Paying rent for 'unsafe, unliveable' homes in remote Indigenous community

In the remote Indigenous community of Beagle Bay, Western Australia, residents face dire housing conditions, with some homes described as unliveable and making occupants sick. Families are paying rent to the state government, which manages remote Aboriginal housing, yet they lack basic necessities like hot running water and contend with collapsed floors and unsealed roofs.

Melissa Smith recounted living without hot water for three years, despite repeated requests. Even after repairs were eventually made, numerous other issues remained, including doors that wouldn't lock, significant mold, and bathroom tiling that failed to meet construction codes. Tradesmen reportedly only addressed single issues, leaving other problems unresolved.

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I needed hot water, I got kids, they get sick and need warm baths. It's stressful. I'm starting to feel like this house is making me sick. I just don't want to be here anymore. This house, with my kids, I'm just tired of looking at it.

Kerwin Chatanalgi described a burst shower pipe that took two months to fix, with a temporary, "rough and ready" repair involving a bucket lid. He criticized the "half-done jobs" and called for accountability. A licensed builder, speaking anonymously, confirmed that several inspected properties in Beagle Bay exhibited critical failures, underscoring a significant breakdown in the government's management of remote housing.

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They came and put a bucket lid on the actual hole where they had to repair it. That's a rough and ready job. It's lazy. They should've took the whole wall out and redone it, but they just repaired the pipe and put a lid on it. Someone should be held accountable for all the half-done jobs.