❓ Question regarding funding and progress of Aboriginal housing projects in East Kimberley. The Minister provides an update on projects in Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing and Kununurra, highlighting completed and ongoing initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 673Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KIMBERLEY ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY HOUSING
This government is finding better ways of delivering housing that more appropriately meets the needs of Aboriginal families. Mr W.J. Johnston interjected. The SPEAKER : Take a seat, member for North West. Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first time; I would like to hear the question from the member for North West. The member for North West has the call. Mr V.A. CATANIA : Can the minister update the house on the progress being made in the provision of new Aboriginal housing in East Kimberley, including — (1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS
This government is finding better ways of delivering housing that more appropriately meets the needs of Aboriginal families. Mr W.J. Johnston interjected. The SPEAKER : Take a seat, member for North West. Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first time; I would like to hear the question from the member for North West. The member for North West has the call. Mr V.A. CATANIA : Can the minister update the house on the progress being made in the provision of new Aboriginal housing in East Kimberley, including — (1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected. The SPEAKER : Take a seat, member for North West. Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first time; I would like to hear the question from the member for North West. The member for North West has the call. Mr V.A. CATANIA : Can the minister update the house on the progress being made in the provision of new Aboriginal housing in East Kimberley, including — (1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
The SPEAKER : Take a seat, member for North West. Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first time; I would like to hear the question from the member for North West. The member for North West has the call. Mr V.A. CATANIA : Can the minister update the house on the progress being made in the provision of new Aboriginal housing in East Kimberley, including — (1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
Mr V.A. CATANIA : Can the minister update the house on the progress being made in the provision of new Aboriginal housing in East Kimberley, including — (1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
(1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
(2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
(1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected. The SPEAKER : Take a seat, member for North West. Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first time; I would like to hear the question from the member for North West. The member for North West has the call. Mr V.A. CATANIA : Can the minister update the house on the progress being made in the provision of new Aboriginal housing in East Kimberley, including — (1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
The SPEAKER : Take a seat, member for North West. Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first time; I would like to hear the question from the member for North West. The member for North West has the call. Mr V.A. CATANIA : Can the minister update the house on the progress being made in the provision of new Aboriginal housing in East Kimberley, including — (1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
Mr V.A. CATANIA : Can the minister update the house on the progress being made in the provision of new Aboriginal housing in East Kimberley, including — (1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
(1) How much money has been allocated to the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects? (2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
(2) How many houses will this funding result in? Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
I thank the member for North West for the question and for his great interest in ensuring that we do a better job in terms of quality of housing and number of houses in Indigenous communities. It is not part of this question, but his advocacy on behalf of the people of Roebourne to get the Ngarluma Aboriginal Sustainable Housing project up and running after many years of failed outcomes will be a long-lasting testament to his commitment to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia. (1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
(1)–(2) If we move further north, into East Kimberley, we get to the town of Halls Creek. Earlier this year I and the Minister for Housing travelled to Halls Creek to inspect the first of 18 new houses that were being constructed at the Mardiwah Loop community on the edge of Halls Creek. I encourage all members of Parliament to visit Halls Creek to see the progress of a project that was started under the previous government and that I think is continuing now under this government to make good some of the many challenges that exist in the Halls Creek community. The housing shortages and overcrowding at Mardiwah Loop have been well documented, along with the impoverished housing arrangements and consequent poor living conditions and what they mean for kids turning up at school in a condition to actually learn and people being able to hold down jobs. On all levels it was dysfunctional, to say the least. On my first visit to Halls Creek I visited Mardiwah Loop and saw 25 people living in one house. They are often under the care and control of a grandma, and that is certainly not something that is conducive to a positive environment. When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities. [See paper 2838.]
When we came to government in 2008, a stalemate had existed at Mardiwah Loop for over three years in which funds that had been allocated for eight new houses remained unused. The Kimberley Development Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Housing to facilitate a memorandum of understanding to enable residents to sign tenancy agreements. Getting that agreement signed was an important milestone, and I congratulate Joe Ross and the Kimberley Development Commission for facilitating that outcome. I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
I am pleased to inform the house today that all 18 houses have been completed and are occupied and that approximately 15 existing houses in the community of Halls Creek have been refurbished. The initiative has doubled the number of houses at Mardiwah Loop and brought housing occupancy numbers down to fewer than seven people per household. When I visited in 2007, that number was 25 people; it is now down to seven. It probably took too long, but at least we are starting to make some progress. A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
A further project being undertaken in the East Kimberley involves a $15 million allocation to progress the development of the Kimberley Aboriginal community housing projects in Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Kununurra. The project will build approximately 30 new houses for Aboriginal people who are either in the workforce or moving into the workforce. In effect, this is a transitional arrangement to provide an incentive for someone who seeks to move from welfare into the workforce and who will see the benefit of being able to access a house, as opposed to one of the current anomalies whereby their wage is not enough to afford to buy or to build a house, but is too much for them to be eligible to access public housing, which essentially means there is an in-built disincentive to move into the workforce. We are making sure that we break through that anomaly. The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
The government will partner with Bunuba Inc in Fitzroy and the Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra and the Shire of Halls Creek to fund houses on land contributed to the project by each of these parties; that is, Indigenous land brought to the table in a partnership arrangement with government to deliver 30 new houses. Work continues to progress on that project. The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation will contribute not only land, but some of the funds it received from the native title settlement under the Ord final agreement. The rollout of the project over the next two years is being driven and supported by the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Development Commission. The project is one that I hope will in the future expand into other communities with similar needs, based upon the successful completion of this project. The project utilises royalties for regions funding to support important additional housing infrastructure, local decision-making and local project delivery. For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
For the benefit of the house I will table a picture of the little donga in which 10 people of the Deegan family were sleeping. Actually, the family were living in worse accommodation than in this picture; this is where the kids were living in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. The power to the donga was supplied by old frayed power cords that ran through puddles of water. They are the conditions in which the Deegan family lived. Off the back of the very good work by the Kimberley Development Commission and the Department of Housing, this picture shows the Deegan family moving into their new house in Mardiwah Loop in Halls Creek. I hope that we can continue to get outcomes similar to this one for the Deegan family right across the north west of Western Australia. I thank the member for North West for his continued advocacy for better housing for Indigenous communities.
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