Catholic Diocese of Broome

'Birds of the air have nests and foxes have holes...'(Mat. 8:20)
One of the basic human rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed by Australia in 1948 (and in the drafting of which Australia played a very prominent role through the work of H.V. Evatt) is shelter.
Article 25 of the Declaration holds that:
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself (sic) and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
As has been mentioned previously in this column, this list of 'food, clothing, housing and medical care', often classified by the current Government as areas for the application of 'practical reconciliation' when it comes to their provision for indigenous people, are rights that all people are owed. They are not added extras that rely on the mood of a particular government at a particular time for their recognition. These rights are universal and indivisible.
One of the pressures in Kimberley towns is the availability of land and affordable housing for the local long-term residents. Those who tend to miss out are those who are struggling to make ends meet, those at the bottom of the economic pecking order. For the most part, although not exclusively, these tend to be indigenous people. As with other parts of Australia, the population of indigenous people in the Kimberley is increasing, albeit by a small percentage. However, the number of housing lots is not keeping pace with the increased demand. More importantly for young indigenous locals trying to get into the housing market for the first time, there is a decided lag in the provision of Homeswest housing.

Towns in the Kimberley seem to be very focused on the tourist trade and how best to make provision for accommodating as many tourists as possible to a standard that they will find acceptable. This cannot be done without taking up land that might otherwise be used for the provision of housing for residents. Nobody would deny the need to cater for the needs of tourism as it is a major industry for the Kimberley generally. However, one might ask whether it is time to take stock of what is happening and see if we have the balance right between provision of rightful opportunities for affordable housing for local people and the setting aside of land for tourism development.
When they came into office, the Labor Party was committed to 'affordable and appropriate housing'for all Western Australians. Their vision was 'to assist families into homeownership where it is a viable option and ensure people who cannot afford private ownership have access to public, community or private rental with a reasonable level of tenure and privacy'. www.ministers.wa.gov.au/policies/housing.pdf How well do we think that has been achieved?
As we approach another election in our state and nationally, housing is another area of concern worth asking local Members of Parliament and candidates about. What is the priority for affordable housing for local residents in the Kimberley? What steps will be taken to ensure that all new housing developments make provision for a percentage of Homeswest housing? What is the long-term plan for the provision of affordable housing for local residents in Kimberley towns? How do you propose to offset the artificially inflated housing and land prices for those least able to afford them? The answers should be of interest to us all.