Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for External Territories) Share this | Hansard source

Recently, I attended an Indigenous housing forum in Darwin with first nations representatives from right across the Northern Territory. We were there to discuss issues to do with housing in their communities and their concerns about the lack of government funding and support—in particular, the failure of the current government here in Canberra to renegotiate the National Partnership on Remote Housing. This has particular resonance in the Northern Territory because, of all the remote housing needs across Australia, almost half are in the Northern Territory alone. Whilst the Commonwealth's review estimated 5,500 houses in the shortfall will reduce overcrowding to 15 to 30 per cent of what it is for the general population, the number needed if we are to get equity, so that overcrowding in the first nations communities is the same as the rest of the community, is close to 6,500 dwellings.

In the context of the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory Labor government has committed itself to put forward $1.1 billion over a decade for Indigenous housing in remote communities. In addition to that, there's $500 million for preparatory works, groundworks et cetera. There was a valid expectation, because of discussions they'd had with Minister Scullion, that this funding would be matched by the Commonwealth. And, indeed, Minister Scullion told the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory that he would be looking to fund on an equivalent basis. Not long after, the Prime Minister tells us that, in fact, that's not to be the case. The very best that's being offered to the Northern Territory at the moment is a guarantee of funding for two years. Of course, that falls far short of the mark. If we're ever to address the issue of overcrowded, inadequate and inappropriate housing in remote communities, we need the funds allocated.

Whilst it's a simplistic notion to say you can build a house, if you build new houses and provide appropriate, safe and secure accommodation for Aboriginal communities across the country, you'll have a dramatic improvement on health outcomes for First Australians. That, to me, is really what this is about. It's not a debate that should be had just about money; it's a debate that should be had about what we see as our priorities in closing the gap in Indigenous mortality rates, life expectancy et cetera. If we are fair dinkum about closing these gaps, what we need to do is understand the importance of the social determinants of health and the primary importance of providing adequate housing. If we don't provide adequate housing, we will not address the underlying issues involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. I speak particularly of rheumatic heart disease, renal failure and diabetes—the sorts of lifestyle diseases that come, in many parts, as a result of overcrowding.

We need to make sure that this government and the broader community understand that this is not an esoteric debate just about numbers. This is a debate about the reality of the lives of everyday Australians living now in areas where, in some cases, as the former speaker said, there are 17 to a house. I know of communities where there are 25 and 30 people to a house. It is simply unsustainable, yet we're not getting the response we should expect from the federal government, which claims that it's looking after the interests of all Australians. And what I do know is that the people who attended this conference in Darwin were very concerned about the failure of the federal government to respond adequately.

It was also clear, and this is part of the evidence which we've now seen—I don't believe that the Turnbull government has sufficient data on first-nation housing needs and the precise funding requirements. I think it's a very contested space, but what I do know is that there is a gross underestimation of what the liability is. Unless that liability is properly addressed and accepted in the first instance, and sufficient money allocated for providing housing through national partnership agreements—I have no issue about states making a contribution. They ought to. That's not the issue here. The issue here is making sure there is a partnership which provides adequate housing to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. My colleague from Herbert, I'm sure, will speak about Palm Island, which has particular issues and needs.

The bottom line is that we need these national partnership agreements to be re-established. We need the Commonwealth to commit to funding Aboriginal housing—first-nation housing—across this country and to live up to the expectations of the community to improve the life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people.

See this speech in context