Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

Whilst this is departing substantially from the legislation, I will discuss it briefly. In addition to the $300 million, the senator may recall some announcements about the change in the policy for the Community Housing and Infrastructure Program. The CHIP is now being targeted at remote Australia, rather than at urban and metropolitan Australia. Indigenous housing in urban and metropolitan Australia is now mainstream, with other public housing. The vast majority of the CHIP now—which is the $1.6 billion—will flow to remote regions, and a large percentage of that will go to the Northern Territory. So, whether it is new money or not, I hope you can take something from that—the $300 million. It is redirected money.

The other thing that is very important is that we will not be continuing to do the CHIP in the same way it was invested under ATSIC. The building of $500,000 to $600,000 homes that have only three bedrooms will not be done anymore. We have the opportunity for some critical mass efficiencies, and we have the opportunity for design efficiencies.