Mr GUNNER - 2015-02-25
You have visited some communities affected by Cyclone Lam, along with some of your colleagues, but the hard and urgent recovery work begins now. You said the cost of housing repairs in Galiwinku, Milingimbi and Ramingining is likely to hit $80m. There are 60 uninhabitable houses in Galiwinku. Can you please take us through the time line and cost breakdown for the urgent housing repairs to the permanent housing in these three communities?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. I am sure he, and everybody else, wants to know how everybody is in Galiwinku and what the situation is with their housing and accommodation, and that they are being looked after by the government. Since the Chief Minister has been out there recently, I will hand the question to him.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question to the Minister for Housing regarding the time line and cost breakdown for housing repairs.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank the Minister for Housing. I am taking on the role, through the Department of the Chief Minister, of coordinating the whole-of-government response to ex-Tropical Cyclone Lam and its recovery areas, especially around Milingimbi, Ramingining, Gapuwiyak and the extensive construction work at Galiwinku.
I updated the House yesterday on some of the uninhabitable dwellings – some with minor damage and some with none – and what could be utilised. I also spoke about assessments of the homelands properties, some of which had been inspected and some were still being inspected.
The initial assessment of housing was around the $80m mark in the four communities, which I also spoke about yesterday. Further assessments need to be put in place. The work around infrastructure, power, water, sewerage, cabling and telecommunications will include a lot of civil work. There are high costs involved in mobilising people, but it is still too early to put a cost figure on it. I am trying to provide an early estimation for you and the general public and media. It will be over $100m, but the exact figure to date is still not known. We need to identify a range of other infrastructure areas, which are being responded to on a priority basis, to make conditions safe for people. Once we conduct a full assessment of housing there, we will know.
It is anticipated that the camp, which should be up and running by Sunday afternoon, will be an immediate priority to allow people to get out of cyclone shelters. Beyond that, the next stage will be a more permanent camp – maybe two months in the shorter term. Getting into the camp component while housing construction is undertaken is the frame in which we are moving forward.
I thank all those providing assistance, especially those members of New South Wales Rural Fire Service who have provided the immediate accommodation, which we could not locate in the Northern Territory. In the future, we are looking at working and contracting with Territory businesses to keep jobs in the Northern Territory moving ahead.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. I am sure he, and everybody else, wants to know how everybody is in Galiwinku and what the situation is with their housing and accommodation, and that they are being looked after by the government. Since the Chief Minister has been out there recently, I will hand the question to him.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question to the Minister for Housing regarding the time line and cost breakdown for housing repairs.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank the Minister for Housing. I am taking on the role, through the Department of the Chief Minister, of coordinating the whole-of-government response to ex-Tropical Cyclone Lam and its recovery areas, especially around Milingimbi, Ramingining, Gapuwiyak and the extensive construction work at Galiwinku.
I updated the House yesterday on some of the uninhabitable dwellings – some with minor damage and some with none – and what could be utilised. I also spoke about assessments of the homelands properties, some of which had been inspected and some were still being inspected.
The initial assessment of housing was around the $80m mark in the four communities, which I also spoke about yesterday. Further assessments need to be put in place. The work around infrastructure, power, water, sewerage, cabling and telecommunications will include a lot of civil work. There are high costs involved in mobilising people, but it is still too early to put a cost figure on it. I am trying to provide an early estimation for you and the general public and media. It will be over $100m, but the exact figure to date is still not known. We need to identify a range of other infrastructure areas, which are being responded to on a priority basis, to make conditions safe for people. Once we conduct a full assessment of housing there, we will know.
It is anticipated that the camp, which should be up and running by Sunday afternoon, will be an immediate priority to allow people to get out of cyclone shelters. Beyond that, the next stage will be a more permanent camp – maybe two months in the shorter term. Getting into the camp component while housing construction is undertaken is the frame in which we are moving forward.
I thank all those providing assistance, especially those members of New South Wales Rural Fire Service who have provided the immediate accommodation, which we could not locate in the Northern Territory. In the future, we are looking at working and contracting with Territory businesses to keep jobs in the Northern Territory moving ahead.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016