South Australia indigenous group gives up houses
South Australia's Davenport Aboriginal community had to turnover its housing leases to the State Government.
Davenport Council's Lavine Ngatokorua said Housing SA will be repairing the houses. The only condition of the redeveloper was for it to take over the leases for 40 years.
Ngatokorua said improving the housing conditions in the Aboriginal community will be difficult since residents will not be able to pay rent. An eviction would mean finding the former residents on the streets.
“If you're addressing community issues they're all hand in hand,” she said then added that Government will merely “wipe their hands clear of it and say it's not their problem.”
The South Australian cross-party Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Committee are in Port Augusta to discuss with the Davenport community. According to Committee member and Greens' MP Tammy Franks, “hopefully that is one of the issues that we will be able to take action on.”
Franks emphasized that the committee would be “closing the gap and getting outcomes, real outcomes - whether that's a hot water system being fixed in a community or whether that's an arrangement where housing needs are both adequate and also gained with all parties being happy with the processes involved.”