The agreement means housing work – including new builds, extensions, upgrades and refurbishments – can continue.
The deal will see the Federal Government add $550 million to the NT Government’s investment of $1.1 billion for remote housing. In return, the NT Government will accept responsibility for remote housing leases until 2023.
The agreement now formalises the collaboration between governments and Aboriginal people from the Northern Territory, with the incorporation of local decision making at the community level and inclusion of the four NT land councils.
In a letter to the Prime Minister from the Territory’s four land councils they welcomed the agreement being signed but said they were hopeful the agreement might be reviewed over the course of time.
Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion said the Morrison Government had always been clear about ensuring the four land councils had a formal role in the delivery of housing on behalf of their communities.