Tomorrow at 10am, four remote renters will hear the final outcome of their long-running legal battle seeking to invalidate the Northern Territory Government’s widely-criticised ‘Remote Rent Framework.’
The rent framework has seen rent increases for 68% of remote Aboriginal tenants in the NT, with 5,313 premises impacted in total. The rent rises have been of amounts up to 200% of the previous rent.[1]
No tenant was consulted before these rent hikes were imposed, which lawyers for the plaintiffs say is unlawful. They also argue that location, age and state of the premises had no bearing on the rent rates imposed by the NT government landlord.
The framework made remote communities in the NT the only public housing tenants in the country with rent determined by number of bedrooms in a dwelling, rather than an income test.
The Northern Territory currently has a homelessness rate of 12 times the national average, and faces the nation’s worst rates of housing stress.[2] It also remains the worst performing jurisdiction on Closing the Gap housing targets, with more than half its population of First Nations people living in inappropriately sized, overcrowded rental homes. [3]
The community members from Gunbalanya and Laramba — Asher Badari, Ricane Galaminda, Lofty Nadjamerrek, and Carmelena Tilmouth — originally filed their challenge in September 2022.
What: A High Court judgment will be handed down in Badari & Ors v Minister for Territory Families and Urban Housing & Anor
When: 10am, Wednesday 3 December 2025
Where: High Court of Australia, Parkes Pl, Parkes ACT 2600
Who: The case is brought by four remote tenants from the Northern Territory communities of Gunbalanya: Asher Badari, Ricane Galaminda and Lofty Nadjamerrek from Gunbalanya, along with Laramba woman Carmelena Tilmouth. The plaintiffs are represented by Australian Lawyers for Remote Aboriginal Rights (ALRAR) and barristers Matthew Albert, Julian Murphy and Melia Benn. Grata Fund has provided financial backing and support to the plaintiffs throughout their legal journey.
Spokes:
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Daniel Kelly, lead solicitor, ALRAR - available by phone/video call.
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Isabelle Reinecke, Executive Director, Grata Fund - available by phone/video call.
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More to come.
See previous releases on the matter:
- 15 January 2025: NT’s Top Court upholds controversial remote rent increases
- 15 November 2023: Legal battle over controversial remote rent framework resumes today
- 5 September 2022: Controversial Remote Rent Framework could be knocked out in Supreme Court challenge today