Well said, Steffen. It is really very simple. Home building, repairing, renovating and expanding is THE core economic engine of a properly functioning economy at both national and local level. Without it there can be no local economy and without a portion of tradeable property rights there can be neither.

But forget modular prefabrication etc, it will only evolve into the same centralised production that now sees all country classrooms constructed in Ipswich without creating a single job in the town where the classroom is delivered to. Just relax the non-safety aspects of the building code and allocate blocks to young couples. Their own nesting instincts will do the rest. Build within their means and expand when needed.

The problem of any foreclosures etc can be met by creating a matching block away from the community that can be foreclosed in a last resort without impact on the community itself.

I agree on home ownership, you want people to function in a capatalist society, you need to give them opportunities for prosperity. In Australia, our wealth generally centres around the family home, and an age old property law "nothing improves the value of a property like ownership" will ensure that when these people are standing on thier own block of dirt, on thier traditional land, and they have the power to leverage, the power to improve value, create a personal nest and hold an asset, the ability to change the fabric of these communities will not be an issue for governments, as the people will change from within.

Specialist Strata title (I do not like community title)the individual properties and create a body corporate/owners corporation for the common property, each owner pay a body corporate for the common upkeep and insurances etc, and give them the driver seat for the first time. let their become an autonomous wealth base like so many other minority groups

It is not hard

Your ideas are wonderful Steffen. You are correct in assigning aboriginal social problems to the ivory tower of your speciality.

All levels of government all over Australia have found custom built indigenous housing provides an environment to isolate aboriginal communities away from marginal electorates.

Not to mention new venues for domestic violence (a much more pressing problem). For an aboriginal perspective of this violence read http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1514707.htm .

Palm Island is a sick community that was articicially created by white policies so its not a sacred plant that needs heaps of loot to make it survive.

You talk of the shabby state of public buildings on the island. Well this is why they're shabby

"An emergency situation was declared yesterday after angry residents set fire to the police station, courthouse, a police officer's house and a stolen police car.

Up to 300 members of the Aboriginal community rioted yesterday over the death in custody of 36-year-old local man Cameron Doomadgee last Friday." SMH 27 Nov 2004

I suggest the authorities do not want to repair much because buildings tend to get burnt or torn down.

Its up to private industry to decide whether a hardware shop (you recommend) would be a viable business proposition or perhaps a violent workplace and source of more weapons.

You skirt around the need for people to stay on Palm Island given its endlessly tragic state.

I suggest any public housebuilding should be away from Palm Island and on the mainland, in white communities, to encourage aborigines to leave and assimilate. This is politically unpopular though because Palm Island makes a convenient concentration camp for social problems and the residents have been persuaded that it is their only home.

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Yeah right Rainier

You got a better idea? http://www.eniar.org/news/palmisland1.html

Or do you simply accept that Steffan's housebuilding is the solution?

This doesn’t have a great deal to do with the issue at hand, but I’ve gotta say what I gotta say…

Perseus wrote; “Home building, repairing, renovating and expanding is THE core economic engine of a properly functioning economy at both national and local level. Without it there can be no local economy and without a portion of tradeable property rights there can be neither.”

What! A functional economy has got everything to do with utilising primary resources and value-adding those resources. Tertiary activities like home-building are a long way from being the economic engine, at any level, local to national.