Bruce I do hope Mr Rudd and Mr Swann feel good about these houses as I for one would cheerfully take the money out of the future fund and off the politicians and Public Service pensions. Yes yes yes I know they would take it off the ordinary public servant and then increase the Mandarin's and politicians pensions.
I think everyone who has posted has a sense in this debate and so why not just put up a tender and let all the builders put in bids or part bids on what they can offer. The communities can take up what is on offer as they see fit but with a very limited window of ordering so as to really get going on construction. The builders can be paid progress payments so they would have a real incentive to get out there and get houses built.

"Alternatively, they should be given tents and sent to live for at least three months in an isolated Aboriginal community that needed houses and given the task of providing a solution as to how best to provide them"

Nuts to that. They should be provided with a sheet of corrugated iron and a couple of star pickets and made to live like the natives did back in the sixties.

David

"Unfortunately it won’t, because developers and construction industry, aided and abetted by governments, banks and finance companies only want to build standard brick veneer homes which they sell in house and land packages at prices unaffordable to many Australians."

Add to that the main hurdle of government restriction of the right of people to build such dwellings on their land. Legislation is required to give people the right to build such dwellings. Further legislation is required to make it illegal for developers to stipulate what people may build on the land they are sold.

The idea that giving people the right to build these homes would turn Australia into a trailer park is a nonsense and misleading scaremongering. On the contrary, reducing the cost of housing would bring an enormous economic benefit. That government does not act is a disgrace.

Dear David
"They should be provided with a sheet of corrugated iron and a couple of star pickets and made to live like the natives did back in the sixties."
This government provided house at the top of Cape York sure doesn't resemble corrugated iron or star pickets.
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/PhotoSearchItemDetail.asp?M=0&B=11219953&SE=1
Regards
Blair

I fully support Don's article as I have been designing and building manufactured or prefabricated housing since 1968. I have never had to build a "traditional" structure in this time to survive.
My work in this field can be overviewed at www.unibuild.com.au. There are over 350 proven and applied projects within Australia and overseas, many designed for fast build and long lasting remote area housing. I have proven that "traditional" housing for remote locations is a wast of time and money. UB.

Blairbar, I was talking about the sort of accomodation that should be provided to the public servants administering the scheme when they go out into the hinterland.

One other problem which seems to be overlooked is the undoubted fact that many people need to be taught how they hould live in the sort of housing with which they will be provided. I do not make that statement lightly. Indeed, I can remember the mayor of Renmark (I that that was right) who made exactly the same comment some years ago when a whole town was built for aboriginals in his area. He was mightily castigated for making the comment, but it was well justified.