Funding Delays Pressure Indigenous Housing

Member for Lingiari and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs Warren Snowdon said today last-minute delays in approving funds for the 2006-07 Community Housing and Infrastructure Program (CHIPS) put increased pressure on Indigenous housing and housing organisations.

Mr Snowdon said it was difficult to reconcile the dithering over approvals with Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough's professed concern about service delivery in remote areas.

'Last Friday, the day before the new financial year started, organisations depending on CHIPS funding were told the department was still considering their submissions and would let them know in the near future,' He said.

'This is just not good enough.

'They wouldn't treat mainstream local councils like this and there's no way they should treat Aboriginal councils and housing organisations like this either.

'All organisations need certainty if they are to plan their operations and deliver services effectively.

'They thought they knew where they stood – they've always had clear timetables for submissions and there was scope for negotiation.

'We're talking about organisations with a good track record, people who have proved their worth in delivering services under often difficult conditions.

'Keeping them dangling threatens their ability to provide basic municipal services and support outstations because they can't budget and they can't offer staff any security

'Funding delays also mean more pressure on housing stock and that could mean more remote area people migrating into town areas and in turn putting more pressure on town housing.

'If the Minister is serious about improving Indigenous housing, he'll tell the Department in no uncertain terms that a 'cheque's in the mail' approach just isn't good enough,' Mr Snowdon said.

2006-07-04