We will improve our homes and gardens for our families to enjoy through home pride and home ownership. We will clean up our streets, build parks for our children and lay memorials to our old people. Our village will be the best place in the world to live!
Housing reform is an important part of the Welfare Reform Agenda.
Our ultimate objectives are to close the gap on the Indigenous Australian housing situation, and to ensure equal opportunities with regard to Indigenous land. In addition to normalising the housing and infrastructure situation so that Indigenous Australians are not totally reliant on government housing, but can buy and own their own homes, Indigenous Australians must ultimately be allowed to use their land as an asset to participate in the real economy.
Some land should also be designated as communal and inalienable, in accordance with community aspirations. Town planning and registration of lots is required for this purpose. Mechanisms for individual and family ownership must be put in place. The ultimate objective is for Indigenous people to have equal rights with respect to their land. Individual ownership and commercial use should be achieved where appropriate, to ensure equal opportunities with mainstream Australia.
Progress has been made towards both home ownership and long-term housing leases. An important step in 2010 was the signing of tenancy agreements for all public housing. The key focus for us now is to make structural changes and resolve land tenure issues to progress the establishment of a private property market.
Many home improvements have been made through Pride of Place, a program supporting families to carry out small-scale projects that build skills, pride and confidence. Cape York residents contribute ‘sweat equity’ to improve backyards and neighbourhoods in Welfare Reform communities.
