Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Scullion for the question. The Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program is delivering significant improvements in housing for Indigenous communities right across the Northern Territory. The program is on track to meet its target of 750 new homes, 230 rebuilds and 2,500 refurbishments in remote communities by 2013. New housing targets were exceeded in the last financial year. To date, SIHIP has delivered 82 new homes and 645 rebuilds and refurbishments, improving the quality of life for hundreds of Indigenous families in more than 30 communities and town camps. The government, of course, is committed to continually improving the delivery of SIHIP.

In terms of functional refurbishments which Senator Scullion has raised, functional refurbishments target the elements of a house that will have the greatest impact on tenants’ wellbeing: fixing safety faults and ensuring bathrooms, kitchens and laundries are functional. Refurbishments range in cost from $20,000 to $100,000 per house, at an average cost of $75,000 across the program. This includes labour, materials and all other associated costs. These funding parameters are not new. They were set by the SIHIP review in August 2009. This is an unprecedented spend, but funds are, of course, finite and they will be targeted to improving housing for tenants’ wellbeing. SIHIP is on target to build 750 new homes and make the refurbishments that the government committed to, as well as the 230 rebuilds.

As Senator Scullion knows, because it was raised during Senate estimates, there has been a great improvement in the level of Indigenous employment taking place through SIHIP. The target was 20 per cent Indigenous employment. SIHIP is delivering—(Time expired)