Every home in the remote Barkly community of Tara will be extended or upgraded as part of the Territory Labor Government’s innovative Room to Breathe program.

Additional bedrooms and bathrooms, enclosed verandahs, dust-suppression works and painting are amongst the scheduled improvements.

Territory company, Ri-Con Contractors, will be carrying out works on 19 homes at the remote community, just off the Stuart Highway between Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. Three of the homes will be used to support Territory Families’ kinship carers.

Work began this week on two homes that will be used as transition accommodation.

Having just completed the construction of 14 homes at Minyerri, Ri-Con’s team of six has moved to Tara where they will partner with local workers and subcontractors on the job-creating project.

A hundred kilometres north at Ali Curung, Room to Breathe work on 14 homes is already underway with contractor, Harvey Developments expecting to complete the transition homes by the end of the month. Ali Curung locals and two Aboriginal apprentices from Tennant Creek, are employed on the project.

Further homes are being considered for future works at the community.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Local Government, Housing and Community Development, Gerry McCarthy:

“Our remote housing program is alleviating overcrowding and improving living conditions in Tara, Ali Curung and dozens of other communities throughout the NT.

“Innovative Room to Breathe housing works supporting kinship carers are included in the program and represent improved amenity, safety and security for remote families who are supporting Aboriginal children in out of home care.

“The Territory Labor Government’s Room to Breathe program is driven by Local Decision Making so tenants are able to tell us what improvements and additions they need to make their homes functional, liveable and safe.

“Unlike the calamitous CLP, whose work on remote housing nosedived to record low levels, the Territory Labor Government is changing the housing landscape in remote areas. So far we have built and fully upgraded more than 1400 houses because we care about people in the bush and we know that good housing is the key to generational change.”

Media contact – Jasmin Afianos  m: 0419 361 127 e: jasmin.afianos@nt.gov.au