Outcome 9: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people secure appropriate, affordable housing that is aligned with their priorities and need

Target 9a: By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in appropriately sized (not overcrowded) housing to 88 per cent.

Minister responsible

Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness

Productivity Commission national progress against the target

The path forward

The Commonwealth has committed to a comprehensive housing agenda, bringing national leadership and a strong focus on stable and affordable housing for all, including First Nations peoples. The Commonwealth has committed to a number of strategic priorities including establishing a Housing Policy Partnership and a National Housing and Homelessness Plan which will also help accelerate progress towards achieving Target 9a. Housing is one of the priority areas for the Commonwealth’s gender impact assessment in the 2023–24 Budget, to include considerations of the needs of First Nations women. The Commonwealth recognises working with First Nations stakeholders will be a key component to the success of its commitments.

Priority actions

Working in partnership

The Housing Policy Partnership will bring together the Commonwealth, states and territories, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives to identify opportunities to work more effectively across governments to achieve positive housing outcomes. Establishing a Housing Policy Partnership between all governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will provide a forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a genuine say in the design and delivery of housing services, and is a key aspect of the Commonwealth commitment to achieving progress towards the housing target. Joint Council endorsed the establishment of the Housing Policy Partnership in December 2022.

Establishing the Housing Australia Future Fund

The Commonwealth’s ambitious housing agenda includes establishing the Housing Australia Future Fund, which will help build around 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties in the first five years.

Other Commonwealth commitments to improve housing outcomes for First Nations peoples include:

• $200 million of investment returns from the Housing Australia Future Fund to be used for the repair, maintenance and improvements of housing in remote Indigenous communities
• $100 million for housing and essential infrastructure on Northern Territory homelands, delivered through a new Federal Funding Agreement with the Northern Territory Government.

Housing Accord

The Housing Accord brings together all levels of government, investors, and the residential development, building and construction sector to unlock quality, affordable housing supply over the medium term. The Accord lays the groundwork to improving affordability by addressing Australia’s housing supply challenges and enabling the delivery of more social and affordable housing.

Remote housing agreement

The Commonwealth has committed to develop a new remote housing agreement with the Northern Territory Government when the current National Partnership expires on 30 June 2023. In accordance with Priority Reform One, the new agreement will be developed in consultation with the current National Partnership’s Joint Steering Committee (JSC). Membership of the JSC includes the four Northern Territory Aboriginal Land Councils and Aboriginal Housing Northern Territory, as the peak body for community-controlled housing organisations. The new remote housing agreement will continue to help address high levels of overcrowding in the Northern Territory, the greatest challenge to achieving Target 9a.

Key to facilitating the delivery of remote housing is the provision of essential services, and the further development of the Community Infrastructure Target 9b will address the complexity of the provision of essential services, where responsibilities rest with local, state and territory governments and the Commonwealth. Within the Commonwealth, responsibility is spread across a number of portfolios that will require a coordinated effort and alignment to co-design actions to impact the target. This will include detail on actionable and measurable steps, articulate responsibility across Commonwealth agencies and specify timeframes for delivery.

Northern Territory housing and essential infrastructure

The Commonwealth has also made a commitment to providing $100 million to the Northern Territory Government to progress urgent work on housing and essential infrastructure on Northern Territory homelands. This will be comprised of $25 million this financial year and $75 million allocated next financial year. The funding will focus on addressing the most urgent needs, informed by findings of a homelands audit being undertaken by the Northern Territory Government. A Federation Funding Agreement between the Northern Territory Government and the Commonwealth will be negotiated for the investment.

Housing Supply and Affordability Council

The Council’s primary purpose is to provide independent advice to the Commonwealth on matters relating to housing supply and affordability, and to undertake research on housing supply and affordability and monitor conditions in the housing sector.

The Council will work collaboratively with other Commonwealth bodies, state, territory and local governments and other stakeholders in the housing sector or homelessness sector to support the collection and publication of nationally consistent data on housing supply and affordability, and on the demand for affordable housing.

Delivering a National Housing and Homelessness Plan

The Commonwealth will also develop a National Housing and Homelessness Plan (the Plan). The Plan will present a shared vision for housing in Australia and will be developed in collaboration with key stakeholders, including First Nations peoples. In the development of the Plan, the Commonwealth will take into account the Productivity Commission’s review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement and its recommendations to improve housing and homelessness outcomes for First Nations peoples in line with the National Agreement. Development of the Plan will be informed by the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council.

Summary of new actions

*A full appendix of new and existing measures being undertaken by the Commonwealth to support Closing the Gap efforts is on the NIAA website, at Closing the Gap implementation measures.

Target 9b: By 2031, all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households:

• within discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities receive essential services that meet or exceed the relevant jurisdictional standard

• in or near to a town receive essential services that meet or exceed the same standard as applies generally within the town (including if the household might be classified for other purposes as a part of a discrete settlement such as a “town camp” or “town based reserve”).

Ministers responsible

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and Assistant Minister for Regional Development.

Productivity Commission national progress against the target

As this target was agreed in 2022, there is no Productivity Commission data currently available.

The path forward

The Commonwealth recognises that delivering on Target 9b will provide vital infrastructure to support liveable, safe, sustainable and healthy communities for all First Nations peoples.

First Ministers agreed to include the new Community Infrastructure target in the National Agreement on 24 August 2022. The initial focus for the target will be on the development of a new Community Infrastructure Implementation Plan, in collaboration with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and key stakeholders.

The Community Infrastructure Implementation Plan will address the complexity of the Community Infrastructure target with responsibilities resting with local, state and territory governments and the Commonwealth. Within the Commonwealth, responsibility and leverage is spread across a number of portfolios that will require a coordinated effort and alignment to co-design principles.

The implementation plan will provide a unifying mechanism and detail actionable and measurable steps, articulate responsibility across Commonwealth agencies and specify timeframes for delivery.

Priority actions

Target 9b Implementation Plan

The Commonwealth will work closely with NACCHO and other First Nations stakeholders on the design of the Community Infrastructure Implementation Plan. This will include the exploration of the Commonwealth’s key leverage points with local, state and territory governments, and potential future partnerships between the Commonwealth and First Nations peoples.

National Water Grid Fund – safe and reliable water for remote and regional First Nations communities

The Commonwealth is committing $150 million within the National Water Grid Fund to fund water infrastructure projects for regional and remote First Nations communities. This funding will help improve essential water services and water quality, which are often below Australian standards. The Commonwealth will work closely with stakeholders and state and territory governments to identify and deliver eligible projects.

Summary of new actions

*A full appendix of new and existing measures being undertaken by the Commonwealth to support Closing the Gap efforts is on the NIAA website, at Closing the Gap implementation measures.