Mrs AAGAARD - 2005-02-10
What is Territory Housing doing about increasing the availability of short-term accommodation in Alice Springs?
Mr Elferink: Ah!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, obviously, the member for Macdonnell could not help himself from saying: ‘Ah’. He says that even when I deliver good news stories for Central Australia.
I thank the honourable member for Nightcliff for her important question. The Community Harmony Strategy, through its networks across government and communities, is helping to identify the need for different forms of accommodation, infrastructure and services. In Alice Springs, the redevelopment of Stuart Lodge was identified as an important response to the needs of mostly indigenous people who come into town for all sorts of reasons. With 34 bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room, the facility will make a real difference to these visitors. This redevelopment will cost the Northern Territory government a total of $2.2m and the Indigenous Housing Authority of the Northern Territory (IHANT) will put in $250 000 for the fit-out.
The redevelopment of Stuart Lodge is an example of some good commonsense thinking. We all know about the issues relating to land in Alice Springs, and they are issues that government is continuing to work with the native title owners on. In the meantime, we know there is a need out there for short-term accommodation.
Using an existing facility is an efficient and cost-effective way of working through to a timely solution. Stuart Lodge is well located, close to key community facilities, including the hospital. The design work for the redevelopment of Stuart Lodge is almost complete, and tenders are going to be called in March, with a contract to be let in May. The redevelopment of Stuart Lodge is recognition of the pathways that need to be bridged between remote communities and urban lifestyles. When people come into town, for whatever reason, they need to be accommodated so they can visit their friends and family, get their treatment, go to court, whatever, and enjoy a stable, clean and comfortable living environment and then go back home.
This movement of people from communities to town and then back again is something that the Labor government recognises and is responding to intelligently. We also recognise the element that will make projects like Stuart Lodge work is partnership. The Northern Territory government and its individual agencies are not the sole experts on any issue, and certainly not issues as complex as mobility, antisocial behaviour and overcrowding. That is why the work between our agencies, together with IHANT and a range of other community organisations, is so vital.
The Accommodation Action Group, as a subgroup of Community Harmony Group, and the Quality of Life Group that has worked to progress this project has involved a range of organisations including NT Shelter, NTCOSS, Aboriginal Hostels Limited, ATSIC, Salvation Army, Tangentyere Council, Territory Housing, Anglicare, Office of Centre Australia, Centacare, KAAPU, the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, the NPY Women’s Council, the Alice Springs Aboriginal Urban Housing Association, Centrelink, the Drug and Alcohol Services Association, Reconnect the Alice Springs Youth Support Services, the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services, the Department of Justice and the Lhere Artepe native title holders.
Madam Speaker, as you can tell from the list, the Northern Territory government is quite exhaustively ensuring that we get the best advice on projects like Stuart Lodge.
Mr Elferink: Ah!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, obviously, the member for Macdonnell could not help himself from saying: ‘Ah’. He says that even when I deliver good news stories for Central Australia.
I thank the honourable member for Nightcliff for her important question. The Community Harmony Strategy, through its networks across government and communities, is helping to identify the need for different forms of accommodation, infrastructure and services. In Alice Springs, the redevelopment of Stuart Lodge was identified as an important response to the needs of mostly indigenous people who come into town for all sorts of reasons. With 34 bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room, the facility will make a real difference to these visitors. This redevelopment will cost the Northern Territory government a total of $2.2m and the Indigenous Housing Authority of the Northern Territory (IHANT) will put in $250 000 for the fit-out.
The redevelopment of Stuart Lodge is an example of some good commonsense thinking. We all know about the issues relating to land in Alice Springs, and they are issues that government is continuing to work with the native title owners on. In the meantime, we know there is a need out there for short-term accommodation.
Using an existing facility is an efficient and cost-effective way of working through to a timely solution. Stuart Lodge is well located, close to key community facilities, including the hospital. The design work for the redevelopment of Stuart Lodge is almost complete, and tenders are going to be called in March, with a contract to be let in May. The redevelopment of Stuart Lodge is recognition of the pathways that need to be bridged between remote communities and urban lifestyles. When people come into town, for whatever reason, they need to be accommodated so they can visit their friends and family, get their treatment, go to court, whatever, and enjoy a stable, clean and comfortable living environment and then go back home.
This movement of people from communities to town and then back again is something that the Labor government recognises and is responding to intelligently. We also recognise the element that will make projects like Stuart Lodge work is partnership. The Northern Territory government and its individual agencies are not the sole experts on any issue, and certainly not issues as complex as mobility, antisocial behaviour and overcrowding. That is why the work between our agencies, together with IHANT and a range of other community organisations, is so vital.
The Accommodation Action Group, as a subgroup of Community Harmony Group, and the Quality of Life Group that has worked to progress this project has involved a range of organisations including NT Shelter, NTCOSS, Aboriginal Hostels Limited, ATSIC, Salvation Army, Tangentyere Council, Territory Housing, Anglicare, Office of Centre Australia, Centacare, KAAPU, the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, the NPY Women’s Council, the Alice Springs Aboriginal Urban Housing Association, Centrelink, the Drug and Alcohol Services Association, Reconnect the Alice Springs Youth Support Services, the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services, the Department of Justice and the Lhere Artepe native title holders.
Madam Speaker, as you can tell from the list, the Northern Territory government is quite exhaustively ensuring that we get the best advice on projects like Stuart Lodge.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016