Page 3104 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 9 November 2021
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I am pleased to see the ongoing achievement across all goals in the strategy’s third year of implementation. This highlights the commitment that government, community and industry partners have shown through their approaches to implementing the strategy. While we take pride in our achievements, we also recognise that there is more to do. Canberra, along with the rest of Australia, must continue to take action to increase the affordability of housing.
Housing has taken on a new level of significance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our homes are now where all our worlds collide. Homes have transformed to become workplaces, classrooms, gymnasiums and indeed a critical component in preventing the spread of COVID. Homes have been described as the front line of defence against COVID. Furthermore, as a result of the pandemic, many people have reassessed their work and living arrangements. Others who may have previously been reluctant to establish roots have discovered a newfound appreciation for the home.
In July 2021 Canberra house prices had increased by nearly 30 per cent over the preceding 12 months and average rents were at $630 per week for houses, an increase of $60 per week when compared with the same period last year. These issues reinforce the importance of the ACT Housing Strategy’s goal of achieving an equitable, diverse and sustainable supply of housing for the ACT community.
I also speak to the strategy’s vision of encouraging and promoting a housing market that meets the diverse and changing needs of the Canberra community and enables a sustainable supply of housing for individuals and families at all income levels. The strategy was designed to provide a clear yet agile and responsive framework to guide the government’s funding and investment priorities over its 10-year lifespan.
This flexible approach has been key to successful delivery of the strategy to date, and particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic. Together we have demonstrated a flexible and coordinated response to COVID-19 in the housing assistance sector and the capacity to respond to emerging challenges and adapt program and service delivery. In addition, while COVID-19 interrupted service provision for some planned initiatives, new responses have also contributed to the delivery of other actions.
The report card that I release today shows consistent progress across all goals through the strategy’s third year of implementation. The strategy includes a total of 74 short-term, medium-term, ongoing and annual actions, which have all commenced. Progress against the strategy’s 67 short-term, medium-term and ongoing actions can be summarised as follows: 21 have been completed, noting that, of these 21 completed actions, five were completed in 2018-19, nine were completed in 2019-20 and seven were completed in 2020-21; one action is categorised as in development; a further 32 are progressing; and the remaining 13 are classified as continuing.
The strategy also includes seven annual actions, all of which have been completed since the release of the year 2 report card. These actions relate to the release of land against housing targets and to sharing information through the land and property reform. These actions are reset each year. In light of this year’s success, I am optimistic about being able to report the same level of achievement next year.
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