Parliament House was a fitting setting to sign a contract on Thursday that will deliver "a game-changing future" for Burke Shire Council staff wanting to become homeowners in the remote local government area.
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Council received Ministerial approval for an innovative divestment strategy in September 2020, and Chief Executive Officer Clare Keenan explained that despite a few hurdles, she was thrilled to have handed the first property over to its new owner, Team Leader Community Services and Governance Madison Marshall, during a contract signing ceremony in Brisbane on 25 March.
The ceremony was attended by Elected Members, Minister for Communities and Housing Leeanne Enoch, Member for Traeger Robbie Katter, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Director-General Chris Sarra, former Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs Director-General Warwick Agnew, and representatives from Westpac - which has partnered with Council as a funding partner for mortgages - and law firm McCullough Robertson, which provided free conveyancing for the historic property transfer.
"This is just a terrific moment for Council, our community and, most importantly, Madison, who can now call herself a homeowner, and the first person in her family to own a property," Ms Keenan said.
"For too long, Indigenous staff and residents of Burke Shire have been ignored by banks in what could only be called postcode profiling, but we've worked hard to get Westpac to the table and I sincerely thank them for their support of Council's push to divest properties that staff can then make a home.
"In addition to the positive social, inter-generational economic and community benefits of facilitating local home ownership, divesting of these 21 properties will allow Council to deliver more value to ratepayers and allow us to build new houses, which are so badly needed to attract staff."
Mayor Ernie Camp congratulated Madison after the contract signing and said the divestment program would not have been possible without a collaboration between Council, and key private and public sector partners.
"There have been a lot of stakeholders involved with this process, from the state government and former Minister for Local Government Stirling Hinchliffe to Westpac, McCullough Robertson and the Burke Shire community," he said.
"This program offers a game-changing future for our staff who want to cement roots as part of our community.
"Accessibility to suitable housing in remote areas is an issue many of us are far too familiar with, so I want to thank all involved for coming to the table to come up with an equitable solution."
Ms Marshall said she was excited to now own the property she has rented for several years, adding that she hoped her story would encourage other local governments to explore similar strategies to empower remote staff.
"It's mine now, and while I was already living in the house, I guess this just adds some security to my future in Burketown," she said.
"Home ownership is something most people take for granted, but those of us up here have always just been told wasn't achievable because of where we lived."
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