WA’s government says it intends to build 500 new homes for Aboriginal families “living predominantly in the Kimberley”.
These are to be built by 2018.
People in the building trade are invited to attend Broome or Kununurra workshops this week.
You can read a media release here:
Construction workshops for the Kimberley
1 November 2013
Up to 500 new homes for Aboriginal people living predominantly in the Kimberley are in the Department of Housing’s sights between 2014 and 2018.
A panel of suitably qualified builders is to be established to construct the houses.
The Department will hold builder workshops in Broome on 6 November and Kununurra on 7 November to brief potential contractors on the strategy and procurement process under the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH) 2014-18 program.
NPARIH was established in 2008 as a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) initiative to provide substantial funding for Aboriginal housing over a 10 year period.
The workshops for industry will provide information on the timetable for the process and give direction on what should be included in tender submissions.
Graeme Jones, Director of Aboriginal Housing with the Department said the building work performed under NPARIH would improve the lives of Aboriginal people by building new homes and providing much needed employment opportunities.
“The main aims of NPARIH are to reduce overcrowding, provide new appropriate houses, repair and refurbish existing houses and implement better housing management for remote Aboriginal communities,” he said
“Under this program, the Department will support Aboriginal economic development by increasing the building work being delivered through Aboriginal businesses. The work will be carried out across the state but with a strong emphasis on the Kimberley.
“WA is the only State or Territory to exceed its targets in each of the past four years under the program and has clearly demonstrated that it can successfully construct housing in indigenous communities in some of the most remote and challenging parts of the country,” Mr Jones said.
Fact file:
•Workshop 1 will be held in the Coco Room at the Mangrove Hotel, 47 Carnarvon Street, Broome. The session will run from 9am to 11:30am on Wednesday, 6 November 2013.
•Workshop 2 will be held in the Argyle Room at the Pinctada Kimberley Grande Hotel, 20 Victoria Highway, Kununurra. The session will run from 7:30am to 10am on Thursday, 7 November 2013.