Clean clothes, better health, more jobs: Remote Laundry opens in Borroloola

Media release: Tuesday 25 November 2025

New laundry to help end cycle of rheumatic heart disease in remote community

A new remote laundry will play a vital role in helping reduce cases of a fatal form of heart disease when it opens today in the remote Aboriginal community of Borroloola, Northern Territory.

The Mabunji Aboriginal Corporation has worked with the Aboriginal Investment Group (AIG) and its Remote Laundries program to design and build a new Remote Laundry that will equip the small fishing community with regular access to commercial grade washers and dryers, as well as providing employment for six local people.

The Borroloola site is the seventh laundry delivered by AIG’s Remote Laundries program, which is supported by the Heart Foundation. Located near the State’s coastline between Darwin and Alice Springs, the Borroloola laundry is estimated to support more than 1,000 people in community by washing more than 3,000 cycles of clothes and linen each year.

Remote Laundries are a proven, community-led health solution

Remote laundries are a proven tool in the fight against rheumatic heart disease (RHD), which is a preventable condition that disproportionately affects First Nations peoples.

AIG’s Remote Laundries compromise of four commercial-grade washers and four dryers in a customised shipping container which dispense a cleansing chemical to eliminate bacteria that could otherwise cause skin infections. If left untreated, these skin infections can lead to acute rheumatic fever and RHD, which is a potentially fatal condition where heart valves are damaged.

By providing access to regular washing, the laundry contributes to improved health, social and economic outcomes and supports community pride and dignity.

More Remote Laundries means more impact

The new laundry, which is located opposite the local health care clinic in Borroloola and will help form a community health hub and will operate between 9am to 3pm on weekdays for locals to wash clothing and linen.

In addition to support from Mabunji Aboriginal Corporation, the operation of the Borroloola laundry has been funded for its first year by Kimberly-Clark Family Care & Professional, as well as a donation of 17 pallets of toilet paper for community.

The Borroloola site joins AIG’s existing network of laundries in Barunga, Casuarina, Angurugu, Milyakburra, Gunbalanya and Umbakumba, with another three remote laundries scheduled to open next year.

Since launching in 2019, AIG Remote Laundries have completed over 73,000 washing cycles, created jobs for 117 Aboriginal people, and delivered more than $1 million in wages to remote communities.

For more information on AIG’s Remote Laundries Project, visit: remotelaundries.org.au