Overview - Housing & Service Infrastructure

Balancing community engagement & timely delivery

Overcrowding, poor housing infrastructure, and restricted access to affordable and appropriate housing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities remain a challenge to Governments and service providers. Improving and increasing existing housing stock is imperative if Australia is to Close the Gap on disadvantage.

Under the $5.5 billion National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing, State and Territory Governments qualify for Federal Government funding to build and refurbish houses, provided they achieve agreed performance indicators. In order to meet these targets and improve housing in both remote and urban communities, Governments and service providers need to be able to deliver innovative solutions, balance competing priorities, successfully and meaningfully engage with diverse communities, and translate community aspirations into real plans.

This conference will provide a broad range of perspectives about how to maximise the potential of existing agreements to build and maintain healthy homes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities throughout Australia.

“We know how important housing is so we want to make sure we have kitchens that parents can cook a decent meal in. Where children can sleep safely at night and mum and dad can have a decent night’s sleep and get up and go to work.”
Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin

“It is absolutely vital that the people whom governments are hoping to help in any given policy context are active players in the design and delivery of the policies and programs that result.”
Former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma

Be part of the discussion on how to:

  • Constructively engage with communities about their housing needs
  • Improve existing service delivery models for sustainable, deliverable outcomes
  • Train and develop local workforce capacity for better project management

What you will take away:

  • Strategies to transfer knowledge and skills to community members
  • Ways to create flexibility and encourage innovation in service delivery
  • An understanding of the cultural requirements of Indigenous communities in building design
  • Working relationships with other stakeholders

Who Should Attend?

This conference is specifically designed for senior representatives in:

  • Federal, State & Local Government
  • Land Councils
  • Construction Consortiums & Consultants
  • Service Provision
  • Advisory Committees
  • Aboriginal Community Housing Organisations

Who have responsibility for or interest in:

  • Housing & homelessness
  • Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander affairs
  • Town planning
  • Employment & training
  • Reform & evaluation
  • Policy & research
  • Stakeholder & community engagement
  • Service delivery & outcomes