OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott and Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin have been challenged to live in desert homes after a federal housing program removed residents' air conditioners.
Residents of Santa Teresa, 80km south of Alice Springs, were shocked to find out their houses were without cooling after the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) finished refurbishment work, the Centralian Advocate said.
One resident, Annette Williams called on both Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin to swap houses with her for a week this summer.
"We're just living in second-hand houses," Mrs Williams said, " We thought Jenny Macklin should swap houses with the community. Both of them. Tony Abbott too."
The $672 million bush housing program set out to make homes safer and more functional but has been branded a wasteful exercise.
It has promised to refurbish 2500 houses, built 750 new houses and rebuilt 230 in five years.
Under the program houses get a refurbishment worth on average $75,000. Most houses in Santa Teresa have had a stainless steel kitchen bench installed and sometimes new bathroom fittings or a ceiling fan.
SIHIP regional executive director Andrew Kirkman said in a written statement: " We're fixing the parts of the house such as the bathroom and kitchen, which will make the biggest difference to how houses function, and the biggest difference to the lives of the people who live in the houses.
"We must remember that before SIHIP work starts many of the houses are in a serious state of disrepair."
Residents complained that their drains were still blocked and floors were not tiled leaving kitchens with a pitted concrete floor that was hard to mop.
A document obtained by the Centralian Advocate showed contractors were told not to tile the floors unless they were already tiled.
Contractors were told to remove any air conditioners that were deemed unsafe. Residents believe their expensive units have been taken to the town dump.
Ms Macklin and Mr Abbott did not respond to the Advocate's questions.
For local updates, visit the Centralian Advocate.
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