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Senator speaks up for Mount Isa families in limbo as forced house auctions loom

Published July 5, 2026 at 3:40 PM UTC

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Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe has joined a campaign to prevent Indigenous homes in Mount Isa, Queensland, from being auctioned due to nearly $1 million in unpaid rates. The Mount Isa City Council plans to auction 25 properties owned by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Welfare Services (ATSICFWS) in September. If the auctions proceed, residents of 15 occupied homes face potential homelessness, as the local rental market is tight, and the social housing waitlist averages two years. Senator Thorpe became involved after receiving repeated calls from the community. She emphasized the urgency, stating, "There are no other options for housing in Mount Isa, and the government response so far is sending some bureaucrats down to talk to people and provide information packs." She urged both state and federal governments to collaborate and cover the debt, suggesting, "It's not a lot of money for the Queensland and federal governments 3 Why can't those two come together, raise a million dollars and get on with it?" Neither the state nor federal government has committed to covering the debt, each citing the issue as outside their responsibilities. A spokesperson for Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy mentioned ongoing discussions with Queensland Housing Minister Sam O'Connor and Mount Isa City Council Mayor Peta MacCrae. The spokesperson added that the National Indigenous Australians Agency is working closely with tenants to provide information about available support options. Mayor MacCrae stated that the September auction date reflects the lack of availability of an auctioneer and emphasized that the council has two options: auction the property or write off the rates, with no intention to write off the rates. She also called for stronger oversight of Indigenous corporations to prevent such issues. A spokesperson for the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) acknowledged community concern but rejected criticisms that the regulator had failed to act. The spokesperson noted that ATSICFWS is not required to report to ORIC on the delivery of its housing services, tenancy-management practices, or housing-asset-management activities. Senator Thorpe concluded by highlighting the broader housing crisis, stating, "We have a homelessness crisis. We have a housing crisis. And the more we sell off to private developers or put in the private market, where do people go?"