Just over 200 kilometres south west of Darwin, the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾land of Bulgul has a population of about 20 people, where home improvements will transform the face of the community.
Two homes in Bulgul have received much needed infrastructure upgrades through the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾land Housing and Infrastructure Program, which will improve living conditions through the wet and dry seasons, provide room for family to visit, and provide basic necessities such as a hot water system.
One home received two additional bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs for improved accessibility. The other received a new back door for improved ventilation and a new hot water system.
³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands are remote living areas located on Aboriginal land, defined by traditional or historical ties. Previously, infrastructure was largely left to Aboriginal Territorians to design, build and manage.
Ten Bulgul homes will receive upgrades, which are expected to be complete in under a year.
Works in Bulgul are being done by Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation, which has a 15-year relationship with the Bulgul community and has employed 16 Aboriginal workers, four of which are Traditional Owners of Bulgul.
Housing in ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands are usually communally owned by the Aboriginal Land Trusts, proving a challenge for governments to support homelands with housing in the same way as remote communities, where the land is leased to the NT Government.
³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands were a Commonwealth Government responsibility until 2015, when the NT CLP Government took on responsibility in return for a cash-out of $155 million. Since coming to Government in 2016, the Territory Labor Government has made headway in improving housing across remote communities and advocating around the responsibility of ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands.
The Territory Labor Government undertook an independent review of ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands in 2019, and has since been working closely with Land Councils and the Commonwealth Government to improve housing in ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands.
Since coming to Government in 2016, the Territory Labor Government has steadily increased its annual investment in ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands from $26 million to $40 million a year, and secured additional funding of $100 million over two years from the Commonwealth in 2022, as well as $120 million over three years under the $4 billion remote housing partnership agreement with the Commonwealth from 2024.
The next three years will see an annual investment of $80 million in ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Remote Housing and ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands Selena Uibo:
“Our Territory Labor Government has taken charge of advocating around the government responsibility of ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands to make sure Territorians can have good homes in our ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands.
“We have lobbied the Commonwealth Government to invest in ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands and secured $100 million in 2022 for urgent repairs in ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands for a period of two-years.
“Our Territory Labor Government will always support ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands – we have secure $120 million for the next three years, and will continue to lobby so Aboriginal Territorians can have safe and secure housing in ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lands.”
Northern Territory Government
