NAIDOC Week in Sydney also showcased the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Tharawal Housing Aboriginal Corporation and Hume Community Housing. This significant event in the changing landscape for registered Aboriginal community housing providers in Metropolitan Sydney and NSW followed the successful registration of Tharawal Housing Aboriginal Corporation under the National Regulatory System on 14 June 2019 as a tier 3 provider.

The Aboriginal housing organisation is based in south west Sydney and is part of the Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation which includes the highly regarded Tharawal Corporation Aboriginal Medical Services. Tharawal has been operating for 30 years, providing specialist health care and well-being services and homeless and transitional housing support for its community. In 2019 the National Close the Gap Day was held at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation in partnership with South Western Sydney health.

Tharawal Housing’s Chief Executive, Darryl Wright, has worked with the Corporation for 16 years and in 2018 was awarded the Order of Australia to acknowledge him as an outstanding member of the Macarthur community, the Indigenous community and the Australian community. Alison Croall, General Manager and Karen Fischer, Housing and Compliance Manager complete the highly skilled and experienced executive team at Tharawal Housing Aboriginal Corporation.

Tharawal will work closely with the Aboriginal Housing Office to secure transfers of properties whose tenure is up for renewal. Tharawal’s strategic alliance with Hume Community Housing is principally to provide outsourced maintenance services and has been supported through registration by John Stott of the Housing Action Network.