Mr BAYLEY – I have some questions about Aboriginal housing, particularly on Cape Barren. The Budget holds a one-off payment to help the Cape Barren Island community plan the design, delivery and ongoing maintenance of municipal and essential services and housing. This is welcome and acknowledged, but there’s nothing in the forward Estimates to actually deliver on what is planned, noting that housing is a significant constraint on Cape Barren Island in terms of Aboriginal people returning there to work or people wanting to return there with their families.
Funding of $1 million will help plan and articulate some housing needs, but with construction costs massively inflated on an island like Cape Barren, it’s unlikely to fund many or any houses. Will you commit to funding for housing on Cape Barren to deliver on what this plan comes up with?
Mr ELLIS – Providing safe and appropriate housing and homelessness services for Aboriginal Tasmanians is one of the Tasmanian government’s top priorities, and it’s a key focus of the 20‑year Tasmanian Housing Strategy. Homes Tasmania is committed to delivering a net increase of 10,000 social affordable homes by 2032, and this will include delivering much‑needed housing for the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.
The Tasmanian government is committed to growing the capacity and capability of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community in line with the recommendations of the national Closing the Gap agreement and the Tasmanian Closing the Gap implementation plan. Consistent under all of these commitments is the aim for the Closing the Gap peak to lead a statewide Aboriginal housing review and the development of an Aboriginal housing policy, which is an action under the Housing Strategy Action Plan 2023-27. It’s not directly related to a budget or an election commitment.
I’ll also note that at 31 July 2024, there were 337 Aboriginal housing properties, including 165 Homes Tasmania properties, 172 community housing provider properties and 36 Indigenous community housing properties as at the latest reporting period of 30 June 2023.
I’ll pass over to Mr Healey if there’s anything further to update from a DPAC perspective.
Mr HEALEY – Only more broadly, you mentioned that we have been supporting Cape Barren Island in terms of providing essential infrastructure services for a number of years now, supported by funding that was a one‑off funding provided by the Commonwealth. That funding has now been spent, and as you quite rightly pointed out, there is an allocation in the Budget to allow us to continue to support those services whilst we work with the island and work with appropriate engineers and the Department of State Growth on what the long‑term solution needs to be for –
Mr BAYLEY – So, nothing in the forward Estimates to deliver that, though?
Mr HEALEY – We’ll need to work with the Commonwealth and we’ll need to work with the island on what that solution is. We’re not entirely sure what the solution needs to be moving forward.
Mr BAYLEY – On Cape Barren, I understand that of the Homes Tasmania – or what used to be Homes Tasmania – properties, they were all transferred to the Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association on request so that they can fulfil their role as self‑determination and allocation, noting that they are houses built on designated Aboriginal land. I understand that a couple of the more recent properties – I think there are about six, are still in Homes Tasmania’s ownership, and yet had been agreed for transfer to the Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association. Can you commit to delivering on that transfer so that the association on Cape Barren has ownership and full self‑determination over those houses?
Mr HEALEY – That issue has come up in the discussions around the essential infrastructure, and certainly we are really keen to work collaboratively with the Cape Barren Island Association to find solutions for all of these and to make sure that we’re working with the island in a manner that’s entirely consistent with our obligations under Closing the Gap. No commitment has been made, but certainly there’s been really constructive discussions around the future of the island and the services on the island.
Mr BAYLEY – The association is determined to maintain its role as the entity that sets the amount of rent and also allocates the tenancy. Can you commit to that being an ongoing right of the Cape Barren Island Association to manage those houses in that way, making all of the decisions in terms of rent‑setting and allocation?
Mr ELLIS – Is this in regard to the six?
Mr BAYLEY – This is in regard to the six, yes.
Mr HEALEY – I think a very similar answer, in that the discussions are how we set the island up well and how we set them up sustainably, and how we work with them, as I said, in a way that is entirely consistent with our principles under Closing the Gap, so empowering that community to own their future.
Mr BAYLEY – Just to be clear, which agencies are having those discussions?
Mr HEALEY – The Department of Premier and Cabinet is supporting the relationship with the Cape Barren Island Association, and the Department of State Growth is currently leading the review of the essential infrastructure in terms of the ongoing solutions. Of course, we’re working with Homes Tasmania as well on the issues associated with the houses on the island.
