Workshops
7th and 10th June, 2010

Delivering safe and appropriate housing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is a challenge that continues to perplex Governments and service providers. In order to improve outcomes, a new approach is required; an approach which places communities, culture and sustainability at the core of the delivery model.

This workshop will challenge current thinking about housing provision and how best to engage with communities to deliver homes that best serve cultural and community requirements. It will also discuss the principles which should govern delivery models.

This workshop will help you:

• Understand the major shortcomings of current housing delivery models
• Develop ideas for a fresh approach to deliver housing
• Discuss and debate the merits of alternative housing delivery ideas and models

About your workshop leaders:

Since 1996, Paul Howorth has advised all levels of Government and many Indigenous organisations about strategies to achieve more appropriate and effective means of supporting Indigenous people in their quest for appropriate forms of development. Formerly a consultant and Associate Director with SGS Economics & Planning and now an independent consultant, his advice addresses categories of governance; housing, infrastructure and other physical resources; health and wellbeing; knowledge and education; and economic security and development.

The logistics and costs involved in constructing houses in remote communities can be formidable. However, by drawing upon the bounty of the country Р the 'living ground' Р sustainable homes can be built; homes which won't require costly maintenance and upgrades because materials can be sourced from the surrounding area.

The 'living ground'; careful community consultation; and local training are the three key principles which make the Jack Thompson Homeland Building Project a success. It assists communities to develop the required skills to create appropriate shelters, thereby enabling them to transfer this skill-set to neighbouring clans and communities.

This workshop will help you:

• Develop comprehensive training programs to effectively up-skill local workers
• Understand the complex cultural requirements homes are expected to provide in remote communities
• Make use of the 'living ground' to construct sustainable, cost-effective dwellings
• Effectively use community advice in housing design
• Ways to deliver culturally appropriate housing models

About your workshop leaders:

John Mofflin is the General Manager of the Jack Thompson Foundation, an organisation he co-founded with Australian icon Jack Thompson in 2008. Lava Kohaupt is the Foundation's CEO and former director of Darwin's Melaleuca Refugee Centre.

The Foundation works in collaboration with Indigenous communities by their request and instigation. The Homelands Building Program incorporates community collaborative design and requirements, and all structures are built according to location specific and residents requirements. The program draws upon the expertise of trained community volunteers and participating trainees, guided by the Jack Thompson Foundation Project Officers and Volunteer Master Builders, with technical assistance from volunteer engineers and architects.К