The Aboriginal Legal Service of West Australia is exploring the possibility of legal action against the Government following complaints of substandard housing.

The move comes off the back of a case in the Northern Territory where residents in the remote community of Santa Teresa succeeded in a class action against the Territory Government for failing to maintain their public housing.

Since news of the case spread, the West Australian ALS has been approached by Indigenous residents in the state to see if anything can be done about their own housing situation.

Noongar man and CEO of ALS WA, Dennis Eggington says many people would be shocked if they walked into some of the houses in question.

 

Mr Eggington welcomed the upcoming World Indigenous Housing Conference hosted by the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.

He says it is a much needed forum for the issues to be heard because substandard housing is a breach of human rights.