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New houses built for the NT community of Wugularr in 2003. They were built by the now abolished ATSIC after rising flood waters. An intervention housing program has recently come under fire for failing to provide a single house for Aboriginal people. |
Housing failures have underminded NT intervention: Coalition
ISSUE 185. - 04 Sep 2009
NATIONAL, September 16, 2009: The Rudd government has undermined the intervention into remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory by bungling its $672 million housing scheme, the federal coalition says.
Opposition housing spokesman Scott Morrison has told parliament the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) was a national disgrace and Labor had let down Aboriginal Australia.
Not one house has been built since the 2007 election despite $45 million being spent already.
"This program has been an absolute disgrace, an absolute tragedy," Mr Morrison said on Tuesday.
"They (Labor) have absolutely trashed the intervention by their failure and incompetence to deliver this program."
Mr Morrison said $572 million of federal funds were at risk in the program, which is jointly run by the Northern Territory government.
The commonwealth had to take responsibility for letting down Indigenous Australians, he said.
"Promises matter little to the Australian people if they are not translated to promises delivered on the ground.
"It is most unwise to raise expectations amongst Indigenous people in this country."
But Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin defended the program and said it was only running three months
behind schedule.
"We are, with the Northern Territory government, determined to deliver on the commitment that we have made," Ms Macklin told parliament.
A senior official from her department had "forensically examined" SIHIP and found its design was sound.
"The program targets that have been set ... can and will be met," Ms Macklin said.
Some 750 new homes would be built by the end of 2013.
A further 230 would be rebuilt and another 2,500 refurbished.
Opposition Indigenous affairs spokesman Tony Abbott says there are six layers of management in the government's housing scheme.
Private companies were giving themselves a 20 per cent mark-up for profit and another 20 per cent for corporate overheads - "whatever that is".
Mr Abbott said the promised housing wouldn't be delivered any time soon, and certainly not for the promised $672 million price tag. - AAP
For more information, please see the related links.
Related Links
http://www.nit.com.au/News/story.aspx?id=18579
http://www.nit.com.au/News/story.aspx?id=18383
http://www.nit.com.au/News/story.aspx?id=18484
 
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