Some 14 First Nations families on the Tiwi Islands have moved into brand new residences at Pirlangimpi, a community of approximately 350 located on the north-west coast of Melville Island.
The houses were constructed as part of the Northern Territory Government's $2.1 billion remote housing program and follow recent major housing works in the region, with around 100 homes being built, upgraded or extended.
Territory company DT Hobbs was contracted to complete the dwellings in addition to six which were completed earlier this year.
The construction firm has had an average Indigenous employment of 42% over the last 12 months, with 19 First Nations employees contributing specifically to the Pirlangimpi project.
"2 Indigenous apprentices who both have family ties to the Tiwi Islands and 17 other workers ranging from trade assistants, labourers, plant operators to qualified trades were employed," DT Hobbs director Julie Hobbs said.
Ms Hobbs said that employing First Nations tradespeople as part of their construction contracts had a positive impact on remote communities.
DT Hobbs employees Phillip Puruntatameri, Andrew Orsto, Killian Kerinauia and Bernard Puruntatameri worked on the Pirlangimpi project. Image: NT Government
Supporting employment of local indigenous people provides a range of opportunities for the individual and for the broader community such as developing the skills required to maintain community buildings and infrastructure, keeping residents in the community and spending money in the community and supporting sports and other community activities", she said.
DT Hobbs has been actively building residential, commercial and civil projects on the Tiwi Islands since early 2013 with work occurring on housing projects in Pirlangimpi since August 2019.
Ms Hobbs said construction of houses by DT Hobbs on the Islands would continue for the foreseeable future.
"We have more works upcoming not only in Pirlangimpi but also across the Tiwi Islands building new homes and upgrading existing dwellings providing quality additional housing utilising and extending the skills of local residents," she said.
Northern Territory Minister for Housing and Homelands Selena Uibo said in addition to providing critical homes for First Nations people, remote housing developments such as DT Hobbs' Pirlangimpi project have significant flow-on effects throughout the Tiwi Islands community.
"We know that better futures start with safe, healthy homes, but our remote housing program is also about building sustainable communities through jobs, training, upskilling and business opportunities," she said.
Pirlangimpi housing recipient Mariah Daly and NT Minister for Aboriginal affairs Selina Uibo inside Ms Daly's new home. Image: NT Government.
"Pirlangimpi is one of the Territory's prettiest places and now it looks even better with rows of new and upgraded homes in a rainbow of colours."
Since 2016, the Northern Territory government has built or upgraded more than 3280 remote homes, equating to a $1 billion economic injection.
Northern Territory member for Arafura and Tiwi Islander Lawrence Costa said the Melville Island community has welcomed their community's new housing infrastructure.
"The Pirlangimpi community is over the moon with all the new homes," he said.
"These are homes that residents have helped to plan, design and deliver.
"This project has meant ongoing jobs for locals, and support for Tiwi Island businesses."
The Northern Territory Government has plans to build a further 11 homes in Pirlangimpi with works currently underway on a range of other remote housing programs Territory-wide.
