Remote laundries target preventable disease in NT communities
With overcrowding in the Northern Territory being the highest in Australia, in these conditions basic hygiene can break down fast; among Aboriginal children, eight in 10 are diagnosed with skin sores before their first birthday, leaving them vulnerable to scabies and rheumatic heart disease, a life-threatening yet preventable illness. Now, a new community laundry has launched in Borroloola, part of a program seeking to curb preventable disease in remote NT communities.
Launched on 25 November 2025 and part of the Aboriginal Investment Group (AIG) Remote Laundries program, this facility is the result of a partnership between AIG and Kimberly-Clark’s International Family Care & Professional (KC IFP) division, and will provide free washing and drying services. “We know how tough it can be to access everyday essentials in these areas, so we’re happy to also donate an annual supply of our toilet paper for the people of Borroloola,” said David Tyack, KC IFP Managing Director. “We’re excited about what’s ahead and look forward to building a lasting partnership with AIG.”
“We are thrilled to be delivering a service that will benefit the Borroloola community from a health, economic and social perspective,” said Remote Laundries CEO Elizabeth Morgan-Brett OLY. “With six years of laundry operations behind us, we’ve seen firsthand how access to clean clothes and bedding improves health, school attendance and employment. Our laundries deliver health, social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal people living in remote communities — one wash at a time.”
Since 2019, the Remote Laundries program has delivered more than 73,000 laundry cycles across remote NT communities, achieved 96% utilisation rates, and created 117 local jobs. The Borroloola laundry is estimated to support more than 1000 people in community by washing more than 3000 cycles of clothes and linen each year. Located near the coast between Darwin and Alice Springs, the Borroloola site marks the seventh laundry delivered by AIG’s Remote Laundries program, which is also supported by the Heart Foundation and the Mabunji Aboriginal Corporation.
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