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settlement of disputes and reduce cases listed for hearing.
And fi nally, the NSW Law Society is continuing to progress the recommendations fl owing from its 2011 Thought Leadership project on the Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession. This includes the recent launch of a Mentoring Program for Women Lawyers who are 10–15 years PQE - a time when key decisions are being made about career progression and the balance with personal commitments.
To date the expenditure under NPARIAH has been $1.7 billion which saw 934 new houses built in 20 communities, 415 rebuilds, 2500 refurbishments across 73 communities and town camps in the NT.
Since 2009 Legal service providers in the Northern Territory (NT), including North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service (CAALAS), Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission (NTLAC), Darwin Community Legal Service (DCLS) along with the Law Society Northern Territory have been calling for funding to establish a Remote Tenancy Legal Advice Service (RTLAS) in the Northern Territory.
The aim of the RTLAS is to meet some of the demand for legal services created by the signifi cant remote housing reforms which have occurred under the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH).
A brief history
Prior to 2008, houses in remote communities were managed by Indigenous Community Housing Organisations (ICHOs). June 2007 saw the Northern Territory National Emergency Response (NTER) and with that compulsory fi ve year leases which saw the Commonwealth eff ectively become the landlord of houses in remote communities.
April 2008 saw the commencement of the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Project (SIHIP).
In December 2008 the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH) subsumed SIHIP.
NPARIAH also saw the introduction of a public housing model for remote communities. In December 2008 Territory Housing was contracted by FaHCSIA to provide property and tenancy management services for approximately 5,000 houses in remote communities.
Overlaying these housing reforms was the dissolution of approximately 60 Community Government Councils which were replaced with 8 “Super” Shire Councils in July 2008.
The compulsory NTER leases expired on 17 August 2012 and a number of communities are declining to enter into further lease arrangements.
What are the challenges?
There are many problems in remote communities arising from these unprecedented reforms. The reforms have not largely addressed existing issues and have added a new layer of complexity and disconnection. This has been compounded by the contracting of Shire Councils to deliver repairs and maintenance services for Territory Housing; a job that the Shires have to manage with access to Territory Housing’s IT systems.
Territory Housing has established a hierarchy of tenancy rights in remote communities, with only those people living in new, refurbished or rebuilt houses gaining the protections of the Residential Tenancies Act (NT). Those people living in legacy dwellings, despite paying rent to live in the house, are denied those same rights and protections.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Peggy Cheong, President Law Society Northern Territory
MAR–MAY 2012
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