ABA Stores Infrastructure Project

The ABA Stores Infrastructure Project was a special targeted expenditure of $55.8 million to support the construction and upgrade of stores in 18 remote communities across the Northern Territory. All stores included in the Project are licensed and owned by local community corporations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal) and Torres Strait Islander Act 2006.

The Project provided purpose-designed, robust and efficient community owned stores to enable community access to a range of healthy, reasonably priced food items and other essential goods. The works also contributed to improving the overall viability of the stores and greater local Indigenous employment.

A team of professional architects, engineers and project managers were engaged to design stores that meet the needs of individual communities. Consultations were undertaken with community store corporations and other community members over design and the siting of new stores. Input from store managers was also sought to ensure layouts facilitated efficient management.

New stores were constructed in 12 communities while six communities received upgrades of their existing stores. Ten communities also received new or upgraded houses for store managers to assist in retaining experienced store staff. In total 143 Indigenous workers were employed in the construction phase, with most coming from the local communities. The final package of works under the Project was completed in December 2017.