In May, the Queensland and Federal Governments signed an agreement to build or refurbish more than 1100 houses over nine years.

Doomadgee council has already signed on to the agreement and materials to build homes have arrived in the community.

But Premier Anna Bligh has told state parliament that a greater sense of urgency was needed to overcome the many hurdles associated with Indigenous housing.

“Governments of all persuasions have had good intentions in the past,” Ms Bligh said.

“Unfortunately, it is also fair to say that too often these good intentions have not met the needs of those communities.

“The complexities of native title and infrastructure issues in remote areas have made this type of housing notoriously difficult and expensive to deliver.”

Cabinet has approved plans for the Remote Indigenous Land and Infrastructure Program office to manage and accelerate the roll-out, primarily tasked with negotiating 40-year leases with councils.

Work has been prioritised in Aurukun, Doomadgee, Hope Vale, Palm Island, Mornington Island, Kowanyama and Yarrabah.

The 40-year leases were expected to be in place by June 2010.