Page 851 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 20 April 2021
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DR PATERSON: Minister, could you outline the official visitor scheme in more detail?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Dr Paterson for the question. It is, of course, important that we have official visitors who can go in and look to support people for their time in the prison and report back to us and the Minister for Human Rights on what is compliant within the prison and what needs to be addressed in the prison. They do a very good job, whether they work at the AMC or Bimberi. They report back to us in a procedural way.
Planning—Gungahlin
MR BRADDOCK: My question is to the Deputy Chief Minister. Why is the Suburban Land Agency auctioning off blocks in the Gungahlin town centre whilst DV364 is before committee?
MS BERRY: Those blocks are being sold. Four blocks are currently for sale and are going for auction in Gungahlin. The Suburban Land Agency has taken measures to make sure that those sales meet the community and social housing targets as well. My understanding, from the advice that I have, is that there is no reason why the auction process for the sales of those blocks cannot go ahead, even though there is a process before a committee at the moment.
MR BRADDOCK: I have a supplementary question. What happens if the committee decides that the Gungahlin town centre will be best served by an alternative use for those blocks of land?
MS BERRY: That is a bit of a hypothetical question. I think we will have to wait until the committee deliberates on that subject and see how the sales process goes.
MR DAVIS: Minister, what would you consider the best practice if the committee does determine that those blocks would have had a different community use?
MS BERRY: I think that that is asking for an opinion, Madam Speaker, but what I can say on the Suburban Land Agency and the process that is engaged in around the sale of these blocks in Gungahlin is that it is about making sure that Gungahlin is a good neighbourhood where people really want to live, but ensuring, also, that there are businesses, as part of that, to bring vitality and vibrancy to that part of the city, with new businesses being able to operate out of those land sales.
Housing—strategy
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for Planning and Land Management: the Winton report published in 2015 shows that more than 80 per cent of Canberrans would prefer to live in detached housing yet the Labor-Greens government continues to constrain the supply of land for new detached housing and is forging ahead with the so-called demonstration housing project. Why is the demonstration housing project given such importance given the overwhelming preference of Canberrans for detached housing?
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