Report highlights widespread repair delays in Kimberley public housing

Research says almost 70 per cent of public housing tenants in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region are awaiting urgent repairs. The findings point to significant shortcomings in the provision and maintenance of public housing in the area.

Almost seven in 10 public housing tenants surveyed in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region were waiting for urgent repairs, according to a report by the Kimberley Community Legal Service (KCLS).

The Broken by Design report surveyed 166 tenants across 22 communities. It identified problems including structural damage, electrical faults, plumbing failures, mould and pest infestations. More than 95% of respondents said they did not consider their homes safe or in good condition.

KCLS said the housing maintenance system was failing people in regional communities and required both immediate repairs and longer-term investment. Its recommendations include locally delivered maintenance, preventative repairs, greater accountability, quality assurance through more inspections and enforceable minimum housing standards.

Tenants are not allowed to organise their own repairs. They report problems through a call centre or local housing officer, who records the request and issues a work order to the main contractor. That contractor then arranges for a subcontractor to carry out the work.

A Kimberley builder, whose identity was withheld in the report for employment-security reasons, described persistent problems in remote properties. He said one shower floor had collapsed and water ran beneath the slab when the shower was used. In Beagle Bay, a broken shower was reportedly repaired using a bucket lid.

Matt Panayi, KCLS’s chief executive, said the model was fragmented and difficult to operate in remote communities. He described it as expensive and dysfunctional, and said the evidence pointed to systemic problems rather than isolated failures. He also said repairs often failed to address underlying causes, leading to further delays and costs.

The report said 85% of maintenance was reactive, despite evidence that planned maintenance was more effective and cost-efficient. It estimated that about $250m had been spent on travel and overheads associated with housing maintenance since 2019.

The Western Australian government is reviewing its housing maintenance arrangements, including long-term contracting. The Department of Housing and Works had been contacted for comment, while the ABC reported that Housing Minister John Carey had agreed to meet KCLS.