❓ The Minister for Housing provides an update on the North West Aboriginal Housing Fund's expression of interest, highlighting the number and quality of submissions received and the Indigenous corporations involved. The Minister also criticises the opposition's past record on Indigenous affairs and challenges them to present a plan for regional WA.
AnsweredQoN 1009Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING — NORTH
WEST ABORIGINAL HOUSING FUND
1009. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the recent expression of
interest call from the north west Aboriginal housing fund. Can the minister
update the house on the outcome of that expression of interest?
WEST ABORIGINAL HOUSING FUND
1009. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the recent expression of
interest call from the north west Aboriginal housing fund. Can the minister
update the house on the outcome of that expression of interest?
AnswerView source ↗
With great pleasure, I answer the member
for Pilbara's question and acknowledge his enduring support for all
communities right across the Pilbara in both the towns and remote communities
that he supports. I am delighted indeed to
inform the house that the north west Aboriginal housing fund held an expression
of interest call in March this year and was overwhelmed by both the
number of submissions, which was 50, and the quality of those submissions. They
were assessed by an interagency panel that included specific regional and, of
course, Indigenous advisers. I remind members that the north west Aboriginal
housing fund is a $200 million fund—$175 million of state money and $25 million of commonwealth money—that
was established to deliver a range of affordable housing , first-time
employment opportunities, education and employment-related accommodation in the
Kimberley and Pilbara areas. I acknowledge that the program is really important
because it is designed to create pathways towards social and economic
independence and wellbeing of Aboriginal people in Western Australia. For the
benefit of members, of course the north west Aboriginal housing fund has a significant
bias towards supporting employment for
Aboriginal people by Aboriginal corporations. I am delighted to announce the
number of Indigenous corporations , entities
and businesses that are engaged in this process and their collaboration with
each other to create this outcome is absolutely heartening. I refer to,
for example, Leedal Part Ltd, Indigenous Business Australia and Marra Worra Worra
Aboriginal Corporation will develop dwellings in Fitzroy Crossing. The
Wirlu-Murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation will develop apprentice and
employee transition accommodation in Roebourne, and the Gumala Aboriginal
Corporation has a proposal for transitional housing, a childcare facility and
age-appropriate accommodation in Tom Price. Karmulinunga Aboriginal Corporation
has a wraparound service to support people in private housing in a range of
Pilbara locations; and the Royal Life Saving Society of WA has a Pilbara youth
engagement and employment strategy. We are working with more that we could not
fit into the program in this round because of the bandwidth and the capability
to assess them. We will work with them to make sure that they are working up
their proposals into the future. It is very heartening to see.
I should, of course, acknowledge
that the north west Aboriginal housing fund was, in large part, delivered by
the work of the Nationals WA. A sign of a good public policy is its ability to
transfer between administrations. I now invite the National Party to get off
the piazza, give us its plan for regional Western Australia and its plan for Aboriginal communities—and, along the way,
can it bring the Liberal Party with it? We are looking forward to the Nationals
getting with its partner and creating a genuine opportunity for Aboriginal
people, particularly in the regions , to support their transition to
closing the gap. We know that there is a history of indolence from the Liberal
Party around supporting Aboriginal people. In fact, in 2015—we will
never, ever forget—former Premier Barnett and the Liberal Party rolled
over to the commonwealth and had its tummy tickled and rubbed for $20 million a
year for the commonwealth to give away its responsibility of supporting remote
communities. We look forward to them coming together to create a genuine
opportunity for all Western Australians, not just the ones who are part of the
elite of the particular groups that they support. They have to support them
all; otherwise, it will continue to be irrelevant into the future.
for Pilbara's question and acknowledge his enduring support for all
communities right across the Pilbara in both the towns and remote communities
that he supports. I am delighted indeed to
inform the house that the north west Aboriginal housing fund held an expression
of interest call in March this year and was overwhelmed by both the
number of submissions, which was 50, and the quality of those submissions. They
were assessed by an interagency panel that included specific regional and, of
course, Indigenous advisers. I remind members that the north west Aboriginal
housing fund is a $200 million fund—$175 million of state money and $25 million of commonwealth money—that
was established to deliver a range of affordable housing , first-time
employment opportunities, education and employment-related accommodation in the
Kimberley and Pilbara areas. I acknowledge that the program is really important
because it is designed to create pathways towards social and economic
independence and wellbeing of Aboriginal people in Western Australia. For the
benefit of members, of course the north west Aboriginal housing fund has a significant
bias towards supporting employment for
Aboriginal people by Aboriginal corporations. I am delighted to announce the
number of Indigenous corporations , entities
and businesses that are engaged in this process and their collaboration with
each other to create this outcome is absolutely heartening. I refer to,
for example, Leedal Part Ltd, Indigenous Business Australia and Marra Worra Worra
Aboriginal Corporation will develop dwellings in Fitzroy Crossing. The
Wirlu-Murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation will develop apprentice and
employee transition accommodation in Roebourne, and the Gumala Aboriginal
Corporation has a proposal for transitional housing, a childcare facility and
age-appropriate accommodation in Tom Price. Karmulinunga Aboriginal Corporation
has a wraparound service to support people in private housing in a range of
Pilbara locations; and the Royal Life Saving Society of WA has a Pilbara youth
engagement and employment strategy. We are working with more that we could not
fit into the program in this round because of the bandwidth and the capability
to assess them. We will work with them to make sure that they are working up
their proposals into the future. It is very heartening to see.
I should, of course, acknowledge
that the north west Aboriginal housing fund was, in large part, delivered by
the work of the Nationals WA. A sign of a good public policy is its ability to
transfer between administrations. I now invite the National Party to get off
the piazza, give us its plan for regional Western Australia and its plan for Aboriginal communities—and, along the way,
can it bring the Liberal Party with it? We are looking forward to the Nationals
getting with its partner and creating a genuine opportunity for Aboriginal
people, particularly in the regions , to support their transition to
closing the gap. We know that there is a history of indolence from the Liberal
Party around supporting Aboriginal people. In fact, in 2015—we will
never, ever forget—former Premier Barnett and the Liberal Party rolled
over to the commonwealth and had its tummy tickled and rubbed for $20 million a
year for the commonwealth to give away its responsibility of supporting remote
communities. We look forward to them coming together to create a genuine
opportunity for all Western Australians, not just the ones who are part of the
elite of the particular groups that they support. They have to support them
all; otherwise, it will continue to be irrelevant into the future.
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