‘Forced out with nowhere to go’: First Nations families face eviction as council sells homes over charity’s unpaid rates
Summary
A council in rural Queensland is selling 24 homes owned by an Indigenous charity to recover almost $1 million in unpaid rates. Many First Nations families living in these homes face eviction and homelessness, and efforts to find solutions are ongoing but have not yet stopped the sales.Key Facts
- The 24 homes belong to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Welfare Services (ATSICWS), which has unpaid rates nearing $1 million over five years.
- The council is auctioning 10 homes first in Mount Isa; most are occupied by Indigenous families.
- Residents say they only learned about the unpaid rates five months ago and feel they have no place to go once evicted.
- ATSICWS stopped maintaining homes, causing livability problems like lack of water and heating.
- The charity was fined $15,000 in 2025 for failing to submit required corporate reports.
- The government has tried to help by involving Indigenous Business Australia and state and local councils, but the auctions are still proceeding.
- Senator Lidia Thorpe has urged the federal government to stop the auctions by buying the homes.
- The minister for Indigenous Australians visited but reported no resolution to prevent the sales.
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