A major escalation in the rollout of the Territory Labor Government’s remote housing program will see $177 million worth of tenders awarded in the coming weeks.
Housing works at Nhulunbuy, Yirrkala, and Gunyangara, with an estimated value of $39 million, are expected to be announced tomorrow; with Minjilang, Gunbalanya, Ngukurr, Rittarangu, Beswick and communities in the Daly River Basin to follow.
Tenders will also soon be awarded for the Central Australian communities of Yuendumu, Yuelamu, Laramba, Nyirripi, and Hermannsburg.
The construction of new homes and extensions under the Room to Breathe program, along with related infrastructure works, will transform these communities into building hubs, with a focus on local employment.
Contract periods between three and five years enable sustainable jobs, and the opportunity to complete apprenticeships and other certifications.
These works are part of the Territory Labor Government’s $2.1 billion remote housing program, which includes a $550 million contribution from the Australian Government.
There is currently a pipeline of more than $454 million in remote housing works, including a $12 million tender at Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands, announced earlier this month.
Major works are already underway at Galiwin’ku, Maningrida, and across the Groote Archipelago.
Since coming to Government in 2016, the Territory Labor Government has delivered $982 million in housing works across a range of programs funded by the Territory and Australian Governments.
More than 2800 homes have so far been built, extended and upgraded, including works completed and underway.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Remote Housing Chansey Paech:
“The Territory Labor Government’s remote housing program is about building better homes, alleviating overcrowding, and improving liveability.
“It’s also about increasing the capacity and capability of our remote communities through jobs, training and business opportunities.
“These new contracts will continue our transformation of the NT’s housing landscape and create a pipeline of works over an extended period to allow locals to have long-term employment opportunities, enabling them to complete apprenticeships and certifications.”
