Eligible organisations are being invited to apply for federal funding to establish free community laundry facilities in remote First Nations communities under the federal government's new Remote Community Laundries project.

The $11.4 million program will support the construction or upgrade of up to 12 mobile or fixed laundries across the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

Labor's Special Envoy for Remote Communities, Marion Scrymgour, said communities had repeatedly raised the need for more accessible laundry facilities, prompting the government's investment.

"We know that the health needs of people in remote communities are unique and challenging, and that these new and upgraded laundries will make a real impact for people," Ms Scrymgour said.

She said the program will both support communities and help local organisations address "tackling hygiene-related illnesses such as rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and scabies".

"The ongoing operation of these laundries will also deliver much-needed job opportunities alongside the health benefits so this is a big win for our remote residents," she said.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, RHD is a preventable disease that disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in regional and remote areas. At the end of 2021, 78 per cent of RHD diagnoses were among Indigenous Australians, with the Northern Territory recording the highest rates.

Skin health remains a significant concern in many remote communities, with limited access to laundry facilities contributing to infection risks. NT Health estimates scabies affects up to 25 per cent of remote community members and as many as 35 per cent of young children.

The new program aims to expand access to commercial-grade washing machines with clean, hot water and medicative detergents; crucial tools in reducing irritants and infections linked to preventable illnesses such as trachoma, acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, said the "fit-for-purpose community laundry facilities" will help reduce the spread of preventable diseases and improve health outcomes.

"By partnering with First Nations communities, we're ensuring these services are designed to reflect their priorities," she said.

"This project will also create job opportunities in remote communities during the establishment and ongoing operation of the facilities."

Alongside health benefits, the initiative is expected to generate economic opportunities for First Nations people through construction, staffing and maintenance of the facilities.

The federal government said funded providers will work closely with communities to ensure laundries are built where they are most needed, properly designed and aligned with Closing the Gap Priority Reform 1.

The competitive grant process opens 9am (AEDST) on Tuesday 25 November, 2025 and closes at 2pm (AEDST) on Friday 13 February, 2026.

Information about the Remote Community Laundries Project and how to apply for a grant is available at NIAA.gov.au

Further information, including eligible locations, is available online