Indigenous groups in a Kimberley town want to repurpose a failed Commonwealth-run student hostel to address chronic social issues such as youth crime and overcrowding.
Last week, Commonwealth non-for-profit Aboriginal Hostels Limited confirmed to the ABC it had closed the 40-bed facility on Kununurra's fringe after struggling to attract enough enrolments.
The $12-million hostel was built in 2010 as a place for remote Indigenous children to stay while they attended secondary school in Kununurra.
But the hostel hit a low point in late 2020 when it housed only one student, despite having six full-time staff and costing $1 million a year to run.
Last week, Aboriginal Hostels Limited (AHL) suggested it was open to finding a new purpose for the hostel, which "supports social and economic outcomes for First Nations people".
Kununurra-Waringarri Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Des Hill said in the early to mid-2000s Miriwoong-Gajerrong native title holders lobbied for the hostel to become a safe space for vulnerable children to sleep at night.
"This great white elephant gets built, 40-bed capacity, and it's never been utilised by any of our local children in line with what we requested for," Mr Hill said.
The Miriwoong man said traditional owners had long called for a facility that helped prevent children from dysfunctional homes wandering the streets at night, stealing cars and breaking into houses.
"They'll spend more money putting our children in prison than they will putting something in to prevent it," Mr Hill said.
Proposal to use hostel for workers
Wunan Foundation is based in Kununurra and aims to empower Indigenous people in the wider east Kimberley.
The foundation has a close working relationship with AHL and has put forward a different vision for the hostel to help Indigenous people who want stability in their lives.
The foundation's executive chair Ian Trust said it could house workers at a time when there was a critical shortage of affordable accommodation, causing chronic overcrowding.
"Overcrowding has been the biggest inhibitor for a lot of people trying to work," he said.
"So the facility out there could provide a great alternative for those people who want somewhere more stable.
"People have still got to be paying fees, rent or board. It's got to be run as a viable enterprise."
Wyndham East Kimberley Shire president David Menzel said the facility needed to be run by a local Indigenous organisation, given it was unsuccessful in Commonwealth hands.
"We're always complaining about infrastructure deficits in remote and regional Australia, and here we've got a fantastic piece of infrastructure," he said.
"It's certainly not delivering a return on the investment at the moment."
In a statement to the ABC, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said she expected AHL to consult closely with Kununurra's Indigenous organisations over the coming months.
A separate state-funded hostel is currently being designed for Kununurra to provide a cheaper accommodation alternative for people visiting for medical, family, or justice needs.
