Indigenous housing update from the Australian Government

March 12th, 2013

The attached letter
reveals 

1) The new build target numbers (1,450) are close to half of the national target number and the refurbishments completed now exceed the target numbers. 

“Under the Agreement, up to 4,200 new houses will be constructed and more than 4,800 existing houses will be rebuilt or refurbished. 

 As at 30 September 2012, 1,450 new houses and 4,874 refurbishments or rebuilds have been delivered since the Agreement
was introduced in 2009.”

2) Quality is assured (by each state and territory) and therefore the new and upgraded houses will perform better than houses tested by HH over the last 13 years.

“Quality Assurance frameworks have been developed by each state and the Northern Territory Government to ensure that all houses are constructed to an appropriate standard required under the Agreement to improve the sustainability and life span of remote housing.”

3) The National Indigenous Housing Guide is being reviewed (this year) and is still a key compliance document in the national program.

“The review of the Guide is in the early stages of planning. The process, throughout 2013, will include consultations with stakeholders such as the state and Northern Territory governments and others involved in the delivery of remote Indigenous housing.
The Guide forms part of a broader framework to steer the delivery of quality housing in remote Indigenous locations that acknowledges the unique environmental conditions and requirements in these remote areas.”

This all sounds great …$3bn (approx?) of money well spent.  Healthabitat is about to pose some questions of our own about the quality of the houses produced based on assembled data from recent house testing …stay tuned.

Read the full letter from the Minister’s office here 

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