Senator urges help for families in limbo as forced house auctions loom

Senator Lidia Thorpe is championing the cause of Indigenous families in Mount Isa, Queensland, who risk becoming homeless as 25 properties owned by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Welfare Services (ATSICFWS) face auction. The organization has accrued nearly $1 million in unpaid rates, leading the Mount Isa City Council to initiate the auction process, now rescheduled for September.

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A very strong, staunch advocate for her community and her people rang my office and asked me to assist and see what I could do.

If the auctions proceed, residents of the 15 occupied properties will be forced to compete for limited rental housing in Mount Isa or join a social housing waiting list, which typically has a two-year wait. Senator Thorpe stated she became involved after receiving urgent calls from her community. "A very strong, staunch advocate for her community and her people rang my office and asked me to assist and see what I could do," Thorpe said.

Thorpe criticized the government's response, describing it as merely sending bureaucrats to provide information packs. She questioned why the Queensland and federal governments could not collaborate to cover the $1 million debt. "It's not a lot of money for the Queensland and federal governments … Why can't those two come together, raise a million dollars and get on with it?" she asked.

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There are no other options for housing in Mount Isa, and the government response so far is sending some bureaucrats down to talk to people and provide information packs.

ATSICFWS and its directors did not respond to requests for comment. Neither the state nor federal government has committed to covering the debt, each stating the matter falls outside their purview. A spokesperson for Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy confirmed discussions are ongoing between the minister, Queensland Housing Minister Sam O'Connor, and Mount Isa City Council Mayor Peta MacCrae. The National Indigenous Australians Agency is reportedly working with tenants and the Queensland government.

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It's not a lot of money for the Queensland and federal governments … Why can't those two come together, raise a million dollars and get on with it?

A Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works spokesperson assured that all affected tenants seeking housing have been placed on the social housing waitlist. However, Mayor Peta MacCrae rejected the notion that the auctions were postponed, attributing the September date to auctioneer availability. She stated the council's legal options are either to auction the properties or write off the rates, emphasizing their intention not to forgive the debt. "We're not in the business of wanting people out of their houses," MacCrae said.

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We're not in the business of wanting people out of their houses.