Page 954 - Week 03 - Thursday, 7 April 2022
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course, this government does not care. This government does not care because aspirational families that want to build a four-bedroom home can go and vote for Nichole Overall. It really is no skin off the Chief Minister’s nose. He does not really care. When it all boils down, this planning policy is unfriendly to families.
Ms Clay stands up and says, “Look, there is a government review on. Let’s just trust it. Let’s just trust that the government is going to take in all the information and provide the outcomes that we all want, because we do not think that the government is going to hide or ignore the feedback that it gets which is not in line with its direction”—that is, the Winton report. I know we mention it a lot, but we think it is a pretty significant piece of data.
The community wants housing choice. During this government’s housing choices discussion paper and consultation with the community, this message was heard loud and clear. Following this discussion, EPSDD said it would explore options to increase the mix of dwelling sizes available in residential developments, as well as providing flexibility to deliver a range of housing types. It went on to say that consideration would also be given to the provisions in the Estate Development Code.
Minister Gentleman, this government’s own planning minister, said that people want different forms of housing in the suburbs, as well as in centres and mixed-use areas, and this includes townhouses, terrace houses, secondary dwellings and apartments. He continues to come into the chamber and talk about the fact that the government is working towards providing that missing middle. But the government is not doing it. We have got the plan laid out in front of us as to what dwellings are going to be released, and that missing middle is living up to its name, isn’t it? Because it is missing. It is absolutely missing.
When will this government provide the choices and options to be able to live and raise a family in Canberra? Government members, as we expected, have amended this motion absolutely and completely. They will refuse to support it in its original form. But I reckon they know that the tide is turning on this particular issue. I think they know that the tide is turning. They know that the housing affordability disaster that Canberra has become has pushed a significant number of Canberrans to have a much closer look at this issue and to come to the conclusion that this government has got it wrong.
They sort of let them get away with it for a while. The water rose up to their chest and they said, “It will be fine.” But there are a bunch of them now with their heads underwater and it is not working for them. So the tide is turning. We know you are going to vote against the motion in its original form. We know that. But, deep down, you know full well that these calls from the opposition are resonating in the wider community. I would suggest to all members of government that you ignore this changing tide at your peril.
In conclusion, I want to mention the fact that, in reference to comments that Mr Barr and Ms Berry have made over recent weeks—they talk about the fact that the land release makes up only two per cent of the market and so what they are referring to is the number of transactions that go on across an entire year—Mr Gentleman talked
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