Transforming the Alice Springs town camps

The Australian and Northern Territory Governments today announced the details of the final package of housing and refurbishment works for the Alice Springs town camps.

The Governments will build 85 new houses, 101 rebuilds and 33 refurbishments to tackle the acute overcrowding and sub-standard housing which has prvented town camp residents from having the most basic human right – the right to a safe and healthy life.

As a result all 200 existing houses in the town camps will be rebuilt or refurbished through this new package and a previously funded housing upgrade program.

Eighteen new houses and 19 rebuilds have already been completed or are underway.

Town camp residents have been closely consulted throughout the development of this housing package.

All new houses will include landscaping and will be built to Australian design standards for disability access with wide doors and corridors and accessible bathroom and kitchen areas. Additional features such as wheelchair ramps, will be provided for tenants who require them.

Forty-three three-bedroom homes and 42 two-bedroom homes will be built to provide suitable housing for different sized families.

Earlier this year the Federal and Northern Territory Governments completed a major clean up and ‘fix and make safe’ program in all town camps, under the $150 million Alice Springs Transformation Plan.

The Governments are currently finalising the details of significant infrastructure work to improve power, water, sewerage, drainage, street lighting and roads in the town camps.

A key part of the transformation of the town camps is providing jobs and training opportunities for the local Indigenous community.

Twenty-three of the 40 staff currently employed to work on the Alice Springs town camps are Indigenous, and this is expected to grow as construction increases.

Decent housing is essential for protecting children, improving health, education and employment and rebuilding positive social norms.

Families can’t function normally in overcrowded, dilapidated housing where you can’t cook a meal or children can’t sleep safely at night.

The Governments are committed to transforming the town camps to provide families and children with the best chances in life.

The housing and refurbishment work will be supported by a range of tenancy reforms implemented by the Northern Territory Government to ensure consistency of housing allocations, rents, maintenance schedules and safety standards.

This housing and refurbishment package will be supported by a new Alice Springs visitor park which will provide short-term accommodation for up to 150 people, as well as an injection of more than $25 million to improve social support services in the town camps and across Alice Springs.

Further information on the Alice Springs Transformation Plan is available at Department of the Chief minister – NT Government website