Hostel is back on the agenda

The Broome Shire Council will revisit plans to establish a hostel in Broome, which would accommodate visitors travelling to the town for “genuine reasons” instead of housing itinerants.

During talks with Health Minister Kim Hames last week, Broome Shire president Graeme Campbell said the Government was “totally supportive” of a facility to accommodate people visiting the town for “bona fide” reasons instead of operating as a purpose-built Aboriginal itinerant hostel.

Last year councillors rejected $12 million in funding for the itinerant hostel after failing to agree on a suitable location with the Department of Housing.

Mr Campbell said the revised concept would be a motel-type accommodation for people coming to the town for medical treatment, short-term studies or judicial obligations.

“It would be a proper accommodation hostel, where people pay, where there’s management, etc, not camping as such,” he said.

“It’s not for people who just decide they want to come to Broome and for whatever reason they get stuck here.”

He said there were no plans for homeless accommodation. “It is disappointing because the issue is not going away,” he said.

While the matter has not yet been formally decided upon by council, Mr Campbell said the Shire would re-engage with the local community in Anne and Dora streets precincts on the basis of the revised concept.