Grills welcomes Broome Aboriginal short-stay facility milestone

Written on the 21 August 2016

A short-stay accommodation facility for Aboriginal visitors to Broome has reached a key milestone, with the recent call for tenders for construction.

Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Hon Dave Grills MLC said the facility would provide up to 100 beds for Aboriginal people visiting Broome, and was made possible by a $21.1 million investment by the State Government's Royalties for Regions program.

"The Housing Authority has worked closely with the Nyamba Buru Yawuru Aboriginal Corporation and the Shire of Broome to secure a suitable site and support for the project," Mr Grills said.

"This facility will provide Aboriginal guests with safe and secure accommodation, while enabling improved access to support services available in Broome.

"Many people travel to Broome for family, health, business or cultural reasons and without this short-term accommodation facility they may otherwise sleep rough or overcrowd public housing during their stay."

Mr Grills said visitors from remote communities across the Kimberley would also have improved access to support services.

"The Broome facility will be the third short-stay facility delivered by the Government," he said.

"There are already facilities in Kalgoorlie and Derby, and with the addition of a new centre in Broome remote visitors will have increased access to these important regional services."

As with the Kalgoorlie and Derby centres, operation of the Broome facility will be managed by the Department for Child Protection and Family Support through a service agreement with a not-for-profit partner.

"Independent evaluation of the Kalgoorlie and Derby facilities has found they are successfully meeting the needs of Aboriginal visitors and the wider community," he said.

"These facilities are good examples of the types of culturally and community appropriate services that can be delivered when the Government and not-for-profit sector work together."

The tender to build the Broome facility is expected to be announced in late 2016, with the opening in mid-2018.  The Housing Authority will be responsible for ongoing repairs and maintenance needs. JCY Architects and Urban Designers have designed the Broome facility.

Source: Media Release