Transcript New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council Statewide Conference

New South Wales
Aboriginal Land Council
Statewide Conference
Presentation by
Russ Taylor
CEO NSW Aboriginal Housing
Office March 2009
1
REFORMS IN
ABORIGINAL HOUSING
Focus on new Australian
Government/ State Government
Bi Lateral Arrangements for
Aboriginal Housing
2
New Bilateral Agreements
Former Commonwealth State Housing
Agreement (CSHA) now streamlined and
replaced by:
 New National Affordable Housing
Agreement (NAHA) – public performance
reporting to CoAG Reform Council
 NAHA underpinned by specific agreements
called National Partnership Agreements
(NP): time limited agreements to deliver
specific outcomes with funding tied to
performance benchmarks
 Funding from Cwlth Treasury to NSW Treasury

3
REFORM IN ABORIGINAL
HOUSING
NP Agreement(s) agreed In Principle (Nov 08)
but Implementation Plans (IP) involving the
specific funding, policy and performance
expectations are currently subject to
negotiations involving senior officials.
 IP need to be approved by Cwth
Minister/Premier by end of March 2009, and
 Include significant reform elements

4
New Housing Arrangements at a
glance
New National Affordable Housing
Agreement (NAHA) – 10 years but
 National Partnership Agreements (NP)

 Social
Housing – 2 years
 Homelessness – 5 years
 Remote Indigenous Housing – 10 years
 Note Related NPs (but not
 Remote Service Delivery
 Economic Development
Housing specific)
5
Broad details of NAHA NPs

Funding Availability to NSW under each NP
(as indicated November 2008)
Social Housing (2 years )
$130 m
 Homelessness (4 years )
$101 m
Aboriginal Specific funding in :
 Remote Indigenous Housing (10 years) $397 m

Note: All Implementation Plans still under negotiation
and some key issues remain to be settled.
6
KEY REFORM ELEMENTS
Purpose and focus of Remote Indigenous
Housing NP:
 Social inclusion and Indigenous
disadvantage (Closing the Gap)
 Address overcrowding, homelessness,
poor housing and housing shortages
 Sustainability & Viability
 Protection of Government
Investment
7
KEY REFORM ELEMENTS
Remote Indigenous Housing NP
Significant funding for remote needs
Purpose: New Construction &
Upgrades
Repairs & Maintenance*
(*across NSW)
Employment & Training elements
8
KEY REFORM ELEMENTS
New Govt Roles and Responsibilities
Key Element of NAHA and Remote
Indigenous Housing NP:
NSW Government to assume responsibility for
Indigenous Housing including the Indigenous
Community Housing Organisational (ICHO)
sector
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Key Reform Elements
Performance Reporting
 Arrangements (once agreed to) will
incorporate specific stringent reporting
and performance measures
(eg No of new houses, maintenance levels
achieved, reductions in overcrowding &
homelessness, reforms to tenancy
arrangements, training levels etc)
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KEY REFORM ELEMENTS
Provides for negotiation and agreement about
 Ensuring provision of robust and standardised tenancy
management (inc rent collection, asset protection,
governance arrangements and support) consistent with
‘public housing standards’
 developing and implementing land tenure agreements to
facilitate effective asset management, essential services,
home ownership and economic development
opportunities
 Provides for agreement on improving Aboriginal
employment opportunities through capital works
programs.
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KEY REFORM ELEMENTS
and will no doubt involve a focus on:
Individual tenancy management (inc
capacity to replace service provider if
required) and
 Headleasing over land/assets
(sufficient to protect government
investment)

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KEY MESSAGE FOR TODAY
From such Bi-lateral Agreement making, it is clear that
both the Australian Government and the NSW
Government:
 Seek to improve housing conditions in the Aboriginal
community sector
 Are providing significant resources
 Seek to work with the sector to deliver the required
improved conditions and
 Expect
to see significant improvements and
reform during the terms of these
agreements.
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