Nearly $9 million worth of tenders for housing maintenance services have been awarded today, covering remote communities in the Big Rivers region, Groote Archipelago and the Tiwi Islands.
The tenders, awarded to four Aboriginal Business Enterprises, will help to build the capacity of some of the Territory's most remote communities.
Remote housing maintenance services tenders have been awarded to:
· Bathurst Island Housing Association ($4,370,625);
· Anindilyakwa Housing Aboriginal Corporation ($2,362,500);
· Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation ($1,523,081); and
· Alawa Aboriginal Corporation ($498,750).
Three of the contracts were issued following select tendering in an effort to increase the participation of Aboriginal Business Enterprises in remote housing maintenance services.
Alawa Aboriginal Corporation underwent a public tender process which will see the organisation provide services to the Minyerri community, south east of Katherine.
Following a review of procedures, the NT Government has combined housing maintenance officer and trade panel functions into one contract for remote communities or community clusters.
For the first time, contractors will triage work requests through community-based maintenance service officers who will engage tradies to undertake repairs.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Remote Housing and Town Camps Chansey Paech:
"The works will provide safer, healthier housing as well as job and training opportunities for locals.
"The engagement and empowerment of communities is the linchpin of our remote housing program which is about increasing the capacity of locals to build, repair, maintain and manage their own homes. The days of workers coming into communities from hundreds of kilometres away to fix a tap are coming to an end.
"The Territory Labor Government's housing program has driven the most significant changes to remote communities ever seen in the Northern Territory while our Local Decision Making strategy is setting a new paradigm for the way we do business in the bush."
